encourage – Page 3 – rootedbythewater.blog

🔥While in the FIRE

September 7, 20242 Comments

True to my nature, I wrote the name of this blog well over a month ago. Little by little I added scriptures as they came. For some reason today seems the day to pull it all together. I don’t understand why God has me in this process but I trust Him to accomplish whatever it is that He desires.

First let me say, I have a deep empathy and compassion for those enduring trials of various kinds. I totally understand what it’s like to feel fed up with the medical community. I know what it’s like to see doctor after doctor and to just loose hope in the medical field. But then again, I see how God orchestrated the best care for my brother when he had acute leukemia and is now cancer free! Glory to God!! I’ve seen both sides of it, and I understand.

Right now a childhood friend is enduring one diagnosis after another. I can’t even begin to understand the suffering she is going through and I’ve promised to cover her in prayer. There is another lady that I have never actually met, but is a friend of a friend. This woman is going through extreme pain in her body, her stomach does not work correctly and she has other health issues I can’t even comprehend. Yet these two people have remarkable faith and Jesus is what gets them through the fiery trials they face. While mine have been lifelong, they have not been physically painful like these two precious ladies. My trials with hearing and vision loss have been greatly frustrating and taught me perseverance on a whole different level. I don’t complain. Complaining does nothing good. I told a friend recently I was praying for patience. She wisely counseled me to pray for grace. Developing patience is most often through tribulations. *Lord I’ve had enough of those, I’ll go with Grace if that’s okay. * This same friend has sent me scriptures on miracles and healing. I was reading through those this morning and it brought peace and encouragement. I will post the links to these verses at the end of my blog.

It seems to me the fiery trials of life, whether they be physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, with family or even financial: either make you or break you depending on what you do while “In the fire”. So what do you do when you face hardships?

It is human nature to complain and murmur about what ails you. Try to refrain yourself from doing this. Complaining drags people down that are around you and it changes nothing. Over-thinking is also a big no no! That’s a confession of an “Over-thinker”. My son Joshua often says, “Stop thinking!” It’s become an ongoing joke of sorts. He will hold up his hand right in from of my face indicating “Stop” then finger spell the word “thinking”. It cracks me up every time. Yes I am a “Thinker”. Maybe I should write a blog on “Confessions of a Thinker”

I’ve come across some great Bible verses to guide and direct in these trials of life. Let’s first take a look at I Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭14‬, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.” (NKJV‬‬). Did you catch that? Don’t think it’s strange this thing is happening to you but rejoice that you partake of Christ suffering. *Wow! Ok Lord, I’m trying to listen and learn here. *

Let’s look at Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (NKJV) This tells me to not focus on the trial, but to focus on Jesus and all that is to come through faith in Him.

And still another verse to gleam from is ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ which says: “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” (NKJV‬‬) Here is another verse I’d like to share. Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭71‬, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.” (NKJV‬‬) This is a hard lesson to learn, but it’s true we learn in the trials of suffering. We can learn humility as we look at how Jesus endured whipping for our healing and the cross for our salvation. He who knew no sin, bore our sin for us on the cross so we can be saved through faith in Him.

Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ teaches us another beautiful truth. “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 (‭‭ ‭NKJV‬‬). Keep in mind that your trials are producing eternal things as we continue to focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

While we endure various trails, let us hold tight to Jesus and His Word. I will tell you from experience that it soothes my soul to pray, praise and soak up God’s Word while “in the waiting”. Let me share one last scripture to boost your faith. I love this one so much. Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭31‬, “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” ( ‭NKJV‬‬)

My dear friend Lauren from church has sent me verses on healing and verses on miracles. It is so refreshing to read what God has to say about these topics. She has sent me three different links that are filled with scripture. I have them saved in a note so I can find them and read them easily. I will share them with you here. The first link has 100 verses on healing. https://biblegen.com/healing/ The second link also shared Bible verses on Healing. That link is https://get.tithe.ly/blog/33-bible-verses-about-healing The link she sent yesterday was verses on the topic of miracles. https://dailyverses.net/miracles/kjv I am thankful for her friendship and Godly counsel. That’s another thing, while in the “fires of trials” surround yourself with Godly people who will pray for you, speak the Word of God over you and speak life. I truly believe these friendships make God smile.

