Several Years in One of the Deadliest Prisons in Georgia, But When God Showed Up and Shannon Surrendered, EVERYTHING CHANGED--The Miraculous Conclusion of Shannon Cook's Story.

Shannon shares in great detail about the demonic oppression she faced before she finally surrendered to the Lord and He brought her out of the darkness, but she still had to face the consequence of several years in one of the deadliest prisons in the state of Georgia.  Shannon's story in this episode is intense, but through it all God's grace is on display.  This is definitely an episode you will not want to miss!

Transcript

Phil Shuler: 0:00

HellO, and welcome to Renew, Restore, Rejoice, the Safe House Ministries podcast, where we share stories of the power of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. Safe House Ministries is based out of Columbus, Georgia, and we are a ministry that exists to love and serve people who have been affected by addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. I'm your host, Phil Shuler, the Director of Development for Safe House Ministries here in Columbus, Georgia. Safe House serves over 1, 100 people each month as they transition back into our community. Safe House provides an abundance of services including 213 beds for homeless individuals and families, case management for obtaining job skills and long term employment. Over 300 hot meals every day, free clothing, and so much more. One of the most incredible services that Safe House provides is our free 9 12 month intensive outpatient substance abuse program, which is state licensed, CARF accredited, and has no wait list. Almost 100 percent of individuals staying in our shelters who follow our three phase program become fully employed within a few months. And 68 percent of individuals who stay at least one night with us End up finding work and moving into their own home. Thank you for being with us today and listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoy this week's episode.

Shannon: 1:12

My first arrest was 1999. My second arrest was 2007, my third arrest 2010.

Phil: 1:19

Wow.

Shannon: 1:20

2010. No, matter of fact, 2010 wasn't an arrest. I remember sitting, I was started back on dope from 2007 to 2010. Started back on dope, but I remember sitting on the bed with a gun in my hand fixing and blow my brains out.

Phil: 1:37

Wow.

Shannon: 1:38

And God let me see myself laying off the bed and my daughter walking in and finding me.

Phil: 1:45

And that shook you. And you're like, I can't do that.

Shannon: 1:48

I made a call to my friend and I said, I'm strung out. I'm on dope. I don't know what else to do. I called 9 1 1 and that's where my husband was working at the time for the EMS.

Phil: 2:01

Really?

Shannon: 2:02

But he was not on shift that duty. I think he was working somewhere else but his friends and the humiliation. But they never treated me with disrespect or anything. They come and picked me up and I said, I want to die. I want to die. But I went into rehab then and I'm glad I went to the Bradley Center 'cause my mental debil, my mental capacity was just, it was shot. But when I went to the Bradley Center, and I'm glad I was there because that's when my husband said, it's over. I'm done. And I knew he meant it, but I went into a rehab down in Florida and I stayed good there for the timeframe that I was there, but never truly finding what's broken. So when I come out, that was 2010, I come out and just speed up with where everything totally took a turn for the worst. When I come out, it was 2011 and I met the devil in blue jeans.

Phil: 3:06

Wow.

Shannon: 3:07

The devil in blue jeans. He was not a nice person. He was very selfish. All he cared about was him himself. Feeling like I had nowhere to go. I came outta rehab. I don't have a home. My mother's still, if it about us kids, so she has her walls up, my siblings have their walls up. Has she changed? So not knowing what to do or crying out for help. I get involved with this guy and I lived with him for nine years, so that's 2011. I'm with this gentleman that I started doing dope again. He was on dope. I started selling dope. Methamphetamines was my drug of choice. I loved it. It was all I knew. It's all I wanted. I had, I could care less about anything else. This whole time my daughter's not talking to me for about 14 years.

Phil: 4:00

Who was she living with?

Shannon: 4:02

Who was she living with? Yeah, she was older. She was living with her daddy though. She stayed with her daddy and had that relationship. He was taking good care of her when I moved out. When I stepped outta the picture, he was finally home with her. Yeah. Taking care of her needs and everything else. What I wish that he had have been home with me, you know what I'm saying? How old

Phil: 4:21

was she at that point?

