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!
Lately I’ve been reading and listening to the book of Proverbs that is so rich in sound advice. I’m currently going through the New Living Translation Today as I listened to several chapters (it’s good auditory therapy for me) I was struck by how many verses are about our speech, the power of words and their impact. Here are quite a few verses I came across today, all of which are from the New Living Translation. “A fool’s proud talk becomes a rod that beats him, but the words of the wise keep them safe.” Proverbs 14:3, “The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.” Proverbs 16:21, “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24, “A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.” Proverbs 16:28, “Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4, “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” Proverbs 15:23, “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.” Proverbs 15:28, “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.” Proverbs 15:31, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” Proverbs 18:21 (NLT)
Wow this was just from a few chapters. There is so much power in words whether spoken or written/ typed/ texted. How often do we think about the impact of our words? How often do we say or text something in haste, then regret it? (Or edit what was sent?). Editing is a luxury of modern times, however spoken words once said can impact in a powerful way.
Let’s think about our words. With words we encourage, inspire, spread cheer, correct, hurt, tear down, gossip and crush. We would be wise to choose our words carefully. We can light up the world or burn it down with the words we choose. Let’s choose to encourage and build up, refraining from causing destruction.
Today I got a notification from my blogging site that I’ve hit a milestone: over 10,000 views. I was humbled. I never take lightly the responsibility of blogging. God will hold me accountable for the words I send out. I want to always encourage and inspire people to trust God in life’s storms. Four years ago in the midst of Covid-19, when I published my autobiography, I felt a burden to encourage people. Rooted by the Water is my testimony of walking with God and relying on Him despite life’s hardships. That’s why I started and have continued to blog for the last four years, to spread hope, joy, resilience and the fact that You can do hard things with God’s help.
As I read Proverbs today, saw the notification of having over 10,000 views on rootedbythewatere.blog it was confirmation of the power of words. I pray that God continued to guide me in topics to blog on and stories to share to bring joy and laughter to the heart.
You don’t have to be a blogger, writer, teacher, preacher etc to realize the impact of the words you choose to use. Let’s all be aware of power behind what we say. Let’s build up and encourage others.
If you’re going to say negative things, gossip, argue, bring division and tear down, do everyone a favor and zip it! Those negative words have an impact that spills into those around you. Positive words have the opposite effect and bring joy to others. Let’s make the world a better place, one positive encouraging word at a time.
You can find my book Rooted by the Water on Amazon (ebook, soft cover and hard cover). If you know someone who could use some encouragement, send them a copy. You can also subscribe to my blog. This coming July will mark four year of blogging once or twice a week. It’s my hearts desire to bring glory to God through sharing how He brings beauty from the hard things in life. Thank you all for your support and prayers. God is faithful always. Be blessed!!
Occasionally I will wake with a song on my heart. I love mornings like today. I woke from a deep sleep, all wrapped tight in warm covers. The light of dawn was faintly coming through the window. Lying there I longed to go back to sleep but instead a song began in my heart. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim. In ight of His glory and grace. (By Sovereign Grace 2019) This was such a precious way to start my day.
Yesterday I struggled with disappointment in people. I’m not usually one to “vent” because it just weighs on another and accomplishes nothing really. We had stayed home from church since the weather was rainy with gusty winds. I watched both early and late service with no closed caption. The second service I followed fairly well. Thank you Jesus.
It is interesting how when you aren’t busy, your mind can become a battle ground. The guys had gone to the gym. Staying home, my mind turned to people issues. Of all things Why in the world would my mind go there? We can’t do anything about the way people are and how others can drain life out of us. So yesterday I did want to “vent” but I prayed instead. I asked God to check MY heart. I asked Him to help me to respond in a way to bring glory to Him. Did my feelings go away? Nope! However, I started straightening up the closet and rediscovered a perfume box full of old pictures and cards. I sat at the table and began looking through them. Ron and Joshua came home and they too began to look through them. I found pictures from a Croatia mission trip when I was 3 months pregnant with Joshua. There were pictures of our first house and from a trip to the Bahamas with friends. Joshua saw these pictures from early in our marriage and he said, “What happened?” 😂I said , “31 years of marriage!” All in all it was a nice distraction from my previous line of thinking.
