Summertime greetings from Shanon’s House of Compassion,
Summertime at Shanon’s House has been very busy. We took a few
days of vacation and came back rested and ready for the full house
that God supplied very rapidly! This month we’ve had guests from,
Texas,Tennessee, Ohio, Florida and Muscle Shoals, Cullman, Grove Oak,
Elkmont and Rainsville, AL.
We have had many opportunities to listen, encourage, and pray
with our guests. Included among the many blessings for us in
this ministry are the lessons and encouragement we receive
from our guests. Here are a few lessons we’ve learned this month.
One guest we became close to was leaving and taking her husband
to spend his last few days at home. We were saying our goodbyes
and I told her what a beautiful example she was to me in the way
she cared so lovingly for her husband. Her reply with tears in
her eyes was “I love my Lord and I love my husband.” All week I
thought about those words. When we love the Lord with all our
heart, loving others will come naturally.
One guest was talking to another guest and they found out that
they had several friends in common. We made the statement “It
really is a small world.” Then our guest whose wife is terminally
ill with cancer said, “Just like all our problems are small to God.”
I thought how true, there’s nothing too big for our God.
Many of our guests have newborns that are born prematurely. Many
are unable to hold their baby until they reach a certain weight.
One mother was describing to us how wonderful it felt the first time
she was able to hold her newborn baby. Then she said, “This must be
how God feels when He holds us.” What a beautiful picture of the love
God has for each of us.
Toward the end of the month we had a guest from Ohio. She was
adopting a baby with Down Syndrome. We were talking with her and
asked her how she decided to take on this challenge. She said,
“I was praying for God to take away my selfish heart. Then one day
I heard Gene Stallings talk about what a blessing his son had been
to him. I believe I’m just doing what God wants me to do.”
This was a powerful lesson to us about stepping out in faith.
One of our guests wrote in a note this month, “We will forever be
grateful and hope to be able to pay it forward when we see other families struggling.” This made us aware of what a wonderful world this would be
if we all “paid it forward”.
The last two months we have had a full house. We believe the word is
out about Shanon’s House. One guest came for a return visit,
it was after the Marriage Matters seminar. He told us “I tell
everyone about Shanon’s house and every time I saw your church on T.V.
(advertising the seminar) I thought about Shanon’s House”. Another
guest from out of state sent updates on her baby that went out to about
40 people,she wrote “The Lord has provided a wonderful place that I got to
stay at while I was there called the Shanon’s House of Compassion. It is
a ministry of a local church named in honor of a very special young
man who passed away from cancer. The church provides hospitality and
lodging for people needing it and they don’t charge anything.
That is a HUGE blessing!”
As I looked back over my journal for the month, I realized when our
reservoir was running low, God sent encouragement through many of our
church family and also in the guests we had. Once again we were reminded
that God is faithful and God is so good.
We often say that everyday here is a new adventure. We meet so many
interesting people from so many different backgrounds. We feel blessed
to be able to work with our fellow brothers and sisters as we strive to
be that sweet aroma of Christ to the world. We know this work would not
be possible without all of your support and prayers. Johnny and I are
grateful to each and every one of you and most of all to our Lord and Savior.
In Him who gives us hope,
Christy and Johnny
Hello from Shanon's House of Compassion,
This month we have had guests from Muscle Shoals, Florence, Decatur, Al and Winchester, TN. This is the first month that we have had guests every day of the month. We have had guests who have left with newborns and guests who have had to make life and death decisions.
We have had a few calls inquiring about staying at Shanon's House. One call came last week. The couple was from Florida and their child was having surgery. They had already secured a place to stay but wanted to see Shanon's House in case they had to stay longer. This couple was orginally from a far eastern country. Their accent was difficult to understand. When they arrived I showed them around and then told them the story of Shanon Dickerson and I told them this was a ministry of the Mayfair Church of Christ. The mother said, “this feels like home.” Then when they were leaving she said “when you see Shanon's mother and father please tell them thank you and tell your church thank you also, this is a wonderful ministry.” The ministry of Shanon's House is reaching out to so many people, including those from different countries.
We enjoy meeting so many different people. The young couples energize us, the older guests tell us of life experiences, and the guests our age have things in common with us. Some of our guests have become good friends that we will keep in touch with through the years.
