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. 

Jackie's Journey "The Princess Star!"

With the new telescope that far surpasses what we have seen in space before, Solar and star gazing has become an official pursuit.  Follow the perspective of a very bright little princess…

 There is a story of a little princess who anxiously waited for the day of the Christmas pageant.  She was so excited about her part that her parents thought she must be one of the main characters, though she had not told them what part she would play. 

 The day finally arrived and her parents enthusiastically entered the auditorium and watched as each of the children was called to take their place.  The shepherds nervously waited in the corner of the stage holding two sheep.  Mary and Joseph were placed near the manger.  In the back were the three Wise Men eagerly waiting with a small camel.  Each and every child was placed in position…except for the little princess.  She contentedly sat quietly.

 The music started and the director began the narrative.  “A long time ago, Joseph and Mary went up from Galilee to be taxed. It was there that Mary and Joseph had a baby and they named Him Jesus,” the narrator began.   “And when Jesus was born a bright star appeared over the stable.  That was her cue!  She quickly jumped up from her chair, picked up a large, sparkling star and walked behind the manger, holding the star up high for everyone to see.  It flickered in the lights and all eyes were drawn to baby Jesus in the manger.

 The story continues and finds the shepherds in the field with their sheep.  That was her cue…the little princess moved into position on stage, wiggling the shiny star to show the shepherds where to arrive at the manger.  When the director mentioned the Wise Men…the little princess quickly moved to meet them and lead the way to the Christ child.  Her face was beaming as bright as the star she was carrying!

 The play ended with a round of applause and a standing ovation.  In the car on the way home, the little princess was happily chattering, “I had the main part, did you see?”   “You did?” her mother questioned.  “Yes” she said enthusiastically,

 “I showed everybody how to find Jesus!”

 This could not have been truer!  Showing others how to find Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world and to be the light that would draw them to Him has got to be the finest role we can play in life!

 May the Light of the Christ Child be your focus

this Christmas Season and throughout the New Year…

~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 Surrender!"

Christmas is a wonderful time to put our busy lives back into Scriptural perspective.  We celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ…the One who gives us everything we need to live a godly life. (II Peter 1: 3) This year 2022 is closing down…how did you do in your surrender to Him this year?

 Genuine Christianity is an unconditional surrender to His Lordship.

 While attending the University of Arizona, I was invited to join Kappa Alpha Theta, a national sorority.  I had a sense of acceptance and grew to love the girls and the accountability.  After a semester of pledging, we had a night of mild hazing that culminated in stepping, individually, behind a veil for the final step of becoming a Theta.  As the “pledge of loyalty” was read and the words were spoken to me…I was asked to repeat them…

 A few months earlier, over Thanksgiving holiday, I had attended a church service and heard for the first time in my life that I could know God in a personal way through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Now, standing behind that veiled curtain in the Theta House, listening to the call to Theta loyalty, I was profoundly struck and realized I had already given my total allegiance to the Savior that we celebrate next week!  When He walked into my life, everything changed…I had no more allegiance to give.

 Time has tested on life’s stage that unconditional surrender

I made to my loving Savior and Sovereign Lord, in those college days.

 What is your present commitment?

 Commitment was the turning point in my life when I seized the moment and converted it into an opportunity to alter my destiny. When we talk about total surrendering of our lives to the Lordship of Christ, we are talking about yielding all our rights and expectations! 

 What…?

 Wait a Minute!

 Don’t we run from the people and circumstances that call us into total commitment?  It is much easier to go with the flow as the secular, ungodly world dictates to us woke, relativity, independence and “I have MY rights!”  The world’s motto: “Strength only, show no weakness!”  The human struggle wants HIS POWER TO DO OUR WILL…no humility here.

 Is humility a position of strength or weakness, in your opinion?

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses,

so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake,

I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.

 For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (II Cor. 12: 9-10)

 Humility is me…seeing the contrast between my spiritual condition (a sinner) and HIS holiness and then receiving His grace to live Christ-like, not Jackie-like!  Grace flows in our weakness. Grace is doing HIS WILL WITH HIS POWER! (Phil. 2: 13)   It is acknowledging His presence and His power to live the Christian life.  Victory is living in that truth!

 Have you surrendered your life to His Lordship?

~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 "Hidden Sin!"

Duchess, my Ragdoll kitty, thinks she’s hiding from me…

Do you have a hidden sin? Something you don’t want anyone to know about?

