Walking along the trail this morning with Georgia I saw the fence lining this portion of the trail. It reminded me to stay on my path in life because recently I have felt like I am detouring a bit from where I am supposed to be.
It’s easy for me to look around and see what this person is doing and what that person is doing and have thoughts that stray me off course.
I share this with you today in case you are able to relate to seeing other people’s paths and taking a detour from the path you are meant to be on, personally and/or professionally.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we recognize God gives us each a path to follow. On that path is where we will thrive in life and become the best version of ourselves.
May we look to other’s paths and offer them well wishes but let’s not take on their path as our own. It is important to give thanks for the path we have been given and continue to follow it.
May we recognize we were each given certain gifts from God we are meant to use. By staying along our path we can fine tune those gifts instead of detouring and mistaking other people’s gifts as our own.
May we come beside one another along the way and offer our gifts to each other. By doing so may we sharpen and refine each other into better versions of ourselves so we may use of gifts well.
Today let’s give thanks for the path we’ve been given. May we not look to the left or right wishing to be on someone else’s path. Instead may we walk the path before us, with solid, faithful steps. May we invite others beside us to help us grow into the best version of ourselves. And may we give what we have to offer to help others grow into the best version of themselves along their path as well.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Some Gave All...
To those who gave their all while serving and protecting our country, we will never forget what you and your family sacrificed🙏
With gratitude, love and respect,
Shawn
(Flag made by veterans at @flagsofvalor)
Abundance of love
Yesterday was filled with simple moments. From meals around the table together, yard work, a drive to pick up plants, a couple hours at the ball field, these moments may not seem like much but to me, they are everything.
This spring season has been busy. Maybe you can relate. Yesterday we were intentional and directional as we went slow. We had present moments beside one another. We even had margin to stop along our drive to take this picture.
The more I live, the more I see that life is found in these simple moments beside our loved ones. We are not always together so I am trying to capture the moments with who I get to be beside.
I feel alive in these moments, knowing that who I am with and pouring love their way is truly all that matters.
There are so many other responsibilities and commitments that can pull me away from being present in these precious moments and living in this simple truth.
I share this with you today in case you needed the reminder as I did to go slow, be present and enjoy the simple moments beside your loved ones.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we go slow enough to be able to say no where we need to do we may say yes to who and what matters most. May we be with who we are with and enjoy these fleeting moments beside one another. May we schedule in time around the table with our loved ones to pour our time and energy into who matters most in our lives.
From the outside looking in it may not seem like much. Yet from the inside out, we will be living in abundance, an abundance of love.
With love and hope,
Shawn
This Life Is A Gift
In all the shuffling this spring season, may we take a moment to...
Pause.
Breathe.
Pray.
And embrace this truth. Life is a gift. May we never take this life, and this day we have been given, for granted. 💕🙏💕
With love and hope,
Shawn
Do Our Part
Everyday when I read the news I am weighed down by the heaviness of the hurt in our world. It is easy for me to take on the emotions and feel deeply for those hurting. Yet when I do this, I allow the struggles to keep me down from doing what is mine to do to live out love in that day.
I share this with you because I am not alone in feeling this way.
Today I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we see the struggles that are out there and have hearts for those hurting. May we give the heaviness to God and do our best to show up for the day. May we each give what we have to offer in our own unique way to shine a light of love into the hearts of others.
May we do what is ours to do to be a part of the change we need to see; because change is needed.
And like a rock thrown into the water that creates small waves, what we say or do may not seem like much, yet it may be the start of sending waves of love out into the world that are needed for change to happen.
As Mother Theresa said, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot. Together we can do great things.”
Let’s do great things together friends💕🙏☀️
With love and hope,
Shawn
Brave Like Gabe Run 2019
On this cold and rainy day we had every reason to stay inside our cozy home. Yet one of my ACC friends is back in the hospital. And today she is hosting a 5k to raise money for rare cancer research. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to make it to her own event. I know her heart is there but her body is resting and hopefully healing. Although we weren’t able to make it to MN to run in her honor at the 5K, Stephen and I chose to hit the trails to run for Gabriele today.
As Gabe fights this infection and her third round with ACC, she has continued to inspire and shine her light of love raising awareness and funds for ACC. The least we can do is come beside her in prayer and support her along her walk with cancer and the purpose she is finding in it.
