Jackie's Journey "Some Contagious Things are Worth Catching!"

While living deep in the Darien jungle of Panama, we occasionally were entertained by little river otters and their playful antics.  One day an orphaned otter followed one of us home.  His talented acrobatic ways won us over, as he attached himself to David, our partners teenage son. There wasn’t anywhere David went that “his hyper-active, pint-sized otter” wouldn’t shadow.  This happy creature had a joyful and adventuresome spirit.  He could slide into the river without making a splash and could stay underwater four minutes!

 I found myself observing his happy-go-lucky attitude, as he totally trusted his new master, and as he merrily went about his day.  His cheerfulness oiled the machinery of his life and he was gliding through with grace!  It was contagious and I wanted some of that oil!  Many people go through life with their soul, like the dry axle, creaking…I did not want to be one of those!

 We had been in Pucuro, our river village, for almost three years and the Kuna’s had grown accustomed to us and were spending more and more time in our house.  Before light, we would hear a friendly call from outside our screen door, “Could we trade a little oil for 2 eggs?”  Our day, then, blurred into regular activities: like washing two dozen diapers in the river after a quick breakfast of fish and rice; then, language and linguistics study. The small medical clinic had taken off, as the Kunas had come to trust us and allowed us to give T.B. injections, deliver their babies, suture their injuries, etc.  Sweeping the entire village, two times a week with large palm leaves had become routine. Christina’s Abeka home-schooling course had begun and she was thriving.  Kim was almost three and loved jungle living and life with her dog, Tinker and multiple cats (they ate the rats and vampire-bats!).

 My busy days and little sleep identified me as one of those axles that needed some of this otter’s oil of optimistic enthusiasm!  “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance…” Pro. 15: 13   “Now, listen to me (God says),because those who follow My ways are happy.”  Pro. 8:32   If I am not expressing God’s cheerfulness to those around me, I need to make a change!  If I follow HIS will and ways…the promise is, I will be optimistically contagious and walk happy, energized and with a merry heart. I’m choosing His will and ways over my own today...

 How about you?

 Enthusiasm is contagious and so is gloom!

 Which are your children and those around you catching from you??

~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 Price of Liberty"

“We hold these truths to be self-evident:  That all men created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,

that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

 We are all familiar with these words but, not so well-known, the concluding words of the Declaration of Independence reads, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred Honor.”  Fifty-six signatures of great patriots follow these profound words. These were the American heroes to the core!

 And what did they get for pledging their lives, fortunes and honor for our country?  

·      Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.

·      Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

·      Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

·      Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy.  He sold his home and property to pay his debts and died in rags.

·      Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.  He served in Congress without pay and his family was kept in hiding.  His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.

·      Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

·      At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwalls had taken over his home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire.  The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt.

·      Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.  The enemy jailed his wife and she died within a few months.

·      John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying.  Their 13 children fled for their lives.  His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste.  For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.  A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.  Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

 Such were the stories and sacrifice of the great Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.  These great men were not wild-eyed, rebellious ruffians.  They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security…but they valued liberty more!

 So… this July 4th, as we celebrate our freedoms with family and friends,

take a few minutes to silently thank these founding fathers 

who paid such a great price for America’s freedom?

 Freedom is never free!

~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 "Cosmic Treason!"

Troubled cosmos taken from my bedroom window…

Which is it, moms?  If your child came and asked you, “What is the difference between good and evil?”  How would you answer? I am the mother of two grown married daughters and the grandmother of seven; six of them, college age young people.  As parents, getting our children ready for “life” means teaching our children to distinguish between right and wrong.  In this turned upside down culture, it is imperative as they stand on the threshold of life, that they are prepared and able to discern “good and evil” to find God’s will in their life-changing decisions. 

Where is that “plumb-line”?

 The explosion of youth crime, drugs, alcoholism, domestic violence, unwed mothers, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.…can be traced back to the removal of an absolute standard of right and wrong.  Who dropped the ball?  Is it not us, moms, that will stand and be blamed for not taking God’s Law (the Ten Commandments and the understanding of the consequence of disobedience) and searing them on the hearts and minds of our children?   (It’s always mom’s fault, isn’t it?) 

