#rootedbythewater – Page 4 – rootedbythewater.blog

Never Forsaken

March 24, 2025March 24, 2025Leave a Comment

Yesterday I was in awe at how God works. Waking early, I had time in prayer and tuned in to our early church service via blue tooth tech oncology so I could try to listen while getting ready for church. I usually do this to see if I can “follow” Pastor with my Advanced Bionics Marvel cochlear implant processor. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to follow the sermon. Of course I didn’t get it all but I got enough to know it was a powerful Word and we were attending the second service in person. Add a sign language interpreter, and all the pieces I missed came together.

My friend who was interpreting asked me before service how I was doing. She had read my last blog and we had texted during the week so she knew it had been a rough week. I told her I had listened to the first service and didn’t want to cry during the second one. She understood. The thing is, while I had listened to the first service I missed the fact Pastor wasn’t feeling well as he was preaching. He had been experiencing vertigo and was advised by more than one doctor not to preach. However, Pastor was determined to “deliver” the Word of God! And “Deliver it”, he surely did. Talking about an example of perseverance!

What really hit home for me is that he somewhat “echoed” what another friend had texted me earlier in the week. (I shared this in my last blog so go back and read it if you’d like.). God is with me, no matter what I’m feeling or experiencing. I am never alone! As I listened to part of the service a third time this morning, I thought I heard him mentioned 2 Corinthians 4 so I paused the message to go look up that chapter. This verse stood out to me: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) Ok Lord, I hear You!

I scrolled back up a few verses and Bingo, I believe he touched on the following scripture. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.” 2Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭12‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) This passage of scripture made me cry. I feel this often. Pressed on every side but God!

This past week I’m not sure why it was so “rough” but God understands even though others can’t quite grasp it, and for the most part, not many try. I’m not complaining, just being real. Pastor also mentioned we can’t really fully understand what another is going through: miscarriage, divorce, etc.unless we ourselves go through it.

Yesterday was like a “healing balm” as the Lord showed me, He has not forsaken me. He has not left me alone. He knows every hurt, every thought and every feeling. I’m beyond thankful to the Lord and for His servant Pastor Livingston, who though he was weak with vertigo yesterday, he was determined to deliver the Word God had given him. We too can be determined to press through our momentary afflictions. God has us. He will never let us down. He will strengthen us to rise up yet again.

God gave me another beautiful reminder of His love yesterday. We had returned home from church and having lunch. I decided to go out on the deck since it was a beautiful day, even with the pollen coating everything. I had been out for maybe 20 minutes when Ron came out to let me know some friends were at our house. We had not seen them in quite a while. They stopped by because Trish had bought me a shirt and on the front of the shirt it said in sign language “Jesus Loves You”. I was so touched at her gift and God message to me again! I am loved! God is with me! He won’t let me down! Trish and her husband Billy came around 3;30 pm and went home around 8:30 pm. God also used them to minister to another friend who came by. God is so faithful!!

Thinking back on this last week I see it was God carrying me. I had shared with Ron my feelings of sadness and being overwhelmed even though I press though. I don’t “show the world” my daily struggles. I can’t control people, make others care or control situations. However, I can control my response. I can pray for discernment to know how to tread through “tricky situations”, and so I do. You can too.

Many are going through trying things but let me remind you, you are never alone. God carries you when you are too physically or emotionally tired to move forward. God will carry you! You are not forgotten. Press through this week and be a blessing regardless of your situations. Pray for each other and spread encouragement and words of life. You are loved! You are not forsaken! Be blessed.

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More than enough

March 19, 2025Leave a Comment

This evening I was so moved by a text from a friend. Me, my husband Ron and son Joshua just got home from serving with RiceNBeans ministry to the homeless in Rock Hill. To say I’m tired this evening would be an understatement. However, it’s always a fulfilling kind of tired.

