Jackie's Journey "Woman-Power!"

We have all heard and probably repeated the old adage which is the biblical proverb, “Where there is no vision, the people languish and perish”.  (Pro. 29: 18) I have been focused on the vision God has for my life since I was in college.  It wasn’t until I got to II Peter in the New Testament that I understood God has a designed vision for me that He makes available to any those of us who desire to be a godly woman, wife, mom, grandma, powerful in her influence, firm in her faith. 

 “He has given us everything we need to live a godly life…”

(So, there are no excuses for patterns of failure!)

 There are two powers in relationships given by God that dominate the world.  The first is the power of authority.  It’s not a choice, its positional.  The second is the power of influence, which is a choice.

 Which one is the greater or more powerful?

 The power of influence is the greater power because it is a choice and it chooses to have power over another person. Our family, friends and every other relationship is affected…either inspired or manipulated by our use of influence. We learn to appeal to persuade our children and others to make right choices. (Esther is a good example!) We’ve all heard of “woman-power”.  Have you ever thought about it?  The man was given the power of authority and the women the power of influence. (Gen. 16:3)

 What determines our influence?

How is our power manifested?

 For good or evil, we woman are influencing ALL THE TIME.  We are a letter and “we are known and read of all men”. (II Cor. 3: 2) Others are always watching to see the REAL us through our responses to life’s situations and our attitudes which result in actions. “The serene silent beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world, next to the might of God”. (Blaise Pascal) Holiness vanishes when you talk about it but becomes gloriously conspicuous when you live it!

 A good example (instead of a bad excuse!) is the most inspirational influence.

 What’s your vision for your family?

How are you using your power of influence

to see that vision fulfilled?

 As a basic principle, what we do in moderation our children will do in excess.

Let’s commit to using our power of influence for a life of godly influence,

 that others might speak well of Him because of us!

~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 "They Are Magic!"

My paternal grandmother and grandfather, who lived in Mound City, Missouri, would welcome every summer visit of their four little granddaughters with a silver dollar each.  “What a bargain grandchildren are! You give them your loose change, and they give us a million dollars’ worth of pleasure.” (Gene Perret) I understand this so clearly now…

 I am officially feeling the emptiness of grandchildren grown and leaving, one by one. Each departure comes so quickly; there is no shadow left to contemplate!  Where these last twenty-four years have gone is a mystery!  The fulness of “grandma life” has been nothing short of supreme joy.  My grandparents had a strong influence on me. Grandmother-grandchild relationships are simple.  Grandmas are short on criticism and long on love and patience.

 I love definitions and the one for Grandmother is “a wonderful mother with lots of practice.” As a young mother on the mission field, I never allowed myself to envision the possibility of being near my grandchildren, as they grew up.  Most seasoned missionaries found their children gone and living in the U.S. or other mission fields.  I knew nobody could do for little children what grandparents do.  They offer unique testimony, both generational and spiritual. “One generation commends God’s works to another; they tell of His mighty acts!” (Psalm 145:4)  It’s been said, “Grandparent’s sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little ones”.  In truth, it’s just the opposite…these little one’s sprinkle stardust(blessings) on us, the minute they touch us and we are never the same! Grandmas hold their hands for just a little while, but their hearts forever. 

 Hannah Whithall Smith said that “if becoming a grandmother was only a matter of choice, I should advise every one of you straight away to become one…There is no fun for old people like it!”  Becoming a grandmother is extraordinary.  “One moment you are just a mother.  The next you are all-wise and prehistoric!” (Pam Brown) Grandma’s are moms with lots of frosting!  We are “antique little girls”, after all.

 t has been a remarkable run…a distinct privilege…a high calling to have been trusted by God to be near my grandchildren from the day they were born until the day they left for Bible school, started dating seriously, got engaged, got married and now, one by one, are flying away.  I am blessed to get weekly calls, texts and videos from them.  Missing them is to be expected, but God’s presence is not dependent on any place or person, but on a determination to bank on the reality of His presence…He has been there all the time!  (Thought from Oswald Chambers)

~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 "Fairy Tale or Reality"

Since the beginning of time there has been a battle of good against evil. In our present day, we find our lives inundated with children’s books, novels, cartoons, T.V. programming and movies filled with magical fiction, romance, and fantasy with the all too predictable witchcraft and the evil, scary villain! A point in fact is the new face of this fight found in the fairy-tale princess phenomenon.

