#humannature – Page 2 – rootedbythewater.blog

The Art of Conversing

August 23, 2025Leave a Comment

Here’s a little “peek” into my world. As an observer of human nature I find it interesting to watch people having conversations. The back and forth flow of words, smiles and laughter. It intrigues me and makes me slightly jealous at peoples skills in the “art”. Yes I call it an “art”. Today I watched the back and forth on a FaceTime. I am training to learn how to really share the phototherapy technology I’ve been using and love. I would never promote something unless I honestly believe it works and I do. So here I am going way beyond myself with watching zoom meetings and imitating FaceTime calls. If you told me I’d be doing this I would have laughed out loud. But I will let you all laugh along with me asI learn: trail and error.

Now back to conversing. From my perspective on today’s zoom I felt a bit like I was in a tennis match of sorts. A Volley back and forth of information and questions. Spoken language is so very different than sign language but I never want to limit myself to one type of dialogue. In all honestly, I prefer text or written language. The backspace is awesome! Yes, I’m over here laughing at that little joke. As I more watched today’s FaceTime than participated, honestly I have to zoom in to see the faces well and the lighting doesn’t always help. So many factors when it comes to Total communication: putting what I hear and what I see together and trust me, I am missing some gaps here and there. Very thankful for a patient caring friend who knows what she’s doing and can sign as well. I am learning a lot and thankful for the journey and stretching of myself.

This afternoon was another type of conversing at a baby shower for a friends daughter. There were both deaf, hearing impaired and hearing people there so lots of different types of conversation going on. It’s interesting because deaf people can converse in a loud group from across the room. I suppose people who talk loud can too. Just an observation. I on the other hand have to be fairly close to do either; understand speech or read signs and I’m always missing something. However, written language I can understand and retain.

Just a little reflection tonight as I think back on today. Honestly all I can do is try my best and let the pieces fall where they will. My gifts are encouraging and prayer. I’m the kind of person that meets you where you are, not expecting anything but just wanting to give hope to keep moving forward. We are all different with such a variety of talents and skills. Let’s encourage each other to be the very best version of who we are and strive to keeps stretching ourselves to learn new things. One day, God willing, I will master the “art” of conversing. I do fairly well one on one, but add more people and I’m lost in the “volley” of words, signs and faces. Just being real. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend. Be blessed and better yet, Be a Blessing.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

The “Art” of Forgiving

July 26, 2025Leave a Comment

Oh boy! Talking about a hard thing! We ALL experience forgiveness and the need to extend it towards those who wrong us, usually on a daily basis. I see this in humanity, people I know and love, and see it’s a “God” thing. We need Gods help to truly forgive from the heart. As I was praying this morning I asked God to release me from the hurt caused by hurtful untrue things people say. I am always a forgiving person, but lets be honest, the hurt inflicted by people can weigh us down.

It’s kind of interesting, after I prayed this morning asking God to help me to forgive and let it go, including the hurt, He allowed me to see the verse of the day. “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Okay Lord, I’m listening! The thing is, forgiveness in itself is a choice and it’s not a hard choice to make when you want to live in peace. However, what in the world do you do with the disappointment and hurt? Looks like some Holy Spirit healing is needed.

Often times conversations and intentions are totally misunderstoood or taken out of context Other times people get so emotionally disillusioned they don’t see a situation clearly. I’ll throw in miscommunication when people simply don’t understand yet repeat something that didn’t happen. I will go as far as to say, ASL (American sign language) and spoken English are two very different languages.

As I have been reading through the Bible again this year, I love how it “sticks” to my mine. Proverbs talks about gossip and it is so true. “A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭28‬ ‭(NLT)‬‬ This is so true. As I was praying this morning I said, “Lord humanity is such a mess! We are created to bring You glory yet the devil messes it up.“. Everyone, and I do mean everyone gossips sometimes. Some more than others. Just being honest here, There is a wealth of instruction for Godly living in the Bible. Let’s take it to heart and apply it to our lives. The world would be a whole lot more peaceful and joyful. Take for example the following verse from Psalm. “Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!” Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬). In the book of James it really “hammers home” this point. “And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” James‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

The Bible is FULL of wise counsel on how to live in this fallen world. It directs us in how to navigate life. As I shared with the homeless during devotions last Wednesday on how powerful God’s Word is, I old them it’s like a map for life. It’s God’s loving instructions to us to get us through this journey. It would be wise to read it and apply it to our lives. We had 9 Bibles to give away last Wednesday. I told them as they lined up to get physical food, to also take a Bible for spiritual food. Eight people took a Bible! Praise God!

