When Jesus Becomes Real: From Religion and Striving to Joy, Peace, and Relationship, with Shannon Coulter

What happens when faith shifts from rules and striving to joy and relationship?

In this episode of Living Testimonies, I sit down with Shannon Coulter to share a powerful and joy-filled testimony of what it means to truly be born again. Raised Catholic and familiar with Jesus—but not fully knowing Him—Shannon opens up about the moment everything changed and how Jesus has continued to show up in every area of her life.

From walking through the loss of her father, to resurrecting a business she had set aside for over a decade, to discovering peace beyond perfectionism, Shannon’s story is a beautiful reminder that Jesus doesn’t just want our obedience—He wants to walk with us.

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Links to connect with Shannon Coulter:

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Transcript

Israel Caminero 0:05

Before we jump into today's episode, I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who've been listening, sharing, and supporting the Living Testimonies Podcast. Your love, your prayers, and your encouragement to keep this ministry moving forward. If you haven't already, make sure you like, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any of the parts of stories. Now we're open. Today I'm joined by Shannon Coulter. I'm excited for you to hear her story. But I'll let Canon introduce herself in her own words.

Shannon Coulter 2:14

Absolutely. Hello, everyone. Hi, Israel. I'm so excited to be here today. I love talking to fellow believers and uh having a chance to impact each other because that's what the Lord wanted us to do is share our testimonies. I'm excited to do that today. The Lord has moved mightily for me my whole life, but particularly in the last few years when I have gotten to know him as a friend versus just someone I read about. So I'm excited to share that with everyone today.

Israel Caminero 2:40

Amen. I'm excited to hear your testimony. I heard a little bit about it. And before we do that, though, let's open up in prayer. And I like to say, Father God, we thank you for the time. We invite your presence into this conversation. Holy Spirit, leave every word spoken, open hearts, bring healings, and let your name be glorified through this testimony. We pray that whoever needs this method would hear exactly what you want them to hear in God's name. Amen.

Shannon Coulter 3:08

Amen.

Israel Caminero 3:10

So Shannon, thank you for being here. So let's start from the beginning in the day in the life of Shannon when she was younger. Can you let us know how your house was while you were growing up?

Shannon Coulter 3:22

Yeah, I have been very blessed my whole life. I have two wonderful parents, um, one who has since gone to to meet the Lord, but two wonderful parents, three wonderful siblings. I look back now, yeah, there were things that we definitely were tough to get through, but um comparatively speaking, incredibly blessed. And I was raised, I told you, Israel, I was raised Catholic. So uh we went to church every Sunday and went to Sunday school and all those wonderful things. So I knew God and I knew Jesus my whole life. But as I said in the uh introduction, I I didn't know much about how it all worked. I didn't read the Bible. Um and uh five years ago in 2020, um, throughout my life, let me go back a little bit, throughout my life, I always knew him, I always loved him, but I walked away for a while. I went to college, you know, explored some things, you know, look back oh, repent, um, you know, did all that kind of stuff. And I always knew he was there, but I I wasn't praying to him, and sometimes I was, but in 2020, I uh got knocked down on my knees and just absolutely fell in love with Jesus. And now I can say I have a relationship with him, I'm in the word every day, and I'm just so excited about him, and that I get to be, we get to be his children. So a wonderful, a wonderful upbringing, and I'm I'm really grateful to my mom. My mom was the Catholic, my dad was the Protestant. I didn't even know what that meant. I just knew they joked about it all the time. Um, but I I'm so glad I had that foundation, uh, so that when he did bless me by coming so deeply into my heart five years ago, I was ready for it.

Israel Caminero 5:09

Amen. So you were raised Catholic, as you stated, and knew of Jesus growing up. What was your understanding of him back then?

Shannon Coulter 5:19

You know, it's so weird. I think about this all the time. Um, it's the beauty of being a child. I just knew. I just knew he was somebody who loved me. I just I I I remember I always tried to think of God, and I tried to picture how God got there without anybody there before him, you know, that weird thing that we get into in our heads. And I remember just pictures picturing him up there in the sky alone. And it would make me sad, like, but what happened before then? So it's this weird thing that I still can't wrap my head around is real, that I'm like, I just knew. And I think that is such an important thing for people to understand. Like, talk to your kids about Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit because he's positioned, he made us to long for him and to know him. So I think even if you don't feel like you absolutely have a hang on this, which I who who of us does, but your child will most likely get it more than you because it says, you know, you have to be like a small child um to walk with me. So yeah, I I just I always knew I spent a lot of time alone as a kid. I loved playing by myself. And I I look back and I go, I think I was playing with him. You know, I'm just so happy being alone. And I'm a very sociable person, but I was fine being alone. And I just really want to like stress, talk to your kids about him because I just felt like even in the weird way that kids think, but like even as an imaginary friend, right? He's just there. I don't know how, but he's just here. Right. So that's kind of how I knew him. Yeah. And all the stuff they taught in like Sunday school, I'm like, I don't even understand what this is. Like these people even real. I'm so bored, get me out of here. Um, but I was so glad I had that. Anyway.