 The cry from the masses is met with a barrage of the supernatural and literary narratives brimming with dramatic imaginary story lines. This particular genre with its fairy-like spirits in ethereal, heroic and monstrous forms is captivating to children, young people and adults alike. Children are especially susceptible to its alluring charm because their worldview is literal and it speaks to their inner understanding of spiritual reality.

 We do have spiritual needs (issues of pride, anger, rebellion and selfishness, to name a few!) that are often beyond ourselves and we tend to fill the vacuum with “make-believe” to make up for the difference we feel we lack. We allow it to offer us a few moments of escape from the real battle with good prevailing, if only, momentarily.

 Most of us acknowledge the struggle and know we are going to live somewhere forever, but have little understanding of the what, when, where, why and how. The surge of fantasy-ridden books and films is an after-effect of this need and exposes a society, seemingly, without direction or defined purpose.

 From their earliest memories our little girls are swamped with a princess course that introduces them to an unreal world filled with wizardry and lacking strong moral themes with eternal values. They are asked to define love and romance by standards that are not true to life or a representation of clearly defined biblical standards. Our child is needlessly exposed to the illusion of love through the many Prince Charming’s that are so readily available to her in most story lines; however, she is not exposed to the truth of genuine love. She is caught in a quagmire of choices that offer her temporal values, but not eternal ones. Her personal identification with a fantasy character is deceiving on many levels because the charge to discern the good and evil is often obscured by wrong motives and intentions on the part of the “hero” in the story line. Often the attitude of the leading characters is questionable and the continual interjection of clairvoyance and magical fantasy is confounding. The child is left to choose from bad and really bad, instead of from good and bad. Neither choice is particularly clear, but the medium being used (book, film, cartoon, etc.) is “thought” captivating and attention binding. Both of these goals are shortsighted and not fulfilling for the long term.

 Living in a post-Christian era, we seek to carve out a more excellent and realistic milieu for our children, these little ones that are so literal and entrusted into our keeping for so short a time. We have found that Christian parents are seeking an alternative to the present princess culture trend in books and films presently available. Their main reason is that worldview influences all areas of life. Every exposure a child has (visual or auditory, etc.) is adding to their life experience and their worldview. Presently, how would you describe your child’s worldview?

 Articulating a biblical worldview within our sphere of influence is what The Princess Parables series is all about. They are written to strengthen the belief that God made our little princess special and designed her with destiny and purpose.

 The mission of The Princess Parables series is to introduce and encourage the disciplines necessary to step outside fantasy and into the magical realism and authenticity of a loving and accepting God who teaches finding contentment in serving others, not in serving oneself. Although written in fiction, each Princess story is based on fact. It teaches a specific character quality in the name of its Princess and takes the storyline from a Parable that was taught by the greatest teacher ever born. It has been specifically created to put a functional tool into the hands of young mothers (urban, suburban, rural, stay-at-home, teen moms, single moms and married moms), grandmoms, aunts, and teachers, each with a different lifestyle, but all who share a similar desire to be the very best power of influence they can be! The passion to meet the need of every person desiring to cultivate what God has programmed into her Princess potential has been a huge source of motivation and it allows parents to nurture their little ones into genuine greatness.

 The innocent imagination of a small child is a book yet to be written and images of truth, hope, loyalty, joy, grace, charity and faith are but a few of the myriad of opportunities lost when the exposure to truth is clouded and “synergized” with fantasy.

~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 Out to Take Time!"

“Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer

except that which lies outside the will of God.”

