Author: Judy Glasser

Life is a journey. Sometimes I'm coasting downhill and, other times, its a tough road uphill. My journey has been straight uphill since May 19, 2016 when my son, David Glasser, who was a Phoenix Police Officer was killed in the line of duty. When my life and dreams blew apart, I only had one option - to hold on tightly to my Rock, my Father God. I have a new understanding of just how short life is and how important it is to take loving each other seriously. God is love and all love comes from him. I have seen love do supernatural things since my son was killed. I have published a book, "Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love." about my tough and painful journey since my son was killed. You can order it from Amazon or you can get an autographed copy by contacting me on messenger. I am sharing some of my experiences as a survivor of a line of duty death in MYFAMILYBLEEDSBLUE.COM. Please feel free to share these blogs with anyone you know who might find them helpful. My other blog - JOURNEYTOWARDSTHETRUTH.COM - has been a work of love for many years as I read through the Chronological Daily Bible each year and share what I hear from God when he stops me. I am inviting you to come along on one or both of my journeys. Please share as often as you'd like. Thanks so much for reading!

How Far?

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

How far away from God am I?

What about you?

Jesus had many confrontations with the Teachers of the Law while he was here on earth.  They were legalists and held the word of God over people’s heads like a hammer.

You did that wrong – Bam!!

You did that wrong – Bam!!

Jesus was all about grace and truth and many of the teachers and leaders at that time were about power and personal agendas.

Sound familiar?

So it’s very interesting to read about a positive conversation Jesus had with a Teacher of the Law the book of Mark.  The Teacher asked Jesus which of the commandments was the most important – they had over 600 at this time.  Jesus told him that loving God and loving others were the top two.

The Teacher then agreed with Jesus saying, “You are right”.  And Jesus said, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”  (Mark 12:34).

Translation – “You got this!”

In the middle of all the other Pharisees and Sadducees and Teachers of the Law who hated Jesus and wanted to kill him, here was a man who understood.  He believed that loving God and loving others were the two most important things.  Everyone around him was off track as they spent their time and energy on the less important  laws.

This teacher got it.

And I want to be like him.  As the world around me gets more and more confused, angry and judgemental, I plan to stay focused on these two things –

loving God,

and loving others.

My goal is to continually grow closer to God and live my life less and less like the messy culture swirling around me.  I’m moving closer to the Kingdom of God.

I invite you to come with me.

Thank you for your truth and guidance, Abba Father.

Children of the Light

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

“Believe in the light,”  Jesus tells us today, “while you have the light.  So you may become children of the light.” (John 12:36).

When I believed in Jesus and put my faith in him as my Savior, I became a Child of the Light because Jesus is the Light of the World.

What does it mean to be a Child of the Light?

Jesus shines his grace and love into my life every day.  He walks beside me, explaining his Word and helping me grow in my understanding of the truth.

When the darkness of the world around me presses in, his hope and strength guide me forward on the right path.  Jesus fills the emptiness inside of me and makes me whole.  He gives me a purpose to press on.  His light shines peace and power into the circumstances of my life which are painful and heartbreaking.

Jesus loves me with an unconditional love that is not found anywhere else on this earth.  I know the end of this story – Jesus has already claimed victory over sin and death – and this truth resonates with my soul.  My ‘forever home’ is not here and I’m especially thankful for that recently with all the craziness and evil and confusion going on around me.

My ‘forever home’ is in heaven.

My heart is already there.

I love you, Jesus.

How Much More

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

She knocked….

and knocked……

and knocked….

on the door of an unjust judge.  Until he gave in and gave her justice.

How much more will my Father God, who loves me, give me when I ask?

How much more does he have waiting for me when I pray and never give up?

The parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18 changed my life.  It’s the answer to the question, “What am I supposed to do?” when I’m stuck, when I’m frustrated.  What am I supposed to do when all of the wrong answers are swirling around in my head?

Now, I know.  When I’m in those situations, I remember the Persistent widow and it reminds me that God has all of the right answers.

I just need to ask.  And keep asking.  And keep asking.

I ask knowing he will answer.  I ask knowing that he will guide me in the next step.  I ask knowing that he has determined the right path for my life.  I ask because I know he has chosen me and he has great plans for me.

As I persist in seeking God…

asking….

believing….

knowing….

he always answers.  Always.  Because he loves me and only wants the best for me.

When I have something big going on – something scary – something overwhelming….I pray.

And I keep praying.

I have had some very memorable days in my life which started in despair and fear and confusion but ended in peace with a plan and a smile because God answered my 200+ prayers that day.  He didn’t change the situation.  He changed my thinking, my perspective, my goal.  He reminded me that he is in control.

