#Godwins – Page 3 – rootedbythewater.blog

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

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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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!

Forrest “Rang the Bell” 🙌🏼🙌🏼

August 26, 2025Leave a Comment

Today marks a significant day! It was my brother Forrest’s “Bone Marrow Birthday”. Today marks five year since his bone marrow transplant back in August 2020. All Glory to God! Such a miracle and the family is so thankful. Today as he and his wife went to Duke for his appointment, everything turned out great. From what I understand, Duke no longer has a bell to ring so when they left Duke, they drove to Charlotte and rang the bell there. Forrest sent me this picture and I love the inscription beside the bell.

I remember clearly sitting on the porch praying for him back in 2020 when they found out he would need a bone marrow transplant. I am so thankful God enabled me to play a small role in his miracle by being a “perfect match”. Thank you Jesus for the many miracles that have happened along this journey Forrest and his family endured. It was a hard journey for them but to see all the blessings God has bestowed on them makes it a beautiful masterpiece of God’s handiwork to behold. Indeed, Miracles do happen!

I wore the “Miracles Happen” bracelet until it wore out.

Many of you have followed my blog from the beginning. Every year on Forrest “Bone Marrow Birthday” I have asked permission to share the joys of another year. This year is no different. We give all praise and glory to God for all He has done! We stand amazed and humbled at His grace and mercy. Thank you Jesus! And thank you all for your prayers along the way.

If you or your loved ones are facing a hard, seemingly impossible situation, let me encourage you to pray and trust God for His best. I love the follow scripture. “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Be Prepared

May 18, 2025Leave a Comment

Truth be told, while watching our early service online this morning I maybe comprehended 65% of what Pastor was saying. We are on puppy duty for the next few days while our son is out of town. His 3 month old puppy Moose is missing his buddy. While Moose loves “crate time” for a couple of hours during the day, Joshua lets him sleep in the bed with him at night. Since last night was the first night of our puppy duty, Moose ended up sleeping with us. He must sleep walk because he sure did move around quite a bit. At one point he was on my pillow chewing of my hair. Needless to say Ron didn’t get much sleep being the light sleeper that he is. I got our dog Joy and the puppy up and told Ron to get some more sleep.

It was the perfect day to watch the early service live from YouTube. I’m so thankful for Bluetooth technology, my Marvel cochlear implant processor and live streaming church services. Moose was a bit blue today missing Joshua. We went out on the deck and he sat with me while I listened to the worship music and softly sang along. We all know I can’t carry a tune, and who knows if the neighbors were out on their porch? I can’t see that far.

I was able to follow Pastor fairly well but there were portions I missed. This is what I got from the message, Be Prepared. Pastor touched on Matthew 25 about the ten bridesmaids who were waiting for the Bridegroom. Five were wise having extra oil for their lamps, while the other five were foolish, bringing no extra oil for their lamps. When the bridegroom was late, the five foolish bridesmaids had run out of oil. Of course they wanted the five wise bridesmaids to share their extra oil but there wasn’t enough for all. We always need to be prepared.

Now is a good time for us to examine our hearts and see where we stand in preparation for the coming of the Lord. Are you ready? So many Christians today are compromised. Can someone look at how you live, your reactions, your attitude, your lifestyle and actually SEE that you are SOLD OUT for JESUS? So many Christians allow a blurred line between what is righteous and what is not. We are called to be separate from the world. People should be able to SEE that we are DIFFERENT! Paul writes the following in 2 Corinthians 6: “Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.” 2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) That’s pretty clear.

Jesus is returning for His Bride , the Church. He could return at anytime. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Sometimes we need to ask ourselves the hard questions. As long as your heart is beating and you have breath in your lungs, you can make a choice for Jesus.

We can’t live off someone else’s anointing. You might say, “ Well I go to church.” Most church services are two hours, what about the other 166 hours in the week? Do we seek God; searching His Word an praying, seeking Him for direction? It’s time to take preparation seriously. We are to always be prepared for what lies ahead. The best part of that is God is already ahead. He already knows the way and leads us when we choose to follow. That is such a comfort to my heart.