Life is messy. From most standards I lead a boring life but yet as I read God’s Word and see life unfold around me, it is messy. I see people with struggling marriages. I see people trying to make it look like their life is perfect, when it’s an illusion. I see people trying to truly forgive people for things done to them decades ago, they say they have forgiven but still refuse to talk to those who wronged them. Then there are those homeless and living in shelters for various reasons, trying to make life work. Just looking at the whole isssue called LIFE, it’s MESSY. It is vital we seek God at every step. The devil is active to stir up trouble BUT Jesus overcomes it all. It’s also wise to be careful about your circle of friends and support group. You need others who will speak life and encouragement into your life not critism. Think before you speak, and yes I am speaking to myself as well.

When I saw the verse of the day, there was a video devotion that went with it. The devotion. tied forgiveness and empathy together. I love empathy! Being able to put yourself inside someone else’s shoes. Try it! It will change your perspective if you attempt to see things from someone else’s situation. A world of wisdom there. I think I will stop here. We can’t change people but we can change how we respond to them and we can creat boundaries to avoid some of people’s chaos. Lord help us respond well and in a merciful gracious way that brings You glory.

Have an amazing weekend. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing!

http://www.shannonkhinson.com

The Fine-line of pushing

July 17, 2025Leave a Comment

I love this quote. It is actually “so me” BUT in my life there is a fine-line. Finding balance is key.

I am forever trying to figure out the fine-line of pushing. How about you? I can push myself too hard on the day to day basis and am always trying to find the right balance. When push comes to shove, it’s too far and the end result is exhaustion. (More mentally than physically). I went over and beyond this week and I was literally about to fall over last night when I got home from serving. I wanted to go right to bed and it was not even dark outside. I made myself wait until 10 then went to sleep and slept 11 hours. Feeling much better today. Once again I’m on a quest to get it done around the house.

Living with hearing and visual limitations, it takes more brain energy to deal with the normal things like conversing with people for a length of time, both spoken and sign language. (They are equally tiring but I love my people and push myself anyway) The same thing can be said about pushing past limitations. On Tuesday I overdid the zoom meetings attempt. I mean honestly, I was literally trying in vain to understand a live zoom. Someone was texting me some pointers of what they were basically talking about. I was using my iPad for the zoom meeting itself and texts coming in on the same device. I grabbed the iPhone which is synced to the iPad to answer the texts. Here’s the catcher, I can’t see the iPhone unless it’s under my video magnifier. Lord have mercy….. but I tried to keep a straight face and not show frustration. I’ve got to find the right balance in this. Life can stretch me so much at times, I wonder what it’s like for normal people. But hey….. I know normal is overrated.

Finding balance in the new business venture is something I’m going to have to do. I realize I can’t do it all so I’m going to need to learn to say no to some things. The phototherapy stem call technology is such an effective and fascinating product to learn and promote. I’m realizing I’ve got so much more of Life on my plate than others can even begin to understand, and knowing that, I’ve got to figure out a balanced approach.

Yesterday was ministry day when I help feed the homeless in Rock Hill. Since we have moved to an indoor facility we can now do a short devotion with the people before they eat. Pastor Daryl asked me to share with the people last night and that was such a privilege to share God’s Word with them. Nerve-wracking as well. While a women a couple of weeks ago told me it’s not hard, I personally feel a weight of responsibility that I don’t take lightly. Two days ago, God dropped some verses in my heart before Daryl even texted me. I knew in my heart what to share, but I still had to stand up there and do it. I wanted to mentally and spiritually prep myself right before standing in front of the people but I was busy in the kitchen washing the pots, pans and bowls we used during food prep. This is an industrial sized kitchen. God worked it all out though. I realize it’s Him working through me, and not me myself. I think it went pretty well. I’m going to ask someone for feedback later, who was out there with me, as they have asked me to do it again next week.