Shannon: 4:23

She, maybe 15, 16. Wow. But this guy,

Phil: 4:28

she wrote you off and just didn't have anything to do with you after that. She said

Shannon: 4:31

she was done. She couldn't understand and she blamed God, and I know she blamed God. Or 'cause I would pray I was in and outta church begging, God, begging him, but not till later on did I get it, that when he says, I'm gonna leave that thorn in your flesh as a constant reminder, 'cause my grace is sufficient enough. He knew I had the fight in me, the battling me, the the want in me. And he made me work. He made me work for my sobriety, but he finally, after this bad relationship, delivered me from that relationship

Phil: 5:11

Wow.

Shannon: 5:11

And I was with that guy, and when I say he, I kept him high because that's when he kept his hands off of me. But if he was sober, it was hell. So

Phil: 5:21

just abuse and

Shannon: 5:22

abuse drugs. But I raised his kids. I buried his mother. She had a stroke in my arms. I took care of his disabled brother. I, and I know God has a way to work everything for all things work together for the good of those who love God, call according to their purpose. And I know God transitioned me and had me in that relationship for that nine years where I needed to utilize. I was stealing my addiction, but I was a good woman. You know what I'm saying? I'd handled business like I was supposed to. I raised family. But as time went by, I got in such steep bondage and darkness and demons and if I see demons for what it's worth, they're so real. They're so evident. But they got to the point where,

Phil: 6:08

so what, share a little bit more like if you can about when you say the demons what kinds of things did you see or what did that look like?

Shannon: 6:18

Okay. I live right the down the road from my mother. Okay. And if I had, didn't have a praying mother that lived right at the road, 'cause I know my mother would pray, I'd get text messages. My mama goes to bed between seven and eight o'clock every night. But I would get text messages every so often, just said praying. And I'm thinking, why is she sending me this text? Why is she praying? Because God was waking her up and say, pray for your daughter. It'd be about one 30 in the morning. Every text was about one 30 in the morning. He'd wake her up and she would send me these text messages saying praying. And then I remember I got in such a dark place. I hated everybody. I hated everything. I didn't want to speak to you. Don't come in my area. What you see now is not who I was. The last thing I told that guy, I said, I'm gonna gut you like a fish and kill myself. And I meant it. I was plotting a murder, suicide, and I remember getting a phone call. I was in desperation. Like I said, I was praying, God let me die. I remember getting a phone call and it's about one 30 in the morning. It's my mother. And I didn't get to the phone, so I called her back. And when I said, Hey, I said, what's wrong? There was dead silence. And the next thing out of my mother's breath was, you need to get back in church, Shannon. I said, I know mama. She said, you need to draw close to the God. I said, I know Mama. And as we go through this conversation, I feel a little bit of the anxiety subsided. And when I hung up with her, something lifted and I seen demons everywhere. Something grabbed me by my throat, pushed me up against the wall. It was just me in that building, but it was a demonic force that had such a strong hold, a stranglehold around my neck.

Phil: 8:06

Wow.

Shannon: 8:07

But if it wasn't for a praying mother, but I knew right then I said, something's got to give.

Phil: 8:13

Wow. It's so the veil was listed at that moment? Yes. demons are real. Demons are very real. And there is a spiritual warfare around us that is so intense. We have no idea, but we don't see it. And we don't think of it even, or just, we just ignore it. Yes. But there are certain times when God lifts that veil. There's a time in the Bible when the prophet Elisha prays, there they're surrounded by hundreds of thousands of an enemy. Yes. Like an army. Yes. Literally. And the servant's like freaking out. And Elisha says, why are you so worried about Those that are for us are more than those that are against us. And then he prays that the Lord would lift the veil, and that servant sees the angels of the Lord around them. And we don't get that very often. But that sounds literally just, I can't even imagine what that was like for you to see that at that moment and to be to, I

Shannon: 9:13

was paralyzed and scared to death, but something shook in my brain a little bit. I'm still in my addiction, but at least I had enough sense to start praying. Okay. Okay. As. I go through that. There was even a time during that with that guy that I got sober and I was on my deathbed. The drugs about killed me. Wow. I was on my deathbed that I was sick for a year and I should have known when I came outta that and started getting well.

