Jackie's Journey "The Get-Closer Quiz"

It is looking like the beginning of an interesting spring and summer with our  welcoming our freedom again to move around, albeit, with modifications.  Nonetheless, the joy of stirring about, without restraint is long-awaited and timely.

 Looking for a summer activity or a late “lockdown” 

suggestion to do with your family?

  I have a few questions you could ask your children, if you want to have some fun while sitting at the beach or B-B-Q-ing in the back-yard. I have two daughters and seven grand-children.  Questions always bring the brain into action and tickle the funny bone when the environment is casual and trusting.  For example…

 1.     If you could trade lives with someone, who would it be?

2.     What is the most enjoyable thing our family has done in the past year?

3.     What is the most precious thing you own?

4.     Do you have a dream for the future that keeps popping up?  What is it?

5.     Name your three favorite movies or bible characters.

6.     Do you believe there is life on other planets?

7.     Do you believe in eternal life?  How do you see it?

Here are a few they could ask you:

1.     If you were going to describe me to a friend, what three adjectives would you use?

2.     What was the best present I ever gave you?

3.     What did you get into trouble for when you were a kid?

4.      What makes you cry?

5.     Who was your best friend in high school?

6.     How would you describe Dad (or Mom) when you first meet him (or her)?

7.     What do you think is the meaning of success?

Does your child easily talk about his/her emotions?  What about empathy for others?  Would you describe your prince or princess as optimistic and able to comfortably handle himself or herself well in a group of  his/her own age?  Have you talked about reasonable goals for your child’s age and some thoughts on how to reach those goals?  What about their ability to wait patiently and listen attentively?

 How do you see the need of your child?

 Questions help evaluate the trust your child has in you and increases their skill to verbalize their values, point of view and what is important to them.  Being transparent and honest opens the box for an entertaining and enjoyable time together. With social media so prevalent and time consuming…conversation has become a lost art!

Scoop that prince and princess up this week 

and find a moment to “face to face” communicate

and let them experience the preciousness of 

“real” interaction over the superficial!

 “I saw tomorrow look at me from little children’s eyes and thought…

how carefully we would speak if we were really wise.”

~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 "Lockdown Lesson!"

I don’t know about you, but I am having a very profitable journey during these months of slowing my pace and listening more fervently.  I have had the opportunity to read a few books that I have wanted to pull off the shelf for years!  Time seems to turn to liquid when I am not scheduled by the hour.  I do miss the personal contact with others, but He has pulled me under his wing and decided I would listen and learn better “locked-down”. 

 A few observations…I have never realized that the angels are listening to the words I speak.  Acts 7: 53 says that the law was given by disposition of the angels.  “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”  Hebrews 1: 13, 14  If I am an heir of salvation then they are here to minister for me!  Angels are our “fellow servants, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book.” Rev. 22: 8,9 

 Angels are listening to what I say, because what I say has a tremendous effect on what they do!  

 If you give voice (pray) to that word of promise, prayer for the lost or a God-given command, the angels are listening to what you say and they will hearken to your voice. This, of course, is conditional…if you are in total agreement with God and His will, then the angel’s assignment is to make sure that what you are saying from His Word is completed.       

 KEY:   When we Pray – we are seeking an answer; we do not need to rehearse the problem!  

Praying for the salvation of other’s is always in God’s will!

 “So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth:

it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish

that which I please and it will prosper the thing where I sent it.” 

 Isa. 55:11

 Why we should pray biblically?

It’s important because:

 GOD’S DESIRE WILL LEAD TO OUR PURPOSE.

HIS PURPOSE WILL LEAD US TO HIS WILL.

HIS WILL LEAD US TO HIS WISDOM.

HIS WISDOM WILL LEAD US INTO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HIS ABUNDANT SUPPLY AND PROTECTION.

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL FILL US WITH HIS SPIRIT AND KEEP US FROM THE DEPTH OF SIN AND RUINATION.