Israel Caminero 7:05

Yeah, those were all those seeds that were getting planted that you didn't understand back then, but eventually they sprouted and you knew what they were talking about, right?

Shannon Coulter 7:14

Exact that's exactly what I'm saying. Yeah. And I think that's a beautiful thing, and I think we can do that for our kids.

Israel Caminero 7:20

Amen. Amen. We have to bring up our child the same way.

Shannon Coulter 7:24

So say, even um, as we're talking about seeds, it just you know occurred to me to say, even people who aren't believers who are in your life, just drop seeds. Because for a lot of them, you're the only Bible that they're reading. And so if you just drop seeds, if you you know, if you're living a life of love, they'll those seeds you know, w might turn into something else. So I think it's important for with your kids, but also important with your friends who aren't believers. You don't have to be pushy about it, but just, you know, pray for them. And if they say I don't believe, well, I believe, and it would be wrong for me as a believer not to pray for you. You know what I mean? Like I think that's a really great way. And I have seen that in my life, that people have come to Christ because I am, you know, a living testimony and I'm trying to be like him, and then they want that kind of joy and peace.

Israel Caminero 8:11

That's right.

Shannon Coulter 8:12

So I love that you said seeds, because that's exactly what it is.

Israel Caminero 8:16

Exactly. And and even growing up myself, you know, I the gospel is something that you show, like you said, you show from love, not something that you shove. You know what I mean?

Shannon Coulter 8:28

Oh, I love I'm gonna I'm gonna steal that from you, not in a bad Ten Commandments way. But I love that.

Israel Caminero 8:37

Yeah, I mean, I was the same way growing up, you know, I would love hearing about the gospel and things like that, but I just didn't want someone shoving it down my throat.

Shannon Coulter 8:45

Mm-hmm. Well, and I think I think, you know, I say I was raised Catholic, and now I would just say I'm kingdom, like anywhere the kingdom is, I love it. Because one of the one of the harsh things um about Catholicism, and not to say, you know, anything bad about whatever denomination, but they really do show God as a is a a father who's mad at you. And I think that was the break for me in 2020 when I finally realized it was the first time I heard a message that he unconditionally loved me, and that just broke down all my walls.

Israel Caminero 9:16

Yes.

Shannon Coulter 9:16

Because I I had never felt such love before in my life.

Israel Caminero 9:19

I grew up Catholic, so I can relate to that.

Shannon Coulter 9:22

Oh, you can know you know exactly what I mean.

Israel Caminero 9:24

Yes.

Shannon Coulter 9:25

And and a lot of it's great. I mean, it's not bad. Uh kind of tell a joke, but the Catholic guilt is a real thing, and it's it's not that great in a lot of ways, but in some ways it does stop you from doing the stuff that you would condemn yourself, which is God doesn't want us to be condemning ourselves. But you know, there it is the good, it is a good framework, at least to have the moral framework, you know what I mean? But you're not supposed to be beating yourself over the head all the time, which I find a lot of Catholics do. Exactly. Because they don't understand how forgiving he is.

Israel Caminero 9:53

That's right.

Shannon Coulter 9:53

Uh so you know exactly what I'm talking about. I do.

Israel Caminero 9:56

We have a loving God. You also stated you went to college and kind of drifted a little bit. And so I looking back now, how do you see God's hand in your life, even when you were walking your own path?

