1 Timothy 2:6

I’m back in therapy. Long story short is if I get a physical pain in my body I fear the cancer is back. I was good for many years yet this fear has woven its way in and is something I need to work through.

As I was doing my homework for therapy yesterday, at the end of my journal entry I wrote “I got through the day and didn’t give into the fear or the feelings.”

Fear is a real thing and God gave us feelings. These aren’t bad things yet how we engage with them matters. I have found in life when I allow fear or my feelings to lead me, they don’t consistently lead me well and in these circumstances, they often lead me to being in fight, flight or freezing.

Yesterday when I got the physical sensation in my body, my mind went to my now fearful thought pattern. I was out with Matt and I was ready to go home and just freeze the rest of the day. Yet instead I prayed for new thoughts to break the old thought pattern. I also chose to engage in a new behavior, which was to not allow myself to stay still and freeze. I talked myself into what was true and chose to do one errand at a time as I had planned.

It would have been easier for me to go home and freeze getting stuck in the negative thought cycle because that is now my habit. Yet I know that is not how I will heal or what I want my habits to be moving forward. Instead, I chose to do the harder thing; to acknowledge my unproductive thoughts, state new, true thoughts and kept going along with my day, not letting the fear hold me back.

As I reflect on this process, I am reminded that God did not give us a spirit of fear but a Spirit of power, love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:6).

In His strength, not my own, I was able to move through the challenging afternoon yesterday.

I know this will be a journey. I pray to turn towards what is true and allow God, Spirit and therapy help me get out of this unproductive cycle of thought I have been stuck in.

I share this today because I know I am not the only one who struggles with fear and unproductive thought patterns. If you can relate, invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May God open our eyes to where we are living in fear and what our unproductive thought patterns are. Let’s meet ourselves with love and compassion as He meets us. May we pray to see what tools we need beyond prayer to help us through the fear, and help us move away from old patterns/habits into new ones. May we have no shame or guilt about this process. Instead may we see it as a time to grow closer in relationship with God and to prune away what isn’t working so we can grow fuller into who God made us to be.

With love and hope,

Shawn

God did not give us a spirit of fear but a Spirit of power, love and self-control - 2 Timothy 1:6

Let's Go Slow

“Hey Mom, look at the sunrise.”

The sunrise was beautiful this morning but what was more beautiful to me was that my kid was going slow enough to notice and made sure I saw it too.

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

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we go slow enough today to keep our eyes and ears open to the beauty God has for us in this day.💕🙏🌅

With love and hope,
Shawn

From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised. - Psalm 113:3

The Lion and The Lamb

Recently our family took a walk together and along the path were some animals, including goats and sheep, and a little lamb.  I love the time with them enjoying the simple moments like this.

A few days after our walk I came across a picture of a lion and a lamb. With Easter on the horizon, for some reason that day the picture hit me in a way that seeing these two animals together hadn't hit me before. For the the first time I saw Jesus as the lamb and the lion. I knew that Jesus was both, lion and lamb, but I still thought of Him more as a lamb. When I would think of Him walking into Jerusalem, towards his fate on the cross I saw a lamb. On this day though I saw that it took the courage of a lion to get onto that donkey to go to Jerusalem. Yes, Jesus is gentle, innocent and pure as a lamb is and He did sacrifice His life for you and for me to have a relationship with God. But that isn't the whole story. Jesus is also strong and courageous like a lion to willingly come face to face with fear, public shaming, and death.

With my eyes opened now to this, it made me think about how we are to be both lamb and lion to. If we are called to be followers of Christ and be imitators of Him, then we are to be gentle, innocent and pure like the lamb while also being strong and courageous and willing to face hard things, like Jesus did.

As we sit with this truth of Jesus being both lion and lamb, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

Let's take a moment to ask ourselves, are we more lion or lamb naturally? For me I am more naturally a lamb and need to live more courageously like a lion these days.

How about you?

As we head towards Palm Sunday, may we take time to give thanks to Jesus for His strength and courage that day as He rode into Jerusalem. May we pray that we will follow His example and be a lamb when needed, and a lion when needed so that we are a reflection to others of His strong character, trusting that God is with us every step of the way, as Jesus did.

For more encouragement, LISTEN to this week's NEW EPISODE of the Pause. Breathe. Pray. ™ Podcast.  I pray these messages encourage you and you have a blessed day, friend.

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

Happy 18th Birthday to Kate!

