Tonight as I crawled into my warm bed with my electric blanket on, I thought of the homeless people we had been feeding. Some are in shelters but some live in tents. Although it is technically late Fall, the temperatures around here have really dropped. It was probably in the upper forties while we were passing out warm meals to our homeless friends at the bus stop. The wind was blowing as well so it felt extra chilly.
While I was wearing a light jacket, I should have brought a warmer one. I couldn’t bring myself to complain about being cold because these people deal with the temperatures all the time. As some get on and off the bus, all their belongings are in a single suitcase they take with them where ever they go. Imagine that! It truly makes me ponder how very blessed we are. If we have a pillow to lay our head on at night, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over our heads, we are blessed beyond measure.
There were a couple of families out helping us serve tonight. One family brought blankets to distribute. God bless these parents for teaching their children to be humble and serve. I know the people really appreciate the kindness shown to them.
As the evening was wrapping up, Ron and I got into our warm car. The heat felt so good. We talked about the crockpot of tomato basil soup waiting for us at home that warmed us up. It’s time for bed. It’s been a busy day of cooking and serving but my heart is happy to be a part of RiceNBeans. It is such a blessing to serve others and be Jesus’ hands and feet in ministering to the physical needs they have. Father God please bless these people who have no home. I pray for your provision, protection, strength, health and warmth for their bodies. You are able to do far more than we ask or can even imagine. You are Jehovia Jirah our provider. You are also El Roi the God who sees. You see us where we are and meet us there. I am so beyond grateful for all that You are, and all that You do! You are worthy of all praise and glory! In Jesus name I pray, amen!
Good night. Tomorrow
is a new day full of opportunities to be a blessing. It’s also going to be a day full of chances to humbly count your blessings. God is good all the time!
My precious family: Ron, me and Joshua. Photo credit Tami P.
This morning I find myself reflecting on life. This is not unusual, as I do this quite often. Thankfulness is a frame of mind/attitude I try to maintain. As I reflect on life, I will tell you that I am quite blessed.
Before you start thinking Must be nice let me share a wee bit of life lately. This past Sunday evening I was having the best time decorating our house for Christmas. I love Christmas lights and have three mini lighted trees and our son Joshua’s original small tree that is about 25 years old, all up and decorated. My husband Ron had teased that he should put the big tree together then I could decorate all night since I was on the roll with decorating. Interesting how fast things can change when you least expect it.
It was getting late and I decided to get in bed and read to help me unwind. ( I am currently reading our book club selection for this month but it is challenging to see, as the online Library only allows me to zoom large to a certain degrees. Even at that degrees it is challenging and slows me down.) I had taken a natural sleep aid earlier but it didn’t seem to be working. I had broken a tiny piece off a prescription sleep medicine I have and took that. Let me just say, never again! Don’t mix natural and prescription medicine even if it is a *tiny tiny* piece. I had a bad reaction to the combo: shivering, cotton mouth feeling, hyperventilating which caused a full blown panic attack. During this time I kept saying the name of Jesus over and over. I quoted scripture to try to calm myself. I asked Ron to get Joshua and for them to pray with me. I quoted Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (NKJV)
Ron ended up calling 911 and I was taken by ambulance to the ER. Joshua rode with me in the ambulance and was such a calming presence. Ron followed in the car. I was so scared. Joshua was with me the whole time, while Ron had to get through to where I was. In the process the ER nurse was trying to find out my information from Joshua but when she pulled him away, I panicked again and he came right back, telling the nurse Ron should be there shortly. I did have the presence of mind to be able to give my Social security number. Thank God for the moments my mind would clear enough to tell them about my Cochlear implant processor and if it fell off I would not hear anything. I told them if the battery died I would hear nothing. I was hooked up to an ekg machine, blood pressure monitor and was getting potassium by IV to counteract with the anxiety.
I have a mistrust of the medical community since the COVD mess broke out. I never got the vaccines after reading up on them. I saw the contradictions of CDC , news and hearing first hand reactions and side effects. It was a no brainer to me. They were not injecting me with any poisons. I had a discussion with my doctor who wanted to know why I refused the flu shot as well. I remember saying, “Dr. C my immune system works great. I was my brother bone marrow donor. Why try to fix what’s not broken?” Yep, I sure did say that. Not to mention I had an eye surgery years ago that was not even needed: thus my strong distrust of the medical community.