If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I really enjoy using this gift God has given me to encourage others. He has me on this life long journey of living with hearing and vision issues. I published my autobiography Rooted by the Water in 2021. You can find it on Amazon in hard cover, soft cover and ebook formats. God has seen me through much and I give Him glory for it all. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.

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Deep Water

May 25, 2024Leave a Comment

I opened You Version App this morning to finish my Bible plan on Revelation. My heart did a little happy dance when I saw Isaiah 43:2 is the verse of the day. “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression,you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

While I love water; whether it’s deep or not, whether it’s a river, ocean,lake or even pool, I enjoy them all. Water is invigorating and soothing at the same time. There is always the element of adventure especially in natural bodies of water. Even the pull of tides, waves and rushing of rapids add excitement.

Let’s symbolically transfer that to real life. Everyday you wake up, you are in the “waters of life”. How do you navigate it? There are the currents, dealing with your abilities or lack there of. There are the safety devices; prayer, praise, self pep talks, the Word of God and good ole common sense. There are the rip tides which you have no control over. For exampl dealing with humanity and all that comes with that. One example of this is being locked out of your iphone. Oh my goodness! From the response of the person, you’d think it was the end of the world. This person came to me all frustrated and I was like, “why are you dumping on me? I’m not an IT person! Just wait until it unlocks. It’s just one hour! Geez!” Another example is a family member losing their wallet recently and oh my word, again the world had come to an end. Thankfully h tracked it down with technology and it had been turned in. Just two simple examples when you have to deal with the “Riptides” of human nature.

I was scrolling through Facebook posts yesterday and saw someone posting about “being over” dealing with people. Sometimes people are just so self centered and unkind and dealing with such can be draining. I encouraged this friend to “let it go” and move on. We can’t control what people do or how they respond but we can control our own response. We can also pray for wisdom because we all need it.

Dealing with low vision and hearing loss is so challenging. If you only knew. I don’t complain because only God can change it. Sometimes I feel I try in vain to understand. I’m always willing to try but I don’t always “get it”. The constant trying can be down right exhausting. I guess that can be like navigating rocks while kayaking down the Catawba River. I see the “rock” or “struggle” and try to strategically maneuver around the issue. You get around it in one way or another. Sometimes you “Hit the rock” and other times you mange to successfully clear it. That’s just life. It can be so tiring at times and you just want to “float” but that can become boring quite quickly and you want to be in the “movement” of life again.

As Isaiah 43:2 reminds me, God is with me through it all. He is with you too! He’s not going to let us drown! He’s going to get us through whatever the day holds. He’s going to help us with people issues and our own logical attempts to understand life. Keep focusing on Jesus! Keep praying! Keep spreading love, peace and joy. You’ve got this, because God has you. Deep breath, now exhale! Paddle on!

I love sharing what God puts in my heart. I pray it’s a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to subscribe and pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

The Beauty of Change

May 16, 2024Leave a Comment

It’s been over a week since I published my last blog “Meet the Squabs #200”. Since that post, the baby doves have flown away, embarking o n their new adventures. Truth be told, I was sad to see them go. I had watched the parents and squabs throughout the days. Now the nest is empty. There has been a nest on our porch for the last three years though so perhaps they will choose our porch again.

When Joshua was in his teens I used to joke about our house being the “Hinson Inn”. There was always someone here.You know you got really accustomed to people over when you would forget to close the bathroom door. At one point I even thought of putting a sign saying, “No Vacancy, Drive On”, but of course we never did. Being a parent is one of the greatest gifts and each change can be beautiful. When Joshua “flew the coop” several years ago and lived in Arizona for a while, that was a hard but beautiful thing to witness.

Each stage in life brings its challenges and beauty. I guess it’s all in how you look at things. When you look for the good, you are more likely to find it. When you look through “a critical lens”, no one measures up.

That’s one of the beautiful things about being a Mother. (I meant to write a blog in honor of Mother’s Day but I never got around to it so I will touch on that here.) Being a Mother is a God opportunity and priveledge to pour into your child no matter what their age. My Mom still does that and she is 81 years old. I know she’s always there and that is a comfort and joy. Joshua knows the same is true about me.

