Jackie's Journey "IT'S TIME!"

"A blanket of powdery snow covered the castle walls.  Princess Joy found herself in a scene right out of a fairytale.  The most remarkable winter in years has arrived.  Christmas is only a night away.  Princesses Joy, Grace, Faith, Charity and Hope are surrounded by glittering gifts, a huge Christmas tree in the parlor, sparkling candles, and a dramatic night sky with one star bigger and brighter than all the others.  A sudden rap at the door of the castle puts the kingdom on immediate alert!  Will a marauding band of outlaws ruin the princesses’ perfect Christmas Eve?” How will Princess Joy respond to this pending danger? (An excerpt from “A  Royal Christmas to Remember”)

 It is coming down to crunch time with only two days before we intentionally set time aside to gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our seasonal book,  “A Royal Christmas to Remember” was written for your little princess, like Princess Joy, to capture the true essence of why we remember the arrival of a tiny baby in a manger.  Princess Joy learns to think others more important than herself!  Joy comes from giving, not receiving. This book is available through Amazon.com, christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, your local Christian book store… 

 This is the second of our seasonal books.  Its appearance before the holiday season is perfectly timed to arrive before the Christmas dash.  Its story is timeless, taken from Luke 12:15-21, the “Parable of the Rich Young Ruler”.  It is dedicated to the parents who strive to rescue their children from the materialistic focus of this time of year.  It is for those of you who desire to introduce your child to the person, who is the “reason for this season”…Jesus Christ.

 In Sally Clarkson’s book “Ministry of Motherhood” she wrote:

 “Children need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical worldview and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship!  They need an unwavering moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today’s storms and will guide them for the rest of their lives.  They also need to see what a real faith looks like when lived day in, day out, so they will have a pattern to follow.”

 The Princess Parables have been written with God’s worldview that teaches biblical character, eternal values and is designed to cultivate a desire to be a child of the true King of Kings!  The Princess Parable Series is bible-based on a parable taught by the greatest teacher that ever lived.  Each book encompasses character-emphasized prince and princesses with eternal values targeted.  “A Royal Christmas to Remember” is written with these principles imposed onto every page. 

 Jeanna and I are blessed with the privilege of working together

to make this Series available to you.

 Have a great week!

~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 Treasure!"

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 time and money on gifts and essentials that make this time of year delightful and challenging.  Christmas, after-all, is less than two weeks away! 

 In The Princess Parable Series, “The Royal Christmas to Remember “seasonal book finds Princess Hope pre-occupied and ecstatic about opening all their presents on Christmas morning.  Her frivolous chatter was checked by their father the king, reminding her that giving and sharing is necessary to being a true princess. He would say, ”Be on guard against all kinds of greed, we are stewards of what we have”.

 In the “Princess Hope and the Hidden Treasure” book, we find the princess sisters’ shopping, when Princess Hope discovers her grandmother’s lost ring!  It’s in a store window for sale, but the price is high…even for a princess.  How far will Princess Hope go to buy it? 

  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. 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 responsibility.  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.

 Princess Hope was learning that 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.  Princess Hope learns that giving is far more rewarding than receiving!

 The second money management tenet is that God uses money as a tool to teach us, as a test of our trustworthiness and as 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.

 Hope’s first response to finding her grandmother’s ring in the store window was, “I will sell everything I have to buy that ring back!”  My husband 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)

 The countdown is on…Christmas is just around the corner!

 Our stewardship of His resources will come to light…

 How are we doing?

~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 "Mysterious Garden!"

Meet Princess Faith

In “A Royal Christmas to Remember”, there is an exceptionally curious princess with a grateful heart.   In “Princess Faith’s Mysterious Garden”,  Faith found a hidden parkland within the castle walls!   It was in ruins and she was determined to make it alive and beautiful again.  But when big and even scary problems destroyed the seedlings, Faith doubted and became discouraged and disappointed.  Will she have the courage to push through and keep planting?  But most of all, will she trust the planting that God is doing in her heart?  Even though we don’t understand why things happen around us, God uses these things to grow our hearts…

 In this demanding season of planning and preparation for our family and friends to join us in celebrating the birth of our Savior, we can find ourselves confounded by circumstances way beyond our control.  We, too, are preparing to plant seeds of truth in the hearts entrusted to us over the holidays.  Each opportunity is treasured and our careful attention to staying out of God’s way with our heart disposition is imperative.

