Beauty Can Grow from Dark and Barren Spaces

Today on my walk I saw the buds on the bushes and trees starting to grow. It always amazes me that out of these barren branches, the beauty that grows from it. Year after year it happens yet sometimes I take it for granted and forget to see the wonder of it all.

There is a lot of heaviness in life from personal things to hardships in the world. Seeing these branches was a reminder to me that sometimes in life we may feel like the barren branch and lose the hope that something good can grow from whatever our circumstances are.

Yet seeing these buds blossoming today was a powerful reminder of how every year without fail out of these barren looking branches beauty grows.

In case you are heavy hearted about something right now, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May spring be a reminder to us of how out of the dark and barren of winter beauty grows. This isn’t to negate the hardships we face yet to be encouraged and hold on to hope that God, in time, can make something grow from whatever we are going through too.

With love and hope,
Shawn

my God turns my darkness into light. - Psalm 18:28

The Journey of Letting Go

This weekend things started to get real. We took a couple of college tours with Gavin to help solidify the decision. As we get closer, it’s hitting my heart more and more that he’s heading off to college in a few months.

When I watch him on the tours, I see that sweet baby boy in my arms for the first time. I see the little toddler laughing and playing with his sister. I see the little boy who was enamored with his little brother the first time he met him and held him in his arms. I see the boy playing whiffle ball in the yard for hours. I see the kid jumping off the dock at the lake with his cousins. I see the boy who’s always been up for a game of any kind. I see the boy who brings calm, thoughtfulness and humor to conversations. When I look at Gavin in this season, I see vividly who he was, yet in the same breath, I see who he has become.

He is a fun-loving, witty, loyal, dedicated, hardworking, compassionate young man who loves his friends and family deeply. I see him embracing the season he is in and how he looks forward to the next season to come. It’s beautiful to see yet sometimes I find myself wanted to hold on rather than let go.

I share this for the other parents out there navigating sending your teen off to college soon as well. Know you’re not alone. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

As much as we want to hold on to the past and the present, may we look to the past with joy and to the present with gratitude. And may we look to the future with hope as we watch our teens take a step of faith towards their future self. May we prayerfully let go and trust them in God’s hands. He will be with them every step of the way, and let’s pray our kids remain with Him too.

The journey of letting go isn’t easy for us, or for our kids. May we remember that as we walk beside them through this. May we meet one another with love and patience and make the best of the time with them home the next few months.

Wishing you and your teen all the best in this changing season💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

His last season

Gav brought home his baseball jersey today. Senior year is going too fast for this mama’s heart. Yet watching him do what he loves to do are the simple moments I live for that become treasured memories. I look forward to seeing him play but I can’t believe this will be his last baseball season.

A Humbling Moment

This week I was reading about hypocrisy. It’s funny to me how God gives us opportunities to practice what we learn about.

This morning when I saw Matt’s shoes (top pic) in the bathroom I grew frustrated…until I turned around and saw my shoes behind the door (bottom pic)😊. Isn’t it interesting how we don’t get upset with ourselves like we do with others? It was a humbling moment that I owned and shared with Matt.

This moment was a reminder to me to be sure I am seeing myself clearly before I consider judging or getting frustrated with others.

Have you ever found yourself frustrated with someone to realize you are doing the same thing too?

If so, I invite you to join me today to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we seek God first to help us see ourselves more clearly and stop being quick to judge others. This process is humbling and refining yet worth it, especially for our relationships.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? - Matthew 7:3

How to Meet the Winds of Life

Recently I was walking with Georgia on a windy day. We hadn’t even made it down the driveway when the wind picked up a little bit. Georgia immediately stopped walking and put her head down. After a few moments she looked up at me and I encouraged her to keep moving. She eventually continued walking, with her tail wagging away.

This moment of Georgia fearing the wind made me consider how when the “winds” of life come my way, how they can cause me to pause. And honestly, I can put my head down like Georgia and get stuck from forward progress.

Can you relate?

If so, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

When the winds of life come, may we honor the fact that they may stop us in our tracks and make us feel stuck. As challenging as it may be at times, may we choose to look to God asking for Him to help and equip us for the windy walk ahead. Then, trusting His strength is greater than the winds, may we take one step of faith forward at a time, just like Georgia did.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Do not fear for I am with you do not be afraid for I am your God,

I will strengthen you and help you - Isaiah 41:10

Emmanuel - God is With Us

This morning I was reflecting on eight years ago today when I had a partial maxillectomy so that the doctors could take the cancerous tumor out. To process this day I wrote something I pray will encourage you with whatever you are going through.

I remember getting ready and looking in the mirror scared not knowing what would I look like or sound like and if my kids would ever be comfortable looking at me or listening to me ever again. In that moment, God was with me.

As I took a video saying goodbye to my kids, just in case, tears rolled down my face. God was with me.

When Stephen and I got in the cab to go to the hospital, my body trembling, God was with us.

As we waited in the waiting room, the unknown before us, God was with us.

When I was on the table waiting to be wheeled in to the room for surgery, Stephen held my shaky hand, and God did too.

As I laid under the lights surrounded by the doctors and nurses, God prompted me to pray for the people around the table. He taught me in that moment I wasn’t there just for me.

As I drifted into a deep sleep, God placed an angel at my head who whispered in my ear, Jesus is with you, Jesus loves you. I thought this was a dream until I woke up and realized it was not.

Although my palate is gone, I pray to always use my voice to share of God’s goodness and grace.

Thank you God for being with me then, and now. May my life honor and glorify you so that others come to know of your transforming love.

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

pause. breathe. pray.

