S5 Episode #22 - ShaunaBeth Paradiso
THE ONE WITH SHAUNABETH PARADISO
This week we are honored to welcome ShaunaBeth Paradiso to the show! ShaunaBeth is a professional singer, worship leader, song writer, author, wife, mom, and passionate follower of Jesus. In this episode, she shares the powerful testimony that inspired her book, No Weapon: My Scars, His Hands. After being in a life-altering car accident at the age of five, ShaunBeth had a radical encounter with The Lord and this moment of clarity would carry her through every heartbreak that was to come. Tune in as we talk about finding hope through hardship, rediscovering your purpose, pushing beyond your self imposed limits, and leaning into the goodness of god when you feel stuck. You won’t want to miss this one!
MORE ABOUT SHAUNABETH
As a professional singer ShaunaBeth turned her attention to volunteering to lead worship at her church. “Allowing God to use me as a vessel so that He may create an atmosphere in which others can experience His presence, is both nerve-wracking and exhilarating, but I love every minute of it!”
Writing has always been a passion, but God had not given it a purpose until now. So as an extension to her artistic side, ShaunaBeth tries to create a ‘God experience’ through sharing her testimony and memoir telling how God is always working in our lives, even if we cannot see it.
When she isn’t singing or writing, she homeschools her four children, runs an online business, tends to a small homestead, to include multiple gardens, chickens and an orchard. Her ideal Saturday would consist of dancing around the kitchen in her pjs, watching her children try to beatbox and roasting marshmallows on a cool summer night.
LISTEN
READ
When ShaunaBeth was 5 years old, her family was in a terrible accident. The widow exploded and the glass shards penetrated into ShaunaBeth’s face. Her skull was crushed, she almost lost her left eye… her injuries were extensive. When the accident happened, ShaunaBeth had a near-death experience and she stood before The Lord.
She felt like she was home. There was no fear. She was in a place that she innately knew. There was a light that drew her in and spoke to her. He asked her if she wanted to stay where she was or go back. She looked down and saw her dad weeping over her body. She told The Lord that she wanted to go back. In that moment she was instantly back in her body. She heard her father praying, “Lord, please don’t take her on my watch.”
Hope Through Hardship
He is a good, good Father. He is not done until it is good.
He doesn’t want to watch us suffering, but it is sometimes in the hallways of suffering that our faith is strengthened. The test is often your testimony. This life is a blip compared to eternity, but our flesh may still suffer along the way.
God is good and He is for you. His heart breaks when you suffer, but He will use it all to strengthen you in the refiner’s fire.
FINDING HER PURPOSE
ShaunaBeth always wanted to be an entertainer, and she was able to find success in that field. However, along the way, she realized that her desire to entertain was rooted in the need for approval. She learned that what God truly desired of her was her song of worship. She had to surrender her whole plan of being a professional actor, and fully lean into the new vision that God had given her.
God is never done with our story. Life with God is always an adventure and He will continue to take us to new places when we say ‘yes’ to Him.
ShaunaBeth struggled to believe that she was enough. She struggled to love herself the way that God made her.
We all have an innate need to belong. We often try to fill that need with people, things, money, success… but God is truly the only One who can fill the void.
You are enough. God wants to use you!
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
ShaunaBeth had to release other people’s opinions of her, but she also had to release the boundaries that she had placed on herself.
After battling for control in almost every aspect of her life, she realized that she would never really know her true limits if she never allowed God to push her beyond them.
She realized, “Who am I to place limits on The Almighty?”
There have been many situations in her life that have caused her to completely rely on God. These are the moments that pushed her to new places with The Lord and to greater depth and intimacy. These times teach us to cling to God instead of the things of this world.
One of the times of greatest struggle of faith building in the “hallway” was during her seasons of infertility. She had no control and no one could tell her why. She had to rely on God. After many years and seven fertility treatments, ShaunaBeth and her husband had their daughter.
Nothing was easy about this pregnancy, but God used it to mold ShaunaBeth into the person that she was supposed to be.
ShaunaBeth realized God’s timing is not just for her, but His timing was also perfect and knit together for the life of her daughter. God designs each person for a specific point in time. No one is late– you were created for such a time as this!
Take time to grieve what you have loved and lost.
If you are grieving the loss of a child, you have the hope that your child will be waiting for you in Heaven.
All things are possible with God. He is Jehovah Rapha– the God Who Heals. The Lord has a plan for your life.
Sometimes your plan and purpose don’t look how you expected, but it is for your good. God sees the big picture and is working to make us whole.
You are capable of doing hard things. In Christ, you can do all things through His strength.
A WORD FOR THOSE WHO FEEL “STUCK”
Return to The Word. Spend time in prayer and worship. Just be with Him, sit in His presence.
Take time to sit and listen. Ask God for revelation.
Be still and know that He is God.
FINAL THOUGHTS
God is so good. He’s good through it all– all the struggles and heartbreak. As we walk through the hard things, we learn more about His character and see Him manifesting in the world today.
Seek Him.
Surrender the control.
Allow Him into your life.
Believe He is who He says He is.
The Alpha, Omega, Beginning and End.
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The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes Biondo and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.