 As we work our way through each situation allotted us, we, with a grateful outlook, choose to live and serve under God-control, trusting He will receive the glory due Him.  Princess Faith withstood the storm that washed her seeds away, the scary black birds that ate her newly planted seeds and the lost seeds that were scorched by the sun. Her doubts that her garden would ever grow were neutralized by her faith in her heavenly Gardner that knew what He was doing.

 Princess Faith trusted God even though she didn’t understand what was happening around her.  She was reminded of the parable where Jesus tells how the seeds that fell in the garden were like the words of God falling on our hearts. God wants us to listen to His words and like good soil to soak them in. These are days when we do not want to get too busy and neglect His Word.

 His words nourish us and make us strong, so that we are in “full bloom” for His plan and purpose for our life.  Troubles, difficulties, worries and uncertainties are simply reminders to trust, not doubt what He is doing. Matthew 13: 3-9. 

 Have a “Faith”-Centered week!

~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 "Lost and Found!"

During this month of December, our focus is going to be on the character of the princesses of our seasonal book, “A Royal Christmas to Remember.”  There are five weeks and five princesses.  Princess Grace, who is also found in “Princess Grace and the Little Lost Kitten”, finds herself on a journey, not unlike my own…

 Princess Grace promised her father that she would care for the kittens she had found.  Poppy, the curious one was forever in trouble and ran away.  Princess Grace must find her, even if it means searching the entire kingdom…even braving the dark Black Woods!  Along the way, she remembers a parable Jesus told about His great love for each of us and how He too searches for each one that is lost.

 While in missionary training,  we heard about a remote tribe of Indians, deep in the Darien jungle that had never heard the name of Christ.  Like the challenge of Princess Grace, our hearts longed to find this hidden tribe and bring the message of truth to these lost in darkness.

 Princess Grace stood as her father staunchly instructed her to “search everywhere for the lost kitten and bring her back safely to the castle.”  Her love for her father and fondness for the lost kitten propelled her initiative to obey and respond instantly to her father’s wishes.  We too, listened to the voice of our heavenly Father and responded to God’s call and the need of this remote indigenous group of lost people.

 Just as Grace braved the dark Black Woods, we chose to face our fears;  understanding, that the Kuna Indians were loved and important to God and needed to hear His message to them!  God came with us, protected us, was our refuge in times of distress and encouraged our hearts, just as He was with Princess Grace in the Black Forest.  

 Our family,  like Grace, walked through the door of fear and was faithful to pursue the one that was lost and is now found safe in the care of the one true King  (.Matt. 18: 12-14)

 This is the month we celebrate the coming of our Lord and Savior, The One True King.

 Join me in rejoicing that He came, paid the price, sought and found 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 "Time to Give Thanks!"

FROM MY FRONT DOOR TO YOURS!

 Thanksgiving is not a season.  It is a posture of our hearts.

 “Oh, give thanks to the Lord!  Call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples!” I Chronicles 16: 8

 LET US GIVE THANKS…

…for God’s grace and forgiveness

…for God’s blessing in our lives

…for the freedom to worship as we see fit

…for God’s promise of provision in response to our giving

…for the modern technology which enables us to receive and share the Gospel

…for the guidance of God’s Word, the Bible

…for the work of the Holy Spirit directing our paths day- by- day

…for the sustenance, the shelter, even the clothing which we so take for granted

…for the strength to carry on

…for the “hope of glory” (Colossians 1: 27)

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.”

I Chronicles16: 34

Examining the posture of my heart…what about you?

From the heart of our home to yours…we are thankful for each of 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 "On Guard!"

Our friends have a five-year-old Downs Syndrome boy who was having a fabulous time at Sea World.  In an instant, his parents realized he had wandered off, and in a panic, they began to run in every direction, calling his name.  After a few minutes others joined in…frantically searching the vast pools of deep water filled with every aquatic fish imaginable. 

