Friends Across The Years

My mind was rewinding today and thinking about a special friend of mine. A friend I was reunited with a couple of years ago.

Here is the story.

I was waiting for my husband to be moved from the OR recovery room to his regular room at the hospital. He had just had surgery on his neck. We were in the recovery room for five and a half hours because there were no rooms available.

Then God showed up. A dear friend that I have known since 1987 walked by. She works at the hospital.  It was awesome because due to our travel with different ministries, I had not seen her in eight years and had not communicated with her in five years.

She and I looked up and caught each others eyes and immediately ran into each others arms. We stood there and hugged and cried for 5 minutes. Then we caught up for the next 20. We talked some more on her break when she came up to check on my husband.

The time we had spent apart, melted instantly. It was wonderful. We had shared life over the years, raising children, ups and downs of marriage, and Jesus. We were connected at the heart level. I asked for forgiveness for neglecting our friendship.

God brought back to my attention just how important it is to have women in our lives with whom we can share, trust for advice, and grow closer to Jesus with. God did not intend for us to be alone on the journey.

I have a few ladies that are close friends. We are close enough that we can be real, and bear our hearts to one another without having to wear a mask.

Tit 2:3  Tell older women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue.
Tit 2:4  In this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands and children,
Tit 2:5  to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands' authority. Then no one can speak evil of God's word.

God wants us women to grow together, and teach each other how to chase after our husband's heart and our children's heart. But most of all, Jesus' heart.

I have committed to invest back into this friend.  I am going to nurture this friendship and the other ones I have so that we can all grow together.

Is there a friendship you need to spend some time on? Is there a new that needs to be formed?

Get busy Chasing Their Hearts!

By the way, the time difference between my husband getting a room and me finding my friend, 3 minutes.
God always has a plan!


Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson
http://www.twitter.GlendaJohnson63
womanaftergod@gmail.com

Grace, The Lessons In The Valley

March was a long time ago.

A very long time ago.

I have learned an incredible lesson over the last several months.

It has come from walking in a valley.

The cause?

Being silly enough to think I should blog on GRACE!


It seemed so right. To blog on GRACE. Logical. I have taught three woman's bible study on GRACE.
I had learned so much. After talking with many people, it became obvious that in all actuality, few people really realize what GRACE truly encompasses. So, in my excitement, I figured I would share what I had been so deeply touched by.

GRACE.

And I could have sworn I heard a whisper say, "REALLY?"

And so the journey began into the realm of really being taught what GRACE is.

I had a sin debt that I owed to God. One day He will call the debt due, and it will need to be paid in full. The problem is, the only thing that can pay that debt, is my life. In death. Oh, and may I mention, it must be a perfect spotless life to sacrifice to pay the debt. Now I am in trouble. I know my past. I know what I have done. While I might be willing to freely die to pay this sin debt, it would still not cover what I owe. Now I am in deep trouble...

This is where GRACE stepped in. Jesus, who lived a perfect, spotless, blameless life, chose to intercede on my behalf. He and God the Father and the Holy Spirit, set up a plan for Jesus to die in my place. God would accept this. What is really awesome, is that this plan, was put into effect even before I even cared who God was, or what I owed Him.

My sin debt was paid when Jesus died and then resurrected on that cross so many years ago. I did nothing to deserve it. I did nothing to earn it. I was just loved enough to be given a lavish gift far beyond anything imaginable.

I must however accept that gift. And I have. I have chose to believe and obey God, and have been covered by the blood of Christ. I, in essence, chose to unwrap the gift that has been waiting for me since before I was born.

The good news is, that everyone reading this has a gift waiting too, a gift of GRACE.

Open yours today.

Had I written this blog in March, that is where this would have ended. But, there has been 6 months of teaching in valley for me.

I did not just receive this gift of GRACE for my own salvation. GRACE is NOT just about my soul escaping an eternal separation from God. It is about how you live, act and treat other people.

I have been in a valley.
I have had a war declared on me in the last 6 months. I have done everything I can to bring peace. Learning to show GRACE while under fire has been a very painful thing. It is however, what God has called me to do.

So to end the series on GRACE, these is what I learned in the valley:

1. NO ONE has done ANYTHING to me that even comes close to what I have done to the Almighty God, the Creator of all. And yet, He shows me GRACE daily.

2. My reputation, and my motives are truly known by God. Jesus was misunderstood, falsely accused, and treated very poorly for most of His life. And yet, He chose to die to redeem those any way.

3. I am called to serve, regardless of what others may claim. My service is between Jesus and myself, no one should be able to hinder that, unless I allow them to. People claimed Jesus was wrong when he did His father's will. And yet, He did it any way, because it was what He was called to do.

4. I am called to love like Jesus, no matter what. No circumstances, no excuses, no twisting of Scripture to fit my own feelings. Jesus was attacked, spit on and beaten by the very ones He created. And yet, He said, " Father forgive them, for the know not what they do."


