Jackie's Journey "What are You Marked By?"

The Princess Parable Series gives little girls the princess they want so desperately to connect with, while pleasing the parents and teaching eternal values.  They are introduced to an enchanting princess they will love and learn that Godly character marks the life of a True Princess.

 A child that has conflicts with his or her parents and is rebellious can usually trace the rebellion back to a violation, neglect or misapplication of one, or more, character deficiencies.  This is the specific red flag we need, as moms, to hone in on our child’s real need for godly character development in that area. 

 Character can be defined as “ the inward motivation to do what is right according to the highest standards of behavior in every situation”.  Understanding character helps explain why things happen to us. 

 “The final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” Anne Frank

 While on the mission field, living interior, an event happened that shook us all to the core.  A raging flu epidemic had struck our village with a vengeance and almost, without exception, everyone was running a high fever, having difficulty breathing and experiencing extreme malaise. The babies and mothers with tuberculosis were especially affected, but the entire village was impacted  

 Our partners, Jay and Sue, had gone on furlough, which meant we were alone.  Ralph and I were busy day and night in homes and the medical clinic giving injections and looking for the key to the strain of infection that had taken us captive.  Our medical supplies and our need to replenish the clinics medicine was at an all-time high.

 Just as dawn emerged from weeks of intense activity and challenge, I started running a fever.  I was the last to be affected by the storm, as it made its way through our small Darien family.  My fever surged to 106 degrees and we were two days by boat to the nearest hospital and emergency room. The medicine in the clinic was depleted…what was to happen to me?

 Character transcends culture, race, age, social status, religion, gender and nationality, because it deals with the daily struggles of human nature.  “Adversity doesn’t build character…it reveals it!”   Character is based on universal standards that are time-tested and recognized as being right.  It is written on every person’s heart.  I was confronted with an opportunity to watch God reveal His character to me and for me to respond in harmony with Him and His will regarding my circumstances.

 My true character stood in the doorway of reality and my surrendering to Him would determine my genuine character.  Would I be marked by Godly character or be bound in fear, doubt and unbelief?

 Maybe you are facing  a circumstance in your life that is exposing you to the real you.  It might be a terminal illness or a loss of home or maybe even, loss of a person close to you…whatever struggle stands in your path…

 “Godly character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.

Only through experience of trial and suffering

can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired,

and success achieved.”  Helen Keller

~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 "Inspiring Imprints!"

Christina and Kim, my daughters, asleep in our jungle hammock

As a young missionary mother reading to these two little ones sitting next to me in a hammock in the middle of the Darien jungle, my heart yearned for books that would introduce my girls to bible-based, character-emphasized prince and princesses that they could aspire to become.  I would take every book I picked up and purpose to impose these two principles into the pages in terms they could understand that had eternal values targeted. 

These girls are grown and have given me seven grandchildren!  Christina encouraged me for years to sit down and put on paper what I did to the stories I read in those early years.  Her cry for these books for her four little ones was my primary motivation in writing The Princess Parable Series.

The opportunities are unlimited when it comes to God building His character in us, and then, into those we love.  Understanding the need and exercising the steps of action required to see them implemented is our challenge. 

When you look at your children where do you see their primary need?  Taking into consideration their age and temperament…maybe the need for them to be more alert or to respond more quickly in obedience?  Maybe rebellion is the issue or selfishness? 

Where would you begin to help

 the little prince or princess in your home?

 Values are based on the changing opinions of what people or groups of people practice in their principles or ideals.  Character is based on universal standards that are time-tested and recognized as being ethically correct.  Character is written in every person’s heart and conscience (Romans 2:15).  Even though the basic truth of a character quality is understood, there is a need for further clarification on how to apply the truth in our daily circumstances. 

I have collected positive character quality definitions for years because they describe pieces of the Godhead and assist in my personal spiritual exercise and transformation.  They equipped me to pragmatically instruct my girls as we walked through daily activities living in a culture very different than our own. The qualities of kindness and compassion wereright up there at the top!

 In the village where we lived, the Kuna practice of polygamy and early marriages combined with witchcraft and a village witchdoctor opened up interesting teaching opportunities.

It brought to mind a time not too many years ago when my two granddaughters accomplished an extraordinary act of compassion in just a few days.   I was asked to wrap a collection of gifts, gift cards and get-well cards with money that Catherine and Alexandra had gathered to give to Alexandra’s teacher at school.

Catherrine and Alexandra,

my granddaughters

Alexandra’s heart had been challenged to encourage this young single woman, who had recently left her parents and siblings on the East Coast to answer a call to serve at her school in our community here on the West Coast.

 This teacher had taken a daily six-hour cancer treatment three months earlier and had quietly gone alone for treatment here the last six weeks, not wanting to burden or inconvenience anyone else.  During her follow-up appointment, the doctors found the cancer had returned…aggressively!  

Alexandra tearfully shared with her sister, Catherine, the sadness she felt.  Catherine, who was the school’s “Kindness Club” director, immediately joined hearts and hands with her sister, their mother (Christina), and many who heard of the need. Within just a few days they had rallied friends, families, neighbors and they handed me a huge box-full of “gifts” to be wrapped!

We respond to life according to our character, good or bad.  Our wrong responses indicate our need.  Our correct responses validate our victories.  For me, this was a victory of a life-lesson well-taught and learned. The blessing of three generations clasping hands to compassionately encourage a hurting heart!

Compassion is doing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts and meet the need of another.  Christ is the greatest teacher that ever lived and our example. His compassion for us carried Him to the cross!  Living outside our own self-life, being alert to another’s pain and not walking by without lifting a hand is our “call to action”. 

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother

in need but has no pity on him,

how can the love of God be in him?” 1 John 3:17

~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.