Home Renovations

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 times but taking it in stride you will come out with a home that has been beautifully transformed.

Where are you in the process of renovating?

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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...

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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...

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