Shannon's Corner

   SHANNON’S CORNER What a beautiful blessing from God is the gift of friendship.   Those folks who not only love you but know you, a deep connection.     I spent a few days with my friend, Fanny, and her family.     I got to be a part of her everyday life, participating in her women’s bible study, helping her to m ake papa relleno (stuffed mashed potato), staying up late talking, and finishing the final edits of the book, The Invitation into Spanish.     In translating this book, Fanny and I talked about how we felt the weight and responsibility of staying true to the author’s message yet in a way that makes sense to the audience.     It gave us a small glimpse into the work of Bible translators as they translate God’s Word into the various languages so people can read and understand God’s word. Lent, Holy Week, and Easter Sunday can be described as riding a roller coaster where your emotions and thoughts are at times the lowest of...

  SHANNON’S CORNER God’s goodness, beauty, and truth… Safe Place Ministry did a field trip to the Dominican Republic for nine days to serve the 20 missionaries serving with Kids Alive International and one intern.  I was a little apprehensive in wondering if I was the right person to be on this team because I believed that Bethann would be carrying most of the load because of the dual relationships I have with the missionaries.  But God assured me through Bethann’s words of wanting me to be a part of this team and the privilege of being asked to join in conversations that pleasantly surprised me in an honoring way.  How amazing to grow deeper in connections with these missionaries. We started our time with a one-day retreat studying John 14, especially looking at verse 18.  Jesus is speaking to his disciples in this passage, and he tells them, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”  We looked at how we see orphans and how they...

  SHANNON’S CORNER God created me to know Him intimately by delighting in Him as my Source of Life so that the streams of Living Water flowing within me will draw others to Him – Shannon’s biblical purpose statement.    This 20-day Focused Leader class was intense and so very rewarding in the end as it brought me focus through the various exercises to help bring insight and clarity in forming a biblical purpose statement, life-ministry values, vision statements, personal and ministry roles I have that leads to action steps.  Does what I do fit into how I was created (being)?  These are some foundational pieces for me in staying on course according to God’s purpose of my life. A client was sharing with me about contemplating the idea of stepping out of ministry which to her seems like such a foreign concept.  She was raised up in ministry – parents being pastors and doing camp ministry and as a young adult to now has been in full-time min...