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Faith~ Story of my life

November 15, 20252 Comments

Now don’t get me wrong, this is not the “story of my life”. That would take a long series with hilarity and tears and I’m not going there in this blog. Rather…. Faith itself is the “story of my life”. Everyday I wake up and choose to have faith that God has me and my family in the palm of His hands. No place I’d rather be, than in His hands and His loving arms.

Last week at the homeless outreach in Rock Hill, SC I shared on “living by faith”. On the way there I teared up in the car as my husband Ron was driving down I-77 South. I held those tears back as I didn’t want him to know. It is amazing how God works these devotions in me before I present them to the people. And…. Lord I do want it to be YOU speaking through an empty me and never me just up there speaking”.

Living by faith is not an easy task when you find yourself in circumstances less than appealing. I’ve actually been gaining confidence as I share on Wednesdays, noted by others who have said so. Last Wednesday, they handed me a microphone though and out the door went my confidence. Something about a microphone un-nerves me. Why? Well, honestly I use my hands when I talk. I also have to zoom in to see my notes on my iPad. Let me tell you, when you have to constantly zoom in on an iPad it starts doing a little jiggle and rushes to the bottom of my notes. 😳 God please! Yep, that happens pretty regularly and thus the microphone in my other hand, throws me off. Some of the people said they could hear me better though so I’ll do it. Life is a “learning curve”, each step prepares us for the next.

I began last Wednesday with a question,”Have you ever prayed hard and it seemed like God doesn’t answer?” I shared with them that I have, in fact kind of regularly. Sometimes we pray about something so much we lose sight of who we are praying to – God almighty, our creator and sustainer, the One who knows whats best for us.

The Bible is full of “great people” that God used for His glory. If you study the scriptures you will find that often what made them “great” was the trials and struggles they endured and came out the other side glorifying God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (NKJV‬‬) Ok Lord, you know I don’t “see” a lot of things but I’m trusting you in this “daily grind” and the long run. A little further in that chapter of Hebrews we see the following verse: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (NKJV‬‬) That is so true! When we surrender to Jesus, Heaven is our home. We are just passing through down here on earth. It’s kind of a hard truth when you live a constant trial, BUT GOD! I say that because, His power is made perfect in our weaknesses when we give it over to Him.

Let me mention the last two verses of this chapter; “And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬) So they did not receive the promise but saw it from afar and God had something better for them. It boils down to trusting God. I look at it this way, God is my Heavenly Father and He knows whats best. I had an amazing earthly father and I sure do miss him. He always listened when I needed to talk. He loved me and my brother and gave us wise counsel. How much more will my Heavenly Father do these things plus more. He sees the “whole picture” of our lives.

No I don’t understand why I have to live with hearing and vision issues. I don’t understand why I have to depend on others to get places because I can’t see well enough to drive. I really don’t understand why our son has to have my similar limitations. Lord it’s just a hard hard thing to witness. I don’t understand why the majority of people don’t care. They are too busy with their own lives I suppose. I can relate to the homeless people in a sense. The majority of people don’t care but God does. He has me stand before them each Wednesday and testify of the loving, all powerful God He is. We just keep on keeping on. I will smile and trust God has us and won’t ever forsake us.

This Wednesday, God willing, I’m going to continue with the subject on living by faith. I’m going to check our pantry, as I think I have some mustard seeds in there. I got mustard seeds thinking they were ground mustard, God knew I’d need them one day. I’m going to find that container and show the people how small amount of faith we need. A mustard seed is tiny. Pray God gives me the words to share, the words that will reach their hearts and encourage them to put their hope in Jesus.

That’s all for now. Maybe I will follow up after this Wednesday’s ministry. Where ever you are in life, have faith in God! He watches over us so carefully and tenderly when we are under trial and temptation. Let me encourage you with one last verse. “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.” Job‬ ‭23‬:‭10‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

http://www.shannonkhinson.com

What defines you?

