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.

I’ve heard it said in regards to stepping out into things you don’t understand that “It’s ok to do it scared”. I love that! There will be a bit of fear when you re stepping into the unknown, but the beauty is, when we keep our eyes on Jesus, He is able to squelch that fear and replace it with faith. Enter to win the Month of Giving! There’s 3 easy steps. 1. Leave me a review here on the Refresh Podcast sharing why you love the podcast and make sure to include your Instagram handle for me. 2. Go to Instagram and follow me @shquintana 3. Follow @BeesideCottage, then you will be entered into a drawing to win your very own delicious and wholesome treat! Drawing accepted until January 2, 2020 at 11:59pm. Winner will be announced January 3, 2020 on Instagram and contacted directly. I hope you win and Happy New Year!

God may call us at times to take a break from our ministry responsibilities, in order to rest, but He will never call us to take a break from our walk with Him. Refresh Month of Giving, rules: There’s 3 easy steps: 1) Leave me a review here on the Refresh Podcast sharing why you love the podcast and make sure to include your Instagram handle for me. 2) Then, Go to Instagram and follow me 3) Go follow @AboutFaceByRita, then you will be entered into a drawing to win a one hour signature facial. You have until December 26th at 11:59pm to enter, and I will draw and announce the winner on December 27th!

God has called us to her light bearers, He has given us the story of Jesus, coming to earth as a baby, dying on a cross, rising again, and in doing so giving us a life that matters! Not to mention, the promise of Heaven when our time on earth here is done, what a gift to be shared with anyone you come in contact with! Month of Giving Drawing Here’s how you enter to win: 1. Leave me a review here on the Refresh Podcast sharing why you love the podcast and make sure to include your Instagram handle for me. 2. Then, Go to Instagram and follow me @shquintana 3. Follow Kindly Crafted too, @kindlycrafted_ then you will be entered into a drawing to win your very own pair of beautiful handfmade earrings! ** Entries accepted until Dec 19th at 11:59pm, Winner will be drawn and announced on Dec 20th on Instagram, as well as directly contacted to arrange delivery of the gift!

Sometimes we feel like we need to dress the Gospel of Jesus up in fancy events, killer worship sets, and twinkly lights, but guess what…the Truth is attractive all by itself. Jesus only brought one things to the party…THE TRUTH. Month of Giving Drawing directions! 1.Leave a review of the Refresh podcast (please leave your Instagram handle for me) 2.Follow my Instagram @shquintana 3.Follow The Cheeky Doormat @thecheekydoormat * Drawing entries accepted until December 12th at 11:59pm, winner will be announced December 13th on Instagram, as well as contacted directly to arrange delivery of the gift!

As Christians, how should we respond when we think we were right, and they were for sure wrong? Month of Giving Drawing directions! 1. Leave a review of the Refresh podcast (please leave your Instagram handle for me). 2. Follow my Instagram @shquintana 3. Follow Faith & Family Collective @faithandfamilycollective * Drawing entries accepted until December 5th at 11:59pm, winner will be announced December 6th on Instagram, as well as contacted directly to arrange delivery of the gift, good luck!

I'm sure I have some sort of ADD although I've never been diagnosed. Reading the Bible has always been a challenge for me, and today I am sharing with you the ways I keep my routine going, even in a world of distractions.

If you are a Christian, you want to prioritize your time in God's Word. But, sometimes life gets busy and you can't seem to drag yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn...but maybe that's not your best time.

People’s opinions are a lot like gossip magazines. They can’t always be trusted! When I go to the grocery store and see the cover of The Enquirer, I always roll my eyes at the silly claims they are making about celebrities. And maybe that’s what we need to do sometimes with people’s opinions.

We are meant to produce fruit, which means our life is meant to show that we follow Jesus. If your co-workers, spouse, kids, gym partner, or anyone in your circle doesn’t know that you follow Jesus, then you may not be producing fruit.

I went through a time of fear as a teenager, and the only thing that calmed may fear was God's Word.

Joshua Harris wrote a famous Christian book called "I Kissed dating goodbye", but this year has been quoted as saying “By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian.” What are we supposed to do about Christian dating now?? Don't Panic, ask God for wisdom!

A recent visit to the doctor, and the almost 2 hour wait time got me thinking about how impatient we can be with God's timing. We trust God will answer our prayers, but what does He want us to do in the meantime?

