Jackie's Journey "Courageous...I Am Not!"

Once upon a time there was a family that found themselves in the middle of a huge lake on a 75’ Houseboat with six bedrooms; three bathrooms and a massive open kitchen/dining/living room with a Jacuzzi and water slide on the second story!  Sounds outstanding, doesn’t it? This adventure was going to be “above and beyond” with all the comfort and convenience.  They could have moved in permanently!

We had arrived the evening before and boarded just in time to load our things and find a place to fall asleep.  Some slept on the upstairs deck watching shooting stars, while others found comfy bedrooms.  The next morning, we headed out onto the lake.

 Ralph, my husband, Philip, my son-in-law, and I took the houseboat and everyone else loaded into the Ski boat to find a place to moor both boats for the week.  We got a late start and headed in the direction of a specific cove that had been given to us on a map because we were so large it would give us the best protection from the elements (winds, storms!) that we were warned “popped up unexpectantly”.

We found the cove, but passed the entry and began the long circle to turn round…we missed it again…!  We were, by the way, driving a house against the current!  The sun was beginning to slip behind the mountains.  Darkness was now pressing in on us.  We needed to find our destination and adding apprehension to my new set of unknowns…we, somehow, had gotten separated from the Ski boat!  The wind was kicking up (the unexpected element??) and visibility was now limited. We desperately needed both boats anchored on the only sandbar that would meet the need we had for our floating ARK!

 I would like to think that I am a relatively adventurous person.   After all, I had taken our two-year-old daughter and delivered our second child in a foreign country as a young missionary. I left the familiar and comfortable to live among an unreached tribe in the middle of a remote jungle.  When there was no one to suture a machete wound, deliver a baby, set broken limbs and give T.B. injections…I, with trepidation, stepped up to the plate!  So, I must be a little brave…right?

 Courage is the strength from God that enables us to endure any circumstance, trial, or danger with gratefulness, understanding His Sovereign will.  It is demonstrating the confidence that harmonizing with God’s calling and will brings ultimate blessing and victory, regardless of the present circumstances or opposition.

 “Be strong and of good courage,

fear not, nor be afraid; for the Lord your God goes with you;

 He will not fail, nor forsake you.”

Deut. 31: 6

 Would we find this one small sandbar to secure this massive vessel before the pitch-black night swallows us up…or would we succumb to the howling windstorm in front of us…?

 The darkness was fast approaching.  The lake was choppy and our “Ark “was beginning to roll.  In my distraction, I could hear our Ski boat in the distance approaching us!  God miraculously guided us into the exact place on the map that was the only “secure” spot on the backside of this sandbar!  My grandsons jumped off and took the iron stakes, crossed them and anchored them deep into the sandbar. Hastily, my youngest grandson, Christopher, ignited the BBQ and soon we were settled in and looking forward to a Bible Study with Grandpa Ralph before we headed to bed.

 This is the beginning of this story…

the best is yet to come…

Join me for the conclusion…in next Monday’s Blog…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Can a Promise Become a Reality?"

Once born, a wildebeest calf has 15 minutes to stand and run with the adult herd, or it will be killed by predators (usually, hyenas).  The wildebeest mother will take on a pack of hyenas and sacrificially, single-handedly fight…until death, to preserve the life of her calf. (Bill Gothard, Character Sketches) There are countless “hyenas” that will be used to devour the life of these God is entrusting into our care.               

What is our commitment!??

Our Alertness to His Will and His Way Is Imperative!

Being intentional is our only option!

“Life is a stewardship; not an ownership; A TRUST; NOT A GIFT. With a gift you may do as you please; but with a trust you must give an account (Ephesians 2:10).  God holds us responsible. We will answer to HIM!

AND…Time is short!!

 The journey of life brings trials, triumphs, tragedy and achievement.  Through all of this, a dedicated mother’s love remains constant.  Would you consider yourself to be a dedicated mom: a mom that is committed to the success of your child first, above yourself? I know we are fraught with the demanding activities and social media that keep us exhausted from one day to the next; but are we, through it all, rejoicing mom’s that keep the ultimate goal in view?  By the way, what is your “ultimate goal”?  Do your children view the goal and actively participate, involved in “giving” of themselves or are they “me first”, “takers”, full of entitlement?

  Let me encourage you with all that you are in Christ and to give you the promise He left with all of us that bear the titleMOTHER: “Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it.” I Thes. 5: 24 However, it is a conditional promise…we have to let HIM!  On that day of accountability there will be NO excuses!    This is our call to action…

HOW DO WE DO THIS??  Where do we start?