Phil: 9:45

So from that point when you saw the demons and you felt that you started praying and the Lord began to lead you to a better place,

Shannon: 9:54

he did. But I was still, could not gain victory in my addiction. I could not put the dope down in living with him. Like I said, I told you the last thing I said to him, I was gonna kill him. I meant it. I went to plotting, thinking, contemplating, how am I gonna do this? I'm planning it out. I'm writing it out.

Phil: 10:16

Wow.

Shannon: 10:17

It happened to be May the 19th, no, may the 21st of 2019. I went looking for my insulin. I'm severe diabetic. I was gonna kill him, inject 300 units, lay down and go to bed. But for some reason I couldn't find my insulin anywhere in the refrigerator, anywhere at all. Oh wow. Thank God. 'cause what I was looking for. Isn't even how my insulin's packaged, but God, that was May the 21st, may the 22nd. I quit doing dope. I was done. I stopped using dope. I didn't want to do it anymore. I said, I've had knife May the 23rd. The cops come in and arrested me. May the 24th is when I cried out to God. I said, all right, you got my attention. I promise I would never touch dope ever again. I would live my life to you to the best of my ability as long as I live. May. The 25th was when I was plotting that murder suicide. That was all in 2019. Wow. I'm coming up on my six year sobriety mark. My clean date is May the 22nd. I thought I'd be dead before I ever would be sober, but me getting arrested, I meant it. I stayed on. I spent 10 and a half months in the county jail, but I stayed on my knees every day. When I promised God, I said, I'm gonna do it your way. My walk's just different than everybody else. 'cause God says, Shannon, I've tried with you over and over again. I'd get you clean. You go back, I'd get you clean. You go back. He says, you're gonna do it my way or no way. And that means every aspect of my life, you're gonna do it how I want you to do it. And it was like a daddy chastising a child. I get it. I was put in major time out. God says, I'll train others and they'll walk and he'll perfect them. He says, I'm, you're gonna be as perfect as I need you to be because I've tried with you. But I needed that strict chastising. I needed that from the Lord. I needed him to say, all right, this is no relationship, no drugs, no alcohol, no cussing. No. I'm talking about a straight laces you could get.

Phil: 12:26

Wow.

Shannon: 12:27

That's how I try to live. I'm still flesh, but I know now that God, I'm sorry I'm not being the perfect person that you need me to be today, but I try to the best of my ability. I've cleaned up everything. I haven't been in a relationship in over six years. I hadn't done no dope alcohol over six years. And I want to stay that way. I have to hear an audible from God when he says, all right, it's time to shift. If he wants to put some money in my life, I'm okay with that. But if he doesn't, I'm okay with that too. Wow. But I ended up spending 10 and a half months in counting when they arrested me, but on my knees, I come out. Matter of fact, I come from lock up to lockdown. Covid was real. It was, yeah. 2020. Yeah. When I come out. But it was okay because I didn't need. Anything to be open. 'cause I still wanted, I was so nervous about coming around people or being around people. Two years I was out of the county and I brought up, in church and brought up Pentecostal and I believe in prophetic words. And I would pray, I said, God, I know my courts coming up. I don't want to go to prison. I don't want to go to prison. I'm begging. And I used to go and I said prayer and I'm hoping I get a word from the Lord. You're not gonna go to prison. God has a sense of humor because I remember coming out, somebody coming to say, and I remember praise and them. I said, God, no matter what, I'm gonna thank you in the midst of everything. I don't know what you have in store. And I remember a gentleman from church said, come here and let me prophesy over you. He said, I seen people with angels beside them. He said, but I see two, one on each side of you like massive bodyguards, swo up covering you. I said, I'm going to prison. I know I'm going to prison. Then the next week I remember praying and I'm praying in the spirit. And the lady asked me, she said, can you interpret or what have you? I said, I haven't in a long time. She said God just wants you to know he has you shielded. He had you covered. I knew I was going to prison. I'm praying that I don't. But when she told me that, I'm thinking, okay, God's just given me these warnings of these, this evidence that he's there and he's gonna be with me in the midst of it all. Sure enough, I went to zoom court out of all courts to go, I can't even go in presence of the judge. He sentences me to a 15 years due 10.

