Joy | Heaven Sent Sentiments

Tag: Joy
- I Am Expecting…
  
  Posted at 6:00 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on March 29, 2019
  I AM EXPECTING….
  
  God to show up!!
  
  Did you know that EXPECTANCY is the perfect swap for anxiety?! I learned that and so much more this past weekend at the ladies’ retreat I went to with my church family.
  
  All I can say is Woo-hoo, hands raised high!! God showed up in such a powerful way that I am still unpacking all the wisdom I was given, the hurt/pain that was discarded, the tears that were shed, AND the joy, laughter, and love that was shared throughout the weekend with my sisters!!
  
  Our main teaching was by Beth Moore, “The Basket Case.” I highly recommend this study to anyone who has ever experienced anxiety. Is anyone out there besides me?!
  
  One of my biggest takeaways was the wisdom that I shared above, “Expectancy is the perfect swap for anxiety.”
  
  ***
  
  Unfortunately, anxiety plagued a lot of my younger years. I can remember, especially when it came to health problems, I always expected the worst-case scenario. If I had a bad headache, must be a tumor. Sore throat, strep infection. Chest pain, heart attack. I was suffering so much with worry and expectation of illness in my body that it was affecting all areas: mind, body, and soul.
  
  I need to share this about that time period of my life. The enemy ran with the circumstances of my life at that time to personify and exaggerate the fears I was experiencing in my life. At the height of these problems, my mom had just died of cancer at the age of 39, so the enemy made me very aware that I could suffer the same fate.
  
  Joyce Meyer explains it this way, “When I was expecting something bad to happen, my expectation was from Satan. If we are not careful, this expectation will open the door to Satan’s evil plans for our lives by waiting for bad things”(Meyer, Joyce, emphasis mine).
  
  Wow. I had no idea that I was giving that kind of power to the enemy. At eighteen, I was broken, crushed, and hurt so much that I was an easy target for the evil in this world that seeks to destroy the Will God has for my life.
  
  Are you giving more power to the enemy by focusing on the evil forebodings of….
  
  “It’s always been like this, why would he/she ever change….”
  
  “I’ve been sick for the last ten years, why should tomorrow be any different…”
  
  “They’ve been addicted for half their life, and I’ve been praying just that long, it’s hopeless….”
  
  NO! Not Anymore! DO NOT GIVE MORE POWER TO THE ENEMY!!
  
  EXPECT GOD TO SHOW UP AND GIVE THE POWER TO HIM ONLY!!
  
  Over the last few decades, GOD has changed me! He can change you too! Those fears have not been a part of my life for a very long time! Praise God!
  
  I am expecting God to show up by:
  
  Expecting JOY over my circumstances…
  
  Expecting a healing…
  
  Expecting clarity…
  
  Expecting redemption…
  
  Expecting love…
  
  Do not expect tomorrow to be the same, because God has the power to change your circumstances at any given time! Tomorrow may be that day! Expect Him to show up and work mightily on your behalf!
  
  Remember, when we seek God and expect good things, we open the door to God’s plans.
  
  Train your focus to be “up” on God, not “down” on your problems!
  
  All the glory to God,
  
  Shanon
  
  Image of “Great Expectations” by Suffering to Glory-the Inner Soul by theinnersoulinme.com
  
  Image of Lamentations 3:25, “The LORD is good to them…” by biblepic.com
  
  Meyer, Joyce. “Expecting Something Good to Happen.” joycemeyer.org. Web.
  
  Moore, Beth. “The Basket Case.” Living Proof Ministries. 2017.
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  Posted in God at Work | 1 Comment | Tagged anxiety, bible, Christian, Expect God, Jesus, Joy, Power of God
- Add one more candle…
  
  Posted at 12:48 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on March 2, 2019
  Hi everyone! The sun is getting ready to set and it has been a beautiful day here in Washington state. We are heading toward my favorite time of day, the “magic hour,” when the sun is low and near the horizon, providing a warm glow.
  
  This time of day is perfect for reflection over the day, week, and–for today– the past year. You see, it’s my birthday!! 47 years old today and I thank God for every year He has blessed me with!!
  
  As young as I am, I have outlived my mom, a few high school friends, and other family members and I do not take my life for granted in any way.
  
  Thank you to all of my family and friends who have blessed me today but most importantly thank you God for EVERYTHING!!
  
  All the glory to God,
  
  Shanon
  
  Image of birthday cake by
  
  Image of “Dear God…” by Opening Prayer Day 1 slideshow.net
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  Posted in God's Blessings | 5 Comments | Tagged bible, birthday, Christian, God, Hope for tomorrow, Jesus, Joy
- I’m poor, are you?
  
