Shannon's Corner

  Traveling this past weekend, my eyes delighted in the beauty of spring all around me. Everywhere I looked there were signs of life awakening. Trees covered in buds and some already flowering. Tulips and daffodils standing bright against the earth. Grass turning a deeper green. Even calves in the fields, wobbly and new. Spring has a way of catching our attention. Something about it invites us to pause, even if just for a moment, and take in the beauty unfolding around us. New life is emerging. And yet, spring is not always gentle. It can be a hard season. The weather shifts back and forth between warm and cold, sunshine and storms. The ground is still recovering from winter. New growth pushes through soil that has been frozen and hardened. It takes resilience for new life to emerge. In many ways, our life transitions mirror the rhythm of spring. After seasons of loss, change, or uncertainty, we often long for clear signs that something new is beginning. But renewal rarely arrives ...

  Every transition carries the possibility of renewal. Not a return to what was — but the emergence of something new. Renewal rarely arrives suddenly. It grows slowly, often unseen at first. Small shifts. New energy. Gentle clarity. A sense of readiness. A small step that feels aligned. When we move through awareness, release, waiting, and listening, we become prepared — not just for change, but for transformation. As this season continues, notice what feels alive within you. Notice what feels possible that once did not. What signs of new life or new direction are beginning to appear?

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. YOU are amazing, encouraging, and generous and I am deeply grateful for you and what you mean to me.  Because of your partnership, this ministry of member care continues to reach people in meaningful ways.     Since December,  78%  of our 2026 budget has already come in—that’s  $65,500 !    This is a beautiful reflection of God’s goodness and the faithfulness of this community.    As we look toward the remainder of the budget, would you prayerfully consider partnering with us to help close the gap and reach our full goal by  May 31, 2026 ?   One-Time Gift Opportunities Would you prayerfully consider filling one of these giving slots? ·        1 partner at $10,000 ·        3 partners at $1,000 ·        1 partner at $5,000 ·        4 partners at $500  ...

  When life feels uncertain, our instinct is often to do more, decide faster, or push forward. But seasons of transition invite a different posture — listening. Listening inward. Listening to your body. Listening to your values. Listening for what brings peace, alignment, and quiet clarity. Clarity rarely comes through force. It emerges through stillness. Stillness is not unproductive. It is where wisdom becomes audible. This week, create a few small moments of quiet — a walk, a pause, a breath before responding. Notice what becomes clearer when life is not so loud. What becomes clearer when you allow yourself to slow down?

  Many transitions bring an in-between season — no longer where you were, not yet where you are going. This space can feel uncertain, slow, and uncomfortable. Yet the in-between is deeply formative and meaningful. It is where clarity deepens, identity reshapes, and new direction quietly takes form. Nothing may look different on the outside — but important inner work is happening. You do not need to rush through this season. Growth often happens where nothing seems to be happening. What might this waiting season be forming in you?

  Letting go is sacred work. Letting go is rarely easy. We often hold tightly to what is familiar — even when it no longer supports who we are becoming. Control, certainty, expectations, old identities… they can feel safer than the unknown. But letting go is not about emptiness — it is about making space. New growth cannot take root where everything is already crowded. When we loosen our grip, we make room for new growth, new clarity, and new direction to emerge. Release is an act of trust that something meaningful can emerge in the space that follows. This week, notice what you may be holding onto simply because it is familiar. What are you holding onto that may be ready to be released?

Every change includes an ending. Transitions always involve loss - even when they lead to something good. A role, rhythm, expectation, or identity may be coming to a close. This week, instead of rushing past endings, we are invited to honor them. Lent gives permission to grieve what is ending rather than rushing past it. When we honor endings, we allow them to complete their work in us. Grief is not a sign that something went wrong. It is a sign that something mattered. When we skip grief, we carry unfinished weight into the future.  Endings are not failures. They are part of growth. REFLECTION QUESTION: What ending in your life needs to be honored rather than avoided?

SHANNON’S CORNER Connect. Nurture. Grow. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never colonized, known as the “Land of Smiles.”  It is home to more than 35,000 Buddhist temples and shrines, and only about 1% of the Thai population identifies as Christian.   While in Thailand, friends of Kristi’s took us outside of Bangkok to spend the day with them.  They shared about The EveryOne Thailand, a collaborative movement partnering with local and international ministries to reach every person in Thailand with the gospel.  They help lead worship during weeklong outreach gatherings and are encouraged by how God is drawing many to Himself. One of the highlights of our time was serving 22 global workers at the Abide with Me retreat in the mountains outside of Chiang Mai. The retreat created space for teaching, silence, worship, small groups, optional prayer practices, and unhurried time alone with Jesus.  My small gr...

  Life transitions often bring uncertainty, loss, and the quiet work of becoming someone new. The season of Lent offers a meaningful framework for navigating these in-between places. At its heart, Lent is not simply about giving something up. It is a season of intentional reflection, release, and preparation for renewal — the same movement we experience in every life transition. Transitions begin with noticing what is changing. Lent invites honest reflection: What feels out of alignment? What is ending? What needs attention? Clarity begins with compassionately telling the truth about where we are. Lent gives permission to stop pretending everything is fine. It creates space to notice what is unfinished, tender, or ready to shift. Awareness is not failure — it is the doorway to growth. Every transition involves release — old roles, expectations, identities, or ways of coping. One of the most visible practices of Lent is letting go. People release habits, comforts, distractions, or p...

  Anniversaries have a way of arriving quietly and then suddenly filling the room. The anniversary of my mom’s death doesn’t always come with fresh tears or sharp pain. Sometimes it arrives as a soft ache. Other times, as gratitude. And sometimes, as a strange mix of both—love and loss holding hands in ways they never did before. This is one of the lesser-talked-about truths of grief: Grief doesn’t only come from loss. It also comes from   changed connections . When someone we love dies, the relationship doesn’t disappear—it transforms. The way we relate, remember, talk to, and carry that person changes. And that change itself is something we grieve. Many of us were taught—directly or indirectly—that grief has a timeline. That “doing well” means moving on, being strong, or finding closure. But grief doesn’t ask to be solved. It asks to be   tended . Grieving well doesn’t mean the pain goes away. It means we allow grief to have its proper place without letting it harden us...