November 4, 2025Leave a Comment

Can I ask you a question ? What defines you? Our world is full of labels: Government, healthcare, social economics,and people in general like to define us and put us in categories. Those labels can be so confining though and you begin to allow them to define you. When Jesus walked this earth, He didn’t let any situation or anyone define Him. He went around teaching truth, doing good and performing miracles. Some of the people said he was a liar, but Jesus disregarded what they said about Him. Even those who flattered Him, He disregarded. Jesus only listened to the words of His Heavenly Father. If Jesus had allowed people and situations to define Him, He would have never completed the missions God the Father sent Him to do.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” That mans, our thoughts and beliefs shape our character, actions and ultimately our reality. We need to be so careful in what we think about and what we allow to define us. Here is an example. Once I was “labeled” as legally blind, it put me in a very confining “corner”. I can’t stand the label because in my mind I am not blind. Sure I can’t see what you see BUT I can see some and that to me counts. The same goes with the label of “deaf/hard of hearing”. I do have trouble comprehending speech (it fluctuates) but I’m on the porch right now listening to the birds sing. Quite often I challenge myself to listen to YoutTube videos. Sometimes I understand some of it and other times I flail, but I try. Last Sunday I watched Central Church early service from the back porch and I followed it well. It was like God was speaking right through Pastor, straight to my heart. Just the day before I had prayed pretty much exactly something Pastor said. “Lord do you hear me? Do you see my situation? Do you care?” You might wonder why I would pray such a thing. I pray and pray and pray some more and I’m still in this “furnace called life”. Oh boy! I needed that message so much and God in His power made sure I “got it”. If I listened to the labels of the world, I wouldn’t have even tried listening. But God is bigger than labels. He defines me and nothing else.

We are who God says we are. We can look into the very twisted mirror of this world OR we can look into the perfect law of liberty, God’s Word, As we study God’s Word we are being transformed. There is no more condemnation. The Bible gives us confidence to know that it doesn’t matter what people say about us, it only matters what God says about us. Let’s check out James 1:25, “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (ESV) We don’t just want to hear the Word then forget it, we want to take action and do it. God’s Word transforms us as we hear it and study it.

We are not defined by past situations, the world or people. Some people let things that happened in the past, define them. Let’s think of some examples: It all went downhill wen I was diagnosed with _______, or when my child was diagnosed with __________, or I got divorced, or after surgery you became addicted to pain medicine, or you became addicted to _______ to deal with life, or you lost your job and your home. There are so many scenarios, but you see my point. God tells us to forget the former things. We can learn from it and move forward and trust Him. I love the New Living Translation of 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) I just love that! That tells me to forget the labels, forget the diagnosis, forget all the limitations. I know, I know, I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and am still waiting. But I choose to stand on God’s Word and His promises because HE IS FAITHFUL. Im going to listen to my Lord and do as He says. Forget the former things! He is up to something new in our lives. Can’t you see it? He’s making a way. Let’s watch as He creates things in the most unusual way. Why? Because He can! God loves YOU! You are not forgotten! He see you and will help you. From experience, His help is not usually in the way I anticipate it but He does help in one way or another. He comforts, lifts the broken hearted, gives strength and His perfect peace. He never fails.

Have a blessed week. http://www.shannonkhinson.com

Our G.Q. Dog(Old Guard & Queen Joy)

October 30, 2025Leave a Comment

Joy looking out the front door this afternoon.

Our sweet Joy will be 15 in March and still rises to the occasion to alert us when needed. She’s slowed down so much this year and has become a “closet dog”. Probably to escape for uninterrupted long naps. She is still such a sweetheart though and a loving watch dog at heart, even though she can barely get up the deck stairs these days. I wonder often how much longer she has. She sure has been a great dog. Her only “downfalls” are her excessive barking, if anything is in the yard or passing by on the road and her shedding. Otherwise she’s been perfect.

Speaking of her barking, if you’ve been over to our house before, you know exactly what I mean. She is the “welcoming party” and the “protest when you leave party”. We had Jehovah Witness’s ring our doorbell years ago and when they heard Joy bark, one lady said, “Don’t you open that door.” It was the funniest thing.