Looking back and at the present, I do see all this stretching might be leading up to something. What? I do not know. Over a year ago I was leading Bible study in our deaf group, when I couldn’t see the book. I sat down at my video magnifier that I use for reading a book and took detailed notes on my iPad using symbols to help me remember, memorizing great portions of it to be able to best teach. It took a lot out of me, but it was worth it to see growth. Next I began to weekly volunteer with RiceNBeans ministry. I can’t hear the people well but I didn’t let that stop me from serving. Now here I am still involved in that, in a new location helping with devotions. Also presently learning the Patching business and possibly pushing myself a bit too much in that area. It seems to all lead to something, which I’m not yet sure what that something is.

I believe my audiologist would be shocked at how much I’m putting myself out there to force myself to understand as much as possible. If I could give advice to myself, I’d say “Pray for a more balanced approach”. I can and do overdo it. I know when I’m so tired I want to go to sleep at 7:30 then I’ve pushed a bit too far. I guess my “Kenley stubbornness” comes into play quite a bit. Lord help me find that fine-line and stop there. I know other deaf people (just deaf, no vision issues) who only interact with deaf people. I’m not one of those. I love all people; hearing, deaf, disabled, foreign, black, white, type A personality, type B, outgoing, not so much, etc People are God’s workmanship and are there to love and encourage. That’s just who I am. I am so so thankful to have time with God daily to soak up strength and direction for the day. It’s my Lifeline. Do you know Jesus? He can be your Lifeline too.

I better get back to work. This is my second cleaning day. Got half of it done two days ago and finishing up today. Have a blessed day.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Growing in Grace

October 15, 20242 Comments

I’ve been thinking on the word grace then I came across the following verse in 2 Peter chapter 3. Let’s take a look, “Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬). Let’s dig a bit deeper. What do you think it means to grow in grace ?

If you google the word grace you will find one of three definitions. The first being, simple elegance or refinement of movement. The second one listed is courteous goodwill. The last general definition is to honor or credit by one’s presence. However, those aren’t Biblical grace. I continued to google and finally found the following definition. Grace is undeserved favor. God freely gives us grace. It’s not something we work for or earn. It’s a free gift.

How great is our God! He loves us so much that He bestowes grace upon us simply because that is part of God’s character. As God freely gives to us, He desires for us to grow in His grace and give it to others as well.

Let’s think of some ways that we can grow in grace and give grace to others. First of all we need to remind ourselves that we are not perfect. We all sin, we all fall short of God’s glory. See Romans 3:23. If we drop our pride and acknowledge that we are not perfect, it helps to see others is a more gracious “light”. That’s a big dish of “humble pie” but it’s so needed. When we don’t’ exalt ourselves with self righteousness we are on an even ground with others around us.

Serving with RiceandBeans organization each week has been an eye-opener. The people we minister to and feed are people like you and me. There are all different circumstances of why they are currently in the situations they find themselves in. I’ve learned to look beyond the dirty clothes, rough around the edges – unkept look, to actually see the people they actually are. People come in a variety of packages, and homeless people are not all alike.

Last week we had an especially beautiful night of ministry. My friend Tami and I had the opportunity to pray with a transgender person. I honestly have a hard time with changing pronouns when it’s obvious what a persons biological gender is. This persons face and hands were so different , however, that person was in need of grace just like we are, so we prayed together. God knows the heart and maybe a seed was planted. There was another opportunity for prayer. A young man walked up to me but I had trouble understanding him with my hearing loss, so I got Tami. The young man was talking about cooking and showed interest in volunteering with us. One thing led to another and he ended up sharing about a friend who recently died. He introduced us to two of his friends, another guy and a girl. They had all been friends with the person who had died. Tami’s husband came over and we all held hands and prayed together. The beauty of God is so apparent even at a bus stop with many homeless people waiting for a ride to the shelter.

God has shown each of us so much grace and we are to share that with others. It’s not earned, but we don’t deserve the grace God gives us either.

