Jackie's Journey "Forgotten Father's!"

 “It was Grandfather’s birthday.  He was 79.  He got up early, showered, combed his hair and put on his Sunday best so he would look nice when they came.

 He skipped his daily walk to the town café where he had coffee with his cronies.  He wanted to be home when they came.

 He put his porch chair on the sidewalk so he could get a better view of the street when they drove up to help celebrate his birthday.

 At noon he got tired but decided to forgo his nap so he could be there when they came.  Most of the rest of the afternoon he spent near the telephone so he could answer it when they called.

 His has five married children, 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  One son and daughter live within 10 miles of his place.  They hadn’t visited him for a long time.  But today was his birthday and they were sure to come.

 At suppertime he left the cake untouched so they could cut it and have dessert with him.

 After supper he sat on the porch waiting.

 At 8:30 he went to his room to prepare for bed.  Before retiring he left a note on the door, which read, “Be sure to wake me up when you come.”

 It was Grandfather’s birthday.  He was 79.”

 This fell out of my Dad’s bible when I picked it up to read while visiting my Mom.  My Mother had read it in Ann Lander’s daily advice column many years ago.  It so touched my heart for lonely and forgotten father’s and grandfather’s that I decided to share it with you.

 Yesterday was Father’s Day…did you remember to celebrate your father and grandfather?

 This was worth repeating again this year…

My never-forgotten, wonderful Father…

~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 "Have You Met 'Rebellion'"

“The purpose of life is not to find our freedom, but our Master.”  “Why are you in despair…downcast, depressed, discouraged?   And why is your soul disturbed?  Put your hope in God.  Determine to praise Him for the help of His presence. He is your Master.” Psa.42 5

  Our soul wants to go its own way from God.  God seems to demand what we do not want to do. Why can’t God bless our plans and ideas? Of course, there is a very good reason!  Because… we desperately need salvation from ourselves!  We are consumed with the temporal and our focus is on survival, comfort and convenience.

 God thinks eternity, the lives of others and a higher goal.

God is in control despite our efforts to make our own decisions, apart from him. We miss the blessing, if we are not in harmony with HIS will.  

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done.

The things you have planned for us.   No one can recount them.

They are too many to declare!!” Psa.40: 5

 Why are we so slow to understand that our Master, who has planned it all before hand, can be so easily ignored?  What do we think is wrong with His plan? Will our natural self ever be able to see the super-natural, without God?  That’s rhetorical…of course not!

·      Look at the wonders of creation in the detailed planning He did.

·      Think of your own situation… the miracles of health, sight, and hearing…

Why would we not want to be led by the One who sees the future?

How many bad experiences have you had with God?

 “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord His trust, who lives to please Him.” Psalm 40:3 “I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly.  I do not seal my lips.  I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart.  I speak of Your faithfulness and salvation.  I do not conceal Your love and truth from the great assembly.”

 Psalm 40:9,10

I want the blessing!

We are not our own.  We were slaves to sin in rebellion,

but now, slaves of righteousness.

“The purpose of life is not to find our freedom…

But to find our owner and boss!”

~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 "Evil Trick!"

I am a person who does NOT like to be misled or tricked!  I am programed to take things earnestly and I don’t always get a good joke or know what everyone is laughing about at the dinner table.  So… to be deceived by any trick is certainly NOT in the docket I came in with! For me, understanding that in addition to crafty false teachers in any realm of learning and deceiving spirits, I can fool myself!  We are to “see to it that no one takes us captive through philosophy and empty deception…” (Col. 2: 8)

 There are many ways we moms can deceive ourselves.  Thinking others can sin and get away with it with no consequence, is one.  Hearing God’s Word but not doing it (Jas. 1:22; 4: 17); thinking I am something I’m really not (Gal. 6: 3);  not calling sin…sin (I Jn. 1: 8); thinking I am wise in the things of the world (I Cor. 3: 18, 19) ; thinking I will not reap what I sow (Gal. 6: 7); thinking that ungodly people who live lives of sin will share in God’s kingdom (I Cor. 6: 9); thinking I can hang out with bad people and they won’t have any bad influence on me. (I Cor. 15: 33); thinking I can be a good Christian and still hurt others by what I say. (Jas. 1:22)… are but a few of the lies we believe…proven out by the fruit of our life.

 Often when confronted by someone who is demonstrating love to us (more than they love themselves) and is taking a chance on our friendship to shed light on our area of need, we defend ourselves, instead of taking responsibility for it.  We refuse to face the bad things that have happened to us (denial of reality); or we escape from the real world by distracting activities (computer, video games, music, involvement in social media, losing ourselves and our issues (fantasy).  We withdraw from people to avoid rejection or we take our frustration out on others.  We make excuses or blame others for our problem.  There are names for all of these responses but none of them set us free from the “evil tricks” of Satan that work against us in life!

“The best way to show that a stick is crooked is

NOT to argue about it or to spend time denouncing it,

BUT to lay a straight stick along-side it.” (D.L. Moody)

 When faced with issues like legalizing marijuana (because we are told we must allow them to exist because we cannot legislate morality), I am reminded that The Law was given for the immoral! Pro. 12:17 Or abortion…the argument states that a full-term baby is only a “fetus”, hence…murder is acceptable!  Deception is believing a lie that begins when the mind and emotions agree on error and is fulfilled when we will to do it!

 We are responsible for the false philosophies we adopt.

 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, 

after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, 

and not after Christ” (Col 2: 8).

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "A 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 Season and throughout the New Year…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "Forgotten Father's!"

Meet my wonderful Father…Never to be Forgotten!

“It was Grandfather’s birthday.  He was 79.  He got up early, showered, combed his hair and put on his Sunday best so he would look nice when they came.

