Onto new Adventures in the Comox Valley: Youth ministry.

Dear Friends and Family,

I wanted to take the time to thank-you for investing in my life, and also to bring to you some exciting news that has been happening in my life!

Last April I had the opportunity to speak at Youth Unlimited Comox Valley’s annual banquet.
Speaking at the banquet included talking about the time I spent in Northern Ireland serving with YFCNI’s short term missions team “PROJECTSERVE: NI”. This time missions trip was such an amazing experience!, and It truly encouraged me to seek God’s will for His ministry in my life, and gave me the desire to using use my life for His ultimate glory in and purpose. I ended up working in a small town called Garvagh, which was quite similar to life here in Ucluelet. After watching and doing missions in the youth drop in centre there, coming back home and being in those same situations myself, I came  brought me to a realization: There is work to be done, here, on Vancouver Island, in our cities, towns, churches, and schools. There are changes to be made in the lives of our young people, and it is an enormous blessing to be able to respond to the call that God has placed on my life to be involved in Hhis harvest.

The youth of today face many challenges, especially as they progress through secondary school. Stressful Relationships relationships with their friends and family become stressful, alcohol/, substance abuse, the pressure of courses and teacher expectations…these , are just some of the daily struggles young people face today. I personally struggled with a lot of these going through high school, and watched my friends struggle with all of them - so these are no strange concepts to me. It has been an incredible experience to watch as our Heavenly Father took the unforgiveable, the undesirable parts of my story, and in turn, gave me a gift in ministry by being able to relate to the young people, and a heart to serve and love the unforgiveable and the undesirable. God has been gracious enough to open up doors to be involved in the hearts and lives of young people in Courtenay.

Shortly after speaking at the YUCV banquet, I was asked to be on staff with them in the upcoming year. This will involve 30 hours a week of serving the teens of the Comox Valley by being involved in and through the schools, after school programs, as well as programs run by Youth Unlimited as well. I am thrilled at the thought of this opportunity, and so excited to see what God has planned for the Comox Valley in the year of 2015/16., and  I am even more excited to be a part of it.

I believe in 2nd Timothy, it is summed up perfectly when Paul says “So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

Part of being on staff is raising support, whether financially or through prayer support of friends and family as well. Please prayerfully consider partnering with me
If you have any questions on how to donate financially please contact me (shannon.AL.white@gmail.com) or Youth Unlimited Comox valley for more information.

I thank God for placing all of you in my life and the role that you have played in one way or another in God’s will for my life, and for your support in the next leg of my journey as I serve the young people of the Comox Valley.

Continually praying and God bless,


Shannon White
Email: shannon.AL.white@gmail.com
Phone Number: 250.266.1706

The Root of All Things

It is so unbelievably easy to be one person one day, and a different the next.

Today I got to talk to my friend about an issue that has been prevalent in my life, and has just begun to make an appearance in her life as well. As we were talking about this, we stumbled upon a thought that just may have been the answer we were both looking for - what if, while we were searching for the answer to this problem, we were only masking the root of the problem, like painting the walls to make it seem better, when it's the dry wall that's crumbling. Like picking the leaves off of a weed isntead of pulling on the root.
If there is one thing I have learned, it is that there is a root problem to every situation. To every dilemma there is one unmistakeable catalyst in the situation. Sometimes we see it clearly, other times, years have to pass before we see the purpose.

For example, one that has been recently showing up in my life lately, has been an inconsitancy in being faithful and committed to the regular life of a Christian. Some of you may be sitting there like "But Shannon. You just talked about how dangerous routine is in your last post."
Yes. Routine is dangerous, if it becomes more about the cycle than the action.

In my Christian walk, I don't want a dead faith. I don't want to sit in church pews to warm seats and drink the copious amounts of coffee they offer. I don't want to write blog posts about how awesome my walk with God is, when I know there are many flaws. I don't want a regular life of setting personal goals of achievements, like finishing college and getting married. I don't want a cycle.

I want a commitment to a living God.

I want my faith to be living. I want to go to church so that I can lift my arms to praise Jesus, without regarding the chains and weights hanging from wrists, (And maybe drink the coffee).
I want to share my walk with the world, so that they know that Jesus doesn't just work through perfect people, because his heart is for the imperfect individuals like myself, who He is working every day to change and renew for His purpose and His works. I want a not so regular life, of following whatever path Christ calls me to follow. If that calls me towards a university degree and a family, that is where I will go. If Christ calls me to the middle east, that is where I better go.

The routine I long to see in my life, is that of constant praises being sung, despite the current conditions of what I am going through.

The routine I long to see in my life, is that of people coming to the realization that Chris exists, just by interacting with me.

