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A “Doggie” Staycation

October 11, 2026Leave a Comment

It’s been a busy few days but I have survived! My son Joshua had to go to Charleston S.C. for the “hands on” in person part of a nationally recognized certification program for Licensed Massage Body Work Therapists to get certified to work with oncology patients. My husband Ron drove him down last Thursday and I’ve been on “dog duty” since they left. I really wasn’t sure how it was going to work out since Joshua’s 18 month old Berna-doodle (Moose) has never been with just me and our old dog Joy.

Thursday I got the house cleaned up and prepared for a luncheon for friends on Friday. I wasn’t sure how the dogs would do at night. Moose had never slept in my room before. He kept going to the garage door and staring at it as if waiting for Joshua to come get him. I finally got a blanket with Joshua’s scent and spread it on my bed, sure enough, he hopped right up and snuggled down for the night. I didn’t sleep well though since I was unsure how the dogs would do during the night. There was a weather front coming through and seemed to affect Joy’s back hips and back legs. Joy is 15 1/2 years old. She’s the Queen of the house.

Friday when my four friends arrived, Moose was very sh. I had ordered two bones to keep the dogs busy while my friends were over. Moose stole Joy’s bone from her though. I just have to shake my head at these dogs sometimes. They act like kids. The lunch was fun. We had homemade tomato basil soup, salad, ham and cheese sliders and a carrot cake to celebrate a birthday. That night I slept 10 hours. I had been so tired. Thankfully there were no issues with either dog.

Saturday I woke up to rain and it rained all day and all night. Joy was having the hardest time on the deck steps as she went out to use the bathroom and come back in. I had to give her a boost so she could make it back in. It was a long day. We had just had the yard aerated and seeded and the rain made for a muddy mess. Meanwhile, Moose would go on a “fun run” in the mud to release some energy. 😳 He is a beautiful dog but he is such a DOG: loving mud and chewing on sticks, playing fetch and all that. He woke me up several times in the night to use the bathroom.

Today I watched church online twice. I also finished switching out seasonal clothes and cleaning the closet. Almost every time Joy goes outside I have to help her up the steps to get back inside. I decided I needed a nap this afternoon so I laid down for two hours hoping the dogs would be fine. I woke to both of them beside my bed wanting out. Joy had left a surprise “trail of poop” on the kitchen floor. I got that cleaned up and floor mopped. The guys are about one hour away from home. I can say I survived this! I have no clue what Ron did with the tv remote control. It has been the most quiet weekend ever. I did play some “dog music” on Saturday while I was cleaning the closet. I had never heard of that before until a friend told me about it last year. It put both dogs to sleep and almost put me to sleep too.

I will say that I had some powerful quiet times with the Lord over this weekend. Even though I’ve been home alone (except for my friends coming for lunch Friday) and have not been anywhere, God has been with me and the dogs. He is always there and always faithful. I will be so glad when the guys walk through the door. I know they are ready to be home too. It’s a good thing we did not take Moose down to Charleston because it rained there all weekend. My friend would have been stressed about Joy’s issues on the deck steps. God worked it all out. I’m sure there will be a wrestling match later between Joshua and Moose. I’m going to sleep well tonight. It is well with my soul!

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Handling the Heat🔥

September 29, 2026Leave a Comment

I’ll tell you a secret, I don’t like fire. We used to heat our home with a wood burning buck stove. While the warm heat on a winter day was wonderful, I hated adding wood and using a poker. I’m not too keen on “fiery/heated situations” either. Temper flares, scams, hiring people that don’t fulfill their service etc. I’m not a fan. It’s a rare day when I get upset and even rarer when I’m angry. Life happens though so occasionally we all have our moments. If you check out you current top 12 emojis, it might give you a little picture of your life at present. Here are mine: 🔥❣️😊🍁🙌😂🤪💓😁😴🥰🤟🏼. Last week there was a mad face in there which is so unlike me.

