blessing | Heaven Sent Sentiments

Tag: blessing
- 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)
  
  ⁶Be 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)
  
  ⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
  
  Jeremiah 29:11-13 New International Version (NIV)
  
  ¹¹For 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. ¹²Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
  
  Hebrews 13:8 New International Version (NIV)
  
  ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
  
  Isaiah 41:13 New Living Translation (NLT)
  
  ¹³For 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
- 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.
  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 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, “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 | 4 Comments | Tagged bible, blessing, blessings, Christian blogger, God, heaven, Hebrews, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Made new, obedience, reflection, Revelation, spiritual
- 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. ¹⁰For 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? ¹²Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³If 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

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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

Tag: blessing

Jesus at the Wheel

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

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

Hebrews 13:8 New International Version (NIV)

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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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Birthday Blessing from Heaven

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

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Shanon Crenshaw

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