As I was letting our dog outside, the following text came in. My friends text said ~ “While in prayer I felt impressed to tell you this. When you feel overwhelmed in life know that God is with you. When you feel compassion for J and think as a mother how he’s inherited much of the same as you. Remember you were only the vessel God got him. When loneliness, sadness and if onlys try to distract you. Remember God is with you. When you look at Ron and feel he has so much on his plate remember God put you together and He never makes a mistake. You are loved, you are beautiful and you are strong. I love you my sister and friend.” As I read it, tears started streaming down my face. In life sometimes we deal with it to the point where we don’t realize the deep sadness we have stuffed deep down within as we are pressing on. I showed Ron the text and he too teared up. The guys left for the gym and I sat down and read the text again and began to cry again. I closed the iPad and began to pray. Lord you know my heart. You know how I feel. I know you are with me and our family. Let me be able to say that’s enough. As I prayed I began to worship and praise God. I don’t understand this life here on earth. I don’t pretend to even try to understand it. I just wake up daily, spend time in prayer and God’s Word. Fortified for the day, I just dive in to whatever the day holds. I know this is not my home. I’m just passing through and here to bring God glory in whatever way He sees fit.

I am always truly blown away when God puts things on peoples heart to share with me or speak into our family. I’m beyond thankful for God’s compassion for us and knowledge that we know He is El Roi ~ the God who sees. He sees, He feels and He knows. Even when we push things so deep down we don’t even acknowledge it ourselves. He knows and reveals Himself in various ways. Tonight it was through a friend’s text, which led to a heartfelt time in prayer and worship.My heart is FULL!

God is good all the time. Whatever you are dealing with, just know God is with you! He is there always. We don’t have to be understood by people. We are understood and fully known by our Creator. I can’t thank Him enough. Good night!
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Morning Song

March 17, 2025Leave a Comment

Occasionally I will wake with a song on my heart. I love mornings like today. I woke from a deep sleep, all wrapped tight in warm covers. The light of dawn was faintly coming through the window. Lying there I longed to go back to sleep but instead a song began in my heart. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim. In ight of His glory and grace. (By Sovereign Grace 2019) This was such a precious way to start my day.

Yesterday I struggled with disappointment in people. I’m not usually one to “vent” because it just weighs on another and accomplishes nothing really. We had stayed home from church since the weather was rainy with gusty winds. I watched both early and late service with no closed caption. The second service I followed fairly well. Thank you Jesus.

It is interesting how when you aren’t busy, your mind can become a battle ground. The guys had gone to the gym. Staying home, my mind turned to people issues. Of all things Why in the world would my mind go there? We can’t do anything about the way people are and how others can drain life out of us. So yesterday I did want to “vent” but I prayed instead. I asked God to check MY heart. I asked Him to help me to respond in a way to bring glory to Him. Did my feelings go away? Nope! However, I started straightening up the closet and rediscovered a perfume box full of old pictures and cards. I sat at the table and began looking through them. Ron and Joshua came home and they too began to look through them. I found pictures from a Croatia mission trip when I was 3 months pregnant with Joshua. There were pictures of our first house and from a trip to the Bahamas with friends. Joshua saw these pictures from early in our marriage and he said, “What happened?” 😂I said , “31 years of marriage!” All in all it was a nice distraction from my previous line of thinking.

I did finally reach out to a friend late last night. I had told Ron I was feeling a bit depressed, but I’m the type to just “suck it up, buttercup”. I just deal with it and let it go. Or try to. It was nice sharing with my friend late last night She too understands disappointments with people. I told her I’ve learned to try to be content with whatever. (I can’t drive. I can’t do the things I want to do. I can’t make people care.) I’ve just learned to be content. My friend said, “A female version of Paul: Paulette”. That was seriously one of the nicest compliments. After sharing my heart, she had given me a different perspective and I felt better. So this morning, waking up to “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” was so fitting. It’s a new day and the sun is shining. It doesn’t matter what today holds, Jesus goes before me, follows me and lays His head of blessing on my head. I will turn my eyes upon Him and sure enough the cares of this world grow strangely dim, in light of His glory and grace.
Have a blessed day!
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Life Celebrations

March 13, 2025March 13, 2025Leave a Comment

Ron, me and Joshua serving at RiceNBeans.

Yesterday was a full day of serving and just celebrating being together and my husband Ron’s birthday. Ron’s birthday and my Dad’s Heavenly birthday are on the same day. It’s always bittersweet as we celebrate Ron’s life and reflect on Dad’s life and new life in Heaven with Jesus.

