Jackie's Journey: "Double-Minded?!"

“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways”! James 1:8

Wait!...What??... Double-minded???…

I am a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, missionary, pastor’s wife,

teacher, author, speaker, etc.… and the last title I want is Double-Minded!

In the Princess Parable Series the story of Princess Hope comes from Matthew 13, The Hidden Treasure. She is called to "count the cost" if she is to find the REAL treasure! In her life lesson she learns to focus on God's promises and not the circumstances surrounding her. Her single-mindedness and loyalty to her grandmother, not to mention her determination with a lot of active creativity, become her constant companions and ultimately bring her reward and blessing.

What are the undeniable marks of a double-minded person? 

There is:

• Fear of examination; fear of being transparent with others; a need to protect reputation
• Resistance to being vulnerable to the pain of exposure
• A Plastic coating of pride, usually masked under the guise of some form of spirituality
• Hiding of sin, self and struggle
• A Protection of personal impurities
• A Secretiveness

Are you double-minded?

We are to be women of principle with loyal convictions, who cannot be bought and will not compromise.   Loyalty is demonstrated in adversity.  It is the first of 4 basic needs of man.  There is a seed of loyalty programmed into each one of us by God. 

Double-mindedness is disloyalty and springs from an independent spirit.  An unbroken will is a cause of disloyalty and double-mindedness.  The fruit is divorce, dissension, division, disharmony, distrust and …

We listen to double-minded philosophies all the time:

•  I want to serve the Lord, but I don’t want to take responsibility for myself or my life
• I want to be a disciple, but I don’t want to be inconvenienced or have any discomfort
• I want to be a servant, but on my own time
• I have temporal values, but I am totally committed to God
• I want to be honest, but I don’t want to tell the truth, at least not the whole truth
• I want to be loved, but I won’t love freely in return or be vulnerable
• I want to be pure, but I don’t want accountability or to be corrected or examined
• I want to live morally pure, but I won’t submit my body to my spirit…it feels too good the other way
• I have a bitter spirit, but I don’t want to hear about it
• I want to be loyal, but I don’t want to be single-minded!

“A loyal woman is pre-eminently a woman of one thing.  It is not enough to say that she is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted and fervent in spirit.  She only sees one thing, she cares for one thing, she lives for one thing, she is swallowed up in one thing…and that one thing is to please God.  Whether she lives or whether she dies; whether she has health or whether she has sickness; whether she is rich, or whether she is poor; whether she pleases man or whether she gives offense; whether she is thought to be wise or whether she is thought to be foolish; whether she gets blame or whether she gets praise; whether she gets honor or whether she gets the shame… for all this a loyal woman cares nothing at all.  She burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory…   This is what is meant when we speak of loyalty to the cross.”  Bishop Ryle, 1959

When my life is over will single-mindedness be my legacy? 

Will I be known as a loyal servant of my God? 

Will 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 discipling 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: Busybodies...!

Chapter 3 of James speaks directly to those who aspire to teach.  Mothers are teachers whether they aspire to be or not!  Our children look to us for direction, protection and instruction in what is right and wrong in life.  They read our actions, words, and attitudes…continually.  They listen to our hearts and they read our spirits! 

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example.  Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants it to go.

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.   Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue is a small part of the body but makes great spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue!” James 3: 3-7

SeaWorld can control Shamu, a massive creature,

 but we struggle to control our own diminutive tongue!!

Scripture says “the tongue is a restless evil, full of deadly poison!” 

With the tongue we praise God, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  This should not be!

Do you know what I am talking about? 

Do you know what a gossip is?

How about a whisperer or slanderer?

 Can you define a busybody…?

I Peter 4:15 talks about a busybody who digs up evil reports and then spreads them through gossip, slander or whispering.   

“Let none of you suffer as a murderer

or as a thief

or as an evil doer

or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” 

According to this verse evil reporting is as wicked as murder or stealing!

