#rootedbythewater – Page 11 – rootedbythewater.blog

An unlikely topic

February 5, 2024Leave a Comment

Lately I’ve been preparing for this Thursdays Bible study time with my friends. We have been studying women of the Bible for some time now. I have been familiar with all the women we have studied so far until this week’s character. This week and next week we are looking at Jezebel. When I saw her name, I thought, why in the world are we going to dig into the story of this very evil person. I just figured it would be one of those “what not to do” studies.

Since the girls have me teaching the lessons I like to be prepared and able to explain. Keep in mind we are doing these studies in sign language. Three of us are deaf. If you add my low vision and inability to see our book except with my video magnifier, you would see my need to prepare, even memorize. So I’ve been reading and rereading 1 Kings chapters 18 and 19.

As I’ve been studying I see some direct connections to life today. Jezebel caused Israel to sin greatly against the Lord, especially in the area of worship. Not only did she promote the worship of idols but she persecuted God’s people, killing the prophets. She was zealous for removing Israel’s true worship of The Lord God.

Let me stop right there. Here’s the thing, America was founded on Christian principles. Now look around you and really think about our society, culture, government and even some churches. Slowly but surely God’s truth is being dismissed and replaced by false religion and false doctrine. People search for what they want to hear. There is a form of godliness that denies the true power of God. See 2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬, “They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” (NLT‬‬). You see how messed up kids are today? What are they teaching them in our schools? Keep in mind the Bible and prayer have been removed. Where there used to be common sense , respect and moral, we now see the most foolish idealolgies being taught. Whatever happened to scientific facts? There is the pronoun nonsense, gender identification nonsense, not to mention Critical Race Theory. If you truly think about it, it makes sense how bad our society has gotten.

I certainly was not intending to go down the education path. Let’s get back to the spiritual issues. Jezebel was a huge stumbling block to the nation of Israel. What are some stumbling blocks we encounter today? I can name a few: the entertainment industry, main stream media, social media, pride, money and perhaps instant gratification. Let’s look at the middle letter in the words pride and sin. See the I? I, I, I, I, me, me, me, and ME. I had a t shirt when I was in college that said, “There is only one God and you’re not Him.”

We have to stop wavering back and forth in what we believe and stand up for Gods truth. I love the “show down” that happens in 1 Kings 18, when Elijah challenges the prophets of baal to a contest. Elijah had a good question for the people of Israel. Check out 1 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬,“Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent.” (NLT‬‬.) Question to ask ourselves, are we silent when asked to make a choice about the true God?

There is a lot of wavering and hobbling going on today. Yesterday our Pastor made a statement about eating at the table of the Lord and nibbling at the things of the world. Think about that for a minute. The music industry is full of disgusting lyrics. Movies are full of vile language, sexual inappropriate content, violence, drug use etc. It’s so common that vile language and violence seem normalized. This should not be! People shouldn’t play around with these things. What we listen to, watch, play and read feeds our spirit. It’s time to come apart from the world. Get off the fence. You can’t have two Masters. We can’t love God and love the world. Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT‬‬)

There is no time like the present for a full surrender to God. Let us put our full focus on living for Jesus and bringing glory to Him. I will end this blog with 1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭12, “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.” ‭(NLT‬‬) Stay on track and let’s let our lives shine for Jesus. The devil is deceiving many. We must keep praying and keep reading the Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. If you aren’t currently in a Bible teaching church, find one and go. Don’t stop meeting together for fellowship and praying together. Don’t let the things of this world hinder your victorious race for Jesus. Let’s go!!!

Self disclaimer, I am not a Pastor. I am a spirit filled Christian and believe the Bible is true. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.

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Down a deep rabbit hole

January 31, 2024Leave a Comment

History has always fascinated me. When it comes to family history it becomes personal. It’s just amazing to try tracing your ancestry line. Last October i found the Ancestry App and asked my husband if I could subscribe to research my family tree. I took a deep dive and am still digging.

It’s like going down a deep rabbit hole and it is truly fascinating. The Ancestry App has government census reports, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage and divorce documentation plus more. The thing is, you need names. The further you trace your family from yourself, you start having to make educated guesses. These census papers were handwritten and let me tell you, they didn’t always put the same thing. Sometimes it shows initials with the last name and sometimes it is spelled out. You can match up dates and locations and figure it out the best you can. One of my aunts nieces told me about http://www.find-a-grave.com Sometimes the website will list spouse, parents, siblings and children. The keyword there is “sometimes”. I have found that’s not always true.

