The sub-zero temps here in [small town] Pennsylvania feels like we are living in a frozen tundra! Between the minus zero temperatures and the snow storms, its been a very LONG week. Last Saturday I actually heard thunder during a white-out. I admit- it kind of freaked me out and the first thing I did was look to see if I saw Jesus in the sky. I ain't even gonna lie- I thought the end had come. As the week wore on, my munchkins have had only one day of school this week. My usual days of working at our quiet home have been filled with my 9 year old & (newly-his b-day was Monday) 6 year old have been busy playing, laughing, and playing some more, making my "quiet time" more of a "let's get crazy" time. Tuesday started out the same as Monday. Both kids running around chasing each other. Until my little man walks into my office with a very sad look on his face. And then I saw it... the bump right above his eye... 'Oh that's gonna leave a mark' I thought. (And it did the...a very black and blue mark around his entire eye). So, I asked him, "Joe, what happened buddy?" His response: "Me and Jeanie were playing tag and the wall ran out in front of me!" Joe-0 Wall-1
This week feels like I have been running into the wall with my eyes closed. I feel almost disconnected from our Father and I'm yearning to feel His love. Tonight, I'm hoping to find His embrace as I write tonight's post. 

Tonight's prompt is Open
Remember: 5 minutes of unedited, let your fingers fly across the keyboard and let the words pour out of your soul! 

When I saw the word 'open" it instantly brought to mind the night my heart was opened... the key had been inserted, twisted to the right, and unlocked. I'm not sure I can write the entire story in just five minutes but I'm going to try my best. I'll finish afterwards if I can't.

Ready, set, .... GO!

For as long as I can remember, I've always believed there was a God. Our God, our Savior, Our King of kings. I don't recall ever doubting, it was just something I simple knew. He was there, always was, always has been, always will be. However, I didn't always live for Him. I put my own wants and needs first and as an after thought, I brought Jesus in when it was convenient for me. Man, was I doing things all wrong! I'd like to go back and kick myself a few good times if I could. But, here I am now, growing stronger because of His grace and love and I am learning how amazing our Lord is! 

So, how did I get to where I'm at now? This is my testimony... 

As I said before, it wasn't an issue of believing if God existed, it was giving up my life, my freedoms, myself - to Christ. 

Looking back on the events that happened, I can see where God was working. But I didn't see it as it was happening because the moment my heart was opened was a game changer. I had heard of a local ministry trying to get off the ground to help those in domestic violent situations. It sparked my interested considering 1. that's the subject content of my book 2. I grew up in DV & 3. I actually wanted to start a ministry for DV. So, it was a no-brainer to ask the founder about info to the benefit dinner she was hosting. Small talk was made, yada yada and one evening I had this nagging feeling in my gut that I needed to ask if there were any public speakers at the event. I tried to swat the notion to the back of my mind. No way was I ever going to be a public speaker. I couldn't tell my story. I was too afraid, what would people think? I'm not one to put my business out there like that. NO. And when she asked if I'd like to speak... WHY did my fingers type y.e.s.?? YIKES! 

STOP 

Okay, I really thought I'd get further than that! So, back to the story- I agreed with very shaky fingers to speak at this event. I was a nervous wreck since up to that point I had never done any sort of public speaking and I wasn't one to share my past with too many people. It was personal and it was mine. But, God was preparing me for something far greater than I could have imagined. I sat down, prayed, and started to recap my life on paper (well screen cause paper is so 1990's lol). It took all of an hour to complete a rough draft. By the following day I had it tweaked and waited nervously. The evening had finally arrived and I was all set. I was incredibly anxious, couldn't eat and wanted to chain smoke (I since quit). The moment came and the mic was in my right hand. All I could do was shake. Seriously. I get to the podium and take a deep breath and asked God to help me. And that's when the Holy Spirit showed up! Whew! Cause I was seriously sweating! My voice was steady, calm, and full of passion. My words were powerful, they were meaningful, they had heart and love. It was one moment in my life that was absolutely beautiful as God showed who He is and what he offers. The night ended and I reflected on what had just occurred. First, I knew I was redeemed. I also found out that God loved me more than I had ever imagined before. I was special. I had a purpose! He showed me my heart... you see it was full of cuts and tears. It cried in agony when I allowed myself to think of the past. The trampled feeling of defeat as I felt useless in the Lord's Army. My heart was broken and in need of restoration. That night... it was more than restored, it was filled with the Holy Spirit and I stopped living for me and started living for Christ. When I say I wanted to climb Mount Everest and scream "Hallelujah Praise God!" I seriously would have if I could have! I never expected the Lord to show up in my life so abruptly. But that night it was as though he bombarded my entire body. 

I started looking back on old blog posts, fb statuses, notes I had written here and there. God didn't just show up one day and said hey now's the time... He has been there the ENTIRE time... watching, guiding, loving me even when I didn't love myself. Those old posts proved to me I had more of the Lord with me than I ever realized I had. They showed me that it was me who denied Him at times and chose to live for my earthly desires instead of His desire. And that breaks my heart. 

I cannot explain how thankful I am that God has allowed me to serve Him. I don't ever want to be lost again. Ever. And when someone asks me why I believe in God, my answer is simple: "I believe in God because He believes in me." 


-Shannon 

Tonight I was wrapped up in some family fun creating some awesome Valentine's Day boxes for my munchkins. So, I missed out on chatting with all the lovely ladies tonight on Twitters #fmfparty. I was bummed but spending quality time with my babies was amazing! Here are the finished products: My daughter wanted a camo mailbox for her Valentines. (Camo...this is new...usually it's pink, purple, rainbows and butterflies....) and my son wanted Indiana Jones. (Because Ninja Turtles just aren't cool enough!)

Tonight's prompt is WHEN
Remember: 5 minutes of unedited, let your fingers fly across the keyboard and let the words pour out of your soul! 


Ready, set, .... GO!


Recently, I have been chatting with a young friend of mine that I have known since she was incredibly young. We lost touch for quite some time and thanks to social media we have been able to reconnect. In the midst of our chats, she has told me on several occasions how "inspired" she is by my words and my story and how much of an impact I have had on her life as a young child. I too was quite young back then. Late teens - oh my...I knew myself back then... and she was influenced by that? I shook my head hoping if there was one good thing I said, she only heard that ONE good thing! 


When do we realize the seeds we plant, if ever? When we are going about our daily business, young, naive, and have not a clue in the world, how do we NOT realize the impact we are having on those around us? How do we NOT KNOW we are even planting seeds? At nineteen we are focused on a variety of other things. I wasn't thinking of being a mentor, or a person that one sought for advice. Now don't get me wrong, I had my faith, I believed in right and wrong but I was an angry, vocal, headstrong teenager who felt like I knew everything I needed to know to live this life and survive. But that's ALL that I was doing... simply surviving. 


Fast forward about 15 years. Reality check! 


My friend and I dove into a very lengthy conversation and  that's when I knew I stopped surviving and started thriving! She asked some difficult questions and I was incredibly candid with her. I felt the importance of truth to this young woman was more valuable than my pride. 

When Paul wrote to the Corinth's it was incredibly powerful. "For when I am weak, then I am strong." Its the moment we hit our knees and ask God to carry our burdens. We know that we cannot go on and we NEED our King of Kings. His strength picks us up and carries us through granting such a relief that our shoulders are no longer carrying the weight of the world. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have even thought of revealing any of my wrong doings. In fact, I would have covered them up and tiptoed around the truth. But now... now I've grown, matured and have been pruned and I know the Lord still has much work to be done on myself and I await another pruning session. During the journey, I keep Him as my center, allowing His hands to guide my feet, my words, and my actions. I've noticed a pattern of which He has been asking me to reveal the tough lessons I have learned to others- helping to guide the hurt to Him. Because that is where true healing starts, remains, and continues for all eternity.


STOP 


Dear friends, I pray this message finds a special place in your heart. It can be easier not to drag out all those bones you've so neatly tucked in your closet. We are set on survival mode as opposed to thriving for a greater spiritual relationship. The Lord offers us a chance at being great if we set aside our pride and follow His lead. Let Him use you for all the uniqueness of your heart and soul. We each have a very special purpose to serve- no one is greater than the next but each are undoubtedly wanted and needed! 

-Shannon 

Our word this week for Five Minute Friday is....
KEEP

When the waves are soaring to the clouds it crashes down pummeling our helpless soul. The rain keeps pelting down onto our bodies as we are stuck out on the boat... the storm is at it's maximum strength. We are desperate for just a ray of sunshine. It's our weakest hour and we are brought to our knees pleading for the darkness to end- we are told to keep the faith. Praise God for what you are going through because He will save us from our troubles. Psalms 138:7 NLT says,

"Keep the faith," is a saying that I hear many others tell their friends and family when the hard times hit. But, what's it mean? How does one keep that faith when their world is unraveling at the seams? Faith is more than a religion. It may seem complex to those who sort of sway back and forth thinking, "It's a nice idea, but..." 

When I handed my life over to our savior it was a game changer. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that no matter what I was handed, God would pull me through. Faith is simple. It's believing and knowing that God is our creator, Jesus Christ died for our sins and He sent the Holy Spirit down to guide us along our journey. Faith is the desire to keep love in our hearts just as Jesus loves us. Faith is leaning on our Lord for absolutely everything we do. Faith is serving God and seeking his will for us. It's that purpose that makes our life have meaning. So, when I tell someone, "keep the faith," it's not just a phrase I say to pacify them. It's filled with meaning, especially for those who may not have built a strong foundation with God yet. So my friends, if you find yourself in the middle of a vengeful storm, Keep the faith, because as Psalms 138:7 promises us, "He will save us from our troubles."