In her old age, she’s missing quite a bit. However she was the “Hero” last night in alerting my husband Ron to what was happening outside. Ron had let her out to the bathroom and when she saw lights in our driveway she began barking. Turns out a drunk driver took down a large section of our privacy fence. Two of the guy’s friends had come to attempt helping him get away. Thankful to Joy’s alert Ron was able to call the police. That young man who spoke no English, was arrested for DUI and taken to jail. Ron asked the young man’s friend who showed up to try to help him escape why they didn’t knock on our door. She said they didn’t think we were home. Which is a lie. She also said the guy had a flat tire. Ron checked the tires and none were flat. We are thankful no one was injured and the guys insurance will cover the damage.

In honor of our “Old Guard” Queen Joy, I will post some of my favorite pictures of her. She is a rescue that we got at an animal shelter in Charlotte. I fell in love with her cute face. She’s been a good dog and I’m so thankful for her faithfulness over the many years. Enjoy the pictures. http://www.shannonkhinson.com

Joy in front of our family Christmas tree several years ago.

Hiking in the mountains with Ron and Joshua.

Joy watching me write my book “Rooted by the Water”.

Joy loved her soccer ball when she was younger.

My favorite picture of Joy when she was a puppy.

Your pain is NOT in vain

October 22, 2025October 22, 2025Leave a Comment

I just made a big pot of tomato basil soup for dinner since it is ministry day and dinner will be ready when I get home later. My can opener apparently needs replacing, as I had the hardest time opening a can of broth for the soup, but I managed to open it enough, just barely. Now that soup is in the crockpot, I’m studying todays devotion to share with our homeless friends.

It is interesting how God works these devotions in my heart before I can honestly and transparently share with others. This devotion for today came to me one piece at a time. A few weeks ago I saw a pastor use chains as a promp to emphasize his point. On Sunday as God brought this to me, I was greatly frustrated. As I sat praying and meditating, the thought came to make a long paper chain to symbolize things that weigh us down, spiritual bondage for unbelievers and our “hang ups” in life. I knew one day all that construction paper would come to use.

I was unable to go to church Sunday for something completely out of my control. (we woke to a lot of water in part of our back yard. Our neighbors had a pipe burst and they weren’t home.) I was frustrated. I “need” the Word to strengthen me for the week. I watched several online services but I can’t comprehend it all. I was like, “Lord you know if I could see well enough to drive, I’d be able to go. Why do I have to deal with this dependence on others for these things?” Usually it doesn’t bother me, but occasionally it “boils up” and I have to let that frustration out, sometimes in the form of tears. So I made a LONG paper chain and I plan to “bust through them tonight” to show how Jesus can break every single chain.

Pain, whether it be physical or emotional can weigh us down. Frustration, anxiety, worry, addiction, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, deception, and ANYTHING that weighs you down, God can set us free from. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”‭‭(ESV‬‬) Jesus does want us to fully surrender to His Lordship and lean on HIm for strength. Our test can become a testimony when we give it to Jesus.

Another verse I plan to share is Isaiah 43:2: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” I love that verse. Notice how it says “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” You ARE going to go through things but the promise is that, God is with us as we go through it. Notice how it says “though the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” Think about a river; there’s water currents, rocks, critters, etc but the promise is that it will not overwhelm us. When we walk through fiery things in life, it’s not going to burn or consume us because God is with us.

I also feel impressed to share about the Apostle Paul’s “thorn” that he shared in 2 Corinthians 12. The Bible doesn’t tell us what the thorn in his flesh was, but it does say it tormented him. Three times Paul asks God to take it from him. Three times! 2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭says, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”(ESV) Wow! That’s my goal to be able to boast about my weaknesses because Jesus power rests upon me. And for the record, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve asked God to rid me of these visual and hearing problems. Too many times to count. Then the unforeseeabke pain of having to see our son deal with it too. Life is not fair. Not many can grasp the frustration, BUT GOD! His grace IS sufficient for HIS power is made perfect in my weakness.

Do you see how God works this in my heart before todays lesson? Oh my goodness! Lord fill me and give me the words to encourage these people today. Life can be tough. and they need the encouragement to surrender to Jesus and let Him help them through life. Say a prayer that seeds will be planted and chains will be broken in Jesus name!

http://www.shannonkhinson.com.

