Time truly FLIES! I “blink” and three years have gone by. This past Friday marked my three year anniversary of blogging with WordPress.com This has become a passion of encouraging others to face life with Jesus. Blogging started out as a continuation of things God has taught me through living with limitations. It continues to be a time of sharing my journey which I first shared in my autobiography Rooted by the Water published in 2021 through Westbow Press. (You can find it on Amazon in print and ebook format).
By the grace of God, in the past three years I have written 213 blog posts with 6,964 views. All for the Glory of God! It’s an honor to share the things the Holy Spirit reveals through nature and life in general. Oh the lessons He teaches me as He refines and sharpens me. Convicting me at times, humbling me and cheering me on. I’m grateful for this process He has me in. It’s my hope and prayer that Jesus love and care are seen through the words He enables me to write.
The Bible tells us to “let our light shine”. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NKJV) So I write. I am astounded that Rootedbythewater.blog is read around the world. Each week the blogging site tells me in what countries it is viewed. I am not saying many people read it, but it humbles me that God uses this gift He has given me to touch someone here and there: in China, another in England, Nigeria, France, Canada and so many countries. (There have been a couple I’ve never heard of. Looking them up, turns out they were small countries in Africa.) The majority of views are here in America.
The times we live in are evil. It’s a worldwide peril. In a sense, it’s like being out at sea on a stormy night. With darkness and raging winds and waves surrounding, we strive to catch sight of a “lighthouse” to guide us to safety. In these times, let Jesus use you to “shine” for Him. I’ve always had this hidden gift but God has chosen to bring it out during the last three years for “such a time as this”.
We all have God given talents. Whether it’s music, dance, acts of service, teaching, encouraging, speaking life and so many more….. whatever your gift may be, will you offer it back to God? Can you pray, ‘Lord I’m so humbled and thankful you chose me to have this gift. I give it back to You, asking You to enable me to use it for Your Glory, not mine. Lead me through the Holy Spirit to encourage someone today and lead them to You. Help us to overcome this evil world with the blood of the Lamb and Word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11)” I pray that you can surrender and pray that prayer with me. God is at work all around us. Join in this labor of love! It’s all for Jesus! He’s worthy of it all!
Here’s to many more blogs or whatever else He calls me to do. As long as He continues to pour into me, I will continue to pour out. It’s all for Jesus! 🤟🏼❤️ Www.shannonkhinson.com
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
Yesterday I came across a devotion on our church’s App. It’s actually a book called “Read and Pray” which is portions of sermons our Pastor Loran Livingston has preached over the years at Central Church of God. We bought many copies about a year ago and gave them away as gifts. Recently a friend reminded me of the devotions and I started reading them again on the church app. You can find the devotion on https://centralnc.org/read_prayer_devotional The website is http://www.centralnc.org Past messages and music are on there. Check it out.
Yesterday, April 3 devotion was titled, “What have you done with this gift of suffering”. Please go to the website and check it out for yourself. I don’t know about you but I don’t think I’ve ever thought about suffering as a gift. Suffering can be depressing. It can be annoying and discouraging. But a gift?
One of the scriptures listed to look up is Philippians 1:29 which says,“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.” (NLT) There it is folks. The New Living Translation calls it a privilege to suffer for Christ. That sure is a “game changer”.
There is an old saying, “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.” If you take a good look at people around you and really see them and their situations, you will see suffering on all different levels. You can see emotional suffering when people are having relationship issues. There is financial suffering when families try so hard to make “ends meet” in this ridiculous inflation.There are people suffering from physical pain and health issues. Other people suffer from their lack of ability.
If we look at our “suffering” through the lens of “privilege “ or a “gift”, what are we doing with it for the glory of God? I will be the first to admit that it’s tough. Honestly you can’t do this in your own strength, but you can in the strength of the Lord. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
In my personal situation, many might see my low vision and hearing issues a suffering. I’ve heard many people complain when they couldn’t drive for a certain period of time like that was the end of the world. I get it. At the beginning that was one “tough loss” but here I am about 35 years since I stopped driving, and I’m just fine. It was not the end of the world. My priorities have changed. I don’t always have to be going somewhere and I’m sensitive to others around me that have “lost”something. Add to that low vision hearing and speech comprehension issues, is it easy? Not by any means but God has given much perspective and empathy for others.