Anonymous

God has said that He will answer those prayers that are in His will. This is a dedicated Mom’s prayer for her Prince and Princess that is in the perfect will of God.  Pray with me…

 As a Mom, Lord, seeking only Your will, I come to you on behalf of the heritage You have given me, to pray for their:

Salvation -Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they will obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2: 10

Growth in Grace – I pray that they will grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3: 18

Love – Grant Lord, that my children will learn to live a life of love through the Spirit who dwells in them.  Eph. 5: 2; Gal. 5: 22

Honesty and Integrity – May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection. Psa.25: 21

Self-control – Help my children not be like many others around them, but let them be “alert and spirit-controlled” in all they do. I Thessalonians 5: 6

A Love for God’s Word – May my children grow to find Your Word “more precious than gold, than much pure gold; and sweeter than honey from the comb.”  Psa. 19: 10

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

Mercy – May my children always be merciful, as their Father in heaven is merciful”. Luke 6: 36

Respect (for self, others, authority) – Father, grant that my children may show proper respect for everyone, as your Word commands. I Peter 2: 17

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

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

A Passion for God – Lord, please instill in my children a soul with a craving for You, a heart that clings passionately to You.  Psa. 63: 8

Responsibility – Grant that my children may learn responsibility, “for each one should carry his own load”, to take responsible and not be blamers or victims.  Gal. 6: 5

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

Generosity – Grant that my children will “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

Peace, Peaceability – Father, let my children “make every effort to do what leads to peace”. Rom. 14: 19

Hope – May the God of hope grant that my children will overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 15: 13

Perseverance – Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to “run with perseverance the race marked out for (them).”  Heb. 12: 1

Humility – Lord, please cultivate in my children the ability to “show true humility toward all.” Titus 3: 2

Compassion – Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion. Col. 3: 12

Prayerfulness – Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they will learn to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Eph. 6: 18

Contentment – Father, teach my children to be grateful, “the secret of being content in any and every situation…through Him who gives (them) strength.” Philippians 4: 12-13

Faith – I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them. Lu. 17:5-6; Heb. 11: 1-40; Eph. 2: 8

A Servant Heart – Lord, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they will serve whole-heartedly “as if (they) were serving the Lord, not men.” Eph. 6: 7

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

A Willingness and Ability to Work Hard – Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, “as working for the Lord, not for men.” Col. 3: 23

Self-Discipline – Father, I pray that my children will develop self-discipline, that they will acquire “a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” Pro. 1: 3

A Heart for Missions – Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psa. 96: 3

Joy – May my children be filled “with the joy given by yielding to the Holy Spirit.” I Thess. 1: 6

Courage – May my children always “be strong and courageous” in their character and in their actions.  Deuteronomy 31: 6

 Take time this week to appeal on behalf of your heritage…

 “And Satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees.”

Anonymous

~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 "Mother's Understand Sacrifice"

Christina, my oldest daughter and my beautiful Mom

at her 101 year old birthday party…

 Love is not a passion.  It is the pulse of sacrifice”.

 This Sunday is Mother’s Day! For seventy-seven years my Mother taught me about genuine love and Motherhood. She was 101 years old when God took her home.  I watched her as she maneuvered through life.  She was strong and courageous, especially in the latter years without Daddy.  She faced life with grace each day with acceptance of God’s Hand and timing.  She had no fear of old age which is the assumption that we still have many years of life ahead of us. “The length of our days is seventy years or eighty, IF we have the strength; yet this span is but trouble and sorrow and passes quickly and then we fly away”! (Psalm 90:10)  

 She learned to be “satisfied in the morning with His unfailing love. She did not sing for joy out loud but she was clearly grateful and glad for every day.”  And she looked forward to any, or all of us coming and visiting with her as often as we could.  She was the best listener and I can remember my high school friends coming home with me to talk to her, not me!  

 She was wise… my precious Mama.  She taught me, by example, to number my days, to be deliberate with my heritage, to think generations and to see how short and quickly life passes.  I am paying attention.  So, you see…your job has been well done… 

 Thank you for leading the way, leaving a print for me to step into 

and showing me the pulse of sacrificial love…

I love you…I miss 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 "We are Survivors!"

FOR ALL THOSE BORN BEFORE 1945

 WE ARE SURVIVORS!!!...

CONSIDER THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITNESSED!

