Jackie's Journey "Are You Crying Out?"

A CALL TO ALL WOMEN!

If there was ever a time in history

That called for us to fall on our knees…

This is the time!

“Arise and  cry out in the night,  as the  watches of the night begin;

Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.

Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children.” 

Lamentations 2:19

Does your prayer life show the value of those we love and especially, our children?

Years ago, a godly Nebraska friend, Ginny Steele, gave me an alphabet of character qualities with scripture that I could consistently and systematically pray into my two little princesses,  Christina and Kimberly Joy.  It has now been extended as a prayer into the lives of my seven grandchildren.

 Years ago,  a godly Nebraska friend, Ginny Steele, gave me an alphabet of character qualities with scripture that I could consistently and systematically pray into my two little Princesses.

It has now been extended as a prayer into the lives my seven grandchildren.

 It begins with:

1.     Alert to subtle sin and how to avoid involvement in it.  (Mark14: 36)

2.     Bold to live for Christ and share the gospel.  (Acts 4:29)

3.     Compassionate to the needs and hurts of others.  (Col. 3:12,13; 1 Jn. 3:7)

4.     Dependability even if it involves sacrifice!  (Rom. 14:12; Psa.15:4)

5.     Eagerness and Endurance to accomplish God’s best.  (Gal. 6:9)

6.     Fruit of the Holy Spirit  (Gal. 5: 22,23)

7.     Gentle and Generous (Lu. 6:35-38; Pro. 15: 1; 11 Cor. 9:6; 1 Thess. 2: 7)

8.     Humble enough to realize God and others are responsible for whatever achievements are attained  (1 Pet. 5: 6; Jas. 4: 6) and verbally grateful!

9.     Initiative to respond without being asked.  (Psa. 87: 15,16; Rom. 12:21)

10.  Joyful because of harmony with God and others. (Psa. 97: 11,12; Pro.15: 13)

11.  Kind heart. (Hab. 3:18; 1 Peter 1: 8)

12.  Love for God, His Word and others.  (1 Jn. 4:7,8; 1Cor. 13: 3)

13.  Meekness of spirit.  (1Peter 3: 4; Psa. 62: 5)

14.  Never forsake the Lord.  (Joshua 24: 16)

15.  Obedient to God and other divinely appointed authority.  (Deut. 5:29; Rom. 2: 13; 11 Cor. 10: 5)

16.  Patience to wait on God.  (Jas. 1:2-4; Rom. 5:3,4)

17.  Quality time with God daily and Quiet spirit.  (Psa.46: 10)

1.          Quick to confess sin.    (1 Jn.1: 9; Psa. 46: 10)

18.  Repentant heart leading to knowledge of the truth.  (Job 11: 14,15; 11 Tim. 2:25)

19.  Self-Control…a Separated Life.  (Titus 2: 11,12; Gal.5: 24,25)

20.  Truthful and Thankful with Transparent motives.   (Eph. 4:25)

21.  Unique Ability to live by faith in the Living God.  (Gal.2: 20; Eph. 2:8; 2 Cor. 5:7)

22.  Virtue (Moral Purity) of spirit and life. (1 Thess. 4: 3)

23.  Wisdom to see life from God’s point of view. (Etc. 2: 26; Jas. 1: 5; Pro. 9:10)

24.  Exalt God in everything. (Ex. 15:2; Psa. 99:5; Isa. 25:1)

25.  Yield personal rights to God for victory over Anger. (Matt. 16:24-26; Gal. 5:24; Lu.2: 28; Titus 2: 11,12: Col. 3: 5)

26.  Zero in on God’s Will daily.  (Rom. 12:2; 1 Jn. 2:17; Psa.40:8)

 Will you join me in obediently and faithfully

praying daily for our children and grandchildren?

 Your prayer life for your children demonstrates their value to you!

“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin;

pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.

 Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children.”

Lamentations 2:19

~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 "Silent Promises?"

We live up a narrow gorge that stretches from the valley floor with its ocean and sandy beach to the top of the hill over-looking the harbor.  My desk sits at a window that has a view to an island 26 miles away.  Currently, I am watching the fog blanketing the coastline, bringing a cool breeze into our torched summer afternoon.  Watching the birds ride the currents is a regular distraction and preoccupation.

 I  was watching a large hawk sweep down across the pool in the backyard.  As he  ascended high up  into the sky above the valley below, he screeched loudly, over and over.  I observed this magnificent creature ride the current up and down…back and forth.  A  short time later, he swooped down into our yard again…only this time…he was silent…

 He had a snake dangling from his talons!