The purge in process

October 16, 2025Leave a Comment

A purge is in process over here lately. We got rid of two sofas and one love seat to begin with. The sofas were both broken in one way or another, and I was shocked to see Ron and Joshua totally demolish one in order to carry it off to the dump, piece by piece. (too bad I didn’t get a picture of it) However, I think Joshua did take a picture and sent it to his friend who sometimes stays here when he is over this way. His friend said , “I guess I will have to sleep on the floor now”. Joshua told hm he could sleep on Grandpa’s recliner and maybe he’d pick up Grandpa’s golf talent.

That started cleaning out broken or unwanted things and rearranging furniture for new sofas. As I moved things around I took everything off bookcases so I could move them. I didn’t realize how many books I had until I took them of the shelves. Oh my goodness! Let’s just say, I like to read. The sad part is that I can no longer see well enough to read “printed” books so those books would never be read by me again. ( I now read ebooks) I started sorting the books and ended up with three bags full of books to donate to GoodWill. However, I kept my favorites.

The day the new sofas came, my mom came over to see. She also helped me rearrange the books I had kept. I had already gotten rid of the three bags full of books for Good Will but still had many favorites left. She said, “Shannon, why are you keeping all those books if you can’t see them to read again”? She had a good point. When she left I went through what remained again and pulled out some great devotioals, and encouraging books. I sat those aside to take to the homeless ministry. I put some of my favorite series of Christian fiction aside and I’m trying to figure out what to do with those. It does feel good to be getting rid of things I won’t use again and someone else might enjoy them.

Last night when I went to the homeless ministry to help serve dinner and teach a devotion, I brought the bag of devotional and encouraging books with me and set them up on the table. They were quickly taken. It turned out that quite a few of them like to read. Maybe next week I can bring some of the Christian fiction books I have for them to enjoy. We also have Bibles for anyone who might want one. Last night I offered a Bible to a young man. He asked , “How much?” I told him it was free and he was welcome to have one. He took one and I pray he reads it. God’s Word is alive and active!

Now the next purge should be the closet, as I switch around seasonal clothes. Maybe I’ll end up with more things to share with our homeless friends. Then we definitely need to go through the attic. Oh my gosh! ! The thing about the attic, the dust sets off my allergies and my eyes end up puffy and I end up sneezing constantly. But it has to be done.

I honestly don’t go into the attic much. Two months ago was actually the first time I went in this year. I was wondering why Christmas things were right inside the attic door, blocking my entrance. Then I remembered my fall on ice last January, obtaining a compression fracture to my lower back. That was immediately followed bye covid, flu A and flu B: so I never did any decorating this year until Fall. I guess. I’m going to have to get some safety goggles and mask for the attic job. Hopefully I will get up there before Christmas when the attic is cooler.

Mom said I was sort of a hoarder but I beg to differ. With my visua issues it makes the job of getting rid of stuff so much longer. For example, going through the books, I had to take them to my video magnifying machine to see what some of them said. It just makes a tedious job way more annoying. I’m just being honest here. The thing is, the longer you live, if you don’t occasionally rid yourself of things, it piles up then is overwhelming. Getting rid of the broken furniture has set the “purging ball” rolling. Wish me luck as I continue with the task.

On a totally different note, we can also purge ourselves of unnecessary personal spiritual baggage that weighs us down. That was kind of my topic for the devotion I shared last night: Uprooting bitterness in our hearts. God gives us a new day, the present that is a gift. We are meant to walk in the freedom He gives, not weighed down by bitterness and past hurts. Bitterness tells us to remember the hurt. Grace says to remember the cross of Jesus. People are prone to making mistakes. No one is perfect. We need to adjust our expectations accordingly. Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭34‬ says, “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.” (NLT‬‬) Another scripture I shared was Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭31 that says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” (NLT) My husband Ron and I were talking about the devotion last night. He said you can see in the peoples faces that many are searching for the truth. God grant us all the ability to pour Your truth out for the “thirsty”. Please pray as the Lord leads for direction, wisdom and all seeds planted will take root and produce a harvest for the glory of God.

Now back to my purging of stuff. Have a blessed beyond measure kind of day. You are loved.

http://www.shannonkhinson.com

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Perfectly imperfect

October 13, 2025Leave a Comment

Good friends are treasures. They are hard to find but when you find them, you’ve found a prize. The above picture was taken in October 2019. All 6 of my closest girlfriends were on the trip but two aren’’t in this picture. We had gathered on the porch for a group picture. My parents were up for the day and my Mom took the pictures. The story behind this picture: it was starting to drizzle and Leasa who was behind me, was trying to get me to move down the steps into the drizzle. The picture looks like she’s pushing me because I was resisting. The picture was an “accident” but is hilarious. I always say that picture is so “us”.