Ron is very low key with celebrations. He says, “I have you and Joshua. God gives me all I need.” That’s true but we wanted to celebrate him anyway and we have been all week in little ways. If you knew the course of his life, he has overcome so much. A lifetime of stories and testimony, but those are his to share. We are beyond thankful for him and all he does for our family. He is also a great friend to others. I’ve never seen anyone who will listen to others problems just to let them “vent”. I admire that he takes the time for people and to listen to their troubles. I have much patience but that one is beyond me. I’ll stick with serving and encouraging and he can be the
Tele-sounding board. I know he worries about me and Joshua, with our visual and hearing issues. I always tell him, we are fine. God has us all. Nothing surprises the Lord. Just give each day to Jesus and let Him take care of it all. Sure enough, H e does.

Yesterday was also a time of reflection. Grief is one of the oddest things as it hits everyone differently. Some grieve so deeply and mourn. I’m different but don’t know why. My grief is more a reflection of Dad’s life and all the memories made: good and bad. Life happens to all of us. Dad was one of the best listeners. I reflect on his love for Mom, and our family. I reflect on his love for people and serving. I reflect on the hidden kindness he showed people. He loved to bless people as God had truly blessed him. In all this reflection, my heart was full as our son Joshua joined us in serving with RiceNBeans last night in Rock Hill. Ron and I serve our homeless friends each Wednesday but this was Joshua’s first time. Serving as a family is something special, as I used to serve with my parents at a Food Pantry. Loving on others who are hurting is a priceless gift.

Yesterday when I woke up the photo memory that was on my iPad screen was a picture of Dad reading to Joshua when he was about three. Ron says I keep too many pictures on my iPad but I love these photo memories. They make me smile. I looked back over many photos with Dad in them and oh my goodness, the memories! These reminders bring joy to my heart. I also have a lot of mental snapshots in my mind of things experienced in life. There are so many life lessons in those memories.

The one thing I really want to emphasize here is we never know when we will take our last breath. Everyday we have new mercies and opportunities to show mercy to others and walk in God’s love. Are you doing that? The day Dad died, it was a shock. We had taken him to the hospital then went down the road to celebrate Ron’s birthday dinner, fully expecting to go back to the hospital and take Dad back home. God had other plans: He changed Dad’s residence to Heaven. Dad was spiritually ready. He loved the Lord and lived for Him. We didn’t get to say goodbye though. Make sure you are ready to meet Jesus. He loves each of us so much. None of us are beyond the reach of His forgiveness. Check out Romans 10:9-11. “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” ‭(ESV‬‬). I would also like to emphasize that no matter the age of your children, we should live out our faith in God as a testimony to them. We pass along a legacy of strong unwavering faith and service to God. Children see that, no matter their age.

Bottom line, celebrate today, those who are with you and those who have already finished their race. We can be a blessing everywhere we are. That does take humility and a JOY (Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last) mindset. It’s the best way to live life. If you like this blog post, feel free to subscribe and share. I write at least once weekly but sometimes more. Sometimes it’s funny, other times deep but always transparent. I love when people can be REAL with no pretense. What you see is what you get. That’s the way I live. My hearts desire is that I will be a reflection of my Savior and bring glory to His name. Be blessed!
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Tuesday’s Funny ~ In the “Hole” she goes 😂