We enjoy listening to evil reports because they exalt us!  All evil reports involve false information or are a distortion of facts.  They are usually given with wrong motives and cause the hearer to form inaccurate conclusions.  One of the major causes of conflict among us is our wrong response to an evil report.  We, then, attempt to resolve the conflict with unscriptural solutions.

The Whisperer secretly or privately passes on evil reports to others.

“All my enemies whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me…”  Psa. 41:7

Among Christians, a common example of a whisperer is in the area of prayer requests. 

If the request comes with the disclaimer, “Please don’t share this with anyone, but… we need to pray about this….!”

Our response should be, “Have you asked this person if you can share this request with me?  Let’s go pray with this person together.”

In Panama at our missionary school, we sang a song called Gossip.  It went like this:

“Gossip is sharing pertinent information with someone with anyone who’s not involved with the problem or with the solution.”  The Gossiper loves to magnify and sensationalize rumors and partial information and pass it on quickly. 

Know anybody like this?

The Slanderer seeks to destroy another’s credibility or reputation with damaging facts, distortions of facts and evil suspicions.  In Numbers 14:36 the consequence for evil reporting exposes what God thinks about evil reports!

“So the men Moses sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it…

these men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord”!

Ask yourself these 5 questions the next time someone approaches you with information regarding a third party:

1. What is your reason for telling me this?
2. Where did you get your information?
3. Have you spoken to those directly involved?
4. Have you personally checked out all the facts?
5. Can I quote you if I check this out?

Spirituality is not measured by how well we expose another person for whatever reason, but by how effectively we scripturally seek to see that person restored and made successful.

How do your husband and your children perceive the amount

of control you have over your tongue?

How important do you see your power of influence

in the lives of your children?

~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 discipling 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. 

Does Your Princess or Knight Eat Too Much Sugar?

The holidays are just around the corner.  This means a battle with my will power and the endless sweets available.

My kids are just like me.  They eat too much sugar.  They crave it during the day.  They think about how to get more of it, either by baking themselves or raiding the cupboards when I am not looking.  Funny, I tried to teach them to curb the sweets all their life. The holidays are an excuse to overindulge.

Now battling cancer for so many years, I am not supposed to have any sugar.  I go through months without even fruit.  Then I breakdown and binge on sugar (honey, agave or organic cane sugar) for a weekend or a couple of weeks.  I know I shouldn’t, but honestly, it is really hard.

Sugar is so bad for me – for all of us.  We all know it.  In fact, cancer feeds off sugar.  One reason we love it is because sugar activates the reward centers of our brain.  This releases feel-good neurotransmitters, like dopamine and endorphins.  Sugar also helps shuttle the amino acid tryptophan into our brains that is converted into serotonin – this helps us feel calm.  No wonder when I am stressed with the kids or having an argument with my husband, I reach for a muffin or a scone!

I know I crave sugar when I should really be searching for the Lord in these situations.  I have uncovered a life-long idol in my life.  Food takes the place of God. 

My kids are learning and watching me. So we have an open dialogue about sugar and eating healthy.  You would think because I eat healthy my family does, too.  When I am struggling with my health, sometimes the easiest food is not the healthiest.  However, looking back over the last four years, I can see the changes I have made with our food choices.  I am really in charge of the food they eat, for the most part.  I shop. I cook. I am in charge of their daily food.

My kids all eat a variety of vegetables and fruit each day.  They will drink smoothies, eat seaweed and take their supplements.  But cutting out sugar continues to be a challenge.  I am taking an honest look at the holidays and putting into practice the steps here to help my kids eat less sugar starting with Thanksgiving.

Obviously, we can’t change all the parties and the feasts that happen this time of year, but we, as the moms, can change what we are doing at home.  We can open the lines of communication and help them see how much sugar is “allowable” for our bodies.

Here are a couple of practical tips for this time of year and for the new year to reduce the amount of sugar in your family’s diet.