HIS SPIRIT WILL PRODUCE ALL OF THIS IN US AND ENABLE US TO PLEASE HIM.

 WHATEVER WE SOW…WE REAP!

LISTEN, MOM’S…PRAYING BIBLICALLY IS SOWING GOD’S PURPOSE 

INTO WHAT THE 

NEXT GENERATION WILL REAP! 

I! PETER 1: 3

BUT, YOU ASK…WHY DOES IT SEEM PRAYER IS SELDOM ANSWERED?

 WE WANT GOD TO CHANGE HIS DESIRES AND BLESS OURS!

WE WANT GOD TO CONSIDER OUR PURPOSE AND MAKE IT WORK!

WE WANT GOD TO BLESS OUR WILL!

WE WANT GOD TO USE OUR WORLDLY WISDOM!

WE WANT GOD TO GIVE UP HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR OUR SELFISHNESS!

 GOD REQUIRES AN INITIAL DENIAL OF SELF, DEATH DAILY TO SELFISH DESIRES AND A DETERMINATION TO FOLLOW THE INVISIBLE GOD. LUKE 9:23

 IF THIS IS NOT OUR DAILY PRACTICE 

THEN THERE IS NO NEED TO PRAY 

FOR OUR DESIRES, WANTS AND LONGINGS.

 IT IS GOD’S RIGHT TO RULE OVER HIS PEOPLE AND HIS UNIVERSE!

~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 Trials of Covid-19!"

Just the word “trial” is troublesome and challenging! When I think of the difficulties, sufferings, distresses, worries, anxieties that we are experiencing as a nation, in our homes, on the streets and globally, I am reminded that “afflictions are but the shadow of God’s wings.” George MacDonald “  God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty.” Peter Marshall

Why God Allows Trials? (to create a greater purpose for the benefit of others.)  Daniel of the Old Testament yielded what he could not change, to be free to be used in a dynamic way:

·      Saw his family killed in Jerusalem

·      Taken captive

·      Became a eunuch

·      Submitted his pain to God

Result:  He influenced two worldwide Empires!

 Responding to Trials:

 We benefit from them or we react to them and “lock down” emotionally with:

·      Impatience

·      Fretfulness

·      Why me? Attitudes

·      Complaining

·      Rebelliouness

·       Bitterness

 We benefit if we learn to respond to trials with:

 ACCEPTANCE WITH JOY

AND THANKSGIVING = GROWTH/MATURITY

 There are Three basic Biblical Principles regarding Trials:

Ø  Trials are common; no one escapes unscathed 1 Cor. 10:13

Ø  Trials will pass I Peter 1: 6

Ø  Trials are lessons NOT to be wasted!  James 1:4 (Let endurance come to accomplish His greater purpose) Remember the biblical account of Joseph, the treasurer of Egypt?

 The Purpose of Trials

§  The pressure of trials produces faith 

§  The pressure of trials produces patience 

§  The pressure of trials produces maturity

§  The pressure of Trials produces wisdom

 How can Trials be faced with JOY?

1.     We trust God’s sovereign plan.  Rom. 8:28

2.      We know God will never give a trial too big. 1 Cor. 10:13 God carries us       with His grace.

3.     We anticipate the Eternal benefit.  Rom. 8:18; 11 Cor. 4:17

4.     We know the Holy Spirit will help us. Rom. 8: 26 The Holy Spirit will comfort and carry us.

5.     We know testing will produce Godly qualities.  Job 23:10

 How are you dealing with the trials 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 "Covid-19...Listen to the Heros!"

My husband was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne.   He doesn’t see heights. In the many jumps he made while in the Army, there was always the moment where he made the choice to walk through the door of fear and…jump!  I am no stranger to fear and the Covid-19 pandemic initially called to mind the fact that “I am no stranger to fear”.