We’ve all been friends for a long time and have experienced different seasons of life together. We’ve studied the Bible together, laughed until we cried together, gone on trips and celebrated birthdays. We occasionally get on one another’s nerves, but we let it go. We are not perfect but we love unconditionally. That’s the beauty of true friends. You take the good and the not so good, and put it all together and end up with a truly unique group of sisters.

The Bible says in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” ‭(ESV‬‬) True friends love through misunderstandings. True friends forgive and let it go. You can be your genuine self with friends, not worrying about what they think. A true friend knows your strengths and weaknesses and accepts you anyway. An example of this is us girls playing UNO with extra large cards so I can easily see them. See the below picture.

With true friends you don’t have to take yourselves too seriously. Laughter is good for the soul and we sure do laugh a lot together. We’ve taken so many pictures of so many memories: spontaneous shopping days, LONG 3 hour lunch chat sessions and more.

God places special people in your life to share life experiences with: the good and the not so good. Friends you can depend on to be there and pray. Friends who will help you get your mind off “life” and escape for some much needed fun. Cherish those treasures in your life. Friends truly are a gift from God. So thankful

http://www.shannonkhinson.com

Sheeple

October 5, 2025Leave a Comment

Just a “heads up”, this is NOT a political post. Actually, it’s far from that. I have put off blogging this week. Just praying, thinking and praying some more. Truth is, I’ve been thinking about sheep. How random is that? But I honestly can be “off the wall random” at times. Stick with me as I process this.

Let’s talk about sheep. Not long ago I read a Charles Martin book called The Keeper. In that book, one of the characters repeatedly asks,”What do you know about sheep?” I did a google search just out of curiosity and turns out sheep are quite intriguing. According to http://www.four-paws.org sheep are quite intelligent and have impressive memory. They can recognize other sheep and human faces. Sheep recognize emotions by facial expressions and prefer a smile over a frown. Sheep also developed friendships, sticking up for each other and show sadness. ( https://www.four-paws.org/campaigns-topics/topics/farm-animals/10-facts-about-sheep ) I also discovered sheep have strong flocking and following instincts, being highly social and docile, meaning submissive and willing to accept control. These animals have some fascinating features including their unique eyesight and scent glands not only on their faces but also hind paws. Google for more information on those things. For the sake of this blog, I’m going to stick with the above.

What is so interesting is the Bible refers to us as sheep. Let’s look at Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (NKJV‬‬) Here is another verse referring to us like sheep. “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭3‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬). I could actually reference quite a few verses here, but let’s look back at that list of characteristics. People and sheep do seem to have quite a bit in common and we do accept control and are submissive when persuaded. Thus the term “sheeple”. If you look up that word online it will say people who are like sheep being foolish, docile and easily led. Um…. sounds familiar. We are in need of Jesus. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John‬ ‭10‬:‭11‬ ‭(NKJV). The comforting image in the Bible of Jesus being our Shepherd, protecting and guiding us. He will leave the 99 to go after one lost sheep who has wandered off. (See Luke 15:4-7) We all need the guidance and loving protection of Jesus. Psalms 23 is so beautiful. Let’s consider the first four verses. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭(NKJV). According to these four verses, Jesus takes care of our needs, as He leads us along the paths of righteousness. Yes He does have to use His rod and staff to guide and direct us. We get out of hand sometimes, but He is always willing to bring us back into the fold. Even when we are going through hard and difficult times, we don’t have to walk in fear. He comforts us. Let’s not be stubborn in our walk but rather submit to His Lordship and pursue a deep satisfying relationship with our Savior.

This is what’s been on my heart lately. I kept thinking and praying about the next thing to do a devotion on with our homeless and low income friends. “What do you know about sheep?”, kept coming to mind. Unless God changes my direction, my blog notes will end up being the devotion notes for Wednesday night. I think I’ll add a music video to end this blog. Be blessed this week and listen closely to the voice of Jesus as He directs our paths.
http://www.Shannonkhinson.com

Lessons from a kayak outting

September 25, 2025September 25, 2025Leave a Comment

Our “turning point”: Atlantic Ocean to the right and Intercoastal Waterway to the left.