 “The instances are exceedingly rare of man immediately passing over a clear marked line from virtue into declared vice and corruption.  There are middle tints and shades between two extremes; there is something uncertain on the confines of the two empires which they must pass through, and which renders the change easy and imperceptible.” Edmund Burke

 We live in a world of “gray areas”.  Compromise in our own lives validates the “acceptable sins” being introduced into the lives of our children.  In today’s world, sin is not called sin, so we don’t have to deal with it, right?  WRONG!   Our children learn that our anger (or whatever it is, that you hold on to) ….is acceptable, without consequence.  God says there is a consequence for all sin.  You can be forgiven, but you still have the consequence of the sin to deal with.  Hence, the importance of clarity to our little ones regarding “right and wrong”.  There is to be no betrayal of truth within us.

 “…Imagine Moses agreeing to take part in a panel discussion with Israel over the golden calf; or Elijah engaging in a gentlemanly dialogue with the prophets of Baal.  Or try to picture our Lord Jesus Christ seeking a meeting of minds with the Pharisees to iron out differences.”! A.W. Tozer   We are to teach an allegiance to biblical truth without compromise, regardless, if it is considered popular or not. Or if the masses have accepted it as normal, not sin.

 Sin is cosmic treason. R.C. Sproul   Billy Sunday used to say, “One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake!”  James 4: 17 is the biblical definition of sin.  “To Him who knows to do right and does not do it…to him it is sin.” Using God’s definition for sin brings truth into the light.  

Let’s not forget, moms… our children are watching, imitating, 

repeating and reproducing our “right and wrongs”!  

Let’s not betray their trust…

~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 "Have You Run with the Footmen?"

As moms, we often find ourselves overextended, fatigued and distracted.  Having the schools open again would be a reprieve from the current state of continual answerability.  We find ourselves finding comfort in conversations with others in the same circumstances.  Overloaded and feeling out-of-control…these are the words that express our position, with blame and misunderstanding, the key tones for our troubled attitude.  The very word “endurance” conjures up more “long-suffering” with constant noise and activity! How does one reconcile the given responsibilities with the “tangle” we often find ourselves in?

 “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out,

then how can you compete with horses?

If you fall down in the land of peace,

how will you do in the thicket of Jordan? Jeremiah 12: 5

 Failing to see the opportunity in our circumstances is paramount to “missing the motherhood-boat” entirely!  The sisterhood of our commission to the success of our children is a concentrated obligation with the job description written into it.  The task is hardy and we will be accountable.  The fruit of our investment and labor is known and read by all who come in contact with us and our children.  

 Frustration and failure are a part of the package.

 When the Confederate army retreated after Gettysburg, General Lee wrote: “We must expect reverses, even defeats.  They are sent to teach us wisdom and prudence, to call forth greater energies, and to prevent our falling into greater disasters…”  This is true of the individual life. There is no retreat.  We are at war for the hearts and minds of our children.  

 Thankfully, failure is the line of least persistence. Determination and perseverance are engraved on the heart of every loving and dedicated mom.  They are scripted with a call to excellence and excellence is never cheap.  It is costly. Constant care, serious preparation and continual application are required.  Excellence involves desire plus discipline plus determination.

 Let’s be found “running with the footmen” this week.

True to our calling and committed to enduring the course

for the benefit of those that will carry the banner into the next generation.

~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 "Life Unraveling!"

 “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him…Job 13:15”                               

Today we have the privilege of setting aside time to remember those who have laid down their lives for us to be able to live in the freedom that we experience daily.  I live with an army 82nd Airborne veteran and I am abundantly grateful, as we celebrate the liberties we have here in America. We need to note the sacrifice and do our part in seeing that those freedoms are not lost.  Today I was transported back to a day in the Darien jungles that brought thePanamanian Military into our remote community…

 Our village was tucked away near the Colombian border and we lived in the silence of the jungle and its peculiar sounds.   One late morning there was an unfamiliar roar in the distance.  A large military helicopter appeared and began circling our village, dropping low, looking for a place to land.  Before we knew what was happening, dust flew and the door slid open.  Men dressed in full military uniforms with machine guns jumped out and stormed into our house. Guns drawn, pointed directly at us, they began shouting commands with accusations!

 My life started unraveling before my eyes!  I quickly grabbed little Kim from her high chair and Christina came running, clutching my legs.  I reached down to reassure her, as Ralph stepped in front of us, whispering to me, “Remember, Jackie, this touched God’s hand first”.  

 We were being falsely accused of being spies for the United States and they demanded we turn over our only means of communication to the outside world…our humble two-way radio! 

I was trembling, imagining every plausible scenario of how we could be easily disposed of in the river and no one would know for months!  The truth that came surging into my consciousness was Job 13:15, “…though he slay me, yet will I hope in HIM”. 

 Still standing between the enemy and us, Ralph appeared calm and was resolutely responding in Spanish… “We are not spies from America.  We have permission from your government to bring medicine to help this isolated group of people.”  

