Jackie's Journey "Happy New Year: Where do We Begin?"

Where Do We Begin?

Oh, no…can it possibly be this time again?  We are starting another new year with everything that comes with it!  A new president, new responsibilities, and new opportunities… We set new goals and evaluate how we did with last year’s resolutions.  No, really…what happened to last year!!  There is a slight letdown after weeks of traveling, company and celebrations.  The re-grouping of priorities, getting the house back in order, school beginning after vacation and the need to get all that Christmas paraphernalia back into storage boxes is lapping at our heels.

Seriously, where do we begin?

“Our greatest danger in life is in permitting the urgent to crowd out the important.” Charles Hummel

Life is a race against time.  Time is limited and irrecoverable.  It is no respecter of persons.  We are accountable for how we spend our time and God establishes the number of our days.  Life at the longest is amazingly short. 

A converted Hindu who had been given a Bible and a clock said, ‘The clock will tell me how time goes, and the Bible will tell me how to spend it.”. Anonymous

The Bible uses several metaphors to help us visualize just how brief our life is.  My life is wind Job 7:7 and My days are swifter than a weavers shuttle. Job 7:6  The psalmist compares life to a fading flower or a falling leaf.  As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes…for the wind passes over it, and it is gone.  Ps. 103:15-16  Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. I Chron. 29:15  And Psalm 90:9 reminds us; We spend our years as a tale that is told.  James 4:14 asks us, What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

“Life is so short that the wood of the cradle rubs up tight against

the marble of the tomb!”  George Sweeny

All of us are given an equal amount of time.  The only difference between us is in the way we spend it.

We are given 168 hours each week.

We spend approximately 56 hours for sleep, rest and recuperation.

We spend approximately 28 hours for eating and personal duties.

We spend approximately 40-50 hours earning a living.

We have 30-40 hours left to spend just as we wish!

How do we spend them?

Is the bulk of that time spent on:

Recreation and Entertainment

Devotions (Family and Private); Meditation  

Exercise and health

Family mentoring and fellowship (Mom's are blessed with more time in this area)

Regular worship of God

Personal Interests and Achievements

Conversations (Snapchat; Twitter; Instagram; E-mail; Pinterest; Facebook...etc.!)

Time entrusted in the name of Christ (Witnessing, discipling, teaching…)

The question is…

What do we do with our time?

Have we made wise use of our time as good stewards?

Maybe we are very busy with good things, yet too busy for the best things;

those things that have eternal value.  That is where we need to begin…

A New Year is an anniversary and “the chief value of an anniversary is to call us to greater faithfulness in the time that is left.” William Manning   Every hour that is lost is gone forever!

“So teach us to number our days that we might apply our hearts to wisdom. Psalm 90:12

~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 "A Bright Star"

A Bright Star

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 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 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: "As Promised, Here It is...!"

The latest book in the Princess Parable Series has arrived!  Our second seasonal book, “A Royal Christmas to Remember”, is just in time for Christmas stockings and the enjoyment of your little princess.  You will love this new adventure where the girls learn what is most important this time of year.  Our young chivalrous knights are again included in this exciting story and are just in time when needed most. It is based on the Parable found in Luke 12:15-21, The Rich Young Ruler.  All princesses understand that wise women still seek the King of Kings.  This newest book does not disappoint!

Feel free to order from our website and also see more gift ideas!

Jackie's Journey "'Twas the Week Before Christmas"

‘Twas the Week Before Christmas…

Well, here we are again…one week before Christmas Eve…in the throngs of chaos and deadlines!  The Nativity is center stage in every room, trees are dressed, the wreaths are hung, gifts are wrapped, the oven has not been turned off in days and music fills the house.  Friends and family are arriving from distant places, guest rooms have been readied and excitement is already in the air.  Expectations are high and time left is short and slipping precipitously by the nanoseconds.   The countdown has begun!  The blessing of fellowshipping with family and people we don’t have an opportunity to see all year makes it worth it all.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays in full swing, we become acutely aware of our limitations.  Opening our home and believing God to use us to make others successful is the goal of hospitality.  It has been our joy over the years to have a home that is available to those God would bring our way.  Christmas is a lonely time for many who have not experienced the joy of His Coming. 

