Another step forward😊🙏💝
Here we go...📝💻📚💕
Another step forward...
Use What We Have Been Given
Yes, this is me in a closet. It may look like I am crying or praying but truth is I was laughing hysterically when Stephen took this picture of me in my new office last night. Yep, this is my new (unfinished) workspace😊
I came home last night from a meeting to this; a shelf in my closet. This may not mean much but to me this is a lot. Some may be ashamed of such a space, but not me! I am celebrating the start of something new. A space where I can put my work stuff in our home without it being scattered everywhere. A designated spot that says, I am really doing this writing and speaking thing and it’s not just a hobby but my work.
I have written three books, one from laying across my bed at my children’s nap times, the second at my kitchen table, and my third from a chair in our dining room. When I see this I think, what will I do from this space?!
I know this may seem silly but to have a space that is my own in our home to dedicate to writing and sharing with more and more people is such a gift.
I share this with you in case you too work from home and don’t have a space to call your own. I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And may we remember that it isn’t about our external environment. It isn’t about what we have. The heart of it is really about who we are and what we choose to do with what we have been given.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Fast Forward and Rewind
When I first laid on my bed back in 2011 and started writing as I processed my Nana’s passing, I didn’t know I was writing a book.
Yet as I wrote and processed my emotions, I distinctly remember writing that as I watched my Nana at the end of her life, I realized that I needed to fast forward to the end of my life and ask myself, ‘how can I come to the end of my life and be at peace and at ease within?’ Then I rewinded back to the present and told myself that what I do today matters. I can either take steps to get closer to that goal of experiencing more peace within, or take steps that are further from it. I chose to take steps towards it and then last year happened, and as I met the edge, I did have a peace within...yet after treatments ended I had trouble planning for the future.
Today I am ready to plan ahead once again, personally and professionally🙏
To know what I need to do today, I also need to know where I am heading. Therefore, I am looking ahead to where I want to be and am then rewinding to today and basing my choices today with that end goal in mind.
I share this with you in case you too are unsure of your next steps in this new season. I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we fast forward and ask ourselves “what is our end goal?” (It may be personally or professionally, or both!) Then may we work backwards from there to see the steps we need to make today, to move one step closer towards our goal.
We may make our plans, but may we always be sure we allow God to direct our steps.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Find Your Krew
A few days ago I saw there was a walk/run for ACC in Dunn, NC. I turned to Stephen and said, “mind if we go? “ He graciously said, “let’s do it” so we left the Smokies a day early to come to meet other ACC survivors, fighters, and the family members of Kellie, who lost her battle to ACC in 2014. Her family now carries on her memory through this race, which Kellie started to connect with other ACC warriors and their families.
We had the privilege last night to have dinner with these inspiring warriors. We heard each other’s stories, we laughed and cried together and bridged hearts for life with one another.
I share this with you today to say no matter your struggle, there are others out there who are fighting or have fought a similar battle.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
I strongly encourage you to seek out your crew. They may be close by, they may be far, they may be online (where I found my ACC warriors and family), but they are out there.
None of us need to walk through our struggles alone. There are others who have been through it, or who are going through it, who are wanting and willing to walk beside us, and our families.
As I stood there second in line, with one of the most recent cases of ACC, I saw the people behind me who have my back, and I was able to say to the newest diagnosed member of our ACC family that I have her back now too. And my family was able to see that we have an even bigger family than we ever knew💝
What a gift a community like this is. I wholeheartedly believe there is a community out there for you too, that can support you during this time.
I’ll be praying beside you that you too find your crew, like I found mine, Kellies Krew.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Unplug to Get Connected
This is the place we called home for the past week. There are so many more lessons I learned on this trip than I’ve shared with you. I caught myself this week when I would get an idea, I would just want to start writing. Yet this trip I am purposefully trying to unplug and be present and connect with those I love, rather than hop on a device to write.
It’s a practice, not a perfect one. Yet as our kids are getting older and they will be wanting social media at some point, I want to show them by example, that you can be with who you are with and connect online another time.
With that said, we are on the road again and I am going to hop off of here and enjoy this time in the car with my crew.
I hope you will join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we grow more conscious of unplugging from our screens so we can connect with those who are beside us. May we be present with who we are with and nourish the relationships with our loved ones, showing them the most important connections you can make are offline.
With love,
Shawn
P.S. The lessons I’ve learned here I’ll share soon😊
Rafting Life Lessons
This afternoon went down to the river for a little white water rafting☀️At one point we had a chance to get out and swim. One child was hesitant. I asked “if they got to the end of the rafting trip if they will have wished they got in?” The answer was, “yes.” So rather than trying to talk my child into doing it, I walked the walk and jumped in the cold water myself. Within seconds, they were in too💝
I share this with you for the lessons I learned in this moment, in hopes it may encourage another person today.
First, I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
And may we take a moment to absorb the truth in these life lessons...
1. Let’s not get to the end of the ride wishing we had done things. May we do things while you have the opportunity to.
2. As a parent, my words come second to my actions.
(I wish every moment of parenting was as clear for me as today’s was😊🙃😂)
Here’s to living life with a full heart and loving one another where we are at💕🙏💕
With love and hope,
Shawn
P.S. If anyone is planning to go Rafting in the Smokies, ask for Johnny B.! He was a great rafting guide🥇
Beautiful Transformation
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