  Posted at 7:44 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on July 20, 2018
  Happy Friday!! It’s going to be an amazing weekend! My husband and I are getting away, just the two of us, to celebrate our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. 🙂 Actually, our anniversary date is July 24th, but he will be in San Francisco for business all next week, so this weekend is ours! Praise God!
  
  I did it again. I couldn’t help myself, I read ahead in my devotional today and stopped on July 21st, which really spoke to me.
  
                  “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” (Matthew 5:3).
  
      I don’t know about you, but I have read the Beatitudes several times and have been inspired and encouraged by the blessings listed by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ message, to a large group of potential followers, is what it really means to follow Him and be a part of God’s kingdom. Of course, living up to these standards is possible only through faith in Jesus, the son of God, and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  
  This is where Chamber’s devotional titled, “The Doorway to the Kingdom” really kicked Matthew 5:3 into a whole new way of thinking for me:
  
                  “‘Blessed are the poor in spirit…'” This is the first principle in the kingdom of God. The underlying foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possessions; not making decisions for Jesus, but having such a sense of absolute futility that we finally admit, “‘Lord, I cannot even begin to do it'” (Chambers, July 21, emphasis mine).
  
  Friends, I am humbled to say that at times I have left several things at the altar of God and taken back portions of them to help them move along, without trusting God’s provision and timing. Anyone else like me?!
  
  *I’ve taken a job when I didn’t have peace in my Spirit. Guess what? The job wasn’t right for me, but God was faithful in working it out for my good in spite of the fact that I was the one who put myself there in the first place!
  
  *Another time, my Spirit let me know that a friendship of mine was not on the healthy side anymore and that I should take a step back and re-evaluate with prayer. But, I rationalized that we had been friends a very long time, so I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Feelings were hurt, trust was broken, and the friendship was severed in a wearisome way. Clearly, the Holy Spirit was trying to take a different path that would have ended in a more positive way, but I failed to heed the warning.
  
  Those are two examples of how “poor” I really am and how much I need Jesus every day to begin to do everything He created me to be: submit to Him, rely on Him and His timing, and allow Him to accomplish His work in me.
  
                  “Then Jesus says, “Blessed are you…” (5:11). This is the doorway to the kingdom, and yet it takes us so long to believe we are actually poor! The knowledge of our own poverty is what brings us to the proper place where Jesus Christ accomplishes His work” (Chambers, July 21).
  
  Are you poor? I am! I desperately need Jesus every day to “make me what He teaches me to be” (Chambers). With perseverance and the Holy Spirit, I move forward like the Apostle Paul, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, NIV).
  
  Thank you Jesus for all that You do and all that You are!
  
  God’s blessings,
  
  Shanon
  
  Chambers. Oswald. “My Utmost For His Highest.” July 21st, “The Doorway to the Kingdom.” Discovery House Publishing. Updated edition, 1992.
  
  Fire Bible: Global Study Edition. New International Version, Life publishers International, 2009.
  
  Images: “Sermon on the Mount.” Wikipedia
  
  “Happy 25th Anniversary.” e-cards.com
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  Posted in A-Ha Moments | 7 Comments | Tagged Beatitudes, God, heaven, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joy, life changing, Matthew 5:3, Sermon on the Mount
- Unopened gifts?
  
  Posted at 6:14 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on June 25, 2018
  I apologize that my post is a few days later than usual. I have not been feeling well lately and was a bit overwhelmed by the end-of-the-school-year chaos. Phew! God is Amazing and blessed this school year and (shhh…just between us) I’m already praying for next year: the teachers, students, and staff that will be coming together for the fall term. My youngest daughter would say, “Summer barely started, Mom, let’s not talk about the next school year yet!” What do you think she would say if I told her I’m already praying for her future marriage and husband? 🙂 We need to pray ALWAYS and WITHOUT ceasing, right?! AMEN!
  
  What a blessing church was yesterday. It’s amazing how God knows exactly what we need to hear and His timing is perfect! The whole message was an answered prayer to me but, the beginning really penetrated my heart:
  
  I really needed the simple, yet profound, meaning of that message. A gift is something that is given, willingly to someone, without payment. I’ll admit, especially on days of good health and ease, it is easy for the days to fly by without giving much thought to the gift (a new day) from the Giver, God.
  
  God did far more than give us a new day, though. God gave us the ultimate gift: Jesus!
  