 When I think “steps of action” I think work, HARD WORK!  In that same thought comes the comfort of new direction and hope for a positive change.  In the introduction of our Princess Parable Blog site, we looked back at 2014 only to find 2015 “approaching with stomping feet demanding Action” …Steps of ACTION!

 Are you ready, Mom’s?  Here is a test of our dedication and commitment…

 1) Do we “Walk Our Talk?!”  Or do we make excuses for our wrong responses!  Do we call impatience what it really is…ANGER? And how about overuse of social media…CHILD NEGLECT?  Or MISSED OPPORTUNITY?!  There are no “socially acceptable sins” … Rudeness is self-first; Discouragement (or “I deserve better”) is Entitlement (the very attitude we battle in our children!)  Purpose to pursue holiness; moment-by-moment… Mothers of conviction, not compromise!

 (2) Are we open to Teachable Moments? Please note: Most interruptions are the teachable moments!  Purpose to take advantage of the moments we are least wanting to take advantage of!

 (3) Are we Intentional and Consistent?  All decisions we make carry a consequence…positive or negative.  Purpose to teach your child this truth and in doing so, enable him/her to learn to hear the voice of God.  Dial your life into the kingdom of God…Have HIS purpose wrapped in HIS WILL, not your own!

 (4) Are we Character-focused? Note the attitude in which the words or eyes are speaking to you…read your child’s spirit and you will identify the REAL NEED!

 (5) Are we Grateful…regardless of the circumstance?  Gratefulness wards off discouragement.

 (6) Are we Diligently Prayerful? Lamentations 2:19 “Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.  Lift up your hands to HIM for the life of your child”!

 The definition of the word “purpose” means “resolute,

unwavering, deliberate” …Commitment requires sacrifice.

 Whether a bush nurse, a missionary mom, a city mom, or whatever our title may be…each of us is called to be a godly mother with a profound and sacrificial love for our children.  The calling is to “count the cost” and to love with the purpose of making these entrusted to us more successful than we could ever be for HIS glory!

~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

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

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

 Do you live a life selflessly and sacrificially serving others?

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

 As women, we are dedicated to living and then, teaching the character of Christ to 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 us and another person enables us to follow Him.  “His crucifixion is the key; His resurrection the door…it is only by His death that we have the mandate to enter into the gates of eternal life.  His door is open always.  Christ is King.”  Isrealmore Ayivor

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

yet not I, but Christ lives in me:

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

who loved me, and gave himself for me?”

Gal.  2: 20

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

Charles H. Spurgeon

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Tattered Integrity!"

While living in the Darien jungle of Panama, I clung to a promise in II Peter that encouraged me to keep on regardless of my sense of failure.  It says, “His power has given me everything I need for life and godliness through my knowledge of Him who called me!”   With the medical clinic, delivering babies at night, learning to clean and cook strange fowl, rodents, fish and meat, washing dozens of diapers in the river (with no dryer), learning a new language, meeting the needs of my husband and two little girls and acclimating to 90-degree heat with 99% humidity, etc… I found my level of spirituality severely challenged.  Exhausted daily, I found the verses in II Peter to be a fresh breath of air on my dripping, over-heated soul and with it came a promise I intended to claim!

The provision was there to live “above my circumstances” and lead a godly life.  I needed to tap into “His power” and as I kept reading, I realized His promises were attached to verse 5.  They were given with clear and present instruction, IF I was to participate in His divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires…like giving in to my anger, disappointment, impatience, frustration, and believing the lies regarding my inability to accomplish the life-task He had called me to.

 “For this very reason, I had to make every effort to add to my faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For IF I possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep me from being ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1; 5-9 (Personalized)

Always looking for a functional definition to put “the rubber on the road”, I found these marks of Virtue.  Virtue is the moral excellence and purity of spirit that radiates from the life that obeys God’s Word. II Peter 1: 5  It is learning to build personal moral standards that will cause others to desire a more godly life!  That meant reproducing Christ’s character in my life first and then sharing with others.

 Virtue is the fruit of grace as we are given light. There is no excuse not to exemplify God’s character in my life.  I am to be an example…not an excuse!  Virtue is the godly influence my life has on others regardless of past failures.

