Jackie's Journey "... No Retreat!"

How determined are you, mom?  How often are we called to teach our little princesses not be discouraged or be disheartened?  We say, “It’s going to be OK, no more tears”.  Maybe the job you asked them to do seems too big or they are struggling with being left out or have a sense of abandonment.  We have the opportunity to share the divine purpose from God’s point of view that will wash tears away and build a new determination.

 The character quality of determination deals with a mind-set prior to the task.  The character quality ofendurance involves the carrying out of the task.

 Solomon “determined to build…” II Chron. 2: 1

Daniel  “purposed in his heart…”Dan. 1: 8

David “determined to mourn…” II Sam.3: 35

Disciples “determined to send relief…” Acts 11: 29

Paul “determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ & Him crucified…” I Cor.2

 Determination presupposes careful consideration of the cost and requirements of the task and a decision that the task is worth whatever expenditure is necessary to accomplish it. It may be a garden in the back yard or a marriage! 

 Life consists of choices.  After a wise choice is made, determination is needed to carry it out.  Wise choices are usually challenged by difficulties and temptations. Do you persevere on tasks that are more difficult than what you expected?

 Moses chose to “suffer affliction with the children of Israel rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin…”

Esau, on the other hand, did NOT determine to protect his birthright and sold it!  Years later, he tried to recover it…but it was too late. Heb 11:25

 Do you commit to each goal and overcome any obstacle you encounter along the way or do you contemplate “giving up?” “When God is about to do something great, He starts with a difficulty.  When He is about to do something truly magnificent, he starts with an impossibility.”   Armin Gesswein  Whatever your circumstance today, determine to know He has the path that leads to His divine purpose, and walk  confidently, in the reality of His unwavering leading and directing.

DETERMINATION  IS LIKE A BOMBER PILOT PASSING THE POINT OF NO RETURN,

THEREBY CUTTING OFF THE OPTION OF RETREAT!!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Worried...Struggling...Distressed?"

A year ago, this week, the Lord called my husband Home.  Needless to say, after 60 years together, this year has been a catalyst for learning and growing.  I am blessed with an eternal relationship with a sovereign and living God who has been faithful to meet my every need.  My birthday is also this month and accepting that I will “finish the course” without Ralph at my side, holding my hand in his, leading me onward is daunting.

  In “The Princess Parable Series,” a character quality is given to each of the five princesses that  a child can identify with and will want to emulate.  Little prince and princesses discover and hopefully, embrace the contentment of Princess Joy in “Princess Joy and the Little Lost Kitten”, as they observe the blessing that comes from seeing life from God’s point of view.  Contentment is realizing that God has already providedeverything I need for my present and future happiness.(Gothard)  Finding contentment is a learned practice.

I am, at this moment, watching two magnificent large hawks peacefully gliding through the stormy and turbulent currents down the valley toward the ocean below, unincumbered with the circumstances of life and totally CONTENT.

What do they know that we don’t?

 “I (Christ) say to you…

Come to Me, look to Me…no other.  I will lead you and guide you into all truth.

Place your eyes on Me…no other is able to deliver you.  It is My name that is above all names.

You are lonely so you run “to and fro” from one activity to another and still you are lonely.

Only time with Me will fill the void.  The void is My calling you to Me.

Why do you run here and there?  Come and sit with Me.  Talk with Me. Sing with My spirit for   I am lonely for your company.  And know it or not, run or not, you are lonely, longing for Me!

You think it too hard to sit with Me, when you cannot see Me or touch Me, but I tell you: you can!

Come in the quiet of the morning before Me.  Shut out the day’s activity ahead.  Do not listen to the voice of distraction.

Come speak your heart desires, speak your pains and concerns.  See My face, I am listening.

Touch Me with your hearts-travail.  Join hands with me as I lift up your spirit when you sing beautiful praiseto Me.

Then your struggle will cease. The void will be filled continually and you will have peace…”

 Are you in distress, struggling

 in an area in your life today that needs rest?

The secret of contentment is embracing the circumstance

with a grateful heart

and then, enjoying the peace and presence of the Lord!

“True contentment is the power of getting out of any situation all that there is in it”.

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Who's the Boss?"

Here in California, we are experiencing high winds, wildfires, loss of property and wide-spread devastation.  Everyone knows someone who has been adversely affected in one way or another.  The South and Eastern United States, at the same time, are experiencing a cold-snap bringing rare wide-spread snow!  People everywhere are stressed and struggling with life situations, confronting impossible decisions.  As a Christian, there is a confidence that God has it all at hand and it has divine purpose even though it currently appears “invisible” to see.

 Though unexpected and uncommon, these phenomena are great teachers and reminders of how small we are and how little control we have in life. In “Princess Grace and the Little Lost Kitten”, Grace finds herself in harm’s way with everything out of control in the Black Forest.  In her distress, she stops and simply accepts the reality of how important she is to God and that His love, direction and protection would be her companions, regardless of her current circumstances.

 If the Lord be with us, we have no cause to fear.  His eye is on us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer…His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable. (John Newton)  In His will is our peace…’

 “The sea was beating against the rocks in huge dashing waves.  The lightning was flashing, the thunder was roaring, the wind was blowing; but the little bird was asleep in the crevice of the rock, its head serenely tucked under its wing, sound asleep.  This is peace…to be able to sleep in the storm!  In Christ, we are relaxed and at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments, and perplexities of this life.  The storm rages, but our hearts are at rest.  We have found peace…at last!” (Billy Graham)

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Warning Signs..."

We don’t know what the New Year holds, but we need to be alert. A New Year calls for a re-aligning our goals and priorities, so that the goas we set are achievable.  When you look at your family, what do you see?  What happened to the “Beaver Cleveland” household where character was a badge of ownership and attitudes and actions lined up with biblical principles?  We are in a new day that looks just like the rebellious and entitled Israelite’s in Old Testament glory days!

 In the Princess Parables, careful attention is given to the relationships in the kingdom family.  Each princess is called into accountability and her life is weighed in the balance of what is biblically accurate and right.  Obedience to the King’s loving authority is not only correct, but is willingly deferred to. It’s a fresh take on our current culture!

 What happened to the woman’s biblical “submission” to her husband as his aid and assistant (like before the fall in the Garden of Eden)?  It was, after all, God’s creation order. (I Cor. 11: 3)  The woman’s willingness was corrupted in the fall and a usurping rebellion took root.  Adam’s loving leadership was also corrupted! Hence, we struggle with the rebellion we see in us and our children.

 What do you see when you look at your little ones? How are their attitudes toward you? Can they count on you to fulfill your word? Do you admit quickly when you are wrong? How are your priorities?  What do your children read from you when you correct them? Can your children follow your example, as you walk through life?

 When our little one’s sense conflict between parents or a favoritism between siblings they feel rejected or they take up offense for one or the other parent, dividing their loyalties.  These are the seeds of rebellion.  Satan has a program of rebellion to steal, kill and destroy us and he is really busy in our families.

 The New Year comes with promise and possibilities for a year of new beginnings. Can you detect early warnings of rebellion in your life and in those you love?   Where do you go to find answers…the Internet? YouTube? Or maybe comparing with others?  Submitting to follow God’s Way through His Word and His truth should be our goal. Attempting to find a path with promise and clarity in the world’s system is foolhardy, at best. Finding God’s “creation plan” for our life and our families is a worthy goal to embrace this year…

 Will you join me?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "It's My Choice!"

“I CHOOSE”

 It’s quiet.  It’s early.  My coffee is hot.

The sky is still black.  The world is still asleep.

The day is coming.  In a few moments the day will arrive.

It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun.

The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day.

The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace

Of the human race.

The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met…agendas and schedules…

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. 

It is NOW that I must make a choice.

And so, I choose.