On my dad’s side of the family, I’ve been able to trace back to 1777. How cool is that! My great great grandfather was a Captain in the Confederate army. I’ve had to “jump some hurdles” though and it’s been an headache at times. My Nanny Kenley’s dad was called Punk. Nanny’s brother was called Uncle Stumpy. No, those weren’t their real names. I got my mom to look to see if there were any papers and what she gave me “connected a lot of dots”. The names she had given me to enter into the system helped me find the records relating to Nanny’s family. As I searched and found them I said, “BINGO”! Yeah!

On my mom’s side, I’ve discovered much that I didn’t know. My grandmother had 11 siblings. My grandfather had a big family too. It’s kind of sad that they didn’t stay intact. Out of all those great aunts and uncles on my mom’s side, I only knew a couple of them.

On my dad’s side I knew my great aunts and great uncles. Even dad’s cousins and their kids. I love these connection. My husband and I have only one son. I have one brother. It seems we have a real small family. As I have researched, I see the family roots run deep and it’s nice to see that connection. Nanny’s family traces back to Ireland. It looks like mom’s side of the family may have come from France. Im still looking. Hopefully I will be able to print or share the information I’ve found with my brother and cousins. I don’t know if they will be as intrigued as me but I have really enjoyed this search.

In the ancestry file dad had, he had some papers on some of Nanny’s ancestors. There is a story that shows a generous spirit. I love the idea of have a legacy of generosity.

As I’ve made these connections within my family tree, I wonder about their lives. I think about my great great grandfather that fought for our freedom. Freedoms that are being taken away by our present government.

Worry will get us no where though. God is sovereign and I will just continue to pray for His direction. As for me, I hope to pass along a legacy of faith, resilience, love and compassion for others. We are called to humbly love and serve others. Lord help us to do just that and do it for Your glory.

If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.

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Finally saw CODA

January 28, 20241 Comment

If you read my blog, bear with me as I go off course for this one. Since the movie CODA came out in 2021, I have wanted to see it but we don’t have Apple TV. My husband Ron signed us up for a free three month trial of Apple TV just so I could watch this movie. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it although it does have a few crude scenes.

Truth be told, I rarely watch anything on TV. With my hearing and vision loss issues it’s just usually not worth the time. A few weeks ago I did “humor” my husband by watching a few episodes of a show on Netflix, but after three straight episodes, I had enough. I can’t see well enough to read the caption and can’t her well enough to hear the story line. I could sort of follow the story but Ron had to give me some clues to “what was what”.

Ron was meeting up with some friends tonight so I asked him if he would set it up for me to watch while he’s out. Another confession, I put the recliner right “smack dab” in from of the tv so I could see it. Do you see the picture above? That’s how close I sat and even from that close I can’t read the close captioning.

CODA stands for children of deaf adults. At least half the dialogue is sign language but it’s captioned so hearing people can understand. It’s about a deaf fishing family but there is one hearing daughter. Warning, there is some crudeness but such a beautiful story line. I cried in several scenes.

After I finished watching it a deaf friend texted me. I told her I had just watched the movie and it was like us but flipped. Instead of being the only hearing person in our families, we are the only deaf ones. And you can throw in my “double whammy” with being legally blind too. 😜

Watching the movie was slightly frustrating simply because I couldn’t see all the signs. I stood right in front of the tv, even closer than the recliner, to try to see what the characters were signing. I have to be kind of close to read sign language. The parts that I missed that were captioned, I tried to watch reading the caption CLOSE UP. So I sat, then stood close, then closer for captions, over and over throughout the movie. Now you know why I don’t watch tv. The movie was very moving though.

If you have a deaf person in your family, I recommend watching CODA to see things from their perspective but with the roles flipped. I could share more elements so you could see what it’s like with the added low vision angle. It’s sort of like being the odd one out. With a group of hearing people I am totally lost in understanding. In being with a group of deaf friends, I have to be pretty close to see what they are signing. Welcome to my unique world. It is what it is.

