May | 2018 | Heaven Sent Sentiments

Monthly Archives: May 2018
- Some Gave All
  
  Posted at 3:51 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 25, 2018
  I was brought to tears a few minutes ago while listening to “Some Gave All” by Billy Ray Cyrus.
  
  All Gave Some, Some Gave All
  
  Some stood through for the red, white and blue
  
  And some had to fall
  
  And if you ever think of me
  
  Think of all your liberties and recall
  
  Some Gave All
  
  My heart is filled with love and pride when I think of all the brave men and women who died while protecting and trying to uphold the rights to freedom. Memorial day is a national day of remembrance in honor of all of the amazing men and women who died while serving in our county’s armed forces. These women and men are brave, patriotic, and honorable.
  
  My mother’s first husband was one of “the few, the proud” –a Marine. Corporal Jackie Lee Denny was just 19 years old when he died during his final mission in the war. Here is an excerpt from his page on the Vietnam Veteran’s memorial website:
  
  CPL Jackie L. Denny was a rifleman serving with G Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. At 0725 hours on February 4, 1971, CPL Denny was on patrol with his unit in the vicinity of Thang Binh in Quang Nam Province, RVN, when he triggered a booby-trapped 81mm mortar round rigged with a pressure detonator. Denny was fatally injured in the blast. His unit was then taken under enemy small arms fire from their southwest. They returned fire but they were unable make visual contact with the enemy firing on them. They requested an aerial observer over their location who arrived on station at 0740 hours and remained overhead until 0825 hours. A medivac (medical evacuation by helicopter) was called at 0730 hours to retrieve Denny and was completed at 0830 hours. A later sweep of the area uncovered another booby-trap, a 250 lb. bomb rigged with a pressure detonator. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and 5th Marines Command Chronology for February 1971]
  
  My mother, Sue, became a widow at 19 years old and my sister, Melanie, lost her father at six weeks old. I do not recall my mother talking much about the hardship and pain she must have endured at such a young age. I can only imagine how much harder that pain must have been because of the protests and unwelcoming attitudes that greeted the servicemen that came back from the Vietnam War. Jack was a very brave man. He enlisted to fight when many people were leaving the country rather than be selected to serve. To all I say, “Welcome home, Vietnam Veterans.” Thank you for your bravery, service, and selflessness in a war you didn’t start and duties you were told to carry out.
  
  I cannot think of “Some Gave All” without thinking first of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “And if you ever think of me, think of all your liberties and recall, some gave all.” Jesus died and gave all to show His own love for us (John 3:16; John 15:13), to reconcile us to God (1 Peter 3:18), and to give eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:36). There IS glorious, awesome freedom in Christ Jesus.
  
  2 Corinthians 3:17
  
  “Now the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (NIV).
  
  Are you experiencing the Life and Love giving freedom of Jesus? He is waiting with open arms to love you. If you are ready to trust Jesus with your life, pray something like this:
  
  Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
  
  I encourage everyone (new believer’s as well) to keep seeking God, praying, loving others, and spreading the JOY of Jesus to others. Love God, Love people!
  
  Keep praying for our troops and their families. Freedom isn’t free. God Bless America!
  
  Click on “Some Gave All” for a song honoring the sacrifice our servicemen and servicewomen.
  
  SomeGaveAll
  
  ~ Shanon
  
  *Top picture Jackie Lee Denny circa 1969. Bottom picture Jack’s stepdad, my mom, and sister Melanie receiving Jack’s medals after his death.
  
  Virtual Vietnam Veterans Wall of Faces. Jackie Lee Denny. http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/12982/JACKIE-L-DENNY?page=1#remembrances
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  Posted in Healing, Reflections/Stillness | 7 Comments | Tagged Christian blogger, freedom, God, Jesus, life changing, love, pain, reflection, sacrifice, savior
- God’s Perfect Timing
  
  Posted at 1:52 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 18, 2018
  Staring out over the sea of black graduation caps, my eyes filled with tears and my heart filled with joy. I realized God’s perfect will and timing brought me here–to this moment. Last year, on May 13th, I graduated from SNHU with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing. On that day, God truly gave me the desire of my heart (Psalm 37:4b). Please understand, I’m not sharing this with you in regard to worldly/prideful standards. This is a story of what God has done through me and in me.
  