• Read the nutrition labels

            When buying food, check out the labels.  Try to buy things with 3 grams of sugar or less.  If you have an option, go for the one with the less grams.  Kids should try to stay under 50-70 grams a day.  A big glass of 100% juice can be as much as 28 grams of sugar, so try to just be aware of how much sugar your kids are consuming.  We try to limit the kids’ drinks to one juice drink a day and go for water the rest of the time. Sodas are allowed only once in a while, when we are out.  I never buy them for the house.

• Learn sugar’s aliases

            Sugar can be listed under a variety of names.  High Fructose corn syrup, honey, cane syrup, molasses, brown rice syrup, agave and maple syrup are all SUGAR!  Many processed foods will use a couple of these ingredients.  We have to be the detectives. Fake sweeteners are associated with weight gain and feed our desire for sweets.  They are also carcinogenic and do not belong in our kids’ food.  Leave those items with fake sweeteners on the shelf.

• Opt for unsweetened or less sweetened.

            You are in charge of holiday baking.  Buy ingredients that are labeled “no sugar added” or “unsweetened”.  Applesauce, baking chocolate, canned fruit, non-dairy milk (coconut, almond, etc) and nut butters are all available in unsweetened versions.  Also when baking, add less sugar than the recipe calls for.

•Be prepared for the parties

            I try to feed my kids before we head out for a holiday event.  This way they will be less likely to eat a bunch of junk.  Sure, I know they will still have the holiday cookies, but instead of eating 10 for dinner, they will only eat two because they are full.  I also bring snacks to eat in the car when we are running between events for the same reason. If I have to bring something to the party, I bring a healthy, fun option.  If you look on Pinterest or Google, there are plenty of healthy, fun options for the holidays.

•Don’t bring the junk into the house

            I am so nostalgic.  I see snowman shaped cookies and I think how much fun it would be for the kids to eat them.  I have to remind myself that they are going to eat PLENTY of fun food this time of year.  If I can establish a one sweet a day rule, then the kids can decide what they would like to have.  Most of the time, my kids like to wait for dessert after dinner.

As I look over this list, I think it is a good list of guidance for all of us, not just for the kids.  We don’t need to gain weight during the holidays, if we are just a little prepared and if we just exert a little self-control, we too can eat less sugar at the holidays this year.

“He will eat . . . honey at the (right) time.  He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.  Isaiah 7:15

~ Jeanna Young

When Jeanna is not writing, speaking, event planning, or homeschooling, she can be found scrapbooking her life, redecorating her home, loving on her husband, planning fun events for her kids or eating healthy to stay cancer-free!

Jackie's Journey: Jonah...HELP!

If you have not heard the Story of Jonah told by the daughter of Lindsey Douglas, you are in for a treat!  Listen to the heart of a precious child who makes this blog very understandable! 

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

“It was not the sin and corruption of the Ninevites, although those were great.  It was not the graft-ridden police force or corrupt politicians.  It was not the false cults and religions.  The biggest obstacle to the salvation of Nineveh was found in the heart of a pious, prejudiced man named Jonah!  There was no deceitfulness in all of Nineveh like the deceitfulness in Jonah’s heart.  Jonah was the key to the salvation of Nineveh.  God’s people are the key to the spiritual climate of our nation and the world.”   George Sweeting

Deceitfulness comes from a secret lust.  It is a result of a long sin pattern.

Jonah was foolish enough to argue with God!  He thought he could run away from God…

Do you ever feel that way?

Jonah deceived himself!  His prejudice against a people he was called to preach repentance caused his downfall.  His job was to take the message of God to Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria.  The Assyrians were old enemies of Israel and he was not fond of these people and did not want salvation for an enemy, among other things.  So he decided to run from God…

Have you ever felt the call of God to do something that was inconvenient or outside your comfort zone?

Did you rationalize your situation and argue with God or did you instantly obey? 

Rationalizing the clear “prompting voice” away is difficult the first time, but gets easier as we pass the responsibility onto another person or time. This causes the prompting voice to almost disappear.  Rationalization is nothing more than allowing my mind to find reasons to excuse what my spirit already knows is wrong. Rom. 2:21

Jonah was disobedient to God’s request and he reaped the consequence.  His willfulness not only caused problems for him but for others…sin has a way of doing that!