I love when you can find Bible principles in hobbies you enjoy. Today I used kayaking as an illustration for the Bible verses I shared. Wednesdays find me helping with a low income and homeless ministry where we feed the people and I give a short devotion. It’s an honor to be a part of this ministry. I aim to show compassion and transparency, being mindful that none of us are perfect. I demonstrate a need for God’s strength in a daily way. We all have different circumstances, however we can encourage each other, especially through the Bible.

Recently I came across a post on social media that was talking about what makes a boat sink. It’s not the water around the boat, but the water that gets inside the boat, that weighs it down. That made me think of our kayaking outting last Friday. My friend Leasa and I took kayaks out on the coastal canal and intercoastal waterway. Before we set off, we checked the kayaks for water that was inside. Turning the kayaks long way up and unplugging to release internal water, before plugging them again.

For some reason I knew there was a Bible principle there. I texted my friend Amy and told her I was looking for a Bible reference and explained what I was thinking. She referred me to Hebrew 12:1 which says, ”Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (ESV). Sin can be like water in a kayak. Sin can weigh us down. One sin can lead to another and before you know it you are spiritually drowning. Sins cling to us, kind of like bad habits. We need Jesus forgiveness and strength to say no to sin.

I went back to the kayaking illustration. Once we were paddling along the canal we had to “keep our eye on the goal”. At the end of the canal we would turn a left corner and head back along the Intercoastal Waterway. On the canal we had to paddle hard against the tide. We had to “look beyond” the momentary resistance of the tide and remember the “turning point” was ahead, way ahead. Life is like that. We have to keep our spiritual eyes on Jesus, enduring the momentary circumstances and hardships we find ourselves in. As Christians, this world is not our home. We keep our eyes focused on Jesus, who will strengthen us and see us through this journey called life. I continued with Hebrews 12:2. “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (ESV‬‬) I explained how Jesus endured the cross, knowing what was coming, He looked beyond it to the joy that was before Him. He knew He was providing redemption for all mankind. He was making a way for us to be with Him forever with The Father, through His sacrifice on the cross. We too, must look beyond our hardships towards the prize to which we are called. I encouraged everyone to keep their eyes on Jesus and if they didn’t know Jesus, we’d be happy to pray with them.

I love this opportunity to serve each week. Ron and I were talking on the drive there today. I told him a lot of people won’t take the time for low income and homeless people but they are worthy of compassion and kindness too. Showing compassion toward the vulnerable expresses a faith that is genuine. James 1:27 emphasizes this point. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (ESV‬‬). So thankful for this opportunity to serve. I encourage you to look for a ministry, church or organization to serve others. As we serve the least of these, we in turn are serving the Lord. Your heart will swell with joy as you minister comfort to others.

Be blessed and better yet, Be a Blessing! You are loved!

http://www.shannonkhinson.com.

Gotta Love It

September 21, 2025September 21, 2025Leave a Comment

Screenshot of Charlie Kirk’s Memeorial service today.

Truth be told, I am too tired to blog today but after seeing this point in history my exhaustion is going to have to momentarily step aside. I returned home last night from my week away with my deaf girlfriends. Going from one sensory dominance of using vision even though mine is low, (the irony) to being back home where I rely on auditory sensory dominance thanks to my cochlear implant…… I am physically and mentally worn out today. For anyone who doesn’t know, I am legally blind and deaf without my cochlear implant processor on.

This morning I did watch our early church service and will need to watch it again to fully ”get it”. Other than that, I’ve just rested all day. Too tired to nap. I did want to tune in to Charlie Kirk’s Memorial service and I’m so glad I did! I only watched a short bit of it because I truly am exhausted, I did want to see “history in the making”. I also wanted to see Genesis 50:20 in modern times playing out before our very eyes! My spirit is revived seeing “God turning this around”!!!! “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”Genesis‬ ‭50‬:‭20‬ ‭(ESV‬) Won’t He do it!!! You see, what the enemy meant for harm, God is turning around for HIS GLORY!!! Halllelujah!!! That State Farm Stadium was maxed out with people giving tribute to a Legend who loved God and stood for our freedoms! Look at God!!! AND……. thousands and thousands more were outside the stadium!!!! AND…… it was televised to millions!!!!! Thank you Lord for bringing good out of this evil act that was committed when your servant Charlie Kirk was assissinated. Thank you for bringing Glory to Your name through this horrible violence.