One of our guests learned about Shanon's House through a member at Mayfair. After showing her around she showed me a card that she had received from the Lifesavers Class at Mayfair. She said “We have been receiving a card a week from this Sunday school class. I see Shanon's parents name on here and also your name. God does work in mysterious ways.” This card helped her know that many people were praying for her.
We receive so many kind thank you notes. This note came to us from a mother and daughter. The husband and dad was terminally ill. They wrote “You were a bright light in our dark hours. Mom and I both consider Shanon's House as one of God's blessings for us during this sad and emotional time. We found not only a refuge but good friends we can keep close to our hearts for years to come. Shanon's House became a home to us, and one we looked forward to returning to each night.”
Shanon's House continues to be a home away from home. One young couple who stayed for several weeks would come in at night and say “we're home now.” We would laugh and tell them we like it when the children come home. This same couple came in one night and said “we used to say home is where our heart is, now we say, home is where our car is.” This made us smile.
We've been at Shanon's House for six months now. The time has gone by so quickly. The experience has been every thing we thought it would be and more. We have had a total of 55 guests. They have been from as far away as Illinois and as close as Decatur. Through this ministry we've seen God's faithfulness. The Lord has provided those of you who come along side us to help and encourage us. God has provided guests we can show the compassion that Jesus tells about in His word. God has also provided the strength and wisdom for each day and each different circumstance. To all of you, and most of all our Lord and Savior we are so grateful.
In Him,
Christy and Johnny
This month we have had guests from Muscle Shoals, Florence, Decatur, Al and Winchester, TN. This is the first month that we have had guests every day of the month. We have had guests who have left with newborns and guests who have had to make life and death decisions.
We have had a few calls inquiring about staying at Shanon's House. One call came last week. The couple was from Florida and their child was having surgery. They had already secured a place to stay but wanted to see Shanon's House in case they had to stay longer. This couple was orginally from a far eastern country. Their accent was difficult to understand. When they arrived I showed them around and then told them the story of Shanon Dickerson and I told them this was a ministry of the Mayfair Church of Christ. The mother said, “this feels like home.” Then when they were leaving she said “when you see Shanon's mother and father please tell them thank you and tell your church thank you also, this is a wonderful ministry.” The ministry of Shanon's House is reaching out to so many people, including those from different countries.
We enjoy meeting so many different people. The young couples energize us, the older guests tell us of life experiences, and the guests our age have things in common with us. Some of our guests have become good friends that we will keep in touch with through the years.
One of our guests learned about Shanon's House through a member at Mayfair. After showing her around she showed me a card that she had received from the Lifesavers Class at Mayfair. She said “We have been receiving a card a week from this Sunday school class. I see Shanon's parents name on here and also your name. God does work in mysterious ways.” This card helped her know that many people were praying for her.
We receive so many kind thank you notes. This note came to us from a mother and daughter. The husband and dad was terminally ill. They wrote “You were a bright light in our dark hours. Mom and I both consider Shanon's House as one of God's blessings for us during this sad and emotional time. We found not only a refuge but good friends we can keep close to our hearts for years to come. Shanon's House became a home to us, and one we looked forward to returning to each night.”
Shanon's House continues to be a home away from home. One young couple who stayed for several weeks would come in at night and say “we're home now.” We would laugh and tell them we like it when the children come home. This same couple came in one night and said “we used to say home is where our heart is, now we say, home is where our car is.” This made us smile.
We've been at Shanon's House for six months now. The time has gone by so quickly. The experience has been every thing we thought it would be and more. We have had a total of 55 guests. They have been from as far away as Illinois and as close as Decatur. Through this ministry we've seen God's faithfulness. The Lord has provided those of you who come along side us to help and encourage us. God has provided guests we can show the compassion that Jesus tells about in His word. God has also provided the strength and wisdom for each day and each different circumstance. To all of you, and most of all our Lord and Savior we are so grateful.
In Him,
Christy and Johnny
May
Hello from Shanon's House of Compassion,
May has been a very busy month here at Shanon's House. We've had guests from, Tn, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Russellville, Decatur and Florence, Al.
