HAPPY NEW YEAR – 2015!

01/01/2015 at 11:50 (Uncategorized)
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“Then the multitude rose up together against them… and when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison… he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly… immediately… all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” – Acts 16:22-26

For some of you, 2014 felt like a severe beating and a prison where your feet were bound in stocks. Today may not look or feel any different, but it is a new day and the start of a new year. Let change begin where change can take deep and lasting roots. Change begins in our mind and heart and always begins with praise.

Paul and Silas were severely beaten, thrown into prison, and bond in shackles. Everything wrong was happening when they were doing everything right. They had reason to pity themselves, but regardless of their circumstance, they sang and gave praise to God. Then, “suddenly… immediately…” because of their praise, God set them free along with all of the other prisoners. Self-pity will isolate you, but praise will set many captives free!

Today may not look or feel any different and your hope may be small, but choose to let yesterday go, live in the present, and praise God for who He is. He is your freedom, your redeemer, and your friend.

2015, He’s still writing your story!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~Shannan

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What prosperity is to me. A Powerful Quote by, MLK Jr.

01/16/2012 at 11:50 (Random Short Thoughts...)
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My thoughts pale in comparison to the legacy of wisdom Dr. King left for us, but I am grateful for the chance to pass along one of his many truths and the thought that it ensued in me, though, they’ve just begun to marinate in my mind.

“Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.” – MLK Jr.

“But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred, invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you].” – Luke 6:27-28

Can’t do it?  Consider this.

“And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” – Job 42:10

Remember, Job’s “friends” were less than friendly when He lost his entire family, his wealth, and when his health was failing.  Yet Job prayed for them.

I cannot promise all that you’ve lost will be restored to the degree that you imagine in your mind, but I can promise that God never leaves His own unattended, when they choose His ways over their own personal thoughts and feelings.  Job had to let go of the painful words of his friends.  It is impossible to pray for those who wrong us and remain bitter at the same time.

“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” – Jeremiah 29:11

If God’s plans are to prosper us, then we must ask, what is prosperity?  It would be a very sad day to die not learning from our past, worse yet, to be a victim to it.  It would be no less than tragic to be lowered into our earthly grave walled by bitterness.  For all the energy we use up hating one, that same energy could be used in accepting the love of many.

What prosperity is to me – Freedom To love and to be loved, and then love again.

As long as we live in this world, we will face those who fuel their lives by selfish motives and vengeance, but I choose my fuel to be forgiveness and love.

~Shannan

Uncompromisingly Walking With Him In 2012!

Still Keeping it real!

Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

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Correspondence With A Friend – Dare To Hope!?!?!?!

08/13/2010 at 11:50 (Lessons learned, Uncategorized)
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Letting Go

FROM ANTOINE

Hi Shannan, It is a pleasure reading your thoughts and seeing you grow. You are such a beautiful person indeed. I have observed you over the last 2 years at Christ Church and I have seen a change in you. Just wanted to leave you some encouragement because day in and day out, you encourage others.

“The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the LORD Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace…”
(Haggai 2:9, NIV).

God wants to amaze you with His goodness! We are living in a day where God is increasing His favor. Maybe you have seen God’s goodness to a certain degree. In reality, you haven’t seen anything yet! God has favor in your future that will supersede anything that you’ve seen in the past.

The Scripture talks about how the glory of the latter-day will be greater than the glory of the former day. That means what God did for your parents or grandparents, He’s going to surpass in your generation. The blessing and favor of past generations was good, but we serve a God of increase! He has greater things in store for your future!

Today, I encourage you to get your hopes up. I encourage you to enlarge your vision. Be expecting God to bring opportunities across your path. Be expecting to meet the right people and get the right breaks. Prepare your heart and mind to receive the increase and blessing God has in store for you!

One more thing, I have been hard-headed as I have neglected to share with you things the Lord have laid on my heart concerning you. Never be disobedient with God, never turns out well lol. I’m just not the type of person that is comfortable approaching someone (especially if I don’t really know them) and saying “the Lord told me to share yadda yadda yadda with you”.

In closing, please permit me to leave this prayer with you.

Father in heaven, thank You for being the God of increase. I trust that You have great things in store for Shannan’s future. Not only Shannan, but all of your children. We surrender every area of our mind, will and emotions as we wait on You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Have a blessed Day Shannan and I hope this isn’t as weird for you as it was for me writing it. Lol


Antoine,

To say thank you doesn’t seem enough.  Your “neglected to share” is actually God’s perfect timing.  He knew you would wait until I needed to hear these words the most; and be ready to hear the confirmation of a process He’s begun in me.

As I read your words yesterday, my eyes filled with tears and my heart with thanks to God.  This week has been a purging of wrong thoughts about myself and the lies I’ve listened to since childhood.  I asked God to do this in me, and thankfully He is gracious to make it a step by step process.

It’s easy to believe good things for everyone else.  I believe in my spirit God will give me His very best, but my heart has been afraid to hope.  My hands have literally been in fists since Warren’s death.  I noticed I would wake-up in the morning with clenched fist, and I would look down throughout the day and see my hands balled up tightly.  Despite my best efforts to mentally open my hands, they would always tense back into a firm grip.  I know there has been a part of me doing the same inside.  I know better.  It’s a false sense of staying in control.  What I haven’t known, is how to let go.

Over the last few weeks, I have asked God to reveal what this “fist” is.  What area of me is so locked up?  A couple of Sunday’s past, I noticed I would raise one hand in free worship while the other remained fastened against my stomach.  God said, “If you release it I will take it.”  I didn’t know how to “release it” because I didn’t know what it was.  I realized, He simply wanted me to raise my other hand in open freedom like the other.  I was surprised to find it a struggle, but I forced my other hand to worship also.  From this moment on God has been teaching me what “it” is.  I have been afraid to hope.

https://i0.wp.com/health-insideout.com/web_images/freedom.jpg

Last night a precious person asked me, “Hey, are you doing better than ok today?  It sounds like you have just been ok.”

I was having a good day, but I was struggling with believing God was really going to bless me.  I mean, something wrong had to come.  If that makes sense?  And, if this was God stepping me forward, surely there would be a huge battle – nothing good is easy.  WHAT?  I have been praying for God to protect my mind from the lies of the enemy.  Your letter yesterday, along with the question from my friend, showed me just how much I have bought into the liars deception.

All this to say, THANK YOU!  Thank you for being obedient.  Thank you for taking time to care for someone you don’t fully know.

“Today, I encourage you to get your hopes up.” Thank you for loving with the love of Christ.

I pray God’s richest blessings on you and your family.

Sincerely,
Shannan

We all have wounds from this world.  Maybe others will release their “fist” through reading this portion of my journey?

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I’m Speaking Easter Morning

03/29/2010 at 11:50 (Uncategorized)
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On Easter Sunday morning I will be giving a brief testimony at my home church.

I was humbled when I was asked to share my story.  With the thoughts and prayers of speaking again, I have faced many emotions.  I know first hand the huge impact words spoken from such a platform can have.  We do have the power of life and death in our words.  With every wag of the tongue we can cause someone to hope or enable a victim to stay in a place of defeat.  We can lead a person to life, or we can drag them into a personal state of our own misery.  After all, we’ve heard and know to be true, that misery does love company.

Since early childhood there are many bends and twist to my story I could tell.  If I chose to, I could find a number of painful places to park my mind and give up.  I know many who would not blame me one bit if I did.  I also know many who would be glad to join me in this place.  But, why would I?  Why should I?

The most critical moments of decision-making are in the most excruciating times of pain.  It’s when I’m face down on the floor and left alone as the world continues to turn around me, that my next choice will either set my feet on a path of despair and destruction, or on a path of hope and life.  The times I feel I will never be able to find my way back up from the floor that has swallowed my tears, is the pivotal moment I must choose the path so narrow, the path least taken, I must choose to believe God’s every word.  God says He has a purpose and a plan for my life.  He tells me in Jeremiah 29:11, that plan is not to harm me but to give me a hope and a future.

I need to make a quick side note here.  What we feel and what we know will often war against each other.  The majority of the time, I must choose to walk in what I know, long before I experience the feelings of what I know is true.

I am 34 years old.  I have walked with God since the age of two.  I cannot recall one time God has not kept His word.  It’s sometimes hard to see Him in the middle of the storms we passed through, but when we choose that narrow road to trust Him over our emotions, He is always there to see we do not drown.

I am humbled that God would choose to trust me with this journey He’s granted me called life.  I am honored that He has opened a door and is allowing me the privilege to stand next to His Son, Jesus, on Easter Sunday morning.  What overwhelming emotions that rush through every fiber of my being just writing that.  Jesus is exactly why I can get back up off the floor.  He’s the reason I can stand in confidence that the best is yet to come in my life’s journey.  Just because the first half of life has faced such destructive storms, does not mean the second half will be the same.  Even if it did, God owes me nothing.  Standing in the shadow of the cross, in the light of His glory, in the victory of the empty tomb, fills me with wonderful hope and an abundance of peace that passes all understanding, for wherever He leads me.

I am only a small part of what will take place on Sunday morning.  I am thrilled to work with such a great team of leaders who have been seeking God’s guidance and strength for the church as a whole.  Please join us in prayer for this pivotal service.  We are praying for lost souls to come to Jesus, for chains of bondage to be broken, for healing, for restoration, for peace, for freedom.

What a beautiful way for God to vindicate Warren’s death, by snatching souls from the grip of the enemy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwZqhx8eSN4

~Shannan Parker

Update:

I want to thank all of you who whispered a prayer for me.  Easter Sunday was a beautiful day, filled with an expectant hope.  I am so very honored to have been a part of such a powerful life changing service.

For those interested, you can now watch the service.
http://christchurchnashville.org/sermons.htm

“No more sorrow, No more pain…I Will Rise!” ~Chris Tomlin

He Makes All Things New!
Shannan

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