Author Archives: Shanon Crenshaw

• Jesus at the Wheel

  Posted at 3:27 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on June 1, 2018

  God gave me an amazing revelation the other day. Imagine driving down a dirt road, across beautiful farmland, in a truck with Jesus at the wheel. You are a newly saved Christian, leaning right against Him on the truck bench seat, absorbing every parable and Living Word He shares with you.

  Oh no, serve left! There is a pothole in the road! You grab onto Jesus and while you do that you look down and notice He is also holding you tightly by His right hand. You settle down as you realize just how safe and secure you feel holding His hand and in His presence. Like a Father with His child. A few more content and Word-inspiring miles go by.

  You spy a herd of cows up ahead, blocking the road, but do not feel afraid because of how close you are to Him physically and spiritually. Two peas in a pod, your Savior and you. The cows easily move out of the way as the truck moves further down the dirt road.

  Time and miles go by. Feeling pretty confident in yourself, you scoot a little bit down the truck bench seat, but still in reach and hearing distance of your Savior. Danger ahead! A car just swerved right in front of the truck! Just in time, you grab onto His robe and also hear the whisper of His voice, “I am with you.”

  Settling down, your mind reassures you that you are okay, even though you are not as close physically and spiritually to Jesus as you used to be. Because of this, you feel okay to move a little bit further away. God is still with you, your mind reassures you.

  This time you scoot to where you are on the edge of the seat, ready to grasp the handle on the door. You are farther from Jesus, but closer to the door that opens up to the world that is based on your confidence, independence, and decision-making. Jesus will not be behind the wheel of your life. You will be.

  Ah ha! Now, you are driving your own truck, and making your own decisions, and Jesus is somewhere in the backseat of your life. When you are lost, you may ask Him for directions, but for the most part, you navigate your own life. Your will be done. Right now you are feeling pretty proud of yourself.

  One day you decide to throw caution to the wind and drive without much thought to where you are going. Or who you are going with. No cares in the world. Independence feels great and the miles are moving right along. Driving along, humming to yourself, you realize you made a wrong turn. Flashing lights and roadblocks signify the end of the road up ahead. Your life flashes before you. What happened? Where did I go wrong? Jesus take the wheel….

  Jesus, take the wheel

  Take it from my hands

  ‘Cause I can’t do this on my own

  I’m letting go

  So give me one more chance

  And save me from this road I’m on

  Jesus, take the wheel

  ***

  I am so thankful that Jesus gave me this revelation. Several times, over the course of my life, I have been in this particular situation. I give Jesus complete surrender and control in my life only to find myself inching away or even trying to gain some of the control back when life gets hard, doesn’t go my way, or I get tired of waiting for His will or timing. What Jesus showed so clearly to me is that He never changed or moved. I did. He was always behind the wheel of my life, from the beginning of my salvation, and waiting for me to surrender to His perfect will and timing.

  Thank you, Jesus, that YOU have never given up on me (and You)! Your mercies are new every morning and You are always ready for us to turn back, repent, and be in complete surrender to You. Your promises and truths are evident in your Word:

  Deuteronomy 31:6 New International Version (NIV)

  ⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

  Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version (NIV)

  ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

  Jeremiah 29:11-13 New International Version (NIV)

  ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

  Hebrews 13:8 New International Version (NIV)

  ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

  Isaiah 41:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

  ¹³ For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you,  ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.

  May God bless you, my friends!

