Shannon's Corner

  Author, Chuck DeGroat in his book, ‘ Healing What’s Within ’ says, “When we don’t have the words, our bodies inevitably tell the story of where we really are. Sometimes, our bodies will even do drastic things to get our attention.”   After several years living cross-culturally in Peru, my busyness, people pleasing, and being there for people caught up with me. My need to be needed covered up the warning lights of what was happening within me. I went on a mini vacation with some interns and a colleague which was an amazing trip to be in the Amazon rain forest and to ride on the Amazon River. Then all the lights came on at once as soon as I was home. The pain behind my eyes was not going away with ibuprofen. It got bad enough that I did go to the clinic to get checked out which the doctor thought it was a sinus problem. I went home and medicated myself with Sudafed and ibuprofen and the pain behind my eyes grew worse along with other symptoms. So, I went back to the clinic....

  SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Building connection and trust are important in any relationship and especially when wanting to create a safe place for people to share and process their stories. Sometimes with kids and teens it can take a bit of time to foster those connections and trust. A question that is implied is, “Are you safe to share my story with?” Often it is through play these connections are built. Both families who I debriefed serve in Uganda, they serve with different organizations in the capital of Kampala, and both families are in transition. The one sibling group were ages 3, 6, and 8 years old and as I worked with them, I was able to apply some of the principles I learned in play processing. The other sibling group were ages 5, 7, 13, and 14 years old which was a bit of a challenge for me with the large age span. The main thing for all of them was saying goodbye to friends who have come and gone while they were the ones “left behind”, and for the one sib...

  We are made up of many parts—our thoughts, emotions, spirit, and body. When we experience hardship, it’s natural to disconnect from some of those parts. Most often, we disconnect ourselves from our emotions and our bodies. This can be a necessary survival response in times of crisis.   But when that disconnect becomes our  normal , we can lose touch with ourselves.   When we live in a constant state of "pushing through," we stop noticing what our body is telling us. We ignore the tension, the fatigue, the heaviness. We silence the emotions that were meant to guide and protect us. And over time, our body carries the burden.    Our body carries what our mind tries to forget. It holds stress, grief, fear, and even unspoken joy. Over time, these unacknowledged experiences build up, showing up as tension, fatigue, or a vague sense of unease.   Body mapping  is one way to begin reconnecting. It’s a gentle, intentional practice of tuning in—naming the ...

  When life shifts—whether by choice or circumstance—our emotions often rise to the surface. Do you notice them? Acknowledge them? Or do you try to shove them down and press forward?   Maybe you feel everything all at once. Or maybe you’re unsure what you’re feeling at all. Either way, you’re not alone.   Think of emotions like the lights on a car dashboard. When one comes on, it’s a signal that something under the hood needs attention. Emotions work the same way—especially during transitions.   That tightness in your chest? The tears that catch you off guard? The irritation or numbness? These are signals worth noticing. They might point to fatigue, grief, fear, hope, or even growth.   Instead of ignoring the warning light, what would it look like to get curious? To gently ask: What’s going on beneath the surface? What needs care, support, or attention right now?   Life transitions are full of unknowns. But tuning in to your emotions can be a compass—helpin...

  Sitting in a lecture room with a guest speaker talking about Third Culture Kids (TCKs), I personally did not think that I would learn much. But I was curious to learn who are TCKs. The more the guest speaker talked about the life of a TCK, the more I was on the edge of my seat and leaning in. She was talking about me. Every word, the challenges TCKs face, the emotions, the losses, and transitions, she was describing my life in ways that I would not ever have been able to because I did not have the language. I so related to everything she said about TCKs as it mirrored my life almost to a “T” except the cross-cultural living part. It was mind-blowing!! What was amazing is now I had language. I was then able to start processing and understanding the nebulous like parts of my 30 years of life.   Language gives us meaning. Emotions give language to what is happening inside us. I heard somewhere that there is close to 300 emotion words and that the average adult only knows and/or...

  In my formative years, I was shaped with the message of how others matter and were important by arriving 10-20 minutes early, depending on the situation. In my early adulthood, I continued showing up 10-20 minutes before the expected time. I never gave thought to the ‘why’ behind it. It was just automatic.   I moved to Peru, and I automatically was arriving 10-20 minutes earlier than the designated time. There was this transitional stress happening within me because of moving cross-culturally. Even though I learned the concept about cultural differences which time is one of them, I did not stop to acknowledge this difference and became more and more frustrated. Once I did acknowledge the difference of the value of time in Peruvian culture, I started making some subtle shifts.   Some subtle shifts were to arrive just on time or a little after the designated time. I learned to have a book or something to do to pass the time until the person was ready, or the meeting would...

