Do You Ever Want to Escape?

I look forward to going on vacation.  Do you ever want to escape?

A vacation is an escape from the day-to-day routine where we get to explore, adventure and be alive.  Sometimes I just want to escape this reality I am living in.  In general, I love my life, but don’t you just wish you were somewhere else sometimes?

My family and I recently took a two week vacation to Hawaii thanks, in large part, to my mom.  My husband and I began to await the blessed time from the moment we booked the tickets. We entertained the idea of being together and showing the kids new places.  Every day I began to prepare for our up and coming adventure.

As we boarded the plane, all of us were overwhelmed with excitement.  A trip to Hawaii had been a dream for our kids for as long as we could remember.  When we arrived in the land filled with palm trees, warm and tropical breezes, we settled into a wonderful time.  But two weeks is a long time.

Days passed by. The excitement began to wear off and we began living life in Hawaii.  We were homeschooling, making dinner, doing laundry and dishes, and picking up the home we were living in.  Funny, these are all the same things that I do at home. 

And then my kids began to have attitude, being ungrateful and disobedient.  They argued about doing schoolwork and pestered their siblings.  Sadly, similar to the behaviors we work on at home.  My husband and I, who had been all giddy at first, sank into our regular routine and began to treat each other with familiarity.  I began to see the ugly faces of selfishness and disregard that I fight at home.

I pondered these things one morning.

I realized escaping from reality . . . from marriage . . . from children . . . from life, while blissful at first, will end up right where we were before.  The grass will look greener, but in real life we bring with us all the junk we had at home.  In Hawaii, we had just changed locations.  Sure, we went sightseeing, to the beach, surfing, and made all kinds of wonderful memories.  But the truth is that any ugliness in our hearts travels with us regardless of our location.

I might sit at home any day and just wish to be on vacation.  It is a longing for escape from what I don’t want to face; kind of like TV and movies for me.  But I will still love vacations.  God said to me one morning on the beach that I am a work in progress wherever I am.  My kids and my husband, they too, are His masterpiece that He is creating over time.  All six of us in our family are sinners.  So while I may long for a change of venue to somewhere tropical, I know that a vacation will not change our hearts and our souls and the escape will not have the effect I am hoping for.  Why do I think my kids will be better behaved driving two hours to Volcano National Park than they are here in Southern California?

I came home with a different appreciation for here and now.  Because I should never wish to be somewhere different than where God has me.  The grass is not greener, because it is a mirage.  When I get there, the grass will be the same color as mine.  The escape has all the hype without the follow through.

So for now, no matter if we are in Southern California, Hawaii, Australia, Germany . . . wherever the Lord leads us, I will remember, this is right where God has us.  All our “stuff “has made it to baggage claim with our luggage and we are to deal with it right where we are.  No fancy escape plan, just good old-fashion learning and growing, failing and forgiving, right where God has us.

1 Cor. 7:17 “And don't be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God's place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there!”

Jackie's Journey: Life Unraveling?

             “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him" Job 13:15

Our village was tucked away near the Colombian border and we lived in the silence of the jungle and its peculiar sounds.   One late morning there was an unfamiliar roar in the distance.  A large helicopter appeared and began circling our village, dropping low, looking for a place to land.  Before we knew what was happening, dust flew and the door slid open.  Men dressed in full military uniforms with machine guns jumped out and stormed into our house. Guns drawn, pointed directly at us, they began shouting commands with accusations!

My life started unraveling before my eyes!  I quickly grabbed little Kim and Christina came running, clutching my legs. I reached down to reassure her, as Ralph stepped in front of us, whispering to me, “Remember, Jackie, this touched God’s hand first”. 

 We were being accused of being spies for the United States and they demanded we turn over our only means of communication to the outside world: our two-way radio!

I was trembling, imagining every plausible scenario of how we could be easily disposed of in the river and no one would know for months!  The truth that came surging into my consciousness was Job 13:15, “though he slay me, yet will I hope in HIM”. 

 Still standing between the enemy and us, Ralph appeared calm and was responding in Spanish with an absolute, “We are not spies from America.  We have permission from your government to bring medicine to help this isolated group of people.” 

How had this happened?  What could we do?