March 11, 2025Leave a Comment

The “hole” I fell in to the front left of the tree. 😂

It’s priceless to reach a point in life where you literally can crack up at your mistakes. Truth be told, I’m planning to blog tomorrow night but had no plans to write today BUT this cracked me up and perhaps you need a laugh of your own today. I got a text from my cousin Craig earlier, with tomorrow being Dad’s Heavenly birthday. I made a mental note to go out and check on the Tulip tree we planted in his honor almost four years ago. The blooms are opening and it brought such joy. I asked Ron if we could get some more dirt, mulch and stones to go around it. Home Depot didn’t have any matching stones but I did lay the dirt and mulch down. Ron told me to wait because it was really wet from yesterday’s rainfall, but I insisted on doing it. I wanted to take a picture of the blooms, not necessarily the whole tree. Ron threw away the bag the mulch was in not knowing I planned to sit on it and take a picture of the blooms with the blue sky as a backdrop. Inside, I grabbed my iPad and set the camera on. I have a hard time seeing the iPad screen in sunlight so I got it ready to take my pictures. I knelt down by the tree and was about to take a picture when I lost by balance and my behind fell right in a puddle of rainwater, my behind then iPad. What a sight! I died laughing at my clumsiness but got up and attempted to take the pictures anyway. When I got in the garage I checked and not a single picture made it. I died laughing again and Ron came to investigate, and lo and behold my butt, leg and shoes were a muddy mess! He kind of got onto me because he said I could have hurt my back again but I didn’t. He said he would go out and take the pictures for me. He came in to show me, and it wasn’t want I had tried to do at all. I explained I wanted to see the details of the blooms not the tree, so he went back out and tried again. This time he got it right. I love the beauty of this tree and the hope of new life it brings each year. Dad would be laughing at what it took to get these pictures. It cracked me up as well, although Ron, not so much.

This was the beauty I was trying to capture. The tulip tree buds have opened. 💗

Tomorrow I hope to blog on celebrating life: we have two birthdays tomorrow, one earthly birthday and one Heavenly birthday. Tomorrow is also RiceNBeans day so it will be a full one. I’ll be back soon. Check in tomorrow night or Thursday for another Edition of Rooted by the Water blog and God willing I won’t have any cringe worthy stories to share.
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Surely Goodness

March 2, 20252 Comments

Me and my brother Forrest many years ago on Easter.

Today four generations sat to hear my nephew Justin preach. Four generation; the youngest being my three year old great niece sitting with her Mommy to hear her Daddy preach and the oldest, her two great Grandmas (GG and Maw Maw) I won’t give their ages away My Mom who is also Grandma and GG Great grandma interpreted for me. And let me tell you for an 82 year old (oops, there her age) she did quite well. Justin began with Psalms 23 and the fact that God’s goodness and mercy pursue our family daily, did not escape my attention. He shared that before David wrote Psalms 23, King Saul had tried to kill him. David was running for his life. Yet Psalms 23 is one of the most encouraging and peace-filled scriptures.This shows us that even though David was running for his life from King Saul, he still proclaimed The LORD as his Shepherd! David wrote of God’s provision even in the valley of the shallow of death. David wrote Surely goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life. See Psalms 23.

Yesterday we celebrated Mom’s 82 birthday. It was a fun time with all my brother Forrest family and his grandkiddos. Truth be told, in family situations, although I love being there, I only comprehend a small part of what’s said. The overlap of voices makes it hard for me to follow conversations. However, I loved watching the little ones. It reminded me how much Jesus loves children. Jesus said in Matthew 19:14, “but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”” (ESV‬‬) Also check out Jesus words in Matthew 18:3, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” ‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) These things went through my mind as I watched the little ones play. The oldest 3 and youngest almost 8 months. Their joy, laughter and innocence ~ God wants us to be like that. Not weighed down by the cares of the world, rather to trust our Heavenly Father and find joy in Him.

As we were taking Mom home last night, she mentioned Justin was preaching today and she was planning to go. My husband Ron asked me if we could take her and I agreed. I woke up early to have some time in prayer before we needed to get ready. As I prayed I told God, “Lord you know I won’t be able to hear him well. Help me get something out of the service. Help me understand something.” When we arrived Mom offered to sign for me. That’s a pretty big accomplishment for an 82 year old to sign a whole service when she doesn’t sign much. She did a get job keeping up with Justin, who did an amazing job sharing God’s Word.