Now that Joshua has moved home and will be starting Massage Therapy school in June, we again have this gift of opportunity to pour into him. I’m beyond thankful he chose to not move to Florida with his roommates. God has him on a different path now. I told my husband Ron that Joshua sees how we respond to situations. For example, he has seen my heart for serving others. He jokingly asked me last week how much I was getting paid for the various things I do. I looked at him and said, I don’t do this for money. My reward is in Heaven. Blogging, teaching, serving in ministry to the less fortunate and serving my family cost me something but I don’t get paid for it in earthly things but the treasures I receive through smiles, seeing growth, encouraging others, being molded by Jesus into what He desires, is priceless.

Joshua also sees my response to situations that are less than appealing. Everyone has to deal with the flesh and how we humanly would like to respond but know God desires a godly response. Joshua said to me a couple of weeks ago, “Mom you don’t have to be a Saint 24/7”. I responded, “God is always watching.” As a parent, teacher, volunteer, friend or whatever our role, we have this god given opportunity to respond in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. No matter how hard it is at the moment, we can choose to die to the flesh and live according to the Spirit.

Which brings me to the beauty of change when we “let go and let God”. Last week we finally finished our “Women of the Bible” study. I would have never thought I could do that. I kind of “fought God” with yielding to Him in the process because it required large chunks of my time and, preparation, and memorization BUT HE ENABLED me to do it when I let go and said “okay Lord I will do this”. He taught me much in that surrender and submission to His desires. I witnessed the beauty of change in not only myself but in the other girl’s in our Bible study. We are created with His purpose in mind for such a time as this. Wherever He has you, submit to His desires. It is so worth all the stretching.

Our next study is potentially Revelation. That is such a daunting topic because I know little about it. Another girl in our group would like to lead this one and I am encouraging her all the way. She is more of a “visual teacher” which is great because we have some “Visual learners” but she wants me to help. I told her “she can do this” but of course I’ll do whatever she needs to support the effort. We can “tag team” it. We are looking forward to this change and can’t wait to see what God will reveal to us.

I’m also looking forward to this new season Joshua is entering. I know it won’t be an easy one but I intend to pray him through it. We will move forward trusting God to guide the way and open or close doors that should or shouldn’t be entered.

What a privilege to witness change unfolding right before your eyes. Remember “beauty lies in the eys of the beholder” so if you want to witness the beauty of change, adjust those “lens” and ask God to reveal it to you. It’s there, you have to look for it sometimes.

The “rooms” of your heart

April 27, 2024Leave a Comment

I wasn’t intending to blog this morning but I’ve ben working on my “heart”. Let me explain just a bit. Our Bible study group is on our very last lesson in our current book. We have been studying about God’s plan for men and women and the role of a submissive wife.

This week we had an excellent discussion and went “off course” just a bit to talk about the “rooms in our heart. Submission doesn’t just happen in a marriage. We are first to submit to God as Lord of our lives.

The Lord dropped something into Tami’s heart and it was a “hands on visual” activity to help us to understand what’s in our hearts and what we have or have not surrendered to God’s control. Tami drew some hearts for us with different rooms for us to fill in. It’s really an eye opening exercise. I will put a copy of one of the hearts that you can screenshot and fill in digitally like I did.

This is what Tami gave our Bible study to fill out under the direction of the Lord.

Psalms 139 is one of my many favorite chapters in the Bible. I have many. In this chapter the following two verses can be found. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬). It’s amazing what God can show you when you are open to Him. There are some rooms in my heart that I believe I have give Him control over. There are also rooms I offer to Him then unintentionally grab back. For example let’s look at worry. While I don’t make it a habit to constantly worry. After all the Bible tells us in Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭25‬-‭26‬, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” *(NLT‬) I see a reminder of this everyday when I look out the window and see the mourning dove momma sitting on her nest right outside my window. Recently we had an unusually cold day and while I can’t see that well, I noticed the dove was kind of hunched up and moving. I asked my husband Ron to take a look and he said it was shivering because it was cold. I felt bad for the little dove sitting on her nest but God takes care of her. While I do’t worry about material things, I do worry about situations and people. I have to give that over to the Lord daily. Lord help me not to snatch it back but leave it in your hands.