Here’s my question, how do you handle fiery heated situations or things that make you angry? Well, we are all human and it’s a natural emotion. So we are bound to have moments of anger from time to time. Yet, how we face those moments is key! Ephesians 4:26 says, ““Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,” (NKJV‬‬) It doesn’t tell us to not be angry. It tells us not to “sin” when we get angry. Ways we respond “in the flesh” are usually sin. Last week I responded in the flesh by cursing. (I did a lot of repenting too) I was SOOO upset. In a “nutshell” we hired a man that was recommended by a friend, to do some drainage repair work. We thought we were hiring him, but he wasn’t here much and sent two young people out to do the work. It was pricey and they did a poor job, not fixing our problem AND the girl signed her name in a concrete slab! I kid you not! There was supposed to be a one year warranty on the work but we had much trouble getting the man to come back out. There was much miscommunication due to him speaking Spanish. My husband and I had a really hard time with all of this. We had gotten ‘poor work” one too many times and I was not going to let it slide. So we were all angry. Whew! Last week was not good, not at all! Here’s the thing, responding in negative ways when angry drains you physically and emotionally. A friend from high school reminded me that we should praise God in our hard times. She was exactly right.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 it says “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (‭NKJV‬‬) (emphasis mine) Ouch! The Holy Spirit will really correct us! It didn’t matter if we had been “shorted” I needed to rejoice, pray, give thanks and “Let God be God”! Saturday evening, I told my husband I was going to take a hot detox bath (epson salt, baking soda and organic lavender essential oil). While soaking, I decided to wear my cochlear implant processor so I could listen to worship music via Bluetooth technology. I put my hair in pigtails so it wouldn’t get wet, laid back in the hot water to de-stress. I listened to Central Collective music. You can check them out on YouTube and Spotify. As I listened I began to sing and then sign the songs. My guardian angel got a good chuckle! I began to release all that was troubling me. It had really drained me. As I soaked, prayed and worshiped, I felt a shift in my spirit. I aimed to give this “drainage project” to the Lord.

Monday morning the guy came out with his worker to fix some of the issues. He was not happy about it. My husband watched as they worked to make sure it was done right. My husband came in and said, “They don’t like me. They said they would work this one day and that was it.” (Remember we paid several thousand dollars for this work plus there was a one year warranty on the work.). I felt in my spirit, we were to show grace. I said, “Why don’t we provide lunch for them and let them know we appreciate them returning to work on the issues.” I will tell you, grace goes a long way in softening people. They worked hard all day and the job was much improved, and the girls “writing” on the concrete was removed. Now God willing, the system will work well when it rains to move water away from the foundation.

A friend sent me the sweetest text earlier today telling me how she saw humility in me. I told her it was something God was refining in me through the fires of struggle. I kid you not. Living with hearing and visual limits is no joke. It’s hard and requires me to surrender daily to God’s power and help. (And help, HE sure does!) I reminded her of my “bad” week last week. She knew because she had been praying for the situation. I told her we are all being refined by daily life. Lord help us choose well. Yesterday those men saw God in us and they saw grace. God gives us grace and we ought to pour it out on others. I pray God will bless them for doing the right thing. I’m grateful for the lesson!

Have an amazing week!

Www.shannonkenleyhinson.com

Don’t “Bury” your talents

September 24, 2026Leave a Comment

Recently I came across a devotion on the parable of the talents.(Matthew 25:14-30) It was a different perspective and stuck with me. Sometimes we are rushed to get to the moral of a story and miss some important details. The Master gave all three of his servants “talents” according to their abilities. He gave according to each servants capacity. Not randomly or by what they deserved. Three different amounts; one given two talents, one given one and one given five. Three different amounts, three different abilities. Two of the servants doubled what they had received. One servant buried the talent in fear.

God does not compare our fruitfulness to each other. He wants us to be fruitful in what He has given us. Each of us has different abilities, circumstances and seasons in life. It’s tempting to compare ourselves with others but that’s not wise. Comparison can immobilize us in our walk with the Lord. Scrolling through social media can be tempting and depressing. Let’s be clear though, all those who just post all the “glories” of life, also experience struggles, they just don’t want you to see that side.

