Shannon's Corner

  SHANNON’S CORNER “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” – Chinese Proverb This month has been a month of learning.  It wasn’t something I planned on doing.  But God carved out this time for me and orchestrated it all even down to some recurring themes that have overlapped through the various avenues of learning.  Learning is in my top five strengths according to the StrengthsFinder assessment.  I want to share with you some of the treasures I have received. Bethann had shared with me a certification course on  Mental Health Coaching  through the Association of American Christian Counselors (AACC) as they were offering lay people in the church to take this course for free.  People are hurting.  People are searching.  Many times, they are seeking help from a church, pastor, or priest.  What the church can offer to the broken mental health care system is hope – Jesus is...

  SHANNON’S CORNER Jesus is risen.  He is risen indeed! Lent and Easter season is a favorite time of year for me since childhood.  I had two churches, the Dayton UM and the Rimersburg UM that helped form my need in preparing my heart, mind, and body to receive what Jesus did for me and continues to do for me.  The celebration of Holy Week, services each night leading up to Resurrection Sunday.  The lent youth breakfasts that helped to think through the preparation leading up to Holy Week and on through to Resurrection Sunday.  This Lent, I enjoyed reading the book of Ezekiel – with the theme,  ‘Come to Life’  by  She Reads Truth . Transition painting of a TCK A family finished sixteen years of serving in SE Asia to come back to serve the Lord here in the USA.  I had the privilege of serving and ministering to their two children, nine and twelve years old.  We talked about the sadness they feel in l...

   SHANNON’S CORNER I am in awe time after time of God’s faithfulness and goodness to me.  I would be lying if I was not a little nervous and anxious about going back to the Dominican Republic not knowing how my former colleagues would receive me.  But God’s hand was in it as I was warmly received and welcomed by everyone, and I did not feel any awkwardness or weirdness with how I left and now coming back in a new role and on a new team.  Being able to travel internationally for the first time in two years was sort of a “homecoming” even though there were a few differences in traveling than before.  Different sounds and smells also felt welcoming. The Safe Place team of Bethann, Jenni and myself ministered to 17 missionary units plus two interns through a day long retreat and the rest of the week doing two-hour sessions with each one individually.  The retreat was a time of connection, collaboration, and celebration as this was...