Some of our guests have had newborns in the NICU and we also have had several guests with loved ones in the main hospital. We had one guest whose wife is terminally ill. It's hard to know what to say to help in cases like these. Most of what we do is listen. This guest was so appreciative of a place to stay. Most of the day he spent with his wife and we would only see him when he came in at night. We would try to stay up and visit with him each night. He brought his mom and dad over to show them the house. He commented to us that he prays that his wife will get well but if God decides to take her, he would want to do a house like Shanon's house in her memory. Please keep this family in your prayers.
One of the sweet memories we had this month was with a Aunt and Uncle of the family whose daughter was injured in the wreck coming back from Florida on their way home to Kentucky. We had many friends and family stay with us and this Aunt and Uncle were some of our favorites. We enjoyed sitting down with them and having breakfast one Saturday. It was like we had been friends for a long time. They sent a very kind thank you note. Johnny and I often comment that we really receive more than we give. The people we meet, that we would never meet otherwise, really enrich our lives.
People ask us what is the hardest part of this work. One of the hardest things is saying good-bye. When we have shared a small part of peoples lives in praying with them, visiting and sharing meals with them, it's hard to say good bye. One guest, an older gentleman, brought back memories of my Dad. He had a quick wit about him and I found myself remembering how much I miss my Dad. When we said good bye all of us had tears in our eyes. He called a few weeks ago to tell us how he was doing and promised to come back to see us soon. We enjoyed one young couple so much we asked them if we could adopt them. It will be hard to say good bye to them also.
One week we didn't have any guests, so we invited some friends over for supper. That evening we got a call from NICU about a couple with a newborn baby boy. The baby was born at 27 weeks and weighed about 2 pounds. The couple arrived just as we were about to eat so we invited them to join us. The couple we had invited brought their 5 year old with them. She had been born at 27 weeks and weighed less than 2 pounds. The couple with the newborn could see this healthy 5 year old and it gave them hope. We thanked God for sending encouragement to this young couple in the form of a active 5 year old. God is good!
The hospital security provides rides back and forth to Shanon's House. This is a great help for our guests. To say thank you we had a cook out for them. We had about 30 come over eat hamburgers with us. Several wanted to see the house. They also wanted to learn how it came about. Some thought that it was owned by the hospital, so this gave us the chance to share with them how Shanon's House came to be and how this is a ministry of the Mayfair church of Christ.
We have received several pictures of the newborn babies whose parents have stayed at Shanon's House. I keep them on the refrigerator. One of the pictures is of the first family who stayed with us. They had triplets. The triplets have all gone home now and are doing good. Many times parents will make a stop by Shanon's house on their way home to show us their baby. One couple stopped by and said "we will never forget how you helped us."
We are amazed every day how God is working in this ministry. God is so good to send us people and also to give us a few days rest between guests. Next month it will be six months here at Shanon's House. Sometimes Johnny and I think back on how God has worked and all the prayers that have been answered and are continually being answered. We thank Him for all the good people He has put in our lives through Shanon's House. Thank you for your prayers and your help in this work. Thank you also for the encouragement that so many of you give us. Please come by and see us. Remember, when the door is open there's a pot of coffee on.
In Him,
Johnny and Christy
May has been a very busy month here at Shanon's House. We've had guests from, Tn, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Russellville, Decatur and Florence, Al.
Some of our guests have had newborns in the NICU and we also have had several guests with loved ones in the main hospital. We had one guest whose wife is terminally ill. It's hard to know what to say to help in cases like these. Most of what we do is listen. This guest was so appreciative of a place to stay. Most of the day he spent with his wife and we would only see him when he came in at night. We would try to stay up and visit with him each night. He brought his mom and dad over to show them the house. He commented to us that he prays that his wife will get well but if God decides to take her, he would want to do a house like Shanon's house in her memory. Please keep this family in your prayers.
One of the sweet memories we had this month was with a Aunt and Uncle of the family whose daughter was injured in the wreck coming back from Florida on their way home to Kentucky. We had many friends and family stay with us and this Aunt and Uncle were some of our favorites. We enjoyed sitting down with them and having breakfast one Saturday. It was like we had been friends for a long time. They sent a very kind thank you note. Johnny and I often comment that we really receive more than we give. The people we meet, that we would never meet otherwise, really enrich our lives.