 I CHOOSE LOVE…

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness.  Hatred means to love less.  I will give love freely with my motive to receive NOTHING in return.  I choose love.  Today I will love God and what HE loves. (I Cor. 13:3)

 I CHOOSE JOY…

I receive JOY when I give Love away.  Joyfulness is the spontaneous enthusiasm of my spirit when I am in fellowship with God. I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.  I will see interruptions as opportunities in all the chaos around me.  I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker.  I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.  I will refuse to see any problem or situation as anything less than an opportunity to see God. I choose to get in harmony with HIM and HIS will.  (Psa. 16:11)

 I CHOOSE PEACE…

I will live forgiven.  I will forgive so that I may live.  I will allow peace to govern me today. Great peace has those who love His law and NOTHING will offend them. (Psa. 119: 165)

 I CHOOSE PATIENCE…

I will overlook the inconveniences and conflicts the day presents.  I will accept any difficult situation from GOD without giving Him a deadline to remove it.  Rather than complaining that the wait is too long or chafing at an unexpected response from someone, I will thank God for a moment to pause and for a reminder to pray.  Instead of clinching my fist at my current obligations, I will face them with gratefulness and courage. (Rom. 5:3-4)

 I CHOOSE KINDNESS…

I will be kind to the unkind because HE was treated unkindly and I deserve no less.  I will be kind to the poor because they are alone.  I will be kind to the rich because they are afraid.  I will invest whatever is necessary to heal the hurt of others. Kindness is an act. (! Jn. 3: 17)

 I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…

Nothing is won by force or coercion.  I choose to show personal care and concern in meeting the needs of others.  If I raise my voice, may it be only praise.  If I clench my fist, may it be only a prayer.  If I make a demand, may it be only of myself. Gentleness is an attitude or manner. (I Thess. 2: 7)

 I CHOOSE GOODNESS…

I will see the goodness in others when it is hard to find.  I will confess before I accuse. I will walk in humility, which is the gas tank for the other qualities.

 I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS…

Today I will keep my promises.  My spouse will not question my loyalty.  My children will never fear that their mom will not be there for them.  I will visualize God’s future in each life.  I will use difficult times to demonstrate my commitment to God and to those HE has called me to serve.  (Jn. 15:13)

 I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL…

I am a spiritual being.  After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.  I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.  I choose to be instantly obedient to the initial promptings of God’ Spirit.  I choose God-control. (Gal. 5: 24-25)

 To this I commit my day…understanding that my choice indicates that either I have ALL of them or that I have NONE of them. This is not a smorgasbord!  If I succeed, I will praise HIS Name and give thanks.  If I fail, I will seek God’s face in repentance, with the reminder to keep shorter accounts with HIM.

Will you join me?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Never Sacrifice the Permanent...!"

New Year’s Eve is tomorrow. This week brings in the New Year 2025!  Where does the time fly? I know this resonates with all of us as we attempt to fit in all the opportunities and new challenges we will be facing.  When quantifying time, there is always the “tyranny of the urgent”. 

 With “The  Princess Parables Series” and the exciting possibility of a new series for little boys around the corner, this year will be filled with time sensitive deadlines, expectations and hope for both, the present and future.

 I had never had a website, a Facebook page, Pinterest account or a Blog until January of 2015, when The Series was first released and I officially welcomed a new world of technological communication with the opening of all four at once!  With its availability came a huge responsibility to use them wisely…they can become time devouring!  

 “Our greatest danger in life is in permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important.”  Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, “Never sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.” 

 Everyone receives an equal supply of time.  The only difference between us is in the way we spend it.  Each week brings us 168 golden hours.  We spend approximately 56 hours for sleep and recuperation.  We spend approximately 28 hours for eating and personal duties.  We spend approximately 40-50 hours for earning a living.  We have 30-40 hours left to spend just as we wish.  But how do we spend them?  How many hours for recreation?  How many hours for family communication?  How many hours for the regular worship of God (devotion, fellowship, meditation, etc.)  How many hours for personal service in the name of Christ?  Will we rob God?  We can and we do! 

 Perhaps we may be very busy with good things, yet too busy for the best things.  The great question is:  Have we made wise use of our time as good stewards of Christ?