These are just a few examples. We can honestly show grace to anyone. At the store, allowing someone to get in line in front of us at the checkout counter is an act of grace. Realizing that the angry driver who cut you off might be having a terrible day. Not to give them an excuse for rudeness, but just to see the possibility of another perspective. We can also treat special needs people like we treat everyone else. Everyone desires to be shown kindness. This is something we can each make an effort to work on.

This is a bit off topic, but today at Bible study we dug deeper into Psalms chapter 139. This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. I just love King David’s love and adoration of God. That chapter has 24 verses: 18 are adoration and 6 are petition. As David deeply adores and praises God for His many attibributes, it really gives me perspective on how awesome is our God. He knows us so fully, even before we speak, He knows what we will say. He knows my perceptions of people and circumstances, yet He desires me to grow in grace and knowledge of who He is. That’s a daily goal, to grow in grace.

It’s Tuesday evening and the day is just about over. As I look back on today, I can ask myself did I show grace to others? In all honesty I did pretty well but I see areas where I could have been a bit more kind or helpful. Tomorrow is a new day with fresh opportunities to continue growing. Tomorrow is actually RiceandBeans day so God willing, we will have a chance to bless many with a warm meal and possibly be a vessel God uses for spiritual nourishment through prayer and encouragement. Whatever tomorrow holds, let’s try our best to grow in grace Be blessed and better yet, Be a Blessing!
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Check your Foundation

October 7, 2024Leave a Comment

It’s been a week since I’ve published a new blog post. Sometimes It just seems life sucks the liveliness out of you. Not that my personal issues are any more than usual. My life pretty much stays stable. However the devastation of Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene has left me unsettled.

I am one to think deeply on issues and that can be good but it can also been a burden. I am also one to question everything and that is not a bad thing. I’ve read about the devastation of this hurricane and I’ve also read about the lack of response from our government. That is very troubling.

While I am no weather person, so many aspects of this recent hurricane seem “of”. Who would have ever thought that such a horrific outcome would occur from this disaster? Whole towns have been wiped out from flooding and “rivers” of water than rushed through. How in the world do these things happen? Don’t even mention “climate change” All those”tooting that horn” go jetting around the world. It’s a “do as I say, not as I do” kind of thing. I know that ultimately GOD IS IN CONTROL! But…. I know… I know… I’m never to question God’s ways and why bad things and disasters happen. God has a way of bringing “beauty from ashes” or in this case “beauty from devastating floods and mud”. I will get to that later. Right now I want to highlight a few things.

Why why why did it take FEMA a week to be on the scene? Why have Americans been told not to fly drones, that can take accurate footage of whats really going on? I’ve read that the media is not fully reporting on what’s happened. Why has the government not helped with the rescue? Why has our military who want to help been told to stand down? Why? Why has our government spent tons of money on illegals and thrown a mere $750 to the victims of the horror? Some of which are even denied that. All the while sending loads of our tax payers money to Ukraine! Why? Thank God for a few platforms that continue to allow for our American right of “Free Speech”. Those shouting about misinformation are the ones wanting to control the narrative. Are you awake yet?

Dare I say, this administration cares nothing about the American people. Yes I do dare to say it! All in an election year, when they have tried every possible trick, weaponized our justice system and lied to keep Trump off the Presidential ballot, yet he stands! That’s a whole different blog, that I will try my best to refrain from writing.

Now back to the “beauty from the horrific flood and mud” , while our government cares nothing for the victims, the beauty of America rises! I have read story after story of people pulling together to take supplies, help rescue, pray and show love. Churches, businesses and American citizens pulling together to help. That is the beauty in this horror.I read of one crew going up to help. They dug six people out from a collapsed house. That is a beautiful thing. I know someone who was able to get food up to a family who had not eaten in three days. (That was last week) Another beautiful thing. Churches and businesses collecting clothing, food, water, generators and fuel. If you do feel lead to help please give to a church or a trusted organization.

In all this devastation what can we do? How do we deal with these things? Our best weapon in dealing with anything is PRAYER! We must PRAY! It’s true we can’t fix everything but we can PRAY and I assure you that nothing is impossible with God! It boils down to our foundation. What are you built on? I will admit that my foundation is built on a strong relationship with Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I have had many things in life that “rocked my world” and shook my faith, but I know at the end of each day, at the end of any situation I can fully depend on God! 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ says, “In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” (NLT‬‬).