Phil: 14:42

Wow.

Shannon: 14:42

I was scared to death and I had to report to pre to jail that day. No time to prepare anything. That was January the 27th of 2000. 2 22. I went to Pulaski State Prison down in Hawkinsville, Georgia. The worst prison in the state of Georgia for women.

Phil: 15:01

Wow.

Shannon: 15:02

Run by gangs. The violence, the hell, the torment. I remember being terrified, but I said, all right, God, you have me. You gotta be with me. But I remember when I first went in there, I see more bloodshed, people getting beat with locks to beyond recognition, the disfiguration of their faces. This is all I'm seeing is blood everywhere. Wow. My first night there. They robbed me. They took everything I had my diabetic medicine, everything. And I said, God, if it's gonna be like this, I'd rather be dead. I said, I don't have the strength to get through, but I feel like Corey, Tim Boone, where the daddy gave her that ticket, and at the right time when she got on that train, God always gave me that little ticket at the right time to keep me going. His grace is sufficient. It is. But I remember the next week they come in to rob me and I don't know if I was crazy or if the God just gave me the guts to stand up for myself. And they told me, they said, open up your locker. I said, I will not. She said, do you want me to beat you with this lock? I said, I really don't care. She said, you don't care. I said, I really don't care. She looked at me like I was the craziest human being that ever walked the face of this earth. Like how? But that day I made a stand, don't get me wrong, they come back the next week and I locked my door. The officers in prison popped my door open for them to come in to rob me.

Phil: 16:29

So there was so much corruption with the officers there too.

Shannon: 16:32

Yes, the corruption, they do not care. Pop my door. When my door open, I push it back shut. Where the gang members got so angry that said, who locked this door? I said, the one that lives in here. They said, open it up. I said, I will not. I'm scared to death because I have five gang members standing outside the door. You can see their feet up under the door. And when I looked, threatening to beat me with a shower brush, said they were going to kill me. If I come out and I'm praying, sobbing, bitterly weeping to God, what I don't know. I don't have the courage. I'm scared. I don't have know what to do. I said, you're gonna have to gimme some guidance. I said, all i'm the one that will make a stand and do a statement and I will leave out. I'm diabetic. So I had to go to diabetic call that next morning at four, I packed up all my stuff and when I left out, God had to be standing on that walkway 'cause I got followed to the infirmary where I was going to take my insulin. When I went back there, I said, I will not go back in that dorm. I said, I'm not. I said, I'm scared. I'm terrified. I don't know what else to do. I said, I will not go back in that dorm. Here they come in and thank God that nurse was a angel from above because she was only there like a couple of days and then she wasn't there no more. It. She knew that I'd been followed, so she knew what to say. She knew what to, so they wouldn't do nothing when I left out. But they put me in lockdown for three days. Okay. I was fine with that. I was in my own cell. Nobody bothered me. Then they moved me to a different dorm. It was still a gang affiliated dorm, but it was a better dorm. I spent, I don't know, several months there. Finally, I went and was moved into the faith and character dorm. I was content for that duration. Wow. But during that time, the corruption, when I wrote a statement on these people, the officers went and showed all these gang affiliated people whose name I put on there. But you have to write a statement in order to get moved. I had no choice but y'all put a target on my back.

Phil: 18:36

Wow.