Here’s one more example: a little bitter root. Bitter? Who me? Ok just hear me out. I don’t think I’m bitter for the most part. I’m grateful for so many things. But when I think of my low hearing and vision and see my son dealing with similar (but not as bad) issues I can’t help but t have just a tiny bit of…. Can I even admit it….. bitterness. There is a lot of “whyLord “. Sure, I have given it to the Lord millions of times and I’m doing so much better in this area but there is still a tiny bitter root that God needs to help me uproot and burn. That’s just two examples of my “heart” I’m filling out. I will even share with you what I have so far. We will never be perfect but we CAN choose to seek God first in all things.

So today once again, I’m starting off in worship, prayer , meditating on the goodness of God and His precious Word. Hebrew 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”(NKJV‬‬)

Out of the blue, I just started singing out loud…. (The guys aren’t here) It is my desire to honor you Lord, with all that is within me I worship you. All that is within me, I give you Praise. All that I adore is in You. I give you my heart, I give you my soul. I live for you alone. Every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake…. Lord have your way in me. I believe the song is called “I Give You my heart.” Knowing me, my lyrics are slightly off but it’s what I’m singing anyway.

So what about you? What do you have in the rooms of your heart? Are you willing to open the door and let God enter and clean it out? We are human and will never be perfect but we can live our life surrendered to God and His Lordship. I will tell you the truth, He fills me with so much joy sometimes it is just amazing. I struggle with many things but I attempt to give them to Him everyday. I know He is sovereign over all and can be fully trusted. Have a wonderful weekend.

I pray this blog post has been a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. Push through. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.
Www.shannonkhinson.com

When you PUSH through

April 9, 2024Leave a Comment

We all encounter things in life that seem to be blocking our path. It could be something hindering you from moving forward. It could also be a lack of resources to reach your goal. I will throw in one more, lacking ability to reach your destination. Whatever the obstacle is, you’ve got to push through or find a way around it.

This week I’ve been studying some of the women of the Gospels. The account of the woman with the bleeding condition in Mark 5 beginning with verse 25, has always resonated with me. I mean the testimony of this women has always stirred me inside since I was young. Why? Well I can relate to suffering from something for many years. I can also relate to seeing many doctors who couldn’t really help. Besides the doctor who did my cochlear implant surgery in 2006, my incredible audiologist, and the doctor who assisted me when our son was born, the rest of them weren’t so helpful. ( well honestly they help with general things but not the hearing and vision issues) I’ve had a total of five eyelids surgeries and found out one was not even needed. That’s a little hint to my wariness of doctors.

As I studied to prepare for our weekly Bible study, once again the woman with the bleeding condition stirred my heart. One thing about teaching on a subject, you end up going a bit deeper. I have seen the story so many times but never really considered how negatively her bleeding condition impacted her life. Back in the Old Testament, people with a continuous discharge of any kind were considered unclean. What they laid on or sat on was unclean. Leviticus 15 explains the Old Testament laws concerning these things.

So this woman has suffered for 12 years with this bleeding condition. She has depleted her financial resources by seeing many doctors who could not help. She in fact got worse. Think of her physical, emotional, social and spiritual distress for 12 long years.

The word had spread of Jesus, His power and healing touch. Everyone must have been talking about Jesus and the special ministry of healing and compassion He shared. The woman heard that Jesus was there and she wanted to touch the edge of His robe. Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ says, “She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.”(NLT‬‬)

That sounds like a pretty bold act of faith on her part. The crowd was pressing in on all side. She was probably weak and tired from blood loss. People in the crowd who knew her were possibly wondering ”Why is she here? She’s unclean”. She obviously didn’t care what the people thought. She was determined to get through the crowd and touch the hem of Jesus robe. She believed. She had great faith and acted n it. As a result she was healed immediately. Everywhere the Bible is shared, the story of her faith can encourage others.

She did not let the stigma of her condition prevent her from pushing through the crowd. She didn’t let her weakened condition or the pressing crowd hinder her. She was determined to push through and touch Jesus.

Is something stopping you from reaching out to Jesus in faith? Are you afraid of what others might think? God wants us to step out in faith. James 2‬:‭22‬ ‭, says, “You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.”(NLT‬‬) James‬ ‭2‬:‭26‬ goes on to say, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”‭‭( NLT‬‬) Lord help us have that kind of faith that moves and acts, believing and trusting you.