Having a firm foundation is so incredibly important. When things happen and devastate you, your foundation is what you fall back on. When you trust God’s sovereignty it grounds you to trust that He will ultimately work things out for your good and most of all for His Glory. Having a firm foundation enables you to trust in His Word. Scripture like Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭7‬ that says, “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.” (NKJV‬‬) strengthens our faith to trust God. There is so much I don’t understand but I am encouraged to trust in the Lord with all my heart and not to lean on my own understanding.

A firm foundation can make or break you. A few weeks ago as I was riding with my friends to serve the homeless in Rock Hill, we passed by this massive structure of metal. It was the oddest looking thing. I noticed it as I sat in the back seat of their truck, looking out the window. I said “W in the world was that?” My friend took a quick picture and sent it to me so I could see it better. It appears to be a building that looks like a complete failure. It appears to be a building with metal framing that collapsed. I’m not an engineer or builder, however common sense tells you something was wrong with the structure or its foundation to cave in like it appears to have done. Your foundation is everything. Whether you “stand up tall” after a “massive blow in life” or if you crumble; it’s going to depend on what you’re built on. If you are build upon a firm foundation of faith in Jesus, when the “winds and waves” hit you will ultimately remain standing because you are “grounded in Christ” There is no time like the present to check your foundation.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

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)

~~~~~~~

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)
~~~~~~

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)

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Confessions of an “Over-thinker”

September 13, 20242 Comments

Welcome to”Over-thinker anonymous”. 😂That state when your mental wheels are always turning and you want to reach for a pause button or something to make the constant thoughts HUSH! Yes! Welcome indeed! Surely I’m not the only one. My husband Ron can take one look at me and say, “What are you thinking about?” I’m like, “I don’t think you want to know.” 😜My son Joshua also chimes in with sign language right smack in front of me. Mom “Stop thinking”. Why do I do this? I will take honest inventory here that might be somewhat humorous at times.

Being both hearing and visually impaired, I am beyond thankful for a sharp mind,even thought it may or may not be overly active. ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker”

Due to the fact that I can’t drive, I have to prepare ahead. I need to always try to be prepared for whatever scenario might occur, thus the need for careful grocery lists with weekly meal planning. I have to make sure I have all the ingredients for meals for the week and any other supplies we may need, so Ron doesn’t have to run to the store for trivial things. ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker”

Ever since Joshua was born I’ve been a list maker. The lists used to be written but now since I can’t see the hand written notes, I type them on my iPad in my notes app. ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker”

When going on a trip, I make a detailed list of things I need or may need. Having a cochlear implant, I need to be sure to have my spare parts, enough rechargeable batteries, the charging device and dry aid kit. That’s just for my cochlear implant things. Now to list the rest of what I need. Some things I have to be overly sure I never forget, like Refresh PM eye lubricant. (Due to five eyelid surgeries I have to use this product every night for the rest of my life) ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker”.

There are the more serious concerns that I consider such as how people say one thing with their mouth and a whole different thing with their body language. Yes I notice those things and find the topic fascinating. Body language speaks loud and doesn’t typically lie. ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker”.

Then there is election year drama… which I confessed to the Lord this morning is troubling. I see propaganda, gaslighting, lies and deception. I see people with blinders on refusing to look at the real issues. I see contradictions in what the news says and it’s almost like a “state run media” (which it kind of is) Yep it’s troubling. I had to turn my iPad off last night and choose to focus on God. God is sovereign and He is in control. It is vital that I fall back on God’s Word. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬) ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker”

It is kind of odd that I don’t tend to worry much about the future (other than the election….. I’m working on that) I’ve always said “We will cross that bridge when we get to it.) I just can’t live in a constant state of fear. You know the drill. If so and so happens, what will we do? Nope! Not going there. Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ tells us, ‭“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
‭‭(NKJV) ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker’.