 The opposite of virtue is Hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy is the practice of a person who is willfully living in conflict with their soul (mind, will, emotions).  Virtue is not made in crisis; it is only exhibited.  Crisis reflects our virtue. “We demonstrate what we really are spiritually in times of adversity, not when things are going smoothly!” Proverbs 24: 10

 Years ago, I was teaching a group of college girls in our home and one of the girls asked my daughter, Christina, if she considered me to be a virtuous woman.  She hesitated…way to long…and I became acutely aware of my need to take another look at the qualities that compromise the virtuous woman in Scripture!

 Do I consider myself a woman of virtue…of Godly character?

 There is a thief that focus’ on robbing us of the best.  Time in the Word can be lost to the immediate demands of responsibility, a whirlwind of activity, social media and finding a “War Room” where we can read and pray uninterrupted.  Little things begin to bother us when people “bump” us, we react selfishly.

 Sound familiar?

 What is my response when:

·      I am evil spoken of

·      My loyalty has been betrayed

·      My will has been crossed

·      I am forgotten or neglected

·      My friends forsake me

·      I find compromise more inviting than maintaining claimed convictions

·      I am faced with failure and disappointment in my life

 My response reveals the real me…

 Am I a virtuous woman or a hypocrite?

 Which are 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 "Unconventional Springboard!"

What do you do with temptation?

Do you believe that everything God created is for God’s Glory?

 Does that include Satan?

 Then, how do you think Satan is used to glorify God?

 John 10:10 says that Satan has come to do ONLY three things…steal, kill and destroy. 

Steal our joy, contentment…

Kill our ambitions, goals…

Destroy our life, our destiny our purpose…

 The word ONLY needs to be understood.  It’s inclusive, all-encompassing and means…ONLY…No more and no less! God has limited Satan in his scope and ability to those three paradigms. Therefore, the big secret to this is, “How do we use Satan, instead of him using us!!

 How do you use Satan for the glory of God?

 Satan’s means of communicating to us is through temptation, using ideas (my husband calls them thought bombs!). Our job is to acknowledge the temptation and use that as “a springboard to pray”. For instance, a lustful thought comes…we know if we follow it, it leads us too nowhere good or profitable. 

Our response needs to be:  Take the temptation as a signal (a red flag warning) to pray for the same unsaved person for his/her salvation for each specific temptation.  That prayer is using Satan for God’s glory!  HOW?  By forcing Satan to build our prayer life!

 Once you’ve done that, you have neutralized Satan’s power in your life, because he has only come to steal, kill and destroy.  So, he has no choice but to leave you alone.  Your consistency in resisting him in this way sets you free to serve others.   

 Most believers spend their time playing Satan’s game… (I tempt you; I make you feel guilty and weak and convince you that God cannot give you victory or the joy of your salvation).

 What do you do with Satan’s scheme to destroy you?

 The “gates” of hell will not prevail against the church (believers). Matt. 16: 18 The idea is “the door” (that separates the church from hell) does not chase anyone; but now, with Satan in his place; we can open that door and rescue some of the lost. 

 We are, now, actively using Satan to develop our prayer life and glorify God!

 How long did your New Year’s resolutions last?

 Do you have a nagging pattern in your life that needs breaking

or a hidden area in your life

 that you just can’t seems to get victory?

I challenge you, this week, to use “the springboard for prayer” …

(Study Given by Pastor Ralph Johnson)

~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 "And the Winner Is...!"

This past April we had a Princess Wedding…my gentle-hearted granddaughter Alexandra Grace married Jackson Ayers.  It was an ethereal experience in a fairy garden setting with my husband officiating. Family and friends were there to witness an overawed, tough Marine break into tears at the sight of his beautiful bride coming toward him! It was magic!

This coming June, there will be another Princess Wedding.  My treasured and enchanting granddaughter, Catherine is engaged to a perfect match in a young man named Nikita Golobachev!

Their Engagement Picture

 I started thinking about the joy of living long enough to see two of my seven grandchildren get married.  Then, reality hit me…time moves nano speed…and it is brief!  “Life is a stewardship, not an ownership. A trust; not a gift.  With a gift, you can do with as you please, but with a trust…you must give an account!” The “account time” is coming “down the shoot” and there is no stopping it!   I have been married 58 years and to add to that shocker, I would actually have to acknowledge that this makes me a “little” … OLD!! There…I said it!  That truth materializes this year when my birthday says I will be 80!

 I don’t know how old you are, but I’m sure it’s younger than I am.

Just the thought of an 80th birthday leaves me gasping for air!

 There is no turning back time.