God has given me opportunities to get involved in serving others and helping to meet their needs. There is nothing like taking the attention off yourself and helping others. Forget the “woe is me” outlook. A couple of months ago my husband Ron and I got involved with some friends helping with Rice N Beans Ministry. We are helping with the Rock Hill location. A few weeks ago we met a homeless man and he said he was so blessed because he knows Jesus. This man has no earthly possessions but he has Jesus and he feels so blessed. That is the biggest testimony. With his “gift of suffering” in being homeless, he is declaring the goodness of God. Wow.
Another example of doing something with the “gift of suffering” would be in teaching bible study to my deaf girlfriends. Three of us have hearing loss and one is hearing. Our learning approaches are all different and so are our reading skills. With my vision issues and preparation for the lessons, it takes a lot of time to prepare. As I have pressed through, God has given me a deeper understanding of His Word. The girls who bought Bibles at the beginning of the study are now looking up and reading scripture. They participate in the discussions. One friend who has always been shy about praying out loud, is now signing short prayers. She said she didn’t know how to sign it in English. I said “ Prayer is talking to God. It doesn’t matter how you sign it, just talk to our Heavenly Father, and so she did. These things are priceless.
So what are you doing with your “gift of suffering”? Can you even see suffering as a “gift”? Think about the hardships you have endured. Has God brought people along side you to help “carry the load”? That could be in the forms of encouragement, offering to pray, bringing a meal, offering a listening ear. Reading Pastor’s devotion and reflecting on life, helps me see things more clearly.
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 . 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
I’ve been a Christian for a long time. Learning to pray God’s Will and not my own has been something I’ve had to learn over a long period of time. Sad to admit that it took me so LONG to learn this truth but I learned.
With this being the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday, I am so beyond thankful that Jesus chose the Father’s Will over His own Will. As Pastor preached this morning, tears silently rolled down my face. The magnitude of what Jesus did for us on the cross is so beyond our understanding. There is no way to express the thankfulness that I feel for Jesus sacrifice for me.
Jesus, God’s only son, who had never sinned, never done anything wrong, laid down His life for us. He took the wrath and fury of God, on Himself. Oh how I praise Jesus! To know that He paid my debt in full, so that I can live forgiven. God’s gift to us is a free gift that anyone can receive. How can anyone reject such an incredible free gift? Check out these verses from Romans chapter 3. “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.” Romans 3:24-26 (NLT) Such amazing love God has for us!
God had to look away when Jesus was on the cross, bearing our sins. But….Yes there is a but, God saw the Big picture. He was looking ahead at the Resurrected Jesus! He was looking ahead at the Triumph over the enemy! He saw the big picture of His adopted children spending eternity with hHm in Heaven. Oh Lord help us to pray, “Not my Will but thy will be done.”
I was texting my Mom this afternoon. I asked her to keep praying about a situation. She said she would. We both agreed not to press the issue but let God do His work. We often try to “fix things” ourselves. “ Lord I have some ideas on how this might work!” How many of you do this? Surely I am not alone in trying to solve issues. But God! That is such a huge truth! But God! He sees the “Big” picture. He knows what He’s doing. My little ideas might not be over all bad ideas, but He sees ahead. He is timeless. He knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning. One step forward of faith, two steps backward trying to work things out on my own. It’s a back and forth shuffle but Praise God, as I continue to walk with Him, daily seeking Him, I’m moving more ahead than back. Thank you Jesus!
How many of you try to get out of what God’s brought you to do? I know I’m not alone here. I am still struggling with the concept of teaching Bible study when I can’t see the book and have trouble seeing my notes zoomed in on my iPad.
Teaching God’s Word is a weighty matter that I don’t take lightly. I can grasp a tiny bit the burden Pastors have . I see a little glimpse of that. So many times I have said “God I don’t want to do this”. Here I am still doing it because God has this door open and I am trying to obey. Not my will but thy Will be done.
I shared with my husband Ron and my Mom about this struggle. I know they are praying. As I’m preparing this week I feel a bit “lighter”. I’m trying to “let go and let God” sink this lesson deep down within the “spiritual well” of my heart. He is teaching me and I know He will let it “bubble up and pour out” as only He can make that happen.
What are you struggling to give to the Lord and let Him have His way? It’s not an easy place to be but the stretching is rewarding. God wants us to be a part of His work. John 4:35 says, “You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” ( NLT). Jesus is talking about a “spiritual “ harvest.
Let’s be open to God’s perfect Will. Let’s open our eyes to see where He is at work and be willing to join in as He leads. Whatever you are facing, be encouraged that “It is finished’. Jesus has overcome it all. In His presence every “high place must come down”…every stronghold shall be broken”. Jesus wears the”Victors Crown”. All Glory and Honor to Jesus! So incredibly humbled and thankful.
If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.
