Jackie's Journey "Whose Story Is It, Anyway?"

“Grace is when God gives us good things we don’t deserve.  Mercy is when He spares us from bad things we do deserve.  Blessings are when He is generous with both.” Ralph Johnson Truly, we can never run out of reasons to thank HIM…He is good ALL the time!  “Gratitude is the memory of the heart”.

Recently, my husband shared these seven points with our family after dinner out of Romans.  All four of our oldest daughter’s college age students were packing up to move into Universities. With Covid, masks, vaccinations and the controversies surrounding on campus living, etc., it seemed appropriate to re-focus on God’s ultimate plan in the individual life.

 1.     When we were born again, we were in God’s continual cross-hairs, created to be what He has designed us to become.  The story is NOT about me, but about Him in me.  It is HIS story. 

2.     We are fearfully and wonderfully made in HIS image. Psalm 139 “We are a letter; known and read by all men” …II Cor. 3: 2-3 

 3.     Our lives have destiny and purpose that God designed specifically for each one of us individually for this exact time in history…we have an assignment.  He will, one day, hold us accountable. Rom. 3:19; Ezek. 3:18; Luke 7:23; Romans 14: 12

 4.     The Cross has the final Word.  Our declaration is to live in victory.  HIS victory, found in HIS will and HIS purpose. Rev. 2: 26

 5.     We serve at the pleasure of the King…from death to life; from darkness to light. We are commissioned servants to righteousness. Romans 6: 19

 6.     Jesus is Lord, King, Ruler, Owner… One day every knee will bow and confess HE is Lord. Romans 14:11

 7.     Our God turns ashes into beauty…Wait on the Lord…He has the last word.

 His grace is sufficient, His mercy is everlasting.  If God could close the lions mouth for Daniel; part the Red Sea for Moses; make the sun stand still for Joshua; open the prison door for Peter; put a baby in the arms of Sarah and raise Lazarus from the dead…then He can certainly take care of us, regardless of the circumstances around us!  Nothing we are facing today is too hard for HIM to handle in our life.  

Our only focus should be on the purity of our walk and

our commitment to His will and purpose…not our own!

His Story lived through us!

 Have a great week!

~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. 

Jackies Journey "That was SICK...!"

 “THAT WAS SICK…!”

It is not often that our entire family can pull away for a few days.  I’m sure you know what I am talking about. With schedules that require coordinating and lots of activities and work schedules, it is a nearly miraculous feat when a good plan finally comes together! 

Listening to the chatter, daughters and cousins laughing and planning together, watching the wonder and living in the excitement of just being together is totally worth the undertaking.  Just stepping outside our regular pursuits and taking time to heed the familiar voices more carefully and more often is an instant stress releaser and sets the tone for a time of new appreciation, reminiscing and creating new memories.

It is silent, except for the roar of the boats.  The lake is crystal clear and smooth as glass.  It’s a glorious sunny morning!  .  I see the kids and grandkids fly by in the speedboat.   My mind is flooded with gratefulness.  Everything in me wants to shout out loud… How great is our God!  And this is only the first half of the first day!  Happy hearts are healing and invigorating.  Spontaneous hugs and unprompted conversations are the reward of “stopping the truck” for a second to regroup and realign our priorities to harmonize with His.  Each evening we stop to open the Word and open our hearts to His reality in our lives. 

“Thanks Grandma for the “sick” vacation!”   WHAT?!

Who calls a great vacation SICK?  This generation does…it’s a great compliment!

Definitely…worth it all!

As moms, our lives are not always moments of noteworthy exhilaration.  More often they are days, weeks, and months of focused commitment to the task at hand.  Jungle living was an exercise of endurance at times, as the days and weeks passed into months of isolation with every moment of the day packed with non-stop responsibilities…not unlike what you may be experiencing. 

Our girls were 3 months and 3 years old when we moved into Kunaland.  Our tribe had never had missionaries living among them and there were many adjustments to be made for both of us.  “Life isn’t measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away”!  There was no lack in finding moments that took my breath away!  It was learning to relish those moments in the midst of a multitude of interruptions.  That quiet moment of discovery without the regular pursuits of daily living and ministry was often times beyond my reach.   My fear was that I would miss “the life-changing moments” in all that was going on around me!

Sitting in the hammock strung across our living room reading to my little princesses was a gift that rarely came without numerous disruptions.  The luxury of having the girls “all to myself” was more often an unfulfilled aspiration.  Learning to thoroughly enjoy my girls within the sphere of my life calling was a transitory exercise as the girls grew so fast.  Giving thanks for my girls, my circumstances, and my challenges brought those real “moments that take my breath away” into focus.

Today I face the same mayhem of life with the same challenge to stop and refocus on Him, His will and His design for my life.  Taking a quiet moment of reflection and conversation with Him allows me to step outside my regular pursuits and recognize that those moments that take my breath away are His gifts through those interruptions, wherever I am, whenever I have eyes to see them.

Will you join me in pausing long enough to focus on His heart?

Taking time to acknowledge that His interruptions

are those very moments we seek?

~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 discipling 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. 

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