 He skipped his daily walk to the town café where he had coffee with his cronies.  He wanted to be home when they came.

 He put his porch chair on the sidewalk so he could get a better view of the street when they drove up to help celebrate his birthday.

 At noon he got tired but decided to forgo his nap so he could be there when they came.  Most of the rest of the afternoon he spent near the telephone so he could answer it when they called.

 His has five married children, 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  One son and daughter live within 10 miles of his place.  They hadn’t visited him for a long time.  But today was his birthday and they were sure to come.

 At suppertime he left the cake untouched so they could cut it and have dessert with him.

 After supper he sat on the porch waiting.

 At 8:30 he went to his room to prepare for bed.  Before retiring he left a note on the door, which read, “Be sure to wake me up when you come.”

 It was Grandfather’s birthday.  He was 79.”

 This fell out of my Dad’s bible when I picked it up to read while visiting my Mom.  My Mother had read it in Ann Lander’s daily advice column many years ago.  It so touched my heart for lonely and forgotten father’s and grandfather’s that I decided to share it with you.

 Yesterday was Father’s Day…did you remember to celebrate your father and grandfather?

~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 "Family Vacation!"

It is not often that our entire family can pull away for a few days.  I’m sure you know what I am talking about. With schedules that require coordinating and lots of activities and work schedules, it is a nearly miraculous feat when a good plan finally comes together!  

 Listening to the chatter, daughters and cousins laughing and planning together, watching the wonder and living in the excitement of just being together is totally worth the undertaking.  Just stepping outside our regular pursuits and taking time to heed the familiar voices more carefully and more often is an instant stress releaser and sets the tone for a time of new appreciation, reminiscing and creating new memories.

It is silent, except for the roar of the boats.  The lake is crystal clear and smooth as glass.  It’s a glorious sunny morning!  .  I see the kids and grandkids fly by in the speedboat.   My mind is flooded with gratefulness.  Everything in me wants to shout out loud… How great is our God!  And this is only the first half of the first day!  Happy hearts are healing and invigorating.  Spontaneous hugs and unprompted conversations are the reward of “stopping the truck” for a second to regroup and realign our priorities to harmonize with His.  Each evening we stop to open the Word and open our hearts to each other and His reality in our lives. 

 “Thanks Grandma for the “sick” vacation!”   WHAT?!

Who calls a great vacation SICK?  

This generation does…it’s a great compliment!

Definitely…worth it all!

Check out the fishing! My grandson, Payton with his catch of the day!

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "A 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 Season and throughout the coming New Year…

~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America.  Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California.  My passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights. 

Jackie's Journey "I WIN...What's the Prize??"

The 2018 Super Bowl is history. Only one team could win.  The prize is enormous.  Monday nights are game nights on T.V in many homes across America. We put our children in team sports almost before they can walk, let alone kick a soccer ball!  We hear the competitive nature of the game as parents stand and shout encouragement at players and periodically yell at the officials.   We say, “Do your best and win!”  The philosophy of how a game should be played is wrapped in “the most important thing is winning”.

Sacrificing whatever it takes… integrity, tripping the kid in front of you…breaking the rules…winning is the objective.  Reaching the goal…first!  Teaching our children true fulfillment is by-passed on the altar of “me first” winners!  Losing is not an option.

Don’t misunderstand me.  Team sports are a part of our American heritage.  Just don’t miss the real goal…   “…Straining toward what is ahead.  I press toward the goal to win the prize…” (Phil.3: 13)  And how we get there is the key.

What’s the prize?

Do you want to be a winner in life?

Do you want your children to be real winners?

“A man’s steps are directed by the Lord.  How then can anyone understand his own way?  (Pro. 20:24)   God has a plan for our success.  How can we think apart from His purpose??

God has called us “heavenward in Christ Jesus.  All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.  And if, on some point you think differently, that too, God will make clear to you.”  (Phil. 3:14)   Competitive sports show us the importance of focusing and reaching for a goal!  Binding ourselves to His eternal goal and plan and continually pushing forward toward Christ for His equipping as parents, mothers, grandparents, teachers and examples makes us winners.  His empowerment is the prize.  We are not programmed to get the job done apart from Him.

God doesn’t want our best. Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet, not I, but Christ lives in me”.  I repeat…God doesn’t want our best…He wants us!   Us…yielded to Him, so He can do HIS best in us and through us.

What is God’s goal?

What does He require of us?

“To act justly

To love mercy

To walk humbly with your God”.

Micah 6: 8

Humility necessitates complete yieldedness to Him, His plan and His Will.

“…Not I, anymore, but Christ who lives in me…”

~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 "Purposely Thankful!"

When we attend an English speaking church, we have the privilege of sitting under a man who challenges our hearts and understands how to walk with God.  We are grateful for his faithfulness and teaching of the Word of God.  This summer, I pulled this from his Weekly Words in the church bulletin.

“The Bible tells us that ‘every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father’ (James 1:17).  God is certainly benevolent and generous to us.  He gives a variety of good things, from the gift of life in a newborn baby, to the satisfying experience of a good meal after a long day’s work.  No matter how profound or how seemingly mundane, the good we experience comes from the mind and intentionality of a gracious good God.  One of the reasons the connection between good gifts and the generous giver is so critically important to keep in mind is because, like spoiled and presumptuous children, we can easily become ingrates!  Thanksgiving is not an extracurricular activity reserved for the deeply pious or the overly thoughtful.  Being purposely thankful is at the heart of true Christianity.  To celebrate the redemption of Christ, or to be grateful for a good night’s sleep is a reflection of our awareness that God is God, and that we are utterly dependent on His kindness.  So today, be cognizant of the blessings that God is dispensing in your life, and take the time to express your sincere gratitude to the Giver of all good things.”  Pastor Mike Fabarez

 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

~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.