No pity parties here. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am resilient in many ways. I fall down, I get back up. I am always ok because It’s not about me. It’s about giving glory to God in the struggles and seeing Him pour strength in when it’s overwhelming. One day God will heal me. That might be when I reach Heaven.Through it all, I press on towards the prize to which God is calling.

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Who you gonna call?

January 25, 20242 Comments

Tami, Amy and Leasa helping with this picture. Photo credit Lisa Jane.

In a hyper- connected world, how do you stay in touch? It seems almost everyone these days has a smart phone. People are always on their phones. Whether it’s a voice call, text message, video call, or e-mail…. people want to be connected to others.

It’s also a world of instant gratification. When people text or call, they prefer a quick answer rather than having to wait. People want it now.

Recently I had a doctors appointment. On the way there, an e-mail came in saying, ‘”text when you arrive”. I looked at my husband and asked, “Do they think I’m glued to this device?” I did not text them when we arrived, I walked in just like I always do. Im getting off track here so I’m going to switch gears.

Who do you contact when things aren’t going well? Or perhaps it’s been an awesome day and you can’t wait to share that with someone. People like a “sounding board”, a listening ear. While there is nothing wrong with that, sometimes being on the receiving end is a challenge. So someone calls, FaceTimes, or texts you about a situation they are dealing with and you feel so inadequate to help. I have even done that myself, then I really think about it. People usually can’t do anything but listen and offer advice. I serve a BIG God with unlimited resources. I often find myself praying throughout the day and night. When things are going good, I will offer up a “Thank you Lord for these blessings.” When things aren’t so great or I don’t know what to do, I will pray for wisdom to make right choices. I have prayed for God to help me have the correct responses to situations. Nothing is too trivial to take to God.

The thing is, we can always pray. It is the fastest way to peace. I have told people before, I can’t really do anything but listen, but if you pray about this God can change things. God always has time for us. When we try to call or text people, we might not get a response. More than likely they won’t be able to really help but the person can get whatever it is “off their chest”. That’s like dumping on people though. God doesn’t mind us bringing situations to Him. God actually says in Jeremiah‬ ‭33‬:‭3‬, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” ( NKJV) I don’t know about you but I’d rather call to God and have Him show me things because He always has the best in mind for His children.

In a world that is so overly connected, we see people anxious about the future. We see parents anxious about their children and how they are going to pay their bills in this current inflation. Grocery prices and everything is sky high. Again we can go to the Lord in prayer. The Bible says in Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJV‬‬)

The Bible is packed full of encouragement and life giving instruction. God hears us when we pray. Check out ‭‭I John‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (NKJV)‬‬. Here’s another one, ““Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”” Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬) Praying together is powerful. The other day when my husband was taking me to volunteer at the food pantry I said, “ Let’s pray.” I grabbed his hand and prayed half way to the church . I prayed about everything. It was a special and powerful time.

Prayer changes things. I will tell you God’s timing is different BUT He is always on time. While it is nice to talk t o people and share things through text, the best thing we can do is call upon the Lord in prayer. He knows our heart. He knows what we need before we ask. He knows the motives behind our prayers. Nothing is hidden from Him. That brings me such comfort and I pray it does for you as well.

On a side note, here’s the story behind the picture above. Today after Bible study, a group of girlfriends met up for lunch at Wing BonZ. It was a fun time of catching up and laughing. I shared about this blog topic and asked if they would help me with a picture. I wanted one to be talking on the phone, one to be praying and one texting. I can’t tell you how many picture were taken. We moved around the dining room to get the best location. Thankfully there were just two other men eating and I explained what we were doing. We probably looked kind of odd but who cares and the picture turned out good. Who yu gonna call? Remember Jeremiah 33:3, Call to the Lord and He will answer you.

Sorry I go a bit side tracked at the beginning of this blog. I was actually googling communication stats. I even asked Siri a few questions. It makes me wonder who programs that AI stuff. It’s quite interesting but it veered off where I wanted to go with this blog. I got back on track though and hope this has encouraged you to make the right call. Throw in some praise and worship with your prayers. It will bring such release and joy to your heart.

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Cycles

January 21, 20241 Comment

This afternoon I was going through my notes app and noticed I made an entry on September 5, 2023 with the title “Cycles” and Psalms 106. That was it. I had written nothing else in that particular note. Often times a topic will come to mind and I will enter it with a scripture to come back to later. This is one of those cases.