Monday morning I was able to go home and I rested the entire day. I rarely do that. I like to stay busy, as it distracts me from thinking too much. Ron will tell you that I’m a thinker. He will ask, “what are you thinking about?” I will laugh and respond, “You don’t want to know.”
As I sit here, knowing what our family deals with: limitations with hearing and vision, always having to plan ahead to get things done since transportation requires someone else’s help for two people in our family. Then dealing with normal life itself…. Normal life recently as in yesterday Ron discovering all four rotors on the wheels of our car are malfunctioning, meaning he will have to do it all again. He knows how but it’s not an easy thing to do. We also had a water pipe line replaced yesterday to the tune of $2500. Yes, there is actually more to this list of dealing with *LIFE* but that’s not my point here. The point is we are alive. We are blessed to have each other. God is faithful in the bad times as well as the good times. He gives us strength beyond ourselves to rise up and move forward. Knowing God’s Word really stabilizes me. For example, “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” II Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) and also, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)
I praise God this morning. Thankfulness fills my heart. We might be a tiny little family but God has given us great strength and resilience to rise up in His strength. We are beyond blessed! Sure we have multiple things to deal with on a regular basis BUT God always is before us, behind us with His hand of blessing on our heads. We really can’t ask for more than that.
This Thanksgiving season I ask you to pause and be thankful for everything: the good, the bad and the ugly. Find the diamonds in the dust of daily life. Don’t forget those who are without; whether it be those that are homeless, without family or having health issues. Remember them and honor them in some way. It is far more blessed to give than to receive.
Just wanted to share a short but profound truth to encourage you with whatever today holds. Psalms 139:5 say, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head”. (NLT) I read this chapter in the Bible this morning and I can’t help but see our Abba Father God so very carefully guiding us through this day. He knows what’s ahead and He knows what’s behind. He places His loving hand of blessing on our head. He also knows when we go our own way and get dangerously *out on a limb*
Whatever you are facing today, give it to God. He loves you and desires the very best for you. Make room for Him today. Don’t push him to the side and *do it yourself* when His loving guidance is right there with you. Never feel embarrassed that you need help. We all need help. Look to Jesus! Have a blessed beyond measure day. You are loved. 🤟🏼
Thanks to Amy for snapping this picture of me trying out her Potters Wheel
Today I was able to experience something I’ve wanted to experience for quite a while. A couple of weeks ago Mom and I went to a Christmas craft show where a friend of mine was selling her pottery and jewelry. She is the Real Deal as she makes her bowls and pottery from clay on her potters wheel. I’ve always wanted to try it to see what it’s like.
Years ago I made Christmas ornaments with an American Sign Language (ASL) “I love you” cookie cutter. About 31 years ago I worked as a teachers assistant at a preschool for deaf children. Making the “I love you” ornaments was one of the crafts we did. Back then we made the clay from flour, salt and water. The dough always got stuck in the fingers of the cookie cutter. About 15 years ago I decided to make a bunch of the “I love you” ASL ornaments. Honestly it was rather hard and I never tried it again. I was telling my friend Amy about these ornaments and asked if she’d help me make some with clay. Today was the day when I went over and she showed me some tricks of the trade. I wasn’t sure how I’d do since my vision is worse than it was years ago. She patiently showed me how to use the tools and I brought my cookie cutters with me. I was able to do it and it was so much fun. I wanted to put my great niece and great nephews names on four of them and she did that part for me. I will go another day to paint them.
Here is one of the ornaments. Amy stenciled the name on for me.
After finishing the ornaments, I asked her about the potters wheel and she let me give it a try. Wow that is some work of art!!! It gave me a new appreciation for the work she does. She explained that the clay had to be centered and it felt a certain way when it was. It’s hard to explain and I couldn’t get it centered. She did it quickly and showed me how to make a bowl. I asked if I was doing it right and she said ”No”, but it was my creation so I could make whatever. It was a fun experience.
When I think of a Potters Wheel, I honestly think of God creating us. Take a moment to grab your Bible and look at the first eleven verses of Jeremiah chapter 18. God tells Jeremiah to go down to a potters shop and watch the potter work at the wheel shaping a jar. Look at verse 4: “But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” Jeremiah 18:4 (NLT) Today I got to experience this. As Amy was demonstrating how to make a bowl, then let me try it, mine didn’t turn out so well. She said it would break when it dried, so I asked her if I should start it over and she said “yes”. I crushed it back down and started again.
