Jackie's Journey "Hiding Places"

It has been 23 days since Ralph left for heaven and the Word of God has come alive.  I can remember in the jungles of Panama different times when trials and difficulties made the Word seer my heart like fire with truth, comfort, encouragement, and life-lessons.  I can attest to God’s unfailing love and faithfulness… there is  “Joy in  the morning”!  Ralph used to tell me, “Trust in the dark what God gave you in the light”.

 My hearts song this morning is, “Hear my cry,  Oh  God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the Earth,  I call  to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me  to the  rock that  is  higher than I.  For  you have been my  refuge, a strong  tower against the foe.  I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.  For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me  the  heritage  of those who fear your name.”  Psalm 61

 This is the vow Ralph and I made shortly after we married in 1965.

I found it in my Bible…

 Lord, we give up our  own purposes and plans and all desires, hopes and ambitions…(whether they be of flesh or soulish) and accept your will for our lives.  We give ourselves to YOU, our lives, our all… to be YOURS forever.  We hand over to you all our friendships, and all the people who we love are to take second place in our hearts. We surrender to you.  Fill us with YOUR Holy Spirit, work out YOUR WILL for our lives…at any cost, now and forever…

 He kept his vow…

Now…it’s my turn!

 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…

HE will cover you with HIS feathers and under HIS wings you will find refuge.” Psalm 91: 1,4

 I am resting and rejoicing this morning…

 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 "The Journey Goes On..."

Today is our Wedding Anniversary!  Marriage has been the proving ground for developing our loyalty to God.  My parents were married 72 years, so 58 years does not seem long. Time does not hold still!  “How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none.  Eternal years lie in His heart.  For Him time does not pass, it remains; and those who are in Christ share with Him all the riches of limitless time and endless years.  God never hurries.  There are no deadlines against which He must work.  Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.  For those out of Christ, time is a devouring beast!”  A.W.Tozer

“Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it”.

I Thessalonians 5: 24

 How many years have you been married? 

 I met my Prince at the University and if you were to ask our college friends, they would be astounded that we are celebrating 58 years together. Most did not give us two years!  Ralph and I are polar opposites in almost every way.  However, we had the one element in marriage that will guarantee longevity…we were both individually committed to “burn out” serving God wherever He led us. My husband’s godly zeal and spiritual leadership in our home has been preeminent and a constant for all these years! 

 I have been blessed with a man who has loved me unconditionally and when he said “for better or worse” he meant it.  We have weathered the storms of life with near death experiences  with long recovery times, more than once, and his loyalty to God and me is notable.  Ralph and I continue to learn and grow together.  Choosing to live in deference has been imperative and key to our taking our two strong wills and finding harmony in God’s will.

 Ralph’s name means “bold counselor” and that he is! He is, also, a man of motion and direction.  He was once told he is an” afflicter of the comfortable and a comfort to the afflicted!”  I could write a book with all his wise one-liners, biblical formulas and scriptural definitions.  His capacity to see things in Scripture and interpret them from the inside out to give a total new look to a familiar verse is uncanny! 

 We were told in our early married life regarding missions that Christian missionaries are people whose passion is to make the Lord Jesus known to the whole world.  They are completely under the command of King Jesus (Ralph often rolls out of bed, stands at attention and salutes heavenward, committing his day!), and they will go anywhere, under any circumstances, for no pay, with poor living conditions and food, even though no one ever notices.  They know their Sovereign God is watching every minute, and that is the only reward and joy they seek…a true missionary is someone who will risk everything for the sake of the lost of this world…this is my husband!

 We have a precious heritage that is a loving reminder of our responsibility

 into the third and fourth generations.

We are convinced that He takes the weak and confounds the mighty.  We are proof of this truth and His faithfulness…I Corinthians 2:1-2 speaks my heart, like Paul’s, when he says, “…I did not come to you with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling. My message was not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but God’s power”.

 The chief value of an anniversary is to call us to greater faithfulness in the time that is left.  If we had these 58 years to do over again, we would like to serve more… and better, as we were bought with the price of His blood.  Romans 6: 16-18 says, “We were slaves of sin and now are slaves of righteousness”.   We work daily on being better slaves!

 Have you found your marriage to be a proving ground

for your faithfulness to God?

~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 Battle Field!"

LET’S CELEBRATE!

Memorial Day is an annual celebration of our Patriotism.  This  is the day we set aside to unmistakably demonstrate love, appreciation, devotion and pride for one’s country and the “counting of the cost” that was paid to secure our freedom to live here.

“Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for us…

Jesus Christ and The American Soldier

One died for our eternal soul and the other for our freedom.”

Franklin Graham

Operation Heal Our Patriots

Let’s take time, today, and stop to honor the military men who have served, been wounded or have given their very life for our freedom… Let’s show them our love, devotion and pride…

“IF my people, which are called by my Name,

will humble themselves, and pray, THEN will I hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

II Chronicles 7: 14

~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 "A Royal Easter Story"

“And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints

which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection,

and appeared to many.”  Matt. 27:52-53

Yesterday was a Day of Celebration!  One of the simplest definitions of Easter is that we are living in a world which God has the last word!  A Royal Easter Story was written to bring the hearts and minds of little prince and princesses into focus on our heavenly King, who is selfless and reminds us to fix our eyes on the eternal, not the temporal.  This King sent His only Son who gave the ultimate sacrifice…His life for ours on the cross of Calvary! The book motivates us to honor Christ, who died for us and rose again on the third day, giving us the promise of eternal life.

 We are saved to serve selflessly.  A true prince or princess, whatever their age, must learn to lose their life serving others first…no, “me first” attitudes.  This holiday book is currently available on our theprincess parable website, Amazon.com, ChristianBooks.com, etc.

 Jeanna and I trust your Easter celebration spotlighted

the story of the Royal Prince, Jesus Christ,

who came to save us from our sin, self and separation from Him…

~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 Big Day!"

It’s a little scary from up here…I’ve reached a pinnacle…they say it’s only “a slide down from here”!  I don’t believe that and I know you don’t either.  It’s a new day of rejoicing!  Another year to make a difference…God’s grace and patience with me is a marvel!  From the beginning in the great state of Missouri, my birthplace, to the “oceans white with foam” where I reside today…time has been a blink.  These next days are intentionally committed to following Him more closely, with an intense dedication to capturing His heart.  I look forward to His coming or His taking me home one day…it seems more real and closer than ever before.

Join me in celebrating today…my 80th Birthday!!

~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 "And the Winner Is...!"

This past April we had a Princess Wedding…my gentle-hearted granddaughter Alexandra Grace married Jackson Ayers.  It was an ethereal experience in a fairy garden setting with my husband officiating. Family and friends were there to witness an overawed, tough Marine break into tears at the sight of his beautiful bride coming toward him! It was magic!

This coming June, there will be another Princess Wedding.  My treasured and enchanting granddaughter, Catherine is engaged to a perfect match in a young man named Nikita Golobachev!

Their Engagement Picture

 I started thinking about the joy of living long enough to see two of my seven grandchildren get married.  Then, reality hit me…time moves nano speed…and it is brief!  “Life is a stewardship, not an ownership. A trust; not a gift.  With a gift, you can do with as you please, but with a trust…you must give an account!” The “account time” is coming “down the shoot” and there is no stopping it!   I have been married 58 years and to add to that shocker, I would actually have to acknowledge that this makes me a “little” … OLD!! There…I said it!  That truth materializes this year when my birthday says I will be 80!

 I don’t know how old you are, but I’m sure it’s younger than I am.

Just the thought of an 80th birthday leaves me gasping for air!

 There is no turning back time.

 We are given one opportunity to live life.  Time management with intentionality is key.  Maintaining our priorities and setting goals is imperative. Acknowledging our Designer and His plan for our life is crucial and yielding our will to His is essential to know where we are going, as we follow this path called life.  Hearing that quiet voice and understanding His leading brings certainty and assurance that we’re going in the right direction toward the destiny already prepared for us.

 At Alexandra’s reception, my daughter Christina leaned over and whispered to me during the speeches, “Mom, this is my Academy Award night!”.  And indeed, it was.  Each one of her four children…all in the wedding party, stood and included in their discourse to the newlyweds, a wonderful tribute to their mom, who was always there and lovingly available to them. 

 How are you managing your time in your home with your children?

How about the stewardship of your own life?

 There are a multitude of distractions that would draw your attention

to that which is temporal and not the imperative of the eternal.

 You are eternal!

Our children are eternal!

~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 "The Price of Freedom!"

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: 

That all men created equal,

that they are endowed by their Creator

with certain unalienable rights,

that among these are life, liberty

and the pursuit of happiness.”

 We are all familiar with these words but, not so well-known, the concluding words of the Declaration of Independence reads, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred Honor.”  Fifty-six signatures of great patriots follow these profound words. These were the American heroes to the core!

 And what did they get for pledging their lives, fortunes and honor for our country? 

