Jackie's Journey "Words Have Power!"

The Princess Parable Series was penned with intentional “words” to encourage young moms to introduce their little princesses to a parable from the Word of God and give them a tool to teach biblical principle through the five  princesses’ life-lessons.

”Language is the dress of thought”. Samuel Johnson, I have two very precious friends who live in Tucson, Arizona. I don’t get to see them as often as I would like but they are the eternal connection we all hope that we are fortunate enough to find just once in our lifetime of relationships. While on furlough from the mission field these girls were eager to encouragingly nurse me back to health while I was crumpled on their living room sofa. They had just the right words that would lift my spirit and keep me going. Most of all, they offered total and complete acceptance accompanied with a joy of just sensing refuge in their presence. I recently found an encouraging note they sent me shortly after the first of our books in The Princess Parable Series was released. This is the note...

“I loaned your books to a friend, Jackie.   Her granddaughters are named Daity and Caity Belle. This was my friends comment on them:

“Thanks for the loan on the books – they are GREAT!
We had to reenact the Princess Birthday one – we baked a cake and invited the dolls – dressed up – it was quite a production. Daity really liked it
and Caity Belle liked the one about the dog – now when they dress up
they have to be those Princesses.  Sooo… I would say they are a hit!
I love that there is a great theme and then the stories at the end of the book – great illustrations and inspiring and encouraging.’

Thought you would like to hear another review. Keep up the Lord’s work on your writing. Love, Jane”

There are many ways we express ourselves, but, as women, we are exceptionally prone to WORDS...all kinds of words... lots of words...soothing words...volatile words...we love words... “The power of life and death are in the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

Do you speak LIFE with your tongue... or DEATH?

“Speech is the index of the mind”. We have a nanosecond before every choice we make each time we entertain a thought...should I say this or should I not???  Often, we disregard the warning at that point of decision and blurt out exactly what should have been kept in the “box of better timing” or not at all!

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks...” Lu. 6:45

And too many meaningless words mark you as a fool! Ecc. 5:3

In Proverbs 15 there are 21 references to words in only 33 verses!!! There are cutting words, crude words, slanderous words, piercing words, biting words, poisonous words, burning words envious words, healing words, deceitful words, wise words, mocking words, cheerful words, timely words, prayerful words and....you fill in the blank!

Being a person of many words, I used to think if you isolate me in a remote jungle village with people who speak a different language, then the tongue would be much less of a problem.  How much damage could I do...I couldn’t speak the Kuna language...?

How many times have you been “ensnared by the words of your mouth”? Proverbs 6:2

“IF ANYONE CONSIDERS HIMSELF RELIGIOUS AND YET DOES NOT KEEP A TIGHT REIN ON HIS TONGUE, HE DECEIVES HIMSELF AND HIS RELIGION IS WORTHLESS”! Jas. 1: 26

This week, let’s be careful to:

Watch our thoughts, they become Words.                                                                                

Watch our Words, they become actions.
Watch our Actions, they become habits.
Watch our Habits, they become character.
Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny.

Watch how your circumstances change, when you change the way you speak!

“The power of LIFE and DEATH are in the tongue”!

Proverbs 18:21

~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 "The Fire of Offense!"

Seems to me that we are a people that are easily offended.  Have you attempted to talk to someone about the upcoming election?  The peaceful world of long ago has left us with angry and entitled people on every front.  We  see it in on the internet, the freeway, in our  homes, churches, on the street,  in grocery stores…

 It’s a great day…you walk into a public place , smiling and enthusiastic, and someone says, “What’s wrong with you?”  Maybe, it’s just California, but I don’t think so.  Verbal dissatisfaction and public controversies are common place.  Words are spoken unguarded.  We are women and we love words! One of the leading problems among women in maintaining relationships is the abuse of the tongue.

 “The tongue has the power of life and death and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  It’s, also, a source  of offense. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed on us by someone else! “Great peace have they that love your law and nothing will offend them.”Psa. 119: 165

 We are responsible for five areas of our life without excuse, rationalization or wrong response.

1.     Words

2.     Actions

3.     Attitudes

4.     Thoughts

5.     Motives – reveal our character; the why we do what we do.

 I am accountable before God for what I say.  If somebody offends me, it is my problem. They  are only reflecting a need in my life, if I respond wrongly.  When Christ, the great physician, applies a knife to my heart and there is  pain…there  is  evidence of live flesh!  My need to die to my flesh is exposed. God sees what I cannot see, and knows exactly where to place the knife.  He cuts away that which we are most reluctant to give up!  And how it hurts. 

 God does not attack in us that which is lifeless and unresponsive…It is the live flesh that must die.   There is only room for one of us to be alive and in control!  The remedy to my problem isn’t cure; it is to get out of  the way…it is death to my selfish expectations.

 “Great  peace have they that love my law and nothing will offend them.” Psa. 119: 165

 How easily are you offended?

~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.