It is so incredible to experience things that symbolize God’s power to shape and mold us as His creation. He has the power to define, shape and use us for His pleasure and glory. I can honestly say I really enjoyed the experience and can only imagine the satisfaction Amy must feel when her creations turn out as she desires.
I’m not a Bucket list kind of person. I mean, I don’t actually have a “list” but there are some things I’d like to one day try and today’s experience was one of them. I have such awe of God and His artistic abilities. He is the Master Potter, the Master painter, and every other creative title you can imagine. It literally blows my mind to just think of every thing God has taken such delight in designing and making for His pleasure.
That clay can be really touch. Amy showed me how to get the air bubbles out. Pressing and adding pressure, turning it over and over. It’s kind of hard to describe. Just think of how God has to take us through times of pressure and difficulty to “get the bubbles out” The clay has to be molded just right. When doing the ornaments, she showed me how to put the clay through a presser (I don’t know what it’s called) to flatten it out just right and at the correct thickness before I could cut it. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been through God’s Presser multiple times to get me to the right “thickness” before shaping me with the cookie cutter of His choice. That’s the beauty of creating something.
We are God’s creation. I’ve often struggled with the question of. “Why did you make me this way?” Having both hearing and visual difficulties due to having nerves that don’t work as they should. On top of that, passing it along to my son. I t has been one of the pressing / cutting things in life. Here’s where the BUT GOD comes in. Psalms 139: 13-14 says, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”(NLT) It’s not too fun to be so unique but who am I to tell my Creator how to make me? I get put through a Presser of challenging situations quite often. I’m learning to see them before they come and say a prayer, “God this is the part I don’t like and I’m going to need Your help to shine through this for You glory.” I hope in some way He is glorified through my attempts.
Tomorrow will be another one of those Pressers. Tomorrow I will go to my friend Tami’s house and help with the cooking for RiceNBeans ministry for our homeless friends in Rock Hill. The cooking is fun and we talk and catch up. When it’s time to head to Rock Hill, I am out of my comfort zone. Sure I can serve up a meal but when it comes to communicating with the people I feel so inadequate. I smile and ask all I see if they would like a meal. We have been doing this since around March and many of them know I can’t hear or see really well. I can only hope and pray it encourages them to press through the situations that have them on the streets or living in shelters. Pray that being a Light for Jesus will direct them to the SOURCE of that light, which is Jesus Himself.
Sorry so long and so deep. God touches my heart through life experiences and I wanted to share with you this neat experience today. If you’d like to read my testimony you can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover, soft cover and ebook formats.) All for the glory of God. Www.shannonkhinson.com
Have you ever been invited to something that you didn’t feel quite capable of doing? A good friend of mine recently invited a few friends over to paint pottery. I remember having a conversation with my mom last weekend and saying, “I really don’t want to go. I’ll be overstimulated trying to see to paint. I have something to go to everyday this week and I don’t want to be worn out.” Yes, I did have that conversation with Mom. Then on Sunday at church, I saw my friend who was hosting. She was so excited about it and said she was going to make us a taco lunch, so I gave in and went. I’m so glad I did! It was a HOOT !!
When I got to her house last Monday I saw she had purchased a lighted magnifier to help me see better as I painted! I was shocked and also excited to give it a good try. She is one of the most thoughtful people. She had a variety of pottery to choose from. I love birds and wanted to try the owl. Searching on Pinterest, I found a color scheme I wanted to try. One friend helped me find the paint colors and mix them. Another helped by outlining with the paint and filling in where I missed. It turned out so cute and memories were made with life long friends. Honestly, they made it look much better than it would have doing it on my own.
Moral of the story, never be afraid to try. I was initially intimidated by the idea of painting, but it turned out to be a relaxing fun day with friends. This cute owl is a reminder of the experience and memories made. So give that intimidating offer a try! You never know what fun awaits you when you’re willing. You also never know the generous surprises you may encounter. Get out of your comfort zone and fly the coop Have a great weekend everyone!
I just checked my iPad battery and I’m at 18%. It is also bedtime so my energy and mental level are about the same. However I’m going to get this written before I head to bed. God willing, it won’t take too long.
