There are a lot of goals I have for myself as I enter this new week. But may the most important goals I make be the ones that have me coming beside others, for when we aim to lift each other up, we rise up ourselves.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May the goals we set, and what we say and do this week, be a blessing not only to ourselves but to those around us.
With love and hope,
Shawn
ACC Unity Across the Miles
Tonight the ACC community is lighting up the world in memory of those we’ve lost to this disease, in honor of those fighting, in gratitude for those who have survived and for every family member impacted by it.
Whether we are close, or far apart, this community will always be near and dear to my heart.
I invite you to join us to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And shine a light into the darkness wherever you are.
With gratitude, love and hope,
Shawn
Keep Moving Forward
Back in November Stephen gave me tickets to the Smart Conference in Boston, which is today. He knows the speakers inspire me and I am so grateful he continues to encourage me to move forward and he gives gifts that nourish my soul and put fuel in my tank...and I am also thankful this fuels him as well💞
The first presenter was @daveramsey and here was the quote he put in the screen💝
I share this with you in case you too are in the process of moving through, or forward from, an obstacle life threw your way.
May we all take a moment to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And remember our struggles aren’t there to hold us back, but as a stepping stone to something new. And may we continue to move forward at whatever pace we can do today. It’s about progress, not perfection.
With love and hope,
Shawn
P.S. If you are looking for inspiration in life, in marriage, parenting, finances, time, etc., find the Smart Conference near you💕 Here are links to the speakers:
Marriage: @lesparrott
Finance: @rachelcruze
Finding your purpose: @kencolemanshow
Time: @officialchristywright
Retire Inspired: @chrishogan360
Parenting: @anthonyoneal and @megmeekermd
Boundaries: @thedailydrcloud
Be A Warrior for Love
I can’t stop laughing when I look at this picture from yesterday. I guess the warrior in me came out without my knowing😊
Wherever we go and whatever we do today, may we...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And always be a warrior for love💕🙏😊
With love and hope,
Shawn
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." - 2 Corinthians 4:7
Moving Forward
Clear scans mean I get to keep moving forward👣🙏💝
And moving forward I did😊
This week I was fortunate to give three talks to three different schools, one inspirational talk for staff and two @aplaceforsam readings for students.
To be able to plant seeds of truth into other’s hearts is something I will never tire of doing.
One of my favorite moments from this week...
Me: What does it mean to be unique?
2nd grader: To be different in a special way.
Me: What does it mean to be valuable?
2nd grader: Valuable means...a treasure.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
May we all...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And remember that we are all different, in a special way, we are a treasure in this world and our piece of the puzzle matters.
In case you forgot that truth, this is your reminder💕
Thank you to Canton Schools , Tolland Schools and The Master's School for having me visit.
It was a gift to be there beside you💝
If you would like me to come your way for a talk, or via teleconference, send me a note at shawnelizabethgeorge@gmail.com.
With gratitude, love and hope,
Shawn
"Go out into the world and share the Good News with everyone in the world." - Mark 16:15
Sipping on Gratitude
Sipping on a cup of gratitude this morning, SO grateful my scans are clear💝🙏😊
Yet I am also continuing to keep those who still are waiting for their results, or who did not receive an all clear in my thoughts and prayers🙏 I hope you’ll join me in keeping them in yours too💝
With love and hope,
Shawn
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you." - 1 Thessalonians 3:18
Truth Over Stories
So here we go again. Another set of scans.
I didn't share about my last set of scan because I thought it wasn't worthwhile. But then I realized, that it is because someone, somewhere right now is also on a bit of a roller coaster in their mind who needs to know they are not alone. Also, it may benefit those of you who have a loved one who gets scans to give you a glimpse of what may be going on in their mind the day of their scans.
To let you in on what my head sounds like on a morning like this it goes something like...
All will be well no matter the outcome.
But I really don't want there to be another tumor.
It is okay, God's got this.
Yep, I know but I really don't want to go through that again.
Let your faith be bigger than your fear.
I know but it is hard. It is a slow growing cancer. Now that more time has passed, could there be something there?
Even if there is, God will make good of it.
I know but are all these scans I get to catch things early helping or could they be causing things in the future?
Let go of the fear and trust God with this.
I know but...
But what?
It is not always that easy.
I know. Just keep circling back to these truths over and over again until their roots grow deeper within.
The unknown of an outcome, cancer or not, can get our minds riding a roller coaster of stories of things that may never come true. Yet, reeling in those stories and anchoring oneself in truth is some days easier said than done. This morning was one of those mornings I was on a roller coaster ride. I know that all will be well no matter the outcome of my scans, and I need to live in moment and not allow the fear of what could be take me away from the joy that is in this day. Yet, those stories have been playing in my head today.
If you too have stories that are playing in your head today, I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we all press pause on those stories; those 'what ifs'. In their place may we instead anchor ourselves in the moment with the truth; of 'what is'. We are here, now and worrying will not add a single moment onto our lives but will take away our moments that are meant for us to live.
May we believe truth over our stories and may it bring us peace as we wait.
With love and hope,
Shawn
P.S. I typically won't leave you with an unknown like this but I thought by doing this post, it would give you a glimpse into the life of cancer survivors and our regular scans. We need to wait for results as we function in our daily lives. So if you know someone who is waiting for a result to their scan or blood work and they seem to be distant, or more on edge than normal, please just wrap them with love and see beyond their behavior. See into their heart and that they are waiting for the truth of their scan results and love them there. Thank you!
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" - Luke 12:25
At a Crossroads?