It is obedience to all the Ten Commandments or none of them.

If we disobey one, we disobey all!

We only deceive ourselves by believing the lies that come with rationalizing our sin:

I will do it later…

I am too busy right now…

I will only eat one bite!

I can stop any time I want…

I can do it myself and I can do it my way…

I exercised poor judgment…

I made a mistake…

It was poor communication…

I couldn’t help it…

Nobody’s perfect…

I just can’t help myself…

It wasn’t that bad!

I am a victim of my circumstances…vs. I take full responsibility

You fill in the blank…what excuse do you use most frequently…?

Jonah missed the blessing by disobeying God.  He repented but his sin still carried a consequence. 

How do you reply when God speaks to you?

Do you instantly respond to the initial promptings of His Spirit,

or do you silently argue with God, rationalizing?

Obedience is following God-given instructions under the protection of God-given authority so the one being served will be fully satisfied.  Like Jonah, God gives each of us a choice multiple times…daily.  II Cor. 10: 15

Do we answer God’s call like the little girl responded on the video?

 “I’m listening…I’m on my way!” 

~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 discipling 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. 

But God

Every day, I need to remind myself to “Keep God on the right side of BUT”!

Huh? You might think.

As a new Christian, I remember when my mentor and now co-author, Jackie, taught me about the phrase “But God . .  .”  This lesson continues to be one that shapes my worldview and daily life. The phrase “But God . . .” is found 43 times in the Bible.

“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to . . . save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20).

“Their beauty shall be consumed in the grave . . . . But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave” (Ps. 49:14-15).

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:7-8).

“But God” is an important declaration in His word.

Every day we think about 65,000 words.  Of the words we think, the average woman can speak up to 20,000 of those words out loud for the world to hear.

The words we actually think, and ultimately say, create our view of life and God.  How we form sentences can shape how we respond to a situation and how we live our life.

I learned it matters where I place God’s name in a sentence.  If I put his name before the “but”, then I am claiming it as my own.  I have taken off my “kingdom vision” glasses and put on my own “narrow view” glasses.  I have taken over my life and am now my “own” god.

However, if I put His name after the “but”, I am giving Him all the power and glory in this world. I can be reassured of His involvement in not only my life, but everyone around me. He is holy, righteous and completely in control.

For instance, if I say:

God knew this was going to happen here, but I don’t like it at all.

OR

I don’t like what just happened here, but God is completely in control.

Do you see how different the second sentence is?

During this last season, I was cautioned by one of my favorite quotes – “Keep God on right side of BUT”.  Struggling between how much I do and trusting God to do all that He is. There is such a fine line. I found myself putting “God on the left side of BUT!”  This is a huge mistake!

Examples of “God on the left side of BUT”:

• God is healing me, but I have to eat this way.
• God has allowed this in my life for a reason, but I am researching for a cure.
• God supplies all my needs, but I have to depend on others.

The exact same sentences with “God on the right side of BUT”:

• I have to eat this way, but I know God is healing me.
• I am researching for a cure, but I know God has allowed this in my life for a reason.
• I have to depend on others, but God supplies all my needs.

I have had to catch myself over and over again in the last months. 

I am always trying to take over and run the show. 

Is there anyone else out there like me? 

Can any of you relate?

This week, I felt like God wanted me to remind myself and tell all of you to keep His name on the right side of BUT!

~Jeanna Young

When Jeanna is not writing, speaking, event planning, or homeschooling, she can be found scrapbooking her life, redecorating her home, loving on her husband, planning fun events for her kids or eating healthy to stay cancer-free!

Jackie's Journey: Revival...Who Needs It? Part 2

If there was ever a need for Revival, today is it!

“An evangelist reaches your emotions.  A true prophet reaches your conscience.” Leonard Ravenhill

God had brought us to Arnold, Nebraska and He had a Plan…

Something alive was stirring in Arnold!