·      Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.

·      Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

·      Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

·      Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy.  He sold his home and property to pay his debts and died in rags.

·      Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.  He served in Congress without pay and his family was kept in hiding.  His possessions were taken from him and poverty was his reward.

·      Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

·      At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwalls had taken over his home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire.  The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt.

·      Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.  The enemy jailed his wife and she died within a few months.

·      John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying.  Their 13 children fled for their lives.  His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste.  For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.  A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.  Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

 Such were the stories and sacrifice of the great Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.  These great men were not wild-eyed, rebellious ruffians.  They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security…but they valued liberty more!

 So… this July 4th, as we celebrate our freedoms

with family and friends,

take a few minutes to silently thank these founding fathers

who paid such a great price for America’s freedom?

 Freedom is never free!

~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 " Indiana Jones of the Darien!"

We named our plane  “Wings on the Wind”  Psalm 104: 3-4

 Scott Wolfe saved my life!  Scott was our “missionary pilot”.  In the jungles of the Darien, near the Colombian border, is a Kuna village on the river Pucuro.  In 1974, my husband Ralph Johnson and I, with our two young daughters, were living among these people when every man, woman and child was besieged with a severe epidemic.  Our partners were on furlough and our small clinic was open day and night to meet the demands for anti-biotics’, etc.   I was the last one to contract the fever.  The symptoms were acute and my immune system was already compromised from exposure and lack of sleep.  As my temperature rose and hit 106 degrees, we called for help on our daily 12:30 “check-in contact” on our two-way radio, with Mary and Scottie. 

 A huge storm had rolled in and the skies were black with fierce wind and rain. We knew that it was humanly impossible for a plane to land on our “band aide” air strip that would require Scott to swoop down in the dark and land on the steep 20’ bank over the river and stop before colliding with the massively 100’ tall wall of giant trees at the other end…that is, if the tiny strip could even be spotted in the vast jungle and its dense canopy!

 Scott and Mary listened as we shared our concerns and I heard my husband say, “There is no visibility, Scott and the “wind-sock” is wildly blowing out of control.  There is no access to us…”  To which we heard Scottie reply…” I’m on my way!!”  Shocked, we strongly encouraged against his attempting to get to us…but…he was already gone!

 Within an hour and a half, we heard, over the intermittent lightning and thunder, the roar of “Wings on the Wind”!  That plane, with that brave missionary pilot, had made it to our remote station and as the sound grew louder, we prayed for an almost completely blind and difficult landing!  And he did it!  I was carried to the dugout that would get me across the river to that waiting plane…with the storm getting worse!

 Scott put that Cessna plane in gear and within a few minutes of his landing, we were in take-off mode and in the air heading for the hospital in Panama City.  Scott made an emergency landing in Yavisa for a medic, as there was fear I was going into shock.  Arriving in Panama City, we were given just enough time to pull me out of the plane onto a gurney and as they swiftly moved me toward the ambulance, I heard the armed soldier say to Scott, “Get off this strip, they are rioting in Panama City and you are the last plane to land here!”  I watched as my two little girls left in the plane to be lovingly cared for by Mary.

 What a sovereign God with perfect timing we have.  Scott, a faithful missionary pilot, and Mary will never know how grateful I am for their selfless love and service to us on that unforgettable dark, stormy day on the field of Panama.

“Courage is the first of human qualities because it guarantees all others.” Winston Churchill

~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 "Are You Quarreling with the Process?"

“Sometimes God lets a stinging blow fall on your life. The blood spurts. The nerves wince.  The soul cries out in agony. The blow seems to you an appalling mistake.  But it is not, for you are the most priceless jewel in the world to God.” J.H. McC   All of us have lived to experience one or more of these times.  But when I recently read this quote, my youngest daughter came to mind. It’s her birthday on Wednesday. 

 She is a perfect example of a child of God that does not quarrel with God’s process in her life and is continually responsive with gratefulness.  “A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”  Gratitude is the memory of the heart. She takes the blow and welcomes the pressure, disappointment and pain, and simply and quietly…matures! She understands God’s extended grace. She has always been able to walk into a room and fill it to the brim with enthusiasm and energy! She can, without any effort on her part, entertain us for hours.  Her presence consistently brings joy wherever she is.  I cannot imagine my life without her in it!

 “The grace of God is equal to…the most unfavorable circumstances.

Its glory is to transform a curse into blessing and show

men and angels of ages yet to come that where sin abounded,

grace did much more abound.” A.B. Simpson

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIMBERLY JOY!

~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.