The next few moments stood still…their shouting gestures and my seeing no way of escape brought the verse in Job home to my heart.  I resolutely accepted His will, whatever that was going to be and instantly, peace prevailed.  What happened next was beyond belief!  To our utter astonishment, as abruptly as those militant soldiers arrived…they hastily, mid-sentence, without another word, turned and left!!  They did not ask for our passports or visas, nor did they take our rifles that were in plain view, hanging on the wall!  God had blinded their eyes and in an instant, redirected their path.

 In the aftermath of my processing through this event, Ralph gave me a definition for “tribulation” that comes to mind every time I am faced with a trial and I just want it gone…no processing…just gone!  “Tribulation is God’s fastest road to maturity”.  Well… missionary life had definitely put me in the fast lane to grow up!  The more life I live, the more I realize how much growth I need!

 This is that definition in a “mathematical” formula that changed my life and the way I look at trials, inconveniences, suffering and contentment.  It goes like this:

 Trials + Acceptance of the trial with joy and thanksgiving = Growth/Maturity

I can respond to trials by:

(1) Benefitting from them

The pressure of trials produce (Jas. 1:2-4):

Faith

Patience

Perseverance

Maturity

Wisdom

Lacking Nothing!

                                          OR

   (2) Reacting to them and locking down emotionally with: 

Impatience 

Fretfulness

Why me?

Depression

Complaining

Rebelliousness or bitterness

 I choose to yield with gratefulness this morning and to recognize any form of tribulation, as a means to create a greater purpose for the benefit of others.  

                                                      What is your response? 

Serving Out of Love

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Romans 12:10-11

 I do a lot for my kids.  I serve them. Because I love them.

 I love God so much more!! I want to serve Him too and I want to teach my kids that serving God is so much more than just writing a check and putting it in the offering baskets.  We serve not out of guilt or duty, but because we love.

 I want my kids to learn serving is a way of life. I am looking daily for opportunities to serve and share.  Most of the time, we serve our family, neighborhood and friends.  When we are out, we are looking for where God is working and join in.  I try and take every opportunity we have to get out there are serve a local ministry because I want to expose the kids to as much ministry as possible. This is not easy with all of the activities and schoolwork expected of my kids!  Sometimes it is hard work to get them there so they can be blessed to be a blessing.

Last week was one of those times.  We had a fieldtrip to the Children’s Hunger Fund warehouse.  We put on our hairnets and gloves and filled Food Paks that are distributed to local churches full of needed food. They are literally sent all over the world.  Most recently to Ebola-stricken Liberia. They in turn deliver them to those in need in Jesus’ name.  What a blessing it was to hear firsthand what the ministry is doing! Incredible!

Why do we make such an effort to expose our kids to serving?

1. We want them to love God!

Because He has redeemed us and set us free, there is nothing I would rather do than serve Him and be a part of His plan.  I am excited to see where God is working and jump in!  I want my kids to catch the enthusiasm my husband and I have for our Lord and Savior.  We want them to share in our love for Him and give willingly of themselves!  When they see we are excited, they get the bug too!

 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1

 2.  We want them to see God!

I believe there is no better place to experience God than where He is working.  My kids get to see miracles firsthand and see how awesome our mighty God is! There is nothing better as a parent than to see your child’s eyes open wide when they realize God is at work . . . and they are a part of it!  Whether it is here in America or overseas, God is doing amazing things every day.  Those that are part of His work are blessed to be a part. 

 Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!  Hebrew 13:11 

3.  We want the Word of God to come alive for them.

There are so many verses about serving the Lord in the Bible.  When we teach our kids these verses and then put them into action, it is powerful for our kids.  So many things they learn in these formidable years, but few of them require too much action on their part.  Serving the Lord puts feet to His Word that does not come back void.  They get to see that it glorifies Him, that it blesses them, and that joy comes from serving the Lord.

 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Gal. 5:14 

4.  We want to rescue them from themselves!

Unfortunately, in Southern California, we are surrounded by activity, entertainment and stuff.  It is everywhere, I know!  As I spend time being the mamma taxi driver, I think “shouldn’t we be saving the world?!”  Does this next dance lesson count for eternity? But more importantly, I see their hearts.  My kids get caught up in the treasures of the world and quickly can focus on themselves.  Funny, I have the same problem.  Stepping out to serve others quickly takes the focus off of them and puts it back on others.  You cannot serve two masters. Kids can easily go from self-focused to others-focused in minutes, which we are hoping will continue as they grow into adulthood.

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.   Matt. 6:24

5.  We want to help them see their purpose in life!

We believe serving helps focus on God’s grand plan.  Once our kids get a vision for what God has planned for their lives, we know He will make it happen.  But that can only come from God – and not mom and dad!  Serving helps kids see that they have a gift with which to serve Christ; the more opportunities we give them to stretch, the better they might be at seeing their purpose in life.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace 1 Peter 4:10

So yes . . .getting the whole family up at 6:00 a.m. and driving up two hours to serve as a family was a stretch, but I believe that the rewards will be great.  Our memories of serving will become another picture in their lifetime of loving God.  We think the effort is worth it.

 Where can you serve with your kids? What do you have to sacrifice to make this happen?

Jackie's Journey: Arachnids...Scared, But Not Defeated!

Washday in the jungle was an event, not just a necessity!  It required a trip to the river with two little ones in tow, a washtub (like great-grandma used) full of clothes, diapers, sheets, etc., soap and a washboard.  Finding a rock that wasn’t already being used was the next challenge after descending the 12’ bank!  The swirling river was the agitator and the most difficult part of the whole exercise was wringing the clothes tight enough so they would dry after being hung.

The Kuna women would laugh at me, while their little ones entertained mine by chasing, splashing and diving around us.  Those were the “good ‘ole days”.  One blessing, and their were many, was that my girls learned to swim like little fish very early, against the current!

If it was dry season, the wash would dry in 2 hours.  During rainy season we might hang the clothes two times or more in one day.  Most garments were mildewed and never really dried completely until dry season returned!

One spring day my clothes carried an unwanted visitor inside the house. We had open wooden shelves and as I lifted the last clean sheet, I caught something moving in my peripheral vision.  Now…let me be clearly understood…I will take a snake, any size, over a spider any day!  

This particular spider was a creature of undeniable presence!  I screamed so loud that half the village came streaming through my front door.  One look at the intruder and my husband and Arturo, our closest neighbor, told us all to get out!  Apparently, this venomous arachnid was dangerous!  I could not understand their hesitation in just eliminating it.  I wanted that spider dead…I did not want him alive for an encore another day…

Earlier that month our cat had found a huge, and I mean huge, scorpion under our bed.  I picked up my husband’s size 14 army boot and squashed it’s 12” body dead, in one fell swoop, as our 8 month old daughter came crawling into the room!  Now, “hear me roar”…I’m not kidding…I REALLY wanted that spider dead! 

Fear is our friend…it is an emotion induced by a threat, which causes a change in brain and organ function and ultimately a change in behavior.  “Courage is being scared to death…and walking through the door of fear to victory”.  (R. J., my husband)  In the book Hind’s Feet in High Places, I would clearly be little “Much Afraid”.  Shortly after being challenged to carry the name of Christ to unreached tribal people, I read in Luke 10:19 where Jesus sent out the seventy-two with the promise, “ I have given you authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you”!  That verse immediately came pounding into my consciousness and I claimed that promise, given to those who take the gospel into uncharted territories.  As jungle living became my daily experience, I would often return to those precious words that brought peace that day.  Over and over again during those years of the unexpected, I would claim its truth when I was tempted to yield to panic.

Jackie's Journey: Inspiring Imprints

As a young missionary mother reading to these two little ones sitting next to me in a hammock in the middle of the Panamanian jungle, my heart yearned for books that would introduce my girls to bible-based, character-emphasized prince and princesses that they could aspire to become.  I would take every book I picked up and purpose to impose these two principles into the pages in terms they could understand that had eternal values targeted.  My two daughters, Christina and Kim, are now grown and have given me seven grandchildren!  Christina encouraged me for years to sit down and put on paper what I did to the stories I read in those early years.  Her cry for these books for her four little ones was my primary motivation.

The opportunities are unlimited when it comes to God building His character in us, and then, into those we love.  Understanding the need and exercising the steps of action needed to see them implemented is our challenge.  When you look at your children where do you see their primary need?  Taking into consideration their temperament, maybe the need for them to be more alert or to respond more quickly in obedience?  Maybe rebellion is the issue or selfishness?  Where would you begin to help the little prince or princess in your home? 

 Values are based on the changing opinions of what people or groups of people practice in their principles or ideals.  Character is based on universal standards that are time-tested and recognized as being ethically correct.  Character is written on every person’s heart and conscience (Romans 2:15).  Even though the basic truth of a character quality is understood, it is important to know how to apply the truth in daily circumstances. 

I have collected positive character quality definitions for years because they describe pieces of the Godhead and assist in my personal spiritual exercise and transformation.  They equipped me to pragmatically instruct my girls as we walked through daily activities living in a culture very different than our own. In the village where we lived, the Kuna practice of polygamy and early marriages combined with witchcraft, including a village witchdoctor, opened up interesting teaching opportunities.

This past week the oldest of these two little princesses in the hammock saw her two daughters, my granddaughters (now 16 and 14), accomplish an extraordinary act of compassion in just a few days. I was asked to wrap a collection of gifts, gift cards and get-well cards with money that they had gathered to give to Alexandra’s teacher at school.  Her heart had been challenged to encourage this young single woman, who had recently left her parents and siblings on the East Coast to answer a call to serve in our community here on the West Coast.  She had taken a daily six-hour cancer treatment three months earlier and had quietly gone alone for the last six weeks, not wanting to burden or inconvenience anyone else.  During her follow-up appointment, the doctors found the cancer had returned…aggressively!   Alexandra tearfully shared with her sister, Catherine, the sadness she felt.  Catherine, who is the school’s “Kindness Club” director, immediately joined hearts and hands with her sister, their mother (Christina), and many who heard of the need. Within just a few days they had gathered a huge basket…full of encouragement for this teacher!  

We respond to life according to our character, good or bad.  Our wrong responses indicate our need.  Our correct responses validate our victories.  For me, this was a victory of gigantic proportion.  Three generations clasping hands to compassionately encourage a hurting heart! Princess Charity in our Princess Parable Series was faced with the same choice my granddaughter’s faced.  Webster’s definition of Compassion is  “together + suffering; deep sympathy, pity”.  1 John 3:17 says, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”  Compassion is doing whatever is necessary to heal the hurts and meet the need of another.  Christ is the greatest teacher that ever lived and our example. His compassion for us carried Him to the cross!  Living outside our own self-life, being alert to another’s pain and choosing not to walk by without lifting a hand is our “Call to Action” this glorious Monday. 

These are the same two princesses pictured in the hammock …today!

Reality Hit

Shortly after moving into our remote village, reality hit! 

                        Jungle living is a challenge at best! 

I was buried near the headwaters of a jungle river with . . . .

no electricity,

running water,

mud floors,

 and a very scary outhouse!!

I regularly found myself at the river washing three dozen diapers and hanging them twice daily because we lived in a rain forest that lived up to its name! The river could swell 8 feet in a morning rain!  Sweeping the village with the Kuna women twice a week plus sweeping my mud packed floor daily was a given.  I had to keep my dirt floors “clean”, I had a crawling baby, after all. 

My house was made with bark walls that had Indians peering through them day and night. I carried my 6 month old on my back and my 3 year old by one hand and  with pad and pencil in the other hand, we would jot down phrases or words for a linguistic box (what I would have given for an iPad!).  I would walk the village listening to the people talk, wanting to communicate, but not having the language yet.

I felt isolated. 

I had confrontations with some of the largest spiders, snakes and scorpions known to mankind. In the first months of moving into our village, some kind of large black cat (jaguar) came in at night leaving huge paw prints on the path near our house and carried off a mama pig, squealing for her life!!...

                                        You get the point…a lot of survival living! 

One sultry morning, I sat down discouraged and burst into tears. I was tired, overwhelmed and realized I was a total failure as a mother, wife, teacher, missionary…you fill in the blank!   Right on cue, our partners came walking into our house, asking what on earth had happened.  I quickly explained my dilemma and to my astonishment, they smiled!!  Now…I was thinking maybe a little word of encouragement and some comforting verses from the Word for all my effort was appropriate.  BUT NO, they kept smiling and agreeing with me!  “Yes, Jackie, you are a failure!

                                               WHAT??? WHO SAYS THAT???  

They went on…”You are NOW in perfect position to receive the grace and power of God!”  I began to process the biblical truth…it was true!  I could offer God nothing.  APART FROM HIM, striving on my own, I am a failure!  11 Cor. 12:9 say,  “HIS grace is sufficient for those who know they are a failure and weak and in need.  At that point of agreement with God, HE makes HIS power perfect in our weakness”! 

                                          Failure had become my best friend!

As the years passed and I listened to other Christian women struggling and striving to live the Christian life, doing good things BUT apart from HIS empowerment, my heart broke with compassion to see them set free, as God had freed me in the jungles in 1972.  Discouragement and the sense of failure are my “red flags” or signals that tell me I am striving in my own strength and I need to humble my heart and let HIM do it!  “Faithful is He who calls us who will also do it”. 

Today when I hear people choosing to “live off the grid” (a life of complete time-consuming inconvenience!) in remote areas (Alaska, for example), I am wondrously swept back to a time when I was driven by an intense desire to see an indigenous group of people hear the name of Jesus Christ…just once…

Jackie’s Journey

Child Neglect!?

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 moms 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 title MOTHER:  1 Thes. 5:24 says,  “Faithful is He who calls you, Who will also do it.”  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, Moms?  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!

Character marks the Life of a TRUE PRINCESS!

A Biblical worldview should influence all areas of life.  Articulating that worldview within our sphere of influence is what the Princess

Parables are all about!  While surface problems (hate, murder, anger, addiction) attract media attention, they merely reflect and are symptomatic of the deeper need we have as people...the need for character!  Character determines our actions.  Character determines our responses, regardless of the circumstances presented to us in life.   It defines us and tells others who we really are!  Character is written on the heart of every person.  It is universal and transcends culture, race, age, social status, religion, gender and nationality.    

Godly character marks the life of a true princess!! For seven years Princesses Joy, Grace, Hope, Faith and Charity have been a large part of my life and I have grown to love each of them, as distinct and separate personalities, with unique engiftments and an adventurous story to tell.  They form a cohesive body of work that speaks to the need for early development of godly character in our little princesses in a pragmatic way they can relate to with Biblical terms attached.  I recently read, “A dear old Quaker lady, distinguished for her youthful look, was asked what she used to preserve her appearance.  She replied sweetly, “I use for the lips, truth; for the voice, prayer; for the eyes, pity; for the hand, charity; for the figure, uprightness; and for the heart, love” (Jerry Fleishman).  The Princesses are designed to inspire godly thoughts and actions.  The key of this wise “Quaker lady’s” answer and the challenge to us is to maneuver victoriously through this new day and its many opportunities... each revealing our TRUE character through our moment-by-moment responses!  

Who am I really?

My daily response to life situations brings to light the REAL me!

In a land far away…

I AM a Princess…how do I know? My father called me “Princess” most of my life!  My given name is Jacqueline Johnson, and I am delighted to be co-author with Jeanna Young for the Princess Parables Series. The purpose of this new blog, is to love and encourage you wonderful mothers - working so hard to raise your children with character and love for Jesus.

I was born in St. Joseph, Missouri as our country was resurfacing from its worst Depression.  I attended parochial schools and I was baptized, “catechizemized”, confirmed and on my way to hell!  I knew something real was missing in my life and I desperately needed purpose and definition to all that was going on around me.  While attending the University of Arizona, pledging Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, I was challenged to visit a church that introduced me to a God I could know personally through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.  This was the missing piece…a person!  When Christ walked into my life it was never the same again!  I became part of a true royal kingdom!  “…He has rescued us out of the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His Son…”(Colossians 1:13).  I knew God’s hand and call was on me, and my life from that day until this moment has been filled with change and eternal purpose.

My co-author Jeanna and I had long searched for wholesome stories for our children, and God truly put it on our hearts to create the Princess Parables Series. The stories introduce a character quality in the name of the Princess and take the storyline from a Parable that was taught by the greatest teacher that ever lived.  They have been specifically written to put a functional tool into the hands of young mothers, grandmothers, teachers…that will proactively allow you to nurture the character of your little princess with a godly worldview. The Princesses are designed to inspire godly thoughts and actions in your daughters.  I can’t wait to get to know you, sweet reader, and inspire you on your journey.