Jackie's Journey "Earnest Influencers!"

We hear so much about “influencers” in social media…it has even become an official  title.  These are persuasive people who are passing on what has worked for them. We can be swayed for good or bad.  We can be persuaded by truth or by what appears to be sound reasoning, but will lead us astray.  How can we know the difference?

  As a former tribal missionary,  persuasiveness is convincing others to follow God’s ways because of how His ways are working in our lives and we are confident the Word of God is truth.   Influencing is helping people find out what they need and then showing them the best way to get it. Inspiring people requires a confidence in our message that matches the truth and love in our hearts. 

 We are all “influencers”… we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ. Our lives are more persuasive than our words!  We are known and read by all men…like books! II Cor. 3:2   Our attitudes are being read daily by our little prince and princesses and our influence is mighty strong. 

 Our need to communicate truth through sound reasoning and motivating our children to follow the ways of God are imperative and we cannot begin soon enough. When we talk to people, they are reading  us and asking themselves… what is in it for me and what difference does it make if I disregard the information given me?  In witnessing, the ultimate gain is Heaven and the ultimate loss is hell.

Paul was a master at persuading people to turn to Christ.  He “testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus…”Acts 28: 23  How are we inspiring others to believe in Christ,   influencing friends to join us in doing good for others in need, or in drawing the rebellious around us to clear their consciences?  We are inundated with persuasion that leads to divorce, division and unbelief. Let’s choose to intentionally influence for  good  this week…

 “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt,

 that you  will  know how you ought to answer every man.”

Colossians 4: 6

~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 "Enthusiasm Rocks!"

My Enthusiastic Granddaughter!

Do you experience emotional drain or depression by trying to act enthusiastic when you feel anything, but?  I have always associated energy with enthusiasm.  I lived with a man for 60 years that had boundless energy and his enthusiasm was outrageous and contagious! We, moms, encounter  it at our children’s soccer games as we stand and cheer them on or in an auditorium where our little princess is performing…

 In the Princess Parable Series each princess had her own source of energy (their names are Grace, Hope, Faith, Charity and Joy) that expressed itself in never-ending momentum.

Enthusiasm turns ordinary actions into extraordinary achievements. Jim Elliot wrote, ”Whoever you are, be all there.  Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”  Abraham Lincoln once said, “When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees!” Biblically speaking, enthusiasm is God’s energy in my spirit expressing itself through my mind, will and emotions. The provision HE gives for us to be “fervent in spirit”. Rom. 12:9-11

 Am I energized and inspired by God today?

If any people ought to radiate passion, joy and enthusiasm…we should!

 Then,  I guess the question is, “Why aren’t I?’ “ What should I be enthusiastic about? How do I become a zealous Influencer for good?”  Genuine enthusiasm is not something we generate on our own.  It is the harmony we have with God when our spirit is expressing the joy of our soul.  How fervent am I about the things that have eternal value?” 

 What and who do I get excited about?  Do I look for it by pursuing social media, etc.… more than the Word of God? Am I zealous toward God, His Word, prayer, good works?  Am I “exceedingly glad” when I am spoken evil of? Matt. 5: 12  Do I, like Paul,  “pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches,  in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses?” I Cor. 12: 10

 Am I an example or an excuse in my responses to life’s situations?

 Enthusiasm is the by-product of having a life purpose that is worth dying for.

~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 Touch of Compassion"

The Touch of Compassion

 When suffering is fresh, answers don’t always reach the problem where it hurts. In “A Royal Easter Story”, a seasonal book included in “The Princess Parable Series”, we find our  five princesses in a fast-moving chariot, racing five squires through the forest to the annual Easter Celebration. A fierce storm has interrupted their furious activity, and puts them in position to discover and rescue a little girl who is alone and lost.

 The teaching of the parable of the selfless and caring Good Father, who not only gives us good gifts, but answers us when we seek Him was the lesson the girls remembered their father teaching them when they stopped and reached down to pick up the little drenched and sobbing waif.

 The race was important, but not as important as the needs of this small lost child.  The life-lesson to a True Princess is that she must learn to lose her life serving others first, no… I CAN BEAT YOU…ME FIRST” attitude.  That diminutive lass opened the girl’s eyes to see the real race in life.

 “I led them with cords of human kindness.” Hosea 11:4  This means God helps, serves, leads, guides, comforts, heals, and loves through the compassion of believers. The need is great…

 What is your response when you see someone hurting?

 Sympathy is feeling sorry for people who are hurting.  Empathy is feeling pain with hurting people.  Compassion is doing something about the pain. Three men saw a wounded traveler by the side of the road.  The first one must have felt sympathy as he passed by but left him lying there.  The second might have felt empathy because he stopped and looked at him, but the third man had compassion because he stopped and helped him.

 Which one are you?

 Compassion is not a virtue.  It is a commitment.  It is not something we have or don’t have. 

It is something we choose to practice.

“But whoever has this world’s good, and sees his brother in need,

and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him,

 how can the love of God be in him.”

 I John 3:17

~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 "Is Anyone Listening?"

When you are making a decision or looking for an answer, where do you go?  The internet, social media, a trusted friend…where?  There are voices everywhere.  How can we be confident that we are listening to the right one?  