OK, I didn't drop my actual baby, but I did drop my guitar and that's kind of close. What came after this great drop was damage, that became worse over time. How does this relate to us in our lives? What happens if we don't fix the damage that has been caused?

Have you ever lost a friend without knowing why? Did you torment yourself wondering what you had done to end it? What if it wasn't you at all?

Sometimes when we are going through the battles of life, we are so terrified that we freeze up and don't know what to do. In the Bible,the battle plan was always different. If all we had to do was memorize a method, we wouldn't need faith!

The Bible says to take a look at the plank in our own eye, before you point out the speck in someone else's eye. What does that really mean though?

The beast is what I lovingly call a cute little succulent that took over my garden. This beast of a cactus reminded of the way that our bad choices can multiply and soon become too much for us to handle. I wonder if there's anything growing in your life that needs to be uprooted?

How can we learn about the Lord's plans for our lives through my addiction to Mac N Cheese? God cares about our entire selves, mind, body and soul, and I want to explore with you how we can retrain our minds by using the self control God gives us!

If you had a doctor who prescribed you Aka Seltzer for stomach cancer you'd be like "whaaat?" It's interesting how we attack the symptoms of our heart issues rather than the root.

We hear this phrase all the time "You are enough", but is it really true? Do we have all it takes to make it through life? Are we strong enough to endure? Or is there something we are missing?

The final installment in a series of messages called Empowered. This is Part 2 of Get Over it!

The 3rd message in the Empowered series. This week we talk about how God helps us Get Over It by strengthening us!

The 2nd part of the Empowered series where we explore how we can be empowered by God's promises

In this episode 1 of the Empowered series we will explore who God is and why we can trust Him!

I have 2 speeds: full steam and no steam. Sometimes you need a friend to help you slow down and take notice of all the beauty you're missing. Today I will introduce you to my new friend Sher Pai and Flying Arrow Ministries! https://www.flyingarrowministries.com

We are a lot more like the complaining Israelites in the Bible than we would like to admit! They complained about onions, and some of the things we complain about are just as silly. What is holding you back from simply looking at God and wanting His purpose for your life?

Today I tell you a story about a man named Harold that reminded me what the true meaning of a servant is.

What sorts of incredible things is God just waiting to excavate in your life? Recorded in Israel, I chat on this episode about how sometimes the things God wants to reveal are underneath a whole bunch of "schmutz" that is just waiting to be excavated!

Sometimes life is like a puzzle with pieces that don't seem to fit. What do you do when you can't figure out how it will all make sense?

God wants to meet with us daily, but sometimes we can't seem to find the strength to focus for an hour long quiet time. Is God OK with that? What does daily devotional time look like on a day to day basis?

What is a woman's role in church leadership? Today's episode is adapted from a message given at the Calvary Chapel Youth Workers Conference.

Have you ever heard someone say "God's Got My Back" before they head off to do something that God wouldn't really approve of and wonder if He really does have their back? Today we are going to explore when God does, and when He doesn't have your back.

You can't worry about the past, or the future, the only thing you have any responsibility in is today, because it's the only thing you can change! Philippians 4:6 says do not worry about anything. On this episode, we explore how you can change your future by focusing on today.

Have you ever been completely overwhelmed with all of your to do's? Maybe it's time to make a list and start taking some things off your plate.

We need to be prepared for any battle we may face. As a Christian, our weapons look different than the commonly used "weapons".

Expectations can lead to disappointment when we expect the right things from the wrong people. But, what about God, when we depend on Him will He meet our expectations?

In order for us to be completely restored, we have to get rid of all the bits that were left behind from the person we used to be. In order to do that, we need God's help!

The story of Sergeant Sylvester Antolak is a story of courage and bravery in the face of eminent danger. This inspiring story is the subject of our talk today where we explore ways God calls us to be courageous and take a stand.

How are you doing at celebrating others? It can be hard watching others succeed, but the way we react says a lot about our confidence in our calling and our identity in Christ!

Today I talk about my recent trip to Haiti to be part of a medical team, and how I learned that miracles don't always get to be on my terms.

As a little girl, I was always in the nurse's office with tummy aches. In reality, it wasn't my tummy, my heart just wanted to see my Daddy. Today I share a story of how my Dad's example of making time for me mirrored the way our HEavenly Father is always available for us!