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. 

Jackie's Journey “Impish Mouse!"

Do you believe God has given you all you need?

How content are you?

I have talked about the impish mouse that moved into the hood of my car and made a huge nest, have I not?  She did it once, twice and the third time I was advised by the mechanic to sell my “all- time” favorite car, because little mischievous mouse was so warm and content that she would continue, indefinitely, rebuilding and returning to “her home”!

I was disappointed and really did not want to accommodate the little mouses life at the expense of my own.  Note: Job’s response would have been, “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” However, I was convinced that that car would make my life happy.  I had set my affection on getting to keep that car.  The evidence…the mechanic told me that once the mice move in…they don’t move out…but I was sure the mouse would get the point when I trashed, no obliterated (!) her house… three times!

 To my dismay…she settled the issue…the car had to go!

 Are you disappointed or dissatisfied with something in your life; your marriage; the progress of your occupation; your health; your children, the world’s situation; your friendships; your spiritual growth…?  Being content is realizing God has already provided everything we need for our present and future happiness. “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy”…that brings contentment!” C. Spurgeon

 If I am not satisfied with what I have, I will never be satisfied with what I want.  My desire was being driven by the trap of thinking I had security in that car when the real secret of contentment is in enjoying the security of the presence of the Lord and His provision for me.  I am drawn back to the truth of eternal treasures versus temporal ones. Do I believe that God has given me all I need?

 “I have learned (am learning) in whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content.”

Phippians 4: 11

~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 "Dare To Be Audacious!"

In “A Royal Christmas to Remember”,  the five princesses are confronted with a deliberate and planned attack against their kingdom.  A sudden rap on the door of the castle calls their father and the knights away, and in their absence, a band of marauding outlaws forcefully enters the castle kitchen doors and the five princesses are faced with pending danger. What would they do?

Captured and held captive until help arrived!

Not all of us will be faced with the threat of danger or death, but all of us will be faced with choices that could alter our entire future.  Sometimes it comes by our own volition (the cause-and-effect sequence/ we reap what we sow) and other times it is forced on us by God’s over-powering will and purpose. 

 We are responsible for being alert to what is going on around us and to act accordingly.  My best friend’s daughter was at a concert with friends and a shooter began killing people randomly in the crowd.  She walked away, but remains haunted by that indiscriminate act.  We watched in horror as threat became reality when Charlie Kirk was shot down before our eyes!

While ministering in the jungles of Panama, a group of Colombian guerrillas entered our village and kidnapped three young missionary men. They were martyred and two of the fathers had small children. 

 We are in perpetual warfare with an enemy that is a master of deception.  When danger lurks, “the righteous are called to be bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1   We are to be bold in the face of death and confident that what we have to say or do is true and right and just in the sight of God.   Boldness is welcoming any suffering that comes from doing what is right with joy and thanksgiving.

 The most powerful people on the face of the earth are those who have no fear of death. My husband had no fear of death or of man.  For 60 years I observed his total confidence and freedom to live and experience life as God means it to be.  He was bold in his leadership of our family and his witness before men with his faith. God is calling me to that same courageous spirit this morning…

 Will you join me?

 “We fear men so much because we fear God so little.  One fear cures another.

When man’s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.”

William Gurnall

~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 "Fainthearted Persistence!"

I have been thinking about our need to be “warrior women” with passionate resolve…mothers that look at the insurmountable obstacles that face us, as opportunities to cry out for God’s supernatural intervention!  Motherhood calls for extreme determination and presupposes that we have considered the cost and requirement necessary to see the task at hand accomplished and what it will take to achieve that goal.

 While on the mission field, I was continually challenged with what seemed to be the impossible.  To mention a few “obstacles”…from the time it took to just live… without electricity or running water to the medical clinic where we sutured, set broken arms and delivered babies; to the breaking down the language and  learning it; and then, the desiring to be the “hands on” mom with two little girls isolated in a jungle environment, who needed me and… needed to learn to read. I am not the best multi-tasker, so it all seemed over-whelming and unachievable!

I was not seeing from God’s perspective! Life consists of choices.  Making right choices is imperative…I wanted the blessing that came with that.  Checking my choices became a daily exercise.  At the Memorial for Charlie Kirk, there was a catch phrase that resonates with my remote living experience…”NEVER GIVE UP!  NEVER SURRENDER!”  Hudson Taylor wrote, “At first the task looks difficult, then impossible; and then it is done.”  I had to reject distractions, like guilt, failure, discouragement and doubt.  I had to accept that “faithful is He who called me, Who would also do it”. Gal. 6: 9

 I don’t know what you are facing this week,  but be encouraged that we have a calling, God has a plan and our right choices will keep us in harmony with Him or our wrong choices will mark our defeat. “And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, “iF WE DO NOT GIVE UP!”  Once a decision is made, it takes determination to carry it out.

 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 "Stepping Up to the Plate!"

