May We Remember - 9/11

May we remember...

...every person whose life was taken too soon.

…every family impacted by the loss of their loved one, who carry the memories of them in their hearts everyday.

…every survivor and their visible or invisible wounds.

...how people walked beside one another in their brokenness.

…every selfless soul who ran towards the danger to help others, some surviving, and others giving their life to save someone else’s.

…the empathy and compassion we had for one another.

…we laid down judgements of others and saw one another as the human beings we are.

...we stood beside one another in solidarity.

…how out of this tragedy, we united in the love we have for one another.

I invite you to join me today to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we choose to remember so that we keep the memory alive of those whose lives were taken too soon. May we honor their lives by letting their story continue to make a difference in our hearts. And when remembering, may we pray for God to help us learn from the past so that we can do our part to make a better present, and future, for generations to come.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Pictures…

1. 911 memorial in NYC

2. The statue at our local library in memory of Amy Toyen, whose life was taken too soon on that tragic day.

3. My Uncle Harold, who was a FDNY fireman, who thankfully got out just in time before the second tower fell.

4. The red bandanna in memory of Welles Crowther - you can read or watch his story as a reminder of his selfless acts of love, that reflect the heart of so many that day.

don’t point out the speck on someone else’s eye when there is a log in your own.” - Matthew 7:3

This morning Stephen and I were talking and I asked him a question and he replied, “I just told you the answer to that a minute ago.”

I laughed because a mirror was held up to my face in that moment reflecting to me a truth I didn’t want to see.

You see, I had just been frustrated with Stephen yesterday because I said something and he said he didn’t hear me.

Isn’t it funny how we can get frustrated with someone else so easily yet when we do the same thing, we would appreciate forgiveness and grace?

I acknowledged my hypocrisy and Stephen and I laughed it off. And then of course I brought it back to God- because I guess that’s what I do. And I thought of the verse “don’t point out the speck on someone else’s eye when there is a log in your own.” - Matthew 7:3

Over the past few years I have been humbled like this regularly. I find that as soon as I judge someone else within 24 hours or so I find myself saying or doing the same thing in a parallel or different way.

I share this today because I find it easy to see other people’s faults yet God is reminding me often to notice and refine myself before I go judging someone else for theirs. This process isn’t necessarily natural and it’s humbling. Yet when we can do this, there is freedom in our own hearts, and in our relationships.

If you could use a little freedom within, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Before we look outward, may we look within and pray to see ourselves clearly, as God sees us. May we seek to refine our thoughts and ways, so that we have a greater peace within. And then rather than judging others, we can meet others with compassion and grace, as God meets us, and as Stephen met me this morning.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Love God and Love Others Well

Last week, we had to say good-bye to Stephen's loving Aunt Peggy and to sweet Mary, who was like a Grandmother figure to me.

Loss is always heart-breaking yet this weekend as I was reflecting on these two thoughtful, caring women's lives, I find comfort in knowing they lived their lives so beautifully, loving others. And I am comforted that they are now resting in peace and are well in every way.

Mary and Aunt Peggy were love in action, through their words and acts of love to those around them.

Aunt Peggy was always kind and gentle hearted. She walked beside others with the patience of a saint. She always gifted all the grandchildren in our family 'decorate your own cookies' at Christmas and when they were little, books with their names woven throughout the story. Her presence was always welcoming and she was as selfless as a human could be.

Mary was such a love. In her compassionate way, she took me, and a handful of other moms at our church, under her wing and just loved us where we were. She walked beside me when I struggled with the church, never judging me but made sure I still knew she was there, and God was always there for me. She would have me over for tea and Entenmann's to simple talk and listen and would always impart wisdom I needed to hear. She was in charge of the bereavement committee at church and I can't imagine a better person to have sat with people whose hearts were hurting and guide them with love in such a tough time in their lives.

The common theme at both of their funerals was that they talked about faith and how they loved others well from an endless fountain of love they had.

As I enter this week,I am prayerfully turning to gratitude, thankful for these beautiful women in my life, and for their example of faith and love in action. I share this with you not for sympathy, but so that their generous lives may inspire you too.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take time to be still with God, and fuel up on His love so that we can be outward facing, and loving others through our words and actions throughout our days, as Aunt Peggy and Mary so graciously did. Or maybe there is someone in your life that has inspired you by the way they lived and loved well. If so, may we take these people into our hearts and minds, and live out love in honor of them this week. And may we allow the love they gave us to continue to live on through us.

With love and hope,

Shawn

A Prayer for High School Seniors

Today Gavin starts his senior year! For Gav, and all the seniors…

Be present and enjoy the moment.

May this year be filled with wonderful memories beside your friends and family.

Don’t stress about the college process. Do what is yours to do and trust that God already has a place for you.

Rest in knowing you don’t have to know what career you want to go into, many adults are still figuring it out.

Explore the wisest path for you to refine your innate gifts, talents, and skills, which may be at college, or along another path.

Remember your parents are beside you to help prepare you to step into your independence, not to drive you crazy - although we may unintentionally do so in the process.

Lead yourself, and the lower classmen, well.

Ask for help when you need it, it’s a strength to do so.

Make choices your future self will thank you for.

Fresh air, sunshine, movement, prayer and a good night’s sleep will benefit you.

Seek ways to make someone else’s day better, and thank those who make your day better.

Do something out of your comfort zone that will grow your character regularly.