Years ago when I would go on hikes, I'd see this at a crossroads on the trails and look at it to figure out which direction I needed to take.
Now when I see this at a crossroads on a trail, my heart smiles.
Why?
Because now when I see it, like this one in Acadia this past summer, I see a cross. Crosses have become something I see all the time, and when I am feeling low, I seek out.
For example, last year, often when in a waiting room or in a doctors office, I would see crosses. From the panels in the ceiling and window panes, to the crosses in the floor tiles, they were always around me. I remember one day laying on the radiation table and seeing two crosses above me built into the equipment that the technicians used to help be sure my the equipment was properly placed before they began the treatment. There was a comfort I received when I would see a cross, whether it was in the bricks on the sidewalk or random sticks that had fallen into that formation.
Why do I get comforted by the sight of a cross?
Only recently has it become significant in my life. Talk to me eight years ago and a cross meant nothing to me. Yet today, especially this weekend, the cross means everything to me. You see, this weekend is Easter weekend, and the cross to me reminds me of Jesus. For the majority of my life, if someone said Jesus, I would roll my eyes and think crazy person. Yet I would still go through Easter weekend without giving much thought to the root of what it was I was celebrating. Now it is the root of Easter that has me seeking crosses for comfort along my path in life (and I am that crazy person saying Jesus! lol).
Easter is the weekend, as a Christian, we mourn the death of Jesus and also celebrate the resurrection. Now whether you believe in Jesus or not, I would ask you to consider what his life, and death were all about.
Jesus' life was one filled with love and healing. He came beside people who were hurting with the hope to heal them in mind, body and Spirit. He told stories filled with wisdom and lessons that are still applicable to our lives today, thousands of years later. He demonstrated what it looked like and sounded like to live a selfless life; living with the central purpose to love others. This same truth was what brought Jesus to his death. Jesus died by crucifixion, by being nailed to a cross, which was back in that day a form of capital punishment. He died on a cross, so we could have life.
What does that mean?
Jesus's death showed me that the greatest gift in life was to be willing to lay down your life for another.
He was selfless in life. He was selfless in death.
And this is the example I hope to follow in life. When I see a cross, it reminds me that my life isn't just about me, it is about loving on others around me. So when I am walking through life, whether I am in the waiting room, out on a hike, at home or out and about, when I see a cross, it reminds me what the central focus of my life is meant to be, to love others. Also, when I am feeling low or at a crossroads in life, when I see a cross it reminds me that when I am unsure of which direction to go, I have a choice, I can look at the problem or look to the cross, and the life and death of Jesus, to help give me wisdom to know what direction to walk in.
I share this with you today in case you are seeking purpose in your life or at a crossroads. I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And consider looking at the cross to give you wisdom for your purpose, direction for your steps and comfort in your heart.
With love and hope,
Shawn
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20
Stone of Hope
About two years ago this month I ran into a dear friend in the grocery store. My Mom was in the middle of her treatments for breast cancer and she shared her Mom had just been diagnosed.
Although we were already close, this bridged our hearts deeper as we watched our moms fight their battles with cancer.
Her Mom came to live with them and at pick up every day I came to know and love her Mom. These two women are two of the most beautiful souls you’ll meet.
When I was diagnosed, her mother would just give me the warmest hugs and smiles, filling my heart with joy and hope. She was one of those people who loved to love and she put herself second to love on others.
My heart still breaks because this beautiful soul lost her battle to cancer many months ago and her smile and love still warm my heart when I think of the love she shared with others.
Yesterday I ran into my friend and she shared she had a gift for me.
She handed me this stone of hope.
She shared that this stone belonged to another friend of ours who passed away a couple of years ago and this stone was passed along to her her for her mother, and now she is passing it along to me.
Tears flooded my eyes when I heard this story. I feel blessed to now hold this stone of hope that belonged to these two beautiful souls before me.
Through the tears I shared with her that this couldn’t have come at a more perfect time as my next scans are around the corner and I am needing to hold onto hope, and not fear.
I share this with you today because this moment touched my soul and although I can’t hand you this stone, maybe one of you too is needed to be reminded to hold on to hope in place of fear today.
May we take a moment to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And may we place fear to the side and allow the memories and love of those before us warm our hearts and let hope anchor our souls.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Start With Bread
🍞Start with bread🍞
I love this wall as you enter Panera Bread. Every time I see it, it makes me smile. It reminds me to start my days, and my weeks, with bread.
Yes, some may read this and think about Panera’s delicious bread (which they donate their daily leftovers to local shelters💝).
But when I read it I don’t think about the bread I eat, but the bread that feeds my Spirit and will nourish me for the day/week ahead.
We all start our day with some type of bread, feeding our minds and Spirit. Is it social media bread, the news bread, gratitude bread, meditation bread, prayer bread, etc?
Whatever bread we start our day with, I think it is significant that we ask ourselves if the bread is nourishing our Spirit for the day ahead?
If our answer to that happens to be no, I invite us to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And May we consider starting our day and week with a different type of bread that will fuel and nourish our Spirit. For me, I know when I choose to pray, read scripture and write in my gratitude journal it fuels my heart and soul for the day/week and gives me something to meditate on and it nourishes and sustains me throughout my day. If I start my day scrolling through social media feeds, I am a lot less fueled for my day.
I invite us all to consider what bread we start our day with. And if it isn’t nourishing our mind Spirit, may we consider changing the type of bread we start the day with to something that will fuel, nourish and sustain us for our days.
With love and hope,
Shawn
(And if you need suggestions for types of bread, send me a note. I am happy to walk beside you and offer resources to you for your journey.)
Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. - John 6:35