  John 3:16
  
  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
  
  Jesus died to give you and me the following gifts willingly, without payment:
  
  Grace: But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (Ephesians 4: 7 NIV)
  
  Salvation and Faith: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—( Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
  
  Righteousness:For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! (Romans 5:17 NIV)
  
  Peace: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 NIV)
  
  Joy:I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15: 11 NIV)
  
  God’s Word: For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. (John 17:8 NIV)
  
  Holy Spirit: Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38 NIV)
  
  Eternal Life: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NIV)
  
  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2Corinthians 9: 15 (NKJV)
  
  Talk about the Ultimate gift-giver!! God wrapped up unconditional love, peace, joy, eternal life, faith, grace, mercy, and so much more through the gift of His son, Jesus Christ, all for you and me. Wow!!! Have you opened the most life-changing, love-giving gift that our Creator has for YOU?
  
  I pray that you have, if not a heartfelt, sincere prayer combined with a surrendered heart is the next step.
  
  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.
  
  ***
  
  Today is a gift from God. How will you spend today? The two greatest commandments are to Love God and Love people (Matthew 22:37-39).
  
  Love God: I encourage you to spend time in prayer, the Word, or outside in the splendor of His Creation thanking Him for All His blessings. I spent my morning praying, reading my devotional/bible, and writing my heart and soul for Jesus. All the glory to God! My favorite companion, Sasha, our German Shepherd snoring by my desk. A treat, a little love, and she is in puppy bliss for a short while. 🙂
  
  Love people: Love your family, friends, and all of the people God has placed in your life. Help and encourage others. Smile. Make eye contact when you speak to others. Ask God whom you can bless today. First and foremost, I’m going to ask God to show me who I can bless today, there is so much hurt in the world and many people need extra love and attention. Spend time with family and friends as much as I can. 🙂
  
  Enough about me, how are you going to spend your day? I’d love to hear it!
  
  Thank you for coming to the table. Jesus has many seats available and He has saved a seat for you. Accept His free gift of salvation and invite others. All are welcome, no one is turned away.
  
  May God bless you,
  
  Shanon
  
  ***
  
  “Everyday is a gift from God.” Image from Pinterest.
  
  “Jesus, the gift of God.” Image from Share a Verse wordpress.com.
  
  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.
  
  Shreve, Mike. “Nine gifts Jesus died to give you.” Charisma magazine. 22 December 2014.
  - I highly recommend Charisma magazine, I love it!II
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  Posted in A-Ha Moments | 2 Comments | Tagged Christian blogger, heaven, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joy, life changing, love, obedience, unopened gifts
- Flat Tires and a Broken Radiator
  
  Posted at 9:07 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on June 16, 2018
  Hello, my friends! Wow, we are already past the middle of June! I pray your month has been filled with blessings, hope, and most importantly God because He is love, mercy, truth, holiness, and faithfulness. He is a good, good Father.
  
  The month of June has been very chaotic for me and a lot of things have been taking place. Some good and some difficult. The amazing thing is that through each situation, I have been able to have JOY and peace in spite of each circumstance.
  
  ***
  
  Last weekend, was our first full weekend camping in our new (used) travel trailer. We didn’t travel too far from home, only 111 miles away. It rained the whole weekend, which living in Washington state, could be expected.
  
  However, the weekend went like this:
  
  Friday night: Two hours into the evening, around 9 p.m., we completely lost power. It was pouring rain, with a capital P. Since we were new to the trailer camping thing, we didn’t figure out what was wrong until morning. 😦
  
  Saturday: After my husband woke up, he figured out what happened. Power surge last night, the trailer blew a fuse. He looked through all of our extra fuses to fix it. Unfortunately, we had multiples of every other fuse but the right one.
  
  He drove our truck out to the nearest city to buy fuses, a travel trailer surge protector, and anything else he could think of to fix our current situation. He left at 8am.
  
  Hours, yes hours, go by and my daughters and I make the most of the time by playing games, hanging out under the canopy with our German Sheppard, and simply resting.
  
  Around 11 a.m., my husband gets back and tells me he has a story to tell. In my mind, I felt like he was saying, “But wait, there’s more!?”
  
  He set various bags down on the picnic table and preceded to tell me what my heart already knew: another problem.
  
  “The truck radiator is busted. I realized it on the way to town and had to stop. So, I not only bought the supplies to fix the trailer, I bought the things I thought we’d need to “mend” the truck to get us home tomorrow.”
  
  Wow, ok. God is big and God is good. Several miles and several stores were needed, but my husband fixed the trailer and the power was back on! Praise God!
  
  We made the most of the day by going on several hikes near Mt. St. Helens National Park, barbequing steaks on the grill, and making s’mores. Perfect ending to a not-so-perfect day!
  