Shannon Coulter 10:10

You know, I have had, man, I have had some of the best guardian angels there's ever been. I have had some stuff happen to me that it's only by the grace of God that I got through it. Uh and I will say, I mean, I can say some of them if you want me to. Absolutely. Just let me know. Yeah, so one of the craziest things that happened to me, I went to uh Spain. Um I I studied in Spain for a semester of my junior year. And I'm gonna try try to tell this as quickly as possible. So that's back in 1997, 98. Um, and so my friend and I, we were in Leon, Spain on a a trip with our our class. So we took a bus there. She and I are walking around, we go to this restaurant, and I'll never forget we sit down at the restaurant and they serve her. She got, I think, uh, I think she got a salad and I got paella. Anyway, to tell this story really short, we get our food and we notice that there's salt on it. And if you've ever been to Spain, they don't put salt on your food. It's a very strange thing to have seen. And she and I both start eating, and all of a sudden she starts crying. And she had her salad, so she got it first, right? A cold dish came before my paella, which takes a while. She starts crying. And I'm going, what is wrong with this girl? So I start eating my food and I get so angry and scare her person. Okay. Like, like the hulk came out of me. And um we're we're in this restaurant, and I keep asking for the bill. I keep asking for the bill, and they will not bring the bill, and I'm getting angrier and angrier. She's crying more and more. I'm getting more frustrated with her ridiculous cycle. And I look around and there's no one left in the in the restaurant. And we start walking out. I I drag my crying friend up to the front and I ask this lady, like, where's our bill? And they're still not getting the bill. And all of a sudden, you know the the if you're ever down like New York City, you know, Chicago, where they bring the um chain link thing down to s to block the stores at night. You know what I'm talking about?

Israel Caminero 12:06

Yes.

Shannon Coulter 12:06

Um, yes, okay. So we're still waiting for the bill, and all of a sudden these men are all surrounding us and they're starting to bring that thing down. And it's just my girlfriend and I left. And I got so angry, I didn't pay the bill. I stopped them, and I'm not a I'm a small human being. I stopped these men from putting the thing down, screamed at them, threw her under it, and got us out of there. And we get back to the bus, um, and my professor, we tell her what's happening, we're kind of coming back too. My professor tells us that that white substance was a thing they put on people's food to drug them and take them into trafficking. Oh wow. Right? And this was not a known thing, like this is before taken in all those movies, and I have to tell you, thank God I got like that. Whatever, whatever, however that hit me, it just made me so angry, I turned into the Hulk and I got out of it. And I wasn't doing anything walking right with the Lord. I've I've never been someone who's been a meat, like mean and a big sinner, but I was doing stuff way way outside, right? But he did that for me. I know that was him. There's no way someone my size should have been able to stop all those men. Right. Um But you know, and my girlfriend who was with me and I talked later, and we had both had surgery before, and her her response to anesthetic was crying and mine was anger. So I mean, look at that. Yeah. Um and her crying was making me even more mad. I'm like, shut up. But anyway, that's I I've had multiple things like that where I go, only by grace of God, and my my guardian angels did we get out of that.

Israel Caminero 13:44

Was that odd or was it God?

Shannon Coulter 13:46

Yeah. I mean, so it's he was so patient with me, and I I look back through so many times in my life that he was like that to me. And when when I really started feeling him again, it was right before I met my husband. I had been in just really horrible relationships. I kept picking people who were just not good to me, abusive emotionally. I I dated an alcoholic. I didn't know what that looked like. I had never dealt with it, right? And so I hadn't really been praying to him. And then one night I'm in my little apartment downtown Chicago, and I had it out with him, Israel. Like out with him. I look back, I'm like, oh gosh, I am sorry. The little Hulk came out again on God. Like, why, you know, like why, why are you you know, you're supposed to be like this with me. Why do you keep bringing me these people? And just angry with them. Like but like you'd be with your dad. You know what I mean? Like full out crying emotion face. And I just was expressing to how upset I was and how hurt I was, and I'm sorry, and this, that, and the other thing. And two weeks later, my husband that I'm married to today asked me out. And it just it was incredible. It was just incredible. Yeah, right. So he was with me, although I was just you know being disobedient and raging. He was with me, and I'm so appreciative of him and grateful. And now in everything I do, I uh he's not gonna let me down. He's never let me down.

Israel Caminero 15:19

That's right. We let ourselves down, you know. We always let ourselves down. He never does, he's always there.

Shannon Coulter 15:28

He never does. There's that song, I can't remember who sings it, but I I'm my own worst enemy. It's it's from like the 90s or early 2000s. I'm like, yes, we are. Yeah, we we can be a lot. So yeah, it's it's been an incredible journey. And then since I met if that met back up with him and just had that moment of complete surrender, like in 2020, it's just been phenomenal. I'm not saying there's been nothing hard. He said we have tribulation, but I'm just so much more peaceful.

Israel Caminero 15:55

Right. Um being a Christian is is never easy, but when you're walking side to side with him, it makes things easier to deal with. Yeah. And that's that's what you shared that about five years ago you were born again uh and didn't fully know what that meant until it happened. Can you take us into that season and what changed for you?