This is going to be a little different. Today the verse of the day on YouVersion is Psalms 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”(NLT). I have many favorite scriptures but this whole chapter really touches me every single time I read it. Today was no different.
Today as I read the whole chapter yet again, I thought about each verse. I would like to put the chapter here and comment in italics on each verse and how it touches me. You can meditate on scripture and let it sink deep down in your soul to nourish you from the inside out. Let’s get started.
Psalms 139
1 “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. (This is so awesome. Nothing is hidden from God. It’s like we are bare in His presence. Everything is within His sight.) 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. (Sometimes we think our thoughts are safe as long as they aren’t spoken or acted upon. But God knows even our thoughts. Imagine that.) 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. (WOW the sovereignty of God) 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. (This means there’s a whole lot of silent prayers going up. A whole lot of Lord help me.) 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. (This is so incredibly comforting. Knowing I’m surrounded by God brings such peace.) 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! (The sheer magnitude of God is mind blowing.) 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! (Praise God. I never want to be away from Gods presence.) 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. (Always with me, everywhere I go) 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, ( He is always with me. When I’m in an airplane I marvel at the Heavens and the clouds. When I’m at the beach, the wonder of His creation moves me.) 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. (I’m in awe of you Lord.) 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— (I will take the Light of the Lord any day over darkness. Who would want to hide from the Lord?) 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. (Amen) 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. ( Being born with my vision problem, this verse especially touches me. Nothing is surprising to the Lord. He is fully aware of every cell in my body. That is so awesome.) 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (He is the potter, we are the clay. He makes us unique for His purpose and glory. Thank you Jesus.) 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. (And you said It is good.) 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Isn’t that so amazing?) 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! (Oh yes and I sure would love to know those thoughts He has towards me. I want so much to please Him and be used by Him.) 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! (That is so beautiful. I love the mornings and my quiet times with the Lord. I have a picture on my wall that says”In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.”) 19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! (Yes. The evil in the world is troubling. It will be one glorious day when this battle is over and the enemy is forever destroyed.) 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. (That sure does burn me up. One reason why I don’t care for media and Hollywood.) 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? (I honestly have a hard time hating. Im always looking for the silver liner.) 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. (I certainly do despise evil.) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. (This is my hearts cry everyday.) 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”(Yes Lord. Correct me for I know you discipline those you love. Guide me always in the way I should go . For your glory lead me Lord.) Psalms 139:1-24 NLT)
You can do this with any scripture. Meditate on it and watch transform your hearts. Apply it to your life. The Bible’s isa map for life and daily living.Take the time to read it and let it change you for the glory of God.
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.
This afternoon I was going through my notes app and noticed I made an entry on September 5, 2023 with the title “Cycles” and Psalms 106. That was it. I had written nothing else in that particular note. Often times a topic will come to mind and I will enter it with a scripture to come back to later. This is one of those cases.
Cycles? Why would I want to write on that topic? Call me odd, but I find the cycles of human behavior quite interesting. People start something, then they stop, then they start again then they stop…. Over and over it goes. Bad habits come into the picture. Sin comes into the picture. Speaking of sin, humanity is stubborn! Oh my goodness. I’m reading through the Bible again and right now I’m in the book of Exodus. The Israelites were SOOOO stubborn. Wow!
Psalms 106 really sums up Exodus pretty well. Let me share some verses here but by all means go read it. Let’s start with this: “Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly! Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the Lord’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. Even so, he saved them— to defend the honor of his name and to demonstrate his mighty power. He commanded the Red Sea to dry up. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert. So he rescued them from their enemies and redeemed them from their foes. Then the water returned and covered their enemies; not one of them survived. Then his people believed his promises. Then they sang his praise. Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel!” Psalms 106:6-13 (NLT) Do you see the cycles?
We modern day people aren’t much better. History tends to repeat itself. We are born in flesh and sin. We are all in need of the salvation Jesus freely gives. Without the help of the Lord, the cycle of sin keeps repeating itself. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 says, “But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”(NLT) We have a loving God who willl forgive us when we truly confess and repent of our sins. Jesus gives us the victory over the cycle of sin.
This week my Bible study group is starting back up with our weekly study. Our lesson this week is on Bathsheba. So many life applications to learn from her and King Davids mistakes. One of the points of study is “Faith after failure”. King David wrote Psalms 51 after the prophet Nathan had called out Davids adultery with Bathsheba. It is such a beautiful cry of a true repentant heat. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. But when we do, may we always genuinely confess our sin, agreeing with what God says is right and wrong. May we change and surrender our desires to Jesus for His direction. I absolutely love Psalms 51:10-12,“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” (NLT). God can use even our mistakes for His glory. Oh the beauty of the ways of the Lord! Psalms 51:17 tells us, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (NLT)
Surrender to Jesus and let him break the cycle of sin in your life. He is more than enough. If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.
