He Sees the Whole Picture

Recently my niece was in town and she told me she always wanted to try to embroider. I had always wanted to try as well so we spent one morning together sitting across from one another stitching, and it was lovely.

This project has been a work in progress for the two of us since, and we keep checking in with one another. Last night, I was finally able to send my niece my completed piece.

As I looked at it, I was reminded of something someone told me years ago. Life is like a tapestry, we see the back side of it, with all the threads messy and entangled. Yet God sees the front side, the picture beauitfully woven together.

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

pause. breathe. pray.™

Whatever is on our hearts today that have us feeling messy and entangled within, may we bring it to God. May we be reminded that we don’t always see the whole picture like He does, and may we trust He is weaving something beautiful together on the other side.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

Choose to Do What You Can

(Cousins playing football at Thanksgiving)

The other night I overwhelmed with a couple of things I needed to complete that were time sensitive. Sensing my tension Matt came into the kitchen where I was working and said, “Mom, I’ll make dinner for you.” I thought he was joking but he wasn’t. He got right to work, and made the family a delicious meal.

I don’t share this to boast about Matt but more so to share what he taught me; if you see a need and your able to meet it, meet it.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we keep our eyes and ears open to the needs that are around us, at home and beyond. If it is in our ability to meet a need, let’s choose to meet it. I know sometimes there are so many needs that it can paralyze us from doing anything, or we think someone else will do it. Let’s make the choice to do at least one thing over nothing. For when we do, we will experience an inexplicable joy in our heart for choosing to help someone else just because we could, without the expectation of getting anything in return, like Matt.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. - 1 John 3:18

Recognize the Helpers, and Be One Too

(Cousins playing football at Thanksgiving)

This weekend I was watching a football game. There was a punt return where the player ran 70-yards for a touchdown. As the players celebrated in the end zone, all I could think about were the two players who made great blocks that helped the player get to the end zone. They did what they were able to do to help their teammate, and team.

I started thinking about my life, and if getting to the end of each day was my end zone, how many people help me throughout the day? From my family helping around the house, school staff with my kids, the admin assistant at the doctor’s offices, the cashier at the store, the mailman, my family and friends, etc. Throughout our day, there are many people who are helping us, in small or large ways. Are we aware of their help along the way, and if so, do we take the time to acknowledge their contribution?

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

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we be intentional and directional to see the people God placed beside us each day to help us. May we not only see them, but recognize their help with a smile, a thank you, a note, or engage in a conversation with them. When we live this way, we are choosing to live not just for ourselves, but for others, which is what we are called to do. And like the player who did what he was called to do on the football field to help his teammate, may we live as we are called to by letting others know they are seen and appreciated. May we not only be seeking those helping us along the way, may be also be a helper to others too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Love others the way I have loved you. - John 15:12

Live with Integrity

A part of myself I don’t discuss much is my love for being active. After my prayer time in the morning, I go to the basement to exercise. In each video I watch, there is an instructor, and beside the instructor there are always a few other people. One of them is a modifier, and another one is a person who intensifies the exercises. These options are provided we can follow the person who will best meet us, and lead us, where we are physically.

I am someone who loves to challenge myself in my workouts and for the majority of my life have tried to follow the person who intensifies the exericises. Yet something I have had to learn about myself is that even though I may be able to intensify my workouts, often when I do, I lose the integrity of my form; which has contributed to injuries over the years. The past couple of months, I have chosen to be honest with myself about what I really need, and that is to go at a pace in the workout where I can maintain integrity in my form. When I teach classes I say this, but the reality is, I haven’t always practiced this.

It is not easy for me to know I can do more and not do it. I am learning that just because I can do something, does not mean it is beneficial for me to do.

I share this with you today, because often in our lives, we are presented with various options or paths to take, offline or online. Some lead us to having greater integrity, and others lead us away from living with integrity. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Just because we are able to do things does not mean it is beneficial for us to do.  May we pray and ask God to take away any pride in us that is in our way from seeing the wisest path for us. May we choose to humble ourselves to the reality of what we really need to do, and then choose the path that will lead us to living with greater integrity. When we do this, as I have done in my workouts more recently, it will not only benefit us now, but will benefit our future selves too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely. - Proverbs 10:9

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few weeks ago I went to purchase makeup. The person helping me was very nice. As we were talking he said, "I can help you fix that if you'd like," while pointing to my cheek.

What he was pointing at is what many think is a dimple on my cheek, but when you are close enough to my face, as he was, you can see it is not a dimple but a wrinkled indentation in my cheek that was caused by radiation treatments. Without disclosing my whole story, I told him, "No, thank you. This is a memory mark that is not something I plan on trying to cover up or fix."

In a world that tells us not to have wrinkles, why do I not want to hide mine?

This visible scar is a reminder to me of God's love for me. God has been there for me in the darkest moments of my life, including when I was walking with cancer. I have never felt as close to God, or life, as I did during that season of my life. I don't want to hide my scars but instead I pray that when I see my scars, that they will always be a reminder to me to thank God for helping me through those times in every way, and that they also are a reminder to me that He is here to help me through today too.

I share this with you today, during this week of thanksgiving, to invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

This week, with all we are giving thanks for, may we also consider giving thanks for the tough times in our lives that brought us closer to God, which may include our scars. And if this is a challenging ask of you, please know I want to honor where you are. Instead of looking at our tough times, may we consider looking to Jesus and the cross, and choose to be thankful for His scars, that show us His deep love for us.

