Jackie's Journey "What Would We Do Without HOPE?"

Sometimes we moms and grand-moms have the sense that our life is full of empty endeavors and the monotony of it all seems meaningless…we are tired…we are just missing the point of it all.  Endurance is the inward strength to withstand stress to accomplish God’s best. (Gothard)  With all our demanding enterprises, we neglect the time it takes to get in the Word to nourish and energize ourselves and then, to open the Bible with our little prince and princesses.  We find time for activities of every kind imaginable…many of them worthy efforts, yet missing the point of building eternal purpose and destiny into our little ones.

If this speaks to you, this morning let me encourage you with these biblical facts!

“God does amazing things through people who are yielded to Him.  Throughout the Word, we see portrayals of God doing mighty works through ordinary individuals, imperfect people like you and me.  Consider this list from an e-mail message that came to one of our missionaries:

Moses stuttered.

Paul rejected John Mark.

Jacob was a liar.

David had an affair.

Solomon was too rich.

Abraham was too old.

David was too young.

Peter was afraid of death.

Lazarus was dead.

Naomi was a widow.

Jonah ran from God.

Gideon and Thomas doubted.

Elijah was burned out.

Samson had long hair.

Noah got drunk.

Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?  So did Peter, Paul…well lots of folks did”. 

This is no excuse for us, but a challenge to be the example His provision has called us to be!  Let’s think this through for a moment.  Being God, He does not have to rely on people (He could use a stick!).  If God does not need you or me, why then does He give us opportunities to serve Him?  It is certainly not because we are such model servants.  Nor were any of those heroes of the Bible.   No, He puts ministries before us because He loves us.  These opportunities offer rewards from our Heavenly Father, and challenges to help us grow to be more like Christ.  That is the promise of Romans 8: 28-29. (Note the two qualifiers: those who love Him and walk in His will...requires obedience)

God continues to encourage us to be a part of the great works He is doing.  He takes ordinary people serving in extraordinary circumstances to demonstrate His Almightiness! 

Take heart

We can’t; but God can!

“Let us not become weary in doing good,

for at a proper time we will reap a harvest

 if we do not give up.” Galatians 6: 9

~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 "Images from the Past"

An image of my nearest Pucuro neighbors, Luis and Micheala Tovar

"When you experience tribal life, you get a glimpse of an authentic New Testament community.  There are no booming high-tech worship bands, there are no coffee stations with donuts piled high and there are no folks sitting at round tables who only see each other once a week.

These tribal folks are born into this community, rarely venture outside the area,they grow old and pass away in the same community. This way of life is difficult and there are more lows than highs and yet, leaning on each other, they walk this difficult path together”. Our friend and fellow missionary, Macon Hare, shared these words this past week and it brought to mind a flood of memories from a huge part of my past.

When faced with leaving our village, because of my failing health, I realized that after living with the Kunas for years, I would possibly never see these dear people in this life-time.  However, I have permanent images captured in my memory and my heart. I remain hopeful that one day I will see these folks again, and that we will be worshipping together at the feet of Jesus.

Thank you, Macon, for the reminder of the “brown gold” still tucked away in the hidden places of the earth that remain untouched, waiting for the message committed to us 2,000 years ago!

“And He committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf:

Be reconciled to God.  God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”.   II Corinthians 5: 20-21

       "Kuna Congreso"...a village church service   

Jackie's Journey "Motherhood...what a Glorious Calling!"

“Motherhood…what a Glorious Calling!”

“He makes the clouds his chariot and he rides on the wings of the wind.

He makes his messengers, flames of fire his servants.”

Our plane in Panama was called “Wings on the Wind”.  It was commissioned to take missionaries with the gospel into remote unreached areas in the jungles.  Being His messenger to an isolated tribe was a commitment that brought reality to my front doorstep!

Out here in California this past December we were inundated with consuming FIRES!  I had finished the Old Testament the end of November and had noted the means by which God chose to draw His people back to Himself.   He was looking for a God-consciousness with a repentant heart response that sought Him only with an undivided loyalty.  His people strayed from His ways and His will.  Fire was one of the four means God used to grab their attention!

“The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back

until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart.”

Jeremiah   30:24

This Righteous and Holy God who “has loved us with an everlasting love and has drawn us to Him with loving-kindness” (Jeremiah 31: 3) is the same God who shouts for our attention in these days when our culture has been corrupted and deceived, as it draws us away from Him and His ways.  Uncontrolled anger is common practice in our homes, on the road, in our schools and churches, at concerts, in protesting groups, etc.  It has exposed a generation of people full of socially acceptable sins.  