 We were born before television, before penicillin, before polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, Frisbees and the PILL.  We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ballpoint pens.  Before pantyhose, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes…and before man walked on the moon.

We got married first and then lived together.  How quaint can you be?  In our time, closets were for clothes, not for “coming out”.  Bunnies were small rabbits, and rabbits were not Volkswagons.  Designer jeans were scheming girls named Jean and having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with our cousins.

 We thought fast food was what you ate during lent, and Outer Space was the back of the Riviera Theater.  We were before house husbands, gay rights, computer dating, dual careers and commuter marriages.  We were before day-care centers, group therapy and nursing homes.  We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electronic typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt and guys wearing earrings.  For us, time-sharing meant togetherness…not computers or condominiums.  A chip meant a piece of wood.  Hardware meant hardware, and software wasn’t even a word.

Back then, “Made in Japan or China” meant junk and the term “making out” referred to how you did on your exam.  Pizzas, McDonalds and instant coffees were unheard of.  We hit the scene where there were 5 and dime stores where you bought things for five and ten cents.  Watson’s and Rite-Aid sold ice cream cones for a nickel or a dime.  For one nickel you could ride a street car, make a public phone call, buy a Pepsi or enough stamps to mail one letter and two post cards.  You could buy a new Chevy coupe for $800.00…but who could afford one?  A pity too, because gas was 11 cents a gallon!

 In our day, GRASS was mowed, COKE was a cold drink and POT was something you cooked in.  Rock Music was Grandma’s lullaby and AIDS were helpers in the Principal’s office. We were certainly not before the difference between the sexes was discovered, but we were surely before the sex change.  We made do with what we had.  And we were the last generation that was dumb enough to think you need a husband to have a baby.

 No wonder we are so confused and there is such a generation gap!

 But…WE SURVIVED… and WE THRIVED!

~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 "Does This Say It All...About Us?"

“A trouble-making woman once told John Wesley, ‘God has given me the talent of speaking my mind’.  Mr. Wesley snapped back, ‘God wouldn’t mind if you buried that talent.’”  We, women, are notorious for our chatter and a multitude of other attributes!  What we all have in common is a life being spent!  “Life is so short that the wood of the cradle rubs up tight against the marble of the tomb! Where is the life we have lost in living?” T.S. Elliot

 This could NEVER say it ALL about us, but it can put the life of “womanhood” in perspective: 

Time passes…

Life Happens…

Distance Separates…

Children Grow up…

Goals are set…

Responsibilities take hold… 

Jobs come and go…

Love waxes and wanes…

Men don’t do what we think they’re supposed to do…

Hearts break…

Parents die…

Careers end…

We grow older…

Eternity looms…

BUT

God is there…

No matter how much or little the time:

He gave us “womanhood”: mother’s, daughter’s, sister’s or girlfriend’s that are never far away…

than a needy helping hand can reach…

When we have to walk that lonesome valley and we have to walk alone, the women in our life will be on the valleys rim, cheering us on, praying for us, pulling for us, intervening on our behalf, and waiting with an open heart at the valley’s end.

 “Friends are an indispensable part of a meaningful life.  They are the ones who share the burdens and multiply our blessings.  A true friend sticks by us in our joys and sorrows.  In good times and bad, we need friends who will pray for us, listen to us, and lend a comforting hand and an understanding ear when needed.” Beverly LaHaye

 Sometimes, friends will even break the rules and walk beside us…or come in and carry us out.  Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, extended family…all bless our life!

 The world would not be the same without women and neither would you or I.  When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible “joys or sorrows” that lay ahead.  Nor did we know how much we would need each other.  God’s plan for womanhood has kept us this far and His promise to use us to bless, encourage, teach and learn from one another will sustain us, as we persevere and finish the course. 

 We do not want to be the woman who, looking back says, “it seems that we were all in the same boat with Christopher Columbus.  He didn’t know where he was going when he started.  When he got there, he didn’t know where he was, and when he got back, he didn’t know where he had been!” Alexander MacLaren

Let’s walk together…

 It is only as we develop others in life that we permanently succeed…

~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 "Habits of the Heart"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINA!