He used the people living in those sand hills to reveal His heart and our need.  He used the warmth of the Nebraska heartland and its very special inhabitants…

Nebraska Sand Hills

God used this community to introduce us to genuine hospitality and throughout all these years of ministry we have purposed to practice what we learned there.

This is the town God used to reveal the possibilities of God using us in Panama, in a remote village on the Colombian border.

This is the town God used to give us an opportunity to first know His faithfulness to us through His people.

In this community, “everyone knows your name” and everything about your family, for at least three generations!  Californians pride themselves in their independence from the need for community life and this is found in their perpetual church hopping!

Downtown Arnold, Nebraska

God’s plan was about to shatter any preconceived ideas about revival…

This was it…after months of prayer and preparation…the day had arrived!  The Crusade was packed!  The school auditorium was filled with people from every denomination, all walks of life, people who would never enter a church…the turnout was phenomenal. 

God had a plan that would advance His kingdom!

A revival flame had been ignited!  Hearts were challenged all over that auditorium! Many young people responded to the truth of God’s Word and would go on to serve the Lord in missions all over the world, most of them with New Tribes Mission, reaching into tribal regions.  Many of them are still on the field.

A few weeks after the crusade, on prom night, the police wanted to know why the streets were empty.  The only explanation was that the young people were back in the auditorium watching a Christian film!  A number of couples, including Smokey Kellner, a quadriplegic, and his wife entered missionary training and served as missionaries in Mexico for 20 years or more.  

Lives were changed that night in homes all over the town of Arnold.  There was no age discrimination when it came to God ministering to needy souls…  Young and old were confronted with sin, God’s provision and their desperate need.

“A revival means nothing less than a revolution, casting out the spirit of worldliness and selfishness and making God and His love triumph in heart and life.”  Andrew Murray

God had a plan and allowed us to be a small part of the moving of His Spirit in the hearts and lives of those He had already prepared to harmonize with His will.

R. A. Torrey gave a prescription that never fails to bring revival:

•  “Let a few Christians get thoroughly right with God. (No unconfessed sin or anything between another person and yourself…totally repent!).
• Let them bind themselves together to pray for revival
• Let them put themselves at the disposal of God for His use as He sees fit in winning others to Christ.  That is all.  It never fails.” 

It worked in Arnold! 

Billy Sunday was asked: “When is revival needed?  He answered:  When carelessness and unconcern keep the people asleep.” 

…Please, Lord Jesus…

“Will you not revive us again, that your people will rejoice in you?” Psalm 85: 6

For those of you in Arnold who read this, time is a witness to the strength of loyal and eternal relationships.  Your community has abundantly blessed the Ralph Johnson family and we are indebted to each of the families and individuals who invested in us and trusted us with your hearts…

~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 discipling 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. 

Are You a "Yes!" Mom?

Be the “Yes!” Mom!

Halloween 2015 has come and gone.  I have been reflecting on what has changed.  I no longer have much input on their costumes.  They don’t really need me to hold their hands while trick or treating.  They want to invite friends along and tell us we can stay behind and watch the World Series.  Times have changed.

My children aren’t wearing their costumes today – the day after Halloween.  They no longer insist on wearing them to the grocery store, or to church, or to a party at Easter time.  They no longer want to wear them to dinner when we are having spaghetti or outside playing in the rain.  They are folded neatly and put away.  Some of them went back to the costume shop today.

The older my kids get, the more I miss the “littles”.

Now, my youngest is 7 and my oldest is 14, so in some peoples minds, they are still little.  But I am talking about the squishy cheek-weeks, over-managed months and diaper days that go by way too quickly.  People used to say “Enjoy these days with your little ones, they will be gone before you know it”.  I actually think I couldn’t believe it back then because     the.      days.     are.     so.      long.

I was the kind of mom who insisted on wearing costumes only when it was appropriate.  I wish now I hadn’t.  Today, I would love to see Princess Grace at church, Robin Hood at the grocery store and Princess Leah at an Easter party.  I would be happy to wash marinara sauce or mud off any costume now.  But those days have passed.

Are you an uptight mom who wants them to dress just right? 