Monday or Tuesdays are usually the days I chose to post a new blog but this week I’ve put it off. As you all know, Tuesday was a historical Election Day in America. (I do realize I have a few readers outside the country but I think anyone can benefit from this blog.) Let me tell you a little bet about this week prior to Tuesday. Prior to the election I felt unsettled for some reason. The media in our country has failed us by not having a fair balanced approach to news. If there is anything I detest, it would be dishonesty. I choose to get my news from online sources and people who do research. I can’t tell you the last time I watched mainstream media. A biased one sided approach to news is not informative but misleading.
From seeing posts, comments and scrapes of what the media says online, I felt burdened to pray. I prayed earnestly about our election. On Tuesday I woke up feeling at such peace, trusting that God indeed is Sovereign and His Will WILL be done. I got ready for Bible study. We had been studying on intercessory prayer and discussed our lesson that morning. On the way to Bible study, my Fitbit, which is synced to my iPad started shaking due to text coming in. I checked the text and it was from a friend sharing some voting fraud. I said, “Nope! I won’t have my peace disturbed. I have prayed and I’m trusting the Lord”. I took my Fitbit off so I wouldn’t be disturbed any further. While at Bible study, a friend showed me how to mute texts and that has been wonderful. I exercised my right to vote last week, so I decided to not watch the “play by play” of the election results and went to bed.
On Wednesday when I woke up, my husband told me Trump had won the Presidency. Relieved, I went into another room to have my quiet time. I had prayed, God answered and I was ready to give Him praise and thanksgiving.. I finished my quiet time then checked about the election. I was stunned to see not only the Presidency was won but also the House and Senate. I was beyond relieved. Please note, my relief is because I’ve followed truthful news over the last few years. I have not been deceived by the mainstream media. I went on to my friend’s house to help cook for our homeless friends, then went to serve them the food. We did not talk much about the election. The election doesn’t rule my life. I am just passing through here. My citizenship is Heaven and we were about our Heavenly Fathers work.
On the way home after serving the homeless, I was catching up on social media. I was stunned to see the variety and I do mean extreme variety of responses. It hurt my heart to see friends I grew up with, white and black, talking of moving to Canada because of our election results. Oh my Gosh! Do they even really know what the government is like there? I read accounts of people being scared because they feared Trump. That is so beyond sad. No he’s not perfect, but he took a bullet for our country and continued to fight for our freedoms and constitution. All Trump supporters were suddenly racist. 😳To my bewilderment I saw today some of the things people think will happen all because they did not get the honest news. All I can do is shake my head and pray some more. There is much division because the media was biased. People are individuals and are unique. Just because some people vote for Trump does not mean they are labeled as racists and several other rather ugly names. I treat all people the same regardless of what color their skin is or their sexual preference. I had just spent the day cooking and serving homeless people. Giving hugs and encouragement. Come on people! Stop labeling everything you don’t understand! So the Afternath is really disturbing. People are either elated or angry and scared. I am excited to see what the future holds. I do hope people in power will be held accountable for weaponzing our justice system. I pray for peace and speak life over everyone. Do not fear! God puts authorities in place. Let’s trust Him! He knows the future, we don’t!
I was thinking about this blog as I was cooking dinner. After eating a late dinner, I was planning to blog but decided to do my Bible study lesson for today first. I’m so glad I did. It truly is beyond amazing when my Bible study somehow aligns with daily life. Last week it was on intercessory prayer. This week it’s on “prayers of unity”! Yes you read that right! Just WOW! The key scripture this week is Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-21, which says ““I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”( NLT) Jesus was praying for us! He was praying for unity so the world would believe.
As I studied tonight, the following two verses stood out to me and are so worth adding here. This first two verses were after Jesus washed His disciples feet; “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.””John 13:34-35 (NLT) Ask yourself this, can people see love in you? In the things you share on social media? Do they see your passion for your political beliefs more than you love for God and your neighbor? Let’s clarify who our neighbor is. It’s not just the person living next door, it’s also the people in the grocery line. It’s also the people you see on the streets. We are to LOVE others. Loving others will make the world a beautiful place to live.
The next verse I want to share is John 14:1 ““Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”( NLT) God is love and His perfect love casts out fear. You need not be afraid. Yes we have a new President, but God is King Eternal! Do you know Him? There is no time like the present to surrender your life to Jesus. He loves you! He died for you! Salvation is a free gift. Will you choose Him today? “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)
If you are a believer, I encourage you to speak love, peace and unity over all you encounter. Let’s pray for unity and peace among our brothers and sisters living around us. It is vital that we pray and interceded for one another and for those around us. I know this is a bit lengthy and I apologize but if you’ve gotten to the end here you will realize it all comes together…..and PS~ I love you all🤟🏼 Good night. It’s past bedtime and I’m beyond tired. Tomorrow is a new day to love one another ~
Saw this on social media months ago and took a screen shot.