The routine I long to see in my life, is hours on end of studying, practicing, and praying about what the Bible has to say.

The routine I long to see in my life, is Jesus in my life. 

Because, without that - what is this faith I speak of? Where is the hope that I preach but don't prove?

I've been challenged to get to the root of why I am the way I am. Where are the hope and praises? Where is the peace?
 

By no means do I have the answer to any of these questions - but what I have noticed is that how much of these characteristics I have inside of me, depend on how much time I'm pouring into my relationship with God. I am nothing. He is everything. (James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows). The root of my problem is a human condition - and it is that of a lack of Christ, and an excess of myself.

Trying to be still (and failing)

Recently I got back from a five day kayak trip in the broken group islands, just off the coast of Ucluelet. Though the nights were cold and I am numerous shades more red than I was before, it wasn't just the beauty of the islands themselves that blew me away, as much as it was the ability that God has to use "time away" to change hearts.
The Broken Group Islands used to house over 8500 First Nations people, mainly part of the Tseshaht First Nations tribes. As we kayaked over 40 km in total, we visited different islands to see things like burial caves, sea caves, fish traps, carvings, and a very old hotel. This home of ours is gorgeous, and I'm so happy to be in it and part of it.
I left with a hesitant attitude. I really did not want to go.
Because I had plans. Exams are coming up, graduation is in 2 weeks, I'm taking college classes in the evenings, I had to take time off work - the last thing I could fit into my schedule was a five day vacation out in the middle of nowhere.
One morning I woke up, and dragged myself out of the tent to make breakfast. The water was still. The land was still. Quiet waves were just dragging themselves up the beach, and not even a whisper in the wind could be heard. And yet, among all these things, I was told that I was the one who needed to be still.

"He says "Be still and know that I am God; I will be honoured by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." - Psalm 46:10

We've heard it a million times - We get caught up into a schedule. Our friends, our family, school, bills, work, money, stress; that sometimes we forget to just be still and reflect on God. The worries, anxieties, and temptations take over our relationship with God. Our relationship with God becomes about us. I found myself asking God for things, than simply reflecting on Him and knowing that He will take care of me. Simply because.. He is God. He is honored. Nations from every part of the world bow down, and worship to the God that takes care of my heart. And unlike other religions, we don't bow down and worship Him to recieve His blessing. We bow down and worship, because we have already recieved His blessing - we are his children. And His love is so strong that regardless of circumstances, He has always, and will always take care of us. We were created to be loved, and to love God.

I remember reading Franic Chan's book "Crazy Love" and coming across the title of the first chapter. He said "Stop Praying". Stop Praying. It seems so wrong, that statement. But he brought an excellent challenge.

"What if I said, “Stop praying”? What if I told you to stop talking at God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God’s presence with words. That’s what fools do. And often, that’s what we do. We are a culture that relies on technology over community, a society in which spoken and written words are cheap, easy to come by, and excessive. Our culture says anything goes; fear of God is almost unheard of. We are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry. The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of Him. It may seem a hopeless endeavor, to gaze at the invisible God. But Romans 1:20 tells us that through creation, we see His “invisible qualities” and “divine nature.” Let’s begin this book by gazing at God in silence. What I want you to do right now is to go online and look at the “Awe Factor” (video at www.crazylovebook.com) to get a taste of the awe factor of our God. Seriously—go do it. Speechless? Amazed? Humbled? When I first saw those images, I had to worship. I didn’t want to speak to or share it with anyone. I just wanted to sit quietly and admire the Creator. It’s wild to think that most of these galaxies have been discovered only in the past few years, thanks to the Hubble telescope. They’ve been in the universe for thousands of years without humans even knowing about them. Why would God create more than 350,000,000,000 galaxies (and this is a conservative estimate) that generations of people never saw or even knew existed? Do you think maybe it was to make us say, “Wow, God is unfathomably big”? Or perhaps God wanted us to see these pictures so that our response would be, “Who do I think I am?” R. C. Sproul writes, “Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.”

I want to encourage you to take some time out soon to reflect on who God is.

Happy almost Summer!

Undesireable, but Pursued out of Desire.

My name is Shannon White.


And I confess to being undesireable.


I confess that I don't meet social norms of what "beautiful" should be, based on magazines and media.
I confess to almost failing chemistry and math (twice).
I confess to being a procrastinator.
I confess to skipping classes.
I confess to choosing my own well being over other people.
I confess to making a mess of my life.
I confess to the swearing.
I confess to drinking behind my parents back.
I confess to partying as a way of trying to forget my undesireable-ness. (is that a word?)
I confess to trying to fill the void with popularity, alcohol, and boyfriends.
I confess that I've lied, cheated, gossiped, and judged, even those I claimed to love the most.
I confess to being a poor represntation of what a Christian should act and be like.
I confess to deliberately ignoring God and his plans for my life.
I confess to straight out lying about my faith and what I believe.