🥳Happy 18th Birthday to Kate!🥳

When Kate was about 3, I remember sitting on the stoop outside a local donut shop with her. As we opened the bag with the donuts she said, “being content means just you and me and a couple of donuts.” (She was paraphrasing a line from a book we read “Cookies”)

In that moment my heart melted because she knew that being content wasn’t from anything more than experiencing a moment together on that stoop with her Mom (and yes, maybe the donuts too😉).

As she steps into this new season ahead, my prayer for her is that she will always remember that contentment within will never come from chasing the wind but from sitting in gratitude with God for the simple joys in life.

Yes, sometimes I still see that little girl and then my eyes are opened to this beautiful young woman in front of me.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” - Proverbs 31:25

I may not be ready for this next season but she is, and for that, I couldn’t be more thankful.

If you would join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

And consider taking a moment to pray over Kate, and all those entering this new season of being 18, I’d greatly appreciate it.

With joy, gratitude and hope,
Shawn

💌For more encouragement, listen to this week’s Pause. Breathe. Pray.™ podcast HERE💌

A New Path

Yesterday Georgia and I walked on a different trail than usual. As we walked I grew an appreciation for the new perspective that came with choosing a new path. New sights, new sounds, and for Georgia, new smells.

I don’t know about you but I have habits and routines that I love, yet sometimes I remain in them so rigidly, I forget to be fluid and allow God to lead my steps.

I am sharing this with you today in case you can relate. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Yes, routines are good and give structure to our day yet if we are stuck in our routines, than we may be holding ourselves back from experiencing what God has for us. I see that God is doing something new with me by having me change up my routines, even something as simple as walking a new trail yesterday. Let’s make time to pray about our routines and ask God to help us let go of our rigidity and trust the path He leads us on. If we find ourselves on a new path may we open our eyes, ears and hearts to what He is doing, like I am thankful I was able to do on my walk with Georgia yesterday.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

- Isaiah 43:18-19

💌For more encouragement, listen to this week’s Live from the Inside Out™ podcast HERE💌

Brokenness can be an opportunity for something new to grow.

Music is a saving grace for me. Lyrics capture my heart and help me keep my eyes and ears fixed on God which helps me renew my thoughts…in time.

Yesterday I was so tangled in a web of unwanted thoughts I played, “I surrender all” on repeat on my walk to help me give God the reigns to guide my thoughts, and steps.

By the grace of God I experienced a renewal in my thoughts by the days end- years ago I may have been down for months.

Then this morning I heard a song that’s been on for a while and every time I hear a line in it, it captures my heart. The line is…

“I push like a daisy through old sidewalk cracks.” - @laineywilson

This line reminds me that it’s okay to be broken. Yet being broken doesn’t mean something is wrong with us. Brokenness can be an opportunity for something new to grow. When we give our brokenness to God, He can use it, and redeem it, like He does when we see that daisy growing in sidewalk cracks.

I am sharing this with you today as a reminder for the moments, days and seasons we feel broken. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray. ™

May we stop trying to be whole and always in control. May we be willing to admit where we feel broken. Admitting this isn’t a weakness but a strength. Let’s invite God into our broken places and ask Him to renew us, and watch as He grows something new out of the brokenness…in time.

With love and hope,
Shawn

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

💌For more encouragement, listen to this week’s Live from the Inside Out™ podcast HERE💌

Do you Ever Experience Negative Self Talk? Me too...

This morning I woke up filled with negative self talk. If you’re someone who doesn’t deal with this, I am so grateful. Yet negative self talk is something that is very natural for me. Thankfully it isn’t as often as it used to be but when it starts it can be like a snowball rolling down a hill that grows and grows. Outwardly I am sincere when encouraging others but I don’t always talk that way to myself.

Can you relate?

Starting off my day like this was not what I planned nor wanted. It takes little effort to stay in the cycle of negative thoughts, yet takes every ounce of energy to fight off these negative words.

In case you too have moments like this I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray. ™

Remember, not every thought we have is true. Let’s not allow lies to take us down for the day. Let’s do our best to do things that nourish our mind, body and soul and be prayerful for God to renew our minds. Let’s move our bodies instead of staying still. Let’s choose to put messages in our eyes and ears that will help us shift our thoughts away from these lies and back to what is true, and who God tells us we are. Let’s choose to avoid looking at or listening to things that may add fuel to the fire (ie social media). Instead, let’s open up to a loved one and let them know where we are so that they can help us speak truth to ourselves and pray for us.

I know this isn’t easy. Yet I know it’s possible to shift our thoughts, because I have experienced it myself. I am praying if you’re there, you experience a shift too.

Let’s be willing to fight for God’s truth to be what our thoughts are rooted in so that the lies don’t take over.

Why?