As we sat on the second row, I thought of all our family has and continues to go through; my visual and hearing gradual loss, God’s faithfulness through it all, my Dad’s fight with cancer,, my brother Forrest fight with acute leukemia, God’s faithless, God allowing me to be a perfect match bone marrow donor for his transplant in August 2020, God’s faithfulness, Forrest is 4 1/2 years post transplant and doing great! He and his wife now have four grandchildren and it brings such joy to my heart watching them enjoy these precious blessings. We still have struggles. Our son Joshua voluntarily stopped driving this past year, feeling his vision wasn’t good enough. That showed tremendous maturity. We all continue to trust God with our visual and hearing issues. But you know what, God’s goodness and mercy continues to pursue us every single day of our lives. The last song of the service today rang so true ~ All my life you have been faithful. All my life You have been so so good. With every breath that I am able. I will sing of the goodness of God. Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me. Your goodness is running after,it’s running after me. With my heart laid down, I surrender now, I give you everything….. Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me

Whatever you are facing in life, you can depend on God’s faithfulness. Life doesn’t always go the way we think, but He is always faithful and always gets the last word. He’s pursuing us daily with goodness and mercy. Imagine goodness and mercy constantly following you. That’s what God does. Be encouraged! Whatever God brings you to, He will bring you through it. Hold on to Him and thank Him for His goodness and mercy.

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Deep Breath & ASAP

February 11, 2025February 11, 2025Leave a Comment

Someone sent me this years ago and it fits perfect with this blog.

This blog title ”hits the nail on the head”! It’s been one of those days, or shall I say “few days”. This is week five since my fall on ice, getting a compression fracture to my L3. I’m healing well and ready to be finished with this back brace. Sunday afternoon I thought I’d work on our taxes. I was just sitting at a desk so I figured not wearing the brace was okay, but I paid for it yesterday. My lower back was very sore. Taking a muscle relaxer does help at night but it causes me to sleep much longer than normal.

This morning I woke up at 9:45 so my morning was thrown off. I really need to start my day in prayer. It helps me handle the day so much better. This morning as soon as I woke up, my husband Ron was asking me for a small box to mail something in. He needed it this morning but I didn’t know until I woke up. I was not fully awake and searching for a box, before putting on the back brace. Had not even had my coffee yet. Not my way for starting a day. He finally had what he needed and left for the post office. I put on the back brace, made my coffee and went upstairs to pray. Truth be told, I need to do that FIRST before anything else.

Grabbing my iPad, I glanced at the screen and saw several texts come in. Some girlfriends decided to have lunch. I already had a day of baking cakes and laundry planned so I thought I’d pass on lunch. I quickly texted one of the girls and said, “I really need my prayer time first. I’ll text you after I’m done and let you know.”. Finally taking a deep breath, I began praying. Lord help! Hey I am being serious. The morning had been a bust and I needed a restart. There is something about praying in the morning. It’s as if you are taking the flesh captive and saying Lord Your Will not mine! I told the Lord about my frustrations and lifted up some people in prayer. I can tell you I felt so refreshed after that time in prayer. When I was finished I told my friend I’d join them. Fellowship with friends always helps.

When I arrived home from lunch (lunch with these friends is always long. Today was about a three hour lunch). I did wear the back brace but my back was tired from sitting so long. I had two more pound cakes to make, and the two I made last night had to be sliced and put in bags for our outreach tomorrow. Ron helped me with the slicing and wow, we got 100 slices of cake from four pound cakes. That made me happy.

Finally sitting with a cushion at my back and the heating pad, I decided to check social media posts. Oh my! Sometimes you have to take a deep breath and SCROLL ON! One person was all uptight over President Trump changing the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. I mean really! Isn’t that a bit petty? I’m learning to not respond to political posts. I did say, I’m learning! (Not there yet 😂) The thing is, our media is bought out. They report according to a narrative They have succeeded in the smear Trump campaign and people are beyond brainwashed. It’s not their fault, it’s the medias bias. When people post ignorant things I sometimes respond. I will say I’m always respectful in my responses but I guess Ron can tell when I’m frustrated. So tonight I’m sitting here typing really fast and he comes over and says, “How many words can you type a minute?” I’m like,”Umm, that’s like asking you how many words you can speak a minute.” He said what are you frustrated about? It does frustrate me when people post things and haven’t a clue what’s really going on. But that’s just one of those times when I need to take a deep breath, say a prayer and scroll on.Everyone has a right to their opinion.