We have parents who do not fulfill their scriptural responsibility to win and disciple their children (looking to their local church and Christian schools to do the job!); mothers, who are too comfortable with the “It’s all about me and my needs” mind-set; and father’s, who are too busy, distracted or disinterested to meet the spiritual needs of their families.

I don’t deny that it takes daily commitment and it is hard work!  However, “we are called by God to direct and correct young human beings who are born sinners Psa. 51:5, who by nature chafe against the instructions of God (Rom. 8: 9; I Cor. 2: 14), and are obstinately focused on pleasing their own selfish appetites (Eph. 2: 3).  And yet, even from the youngest of years, this work to curtail, limit, shape and redirect young rebellious lives is precisely what God requires us to do.” (Eph. 6:4; Pro. 22: 15)  Mike Fabarez

Take heart, special moms, our consistent, firm (without anger) and loving discipline will reap a harvest of peace (that’s right…our children will bring us rest and delight our soul (Pro. 29:17) and the work will be rewarded (Jer. 31:16).

Locking into God’s will and His ways will set you apart from the culture you presently live in.  Going against the culture means we are mothers of godly conviction (not caught up with every new fad or philosophy…wind and doctrine); mother’s with personal integrity.  We are virtuous with Godly understanding and knowledge from time spent in His word.  We are God-confident (not self-confident and entitled). We are yielded to His way and His will, not our own. We are women of great joy and gratefulness (regardless of our circumstances).  We are transparent before Him and hide no sin.  We are bold in our identifying and bearing witness of His Name.  We walk humbly with one another, not demanding our own way.  These attributes are His character… and His Spirit produces these things, as we get out of His way and submit to His leadership!

What is your commitment to God and your child?

Do your little princes and princesses see a mom and dad

Dedicated to Him… a flame of fire??

The parents of a righteous child have great joy…

Proverbs 23: 23

~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 "How Do Your Kids See You?"

                                                         "How Do Your Kids See You?"

Our children, whatever their age, have an image of us.  We think we are projecting a certain picture of who we are; yet, their perception of us may be, and usually is, totally different!   “At 4 years of age…mommy can do anything!  At 8 years…Mom knows a whole lot!  At 12…mother doesn’t really know quite everything and at 14…Naturally, Mother doesn’t know she doesn’t know everything.  At 16…Mother? She’s hopelessly old-fashioned.  At 18…That old woman?  She’s way out of date!  At 25…Well, she might know a little bit.  At 35…Hey, before we decide, let’s get Mom’s opinion.  At 45…wonder what Mom would have thought about it.  At 65…Wish I could talk it over with Mom.’ 

If I were to ask you…

“What are the five most important needs of your child…

Would you know??

What an obligation we moms have to keep the line of communication open without needlessly hindering our ability to do so!  When I think back to the many positive influences in my life, I recognize that one of the greatest gifts I received was the way my mother worked to keep that communication line open so that the four of us could receive the discipline and correction we desperately needed to prepare us for adulthood.

There are, of course, common ways that parents use to hinder this process and cause children to withdraw their spirit.  

 Do any of these apply to you?

What if:

1)   The model is anger in the responses to life’s situations? Proverbs 22:24,25

2)   We are inconsistent in discipline or discipline in anger?  Ecclesiastes 8: 11; Psalm 6: 1; 38

3)   We have double - standards? Matthew 23: 1-4; Philippians 4:9

4)   We are not living in marital harmony. Gen. 2: 24

5)   We do not admit when we are wrong.  Mathew 5:23-26; Job 32:2; Jas.5:16

6)   We constantly find fault.  Job 32: 2,3

7)   We reverse our God-given roles.  Ephesians 5:22-24; Genesis 3:16

8)   We compare our child to others.  II Corinthians 10: 12

9)   We are not affirming our child. II Corinthians 2: 6-8; Revelation 2,3

10)  We are calling our child names. Ephesians 4:29

11)   We fail to keep our promises.  Matthew 5:37; Colossians 3: 9; Psalm 15:4

12)   We scold our child in front of others.  Matthew 18: 15; John 21:15-17

13)   We fail to take time to daily read the spirit of our child.  Ephesians 5: 18

14)   We’re being to strict.  James 3:17

15)   We’re giving too much freedom.  Proverbs 29:15; Galatians 4:1,2

16)   We are thoughtlessly making fun of our child.  Job 17: 1,2

17)  We’re not listening to our child’s opinion or his/her side of the story.  Proverbs 18: 13,17

18)  We are abusive physically, emotionally, verbally? I Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7; Numbers 22

19)  We are having unrealistic expectations of our child.  I Corinthians 13:11

All of these (and more) cause our child to withdraw his spirit and to be reluctant to communicate with us.   Discipling (mentoring, teaching, nurturing, training, etc.) our children means more than just leading moral lives.  It means spending time with them so they see how we live out the reality of our Christian life.