  – Shanon

  ***

  -New International Version (NIV)

  Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  -Image from: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/jesus-take-the-wheel/photos

  -“Jesus Take the Wheel.” Carrie Underwood. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/carrieunderwood/jesustakethewheel.html

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  Posted in A-Ha Moments | 0 Comments | Tagged bible, blessing, blessings, Christian blogger, God, heaven, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus take the wheel, life changing, obedience, savior, spiritual, writing

• 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 right 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 who 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 the 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 believers 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 of 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, that 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 to 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 the flu that lasted 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 after 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. As I mentioned in a previous blog, God slowly watered the seed of writing He had placed in my heart. Over the course of a few years, He encouraged me to keep a journal, write, and read. I devoured the Word, devotionals, 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, that 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 when 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 alongside 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.
  ¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
      and she will greatly enrich his life.
  ¹² She 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 so good for me!) so it will be reflected here. On board? Good! Glad to have all of you coming alongside 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 a while 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 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, but he also 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, and 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 begun 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,  “The 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 | 4 Comments | Tagged bible, blessing, blessings, Christian blogger, God, heaven, Hebrews, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Made new, obedience, reflection, Revelation, spiritual

• No Condemnation Construction Zone

  Posted at 3:30 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on April 27, 2018

  

  This has been a very hard week for me. I have come face-to-face with insecurities I thought I had worked through. Self-doubt. (Can you really do this?) Perfectionism. (I want to know how to do it all right now and do it well.) Self-judgment. (Assessing my lack in regard to others’ achievement.) At that time, my day-to-day life was comfortable, and I knew what to do when each of those insecurities tried to creep into my mind and derail what I was doing or working on. Also, I learned to avoid situations or set limitations for people who were negative and/or critical. Essentially, I used the tools necessary to become the best version of myself. What I didn’t realize, is that when God calls us to higher expectations, old doubts may surface as well.

  God had new plans for my life. I guess you could say I’m under construction, every day striving to be more Christ-like. Getting me out of my “comfort zone” and into the realm of the unknown was the biggest challenge He has given me. It shook the very foundation I was on. Believe me when I say that I did make progress where I was and I did change for the better. But God was taking me to a new place and a new level.

  “Just write what the Holy Spirit prompts you to,” I’ve told myself a lot. Got it. I can do that until the enemy steps in, “You? Technology is not your friend, remember? You don’t know your widgets from your…and besides who’s going to follow you?” Lies, lies, lies and for a short time I actually gave some of those thoughts consideration. I’m not going to lie, I got a little defeated and lost the joy God was bringing to my life through writing.

  I have heard it all from the enemy this week and I have decided to fight against his condemnation in several ways:

  1) I am going to fight with the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. I am committing these particular truths to heart:

  Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (NIV).

  Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (NIV).

  Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” (NIV)

  I need to remember Who I am working for: Jesus. As much as I would love to have a broad audience, I have to write for Him first and let Him invite those to the table that He wants to. I need to rely solely on Him and keep Him first in all I do.

  2) JOY!! “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart, Where? Down in my heart…” (Child bible songs). Do you remember that song? In my prayer time yesterday, God placed it on my heart to meditate on it and I decided to take it one step further. I wrote Joy, in red, on the inside of my left wrist as a daily reminder. Writer’s block? JOY! An indecisive teenager at home? JOY! Widgets and technology problems? JOY! Joy above all circumstances and emotions because joy is a central part of our spiritual salvation and personal relationship with Jesus. Luke writes, in Acts 2:28, “You have made known to me the paths of life; you fill me with joy in your presence” (NIV).

  3)Keep on, keeping on. You know what? I do not know it all. My writing will not be perfect. I have so much to learn. I am committing what I do to the Lord every day, seeking Him first and asking the holy spirit to guide me. Also, every day I plan to work on something new and develop the skills necessary to complete what God started in me. 🙂 I love, love this quote from Steve Harvey:

  “The higher you climb there’s going to be opposition. New level, new devil. Just keep rolling and pushing through. What God has for you is yours if you don’t quit before the finish line” (Pinterest).

  Thank you, thank you for being on this journey with me. We are all learning and growing together, which is why God wants us to share stories and fellowship with each other. Love you guys! It wouldn’t be an awesome ending if I didn’t share a song with you. Casting Crowns, Voice of Truth.  Listen here.

