Our Story Magazine Winter 2021 Issue

As it is with life, one day one can have a heavy heart and another day a joyful one. Well friends, today there is joy in my heart as I get to announce a new project I am excited and honored to be a part of.

Our Story Magazine is a brand new, faith based magazine designed to bring you hope and inspiration in the different seasons of your life.

This magazine is filled with words, pictures, poems, recipes and more that will nourish your mind and soul. I am so grateful to have been asked to contribute and have a pause. breathe. pray. section!

If you are looking for a special gift to give to a loved one, or need a small gift to add to your own list, consider getting a digital or print copy of Our Story Magazine!

To celebrate this joyful occasion, I’d love to give two copies away to two of you. If you are interested in being put in the raffle, put a heart in the comments of this post by this Tuesday night. I will post in these comments on Wednesday who won the two free copies.

Thanks for celebrating this exciting day with me and if you choose to, sharing these words of hope and inspiration with others!

With joy and hope,

Shawn

To order a copy of Our Story Magazine visit:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MJW8ZCS?ie=UTF8...

To learn more about Our Story Magazine, visit: https://www.ourstorymagazine.com

Faith Over Fear

Yesterday was a rough day for me. I often hesitate to share this side of my story. I am choosing to share this today so others know they aren’t alone and to raise awareness of the reality of what being a cancer survivor can be like.

The other day I noticed something looked off on the side of my tongue in the back. I compared it to the other side and they looked different. The rational side of me said it’s probably nothing but my anxious mind grew louder than the logic and my thoughts started to snowball…

Oh my goodness, what if it’s back?

I made an appointment with my dentist to be diligent and get eyes on it that would be able to tell me the truth. I had my appointment yesterday. After my dentist looked at my tongue he thought it was best that I go to an oral surgeon to have it checked out. Thankfully I was able to get in with a local oral surgeon yesterday afternoon.

As I waited for those couple hours in between appointments I prayed a little but my anxious thoughts hijacked my mind.

What if it is back? And in my tongue? Will I be able to talk? Will I be able to teach?

Relax, God’s with you and will help you no matter the outcome.

But what if it is back will I be around to see my kids graduate from High School? College?

And on and on the layers of questions came flooding in more than the prayers.

Tears fell from my eyes as I sat there with the oral surgeon and he confirmed that all was well and no biopsy was needed.

Words can’t describe the relief I felt.

I know what it feels like for my faith to be bigger than my fear. It wasn’t yesterday. I pray for the fear of a recurrence to go away. I pray that my trust in God, and His peace, rule my heart and mind everyday. It’s easier said than done, yet I know it’s possible with God’s help.

Please know I don’t share this for sympathy. I share this in case you are a cancer survivor and have had these moments too. Please know you aren’t alone. And for those who have a loved one who is a cancer survivor please know that the fear of a recurrence is real for many of us.

They say the fear passes eventually. I pray it does for any of you, and for me.

In the meantime, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we be diligent about our health yet may the fear of a recurrence not rule our hearts. May we give God the fear today (and as often as needed) and chose to put our energy into trusting God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. For when we allow our trust in God to be greater than the fear we will live more freely in each beautiful day we’ve been given.

With love and hope,

Shawn

-Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust in me also. - John 14:1

Pause and Look Around

Today I drove my typical route from work to get Gav at school. On the way I turned my head to the left and saw this beautiful, open field.

I have driven this route almost daily since September and I had never noticed this field.

It made me pause to realize that I am often on my way to where I am going but am not fully present where I am.

When Gav got in the car I told him the story. His response to me was “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Cleverly quoting Ferris Bueller.

I share this with you in case you too find yourself on the go, moving fast and missing what’s around you. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we consider these wise words. Even though life moves fast it doesn’t mean our minds need to. May we do our best to stop and look around where we are so we don’t miss the beauty, or wisdom, around us.

With love and hope,

Shawn

The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

- Matthew 6:22

Let's Have More Experiences Than Excuses

Dedicated to the tradition, even in the rain

This morning we admittedly had a moment where we thought about postponing getting our tree today due to the rain. Yet we unanimously decided to go.