Cycles? Why would I want to write on that topic? Call me odd, but I find the cycles of human behavior quite interesting. People start something, then they stop, then they start again then they stop…. Over and over it goes. Bad habits come into the picture. Sin comes into the picture. Speaking of sin, humanity is stubborn! Oh my goodness. I’m reading through the Bible again and right now I’m in the book of Exodus. The Israelites were SOOOO stubborn. Wow!

Psalms 106 really sums up Exodus pretty well. Let me share some verses here but by all means go read it. Let’s start with this: “Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly! Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. Even so, he saved them— to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power. He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert. So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes. Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived. Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise. Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106‬:‭6‬-‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Do you see the cycles?

We modern day people aren’t much better. History tends to repeat itself. We are born in flesh and sin. We are all in need of the salvation Jesus freely gives. Without the help of the Lord, the cycle of sin keeps repeating itself. ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭57‬-‭58‬ says, “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”(NLT‬‬) We have a loving God who willl forgive us when we truly confess and repent of our sins. Jesus gives us the victory over the cycle of sin.

This week my Bible study group is starting back up with our weekly study. Our lesson this week is on Bathsheba. So many life applications to learn from her and King Davids mistakes. One of the points of study is “Faith after failure”. King David wrote Psalms 51 after the prophet Nathan had called out Davids adultery with Bathsheba. It is such a beautiful cry of a true repentant heat. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. But when we do, may we always genuinely confess our sin, agreeing with what God says is right and wrong. May we change and surrender our desires to Jesus for His direction. I absolutely love Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭10‬-‭12‬,“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” (NLT)‬‬. God can use even our mistakes for His glory. Oh the beauty of the ways of the Lord! Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭17‬ tells us, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (NLT‬‬)

Surrender to Jesus and let him break the cycle of sin in your life. He is more than enough. If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Astounding

January 15, 2024Leave a Comment

Ever had times when things left you awe stuck and amazed? Recently I finished reading through the book of Genesis in the Bible. I’ve read this many time but this time the story of Josephs life hit me differently. It’s one thing to hear teaching on a few verses at a time, and a whole different thing to read the story though and get a full picture. Not only that but God can give you new insight each time you read something. You can come away with something fresh.

The incredible magnitude of God’s faithfulness in each affliction Joseph faced in his life had me in tears. From being thrown into a cistern by his jealous brothers, to being sold as a slave by those same brothers, being thrown into prison unjustly, to rising to the second highest in Egypt…..God was steadfastly faithful in each and every affliction. As I read with tears rolling down my cheeks, I said, “God you are SO faithful”.

How many of us can say that we don’t complain in the hard times?Anybody? I know I can’t. I do try to always see God’s ways in whatever I’m enduring but many times I fall flat on my face in that regard. Each time Joseph put his faith in God, in the midst of his trial. Each time God faithfully provided Joseph with favor to endure, even thrive through it all. There are so many lessons we can learn from Joseph’s life.

Today as I wrapped up the book of Genesis, Joseph’s father Jacob died and Joseph’s brothers are afraid that Joseph’s anger will come out from being treated so wrongly so many years ago. From a human perspective, Joseph’s brother’s had it coming. But watch how Joseph responds to his brothers after their father’s death. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Wow! Such amazing grace and forgiveness!

The grace and integrity Joseph showed throughout his life is something we should strive for. To develop the ability to trust God in the “land of affliction”. May we trust the sovereignty of God and trust He is working it out according to His purposes.

Sometimes the trials, afflictions or tests last a long time. May we learn to be fruitful for the glory of God through it all. May we learn to say “Yes Lord I’m going to praise you through this storm.” The song Yes I Will just came to mind. I will see if I can attach a music video at the end of this blog.

Praise God through it all! Learn to forgive those that hurt you. You might need to even forgive yourself. Don’t beat yourself up when you fall short. Confess, repent and then let it go. God is faithful through it all.