 “God provides for the cattle and

for the young ravens …when they call out!”

 Psalm 147:9

 I paused and realized…  I am that helpless raven that is found “crying out”. Totally dependent on God, placing  my faith continually on His promises and unfailing love!  Whether with no communication with the outside world in the jungles of Panama or here, in the U.S., with way to many ways to communicate.  The most important line of communication to keep open is that with the “King of Kings”!

 There are three common characteristics in the lives of our heroes of faith.  The first is their total dependence on God.  The second is they cried out to God first and then obeyed. And lastly, they courageously walked through the door of fear and doubt to experience the joy of genuine faith.

 Everything in life is a faith issue.

 “Faith is dead to doubts; dumb to discouragement;

blind to impossibilities”.

 We live in a hurricane with endless noise and activity.  Hearing the voice of God speaking to us when we cry out is a cherished and coveted practice, because He whispers in the quietness of our consciousness as His Word is read and His truth dwells richly in us.

 Are you listening for His whisper?   

~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 "Outlandish Otter Antics!"

Jungle  living was a lot of work.  The daily routine, just to live,  often became humdrum and after removing the clothes from the clothesline for the second or third time because of thundering rain… even dreary!  At times, it was tedious and monotonous.  

 One day, our partner’s second son, David, came up the bank with a playful river otter in tow.  He had been fishing and this roly-poly little bundle of hyperactivity followed him home! That  delightful creature found joy in life by just being in David’s presence.  He was attention-grabbing and outlandishly  fascinating every waking minute.  He made even his mundane chores a delight.   

 We watched him conquer the fear of water and take on any difficult activity and turn it into  a lively pursuit.  He entertained us all for hours. His carefree, light-hearted attitude began to speak to my rotten heart!  Joy is not the absence of trouble and inconvenience but the presence of Christ and His fullness.   Joy is the the component that, when added to a trial, provides the strength to endure it.

 Had I forgotten that “in His presence is the fullness of joy; and at His right hand there are pleasures for evermore?” Psa. 16; 11  The rewards of joy are physical, psychological and spiritual.  Joy is contagious and I was catching the little otter’s enthusiasm!  Joy is our brightness because “a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.” Proverbs 15:13  It does good like medicine.” Proverbs 17: 22  Joy is the reward of giving love away.  “The joy of the Lord is our strength!”Neh. 8: 10  Joy is the reward of giving love away!

 “Who among us can be counted on for happiness?   It is those who never take  self into consideration.” Amy Carmichael  JOY HAS NO VALUE UNTIL IT IS GIVEN AWAY.  The person who gives joy away becomes richer.  Joy can be expressed in as simple as  a genuine smile from a joyful heart.

 Do people see a bright countenance when they look at you?

Are you reflecting  gratefulness with your attitude

toward other’s, your children and family?

If the Word is dwelling richly in you,

and your fellowship with Him is whole-hearted …

your spirit will be joyful.

~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 "Fact or Fiction?"

We are confounded with everyone’s opinion.  We cannot escape it!  Everyone has to have a voice. People fight for their opinions.  “Opinions cannot survive if one has no chance to fight for them.” Thomas Mann   Differences of opinion separate families, friends and divide churches.  You can have a low opinion, an informed opinion, a “contrary to popular belief” opinion, a high opinion, a general opinion, an expert opinion, to mention a few.  In truth, there is nothing so short-lived as an opinion without a personal biblical conviction. 

 The Atheist says “There is no God”

The Agnostic says “There might be a God”

The Humanist says “Let’s remove God”

Pornography says:  “Sex is God”

Greed says “Money is God”

Pride says “Power is God”

Satan says “Be your own God”

 “The tongue with its opinions can be a beautiful angel or a hideous demon. It can be honey or vinegar.  The tongue can be pure or vile. The tongue can caress or cut. It can rouse men to act as well as it can subdue their emotions.  A false whisper can infuriate a nation, but the power of eloquence can quell the fury of a multitude.  A word of anger can wound while a word of kindness can heal.  Words of hate can kill and words of love can revive.”

