A New Adventure

Kate is no longer only a passenger, she got her license today!

…and I am having a mom moment.

From the day our kids are born, we are driving them everywhere they need to go. The time spent with the kids in the car starts with singing the ABC’s and 123’s. Some days they are content as we ride along and other days we wish the crying would just stop and they’d fall asleep. We drive them them to and from the library, play dates, pre-school and more.

Then they get bigger and though the places we take them may change, our kids are our constant companions for the ride. Yes, sometimes our kids are loud and they often leave a mess. Yet there’s a day when we realize that the sound of their voices is music to our soul, and we’ll miss it when we don’t get to hear it.

Once they are big enough they graduate to sit beside us rather than behind us. Some of them share their hearts with us on those drives, others sit quietly beside us and most of them prefer to be the djs on those drives.

We drive them to and from each activity, sometimes it’s early in the morning, other times it’s late at night. And many of the drives with them are in those hours in between. Some days, and seasons, it feels like driving them from place to place will never end.

And then a day like today happens.

We find ourselves jumping up and down with joy for them as they get their license. Then when reality sets in, as it is for me right now, and the flashbacks to all those sweet moments in the car flash through our head, we will see clearly how precious all those moments were with them behind us, and beside us, in the car.

I know we will still get sweet moments together, yet the truth that’s hitting me today is how those moments in the car will grow fewer in number over time.

Then I look up.

I see the joy in my girl’s face. I witness her wings growing a little bigger and wider, as they are meant to.

I find myself pausing to thank God for what was, for what is, and for what is to come.

To Kate, and all the other kids growing in their independence, , make wise choices, take care of yourself and others out there, and know there are circles of people who care about you wrapping you in love and prayer daily.

Now is your time to go and explore. Know God is with you wherever you go.

We can’t wait to hear your stories when you get home

Be strong and courageous do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Look Up Child

One day I was walking on a trail with my youngest, Matt, and a couple of my friends and their kids. As we walked along, Matt and I were pushing our feet through the abundance of leaves that had fallen to the ground. He and I were talking about how we didn’t like the withering leaves on the ground. We preferred them when they were vibrant on the trees above. We carried on the conversation for a couple of minutes with our heads down as our feet continued to rustle their way through the crunchy, dead leaves.

In a break in our conversation I heard one of my friends say in amazement, “look at what we’d miss if we forgot to look up!”

My friend’s words caught my attention as I realized I had been walking with my head down focused on the dead leaves on the ground. I had forgotten to look up.

What had we been missing?

When I looked up, what I saw amazed me.

The sky was a beautiful blue. The magnificent sunlight was breaking through the towering trees, illuminating all below. The light enhanced the leaves array of colors. Everything above was bright, brilliant and beautiful. What a difference to what Matt and I had been focused on.

When we continued walking this moment made me reflect on how in my life I can often be “looking down,” focused on the struggle in front of me. Whether it be a mundane struggle like getting laundry done, a parenting struggle, or a life struggle I’ve had to walk through such as anxiety, depression or cancer, I find I easily can fixate on the struggle, like Matt and I were focusing on the dead leaves.

Yet that isn’t what God wants for me, or for you. He doesn’t want our eyes to be focused on our struggles. He wants our eyes to be fixed on Him, His light, His Word and His Truth. Doing this doesn’t mean we won’t have struggles but if we are looking to Him, then we have lifted our eyes from the struggles to where our help comes from; God.

When my thoughts remain focused on a struggle, I can find myself growing heavy hearted. Yet when I choose to lift my eyes from the struggle and instead choose to look to God, it’s like His wisdom and Truth are the sunlight breaking through the trees shining a light on my heart and mind.

I share this with you today because I know I am not the only one who has struggles. If you too find that your thoughts, and conversations, can fixate on your struggles and you forget to look up from them, like I did the leaves on the ground, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember to look up. To look to God who will help us through the day, no matter the struggle. May we recognize that when we focus too much on our struggles, we may miss out on the beauty God has for us in this day. Every day, may we purposefully, and physically, turn our heads and our eyes up towards God to remember He is with us and wants to help us. He is the light that will shine into the darkness of our struggles. He is the love that lightens the heavy and will help us experience the fullness of the day, even in the midst of our struggles. He is the one who can take a moment on a walk with my son to help me see more clearly, and I know He can do the same for you too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. - Psalm 121

Amazing Grace

While working on the ropes course with another group of kids recently we were circling up to do the next activity. A bunch of kids were side by side and another kid was trying to get into the circle. I watched as the kids in the circle were not letting the other kid in. After giving them space to do it on their own, I said, “extend some grace and make room for him to join us.”

As the kids made room for the boy, the kid to my right looked at me, and with sincerity asked, “what is grace?”

It was a beautiful moment to share with this boy how grace is extending favor, or kindness, to someone not because they deserve it, but simple because we get to. He looked and me and simply said, “okay.”

I share this with you today to invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember, and give thanks for, the amazing grace God extends to us daily. Also, may we remember we have the opportunity to extend grace to others throughout our days to shine a light of God’s love into other’s hearts, while filling our own in the process. And I hope you’ll join me in praying that this brief conversation with this boy is a seed planted in his heart and that he experiences God’s amazing grace, and shares that gift of grace with others too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

I once was lost, but now I'm found, Was blind but now I see - Amazing Grace

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

The Other Side of Fear

The other day I was helping out at a ropes course. There was a girl who wanted to do the high elements but was also terrified to do it. We encourage the kids that each challenge is a choice. As this girl stood at the bottom of the cargo net to climb up to the high elements I reminded her she could go now, later or not at all, the choice was hers. With tears in her eyes she started climbing. She climbed and climbed and climbed. By the time she got to the top she was in tears, hesitant to climb onto the platform. She paused for a while but eventually got onto the platform where she stood shaking. The instructor beside her once again offered her options, to come down or to do the high elements. She didn’t decide right away but stayed up there watching others do the high elements. In time, she did choose to do the high elements on the course. I couldn’t help but get choked up as I watched this girl conquer fear.