  All the glory to God. ~ Shanon

  ***

   

  Casting Crowns, “Voice of Truth.” Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsvqVmFV6Y

  “God at work construction tape.” Fun Express.com. https://www.funexpress.com/god-at-work-construction-zone-tape-13743109.html

  “I’ve got the Joy in my heart.” Child Bible Songs. http://childbiblesongs.com/song-04-ive-got-the-joy-in-my-heart.shtml

  Ministry Quotes. Steve Harvey. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/235735361719480813/

  New International Version (NIV)

  Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

   

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  Posted in God at Work | 8 Comments | Tagged bible, Christian blogger, heaven, Holy Spirit, Jesus, life changing, Made new, obedience, spiritual

• Mercies in Disguise

  Posted at 3:30 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on April 20, 2018

  

  Crimson, gold, and orange leaves swirled through the tires of my Jeep on a cold November morning as I made my way to church. While listening to the radio, and wrapped in the warmth of my car, God gave me a revelation on answered prayer. What if where we are right now (or where our loved ones are right now) IS the answer to our (your) prayers? In essence, God may be allowing circumstances to happen. This answer may look like many things:

  * the stillness and silence of God

  * a difficult boss

  * a hard teacher

  * prison time

  * hitting rock bottom in an addiction

  We need to rest in God’s timing and know that He is at work. Are we doing what we need to do while we wait? Praying, believing, seeking, praising, having faith. The “difficulty” that is being experienced may be the breakthrough needed for an answer to your prayer. God can and may use trials to build up your faith, answer different prayers, open doors, and perform miracles. Difficult and desperate times also “force” us down on our knees, arms stretched wide, with a willing heart and a need for dependence on God like we have never experienced before. The Apostle Paul spoke of grace through trials in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 (NIV):

        ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

  ***

  This revelation brought to mind a circumstance I have been praying for confidence for my daughter Savannah as she begins her journey in middle school. If I speak of God’s will and I am praying for Savannah to have confidence, then I have to trust God and what He is doing in her life. She is having a difficult time in English right now and “doesn’t like” the format of the class. I can remember feeling the same way in some classes when I was younger, but it was through those teachers and classes that I learned and grew the most. I am really trying hard to step back and see her struggles as an answered prayer from God, to give her confidence in her abilities and the tools to face challenges head-on. It is a fine line to help, for sure– and I admit I have crossed the line and helped in some ways too much. But, now that God has given me this revelation about answered prayers, I am praying for more of His guidance and discernment on how to help, when to help, and when to back off completely. I see that she has always belonged to Him, and He has entrusted me with her. He knows her story and I do not want to alter or change the plan or growth He has for her life.

  Moving forward, I believe that God will always answer my prayers (in His time), and I need to see each test, triumph, difficulty, or blessing as a part of God’s plan for all of those He brings into my life. I do not want to take the lesson away. Have faith that God has heard your prayer and believe He is at work. Today.

  ***

  I would love to share an excerpt from a favorite song of mine, “Blessings” By Laura Story.

  What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
  Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
  What if trials of this life
  The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
  Are your mercies in disguise

  To hear the whole song by Laura Story, tap the link,  Blessings

  Love you guys!!! All the GLORY to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

  Laura Story. “Blessings.” AZlyrics. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/laurastory/blessings.html

  New International Version (NIV)

  Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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  Posted in A-Ha Moments, Answered Prayers | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, Christian blogger, heaven, Jesus, Revelation

• Birthday Blessing from Heaven

  Posted at 3:30 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on April 13, 2018

  A birthday cake. Rocky Road ice cream. Red hot candies. These were a few of my mother’s favorite sweets, all lovingly put together by her three daughter’s hands. My mother loved rainbows–and their covenant meaning of God’s promises–so we drew several pictures and taped them to the walls in the dining room. Have you guessed my mom’s favorite color yet? Blue, is the very reason there is a light blue frosted cake on the table. Yum!   