  Right after I graduated high school I had a ten-year plan: graduate college, start a “real” job, and then get married around thirty-ish. I had it all figured out. What I didn’t know that graduation night was how drastic my world was about to change.
  
  Within two months of my high school graduation, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Three months later, at the age of thirty-nine, she was gone. I had just started my first semester of college when she was diagnosed and, of my four classes, I was barely passing one of them. I was literally in survival mode at that time. Existing, but exhausted. Devastated, but putting one foot in front of the other.
  
  God was with me. I knew it, but it felt like He was an arm’s length away. What I realize now is that He never moved. I will never leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5b). I did.
  
  Obviously that ten-year plan was a distant memory. At that point, I was on the day-to-day plan. The meaning of life had changed so much because of my mother’s death. Trivial, small things didn’t matter. Lasting, relational treasures were very important to me.
  
  God knew what I needed in my life and five months after my mom died, I met my future husband Steve. Right from the moment I met him I knew there was something very special about him. Talking and hanging out with him was so easy, as though I had known him for a very long time. God answered my prayer for my future husband. Thank God, it was on His time frame and not my ten-year plan.
  
  Two years after we met, Steve and I were married. Yes, we were very young. In fact, we were the same age our oldest daughter is now, 21. We settled into married life; working and moving to new places when my husband was promoted in his job. Still stuck in our old ways, of having it all figured out, we decided to give the eight year plan a try. We wanted to start a family, in several years, around the age of thirty. This way we have time to grow as a couple, travel, grow roots in a solid neighborhood…guess what?! God had His own plan for us.
  
  Three years into our marriage, I came down with a flu that was lasting several weeks. I couldn’t shake it. Talking to my sister one day she asked, “Could you be pregnant?” “Nah, we decided to wait a few more years…remember?” Wait…I wasn’t feeling well. However, we were using every precaution known to man to not get pregnant. Could I be?
  
  I was twenty-four when I was staring with disbelief and shock at the plus sign on my pregnancy test. My heart skipped a beat in delight for a moment until sheer terror took over as I thought of all the medicine I had consumed over the last week or two for my flu!! As soon as I could, I saw a doctor to confirm my wonderful news and settle my fears concerning the meds I had taken. God had indeed blessed us with a baby. Much to my surprise, I was a full two months pregnant with my daughter before I knew I was pregnant. God knew just what our family needed, and she was right on time. His time.
  
  My college dreams moved to the back of my mind. I shared with my husband early on in our relationship of my desire to be a stay at home mom. Even before she was born, my husband started working a few extra hours a week at another job to make that happen. What a blessing and an amazing provider he is to our family. We scrimped, saved, and worked hard to make it happen. God provided everything to once again give me my heart’s desire. My legacy is my family, and experiencing my mother’s short time on this earth, I wanted to make the most of every moment!
  
  Several years later, we decided to have another baby. Now. Our daughter had started kindergarten and we were READY! Cue the crickets chirping and silence…for two looonnngg years. Do you think we figured it out yet? Nope?! Let’s say it all together now, “it’s all in His timing.” We, finally, resigned it all to God and prayed. When our oldest daughter was eight and a half years old, God blessed our family with another daughter. Two blessings, straight from above, that I would not change in any way–especially God’s perfect timing.
  
                  God blessed us tremendously during those early years. Our days were filled with Him, volunteering in the classroom, and homework. As time went on, I fit in college classes here and there while my daughters were in school.
  
  Several years into my studies, God placed the idea to write on my heart. This could only have come from him because I would never have come up with this idea myself. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, God slowly watered the seed of writing He had placed on my heart. Over the course of a few years, He encouraged me to keep a journal, write, and read. I devoured the Word, devotional’s, and Christian books. I also applied and got accepted into SNHU’s English and Creative Writing Bachelor’s degree program. Through hard work, perseverance, and a whole lot of Jesus’ I graduated in the class of 2017.
  
  The beautiful thing is,  I can see from my high school graduation night, He knew what the desires of my heart would be and He wove them through the tragedy and heartaches He knew I would be going through. I needed to be faithful to Him and He took care of me, in His perfect and beautiful timing.
  