These past eleven days have been a brutal opportunity to “look up and not around “ at circumstances surrounding us.  Today we were able to share in the Memorial for Charlie Kirk.   We witnessed the assassination of a courageous 31-year-old patriot on Wednesday, the 10th of September.  He was a “happy warrior” of his country and his faith. Not college educated, he stood heads above those he spoke to in colleges around the country who challenged the basic principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  His walk was consistent, his resolve steadfast and his love for family and the values that make families and America strong and “great” were unwavering.  On Thursday, the 11th, we faced the memory of 3,000 lost lives on September 11, 2001. 

The field has been leveled, or should be, as we look to the future.  We determinedly pursue truth boldly or we retreat in fear and faintheartedness. Our character is being tested continually by the choices we make… it is powerful in its positive influence or it has yielded to compromise of principle, weakness and defeat.  The reality of our virtue is on the line…can the moral excellence and purity of spirit (that should be radiating from our lives, as we live and obey God’s word),  be seen, heard and clearly articulated? Or have we lost sight of eternal values and replaced them with temporal ones; sacrificing the permanent on the altar of the immediate, as time and opportunity slip by?

It is the will of God that every believer experiences the power of virtue and uses it to benefit others.  “The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” (I Cor. 4:20)  According to His divine power, He has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue.”II Peter 1: 3)

 No more excuses…no remorse…no rationalizing…Virtue is the power of the Holy Spirit energizing the lives of those touched by it. In Proverbs 31,  moms, the question is, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies…favor is deceitful and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised!” 

Shall we step up to the plate and boldly proclaim what we know to be true?

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 "As Long As It Takes!"

My daughter has been in Israel this past week, sending pictures of an ancient land.  For centuries, the camel has served as a reliable source of transportation, enduring the elements across these dry impassable regions.  Most animals are stopped dead in their tracks by the sheer challenge of the hard desert conditions.           

 I received a call from a good friend who is going through a very long and arduous time of suffering. She has been discouraged and is looking for strength and stamina to see her through the maze.  My thoughts took me to my sweet mother, who at 101 years old longed to be with the Lord. There have been times when the truth, “He gives power to the faint and to those that have no might , He increases strength”… becomes the most important reality!

 While in the Darien jungles, with the stifling heat and humidity that drained all energy for the task at hand, I found myself challenged by the words, “If you run with the footman, Jackie, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?  And if in the land of peace, where you trusted, they wearied you, THEN HOW WILL YOU do in the swelling of Jordan.””! (Jer. 12: 5)

 We are called to endure hardships, afflictions, persecutions, tribulations, grief, chastening, and temptations.  (II Tim. 2: 10)  Discouragement is not an option!  There is a secret to endurance and my mother set the bar for me.  Quitters miss experiencing the power of God’s love that comes from rejoicing in trials and difficult circumstances. He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might, He increases their strength.!” 

 Do you live as a soldier who is in the most critical spiritual war ever waged, or as a civilian in a time of peace, prosperity and pleasure?  Your mindset regarding this question will determine how you make life’s required adjustments to long-suffering and prevailing in life’s trials. Will you thank God for each circumstance, rejoicing with hope in all things (even crying out when necessary), and will you on becoming an over-comer by doing good in your turmoil?  These are the keys to the secret of endurance.

 “And let us not be weary in well-doing;

 for in due season we will reap, IF we do not faint.”

~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 "Only Two Options!"

Ok, moms…sometimes life throws us curve balls.  We grapple with how to handle our response to life’s situations, as they unexpectantly slap us in the face and we know our first reaction is the one our little princess or prince is sure to read, emulate and reproduce! We, immediately, realize that our “feelings” cannot be given the upper hand. What do we do?  What recourse do we have?

 I guess it is the “great test” of our true character and responding with a positive and “powerful for good” attitude is our calling.  Moms are the book our little ones read daily and they trust us to do the right thing, as we take their hand and begin this complex trek through those early years of life. We are telling them to “make right choices” when they are fussing with their brother over a toy or we hear a sassy reply to our request, instead of a compliant, “OK, Mom” with instant obedience.

 How do we respond when the interruptions of life disturb our need for space and solitude, when disorder becomes the rule, when our carefully laid plans become intrusions and our contentment is thoroughly challenged?  What do we do when the hustle and bustle of living leaves us with a sense of being forgotten or neglected, our wishes are crossed and our advice is disregarded?

 We, moms, are forever standing at the crossroad of right decision-making.  We are continually faced with entering into the realm of  intentional positive and “powerful for good”, life-changing choices that make a difference in the lives of those around us or choosing the alternative… an unending cycle of murmuring, complaining and ungratefulness that only compounds our trouble and influences others toward evil.  One leads to peace and one leads to confusion and chaos.

 None of us want our home filled with discord and unhappiness…

 The battlefield awaits…what do we choose today?

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 "Muddled Focus?"

I’ve been thinking this past week of the myriad of issues that we, as mom’s, are being challenged with and the decisions we are being asked to make, both for ourselves and our children.  How are we to know what is best, not just expedient? 