  A Polaroid (gasp!) picture of my mother’s thirty-first birthday. My sister prominently stands, smiling, next to our marvelously decorated table. Now, I know you  may be asking, “Where can I find the brown flowered cups, plates, and bowls beautifully placed on the brown flowered tablecloth?” It is early 80’s chic…and will probably be coming back in style next year. Just wait. Such is the circle of life…and trends.

  Now, back to birthdays. Birthdays are significant to me. Share your birthday with me and a hug, high-five, or some type of card/gift will surely come your way. When someone whom you know dies young, birthdays are personified by like a thousand! “Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege.” Once I read that Irish proverb, I’ve always taken it to heart. It’s NOT because I am 23% Irish–as discovered by my ancestory.com results–it’s because it is true. What an awesome blessing LIFE is! Another day, another year to live the life God created us to have for His purpose.

  ***

                  Every once in a while I have had a birthday that was discouraging. The thirty-second year of my life started rainy and gloomy, very much like my feelings that day. Depressed and discouraged, I made my way to my bedroom closet, a place of refuge and prayer for me. Lying on floor, in a position of complete surrender, I cried out to Jesus in desperation. I missed my mother especially on this birthday, it was as though her absence was magnified a thousand times that day. I have no idea why. I asked God, in complete faith, for encouragement from her. What He did for me, that evening was nothing short of a miracle.

  My dad came home from work that evening and handed me a birthday card. He said, “I don’t know how I ended up with this card, but here it is.” All pink and white it said, “WITH LOVE, Daughter, FROM MOM. (By the way, if you look really closely, you can see where my dad wrote in “& DAD.”) Can you believe that?!? God heard my prayer for encouragement from my mom and blessed me with a card “from” her in heaven! I write all of God’s answered prayers and blessings down, and I encourage you to, as well! Here is what I wrote, that day, on the inside of the card:

  This card is very special to me. The Lord truly loves you and does use people/situations to encourage you. I was having a very sad, depressed day. It was my birthday and I was missing my mother so much. I was praying to the Lord and asking for encouragement, something from my mom to encourage me on my birthday. My dad came home with this card (not his first choice) and said, “I don’t know how I ended up with this card, but here it is.” It was not a mistake, the Lord used my dad in a way to edify me, he was the giver of hope that day by way of the Lord. I am so thankful for my dad and the Lord– He truly listens and hears His children.

  Amen Praise the Lord!

  ***

                  I am now forty-six years old and I remember that birthday as though it were yesterday. It helps me to recall fondly my mom’s thirty-second birthday with rainbow drawings, a blue-frosted cake, and the reminder of God’s promises for us. Luke 11: 9-13 (NIV) says:

        ⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

  ¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

  I encourage you, as I shared last week, to pray and seek God daily. Look through the eyes of faith and see what He will do. Commit the prayer to your heart and rest in the power of God. Be sensitive and listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit; He may not only answer your prayers, but He may use YOU to be the answer to someone else’s!! 🙂 From the heart of Dr Maya Angelou: “Be the rainbow to someone else’s cloud.”

  Inside view’s of the card:

                      

  New International Version (NIV)

  Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  Angelou, Dr. Maya. “Be the rainbow to someone else’s cloud.” https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/30/maya-angelou-oprah-rainbow_n_5413544.html

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  Posted in Answered Prayers | 8 Comments | Tagged birthday, blessing, cake, Christian blogger, heaven, Jesus

• Ordained Days

  Posted at 3:30 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on April 6, 2018

  Anger, despair, and deep pain once overtook the eighteenth year of my life. I would love to tell you that those feelings were only directed at myself, but they weren’t. Those arrows of deep affliction were pointed at my mom because I was scared and helpless to “save” her from cancer overtaking her body and to the God I loved for not healing her. Three months after my mother was diagnosed with cancer she died, at the young age of thirty-nine years old.