Shannon: 18:37

They put a target on my back. You showed everybody who I wrote a statement on, because the corruption Yes. Is there. I had a friend that cried out for mental health. I've seen a lot of, she had mental health and they drug her to lockdown and put her in lockdown and did not take her fan. She hung herself with a fan cord. I had a friend that they injected fentanyl in her arm and killed her rigor. Mortis had sat in, they had to cut the. Runs out of the bunk bed to even get her out. I had a friend overdose. I had a friend that they beat so bad beyond recognition with a, like I said, I've seen a lot of bloodshed beat her so bad. I had a friend that they tied and crucified her up to the bed like Jesus and beat her with a TV cord so bad and gased her head all in. I have a lot of PTSD that's a term God sustains my PTSD, but I have a lot of things that I have to really, when vision starts coming back. So I am a little bit gun shy is certain things because I know what people can do. Wow, that's, but God has held my hand the whole way, how I survived two and a half years in prison. I spent two and a half years in prison. Then I finally went to the transition center in Atlanta. It, I had freedom there. I was able to work, I was able to get out, but I had that little bit of freedom. But nine years I spent there. I was supposed to come home from prison last July. That would've been my 40 months total.

Phil: 20:13

Wow.

Shannon: 20:14

Parole board came back and gave me 20 more months. Not sure why that I hadn't served in that time. If it's gonna be like this, I want to go to the tc, I want to go to the transition center and let me work, make some money. Finally I went, but I did survive prison. I did. But that's only through God's grace because I look back now, I'm thinking, how did I even do that? It's God's grace. I did handle the Transition Center, but when I come out from the Transition Center, that was March the fifth, was that I didn't even know I was getting out. But they called me. They said you're getting out on the fifth. I called my mother. My mom sobbed and si she said, my child's finally coming home. The prodigal son's returning. But what's so crazy is the day I stepped out of there,

Phil: 20:55

out of the Transition Center

Shannon: 20:56

it's like I couldn't remember the past three years at all.

Phil: 20:59

Wow.

Shannon: 21:00

None. None. It's like I never left home. It's like I'd never been gone. And then here I come still being clean and sober. I talked to Chaplain Neal and went and saw Jamie Lee and she said, I have a job for you back at the Graces house.

Phil: 21:16

Now, had you known them at all before?

Shannon: 21:18

Yes. I actually, before I went to prison, I started Thanksgiving of 2021. No, two. Yes. 2021. Thanksgiving Day. At the Trinity House. I was the house manager over there.

Phil: 21:32

Wow.

Shannon: 21:32

So I was only there for two, three months. Then I was sentenced and went to prison. But as I come out, I told you I couldn't remember the past three years. I talked to Jamie Lee and I got a job back as a house manager at the Grace House.

Phil: 21:46

Wow.

Shannon: 21:46

That's where I'm currently residing now.

Phil: 21:49

At the Grace House. At

Shannon: 21:50

the Grace House. The women's

Phil: 21:51

shelter for Safe House.

Shannon: 21:52

Yes. And I love it. My heart and my passion, because I get brokenness, I get defeat, I get rock bottom. I've been there.

Phil: 22:02

You understand?

Shannon: 22:03

I, yes. My heart goes for these ladies. I said, let me love y'all when y'all don't know how to love yourself. I said, if anybody cares, I said, I care. I said, let me just build you up. I said, we're here to build each other up and not tear each other down. I said, I just want what y'all need. I said, I want for y'all what you don't want for yourself. I said, there is a better way. I said, and they looked at me like, you don't get it. I said, I do get it. I said, everything you've been through, I said, I've probably been through 10 times more. I said, but it is how we choose to go day by day now to where we're at. I don't know guys. Just, I can't see doing it any other way. I love the Lord with all my heart. The scripture says, trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding and acknowledge him in all your way. He will direct your path. And I know that He promised that he would make my next life so easy. He said, I'm gonna make things. I'm gonna give you double for your trouble. I'm gonna make things easy for you. You're not gonna have to struggle or work. And I can't hold him to that promise that he is so far so good, I pray. And it's his timing. It's not our timing. And we want what we want, when we want it. But I learned to trust in him and say, all right, God, you said you're gonna handle this need. You said you're gonna provide this for me. You said, because his promises are yes, but on his time, I can't see doing it without, I will never go back. I personally, I don't have another recovery left in me. That time when he said, I'm snatching you up, I'm gonna plant your feet on solid ground. I just don't have the strength to go through it again. I wanted to die last time. If I go back. I know death is my end result, and that's what I have to keep at my frontal lobe. I know death is where I will be, but I work hard for my sobriety. I work hard for my Jesus, I'm about God's business, and I know it's gonna be about my business. And that's the way I want it to be. Such a love for him that, I don't know. He's just awesome. I can't even fathom or wrap my head around his awesomeness.