Let me encourage and challenge you with two more verses. “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

Now I better get back to puppy duty. I left Moose in the other room with Ron watching some kickboxing match while Joy and I are chilling in the bedroom. Old Granny Joy needed a break from Moose constantly wanting to play. He was literally prancing in her face a while ago, but didn’t touch her. She wasn’t amused. Pray the pup doesn’t “puppy sleep walk” tonight in the bed. Two days down, three more to go. Good night!

http://www.shannonkhinson.com

More than enough

March 19, 2025Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

No Greater Love

December 14, 2024Leave a Comment

You know it’s almost Christmas when you break out in Christmas carols at the most random moments. My husband Ron and I got in the car tonight to make a quick run to Publix grocery store for a few items. The moon was beautifully showing off. As I looked in awe I began singing, It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of all and Ron said, “Shannon!’ I can’t blame him being as off key as I am. I do believe they will be singing that tomorrow at church so I will wait and sing along with them. Or rather just move my lips.

I’ve been meaning to blog all week but life happened, like it always does. Let’s see, the weeks summary in a nutshell~ New iPad came in, first plan of business get a screen protector so it doesn’t crack again ✔️, get someone to transfer all my information from device to device ✔️, learn new device partial✔️, discovering a issue when it was pouring down rain and water stated sprouting up in the yard that one will take some time, discovering an expensive plumbing job we had done may not have been necessary that one will hopefully be resolved this week. Thus the reason I’ve not blogged yet this week. However, I did type the title back on Tuesday. It’s about time finished what I started.

Last Tuesday morning I came across this scripture. “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) As I sat there thinking, I envisioned the greatest gift ever given. From the birth of Jesus to His sacrifice for us on the cross, His death, resurrection and assertion ~ No greater love!

Will you take a minute to think deeply about this with me? God made the earth and it originally was without sin until the Fall in the Garden of Eden. Our God is HOLY and sin came into the world through Eve and Adam’s sin. Sin continued and God sent His Son Jesus to be born as a human babe, in a stable to a poor couple. This is God’s Son, leaving His Heavenly Throne and being born as a human. That is an astounding love and what He did for us. No greater love!

This so moves me! “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭11‬ ‭(NLT) No greater love!

Stay with me as my train of thought goes another step. Think of God the Father, fully knowing this plan of redemption from beginning to end, saw His Only Begotten Son Jesus bearing our sin upon the cross. Can you even imagine the pain He had to have felt? Being a parent of one son, I can’t even perceive the pain that would cause God, watching His Son take our punishment. I’ve always been a Mother bear. I didn’t like anything hurting my son, so I can’t even imagine what God felt when He had to look away. No greater love!

I’ve been pondering this all week in the midst of life happening and I didn’t even share it all but enough for you to get the picture.

Deep calls to deep….. God put this in my heart earlier this week and I sense the devil didn’t want me to write it. He didn’t win! It’s Saturday night, my iPad died right before getting ready to blog. I got an extension cord, plugged the iPad in and here I am doing what God wanted me to do. From Jesus birth in a stable to the cross and resurrection: No greater love! And one more thing well honestly I may write more but ….can you even imagine putting your newborn child in a feeding trough in a stable because there was no room for you in the inn? From His Heavenly Throne to the humblest of mangers~ No greater love.

I am in AWE !!! Can we pause a moment and just adore our King? O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him…. Christ the Lord

As we worship and adore our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us follow His lead, humbling ourselves and truly show love to Him and to our neighbors. Who is your neighbor? Not just your brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, but the people you run into everyday. The person who almost ran into us tonight in the grocery store parking lot. Praise God for His protection. Let’s remember those who are hurting, those who don’t have family, the homeless, shut ins who don’t have the health to get out. Let’s love one another. It can be as simple as praying for others, calling or texting someone to encourage them. There are so many ways to show love, kindness and compassion. Spread the joy and wonderful of Christmas~ No greater love!

http://www.shannokhinson.com

The Afternath 😳🙏💓PS..I love you 🤟🏼

November 8, 2024Leave a Comment

I just checked my iPad battery and I’m at 18%. It is also bedtime so my energy and mental level are about the same. However I’m going to get this written before I head to bed. God willing, it won’t take too long.

Monday or Tuesdays are usually the days I chose to post a new blog but this week I’ve put it off. As you all know, Tuesday was a historical Election Day in America. (I do realize I have a few readers outside the country but I think anyone can benefit from this blog.) Let me tell you a little bet about this week prior to Tuesday. Prior to the election I felt unsettled for some reason. The media in our country has failed us by not having a fair balanced approach to news. If there is anything I detest, it would be dishonesty. I choose to get my news from online sources and people who do research. I can’t tell you the last time I watched mainstream media. A biased one sided approach to news is not informative but misleading.