 “Today many people are living in the bondage of fear.  In a recent study, a psychiatrist said that the greatest problems facing his patients was fear.  Afraid of Alzheimer’s, dementia, committing suicide, being alone, or afraid of heart disease, cancer, disaster, plague or death.  We are becoming a nation of fearful people.  Down through the centuries in times of trouble, temptation, trial, bereavement and crisis, God has brought courage to the hearts of those who love Him.  The Bible is crowded with assurances of God’s help and comfort in every kind of trouble which might cause fears to arise in the human heart.  Today the Christian can come to the Scriptures with full assurance that God is going to deliver the person who puts his trust and confidence in God.  Christians can look into the future with promise, hope and joy, and without fear, discouragement or despondency.”  Billy Graham

 I am not unfamiliar with fear.  However, God has faithfully proved Himself to me over and over, and my trust in His will for my life supersedes and replaces my fear with faith.  Early on in my Christian life I was forced to walk through the door of fear repeatedly, only to see it dissipate!  The statement that “God’s sovereignty and His control is either true or it’s not true.  If it’s not true, we’d better forget about God.  But if it is true and we accept God’s revelation of Himself, our faith enables us to enjoy and rest in the certainty of His providence”. Paul Little

 God’s plan and divine purpose is always wrapped in our acknowledging His walking with us through whatever it is we are facing.  He’s got it wired and it is for our best.  “This is sane, wholesome, practical, working faith: first, that it is a person’s business to do the will of God; second, that God takes on Himself the special care of that person; and third, therefore that person ought never to be afraid of anything.” George MacDonald

 We are living in a world in which God has the last word…

 “Do not fear, for I am with you; 

Do not anxiously look about you for I am your God. 

 I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

 Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41: 10

“Strength and Dignity are her clothing,

And she has no fear of the future.”

Proverbs 31: 25

~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 Unpretentious Teapot!"

“Even a small star shines brightly in the dark!”

 For a multitude of years, sixty or more, I observed this small dark black porcelain teapot with tiny violets that rested on a shelf in my mother’s kitchen.  It was certainly from another time period and had been carefully used, over and over again, but not by my mother.  Mother didn’t drink tea…only coffee.  So, what was that teapot doing in Mom’s kitchen?  It did not look fragile, but had obviously been someone’s friend for many seasons. When my mother moved, over the years, the teapot always found a visible place in her new home.  

 What was it about that uninviting, black teapot that was so special?  The gold embellishment below the lid had faded.   It looked almost out of place sitting next to the bouquet of violets splashed onto sparkling white plates that had been imported from England. Coupled with the crystal goblets and silver place settings that Mom was using now, it looked out of place.  But…there it sat…year after year…like the rhythm of time…all alone, in plain view. 

My maternal Grandmother Olivia’s Teapot

 In contrast, my mother’s oldest daughter, after returning from the mission field, loved delicate English floral teapots, collar boxes, portrait plates…I collected them, with teacups and saucers!  They could be found in every room of the house!  Many carried a memory of a person, place or time in my life.  

 Why had I never asked about that one solitary very old teapot 

that was cherished by my mother??  Why did she only have one?

 One afternoon this shy teapot became a source of conversation.  Mom had purchased a new beautiful English teapot for me and amidst my profuse expression of gratefulness, I remembered the abandoned black teapot and I finally asked where it had come from.  

 She began by telling me how beautiful that teapot was!

 My mother was raised in rural Missouri during the Depression of 1929.  There were five little siblings and they all worked hard gathering eggs, raising and killing chickens to sell at market, milking cows, churning butter, picking apples to sell, canning fruits, pickles and vegetables that they had grown together to store in the cold cellar, etc. etc.…they laughed and played, as they worked. 