May God bless you and give you calm confidence about your next step forward.

And may you trust the best is yet to come💕🙏💕

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

Psalm 23

There are so many things we can turn to to try and bring rest to our souls. I’ve tried turning to many people or things, yet the one place I have turned over and over again that has truly given me rest in my soul is when I’ve turned to God.

If you are seeking rest and restoration for your soul, invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take time to consider who or what we turn to when we are seeking rest within. May we not judge ourselves but be honest with ourselves and accept where we are. For me, I know turning and following God will help me and I still forget to turn to Him sometimes. So wherever we are on our faith journey, may we take time today to turn to Him, share our hearts, trust we are heard, and that in time, He will bring rest to our soul💕🙏☀️

With love and hope,
Shawn

Look Up Child

Recently while on a run with a friend who has run marathons before, she shared with me that when she finds herself hitting a wall, a strategy she uses is to look up at the tops of the trees. It improves posture and keeps the gaze off the pavement and challenge.

As soon as she share this, all I could hear was this song, Look Up Chid, in my head, and think about the scripture that tells us to “fix our eyes on things above and not on earthly things.” -Colossians 3:2

And since my friend shared this wisdom with me, when I find my eyes on the pavement in front of me, I shift my gaze and posture and fix my eyes on the tree tops, and bring my awareness to God. I pray to be reminded of who I can be praying for -or running in honor or memory of- to help make the run not about me, but a prayerful encounter with God.

I’m not saying there aren’t tough moments still, yet when I fix my eyes on God and am reminded to pray for people, it helps keeps my mind off my struggle and send love towards someone else in prayer.

So whether you are running or not, if you find yourself gazing down, at the pavement, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we look up towards the treetops, adjust our posture, opening our heart to invite God in. May we pray about our own challenge and also ask if there are others we can be praying for as well. For when we do this, we may find that it will help renew our thoughts, strength and perspective, like it does for me to get these runs done.

With love and hope,
Shawn

PS Thanks @terrywalterscooks for thewordsofwisdom💚🙏💚

Prayer for Middle School Students

It’s crazy to say this but Matt is off to Middle School!

He’s always been up for an adventure. And as he meets this new one, I pray for Matt, and all the other middle schoolers…

May you look within, not around, to discover who you are.

Write down the people in your life who genuinely care about and believe in you, and know those are your safe people to go to.

Surround yourself with friends who build you up, and don’t tear you down.

Create u’s not circles in friendships leaving room to invite others in, and a space for you to leave if you need to.

Remember you weren’t made to be great at everything, which means you may not get an A in every class and that is okay. Study skills, a strong work ethic and character are what you’re building, not a perfect report card.

May you know your worth is already established and not dependent on your grades.

Words matter. Choose yours wisely.

Guard your heart and remember what God says about you above all else.

An attitude of gratitude goes a long way.

Know you can learn something from everyone, sometimes it may be how not to be.

Looks for ways to make someone else’s day better.

Remember asking for help is a strength not a weakness.

Engage in activities that build community for you.

Fresh air, sunshine, movement, and a good night’s sleep will benefit you.

Have fun and laugh everyday!

Pause, breathe, pray, and trust God is with you every step of the way.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Shawn on Great Day Connecticut!

Thank you for all your generous donations💝🙏💕 In two short days we’ve raised $2000 more towards rare cancer research! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!💝

If you missed the video and/or want to make a donation and haven’t yet, you can watch it HERE,  and donate HERE.

And thank you again to @melissa__cole and the @greatdayconnecticut team for helping make this happen💙🙏💙

With gratitude and hope,
Shawn

A Prayer for College Students

For Kate, and all those heading off - or back - to college, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May you know the circles of love around you before you head out, the people you know will always be there for you whether you are near or far.

Allow yourself to be yourself at school, for if you aren’t, no one will ever really meet you.

Be prayerful about which people get level 1 verses level 10 access to your heart and story.

Explore community activities until you find the right fit for you.

Laugh everyday.

Be honest with yourself when you need a hand and be courageous to reach out to the right people who can help you.

Do something out of your comfort zone that will grow your character regularly.

Spend time outside.

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Pray, even a small amount can make a big difference.

Remember this is a journey, you don’t have to know the whole path, just take the next best step.

Seek ways to live out God’s love to others throughout your day. And thank those who live out love towards you.

May your current self makes choices your future self will thank you for.

Make time to rest, renew and restore your mind, body and soul.

Have fun, and always know how much you’re loved.

May God bless you on this new adventure💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

And She's Off!

Yesterday we dropped Kate off at college! What a beautiful and hard day it was to send off our girl on this wonderful new adventure. It was a day full of joy and sadness. Both emotions are real and sometimes it seems strange to experience both yet then I remember the cross.

As I’ve written about before, the cross is where sadness and joy intersect. And when I have days like this with mixed emotions, I again seek the cross as my comfort and guide, trusting all is well, will be well, even when it doesn’t feel like it is. I grant myself permission to experience both and not push back what I feel, yet I also have to anchor myself in hope that good things are ahead, as the cross reminds us of too.

I share this with you today in case you too are having days filled with mixed emotions. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we not compartmentalize and force ourselves into being okay. May we allow ourselves to experience joy and also allow us to process any sadness we have. For when we do, it helps us release what we need to and leaves our hearts and minds more prepared for what is to come. And good things are to come for Kate, our crew, and for you💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn