Shannon's Corner

  Finishing touches are the home stretch in getting a home renovation project across the finish line. They are the little things that really make a difference and help to achieve the “wow” factor. The design elements add both character and personality and can make your home renovation feel complete.   One finishing touch in my story after burnout was gathering a small group around me.  This was purposely designed for stewarding my well-being in not doing ministry alone but in community.  The design elements in this team were individuals who committed to caring and ministering to my well-being. Individuals I could be vulnerable and honest. Gave them permission to ask me questions about anything. Accountability in all areas of my life. Encouragement. Praying for me individually and collectively on a regular basis. Receiving collective wisdom from them in decision making. Advocating and resourcing on my behalf.   The individuals who the Father led me to h...

    SHANNON’S CORNER Why I do what I do? Loneliness and the lack of support and connection is often the lived experience that ministry workers encounter, and it grieves my heart  because this has been my lived experience as well,  my story of burnout . My mission?  Connect. Nurture. Grow. The TCK Connect Chai Chat is where students talk about specific issues they face.  This month students talked about loneliness.  It is a part of their lives as they are always on the outside, seen as a foreigner no matter if in the host country or here in the U.S.A.  The students describe loneliness as a lack of a peer group, disconnected, and being unknown.  Withdrawing even more than usual is their way of coping with loneliness. What helps with their loneliness is joining the TCK Connect calls, talking with friends if they are available and listening to music.  It is beautiful to see how God is using TCK Connect in the st...

  The framing process during any life transition is much like framing a home during renovation. Just as a house needs structural support and boundaries to ensure stability, we, too, need a solid framework to maintain our well-being to help us navigate change with strength and resilience.     One key part of my framing process occurred when I re-entered the U.S. after five years in Peru. I was facing severe burnout and had to reconfigure my life by establishing healthier boundaries. It was a turning point for me. I realized I could no longer be a people-pleaser at the cost of my own well-being. I had to embrace something that once felt so uncomfortable: saying “No.” And not just saying it—but believing that it was  okay  to say it. That it was actually  good  to say it.     Another shift in my framing process was learning to create space before responding to requests. Instead of automatically saying, “Yes, I’ll do that,” I now give m...

  Living in a different culture has dismantled and reshaped many of my former ways of thinking, viewing, and living. Much like a home renovation, the process of demolition is both necessary and often painful. It requires effort, energy, and intentionality to tear down walls—both physical and metaphorical. Yet, demolition paves the way for greater safety, sustainability, and growth.     One of the most significant shifts I experienced was in my concept of time. I went from always arriving 20 minutes early to settling for just a few minutes ahead—or even right on time. In the early years, I was focused on efficiency, believing that it would make everything run more smoothly. Instead, I found myself growing increasingly frustrated and impatient with those around me.     Over time, my experiences started to dismantle my rigid perception of time and demolish my overbearing need for control—an insecurity I hadn’t fully recognized until living cross-culturall...

There are different life transitions that can be hard and challenging. One is that you have received news from the doctor that you have high cholesterol, and your blood pressure was elevated. The doctor tells you that you need to get serious in changing some lifestyle and dietary habits to slow down and/or change the outcome of your health. Another life transition is that you are now parents of a newborn. All the adjustments that come to how you live and work. Maybe you are entering the season of retirement. What are the new routines, understanding of a new purpose, slower pace can be some of the adjustments you face. These are just some examples of life transitions.   Life transitions can be compared to home renovations. There are various stages that the renovation work goes through like demolition, reframing, and finishing touches to name just a few. It is a process that takes time and along the way you may discover the unexpected. The work can seem daunting and overwhelming at t...