You most likely won’t guess the subject of this blog from the title. I won’t keep you in suspense. An old friend of mine that I used to work with calls all her great-nieces and great-nephews , Greatness #1, Greatness #2 and so on. I love her idea and want to use it as well. Wednesday night Greatness #3 was born in our family. I couldn’t be more excited.
Are you wondering why in the world I’m doing such a “happy dance” over here? Here’s the thing, I absolutely love seeing my brother’s family grow! You see, almost four years ago he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and there was so much uncertainty for the future. Although we trusted and continue to trust our Great God who holds our futures.
Today my brother is three and a half years post bone marrow transplant. He and his family went through such an ordeal and he is now thriving! This makes my heart so happy! Not only that , but he got to walk his daughter down the aisle a couple of years ago and he and his wife now have three grandchildren. What a beautiful miracle and to watch it all unfold. I thank God for these beautiful blessings to witness.
If you, your family or someone you know are going through a difficult time, please don’t lose hope. Put your faith and hope in Jesus. He has proven over and over in my life and my family that He is our “Anchor“ that holds us steady in the storms of life. Be blessed and keep trusting Jesus. Keep holding on.
“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.” Romans 8:28 (NLT)
Just a few more days and 2023 will be behind us. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a fresh new year. At the beginning of 2023 God dropped the word “soar” in my heart. At the time I had no clue why. Honestly, I’m still not quite sure. The year did seem to SOAR by. It seems like it just started and here we are near 2024.
2023 was a year of growth. God has worked with me on overcoming some fears. I will get to that in a minute. Getting feedback from my husband Ron, I evidently have grown in the area of peace. There is peace in my heart even though life is full of uncertainties. At the end of the day, I am confident in who holds my future and I can say 100% that God is faithful and so so GOOD!
About overcoming some fears, I’m learning more and more that I can trust God with everything. Everything can range from family health issues, fear of inadequacies, frustrations with our culture and how to live a life of humility. The list goes on. I’d like to share two key things I learned this year. There’s a big third but some things involve others and I respect their desire for confidentiality.
Late in the Spring, Ron bought us two “sit on top” kayaks. This was such a surprise that he agreed to buy us two. He is not yet a “Kayak lover” but I have hope. We are only about five or six miles from the nearby lake. Since we used to have a SeaDoo, I’m familiar with the water and area. I feel comfortable as I sort of know my way around.
Truth be told, there is an adventure element because my vision is 20/400. Yes you read that right. BUT I can see enough to do it and I love the water. Respecting the challenges, dangers, my limitations, the unknown and being willing to learn is all part of it. I started out on a two seater kayak but I wanted to be free. Being on a one seater with my limitations is pressing it, but God has given me a sound mind to approach the adventure with sound judgement.
I finally got Joshua, our 25 year old son to go with me. He thought he was going to wear me out, but he was in for a surprise, as my endurance gave him a “run for his money”. He also has a vision problem, however his is not nearly as bad as mine. I let him decide on our destination. He remembered an island way out in the lake, back from when we used to SeaDoo. So we set off. We didn’t know how far it was. All we knew was the general direction. We paddled and paddled for quite a while. Getting a bit tired, I finally told him if we didn’t see the island or reach it within 30 minutes, we would turn around. 30 minutes later we had almost reached the island. Talking about a huge accomplishment. We got out of the kayaks at the island and swam around for a bit and rested. Then we had to paddle all the way back. What an adventure! Perseverance , courage, stamina and sheer will to finish what we started. We made a goal and reached it!
The next big challenge to overcome came about in August. My Bible study group had decided to break over the summer and pick back up in September. Our leader got involved in a small group at her church and told us we could go ahead. I was totally stunned when the girls asked me to lead. I agreeded to try but inside I was like, “Lord are you kidding me? I can’t see the book. How in the world am I supposed to do this?” Truth be told I still feel that way. I know my limitations and God knows His power to work in them. I gave in and let Him have His way. I can’t but God can. I oftentimes feel so inadequate. There is a saying, God does not call the quipped, He equips the called. Wow. Boy am I a testament to that. I’m not saying I’m called, but I have definitely made my inadequate self available. We are going to pick back up in January. I can’t wait to see what God has in store.