I did finally reach out to a friend late last night. I had told Ron I was feeling a bit depressed, but I’m the type to just “suck it up, buttercup”. I just deal with it and let it go. Or try to. It was nice sharing with my friend late last night She too understands disappointments with people. I told her I’ve learned to try to be content with whatever. (I can’t drive. I can’t do the things I want to do. I can’t make people care.) I’ve just learned to be content. My friend said, “A female version of Paul: Paulette”. That was seriously one of the nicest compliments. After sharing my heart, she had given me a different perspective and I felt better. So this morning, waking up to “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” was so fitting. It’s a new day and the sun is shining. It doesn’t matter what today holds, Jesus goes before me, follows me and lays His head of blessing on my head. I will turn my eyes upon Him and sure enough the cares of this world grow strangely dim, in light of His glory and grace. Have a blessed day! Www.shannonkhinson.com
Someone sent me this years ago and it fits perfect with this blog.
This blog title ”hits the nail on the head”! It’s been one of those days, or shall I say “few days”. This is week five since my fall on ice, getting a compression fracture to my L3. I’m healing well and ready to be finished with this back brace. Sunday afternoon I thought I’d work on our taxes. I was just sitting at a desk so I figured not wearing the brace was okay, but I paid for it yesterday. My lower back was very sore. Taking a muscle relaxer does help at night but it causes me to sleep much longer than normal.
This morning I woke up at 9:45 so my morning was thrown off. I really need to start my day in prayer. It helps me handle the day so much better. This morning as soon as I woke up, my husband Ron was asking me for a small box to mail something in. He needed it this morning but I didn’t know until I woke up. I was not fully awake and searching for a box, before putting on the back brace. Had not even had my coffee yet. Not my way for starting a day. He finally had what he needed and left for the post office. I put on the back brace, made my coffee and went upstairs to pray. Truth be told, I need to do that FIRST before anything else.
Grabbing my iPad, I glanced at the screen and saw several texts come in. Some girlfriends decided to have lunch. I already had a day of baking cakes and laundry planned so I thought I’d pass on lunch. I quickly texted one of the girls and said, “I really need my prayer time first. I’ll text you after I’m done and let you know.”. Finally taking a deep breath, I began praying. Lord help! Hey I am being serious. The morning had been a bust and I needed a restart. There is something about praying in the morning. It’s as if you are taking the flesh captive and saying Lord Your Will not mine! I told the Lord about my frustrations and lifted up some people in prayer. I can tell you I felt so refreshed after that time in prayer. When I was finished I told my friend I’d join them. Fellowship with friends always helps.
When I arrived home from lunch (lunch with these friends is always long. Today was about a three hour lunch). I did wear the back brace but my back was tired from sitting so long. I had two more pound cakes to make, and the two I made last night had to be sliced and put in bags for our outreach tomorrow. Ron helped me with the slicing and wow, we got 100 slices of cake from four pound cakes. That made me happy.
Finally sitting with a cushion at my back and the heating pad, I decided to check social media posts. Oh my! Sometimes you have to take a deep breath and SCROLL ON! One person was all uptight over President Trump changing the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. I mean really! Isn’t that a bit petty? I’m learning to not respond to political posts. I did say, I’m learning! (Not there yet 😂) The thing is, our media is bought out. They report according to a narrative They have succeeded in the smear Trump campaign and people are beyond brainwashed. It’s not their fault, it’s the medias bias. When people post ignorant things I sometimes respond. I will say I’m always respectful in my responses but I guess Ron can tell when I’m frustrated. So tonight I’m sitting here typing really fast and he comes over and says, “How many words can you type a minute?” I’m like,”Umm, that’s like asking you how many words you can speak a minute.” He said what are you frustrated about? It does frustrate me when people post things and haven’t a clue what’s really going on. But that’s just one of those times when I need to take a deep breath, say a prayer and scroll on.Everyone has a right to their opinion.
Life is challenging. I meet all sorts of of people on social media. I know some people frown on that but hear me out. People need words of encouragement. That was one of my reasons for writing my autobiography, Rooted by the Water to encourage people during the pandemic. People need Life spoken over them. As Ron was driving me to meet my friends for lunch I ask him a hard question. I asked, ”How do you respond when people say something that seems suicidal?”. I am sensitive to people’s tone of voice in writing. (Remember I can’t hear well or see well but people’s tone of voice in writing is clear) I told him about a post I had seen last night and that’s the way the person came across, as suicidal. When I saw it, I responded with encouragement to keep holding on. God uses all of us in different ways. So many different talents and gifts. Where ever you are in life, people are watching, listening. You make a difference with your response or lack there of. The decision is yours. You can shine for Jesus or not. Yes life can be tiring, but we are on a mission to make a difference for the glory of God. We have to take the flesh captive and make it submit to God. Sometimes we need to apologize for a sour attitude. That’s okay. Apologize and move forward.