Another biggie, our son has similar issues with his hearing and vision as me. It’s not the exact same but there are enough similarities to raise concerns. There is the need for me to daily set the example of walking in humility and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Life is not always about what we want. It’s about surrendering to what God desires to do in our lives. It’s about demonstrating, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (KJV) I’m always thinking about these things. ~ Confessions of an “Over-thinker”

This could seriously go on and on. I can think of many more examples but you get the idea of what I’m saying. I hope at some degree you can relate. I do realize that thinking is a gift and I need to use it wisely. I also realize that the mind is a “battle field” and we have to take thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. As Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ tells us,“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”(NKJV‬‬)

Now let’s see if Facebook allows me to post this. They censored my last post because I shared “links” The links were to scriptures on healing and miracles. Go figure! Thankfully I can publish on WordPress and share through e mail , texts and X. Ironically on my Facebook feed, nearly every other post is a sponsored ad with links to buy things. God let whoever needs to see this, see this. All for Your glory Lord. I’m just an empty vessel the Lord pours into and I pour it out in writing. I pray this blesses you and you are encouraged today to Shine for Jesus regardless of your circumstances.

Www.shannonkhinson.com

Strength from weakness

July 30, 20242 Comments

Have you ever wondered why God uses the weak to show His great strength? Some of the most incredible testimonies of God’s mercy, grace and power come from those who endure the greatest “tests” in life. I just love how God works. ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭27‬ tells us,“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;” (NKJV‬‬) Then again in Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭29‬, “He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.” (NKJV‬‬)

I will be honest. When I wrote the title of this blog last week, I meant to publish it a couple of days after my last blog titled “Transformed” I had scriptures in my notes to use but God has taken me to look at this blog from a different angle. Different scriptures are coming to mind and as I look them up, the blog is indeed changing. You see, I’m just a weak vessel in dire need of “filling” by the Holy Spirit daily. We are nothing until God pours into us. We are weak, weary, tired,incapable but with God, it’s a whole different story. I’m so thankful.

It is such a wonder to see Isiah 61 in the present. Beauty from ashes, Joy instead of mourning, praise instead of the spirit of heaviness. Here is the scripture: “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”” Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭3‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬)

I get it! I see God at work in things around me. He doesn’t tend to call those who have it all together. He equips those He calls. They are most likely a weak humble vessel but He equips them to do His work. I want to share one breif example that happened a few months ago. While ministering at RiceNBeans, another staff and I were talking to two men waiting at the bus stop. These people live in poverty, while others are homeless. My friend was interpreting for me so I could understand the conversation. It was so neat to see one man ministering to another. We were there to minister to them but God uses them to minister to us. I remember the man telling the other man that God has an appointed time for us to die. He said he had tried to take his life several times, but he was still alive because God was not finished. Talking about a testimony of God’s perfect timing and molding that man to see “HIS”hand on his life. Another man said he was so blessed because he knows Jesus. God pours into these precious people. He will pour into you also.

Do you see what I’m seeing? We are created to bring glory to the Lord. We do not glory in our selves or our own accomplishments, rather we crucify our fleshly nature. Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (NLT‬‬)

God is so so faithful! Last Sunday at church as we sang the last song, tears rolled down my cheeks. We were singing “Great is they faithfulness”. If you are a believer you probably know the song. For those reading who might not know it, part of it says: “morning by morning new mercies I see, all I have need thy hands have provide, great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me.” That is so incredibly true. Every single morning God pours out fresh mercies on us. Years ago I came across Lamentations 3: 20‬-‭24‬; “I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”” ( ‭NLT‬‬)

Wow! I will honestly say, this blog took a completely different turn from what I thought it would be. However that is great because I never want blogging to be what I want to say but rather what God gives me to say. It won’t always be on the timetable I desire. (I meant to do this last week but God had me wait) I am not perfect and struggle daily As a matter of fact I apologized to my husband yesterday because my attitude was off. I saw it and was not happy with my responses. Living with hearing and visual issues can be wearying. It is frustrating to do things according to when others are ready. I wanted to get the grocery shopping done early but I don’t drive so I had to wait until late afternoon. Waiting is the story of my life! Last night our son Joshua was frustrated because he wanted to be able to just get in the car and drive himself to the gym rather than wait for his friend who was delayed a couple of hours. It can be a “walled in” kind of feeling, but God! Joshua was also preparing for a test but had trouble seeing the book font. He took pictures of each page on his iPad so he could zoom in to see. Where there is a will, there is a way! Amen! God uses our weaknesses to mold our character. Oh if you only knew….