  Is there a specific time in your life where you can look back and see God’s perfect will and timing through all of it?
  
  ~ Shanon
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  Posted in Answered Prayers, God at Work | 4 Comments | Tagged Christian blogger, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, obedience, pain, perseverance, reflection, Revelation, spiritual, writing
- More Precious than Rubies
  
  Posted at 11:09 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 11, 2018
  Yay, it’s Friday! What a beautiful and blessed weekend it will be! Happy Mother’s Day to all!! May God bless each and every one of you.
  
  Mother’s day is bittersweet for me. It’s a chance to reflect on what an amazing and God fearing mother I had growing up. The laughter we shared, songs we sang, tears we cried and “debates” we had while I was a teenager. (They weren’t that bad, I never gave her gray hair). 🙂
  
  Some of those were conversations and dreams of a future that was not to be on this side of heaven. However, God knew and made a way for women of faith, much like my mother, to come along side me to love me, give me guidance and wisdom, and pray for me and my family. I love, love how God knows our hearts, hears our prayers, and in His timing and according to His will gives us just what we need. What is so awesome about God, is that sometimes He blesses us with what we need before we know we need it.
  
  With love and a grateful heart, I thank all of the women, young and not-as-young, that God has so graciously placed in my life. I would not be who and where I am today without you! XOXO
  
  To my incredible husband and two precious daughters, thank you for giving me the opportunity, through you, to become and aspire to be a Proverbs 31 wife and mother. Love you. XO
  
  Proverbs 31:10-12 (NLT)
  
  Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
      She is more precious than rubies.
  ¹¹Her husband can trust her,
      and she will greatly enrich his life.
  ¹²She brings him good, not harm,
      all the days of her life
  
  May God bless your time this weekend with all of those you love! ~Shanon
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  Posted in Reflections/Stillness | 2 Comments | Tagged bible, blessing, blessings, Christian blogger, God, Jesus, love, mothers day, proverbs 31, reflection
- Obedience and Faith in Action
  
  Posted at 8:43 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 4, 2018
  Shout out to Grandma Marji, Happy Birthday!! May 1st was her birthday and I sure do miss her wisdom and our very long phone conversations! I imagine her sitting on the golden steps of her mansion, healed from all the world’s afflictions, with the saints gathered all around her as she shares her story. “When I wake up in the Land of Glory, With the saints I will tell my story, There will be one name that I proclaim…” (Big Daddy Weave). Love you Grandma and we cherish your sweet memory. 🙂
  
  ***
  
                  It’s May!! The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and new growth can be seen everywhere you look, including here. Over the next few weeks my blog will be evolving–becoming more interactive and conversational. Still figuring it all out, but as you recall from my last post, “No Condemnation Construction Zone,” I am being changed from the inside out (painful, but soo good for me!) so it will be reflected here. On board? Good! Glad to have all of you coming along side me!
  
  ***
  
                  I started writing this post on the first of May, as you may have guessed from what is written above. I was several paragraphs into a message about world values compared to God’s values and I stalled. Nothing. Not one more word came to mind. I prayed for guidance from the holy spirit. I stepped away from my desk and took a break. I tried to look at other resources to gain insight and inspiration. No matter what I did I could not continue with what I had started. At this point, the best thing to do is let it go and come back to it.
  
  ***
  
                  Today, while I was reading my daily devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers, I felt compelled to read a day ahead. God spoke to me in a powerful way in the May 5th devotion:
  
                  “If Jesus ever commanded us to do something that He was unable to equip us to accomplish, he would be a liar. And if we make our own inability a stumbling block or an excuse not to be obedient, it means that we are telling God that there is something which He has not yet taken into account. Every element of our own self-reliance must be put to death by the power of God. The moment we recognize our complete weakness and our dependence on Him will be the very moment that the spirit of God will exhibit His power” (Chambers).
  