For me , prayer changes the course of my day. Prayer gives me a different perspective. Serving people also lifts my spirits. Taking deep breaths can also let out pent up tension. Maybe avoiding social media or limiting it is a good idea too. I love to encourage people, but it can be draining.
God willing, next Monday I will be released from this back brace and ready to strengthen my back and core muscles again. I’m used to the hearing and visual limits but the physical limits are annoying. I’m ready to get back to my normal. Hopefully soon. In the meantime with whatever comes I will keep on taking a deep breath, ASAP (always say a prayer)and scroll on.
It’s the Saturday before Christmas. As I sit here thinking, God is connecting some “dots” for me to share with you. I’m always in awe at how God puts these blogging ideas in my heart.
First, stay with me as I quickly share these “dots”. 1) Immanuel meaning God is with us. 2) Knowing many who are dealing with hard situations. 3) This Christmas season being a time of Great Joy. 4) Knowing everyone doesn’t feel that Joy 4) Tuning in to Julie Green Ministry on social media and hearing her share verses from 2 Corinthians chapter 4. (I like to challenge myself by seeing if I can follow the short reels she shares with Scriptures. This morning I understood some. ) 5) Asking Siri what Immanuel means. (I know the meaning but wanted to see what it said. While it was technically right, Siri lacked the true MEANING, God is with us.)
In Matthew 1:23 says, ““Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (NLT) Think about that and let it sink deep within. Our God who created us, sustains us, strengthens us, counsels and comforts us, provides for us, enables us, who saves us, redeems us, who sees us…… and on and on I could go ….. is God is with us!
It’s hard to wrap our minds around spiritual truths because we humans depend on what we SEE. Accepting spiritual truths requires faith, which is simply choosing to believe what God says is true. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) God our ABBA Father wants us to have child like faith and trust Him.
It’s the Holly Jolly time of year, but truth be told not everyone experiences that Cheer. If you are one of those who is depressed or discouraged right now, let me encourage you. Look back up a few paragraphs at Matthew 1:23. Jesus born as a babe is Immanuel ~ God is with us. That should be great comfort to your heart. If you are a shut-in due to health issues, a widow or experiencing loneliness due to family being far away: whatever the situation I want to encourage you to celebrate the birth of Jesus. God is with us.
The devil goes over and beyond to try to trip us up on a daily basis. Resist his tactics. The verses I heard Julie Green share today on her social media reel are the following. “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).
This might be a Blue Christmas for you if you are looking from a worldly perspective but CHIN UP!!! Don’t lose sight of the true meaning! God is with us! The Savior of the world has come and is the BEST PRESENT to help you in the present. Will you sing with me? O Come let us adore Him, O Come let us adore Him, O Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. Fort He alone is worthy, For He alone is worthy, For He alone is worthy, Christ the Lord. We’ll give Him all the glory, We’ll give Him all the glory, We’ll give Him all the glory, Christ the Lord
Have a blessed weekend. Whatever you do. If you fall down get back up. Don’t beat yourself up if you think you fall short. None of us are without fault. We all need encouragement. Praise God for His mercy and grace. We all need to reach outside of ourselves and our little orbit of life and touch others for the glory of God. Much love and prayers.
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! Www.shannonkhinson.com
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
Today marks 30 years of marriage. If I knew in the beginning what I know now, I would have held my tongue on the petty stuff that wasn’t worth arguing over. The saying “you live and learn” has certainly proven to be true. Marriage goes so much further than that though. You also grow, learn to work through tricky situations, listening to each other, Praying for each other individually and together. There is a balance of love, encouragement and persevering that develops over many year.s. We have seen some great times, making great memories. We have also seen some of the toughest of times, shedding tears and even laughed through some of them in utter disbelief but we do it together.
We are better together. Are we perfect? NO! We fall down, we get back up. We fuss, we apologize. We forgive and honestly move on. Marriage is working through life together. We are not a Ron or a Shannon, we are a couple. We’ve seen so many couples hit rough patches, have midlife crisis, entering new stages in life then “toss in the towel”. Little do they realize that when a couple works through these things together, they come out so much stronger. Hold on to your marriage! It’s worth fighting for. You won’t always feel the “warm fuzzy feelings” that are there in the beginning. Love is a decision. When we exchanged our vows, we meant it.
I’m thankful to be Ron’s wife. Through it all, God has strengthened our love for each other as we grow stronger in Him. I’m thankful for this life we have built together and continue growing each day. I pray God blesses us with many more. Happy Anniversary Ron! I love doing life with you!🤟🏼
Wrapping up the birthday week. It’s been a good one. Some friends surprised me with an early birthday lunch last Saturday and a fun “Girls Day”. Italian must have been the “Double Nickels” birthday theme. Lunch was Italian Saturday, Italian Sunday and the very best Italian around on my actual birthday. I’ve had enough pasta to last for months..