As moms, this time of year offers a multitude of opportunities to make ourselves accessible to others.   It starts in our homes with our husband and children.  The Christmas time of year offers the perfect training ground to introduce our children to the “real reason for the season”.  We, as parents, have the example of the One who left his home and dwelt among us.  He set the standard…

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ:

Who being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God to be something to be grasped,

But made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death

Even death on the cross”!

Philippians 2: 4-8

 An open home means a heart that is wrapped in the needs of others before our own.  It is that life in opposition to comfort and convenience.  It is welcoming and finding joy in a life of servitude, humbly listening to His voice and instantly obeying.  It brings with it the blessing of experiencing His promise of grace with its power and the continual fascination of watching Him faithfully do it!  Philippians 2:13 and I Thessalonians 5: 24

 The dictionary defines hospitality as the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of visitors or strangers providing food, drinks, etc. for people who are guests.  We are commanded in Scripture to be hospital women. To invite people into our homes is to respond with gratitude to our God who made a home for us!

“Be hospitable to one another without complaint”.  I Peter 4: 9

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,

for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it”!  Hebrews 13: 2

 At our front door, we have the words “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”  As a mom with young children it was a challenge to keep it all in balance when the house was already full of noise, continual movement and the regular activities that keep the ship afloat!  The joy of youth is that there actually is enough energy to do it all, if the attitude is that of an obedient and humble servant!

From our house to yours,

Have a Blessed Christmas!

~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 It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

♫ It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas ♬

In life we cannot anticipate what our future holds but we know who holds the future.  In our just released Christmas book, “A Royal Christmas to Remember”, our 5 princesses and 5 young knights are blissfully busy preparing for the upcoming Christmas festivities.  Opening the castle doors over the holidays is a tradition that opens the hearts of the entire village to the message of Christmas.  In an instant all their plans are dashed when a message of imminent danger arrives at their front door! The King instantly leaves with his knights to protect their kingdom.  The real meaning of Christmas quickly comes into focus. The girls choose to seize the moment of turmoil changing their destiny and bringing joy to their father and the whole kingdom.

December has arrived here in California and the events and activities of the season are already in full swing.   Having our “castle doors” open to family, neighbors and friends is a tradition we welcome each year. 

♫ It’s truly beginning to look a lot like Christmas. ♬  

In the midst of preparations and a very busy afternoon, I received an urgent call from Kim, my youngest daughter, who was teaching at an Elementary School a mile or so from our house.  The school had abruptly been put on “lock-down”!  There were policemen on campus and helicopters were swirling in circles overhead.   She was yet to be informed of the circumstances…was it a bomb threat, someone with a gun, …what??

Her daughter Megan Joy, my “pocket-baby”, was in the classroom next door huddled down behind locked doors and desks!  The teachers and students had been in this imposed silence and been inaccessible for almost two hours!   Frantic, my mind immediately went to pictures of Columbine in Colorado…

Now that… is a wake-up call!  In an instant my holiday plans took second place to the more important, as my priorities slipped back into a more realistic focus.  Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, “Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate!”  No chance of that happening here.  What could I do?  Where was I needed?  When would we know my daughter and granddaughter were safe? 

As I watched and listened to the helicopters circling, hovering overhead, my curiosity overwhelmed me.   A song that comforted me in the jungles of Panama immediately came to mind.  ♫ He is my hiding place, He always fills my heart with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid, I will trust in Him … ♫   Psalm 32:7   “God is our strength and power and makes our way perfect.”  2 Sam. 22:33   Our sovereign God was in control and He brought His “peace that passes understanding” in the turmoil.  I began to pray “the God of hope fill you, Kim, with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit!” Romans 15:13  

 Two weeks from today families will gather to rehearse and celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world.  Christians will pause to praise their blessed promise and hope fulfilled in a manger bed.  Many will kneel and pray together giving thanks for His coming, His life and His sacrificial death in our place and His glorious resurrection.

 Will you be one of these?

Somehow… this particular Christmas 2016

 is going to be a singularly outstanding one for our family…

 A Christmas to Remember!