Are we:

 -Offering Hope by our Godly Walk and Sacrifice

-Instilling Respect for Authority

-Teaching Personal responsibility (no victim mentality!)

-Correcting Fairly

-Modeling Forgiveness and Respect for others

-Being the Example (or being an excuse for bad behavior!)

-Spending Time cultivating Connections and Communication?

 What image of us does our child see?

 “…get wisdom, discipline and understanding.  The father of a righteous child (man) has great joy; he who has a wise child (son) delights in him.   May your father and mother be glad; may she who gave you birth rejoice…” Proverbs 23:23b-25

Do your children bring you 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 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 "Where Is My Life Going?"

A NEW YEAR!  ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY!

When you get to the end of this year, what do you want to look back on and say you accomplished…Personally? Professionally?  Spiritually? Relationally?

Would you like to make this year your most successful ever?

How fruitful would you say you were this past year? 

Did you attain the goals you set? 

How did you do with keeping Godly priorities?

So often we think to be successful we need a sense that we are getting more out of life…more me time, vacation time, more quality time with our children, more opportunities to develop a more mature relationship with our husbands, more exercise, less weight…”its all about me”!  We are blinded by kids’ schedules (practices, meets, tournaments, tutors, recitals, award ceremonies and more).  We live in a maze of taxi driving (pick-ups and drop-offs), carpools, careers, vacations, parties, sleepovers, play dates, fears and circumstances that keep us from seeing the clarity of our designed purpose.  We are forever seeking balance…

This is the opposite of what God envisions for us.  We are to live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility… not as (women) who do not know the meaning and purpose of life, but those who do…making the best use of our time, despite all the evils of these days…not being vague but grasping firmly what we know to be the will of the Lord.  Ephesians 5:15-17

Fulfillment in life is not deciding what we want to do or become,

but discovering and completing the purpose

for which God made us! (Gothard)

True Success in life is measuring what we are by what we could be (always seeking His purpose and meaning of life) and what we have done by what we could have done (by His grace).   “Faithful is He who calls us who (HE) will also do it (if we get out of the way, relinquish our will and yield to His!). It is achieving the full potential God planned for us. (ATIA) 

We are destined with His purpose on our life if we belong to Him

(Col. 1:28, 29)    …”its not about me”!

Are we focused on what God is focused on or are we hastily and thoughtlessly doing our own thing?  If we have not realized our life purpose and set eternal goals for this coming year, our present priorities to reach that goal are superfluous!  Our focus is blurred by the demands of the immediate on the altar of the permanent.

The key to a full and rich life is determined by our commitment to pleasing God.

 The alternative is failure…and I hate failure!

When I was a young Christian I was challenged by Betty Scott Stams declaration of purpose.  She was a missionary to China and was martyred by Communists in 1949.

“Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Your will for my life.  I give myself, my life, my all utterly to You to be Yours forever.  Fill me and seal me with Your Holy Spirit.  Use me as You will, send me where You will, work out Your whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.”

While at the University, I stapled that statement of purpose inside the flap of my Bible and it is still there today…a reminder of my commitment to my God, who gave His ALL for me, to “die daily”.  “If anyone would come after me (Christ), he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  Luke 9:23

 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die (to my will, rights, ambitions, entitlements, etc.) is gain.  Philippians 1:21   It has carried me through life and has been my comfort while serving in the jungles of Panama until this day…

 Where is your heart?

 What is your declaration of purpose?

~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 "Where Do We Go from Here?"

                                          HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Where Do We Begin?

Oh, no…can it possibly be this time of year, again?  Another New Year with welcoming arms drawing us back into reality!  No stopping the clock!  We have 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 anticlimax after weeks of traveling, company and celebrations.  The re-grouping of priorities, getting the house back in order, re-adjusting to school schedules after vacation and the need to get all that Christmas paraphernalia back into storage boxes are all activities demanding our immediate attention.

 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!

 Really?…you could have fooled me!  The question is…how do we spend them?

 Is the bulk spent on:

Recreation and Entertainment

Devotions and Meditation 

Exercise and health

Family mentoring and fellowship

Regular worship of God

Personal Interests and Achievements

Conversations (FB; Twitter; Snapchat; Instagram; Blogging; etc. ) 

Time entrusted in the name of Christ (Witnessing…)

 Are we using our time wisely 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…

Today is the first day of 2018!  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

HAPPY 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 "T'was 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 "Jolly Jungle Christmas!"