                              How had this happened?  

What could we do?

 The next few moments stood still…their shouting gestures and my seeing no way of escape brought the verse in Job home to my heart.  I, purposefully, accepted His will, whatever that was going to be and instantly, peace prevailed.  What happened next was beyond belief!  To our utter astonishment, as abruptly as those militant soldiers arrived…they hastily, mid-sentence, without another word, turned and left!!  They did not ask for our passports or visas, nor did they take our rifles that were in plain view, hanging on the wall!  God had blinded their eyes and in an instant, redirected their path.

 In the aftermath of my processing through this current event, Ralph gave me a definition for “tribulation” that comes to mind every time I am faced with a trial and I just want it gone…no processing…just gone!  “Tribulation is God’s fastest road to maturity”.  Well… missionary life had definitely put me in the fast lane to grow up!  The more life I live, the more I realize how much growth I need!

 This is that definition in a “mathematical” formula that changed my life and the way I look at trials, inconveniences, suffering and contentment.  It goes like this:

 Trials + Acceptance of the trial with joy and thanksgiving = Growth/Maturity/Contentment

 I have two choices. I can respond to trials by:

(1) Benefitting from them! 

          The pressure of trials produces: (Jas. 1:2-4): 

§  Faith 

§  Patience

§  Perseverance

§  Maturity

§  Wisdom

§  Lacking Nothing! 

                                          OR

 (2) Reacting negatively to them emotionally, and locking down with:  Impatience, Fretfulness, Why me?, Depression, Complaining, Rebelliousness or Bitterness. 

  I choose to yield with gratefulness this morning and to recognize any form of tribulation, as a means to fulfill a greater purpose for my growth and the benefit of others.  

  What is your response? 

~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 "Can You Spot A Lie?"

What is the truth?  Have we been deceived?

“A lie has no legs; it requires other lies to support it.” Plato

 I was going through some books that I have kept since returning from the mission field and ran across a letter, written in 1976, that speaks as clearly today as it did back then.  Emerging from a year of confusion, chaos and life-lessons, I am a mom that is left astounded at the effect our family units have experienced.  As mom’s, we carry a lot of the responsibility for what goes on in our homes. Being alert is imperative and we have certainly had that opportunity these last months with our children being home with us.

 “Absorption in ease is one of the most reliable signs 

of present or impending decay.” 

Richard Weaver

 “Civilizations do not just die. Their leaders and people are first deceived; then they are destroyed.  ‘Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things (immorality, covetousness, worship of false gods, etc.) comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.’” (Eph. 5: 6)

 The deception comes in the form of ‘the lie’.  The lie was first given to Eve in the garden of Eden: ‘…ye shall be as gods, knowing (deciding for yourselves) good and evil.’  When we listen to the lie… (Gen. 3: 5)

·      It dethrones God and deifies man’s achievements.

·      It exalts human reason as supreme.

·      It trusts education and science to solve problems.

·      It believes that man is evolving into perfection.

·      It replaces God’s moral standards with situational ethics.

·      It promotes sensual pleasure and instant gratification.

·      It strives for a world utopia of prosperity and peace.

·      It makes the State the sovereign dictator over everyone.

 Do you see a pattern here?

 The tragedy is that ‘…because iniquity will abound, the love of many (Christians) will wax cold (toward God, toward their marriage partner, and toward their own sons and daughters).’ (Matt. 24: 12)

 Civilization is not destroyed because of the wickedness of unbelievers., but because of the carnality of Christians. An illustration of this is in God’s willingness to spare Sodom IF there were only 10 righteous in it! (Gen. 18: 32) This is why there is a call to rise up as one voice for our land, our God, our families and for the principles of His Word!” Bill Gothard, “Be Alert to Spiritual Danger”

“The doorstep to the temple of wisdom

 is the knowledge of our own ignorance.”

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 "Unexpected Changes!"

We have certainly experienced vacillating shifts this past year.

How well do you react to unexpected changes in life?

Have you ever thought about the collapse of time? From the days of the Lord Jesus Christ until about 1830, man could not travel any faster than a horse. In 1960, a man went into space and traveled at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour. Look how far we have come in so short a time! Sometimes when I read the papers, I think we are trying to run the Space age with horse-and-buggy moral and spiritual equipment. Technology, you see, has no morals; and with no moral restraints man will destroy himself ecologically, militarily, or in some other way. Only God can give a person moral restraints and spiritual strength. While our world is shaking and crumbling, we need to realize that one thing will NEVER change and that is God. He is the same today as He was ten million years ago, and He will be the same ten million years from today. We are like grasshoppers; we appear and hop around a bit on the earth and then we are gone.” Billy Graham

  After Solomon’s death…there was division among the people because of their rebellion against God and the kingdom was divided into the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah… (sound like any nation you know?)