                                    Megan Joy reading "A Royal Christmas to Remember"

~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: Christmas Pledge

Christmas Pledge

Inspired by the September 11th attack on the United States, the Groenewalds moved to Afghanistan in response to God’s call to serve the people who had purposely killed thousands of our own! They lived and served and were martyred by Taliban fighters, as their obedience to God’s call was greater than their fears.   The only surviving member tells the story and it profoundly touched my heart.  The testimony of that horrific day of murder with AK-47’s and the self sacrificing bomber who obliterated their home is a wake-up call to my commitment to His directing and leading in my life.

“Some give Him a place; some give Him Prominence:

but what Christ wants in our lives is pre-eminence.”

In my spiritual journey, I was a “nominal Christian”, a fan of all things spiritual for the first 18 years of my life.  I was the proverbial good girl with this huge longing hole in my life that I had no idea how to fill.  How would I find meaning and purpose in a world that was full of others in the same state I was? 

Who had an answer?

While reading this testimony of this mother who had lost her husband and two teen-age children, I was again struck with the mandate that “counting the cost” is an imperative, not an option, regardless of our geographical location.   When the three men from our village in Pucuro were captured and killed by FARC, a militant group from Colombia, I was reminded of a time in our missionary training when we were challenged to “count the ultimate cost” as a possibility of our decision to be followers of Christ and not just enthusiastic fans!

Being a follower means their will be a price to pay.  Salvation is free but it cost you your life!  “If Jesus Christ died and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”  C.T. Studd

“For me, on the field, it was a life of sacrifice, difficulty and struggles,

and in that the Lord gave us the reward of His presence,” Hannelie said.

“He revealed Himself to us, who He is.” (Hannelie Groenewald)

The reward of His presence, ears to hear His voice and a sense of who He is, is my truth also.  A total dependence on an all-knowing God whose plans for me are to prosper me, not harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.  Jer. 29: 11   When God walked into my life at age 19, I found the reason for my existence!  There was no more longing; there was completeness with purpose and destiny. 

As a busy mom is your life filled with Him, His thoughts and His ways?  Do your little ones see the Christ that lives in you?  Are you struggling to integrate Christ into your demanding life or is He the master of your course…leading, directing?

“There are two kinds of people:

Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done',

And those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way!’”

 C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

~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: Fan or Follower?

In 1963 William McDonald nailed some principles of New Testament discipleship on my heart!  I had seen them in the Word, but somehow concluded that they were too extreme and impractical for the complicated age we lived in.  During my last year of college I was challenged to take a good look at what the Word said and to admit to myself it was applicable today…not for someone else, not just weekends, or not when I retire or when I was more mature spiritually to receive its truth!  A life dedicated to the cross is one that obeys Him in all that He has commanded; whatever the cost may be… a total commitment.  

As a young mom, the message of these words would sear my conscience as my demanding life was processing its truth.  Nothing less than unconditional surrender could ever be a fitting response to His sacrifice on Calvary.  To this day He is still seeking the heart that is solely satisfied with Him, plus nothing!

Recently someone put a book in my hand called Not A Fan.  The same demand and those same passages in Luke 14, again, speak volumes to a new generation.  The challenge of those verses is still being shouted in the wilderness. The urgency to respond is still there for us to forsake all and to follow Him!

The author, Kyle Idleman, defines a fan as a person who has made a decision for Christ; she is an enthusiastic admirer of Christ; but no sacrifice is required.  He defines a follower as a person who has made a commitment to Christ; she counts the cost in following Him; and the commitment requires sacrifice.  He continues:

Fans are unaffected by their Christian responsibility.

Followers have their lives turned upside down.

Fans don’t mind Jesus doing a little touch-up.

Jesus wants a complete renovation!

Fans come to Jesus thinking tune-up.

Jesus is thinking overhaul!

Fans want Jesus to inspire them

Jesus wants to interfere with our lives!

“Jesus was never interested in having fans.  When He defines what kind of relationship he wants…enthusiastic admirer is not an option!  Many American churches have gone from being sanctuaries to becoming stadiums, and every week all the fans come to the stadium where they cheer for Jesus but have no interest in truly following him.  The biggest threat to the church today is fans that call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ.  They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.” Kyle Idleman

 Are you a Fan or a Follower?