 Today is my eldest daughter’s birthday.  She was my Mother’s Day gift in May many years ago.  Christina has been the daughter every mother dreams of having.  She is a dedicated wife and mother to her four college age children and has taught them to love their grandparents.  She has allowed me to be a part of her entire life and she has enriched mine, immensely.  She is discerning and direct.  She has compassion for others that are in pain or hurting and reaches out for them.  She once picked up a mother and small child, walking alone on the side of the road, and brought them home with her!  She has given me a friendship that transcends all others. She offers me an eternal connection.

  In life, we are blessed if God gives us a few eternal-friendships…those few, that test the limits of time and last a lifetime.  You may not see the person often, maybe not for years, but there is an instant connection when you meet and it is, as if, you have never been separated by time and space.

 This is one of those tests of genuine friendship that has been put on paper,  as a reminder of the gift of just such a friend…

( A )ccepts you as you are

( B )elieves in “you”

( C )alls you just to say “Hi”

( D )oesn’t give up on you

( E )nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)

( F )orgives your mistakes

( G )ives unconditionally

( H )elps you

( I )nvites you over

( J )ust to “be” with you

( K )eeps you close at heart

( L )oves you for who you are

( M )akes a difference in your life

( N )ever judges

( O )ffers support

( P )icks you up

( Q )uiets your fears

( R )aises your spirits

( S )ays nice things about you

( T )ells you the truth when you need it

( U)nderstands you

( V )alues you

( W )alks beside you

( X )-plains things you don’t understand

( Y )ells when you won’t listen and 

( Z )aps you back to reality!

 If you have been given the gift of one of these friends…

give them a call this week and let them know

how much you appreciate their ministry in your life.

~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 Did You Say?...Yes, My Children are Important to Me!"

If there was ever a time in history 

that called for us to fall on our knees…

this is the time!

  “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; 

pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. 

 Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children.”

Lamentations 2:19

 Children…our heritage…

Does your prayer life show the value of your children?

 Years ago, a godly Nebraska friend, Ginny Steele, gave me an alphabet of character qualities with scripture that I could consistently and systematically pray into my two little Princesses. 

It has now been extended as a prayer into the lives my seven grandchildren. 

 It bears repeating…

  It began with:

1.     Alert to subtle sin and how to avoid involvement in it.  (Mark14: 36)

2.     Bold to live for Christ and share the gospel.  (Acts 4:29)

3.     Compassionate to the needs and hurts of others.  (Col. 3:12,13; 1 Jn. 3:7)

4.     Dependability even if it involves sacrifice!  (Rom. 14:12; Psa.15:4)

5.     Eagerness and Endurance to accomplish God’s best.  (Gal. 6:9)

6.     Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5: 22,23)

7.     Gentle and Generous (Lu. 6:35-38; Pro. 15: 1; 11 Cor. 9:6; 1 Thess. 2: 7)

8.     Humble enough to realize God and others are responsible for whatever achievements are attained (1 Pet. 5: 6; Jas. 4: 6) and verbally grateful!