This tree stands alone on the bank of the river Pucuro, at the bottom of the trail behind our house... 

Years ago, buried in the remote jungles of Panama and a week or so before our first Christmas interior, I experienced what could only be called…loneliness.  It’s true we were isolated, our village was secluded at the top of the river Pucuro headwaters; yet, even now, I look back and am amazed at the phenomenon because we lived in a small village and I knew the name of every family, their children’s names, and all their aunts and uncles!  There were people in my house and my business every minute of every day.  I had two little girls and lots of activities with the mothers and women of the village all the time.  There were very few uninterrupted moments in a day.  Lonely...what…really?

What was wrong with me?

Being lonely in a crowd isn’t new.  The holidays certainly foster opportunity for these unwelcome “feelings.”   Ann Kiemel wrote, “People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.”   It was eye opening to realize my wrong focus had built a wall between God and I and my self-focus had taken center stage…again!

I had been “commissioned by God for a life of good works” and I had lost sight of His vision for me.  True contentment involves surrendering to the words aptly spoken by Jonathan Edwards, “I go out to preach with two propositions in mind.  First, everyone ought to give his life to Christ.  Second, whether or not anyone gives Him his life, I will give Him mine.”  Contentment is realizing God has provided everything I need for my present happiness.  I Tim. 6: 8  (Gothard)

“Every woman’s work is a portrait of herself.” Anonymous

If you would make a woman happy, don’t add to her possessions but subtract from the sum of her desires. Teach her to live with less, not more!  Apples of Gold   I don’t think loneliness would qualify as a possession…or would it?  The opposite of loneliness is companionship. I certainly had my share of companionship!  I had found God to be my all in that little village on the Colombian border.  Not, Christ, plus my need for someone to fill my loneliness!  Or Christ, plus______  (you fill in the blank) 

It is Christ, plus nothing…He is all or He is nothing!.

 “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ”Phil. 4: 11  Christ is enough to satisfy the hearts of all who confide in Him and who leave everything in His hands regardless of the circumstance.

“A Christian asked another how he was getting along.  Dolefully, his friend replied, ‘Oh, fairly well, under the circumstances.’  ‘I’m sorry’, exclaimed the other, ‘that you are under the circumstances’.

The Lord would have us living above all circumstances, where He Himself can satisfy our hearts and meet our every need for time and eternity.”  H. A. Ironside    He is all we need!  He alone can satisfy our thirst for whatever it is that we are seeking apart from Him.  What did I need other than Him and the fullness of His companionship!  He was the only one that could fill that loneliness. 

What had I been thinking!

Loneliness was my gift that Christmas and it became my friend.  Whenever it reared its ugly head and started building a wall between God and I, red flags flared up and it became my signal to pray for someone that I knew needed Him.  Satan hated that!   He would withdraw that temptation and run. Developing my prayer life was not in his plan! That Christmas I learned one of the most valuable disciplines of my Christian life.  Loneliness was not my enemy; it was my cue to pray and in doing so I began to use Satan for God’s glory!

Whatever your circumstance this holiday season, 

take the temptation to feel left-out, forgotten, over-looked, displaced……

and

Prayerfully seek Him

by instantly pursuing Him in petition for a lost person!

Watch Satan run…guaranteed!

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Romans 8:37

~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 "Recipe for a Miserable Holiday!"

 “It is not only the most difficult thing to know yourself, but the most inconvenient one, too.” H. W. Shaw   Mostly because we do everything possible to avoid being known…really known!   Being honest with others or ourselves is an unwelcome exercise we practice every time we are in an uncomfortable or awkward space…whether outside our comfort zone alone or facing an unfamiliar group.

There are so many articles written this time of year because the holidays are symptomatically filled with houses full of family fun and activity or houses empty, full of loneliness.  Some houses are a combination of both!  Misery is an equal opportunity venture.  

There is a tried and true recipe for its development.  It goes like this…all you have to do is:

Think about yourself.

Talk about yourself.

Use I as often as possible.

Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others.

Listen greedily to what people say about you.

Expect to be appreciated.

Be suspicious.

Be jealous and envious.

Be sensitive to slights.

Never forgive a criticism.

Trust nobody but yourself.

Insist on consideration and respect.

Demand agreement with your own views on everything.

Sulk if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them.

Never forget a service you may have rendered.

Be on the lookout for a good time for yourself.

Shirk your duties if you can.

Do as little a possible for others.

Demand your entitlements

Love yourself supremely.

Be selfish.

(From Apples of Gold)

Sound like anyone you know?