“Oh honey, that costume is good for Halloween or around the house, but not for church”. Maybe matching perfect clothes for an outing and hair combed just right? “Sweetie, I love that Batman costume, but I just don’t think it is right for Aunt Sharon’s Easter feast”.

I know, me too.

So I am here today to encourage you to let them DO IT!  Crazy, right?  I wish I had let them live out their fairy tales and I wish I could have taken pictures.  I have too many perfectly-dressed, hair-just-right photos.  Let them wear their princess dresses and cowboy outfits because some day they will not want to anymore.

Take it from me.  Your time with them is short and the moments when they want to be adventurers, explorers and royalty for a day will come to an end.

Just say “Yes!”

~Jeanna Young

When Jeanna is not writing, speaking, event planning, or homeschooling, she can be found scrapbooking her life, redecorating her home, loving on her husband, planning fun events for her kids or eating healthy to stay cancer-free!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month! 

I know most of you know that.  Pink ribbons are everywhere.  I love the awareness part, but not so much the pink ribbon.  Here is more information why.

Because the statistics say 1 out of 8 women reading this blog will have breast cancer in their lifetime, I feel called to share the things I have learned along the way. 85% of the women diagnosed have no family history of it. Having been a miracle two times now, I'd like to offer some ideas to reduce the risks to our bodies.

Are you at risk?

Are your hormones high?   Have your hormones checked next time you are getting blood work.  I never knew to do this and my hormones were 5 times the acceptable range when I had cancer.

Are you overweight?  I was. Ask yourself if you are more than 60 pounds over the weight you were at 18 years old.  Fatty tissue makes estrogen, so this will put you over your body’s desired amount for estrogen. Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly minimize your risks. 

Do you have dense breast tissue? A routine mammogram will discover what kind of breast tissue you have.  I recommend thermography instead, but either way, discuss your breast tissue with your doctor. 

Do you watch your environment and lifestyle?  How we eat, what we put on our bodies and how we live does largely affect our risk of breast cancer.   These are the biggest areas we can change. Exposure to solvents, plasticizers and other industrial chemicals in the products we use can increase our vulnerability.  Pesticide residue on the foods we eat is included in this.   

So avoid . . .

• cigarette smoke (even smelling it)
• processed foods (everything on the inside aisles of the grocery store)
• hormone replacement therapy (that includes the pill)
• more than one alcoholic beverage or cup of coffee a day (not my coffee!!!)
• non-organic produce (eat mostly fruits and veggies!)
• chemicals like parabens or BPA that mimic estrogen in products (check your shampoo, make-ups, lotions, etc)
• stress in your life (learn to make margin)

I know it’s a long list, but if only someone had told me! 

God has a plan in all things and I believe, for me, it is my job to help inform you all!  God has given us many resources in this world to combat the evil of breast cancer.  Yes, I think it is evil and reminds me a lot of sin.  He has given us wonderful food to eat – his food that comes from trees and vines.  Not plastic man made food in colorful boxes.  He has given us iodine to rub on our thyroid or iodine pills to help regulate our estrogen.  He has made curcumin, grape seed extract and pomegranate supplements that help to reduce our risks.

I pray you will make the changes you need to so you will not be one of the eight. I believe God has given us everything we need to live this life.  I just wish I had known and changed sooner.  Praying for health for each of you reading this!

2 Peter 1:3 Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

 ~Jeanna Young

When Jeanna is not writing, speaking, event planning, or homeschooling, she can be found scrapbooking her life,  redecorating her home, loving on her husband,  planning fun events for her kids or eating healthy to stay cancer-free!

Jackie's Journey: Dry Bones

If there was ever a day when our families, country and world call for Revival…this is the day!

“Revival is absolutely essential to restrain the righteous anger of God, to restore the conscious awareness of God, and to reveal the gracious activity of God.”