  Visiting my cousins one summer, they showed me a raft they had built. Some planks of wood tied around some barrels. I got to climb aboard with my cousin. Let’s just say, I do not remember us going very far before it tipped.   Transitions are a part of life—whether we’re moving, changing roles, ending a season, or shifting relationships. But how we  leave  matters just as much as how we arrive. That’s where the RAFT comes in: a simple yet powerful tool for saying good-bye with intention and grace so that we can have a healthy ‘hello’.   R – Reconciliation:  Before moving on, is there any unfinished business? Unspoken tension? Hurt that needs healing? Taking time to mend relationships can bring peace to both parties, releasing the weight of unresolved conflict.   A – Appreciation:  Express gratitude for the people, experiences, and growth this chapter brought. Say “thank you” to those who walked with you. Appreciation honors the past and acknowled...

  SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. I am always learning and growing because one of my core values is stewardship.  This is why I have decided to invest in my skills as a communicator, in raising support by getting around other missionaries and other leaders with being a part of Fully Funded Academy.   I am excited to share with you a newly created platform with the hope to serve you through creating a space where you are able to engage and be more integrated into our ministry.     This platform is a private group on Facebook called,   Shannon’s Support Team .     I will be sending out a separate email that will have the link to join.     If you do not receive the link or have any issues, please reach out to me. There were six ladies who participated in the Velvet Ashes Connection Group and who are serving in various countries in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Rim.  Why did you join a connection group? ...

Good-byes often feel like abrupt endings—full of emotion, sometimes rushed, sometimes delayed. But what if we reframed them as an invitation to savor?   To  savor  is to slow down, to pay attention, to allow ourselves to feel deeply connected to what we’re about to release. Whether it’s a person, a place, or a season of life, savoring helps us say good-bye with presence instead of panic.   We savor people by lingering in conversation, expressing unspoken gratitude, or simply sharing a quiet moment together. We savor places by walking familiar paths, noticing the sounds and scents, or pausing to take in the view we've seen a thousand times before. We savor things—beloved objects or routines—by holding them gently, honoring their significance, and letting them remind us of what we've cherished.   Savoring is not clinging. It’s a mindful farewell—a way of saying,  "This mattered to me. I was here. I was changed."   So, when good-bye comes—and it always do...

  At the tender age of nine is when I came face-to-face with the significance of saying good-bye. My parents told me about our family moving to another town that summer. My packing was not focused on our upcoming move but rather packing my suitcase (two months in advance) to go to summer camp for the first time by myself.    The week I was at summer camp was the week my family moved to our new home and started the moving in, unpacking process. My parents came and picked me up from camp and I shared with them all the things from my week. When we “arrived home” it was to our new home and not our old home. I was excited to explore the new house and see my new bedroom as I was not going to have to share, and I was sad and devasted that I did not get to say good-bye to my dear friend.   My mom had me write a letter to my dear friend as a way I could say my good-bye which taught me the importance of saying good-byes to bring closure. It was hard to sit and write a letter, ...

  Sitting at the kitchen table and gazing out the window as the day awakens, I am enjoying the tantalizing smell along with a bold, smooth taste of my morning cup of coffee. I laugh because 15+ years ago, this would not have been something that I enjoyed. Now, it is something I enjoy –  savor  – every morning to the last drop. My five senses are involved which helps me to notice and be present in the moment. God made our senses to be the means through which our bodies receive the present moment and communicate the present moment to our minds, our hearts, and our souls.    Savoring a life transition doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine. It means gently noticing what  is —the small victories, the hard emotions, the tiny sparks of strength. It means giving yourself permission to be human in the unfolding.   Here are a few simple ways to savor your current season: Name what’s changing.   Saying it out loud (or writing it down) helps honor your e...

  Walking up the hill to the house after finishing a run, I mis stepped, and pain went shooting down my right leg. Being out of commission for the initial days and then weeks, months, and years of navigating the physical limitations of my body was hard. I was so accustomed to doing most things for myself and now I had to rely and depend on others to even do simple daily things of my work. I had to not run on automaticity of routine but focus and concentrate on what I could do within the limitations.    Just looking at me, you would not notice my injury and limitation unless I overextended myself. The impact of over doing it could last from hours to days to recover. At the beginning I resisted this new way of doing things and the changes I had to make in my daily life. The Lord used those times of recovery to slow me down, to rest, and to be more mindful of my needs, especially physical needs.    We were created to savor. Savoring slows us down. Savoring is givin...

  SHANNON’S CORNER Be still. Be present. Behold. The prayer labyrinth is a journey that draws us closer to the heart of God with every step.  It’s a path where we listen, trust, and follow, knowing that He is always guiding us.  As we walk this path of prayer, we learn to recognize His voice, to lean into His presence, and to surrender to His direction.  It’s not just about where we’re going—it’s about who we’re walking with.  Lent this year has been a journey of walking inward toward the center of the labyrinth. Along the way, releasing my burdens to Jesus who is my beast of burden (Zec. 9:9), the One who carries what I cannot.  Arriving at the center, I find a resting place for my soul (Mt. 11:28-30) and resting in God’s loving embrace as He makes room for the new to spring up within me (Is. 43:18-19).  Now I’m journeying out of the labyrinth with the anointing of His presence and with an overflowing cup (Ps 23:5). Such an honor a...