 God says: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”. Proverbs 18: 21

 One day opinions will flee and at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess who the REAL, TRUE God is! Romans 14: 11  “The unattended garden will soon be overrun with weeds; the heart that fails to cultivate truth and root out error will shortly be a theological wilderness!” A.W.Tozer

 Do you want to put order back in your life and understand our current world events? Whether a mom, college student, young married person, grandma, or whatever your current station in life…we would do well to remember what God says.  It is His opinion only that counts!  “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations ;I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46: 10

 Find Him and His opinion and what He thinks about everything in the Bible…

Reading required…

~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 "What A Life!"

Engagement picture of Catherine Landaas and Nikita Golovachev

 I am at a “Princess Wedding” this week-end, rehearsing in my mind the early years of our married lives and the opportunities God gave us and to realize that…we never made a sacrifice…it was all privilege…

“James and Amelia Hudson loved their children and, like all doting parents, they enjoyed giving them little treats on occasion. But once in a while, when Amelia brought a dessert to the table for her family, James would say, "Who will see if they can do without today?" He explained it to the children this way:

By and by, you will have to say "No" to yourself when we are not there to help you, and very difficult you will find it when you want a thing tremendously. So let us try to practice now, for the sooner you begin, the stronger will be the habit.

 The children were not punished if they chose not to give up the sweet, but if they were able to go the entire day without it they were rewarded with some other treat and most importantly, with the loving approval of their parents. Hudson Taylor took this lesson to heart and learned early how to say "no" to himself. He went on to live a life characterized by self-denial for the sake of the gospel, and yet, when he looked back over his long life he said, "I never made a sacrifice."

 How could he honestly say such a thing?

 From his conversion in his teens, Hudson Taylor had a deep passion for God and desire to serve him as a missionary in China. All through his young adulthood his focus on this goal never failed. Most of China's inland cities had never seen a foreign missionary and a million Chinese each month were dying without having heard the gospel. Taylor could not understand how any believer could be unmoved in the face of such staggering need. He left his home in Barnsley in 1850 to study medicine in London, planning to go to China at the first opportunity as a medical missionary.

Taylor was touched by the plight of the poor in the slums of London. He chose to live among them in order to devote as much of his small income as possible to medicines and tracts to alleviate both the physical and spiritual suffering of the community. The damp, smelly neighborhood (aptly named Drainside) in which he rented a room was a full four miles from the hospital, which meant Taylor had at least an hour's brisk walk each way in every kind of weather. He willingly made that sacrifice to serve the poor.

During his studies at the hospital, Taylor was required to dissect a cadaver. While working on a particularly dangerous specimen, a small open wound on Taylor's finger allowed contaminants from the cadaver to enter his own blood stream. He became ill almost immediately. As soon as the teacher on duty learned what had happened and diagnosed "malignant fever," he urged Taylor to hurry home to get his affairs in order. "You are a dead man," he said grimly, expecting Taylor to die within hours. And though Taylor did get very sick, he recovered fully. The physician who cared for him credited Taylor's careful lifestyle and his long walks to and from the hospital as giving him the stamina to survive. Suddenly, his choice to live in Drainside didn't seem like a sacrifice.

During this same period of Taylor's life, the woman he loved refused to marry him unless he gave up his dream of serving in China. Taylor ended this relationship with tears. He trusted that God (like his parents at the dinner table) would have something better for him later if he denied himself for the sake of the gospel. And his faith proved true. God provided a wife in China—one who shared his passion for missionary work. Maria grew up in China, the daughter of English missionaries in Shanghai. She was as fluent in Mandarin as she was in English and became great help and comfort in Taylor's work. "It never cooled, my love for her," he said forty years later—"It has not cooled now." The relationship he gave up in London no longer seemed like a sacrifice.

In China, Taylor found that to gain an audience with the people, he first needed to give up his European dress and customs. He adopted a pigtail and chopsticks and traveled from town to town, living in boats, in small shacks or in attic garrets, usually battling insects and vermin. Once, on a journey to an inland city, he was robbed of his traveling bed, spare clothes, surgical instruments, and a Bible given to him by his mother. Taylor decided not to prosecute the thief because of the harsh Chinese penal system, but wrote the culprit a letter instead, urging him to repent. He described his plea to the errant servant in a letter sent home to England. That letter somehow fell into the hands of George Mueller of Bristol. He was so impressed by the spirit of the writer that he became a supporter of the mission. Taylor's sacrifice of the right to prosecute the man who stole his bed resulted in a supporter who would provide over $10,000 per year for the mission and would be a friend and advisor in times of trial. Looking back, giving up the right to justice did not seem like a sacrifice.