You may come to a point where you need to forgive God. I’ve known people who have been angry with the Lord for having to endure hardship and health situations. People get hung up on “Why am I going through this? Why am I STILL here Lord?” Still in the cistern. Still in the prison. You get the idea? God uses those things to mold us. Malachi 3:3 says, “He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.”
‭ ‭(NLT‬‬). Even Job says the following after his many hard trials, “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.” Job‬ ‭23‬:‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

Trust God. Trust His sovereignty Read His Word and learn His character. You are so greatly loved. Here are some more verses to learn from. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

I could go on and on here but I’ve done enough writing and sharing for the day. Learning from Josephs life has blessed me and I pray the lessons I’ve shared in this blog bless you as well. If you or a loved one are facing a hard time, Hang in there. God is not finished with you yet. He is doing a new thing. He can make a way where there isn’t one. Trust Him. Trust His process. ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭(NIV‬);. Let’s trust Him.

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GREATness

January 11, 20243 Comments

You most likely won’t guess the subject of this blog from the title. I won’t keep you in suspense. An old friend of mine that I used to work with calls all her great-nieces and great-nephews , Greatness #1, Greatness #2 and so on. I love her idea and want to use it as well. Wednesday night Greatness #3 was born in our family. I couldn’t be more excited.

Are you wondering why in the world I’m doing such a “happy dance” over here? Here’s the thing, I absolutely love seeing my brother’s family grow! You see, almost four years ago he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and there was so much uncertainty for the future. Although we trusted and continue to trust our Great God who holds our futures.

Today my brother is three and a half years post bone marrow transplant. He and his family went through such an ordeal and he is now thriving! This makes my heart so happy! Not only that , but he got to walk his daughter down the aisle a couple of years ago and he and his wife now have three grandchildren. What a beautiful miracle and to watch it all unfold. I thank God for these beautiful blessings to witness.

If you, your family or someone you know are going through a difficult time, please don’t lose hope. Put your faith and hope in Jesus. He has proven over and over in my life and my family that He is our “Anchor“ that holds us steady in the storms of life. Be blessed and keep trusting Jesus. Keep holding on.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

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Something New

January 8, 2024Leave a Comment

I love when different things I’ve heard or read come together, fitting like a puzzle. As I sit here this evening just thinking, I see how our message at church yesterday, a message at a friends church and todays verse of the day on YouVersion app seem to all run together. The scripture for today is Isaiah 43:18-19, “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (NLT)

January is always fresh, providing a new start and a chance to part ways with any baggage from the past. Not that I personally have baggage, but I k now many who do. They would benefit from leaving old baggage and entering this journey of 2024 fresh and clean. I hope one day people can learn to forget the former things and watch God as He does a new thing in our lives. People get so hung up on problems that they can’t see past them.

Yesterday our sermon message at Central Church of God was titled, “What are you expecting?” In a nutshell: God has great plans for us, it rarely unfolds the way we think it should, but His ways are so much higher than our ways. He knows the beginning from the end. We can trust God with our issues and our lives. He knows what He’s doing. Trust Him. Check out the following scripture. “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.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬.) Here’s another one to check out. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭(NLT‬‬). These are good scriptures to hide in your hearts. We can trust God. I will tell you His timing is different but He is always on time. Wait for it.

After church a friend sent me her Pastor’s sermon notes. We went to that church for many years and I like their tradition of having a 21 days of prayer and fasting. She told me that it was starting today in case I wonted to participate. I do! The sermon title was, “Praying the Word over the want.” Whew! That’s a strong message right there. All three times the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus came back with, “It is written. …“. Jesus speaks the Word. He comes back with scripture to put the enemy in his place. Hebrews 4 12 says, “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.” (NLT‬‬.) Jesus set an example for us to follow. Pray the Word of God!

Fasting is not a popular discipline today but the Bible does tell us to fast and pray. Fasting does not “strong arm” God into getting what you want. Rather it changes the individual that is fasting. It will change you. Dying to the desires of the flesh and saying, “Thy will be done”, is a sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord.

I know of several churches doing a fast right now. One in Fort Mill, one in Myrtle Beach and Free Chaple in Georgia. I got on Free Chaples website last night and saw a map representing people participating in their fast around the world. This warmed my heart to see people hungry for God and desiring to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. There is lots of religion in the world but not so much in the matter of relationship with Jesus. A relationship with Jesus is what changes everything. Relationships cost you something. No relationship is a one way thing. It involves time spent together. Time loving and listening. I’ve heard many people say they are busy or give some other lame excuse. Sorry people but there is 24 hours in a day. We can carve out some time to devote to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He paid the ultimate price for our salvation. He is worthy of our time, our hearts, our all. He loves us all so much. He gives us a free choice to choose Him. He already chose us.