  The moment I read this I felt convicted and felt a strong need to be in prayer, and in complete surrender to God. My doubt is not in being obedient to God, it is the stumbling blocks that I am allowing to get in the way of complete surrender. In all honesty, I am broken. My natural tendency is to be shy, introverted, and to myself. In large groups, especially around people I don’t know, it may take awhile for me to warm up. I don’t put myself out there easy. My personality seems to be the opposite of what a blogger should be, at least that is what I believe.
  
  This is where my stumbling blocks come in–it is not natural for me to talk about myself, be on social media, or to encourage others to read what I have written. However, I feel as though I should do some of these things and then, when I do, I question my motives–because I feel uncomfortable. Boy, the enemy loves that!! Then I get off balance and question what God is doing in my life, “that we are telling God that there is something which He has not yet taken into account” (Chambers). God knows me and all of my shy/awkward tendencies. Yet here I am, pouring out my heart to the world and sharing all of my brokenness. Praise God that He alone knows my heart and how much I desire to do His will. At least I am in good company. One of my favorite books of the bible is Hebrews, especially Chapter 11, which I call “the hall of faith.” All the people featured in this chapter had enduring faith in God and relied on His promises. However, many of them initially questioned what God was speaking into their lives.
  
  1) Moses doubted the way he could speak (Exodus 4:10) and was concerned about conveying God’s message so God allowed his brother, Aaron to be his spokesman. “He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say” (Exodus 4:16 NLT). The power of God was unleashed when he stepped out in faith and relied on the promises of God. Not only was Moses the author of the Pentateuch, he set the Exodus in motion. Obedience and faith in action!!
  
  2) Sarah and Abraham laughed at God’s promise that they would give birth to a son in their old age. Abraham and Sarah had been faithful to God in the past, but this revelation brought about by three visitors, was almost too much for them to believe. One of the visitors, speaking to Abraham said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah will have a son!” (Genesis 18:10 NLT). With the birth of his son Isaac, Abraham’s faith in God grew so much that he was willing to sacrifice his promised son if God asked. Obedience and faith in action!!
  
  Those are just two of the amazing members of the hall of faith, and I encourage you to read the whole chapter. It is all very inspiring and profound! God knew all of their concerns, limitations, everything about them, and called them to do mighty things for His kingdom. Faithfulness, obedience, and faith in action. I am so very thankful that the holy spirit called a halt to what I had began writing this week. I needed this breakthrough and the time I spent with God this morning. While I was in prayer, God also reminded me of something my Pastor Mike shared during his sermon last Sunday, “Don’t make the mistake of thinking that being uncomfortable is being out of the will of God” (Sumner family Church). Between my blog last week and what I am writing this week, God has blessed me in so many ways and showed me how much I need Him and I am right where He wants me to be, flaws and all. Thank you Jesus, for all that You do and all that You are!
  
  I would love to hear your story. Have you ever been where I am? What scriptures motivated you the most?
  
  ~Shanon
  
  I love, love this song. We sang it in church last Sunday. I think of those who have gone to heaven before me, and I think of the day when I meet Jesus face-to-face and tell My story. Big Daddy Weave, “Th e Only Name (Yours Will Be.)
  
  ***
  
  Big Daddy Weave. “The Only Name (Yours Will Be). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ETEv-NWpc
  
  Chambers, Oswald. “My Utmost for His Highest.” Discovery House. Updated edition, 1992.
  
  New Living Translation (NLT)
  
  Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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  Posted in Conviction, God at Work, Reflections/Stillness | 5 Comments | Tagged bible, blessing, blessings, Christian blogger, God, heaven, Hebrews, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Made new, obedience, reflection, Revelation, spiritual

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Shanon Crenshaw

God is first and foremost in my life. I LOVE: my husband Steve, daughters Suzanne and Savannah, my AMAZING family and friends, the majestic beauty of the Pacific Northwest, traveling and camping, a GREAT cup of coffee with my morning devotionals, and my Sumner Family Church family. :)

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Heaven Sent Sentiments

Monthly Archives: May 2018

Some Gave All

Posted at 3:51 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 25, 2018

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God’s Perfect Timing

Posted at 1:52 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 18, 2018

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More Precious than Rubies

Posted at 11:09 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 11, 2018

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Obedience and Faith in Action

Posted at 8:43 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on May 4, 2018

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Shanon Crenshaw

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