Refresh - Shannon Quintana

There’s always a new personality test floating around out there, and I think I may have taken them all. I have done the Meyers Briggs and found that I am an INFP. I did another one that allocated your traits to a specific animal. I ended up with a split personality, part lion/part otter. It basically means that I am super fun, but also strong, that’s probably one of my favorites! But, lately there has been a new-dish one floating around called the Eneagram

Job wasn’t blessed because he was a good guy and did good things. He was blessed because of his faith. Yes, he wrestled with God over things, but in the end Job knew that even though he couldn’t see God through the thickness of his trials, even though he couldn’t FEEL God while he was in the depths of despair, he knew he was there. We all face trials in our lives, most of us will never have it as bad as Job, but some of us will. When we can’t see or hear or feel God, we have a choice to make...

The moments in the valley when God revealed Himself even in the smallest ways were the times I was most desperate and was always on the lookout for any little bit of light. The times I was reading my Bible, praying, lifting my hands in worship were the times I could feel that God was as close as my breath, holding my hand and guiding me through.

Nothing against cheerleaders, but when it comes to running the race of life, I don’t need someone shouting from the sidelines “You got this! Go Shannon!” What I really need in my friendships is a running partner who is running right along with me.

This is for the weary Jesus follower. Maybe you feel like this is just too much and you can’t keep your head above water. Maybe you are feeling like giving up. The Jeremiah of the Bible was also weary of the work, he was feeling overwhelmed and he was impatient for God to change things. What does God do when we are weary?

I got in my car after the final service of the day and felt a noticeable whoosh of weariness, and not only that but a weight of despair. It was the oddest thing, here God had done amazing things all month, and I was so stoked to be part of it, and then, once it was all over, I just…crashed.

We have no idea what kind of life the people around us are living. But as believers in Jesus, we have been tasked with being a light that reflects God, and shows that we are new creations because of what Jesus has done

In 2017 I got a call from my husband with some pretty crazy news. He said “Hey babe, we’re going to the Superbowl!” I have never been much of a sports fan. I love going to live sporting events, because, duh, there are nachos there, but I’m really not there for the game. So I told him I wasn't interested in going, until he talked me into it, and boy am I glad he did!

I found an article the other day that was something along the lines of “How to get what you want from the universe”. I kind of rolled my eyes at the notion that the universe is able to give me anything, but I read it out of curiosity. And here's my thoughts...

Perfect vision is known as 20/20 vision, and I believe that in this new year of 2020 God wants us to see clearer. He wants to correct the things we aren’t seeing well, and to sharpen our view of things we have looked at forever, so that we might see them in a new light.