Every whiplash that Jesus recieved, for each nail that hung Jesus on the cross - I held the whip. I held the hammer, and it was me that stood on that day mocking the one that took my consequence.


I confess to being undesireable.


And I confess these faults in me, to show you, to prove to you, I am undesireable.

Why?

Because I confess to belonging to a God that desires the undesireable. Because forgiveness. Because God. Because despite what I've done, and who I was (and am), my wretched, black, and undesireable heart is desired by God. Because it is His, and He longs to heal it, and restore the unfixeable to it's original purpose.

No matter how many times I've tried to run from the light that is shed on my darkness.
No matter how many times I've avoided submission to him.
No matter how many times I've tried to walk away from this perfect, Holy, God of mine, that deserves much more than what I can ever offer Him.

He came after me. Because

He.
Desired.
Me.

Through everything I've done.

Because Jesus didn't come to earth to tell us we were doing a great job, no, Christ came to earth to love the worst, think about that. Because Christ came to love the drunkards, Christ came to love the murderers, the rapists, Christ came to love Isis militants and terrorists, Christ came to love the girls that post revealing photos, the girls that we love as our topic of discussion in our "purity talks" at church, of whom, I am the foremost. The words ring in my head two years ago, when I was talking about one of those girls, I said "I will never be like her", but God has shown me through my faults, that we are the same. And so are you. I don't say that out of condemnation, I say that out of encouragement, that as Christians, it is our duty to love and embrace, not to turn our face, and judge.

Romans 9:25 -  "Those who were not my people, I will call "my people". And she who was not beloved I will call "Beloved". And in the very place where it was said to them "You are not My people", they will be called Sons of the Living God.""

If you are in the same place I was, or worse, I want you to know, that He desires the undesireable with a passion for restoring you. That He desires you too. 

If you are in the same place I was, I want to tell you that your sin of the past, do not define your future with God. Our sins are wiped clean - our sins are no greater than the next. Whether we're the pope in an Argentine church, or prostitute on the street corner, a sin is a sin, no matter how small. And a heart is a heart, all desired by Him.

If you are in the same place I was, please know that there is always hope, there is always freedom, and there is always a place for you in His arms.

If you are in the same place I was, I want you to know that there is a way you can fill the void of your heart, the missing piece, and you don't need to wake up hungover to get it.

He has called us His People, despite what we have done.
He has called us His Beloved, even when we are unloveable.
He has called us His Sons, when we have been made orphan by our actions.

He desires the undesireable. 


Song Reccomendation:

Overwhelmed - Big Daddy Weave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6oxXwRWFTo

Masterpieces

Is it bad that I'm sorely disappointed I can't have emoji's in my Blog Titles? Sometimes I think I like them too much.

This first post is going to be really short (I'm writing this in one of my spare classes..), so I apologize.

The past few days I've been studying a book by Alyssa Bethke and Robin Jones Gunn, called Spoken For. In this book, both Bethke and and Gunn relate our need as females to be wanted, needed, and loved, to our place in God's kingdom.
One of the verses they recommended in the book was Ephesians 2:10, which says "For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

How encouraging and awesome is it that we have our paths set before us? And not only are they good plans, they are GOD'S plans! I'm not necessarily talking about fate, and destiny, and whatever else comes along with that - frankly, I'm not sure I believe in destiny and fate. We make choices that in the end, will shape us into the person we are. But God has our spiritual journey set before us; the lessons we will learn, our faith that will mature as time progresses, and in the end, a Christlike heart seeking after God. At my cousins wedding, I heard the Pastor use the analogy of two rocks being rubbed together. Although the hitting, banging, and rubbing of the rocks will in the short term seem blunt, loud, and difficult, we have this conclusion of a smooth end product. Similarly is our spiritual walk with The Lord. We make certain choices that hurt, that are hard, blunt, and painful to both ourselves and those around us. But it's through those harsh interactions, that Christ uses our circumstances to bring us to the lessons and values we learn, that give us an end product of a mature and wiser faith in God. Because, Christ set those lessons ahead of us to learn, and his will be done, whatever the circumstances we end up learning them in. We are created to be good. We are created, to love God, and be loved  by him, to learn lessons, to read his word, and to walk the journeys that we have set before ourselves - For this reason, we may have faith. Faith, that no matter what we are going through right now, will ultimately work our for his purpose, which is the greater good of his kingdom.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

Peace be with you all,

Shannon


Song Reccomendation:

Anastais - Hillsong United

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stj971X4df8