All of the above is GRACE. Not just to be accepted, but to impart as well. I cannot save a soul by showing GRACE, but I can lead someone to the ONE who can save their soul by showing GRACE.

It's been a long one today. Thanks for hanging in with me. I am back to blogging, so the next one won't be 6 months worth!



Chasing After Their Hearts,


Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda

Authenticity

I have been pondering the idea of authenticity for the last couple of weeks. Here are a few of the reasons why:

1. I observe people all around me that feel they have to wear a mask in order to be safely accepted in their everyday lives.

2. I see judgmental people tear others down and make it very unsafe to show who they really are.

3. I know personally those who have a great need to share what really goes in their lives but find no one with which to do this, because once again it is not safe.

And lest we in the Church, think it is not that way with us,
all of the above things are within the church body.

So what must occur so that true authenticity can occur in the Body of Christ?

That is the question that has been plaguing my heart.
As I searched the scriptures, I found two examples of what I see as true authenticity.


Let me share them with you.


The first is from John 8:3-11 in the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery.
John 8:3-11  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone
  and asked Jesus, "Teacher, we caught this woman in the act of adultery.
  In his teachings, Moses ordered us to stone women like this to death. What do you say?"
 They asked this to test him. They wanted to find a reason to bring charges against him. Jesus bent down and used his finger to write on the ground.
  When they persisted in asking him questions, he straightened up and said, "The person who is sinless should be the first to throw a stone at her."
  Then he bent down again and continued writing on the ground.
  One by one, beginning with the older men, the scribes and Pharisees left. Jesus was left alone with the woman.
  Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Where did they go? Has anyone condemned you?"
 The woman answered, "No one, sir." Jesus said, "I don't condemn you either. Go! From now on don't sin."

The woman in this account, was at a very difficult point in her life. Her dark secret was revealed. She was hopeless. Jesus was there. He knew exactly what she had done. And yet, He meets her right where she is, deals with her accusers, and then sends her on her way with the encouragement to change her life.

If you met that woman today, what character in that passage would you be most like?
Are you an accuser, looking to find fault in everyone you meet? (unsafe)
Are you like Jesus, willing to step in the gap and walk with someone to help them change their life,
regardless of the sin committed? (safe)


Only when we act like Jesus do we create a safe place for authenticity to take place and God's grace to shine.

Authenticity will only come when we start acting like Jesus.
Here is what I find;
Christ and Him alone is the only way authenticity can be reached.
If we are growing in His grace,
accomplishing His mission,
becoming more and more like Him everyday,
then we will see things with His heart,
His Love,
and extend His grace.

We will put aside
OUR opinions,
OUR judgments,
OUR need to be right,
OUR prejudices,
OUR selfishness,
OUR bitterness,
OUR right to avenge wrongs,
and OUR need to show HOW GOOD WE ARE,
to surrender to Jesus.

Can it be done?

I have only seen it twice in my own life.
Two people I can be totally authentic with.
Two people I feel TOTALLY safe with.

Tomorrow I will share the second example I found in scripture when an environment was created and true authenticity shown brightly. 

I must decide if I desire true authenticity or desire to be self-centered.  
I cannot have both.

I want to chase God's heart in this matter.

Chasing Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda

Friendship

Today a wonderful, awesome thing happened.
A God thing.

I was waiting for my husband to be moved from the OR recovery room to his regular room at the hospital. He had just had surgery on his neck. We were in the recovery room for five and a half hours because there were no rooms available.

Then God showed up. A dear friend that I have known since 1987 walked by. She works at the hospital.  It was awesome because due to our travel with different ministries, I have not seen her in eight years and have not communicated with her in five years.

She and I looked up and caught each others eyes and immediately ran into each others arms. We stood there and hugged and cried for 5 minutes. Then we caught up for the next 20. We talked some more on her break when she came up to check on my husband.

The time we had spent apart, melted instantly. It was wonderful. We had shared life over the years, raising children, ups and downs of marriage, and Jesus. We were connected at the heart level. I asked for forgiveness for neglecting our friendship.

God brought back to my attention just how important it is to have women in our lives with whom we can share, trust for advice, and grow closer to Jesus with. God did not intend for us to be alone on the journey.

I have a few ladies that are close friends. We are close enough that we can be real, and bear our hearts to one another without having to wear a mask.

Tit 2:3  Tell older women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue.
Tit 2:4  In this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands and children,
Tit 2:5  to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands' authority. Then no one can speak evil of God's word.

God wants us women to grow together, and teach each other how to chase after our husband's heart and our children's heart. But most of all, Jesus' heart.

I have committed to invest back into this friend.  I am going to nurture this friendship and the other ones I have so that we can all grow together.

Is there a friendship you need to spend some time on? Is there a new that needs to be formed?

Get busy Chasing Their Hearts!

By the way, the time difference between my husband getting a room and me finding my friend, 3 minutes.
God always has a plan!


Chasing Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson
http://www.twitter.GlendaJohnson63
womanaftergod@gmail.com