We are in a transitional time of adjustment. Our son has moved back home while he figures out a career change and fresh path. It’s an adjustment but it’s all going to work out. (And I love getting his awesome hugs every day)
In the meantime, God has sent some of His divine “God winks” to bring joy each day. We have another mourning dove resting on the same top shelf of our bakers rack on the front porch. The funny thing was that Ron discovered it behind a small sign that says “pray without ceasing”. He moved the sign because sometimes the wind makes it fall. We also slightly moved the bakers rack s we can watch the nest from inside. When I saw it I had such joy, and peace in my heart. It was like God saying” I’ve got you all. Trust me.” I go check on the nest several times of day from inside. It appears that the male and female take turns sitting on the nest.
Our Mourning Dove. Not the best picture but it gives an idea of my view.
So those days of celebrating have been followed by bird watching and several days of serving. There is nothing quite like giving the gift of yourself to others. Whether it be your time, your talents or encouragement: acts of service have a way of coming back to you in the sweetest way.
Wednesday was RiceNBeans day. I work with my friend Tami to prepare the food for one of the local locations where we help serve a warm meal to the homeless. We are so happy Pastor Daryl and Cheri have entrusted us with cooking for one location. After a few hours of cooking rice, beans and 120 hotdogs, we took it to the location but no volunteers showed up besides staff. No worries, we all worked together and got the bags of food ready then rode out to the bus stop to meet people with a warm meal as they waited at the bus stop. One funny thing happened. In my haste to get out the door to get to Tami’s, I accidently picked my husband Ron’s s shirt instead of mine. I was wondering why it was so big but I just got busy with the cooking. Later Ron met us and his shirt was rather small. It kind of looked like a body builders fit. Ron thought he had gained weight. Tami checked the size of my shirt and sure enough, I was wearing the wrong shirt. Ron and I disappeared for a few minutes to switch shirts, then we were out the door.
It is so rewarding to be a part of such an awesome outreach. Tami mentioned the people are starting to recognize us. Pastor Daryl brought a pair of work boots for one of the men. While I wish I could hear well enough to “hear” the stories, I do get them second hand. Tami said the man was so surprised about the boots. Another lady was smiling and laughing as we talked to her.
Just imagine what it would be like to be in their situation. You never know some of the stories or how these precious people end up on the streets. I was exhausted when we got home that night but it was a good kind of tired. I went to bed at 9 pm with a heart full of thanksgiving for the opportunity to serve.
Thursday morning I woke up and prepared one last time before our girls Bible study. One more chapter and we will be finished with our book. I am so grateful that God unexpectantly gave me the opportunity to teach my deaf friends. In all honestly, God has shown me what He can do when I surrender to His Will. This was not something I just volunteered for. God put the opprtunity in front of me and I obeyed. I can’t say it’s been easy. It hasn’t but it is so rewarding. The girls have come such a long way since we started. I can’t wait to see what else God has in store for us. I have also gleamed so much from the time invested studying and preparing, even memorizing because of my low vision. I have sat hours “signing” the lessons to myself to make sure I can present it in a way they could understand. Often I would stop and pray, “ Lord help me do this is a way that is clear and understandable.” We studied the women of the Bible. So many of the stories I knew, but teaching them takes you to a whole different level of understanding. I am so thankful for this gift of trust the girls have placed in me. But most of all I’m beyond thrilled at how we have all grown in our relationship with Jesus.
On this next “trip about the sun” I’m eager to see the new things God will teach me and ways He will continue to stretch my faith. This year is brought to you by… my true roots of gray (hair). Some women have the midlife crisis. I’m embracing this new stage. Live, learn, laugh and grow stronger each day.
As I had my quiet time the past two mornings, I decided to study 1 Thessalonians chapter five. I love the whole chapter but some verses really stood out. The chapter spans from being prepared in the last days, being on your guard and alert, keeping on the armor of faith and love with our confidence in our salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”(NLT) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is my heart. “ Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”(NLT).
A little side story for you. The other day Ron fixed the rotors on the back wheel area of his car. (You can tell I know nothing about these things, even if I spelled the part properly.) It was a tough job but he got it done. He came in the house and got under the kitchen sink to fix another issue. At the same time I had run from one bathroom to another with a plunger to unstop the toilet before it overflowed. I wasn’t going to even mention the stopped up toilet to Ron. As I was plunging the toilet, I had a mental picture of what I was doing, and then Ron under the sink in the kitchen , and I burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. That’s life for ya. Things happen but we have a choice in how we respond.
There was one more verse in this chapter that I cling to. It is 1 Thessalonians 5:21, ‘but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good.” (NLT) Can I get an amen there? God gives us a brain. Use it. Be a leader not a follower. Look for the good in situations and cling to it. Some people can be so critical. Just look for the good. Ask God to help you see things from His perspective. Things look a whole lot better that way. No one is perfect. We all sin, we all fall short. There is always room for grace. Since God is merciful to us, shouldn’t we also be merciful to each other? Just some things to think about. Be blessed and most of all, keep on being a blessing. What you do for Jesus is not in vain.
One short note… wow… this blog was a HASSLE. In all my years of blogging this has never happened. For some odd reason the format would switch up while I was typing for no reason at all. I turned this iPad on and off, restarting five times. Started this blog last night but put it away in frustration until this morning. Here’s to hoping it posts without any strange formatting. I tell you the truth, I don’t think all those Apple updates are “all that” with fixing software flaws. 🙄😂 Just being real.
I pray this blog post has been a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. Push through. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing. Have a great weekend. Www.shannonkhinson.com
My fixed elephant tail and my processor that stopped beeping.
We all occasional break things and reach for the super glue. Sometimes the glue works, other times it doesn’t. In the last two weeks my husband Ron has fixed one of my favorite pair of shoes,a ceramic bird and my favorite baby ceramic elephant. I still don’t know how its tail broke off. Last Wednesday I saw Ron with his super glue working on my elephants butt. Somehow its tail broke off but he managed to fix it.
Technology is a different story. Today while I was prepping my Bible study notes I send to the girls in our Bible study group, out of the blue my cochlear implant processor began to beep. There was a series of three beeps that happened over and over. It was like it was being programmed but I had no idea why. I turned it off then back on, but the beeps continued. I changed the battery twice but that didn’t work either. I also tried disconnecting the bluetooth feature from my iPad, but it still kept beeping. Oh my word! It was so annoying but I could not fix it. Ron was taking me to my friend’s house to help her cook for the homeless ministry. While in the car, I e mailed my audiologist. The beeping finally stopped but I still have no clue what caused it.
People matters can be a whole different issue. I love human nature and how personalities click or clash is intriguing. People mess up. That’s just a fact of life. People hurt your feelings and you have to forgive and forget. Some have an easier time with that than others. Someone recently told me about a situation where they were at fault and it caused issues in a relationship. They told me they just could not fix it. I said, “Have you apologized” The answer was yes. I then asked, “Have you prayed about it” People don’t always think to pray about situations. The fact is, God can work in the hearts of all involved. Sometimes you’ve got to swallow your pride and admit you did something wrong. Sometimes people look at the same thing from a completely different angles and can’t see eye to eye on something. Oftentimes we just have to let it go. Learn from the situation and move on. Live, learn, let it go and move forward.
Tonight at the Rice N Beans outreach in Rock Hill, Ron struck up a conversation with a man waiting at the bus top. I was standing there with them but I could not understand the conversation. The mam had good eye contact. Ron did sign just a little bit of what he said so I could follow a bit. The man has been through a lot. He was my own age. Ron was trying to encourage him. All the sudden I found myself speaking about God giving joy in the midst of hard things. Ron asked him if he knew Jesus and he said yes. As Ron talked with him, I said a silent prayer that God would open doors for this man.
Life happens. Things break and people mess up. Sometimes you can fix it, other times you can’t. In the midst of it all, God is working. You might ask how. God is always at work behind the scenes. In the most troubling times, He is at work in the hearts and circumstances. Keep praying and keep trusting God. We humans can really mess it up when we take things into our own hands. It’s wise to acknowledge Gods sovereignty and surrender to Him. He can bring beauty from ashes.
As my friend and I were preparing the food today, we also talked about our upcoming Bible lesson. This next lesson is on Elizabeth, John the Baptist mother. She and her husband Zacharias had prayed for years for a child, but they still had no children. They probably assumed that God had said “no”. In reality God was saying “wait”. His timing was perfect. It warmed my heart to be reminded that God hears my every prayer. When it seems He is saying no to my requests, it actually is yes to His best. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (NLT)
Do you have something in need of fixing? If you find you cant fix it, you can always prayer about it. God has ways of working things out. Give it to Him and trust Him to bring out the best. You are loved more than you will ever know. Be blessed.
f you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.