 We are given one opportunity to live life.  Time management with intentionality is key.  Maintaining our priorities and setting goals is imperative. Acknowledging our Designer and His plan for our life is crucial and yielding our will to His is essential to know where we are going, as we follow this path called life.  Hearing that quiet voice and understanding His leading brings certainty and assurance that we’re going in the right direction toward the destiny already prepared for us.

 At Alexandra’s reception, my daughter Christina leaned over and whispered to me during the speeches, “Mom, this is my Academy Award night!”.  And indeed, it was.  Each one of her four children…all in the wedding party, stood and included in their discourse to the newlyweds, a wonderful tribute to their mom, who was always there and lovingly available to them. 

 How are you managing your time in your home with your children?

How about the stewardship of your own life?

 There are a multitude of distractions that would draw your attention

to that which is temporal and not the imperative of the eternal.

 You are eternal!

Our children are eternal!

~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 "Blurred Reality!"

What is it about a little girl that screams “Princess” at us?

And how is it, we visualize protective “Knights” with honor in our little boys?

Destined for royalty, our little princesses and young knights

 are designed with destiny and purpose…

From their earliest memories our little ones are swamped with a prince and 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 children are needlessly exposed to the illusion of love through the many “Prince Charming’s” that are so readily available to our princess counterparts in most storylines; however, they are not exposed to the truth of genuine love.  Society has blurred the lines between love and lust.

 We are caught in a quagmire of choices that offer temporal values, but not consequence or eternal values.  Our personal identification with a fantasy character is deceiving on many levels because the charge to discern the good and the 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 or bad.  Neither choice is particularly clear, but the medium being used (book, film, animation, social media…) is “thought” captivating and attention binding.  Both of these goals are short-sighted 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.  Christian parents are seeking an alternative to the present prince and princess culture trend in books and films presently available.  Understanding our worldview influences all areas of life.

 Every exposure a child has (visual or auditory…) is adding

to their life experience and their worldview.

How would you describe your child’s current worldview?

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

 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 biblical truth is clouded, blurred and “synergized” with misinformation and fantasy.

 The Princess Parable Series invites your children and grandchildren to find delight in a biblical parable they will fall in love with, and life-lessons taught with eternal values in view.  Our accountability before God for the welfare of these little ones is wrapped in our response to His leading through the teaching of His Word.

  “…So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Romans 14: 12

  For the young protective princes out there…our five young knights were introduced in our Easter and Christmas books.  Take a peek…

~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 "Truth vs. Fairy Tales!"

In 2015 I started writing this Blog for “The Princess Parable Series” and posting each Monday.  The goal and purpose was to reach young women with a tool that could be used to build character into their own little prince and princesses. It has been a privilege and I have been far more blessed than any of you.  The series continues to do well and we continue to give thanks for each one of you.

 “…so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God”. Romans 14:12

 Since the beginning of time there has been a battle of good against evil.  In our present day, we find our lives inundated with “misinformation” on all fronts and our children inundated with books that do not represent our views.  Children’s books, novels, games, cartoons, T.V. programming, and movies are filled with magical fiction, often inappropriate romance, and fantasy with the all too predictable super-heroes, witchcraft, and the evil, scary villain!  A point in fact is the new face of a barrage of Marvel heroes. 

 The cry from the masses is met with a torrent of 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.

 All of us have spiritual needs (issues of pride, anger, rebellion and selfishness, to name a few!) that are beyond ourselves and we tend to fill the vacuum with “make-believe” to construct 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, how, and why.  The surge of fantasy-ridden films and books is an after-effect of this need and exposes a society, seemingly, without direction or defined purpose.

 The Princess Parable Series was specifically created to put a functional tool in the hands of young mothers and grandmothers (urban, suburban, rural, stay-at-home, teen moms, single moms and married moms, grand-moms, aunts and teachers), each with a different lifestyle, but all who share a similar desire to be the best power of influence they can be!

 The passion to meet the need of every person desiring to cultivate what God programmed into their “prince or princess potential” has been a huge source of motivation and it allows each of us to nurture our little ones into genuine greatness. 

How quickly they grow!

There are two grandsons missing in this picture…

 As a grandmother, I carry a huge responsibility for these grandchildren, pictured above.

We, women, have the power of influence and God holds us

accountable for representing Him and for our pledge

 to the success of these entrusted to us…

our heritage.

What is your commitment to those who go on after you?

What steps of action are you implementing to see that

your legacy lives on into the next generation?