 My Mother would watch, as my grandmother Olivia never stopped moving from one task to another, as long as there was light.  She had treasured memories of her petite, energetic, industrious and exhausted mother.  Ollie, she was called, would pause for a few moments to fill that little homely teapot to steal a twinkling nanosecond, catching her breath, before jumping up again to grab the last semblance of light to finish the day’s activities.  She was, finally, forced to quit working as the sun set and head toward the house to get dinner for everyone! 

 Totally unaware, at that time, of the loving commitment and diligence her mother was exerting to care for their family, the diminutive teapot had come to represent the tremendous sacrifice her parents had made to see them vigilantly live through the Depression, when people were standing in food lines because of hunger, there was no work and families were falling apart all around her.

 Suddenly, that little “star” teapot began to shine brightly and she had taken on a whole new personality… indeed, she was beautiful!  She carried an important piece of my grandmother in her presence!  From then on, I excitedly took every opportunity to catch a glimpse of that priceless teapot, every chance I got!  

 One day, years later, my mother, who was in her 90’s then,

 asked if I would like to have “her”! 

 I could hardly contain myself...!

 This little unpretentious teapot is no longer alone on a shelf, 

but proudly displayed in my home with her story… 

A treasure that my Mother and Grandmother had cherished, 

as I do now… 

Never underestimate the value of a baffling mystery.

 Watch for surprising generational blessings…

~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 "Surreptitious Scorpion!"

Before we arrived in Panama we had seen the handiwork of the Kuna Indians and were amazed at their beautiful Mola creations. They would take the jungle and its inhabitants and meticulously sew them into intricate three-layer tapestries.   We would soon discover the secrets of these pieces of art! 

Can you see the arthropods on this one?

A Typical Kuna Mola

When challenged for tribal missions the unknowns were the most difficult to adjust to…and the unknowns were many and continual.  Honestly, there were more unknowns in our jungle life than I could ever have imagined while stateside…and trust me, I thought my fear had covered everything conceivable in preparation for our missionary service!

 The word hope in the Bible is a term of certainty.  The Greek word translated “hope” in the New Testament is elpizo, which means, “to anticipate with confident expectation.”  Uncertainty and the unknown are bedfellows!  They helped develop my capacity to be a woman of hope and not despair.

 Arriving in the last frontier of Panama…the Darien Gap, I stepped over the threshold of our new home.  This dense jungle is said to be one of the last wild frontiers in the world!

 Had I not heard this before arriving??

 It was dark and wet.  The mud-packed floor was cold!  Ralph had poured one cement floor in the house and realized it was not a viable option to do more considering the number of weighty bags of cement that would have to be carried two days from Panama City by banana boat and, then, another day upriver by dugout to reach the shoreline of our village.

 Kim, our youngest daughter, was a nursing baby when we first arrived. As the months rapidly slipped away from us, we knew she would soon be crawling.  Anticipating his daughter’s first attempts, her Dad found woodcutters from Colombia to carve a wood floor from the jungle.

 He also brought in cats from Panama City to discourage the creepy crawlers, skittering mice, and flying bats in the house at night!  Kim loved the cats!  Right on cue, before the floor was finished, Kim began crawling and she was fast! She chased the cats and disappeared out of sight every chance she got!

Kim’s friends

One morning her little friends were circling our bed in a very agitated manner.  Kim was as excited as the cats and crawling right behind them!  Swiftly snatching her up into my arms, I caught a glimpse of something large moving under the bed!  I was hoping it was a bird that had lost its way…

  Not certain what had entered the house unaware, I instinctively picked up the biggest and heaviest object I had close at hand…Ralph’s size 14 Combat Boot!  With one fell swoop I smashed the largest scorpion I had ever seen.  Its crushed tail extended beyond the end of the boot!

Alertness is learning to foresee dangers and fully understand the consequences!  No problem here…I was on alert!

 This, of course, includes creepy crawlers but also being alert to the dangers of our words, actions, attitudes, and thoughts!  My thoughts could never have visualized all the variables that became my almost daily occurrence.  Being alert to what was taking place around me was a practice that became inherent in our jungle life.  

