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 "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 "The Three Logics!"

We say we want equality…but we also want special treatment…right?

 Someone recently sent these 6 deadly terms to me:

1)    “FINE:  This is the word women use to end an argument when she knows she is right and your better half needs to shut up.

2)    NOTHING:  means something and your husband needs to be worried.

3)    GO AHEAD: this is a dare, not permission… do not do it.

4)    WHATEVER:  A woman’s way of saying back off.

5)    THAT’S OKAY:  Woman is thinking long and hard on how and when you will pay for your mistake.

6)    Bonus Word: WOW!: this is not a compliment. She’s amazed that one person could be so stupid.”

This is meant to be humorous but, 

does this seem logical to you?

Woman’s Logic is:

1.     Personal

2.     Emotional

3.     Identity with family, in home

4.     Demonstrates love by loving child’s father

5.     Thinks relationships

6.     Details important

7.     Communicates for fellowship and fulfillment/ facts unimportant

Man’s Logic is:

1.     Impersonal

2.     Mechanical

3.     Identity with work; outside of home

4.     Demonstrates love by loving child’s mother

5.     Thinks provision; protection

6.     Not interested in details/ “bottom line it”

7.     Communicates for information exchange/ facts are important not fellowship

8.     Woman is to complete him/ He does NOT want to be completed

 Often parents then pass their immature, incomplete, unrefined personas

onto their family and expect them to adjust to it. 

 There is only one logic that, if followed, will produce mature and complete children equipped to live in this perverse world.  One logic that will reap the reward of blessing from the only logic that really counts!

 God’s Logic:

1.     You give all you have to become rich

2.     You must lose your life to find it

3.      You humble yourself to be exalted

4.     You love your enemies, not hate them

5.     You be kind to those who misuse you

6.     You take the log out of your own eye first

7.     You study the law to find your sin

 Whose logic do you live by?

~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 "Let's Learn from the Wildebeest!"

“COMMITMENT IS WHAT TRANSFORMS A PROMISE INTO 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!??

 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 a deluge of social media that keeps 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 already “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 title MOTHER:  1 Thes.5: 24 says, “Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it.”  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 "Betrayed!"

“…for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet,

 but you know, Oh, Lord, all their plots to kill me.” Jeremiah 18:23

 Has anyone ever set a snare for your life?

 Shortly after we returned to our village in the remote jungles of Panama after a two-month absence, a young Kuna man came to our door, obviously troubled.  He faltered and then blurted out with no care for his terminology, that Aquileo, the town representative to the Panamanian government, was plotting to kill us!  

The only word that would describe my shock was…INCONCEIVABLE!

Where can we run?

How do we …ESCAPE!

Our isolated village made any getaway… IMPOSSIBLE!

 In my traumatized state of mind, a verse in Jeremiah raced into my consciousness…  Jeremiah was facing his plotting antagonists and said, “But the Lord is with us like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail…” Jer. 20:11   This plan had taken Aquileo two years to put together and why were we now…TWO YEARS LATER…being informed that the time had come to eliminate us!  I knew we were expendable…but….

 My first thought…my two little girls…what could I do?  

Would we be disposed of in the river?  

No one would find us…ever!

 This had to be a nightmare…this could not be happening!

 My heart was stunned, on the one hand, because Aquileo and his wife had been consistently friendly to us, visiting in our jungle home, laughing and sharing with us. The terrifying reality was, they were planning to kill us at the same time!!  I was terrified… I felt betrayed because so many in our Kuna family had known of this plan and no one, until now, had told us.  I felt indebted to the young man who had risked his tribal reputation to protect us. 

 When?…Where?…How would this be carried out??  

What should we do?  

What could we do! 

 Ralph, took one look at me and instantly, reminded me that I should “joyfully” be giving thanks to God that for the two years of planning I had been spared the stress of knowing about this development!  He had recently given me a mathematical “formula”, as a reminder, for just this kind of situation.   It went like this:

 Trials + Acceptance of the Trial with Joy = Maturity

 I asked myself these 6 questions:

 1.     Could I trust God’s Sovereign plan?  Romans 8:28

2.     Did I believe God would never give me a trial too big?  1 Cor. 10:13

3.     Would He give me a way of escape? 1 Cor. 10:13

4.     Is every trial given with divine purpose and benefit?  Rom. 8:18; 11 Cor. 4: 17

5.     Am I convinced the Holy Spirit will help, comfort and carry me through this trial? Rom. 8: 26

6.     Do I believe that testing will produce Godly character in me?  Job 23: 10

 For the formula to work growth and maturity in me

 I would have to answer each of these questions with a resounding… “YES”!

 Ralph’s response was, “This is preposterous, Aquileo is my friend!”   Denial was never an option in my thinking!  Ralph immediately stood up and bolted out the front door, swiftly crossing the village… to confront his nemesis!  

 In that talk Aquileo shared a verbal wound that he had received from my husband when we first moved into Pucuro.  He felt he had “lost face” among the men in our very tight community.  Ralph had no idea that the result of his jesting had caused such pain and immediately humbled his heart and asked forgiveness. 