  “Then godly King Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court, and he said, ‘O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens?  And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations?  Power and might are in your hand so that no one can stand against You…” II Chronicles 20: 5-9; 12b

 His prayer…Power and might are in Your hand, O God, and no one can withstand You…IF calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgement or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence and we will cry out to you in our distress and You will hear us and save us.”  He acknowledged, as we do today, that…

We have no power to face the unknown

We do not know what to do

BUT our eyes are on You, O God.

 When facing the constantly changing circumstances of life, we always have a choice.  Realizing change cannot be avoided and that it is not always comfortable or convenient is the first step.  Then understanding that God has a plan and that the fulfillment of His purpose comes when our trust is solely and confidently placed in Him alone.

 How will you deal successfully with the changes coming your way this year?

 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper

 you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer. 29:11)

 The next time you find yourself in a bad situation or are perplexed by a difficult decision, remember…

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged…

there is a greater power with us.

This battle is only the arm of the flesh, 

BUT with us is the Lord our God to help us

and to fight our battles. 

 Our confidence is in God!” (II Chronicles 32: 7-8)

…The God who NEVER CHANGES!

~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 "Broken Pieces!"

It’s a New Year!  Where are you today?  Are you struggling in your life?  What about your family?  Are you broken because of family divisions and the pain that comes from having no answers?  Is there Covid-19 confusion and fear surrounding you?  What about addiction?  Do you or someone you know need to be set free? 

 I am currently reading a book called “Hearts of Fire”.  The stories of eight women who, despite circumstances, demonstrated incredible courage, conviction and love for Jesus Christ and His church.  They were called to stand against the harshest opposition and became leaders with boldness and tenacity, refusing to shrink from the needs and opportunities that faced them, regardless of the threat.  How they responded, when “muzzled” is a lesson we, moms, could all learn from.

We know that as mothers, molding character in the lives of those that follow us is imperative.  How we respond in these days of change, learning and life-application reveals our true character.  It is being observed and will reproduce itself.  What does opposition look like and are we prepared to embrace the promise that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”? 

 “Officials in different levels of governmental authority over us have in this past troubling year done everything they can to dampen our enthusiasm and limit how we are allowed to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Ralph and I never suspected that we would ever live to see the kind of liberty and freedom being threatened here in the United States of America or that there would be a desperate need for an awakening of Conservative Americans.  We never dreamed that the American press and social media could be as biased as the press in Panama, USSR, Venezuela, or any Islamic nation. We can clearly see that government control here in the US is only going to get worse in the days ahead.” (edited and paraphrased prayer letter from Indonesian/China missionaries, Tom and Selva Kweder)

 While the world all around us, including our American culture, seems to be disintegrating before our eyes, we are called to respond with courage and boldness.  Our limitations become our opportunities.  Christians here in America have become fearful of meeting together, fearful of reading their bibles in public, fearful of reaching out to others and stating our Christian beliefs regarding moral issues (abortion, same sex marriage, immorality, and strange perversions that even our primitive people groups do not accept!).  Moms, these are being presented to our children as normal and even something they might want to consider!

 What should be our response?  Do you have an answer?  These little ones following us are listening.  They are bright-eyed and eager to learn.  Will they be prepared with truth? “Jesus said,”…see that ye be not troubled.”  We are not to be alarmed, frightened, or gripped by fear. We are to be seeing the threat and standing in the gap.   The darker the night, the brighter our light shines.” 

 Will you choose promise and opportunity 

Over fear, threats and despair?

~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 "What Part Will You Play?"

“God has a purpose for your life

And no one else can take your place.

 God possesses infinite knowledge and an awareness which is uniquely HIS.  At all times, even in the midst of any type of suffering (or turmoil), I can realize that He knows, loves, watches, understands, and more than that…HE has a purpose.” (Billy Graham) We are facing an unprecedented time in the history of our great nation and how we respond to all that is going on around us, will determine our future.