As I sat this morning thinking. I prayed for revival to come. Do you need reviving? I do and I believe we all do! Trust me! We definitely do! What better day to Set the SPIRITUAL FIRE of revival than on halloween (not capitalized on purpose. It’s insignificant to me. The high holy day of evil.) For many years I didn’t know the origins of the holiday but once I discovered what it’s really about, that was it, no more halloween for me. Now on to the point of my blog…..
As I was checking text messages this morning I saw there is a call to national prayer on November 4, 2024, starting at 6 pm all across the United States. Great American Prayer Event. I’ll be participating and why not start early? They especially want untied national prayer during the event though. Just take time to stop where you are and pray for our great nation. The Bible says, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)
Check out the picture below closely. It’s the back of a one dollar bill that I put under my Optelec magnifying machine. This machine helps me see print that I can’t otherwise see with my low vision, as the machine enables me to ZOOM in large and see. Do you see “In God we trust”? Honestly ask yourself, as a nation when did that change? How many Americans can honestly say, “In God we trust”?
The spiritual health of our country, the values of family and integrity have slowly diminished over the years. I’d even go as far as saying it’s “nose DIVED” in the last few years. Let’s be honest, the One True God has been slowly taken out of society and replaced with the false gods of society: the god of pop culture, the god of money, the god of pride, the god of perversity, the god of sex and lust, the god of feel good and do what you want….. I could continue the list, but do you see my point? As a nation we have fallen and it is time to “RETURN TO THE LORD”. It’s time to repent of our nations sins. Great sins! It is time to HUMBLE ourselves and PRAY and SEEK GOD’S FACE! Think about our children and those who have grand children and great grandchildren. Think of their future. This is what the Lord says in Jeremiah 29: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”” Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NLT) Those are God’s words to us. Will you join me in prayer for our nation? Revival starts with me and you. It starts in the hearts of each believer, and fans into flame in our families, churches, communities and nation. Let’s change the world by falling humbly before the Lord in prayer. He is a Holy God of great mercy and love.
Lord set a fire down in my soul that I can’t contain, I can’t control….. I want more of you God, I want more of you God. …. Will you sing with me? That’s kind of how my heart works. It’s a mix of worship songs(and I don’t always get the words right) , scripture and heart cries to the Lord….and here I go again….. Lay me down Lord, here at your feet. All I have Lord is yours. Lay me down Lord, my heart if yours to keep, all of you is all I need.. Keep it going and feel free to add your own worship. Keep the prayer and praise rising up to the Lord.
As individual, family, churches, communities and nationally we need revival. Praying for you all and sincerely hope you will join this call to prayer. Not just today, not just Monday for the Great American Prayer event but every day. Let us cry out to the Lord. He will hear us and He will answer. Amen.
Be blessed and better yet, Be a blessing ! You are loved!
I am sitting here kind of chuckling because in this highly divisive time we are living in, I’m sitting here getting ready to blog about “enjoying the journey”. Trust me, we sure can. Deep breath hang here with me please. Life is definitely not a “bed of roses” as they say. When we have a “bed of pretty roses”, rest assure there are some thorns in there as well. You’ve got to find ‘em and clip ‘em. There is always something or someone who is waiting to steal our peace and joy. The trick is to find those things and just “steer clear” of them. For example, if the news you watch leaves you feeling unsettled, turn it off and tune in to God and His Word. That is the surest way to welcome peace into your life. I’ve done that recently. Well honestly I make a point of prioritizing my time with Jesus. I just function much better when I make that daily choice.
Yesterday as life would have it, Ron and I were getting on each others nerves. If you’ve been married over 30 plus years, you will understand. Sometimes we just don’t see “eye to eye” and respond accordingly. Well it just so happened I was wearing a shirt that said “Spread Kindness”. Our son Joshua came up to me and read my shirt out-loud. I said “Yes, and it starts with me”. It’s important to see yourself honestly and how you come across to others and make adjustments accordingly. I know when I’m being a bit short with someone. I actually ask the Holy Spirit to check me and show me when I’m wrong. I always want to be humble and teachable. That too is part of enjoying the journey.