Taylor endured many hardships including arrests, insults, slander and poverty, but lived his life believing what Christ said in Mark 10:29,30—that if we give up anything for the sake of the gospel we will receive blessings one hundred times better in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. With that perspective, he could truly say, I never made a sacrifice."

“Truly, I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age…and in the age to come eternal life.”

Mark 10: 29 and 30

~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 "Crisis of Conscience!"

As a “Christian” nation, we face the unbelievable turmoil and chaos that stems from hearts that are cold and indifferent toward the things of God.  The sacrifice of the permanent on the altar of the immediate is rampant. Wrong choices are everywhere. In our homes, churches, universities, communities…

 “A seared conscience is one whose warning voice has been suppressed and perverted habitually, so that eventually instead of serving as a guide, it only confirms the person in his premeditatedly evil course.”  I Timothy 4: 2 Robert Little 

 The conscience is the ten commandments written on the hearts of man and is our moral law within. Romans 2:14-15 It is the capacity that is filled by the Holy Spirit and desires control at salvation.  “Though every believer has the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit does not have every believer,” A. W. Tozer “God put within each of us something that cries aloud against us, whenever we do what we know to be wrong.  It is the detective that watches the direction of our steps and decries every conscious transgression. 

Conscience is a vigilant eye before which each imagination, thought and act is held up for either censure or approval. There is no greater proof of the existence of a moral law and lawgiver in the universe than this little light of the soul.  It is God’s voice to the inner man.  Conscience is our wisest counselor and teacher, our most faithful and most patient friend.” Billy Graham

 “God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit; and if we are not filled, it is because we are living beneath our privileges.  If you have been born of the Holy Spirit, you will not have to serve God…it will become the natural thing to do.” D.L. Moody “It is impossible for one to despair who remembers that his helper is omnipotent!” Jeremy Taylor

“A person’s conscience, like a warning sign on the highway,

tells us what we shouldn’t do…but it does not keep us from doing it.” Frank Clark

The choice is always ours!!

~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 "Promises and Possibilities!"

Moms, have you thought about the culture our young children are growing into? Our faith is marginalized, immorality is expected and acceptable, socialism is fashionable, life is under attack, our Christian values and religious freedoms are deemed outdated and offensive.

 Time cannot be expanded, accumulated, mortgaged, hastened, or retarded.  It just keeps on…”

I usually begin my introspection regarding ‘time ‘after Christmas when facing the New Year! However, I can’t stop thinking about my seven grandchildren and how quickly time has passed from the day in the hospital when each one was placed in my arms until today when I look up (they are all way taller than I am!) and realize how adult they all are!

 They were tiny little ones not too long ago, just a blink, wrapped in a promise and a possibility not yet realized.  Time has flown and every call or contact is a special blessing, as they each find their own voice of influence.  They are the declaration for the next generation. 

 They are our future.

 I am currently the grandmother of 4 University students.  Each one has been sent as a missionary to colleges around the country.  They are courageous and are standing alone for what they believe!  Our oldest granddaughter is a graduate of USC, our second granddaughter, Alexandra, is a graduate of Biola and currently getting her MBA from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, attending with her husband, Jackson, who is also a Liberty student.  My grandson Payton, has one semester left at Liberty to graduate and his year-younger brother, Christopher, is my fourth student at Liberty and will graduate a year and a half from now.

 They are gone …in a blink! 

Alexandra, Christopher, Catherine and Payton

I never dreamed that years ago in the jungles of Panama that I would have the opportunity and blessing to have lived locally with all 7 of my grandchildren. Our hearts desire was to serve the Kuna Tribe in the Darien until…forever!  God had a different plan for us and our time here in the states became planting Spanish-speaking churches and discipling leadership to move on to a different location and start another church.  We have seen God establish seven churches (in Panama, Mexico, and in Southern California).  This has enabled us to be near our girls and their growing families.

 The challenge, now, is to not drop the ball at this stage!

 Where are you in the growth of your family?

 Are they being prepared to face the culture

that is clamoring for their souls?

~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 "Can a Promise Become a Reality?"

Once born, a wildebeest calf has 15 minutes to stand and run with the adult herd, or it will be killed by predators (usually, hyenas).  The wildebeest mother will take on a pack of hyenas and sacrificially, single-handedly fight…until death, to preserve the life of her calf. (Bill Gothard, Character Sketches) There are countless “hyenas” that will be used to devour the life of these God is entrusting into our care.               

What is our commitment!??

Our Alertness to His Will and His Way Is Imperative!

Being intentional is our only option!

“Life is a stewardship; not an ownership; A TRUST; NOT A GIFT. With a gift you may do as you please; but with a trust you must give an account (Ephesians 2:10).  God holds us responsible. We will answer to HIM!

AND…Time is short!!

 The journey of life brings trials, triumphs, tragedy and achievement.  Through all of this, a dedicated mother’s love remains constant.  Would you consider yourself to be a dedicated mom: a mom that is committed to the success of your child first, above yourself? I know we are fraught with the demanding activities and social media that keep us exhausted from one day to the next; but are we, through it all, rejoicing mom’s that keep the ultimate goal in view?  By the way, what is your “ultimate goal”?  Do your children view the goal and actively participate, involved in “giving” of themselves or are they “me first”, “takers”, full of entitlement?

  Let me encourage you with all that you are in Christ and to give you the promise He left with all of us that bear the titleMOTHER: “Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it.” I Thes. 5: 24 However, it is a conditional promise…we have to let HIM!  On that day of accountability there will be NO excuses!    This is our call to action…

HOW DO WE DO THIS??  Where do we start?

 When I think “steps of action” I think work, HARD WORK!  In that same thought comes the comfort of new direction and hope for a positive change.  In the introduction of our Princess Parable Blog site, we looked back at 2014 only to find 2015 “approaching with stomping feet demanding Action” …Steps of ACTION!

 Are you ready, Mom’s?  Here is a test of our dedication and commitment…

 1) Do we “Walk Our Talk?!”  Or do we make excuses for our wrong responses!  Do we call impatience what it really is…ANGER? And how about overuse of social media…CHILD NEGLECT?  Or MISSED OPPORTUNITY?!  There are no “socially acceptable sins” … Rudeness is self-first; Discouragement (or “I deserve better”) is Entitlement (the very attitude we battle in our children!)  Purpose to pursue holiness; moment-by-moment… Mothers of conviction, not compromise!

 (2) Are we open to Teachable Moments? Please note: Most interruptions are the teachable moments!  Purpose to take advantage of the moments we are least wanting to take advantage of!

 (3) Are we Intentional and Consistent?  All decisions we make carry a consequence…positive or negative.  Purpose to teach your child this truth and in doing so, enable him/her to learn to hear the voice of God.  Dial your life into the kingdom of God…Have HIS purpose wrapped in HIS WILL, not your own!

 (4) Are we Character-focused? Note the attitude in which the words or eyes are speaking to you…read your child’s spirit and you will identify the REAL NEED!

 (5) Are we Grateful…regardless of the circumstance?  Gratefulness wards off discouragement.

 (6) Are we Diligently Prayerful? Lamentations 2:19 “Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.  Lift up your hands to HIM for the life of your child”!

 The definition of the word “purpose” means “resolute,

unwavering, deliberate” …Commitment requires sacrifice.

 Whether a bush nurse, a missionary mom, a city mom, or whatever our title may be…each of us is called to be a godly mother with a profound and sacrificial love for our children.  The calling is to “count the cost” and to love with the purpose of making these entrusted to us more successful than we could ever be for HIS glory!

~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 "Tattered Integrity!"

While living in the Darien jungle of Panama, I clung to a promise in II Peter that encouraged me to keep on regardless of my sense of failure.  It says, “His power has given me everything I need for life and godliness through my knowledge of Him who called me!”   With the medical clinic, delivering babies at night, learning to clean and cook strange fowl, rodents, fish and meat, washing dozens of diapers in the river (with no dryer), learning a new language, meeting the needs of my husband and two little girls and acclimating to 90-degree heat with 99% humidity, etc… I found my level of spirituality severely challenged.  Exhausted daily, I found the verses in II Peter to be a fresh breath of air on my dripping, over-heated soul and with it came a promise I intended to claim!

The provision was there to live “above my circumstances” and lead a godly life.  I needed to tap into “His power” and as I kept reading, I realized His promises were attached to verse 5.  They were given with clear and present instruction, IF I was to participate in His divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires…like giving in to my anger, disappointment, impatience, frustration, and believing the lies regarding my inability to accomplish the life-task He had called me to.

 “For this very reason, I had to make every effort to add to my faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For IF I possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep me from being ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1; 5-9 (Personalized)

Always looking for a functional definition to put “the rubber on the road”, I found these marks of Virtue.  Virtue is the moral excellence and purity of spirit that radiates from the life that obeys God’s Word. II Peter 1: 5  It is learning to build personal moral standards that will cause others to desire a more godly life!  That meant reproducing Christ’s character in my life first and then sharing with others.

 Virtue is the fruit of grace as we are given light. There is no excuse not to exemplify God’s character in my life.  I am to be an example…not an excuse!  Virtue is the godly influence my life has on others regardless of past failures.

 The opposite of virtue is Hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy is the practice of a person who is willfully living in conflict with their soul (mind, will, emotions).  Virtue is not made in crisis; it is only exhibited.  Crisis reflects our virtue. “We demonstrate what we really are spiritually in times of adversity, not when things are going smoothly!” Proverbs 24: 10

 Years ago, I was teaching a group of college girls in our home and one of the girls asked my daughter, Christina, if she considered me to be a virtuous woman.  She hesitated…way to long…and I became acutely aware of my need to take another look at the qualities that compromise the virtuous woman in Scripture!

 Do I consider myself a woman of virtue…of Godly character?

 There is a thief that focus’ on robbing us of the best.  Time in the Word can be lost to the immediate demands of responsibility, a whirlwind of activity, social media and finding a “War Room” where we can read and pray uninterrupted.  Little things begin to bother us when people “bump” us, we react selfishly.

 Sound familiar?

 What is my response when:

·      I am evil spoken of

·      My loyalty has been betrayed

·      My will has been crossed

·      I am forgotten or neglected

·      My friends forsake me

·      I find compromise more inviting than maintaining claimed convictions

·      I am faced with failure and disappointment in my life

 My response reveals the real me…

 Am I a virtuous woman or a hypocrite?

 Which are you?

~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 "Truth vs. Fairy Tales!"

In 2015 I started writing this Blog for “The Princess Parable Series” and posting each Monday.  The goal and purpose was to reach young women with a tool that could be used to build character into their own little prince and princesses. It has been a privilege and I have been far more blessed than any of you.  The series continues to do well and we continue to give thanks for each one of you.

 “…so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God”. Romans 14:12

 Since the beginning of time there has been a battle of good against evil.  In our present day, we find our lives inundated with “misinformation” on all fronts and our children inundated with books that do not represent our views.  Children’s books, novels, games, cartoons, T.V. programming, and movies are filled with magical fiction, often inappropriate romance, and fantasy with the all too predictable super-heroes, witchcraft, and the evil, scary villain!  A point in fact is the new face of a barrage of Marvel heroes. 

 The cry from the masses is met with a torrent of supernatural and literary narratives brimming with dramatic imaginary story lines.  This particular genre with its fairy-like spirits in ethereal, heroic and monstrous forms is captivating to children, young people and adults alike.  Children are especially susceptible to its alluring charm because their worldview is literal and it speaks to their inner understanding of spiritual reality.

 All of us have spiritual needs (issues of pride, anger, rebellion and selfishness, to name a few!) that are beyond ourselves and we tend to fill the vacuum with “make-believe” to construct the difference we feel we lack.  We allow it to offer us a few moments of escape from the real battle with good prevailing, if only momentarily.

 Most of us acknowledge the struggle and know we are going to live somewhere forever, but have little understanding of the what, when, where, how, and why.  The surge of fantasy-ridden films and books is an after-effect of this need and exposes a society, seemingly, without direction or defined purpose.

 The Princess Parable Series was specifically created to put a functional tool in the hands of young mothers and grandmothers (urban, suburban, rural, stay-at-home, teen moms, single moms and married moms, grand-moms, aunts and teachers), each with a different lifestyle, but all who share a similar desire to be the best power of influence they can be!

 The passion to meet the need of every person desiring to cultivate what God programmed into their “prince or princess potential” has been a huge source of motivation and it allows each of us to nurture our little ones into genuine greatness. 

How quickly they grow!

There are two grandsons missing in this picture…

 As a grandmother, I carry a huge responsibility for these grandchildren, pictured above.

We, women, have the power of influence and God holds us

accountable for representing Him and for our pledge

 to the success of these entrusted to us…

our heritage.

What is your commitment to those who go on after you?

What steps of action are you implementing to see that

your legacy lives on into the next generation?

“…So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God”. Romans 14:12

~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 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.