 As a young high school student, I was exposed to the possibility of what we are seeing transpiring today. I never dreamed that in my life-time these current events would find their voice in our nation, states, communities, elections, homes and latest conversations.  As confounding as it may seem or appear, there is divine purpose and explanation.  “Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

 We are standing on the threshold of a new year with all its promises and possibilities. With the lies and corruption swirling around us, we have an opportunity to be focused on the One who holds our future and to get in harmony with Him. There are two basic ideologies being tossed around and there is only one clear choice that will guarantee the future of our country and our heritage.  

My husband is a Veteran Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne.  He stood in the gap to uphold the freedoms of this nation.  America needs to “clean the swamp” and preserve the God-given nation that we proclaim as patriots!

 I’ve been reading an interesting manuscript about an “entitled and ungrateful” group of people in the book of Exodus.  They were a people close to the heart of God.  They had purpose and a leadership (Moses and Aaron) that sought to follow what God asked of them.  They were participants in some of the most dynamic miracles, ever, to date. They were rescued from the heavy hand of an Egyptian Pharaoh that bound them into slavery.  They were supplied with light by night and shade by day and given food from the sky daily.  BUT…these people were continually demanding and thankless.  They couldn’t see the God of deliverance through Moses and rebelled.  

 Remind you of any people you know?

 Our nation is a republic that must be preserved for the generations that follow us.  We are being pressed to stand up and count for righteousness. Deception and stealing our voice (our vote) is not the way.  To roll over and do nothing will not solve what is happening to us.  Our freedom is dependent on those of us who hold it dear, to stand with a leader who will give us less government control and more individual initiative.  We vote for a leader with our values, not a personality.  We vote for a man who can overcome the unwarranted and immense abuse and still keep going…strong… for our benefit and for a nation that is being threatened with tyranny on every front.  

 Our votes have been cast…BUT…not all of them counted!

Some were tossed in trash cans.  I know it and so do you.

 What’s next for us?

What part will you play?

~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 "Got Purpose?!"

A New Year!   Another Opportunity!

 When you get to the end of this year, what do you want to look back on and say you accomplished…Personally? Professionally?  Spiritually? Relationally? 

 Would you like to make this year your most successful ever?

 How fruitful would you say you were this past year?  

Did you attain the goals you set? 

 How did you do with keeping Godly priorities?

 So often we think to be successful we need a sense that we are getting more out of life…more me time, vacation time, more quality time with our children, more opportunities to develop a more mature relationship with our husbands, more exercise, less weight…”its all about me”!  We are blinded by kids’ schedules (practices, meets, tournaments, tutors, recitals, award ceremonies and more).  We live in a maze of taxi driving (pick-ups and drop-offs), carpools, careers, vacations, parties, sleepovers, play dates, fears and circumstances that keep us from seeing the clarity of our designed purpose.  We are forever seeking balance…

 This is the opposite of what God envisions for us.  We are to live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility… not as (women) who do not know the meaning and purpose of life, but those who do…making the best use of our time, despite all the evils of these days…not being vague but grasping firmly what we know to be the will of the Lord.  Ephesians 5:15-17

 Fulfillment in life is not deciding what we want to do or become,

but discovering and completing the purpose for which God made us! (Gothard)

 True success in life is measuring what we are by what we could be (always seeking His purpose and meaning of life) and what we have done by what we could have done (by His grace).   “Faithful is He who calls us who (HE) will also do it (if we get out of the way, relinquish our will and yield to His!). It is achieving the full potential God planned for us. (ATIA)  We are destined with His purpose on our life. (Col. 1:28, 29)…”its not about me”!

 Are we focused on what God is focused on or are we hastily and thoughtlessly doing our own thing?  If we have not realized our life purpose and set eternal goals for this coming year, our present priorities to reach that goal are superfluous!  Our focus is blurred by the demands of the immediate on the altar of the permanent. 

 The key to a full and rich life is determined by our commitment

to pleasing God first! The alternative is failure…and I hate failure!

 When I was a young Christian I was challenged by Betty Scott Stams declaration of purpose.  She was a missionary to China and was martyred by Communists in 1949.

 “Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Your will for my life.  I give myself, my life, my all utterly to You to be Yours forever.  Fill me and seal me with Your Holy Spirit.  Use me as You will, send me where You will, work out Your whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.”

 While at the University, I stapled that statement of purpose inside the flap of my Bible and it is still there today…a reminder of my commitment to my God, who gave His ALL for me, to “die daily”.  “If anyone would come after me (Christ), he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  Luke 9:23

 Taken from Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die (to my will, rights, ambitions, entitlements, etc.) is gain.  It has carried me through life and has been my comfort while serving in the jungles of Panama until this day…

 Where is your heart fixed?

 What is your declaration of purpose?

~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.