Shannon Coulter 16:17

Yeah. So I always heard, you know, so you grow up Catholic and you're like, what are these weird born-again people doing? Like, that's strange. Like, what does that even mean? Because I didn't know what that meant. Because in a lot, and I and I can say this, I feel like I could say this, and you can let me know if this rings true, but in a lot of that upbringing, you don't really read the Bible. Um, you go to church and they read the three passages and give the homily, but there's no reading on your own. So your understanding of it, even in Sunday school, is what unless you go and do it yourself, it's what you're being taught about it versus sitting with the Holy Spirit and having him teach you. You know, it's like the only book you get to sit with the author. And he goes, This is what it means. So I just I didn't have that. So I had no understanding of it. And so when 2020 hit, when I had this thing happen, I just was so overwhelmed by like this crying love joy. And by the way, I cry all the time now, where before I was gonna like beat my my friend for crying. I was like, this is funny. Now I'm a crier, like that's hilarious. Um, but I cry out of joy all the time. So what happened was I I got really interested, I got hungry for it. I wanted to know more about what what is this feeling I'm having. And so yeah, I got hungry for it. And so I I got more into the word and I started reading the Bible and I started listening to new teachers and past teachers, and I just couldn't get enough of it. And then I saw that the more I read and the more I gained an understanding, the more he, you know, I I say, quote unquote, talked to me. And I don't mean like, you know, some people hear him, but we hear him in different ways, and I kept seeing him show up in all these different ways. That was so phenomenal to me. And then I learned as I was doing that what it meant to be born again. Right? I was like, oh, that's what it means. It means the Holy Spirit is now, you know, he's always been there, but now I've accepted him, and so he's he's he's been waiting for me with uh arms wide open. Now I've said to him, Yeah, let's do this. And that was the difference. And so that's I just didn't have an understanding of what it meant. Um and so it's just been wonderful since then, and just you know, sometimes I'll get back out of the word and I'll get into it, but the more I read, the more I study, the more he talks to me. And I that's uh let me rephrase that. Not the more he talks to me, more I hear him. That's right. He's always talking to us.

Israel Caminero 18:43

Right.

Shannon Coulter 18:43

It's when you're like actually open to hearing him.

Israel Caminero 18:46

Like you yeah, like you said, he's always talking, but it's just a matter of whether we listen or not. You know, sometimes we're stubborn and you know, it could be knocking right in our face and we'll be like, no, I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. Get us out of out of our comfort zone.

Shannon Coulter 19:05

Yes, very much so. He's good at it.

Israel Caminero 19:09

So can you say like one thing that's different about your relationship with Jesus after that moment? Besides obviously getting closer to him and having this closer relationship?

Shannon Coulter 19:22

You know, I trust him. I I think that goes back to what we said about the you know, the guilt factor before and seeing him as a dad waiting with the belt versus a dad with open arms. Um it's the trust factor. It's the you know, I don't really understand this right now, but you got me. So that's that's the difference. And just not trying to figure everything out all the time. That that's been the difference. Uh that's been wonderful. That just takes off a lot of the the stuff on our shoulders that a lot of us are feeling because you know, he said, you know, give it to me and If you can take a moment, I just started doing this, but if you can take a moment every day and just get quiet and just realize he said greater is you know he who's in me than he was in the world, like he's right there. And so, you know, anytime that something comes up that you're worried about or frustrated about, if you can take a second and be like, he's here, it just you don't go into that immediate, you know, freak out mode. You're like, no, this is gonna be taken care of. I'm fine. So that's kind of been the difference for me is just trust and also realizing that this is just temporary, all the stuff we're just we're dealing with. Um and I think that really changes because then you know, my husband and I'm gonna tell this story. We are about to move out of our house and we have no idea where we're going. But we feel like he wants to go. I can't believe I'm one of those people. I'm like, really, we're doing this? But I feel and he feels and he was born again after me, he just saw what was happening in me, and that's what I was saying about leading these seeds. Um, he just came to me one day and he's like, I think w we should sell the house, get really lean, and see where he takes us. And I literally cannot believe I'm one of those people. But and we only have the first step. Like, okay. But that's what he says, walk by faith. And if you do that, he has something to blow on, right? So he's gonna meet us. We're not worried about it. Right. We're a little bit like, okay, um, could you like put up another road sign? But we know he's going to.

Israel Caminero 21:30

So are you guys stepping out in faith and doing that?

Shannon Coulter 21:33

We are. I just before I got on here with you, I had people over here taking stuff to donate, helping me pack up. Yeah.

Israel Caminero 21:41

Wow, and you have no clue where you're landing.

Shannon Coulter 21:44

Nope, we have no idea.

