Jackie's Journey "Thorns and Thistles!"

“By His wounds we are healed”.  Isa. 53

 This Friday is Good Friday!  The cross is the center of our commemorating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  His selfless and sinless sacrifice in our place is our reason to celebrate and praise His Name.  We call the holiday Easter and for a moment in time we stop and rehearse His ultimate sacrifice…His life for ours on that thorny and thistled “old rugged cross”.  Not only did he die for us but also on the third day He rose from the dead and gave us the promise of a resurrected life after death!  

 This deliberate and divine act of love was to give our lives promise, plan and purpose.  We are destined and programmed to serve others first, not ourselves.   In our Easter release to the Princess Parable Series, “A Royal Easter Story”, we have introduced our five young knights who present a challenge that draws our young princesses into a chariot race that reveals the truth of what the cross teaches.  

 Do you live a life selflessly and sacrificially serving others?

  We cannot be consumed with a life that seeks its own and find life abundantly.  It is impossibility.  Local churches open their doors on Good Friday to give us the opportunity to take a personal account of our commitment to our first love and renew our loyalty to live as Jesus challenges us to live…Holy!  We are reminded to live serving others, as He did, with eternal values and purpose in view.

 As moms, we are dedicated to living and then, teaching the character of Christ into our little princes and princesses.  We focus on drawing their attention to the importance of serving, helping and caring for others.  That is why we find ourselves saying, “Can you comfort your little brother” or “Will you help mommy?”  Teaching by example, without excuse, is the most powerful tool in our toolbox!  We are “known and read” by these little eyes and ears.  They know if the cross is real in us, or not.  We don’t fool them, but we do confuse them when our life message does not speak the reality of Christ in us!

Are your little ones confused?

“Then said Jesus to his disciples, IF any man will come after me,

 let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Matt. 16: 24

 The cross holds the hope of humanity.  Denying self-life (our pride and selfishness in all its ugly forms)…and taking up His cross (His desires and His perfect Will for us)…  authenticates His life in us.  Living life consistently with no unconfessed sin and nothing between another person and myself enables us to follow Him.  “His crucifixion is the key; His resurrection the door…it is only by His death that we have the mandate to enter into the gates of eternal life.  His door is open always.  Christ is King.”  Isrealmore Ayivor

  “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; 

yet not I, but Christ lives in me: 

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, 

who loved me, and gave himself for me?” 

Galatians  2: 20

“There are no crown-bearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.”

Charles H. Spurgeon

~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 "Virtue??"

Ever wonder what that word means?  There’s a lot of talk out there regarding the desperate need for it in our present culture.  Can you give me a pragmatic definition for biblical virtue?  How would we go about building virtue into our princes and princesses?  And, by the way…

Are you a virtuous woman? Proverbs 31

We have been given everything we need to live a godly life.  There are no excuses for not living a life of moral excellence.  “For this very reason, we are to make every effort to add to our faith, moral excellence; and to moral excellence, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 

For IF you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  II Pet. 1: 3-9

There are 30-31 days in a month; just enough time to read a Proverb a day (written by the wisest man who has ever lived!) and finish the book each month.  If you prayed the 31 virtues (that I am about to share with you) along with the Proverb of the day, into the life of your child…just one each day…you would be well on your way to seeing God’s will placed into the heart of your child and a clearer understanding of your own position and calling as a parent.  Part of virtue is learning to build personal moral standards into your life, which will cause others to desire a more godly life.

Let’s take a look at a few…

1.     Salvation.  “Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” (Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2:10)

2.     Growth in grace. “I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 3:18)

3.     Love.  “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them.” (Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5: 2)

4.      Honesty and Integrity. “May integrity and honesty be their virtue and protection”.  (Ps. 25: 21)

5.     Self-Control. “Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do.” (I Thess. 5: 6)

6.     Love for God’s Word. “May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much more pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb.” (Ps. 19: 10)

7.     Justice. “God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do.” (Psa. 11:7, Mic. 6:8)

8.     Mercy. “May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful”(Lk. 6: 36)

9.     Respect (for self, others, authority). “Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as your Word commands.”  (I Pet. 2: 17)

10. Biblical self-esteem.  “Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.”  (Eph. 2: 10)

11. Faithfulness.  “Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts.” (Prov. 3: 3)

12. Courage.  “May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions.”  (Dt. 31: 6)

13. Purity.  “Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions. (Psa. 51: 10)

14. Kindness.  “Lord, may my children always be kind to each other and to everyone else.”  (I Thess. 5: 15

15. Generosity.  “Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age.” (I Tim. 6: 18-19)

“There is but one virtue…the eternal sacrifice of self.”  Henry George

All the virtuous character qualities in the world can be summed up in the truth of that one statement…dedicated deference living for the benefit of others.  It would make us all declarers of truth, servants, teachers, exhorters, givers and bearers of one another’s burdens.  The body of Christ would function.  The home would be filled with God.

Our children would rise up and call us blessed.  Harmony would rule!

Who doesn’t want that?

 Please look for the remaining 15 Virtues next Monday…I’ll see you then.

~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.