My Dad called me “Princess” all my life…he had four!  As a teenager, working at his office one summer, I was asked to drive into the airport in Los Angeles and pick him up.  It was a workday and I stood quietly waiting as the plane landed, watching carefully for my father.  Somehow, he had disembarked and I had missed him! Running to the street…he was nowhere in sight!  All I could see was a blanket of the backs of fifty business men in black suits, all carrying the same black valise, scurrying for taxis and limousines.  In my panic, I simply called out…one time…”Daddy!”.  A very tall handsome man promptly turned around to smile at me. My dad instantly knew my voice and immediately responded!

 Can we hear the voice of God like that?

How do we recognize HIS promptings when HE speaks to us?

 We can be confident that the quiet urging will be to do HIS will and will be in harmony with the Word of God.  When the “power of the godhead” walked into our lives at salvation, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit.  This HELPER is given to govern us and is one of the most important aspects to living a life in harmony with God.  We are able to discern when HE is prompting us to think, speak and act according to HIS Word.

 This small, quiet voice will warn us of temptations and if obeyed, will produce godly character in us.  When we resist the voice, it doesn’t force us, but becomes quieter and quieter. It can be quenched!  Knowing and understanding that voice is imperative to our relationship with God.

Listening for that voice when I am looking for an answer or making a decision is the difference  between a life of peace or one wrapped in chaos.

 “When we rely on organization, we get what organization can do.  When we rely on education, we get what education can do.  When we rely on eloquence, we get what eloquence can do.  But when we rely on the Holy Spirit, we get what God can do!” A.C. Dixon

 Are you listening for His voice?

 “It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers

 that his Helper is omnipotent.”

Jeremy Taylor

~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 "Pardon me...I am Not Wrong!"

Have you ever been grievously offended? 

Can you recall someone who deeply hurt you?

 With five little girls in “The Princess Parable Series”, there is always the challenge of learning how to maintain mutual respect and harmony.  In life, our pain often turns to anger, and if not dealt with, becomes  resentment and bitterness, which ultimately torments us and damages our peace and our health!  Bitterness is like leprosy.  It loses any sensation of pain.  People are then, unaware of when they are hurting themselves or others with their words, attitudes, and actions.

There is only one solution.Being able to forgive is an act of the will and “if we forgive others their offense, then God will forgive us.  If we choose not to forgive, God will not forgive us!”  Matt. 6:14-15  You may have a story of anguish…a time in the past where you felt betrayed and your heart was broken…your dreams shattered. 

True forgiveness disregards any thoughts of cynicism, retaliation or revenge. 

 How forgiving are you toward offenders?

Are there people you have not forgiven?

 The more we comprehend how much we have been forgiven, the easier it is for us to forgive others.  Forgiveness is mentioned over 120 times in the Old and New Testaments.  In reality, the offender is the instrument God is using to develop our character.  To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed on us by someone or something else.

 The offenses of others should cause us to become aware of others needs . It gives us the opportunity to allow God to heal them through us, instead of our self-protection with anger and self-pity…”woe is me”, victim mentality.  “God has a BIG eraser!”   We are commanded to forgive to maintain a clear conscience and to fellowship with our forgiving God.

 “Great peace have they that love thy law and NOTHING shall offend them.”

Psalm 119: 165

 Are you willing to forgive?

”I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul

by making me hate him.”  Booker T. Washington

~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 "You say...JOY?"

One of the five books in The Princess Parable Series is titled, “ Princess Joy’s Birthday Blessing”.  In it she finds the real meaning of her name and the blessing of knowing what true JOY is.  “Joy is not a luxury or a mere accessory in the Christian life.  It is the sign that we are really living in God’s wonderful love, and that His love satisfies us.” Andrew Murray 

 How can Joy and Sorrow exist together?  I have had one year to contemplate the answer to that question.  I can affirm that it is possible to have them at the same time because joy is an expression of the spirit, and sorrow is an expression of the soul (mind, will, emotions). 

 Do people see a bright countenance when they look at you and me?  Joyfulness is the bright spirit and radiant countenance that I have when I am in full fellowship with the Lord.(Bill Gothard)  Ralph used to ask, “What is the purpose of joy?”  Joy has no value until it is given away and the one who gives it away becomes richer.

 In the jungles of Panama, a little river otter followed one of the boys up from the river and attached himself to our families.  This little fellow made even the most mundane chores a delight, by turning everything into a playful pursuit!  He made me believe that “Our purest and noblest joys are transformed sorrows!” Alexander Maclaren

 Joy is proof to the world that God can fully satisfy the human heart!  To experience joy, we need to understand that :

§  All things come from the hand of God. He is Sovereign. (Job 1: 21; Matt. 10: 9)

§  Everything that happens to us is ultimately for our good. (Rom. 8: 28)

§  Every circumstance can build character in us. (Rom. 8: 29)

§  Trials & difficulties can teach us God’s ways.  ( Job; Psa. 119: 71)

If you are struggling with grief, as many out here in the California wildfires are, or those mourning the loss of life in the Potomac River plane crash recently, or a multitude of other heart-rending events…know that joy is yours when you surrender to Him, under His protective hands. C. S. Lewis said, “Joy is never in our power …”

~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 "... 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.