Skip to main content

October Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER

October 2017

Missionary Retreat
Have you ever “walked with someone?”  Taken literally, it is more of a physical excursion where someone sets the pace, timeframe, and place of where to walk.  Taken metaphorically, maybe you are aiding the person, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, or physically as they are “walking.”  This month I have found myself in various situations of walking with our missionaries and Dominican staff.

One way of walking with someone is through prayer.  Paul states that through prayers, others can join with him in his work (Col. 4:2-4; 2 Thess. 3:1-2; Eph. 6:19; 2 Thess. 1:11-12; & Philemon 6).  Various areas of how to pray for our missionaries and staff are 1) relationship with God, 2) relationship with others, 3) their specific work, 4) wisdom, and 5) practical issues they face.

Another way of walking with someone is being in God’s Word together.  How important it is going straight to the Source of truth and life.  I have learned many things from the women who I meet with in our weekly Bible study on the book of Judges.  How God raises up ordinary people who are willing to be used by Him for His purpose and His glory.  Are you willing to be such a vessel?

A third way of walking with someone is through encouragement and affirmation.  How words once spoken or written or texted are powerful.  They can tear down, cause pain and lead to hopelessness.  Or they can build up, heal and lead to hopefulness.  In both the good and bad how important words of encouragement and affirmation are vital in the life of the sojourner especially in the midst of suffering.

A fourth way of walking with someone is being present.  Showing that you care and
Monthly Regional Office Meeting
appreciate the person by actively knowing them, which you can only do by being present in their life.  Actively listening.  Engaging conversations.  Living the mundane aspects of life together.  Supporting them simply by just being present.

Is God asking you to walk with someone?  Are you willing to be used by God for His purpose and His glory?


Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make know the mystery of the gospel.

Ephesians 6:19 

Brian & Julia's visit to Constanza with RJ, Taylor and Kaela
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” – Oswald Chambers

PRAYER REQUESTS
Praise the Lord the missionary retreat was great!
Praise the Lord our Bible study on Judges has been challenging me!
Praise the Lord for Brian and Julia’s visit to the DR!
Praise the Lord for walking together in the hard times!
Praise the Lord for His sovereignty and grace!
Pray for wisdom and discernment.
Pray for my spiritual walk…growth.
Pray for boldness and courage to speak God’s truth.
Pray for our member care team coming up with vision, goals, and creating a culture of withness.
Pray for interns, Frankie (January-July) and Gabby (March-May) as they prepare to come to the DR.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

October Newsletter

  SHANNON’S CORNER The Saga Continues… The trip to Malaysia consisted of a two-day spiritual retreat with the theme of ‘Come Away With Me’ and a six-day conference with about 230 missionaries who serve in some aspect of translating the Scriptures. One of the many people who I met was a missionary who served in Cameroon for many years and now is in a new role. As he was sharing, most his words were very negative and depressive. I encouraged him to sign up for a time of prayer and care. At the end of the retreat, this missionary shared with me that he did have a session and I could see that his whole countenance changed, and he was hopeful. His new word he used to describe where he was now is ‘delightful.’ Our time there was creating a safe space for these missionaries to have a place to share what they are struggling with and to connect with Jesus. One missionary is at a crossroads in her life. Another finds himself in the midst of betrayal. A missionary is in a new role as a caregi...

You Are Not A Role

  You are not your job title.  You are not your productivity.  You are not only the caretaker, the leader, the helper, the strong one.   Those may be things you  do —beautifully, even sacrificially—but they are not the  whole story  of who you are.   Your worth is not defined by your output.  Your identity is not limited to your roles.   Coaching begins when we ask: What would it look like to live from that truer self, even just a little more today?

Reactivity

Transition is like putting a complex and challenging puzzle together. Some of the pieces seem like and even look like they fit in a particular place, so you continue until you get stuck. You become frustrated and annoyed because you have spent all this time and energy into putting this section of the puzzle together and now you must find the piece that is in the wrong place. Reactivity becomes one more piece of complexity that we face in transition. It is how we manage our reactivity to know whether we are connecting or disconnecting in our relationships.   Let’s discover what is reactivity. The working definition from  Meriam Webster Dictionary  is done in immediate response to something especially without thinking or planning.   Reactivity is another core relational dynamic that can disconnect us with ourselves, with others, and with God, our Immanuel. It can become a numbing agent that blocks our connection and awareness to God’s presence within us and in our...