Israel Caminero 21:46

Amen.

Shannon Coulter 21:47

So Amen. I like that. I think it's gonna be great.

Israel Caminero 21:50

I had a friend that actually did that. Yeah, he stepped out in faith and the Lord blessed him, like you said. He he everyone thought he was, you know, like, what are you doing? And the Lord definitely blessed him, I'll tell you that.

Shannon Coulter 22:06

Amen. Well, that's great to hear. Yeah, this is just so interesting, but it it feels right. You know, there's parts of it that are hard, but it it just I know it's right. So that's that trust factor that I was telling you about. That's right. It just feels good. Yeah. So that's been that's been the difference. Um, and and I think perseverance changes in you as well. A little story about like what I do. I have been doing the same, well, there's a there's a break in here, but I have been living the same mission for 18 years. I know now, I didn't know that when it came to me. So this came to me in 2008. Basically, what it was, I'll tell you, um, because it's so strange. But in 2008, I'm a stepmom. I met my stepkids and they didn't know how to play. I'm not kidding. I told them to go outside and they did not know what to do because of all the screens. And this was before smartphones. This was before the i song. But it was having an effect on their ability to play. And at that moment, I knew that this was gonna be a problem. This is back in 2008. So I left corporate America and I developed this whole uh wellness company for children that had to do with getting them back into playing offline and getting their imaginations back, and there was no audience for it back then because people are like, Oh, they're gonna be fine. Well, how are we doing 18 years later? People are having a problem with the screens. Yes, and unbelievable because my husband and I had this whole huge uh business plan. We did all this stuff, but it wasn't the right time, and I can look back now that I've had gone through all this and go, That was the Holy Spirit. There is no way I knew that. Right? There was no one talking about that. Um, and I'm so grateful that it didn't work out back then because now I have, you know, 18 years of being a parent. I've done this with my kids, and I would have done stuff back then that wouldn't have glorified God, right? I would have I would have done stuff that I would have had to repent for. So I'm I'm I'm a living testimony of trusting in his timing and persevering through it. That's right. Because yeah, and and just going, oh my gosh, working with him, because at this stage, I'm I had I had a mentor because about two years ago I was like, why am I still doing this? It's just I couldn't stop dreaming about it, Israel. Like I I we closed the company, put it to bed for like five years, and I kept dreaming about it. And I was like, I guess I'm supposed to be doing this now. And then I started coming out, and now there's all these books like The Anxious Generation and all the stuff that's happened to these kids because of the screens. And I'm like, this is the time. Now people know they need it. Um and so I started coming back out with it, but I was like, I don't understand why this is taking so long, why this is so hard. So I went to a mentor, a spiritual faith mentor, and he said the most impactful thing to me ever. And I'm like crying, this is so hard. Why is it? And he said to me, He goes, 'Cause God has told you to stop. And right when I get off this call with you, I am meeting with a marketing PR firm that I've been praying about for a year.

Israel Caminero 25:08

That's good.

Shannon Coulter 25:09

And so I'm, isn't that isn't that great? Like and that's God. But we have to trust his timing. And that's been another I keep coming back to trust, but that's been another thing for me is trusting his timing. Because he knows when I'm ready, he knows when the world's ready. And also he's the CEO of this company. So it's on it's on his mark.

Israel Caminero 25:30

That's right. Absolutely. I can tell by your uh your voice and uh your laugh of the joy and peace that you have right now. And that's what I want to get to because uh if you want to share a little bit of it, you you mentioned that he helped you write a joke book, right?