 Finally, after a series of hopeful leads, he was spotted…head to toe, dripping wet and muddy…running to his dad, who scooped him up in relief and hugged him reassuringly! Upon arriving home, they bathed him and tucked him into his cozy warm bed and proceeded to get his wet clothes out of his over-stuffed backpack.  In disbelief and total amazement…out popped the cutest little live penguin they had ever seen! (Story shared by Yvonne Foust)

.Our little ones can certainly identify with this little happy and excited boy…I know I do!

 We are sometimes like that little boy.  We see or hear something that captures our total attention.  We get caught up in the exciting moment and throw “caution to the wind”.  The something may not be bad, but the distraction keeps us from following the best.  God has given our children a safety net in times like these by giving them…US!  Parents carry the responsibility of protecting their children.  They make sure these little ones are taught and learn to choose to stay close to where mom and dad can see and hear them.  Hence, they sense protection and security. 

 Alertness is the awareness that we are being stalked by a deadly enemy.( I Pet. 5: 8)   Listening and obeying…especially when we are in new places…keeps us alert to danger!  When little ones slip away where they cannot be seen or heard, they not only hurt themselves…they hurt others.  That little boy’s daddy and mommy were afraid because they love him.  That little boy had been in water somewhere and could have been in great peril!  That little boy took something that wasn’t his (his friend penguin). That little boy took iniative and made a bad decision on his own…without asking permission from his parents.  That little boy made the circumstance life-threatening for the baby penguin and himself!

 We need to stay alert under the umbrella of protection.  Our authority keeps the rain and pain of life from hitting us and gives us peace and security, IF we stay under its shelter.  When we choose NOT to listen and go off on our own, we walk away from our safekeeping.

 This, of course, is true for us, adults, too…

Do we remind ourselves in these busy days that we are in a spiritual war?

Do we maintain and guard our daily time with the Lord and His Word?

Do we see the need to be on guard to the subtle dangers

creeping into our lives and homes?

 Let’s be alert this week to our spiritual condition…

and  aware of what is taking place around us

so we can have the right response.

HAVE  A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

~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 "Distractions!"

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the anticipation of family and friends gathering Is a welcoming reality.  We will embrace the time given to those who arrive by plane, train and car to celebrate a season set aside to giving thanks together for God’s daily blessings.

 I pulled into John Wayne Airport last week to pick up my youngest daughter, arriving from a week’s visit in Texas with her best friend.  As I waited patiently, in my car, I observed scurrying individuals attempting to make their connection with those of us in a long line, each of us scouting for our peep!  Without exception, every single person had phone in hand.  Some were talking, some were listening, some were seated playing a game…but all were distracted and pre-occupied with something more important than the task at hand.

 It occurred to me that distraction had become the enemy.  The TSA workers were being hindered in their job of keeping the line moving by boarders consumed with the more important priority of a disrupting phone conversation!  How can one be attentive to the task at hand and distracted at the same time…it is an impossible conundrum! “A wise person will hear and will increase learning.”

 Attentiveness is showing the worth of a person by giving undivided concentration to his words. How many times do we call the name of our child and have them not respond?  Who gets priority when your husband calls your name and you are on the phone?  What about your quiet time?  Do you take the interruption and answer your phone or do you give a “hearing heart” and listen to the voice of God speaking to you through His Word? Those who listen best (undistracted) learn most. “Attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings.” (Proverbs 4:20)

 Thanksgiving  gatherings are premier occasions for our laying all distractions aside and showing support to those we value by looking at them when they are speaking to us, leaning forward into the conversation showing keen interest, sitting and standing up straight to show we value and respect the opinion of others and then, asking as many questions as we can (listening carefully to the answers).

“A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something!”

(Wilson Misner)

 I need to be more attentive this week…want to join me?

There is no time for distraction!

~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 "Haste Makes Waste!"

In my garden I have multiple butterfly bushes that are amazing to watch in the spring.  The butterflies come and the garden comes alive with activity.  When the chrysalis of a butterfly finally splits open, the butterfly must quickly free itself.  The pressure of this struggle inflates the butterfly’s wrinkled wings with vital fluids.  Without the struggle, a butterfly’s wings harden into misshapen stubs!

