ALREADY BUT NOT YET

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?

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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...

September Newsletter

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...

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?

Shannon's Corner

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