  Her death was so hard for me and it hurt very badly. I carried those feelings around with me for a while, along with a lukewarm relationship with God–going back and forth in prayer and sin. I was a mess and I knew I desperately needed God. I remember speaking out loud to God one day, “Why didn’t you heal her?” In a soft whisper to my heart, God spoke to me, “I did. She’s here with me.” The soft-spoken words of my Savior that day started my path to healing.

  All that time I had prayed for God to heal her and He did, just not in the manner I had hoped. That life-changing moment with God opened my eyes and heart to a faith in Him that continues to grow. What I realized that day is, as hard as it was, that was God’s will for my mother’s life. God could have kept her on earth and healed her body, but it was her time to go Home. On November 7, 1990, she met Jesus face to face. The picture I imagine of my mom’s homecoming to Jesus is reminiscent of a picture I have in my house. Jesus’ arms were securely and tightly wrapped around my mom in an embrace unlike any that she had ever had. Pure love and light. 

  Psalm 139:16 has encouraged me the most in regard to losing loved ones. “… your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (NIV). God does heal, and miracles do happen, but what God taught through this hardship is that He is always with me through all the hurt, pain, and brokenness I experience in this sinful world. He can teach us through the eyes of faith.

  What we see as hardships, God sees as opportunities to heal, redeem, restore, and grow through His grace, in His time. I encourage you, when you are in the deepest pain or despair, to reach out to Jesus. Talk to Him, He longs to hear your voice and all you have in your heart. Rest in Him. Pray for God’s power and provision to be released into your life through the Holy Spirit.

  “Do not let any set circumstances intimidate you. The more challenging your day, the more of My power I place at your disposal. I know what each of your days will contain, and I empower you accordingly. Look to me for all that you need, and watch to see what I will do. As your day, so shall your strength be” (Young, 330, emphasis mine).

  What are you waiting for?! Pray. Seek God. Look through the eyes of faith and see what He will do!! I took that prayer to heart and rested in the power of God. He answered in a mighty way! Next Friday, I share how God gave me a birthday card, from my mom, for my 32nd birthday. Stay tuned!!

  Fire Bible: Global Study Edition. New International Version, Life Publishers International, 2009.

  Young, Sarah. “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence.” Thomas Nelson Publishing. 2004.

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  Posted in Healing | 2 Comments | Tagged Christian blogger, healing prayer, Jesus, life changing, ordained, pain

• Good Friday

  Posted at 3:29 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on March 30, 2018

             Today, Good Friday is a day of stillness and reflection for me. When I was a young girl, and first learned about Jesus’ death on the cross, I didn’t believe that He had suffered and experienced great pain. It was Jesus, right? My Sunday school teachers read me fascinating stories of His healings and supernatural powers, surely He could have helped Himself and turned down the degree of pain He felt.

  I don’t know why I thought that way. Maybe I was naive or it was a coping mechanism I developed to lessen the harsh reality of my Saviors’ sacrifice. Somehow I was able to keep His suffering at a superficial level for awhile–not allowing the depth of His sacrifice to penetrate my heart.

  While I matured in faith and got deeper into the Word, I realized, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that the scriptures and their meanings carried deep emotion and depth. It was as though the Words had life! Psalm 119:18 describes what happened to me perfectly: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (NIV). Physically my eyes were open. However, I wasn’t seeing everything there was to be seen in God’s word. It’s like seeing everything in black and white vs. TECHNICOLOR. An amazing thing happens when we ask the Holy Spirit to be present in every aspect of our lives. He is.

  I encourage you to take some time today to pray and be still in the presence of God. Pray for a fresh renewing of the Holy Spirit as you reflect on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His death at Calvary.

  ***

  I’d like to share a favorite song of mine: “This Man” by Jeremy Camp. (Click on “This Man” to see the powerful video).

  Fire Bible: Global Study Edition. New International Version, Life Publishers Edition, 2009.

  Camp, Jeremy. “This Man.” Restored album. 2004

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  Posted in Reflections/Stillness | 0 Comments | Tagged Jesus, reflection, sacrifice, stillness

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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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