 It takes patience to wait and watch the entire process of butterfly reproduction.  In life we dodge the difficult situation, rather than just simply accepting it patiently, without giving God a deadline to remove it.  Those who wait on the Lord through great loss experience great gain. “Never think that God’s delays are God’s denials.  Hold on; hold fast; hold out.  Patience is genius!” (Buffon)

 “No one will ever know the full depth of our capacity for patience and humility as long as nothing bothers us.  It is only when times are troubled and difficult that  we can see how much of either is in us.” (St. Frances of Assisi)  How do we view the sovereignty of God? Do we joyfully endure pain and suffering?  Are we patient to wait on God and His timing in times of turmoil? James tells us to “welcome trials as friends”!  We are commanded to “run with patience the race that is set before us.”(Hebrews 12: 1)

 Most of us will have an opportunity to see this proved out in our life, as the holiday season takes on expectations and new challenges that call for endurance,  renewed strength and hope.  The promise is that ”they that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up wings as eagles; they will run, and not be weary; and they will walk and not faint”.(Isa. 40: 31)  

 The test of our maturity is how long we can wait between achievement and reward.

Have a great week!

~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 "Easy Transitions!"

Each morning outside my kitchen window, I watch tiny hummingbirds flutter and feed.  They exhibit amazing flexibility! These agile, three-and-a half-inch birds dart between and hover as they drink sweet nectar from my feeder.  These remarkable creatures can fly backward, forward, up and down, sideways or just float in place! They ably catch insects in flight and give new meaning to “rolling with the punches”.  The wind blows them “ hither and yon” and they never miss a beat.  They are masters!

As the holidays approach us with the added responsibilities and expectations, I am reminded of the need to not set my affections on plans, places, ideas or people that could be changed. Change produces tension. Being flexible with a willingness to change my plans with a good attitude for the benefit of another, benefits me with new insights and perspectives regarding deference-living. It’s a win…win.  Life calls us to maintain a constant state of flexibility. However, I cannot lie…change is not my favorite activity!

 In the seasonal Christmas Princess Parable book, “A Royal Christmas to Remember”, the Princesses Joy, Grace, Faith, Hope and Charity have carefully planned the most dramatic and dazzling Christmas celebration ever…until a knock at the front door of the castle on Christmas Eve changes everything.  Will a marauding band of outlaws ruin the princesses perfect Christmas Eve?  How flexible will our princesses be with these new circumstances? 

 The degree of pain we experience when required to bend and yield,  reveals the extent to which our affections and will are already inflexibly set!  There is a natural tendency to resist change and maintain “statis quo” in our comfort and convenience.  Growth comes when we step outside that space and settle in to “ride the wave” of continual adjustment. Flexibility is based on the desire and delight to do the will of God and follow His leading and an inflexible attitude reveals a persistence to do our own will.

 Those little hummingbirds are my daily reminder

to check my attitude when my carefully laid plans are challenged or changed…

 What is your response to an “interrupted plan”?

~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 "Weathering the Storm!!"

I now understand why my husband always had a love for palm trees.  I thought they were stately, but I was more drawn to weeping willows blowing in the wind or a blooming magnolia tree.  The source of life in a palm tree is at its center rather than just beneath the outward surface, as in other trees.  Its roots go deep into the ground and draw nourishment during times of drought.  The longer it endures, the sweeter its fruit becomes.

  The palm tree tolerates abuse that would kill other trees, because it is not harmed by surface wounds. While living in Southern Texas, the palm trees were severely tested when a hurricane struck our town.  We watched those stately trees sway and bend, not giving in to the torrents of  roaring winds, crashing rain and pelting hail and debris.

 The next morning, fallen trees of every kind were everywhere, roads were blocked…but no  palm trees! Through the storm, the palm trees had the strength to endure it all!  “The righteous will flourish like the palm tree: he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”  I want to flourish like the palm tree and be found faithful, enduring whatever He chooses to bring my way.  No…correction… I want to be found rejoicing… in the midst of the storms, trials and tribulations.  We need strength to endure.  Endurance is that inward strength the Holy Spirit gives us to withstand stress…and keep going! 

 Quitting is not an option.  Prioritizing  goals and pursuits so there is no time, energy or talent wasted is imperative.  Learning to bend, instead of break, under pressure is a requirement. Leaving discouragement at the door becomes vital.  Learning to do what is right even in hard times is a given…

 Whatever “storm” stress you are facing this week, will you join me

 in the pursuit of “endurance”…tapping into His strength…

rejoicing always…never giving up?

~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.