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The Presence of Fall

SHANNON’S CORNER

The ministry of presence is sometimes discounted of how powerful it can be.  Just our presence, being present even without doing or saying anything is comforting.  How we long for the presence of God being with us when life is hard, challenging, and painful.  God made a way by sending us his Son, Jesus Christ to be our Emmanuel, God with us and as children of God we have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. How often though when someone is grieving, we feel awkward and so we try to fill in that awkwardness by saying or doing things that we think may be helpful but isn’t in the moment.

The sacred space that the Lord invites me into to be His conduit of care to His children is humbling.  Recently, I was invited into such a space with a woman who recently lost her spouse in a tragic way.  Spending three hours with her gave her a safe space and permission to share the details of who her spouse was, their life together, and even the circumstances that she was able to finally put words to.  Even though I wish I had answers to her questions yet trusting God has her and is with her in this process and journey of grief she is now traversing.  When the debrief finished, I was logging out of my zoom which is connected to my Facebook, the Cherry Run Camp reel popped up in my newsfeed of the Bible passage and prayer on Habakkuk 3:17-18, “…yet I will praise the LORD…”  Those words penetrated to my heart that even in this sad story, yet I will praise the LORD.  

TCK Connect has started back up now that school is in session.  It has been fun to now see students who I know from last school year and now getting to know some new students in our time together.  We have two new students who have joined the student leadership team that now makes four student leaders this semester.  God answering prayer.  Hearing the students share how their summers went and how the first weeks of school has been for them have been a paradoxical journey.  Some have moved to new places whether in-country or to a new country while others are back in the US on home assignment.  These Friday mornings are a place to be yourself, to be seen and heard, and to laugh and share some hard things.

My women’s bible study has started up for the fall semester at Living Water Community Church.  We are studying the book, Becoming a Woman of Simplicity by Cynthia Heald.  Since starting bible study here in fall of 2021, I have enjoyed staying with my same bible study teacher because there are ladies who I am now getting to know a little more who have continued in the four bible studies since I started.  There have been some ladies who were new and now repeats so I have been getting to know them better.  And each bible study there are new women I am getting to meet.  Many shared that they need to simplify their lives which is why they signed up for this study.  Looking forward to learning from these women, a variety of women in different walks of life.  

This fall, the Velvet Ashes Connection Group is happening for global women, and I am facilitating a group of ladies who are re-entering their passport country.  These Connection Groups provide a safe space for these women to share and express how their re-entry-transition process is going or not going and to encourage and pray for one another.  Some of the themes we will be discussing are rhythms, friendships, home, team, health, surrender, and celebration.  They are each at different stages in their re-entry from finishing their time on the field soon and going back to their passport country to as long as four years now living in their passport country.  It encourages my heart to hear a resource that has helped them in this re-entry process has been people in their sending and/or local church.  Seeing the church at work in caring for its sheep is a joyful noise.  Please be in prayer for these ladies that they will be refreshed, encouraged, and strengthened to continue this arduous journey of re-entry.

If you like to learn more about Christian Life Coaching and my two niches – transitions and grief & loss check out my Monday postings in my blog, Facebook or a graphic about the topic in Instagram.  My goal is every first Monday of the month will be an article on transitions.  The second Monday will be an article on grief & loss.  The fourth Monday will be an article on Christian Life Coaching.  The third week will be my monthly newsletter which comes out about midweek.  I would love to hear your comments or questions you may have.

I am available and would love to come and share what God is doing in my ministry with your church, missions conference, bible study, woman’s group event, church training, or at a retreat/seminar/conference.  Some other topics and themes: Church Member Care; Christian Life Coaching, - Transitions and Grief & Loss; Challenges and Blessings of being a missionary kid and pastor’s kid; How to debrief a short-term mission’s team; Theology of Suffering; Identity challenges; etc.

Starting October 5th, I will be hosting, ‘Thursdays with Shannon’ on zoom from 8pm-9pm EDT the first Thursday of each month until December 7th.  Here is the zoom link, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84696764589.  The topics I’ll be speaking on are: 1) What is Christian Life Coaching, 2) Transitions and how it impacts our personhood, and 3) Grief & Loss how to journey through it and beyond it.  

“Though the fig tree does not bud

And there are no grapes on the vines,

Though the olive crop fails

And the fields produce no food,

Though there are no sheep in the pen

And no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Habakkuk 3:17-18


PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise the Lord for God’s kindness!

Praise the Lord for the Cherry Run Board Visionary Meeting!

Praise the Lord for cooler weather! 

Pray for the group of 8 women I am facilitating for the Velvet Ashes fall Connection Group Re-Entry – Sept-Nov.

Pray for a women’s retreat Sept 30th-Oct 1st. 

Pray for how God can use me to coach others in their transition.

Pray for the teens who come to Friday morning TCK Connect.

Pray for me to continue learning to trust in God. Trust him in the process and outcomes.

Pray for wisdom, discernment, and insight as I meet with people either one-on-one or debriefs.


                                                Contact Information:


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www.WorldOutreach.org/783

 

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  World Outreach Ministries, Inc.

  P.O. Box B

  Marietta, GA  30061

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Shannon Eaton

107 Old York Rd Apt 5

New Cumberland, PA 17070

(724) 967-1437

 

Email:  shannon.eaton76@gmail.com

Facebook:  Shannon R. Eaton






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