Phil: 24:22

Yeah, that's so true. Yeah. Wow. Wow. God has truly done a transformational work in your life.

Shannon: 24:31

Yes.

Phil: 24:32

Wow.

Shannon: 24:32

Yeah. He's amazing.

Phil: 24:34

How is your relationship with your kids now?

Shannon: 24:36

My daughter, oh, my word, for 14 years, she didn't talk to me, but last year I called her and I said, I love you. I said, with all my heart. I said, this is where I'm at. I said, you can be a part of my life. I said, bear, or you cannot. I said, but what you do is a choice. I said, either you can choose to be here or choose not to be. I said, but what you do is not gonna affect my outcome in life. I'm still gonna be my best self. I'm still gonna live for God. I'm still gonna be sober. I said, you can be a part of it or not. Sydnee. I said, she loves me. She contacts me. She got married. I got to meet my son-in-law when I come out. Wow. I have a grandbaby that's three months old yesterday. They are so active in my life. Oh wow. So when I come out, come that weekend, she brought my son-in-law and my grandbaby to meet me. Wow. We talk just about every day. They are beautiful. They are precious, lemme tell you. And I prayed God to put a godly man in my daughter's life. 'cause I told you she struggled with her belief. And God. 'cause I think it feels like God failed her family. Yeah. When she married a gentleman that sings at St. Luke United met at this church Really? Every Sunday and Wednesday. And he has the most angelic voice of an angel. He is God sent because she even gave me a Mother's Day card. And my mother's grandmother's day card talking about God and being thankful for God transforming, you know me. Yeah. And she said, I'm so proud of you and I'm so glad that you are doing so good so you can be actively present in our lives. And this is a girl that says she didn't want anything to ever do with me again. So God is about restoration. God is about family. God is about just that unity, like I said, be about God's business. He will be about yours, restoration, taking care of everything. If I don't trust myself, I can trust God. To guide me in every avenue of my life. Yes. May the 22nd, six years free from a relationship, drugs, alcohol

Phil: 27:00

wow.

Shannon: 27:02

Like I said, I never thought I would have a day of sobriety or ever see six years clean. So anybody that's out there that if you've got one day cleaned, look up, you'll have 30, you'll have a year, you'll have five years. You'll, everything is in your rear view mirror. You just keep driving. Get past that storm. You don't have to stop in the midst of it.

Phil: 27:25

Wow.

Shannon: 27:27

Yeah. Wow. That's just good

Phil: 27:29

that you have just an incredible story. I just, wow. Thank you for sharing.

Shannon: 27:38

Thank you for having me share. Because like I said, I love people. Certain people say, who can love like Jesus? Because the ones that persecuted me in prison, I still spoke to 'em. I still prayed for 'em. I still lifted them up when they needed it. So I try my best to love like Jesus does. I try my best to love through Jesus' eyes. Yeah.

Phil: 28:03

That's Jesus in us. Yes. He can love through us in that way. Yes. That's amazing. That's profound. It makes me think of Stephen Yes. In

Shannon: 28:11

Acts. Yes.

Phil: 28:12

I think it was chapter six, maybe somewhere in Acts where he was proclaiming the gospel and serving the Lord and the men gathered around them, Saul being one of them, and they stoned him to death. And he, before he died, said, Lord, don't lay this to their charge. Forgive them. And that love,

Shannon: 28:34

yes,

Phil: 28:35

that, that love in the face of just straight evil.