I want to encourage you to not “bury” your talent, whatever it may be. God equips us to fulfill His desires. See Ephesians 2;10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (NLT‬‬) So take courage, rise up and do what God calls you to do. Don’t be afraid. Fear immobilizes us so we aren’t affective. Push all fear aside. Also see 2 Timothy 1: 7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So get out there today and everyday, using the abilities God has already equipped you with. The time is short. We must be fruitful and help expand the Kingdom of God. Also be sure to do your work as unto the Lord. It is God we are serving, not men. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

Let’s get out there and be fruitful today. God is with us. When we surrender our day to Him, He will bless our efforts. Have an amazing Thursday.

Www.shannonkenleyhinson.com

September is Deaf Awareness Month

September 20, 2026Leave a Comment

Recently as I was scrolling through the Instagram platform, I saw that September is Deaf Awareness Month. I’ve been meaning to write on this topic. Why? Because awareness develops understanding and fostering understanding can break barriers.

Speaking from experience, I knew nothing about deaf culture or hard of hearing until I myself began to lose my hearing. It was around the age of 11-12 when my hearing started to decline, for some unknown reason. It was a gradual process and for that, I am thankful. There were no hearing impaired students in my school and I’d never seen sign language before I went to college. During high school I learned to lip read and had note takers in my classes. It was during freshman orientation at East Carolina University that I met my first deaf friends and learned the manual alphabet. Little did I know, that was the beginning of learning a second language: sign language. It was a breath of fresh air to finally be able to connect with others with hearing loss and learn sign language.

I did a little search on Google about deaf statistics. You can look this up as well but I’ll share a little of what I found. Did you know, 3.6% of the U.S. population consider themselves deaf or have significant difficulty hearing. (National Deaf Center) Around 1 in 7 Americans have some degree of hearing loss. (National Deaf Center) World wide there are over 300 sign language types with American Sign Language (ASL) being dominant in North America. (avantpage.com) ASL does not follow English word order, it is more conceptual. There is also Pidgin Sign English (PSE) and Signed Exact English (SEE). I personally learned PSE which is a blend of American Sign Language vocabulary with English sentence structure. This is my favorite because being born hearing, my first language was spoken English. I have deaf friends who love ASL which has much more concept. It’s like making a series of pictures with signs but doesn’t follow English word order.

That’s enough statistics for one post. I will say, a good reminder when you see deaf people and interact with them, deafness does not define who they are. Deaf and hard of hearing people are just like you, they just lack the ability to hear and comprehend speech. We are not “less than” anyone else. Nor do we need pity.

Empathy really goes a long way! What do I mean? Try putting yourself in another person’s shoes. Stick some ear plugs in your ears and see how far you can get in the day. You’re likely going to have trouble on the phone and may find FaceTime and texting easier. You will likely have great difficulty understanding the television. (I personally never watch it. With the combination of my hearing loss and low vision, it makes for a very frustrating activity to attempt reading closed captions on a tv screen.) Closed caption is great for those with hearing loss who can read. You might have difficulty communicating in public with the everyday people you encounter in stores, restaurants, schools, churches etc. Speaking of churches, in all the surrounding area of where I live outside of Charlotte NC, I only know of one church with sign language interpreters. ONE!!! That is a big problem that really needs to be addressed. Less than 2% of the world deaf population are followers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That makes the deaf one of the largest unreached and unengaged groups worldwide. https://gacx.io/articles/deaf-unreached-people Now think of all the mission groups that are sent every year world wide, which is wonderful, but hear me out, deaf people need to be engaged with learning the Gosspel as well. Me and my husband visited two churches in the area during the past year. Both are great churches where the Bible is clearly taught. Neither of them offer any services for the hearing impaired. It was a very frustrating time for me when trying to grasp some meaning. (Having low vision doesn’t help either. It makes seeing power points impossible.) I would leave those services discouraged not uplifted and equipted. I was raised in church and am very familiar with the Bible. My daily relationship with Jesus is of most importance to me. A couple of years ago I led a Bible study with my deaf friends. It was not easy because deaf people can have lower reading skills. That means they can have difficult with the Bible study book and reading the Bible itself. With the combination of my hearing limitation and low vision, I ended up memorizing the lessons so I could clearly help them understand. They were so hungry for the Word of God! There are a few key points to learn here. First off, if you have deaf children, it is vital that they learn to read so they can more easily interact in the world. Second, advocacy for resources for the hearing impaired is vital. Those who can hear can easily listen to sermons and worship songs that equip you for life. The deaf don’t have these luxuries. I’ve had people ask me why I don’t go to Sunday School at church. Well, that would require a translator so I could participate. It is also taxing on my eyes to watch signing at length, so one service is sufficient for me along with my personal study of the Bible . (When my deaf girlfriends have hours long talks and lunch, when I’m finally home, my eyes and mind are exhausted from watching signing for long lengths of time.) Just a little perspective.