Life is challenging. I meet all sorts of of people on social media. I know some people frown on that but hear me out. People need words of encouragement. That was one of my reasons for writing my autobiography, Rooted by the Water to encourage people during the pandemic. People need Life spoken over them. As Ron was driving me to meet my friends for lunch I ask him a hard question. I asked, ”How do you respond when people say something that seems suicidal?”. I am sensitive to people’s tone of voice in writing. (Remember I can’t hear well or see well but people’s tone of voice in writing is clear) I told him about a post I had seen last night and that’s the way the person came across, as suicidal. When I saw it, I responded with encouragement to keep holding on. God uses all of us in different ways. So many different talents and gifts. Where ever you are in life, people are watching, listening. You make a difference with your response or lack there of. The decision is yours. You can shine for Jesus or not. Yes life can be tiring, but we are on a mission to make a difference for the glory of God. We have to take the flesh captive and make it submit to God. Sometimes we need to apologize for a sour attitude. That’s okay. Apologize and move forward.

For me , prayer changes the course of my day. Prayer gives me a different perspective. Serving people also lifts my spirits. Taking deep breaths can also let out pent up tension. Maybe avoiding social media or limiting it is a good idea too. I love to encourage people, but it can be draining.

God willing, next Monday I will be released from this back brace and ready to strengthen my back and core muscles again. I’m used to the hearing and visual limits but the physical limits are annoying. I’m ready to get back to my normal. Hopefully soon. In the meantime with whatever comes I will keep on taking a deep breath, ASAP (always say a prayer)and scroll on.

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The FIRE Hydrant

February 6, 2025Leave a Comment

For several days FIRE Hydrant has been on my mind. I’m not exactly certain why but I’m going to attempt piecing this together. Two days ago the wildfires in California were still ablaze. Watching the footage, it was astounding that the fire hydrants were empty at one point. How in the world were firefighters supposed to fight this monster of a fire with empty fire hydrants? I refuse to go in a political direction here so let’s head in the spiritual direction.

Fires can certainly erupt in our lives. Our enemy is always on the lookout to strike us down in our weak moments. Not long ago I was reading about how fire fighters fought fires before there were fire hydrants. It took a lot of people passing buckets of water from a water source to a fire in a attempt to put it out. Once the fire hydrants were invented, hoses were able to tap into the water source, making the process much better.

In a sense, the fire hoses are like our prayers. We attach to the Holy Spirit / fire hydrants for a powerful steady flow to extinguish the fires the devil sets in our lives. ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭says; “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.” (NLT‬‬)

It is vital that we stay connected to the Holy Spirit during these last days. We need the Holy Spirit’s steady flow of discernment, wisdom, strength, restraint and reminders of Scriptures to be able to STAND FIRM! We do need to always be alert and sober minded, putting on our spiritual armor each morning so we can face what the day holds.

What about fighting fire with fire. It the physical that won’t work but in the spiritual, oh yes indeed! Let’s take a look at what John the Baptist says in Matthew 3;11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (NKJV‬‬) So you see the Holy Spirit is also considered Fire. In the early church, after Jesus had ascended into Heaven, Jesus’ disciples and followers gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. In Acts chapter 2 we find the following verses. “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

I know not all Pastors preach on the baptism of the Holy Spirit but I can testify that it is real and oh so powerful. How can I explain the joy and strength the Holy Spirit gives me each day to force life. (Living with hearing and visual limitations is not easy.) The Holy Spirit brings to my remembrance scripture at various times to help me through situations. I know God goes before me, follows me and puts His hand of blessing on my head. (See Psalms 139:5)

Before Jesus assended into Heaven He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”” Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) God has equipped us with everything we need to live this life victoriously! He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

So don’t be discouraged when you face fiery trials in life. There is such a wealth of Scripture to support you. Check out the following scriptures. “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Here is one last scripture to wrap up this blog. “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”” 2 Chronicles‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

Let me encourage you to stay connected to the Holy Spirit to empower you to extinguish every fiery arrow of the enemy. We will overcome by The Blood of the Lamb and the power of our testimony(see Revelation 12;11). I’m going to leave you with the following music video by CeCe Wianans I love her song Fire. Be blessed

Life is 10%

February 1, 2025February 1, 2025Leave a Comment

This morning I checked X to see what was trending. Usually if there is something that happens, people will be talking about it. This morning “Life is 10%” is trending. I clicked on it pretty sure what it was going to say. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond. I have found this to be so true in life.