 In the days to come, I found that accepting the trial (even this one!) with joy proved to be a life-lesson that made a permanent imprint on me to this day, as I face life daily.  Accepting not just the formula, but also its applied truth with a joyful and resounding “YES” has changed my life!  The struggles continue to come, but accepting God’s purpose, provision and control with joy is the quickest path to peace, growth and maturity. 

 JOY is not the absence of suffering but the presence of the Lord.

C.S. Lewis said, “Joy is never in our power, it is the fruit of accepting God’s provision in difficult circumstances!”

 Well…we waited to see what would happen to us.  Days passed slowly, the nights were even longer (!), and then, one bright morning, Aquileo and his entire family arrived at our front door… smiling!  

 I cannot put into words the delight and relief

I felt as I opened the door and invited them inside!

 “Consider it PURE JOY whenever you face many trials 

of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith 

develops perseverance.

 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be 

MATURE AND COMPLETE, not lacking anything…!”

James 1: 1-4

Are you finding joy in your times of difficulty?  

 How do you respond to distresses, trials, rejections and betrayal’s?

~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 ""Don't Cross Me...I have my Rights!!"

Would you consider yourself an angry person??  

 1. Does your family (or whomever you live with) ever see you lose your temper?

 2.     Are you able to quickly admit when you are wrong?

 3.     Do you complain about how others treat you (when you’re slighted or get 

your feelings hurt)?

 4.     Do you grumble when things don’t work out the way you planned?

 5.     Do you demand prompt attention from family members, friends, teachers, employers, etc.? (Do you feel hurt when others get more attention than you do!)

 All five questions reveal patterns of anger that are not uncommon to all of us!

 The best functional definition I have ever found for anger is: 

 “Someone finding a right that I have not yet yielded to God.” 

  Someone crossing my already decided will!

As a young tribal missionary wife and mother, I felt I had a right to be understood.  Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?  I was living with so many unknowns. Knowing my husband understood how hard I was attempting the impossible was important to me. It seemed like a legitimate right…don’t you think?  It was imperative to have someone to talk to in my heart language (English).  Poor Ralph…he was it!  He is not a detail guy and I speak in paragraphs!  My anger would reveal itself in various forms demanding his attention. 

 “A Right”…

is a legal demand of our will that we impose on each other–

something, someone, or some attitude apart from God’s will.

It has its own authority with no power

It produces anger or hurt feelings

It assumes God and everybody owes us something

It refuses humility (the key to the Christian life!)

What rights do you claim?   

My anger popped up in the jungle more often than I care to admit.  I had an unprincipled habit of making excuses or blaming others for:

 Ø  My Pride – reserving the right to make the final decision 

Ø  My Insecurity – structuring my life around temporal values

Ø  My Reputation- projecting the image I wanted others to have of me

Ø  My Expectations

 While living in the jungle I jotted down a “few” of my rights in my journal!

·      To a normal standard of living

·      To ordinary standards of good health

·      To privacy

·      To hold others to their responsibilities

·      To be angry

·      To make the final decision on a matter

·      To judge others

·      To do it my way 

·      To be understood (self-justification)

·      To be envious or jealous

·      To be uninterrupted

 Do you identify with one or any of these as a daily occurrence?

 By making excuses for my anger rather than tracing my “anger” to a violation of one of my personal rights, I failed to live in victory.  

 By calling the “right” by its name and repenting, I found freedom in a consistent Christian walk…No more excuses.  I exchanged them for gratefulness and found peace!   

 What is the hardest right to give up?

Answer: The right to make the ultimate decision!

 I continue to learn to stop before yielding to my demand for my way and put my will in neutral, acknowledging His control and His will (not mine or my husband’s).  It brings harmony into my life in the midst of unknowns and confusion.  My demanding to be understood has become my friend and my signal to yield to Gods Will by giving my “demand” to HIM and giving thanks instead! 

 In the New Testament Christ gave up:

His Rights- “did not consider equality with God”

                                   His Reputation – “Made himself nothing, becoming a servant”

                                          His Ego – “Humbled himself”

                             His Will - “Obedient unto death”!

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross.” Philippians 2: 6-8

 How can we do less?

 An independent, willful and demanding spirit will keep us from living in victory.  Let’s choose to agree with God, call anger the sin that it is and walk as He walked, honoring the cross and remembering the price He paid for our Victory over sin!  No more excuses…

~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 "HURRY...Draw the Battle Lines!!"

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.”

II Cor. 10:3

 Is Someone Attempting to Destroy your Life?

 The answer is a resounding YES… Every moment of every day!  The enemy is lapping at our heels…we are at war.  Elisabeth Elliot wrote, “How can God remold my mind from within unless I continually test what I read and hear from the world by the ‘straight edge of Scripture?’”  Moms, we are inundated with time consuming activities of every kind that are compounded by social media platforms: Face booking, tweeting, texting, Instagraming, blogging, etc.  

 Where is the voice that speaks transforming truth?