Like I said easily, empathy goes A LONG WAY. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and really think about what it would be like with their limitations. You’d be surprised that not many people take the time for such reflection. It’s mind blowing. Perspective!! I’ve discovered there are many reels on Instagram with deaf people teaching short signing lessons. Very short. It is a fun way to learn. The manual Alphabet is also an easy tool you can use to interact with hearing impaired people. You can finger spell words. You can also use your phone to type a short message and show them. (That personally doesn’t work for me because I can’t see the font on an iPhone but for most people, that works.). As you begin to understand the needs around you, you can make little attempts to show compassion. Today after church a sweet lady came up and introduced herself. She was learning some basic signs and made the effort to connect. That meant a lot. Compassion goes a long way.

I think I will wrap it up for now. It’s been well over a week since I’ve blogged. It may be the first week in over five years that I didn’t post a blog. The past week was busy. Hopefully I will stay consistent with sharing. I know this particular blog has been a bit different. Awareness brings understanding though. If it helps break a few barriers for the hearing impaired community, it’s well worth sharing. Have an amazing week.

Www.shannonkenleyhinson.com

The manual alphabet.
Image found on Pinterest.

Growing…More and More

September 11, 2026Leave a Comment

I am writing…. I’ve actually meant to blog earlier this week but I’m just getting around to it. Last Sunday, Pastor asked everyone to read 2 Peter this week. It’s only three chapters so he said read one each day then do it again. The more we mediate on God’s Word, the more we grow in His truth. The first several verses of 2 Peter are well worth sharing here. ~ “I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)(emphasis mine)

Whew! What a treasure of wisdom that is! In this world that we live in, with sinful ways embraced by society and pretty much shoved in our faces daily, it is VITAL to stay in PRAYER and THE WORD OF GOD!!!

The more we study God’s Word and stay in prayer, the more we will grow in wisdom, putting down strong roots. I love the concept of “roots”. I even named my memoir “Rooted by the Water”. Why? Because Jesus is the “living water”. Check out Jeremiah 17:8,“They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.‭(NLT‬) (emphasis mine) #goals! That’s my desire! I want my “roots” to grow down deep into the “living water” Jesus. Having such roots keeps you stable in a world and culture that’s constantly shifting in the wrong areas.

We need a shift back to Jesus, His Word and a deep relationship with Him, where we are constantly praying and seeking His face for anything and everything. That folks is where we need to be. If you aren’t there, it’s time to change course so that you can GROW more and more and reflect Jesus more and more. I’ll stop here. This is not only a reminder for you but for me as well. We must keep our focus on Jesus and His True Word. Ask for wisdom and discernment to detect falsehood because it abounds. Be on your guard always, testing the spirits and walking in God’s truth. He will lead us in victory. Stay faithful! You are loved!

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What’s your “battle plan”?

August 26, 2026Leave a Comment

Cartoon found on a friend’s social media post.

