On a hike the other day we saw these beauties. They made me reflect that they would never have become this beautiful and be able to soar as they do if it wasn’t for their dark time in the chrysalis.
May we all...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And trust that our dark time are times of transformation for us to unfold into who we were made to be and soar in life as well🦋
With love and hope,
Shawn
P.S. extra fun that they were the Mets colors⚾️💙🧡
With A Heavy Heart
Will you sit with me for a moment?
When I have opened my news feed the past number of days and I read about all the abuse cases in the Catholic Church against innocent children, it rips my heart wide open.
My heart breaks for these children/adults who had their innocence stripped away from them.
My heart breaks for this burden they have had to carry on their shoulders and in their hearts throughout their lives.
My heart breaks that their voices weren’t heard until now.
I am angry towards the people who misrepresent the Christian faith and behave as though they have power over others.
I am angry towards the people who choose not to live out their faith towards others and instead abuse their role for personal gain.
I am angry towards the people who choose to hide the truth and towards those who help keep the truth covered up.
There are no excuses for these tragedies.
The Christian faith is not based in pride, selfishness, and power but in humility, selflessness, and compassionate love.
Love is supposed to protect others, especially our innocent children. Justice is to be served towards the guilty to help them recognize their wrong doing with the hope they will change from their strayed ways. Silence and inaction won’t change things.
I am saddened for these children/adults whose lives have been forever changed. They forever may be (and understandably so) tainted towards a faith whose foundation is based on loving others, not abusing others.
I am saddened that these awful actions are a cause for so many people walking away from the Christian faith - or never even wanting to know about God because they believe God is like these people who misrepresent their faith and live opposite of what they say their beliefs are.
I could go on and on about my anger and sadness in my heart but I know that is not productive.
I invite you to join me today to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we do what we can from where we are to stand up for what is right, even if it’s the harder choice.
May we come beside those who are hurt, whether we are near or far, and help them rise above their struggles.
May there be full restoration in mind, body and Spirit for those who have been harmed.
May their voices be heard and their stories move us into action to protect and serve others.
May the people who are responsible be held accountable for their choices.
May the people who are protecting those who harmed others, let go of protecting the institution and protect the people who were harmed.
May justice be served.
May you consider the people who harmed others are not a valid representation of the God I know, love and trust. And if you have left any denomination of Christianity because of a person, I wholeheartedly understand. I left my church last year due to circumstances where the pastor of the church did not live out the faith towards our family (it was not sexually related). So I get how a pastor can taint the church experience.
Today I offer to you that if a person has made you question God or made you lose your faith, please consider getting to know God beyond that person or building, or find people and a building who show you that there is a genuine God at the foundation of Christianity who would be sitting beside these children/adults and acting justly towards those who harmed them.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Have Faith
When we walk into an unknown in life and/or feel a void in our hearts, may we have faith that God is walking beside us and His love is big enough to fill the void, making us whole no matter our circumstances💕🙏💕
With love and hope,
Shawn
Say It Today
Last year before my surgery I sat in my dining room and taped myself singing my kids their individual songs. Yes, I have a special song for each child that I have sung to them since they were babies. Not knowing if I would make it through the surgery, or what I would sound like afterwards, I wanted them to always have that as a memory from me.
Every week I left for Boston, I wrote my childrenand Stephen each notes for the week telling them how much I loved them for who they were in their unique ways.
Today as I left my parents in NC I left them a note filled with my love and gratitude for them.
I invite you to join me today to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we not wait until the edge or end of something to express our love towards one another. Let’s be sure to sing the songs, write the notes, make the phone calls, and speak love to one another while we have the privilege to do so.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Behind Every Sunset is a Sunrise
Last night as we sat on the shore while our kids were ghost crabbing (unsuccessfully btw), I looked up and saw this beautiful sky. It reminded me that no matter how big our troubles may seem, God is so much bigger.
Beyond every sunset is a sunrise waiting to greet us.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
If you are sitting in darkness right now, may we trust that beyond the shadows a new things waiting to rise to brighten our day, like the sun each morning.
With this perspective may we lean into hope in place of fear, anticipation in place of sadness and gratitude in place of discontentment.
💕🙏☀️😊
With love and hope,
Shawn
"It's Not Where But Who You Are With That Really Matters" - DM
New memories being made💝🙏😊
“Turns out it’s not where but who you’re with that really matters.” - Dave Matthews Band
Love him!
Yesterday when I got in the car to move my parents to another state this is what I was greeted by😉
This is what happens when you have a husband who makes you smile - even when you don’t want to😆🙏💝
Road tripping Day 2 here we go.......
🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙🚙
Give Thanks for the Season
One thing I will always be is honest with you. The past couple days were joyful getting out there and sharing the book with others. Yet behind the scenes, the reality is we are finishing packing up my parents to move them in the next couple of days.
This may sound silly for an almost forty year old to be disheartened about moving her parents. Yet the truth is, they have shown up for me in life in so many ways. When I was in the pit of depression and couldn’t get out the door with my two toddlers while Stephen was at work, they were at my door. When I was so low and at risk of harming myself, my dad drove me to my friends baby shower. When my children were born they were at the hospital waiting to meet their grandchildren. They’ve showed up for our children’s activities throughout the years from step up days, concerts to sports events. When I called them on their road trip to tell them I had cancer, they turned the car around and drove sixteen hours to be beside me, Stephen and our kids. They aren’t just my parents, they are love and the people who you want to have around you in life. They celebrate the joyful times with you and sit in the pit beside you. They don’t judge you, they love you for who you are, where you are. They exemplify God’s love and I have been so blessed to have them in town with me for this long. And I know they are a plane ride away but it’s still a change and transitional time.
As I write about in my book I believe The End Is A New Beginning, Life Lesson #53. Although this is the end of this chapter, God is doing something new.
I share this with you, partially for my own therapeutic reasons, and also because we all in one way or another have experienced the end of a season that is near and dear to us.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we give thanks for the season that is now over for what it gave us and taught us. May we open our eyes and hearts to the new beginning ahead of us. Yes, we may need to grieve as we let go of what was, and be okay with not being okay at times. Yet may we trust that God is doing something new and will make good of this ending as we turn the page to the next chapter in our story.
With love and hope,
Shawn
WATR and WTIC Interviews
I am thankful to WATR 1320 and WTIC 1080 for having me on to discuss my book, Our Struggles Have Purpose.
To hear the interviews click HERE
With gratitude and hope,
Shawn
Look Up
I have been uncertain about the path ahead of me. Yet I have found myself in a place of peace this week about my parents upcoming move. Yes, I am at the beach and it is a place of peace but I have come to a place of internal peace.
How?
I fixed my eyes back on God and not the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Also, this week I read how God is at ease right now. He is at ease at all times. Why? Because He knows all is well and all will be well. He can take anything and make good of it. And I wholeheartedly believe that.
I share this with you this morning in case you too have dis-ease within about the uncertainty of your path ahead.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we take our eyes off the problem and put them on God. May the truth that He is at ease right now knowing all is and will be well soothe our soul and give us an internal peace that surpasses all understanding.
With love and hope,
Shawn