Love Quietly

Last night we went out to celebrate our 17 year anniversary! We laughed about how we had no idea what life was about that day, just two young people in love, hoping for the best.

I am forever grateful to Stephen for loving me & our kids so well. He loves quietly, listens intently, cares deeply, has the patience of a saint & his laugh is contagious.

One of the many things I love about Stephen is how he loves quietly. We were dating for about 10 months before he enlisted in the Navy for 6 years. During those 6 years he went out for two 6 month deployments. Our dating anniversary was on the 15th of the month & when he went out to sea, he prescheduled flowers to be delivered every 15th of the month to me.

I share this because the way he loves me reminds me to love him & others, in those small, unexpected ways, to let the person know you care. For me it was never about the flowers, it was about the heart behind them. To this day he will randomly bring me flowers when I am having a hard day or to celebrate something.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember what it says in 1 Corinthians about love. Love is patient, kind, slow to anger, humble, honoring, selfless, forgiving, truthful, protects, hopes & perseveres. These words so often spoken at weddings, including ours, I’ve learned through experience are best to be lived out during the marriage rather than leaving them behind as words spoken on your wedding day. This truth about love isn’t just for marriages, but it’s for any relationship we are in. No relationship is perfect, including ours, yet this is the perfect truth to lean into & practice to strengthen our relationships.

So today, & every day, may we pray to live out love towards our spouse & loved ones. May we also choose to do a quiet, unexpected act of love that will remind them how much we care about them and celebrate the people we love in our life.

With love & hope,

Shawn

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"Be Where Your Feet Are"

“Be where your feet are.”

- Scott O’Neil

The other day I heard these words and it truly shifted my perspective. This week was the first week of our summer where we don’t have camps or a lot planned so every day is looking a little different. I thrive with routine so the start of this week was messy. Wherever I was I wasn’t fully present. I was thinking of what else needed to be done or where I else I thought I was suppose to be. I was busy - in mind and body - yet not getting much accomplished.

After talking with Stephen about my messiness, in his calming way he helped me sift through the clutter in my mind where I was able to recall these words I had heard just days before.

“Be where your feet are.”

I love wise words yet have learned that wisdom isn’t as powerful or transformative unless it is put into practice.

So yesterday and today I have been praying as I try and practice these words of wisdom to be where my feet are. I pray to be present with who I am with and not look to what else I have to do or where else I think I need to be. Instead I pray to use my time wisely by living in the moment and not missing who and what is in front of me.

I share this with you in case you can relate. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

Yes, we have a written on our to do lists and have many desires on our hearts of things we want to accomplish. Yet no matter our plans, may we let God direct our steps. May we choose to be where our feet are, being present with God and with those we are with so we don’t miss the moment in front of us.

I can share from experience, having imperfectly put these words into practice the past couple of days, it has still helped transform my mind and I am less messy and more joyful. I pray this practice does the same for you too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“Teach me to number my days so I may gain a heart of wisdom.” - Psalm 90:12

“Be Where Your Feet Are” is a book by Scott M. O’Neil. I haven’t read it yet but love the title.

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Renew in Solitude

This morning as I was walking with Georgia, I went to put on music or a podcast but instead I paused. I remembered something I read recently. The concept is about how we don’t spend enough time in solitude these days. What the book, Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, spoke about was that many of us are experiencing solitude deprivation.

“Solitude deprivation: a state in which you spend zero time alone with your own thoughts and free from the input from other minds.”

Reflecting on this, instead of putting music or a podcast on, I walked in silence with Georgia, with my thoughts and with God; and it was a renewing experience.

I share this with you in case you too find yourself filling what would could be empty space with your music, podcasts, phones, etc. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we choose to give ourselves the gift of solitude during our days. May we not fill the empty spaces but leave them open, even if for a brief time, to be with God. May this time in silence renew our minds and remind us that the God is not shouting at us through the noise. Instead he often is whispering wisdom our way, if we only are quiet enough to hear it.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“Be transformed by the renewing of the mind.” - Romans 12:2

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"What Does Love Require Of Me?"

A beautiful way to start each day

With love,

Shawn

“God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” - 1 John 4:16

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Happy Summer!

First day of summer break for most of the George family

Any guesses what our day will consist of?

Many thanks to every school employee who helped make this school year a success for our kids! We are forever grateful.

Happy summer break!

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Beanz - Where You Belong

Yesterday I stopped by Beanz & Co. Café to meet up with a friend and to drop off some more A Place for Sam books.

If you don’t know Beanz, it’s a place “where everyone belongs.” Beanz was started by the new england pasta company owners Kim and Scott Morrison and their friends Noelle and Tim Alix. Both couples have daughters, Meg and Cate, who have Down’s syndrome. What the Morrison’s realized as Meg was approaching 21 is the lack of job opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). So they paired with the Alix’s and together they started this inclusive cafe where they hire people with IDD.