  Sunday: Woke up to a rainy day. Made eggs, turkey sausage, and monkey bread for breakfast. Oh and coffee, lots of coffee! We rested for a while and decided to head out around noon.
  
  Through the rain, we worked hard to get the trailer and truck packed up and ready to go. After I pulled in the slide to the travel trailer, my daughter noticed we had a flat tire on the trailer.
  
  As if on cue and while I was telling my husband, it started to rain hard. I grabbed the biggest umbrella we had and held it over him as he replaced the tire with a spare. Our only spare.
  
  Sunday 12:30pm: Finally we are on our way! I told my husband there was a restaurant down the road that I wanted to stop at for lunch and he thought that was a good idea.
  
  The place we were stopping was only twenty miles down the road. We pulled into the gas station that was near the restaurant. While my husband was topping off the gas tank, he told me to take the girls inside, find a place to sit and order food for all of us.
  
  Twenty minutes go by and he joins us. Bad news. The spare tire he just replaced is now flat. Praise God we stopped! He bought Fix-a-Flat and prayed it would work to get us home. Only 91 miles to go.
  
  About five miles in, a truck signals to my husband that we have a flat tire. Apparently, the “band-aid” we used to fix it didn’t work. We pulled off and into Denny’s parking lot. My husband spoke to the manager and asked if we could unhook our trailer, and leave it there, so we could find a tire store to get two new tires. They agreed.
  
  The only place that could help us was Wal-Mart. Praise GOD they had two tires left that would fit our trailer. Two hours later we were able to get our trailer and get back on the road. Yay!
  
  Sunday 3:30pm: Unfortunately, the rest of the way home is full of hills and inclines. Our radiator does not go more than a few miles at a time without needing us to pull over. To make a long story short this happens every few miles and several times, but Praise God we made it off the freeway every time and into a parking lot. Three hours go by of driving, stopping, cooling the engine, and getting back on the road. It became obvious that we needed extra help.
  
  Sunday 6:30 pm: We pulled off the freeway and called our friend, Dan. My husband and Dan worked out the following plan: Dan would use his truck to pull our trailer and without the weight of the trailer, our truck should make it home. We are still about 60 miles from home, so it would take Dan about an hour to get to us.
  
  After Dan arrives, we set the plan in motion. Steve drives the truck home. Dan, my daughters and I follow Steve in Dan’s truck and our travel trailer.
  
  Sunday 9:00pm: Praise God, we are finally home!! There were no other problems with the truck or trailer! I have never felt so incredibly blessed and thankful to be home, safe.
  
  Let me tell you that was a long day. However, God’s presence surrounded us in a way that, by human standards, is unexplainable. I truly experienced a supernatural peace and Joy that can only come from God. I knew, beyond any doubt, no matter what happened, God was with us.
  
  Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
  
  ⁶Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
  
  I was also so incredibly thankful that we were all together and God was at the center of it all. My daughters, husband, and I will carry this testimony of God’s faithfulness in our hearts and minds forever and it will help us through other trials. ALL the glory to God!!
  
  Friends, God is ready and able to help you through ALL you are going through. I was reminded in my “Jesus Calling” devotional, dated November 11th, about the power of Jesus:
  
  “Do not let any set of 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, Sarah 330).
  
  Don’t wait, pray, and go all into the power of Jesus! Experience peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, gentleness, and faithfulness.
  
  Remember, there is Thereispower Click to hear the song!
  
  Oh, and by the way, I asked the girls if they wanted to go camping again. They said, “Yes!” However, it just occurred to me that they didn’t say that it would be with us….
  
  May God bless you!
  
  Shanon
  - Image “Welcome Summer, Hello June” by CoverLayout.
  - Image “Peace is not the absence of storms…” by JenniferDukesLee.com
  - Young, Sarah. “Jesus Calling Devotional” Thomas Nelson publisher. 2014.
  - “Philippians 4:6-7.” 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.
  - “There is Power” by Lincoln Brewster. Oxygen album. August 7, 2014.
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  Posted in Answered Prayers, God at Work | 1 Comment | Tagged blessings, Christian blogger, Fruit of the spirit, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Joy, life changing, Peace, Power in the name of jesus, reflection, savior

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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: Joy

I Am Expecting…

Posted at 6:00 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on March 29, 2019

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Add one more candle…

Posted at 12:48 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on March 2, 2019

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I’m poor, are you?

Posted at 7:44 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on July 20, 2018

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Unopened gifts?

Posted at 6:14 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on June 25, 2018

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Flat Tires and a Broken Radiator

Posted at 9:07 PM by Shanon Crenshaw, on June 16, 2018

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Shanon Crenshaw

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