There are always conflicts to navigate. Conflict resolution is part of the journey. I don’t prefer to avoid people but can certainly do without the sticky issues. Politics is one of those. Oh my goodness! What a divisive topic and people are “diehard” party followers. I choose to vote policy. This afternoon I got on social media and saw some people debating on a post I had shared. Oh boy! As I read through the comments I began to sing I Speak Jesus. As I read the comments, I tried to picture each person and their hearts. I spoke PEACE over them all and explained my point of view. That is part of conflict resolution, hearing the other person. You don’t have to agree with me, I just ask you to look at the policies and see what you agree with and vote accordingly. Respecting others point of view is necessary for enjoying the journey. Together we stand, divided we fall.
Another aspect of enjoying the journey is not getting stuck on your emotional rollercoaster. Today our Bible study group wrapped up a lesson on lamenting. God invites us to humbly pour out our feelings to Him so He can help us sort through the emotions and disappoints and move forward. In this weeks lesson one of the things that stood out to me was using the words YET I will. Habakkuk”s prayer in chapter 3 is an eye opener. Here’s the second verse, If you have a chance look up the entire chapter. It is refreshing. “I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2 (NLT) Then a bit later in the chapter it says, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT). Can I just say WOW. There are three “even thoughs” then a YET I WILL. It is like a flashlight beam of HOPE in an otherwise dark dark night. YET I WILL rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful of the God of my salvation!
Jennifer Rothchild taught this particular week in “When you pray”. (Lifeway study) She is blind and her message was very enlightening. She challenged us in day 5 of this week to write our own version of Habakkuk (lament): Even though___, even though___, even though____, YET____, He enables me to_____. Can you fill in those blanks? Oh my! What an exercise that was. Let me be honest here. Here is mine. Even though I don’t understand why You allow me to live with hearing and vision loss and it brings loneliness and sorrow: Even though You have allowed our son to be born with similar issues and it honestly breaks my heart though Lord you know I push it down, way way down and deal, Even though we live in a fallen evil world where deceiption and sin are in our faces at every turn and Your people are holding on to You, YET I will trust in Your sovereignty, Your love, wisdom and perfect plan. You enable me (us) to over come through Your power. You never leave us and You never forsake us. We are Yours and You are ours. Amen! And I was wearing another shirt today that says Stronger than the storm Gotta love it. It’s all part of Enjoying the Journey. Walk with Jesus. Let Him show us the way. Let Him correct us when we are wrong. Let Him encourage us and comfort us in our weaknesses so we can comfort and encourage others in the same way we have been comforted.
Enjoy the Journey. Be blessed! Www.shannonkhinson.com
Do we groan or grumble? If you’re honest, I hope you say you do both. Although grumbling is not a good thing, I’m seeking a honest examination of self and if I’m honest I’d have to admit to doing both. I do try to refrain from grumbling.
I don’t like to grumble, murmur and complain. I think those are all pretty similar. There seems to be a sense of entitlement when we do these things. It’s as if it should all be our way and if not, you’ll get an ear full. That is so so not good. I know that’s a lousy choice of words but it gets my point across. When I come across posts or comments on social media of grumbling complainers, I just want to “roll my eyes and scroll on”. And if I’m honest, it’s best not to even respond to grumbling posts because when you do and have a difference of opinion, that grumbler is likely going to take offense. It’s just the truth.
You might wonder why I’m even talking about this. Here’s why, this week in our Bible study on prayer we are studying lament. This week I’ve learned the difference between groaning to God and grumbling to God. There’s a big difference. If you know some Bible history, you know that when God delivered the Israelites out of the land of Egypt with His mighty power and brought them through the Red Sea on dry ground they grumbled to God about the wilderness, about the Manna and lack of water. Whew, did God get mad! He said none of them would enter the promise land (except for Caleb and Joshua) due to their grumbling. OUCH! See Numbers 13, 14 and 21.
God does desire us to bring our struggles and hang-ups to Him. Groaning is a more humble approach. It’s like pouring out your heart to the Lord. It’s not accusing God but rather laying down the hurts and confusion. He desires us to bring our requests before Him and express faith in Him and praise Him for the answer He sends. Yes you can praise Him before the answer comes. That shows your faith in God. I do this all the time, “Lord I don’t see this yet but faith is being sure of what I hope for and certain of what I don’t see. And Lord, I don’t see it yet but I know it’s coming, according to Your perfect Will.”