I was recently scrolling through social media and saw the above picture and it really resonated with me. (There was no photo credit.) Prayer is never a back up plan or plan B in my life. Prayer is THE way I approach each day and many situations. The older I get the more I’m aware that I should never wait for a crisis to begin praying but just go ahead and cover every aspect of life, praying for God’s perfect Will. He sees the full picture, while I just get momentary glimpses. Prayer changes things, not because of any power I possess but because it’s my connection with the One True Living God who holds all power. Life happens and while we don’t know what lies ahead, God does. That said, my “battle plan” for moment by moment life situations is to pray. It can be the simplest call for help,”Lord I need clarity and direction on this” or it can be detailed. Often times I’m praying, “God help me to endure this test” or this social situation. I can’t stress enough how heavily I rely on God for the moment by moment things. As I type this, our elderly dog is barking loudly at a work crew outside. “Lord make her calm down please!”

During my devotion reading this morning, I read that prayer is like a light switch. It connects us to the power source. I seriously need to keep my “switch on” at all times, so it seems. I kid you not. Life and it’s odd timing can seem chaotic at time. For example, as I was finishing my quiet time this morning on the back porch, the work crew showed up and startled our son’s big dog. He accidentally knocked over my Nanny’s beautiful big Christmas cactus, busting the ceramic pot. I guess the devil was on “notice” and began his nasty tactics. I got another plant with a paster pot, dumped the plant and used the pot to repot Nanny’s special cactus. Afterwards I got ready for a friends lunch which was an answer to prayer just to escape the repair work going on around here that sets the dogs off.

I typed the above two days ago but of course life happened so I’m going to finish this blog today. I will also share another story that I have been praying over.I’m not getting into all the details but an opportunity came my way two months ago concerning my memoir Rooted by the water. While I’m not 100% sure if it’s real or a scam, I’ve prayed for clarity. After doing careful research, I smell a fish. Hmm…. We are having a lawyer look it over and will go from there. This morning as I was praying and praising, I said “Lord I praise You either way! I praise You in plenty, I praise You in less, I praise You in the good times and I praise You in the bad times. You alone are our source and future.” Why did I pray this? Because it’s the truth.If the door slams, it’s because God see something ahead we don’t see and is protecting us. He has something even better. So, I praise Him!!!

Let me tell you a few wonderful things. Today is my brother Forrest sixth bone marrow birthday. Six years ago today, God brought healing to his body and he is living proof that God answers prayers! On another note, recently a friend took her sweet dog to the vet because of swollen lymph nodes. They did a biopsy, we prayed and God answered, no cancer! Glory to God! On another note, a girl I went to school with daughter was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer. After enduring a rough radiation treatment schedule she went to the ER. The scans taken of her brain showed new lesions, or at least that’s the report that was given. When she saw her Specialist a couple of weeks later, the reports of the new lesions was wrong. Praise God! God has her in His hands.

Sure, not all prayers turn out favorably the way we want, but God is in control. We can trust God’s Word. 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) That’s God’s truth! We can stand on His Word and hold it fast as the solid truth! Another scripture to hold on to (and honestly, hold on to them ALL) 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”( NLT‬) Whatever is worrying you or causing anxiety, give it to God! Let Him work it out in His way on His timetable. He is trustworthy. While I was hoping this proposal with my memoir was real. I have come to realize that my future and hope are in God alone. They might be trying to lure you with the smell or steak, but you can’t hide a fishy smell. Honestly, God has our back and brings revelation. I’m so beyond grateful.

In ending, I’d like to point something out. My website has changed. For a very brief time I had two. My old website is now unlisted. My new website is http://www.shannonkenleyhinson.com you can read my blogs from my website if that suits you best. Just wanted to put that information out for those interested. I hope you all have a blessed Wednesday and the rest of your week is full of joy, strength and peace. Be blessed.

Breaking forth new ROOTS

August 17, 2026Leave a Comment

For some reason I feel a need to share this. A few weeks ago I snipped off some long overgrowth on a plant on our porch. I typically just throw the clippings away but figured by “rooting” them in water, I could add to an existing small plant in our dining room. As you know, any clippings not placed in water, will eventually wither and die. This is so true regarding our spiritual lives as well.