The third thing I mentioned which I can’t fully disclose but I can share vaguely. It’s been the latter part of the year. Some experiences we had never faced. God has taught me to trust Him more. He has impressed upon me humility. Putting others before myself even if it costs me. Listening even though it wears me slap out with not hearing very well with my cochlear implant processor. That’s something I hope to get right in 2024. 2023 was not a good hearing year, probably due to menopause and hormonal changes. Who knows. I’m not going to worry about it. I’ve learned to say, God this is all I have, help me to make it be all it needs to be. I can’t hear but I can listen and I’ve done a whole lot of that this year. Listen to others needs and pray, pray and pray some more. God has taught me to speak wisdom over situations and trust Him. So it’s definitely been a year of growth, which has soared in some ways.
Im thankful that God still allows me to put into writing the many things He continues to teach me. I have continued to blog each week during this year. Ron got me a real keyboard that magnetically attaches to my iPad. It makes blogging so much easier to be able to “feel” the keys as I type. Me and touch screens don’t get along. To date there have been 5,210 views. Here are my end of the year stats for blogging. This is post #60 for this year. That’s 40.9K words this year, averaging around 693.4 words per post, reaching countries round the world but mostly in the USA. This is no reason for pride but simple gratitude. I could not do it without God. I wouldn’t even want to try.
God has not yet given me a word for 2024. I’m not sure if He will. I do know I will continue to strive to be empty so He can fill and use me in whatever way He desires. As we bring 2023 to a close I can say it is well with my soul. I will wrap this up with Philippians 3:13-14, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (NLT)
At this point in life if a song could show my testimony I would choose Itis well by Bethel Music. I will attach the YouTube music video with lyrics below. Be blessed and Happy New Year. May you experience the love of Jesus like never before.
If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.
Candle light service at Fort Mill Church of God. Photo credit Joshua Hinson.
On this day after Christmas, I find myself reflecting. It’s been the perfect day for it, with rain pouring most of the day. It’s kind of like silent pondering after a busy time of celebration.
After almost thirty years of marriage, raising a son who no longer lives at home, Christmas time has changed a bit. This is also our third Christmas without my Dad. He loved this time of year and would have liked that Mom decorated two trees this year. She always does a beautiful job making her house look festive for Christmas.
We never really know how Christmas will unfold even with traditions. The week before Christmas our son was in Florida and we weren’t sure if he would be back in time for our Christmas Eve plans. With adult kids, you never really know how it’s all going to play out. Thankfully our son made it back in town just in time to join us and Grandma for the Christmas Eve candlelight service at Fort Mill Church of God. This was the church we raised Joshua in. We went there for seventeen years.
As we walked in we saw some familiar faces and got a few hugs. I was surprised that we each got a real candle. Mom signed for me. Well she tried her best as the Pastor speaks so very fast. It was an unusual Christmas Eve service but it was so very meaningful. I assumed we would sing the usual Christmas carols and hear the Christmas story. I was so moved by the worship. We gathered to celebrate Jesus birth and the music Pastor led us in beautiful anointed worship of Jesus our King. The Pastor spoke on Revelations 5. He brought it all together from Genesis to Revelations…. JESUS! We had communion then one by one everyone’s candle was lit as we sang O come let us adore Him. It was one of the highlights of this Christmas.
After the service we drove to Waffle House which is our tradition. Why Waffle House? It’s usually the only thing open but the place was packed. We did find a Mexican restaurant close by and had a nice dinner there, enjoying time with Grandma. We usually also ride around to see Christmas lights but Grandma was tired and Joshua was too. After a short visit at her house we headed home. Joshua spent the night with us.
The very best gift was spending time with our son. He always has a friend or two with him so it’s not often to get his undivided attention. Even though he was tired, we talked for hours. It was like old times and it was pure JOY!
Late Christmas afternoon, we went to Grandmas to meet up with my brother’s family and celebrate again. My two year old great niece was there and she brought such joy and smiles. She took her little baby doll into the study room to “change the diaper”. She had her little diaper changing cloth on the floor. As she looked up on the wall, she saw Great Grandpas golf ball collection and she wanted to see a few. Gigi (my Mom) got several down for her. She placed them on her diaper changing cloth. It was so cute. I know my Dad would have loved that. It’s the little things that bring a big smile to my heart.
So this Christmas is a wrap and it’s “one for the books”. It was wonderful! It’s not about the gifts that were exchanged. What made it extra special was the meaningful candlelight service, long talks with our son and time with family. Those things are priceless. My heart is full and I am truly thankful. I pray you all had a wonderful time of celebration and time spent with the special people in yours life.
If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God.
rootedbythewater.blog 