From seeing posts, comments and scrapes of what the media says online, I felt burdened to pray. I prayed earnestly about our election. On Tuesday I woke up feeling at such peace, trusting that God indeed is Sovereign and His Will WILL be done. I got ready for Bible study. We had been studying on intercessory prayer and discussed our lesson that morning. On the way to Bible study, my Fitbit, which is synced to my iPad started shaking due to text coming in. I checked the text and it was from a friend sharing some voting fraud. I said, “Nope! I won’t have my peace disturbed. I have prayed and I’m trusting the Lord”. I took my Fitbit off so I wouldn’t be disturbed any further. While at Bible study, a friend showed me how to mute texts and that has been wonderful. I exercised my right to vote last week, so I decided to not watch the “play by play” of the election results and went to bed.

On Wednesday when I woke up, my husband told me Trump had won the Presidency. Relieved, I went into another room to have my quiet time. I had prayed, God answered and I was ready to give Him praise and thanksgiving.. I finished my quiet time then checked about the election. I was stunned to see not only the Presidency was won but also the House and Senate. I was beyond relieved. Please note, my relief is because I’ve followed truthful news over the last few years. I have not been deceived by the mainstream media. I went on to my friend’s house to help cook for our homeless friends, then went to serve them the food. We did not talk much about the election. The election doesn’t rule my life. I am just passing through here. My citizenship is Heaven and we were about our Heavenly Fathers work.

On the way home after serving the homeless, I was catching up on social media. I was stunned to see the variety and I do mean extreme variety of responses. It hurt my heart to see friends I grew up with, white and black, talking of moving to Canada because of our election results. Oh my Gosh! Do they even really know what the government is like there? I read accounts of people being scared because they feared Trump. That is so beyond sad. No he’s not perfect, but he took a bullet for our country and continued to fight for our freedoms and constitution. All Trump supporters were suddenly racist. 😳To my bewilderment I saw today some of the things people think will happen all because they did not get the honest news. All I can do is shake my head and pray some more. There is much division because the media was biased. People are individuals and are unique. Just because some people vote for Trump does not mean they are labeled as racists and several other rather ugly names. I treat all people the same regardless of what color their skin is or their sexual preference. I had just spent the day cooking and serving homeless people. Giving hugs and encouragement. Come on people! Stop labeling everything you don’t understand! So the Afternath is really disturbing. People are either elated or angry and scared. I am excited to see what the future holds. I do hope people in power will be held accountable for weaponzing our justice system. I pray for peace and speak life over everyone. Do not fear! God puts authorities in place. Let’s trust Him! He knows the future, we don’t!

I was thinking about this blog as I was cooking dinner. After eating a late dinner, I was planning to blog but decided to do my Bible study lesson for today first. I’m so glad I did. It truly is beyond amazing when my Bible study somehow aligns with daily life. Last week it was on intercessory prayer. This week it’s on “prayers of unity”! Yes you read that right! Just WOW! The key scripture this week is Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-21, which says ““I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”( ‭NLT‬‬) Jesus was praying for us! He was praying for unity so the world would believe.

As I studied tonight, the following two verses stood out to me and are so worth adding here. This first two verses were after Jesus washed His disciples feet; “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.””John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Ask yourself this, can people see love in you? In the things you share on social media? Do they see your passion for your political beliefs more than you love for God and your neighbor? Let’s clarify who our neighbor is. It’s not just the person living next door, it’s also the people in the grocery line. It’s also the people you see on the streets. We are to LOVE others. Loving others will make the world a beautiful place to live.

The next verse I want to share is John 14:1 ““Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”( ‭NLT‬‬) God is love and His perfect love casts out fear. You need not be afraid. Yes we have a new President, but God is King Eternal! Do you know Him? There is no time like the present to surrender your life to Jesus. He loves you! He died for you! Salvation is a free gift. Will you choose Him today? “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

If you are a believer, I encourage you to speak love, peace and unity over all you encounter. Let’s pray for unity and peace among our brothers and sisters living around us. It is vital that we pray and interceded for one another and for those around us. I know this is a bit lengthy and I apologize but if you’ve gotten to the end here you will realize it all comes together…..and PS~ I love you all🤟🏼 Good night. It’s past bedtime and I’m beyond tired. Tomorrow is a new day to love one another ~