With social media giving unprecedented direction into every area of our lives, where should our focus be?  The supreme court is arguing this morning over “mandates” regarding some of these issues and what should be Federal Law?  With the turmoil and evil in our world and the global world spinning out of control, where do we go to get grounded?  Where is the hiding place of refuge?

“He (She) did EVIL because he (she) did not set his (her) heart to seek the Lord”. (2 Chron. 12: 14)   For moms, the thought of “missing the boat” with our children is always there!  We only have one short span of opportunity with them.  To seek the Lord is a present progressive verb…meaning… ongoing, never-ending action.  We are to connect with Him daily. (Romans 6:18 )  We are “freed from the bondage of evil and forgiven… to do right”.  New Focus!

This is the most concise definition of evil found in the Bible.  It says that we are robbing God and ourselves by not living in that way.  “Setting our heart” is fixing it on the Creator, the One in total control. We are created to fulfill what He, through us, will do.  Our designed purpose is “to do the will of God on earth, even as it is being done in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10)

We are “created for a life of good works that He has prepared before-hand for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)   He has given us the equipment we need to face the disorder and to step up to the plate, with God-confidence, that we are not hindered by “evil” in our lives and can face the future without fear.

 “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (and all these things mentioned above v. 27-32) will be added to you”. Matthew 6:33    This is the section in Scripture on why we, moms, do not need to worry! He wants to supply for His family, like any good father, as His family yields to His will and ways.

Evil is doing our own thing.  We have two choices:  “Wisdom from above”, as described above or “wisdom from below”…Satanic, that which is selfish, proud, and envious. (James 3:13-15)   We cannot separate selfishness from Satan or pride.

 Sacrificing our will and desires means surrendering to God’s will, bringing us into His will and our purpose. (Romans 12:1,2) In Matthew 7:21,22  There was a group of people in the New Testament doing their version of God’s will, doing it their own way.  He said, “depart from me, I never knew you.” They were doing, what appeared to be the same as the apostles, but it was in self-motivated satanic power. 

Who discerned that?  The Lord Jesus did!

What is His will in general for all believers?  Fish for men. (Matt. 4:19); Walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16.); SeekHim in the Scriptures daily to understand His heart.  It always involves service.  He came to serve, not to be served.  He lives in the believers to continue to do just that.  He is the same today, yesterday and forever.

 “The eyes see what the heart loves.  If the heart loves God and is single in this devotion (focus), then the eyes will see God whether others see Him or not.” Warren Wiersbe, Live Like a King

Let’s be wise moms and stay “God-focused”…

(This is a study my husband, Ralph Johnson,  gave one Sunday night at our family supper)

~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 "Eating Crow!"

While watching two noisy crows this spring build a massive nest under our bedroom eve, I started thinking about how crows communicate.  They are loud and demanding…especially after they realized I was NOT happy with their endeavor!  They would rowdily swoop down over me when I came outside to see their progress.  I can tell you…they were NOT speaking kindly!

 In life, “eating crow” is never fun!  If we never opened our mouth or spoke, we would not have to eat our words.  Words have the power of life or death. Pro. 18: 21 They can bless or curse.  They can encourage or bring despair. 

 William Boetcker was a Presbyterian minister in the early 20th century.  He once spoke on the seven “Mischievous Misses” of the tongue.  They were misinformation, misquotation, misrepresentation, misinterpretation, misconstruction, misconception and misunderstanding. I think he pretty well covered for all of us the areas responsible for our tongue troubles! 

 James, the half-brother of Jesus in the New Testament called the tongue a “fire, a world of iniquity”.  He compares it to the bit of a horse and a rudder of a ship. Both of these control and influence direction. We are to keep a tight rein on our tongue. Bridled speech manifests maturity.  Impulsive speech manifests the opposite. We all stumble in our speech at times.  We may say something unintended or maybe we meant to say it, but it created trouble and we want to take it back.

 Just like the bit and rudder control the horse and ship, our speech needs to be under control.  “How can you, being evil, speak good things. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  A good man (woman) out of the good treasure of his(her) heart brings forth good things, and an evil man(woman) out of the evil treasures brings forth evil things.  But I say to you that for every IDLE word we speak, we will give account of it in the day of judgement.  For by our words we will be justified and by our words we will be condemned.” Jas. 3:34-37

 The point is we cannot “just share what is on our heart, as long as, what we say is what we really believe.”  “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked”. Jer. 17: 9 Our intent should be to speak as we are led by a gracious God who has our best interest at heart and has the success of the person we are attempting to help in focus. Advice is cheap, but if not regulated and controlled by His Spirit, we can be assured of having to “eat crow”. We are admonished to ‘let no corrupt word proceed out of our mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it might impart grace to the hearer. Eph. 4: 29 

 We can control Shamu, the whale at Sea World, but fail to take control of our own tongue!

We can either nurture blessing with our tongue

or cause damage that cannot be undone.

Which will it be this 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.