Tag: blessings

Great Love!

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

Do you feel it?

I do.

I see it in the gorgeous sunrise as God once again declares his faithfulness to me with the start of a new day.  I feel it in my 5 year-old grandson’s hug.  I see it in the smiles of my friends.  I feel it in the ‘love you’ from my husband of over 44 years.

It’s the great love God has lavished upon me. I love that ‘lavished’ word, don’t you?

God tells me that I am his precious child and he proves that by showing his love for me in a multitude of ways, every day. God moved in my life in big and small ways this last year. He did a miracle in the eyes of my husband after the doctors said the damage was permanent. He also somehow made a very large ice cream birthday cake for my daughter fit into my very small side-by-side freezer. God tells us to pray about everything, so I do. And he moves.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.”  1 John 3:1a

It’s very encouraging to realize that the closer I get to God, the more of his love I feel pouring out over me.  As I’ve been reading and responding to the entire Bible each year for the last 15 years, I also feel his wisdom pouring out from his Word.  More knowledge.  More understanding.

I am his child!  How much more love and wisdom and knowledge and understanding does he have available for me?

There is no limit!

As 2026 quickly approaches, I am looking forward to seeing what God has planned for this next year.  New challenges.  More love. I’m ready knowing that God is going to walk beside me every step of the way.

Impossible

On By Judy GlasserIn December2 Comments

They said it was permanent.

But they were wrong.

My husband, Dave, lost most of his sight in his right eye 11 months ago. His world became dark and filled with blobs. He couldn’t see details and had no peripheral vision. The doctors said his eye was permanently damaged from his high blood pressure. There were no pills, no shots, no procedures that would help.

So Dave lived in a fog most of 2025. Our lives changed significantly not in a good way and it looked liked it was going to stay like that.

We prayed for God’s healing daily. Our friends and family prayed for him regularly. Whenever we talked about his eyesight, my comment was, “The doctors say its permanent but it’s not permanent until God says its permanent.” And I wasn’t hearing that it was permanent from God.

Last Saturday, December 20th, Dave woke up in the morning and he could see with his right eye! He can see details, he could see faces, and he can see large print again. God has lifted the fog!!

God did what the doctors said was impossible. Of course, he did. God proved once again that nothing is impossible for him.

We are continuing to pray for my husband’s eyesight because he hasn’t gotten his peripheral sight back – yet. But the blobs are gone and he can see our smiling faces as we celebrate with him this miraculous thing that has happened!

What a great gift for us this Christmas! It’s a huge reminder that God is in total control, nothing is impossible for him, he loves us with a perfect love and he is working all things out for our good.

Knowing that, we can rest in God’s hands.

Merry Christmas!

The Best-Selling Book of all Time in the Entire World

On By Judy GlasserIn DecemberLeave a comment

“If it’s from God, you will not be able to stop these men.”

Gamaliel was a smart man.  As a religious leader, he took part in the debate about how to get rid of Peter and the other apostles after Jesus left earth and returned to heaven.  The apostles were creating a growing threat to the established religious authority.  They had be ‘dealt with’.

I can see Gamaliel now.  Frustrated by the lack of insight into what has really been going on with Jesus, he stops the debate, “Leave these men alone!  Let them go!  For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  If it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:39)

It is now over 2000 years later.

And we know the answer to Gamaliel’s question, don’t we?  Christians make up over thirty percent of the global population.  It is estimated that almost 7 billion copies of the Bible have been sold.  It’s the best-selling book of all time in the entire world.  No other book is even close.

No one has been able to stop the spread of the Gospel because it comes from God.  It is not ‘from human origin’  like all the other religions.

The Truth has come from God and his name is Jesus.

Surrounded

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

“I have a problem with anxiety.”

“I’m going to need to take an extra anxiety pill”

“I get so anxious”

“My whole family has issues with anxiety.”

I’m hearing these statements from people in the world around me and I feel like I’m surrounded by anxiousness.

Don’t get me wrong – I have moments of anxiety. Who doesn’t in our crazy culture?

But then I remember what Jesus says to me in Matthew 11:28-30. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

‘Burdened’ means ‘anxious’ to me. You and I are burdened when we start to worry about all the things we’re not in control of. We are burdened when we focus on all the negatives in our lives. We are burdened when we become afraid of the unknowns – all those terrible things that could happen to us and the people we love.