When you go to Beanz, you experience life as it should be, with everyone being accepted for who they are and treating one another with love, dignity and respect. I always leave there nourished by the people, the experience and the food.

For years now Beanz has carried A Place for Sam in their store where it’s placed next to their “Everyone Belongs” shirts and mugs. When I wrote Sam I was simply writing my story at a kid’s level hoping to remind kids that they have a place and a purpose and their puzzle piece matters What I didn’t know is how the story would resonate so well with families with a loved one with IDD. I feel truly blessed to be a part of the Beanz community and their mission to be a place where everyone belongs.

People have flown in from across the country to experience this beautiful inclusive community. I highly recommend you stop in for a visit to Beanz. It’s where you belong

With love and hope,

Shawn

Love your neighbor as yourself. - Mark 12:31

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Honor One Another

Some people want big celebrations for their birthdays and others want to remain behind the scenes with a simple recognition of the day being enough.

Yesterday was Gavin’s birthday.

Can you guess which one of the above he is?

To Gavin and all those like him,

know we want to shout from the roof tops to celebrate you because we love you so much.

Yet instead of doing what we want to do, we will do our best to honor your wishes, and celebrate you in the quiet way you wish...

...And for Gav, maybe take you to a Mets game

With love and joy,

Shawn

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. - Romans 12:10

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Beyond the Surface

Recently I had a touching conversation with a dear friend who has her oldest son graduating from High School next week. Listening to her talk and share was therapeutic for her, and for me.

She shared how she is looking back on what she has done, and what she didn’t do. She is looking forward to this new beginning for her son yet is processing how things will be different at home in this new season ahead for her. She shared the joy and sadness she is feeling all at once. She wasn’t trying to keep it together and allowed herself to be raw and real with me, owning where she was at so beautifully.

I share this with you today because sometimes when we are hurting or processing an experience, we can close up and not let others in. (I know this from my own experience). Yet what was refreshing to me as a friend was to be let in beyond the surface and really hear what’s on my friend’s heart.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember that all of us are processing something and we don’t need to do it alone. May we be willing to be vulnerable and share our hearts with those we know will hear them. And if we have a friend share their heart with us, may we give thanks for being a safe person for them to share and be fully present with them when they speak. May we recognize God placed us beside them to listen, love and support them in this time. Also, God may be using their story to speak to our hearts and renew our perspective, as this conversation with my friend did for me.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
- Galatians 6:2

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Selfless Service

Yesterday I was reflecting on how often we can be in the present and not think about the people before us who have contributed to the freedoms we get to experience today. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember and honor those who sacrificed their tomorrow’s while serving our country. Let’s look at their example of selfless service and honor their life today by choosing to live out love towards someone else. May whatever we choose to do benefit someone else, and not ourselves in any way- maybe it even costs us something (like our money, time, etc). Doing this isn’t even close to what these men and women gave yet can give us a sliver of the selfless perspective they chose to live, and die, with.

And when we pause to think about it, these people were examples of the selfless love of Jesus, who chose to live, and die, for you, and for me.

May that truth be planted into our hearts and minds as we give thanks for those who have come before us who have contributed to the freedoms we get to experience today, inside and out.

With gratitude, respect and hope,
Shawn
 

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
- John 15:13

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Thank you, Teachers

Dear Teachers and School Staff,

Where do I begin? I guess with a wholehearted thank you.

Thank you for choosing to show up for our kids in person and/or online.

Thank you for your dedication to our children and figuring things out, even though it was challenging and not what you signed up to do.

Thank you for being examples of courage, strength, and bravery for our kids.

Thank you for your patience with our children and with us, the parents, as we were all navigating the unknown beside you this year.

Thank you for the countless hours outside of your paid day that you have spent to make this year happen.

Thank you for the energy you put into our kids, even when you yourself may have been depleted.

Thank you for wearing a mask all day so our children could be in school with you and their friends.

Thank you for keeping up with the tedious task of cleaning your classroom when we didn’t know if that’s how the virus spread.

Thank you for understanding that what the kids are going through within is more important than the score on their paper and for doing your part to help them be well within.

Thank you for pairing with us everyday to raise our children and help them grow into who they were made to be.

Thank you for you perseverance to see this year through.

Thank you for your selfless service to our children and our community. Not everyone was made to do the work you do, and you do it so well.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for all you have done this year, and all you do every year.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Shawn

"They may forget what you said but they will not forget how you made them feel." - Carl Buechner

“May God bless you and take care of you, May God smile on you and be gracious to you; may God look on you with favor and give you peace.”

- Numbers 6:24-26

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