Let’s think about this. How many of you have gone through very dry seasons in life? You get distracted with raising a family, the pleasures of enjoying life, or perhaps your career…. Slowly you begin to read your Bible less and less. Your church attendance can become sporadic. Before you know it temptations come in “undetected” because you have “stopped walking with the Lord”. You become a “dry shoot” in desperate need of “living water’. Jesus is referred to as ‘Living water” many times in the Bible. (See John 4:10, 13-14 ) John 7:37-38 says, “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”” (NLT‬‬) Jesus is our “living water”. He brings renewal, spiritual refreshing, salvation and eternal life when we surrender to Him. Jesus wants to refresh you! You might say, “I’ve made some bad choices, done the unforgivable, sinned one too many times” or whatever the excuse is you might have. Jesus is merciful and full of grace. Check out Romans 5:8, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (NLT‬‬) (emphasis mine) When we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us. Sometimes you have to “get over yourself”! You have to admit, “I was wrong Lord.” Jesus wants to restore YOU! The Bible says He leaves the 99, to run after the 1 sheep who wandered away! What an amazing loving Savior! (See the parable of the lost sheep Luke 15;3-7) There is also the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32.

Scripture after scripture we see a loving Savior with open arms saying “Come to me!” The Bible is full of these merciful invitations, with Jesus’ nailed scarred hands reaching out to you, He says “Come!” You don’t have to live feeling dried out and incapable of getting out of your “pit” He is the “Living water” that will bring such a refreshment to your soul.

Just like those clippings I placed in water in the picture above, when we feel “cut off” and we re-immerse ourself back into seeking the Lord whole-heartedly, you will find yourself once again breaking forth roots into all God has for you. Don’t delay another day. We must live with eternity in mind. Have a blessed week!

Www.shannonkenleyhinson.com

Not just lip service

August 9, 2026Leave a Comment

It’s been 11 days since I last posted a blog. In five years of blogging, I’m not sure if I’ve ever gone that long without sharing something. It wasn’t because I didn’t have anything to share. Last week I started some notes to use but just wan’t “feeling it”. There are times when silence is a good thing. That’s been me lately, just pondering, thinking and praying. As I’ve been studying the book of James in the New Testament of the Bible, the Lord has shown me a few things. I love the book of James. He doesn’t hold back but gets right to the point from the very second and third verses. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) (Emphasis mine)

Jame’s starts heavy, doesn’t he? I’ll confess to struggling with struggles. So last week as I continued studying James I took a look inside. Self inventory or assessment. I asked myself, “Is my faith visible?” Do my words (spoken or typed), actions, thoughts, motives…etc are they done in love and obedience to God? Why did I ask myself these things? Because faith is active. It’s done in love and obedience to the Lord. James 2;26 comes to mind: “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” (NLT‬‬).

I’m in a new season right now that I haven’t been in before. There was a time when I was doing too much: intense Bible study on my own, leading a Bible study (I had to memorize large portions because of my low vision), volunteering, not to mention dealing with vision and hearing limitations and mana going our household. The thing is, when I’m busy I don’t have as much time to “think”. The mind is a battlefield and managing thoughts no small task. Ron said last week, “You look depressed”. I responded, “How can I not be? There are struggles everywhere I turn.” Being in the house so much can be depressing. I felt the Lord gently correct me. You can bloom where you are, be fruitful in the little things. Get out of that pit of despair and do those chores you don’t feel like doing. Be joyful in this time. My timing is perfect. Okay Lord! I hear you!

There was another thing God spoke to my heart about last week. Not taking offense. Surely I’m not the only one. It dawned on me that taking offense can be a form of pride. Hear me out. When we take offense, we think our stance is right. I don’t do that a lot but I do occasionally do that with my husband. For the most part it is due to miscommunication, which by the way is no joke. (If you can hear and communicate well with your spouse, count yourself fortunate.) Sometimes I respond to what I “think” he said. We’ve been doing this thing called married life for 32+ years. In the beginning I looked at it like a game of “Wheel of Fortune”. You know, you get a few letters and you fill in the blanks. Well…. A fun positive spin on life sure does help. So you see, It’s quite human to take offense when you’re constantly misunderstanding something. The Lord had me to apologize and hubby appreciated that.