Whenever you are selfishly looking out for your own interests, you have only one person working for you…yourself!  When you reach out to help a dozen other people with their needs, you have a dozen people working with you.  Wm. B. Gwen, Jr. 

We have been given the key to a recipe for happiness, joy, and contentment.

Do you want it?  

Here it is:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you looking to the interest of others.”  Phil. 2: 3-4

Losing our lives in others for their success comes with the promise that we will find the abundant life.    Since it is impossible to serve others and be selfish at the same, it requires a willful choice!

The holiday season brings perfect opportunities to create a new, tried and true, recipe…one that will not only benefit others but will profit our families and us. Inviting and accepting new ways to get outside our comfy box and catch a glimpse of others who are needing a “hand up”, a loving touch from the Master, an encouraging word and the hope of our redeeming Savior is the first step.  This is the compensatory recipe that can, by choosing, be written on our hearts during this time of year that we set aside to remember the reason God sent His Son to us.

Which will it be…

 A recipe for joy and blessing or

A recipe for misery and disaster??

~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 "How do You do in the Trenches?"

Virtue is the positive influence my life has on others by my right responses to life’s situations. The woman in the last chapter of Proverbs sets the standard.  Who wouldn’t want to be that Proverbs 31 woman of virtue?  Our claim to fame would be we are “mighty in spirit”!  We would be noble in character, have the trust of our husband, lack nothing, be clothed in strength and dignity, our children would call us blessed and our husbands would praise us!  Sounds good to me…A “Win-win”…

The alternative, of course, is a despicable choice!  As moms, we would not want our children to accept impurity, in any of its forms, as normal and we, definitely, would not want to give them a bad example to follow, would we?  “Virtue, by definition, is the moral excellence and purity of spirit that radiates from our lives as we obey God.” (Gothard)

 “There is but one virtue…the eternal sacrifice of self.”  Henry George

A vibrant Christian life is found by losing our lives in others!  “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life in others for my sake will find it.” Matt. 10:37-39  All the virtuous character qualities in the world can be summed up in the truth of that one verse…dedicated deference living for the benefit of others and the glory of God.  Not stumbling blocks, but stepping-stones!

 It would make us all declarers of truth, servants, teachers, exhorters, givers and bearers of one another’s burdens.  The body of Christ would function.  The home would be filled with God and His ways.  Our children would rise up and call us blessed.  Harmony would rule!

Who doesn’t want that?

 These are the last of the 31 virtues from last week.  These verses can be prayed into your life and the life of your husband and children.  There are 31 total…one for each day of the month (with your Proverb of the day).

16. Peace-loving.  “Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace.” (Rom. 14: 19)

 17.Joyful.  “May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (I Thess. 1: 6)

18.Perseverance.  “Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do and helpthem especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them.  (Heb. 12:1)

19.Humility. “God. Please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all.”  (Titus 3: 2)

20.Compassion. “Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of Compassion.” (Col. 3:12)

21.Responsibility.  “Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load. (Gal. 6:5)

22.Contentment.  “Father, teach my children the secret of being content in every situation, through Him who gives them strength.”  (Phil. 4: 12-13)

23.Faith.  “I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them.”  (Lu. 17: 5-6; Heb.11: 1-40)

24. A servant’s heart.  “God, please help my children develop servant’s hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men.”  (Eph. 6: 7)

25. Hope.  “May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13)

26. Willingness and ability to work.  “Teach my children, Lord, to value work ad to work at it with their heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Col. 3: 23)

27. Passion for God.  “Lord, please instill in my children a soul that follows hard after you. (Psa. 63: 8), one that clings passionately to you.”   

28. Self-discipline.  “Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair.” (Prov. 1: 3)

29. Prayerfulness.  “Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kind of prayers and requests.” (Eph. 6: 18)

30. Gratitude.  “Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20, Col.2: 7)

31. A heart for missions.  “Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples.” (Psa. 96:3)  (These 31 verses were given to me many years ago with no author referenced...they are too valuable not to pass on to you young mothers) 

The Proverbs 31 virtuous woman has no name and we don’t know what she looked like or her personality.  We learn of her inner character.  She understood God-control and the blessing of surrendering to Him in her choices.  She is being praised for her spiritual character…not her physical beauty or accomplishments.  Many of the virtues listed here are acknowledged in this last chapter of Proverbs.

Are you a woman of excellent character?

Do those following you see God in you… in your conversation, actions and attitudes?

 Moral Excellence is not made in crisis or in the trenches; it is only exhibited…

Crisis reflects our virtue or lack of it!

 How are you in the trenches?

~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.