I invite you to join us today to...
Pause. Breathe. and Pray
for Gabe, and all who are fighting their battles. May we choose to get out of our comfort zone to show up for others when we have the opportunity to do things for them and/or in their honor.
I also invite you to support Gabriele Grunewald by contributing to her Brave Like Gabe organization in her honor today. May the light your love shine bright towards her on this grey day.
With love and hope,
Shawn
To shine a light of love Gabe's way today, please consider donating to Brave Like Gabe. To do so visit https://bravelikegabe.org/donate 💕🙏💝
Fear or Wisdom?
A couple of weeks ago my neighbor reached out giving me a heads up that there were four bears at the bottom of my driveway. I was on my way out to give a talk which I was grateful for because typically I would have been walking home from my walk with Georgia at that time (divine appointment😊).
Yet since that day I haven’t been walking as regularly with Georgia.
Is my hesitation fear, or is it wisdom?
Isn’t that line blurry sometimes between fear and wisdom?
This week I have been back out there walking with Georgia yet I have my airhorn with me just in case🐻
I share this with you today in case you too have paused from moving forward with something you know you need to do.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we ask ourselves, is it fear or wisdom holding us back? If it’s wisdom leading us, may we keep following it. Yet if it’s fear, which is what has been leading me, may we recognize that. Then may we seek what is ours to do (ie for me - carry an airhorn) so we keep moving forward with what we need to do and not allow fear to lead us.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Look Beyond the Surface
Last night I was resting and lit this candle. I lit it for our ACC, Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, community. Every year our community comes together to light candles the same evening wherever we are around the world. We light these candles to remember those we’ve lost, honor those still fighting and give gratitude for those who are well.
As I laid there looking at this candle, I was a reflecting on the unity of our ACC community. We are able to look beyond the surface of our differences and connect in this common thread we share.
I share this with you today because this truth applies not to just our ACC community but to all of us.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May it not take having cancer to look beyond the surface of our differences to find the common thread that links us with one another. I wholeheartedly believe we each have a common thread with one another that would connect us in some way. May we choose to look for the common thread we share with others. When we do this, it would help give pause and hopefully stop the divisiveness we see and hear, and instead begin to unify us with others, as it does for our ACC community.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Restoration Is Possible
One of my dear friends sent me this picture from her visit to Notre Dame last week. I am so grateful she and her family were able to experience it before the fire that occurred yesterday.
This morning on the radio we heard that people are already talking about how it will take time, but it will be restored.
Hearing this gave me an opportunity to share with my kids a foundational truth of our faith. Fires will happen, in our hearts, in our relationships, in our lives, yet the hope our faith gives us is that all of the damage caused by those fires, can and will be restored, in time.
I share this with you today in case you are walking in a fiery moment in your day, week or life.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we not look at the loss that has happened but at the hope of the restoration that is possible. May we say and do what we can to be part of the restorative process on our lives and if need be, invite others beside us to help. And may we trust that when we lean into God to help us restore what was damaged, something more beautiful will be made from the ashes.
As for our family, we never saw Notre Dame in person, yet I look forward to watching community come together to rebuild. And someday I hope to visit when it’s beautifully restored.
With love and hope,
Shawn
“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.” - Psalm 71:20
The Real Magic
Some weeks are magical, others are not. This week was a magical week.
It was filled with fun, laughter, adventure, connection, more memories made, coupled with real moments as we took a road trip down and up the east coast🚙
As we head back home I realize this time together was our family huddle before we go back out onto the field of life. Our family is our team, with each of us playing our unique positions. No matter what happens on the field, the hope is that we always know we have the safety of the huddle to return to when we need it.
I share this with you today because being a part of a huddle matters, not just in our families, but in our communities and beyond.
I invite you to join me to...
Pause. Breathe. Pray.
May we recognize the power in taking the time to connect with others. May we remember that no matter what lies in front of us is not as significant as who God put beside us. May we take the time to huddle together, especially when life gets busy, to connect with those beside us. As we enter back into our daily routines, may we remember we are never entering our days alone, we each are a part of a bigger team, and always have our huddles to return to.
You see, the real magic in life is not about where we are, but is about building real connections with those beside us and reminding one another that we each are a unique and valuable part of our huddles.
With love and hope,
Shawn