Two weeks ago it was a rough week with all that was going on in the nation plus some personal things. The beach trip was much needed. After a shift from rough week mode, to restful vacation mode, back to real life mode, I will be “good to go” soon. Seeing part of the Memeorial service today brought joy to my heart and Praise to my Lord. I was told two weeks ago by a childhood friend who though is a Christian but a polar opposite in political beliefs, that she was on the “right” side of this mess. I just let it go. I can’t change people’s minds but I can pray that God opens spiritual eyes to see things as they really are and stand for unity in Christ. All we can do is PRAY, BE STILL and WATCH THE SALVATION OF THE LORD!

And (I know I’m not supposed to start a sentence with and….. oh well) as is my usual state of being, a song is playing in my heart and it’s probably not the right words. 😂Can’t wait until I get to Heaven so I can sing with the Saints and not have to just move my lips because I can’t carry a tune, until then ”I’m calling on the name, that changes everything. God turn it around, God turn it around, God turn it around….. all of my hope is in the name, the name of Jesus. Victory comes, comes in the name, the name of Jesus”. Umm….. well I think that’s how it goes. That’s how it’s going in my heart right now. As I said I’m tired. Going to sent this off to publish and go rest!!! Excited to see what God’s going to do. I asked Siri to show me a picture of God stomping on the enemy and the below pictures came up. So timely!!!! Be Blessed!

Calculating the Tides

September 18, 2025September 18, 2025Leave a Comment

Today was a different kind of day at the beach. Everyday this week we have gone to the beach and just sat for hours talking, feeding seagulls and soaking up the sun. Today Leasa and I took the kayaks out in the canal. We looked at the tide chart trying to decide the best time to go. Paddling against the tide can be very tiring so we wanted to choose wisely the timing of going. High tide is the easiest time to go but high tide was around 6:00 pm which was a little bit late. We decided to try between low and high tide.

This was my first kayaking outing this year. However I didn’t bring the old cochlear implant processor I use for water activities so I heard nothing while we were out on the water today. I prefer to be able to hear boats and even yelling if my friend is trying to get my attention. She did try to get my attention but I didn’t notice. I told her to stick her paddle up in the air if she wanted to tell me something and I would paddle towards where she was. I can’t see real far but I can a paddle sticking up in the air. We were against the tide half of our course which was a bit tiring. I told her we could turn around if she wanted, but we decided to go for it and reach the turning point. The way back was much easier. At one point she was ahead of me going through the tall grasses in the marsh. I saw the rope from the back of her kayak in the water and grabbed it, slightly hindering her progress. 😂 I was cracking up paddling behind her. It was so much fun.

Our half way point with the ocean in the distance.

Returning to the house, we met up with our other friend Lisa Jane and went on a coastal nature hike. That was very interesting and beautiful. There were signs telling the wildlife in the area and the history. Once again we had to be aware of the tide. A couple was finishing as we were starting off and they warned us to stay on the right trail. The tide waters had covered the left trail. We saw on foot how far we had kayaked, since we walked to the point where we had turned the kayaks back towards the house. It seemed longer on foot than on water. When we were returning on our nature hike, the tide had come in some more and we walked a short portion in a puddle. It was a fun way to see the nature in the area, both by water and on foot.

One of the nature trail signs explaining the moons influence on the tides.

Leasa, Lisa and me at the end of the nature trail and the point where we turned the kayaks around on the water.

Tomorrow we will have a regular beach day, sitting by the ocean and soaking up the sun. This has truly been such a relaxing trip and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to just relax with friends and enjoy nature from a coastal perspective. There are all the “attractions” of the beach with shops, shows and museums but taking time to enjoy the natural side of the coast is refreshing.

All photo credits by Leasa P. Be blessed!