 We cannot hide.  God has “placed our iniquities before Him, our secret sins in the light of His Presence.” Psalm 90: 8 “You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time; but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time!” Abraham Lincoln

 t has been said of compromise that “we are too Christian really to enjoy sinning and too fond of sinning to enjoy Christianity.  It is no mystery, most of us know perfectly well what we ought to do, our trouble is that we do not want to do it.” (Peter Marshall) “The instances are exceedingly rare of man immediately passing over a clear marked line from virtue into declared vice, addiction and corruption.  There are middle tints and shades of concealed concessions between the two extremes; there is something uncertain on the confines of the two empires which they must pass through, and which renders the change easy and imperceptible. (Edmund Burke) 

 Hidden sin is cosmic treason. (R.C. Sproul) One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a CREAM PUFF INSTEAD OF A RATTLESNAKE!  Sin is not being lost in others…the other choice is selfishness. “By nature, I was too blind to see him, too proud to trust Him, too obstinate to serve Him, too base-minded to love Him.” (John Newton)

 There are many kinds of “hidden sins”.  They will ultimately destroy the offender and those connected to him They are thought to be hidden because we think no one knows.  Our excuse…’it is not affecting anyone else’’; hence, it is acceptable. It has been rationalized, justified, marginalized and cloaked in deceit.  There is only one problem…God always knows…there is nothing hidden from Him. (Rev. 22:12) Also, we are living letters known and read by all men (II Cor. 3:3) and even the least discerning uncovers the truth, eventually.  No one can get away with sin. It is sure to find you out.

 “But we have renounced (“turned away from”) “the things hidden” “(secret sins, immoralities, drunkenness, hypocrisies, and the sins hidden deep within the darkness of one’s life) because of shame (ugly or disgraceful), not walking in craftiness (deceitfulness) or adulterating the words of God but by manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Cor. 4: 2

 To maintain a habitual hidden sin is to announce, “I do not fear God.  He will not hold me accountable; I am the exception to the biblically stated rule; I am my own God! Satan doesn’t care what we worship, as long as we don’t worship the only true God!  Moody

~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 "Woman-Power!"

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

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

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

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

 Which one is the greater or more powerful?

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

 What determines our influence?

How is our power manifested?

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

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

 What’s your vision for your family?

How are you using your power of influence

to see that vision fulfilled?

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

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

 that others might speak well of Him because of us!

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

Jackie's Journey "My Shadow Princess!"

Our Kuna neighbors…Anita and her family

 As the plane left the landing strip and soared into the morning sky, I caught a glimpse of the entire village waving farewell.  There waws one girl who stood in front of the crowd, crying.  I would miss her most of all!

 That young girl was the daughter of my nearest neighbor and she quickly became my shadow.  When two-month-old Kim would cry, she would abruptly run to get her and bring her to me.  I did not understand her kind action, but I always thanked her and stopped whatever I was doing to receive Kim into my arms.

 Later I would learn what an immensely special gift I was receiving.  The Kuna’s were very accommodating and took turns caring for each other’s babies, freeing mothers to leave the village and go into the jungle to tend to their fields for hours.  When the baby cried, the first to reach the distressed child would nurse that baby!

 In our village, some of the mother’s had tuberculosis and “My Shadow” had dutifully protected Kim for those early months after entering Kuna land.  Our permission to live in Pucuro was granted by the Kuna elders, specifically to bring medicine to the women who were losing their babies during childbirth and to care for the sick.  In those early days, we were oblivious to much of their culture, yet silently, God met my “unknown need” through the loving heart of a beautiful Indian princess named Anita.

 Like Jacob of old in the ‘barren and howling waste of the desert’, “He (God) shielded us and cared for us, He guarded us as the apple of His eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them on its pinions.” (Deut. 32: 10-11)  The eye of an eagle can detect a rabbit or fish from over a mile away!  How much more is the protective eye of God on those who walk with Him.

 What is your understanding and disposition of God’s protective hand?

Did you know it comes with a condition?

 “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him.” (I John 3: 21) Promises given in scripture are generally followed by a condition.  Living under the divine protection of the Almighty God is a promise guaranteed, if we choose to walk by His standards and not our own.

 Knowing He is invisibly working on our behalf when we are totally unaware of our need is a magnificent reality to comprehend when finally revealed in the light!  And it is a daily reminder to “walk our talk”, so our heart does not condemn us.

 “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him;

And the Lord will cover him all day long…” (Deut. 33: 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 "What Merits Our Thanks?"

Does this turkey look grateful??

 It’s that time again…and it came quicker than any year in the past!  Hobby Lobby, and everyone else, has had their fall and Christmas decorations out since before Halloween!  I love seasons and fall is one of my favorites and all that it brings with it.  Thanksgiving is celebrated in the fall.   It screams change is coming.  Did you know that Thanksgiving is not a season?  It’s a posture of the heart…

  And I am giving thanks for each one of you that follow along with me each week.

