Shannon's Corner

  New Year’s Celebration has been celebrated differently throughout the years of my life. One such celebration was making a dummy out of old clothes with firecrackers stuffed in the clothes and at midnight to be thrown into the fire. It signified letting go of the old (the clothes) and celebrating the new (firecrackers).    There is rejoicing and celebration that happens in the midst of our liminal space and waiting. It is vital to take time to celebrate the small, big, and everything in between as we wait because of the joy and hope it brings even in the disappointment, pain, and hard of waiting. What does the Lord want to birth in you through Christ to carry on into the new year?   What are the things you want to celebrate from 2024? What do you need to release or let go of from 2024? 

    SHANNON’S CORNER Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel has come! A reflection through the lens of advent. HOPE… It is always darkest before the dawn.  Ministry Workers I have worked with have shared parts of their stories in their darkest valleys, where things seemed hopeless and powerless and where they were stuck and drowning.  A place where they could not breathe.  Emmanuel, God with us, met them in those dark places and His light breathed hope and life into the darkness. PEACE… “ Thanks for being Spirit led and for really helping me process through some tough stuff!” – a ministry worker shared as she finished her debrief and care sessions. “Wow…now looking at my timeline, no wonder I feel this heavy weight on my shoulders.” – a ministry worker shared during a debrief.   “I didn’t realize how much loss has accumulated and the impact it’s had on me.” – a ministry worker shared in a care session. JOY… Celebrating Christmas with the students of TCK C...

  The beauty of living in the already but not yet creates a space for the practice of waiting. Waiting is hard. Our sense of control is diminished or lost and our expectations of how and when crumbles. It fuels impatience, strengthens impulses, and heightens our desire to just do something. The practice of waiting creates and gives space to acknowledge, grieve, and release the things in our lives that need to die such as unmet expectations and hopes, so that we can make room for new growth and new life. We cannot do this on our own. The invitation is to wait with the Lord. He is the one who tends the restoration process.  How are you celebrating this season of waiting?