Our response to Life is so important. If you know me well, you know I love observing human nature. Watching various personality tropes respond to the same situation can be intriguing. How we respond to “life” not only affects us, but also those around us. When I’ve seen people have very negative responses before it takes restraint not to respond in a similar way. I always tell our son: let it go in one ear, out the other and zip your lips.

As I am working through reading the whole Bible this year, I’m now in Exodus. Last night I read through the account of how God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. I’m currently reading their first experiences in the wilderness after the Miraculous escape through the Red Sea on dry ground. Yes they celebrated that astounding Miracle but soon after began grumbling. I like to try to imagine what I would do in their situation. I think, surely they are impacted by what could have only been a divine intervention from God. But as I trudge through the imaginary “Wilderness” where there is bitter water and no food, I understand how they could whine. Perhaps they thought, “In our slavery in Egypt, at least we knew what was the norm”. That’s a possibility to consider. However as we walk with God, we have to trust Him with what is unseen.Therein lies Faith!

Let’s talk about the “wilderness” for a minuet. While I’ve never been in a desert before, I’ve seen pictures. I can imagine what it would be like. However, if you think of wilderness as in hardships in life, I totally get that. I know what the desperation feels like when you come to the end of yourself and all that’s left is God. I know that overwhelming feeling when everything seems to go wrong and I finally just laugh out loud and say “what’s next?” Godly strength is usually what ends up being Next. Strength to get through whatever the day holds is usually what’s next, when we TURN TO GOD. A Godly perspective that we don’t typically have is sometimes what’s Next when we TURN TO GOD. That’s the bottom line, turning to God!

We are all human. God knows our weaknesses and He is there to help us. Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us. He constantly has His Father’s ear. In John 16 we find the following verses: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’” John‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ( ‭NLT‬‬) Now that is truly AMAZING.

Just think about that source of Power we have in the Holy Spirit! We need not be afraid or anxious, but PRAY. I can honestly tell you that I can’t do it, BUT HE CAN. Paul’s tells us this very thing in 1 Corinthians 12. I’m just going to share the following verse but go back and read the whole chapter. it is so encouraging. Paul writes, ““Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) This is just a little food for thought. Seek the Lord in that 90% of life when you are responding to what happens to you.

We all have different situations and they are all challenging in different ways. Some are more isolating than others. I will share one relatively little thing I experience. No matter where I am I can always feel left out. With people who can hear, I miss chunks of conversation because of my hearing loss and limited vision. When I am with deaf friends, I can feel like that too depending on if I can “see” the sign language. That depends on lighting and distance. (and let me tell you, you have to be fairly close.) Yesterday I had lunch with some deaf friends and one hearing friend. I guess I understood the hearing friend best because she speaks as she signs so if I miss something I pick it up with her voice. One friend was across the table at an angle and I had some trouble seeing her. Across the table at an angle. There is also the technology perks, or lacks on my end. They can all FaceTime but I have trouble with it and fall through the cracks since I don’t FaceTime. When FaceTiming I can see the person on the screen of my iPad but can’t see if my “signing” is in the upper frame. It’s just one of those things where I get left out. But I remind myself, God is with me. With Him I am never “left out”. So I guess this is an example of the 10% of what happens. My response determines the outcome. Do I go with my feelings of being left out or do I Let it roll? I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t bother me to a degree, but I do Let it roll. God is much bigger than our feelings. As I prayed this morning I said “Lord show me what to do with where you have me. Show me how to glorify you in each area where you place me.” I know He will. As surely as things seem to die in the winter when things visibly stop growing. Deep in the darkness of the earth, roots are still strong and waiting to rise up again and bloom. That’s what we should aim to do in the 90%. Bloom where ever you’re planted, for the glory of God. Have an amazing Saturday. You are loved!

Www.shannonkhinson.com

About that Joy

January 17, 20252 Comments

Me wearing my lovely “contraption” back brace.

