A Very Unpolitically Correct View of a Wife-Eve

Genesis 2:15-25

 ¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

 ¹⁸ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

 ¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

   But for Adam no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

 ²³ The man said,

   “This is now bone of my bones
   and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
   for she was taken out of man.”

 ²⁴ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

 ²⁵ Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

 

Lord, help me to remember that Eve was created to fill a need for Adam that You knew he had. As I meditate on this, I must know that that I was created for my husband. The world would tell me that my husband is created to do my bidding and what ever I desire. This passage today reminds me very clearly, that I was created to be a helper for him. He was not created to be a filler of voids in my life.
Lord, show me how I can be a better helper to my husband. Show me how I can be who You have created me to be, and help me to tune out the world's view of who I am and what I should be.

 

Today:

I will remember that it is NOT all about me.
I will look for ways to better meet my husband's needs.
I will NOT listen to the propaganda that the world is selling concerning what a wife and woman should be.
I will listen to God.

 

Is there anything you need to view differently to be more like the woman God has created you to be?

 

I will chase after the heart of my husband. It was exactly what I was created to do!

 

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Post Holiday Blues? Praise the Lord!

 

It's two days after Christmas. Do you have that sad feeling? All the celebrating is done. Family and friends are leaving to go back home. (Some you may have wished wold have left before they came!)  So what do you do when everything is done and over? When you might feel alone and uncertain? Did you have a conflict over the holidays that is now unresolved and you can't stop thinking about it? 

So again the question what now?

Let's see what David says is his Psalm.

 

Psalm 103

Of David.

 ¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 ⁶ The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all the oppressed.

 ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
   his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts.

 ¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
   and his kingdom rules over all.

 ²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his bidding,
   who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
   you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the LORD, all his works
   everywhere in his dominion.

   Praise the LORD, my soul. 

We need to praise the Lord!

Even when we have to search to find a reason, Praise the Lord!

Here are just a few reasons David gives: 

He forgives all our sins!

He satisfies our desires with good things!

He renews our youth!

He works righteousness and justice for the oppressed!

He is compassionate and gracious!

He is slow to anger!

He abounds in love!

He is not the accuser!

He will not repay us for what our sins deserve!

His love for me is as high as the heavens are from the earth!

He is a compassionate father!

He understands my limitations because He formed me!

He is ruling on high right now and forever without end!

There is no reason not to praise the Lord!

The way to kick the post holiday blues?

PRAISE THE LORD!

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson 

There's a New Kid In Town

The star, the shepherds, the earthly daddy Joseph, the virgin mother, the Magi, the evil king Herod. All parts of the wonderful thing we call the Christmas story. Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, The King of Kings, and as John 1 says, the Word became flesh. God put on skin, laid in an animal trough, felt cold, hunger and pain, all out of love.
God so desired to take care of our sin problem, that he moved. He moved into a different home for 33 years.

 John 1:14

 ¹⁴The Word became flesh and blood,
      and moved into the neighborhood.
   We saw the glory with our own eyes,
      the one-of-a-kind glory,
      like Father, like Son,
   Generous inside and out,
      true from start to finish. 

(The Message)

Jesus moved into our neighborhood. 

What a reason to celebrate! A new neighbor! 

He wants not only to live in our world, our city and our neighborhood this Christmas, but He wants to move into our lives.

Into our hearts.

Into our souls.

That's why He came. Meet your neighbor today. He's generous from the inside out and true from start to finish.

Merry Christmas!

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Ponder and Treasure

Today is Christmas eve. I am thinking about what that means for me today. 

I will see a client first thing this morning. Yes, I am working on Christmas Eve, but, for my client, it is what meets his needs. 

I get to go shopping! I love the stores on Christmas Eve. I will find the grumpiest person I can in each place I am in, and my goal? To make them smile. It is my Christmas Eve  tradition. 

I will worship tonight with the Body of Christ at a Christmas Eve service. 
My children and grandchildren will gather tonight at my home to spend the night and fellowship for the night and all day tomorrow. 
 As I think on these things, I really ponder what Christmas means to me. I treasure my Lord and my family. 

And I think of Mary. I think of her heart. The heart that chose to love a baby, born of supernatural circumstances. A baby born to save the world.

How can I possibly be loved so much that God sent His Son from heaven to earth?


Everyone has a Father who loves them enough to save them from a hopeless life.


Always with me, never forsaking me, Jesus is protecting and guiding me.


Real love means forgiveness and grace.


Today I must choose to believe and live in Jesus, and choose to share the greatest gift ever, salvation!

Luke 2;19

¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

I will treasure the greatest gift ever given, forgiveness. 

I will treasure grace that is bestowed on me lavishly by God daily. 

I will treasure the relationships within the Body of Christ I have been blessed with.

I will treasure my family (yes, those are all of our stockings) and make sure I point them to the greatest, Jesus! 

These are the things I will ponder and treasure in my heart today. 

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Pain, Tears, and Hope

Christmas time is a time for celebration, joy and merriment. As we walk through this jolly time of year, there are some for whom this is a painful time of year. For those who have lost loved ones, the holidays can be painful. For those who have lost a child, it can be an excruciating holiday. 
I walk this path with many people. You see, 13 years ago today, our baby went to be with Jesus. For many years, Christmas was a source of pain, and sadness. I am thankful that I serve a God that heals hearts, for he has truly healed mine. 
As I read the Christmas story one more time, I see mothers that lost children and were in pain. All because of one man. 
 

He coveted power above all else, including life.


Executed innocent children to protect his position.


Rage and hate filled his heart.


Ordered the Magi to help him, but they chose to listen to God.


During the tragedy, God never missed a tear, but knows that pain is sometimes part of the plan.

Matthew 2:7-18

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

 ⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

 ¹³ When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

 ¹⁴ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

 ¹⁶ When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. ¹⁷ Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

 ¹⁸ “A voice is heard in Ramah,
   weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
   and refusing to be comforted,
   because they are no more.”

There were some mothers in Bethlehem who suffered a great loss. Herod was so far from God, he did not care what pain he caused to those families.

There are still people today who take life without thinking of the consequences to others. Please know that God did not miss it when Herod did it, and God does not miss your pain today.

Psalm 56:8

⁸You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book?

Hold on to Jesus. He came so that we can have hope in spite of the pain! That is why Jesus came to earth, why he was born in that manger. Why you and I can have hope!
Know that you are not alone, the Body of Christ desires to love and comfort you during this time.

If you have never had to walk through the pain of loss, maybe God is calling you to comfort someone who has, so be looking! Keep your eyes and your heart open.

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

The Magi-The Ultimate Gifts For The Ultimate Gift-Giver

It is only two days until Christmas. If you are not done with your shopping, it may be because you are looking for that "perfect"gift for someone who has everything. I am not done because I like Christmas Eve shopping. I like the crowds. I like the excitement of everyone trying to find that one "perfect" thing. 
There were some men who knew exactly what the perfect gifts should look like. Even for the One who truly had EVERYTHING.
These men are often referred to as wise men. 
I believe, in fact, that they were, very wise indeed.

 
Men who were seeking the King of Kings.


Arrived prepared to honor and worship King Jesus.


Gave extravagantly with no thought of anything in return.


Individuals who found Jesus because they were looking for Him, and knew He was coming.

Matthew 2:1-12

 ¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

 ³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

 ⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
   are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
   who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

 ⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

 ⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

These men brought gifts that have very special meanings.
The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were also prophetic, speaking of our Lord's offices of king, priest, and savior. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment anticipating His death.

Costly gifts for a humble King.
A king who would give the most costly gift to the the entire world, His life.

If you have accepted this extravagant gift, what are you giving back out of thankfulness?
Will the gifts you give this years have any eternal impact on those around you?
The best gift of all, was paid for almost 2000 years ago, and is waiting to be shared by YOU with others this Christmas season.
And there is no need to go to mall to get it.

Give the gift of Jesus this year so someone can receive true joy and the everlasting hope of eternal life!

Chasing After Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Joseph-The Husband, The Father, The Man

I am so thankful that God led me to Larry, my husband. I have been blessed with an awesome man who has taken care of me, and been a tremendous father to our children. Larry takes the job of leading our family very seriously. He knows that God will hold him accountable for our family. What a tremendous responsibility. 
Which brings to my mind this morning, Joseph. 
The man, who would be responsible for the raising of the Son of God in his home. As his daddy. The man who was to set an example, for the Son of God. 
What an awesome responsibility. 
What a man.

Just and honorable before God.

Only a simple carpenter, in love with a young girl.

Secretly wanted to handle his problem, instead of public humiliation, out of love.

Engaged to the woman who would give birth to God's son.

Prepared by angel to take Mary as his wife.


He was chosen to be the earthly father of the Son of God. 

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

 ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

 ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

 ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

 

I am thankful today for my husband. For all he is called to be by God. While I acknowledge he is not raising the Son of God, I know he has a tremendous responsibility on his shoulders.

Today, I chase after my husband's heart and show love, honor and respect for who he is, and what God has called him to be.

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson