Jackie's Journey "Courage on Fire!"

GOD HONORS US MOST WHEN HE PUTS US WHERE WE WILL TRUST HIM MOST

 The closer we get to the fire, the more purified we will become.  God wants to draw us close to Himself.  We tend to fight and resist the very thing God uses with divine purpose to purify us…the inconvenience, turmoil, fears, trouble,  discomfort, distress and trials of many kinds.  The goal is “so that the tested genuineness of our faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to resort in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” I Pet. 1: 7

 ”Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;

I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.” Isa. 48: 10

 It really matters what seeds we are planting.  Courageous people find value and gratefulness in each struggle and they grow up! There is certainty found in God; not in their self-reliance.  His courage is manifested in us, as we make Him king and master in our life and not just a subtitle.

 There are 9 Points that mark people who are courageous:

1.     Pray constantly -in harmony with  God; others-focused, not self

2.     Embrace the greatness of God – practicing His presence

3.     Rely on daily bread (Him), not their own ability

4.     Invite accountability for the blind spots and wise counsel

5.     Live expectantly with their hope in God alone and when He says “go” or “do”; there is no delay; instant obedience

6.     Understands the divine purpose in the spiritual stretching Jas. 1: 2

7.     Are radically generous (with their time, giving, service…)

8.     Impart courage by staying in the fight – no excuse or rationalization, just example

9.     Fight fear with continual practice of gratitude

      Courage is fear under God’s protection – walk through that door of fear and it dissipates!

En-courage is helping someone else control their fear and doubt

Dis-courage is  fear controlling me

Despair is fear has conquered me.  Psa. 42: 5-11

 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not,

nor be afraid; for the lord, your god,

he it is that goes before you, he will not fail or forsake you!”

Dueteronomy 31: 6

 Whether life grinds you down or polishes you depends on your courage.   Cynicism is the last resort of the coward. Disparagement or doubt in His faithfulness undermines the character of the courageous soul who confidently puts total trust in God.  Some give Him a place; some give Him prominence; but what Christ wants is pre-eminence…

 Courage is defined as grace under pressure!

Whatever you are facing today, choose Courage!

~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 "Inspiring Imprints!"

Christina and Kim, my daughters, asleep in our jungle hammock

As a young missionary mother reading to these two little ones sitting next to me in a hammock in the middle of the Darien 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. 

These girls are 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 in writing The Princess Parable Series.

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 required to see them implemented is our challenge. 

When you look at your children where do you see their primary need?  Taking into consideration their age and 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 in every person’s heart and conscience (Romans 2:15).  Even though the basic truth of a character quality is understood, there is a need for further clarification on how to apply the truth in our 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. The qualities of kindness and compassion wereright up there at the top!

 In the village where we lived, the Kuna practice of polygamy and early marriages combined with witchcraft and a village witchdoctor opened up interesting teaching opportunities.

It brought to mind a time not too many years ago when my two granddaughters accomplished 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 Catherine and Alexandra had gathered to give to Alexandra’s teacher at school.

Catherrine and Alexandra,

my granddaughters

Alexandra’s 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 at her school in our community here on the West Coast.

 This teacher had taken a daily six-hour cancer treatment three months earlier and had quietly gone alone for treatment here 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 was 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 rallied friends, families, neighbors and they handed me a huge box-full of “gifts” to be wrapped!

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 a life-lesson well-taught and learned. The blessing of three generations clasping hands to compassionately encourage a hurting heart!

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 not walking by without lifting a hand is our “call to action”. 

“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?” 1 John 3:17

~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 "Standing on that Promise!"

While living in the jungle, I was a notorious pursuer of the promises in the Word to ease the rigorous life required to live interior…Don’t you just love promises?  The circumstances of life, with its hurdles and opportunities, give us great comfort, if a promise comes with it.  “

 One day Ralph (who carried the heaviest load) in our jungle journey, gave me a promise after observing my daily activities with two little girls, the medical clinic with my missionary partner(Sue Gunsteens), the linguistic work, the washing of three dozen diapers (plus clothes) on a rock in the river, hanging three dozen diapers and clothes on a line in my back yard (at least twice in one day to avoid the rain clouds that threatened to soak it all again!), cooking meat and vegetables I had never ever seen or heard of, doing 4:30 to 9:30 hour days, and at the end of the day, with the house still full of people, putting Christina and Kim into bed with mosquito netting, carefully tucked tightly under their foam rubber mattresses…

 It occurred to me that these non-stop, long days in 95-degree heat with 95% humidity gave me an excuse to pause and do my own thing.  Just the thought seemed selfish and when I verbalized it, it sounded really wrong!  “To him that knows to right and does not do it; to him it is sin.” Jas. 4:17  My faithful watchdog, Ralph, had been pitching in to lighten my load and realized that was not my REAL need.

 Are you familiar with the promise that comes with that portion of Scripture that tells us not to worry becauseof God’s promise and provision for us. “Seek His kingdom (presence) and His righteousness and ALL these things (the list mentioned in the prior verses) will be given to you as well.” Matt. 6: 33  The… “all these things will be added unto you” sounded perfect!

 BUT…this promise comes with a huge condition!

 I was given a concise definition of what that condition meant and where I had dropped the ball.   It was clear that the promise was contingent on my seeking the Lord first and foremost. “He (She) did evil because he(she) did not set his (her) heart to seek the Lord.” II Chron. 12: 14   I was robbing God and myself by not living in a state of “seeking and setting my heart on Him moment by moment.” I was too busy sacrificing the immediate on the altar of the permanent!

 Evil is doing our own thing.  We have two choices: Seek Him and the wisdom from above or seek the wisdom from below…which is Satanic, selfish, proud, envious, and everything EVIL.  God’s will or Satan’s…there is no…MY WILLl!   My will makes the choice of which master I will submit to.

 Is your heart set first on seeking Him?

Let’s grab hold of God and ask Him for a passion to pursue Him…

 “If you seek me with all your heart, You will find 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 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 "Duty or Devotion?"

My oldest (Catherine) reading to my youngest granddaughter (Megan)…

 As parents, grandparents or parents-to-be one day, it is imperative to understand it is ONLY as we develop others that we permanently succeed.   Have we adequately prepared ourselves and our children to face the world with a godly world view or have we dropped the ball?

  There are going to be distractions and temptations along the way that will make the vital and continual necessity to consider the question,, “am I committed to my heritage or am I sacrificing the permanent on the altar of the immediate?”  What is really important to me?  Are there areas of compromise in my life that are exposing my true priorities?

 Did you know that “parents who read 1 picture book with their children every day provide their children with exposure to an estimated 78,000 words each a year. Cumulatively, over the 5 years before kindergarten entry, we estimate that children from literacy-rich homes hear a cumulative 1.4 million more words during storybook reading than children who are never read to.” 

 Can you imagine the impact of reading Voss’ “Bible for Children” to your child daily would be? Just the time sitting next to you while you read would be invaluable. Time singing and explaining simple truths of right and wrong, could begin to form a character that would one day make you proud.

 Are we aware of the fact that “nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight!  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before His eyes and to him we will give an account.” Heb. 4: 13  Personally, these words have always been a “call to action” for me! They have been a strong motivating force all my life.

 Our dedication to see our child prepared to face the worldly chaos with a godly worldview, will take a personal faithfulness to God (we are only stewards of these little ones entrusted to us), and it will be the benchmark of our permanent success.

 Where do your loyalties lie?

Duty or Devotion?

~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 "Eye of the Beholder"

Father’s Day was yesterday and my heart began rehearsing the life Ralph gave us as the father of our girls. My wonderful father has been with the Lord for 8 years and my children’s father has been with the Lord four months.  I like to think of my dad and Ralph celebrating together!  Both… extraordinary fathers.

 My children’s father was a force of nature!  His entire life was spent reflecting glory back to the God he served. He had a spiritual vision for the souls of men that was unparalleled.  Ralph had “limited outside interests”. His real passion was reaching the lost. His every contact with others was an opportunity to present his Savior, Jesus Christ.  His unconditional love for the hurt and needy caused him to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders!

 Ralph was a comforter of the afflicted… and an afflicter of the spiritually comfortable. His  name means “Bold Counselor” and political correctness was never his priority, if it meant a lost opportunity to present Christ.  He was a man on a mission, focused on the eternal soul of every person he came in contact with.

 He loved us, his inheritance…now left behind. Other than ministry, his first love was his family.  He was determinedly committed to us and he taught us that it is only as we win souls and serve others that we permanently succeed in life. He instructed us to love the Lord, to pray, to love the scriptures, and the importance of sharing our faith. We learned that “the mark of a saint is not perfection or absence of faults, but consecration; a committed man… who has given himself without reservation to God.” A surrendered man!  Ralph knew the greatness of a man’s power was THE MEASURE OF HIS SURRENDER to the Holy Spirit.

 He led the way and focused on preparing our girls to live in a world filled with compromise, confusion and chaos!  Ralph read the word and prayed daily for our daughters.  Whether curled up in a hammock in the middle of the jungle or in a home in the states, he was consistent in his own life and taught us to be the same.  Every morning we would find him at his desk with the Word open and ready to share what God had taught him.  He was always available to listen and had an earnest concern for the welfare of his two girls, which one day was extended to his seven grandchildren.

 Ralph was a gifted man.  He was certainly a gift to us.  He is the man who loved me and our girls…deeply …and always put us first.  He was my husband, my best friend, my soul-mate, my rock, and my mentor… but most of all, he was the loving Father of our children and grandchildren.  He has left an enduring legacy with his uncompromising testimony of God’s great love.…He was faithful… he was courageous…he was discerning…he led us with godly confidence and taught us truth…and he is sorely missed!

 Godly fathers are a rare commodity…if you have one that is still on earth…

Don’t miss any  opportunity to acknowledge his presence with a grateful heart…

 HAPPY FATHER’S 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 "Storms May Come and Go...BUT!"

Do you ever feel like the bluster all around you is an indication of what the future holds?  The tornado is coming…what do I do?   There is no “stop” in the midst of the swirling tempest. At times, it seems like the downpour is all we can take.  We find  ourselves rushing into the wind, hopelessly grasping for some “relief”.  Sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. 

 “Our God in heaven does whatever pleases Him. Psa. 115: 3  The storm that was sent to break us, is going to be the storm that God uses to make us!  When we come out of the storm, we won’t be the same person that walked into it.  That’s what the storm is all about!”

 “The river was  beating against the rocks in huge dashing waves.  The lightning was flashing; the thunder was roaring; the wind was blowing; but the little bird was asleep in the crevice of a rock, its head serenely tucked under its wing…sound asleep!  That is peace…to be  able to sleep in the storm!   In Christ, we are relaxed and at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments, and perplexities of this life.  The storm rages, but our hearts are at rest.  We have found peace…at last.” Billy Graham

 My girls and I used to sing a song in the jungle when the rain was so fierce it came through the bark walls and half-way across our living room floor! The thunder was so loud our tin roof shook and the wind and lightning filled the whole Darien with light!  The river, eighteen feet from our front door, could rise 10 feet in a few hours!  We were on alert, in the event that the rivers rage would come over the bank and into our house…

 It was great comfort to lift our voices in song, as we cuddled together in the hammock that was hung from beam to beam in that little remote room. The “storms may  come and go but the peace of  God we will  know.” We were wet, but we were at peace.  God knew and directed the rain, the river and  our hearts when we surrendered our will to His.

 Maintaining the right focus makes all the difference.

 Stand up in the storm this week and in gratefulness,

Find peace by yielding to His will in your life…

~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 "Please...Don't Judge Me!"

I have a Ragdoll cat that entertains me continually.  She has a little OCD and came with separation anxiety disorder!  She has lived here for ten years.  When Ralph didn’t come back, she waited and waited for him, listening at the door,  every night for weeks! Then, instead of making the adjustment, she licked until she had a bald spot on her neck!  She is a prolific hunter and goes into high alert, instantly!  She is able to discern the intention of her prey by evaluating every tiny sound or movement.

 I recently had a young girl tell me she had the gift of discernment.  As I thought about the requirement to be alert to the needs of people, as well as the need when making important decisions, I started jotting down thoughts on how does this all play out in real  life?

 We are to exercise our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, hands, mind  and heart in sensing what is clean and unclean for us. We are called to choose wisely, so as to maintain a “walk in holiness”. (I Thess. 4: 7)  No hidden or unconfessed sin and no unresolved relationship is a good test for checking how clean our heart is.

 When God told Solomon to ask for anything he wanted, Solomon asked for discernment.  Discernment is the ability to see the hand of God in every circumstance and to understand His intentions; distinguishing between what is good and what is evil, in order to make a wise decision.

 One who discerns examines his own life. One who judges overlooks similar fault in himself.  One who discerns checks out all the facts.  One who judges forms opinions and then looks for supporting evidence. One who discerns deals privately with another person’s failures.  One who judges condemns without discretion.

 “Discernment is God’s call to intercession, never to faut-finding”. Oswald Chambers  Discernment will observe patterns; judgement will nit-pick. Observation becomes judgement when there is no desire to provide a solution.  It takes compassion and time to be discerning and  only “a minute” to be destructive and judgmental…

 Take a check: Which are you,

Judgmental or Discerning?

~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 "There's a Decision Knocking at My Door!"