Years ago there was a woman at our church with kidney problems. She had gone up to the front of the church for prayer. I felt a prompting to go pray for her but I resisted. I was like, “Lord who am I to go pray for her?Can’t I pray for here from where I am?” A period of time passed and there was an altar call at another church service. Many people had gone forward for prayer and the lady was on the stage. Once again I felt a prompting to go up and pray for her. This time I obeyed. She told me later she had the best week following that.
What if we always acted promptly in faith, believing God for the impossible? Just like the woman with the bleeding condition who was determined to act in faith. The more we get to know Jesus and spend time in His Word (the Bible)the more likely we will walk in genuine faith. Praying, acting in faith, and watching to see what only God can do. He is God of the impossible. I love Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”(NLT‬‬)

Be Kind

March 13, 2024Leave a Comment

As I get older, thankfully I’ve gained some wisdom along the way. I finally stopped coloring my hair and my word… it is full of gray, much more than I realized. But I’d like to thank I’v earned each one of them.

God has taught me many things in life. I wish I had been quicker in learning some of them when I was younger. Mistakes are a great teacher. Live and learn and pass on the gleamed wisdom to the next generation.

One thing I have learned in life is to be the kind of person you’d like to be friends with. If you want to meet kind and compassionate people, be kind and compassionate. If you long to find a good listener who speaks life into your situations, be that kind of person to others.

I absolutely love to serve others. It is something I can do and it makes my heart happy. Today as I prepared the beans for the homeless ministry that we have gotten involved with, it made me happy to contribute in some way. As we served in Rock Hill this evening, I saw one of our new homeless friends and I called out his name in greeting. Everyone is deserving of kindness. It doesn’t matter the situation just be kind.

Another thing I’ve learned in life is to reach out to others. Earlier today I was in our home office doing Bible study and making notes to share. I also texted several different people to encourage them or let them know I was thinking about them. I told Ron, “Just imagine if I could hear well enough to talk to people on the phone.” He laughed. Honestly it makes people feel good when they are thought of. The heart does a happy dance when you know people love and care. Reach out and encourage people. Imagine how much better the world would be if people did that more.

Another value lesson I’ve learned is to know my limits. Last week was honestly too busy. Being hearing and visually impaired is tiring on a day to day basis. I have to work to understand. It takes longer to do things but I love the challenge. It is just a fact of life. However I refuse to “sit on the sidelines”. I prefer to LIVE. So besides the usual day to day, I also did Food pantry volunteering, RiceNBeans cooking and outreach and prepped and taught a long Bible study. With the high pollen here in South Carolina my allergies had flared up and my eyes were so very DRY. This made seeing my notes that were “zoomed in large” hard to see. I had signed up to participate in a 5K at our church but it was forecast to rain. I was exhausted. I felt the rain was God giving me an “out” for the 5K. Im sad I missed it but I was beyond my limit and I needed rest. This week I’m back at it but asked the Bible study girls if we could divid the lessons in two parts. It’s more manageable for me and gives us more of a chance to discuss life application. It’s okay to ask for a favor. It’s more than okay to request prayer. It’s okay to say “I’m sorry I can’t but will join next time.”

It is also fine to not see “eye to eye”with everyone about everything. Healthy calm discussions are needed. We have a generation that is so confused by nonsense in our culture and easily offended. It’s important to have the “hard talks” and pass along wise council. Just be sure to do it respectfully, trying to see the other persons point of view. There are so many angles to view a situation.

It’s also vital to demonstrate leadership skills and a faithful walk with Jesus. The other night I had a rare opportunity of a deep talk with our son. Those talks don’t happen often since he is grown and own his own. As I listened to his hopes and dreams and how he wanted to move forward, I had to seize that opportunity to stress the importance of bringing God into each of those decisions. Our kids no matter the age need to know how much they are loved. I said, “ God loves you so much. Way more than me and dad. Imagine that.” Each and every decision God wants to be a part of. You know you can talk to God about anything. Our Abba Father cares about every thing. I told Joshua, “ You can pray that God will open a door or opportunity or close it, after all He knows what’s behind each door.” Love, direct and pray over your kids no matter what their age. They are a treasure from the Lord.