People ask us what is the hardest part of this work. One of the hardest things is saying good-bye. When we have shared a small part of peoples lives in praying with them, visiting and sharing meals with them, it's hard to say good bye. One guest, an older gentleman, brought back memories of my Dad. He had a quick wit about him and I found myself remembering how much I miss my Dad. When we said good bye all of us had tears in our eyes. He called a few weeks ago to tell us how he was doing and promised to come back to see us soon. We enjoyed one young couple so much we asked them if we could adopt them. It will be hard to say good bye to them also.
One week we didn't have any guests, so we invited some friends over for supper. That evening we got a call from NICU about a couple with a newborn baby boy. The baby was born at 27 weeks and weighed about 2 pounds. The couple arrived just as we were about to eat so we invited them to join us. The couple we had invited brought their 5 year old with them. She had been born at 27 weeks and weighed less than 2 pounds. The couple with the newborn could see this healthy 5 year old and it gave them hope. We thanked God for sending encouragement to this young couple in the form of a active 5 year old. God is good!
The hospital security provides rides back and forth to Shanon's House. This is a great help for our guests. To say thank you we had a cook out for them. We had about 30 come over eat hamburgers with us. Several wanted to see the house. They also wanted to learn how it came about. Some thought that it was owned by the hospital, so this gave us the chance to share with them how Shanon's House came to be and how this is a ministry of the Mayfair church of Christ.
We have received several pictures of the newborn babies whose parents have stayed at Shanon's House. I keep them on the refrigerator. One of the pictures is of the first family who stayed with us. They had triplets. The triplets have all gone home now and are doing good. Many times parents will make a stop by Shanon's house on their way home to show us their baby. One couple stopped by and said "we will never forget how you helped us."
We are amazed every day how God is working in this ministry. God is so good to send us people and also to give us a few days rest between guests. Next month it will be six months here at Shanon's House. Sometimes Johnny and I think back on how God has worked and all the prayers that have been answered and are continually being answered. We thank Him for all the good people He has put in our lives through Shanon's House. Thank you for your prayers and your help in this work. Thank you also for the encouragement that so many of you give us. Please come by and see us. Remember, when the door is open there's a pot of coffee on.
In Him,
Johnny and Christy
Hello from Shanon's House,
It’s been a very busy month at Shanon’s House. We had a slow start to the month but after a few days of rest we’ve had a full house for most of the month of April. We had guests from Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, Mt. Hope & Athens Alabama. We have met a wide variety of guests that included a pediatrician, a Vanderbilt basketball player, nurses, football coach and a Harvard first year medical student. Every guest comes with a story and every one touches our hearts.
In the middle of April a tragic accident involving a group of teenagers heading back to Kentucky brought family and friends to the city of Huntsville. The parents of two of the girls found themselves in an unfamiliar city with their hearts breaking. Cindi Bradley told them about Shanon’s house. Johnny and I were out of town so Jeff and Juanita Stewart graciously volunteered to come over and two of the brothers came over and stayed. They left a note written in Crayon saying “thank you for the hospitality, everyone has been so nice.” We have had many friends of these families and relatives stay with us this month. Many of you have reached out to these families. One of the aunts came in one night upset after a really hard day. She told us how some of you stayed with them that day and she didn’t know how they would have made it without you.
The ICU waiting room is filled with hurting people. One of these had a visit from one of our ministers at Mayfair. This guest (Jason) was a member of the Lord’s Church. He was a very personable man. His father was in critical condition. One night he came in and told us the story of a man he had met as he was coming down on the elevator. Jason asked the man how his loved one was doing. The man replied “not good.” Jason told him he would pray for this man’s family. The man replied, “ I don’t believe in prayer.” Jason responded, “My dad would have passed away ten days ago if it hadn’t been for all those praying for him.” The man replied “I don’t go to church, so I can’t pray.” Jason told him “You don’t have to go to church to pray. You do need to read your Bible and learn what God wants you to do, but you can pray now and God will help you.” Then Jason handed him a card with Mayfair’s name and phone number and said, “If you want to know more about God and how to pray, call these people and they will help you.” As the elevator came to the floor and the doors opened, the man turned to Jason and asked “will you keep my family in your prayers?” When Jason told us this story we had tears in our eyes. We were reminded that God is working not only with Shanon’s house but even with our guests who are members of the Lord’s church in other areas. The ministry at Shanon’s House is an opportunity to show the world what Christianity is really like.