Decisions…decisions…

 Difficulties in decision-making are overcome when our hearts (plural) are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be.  When my husband, Ralph, was here, we put our wills in neutral and prayerfully sought the counsel of God who held our future. We allowed peace to decide…not my will or his,  but His peace in our hearts (plural). (Phil. 4: 7)

 I am finding decisions are harder for me now…

there is only one heart! (singular)

 I am reminded of the Four D”s of decision-making:

1.   Don’t – If it is the responsibility of others, let them do it.

2.   Delay – if it should be done at a better time,  wait.

3.   Delegate – if others can do it better, let them.

4.   Do It – if none of the above apply…do it!  Dr. Glen Heck

 Life is a continuous series of exchanges based on wise or unwise decisions.  We build decisiveness when we refuse to reconsider a decision that we know is right and not in harmony with God’s Word.  Proverbs 11: 14 is clear …”where no counsel is, people fall; but in a multitude of counselors there is safety.” 

 Seems  to me, there are a horde of decisions that need to be made after the loss of a partner (60 years). What do I need to be asking myself? 

1.   Is my use of things consistent with the purposes for which God created them? (money, family, food, clothes, time, friends…)

2.   Whose jurisdiction am I under? (husband, parents, government, church; The Word of God…)

3.   Can I make this decision with a clear conscience?

4.   Am I in harmony with all those involved in the decision?

5.   Have I yielded my rights on this decision?

6.   Will it cause someone else to stumble?

7.   Is  this part of God’s purpose for my life?

 The little decisions we make now determine

the big decisions we will make later.

What do you do when a decision comes knocking?

~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 "Dissatisfied?"

I’ve been thinking about the mouse that made his home underneath the hood of my car a few months back and ate through the wires, costing me a lot of money to have fixed and loss of the use of my car.  Well, it has been less than six months and my little friend has done it again!!  He had another huge nest and ate through my fuel pump wires this time! 

 Needless to say, my forbearance for this little pest is running thin!  It is time for drastic measures.  Then… I remembered the lesson he taught me the first time he ate through my electrical wires and I am relenting on my determination to see him eliminated permanently!

 That little creature gave me a  good lesson in being content.  He makes his house in the most obscure places and he has the ability to make himself totally comfortable with whatever is available.  He’s content that he has all he needs.

 Contentment is realizing that God has  given me everything I need for my present and future happiness.  He is all I really need and HE is always with me.  “He will show me the path of life; in His presence is the fulness of joy; at His right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm  16:11) 

 It has been three months since Ralph left for his heavenly home.  I am still processing how fast it all came about and what all God needs me to learn.  His Word is sweet, as is HIS presence and HIS grace is more than abundant.  I  have only praise and thanksgiving for HIS undertaking on my behalf.

 I want thank those of you who have reached out to me recently and for those of you who continue to pray me through these days of “fine-tuning”.  I have reviewed the five steps of grief and have weathered the “Shock” and skipped the middle three and went right into “Acceptance”.  God’s is sovereign and knowing HE”S got the plan continues to bring peace to my soul. I am content…

 Do you believe that God has given you all you need?

“If I am not satisfied with what I have,

 I will never be satisfied with what I want.”

Ralph Guthrie

~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's Worth Dying For?"

During the reign of Maximian in the third century(A.D. 286), repeated persecutions were brought against Christians.  Yet the greater the persecutions, the more  the early church grew.

 One day Maximian ordered  all his armies to assemble near the city of Gaul.  Tens of thousands of soldiers were there.  They stood at attention to give a loyalty oath which included the killing of Christians.

 The captain of 6,ooo men, known as the Thebian Legion replied to this oath by saying, ”We  will fight and die for Maximian in battle, but we will not kill Christians.  We, ourselves, are all Christians.”  

 Maximian became infuriated.  He ordered their ranks to be decimated.  Every 10th man was killed by the sword.  The remaining legion still refused!  More men were killed until the entire legion was martyred for their faith!

 The tens of thousands who watched saw men who had something worth dying for.  Soon, thousands became converted, and in A.D. 313 the entire Roman empire adopted the Christian faith.

 These men were strong in God’s Spirit.

Their faith was grounded in conviction, not preference.

 We live in a time when our fear of God is at an all-time low and our love of the world and all it offers, is at an all-time high!  God wants us mighty in spirit, “’To be strengthened with might by HIS SPIRIT in the inner man.’”

 This means God’s Word is dwelling richly in us, we are sensing His presence and recognizing His promptings. We are alert to spiritual dangers that would draw us away from Him and His purpose in our life and we are discerning of wrong attitudes and ideas that would neutralize our ability to make decisions with godly convictions and His blessing.

If HE is worth dying for…

HE is worth living for…

~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.