This morning I went to church with my friend Amy. The worship and the message were so good for my “dry bones”. The worship was soothing and tears began to fall. A good refreshing cleanse. Don’t get me started on the person playing the piano. Oh my goodness. I’ve known him for years and he can bring the most beautiful music out of a piano. The message encouraged me to fight til the finish. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We must be faithful to keep our eyes on Jesus and not the struggles. Just like James said in the verse towards the beginning of this blog, consider those troubles an opportunity for great joy. Joy? Yes Joy! How? Truly, only by the grace of God. He can help us see struggles from a Heavenly perspective where we are being refined to reflect the image of Jesus. So stay the course. Keep up the good fight. Sometimes I will joke around with my husband when there are struggles. I’m like, “Here we go! Round 5…. Ding ding!“ He just laughs.

I never want my life to be just lip service (or empty words). I want people to see Jesus when they see me in public or in the car or ever at home. While people don’t see those “at home” scenes, God surely does. There is an old worship chorus I remember from years ago. It went like this: Praise you…Praise you… let my life O Lord, Praise you. That’s my hearts desire. As we start a new week tomorrow, let’s remember God is with us. He goes before us, He follows us. He lays His hand of blessing on our heads. (See Psalms 139:5) Stand tall and bloom in those struggles. God gets the glory and that’s where our purpose in life comes in….living for the Glory of God.

Www.shannonkenleyhinson.com

Praising in the “hallway”

July 29, 2026Leave a Comment

Picture from my friend Marcella Burk’s daily devotion. Used with permission.

This morning I received the above devotion picture through email. It deeply resonated with me so I reached out to my friend to ask if I could use it in my blog. Why did this touch me? I’ve been in a lot of “hallways” in life… patiently (or maybe not) waiting for God to open a door. Those hallways aren’t always well lite and you can become quite “discouraged” in the waiting.

There are lessons we can learn in the waiting. God uses these time in waiting to refine and prepare us for what lies ahead. It’s tempting though to wonder why do I have to endure so much. I know people who ponder this very question. I know God gives us these little signs that He is indeed with us and He is in control. Sometimes that “sign” is a text of encouragement, a worship song or scripture to redirect us. Just like in the quote in the picture above, perhaps God is asking, “Will you trust me in this?”

Last Sunday I was able to go to my “home” church with a friend. I love this church because the Word is preached and never “watered down”, the music ushers in the Holy Spirit and there are always church family to hug and fellowship with. Oh, and the late service always has a sign language interpreter. Part of what Pastor talked about was how we must enter through the narrow gate. You can find this in Matthew 7:13-14, ““You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” (NLT‬‬) Jesus tells us the road is difficult. I suppose I should not be surprised. Pastor also touched on the fact that it doesn’t end with entering the narrow gate, we have to keep walking and serving. Everyday we have to get up and do it again. Get up, choose Jesus, seek His presence through prayer and receive spiritual nourishment through reading God’s Word. Starting my day in this way gives me joy not of this world. My husband Ron found me dancing in the kitchen recently and said, “You’ve got joy”. I replied, “Thank you Lord.” I guess in a sense it’s like “dancing and praising in the hallways while I wait for answered prayers. I don’t know why God works the way He does. I do know that He is a promise keeper and all of His promises are yes in Christ Jesus. (2 Corinthians 1:20). As we study God’s Word, we are assured of God’s character. God is good all the time. His mercies are new every single day. He pours new strength in us every single day. He is faithful and trustworthy. You fill yourself with God’s truth so that when those “hallway” experiences come, you can praise Him while you wait.