Because we were made to be light and love, not darkness and self-loathing. So let’s fight for truth to rule our minds, and always know you’re never alone in the battle. Others go through this too, and God is always with us to help us through💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

PS please note, if negative talk is a regular thing, be sure to contact your doctor to see what other tools may be helpful🙏

💌For more encouragement, listen to this week’s Live from the Inside Out™ podcast HERE💌

A Season of Change

Yesterday Stephen and I went on a walk with Matty, today we did college tours with Gav and I realized this week in six months Kate will be at college. We are entering a season of change and I want to say I am fully trusting God yet the reality is, I’m still holding on a bit rather than letting go and trusting God with this new season ahead.

I have such gratitude to be here to experience these moments beside them, but to be honest, I am beginning to process how our family of five is changing, from all being together, to Kate and Gavin soon branching out on their own.

The other morning I read something powerful and it is truly helping me shift my mindset about the future. What I read was…

“The praise for past gratitude is sweet, but even sweeter is the praise of full confidence that all will be well.” - C.H.Spurgeon

Rather than thinking about what is to come with sadness and uncertainty, this quote is making me take a 180 and give thanks for what is to come, without knowing what the future holds.

With God, all will be well. This doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps in the road, yet He can redeem the bumps and use them as stepping stones on our paths.

So if you too get uncertain about the future or are also in a season of change, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we look to God as a filter to see the future through. For when we do this, even though we don’t know what the future holds, God knows. Therefore rather than resisting what’s ahead, let’s give thanks for what is to come, trusting that all will be well, with Him by our side.

With love and hope,
Shawn

💌For more encouragement, listen to this week’s Live from the Inside Out™ podcast HERE💌

An unexpected treat!

I received this unexpected letter from an elementary school class. On Friday I had the opportunity to visit their classroom💝 What a treat!

If you are an elementary school teacher, para or staff member, DM me so we can find a way to encourage your school community and remind each person that their puzzle piece matters!💕🙏🧩

With gratitude and hope,
Shawn
💌For more encouragement, listen to this week’s Live from the Inside Out™ podcast HERE💌

SIGN UP TO JOIN THE LIVE FROM THE INSIDE OUT™ EMAIL COMMUNITY

SIGN UP 3

Principles for Life

Something you may not know about me is that I love to coach youth sports. This season I coached Matt’s basketball team and this past weekend the team got their first win in their last game! It was exciting and I am so proud of the boys, but it wasn’t about the win, it was about the progress they made this season, as individuals and as a team.

Everyone that knows me well knows I am a competitor at heart. Yet as a coach, I know there are more important things to teach the kids than to just aim for the win. Every time we have the opportunity to work with a child - or anyone for that matter - is a chance to build the person up, from the inside out. So at the start of the season I make sure the team knows that we are there to build them up first as people, then as players, and then as a team. To help us accomplish this, we also established five principles for the team to build their season on.

1. Be your personal best.

2. Build each other up with your words and actions.

3. Do the small things consistently to make the big things happen.

4. Have a W.I.N.ners mentality (so that when they make a mistake rather than dwelling on it they instead ask the question, W.I.N. - What Is Next?)

5. Have fun!

These principles we teach these kids aren’t just for the court but are useful tools to live out off the court as well. You see, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what their record is because that doesn’t determine their worth. But who they become by the end of the season, that is what coaching is all about.

And these boys demonstrated growth this season, as people, as players, and they grew in unity as a team and it was awesome to watch! In each practice and game they stepped more and more into their potential and to finish the season on a make with a win was the cherry on top.

I share this with you today because I am so excited for, and proud of, these boys! And also, because having a firm foundation of principles to build our teams, or lives on, is essential.

And that is what a life of faith is all about.

It is about taking God’s Word and placing it as the foundation of our lives. It is about the principles God teaches us in His word and living them out towards ourselves, and others. Like our team, we will see progress 

when we take God’s principles and put them into practice in our lives.

With that said, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Let’s take a moment to answer a couple questions honestly:

• What is the “win” we are aiming for in life?

• Are we more focused on that “win” than on God’s Word and living out His the principles?

• List 2-3 principles from scripture that we will focus on putting into practice consistently (for example one of mine is to love God and love my neighbor as myself)

May answering these questions help us establish a firm foundation to build our lives on, just as these boys built their season on these principles, and eventually got their “win.”

With love and hope, 

Shawn

💌For more encouragement, listen to this week’s Live from the Inside Out™ podcast HERE💌

SIGN UP TO JOIN THE LIVE FROM THE INSIDE OUT™ EMAIL COMMUNITY

SIGN UP