  “Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in heaven”.  Ps. 119:89

 “The Word of God is living, powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword”! Hebrews 4:12

  How many days did you get in the Word this week?

 The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah wrote in Chapter 6, “This is what the Lord Almighty says…to whom can I speak and give warning?  Who will listen to me?  Their ears are closed so they cannot hear.  The Word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it…” 

 When you read His words what do you hear?

What are you looking for? (His power? His life in you? A change in your bad habits?  A better attitude…A good story time?  A verse to meet someone else’s need?  A class assignment?)   What…??

 Listening to His voice and allowing His words to “dwell richly” in us brings life and blessing. Neglecting His Word brings spiritual devastation and destruction.  The Bible is the heart and mind of God…the transformer… renewing my mind. Rom.12:2 It is the roadmap to life!  Please Lord, “open our eyes so that we can see” the road, since Your thoughts are not our thoughts and Your ways are not our ways.” Isa.55: 8   

My granddaughter, Alexandra, a student at Biola University forwarded her grandpa’s message to me.

 Are we aggressively using the God-given tool to battle the enemy??

 Let’s explore His Word by purposing to read for a “BUMP” …a verse that jumps off the page!  It might be for someone else, but it is ours first!  It is the transforming voice of God speaking to us in an area that blinds us to what is hindering the goal of His transforming life in us, which is the key to victory over our nemesis. 

 Here are 5 questions I ask myself regarding that “bump” verse:

1.     Is there sin for me to AVOID?

2.     Is there a PROMISE for me to trust?

3.     Is there an EXAMPLE for me to follow?

4.     Is there a COMMAND for me to obey?

5.     How can this passage increase my knowledge of the Lord God (not just about Him)?

 WARNING!!

 “Many false prophets (with false philosophies) will appear and deceive many.”

Matthew 24:11

 Beware of these 5 strong voices in our 2020 culture:

 1.     Evolution:  How creation came into existence and developed

2.     Egalitarianism:  Re-Defining the role of man and woman

3.     Economics:  Contentment = Having

4.     Experience: Instant Gratification = I want, what I want…NOW! I am entitled to it!!

5.     Ego:  It’s All about Me!

 These voices are universal and give us a checklist to reveal our true convictions and the confirmation or absence of His Word in our lives. They help define strongholds that have been yielded to the destroyer. 

 “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal (our joy, youth, peace, seeds of truth, etc.) and kill (relationships) and destroy(us!); I (Christ) have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly”. John 10: 10

 Revival is the power of the Holy Spirit transforming God’s Word into our soul!

 Let’s pick up the Word of God this week and 

devastate the devil’s attempts to destroy us!!

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

Jackie's Journey "Christmas Eve is tomorrow!!"

 Well, here we are again…one day before Christmas Eve…in the throngs of chaos and deadlines!  The Nativity is center stage in every room, trees are dressed, the wreaths are hung, gifts are wrapped, the oven has not been turned off in days and music fills the house.  Friends and family are arriving from distant places, guest rooms have been readied and excitement is already in the air.  Expectations are high and time left is short and slipping precipitously by the nanoseconds.   The countdown has begun!  The blessing of fellowshipping with family and people we don’t have an opportunity to see all year makes it worth it all.

 With the hustle and bustle of the holidays in full swing, we become acutely aware of our limitations.  Opening our home and believing God to use us to make others successful is the goal of hospitality.  It has been our joy over the years to have a home that is available to those God would bring our way.  Christmas is a lonely time for many who have not experienced the joy of His Coming.  

 As moms, this time of year offers a multitude of opportunities to make ourselves accessible to others.   It starts in our homes with our husband and children.  The Christmas time of year brings the perfect training ground to introduce our children to the “real reason for the season”.  We, as parents, have the example of the One who left his home and dwelt among us.  He set the standard…

  “Each of you should look not only to your own interests,

but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ:

Who being in the very nature of God,

did not consider equality with God to be something to be grasped,

But made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death

Even death on the cross”!

Philippians 2: 4-8

 An open home means a heart that is wrapped in the needs of others before our own.  It is that life in opposition to comfort and convenience.  It is welcoming and finding joy in a life of servitude, humbly listening to His voice and instantly obeying.  It brings with it the blessing of experiencing His promise of grace with its power and the continual fascination of watching Him faithfully do it!  Philippians 2:13 and I Thessalonians 5: 24

 The dictionary defines hospitality as the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of visitors or strangers providing food, drinks, etc. for people who are guests.  We are commanded in Scripture to be hospital women. To invite people into our homes is to respond with gratitude to our God who made a home for us!

 “Be hospitable to one another without complaint”.  I Peter 4: 9

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, 

for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it”!  Hebrews 13: 2

 At our front door, we have the words “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”  As a mom with young children it was a challenge to keep it all in balance when the house was already full of noise, continual movement and the regular activities that keep the ship afloat!  The joy of youth is that there actually is enough energy to do it all, if the attitude is that of a grateful, obedient and humble servant! 

 From our house to yours,

 Have a Blessed Christmas!

~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.