Insights from our family adventure

Banff and Glacier were beyond our expectations💚 We’ve been wanting to go for years and finally made it happen!

I have so many insights from our family adventure. Here are a few I pray will bless you too.

- Unplugging helps us connect deeper with ourselves, God, and others.

- Stillness and silence quiets the mind and speaks volumes to the soul.

- Courage is often experienced when taking the first step towards an unknown.

- It’s important to do something that takes our breath away everyday.

- Surrendering isn’t giving up, it’s finding the end of our ability and then becoming fully reliant on God.

-An hour in God’s creation will give us answers that most books or people are unable to.

-To be heard isn’t about getting louder, but becoming a better listener ourselves.

-Patience is learning to go at someone else’s pace rather than your own.

-What we give our attention to is what will fuel us or deplete us, let’s choose wisely.

With love and hope,
Shawn

To view more pictures from this amazing place visit HERE.

Celebrating our 20th Anniversary!

Yesterday we celebrated our 20 year anniversary! I love being married to this wonderful guy! It’s been an adventure from mountain top moments to valley experiences and everything in between. And through it all Stephen has been my calm, my rock and the one who always knows how to make me laugh, even when I don’t want to! I am grateful to God for this patient, thoughtful, clever guy, and this wonderful family we have. Here’s to fifty more years of adventuring through this beautiful, wild life together💝🙏🥳

The Gift of God's Creation

What I love about being in nature is that we bring nothing into it but ourselves, we are welcome as we are and although it gives us nothing, it provides us with everything.

I share this with you today in case you too need a renewal of mind and rest in your soul. I invite you to join me today to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we take a step out of ourselves and into God’s creation. And may we allow the silence and stillness it provides to gift us the renewal within we need.

With love and hope,
Shawn

But I have stilled and quieted my soul - Psalm 131:2

Let's Support One Another

Yesterday we went on an incredible hike and on the way up I heard Matt say to Stephen, “Tree roots are interconnected and they support each other.”

Hearing Matt say this caused me to pause and reflect. Yes, trees are in groups and although they stand alone above the surface, beneath the surface they are interconnected which creates a strength of support.

This made me think about life and how being rooted in faith, family, friends and community have been a saving grace in my life. Yet the reality is, sometimes I forget to lean into those for the strength and support they provide and I go through my days more detached, like the tree we see above the ground.

Can you relate?

If so, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember God created us each uniquely while also to live connected with Him, and others. We are not meant to live above the surface on islands but live interconnected with Him, and others, as a source of strength and support for our lives. May we grow deep roots of faith and love, and be willing to be a source of strength and support for others as well.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Love is Patient

Yesterday Matt and I went to a convenience store when they were first opened. The woman who was checking me out was having problems with the register. We stood there waiting for a while as she tried to figure it out.

To soften the tension for her, I shared I am reading a book about eliminating hurry and growing patience and in that moment I was being given the opportunity to practice being patient. She smiled and shared that she works at a larger store for her second job. She said that people will shop there for hours yet they have no patience to wait a couple minutes in the check out line.

Pause to absorb that perspective she shared.

When we are moving on our timeline we have patience yet when we are put on someone else’s timeline our patience thins.

Intriguing and convicting.

If you, like me, would like to slow down and grow your patience, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May this awareness stay with us as we enter this day. Let’s remember that love is patient, so whether it’s our timeline or someone else’s practicing being patient is a gift we can live out for ourselves and give to others. And maybe sometimes, when we are giving opportunities to grow our patience, like I was yesterday, there is a greater reason for the wait, like this interaction with this woman was for me.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Love is patient - 1 Corinthians 13:4

A Reminder that God is With You And For You

Last week Kate and I went down to her college in Nashville for her orientation. It's such a bittersweet experience to be sending her off soon. I am sure many of you know the feeling. As I process all of this, I am confident with where she is heading yet there is a layer, be it thin, of uncertainty. And what is so cool is how faithful God is. While we were away I had a divine appointment that confirmed for me that Kate is going where she is suppose to be for this next step and gave me peace.

What happened was, during Kate's orientation, there was a time when the students went off on their own while the parents had a guided tour. The parents visited the school that our kids will be attending, and a guide was assigned to each group of parents to lead us around that afternoon. When my tour guide's name was announced, it caused me to pause. Her name was Naima. This may not mean much to you but it meant everything to me.

When Kate was a baby my aunt gifted me a lullaby cd (yes, a cd!) and I played it a lot. I mean a lot - a lot. It was on every day and the first song was played what seemed to be on repeat in our home. And the title of the first song on the cd is "Naima!"  

The name Naima means contentedness, traquility, blessing.

As Kate and I took separate paths that day, I felt like God placed my guide, Naima, along my path as a confirmation that Kate is where she needs to be and in doing so blessed me contentedness and tranquility about this next step. And even though I won't be there with Kate, God is with her. He was with us when she was a baby, He was with us every step of the way as we raised her, and He will be with her as she starts this new adventure in college.