 Being watchful and prompt to meet danger or an emergency is the definition of alertness.  Learning to pay attention to the lessons God was teaching me through the experiences He was bringing my way were invaluable to my spiritual growth.  My anxiety, resistance and need to be “in control” often hindered His growing me up! 

How alert are you?

 Have those under your care experienced problems 

that should have been detected and corrected?

Are you aware of opportunities God gives you to witness 

and encourage others to grow spiritually?

What is the last problem you could have avoided 

by being alert to danger?

~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 "Final Farewell??"

Kim, my constant companion in those days…

“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

Psalm 63: 6,7,8.

 The Darien is an earthy, steamy environment of thick rainforest.  The humidity was thick enough to slice and the heat was barely bearable.  With our return to Pucuro after my major surgery came the responsibilities that we had left three months prior.  Our partners, Jay and Sue Gunsteens and their family, had gone on furlough and returned to the States. My strength had not returned and I tired very easily.  I started resting in the afternoon and within a few months I was having difficulty getting up at all.  

 Ralph had fastened a battery tape recorder to the wall above the bed so I could listen to the Book of Psalms.  They brought me great comfort as I listened to David in his distress and God’s continual deliverance.  God became my refuge and consolation in ways I had never experienced before.  The isolation from civilization, the absence of medical convenience and the sense I was dying was exchanged for finding Him more than enough to meet all my apprehension. 

 How does God meet you in a tight spot?

  The daily opening of the clinic, delivering babies in the night, homeschooling Christina, the care of toddler Kimberly, the linguistic work and the daily opportunity to share Christ… all brought profound joy.  In spite of my physical state, my circumstances brought life-lessons I would never have recognized, experienced or understood apart from this plan God had for me.

 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out,

how can you compete with horses?  If you stumble in safe country, 

how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?

Jeremiah 12: 5; Proverbs 24:10

  We kept thinking if we could just persevere a few more months we would see our Kuna family in a spiritual place where we were comfortable leaving for an extended furlough and seek medical help.  We did not want both missionary families among our tribe to be on furlough at the same time.

 The people would come and sit with me as I lay in bed.  Nangel, pictured beloow with Ralph, the village midwife, grandma, and precious new Christian came daily and I looked forward to her visit.  One day she kept saying to the other women gathered around my bed, “Purkwis tani!”.  Usually, that phrase is reserved for those who are dying.  It is translated, “Death comes!”  I remember thinking…it had been over a year since the surgery and I must look horrendously bad!  As a young mother, death seemed illusive, an impossibility…until my health failed and God began to speak to me gently, resolutely and unmistakably through His Word…

Did Nangel see something I couldn’t? 

 A few weeks later a couple on the field committee, Don and Pat Barger, came in by plane for a day visit. The look on their faces when they entered our home told me that what Nangel had said might be true!  They immediately encouraged us to leave the village with them and to take an early furlough and get medical help in the States.  I had one small round mirror interior and I had watched my face become thin and gaunt over the months, but I did not realize how tiny I was all over!

Waiting with Kim in Panama City for our flight to the states.

 I will forever be grateful for their divine intervention in our lives that day.  After a few days and friendly persuasion, we packed a few things, said our good-byes and headed to Scripps Diagnostic Hospital in the States.

 As the plane lifted into the sky, I caught a glimpse of the entire village waving to us in what Scripps confirmed could have been our final farewell!  

 Do you hear His voice daily speaking to you through Scripture? 

Gently?  Resolutely?  Unmistakably?

 Are you listening?

~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 "Who Controls You?"

Galatians 5: 16” Walk in the Spirit”

 The fruit of the spirit you manifest most, demonstrates who is controlling you!