The young knights and princesses in our newest release “A Royal Christmas to Remember” worked tirelessly to assure the villagers that they would be able to celebrate Christmas after a devastating event threatened to destroy it all.  Their commitment to their Father, the King, motivated them to step outside themselves to sacrifice and serve others instead of selfishly serving themselves.

A follower of the King of Kings would have her life affected and turned upside down for the benefit of others and the glory of 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 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: Have A Blessed Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is this Thursday!  We have everything to be grateful for, don’t we?  Gratefulness is making known to God and others in what ways they have benefited our lives. I Corinthians 4:7    Thanksgiving Day is a perfect time to do this!

Thanksgiving weekend is full of traditions for our family, as I am sure it is in your home.  It is the official beginning of the Christmas season.  The Christmas trees go up, the Christmas C.D.’s fill the house with music, the wreaths are hung on the front doors, the garlands are placed around the house with care, and the lights from the bannister shine out from the second story as a welcoming beacon for all who enter over the coming days of celebration.

 My bulging gift closet is opened up after a year of accumulating its secret chattels and the “to do list” is formally inducted into the hustle of Christmas giving.  The stacked boxes full of gifts, just waiting to be wrapped, are pulled out and the forgotten person, item or the missing piece of a waiting gift is duly noted and one by one will be addressed and added to its appropriate package over the next few weeks.

“Making a List and Checking It Twice…”

In the book “A Royal Christmas to Remember” the princesses and young knights are busy checking off all that must be accomplished with all the activities that come with planning and preparing for the Holiday Season.   Unexpectedly there is a disruption at the castle door.  Fear silences their demanding schedule.  Abruptly frozen in their tracks, their thoughts are focused on the pending danger and Christmas preparations are lost in the newly presented event at hand…

Who is knocking at the door?  What could it be?  What has happened?

 Organizing activities requires lists!  There are many kinds of lists.  They can be the organizer that keeps us on track.  They are the reminders that sustain us on our trek in a time crunch.  They put our weekly menu together and they assure us that everything is packed in a lunch bag or backpack.  They maintain our priorities.  Lists are good things…Fresh reminders, motivators to keep us keeping on…

I have been thinking about a list that has been in a notebook next to my Bible for years.   It accompanies my journal and is the key of the day and the lock of the night.  It is a list of names and needs of …family members, missionaries, church families, people we are witnessing to, people we are mentoring, church leaders, leaders of our great nation, prayer requests…

“Watch and pray…”  Matthew 26:41

“God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven…”  II Chronicles

“So we fasted and petitioned our God about this and He answered our prayer.”  Ezra *: 23

 “The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals.  And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” C.S. Lewis

“If you are a stranger to prayer you are a stranger to power”.  If we are too busy to pray…then we are too busy!  Hurry is the death of prayer!

 “Satan laughs at our toiling but he trembles when we pray.

Will you join me this busy time of year to take time to enter your “War Room” with your prayer list and talk 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 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: What do You Value?

We demonstrate what we value by what we give our attention and affection to.  Dedicated moms know where their children are all the time.  If one is missing, while Christmas shopping, even for a moment…panic sets in.  We value our little ones!  

The object of our devotion reveals what is important to us.

 I walked into the Mall over a month ago and was greeted by sparkling lights, festive music, fully decorated Christmas trees of every size and color, and the warm scent of cinnamon and pine wafting in the air…it was October 1st!   Thanksgiving was six weeks away!   Christmas was two months away!

The materialistic focus had begun and the most celebrated event of the year was lost in a world of themed decorations, color coordinated ornaments, hearth garlands and welcoming wreaths ready for our front doors...an obvious demonstration of what the world values.  I looked in vain for a Nativity scene.  Where was the real object of our celebration...“the reason for the season”…Jesus Christ? 

“Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all!”

 In our newest release “A Royal Christmas to Remember” the princesses found that although the entire village had been ransacked by a band of marauding outlaws, they were amazed to find that the nativity scene had been left unscathed.   They stood gazing down at the baby Jesus and thanked God that He had come into the world and that no one was injured in the attack.   Their focus was on the Savior who had come to bring peace.   Regardless of the circumstances around them, their hearts were captured by the wonderful gift God gave us in His Son!  They were filled with unspeakable joy!

“Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream.  It is a glorious reality.  It is a time of joy.  Bethlehem’s manger crib became the link that bound a lost world to a loving God.  From that manger came a Man who not only taught us a new way of life, but brought us into a new relationship with our Creator.  Christmas means that God is interested in the affairs of people; that God loves us so much that He was willing to give us His Son.”  Billy Graham

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

 Isaiah 9: 6

Who is the object of your attention this holiday season?

~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: I Said I'd Never Eat a Rodent!

There have been many things I have thought, and sometimes verbalized, that I never wanted to do in life.  Like:

Ø  Never again will I lose my temper…

Ø  Never again will I let my fear control me

Ø  Never again set a bad example in speech, attitudes, actions…(everyone would be watching! I can’t protect His reputation that way!)

Ø  Never again be a complainer (life is complicated and challenging…get with the program, Jackie, think opportunity!)

Ø  Never again think “me first” (followers of Christ can’t be selfish!)

Ø  Never again put anything before my time in the Word…(I know how a normal day rolls and there simply has to be time!... Right?!)

 What are the “I said I’d never_________”  in your life?

While living in the jungle we learned to cook with what was available in the jungle! The Kunas would bring us meat in rainy season in exchange for the use of our rifle and three bullets.  They rarely failed to take those three bullets and bring home enough to divide up among the entire village!  We welcomed the protein from any and all forms of meat that they offered us.

One day they returned the rifle with a quarter of white meat that looked unfamiliar, but proved to be sweet and delicious.  Curious, I asked what it was and when could they find it again!  They called it a Neki.  “What does a Neki look like?”, I inquired.  From the description I thought it must be some form of very large rabbit or small deer???  Years later, while visiting the San Diego Zoo,  I met the Neki… it is a Capybara…a member of the rodent family!

As moms, we know we should never say “never or always”!  Those promises just don’t pan out!  We don’t even hear it when we say it!  We do it to our children:

Ø  I always tell the truth (You cannot have that cookie until after supper …..)

Ø  I never discipline in anger…(I told you …for the third time!...)

Ø  I never use a condescending tone of voice that belittles (What’s wrong with you?!…)

Ø  I will always be a mom who encourages first before correction (Uh, huh?)

Ø  I will never make excuses for my disobedience or my child’s (“I’m sorry…I was up with the kids and didn’t sleep last night…I don’t mean to be cross!”  Or “She’s fussy because she needs a nap, diaper change, food…she didn’t mean to do it”….)       

We are forever in a theater of war with what we know to be true and what we want others to think of us. .  Moms are the leaders in the march through the attitudes and activities that make up our day in the home.   We are giving it everything we’ve got, after all!

Finding authenticity with God and within ourselves is an exercise worthy of our time and attention.  While we have good intentions and are committed to a standard of personal integrity, we often are deceived by a lie and self imposed expectations (and our failure to meet those expectations).  Realizing the absolute necessity of living transparent before God and man is our only hope of escaping the “nevers and always” in our lives.

Children are the most susceptible to our expectations and they listen to our, ‘Never do that again!’; I told you to “always put your toys back! “ They want to see the Christ of the bible we teach alive in us.  The balance of acceptance, loving discipline with firm admonishment, encouragement, forgiveness, instruction with understanding of consequence and right and wrong…keep us alive in Him…totally dependent.   The opportunities are unending.

There is always the guilt when we fall short.  We don’t aspire to set ourselves up as “pack leader”, but there is no denying its reality when we see our little ones doing and saying exactly what we do and say!  They are mute to our verbal instruction but alert to reading us and becoming carbon copies….

Christina, my first daughter, giving her doll a firm admonition

 that came right out of my mouth!

Have I faced the “always and nevers” in my life successfully?

My children and grandchildren will totally answer that one honestly!

What kind of influence am I?

 How about you?

Are you the leader He is looking for to guide your children into truth

Or are you the excuse your children use to do as they please?!

~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.