Jesus gives me rest for my soul when I listen to his voice and lay at his feet all the things that make me anxious. His yoke is easy and his burden is light because he can be trusted. He loves you and me and has promised to work it all out for our good. This includes the multitude of things that you and I worry about.

Nothing is impossible for him.

As I keep my eyes focused on Jesus each day, anxiety fades.

I want to be…

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

like the Samaritan Leper.

Jesus healed 10 lepers and “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.”  Luke 17: 15 – 16.  Jesus healed the whole group of lepers 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 made an effort to show his gratitude for what Jesus had done for him.

Jesus has done the same thing for me.   He redeemed me from hopelessness 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.

No Turning Back

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

Have you experienced a time in your life when you realized there was no turning back? You were on a path that you were going to be on for the rest of your life?

Did it feel like you were driving a stake into the ground declaring your commitment to this journey – no matter what?

I have felt that way three times in my life.

Once when I got married, the second time was when I became a mom and the third was when I put God at the top of the list of priorities for my life.

The first time was marked by a wedding celebration with friends and family. The second one included baby showers, a highly anticipated trip to the hospital, and the unbelievable joy of bringing our tiny son home for the first time.

The third time happened about 35 years ago when I was floating on an air mattress in my backyard pool all by myself listening to praise songs. As I sang along to words of the praise songs, I realized there was no turning back from giving my whole life to Christ. I had been a believer all my life but had never fully committed to putting Jesus first in my life. I had never made him Lord of my life before. But now I knew that Jesus was the only answer – he was everything I was looking for. There was nothing in life that was more important. There was nowhere else for me to go.

This memory echoes in my mind as I read the conversation Jesus had with Peter when some of his disciples were turning back and leaving him. “You do not want to leave, too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:67-69.

Good answer, Peter!

There is no turning back. Once I knew the Truth, the Truth set me free from looking any farther.

I’ve found the Light. I’ve found the Way. I’ve found the Life.

This relationship extends into eternity. There is nothing else I need.

Amen and Amen

 

Unpopular

On By Judy GlasserIn NovemberLeave a comment

“Enter through the narrow gate.” Jesus said in Matthew 7:13.

Have you ever thought about what entering through the narrow gate means?

He goes on to say, “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” verse 14.

Let’s think about this. Do I feel like I’m on the narrow road? The unpopular road? Or does my life closely resemble most of the people around me? If I’m a lot like the people around me, does that sound like the narrow road or the broad road?

Jesus is saying that you are on the broad road if you ‘fit in’ with the people around you. We can even be on the ‘popular road’ when we are surrounded by Christians because not all Christians are on the narrow road. Too many Christians are happy checking the boxes of activities that indicate they have a relationship with God. They have the busyness but they don’t have the relationship.

From my perspective, the main evidence of this is how Christians and churches are jumping on the broad road of changing God’s Word to fit their lifestyles and their own desires. God meant what he said. It’s sometimes hard to hear but that defines the narrow road.

The narrow road is different. It means making Jesus our Lord. It’s giving God top priority in our lives. It is a walk of obedience. It is a tough path that grows our perseverance. It involves a lifelong journey of being transformed and molded by God and its often not pleasant. It’s definitely not comfortable.

I think the logo of “The Chosen” is a great illustration of this. There is a large number of fish all going in a clockwise direction. But look! Every once in a while, there is a fish going counter clockwise. There are just a few. Because they are on the narrow road.

The unpopular road.

Which road are you on?

What Makes Him Happy?

On By Judy GlasserIn SeptemberLeave a comment

Being ‘good enough’ is not my goal.  Getting my act together is not my goal.  Checking all the boxes – keeping busy with ‘God’ stuff – is not my goal.

The historical account of Jesus’ baptism tells me what pleases God, what makes him happy.

I do.

If you have put your faith in Jesus, then you do, too.

When I trusted in Jesus and was redeemed by his sacrifice on the cross, I was adopted by God and became one of his precious daughters.  ‘Joint heirs with Jesus’ – as an old hymn describes it.  What Jesus did for me makes me ‘good enough’.

While reading about Jesus’ baptism, I realize a very important fact. Jesus hadn’t started his ministry yet.  He hadn’t DONE anything huge for God.  “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17.