Shannon: 28:39

And what's so crazy, the girl that come in to beat me, threaten to beat me with a lock. I heard her say out of her mouth, and maybe this is why I can love, she said, I don't know why I keep doing the things I do when I don't want to do 'em. And so I've thought about Paul, the things I don't do and the things I want to, I don't, yeah. I mean that I need to do. I don't. Wow. But she even made that comment. So she rage war within herself and then one of the girl that followed me up there that was gonna beat me down when I went to the infirmary to never go back to the dorm, I seen her probably a year later and I said, I know who you are. And she says, who are you? I said, I'm Shannon. I said, I'm the one that you threatened to really beat me to a bloody red. And she cried and says, I am so sorry. She said, I never meant to do that. She said, I went into a 360 program where they locked her down. She said, I found God. She said, I'm sorry. She said, for tormenting y'all girls. So there is a God that says there is a better way you drop little trinkets. I hope I dropped little trinkets of hope in them ladies' life. I still have contact with the ones at the transition center and the ones in prison.

Phil: 30:01

Wow.

Shannon: 30:01

I said, I will never forget it because that was my family. So you never know what somebody's going through or the journey that they're on, but you keep praying. You keep bridging the gap and you keep standing in because God said victory is mine. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And I know, I don't know. I just, like I said, I trust them.

Phil: 30:20

Amen. Shannon, as you think back across your journey and all that the Lord has done, all that the Lord has taught you, what pieces of wisdom would you like to leave behind and share for those who are listening?

Shannon: 30:35

When you thank, you're not enough. You are, when you think you're defeated, you're not. When you think you can't go on, you keep just advancing one step at a time. And when you think that there's no way, there's only one way, and that's through Jesus Christ, he is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only one that can heal you whole. He can put you back together. We may not get the love or respect or desires that we need from individual because that is man. It's when we're looking to the wrong thing. But if you put your trust in God and put your trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, they will fill you up so much in such abundance of love. That's all we need. That's all we need is to look to God. He's the only one that complete us. We run with the devil so much. The devil has the same schemes over and over again. So whatever went on with you last year, he's gonna come at you again this year. He's gonna come at you again next year. 'cause it's the same schemes. He is not smart enough to come up with new designs. So it's learned to recognize what makes you do the things that you do or step into that confusion. Always run. I'm feel like I'm constantly running defense like a football player. My arms out because I'm, I'm always on guard. Maybe that's what I'm trying to say. Always be on guard. Be aware of what's around you. Be aware of the tactics. Be aware of the. Somebody just persuasion. Always be aware of what's going on. Just use wisdom, use judgment, use guys that always go to God. If you go to God first, he will give you the right avenues to handle situations. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. But we have to be aware.

Phil: 32:28

That's so good.

Shannon: 32:29

We are enough.

Phil: 32:30

Yeah. That makes me your last little comments there makes me think of the verse. I think it's in Peter that he shares that we need to be vigilant because the devil as a roaring lion is walking about seeking whom he and may devour. He's always looking to get us. And it's interesting how you described it. Like you always feel like you're playing defense and standing guard. Yes. But that's what we have to do. Yes. Because he'll, he's circling and he's just looking for the little open door that he can come in and just destroy our life.

Shannon: 33:00

And what's so crazy, a lot of times my praise and worship, and I'll have my arms raised and I praise, but a lot of times they said, what are you doing it? And I'll have my arms like pushing down beside me. And they said, what are you doing? I said, I'm holding the devil down. And they said, what? I said, for real? I said, he's trying to come up. I said, so if I don't have my arms raised, it's like I'm holding him down. So I'm constantly just am being vigilant. In that scripture, he comes around like. lion. He's not a lion. He portrays, I call him a poser. He's he's a deceiver. He's a deceiver. He's like a lion. He's not the lion. We have the lion of Judah, you know,

Phil: 33:42

that is in us, is greater than he that is in the world.

Shannon: 33:45

Amen. Amen. It makes me want to shout because I just I know there's a better way, and if my story can help anybody, so be it. I'm an open book and I know I probably have jumped from here to there and everything because my story is I'm 54, I have 54 years of stories. I just touched on different highlights. But if I was to dig so much deeper, we would be here forever. But it is just knowing what I have to do, who I want to help. And as long as I have God on my mouth and on my tongue, the devil's not in my head. So if I'm speaking about God's business, the devil has no room here,

Phil: 34:29

yeah. That's good. If

Shannon: 34:30

I don't know how to do anything, I know how to pray. Amen. I pray, and God is bringing me outta certain comfort zones with. Branching out and praying. And now I, I will pray or somebody, will you pray for me? Yes, I will. And a heartbeat, I'll pray. And somebody says, how do you pray? I said, it doesn't have to be an elaborate prayer. I said, even if you start, I said, you breathe in Jesus and breathe out what you need. Yeah. I said As simple as that.