9.     Initiative to respond without being asked.  (Psa. 87: 15,16; Rom. 12:21)

10.  Joyful because of harmony with God and others. (Psa. 97: 11,12; Pro.15: 13)

11.  Kind heart. (Hab. 3:18; 1 Peter 1: 8)

12.  Love for God, His Word and others.  (1 Jn. 4:7,8; 1Cor. 13: 3)

13.  Meekness of spirit.  (1Peter 3: 4; Psa. 62: 5)

14.  Never forsake the Lord.  (Joshua 24: 16)

15.  Obedient to God and other divinely appointed authority.  (Deut. 5:29; Rom. 2: 13; 11 Cor. 10: 5)

16.  Patience to wait on God.  (Jas. 1:2-4; Rom. 5:3,4)

17.  Quality time with God daily and Quiet spirit.  (Psa.46: 10)

1.          Quick to confess sin.    (1 Jn.1: 9; Psa. 46: 10) 

18.  Repentant heart leading to knowledge of the truth.  (Job 11: 14,15; 11 Tim. 2:25)

19.  Self-Control…a Separated Life.  (Titus 2: 11,12; Gal.5: 24,25)

20.  Truthful and Thankful with Transparent motives.   (Eph. 4:25)

21.  Unique Ability to live by faith in the Living God.  (Gal.2: 20; Eph. 2:8; 2 Cor. 5:7)

22.  Virtue (Moral Purity) of spirit and life. (1 Thess. 4: 3)

23.  Wisdom to see life from God’s point of view. (Ecc. 2: 26; Jas. 1: 5; Pro. 9:10)

24.  Exalt God in everything. (Ex. 15:2; Psa. 99:5; Isa. 25:1)

25.  Yield personal rights to God for victory over Anger. (Matt. 16:24-26; Gal. 5:24; Lu.2: 28; Titus 2: 11,12: Col. 3: 5

26.  Zero in on God’s Will daily.  (Rom. 12:2; 1 Jn. 2:17; Psa.40:8)

 Will you join me in obediently and faithfully 

praying daily for our children and grandchildren?

Your prayer life for your children demonstrates their value to you!

“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin;

pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. 

 Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children.”

Lamentations 2:19

My friend, Ginny and I

~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 Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"

♫ It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas ♬

In life we cannot anticipate what our future holds, but we know who holds the future.  In our Christmas book, “A Royal Christmas to Remember”, our 5 princesses and 5 young knights-in-the-making are blissfully busy preparing for the upcoming Christmas festivities.  Opening the castle doors over the holidays is a tradition that opens the hearts of the entire village to the real reason we celebrate Christmas. 

 In an instant all their plans are dashed when a message of imminent danger arrives at their front door! The King instantly leaves with his knights to protect their kingdom.  That real meaning of Christmas quickly comes into focus. The girls choose to seize the moment of turmoil, changing their destiny and bringing joy to their father and the whole kingdom.

 December has arrived here in California and the events and activities of the season are already in full swing.   Having our “castle doors” open to family, neighbors and friends is a tradition we welcome each year.  

 ♫ It’s truly beginning to look a lot like Christmas ♬  

 In the midst of preparations and a very busy afternoon a few years ago, I received a hushed and urgent call from Kim, my youngest daughter, who was teaching at an Elementary School a mile or so from our house.  The school had abruptly been put on “lock-down”!  There were policemen all over their campus and helicopters were swirling in circles overhead.   She was yet to be informed of the circumstances…was it a bomb threat, someone with a gun, …

WHAT…??

 Her daughter Megan Joy, my “pocket-baby”, was in the classroom next door huddled down on the floor behind locked doors and desks!  The teachers and students had been in this imposed silence and been inaccessible for almost two hours!   Frantic, my mind immediately went to the pictures of Columbine in Colorado…

Now that… was a wake-up call!  In an instant my holiday plans took second place to the more important, as my priorities slipped back into a more realistic focus.  Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, “Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate!”  No chance of that happening here.  What could I do?  Where was I needed?  When would we know my daughter and granddaughter were safe?  

 As I watched and listened to the helicopters circling, hovering overhead, my curiosity overwhelmed me.   A song that comforted me in the jungles of Panama immediately came to mind. 

 ♫ He is my hiding place,

He always fills my heart

with songs of deliverance

whenever I am afraid,

I will trust in Him … ♫   Psalm 32:7 

  “God is our strength and power and makes our way perfect.”  2 Sam. 22:33   Our sovereign God was in control and He brought His “peace that passes understanding” in the turmoil.  I began to pray to “our God of hope that He would fill Kim, with all joy and peace as she placed her trust in Him, so that she could overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!” Romans 15:13  

 This happened two weeks before Christmas Day when families gathered to rehearse and celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world.  Christians paused to praise their blessed promise and hope fulfilled in a manger bed.  Many kneeled and prayed together giving thanks for His coming, His life and His sacrificial death in our place and His glorious resurrection. 

 Are you one of these?

 Somehow… that particular Christmas 2016

 became a singularly outstanding one for our family…

 definitely… A Royal Christmas to Remember!

~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.