When I pause to think about my hesitancy, I saw how it’s so easy it is for me to come up with an excuse to not do something rather than equip myself to go and do it.

Can you relate to being this way at times in life? If so, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

Everyday there are experiences God has waiting for us. May we pray to be equipped for the experiences instead of making up excuses. For at the end of the day when we choose to lay down the excuses we often find ourselves grateful for the experiences, as our family will tonight.

With love and hope,

Shawn

PS Local friends, if you don’t have a place you go cut trees down at, visit @holidayfarmct in New Hartford. We go every year and have never left disappointed

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

- Psalm 95:2

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

There are so many people and things to be grateful for. One thing I am grateful for is being able to get together with my family this past weekend after not all being together for 2 1/2 years.

Time is the best gift we can give one another. May we give thanks for - and treasure - our times together.

With gratitude and hope,

Shawn

Let's Be the Difference

What a difference this would make in the hearts of others - and in our own hearts

With love and hope,

Shawn

As I have loved you, so you must love one another. - John 13:34

Gym Life Lesson #7: Be A Builder

This week in PE I played a game called builders and bulldozers with my younger students. You set up cones all over the gym and divide the class in half. One half the class are the builders and the other half of the class are the bulldozers. The bulldozers knock the cones over while the builders stand them up. They get to switch roles during the game. The kids love to play this game - and especially love being the bulldozers.

Yet the end of class when we talk about being builders and bulldozers in life with our words, unanimously the kids said they prefer to be a builder and have others be builders towards them with their words.

Can you relate? If so, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we recognize the power of our words towards ourselves and others. May we use our words to build others up and not tear others down. May we choose to be builders and not bulldozers to help build each other up into the people God made us to be.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“Hold firmly to the word of life..”

- Philippians 2:16

True Rest

Happy Friday, friends!

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we experience true rest within this weekend

With love and hope,

Shawn

Listen to Each Other's Stories

This is my Grandpa who was a WWII veteran. I loved hearing his stories from his time in the Navy. One in particular captured my heart.

My Grandpa was a Navy airman. Early into his time in the Navy he lost a fellow airman. He traveled on a train to Maine with the casket to bring his fellow sailor home.

My Grandpa was only 18 and the his fellow sailor was around the same age.

I share this with you today because our veterans have stories to tell, many of which would be hard for us to hear, yet it is their reality.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we give thanks for the selfless service of veterans, and all who serve our country. Whether we hear their stories or not, may we understand they have taken to the sky, the sea, and the land to defend the freedoms we get to have today. May we have compassionate hearts towards our veterans for the visible or invisible wounds they carry with them.

Listening to each other’s stories matters. May we be sure to take the time to listen, as there is so much we can learn.

With gratitude and hope,

Shawn

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

- Galatians 15:13

Gym Life Lesson #6

The other day in my PE class the kids were playing a dribbling game. If their ball was knocked away from them while dribbling, they needed to go and make a shot at the basketball hoop to be able to come back into the dribbling game.

One girl who was trying to make a shot to get back into the game came over to me disheartened, with her head hung low and said, “I am ready to give up.” I came beside her and thanked her for letting me know she was discouraged. I gave her some tips to help her and stepped back to watch her try again.

She kept trying and trying yet I could see in her eyes and body language she was not believing she was able to make the shot.

When I walked back over to her she said, “I am really ready to give up.” I looked at her in the eyes and asked her to say, “I am able.”

She stood there in a quiet, yet confident voice and said, “I am able.” I encouraged her to try again.

She stepped towards the hoop, took a shot AND MADE IT! She was initially surprised she made the shot but then jumped up and down with excitement! Her friends and I joined in the celebration!

I share this with you today because we’ve all been at a point, like this girl, when we’ve met a challenge that feels impossible to overcome. If you can relate, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we learn from this courageous girl that a wise first step is to let someone into the struggle. May we invite God in and someone we know who will speak truth to us as an encouragement to help us. Sometimes we don’t even realize how harmful our own thoughts are. May we let God’s word and those of someone who cares about us help renew our thoughts and reminds us that God made us able to overcome the challenge before us, just like this girl did.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; Do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

- Joshua 1:9