I share this with you today in case you have a layer, be it thick or thin or uncertainty in your life. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember that God is with us and for us, and our loved ones, every day. May we bring our uncertainty to God and seek Him above all else. Let's keep our eyes and ears open to the divine appointments He has pre-ordained to remind us of His love and presence in our lives. By doing so, I pray we have those divine appointments and receive His peace and contentment, as He gifted me on my trip with Kate last week by meeting Naima.

With gratitude and hope,

Shawn

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy - Psalm 16:11

A Prayer for Graduates

Dear Graduate,

Congratulations on this wonderful accomplishment!

As you move into this next chapter may you remember…

You are more than a graduate, you are a child of God, beautifully and wonderfully made in His image. Be who you were made to be.

You have been given gifts and skills to be used that will be a blessing to yourself, and others. Use them.

As you continue to grow into your future self, be someone who helps others grow too. Encourage and build others up.

Be a reflection of the character of Christ - forgiving, welcoming, come beside others, be humble, compassionate, gentle and courageous. Be love.

Know God is with you, be with Him so that His word can be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Let His Word be your guide above all else.

You will be tempted but there will be no temptation greater than you can handle. And remember, He will always give you a way out. Follow the way.

Let go of the past, forgive yourself and others. We were made to forgive because we have been forgiven. There is freedom in forgiveness.

Give thanks for what helped get you here, for this day, and for what is to come. Be grateful.

You are one part of the body. We were made to be in community with others. Seek, and engage in, community.

You have all you need within you. The Holy Spirit will supply all you need. Be prayerful.

Know it’s normal to be anxious about the unknown yet remember God goes before you and is with you wherever you go. Be strong and courageous.

And know God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with His joy and peace. Trust in Him.

Now take your next step of faith forward into your future self. You can do all things through Christ who will strengthen you.

Be well and God bless you today and always❤️🙏🎓

With love and hope,
Shawn

*scripture references:
Psalm139:14
1 Timothy 4:14
1 Thessalonians 5:11
2 Corinthians 3:18
Psalm 119:105
1 Corinthians 10:13
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Ephesians 4:32
Galatians 5:22-23
Joshua 1:9
Roman’s 15:13
Philippians 4:13

Happy Birthday to Gavin!

🥳Yesterday was Gavin’s 17th Birthday🥳

From the day he was born he’s been teaching me things, starting with patience - since he was eighteen days late (yes, back then they let me go that long.)

Having been a teacher, I was ready to teach my kids but was naive not to think about how much our kids teach us. And I’ve learned so much from my kids.

Gavin has taught me what it looks like to be a quiet strength, to be loyal, and to speak with purpose. As the middle child, he is the bridge, a peacemaker, one who brings calm to storms that arise.

One of the greatest things I’ve learned from Gavin is to listen to the quiet ones. They may not say a lot, or say it loudly, but their words need to be heard as there is such value in hearing their perspective.

I share this today to celebrate Gavin and our middle, quieter children. I invite you to join me today to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we give thanks for all we learn from our kids and for the middle, or quieter, ones. May we honor who they are and meet them for who God made them to be. May we see what we can learn from them, and their ways. And let’s remember that patience is learned, sometimes wisdom whispers, peacemakers are a blessing and words are powerful, so let’s choose them wisely, as Gavin has shown me.

Happy Birthday to Gav! I can’t wait to see what I learn from him this year.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17

A Humbling Experience

I ran today with two of my favorite people and one shared that it was global running day. Who knew?!

It was a blessing to run with them this morning. I admittedly was anxious because it was my first time running with them and I am learning that I have a fear of being perceived as weak in front of others. I was nervous in front of some of my closest friends?! I know, it doesn’t make sense but that’s why this couch-to-marathon journey is good for me, it will refine me in many ways, in mind, body and spirit.

I share this with you today in case you too have a fear of being seen as weak in front of others. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember that it’s okay to have weaknesses. God did not make us all strong in every area for a reason. Admitting our weaknesses is a strength in itself. If we wouldn’t judge another person’s weaknesses why would we judge our own? May we invite God in and ask for His strength to help us in our weaknesses. We don’t have to hide our weaknesses or tackle them alone. Instead let’s choose to do life with God, be willing to be seen for who we really are, weaknesses and all, and recognize we are all works in progress. Let’s meet one another, and ourselves, with compassion and understanding, for when we do then we experience life more fully, no matter what pace we are traveling.

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” - 2 Corinthians 12:10

Connections

When Kate was three months old I was needing to find community. I ended up teaching a fitness class for moms. Through that class I met moms who became my mom friends. We walked together all the time and had our fun mommy and me playdates.

Today I went on a walk with Kate and Charlotte, one of the girls whose Mom is from that playgroup, who still is one of my best friends.

Walking with these two today, I couldn’t help but think about all the miles we walked with these girls in their strollers. It doesn’t feel like yesterday but it certainly doesn’t feel like eighteen years ago.

Little did I know that the choice to join that community then, would bless me and Kate with solid friendships now.

Whatever season you are in, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray. ™

May we remember that there are others in the same season, going through parallel experiences. May we be willing to step out and do something to connect with others in similar shoes, like I did all those years ago. Because walking beside others, through the ups, downs and everything in between, are where true friendships are formed, refined, and grow richer with time.

With love and hope,
Shawn

“A friend loves at all times,” - Proverbs 17:17