Today marks day 1 of 21 days. I’d love for you to join me in this fasting journey. Let’s humble ourselves, pray and fast and watch as God does a new thing. If you read this and would like prayer, I’d love to pray for you. Leave a comment and I will lift you up to Jesus. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. God bless you all.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Live Intentionally

January 5, 2024Leave a Comment

Villa Posh inspirational poster found on Amazon.

Happy 2024. We are on day 5 of the new year. Did you make any resolutions? I honestly did not make any for this year. In general I want to continue to grow and develop into all God calls me to be. I do plan to be intentional about living life with purpose. Intentional means to do just that, do something on purpose or deliberately. Yes that sounds like a good way to begin this year.

One thing I did deliberately do on January 1 was to choose a new Bible reading plan for the year. You Version Bible app has many Bible reading plans. I picked a different one this year. There is a daily schedule of what to read each day of 2024 so I end up reading the whole Bible by the end of the year. I look forward to the accountability of the plan and fresh revelations the Holy Spirit gives. The Bible never grows old. It’s refreshing and new everyday.

There are always things to work on in our personal lives. I really want to continue to grow in humility. Thinking of myself less and thinking of others more is a beautiful way to live. Living life with grace toward others is a “gem” I need to daily “polish”. ( Work on.)

Truth be told, we don’t always feel like being nice and joyful. Living with low vision and hearing loss can be utterly frustrating and sometimes I fall short in the patience category. BUT I must remind myself that it’s no one else’s fault that I have these challenges. I have found when I focus on others needs or listen to someone else issues, it takes my attention off my own and makes it better. It’s just an approach I take in dealing with life that seems to work for the most part.

In 2024 I plan to live day by day, moment by moment. The past was a lesson learned not a prison sentence. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t bring baggage into the new year. It’s a fresh year to start anew . Don’t worry about what lies ahead. Today is a gift thats called the present. Embrace it and be thankful for a new day to make a difference.

Here are some things to intentionally do this year to make 2024 the best year ever:
Be brave. Spread kindness. Find a place to volunteer. Read one chapter of the Bible daily. Start each day thanking God for all He’s done and is doing in your life. Find the silver liner in every situation. Love like Jesus. Put on “God glasses” and see things from His perspective. Always try your best. Never give up. Smile anyway, it makes things better. Say something nice to everyone you encounter. Get over yourself, no one is better than anyone else. Pray, pray and pray some more. Get involved in a Bible teaching, spirit filled church. There are so many more but you get the general idea.

I’d like to close this blog with a prayer for you all. Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus. I thank You and praise You for all that You are. You are our creator, our Savior, our peace, our healer, our provider, our righteousness and so much more. I praise You because You are everything we need. There is nothing too difficult for You. You go before us and are our rear guard. I bless Your Holy name. Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins. Forgive us when we fall short, and I know thats daily. Help us to die to our fleshly desires and to choose You every single day. Lord we don’t know what this year will bring but we trust You are in control. Help us be a true reflection of You everywhere we go. May we reflection Your joy, Your love, Your peace, Your mercy and Your grace. Lord we ask You to pour out Your Holy Spirit into us and enable us to live boldly and victoriously for Your glory. I pray You will draw people to You who need to receive You free gift of salvation. Thank You Lord for all You are and all You are doing. Thank You that Your goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. You are worthy of all glory, honor and praise. It’s all about You Jesus. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

May God bless you this year. If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Crossover in sight

December 28, 2023December 28, 2023Leave a Comment

Many of my blog cover pictures from this year.

Just a few more days and 2023 will be behind us. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a fresh new year. At the beginning of 2023 God dropped the word “soar” in my heart. At the time I had no clue why. Honestly, I’m still not quite sure. The year did seem to SOAR by. It seems like it just started and here we are near 2024.

2023 was a year of growth. God has worked with me on overcoming some fears. I will get to that in a minute. Getting feedback from my husband Ron, I evidently have grown in the area of peace. There is peace in my heart even though life is full of uncertainties. At the end of the day, I am confident in who holds my future and I can say 100% that God is faithful and so so GOOD!