“…So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God”. Romans 14:12

~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 "ARACHNIDS...Scared but not Defeated!"

Washday in the jungle was an event, not just a necessity!  It required a trip to the river with two little ones under three years of age in tow, a washtub (like great-grandma used) full of clothes, diapers, sheets, etc., a bar of soap and a washboard.  Finding a rock that wasn’t already being used was the next challenge, after descending the 12’ bank to reach the river’s edge!  The swirling river was the agitator and the most difficult part of the whole exercise was wringing the dripping clothes tight enough, so they would dry after being hung.

The Kuna women would laugh at me, while their little ones entertained mine by chasing, splashing, and diving around us.  Those were the “good old days”.  One blessing, and there were many, was that my girls learned to swim like little fish very early, against the raging current!

 If it was dry season, the wash would dry in 2 hours.  During rainy season we might hang the clothes two times, or more, in one day. Most garments were mildewed and never really dried completely until dry season returned!

 One spring day, my clothes carried in an unwanted visitor inside the house.  We had open wooden shelves and as I lifted the last folded clean sheet, I caught something moving in my peripheral vision.  Now…let me be understood…I will take a snake, any size, over a spider…any day.

 This particular arachnid was a creature of undeniable presence!! I screamed so loud that half the village came streaming through my front door.  One look at the intruder and my husband and Arturo, our neighbor, told us all to get out! Apparently, this venomous feral spider was dangerous!  I could not understand their hesitation in just eliminating it!  I wanted that trespasser DEAD…I did not want him alive for an encore another day…

Earlier that month, our cat found a huge, and I mean huge, scorpion under our bed.  I picked up Ralph’s size 14 army boot, stretched under the bed with one hand and squashed its 12” body dead, in one fell swoop, as our 8-month-old daughter came rapidly crawling into the room!  Now…“hear me roar” …I’m not kidding…I REALLY wanted that spider DEAD!

 Fear is our friend…it is an emotion induced by a threat, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately…a change in behavior.  My husband, Ralph, used to tell me, “Courage is being scared to death…and still walking through the door of fear to victory”. 

 In the book “Hinds Feet in High Places” I would clearly be “little “Much Afraid”.  Shortly after being challenged to carry the name of Christ to unreached tribal people, I read in Luke 10: 19 where Jesus sent out the seventy-two with the promise, “I have given you authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you”! 

That verse came pounding into my consciousness and I claimed that promise, given to those who take the gospel into uncharted territories.  As jungle living became my daily experience, I would often return to those precious words that brought peace that day, and over and over again during those years of the unforeseen and unexpected…I would claim its truth when I was tempted to yield to fear and panic.

 Not too much has changed over the years.

These days, in this asphalt jungle, events seem to fall into

the same category of unforeseen and unexpected events.

We can fret and panic in defeat or

we can claim the promises and maintain our peace…

~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 "Never Sacrifice the Permanent on the Altar of the Immediate!"

 In 2015 I was asked to write a weekly blog for the Princess Parable website.  At that time, I had never seen a website, a Facebook page, Pinterest or a Blog.  I officially welcomed a new world of technological communication with the opening of all four at once!  With its availability came a huge responsibility to use them wisely…they have altered our means of communication and have become intensely time consuming!  

 “Our greatest danger in life is in permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important.”  Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, “Never sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.” 

 Everyone receives an equal supply of time.  The only difference between us is in the way we spend it.  Each week brings us 168 golden hours.  We spend approximately 56 hours for sleep and recuperation.  We spend approximately 28 hours for eating and personal duties.  We spend approximately 40-50 hours for earning a living. We have 30-40 hours left to spend just as we wish.  But how do we spend them?  How many hours for recreation?  How many hours for family communication?  How many hours for the regular worship of God (devotion, fellowship, meditation, etc.)  How many hours for personal service in the name of Christ?  Will we rob God?  We can and we do! 

 Perhaps we may be very busy with good things, yet too busy for the best things.  The great question is:  Have we made wise use of our time as good stewards of Christ? Life is simply a stewardship, not an ownership; a trust, not a gift.  With a gift you can do as you please but with a trust…you must give an account.

 Henry Clay Trumbull said, “Today is, for all that we know, the opportunity and occasion of our lives.  On what we do or say today may depend the success and completeness of our entire life struggle.  It is for us, therefore, to use every moment of today as if our very eternity were dependent on its words and deeds”…

 Welcome 2023…Let’s make it count…

~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.