Let’s take a moment to let that soak in, my brothers and sisters.  Jesus was God’s son and God was pleased with him – before his ministry began.  Before Jesus did any miracles.  Before he did any teaching. During this spectacular moment when all three parts of our Triune God met on earth, the only thing our Father God wanted to say was how much he loved his son, Jesus.

Accepting salvation through Jesus makes you and I children of God and, as with his son, Jesus, God is pleased with us. It’s not what anything we do, it’s all about who we are.

Feel his smile shining down on you.

Feel his unconditional love.

Feel his forgiveness for any guilt that is weighing heavy on your shoulders.

Feel his peace flow over you in a supernatural way.

Feel his strength flow through you as he walks right beside you each day.

Let his joy fill your heart today.

Don’t DO anything.  Just feel the pleasure he has as he looks at you.  He sees himself in you.  We are all created in his image, yet each one of us reflects different aspects of him – making us all uniquely his.

I am important to God.  He has made me special.

You are very important to him.  He has made you special.

And he is pleased.

Thank you, Abba Father.

What Do I Really Believe?

On By Judy GlasserIn OctoberLeave a comment

Do I really believe God loves me unconditionally?

Do I really believe God is all-powerful and that nothing is impossible for him?

Do I really believe that God wants the best for me and is working everything out for my good?

I bet some of these same thoughts and questions must have been going through Mary’s mind as the Angel Gabriel told her she was going to give birth to a son who would be a great king and whose kingdom would never end.

Mary was a virgin.  She was unmarried.

What did she really believe?  Was she willing to accept this immense, supernatural assignment for her life with the calm assurance that God would keep all of his promises to her?

Mary’s faith was strong and sure.  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered, “May your word to me be fulfilled.”  Luke 1:38.

Right answer, Mary!

Does Mary’s response to God challenge you?  It definitely challenges me.

God has given me an extremely painful road to travel following the death of my son, David Glasser, a Phoenix Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty May 18, 2016.

It’s a very dark, grief-filled road with lots of hazards.

Do I believe that God can work even this evil and horrible event out for my good?  That’s a tough question.

After many conversations with God,  my answer is yes.

But the good that will come from this will be based on God’s point of view, not mine.   You can probably imagine my perspective – I want my son, Davey, to still be here on earth, living less than 2 miles from me, dropping by later with his son to pick up my husband so they can all go to Home Depot like they used to do at least once a week.

That will never happen again.

God’s perspective is focused on eternity and he is teaching me some lessons I never wanted to learn about focusing myself on eternity as well.  I am realizing that people getting the chance to hear the messages of Davey’s legacy of love is a win for God because Davey loved God and shared his faith regularly.  The opportunities we are getting to share God’s love with others because of what happened to us is a win for God.  Any chance I get to tell my story of God’s faithfulness to me and to my family through this tragedy is a win for God.  A book I published a book on Amazon with the rest of this story, “Then I Looked Up: Losing a Child, Finding His Legacy of Love”, is a win for God.

As long as God is winning – I’m good.  I’ll submit.  I’ll trust.

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Luke 1: 46 – 47.

Dark Is Not the Opposite of Light

On By Judy GlasserIn OctoberLeave a comment

Wow, this is a dark time in our country, isn’t it?

Disrespect, discord, distrust, disgruntled, discrimination, discontented, discouraged. The ‘dis-es’ are one of the biggest pandemics infecting our culture today.

Do you find it hard not to get sucked into the darkness?

I do.

Until…

I look to the Light.

Love, peace, forgiveness and strength come from the Light and his name is Jesus. When I focus on Jesus, the darkness fades away. Have you tried focusing on Jesus when the darkness overwhelms you?

There are times that I forget darkness is not the opposite of light, it is the absence of light. When I let the Light of the World fill my mind and heart, the darkness is pushed away. Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

It can be very hard to focus on Jesus in the blackest part of the night when worries and fear creep in.  I have learned to fill my mind with praise songs when the worrying starts and the darkness threatens. Remember – darkness is the absence of light. When I let the words and the melodies of some of my favorite praise songs repeat over and over in my mind, my thoughts become filled with the Light. It doesn’t take very long before my fears and concerns are replaced by reminders of Jesus’ love and care for me. He brings peace and security…..

and sleep.

Go ahead and try it.

His Light shines in the darkness.