There is so much more but I will end with this last thing. Trust God. God is working even when we don’t see it. Last week at Bible study the oldest in our group shared the idea of God weaving a beautiful masterpiece. Each one of us is a
“thread”. We all come together as God chooses, as a little part of the bigger masterpiece. Isn’t that beautiful? She’s raised three kids and has a bunch of grandkids. She shares the wisdom she’s gleamed in many trails. I know I can always ask her for prayer. Recently when a situation was discouraging, I texted her and asked her to pray. She reminded me that “God was busy weaving”, He is always working on us. Trusting is hard especially when you don’t yet “see” the answers to your prayers. Just know God is working out His best and while we don’t see the BIG PICTURE, He does. He will bring it all together. Just trust Him.

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

Full court press

December 6, 2023December 6, 2023Leave a Comment

A few Sundays ago the term “ full court press” dropped in my spirit. I’m talking out of the blue this basketball term came to mind and I haven’t watched a game in quite a while. I was pretty certain I knew what it meant but asked on social media anyway to see what people said. As different people described the strategy, I realized that it’s kind of like ALL OUT DEFENSE, all the way down the court. I sensed there was a spiritual element to this which was why I began thinking about it. Opening up my “notes app”, I typed “full court press” and left the note blank.

As a few weeks passed by I came across scripture in my daily reading and added them to my note, not knowing how I was to pull this together. Not only has this basketball strategy been on my mind, also a few different events have happened. Last Sunday my Pastor preached a message titled Next Generation. Then yesterday my husband Ron was talking to a friend at the gym. As they walked side by side on treadmills the man told Ron about people in his church. Sounds like many went to church but their everyday lives weren’t lived as Christians. That’s what I call a “Sunday morning Christian”. Then another person shared with me that her adult son says all she talks about is God.

Truth be told, my own son has said the same about us before. If I remember correctly, I explained it by saying when someone fully completely surrenders to Jesus, He is all that matters. Israel & New Breed have a song titled Jesus at the Center. The lyric as so moving. I will post a YouTube music video at the end of this blog so you can listen.

So how does this all tie in together? We need a ”full court press”, all out defense, when it comes to life and dealing with the devil and his deception. The devil sits on the sidelines eating popcorn, while Team Christian are playing their own game, not listening to The Coach Jesus! Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭says, “Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master.”(MSG‬‬). Folks, this is serious business. It’s time to pray like never before. Being a Christian is all about having a relationship with Jesus. You can’t have a relationship if you don’t spend time with someone and value time spent together. God wants all of you. Not just the parts you are willing to share with Him. Come on! Generations are at stake. The world needs to see our love for God and our surrender. Our walk needs to match our talk. 1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭ tells us, “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” ‭‭(NLT‬‬)

It’s past time for a “full court press”, all out defense. I see people struggling to live victoriously. In all honesty, we can’t do it alone. We need to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Today I read the following scripture: “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ (NLT‬‬)

I know life is tough. It’s easy to focus on struggles and problems. What we need to do is get over ourselves. Thinking of ourselves less, frees us to focus on Jesus and the things that are of Him. 1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6 -9‬ says, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” (NLT‬‬)

Let’s rise up and seek the Lord like never before. Walk in unity and love. Pray and praise your way through each day. Build up your brothers and sisters in Christ. Let’s let our light shine for Jesus glory. Full court press, all out defense…. from the moment you wake up until you lay your head down at night. Defense! All throughout your day. Let’s go! The world is watching. Team huddle…1,2,3…all for JESUS!

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Fix your eyes

October 30, 2023Leave a Comment

In the daily grind, what do you fix you eyes and thoughts on? Today I realized that my daily Bible reading, parts of my weekly Bible study group lesson and a recently message from our Pastor have all aligned. That is a sure sign to pay attention.

Life happens to all of us. There are good times, not so good times and all together tough times. Remember at times our circumstances are beyond our control, but they are never beyond the control of God. We always have Jesus. If you are a Christian you have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, alive and working in you who believe. Rise up and fix your eyes on Jesus.

I was talking to someone today who is a strong believer. As Christians we walk around with a target on our back. The enemy wants to trip us up so we fall flat on our faces. He is good at his deceptive schemes and lies. We have to stay in the Word of God, reading it daily so we can put him in his place. When Jesus was tempted by the devil, every single time He used scripture to rebuke the enemy. Jesus set an example for us. Read the Word of God, memorize it and use it.

As I was listening to this person, they related some things from the past. (And I do mean PAS). I asked, “Have you confessed these things to the Lord and repented from these things?” The answer was “yes”. I saw the enemy at work and told the person to take authority over it in the name of Jesus. Don’t let the devil dangle your past in your face when your Heavenly Father has forgiven you and forgotten all about it. Whew! That enemy has some nerve!