Please know I am not unique. God is with you, today and everyday. Just because God is with us and for us, doesn’t mean we won’t go through hard things but He will be with us to help us through.

Whatever you are going through, I pray you can hear and absorb that truth. And if you haven’t already, consider being with God too. His Word and love are transformative. God was the last thing I was looking for in my life but became the one that provided me with what I was needing. And I wholeheartedly believe He will do the same for you.

With love and hope,
Shawn

…the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Renewal of Our Minds

My mind has been a little messy recently about a couple of things. I found myself at the computer last night closing down at least ten tabs that were open on the screen. I laughed because a friend and I had just been talking about having lots of tabs open in our minds.

This week I read about how when our mind is busy, even though our body is in a physical place, how our mind is disconnected from being where our body is. Therefore, we don’t get to experience the moment and be where we are and who we are with.

I know this but for some reason this week it hit me hard. It reminded me of a moment last year when Matt and I were driving.

He was talking and my mind was elsewhere. Matt said, “‘Mom, it seems like you are ‘hmmming’ me but not really listening.”

He was 100% correct.

I apologized and reeled my brain back to the moment so that I could tune into Matt rather that my multitude of other thoughts flowing through my mind.

What’s funny is when I am in Matt’s role in a conversation, and I know people aren’t tuned, it’s frustrating. Yet Matt reminded me that day, that I am that person sometimes.

Have you ever been the talker in a conversation who knows the person with you isn’t really with you? Or have you been the non-present listener? Or both?

If so, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

When we find our minds messy and taking us away from being where we are and from who we are with, may we pause and acknowledge that truth. May we pray for a renewal of our minds and for God’s help to close the non-essential tabs open in our minds so that we can be in the present moment. By doing this, we will not only have more peace within, but we will strengthen our relationships by being present and listening others hearts, just as God is always doing for us.

With love and hope,
Shawn

How to Get Our Hearts in Tune with God?

The other night at a concert I went to, I heard a pastor discuss keeping our hearts in tune with God. He was strumming a guitar as he spoke which made me smile as Matt has taken a love of playing guitar recently. He was saying how when we spend time with God, it helps our hearts be in tune with Him. Yet it’s so easy for us to become distracted and turn away from Him. He stopped strumming and turned his head away from his guitar. As he did that, one of the people from the band that was onstage with him came up and turned the tuning pegs on the guitar and made it out of tune.

What are things that make our hearts grow out of tune? Maybe we have an unpleasant interaction with someone, read a social media post, receive a text message or email, or something else.

When life happens, do we remain in Him, or do we turn away from God and grow out of tune?

I admit, I can leave my prayer time in the morning and feel in tune with God and within minutes something happens and I am no longer feeling the peace and calm but I can allow frustration, fear or something else to take its place.

Can you relate?

What the pastor did to put the guitar back in tune was he turned his chair towards the piano player in the band who had the right notes to play. He asked him to play each note so he could get his guitar back in tune. As he did this, he said how God is the person we can turn to as our heart tuner.

Today, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we pray to have our hearts in tune with God. Yet when our hearts become out of tune, as they inevitably will, may we notice what we turn to help us, and see if it’s actually helping us get back in tune or not. And if not, may we remember to turn to the one who will help us tune our hearts back in alignment so that we experience greater love, peace and joy in this day, no matter our circumstances.

With love and hope,
Shawn

A Blessing for You

The other night I heard one of my favorites songs in person and it was so powerful. As I stood there listening, my heart was fueled with joy, to be beside friends and strangers singing these lyrics to this beautiful blessing together.

“The Lord bless you
and keep you
Make His face shine upon you
and be gracious to you,
The Lord turn His face toward you, And give you peace*
Amen”

I share this with you today as a blessing over you in case you are needing peace in your soul.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take a moment to sit back and absorb the words.

I pray this blessing brings peace to your heart, as it does for me. And if you know someone who could use some encouragement, pass along the song their way.

Imagine what a difference it could make in hearts, homes, communities and beyond if we chose to send love and blessings to one another each day💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

*Song is based on
Numbers 6:24-26

To listen to the whole song, look up The Blessing by Elevation Worship.

Your Puzzle Piece Matters

In 2016, one of the talks I gave was to a hundred teens. At the talk, the teens were divided into ten tables with ten kids at each table. I gave each table ten puzzle pieces, one for each teen at the table. Each teen took their puzzle piece and with the people at their table, completed their section of a larger puzzle. Then I went to each table and picked up each section of the larger puzzle. I brought all the parts of the puzzle together to the front of the room and put the puzzle together. I wanted to show each teen that their puzzle piece mattered and the puzzle wouldn’t be complete without them.

Later that week I had a bunch of words come to me and I sat down at my kitchen table and wrote A Place for Sam in thirty minutes.

When I wrote A Place for Sam I believed it was a timeless story to encourage kids that their puzzle piece matters.

Nine years later, I am so grateful that the message continues to resonate with children, parents and educators. And I am so grateful for Yolande Spears and The Bushnell for believing in the message and adding A Place for Sam to their Horace B. online Library for educators. It was a gift to be invited twice recently to share the book at a homeschool conference The Bushnell held.

I share this with you today because it’s so important we speak truth into kids hearts and remind them that they are unique, valued, loved and their ‘puzzle piece’ matters- no matter their age. Also, I am sharing because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the adult reading the book to the child reach out to me and say, “I needed to hear that too.”

So in case you too needed to be reminded, I want you to know - and believe - that you are beautifully and wonderfully made, you are valued, you are loved and your puzzle piece matters too.💕🙏🧩

With love and hope,
Shawn