When I persist in turning to God for wisdom, direction and strength he gives me all that I need and much more.

Thank you, Abba Father.

I want to be…

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

like the Samaritan Leper.

He came back to Jesus after Jesus healed him.  He came back praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.  He was one of ten lepers that Jesus healed in Luke 17 as he travelled to Jerusalem.  Jesus healed them all and this man was the only one that came back to say thank you.

Jesus had redeemed the leper’s life from pain and death.  And the leper came back to show his gratitude for what Jesus had done for him.

Jesus has done the same thing for me.   He redeemed me from hopelessness, death and eternal separation from the only source of good things in this universe – our Father God.

After reading this passage many years, ago, I decided to start all of my prayers with thanking God for who he is and what he has done for me.  I still do this today and I find it puts me in the right mindset to have great conversations with God.  He has already done so much for me – lavishing his love on me, forgiving my rebellion and self-centeredness, pouring his blessings down on me, giving me purpose and peace…..I could go on.  So starting every prayer with ‘thank you’ helps me avoid the trap of treating him like Santa Claus and going down my list of ‘prayer requests’.

For the rest of my life here on this planet, I will be like the leper who came back to say ‘thank you’.  I will live my life in gratitude to God.

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

He Speaks…..

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

and I hear him.

I can call him God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit – these are all names I use for the One True God who talks to me.

How do I hear him?

When Jesus tells us about being our good Shepherd in the book of John, he gives us the key to hearing him.  The Shepherd leads his sheep “and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:27)  When we know his voice, we know who is talking to us and we can follow.

We all have voices in our heads….how do I know it’s his voice?

I read and study the Bible regularly.  Everything he tells me has to line up with what I read in his Word, or its not his voice.  If I hear something that contradicts what I read in the Bible, I know it’s either just my own voice or, even worse, Satan is busy whispering lies into my head again.

I hear God because I’m listening.  I hear God because I am genuinely searching for the truth.  I’m not looking for scriptures that support my opinions and agenda.  I’m studying so I can know God’s opinions and agenda.

I hear him because I know his voice.

Thank you, God, for leading me and speaking to me.

 

These Mountains are Moving

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

“By your faith”.

God pointed out to me this morning how often these words came out of Jesus’ mouth when he was here on earth.  “By your faith” pops up all through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Jesus is telling you and I today that faith is what matters.  I define faith as believing in God and putting my trust in him on an hourly, daily basis – not just on Sundays.

In Matthew, the disciples tried to drive a demon out of an epileptic boy but nothing happened.  Jesus walked up, commanded the demon to leave and it immediately screeched as it left the boy. Then Jesus told the disciples that they were unable to make the demon leave because they had ‘too little faith’.  Jesus goes on to say “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move.” (Matt 17:20)

I need to be reminded of this today.  Do you need to hear this, too?  There are some mountains in my life that need to move and Jesus is telling me that, through faith in God, nothing is impossible.

I believe this.  I’ve experienced this.  I know it is true.

Dear Father, I trust that you are going to move mountains through my faith in you.  Amen.

The Wind Was Against Them

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

Sometimes it feels like everything is going against us, doesn’t it?

Our kids get sick.

Then the car breaks down.

Our boss starts driving us crazy.

Our bank balance gets down to a single digit.

And the election ends in a mess.

We worry.

We struggle.

We stress.

We forget.

You and I forget that we have the Spirit of the Lord of the Universe living inside of us when we have put our faith in him.  He has the power to handle all of our problems.  When we turn to him, he can help us stop worrying, stop struggling and stop stressing.gdtDSC_0639

This truth became more real to me 6 years ago when I had the chance to visit the Sea of Galilee.  As we sailed through the water, I thought about the stormy night when the disciples were straining at the oars of their boat while the winds of a storm battled against them.  I could visualize Jesus walking on the water out to the disciple’s boat.

The reality of the power of Jesus became even more evident to me that day.  Jesus really is in control of everything.  He really does command the sea and the winds and everything around me.

I find that I am a lot like Peter who stepped out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water and was doing great until he took his eyes off of Jesus and focused on the storm around him.  Then he started to sink just like I start to sink into worry and into anxiousness when I take my eyes off of Jesus.

Like Peter, Jesus reaches out his hand to me in my distress and says, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”  (Matt 14:31)  Then we climb into the boat together.  I am safe.  Secure. Forgiven.  Loved.

Why did I doubt?gdtDSC_0632

I have nothing to fear.  I have nothing to worry about.

There is no wind blowing against me that Jesus does not control and he loves me enough to sacrifice himself for me.

That says it all.  I just need to have faith and keep my eyes on Jesus.

Thank you, dear Jesus.

Not When We Expect It

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

I don’t understand.

While talking to the disciples about his departure from earth and his return in the future,  Jesus says, ” But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, only the Father” (Mark 13:32)

Jesus is admitting he doesn’t know when he’s coming back.

Jesus also tells us that we should always be ready for his return, “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matt 24:44)

Always be ready.

He will come back when we don’t expect him.

So why are so many people spending so much time and energy trying to drill down Revelations into a list of events so they can predict the second coming of Jesus?  I don’t get it.  Jesus said only the Father needed to know and he said we wouldn’t be expecting him when it happens.  Are we just ignoring these scriptures?

It’s obvious to me God has not made it clear when Jesus is coming back on purpose and he’s telling us it’s not going to happen when we expect it to happen.

I get it that we’d like to know when the end of the world is coming.  There were people in the New Testament that stopped working because they thought Jesus was coming back in their lifetime.  That was over 2000 years ago and it hasn’t happened yet.  Here we are again – predicting that it will happen in our lifetime.

I’ve decided  I need to be ready every day for Jesus’ return but my focus needs to remain on loving God and loving people.  That’s my purpose for still being here.  I have a responsibility to share the love and grace of God with those who haven’t put their faith in him yet.  I won’t be doing that if I’m spending my time trying to predict the end of the world.

I’m starting to think that all of this ‘end of the world’ stuff is just another strategy of the Evil One.  He’ll do anything to distract us from loving God and loving others.

I’m just not going to let him do it in my life.

My eyes are on you, Father God.

Look at the Birds

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

It’s hard not to be anxious about our world today.  We have a list of huge issues which continue to grow around us – Covid, politics, the economy, mental illness, our education system – just to name a few.

Most of these things we can’t do anything about.  They are out of our control.

So we worry.

Jesus tells us today in Matthew 6  to look at the birds.  They don’t make food or earn money for food, “yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Yes, I am more valuable.

So are you.

We are created in the image of God.  We are the best part of his creation.

I know God cares for me much more than the birds.  So why do I need to worry about Covid?  I’ll be careful but I’m leaving any fear about Covid at my Father’s feet.  He’s got this.

Look at the birds.

Why would my stomach get tied up in knots about politics and the election?  God’s in control.

Look at the birds.

God provides everything I need.  If I worry about the economy, this just indicates I need to grow my trust in God.

Look at the birds.

The only wise and logical response when I feel anxiousness growing about issues like the mental health crisis and all the other scary stuff going on is to pray about it and be confident that God is working all things out for the good of those who love him.  He promised – it’s true.

Look at the birds.

Jesus says to you and me today, “Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matt 6:27)

No.  The answer is obvious.  Worrying and anxiety are a waste of time and energy.  Let’s use this time and energy loving God and loving people.  If you ever start to forget how much God cares for you –

Look at the birds.

Thank you, Abba Father.

 

Real Friends

On By Judy GlasserIn OctoberLeave a comment

I need real friends.

You need real friends.

Real friends are people who care about us, easily forgive us and want the best for us.  They are the people in our lives who cheer us on in the good times and listen well with extra tissues ready during the bad times.

I am fortunate enough to have several real friends in my life.

These friends love me enough to speak up if I’m getting off track.  They hold me accountable for behavior that is not good for me.  They subtly (and not so subtly) ask questions about my choices when my behavior is not going to help me reach the goals they know I want to achieve.  They love me enough to speak truth into my life at the right time.

These friends also have shared this journey of faith with me.  They have walked beside me as, together, we experience the transforming power of God in our lives.  They continue to encourage  me as God molds me into the person he created me to be and they celebrate with me when I find victory in my life through my relationship with God.

They help bring me to Jesus.

This is just like the four men who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus in the second chapter of Mark.  Their friend couldn’t move, so his four friends carried him around on a mat.  They heard that this man, Jesus, was healing people – even paralyzed people – so they were determined to get their friend to Jesus.

You might think they would have been discouraged when they arrived and saw the huge crowd of people around the house that Jesus was in.  They didn’t care – this was their friend and this was going to happen….today…..right now.

So they carried their friend on his mat up to the top of the house and dug a hole in the roof right over Jesus’ head.  Then they lowered the mat down in front of Jesus.

Seeing the faith of his friends, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, ” Stand up, pick up your mat and go home.”

“And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat and walked through the stunned onlookers.”  (Mark 2: 11-12)

Jesus honored the faith of this man’s friends and healed him by the touch of his hand.

I know I have friends who need to get to Jesus.

Do you?

Are we good enough friends to help them get close enough to be touched by our Savior?

Please help us be good friends, Abba Father.