So many of you continue to come along side us and help. One day a guest was walking over to the hospital. The lawn company was here working and one of the Latino workers who is a member at Mayfair stopped the man and asked him the name of his loved one. He told him that every morning before they start to work they pray and they would pray for his loved one. This incident made such an impact on our guest. His comment to us was “Everyone in your church is so nice.” This made us smile. What a great blessing to work with a congregation where people are striving to follow the example of Jesus in everyday ordinary circumstances.
Please continue to keep the family from Kentucky in your prayers. They are really touched by all the acts of kindness that have been shown to them. Johnny and I are reminded on a daily basis that it takes all of us working together and we appreciate so much all of your prayers, encouragement and help. Thank you to everyone who helps make Shanon’s House, as one guest wrote, “a place to rest and gather our thoughts“.
In Him,
Johnny and Christy
It’s been a very busy month at Shanon’s House. We had a slow start to the month but after a few days of rest we’ve had a full house for most of the month of April. We had guests from Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia, Mt. Hope & Athens Alabama. We have met a wide variety of guests that included a pediatrician, a Vanderbilt basketball player, nurses, football coach and a Harvard first year medical student. Every guest comes with a story and every one touches our hearts.
In the middle of April a tragic accident involving a group of teenagers heading back to Kentucky brought family and friends to the city of Huntsville. The parents of two of the girls found themselves in an unfamiliar city with their hearts breaking. Cindi Bradley told them about Shanon’s house. Johnny and I were out of town so Jeff and Juanita Stewart graciously volunteered to come over and two of the brothers came over and stayed. They left a note written in Crayon saying “thank you for the hospitality, everyone has been so nice.” We have had many friends of these families and relatives stay with us this month. Many of you have reached out to these families. One of the aunts came in one night upset after a really hard day. She told us how some of you stayed with them that day and she didn’t know how they would have made it without you.
The ICU waiting room is filled with hurting people. One of these had a visit from one of our ministers at Mayfair. This guest (Jason) was a member of the Lord’s Church. He was a very personable man. His father was in critical condition. One night he came in and told us the story of a man he had met as he was coming down on the elevator. Jason asked the man how his loved one was doing. The man replied “not good.” Jason told him he would pray for this man’s family. The man replied, “ I don’t believe in prayer.” Jason responded, “My dad would have passed away ten days ago if it hadn’t been for all those praying for him.” The man replied “I don’t go to church, so I can’t pray.” Jason told him “You don’t have to go to church to pray. You do need to read your Bible and learn what God wants you to do, but you can pray now and God will help you.” Then Jason handed him a card with Mayfair’s name and phone number and said, “If you want to know more about God and how to pray, call these people and they will help you.” As the elevator came to the floor and the doors opened, the man turned to Jason and asked “will you keep my family in your prayers?” When Jason told us this story we had tears in our eyes. We were reminded that God is working not only with Shanon’s house but even with our guests who are members of the Lord’s church in other areas. The ministry at Shanon’s House is an opportunity to show the world what Christianity is really like.
So many of you continue to come along side us and help. One day a guest was walking over to the hospital. The lawn company was here working and one of the Latino workers who is a member at Mayfair stopped the man and asked him the name of his loved one. He told him that every morning before they start to work they pray and they would pray for his loved one. This incident made such an impact on our guest. His comment to us was “Everyone in your church is so nice.” This made us smile. What a great blessing to work with a congregation where people are striving to follow the example of Jesus in everyday ordinary circumstances.
Please continue to keep the family from Kentucky in your prayers. They are really touched by all the acts of kindness that have been shown to them. Johnny and I are reminded on a daily basis that it takes all of us working together and we appreciate so much all of your prayers, encouragement and help. Thank you to everyone who helps make Shanon’s House, as one guest wrote, “a place to rest and gather our thoughts“.
In Him,
Johnny and Christy
Greetings from Shanon’s House,
This month we have had 14 guests from Madison, Rogersville, Boaz, Ft. Payne, Albertville, Al., North Carolina and Illinois.