Fan it

September 28, 2024Leave a Comment

Wow! I have not published a blog in almost two weeks. In the three years I have blogged, this is definitely a “first”. I have been overly stimulated with life lately. Two weeks ago I had another adjustment (Map) to my cochlear implant processor so my brain has been adjusting and I’m trying my best to do everything on my part to “understand speech”. Bible study with my deaf friends has also started back up with a new video format which is challenging for me. (Reading closed captions when I have to zoom in on the caption and it moves so fast). Visual stimulation from that and seeing more sign language. Sometimes I wonder if my vision is worse. No time to really figure that out. Life moves to fast and I just have to “move with it” There has also been some other stuff going on but it’s nothing anyone else doesn’t face…so face it…. I do! (Just with less vision and hearing than most) I have also been printing out all I’ve found with “life stories” on Anestry.com and Wow… it’s a book. 😂Fascinating information about my ancestors but I need to stop this subscription, so I’ve been tediously printing. Half the time I stop and wonder , why am I doing this? Then remember , I’ve put too much time into this to lose this treasure. Last night I finished! Glory to God! Happy Dance! (Now what to do with all of this is a whole different thing for another day.) In the midst of all that,Mom had an appointment to remove some skin cancer on top of her head. The biopsy revealed cancer cells. When the day came for her procedure to remove one layer of skin at a time to test, the surgeon could NOT find the skin cancer! The Dr could not even find the scar from where the biopsy was done. Nothing! Praise God! So thankful for those obvious “God things” and answered prayers to encourage me to keep moving forward. Keep digging in my heels, one step at a time.

So late on September 17, below is what I wrote but never finished……. (I will add more in and sent this off)

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It’s Tuesday night and I should be going to bed but I wanted to get some notes down for this blog so I don’t forget. I actually wanted to write this morning when several things spoke to my heart, but there was no time to writ today until now. I really should be asleep but I don’t want to lose these thoughts as tomorrow is likely to be another busy day cooking and serving with RiceNBeans ministry.

True to form, I wrote this blog title about two months ago. I wrote “Fan it” then the following scripture. 2 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭7‬, “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (NLT‬) Also check out 1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”( ‭NLT‬‬) Wow and now two weeks after writing that I’m actually going to finish this blog and put it out there to “fan into” someone’s life (For some reason a picture of a wild dandelion blowing, came to mind. The little seeds blow where ever God desires. )

Do you know your spiritual gifts? I took a test with my Bible study group a couple of years ago and discovered mine are intercession, faith, encouragement, discernment and evangelism. I love the idea of “fanning” these gifts God has given me to bring Glory to His name. I try to use my gifts through blogging to encourage others and serving my family, the Lord and those less fortunate.

Today the Bible study group I’m in met up to study “When you pray”. It’s a six week study on prayer. We talked about some distractions we might face while trying to develope a daily prayer life. I am pretty consistent in prayer but I need to spend more time with the Lord. I made a little confession to the group that things going on in our country with it being election year, the two attempted assisination attempts of Trump and the division among people because of lies and deception of the media and politics, really upsets me. I saw a short video reel on Facebook today that Julie Green ministries posted. I don’t remember exactly what it said but it something about God wanting us to have joy. The Joy of the Lord is my strength. She mentioned if you don’t have joy, then you need more of God’s Word in your heart. That is so spot on. As I told the group today that society events can leave me feeling unsettled. I explained that I was starting to get away in a quiet place and just focus on God. Taking deep breaths in through my nose and releasing it slowly though my mouth, is a way to bring a sense of calm. I then begin to focus on the Lord, thanking Him for various things. I want my focus to be on thanksgiving and rejoicing in all God is, rather than focusing on problems. God knows my heart and what troubles me. He can handle it. He just wants me to bring these things to Him. I truly want to sit at Jesus feet and learn from Him. There is power in His name, healing in His name: there is no other name but Jesus. Hosea‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ says, “Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.””
‭‭ ‭(NLT‬‬)
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The above was all I had written. As I just reread it,editing some typos, I spoke to me yet again. Oh Lord, help us to not look at the “storm/chaos/devastation from this recent hurricane” and just find peace in Your sovereignty. Knowing You are in control. Trusting You with our whole hearts and not leaning on our understanding. Help us Lord to “fan into flame” the gifts You have gives us. To PRAY PRAY and PRAY some more, to intercede for our country, our world, for Israel. To serve others with sincerity of heart because when we do so, Your light shines through us! Enable us to reach beyond our own shortcomings, and limitations to receive strength and courage to be useful vessels for Your Glory to this dying world. In Jesus name I pray~ Amen

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭(NLT)