About overcoming some fears, I’m learning more and more that I can trust God with everything. Everything can range from family health issues, fear of inadequacies, frustrations with our culture and how to live a life of humility. The list goes on. I’d like to share two key things I learned this year. There’s a big third but some things involve others and I respect their desire for confidentiality.

Late in the Spring, Ron bought us two “sit on top” kayaks. This was such a surprise that he agreed to buy us two. He is not yet a “Kayak lover” but I have hope. We are only about five or six miles from the nearby lake. Since we used to have a SeaDoo, I’m familiar with the water and area. I feel comfortable as I sort of know my way around.

Truth be told, there is an adventure element because my vision is 20/400. Yes you read that right. BUT I can see enough to do it and I love the water. Respecting the challenges, dangers, my limitations, the unknown and being willing to learn is all part of it. I started out on a two seater kayak but I wanted to be free. Being on a one seater with my limitations is pressing it, but God has given me a sound mind to approach the adventure with sound judgement.

I finally got Joshua, our 25 year old son to go with me. He thought he was going to wear me out, but he was in for a surprise, as my endurance gave him a “run for his money”. He also has a vision problem, however his is not nearly as bad as mine. I let him decide on our destination. He remembered an island way out in the lake, back from when we used to SeaDoo. So we set off. We didn’t know how far it was. All we knew was the general direction. We paddled and paddled for quite a while. Getting a bit tired, I finally told him if we didn’t see the island or reach it within 30 minutes, we would turn around. 30 minutes later we had almost reached the island. Talking about a huge accomplishment. We got out of the kayaks at the island and swam around for a bit and rested. Then we had to paddle all the way back. What an adventure! Perseverance , courage, stamina and sheer will to finish what we started. We made a goal and reached it!

The next big challenge to overcome came about in August. My Bible study group had decided to break over the summer and pick back up in September. Our leader got involved in a small group at her church and told us we could go ahead. I was totally stunned when the girls asked me to lead. I agreeded to try but inside I was like, “Lord are you kidding me? I can’t see the book. How in the world am I supposed to do this?” Truth be told I still feel that way. I know my limitations and God knows His power to work in them. I gave in and let Him have His way. I can’t but God can. I oftentimes feel so inadequate. There is a saying, God does not call the quipped, He equips the called. Wow. Boy am I a testament to that. I’m not saying I’m called, but I have definitely made my inadequate self available. We are going to pick back up in January. I can’t wait to see what God has in store.

The third thing I mentioned which I can’t fully disclose but I can share vaguely. It’s been the latter part of the year. Some experiences we had never faced. God has taught me to trust Him more. He has impressed upon me humility. Putting others before myself even if it costs me. Listening even though it wears me slap out with not hearing very well with my cochlear implant processor. That’s something I hope to get right in 2024. 2023 was not a good hearing year, probably due to menopause and hormonal changes. Who knows. I’m not going to worry about it. I’ve learned to say, God this is all I have, help me to make it be all it needs to be. I can’t hear but I can listen and I’ve done a whole lot of that this year. Listen to others needs and pray, pray and pray some more. God has taught me to speak wisdom over situations and trust Him. So it’s definitely been a year of growth, which has soared in some ways.

Im thankful that God still allows me to put into writing the many things He continues to teach me. I have continued to blog each week during this year. Ron got me a real keyboard that magnetically attaches to my iPad. It makes blogging so much easier to be able to “feel” the keys as I type. Me and touch screens don’t get along. To date there have been 5,210 views. Here are my end of the year stats for blogging. This is post #60 for this year. That’s 40.9K words this year, averaging around 693.4 words per post, reaching countries round the world but mostly in the USA. This is no reason for pride but simple gratitude. I could not do it without God. I wouldn’t even want to try.

God has not yet given me a word for 2024. I’m not sure if He will. I do know I will continue to strive to be empty so He can fill and use me in whatever way He desires. As we bring 2023 to a close I can say it is well with my soul. I will wrap this up with Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (NLT‬‬)

At this point in life if a song could show my testimony I would choose It is well by Bethel Music. I will attach the YouTube music video with lyrics below. Be blessed and Happy New Year. May you experience the love of Jesus like never before.