 Henry Clay Trumbull said, “Today is, for all that we know, the opportunity and occasion of our lives.  On what we do or say today may depend the success and completeness of our entire life struggle.  It is for us, therefore, to use every moment of today as if our very eternity were dependent on its words and deeds”…

 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil”.  Eph. 5: 15-16

 Let’s make our time count…

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Christmas is in TWO DAYS!"

“A blanket of powdery snow covered the castle walls.  The princess sisters found themselves in a scene right out of a fairytale.  The most remarkable winter in years has arrived.  Christmas is only a night away.  Princesses Joy, Grace, Faith, Charity and Hope are surrounded by glittering gifts, a huge Christmas tree in the parlor, sparkling candles, and a dramatic night sky with one star bigger and brighter than all the others.  A sudden rap at the door of the castle puts the kingdom on immediate alert!  Will a marauding band of outlaws ruin the princesses’ perfect Christmas Eve?”

 In two days we will set time aside to gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our seasonal book,  “A Royal Christmas to Remember” was written for your little princess to capture the true essence of why we remember the arrival of a tiny baby in a manger. 

 This is the second of our seasonal books.  Its appearance before the holiday season is perfectly timed to arrive before the Christmas crunch.  Its story is timeless, taken from Luke 12:15-21, the Parable of the” Rich Young Ruler”.  It is dedicated to the parents who strive to rescue their children from the materialistic focus of this time of year.  It is for those of you who desire to introduce your child to the person, who is the “reason for this season”…Jesus Christ.

 In Sally Clarkson’s book “Ministry of Motherhood” she wrote:

 “Children need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical worldview and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship!  They need an unwavering moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today’s storms and will guide them for the rest of their lives.  They also need to see what a real faith looks like when lived day in, day out, so they will have a pattern to follow.”

 The Princess Parables Series has been written with God’s worldview that teaches biblical character, eternal values and is designed to cultivate a desire to be a child of the true King of Kings!  The Series is bible-based on a parable taught by the greatest teacher that ever lived.  Each of the five books encompasses character-emphasized prince and princesses with eternal values targeted.  A Royal Christmas to Remember is written with these principles imposed onto every page. 

 Jeanna and I are blessed with the privilege of working together

 to make this Christmas book available to you.

We are wishing you the MERRIEST OF CHRISTMAS’

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "The Joy of Giving!"

Life is simply a stewardship, not an ownership; a trust, not a gift.  With a gift you may do as you please, but with a trust, you must give an account. (Eph. 2: 10) This is the beginning of the holiday season when we begin spending money on gifts and essentials that make this time of year delightful and challenging. Christmas, after-all, is in two weeks! 

 In The Princess Parable  Series, “The Royal Christmas to Remember” seasonal book finds our princesses pre-occupied and ecstatic about opening all their presents on Christmas morning.  Their frivolous chatter was checked by their father, the King, reminding them that giving and sharing is necessary to being a true princess. He would say, ”Be on guard against all kinds of greed, we are stewards of what we have been given”.

 John McArthur has a tape called “Mastery of Materialism”. He said, “16 out of 38 of Christs parables deal with money.  More is said in the New Testament about money than Heaven and Hell!  Five times more is said about money than prayer.  There are 500 plus verses on prayer and faith, but there are 2,000 verses dealing with money and possessions.”  Obviously, the point is the Bible has much to say about money management!

 There are four basic biblical principles of regarding money in Matthew 25: 14-30. The first is simple…God owns it all!  Hence, He has the right to whatever He wants, whenever He wants it. It’s all His and the Owner has rights and I, a steward, have only responsibility.

 A good example of this is when my daughter started driving my car.  I’m the owner; my daughter has only privilege, while I maintain all responsibility.  I can take it back for any reason, at any time. In the same way, every single possession that I have comes from His hand.  I possess much, but own nothing.

 Stewardship is the God-given resource for the accomplishment of God-given goals.  It is an active definition, not theoretical. It acknowledges God’s ownership over my possessions and His direction of my use of these resources. Not only is my “giving” decision a spiritual one, but “spending” decisions are also.  There is nothing more spiritual about giving than buying a car, taking a vacation, buying food, paying off a debt, paying taxes, paying for college…These are all uses of His resources.  The princesses learn that stewardship involves giving and it is far more rewarding than receiving!

