Shannon's Corner

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for this ministry.  Each debrief is a sacred invitation—a chance to step into someone’s story, even if only for a short stretch of the journey.  It feels a bit like being allowed to glimpse a painting still in progress.  We may not yet see the final picture, but we trust the One who promises to complete the good work He has begun until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). Recently, in an online debrief, the missionary shared: “ I am in a much better place since our initial meeting.  Taking the time to process my lived experience overseas and to grieve the losses, I now feel I have the capacity to move forward here in my new season of life. ” We also had the joy of walking alongside three third culture children. To see their eyes light up as their stories were received with understanding and care was priceless.  These children do not often have many who truly grasp their unique li...

  An invitation to gather and sit around a campfire. Eating food cooked over the fire, laughter, fellowship, and even comfortable silence. There’s something about a campfire that draws us in. The crackle of wood, the smell of the wood, the shifting glow of embers, the warmth that pushes back the night air—it’s both grounding and mesmerizing. A campfire is more than light and heat; it’s a gathering, a place where stories are told, where silence feels comfortable, and where resilience quietly takes root.   Life transitions often feel like being dropped into the wilderness at night. Uncertain. Unfamiliar. Sometimes overwhelming. But like a campfire, resilience gives us a steady center to gather around.   Think about it: a fire doesn’t just appear. It takes preparation—stacking wood, striking a spark, tending the flame. Resilience is much the same. It’s built from small practices: showing up, reaching out, resting when needed, being grateful, and choosing hope again and again...

Sitting and looking at a scenic overlook while listening about how the name for this retreat center, Tributary , is so meaningful—because there are three waterfalls fed by springs that flow into the creek below us, which then flows into a bigger creek and eventually into the Buffalo National River—it brings to mind how our lives move in much the same way. Life often feels like a river—steady, predictable, flowing in one direction. But sometimes, a tributary comes rushing in, changing the course. A tributary doesn’t stop the river, but it alters its path, forcing the water to find a new way forward. One of my biggest tributaries was burnout. For years, I poured myself out as a nurse and a missionary. My days were full—caring for children and adults, meeting needs, holding responsibilities that felt endless. On the outside, it looked like I was thriving, but inside, I was slowly unraveling. I ignored the signs at first. I told myself to push harder, to keep giving, to hold it all togethe...