Shannon Coulter 25:53

Yes. Oh my gosh. So this is this is what I was saying before that God will talk to you in the way that he knows you will respond. So I love laughing, as you've heard of it. I just love laughing. I love fun, which sounds kind of goofy, but everybody's different. There are people who love, you know, colors. There are people who artists. Um, I'm a writer, I like words, I love fun. Um, my husband's very logical, so he's gonna speak to him in a different way than he's gonna speak to me, right? So I went on my first fast. I had never fasted before uh last January, and it was the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday fast, and it was for 21 days. And you know, like two hours into, I was like, I'm never gonna make it. It's not that hard, but you know, you when you stop, start thinking about the things you can't have, you know how your body gets. Um, but that's part of the fast. So I had asked for him something specific going into it, and I go into my prayer closet, and all of a sudden, I just get this joke. And I'm like, why am I getting a joke? Okay. So I write it down, um, and then another one and another one. And I'm laughing. And I'm, you know, I'm like, what is this? So I come out of my prayer closet and I go to my computer, I pick up my phone, and I call the the woman who has illustrated other books of mine. I have children's books, and I said, Hey, I'm gonna, we're gonna do a joke book, a dad, dad joke book for God. She's what are you talking about? I said, I don't know, I feel like the father wants to get in on this because he's I'm I I'm just getting these jokes. And I think that he's he's you know, the all these joke books are everywhere. And she goes, Well, how many jokes do you have? And I go, three. She's like, Oh, okay, how many think you're gonna have? I go, I don't know, but I want you, I I feel like we're we're gonna do this. So just tell me how much, you know, tell me how we can work together and I'll figure out how to get the joke. Well, and so that's that's the definition of walking by faith. Like you feel something, you do it, he'll blow on it. Over the next two weeks in my in my fast, I got over a hundred jokes. So every time I pray, every time I picked up the Bible, he just kept dropping jokes on me. And I didn't even tell anybody I was doing it. So I was sitting with my husband somewhere and I started telling the jokes. Jimmy's laughing really hard. He's like, These are dad jokes. Like, where'd you get these? I said, I wrote all those. What? I go, Yeah, God and I wrote all those. I don't know why, but I'm putting together this joke book. And so that happened in January, and it was already published and out on Amazon in April and illustrated. Yeah. So that was really fun for me. And it was, like I said, it was just how he communicates with me, and it was a good sign of like if you'll do this, if you'll trust me, I'll meet you and we'll get it done. That's right. And so that's how I'm treating the other stuff I do. Um and it was fun for me. And it and if anybody's you know listening to this and they go, Well, God doesn't talk to me. I he does, you just have to you have to like acknowledge it. So I I've I if if you like the color pink and you see the color pink somewhere and you go, Hey, that's God, even if it's not him, he'll see that you're believing in it like a child and he'll lay out another thing for you. You know, kind of like an Easter egg hunt. Yes. And so and he loves it just as much as you love leaving, you know, eggs around for your kids and watching them find them. He loves that. And so, you know, be childlike and he'll he'll meet you because he he enjoys your happiness and he enjoys that you're s you know seek seeking him. That's right. So that's kind of how I started going at things, and the more I'm looking for him, the more he shows up. Um and he says that seek me and you will find.

Israel Caminero 29:29

And he shows up when we least expect it, too, you know, all the time.

Shannon Coulter 29:34

All the time.

Israel Caminero 29:35

We as humans are impatient, we want things now, now, now, now, where is it? And he'll show up in his timing, not ours.

Shannon Coulter 29:48

Right, because like like I said before with this company, I would have done so many things that man, I would have regretted now. And I'm like it's as painful as it was to open a c company and shut it. Oh man, I am so much wiser than I was. I have so much more knowledge and business than I did, knowledge as a parent and knowledge as a Christian. And, you know, I had things happen to me that um made me be able to take the kind of stuff you have to take as an entrepreneur. You know what I mean? Um, and it just am so much more prepared than I would have ever been uh before. And I think that's just a huge deal that you just have to trust the timing. Like even this morning I'm like, Lord, okay, I'm ready, but you're timing. Like you're timing. It's it's an incredible thing. And he's just so kind through all of it. He's so kind. I mean, I screw up all the time. I'm you know, I I repent all the time, but he's so kind. And and he he forgets, you know, he sends our you know, he removes us from our sins as far as the east is from the west. We're the only ones who are remembering. And that means a lot to me too.

Israel Caminero 30:54

He's always waiting for us, whether we messed up or not. You know, it's it's it's we beat ourselves up, obviously, when we do wrong and things like that, but you know, he doesn't beat us up for it. He's just waiting for us with open arms.

Shannon Coulter 31:12

Yeah, and I think one of the reasons it's so hard to understand is because we're not like that. You know, he's he's trying to get us there, you know, the fruits of the spirit, peace, joy, love, kindness, goodness, gentleness. But it's and we and we thrive for it, but it's so outside of who we are in a lot of times. Like we have to work for it, and he he gets us closer to it. But it's almost unbelievable to have somebody that kind to you who loves you that much. That's right. Um but in the moments in the moments you can feel it, it's everything.

Israel Caminero 31:43

Right. And I'm sure when you know, once you discovered how deeply he loved you, you know, it it changes your way of life.

Shannon Coulter 31:51

Mm-hmm. Absolutely. That that uh little firecracker I told you about with uh in Spain, I was like that a lot. I mean, not quite that bad. That was that was my angels making me like really strong. But I I had a very short temper. I could be very sharped tongue. Um, and that's gone. Like I just I I have so the you know, he's freely given, freely given away. The love he gives me makes it so much easier for me to love other people. That's right. And to see past flaws, because I've had so many flaws, but like even when someone comes at you, just the whole recognition that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. Like it's not the person, you know, move move the person aside and deal with the demons that's coming at you. That has been huge for me.