Galatians 5: 22-23

God’s Spirit                                                   The Destroyer’s

                                 Love                                                                      Self-first

                                 Joy                                                                         Self-pity

                                 Peace                                                                    Discord

                                 Patience                                                                Anger

                                 Kindness                                                               Rude

                                 Goodness                                                             Disobedience                                         

                                 Faith                                                                      Unbelief

                                 Gentleness/Humility                                          Pride

Christ-Control                                              Sin-control

Galatians 5:16 is a command…” (You) walk in the Spirit”. 

Ephesians 5:18 is also a command … “(You) be filled with the Spirit”. 

How would you characterize your walk with God? 

      Do you live in “up and down” defeat or consistent upward victory?

 “God commands us to be filled with the Spirit; and if we aren’t filled, it’s because we are living beneath our privilege!”  (D.L. Moody) It is important to God that we understand how to walk with Him or He would not have given such direct and clear commands.  The understood “YOU” in these commands places the responsibility on us to do our part.  The provision to walk in the Spirit has been given.  We either have all of the fruit or none of the fruit of the spirit!  “Fruit” is singular”, not plural “fruits”. Gal. 5:22

We are making decisions continually in our daily walk through life.  Our choices determine our Christian walk.  The “What Now” or point of decision at the Y in the road is a moment-by-moment choice.  We either choose the destroyer and sin and lead a defeated life or we choose the fruit of the Spirit and the joyful Christian life, receiving all that is ours in Him. (Galatians 5:19-21)   

 Our choice in that moment of decision determines our course and puts one of the two Spirits in control of us!  We cannot serve two masters!

 Whose Spirit has control of your life right this minute??

 Years ago, when considering the choice at the fork in the road of my Christian life, my husband asked, 

“Jackie, what is the purpose of joy?”

 What?  What do you mean?...

 I thought it was a really good question and answered, “let me think about it a moment.”  Without that moment’s hesitation, he proceeded to go through each of the fruit with its purpose and to my amazement I found it gave new meaning to the command to maintain my “walk in the Spirit!!”

 This is what I learned that day and continue to learn daily:

 Love is for others first! “If we loved our neighbor as we love ourselves” we would have no need for any of the other fruit! (Gal.5: 14)… But we don’t!

Joy is the reward for giving love away; the spontaneous enthusiasm of my spirit when my soul is obedient to God’s instruction. (Psa. 16:11)

Peace is the absence of turmoil; it maintains harmony with God and man.

Patience is what makes accepting a difficult situation from God without giving Him a deadline to remove it… doable! (Rom.5: 3-4)

Meekness puts my energy under God’s control, when I yield my personal entitlements, rights and expectations to Him. (Psa. 62:5)  

Kindness is a gift to another to show the person’s worth. (Jn. 3:16)

Faith is the absence of doubt; facing fear and turning it into a God-given desire.  (Pro. 10:24)

Goodness is given so others can trust Him in us. His integrity and virtue.

Gentleness is magnified in the presence of pride.  It repels arrogance.

Christ-control is instant obedience to the initial promptings of God’s Spirit. (Gal. 5:24,25)

 The absence of any of these in my daily walk is a signal to me.  If I am impatient, unkind, worried, fearful, and angry or in turmoil, I know I have made a wrong choice at the point of decision.  Somewhere I sacrificed my fellowship with God!  I go back, acknowledge my wrong response or decision, confess it by name and regain my peace and all the other fruit that comes with it!

 How careful are you in your decision-making process?

 Do you guard your responses?

 Little “decision-making” children are watching and learning!

~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 "Thorns and Thistles"

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

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

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

 Do you live a life selflessly and sacrificially serving others?

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

My 101 year old sweet Mother and her Great-granddaughter, Olivia

reading “Princess Grace and the Lost Kitten.”

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

Are your little ones confused?

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

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

Matt. 16: 24

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

 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; 

yet not I, but Christ lives in me: 

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

who loved me, and gave himself for me.” 

Gal.  2: 20

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

Charles H. Spurgeon

Have a Blessed Easter from Ralph 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.