As I’ve studied this week I’ve seen many different examples of lament in the Bible. God invites us to bring things to Him. Humble hearts, prayer and hearts full of praise to God are so essential to living victoriously.
Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. Romans 8:26 says, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”( NLT) The beauty here is, God already knows our hearts. He knows what we are going to say even before we say it. (Psalms 139:4) Let’s humble ourselves and lay our hearts at the feet of Jesus. He will meet us there and comfort our souls.
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I’ve been thinking on the word grace then I came across the following verse in 2 Peter chapter 3. Let’s take a look, “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 (NLT). Let’s dig a bit deeper. What do you think it means to grow in grace ?
If you google the word grace you will find one of three definitions. The first being, simple elegance or refinement of movement. The second one listed is courteous goodwill. The last general definition is to honor or credit by one’s presence. However, those aren’t Biblical grace. I continued to google and finally found the following definition. Grace is undeserved favor. God freely gives us grace. It’s not something we work for or earn. It’s a free gift.
How great is our God! He loves us so much that He bestowes grace upon us simply because that is part of God’s character. As God freely gives to us, He desires for us to grow in His grace and give it to others as well.
Let’s think of some ways that we can grow in grace and give grace to others. First of all we need to remind ourselves that we are not perfect. We all sin, we all fall short of God’s glory. See Romans 3:23. If we drop our pride and acknowledge that we are not perfect, it helps to see others is a more gracious “light”. That’s a big dish of “humble pie” but it’s so needed. When we don’t’ exalt ourselves with self righteousness we are on an even ground with others around us.
Serving with RiceandBeans organization each week has been an eye-opener. The people we minister to and feed are people like you and me. There are all different circumstances of why they are currently in the situations they find themselves in. I’ve learned to look beyond the dirty clothes, rough around the edges – unkept look, to actually see the people they actually are. People come in a variety of packages, and homeless people are not all alike.
Last week we had an especially beautiful night of ministry. My friend Tami and I had the opportunity to pray with a transgender person. I honestly have a hard time with changing pronouns when it’s obvious what a persons biological gender is. This persons face and hands were so different , however, that person was in need of grace just like we are, so we prayed together. God knows the heart and maybe a seed was planted. There was another opportunity for prayer. A young man walked up to me but I had trouble understanding him with my hearing loss, so I got Tami. The young man was talking about cooking and showed interest in volunteering with us. One thing led to another and he ended up sharing about a friend who recently died. He introduced us to two of his friends, another guy and a girl. They had all been friends with the person who had died. Tami’s husband came over and we all held hands and prayed together. The beauty of God is so apparent even at a bus stop with many homeless people waiting for a ride to the shelter.
God has shown each of us so much grace and we are to share that with others. It’s not earned, but we don’t deserve the grace God gives us either.
These are just a few examples. We can honestly show grace to anyone. At the store, allowing someone to get in line in front of us at the checkout counter is an act of grace. Realizing that the angry driver who cut you off might be having a terrible day. Not to give them an excuse for rudeness, but just to see the possibility of another perspective. We can also treat special needs people like we treat everyone else. Everyone desires to be shown kindness. This is something we can each make an effort to work on.
This is a bit off topic, but today at Bible study we dug deeper into Psalms chapter 139. This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. I just love King David’s love and adoration of God. That chapter has 24 verses: 18 are adoration and 6 are petition. As David deeply adores and praises God for His many attibributes, it really gives me perspective on how awesome is our God. He knows us so fully, even before we speak, He knows what we will say. He knows my perceptions of people and circumstances, yet He desires me to grow in grace and knowledge of who He is. That’s a daily goal, to grow in grace.
It’s Tuesday evening and the day is just about over. As I look back on today, I can ask myself did I show grace to others? In all honesty I did pretty well but I see areas where I could have been a bit more kind or helpful. Tomorrow is a new day with fresh opportunities to continue growing. Tomorrow is actually RiceandBeans day so God willing, we will have a chance to bless many with a warm meal and possibly be a vessel God uses for spiritual nourishment through prayer and encouragement. Whatever tomorrow holds, let’s try our best to grow in grace Be blessed and better yet, Be a Blessing! Www.shannonkhinson.com
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