Whatever we choose to give thanks for this week, may we remember that we are seen, heard and loved by our wonderful God who is beside us today, and always, through the good times and the bad - and everything in between. And that is truly something to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

With love and hope,

Shawn

Enter his gates with thanksgiving & his courts with praise. - Psalm 100:4

Walk in Love

Recently I saw this cute creation by the coffee pot. It made my heart smile to see this little gift Matt made for Stephen.

May we remember the little acts of love often are what make the biggest impact.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

One of the greatest humans needs is to know you’re loved. May we choose to live out love towards someone today, without excepting anything in return. May we pray the heart of the recipient knows they are seen and loved. And may we experience that inexplicable joy that comes when we purposefully choose to live out love, as Matt did when he gifted Stephen this Lego coffee maker he made.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Live a life of love. Love others just as Christ loved us. - Ephesians 5:2

The Intersection of Joy and Sorrow

Today was one of those days where I know someone experiencing a day filled with pure joy while at the same time I know someone experiencing unimaginable sorrow.

Last year I shared my heart with a wise friend on a day like today. What my friend shared with me that day will stay with me forever. I am sharing his wise words with you today in case what he shared may help you, as they have helped me.

What he said to me that day is, “what you are describing is the cross; the intersection of where joy and sorrow meet.”

Let me pause for a moment.

I know a number of years ago I would have said, “what?!” In my head and then just nodded my head politely to someone saying something like that to me. So please know I completely get it if that’s what you want to do right now. And some of you may be nodding your head in complete agreement with that statement. Wherever you are on your faith walk, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

What my wise friend was sharing is that the cross, where Jesus died, is where joy and sorrow intersect. In the moment Jesus died, there was great sorrow for his death yet that same moment was also filled with immeasurable joy for his selfless sacrifice for you, and me; life.

When I have a day like today, I now look to the cross. For at the cross, I see that Jesus gave us a gift; the knowing that days like today would exist, and that joy and sorrow will have to exist together for us to truly experience the fullness of life.

With love and hope,

Shawn

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. - John 10:10

Help Bridge the Gap

On one of my last days on the ropes course this season, there was a group of kids who were really challenged to work together. Their first task was to come up with a team name. Some students in the group built walls instead of bridges with their classmates, digging their feet into the ground and not opening their ears to hear what their classmates were saying.

After giving them time to try and work it out on their own, I found myself saying to them, “you may not always agree, but try to find a common thread so you can work together towards your goal.”

After the words came out of my mouth I realized how these kids were showing on a small scale what the world is looking like more and more these days; people closing their ears to listen to those who think differently than them and the unwillingness to seek the common thread which will help us work together.

With the week ahead, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we choose to be the ones who listen to others, who are willing to help bridge the gap and choose to find the common thread we have with others, even if we aren’t in full agreement with them on everything.

Our kids are watching.

May we teach them what it looks like to be able to listen to those who have different views, respectfully disagree with others, and how to be a bridge that helps close the gap so we can come together with others, and work towards a common goal.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Matthew 22:39

Gratitude For Each Season

This morning I looked out back and saw the bare trees. It was beautiful to see the sun peaking through them. I had a moment of appreciation for all those moments this fall I’ve paused to look at the beautiful changing scenery and that I didn’t just wake up to the bare trees this morning.

The reality is, I haven’t always noticed the autum leaves changing. I often would look up one day, see the bare trees and think, “I didn’t even notice the leaves changing, and now they’re gone.” Life can be so busy and rushed, and I can even be distracted by my own thoughts, that I forget to look up and appreciate what is around me. And this isn’t just true about the scenery.

Life has taught me how precious our time here is. It’s an imperfect practice but I am prayerful that I remember to notice the gifts God has surrounded me with everyday, from the people beside me to the scenery around me.

If you too have felt like seasons, in the year or in life, are passing you by, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we take a moment to be present where we our feet are. May we look at the scenery around us, and take a look at the people who are beside us; whether we are at home, at work, or wherever we are. May we pray that with God’s help, we can go slower, if not in body, in mind so we are able to grow in our ability to be present with who we are with, and where we are. So when the seasons change, we don’t look back in regret, but instead look back with gratitude for being able to be present in that season.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Trust Where God Leads

On the way home from soccer tonight, Matt and I were driving along a winding road in town. It was getting dark and this winding road narrows a couple times over two small bridges. Even when I go over the bridges in the daytime with another car, I am cautious. So when I went over the bridges at dusk tonight, I was extra cautious as I passed a car coming from the other direction.

As I continued along I thought of Matt in the backseat. He was just chilling out, with no concern of the twists and turns or narrowing of the road. I loved the thought of how he rests while being driven around. He is able to rest because he trusts whoever is driving will get him where they are going.

This thought made me pause and think of God. In life He is the driver and we are the passengers. Rather than always trusting and resting where God is taking me, I am often the backseat driver with my eyes on the road trying to direct God, like I know better.

If you can relate, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we own our desire for control yet in the next breathe exhale and give control back to God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than ours ways. In this ride of life, may we follow Matt’s example, and trust where God is taking us and that He will help guide us through the twists and turns along the way, so we too can have rest for our souls.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8-9

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