As promised here is my blog on Joy. Wasn’t quite expecting to work on this wearing an uncomfortable back brace. If you follow my blogs you know I slipped and fell very hard on ice last Saturday, hurting my back. I held off getting checked because I could move, there was no numbness or tingling in my limbs and no other signs of a break; however the pain and weakness in my lower back persisted. My husband Ron talked me into going to Urgent Care last night. What shocked me was being sent to ER for a CT scan and X-rays. I looked at the Dr and said, “Is this really necessary?” We thought I was just having muscle spasms but it turns out I have a compression fracture in my lumbar area of my spine. I’m to wear this back brace that keeps my spine straight and supports me for four weeks. I will follow the doctors instructions but these guys have to stop making me laugh. It hurts to laugh. Our son Joshua said, “Mom, I’m not trying to make you laugh”. I know it’s not intentional, he’s just funny. I have no problem with Joy. I laugh easily and sometimes in the face of an intense struggle. Sometimes the absurdity of a situation makes me laugh. I know that the joy of the Lord is indeed my strength. So as I sit here typing up this blog, I can’t help but laugh that my back brace comes all the way up to the top of y chest and back, with my chin resting upon the top potion of the brace. It is not comfortable but you do what you have to do. The above is a picture for you. I don’t take myself too seriously and certainly am not vain.

A few weeks ago a friend posted the following on social media, and it truly made me smile. I asked Jo Ann if I should share what she wrote and she gave me permission. She is such a strong woman of God. Her beloved husband of many years suddenly passed away a few years ago and then she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has endured much sorrow and God strengthens her and is bringing her through. She shared the following. I will use bold font for what was in her post (used with permission) ~
I didn’t realize till I started looking at scripture this morning on LAUGHTER and JOY in God‘s word there’s 115 scripture about laughter and joy…this is just a few…God wants us to LAUGH and have JOY…THROUGH OUR PAIN AND SUFFERING WE CAN STILL FIND LAUGHTER AND JOY…

Job 8:21 – “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”

Proverbs 17:22 – “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Ecclesiastes 3:4 – “A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

Luke 6:21 – “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”

Proverbs 31:25 – “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Psalm 37:13 – “But the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.”

I CHOSE TODAY JANUARY 2, 2025 TO FIND LAUGHTER AND FIND JOY NO MATTER WHAT…BECAUSE GODS WORD SAYS THAT I CAN HAVE IT. I HAVE REACH FOR IT.

I’m thankful God is filling Jo Ann with His joy and laughter. I’m beyond thankful for the joy and laughter He gives me too. You too can find joy and laughter in the midst of difficulty. Joy is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. As we trust in Jesus, He can fill us with joy unspeakable. For me, I just let things roll. I don’t take life too seriously. What people think is really of no concern, just move on. I’m an optimist, looking for the good in everything. It’s an attitude and way of life for me. Trusting God helps me find the peace, joy and strength I need for each hurdle.

Life is so full of uncertainty, but I know who holds us in the palm of His hand. Living with hearing and visual issues can be a challenge. Seeing our son Joshua endure the same is like a dagger that pierces my heart. Yes the same son that makes me laugh all the time. Recently he had a moment and in that moment he said , “How am I supposed to trust God when it’s His fault He made me this way?” Whoa! Lord how am I supposed to respond to that? I looked at him and said,
“Joshua everything God creates is very good. It’s according to His purposes not ours.” He looked at me, then looked away. It’s life! One step forward, two steps back. But I will never stop hoping, never stop believing and never stop trusting in God’s goodness. God is a Miracle working God. He is a God that heals! For me, He has healed my heart from bitterness and replaced it with Joy. I will continue to wait for manifestation of healing in the physical. His ways are so much higher than ours.

Where ever you are on your journey in life you can find joy, peace, hope and strength for each day. When God pours these things into you, be sure you pour into others. People need encouragement. When we got home from the ER last night I responded to a message a friend from high school had sent me. She’s faced some difficulty too and I wanted to encourage her in that moment to stay focused. God has us all. He will see us through. So SMILE, it does make you feel better. This too shall pass. Joy comes in the morning. Keep your chin up! You are loved!💗🙏🏼🤟🏼