 The second money management tenet is that God uses money as a tool to teach us, as a test of our trustworthiness and as a testimony to distinguish us from the world.  The third rule is not the amount we have but how we handle what God has entrusted to us and lastly, the fourth, is that stewardship requires faith and volitional action. “What is Christmas without sharing and giving?”, the King told his 5 princesses, as they packed up their decorations to carry them to the town to replace all that had been destroyed by a band of outlaws that Christmas Eve!

 My husband always said, “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead”.  “Lay not up…treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6: 19-21)   His point… invest in eternity! (Lu. 16: 1-9)

 There are only two weeks before Christmas!

 Our stewardship of His resources will come into full view…

 How are we doing?

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Time Robbers!"

Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving week-end?

 These are busy days, are they not?  Friends and family gathered recently for Thanksgiving  and Christmas is just around the corner, lapping at our heels!  Preparation time, tree-decorating,  meal-planning, welcoming guests… is all-consuming.

  There is a thief that is also busy and focuses on robbing us of the best. In “The Royal Christmas to Remember” book, the five princesses are busy in the kitchen preparing for their Christmas celebration, when their activity is abruptly interrupted by circumstances beyond their control. Marauders had envaded their town and the thieves were now bursting into their kitchen! What could they do?

 As busy moms, time in the Word can be lost to the immediate demands of responsibility and the whirlwind of activity around us. The thief is at our front door! Finding a “War Room” where we can read and pray, uninterrupted, is imperative to maintaining our walk.  Little things can begin to bother us and when people “bump” us, we react selfishly or inconvenienced.

 Sound familiar?

 One day away from the Word and I am aware of my desperate need and its crucial impact in my life.  Two days of letting the thief have my private time in the Word and not allowing it to dwell richly in me, and my family is intensely mindful of my desperate need! The princesses were quick to assess their priorities and act accordingly, bringing joy to their father the king. They were tested in the thickest of all that was happening around them and passed the test with flying colors.

 When tested… what is our response when:

·      We are evil spoken of

·      Our loyalty has been betrayed

·      Our will is crossed

·      We are forgotten or neglected

·      Our friends forsake us or

·      We find compromise more inviting than maintaining claimed convictions?

 Our response reveals the REAL us,

as it did our princesses.

When confronted with the “time robber”,

Are we women of conviction or double-minded ones?

(The definition of a “double-minded” person is the practice of one who is willfully in conflict with their soul (mind, will, emotions).

 Which are you?

 Choose carefully this holiday season.

Little prince and princesses are watching and learning…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "The Grace of Gratitude!"

Little princesses love Fall…my sweet niece, Catherine

 It’s that time again…and it came quicker than any year in the past!  Hobby Lobby, and everyone else, has had their fall and Christmas decorations out long before Halloween!  The Princesses Hope, Grace, Charity, Faith and Joy in their A Royal Christmas to Remember book had so many decorations they asked the king for another storehouse to keep them all!

 I love the different seasons and decorating.  Fall is one of my favorites and all that it brings with it. Thanksgiving is celebrated in the fall and it comes this week!   It screams change is coming.  Did you know that Thanksgiving is not a season?  It’s a posture of the heart…

LET’S GIVE THANKS…

• For God’s grace and f orgivenewss

• for God’s blessing in our lives

• for freedom to worship as we see fit

• for God’s promise in response to our giving

• for the modern technology which enables us to receive and share the Gospel

• for the guidance of God’s Word, the Bible

• for the work of the Holy Spirit directing our paths day-by-day

• for the sustenance, the sheter, even the clothing which we take for granted

• for strength to carry-on

• for the “hope of glory” (Colossians 1: 27)

Jeanna and I are giving thanks for each one of you

that follow along with us and

THE PRINCESS PARABLE SERIES each week.

Enjoy these days of family and friend gatherings…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.