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have to pray without ceasing, in this perverted world we live in. Jesus Christ died for us on the cross. When we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive us from unrighteousness. Stay in prayer. Stay inn fellowship with other believers. We need the community of believers. We need to encourage each other. Hebrews 12:1- 2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”(‬ ‭NLT)‬‬

When facing life’s struggles it is best to turn your eyes on Jesus Christ and allow His life in you to overcome your flesh. Check our Galatians 2 20, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”(NLT‬‬)

You see it is Christ living in us that allows us to rise above the circumstances of life we can’t handle. We can’t handle them but He can. Everyday read the Bible even if you don’t feel like it. Do it anyway. Everyday pray. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James‬ ‭5‬:‭16 says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”(‭NLT‬‬) Stay in fellowship with believers. With Jesus we have already overcome. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Stay the course. Stay strong. You will overcome. Be Blessed.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

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What is your aim?

October 4, 2023Leave a Comment

Has it ever crossed your mind what your aim is in life? During different stages of life my aim has changed. Currently I’m happy when I make it through the day, still standing, with a sense of humor. The last few months have thrown some “ugly pitches” (and no I don’t like baseball). Things pertaining to my experience living with hearing and visual issues I can share. Other situations when I’m along for the ”rollercoaster ride” with a different role, I’m not able to share. Whether it’s the role of wife, mom, Bible study member or whatever, I want to be ”all I need to be” in every role.

Truth be told, it can be exhausting. Recently my husband and I were sitting at the kitchen table talking after dinner. I told him I felt so tired and drained. (granted, we have had quite some hurdles lately in life) I explained when I’m with deaf people my eyes are strained trying to see sign language. When I’m with hearing people, I’m trying hard to understand and I can only do so much in that area. When I’m doing Bible reading my iPad is zoomed in large on YouVetsion app. When I’m doing Bible study, I’m sitting at my video magnifier with the study book, making notes for the girls in the group on my ipad, looking up scripture and words to explain meaning. When it’s all combined I feel overwhelmed by it all. God has really opened my husbands eyes to see how I feel and it’s so nice to be understood. As we sat there talking, I admitted that I would probably not be where I am spiritually if I could hear and see everything. God has me at a place where I depend heavily on Him for strength, courage and resilience. Is it hard? YES! Is it worth the struggle? Oh YES! While it is hard, I am at a point where I feel the eternal benefits of my limitations. I don’t have all the distractions of the world to compete with my focus on Jesus. My aim is to serve Jesus. I love how Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭29‬ ‭puts it: “That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.”(NLT) (As a true Southern would say, “now ain’t that the truth!)

My aim is to be pleasing to the Lord in whatever role I am in. So often my prayer is, “Lord I can’t do this. You’re going to have to help me.” God has given me a sensitive heart to the needs of those around me.

Two days ago I had lunch with a friend at Chick-fil-A. As we were talking (sign language) one of the employees was persistently trying to help us. As I observed his mannerism I realized he was special needs. It dawned on me that he was connected to us because we too are “different”. My friend and I are both hearing impaired. It took extra effort to understand him but I tried my best. It’s my desire to bless those around me. 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭9 says,“Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.” ‬ ‭(NKJV)

Sometimes God gives us opportunities that we don’t feel equipped for. About a month ago my Bible study group asked me to lead the study we are doing. While I do much study on my own and God has taught me much, I still feel inadequate. You need to be able to see the book to teach. You need to be able to read scripture. I was like… but Lord I can’t do this! Two in our group are completely deaf and I know the book is a bit of a challenge. While I can’t carry my video magnifier around to use to teach, I figured I could make good notes on my iPad and zoom in to teach from those notes. As I work on the notes and lessons, I ask God to help me simplify it in a way to get the message across in an understandable way. Defining any words to bring the meaning to life for them. Today was our third lesson and somehow with Gods help I am doing it. One friend gave me a ride home afterwards and mentioned I was doing well. I was pretty stunned. I told her right before our time to get together I said , “Lord help me do this. I need your help.” I will never understand how God works but I know from experience when we make ourselves available, He will pour into us and use us for His glory. Psalms 32‬:‭8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.”(NKJV‬‬)

While my hearing and visual senses are way off, I am grateful the Lord gives me spiritual aim to keep my focus on what’s important in life. I love Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭24: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”(NKJV) That’s what it’s all about. Let your aim be high and you true focus on Jesus. He will take you places in life you otherwise would never attain.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

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He sees me!