 Enjoy these days of family and friend gatherings…

~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 "Money Talks!"

Life is simply 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. (Eph. 2: 10) This is the beginning of the holiday season when we begin spending money on gifts and essentials that make this time of year delightful and challenging. Thanksgiving, after-all, is next week! 

 John McArthur has a tape called “Mastery of Materialism”. He said, “16 out of 38 of Christs parables deal with money.  More is said in the New Testament about money than Heaven and Hell!  Five times more is said about money than prayer.  There are 500 plus verses on prayer and faith, but there are 2,000 verses dealing with money and possessions.”  Obviously, the point is the Bible has much to say about money management!

 There are four basic biblical principles of money management in Matthew 25: 14-30.  They summarize much of what the Bible has to say regarding money and stewardship.  The first is simple…God owns it all!  Hence, He has the right to whatever He wants, whenever He wants it. It’s all His and the Owner has rights and I, a steward, have only responsibility.

 A good example of this is when my daughter started driving my car.  I’m the owner; my daughter has only privilege, while I maintain all respnsibility.  I can take it back for any reason, at any time. In the same way, every single possession that I have comes from His hand.  I possess much, but own nothing.

 Stewardship is the God-given resource for the accomplishment of God-given goals.  It is an active definition, not theoretical. It acknowledges God’s ownership over my possessions and His direction of my use of these resources. Not only is my “giving” decision a spiritual one, but “spending” decisions are also.  There is nothing more spiritual about giving than buying a car, taking a vacation, buying food, paying off a debt, paying taxes, paying for college…These are all uses of His resources. 

 The Bible reveals many specific guidelines, as to how the Owner wants His property used.  You can’t fake stewardship!  Our checkbooks reveal all that we really believe about guardianship.  A life story could be written from a checkbook.  It reflects: goals, priorities, convictions, relationships, use of time… A person can fake prayer, Bible study, evangelism…but, the checkbook reveals all!  Could that be why so many are secretive about personal finances?

 The second money management tenet is that God uses money as a tool to teach us, as a test of our trustworthiness andas a testimony to distinguish us from the world.  The third rule is not the amount we have but how we handle what God has entrusted to us and lastly, the fourth, is that stewardship requires faith and volitional action.

 My husband has always said, “You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead”.  “Lay not up…treasures on earth, but lay up for yourselves in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6: 19-21)   His point…invest in eternity! (Lu. 16: 1-9)

 There are five weeks before Christmas.

 Our stewardship of His resources will come to light…

 How are we living 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 "The Fourth Quarter!"

The frantic frog fighting for his life, as is the heron!

 It’s fall and Football season is here again. In most sports, there is a “fourth” quarter which determines the outcome of the game.  Some of us are approaching, or in, that fourth quarter, in terms of our remaining productive years.  Should we continue vocationally active into our seventies and eighties, we had roughly twenty-five to thirty years to make our personal mark on what is here, and on those who pick up our life-work and values. 

 As a young person, I remember visiting my grandparents and thinking they were years away from me because I was only in the first quarter.  The fourth quarter was sooo far away that I could not even visualize what it must be like.

 Yet, here it is…

 My husband has always said, “We are going to just burn out serving, Jackie.”  He will be sharing Christ on his death bed…I just know it!  When the Beatles sang “when I’m sixty-four,” we could scarcely imagine such a thing (that was really old!), but now, it’s in sight or we have already passed it!  So…what have we done in the first three quarters?? Did we make the world a better place or life better?  The final count is out…

In spiritual terms, we will reap what we have sown. (Gal. 6: 7) We will each be held accountable for our deeds here on earth. (Rev. 22: 12) If there was ever a need for followers of Christ (especially, fourth quarter believers!) to persevere, be resolute in purpose, uncompromising for truth, persistent in faith, unyielding in hope, constant in love, and unstoppable in advancing the kingdom…it is NOW!

 Just reaching the last quarter of life is a gift…a life-span “may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures.” (Psa.90: 10) Often, there are health and financial challenges. Or failure to see the divine purpose in aging.  Many reach this milestone and sense the inevitable invisibility by the people and culture around them.  They sit back and just resolve to wait out the remaining time…while sacrificing what could be the best years of their lives!

 In reality, we are all living in the last quarter because we are not guaranteed even another day. We are told to “number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psa. 90: 13) Hence, the need to focus in and live as if every day might be our last.

 Any regrets?

 What legacy will be left?

 Is there a plan to finish the course and its God- given purpose?

 We are the “never give up” generation…

~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.