When one of our guests arrived at the house she walked in, looked around and said “thank you Jesus, this is such a blessing.” This mother had just been discharged from the hospital and had planned to sleep at the hospital because she didn’t want to leave her baby. This young mother had been through a difficult delivery where her life was in jeopardy and also the life of her baby. She was tired and very emotional. We sat and talked one afternoon and she made the comment that she could tell Mayfair was a very outreaching church. She was so grateful for everything. She commented that Shanon’s house felt like a home away from home. While talking to her she said “I wish I had a good book to read.” We told her about the books that had been donated for guests to read and take with them if they wanted. She said “Your church has thought of everything. God provided even before I knew I needed it.”
During the guests’ stay we try to have dinner with them at least once. This is a time where we really get to know them. Guests will tell us about their lives and struggles. The guests with newborns are all about the age of our children so we can tell them about how God has worked in our lives and brought us through some of the same issues they are dealing with. There have been several times when the guests will come in at night upset and Johnny will ask if they would like to pray before going to bed. They always have said yes. This is such a special time for them and us.
This month we had our first guest who was from out of state. An older couple was traveling from Florida back home to Illinois when they had a wreck. The lady was injured and her friend found himself in a strange town with no family. Cindy Bradley told him about Shanon’s House. This guest has been such a pleasure.
When we pray each day we ask God to send us guests, so each guest that comes to stay here is an answered prayer. We are learning that even though they may look different and come from different back grounds, everyone is touched when kindness is shown to them. We heard a statement once that said “the ministry of Jesus was the person standing in front of Him.” We try to remember this for every guest we have. There have been challenges with this ministry, but with every challenge is a chance to grow and learn. We see God molding us and helping us look at every person as a child that our heavenly Fathers loves.
Johnny and I have come to realize that this ministry is a picture of the parable of the sower. The Mayfair family is helping to preparing the soil for others to come along and plant and water. The words of one of our guests best describes how we feel about the work at Shanon’s house, Thank you Jesus, this is such a blessing!
In Him,
Johnny & Christy
This month we have had 14 guests from Madison, Rogersville, Boaz, Ft. Payne, Albertville, Al., North Carolina and Illinois.
When one of our guests arrived at the house she walked in, looked around and said “thank you Jesus, this is such a blessing.” This mother had just been discharged from the hospital and had planned to sleep at the hospital because she didn’t want to leave her baby. This young mother had been through a difficult delivery where her life was in jeopardy and also the life of her baby. She was tired and very emotional. We sat and talked one afternoon and she made the comment that she could tell Mayfair was a very outreaching church. She was so grateful for everything. She commented that Shanon’s house felt like a home away from home. While talking to her she said “I wish I had a good book to read.” We told her about the books that had been donated for guests to read and take with them if they wanted. She said “Your church has thought of everything. God provided even before I knew I needed it.”
During the guests’ stay we try to have dinner with them at least once. This is a time where we really get to know them. Guests will tell us about their lives and struggles. The guests with newborns are all about the age of our children so we can tell them about how God has worked in our lives and brought us through some of the same issues they are dealing with. There have been several times when the guests will come in at night upset and Johnny will ask if they would like to pray before going to bed. They always have said yes. This is such a special time for them and us.
This month we had our first guest who was from out of state. An older couple was traveling from Florida back home to Illinois when they had a wreck. The lady was injured and her friend found himself in a strange town with no family. Cindy Bradley told him about Shanon’s House. This guest has been such a pleasure.
When we pray each day we ask God to send us guests, so each guest that comes to stay here is an answered prayer. We are learning that even though they may look different and come from different back grounds, everyone is touched when kindness is shown to them. We heard a statement once that said “the ministry of Jesus was the person standing in front of Him.” We try to remember this for every guest we have. There have been challenges with this ministry, but with every challenge is a chance to grow and learn. We see God molding us and helping us look at every person as a child that our heavenly Fathers loves.
Johnny and I have come to realize that this ministry is a picture of the parable of the sower. The Mayfair family is helping to preparing the soil for others to come along and plant and water. The words of one of our guests best describes how we feel about the work at Shanon’s house, Thank you Jesus, this is such a blessing!
In Him,
Johnny & Christy
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