September 18, 2023Leave a Comment

When you dig deep, revelations come to light. Some people read the Bible on a “surface level”. You know just read a few verses and give yourself a check mark for the day. One check off on my to do list. God wants us to go deeper. He wants to bring things to light as we study. When I read the Bible I invite the Holy Spirit into my quiet time. I invite Him to bring things to light that are hidden. I invite Him to change me for His glory.

My Bible study group has started up again, studying women of the Bible. Lately I have been studying the account of Hagar in Genesis 16. What a fitting place to start. The girls have asked me to teach this go round. It is through Hagar that God reveals Himself as “The God who sees.”

God sure has a sense of humor. If you only knew the inadequacy that I feel in accepting this role. My hearing loss is not an issue since others in the group are deaf and one is hearing. However with my low vision I can not see the book without my video magnifier. Okay Lord you are going to have to really help me! (And that is such an understatement). This is just a little “scratch on the surface”.

As I began the study, I had my iPad out to take notes, iPhone out to use YouVersion for scripture reading and the study book itself. I put it all under the video magnifier except my iPad. (which is always zoomed large.) I figured I could use the notes to teach. As it turned out, I felt led to simplify the notes to also share with the group. In all honesty it is a time consuming process but when one friend said it helped her to understand better, it made it worth all the effort. When somone is deaf at a young age, it affects their language skills. This is going to be a team effort. Where I lack good vision, they see well. Where they may lack fluent English skills, I can help there. My friend Tami said she would be my eyes. So this week we will go over our first chapter on Hagar.

Speaking of Hagar, what an ironic place to start. Let me briefly sum up Genesis 16 if you’re not familiar with the story. God reveals Himself to Abraham and tells him to leave his place of birth for an unknown land God would give him (Canaan). Once Abraham and Sarah reached the land, there was a severe famine so they lived temporarily in Egypt. Abraham asked Sarah to tell the Egyptians she was his sister because she was very beautiful. Using this deception shows Abraham did not fully trust God with their protection in Egypt. Sarah was brought to Pharaoh and he gave Abraham servants and animals. This is how they gotHagar, Sarah’s servant. God sent a plague on pharaoh because of Sarah, so he sent them away. They returned to Canaan and settled there. God had made a promise to Abraham, that he would be the father of many nations yet Abraham and Sarah had no children and were very very old. Sarah came up with a plan to “help God out” by taking Hagar and giving her to Abraham as a wife so she could have children for her. This was not God idea but a shortcut to the goal. God doesn’t want our help. He wants our obedience. Hagar conceived then despises Sarah, who then blames Abraham for the problems with Hagar. Sarah mistreats Hagar and she flees to the wilderness. There the Angel of the Lord finds her and reveals Himself to her. God reveals Himself as El Roi, the God who sees.

That was the shortest version of Genesis 16 I could share. Please refer to the scripture if you aren’t familiar with the story.

One of the key lessons I learned from Hagar is “God sees me”. He sees me when I hurt. He sees me when I fall short. He sees when my attitude isn’t right. He sees the good, the bad and the ugly, yet He loves me.

Recently I came Isaiah‬ ‭48‬:‭10 that says, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”(NKJV) Yeah Lord I surely know. In all honesty I do find myself wondering, “God do you see all this? There are many afflictions in life that not only touch me but also my family. Like Hagar I find myself crying out to God. Yet I know God is sovereign. He is in complete control. I can fully trust Him. He is with us regardless of what we go through. We are never alone. There is scripture in Isaiah that touches me deeply. “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭1-2‬ ‭(NKJV)

I find this to be very encouraging. I know I’m not alone. There are many going through hard difficulties right now. God sees us. I don’t know the whys. All I know is to trust Him and live in obedience for His glory. When He opens a door, even if you don’t feel adequate, step forward! He will meet you there. So this week I’m going to be obedient and lesd Bible study. Well honestly, I’m going to be a willing empty vessel for Him to fill and pour into others. God is doing a deep work in my heart. It’s hard and humbling but I’m grateful. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

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