We also find in the Bible that we are to take up our cross and follow Him. Here is the scripture for that. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew‬ 16: 24 (NLT‬‬) So what is your cross? For me it’s living with my hearing and visual limitations. It is so not easy! But God never said it would be easy. He did say He would be with me and give me strength. He did say He would give me peace. For me, it’s all about Jesus. He is my all in all! For me, there is no other way! 1 Peter 5:10 reassures us by saying, “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) Another encouraging scripture is Romans 8:37, “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (NLT‬‬)

As we praise in the “hallways” of uncertainty, let’s hold fast to Jesus. He is a Way Maker and we need to trust Him in every situation. Trust me, I know it’s hard at times but all things are possible with God. Stand firm, deeply rooted in faith in Jesus. Have a blessed rest of the week. He’s got you! You’re going to make it!!

Www.shannonkenleyhinson.com

Global Megaphone

July 16, 2026Leave a Comment

Recently I came across an interesting devotion online titled, Faith in the Feed. You can find so many short devotion Bible reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App. I love browsing through the topics and seeing what devotions are offered. As I find one that resonates with me, I save it for reading. Seeing different peoples perspectives on scripture is interesting. The Holy Spirit can show people different things and I enjoy learning from others.

This particular devotion that I came across was talking about sharing the Gospel online. Sharing your faith on your social media feed, email, through comments or even blogging. Back in biblical days, people had to use the infrastructure of the day to travel; whether it be by the Roman highways or by ship. Jesus sent out His disciples to reach everyone. He wants to do the same through us.

Going to the ends of the Earth has never been easier. You don’t even need a passport. Whatever you are reading this blog on, your smart phone, tablet or computer is your digital highway. The infrastructure of today includes fiber optics. Isn’t that amazing! 1 Chronicles 16:24 says, “Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” (NLT‬‬) You can testify of the goodness of God through the things you share online. Doing a check of your screen time can be eye opening. How much time do you use just scrolling through entertaining nonsense? I’m guilty of it too. What if we shift our onscreen time to sharing about the Lord and what He is doing in our lives or testifying to what He’s already done. Can you imagine how encouraged people would be and the seeds that would be planted. Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭37‬-‭38 says, “He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.””‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Another scripture is Luke ‭14‬:‭23‬; “So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. (NLT‬‬)

Your smart device is a “global megaphone”. (That term came from the devotion I read.) I found this to be quite impactful. You don’t have to actually leave the country to share the Gospel overseas. You can use your smart phone, tablets or computer. This type of evangelism is important to me because it doesn’t matter that I have hearing and visual limitations. God can use anyone. Be sure that what you share is biblical truth. God’s Word is the foundation on which you build.

Almost five years ago I start this blog as a continuation of my memoir Rooted by the Water. (Amazon) I knew my story didn’t end with the last page of the book. Never in a million years did I think it would reach around the world. I’m not talking about many views, I’m simply saying it’s read all over. This week there have been over 100 views from ten countries including: USA, Italy, Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, France, Germany and the Netherlands. This is very humbling and I surely don’t take this lightly. It is an honor to share God’s Word and how we can bloom for His glory through His strength, even in our lowest weakest points in life. God remains faithful through it all.

I have been thinking about inviting people occasionally to be a guest here on my blogging site. I want to pray on this and see where God leads. God wants us to testify of His goodness and share His Word with others. It’s definitely something I’ve thought about many times.

In true Shannon fashion a song is playing in my heart that I haven’t heard in ages: Lord Most High by Bob Fitts (1996). Part of it goes like this, if you’d like to sing along. “ From the ends of the earth, from the depths of the sea, from the heights of the heavens, Your name be praised. From the hearts of the weak, from the shouts of the strong, from the lips of all people, this song we raise.” Let me see if I can find a video for those who don’t know it. See below for the music video with lyrics. ( I apologize. The video won’t load but you can find it on YouTube.) We all can be a part of sharing the love of God to the ends of the earth. Be blessed in your coming and going and through what you share with others. People are always looking for encouragement. God can use us to to be His hands, feet and even through sharing in our online feed.