Israel Caminero 32:38

Like you said, get behind me, Satan, right?

Shannon Coulter 32:42

Exactly. Like, so I think that's been that's another huge thing. I I just really think that you know you asked, like, what was the big change? So the big change is getting into the word. Face comes by hearing and hearing by the word. It's just so it's I said to people, it's the best self-help book there's ever will be because everything you need is in there. Hill yeah, it's just great.

Israel Caminero 33:03

So that's good. And that book that you mentioned, I will have links to that on the description of the podcast. Is there anything else that you want to share as far as anything you might have going on? I I'll have links to whatever she shares on the description of the podcast for everyone.

Shannon Coulter 33:20

Absolutely. I'd love to. So my website is ssculture.com. So it's S is in Shannon, S is in Sue, and then C-O-U-L-T-E-R, is my last name.com. And so out there I have um my company, which is called The Planet FASA, and FASA is fun activity, story, service awards. There's a lot to that, but that is my books and an upcoming activity app where you can go on and it's basically an activity database of all offline stuff that parents can give to their children to do instead of putting them on screens. It's you know, simple stuff like Hot Lava Monster or um the license plate game in a car. It's just giving people information and quick searches so that they can combat technology. You know what I mean? Like, hey kids, do this instead. So that's what that is. And then I've got a coaching thing called Break the Chain, and that's a four-hour uh course that I have that I help adults understand why we're addicted to technology and how it was purposefully developed to addict our brains, to spike our dopamine. And it's just me, you know, knowledge is power. Um, my people perish for lack of knowledge. I'm just giving people knowledge so that they can be more intentional about when they're on devices and understand why they lose control sometimes. So it becomes your your servant, not your master. Um and then my books uh with Planet Fossil, I have the Fossa Tales, so those are uh a series of children's books where I just take the kids through fun adventures with cats of dogs and give parents things they can talk to them about. It's also tied to the app. And then I have God's Dad Jokes, so that's the the joke book, and then I recently came out with God's Dad Jokes coloring book. So I took some of the jokes, I enlarged the pictures, and then I put uh kids friendly scriptures in there and little questions. And so fun way to do Bible study with your kids, the smaller book, too, for adults. I put scripture references for every for every joke. So people are like, Where did she get this from? You can go read scripture. So I've got those two books as well. Um, so they're all out there just ready for people to experience joy and imagination and play because those things too lead us back to the Lord because the devices are meant to keep us from being quiet. And if we can't be quiet, we can't see Him. So that's kind of my whole thing is just I want people to experience joy with each other offline. I'm not anti-screen, I just think we need to be, like I said, masters of it versus servants, which a lot of us are a lot of times. True. So um, yeah. So that's my wealth of information out here. So all my I don't like to state a problem and not have tools. So I, you know, the problem is we're hooked, my tools are all these things. So that's that's my my mission to help people.

Israel Caminero 36:02

I'm checking that website up. Oh, anything that can help get them away from the screen. It'll be on the description of the podcast. What would you say to someone listening who feels exhausted trying to be enough?

Shannon Coulter 36:43

I would say you are already enough, and that God made you with certain talents and certain um desires and the way your nature is. And pay attention to that stuff because He put you here for a specific reason and you are made exactly for that reason. So check your desires and your nature against what you're doing and see if they're in alignment because you're you might be in the wrong spot. So check that out, but also just really know that you are enough. You are wonderfully and beautifully made. And some of us in certain things, we're all the body of Christ, and you might feel like the small toe on toenail on the little toe, you're still needed for us to function. That's good. So yeah, just you're enough. I promise you, you're enough. He loves you so much.

Israel Caminero 37:40

That's good. That's that's good. I like that. A lot of people think they're not enough, you know. I mean, a lot of people have trials and tribulations that make them think they're not enough. And that's just the enemy putting all these stuff in their head.

Shannon Coulter 37:54

But uh Exactly. Exactly. He wants to distract you from uh who you are and just tell them to shut up.

Israel Caminero 38:04

Tell them to shut up and uh exactly. So when you're having a hard day or when life feels overwhelming, is there a verse or a passage or a scripture you lean on? Like, did you have a life verse growing up? And which verse is it and what does it mean to you personally?