Phil: 34:55

Wow.

Shannon: 34:55

But yeah, God is true, faithful. I love the Lord all my heart.

Phil: 34:59

Wow. Amen.

Shannon: 35:00

And I can't wait to see the next journey. He takes me the next, it is not even gonna be, he's gonna catapult me into in my future. He's got big plans. Big plans. 'cause he's a big God.

Phil: 35:16

You're doing big things, working at the women's shelter here at Safe House. Yes. And just being the influence that God wants in the lives of so many hurting women.

Shannon: 35:27

Yes. Yes. I love those ladies. I love life.

Phil: 35:32

That's good.

Shannon: 35:32

And I treasure life, and I value

Phil: 35:35

That's, that, that statement is a, just one of the many beautiful things that illustrates what God does. Like you went from a place of hating life and one to die and now loving life and rejoicing in life. It just, Jesus is amazing.

Shannon: 35:51

Yes. He is totally amazing. Just, and like I said, you just grasp a little bit and run with it. Yeah. And like I said, and I reference football a lot, but I feel like I'm on either, it's one of my favorite thing I said, the devil's got the right one. That's me. Come at me as you will because I know how to plant my feet on solid ground. It's like I have on my permanent cleats especially when it comes to my family, my loved ones, my women at the shelter. I'm gonna bridge the gap. I'm gonna pray. So do I feel like a rising warrior or a conqueror? Yes, I do. Because he's had a heyday long enough with my people. So if I have to get a little grimy and dirty with the devil, okay, I'm ready. But it's always staying aware and knowing what's going on. And keeping my eyes always open because he will, the first chance you get in your is a scripture. You take heeds when you think you stand, take heed. At least you fall. Yeah. I don't have it all figured out, but I know who does.

Phil: 36:53

Amen.

Shannon: 36:54

And I'm gonna keep pursuing him. Will it get tough again? I'm sure. But will I be ready? Most definitely.

Phil: 37:01

Yeah. Amen. That's a good word.

Shannon: 37:02

Yeah.

Phil: 37:03

Any last comment you wanna make?

Shannon: 37:05

No. I love all for listening. I love the safe house, I love the ministry, I love what God's doing, and I just can't wait to see the next chapter.

Phil: 37:15

Awesome. You mind if I close this in word of prayer?

Shannon: 37:17

Most definitely.

Phil: 37:18

Father, thank you for your grace. Yes. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you. Thank you for the Bible.

Shannon: 37:24

Yes.

Phil: 37:25

Thank you for using those who are walking with you to be such a help in the lives of others. Thank you for the power of prayer. Father, thank you for the restoration and Shannon's life with her daughter and her son-in-law and just their family. Lord. To be able to be a grandmother that is a godly grandmother and a good influence in the life of her grandchildren. Bless her path. Bless her daughter, bless her family and use her

Shannon: 37:57

yes

Phil: 37:58

to do the things that you want her to do. God, we need, we just need you to do big things here in Columbus to push back the darkness, to bind up the demons to just bring revival. Yes. Yes. Lord, in our hearts and in this city. We love you and we praise you. And we thank you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Shannon: 38:23

Amen.

Phil Shuler: 38:25

We look forward to being with you again next week as we share another testimony about the power and the goodness of God to change lives through Safe House Ministries. if you are someone listening to this podcast that loves to hear these stories of the great things that God is doing in changing people's lives for the better, and if you would like to be a part of that work, please reach out to us You can reach us at 2101 Hamilton Road, Columbus, Georgia, 31,904. You can call us at seven oh six three two two. 3 7, 7 3, or you can email us at info@safehouse-ministries.com.

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-2: 39:03

Thank you so much for being with us this week for the renew restore and rejoice podcast of safe house ministries, we pray that God will bless you this week. And we look forward to having you back with us again next week for a new episode.