When she came down I smile and asked her, “how does it feel to be on the other side of fear?” She smiled and laughed saying, “great!” Then she floated away with her friends, light like a feather with all the burden of fear having been released.

I share this story with you because the reality is, we are all that girl in some way. Maybe our fear isn’t a climb up a cargo net to high elements. Whatever the fear is that we are staring, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we not allow fear to rule our hearts. May we trust that God is with us as we step towards what we fear and will give us the strength and courage we need to move through it and forwards. When we get to the other side of the fear, no matter how long that takes, I pray we too are transformed and feeling lighter, just as that courageous girl did the other day on the ropes course.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Do strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go - Joshua 1:9

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts - Colossians 3:15

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Stop Trying to Keep Up

I am not great at keeping up with trends on the internet, laundry, emails, texts, and many other things in life. And the truth be told, even on our family hikes I don’t always keep up with these three. Yet I don’t believe we are meant to try and keep up in life. It’s like chasing the wind; something you can never fully grasp. Instead of trying to keep up with everything and everyone, maybe we are meant to let go of that mentality, and instead choose to be present where our feet are.

If you too have felt like you aren’t keeping up in life in some way, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we stop trying to keep up with the unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves, or others put on us. Instead may we practice being present where are feet are, step by step throughout our day. For when we are able to put this truth into practice, we may find we stop chasing the wind and instead start experiencing life.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls chasing the wind. - Ecclesiastes 4:6

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Listen to One Another

I always find crosses in nature but a friend of mine always finds the hearts. Recently I went to cut down this hydrangea from our front yard, and from this angle, it looked like a heart.

What I loved about this moment is that I was reminded that hearing one another matters. Being able to hear someone else’s story can open our eyes, ears and minds, to see, hear and think from a different perspective. And different doesn’t have to mean wrong or bad. Instead it is simply considering viewing things from a new angle that we are used to seeing things from.

I share this today as a reminder to myself, and for you in case you need it too, that we take the time to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we be quick to listen to others, and slow to speak. May we remember there is something we can learn from everyone. In this world that has amplified the importance of being heard, over listening to one another, I encourage us to enter each day with ears to listen. When we choose to hear one another, even though it may not completely change our perspective and what we see, it may open our eyes, ears and minds in ways we hadn’t seen before, like when I saw this heart in nature.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger - James 1:19

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Pour In Before You Pour Out

Before we pour into others, it’s important we make the time to fill ourselves up.

If you struggle with this at times as I do, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we make the time to fill up on God’s truth, love and wisdom each day. For when we do, it doesn’t just help us, but it benefits those around us too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. - Romans 5:5

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

It's What's On the Inside

Yesterday we went for a family hike. Matt always enjoys exploring beyond the marked path. We paused so he could do this small climb. As he started I said, “Matt, be careful on the moss, it’s slippery and your shoes don’t have great grip.”

He responded, “It’s not about the shoes, Mom, but the person wearing them that matters.”

With that said, all I could do was step back, agree and watch him climb on.

I share this with you in case you too find yourself on uncertain ground. May we take the time to…

pause. breathe. pray.

And remind ourselves, as Matt reminded me, it’s about who God made us to be that matters, and He will equip us from the inside out with what we need for the path ahead. Yes, sometimes what’s on the outside can help us but the truth is, what’s happening in our hearts and minds matters most. So I pray for you, and me, that we take time to be still with God, are reminded of who He made us to be, and we move ahead with confidence on our journey, as Matt did on our hike yesterday.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

- Jeremiah 17:7

ACC UNITY

Every year our ACC family comes together across the world on one night and shines light into the darkness. We do this in solidarity to shine a light in remembrance of every ACC brother and sister we’ve lost, in honor of each ACC family member in the fight, for every caregiver who stands/has stood beside us, and to celebrate those who are NED, no evidence of disease.

Tonight is the night we shine the light in unity across the world.

I share this with you in case you want to join us. I invite you to join us to…

pause. breathe. pray.

In this world where this much division, it’s always beautiful to shine a light on what can unite us. If you choose to join us, send me a pic of how you light up the world tonight, and I’ll share it with our ACC family so they can see your love and support. Thanks for considering shining a light into the darkness with us

With love and hope,

Shawn

PS For those who are newer here, ACC stands for Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare salivary gland cancer.

Step of Faith

School started this week but I decided not to go back to teach this year as I had anticipated to. The details are not just mine to share so therefore I won’t be sharing.

One truth I have learned in life is that “we make our plans but God directs (and redirects)our steps.” I am following where He is leading and am trusting He will lead me well, as He always does.

The other night at dinner we were around the table and I had mentioned that I was processing this change of direction. The next thing I knew is Matt placed this pencil and pad next to me. He said, “you always say writing is your therapy. Here you go, Mom, write.”

Ugh, I love this kid’s heart and that he reflected the truth to me that writing is my therapy. It is my way to process life. I often share some of what I write with others as I trust that whatever lessons I am learning God will use to help someone else too.

So today I wish well to all who are back, or who are heading back, to school. I will be taking time to sit with God, follow where He leads, and I’ll be writing as my therapy.

I share this in case you too find yourself being redirected, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember that God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways higher than our ways. May we take a step of faith to follow Him and trust where He leads. And may we remember God can make good of all things, including a change in direction.

Here is to new beginnings

With love and hope,

Shawn

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We make our plans, God directs our steps. - Proverbs 16:9