Shannon Coulter 38:24

Man, that changes all the time. Um, what I'm leaning on. Uh it really does, depending on what I'm going through, um, which is very apropos for my personality. So I would say it's Proverbs and I might screw this up. I think it's three, five. So if I got that wrong, I'm sorry. But it's love and trust the Lord your God with all your with all your mind, heart, and soul, and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight. That is what my life is right now. So the fact that I can go back to that all the time. And I also love if God be for me, who can be against me? If God be for us, who can be against us? Like who literally can be against us? The creator of heaven and earth is our dad. He's living inside of us, he loves us. Absolutely nothing whatsoever can harm us. And it says that in the Bible.

Israel Caminero 39:17

That's right.

Shannon Coulter 39:18

So those two are big. I I was just about to start quoting like 50 things. Yeah, I just get going. Um, but I really like those two. The other one that was just about to come out I give you all power over all authority of the devil. I give you all power over all, or excuse me, should be all authority over all the power of the devil. Um, and nothing in any way whatsoever shall harm you.

Israel Caminero 39:41

That's right.

Shannon Coulter 39:41

I just love that. And I love focusing on the all there.

Israel Caminero 39:44

Exactly.

Shannon Coulter 39:47

All. You know, I would say to people, we've got Google, so whatever you're going through, Google scriptures on that thing and just keep repeating that one scripture until it gets into your heart. And then, you know, he his words do. Return to him voice. So if you are saying his words, he is faithful to perform them. So just keep saying them. Yeah. He's awesome.

Israel Caminero 40:09

Definitely is. Now we're going to my back to the past section of the podcast. And what my back to the past section is, if the Shannon of today could travel back and sit down with the younger Shannon, what would you say to her and why?

Shannon Coulter 40:26

Absolutely. I would tell her to stop trying to be perfect. Because you're never gonna be. There's only one perfect man who's ever walked this earth and he loves you just the way you are. And that that would have changed a lot for me.

Israel Caminero 40:41

Yeah. You're right. There's only one perfect person. Sometimes we try to be as perfect as we can, you know, people pleasing, being a perfectionist. I I am so guilty and I try to stop myself, but sometimes I just can't.

Shannon Coulter 41:02

Well, you know, and the thing is that I've learned is that it doesn't matter how perfect you think you're being, there's always gonna be people out there who don't like what you do, right? Who are always gonna come against you. So why try to be perfect? Because your people are gonna love what you do. That's right because focus on those people.

Israel Caminero 41:19

That's right. So Shannon, I just want to say thank you for taking the time to be here. I know you're busy because you're stepping out in faith, as you said, and you probably got a lot going on right now. But I appreciate you taking this time to share your your testimony with my audience and for just your infectious joy and laugh and peace that I can tell just by talking to you.

Shannon Coulter 41:45

Well, I I really appreciate that we met through however we did, um, because it does bring me so much joy and so much energy, you know, enthusiasm to talk to fellow believers because it just feels good and we know we glorify him when we do that. And that's the best thing we could possibly do.

Israel Caminero 42:05

That's right. I always say it's your story, but it's for his glory.

Shannon Coulter 42:08

I love that.

Israel Caminero 42:09

Thank you so much for sharing your heart with us. But before we close, would you pray for us and the listeners?

Shannon Coulter 42:16

Absolutely. Heavenly Father, in the name of your precious son Jesus, for everybody listening, may they know how much you truly love us, that we are the apple of your eye. You actually know every hair on our head and everything we do, just like when a child draws a picture that wouldn't look good to anybody else, a parent absolutely loves it and puts it in a scrapbook. Every single thing that we do, you are carrying us on. You're clapping, you're that dad sitting there smiling as we take our first step as we've learned to ride the bike. And when we fall down, you don't laugh at us, you don't abandon us, you just pick us back up. And may everybody who is listening understand that love and be filled with overwhelming joy and just that I feel when you are present with me and understand that no matter where they are, they are here for a reason. And even if they think it's the littlest thing possible, it's huge to you. And their living testimony of who you are is going to speak to someone they might not think is important, but that person who sees them think it's important. So everybody who's listening, shine your light. God puts you here to shine your light, and you are loved and you are perfectly made, and may He bless you today in Jesus' name. Amen.

Israel Caminero 43:34

Amen. Amen. Thank you so much, Danny, for that prayer, for being here, for sharing your testimony. To everyone listening, remember this Jesus doesn't just want part of your life, he wants to be in all of it. If this episode encouraged you, please like, share, and subscribe, and leave a review if you can. It truly helps this podcast reach more people who need hope. This has been Living Testimonies, your story, his glory. Until next time, God bless.