I will end with this last scripture: ”That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus. He is our strength, our fortress. He will never let us down. Be encouraged. Whatever you are facing, God has you! You are loved!
Www.shannonkhinson.com

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Learning to Be Still

June 19, 20242 Comments

I find it slightly ironic that I’m writing on “the fly” today about learning to “Be still”. I’m not talking about physically being still but rather “being Still before the Lord”. It’s vital to learn to rest in Jesus despite any and all worldly chaos churning.

Sometimes you can feel so alone even in a group of people. You begin to feel kind of “down and out”. You can go from a season of constant movement to one of a slow pace, seemingly alone. In those alone and quiet periods, the enemy tries overtime to cloud our minds with half truths and speculation. When you don’t have the previous rapport of companionship for whatever reason (vacations, busyness with families, or just dealing with life) thoughts can pop up and your imagination runs with it. Knowing enemy tactics is so so important.

A friend sent me a word of encouragement the other night. Just kind of out of the blue and it touched my heart. In a nutshell, she told me , “Shannon I feel impressed to tell you stop worrying and stressing yourself. He’s got you, Joshua and Ron in his hand and will. You are never a burden on people who love you. Satan tries to cloud your head with that. He’s a liar. You all are a beautiful family. Rest my dear sister and friend and let God do what you can’t. I love you. Nite nite”. A beautiful sister in Christ sent that to me and it touched my heart. Yes I had been stressing and yes I had been worrying. If you knew my story, you’d completely get it. BUT God doesn’t want me to stress and worry but rather to “Be Still” before Him and trust Him.

Knowing there are things I can’t do and need help with, like drive and make phone calls: I’m guilty of going “over and beyond” with the things I can. That puts additional stress on me. I must learn and maybe you should too, that I can’t be everything even in those duties I can handle well. I’m trying to cook more for our family to save money. ( Eating out with three adults is expensive even at the cheaper places.). I can cook just fine but the stove/ glass top range is the new digital kind and I have the hardest time seeing it. I can’t see if it’s on high or medium. I turn the dial and watch the burner. If it’s fully red I’m assuming it’s high….. and you get the picture. It’s a challenge but with God’s help I’m getting it done. That is just one tiny example of dealing with life with low vision. Don’t get me started on the hearing loss issues. What can I say….I’m unique. 😜

Living ilife can feel so lonesome at times. It’s during these times, it’s so vital to turn our thoughts on Jesus and stay in His Word. I will tell you as I was just typing that, my iPad completely closed and went to my homepage. Isn’t that just like the enemy to try interfering with “Kingdom Work”? The devil tries to frustrate us and make things more difficult, hoping we will “throw in the towel” and just forget it. Not going to happen here! When my iPad messed up, I just “dug in my heels” and found where I left off and kept the encouragement flowing.

Do you understand where I’m going here? These times when we feel alone, God is actually teaching us things people can’t teach us. He is molding us and forming us into vessels that absolutely MUST SEEK HIS FACE to make it through the day. I know from a human perspective that’s a hard place to be BUT from a spiritual perspective that is THE PLACE TO BE! Let’s give GOD GORY IN THESE QUIET TIMES as HE IS PREPARING US FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD! Nope… I’m not yelling at y’all but I AM emphasizing an important point. Armor up Saints. The devil plays very ugly vile games BUT he is DEFEATED already! ALL GLORY TO JESUS!

I think I’m done here but publishing this blog will have to wait until later tonight after RiceNBeans outreach. Right now I’ve got to get the hotdogs cooking and rice in the oven. Beans have been on all morning. It’s going to be an awesome day. Whether you’re alone or in a crowd, keep your eyes on JESUS! Reach out and encourage someone. Don’t wait for them to reach out to you. Ministry is a two way street. Let’s go!

It’s my prayer that you have received encouragement or perhaps even been challenged through this blog. I find it so refreshing when people can be real and transparent. We can all learn from each other. Life lessons are amazing teachers. I’m thankful for all The Lord is teaching me. Please check out my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon (hard cover, soft cover and ebook formats) I pray it’s a blessing to you and encouragement to never give up in hard situations. 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.

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