Ezekiel was a prophet, a priest and a servant of God who was sent to give God’s message to a wicked and rebellious nation, not unlike our own.  Chapter 37 speaks of his vision of a “valley of dry bones”.  Verse 11 cries out, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off”!  Spiritual deadness is a frightening position, and the absence of the fear of God reveals itself in our moment-by-moment life practice…

Are we dedicated to comfort and convenience,

claiming personal rights,

doing our own thing?

Or are we dedicated to Cavalry’s road and a God that calls us to holiness?

Our dedication determines how alive we are spiritually or if we are a mass of “dry bones”.  There is a quality of spiritual life that is rarely experienced among believers in the West because we are so busy…living in entitlements. 

Where are you living this moment?

Stephen Olford in Heart Cry wrote, “O that God would teach us that it is just as important to be spiritual as to be sound in our approach to the Bible, just as vital to be obedient as to be orthodox, and that the purpose of revelation is nothing less than transformation of human lives!”

Revival is the power of the Holy Spirit transforming God’s Word in our souls.  While in Bible School a fellow student introduced me to a small paperback book, The Calvary Road by Roy Hession.  Revival’s clear definition and seeing my need for personal application has been a constant reminder of God’s promise to set us free from sin and self…continually!

Revival is the result of:

• A new experience of the conviction of sin
• A new vision of the cross of Jesus and redemption
• A new willingness to walk in brokenness, repentance, confession and restitution
• An understanding of how to maintain a consistent walk in the light
• A joyful experience of the power of the blood of Jesus cleansing us fully from sin and healing all that sin has lost and broken
• The test for knowing you are cleansed…ask yourself

1.     Do I have any un-confessed sin?

2.     Is there anything between another person and me?

• A new entering into the wholeness of the Holy Spirit and His power and His own work in and through us
• A new “gathering-in” of the lost ones to Christ

Revival does not begin with someone else.  It begins with each of us!

Is revival stirring in your soul? 

“The fruit of revival comes only as we come to the cross and acknowledge our emptiness and failure apart from Him.  It is not good Christians becoming better Christians…but rather Christians honestly confessing that their Christian life is a valley of dry bones and by that confession qualifying for the grace that flows from the Cross and makes all things new, dry bones made alive again!”  Roy Hession

Understanding our desperate need initiates this promise:

Jesus did not come into the world to make bad men good…

He came to make dead men live!

~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 discipling 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: Sacrifice...What?

We are all living sacrifices…for something or someone…for good or evil!!

Some live life sacrificing for money; some for drugs and alcohol; some for sports; some for self-gratification, etc.  Most dedicated mothers sacrifice for their family.

My husband recently shared a verse with me that put “rubber on the road” in my understanding of sacrificial living! 

II Chronicles 12:14 says, “He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord”.

My idea of evil is unlimited in its ability to fill my imagination with what I see, hear and read in our frazzled culture today! 

 In the light of God’s definition of evil, what are we really living for?

Are we shortsighted, committed to doing our own thing?

According to this verse, evil is defined as not setting our hearts on pleasing God and His purpose for our life; not seeking the Lord, first and always.

All other pursuits are considered evil from God’s point of view!

So I asked myself…

In my life quest, I consider my pursuits sacrificial but am I actively setting my heart on seeking Him first in every endeavor?”

Isa. 50:11 promises us needless defeat and suffering when we “light our own torches to do our own thing”.

As busy moms and grandmas, how often do we look for God’s purpose when we are being consumed by a whirlwind of activity all around us?  We are teachers, taxi drivers, counselors and nurses… you fill in the blank!

Isa. 50: 10 states, “All believers walk in darkness”.  This means we are all shortsighted and blind to the immediate future.  We tend to sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.  By setting our hearts on pleasing God and having his purpose first in our lives, we find sacrificial living fulfilling, understanding that “all things work together for those who ‘set their heart on seeking God’ and are called according to his purpose”.

Are we too busy in our “life of urgency”

 to look for God’s purpose in our next interruption?

Is it a moot point when we are fractured with wrong attitudes and responses because we are being inconvenienced?

“I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.  If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened…” 

Can He listen to you?  What do you set your heart on? 

What do you cherish above all?

~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 discipling 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.