A Lesson from a Selfless Soul

We had put out items for people like Bill, our UPS person, John, our mailman, and the other people who are out there every day working, so we get to stay home. It may not be much, but we wanted to extend some love their way as a thank you for their selfless service. We are trying to minimize deliveries, as I am sure many of you are, to keep them well, yet we were getting low on food and so we had groceries delivered yesterday.

I saw the woman come drop off the groceries so I went to the window to thank her and remind her, as the sign says. to please take whatever she, or her family, needs.

Later on when we went outside, I noticed she only took a water and a pair of gloves.

Yes, 1 water and 1 pair of gloves.

When I saw this I just smiled at the glimpse she gave me into her selfless soul. She took what she needed and left more for the next person💝

This struck me because this IS the mentality of our essential workers. They are putting their lives out there to help keep others well and they see what is really needed rather than letting their desires get the best of them.

I share this today, to invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we receive this lesson given by this selfless soul. May all of us who get to stay home also only get what we need, so that we help there be less deliveries for them, and also so we may leave more for others too.

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
- Philippians 2:3-4

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Selfless Love

This week there will be a lot of posts about Jesus, with Easter around the corner. For those of you who that drives nuts, I get it as I have been in your shoes. Yet once I finally laid down my preconceived ideas about Jesus, & decided to learn more about him, I became intrigued because his ways were so backwards to what we would expect from a leader. 

For example, rather than being prideful, he was a humble leader. He didn’t choose to sit beside the high & mighty, but came beside the outcasts, & beside those who were hurting, inside and out. 

He came to serve, & not be served. 

I share this with you today because with Coronavirus, there are so many who are living out love, like Jesus did, putting others before themselves. Who are willing to sacrifice themselves to help someone else heal.

We see this powerful love in every frontline helper in this battle, the...

- Medical professionals 
- Pharmacists
- First responders
- Sanitary workers
- Truckers
- Factory workers
- Scientists
- Mailmen 
- Delivery people
- Military personnel 
- Law enforcement 
- Transit workers
- Grocery store workers
- Restaurant workers
- Gas station worker
- Utility workers
- Elder care workers
- Child care workers
- Community helpers
- Civil workers

And everyone else who is stepping out to help others right now and putting their well-being second. 

No matter if they are a person of faith or not, they are living out love like Jesus and teaching us all what this selfless love looks like in our world today.

So when you look at all the posts out there about Jesus and Easter, I offer for you to..

pause. breathe. pray.

And consider these words of Jesus,

“Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. - Romans 15:12- 13

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:28

And maybe consider, like I eventually did, to learn more about Jesus. I will say His love truly transformed my heart, mind and life, and I wholeheartedly believe His love will do the same for you.

No pressure. It’s an open invitation if/when the time is right for you.

With love and hope,
Shawn

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Grace is What We All Need Right Now

Our youngest came to me the other morning during his school time and asked if he could learn a song for his brother on the keyboard. He was intrinsically motivated to learn, so I said sure. And that was our music class for the day.

I share this with you because right now we need grace.

Grace for ourselves.

Grace for our children.

Grace for our teachers.

We have all stepped into an unknown together. I know I have not been the perfect mom, or teacher. I don’t expect my kids to be perfect right now as this is all new to them, and they are missing connecting in person with their friends. And as a former Health and PE teacher, I can’t imagine trying to teach my classes online to my students, so my heart is with all the teachers out there as they navigate these new waters, and teach remotely.

I share this with you today because we can choose to get frustrated with ourselves, our kids, our teachers, etc.

Or we can see that we are all trying our best, which yes, may not look pretty some days. It may be more like a dance, one step forward, two steps back, and then a glide to the side. 

I say this as well because not only are we trying to navigate learning from home, but we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, which is new for all of us too.

We have no idea if someone has loved ones who aren’t well, or if fear and worry about this situation is gripping their heart. Some days parents and/or teachers may be having trouble showing up for themselves and their loved ones, yet alone develop a whole new curriculum online, or teach it to our kids.

Grace.

It’s what we need right now to help us let go of judgement and meet one another with the loving kindness we would appreciate being met with on our hard days.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we make it a practice to extend grace towards ourselves, our children, our teachers, and beyond. By doing so, may we walk beside one another, not pushing or pulling one another along. Instead, may we meet each other where we are and take the next step forward together, one step at a time. We will get through this. Let’s get through it together, with grace leading the way.

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” - Hebrews 4:16

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God is Our Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Yesterday we went out to the woods. The calm. The simplicity. How grounding it is.

When I saw this bridge, these lyrics came to mind,

“When you're weary, feeling small

When tears are in your eyes, I'll dry them all

I'm on your side, when times get rough

And friends just can't be found

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down

When you're down and out

When you're on the street

When evening falls so hard

I will comfort you

I'll take your part, when darkness comes

And pain is all around

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down.”

- Bridge over Troubled Water

by Simon & Garfunkel

I share these words with you today, because when I listen to these words, I think of God speaking to our hearts. He wants to be there for each of us; to be that bridge over these troubled waters. He wants to be there to comfort us during this time, whether we are at home alone or with your family, or are on the front lines of this battle.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we allow God to be the bridge for us over these troubled waters. May we not get swept up in the fear of this storm. Yet instead may we allow His love to comfort us. He is asking us not to stand on the bridge beside Him but to be our bridge on which we stand on; to give us a solid foundation to ride out this storm on. May we let go of trying to navigate this storm ourselves and accept His loving invitation.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” - Psalm 18:2

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Let Go and Serve Others

“What is something you had to let go of?” was a question someone asked me yesterday.

One thing for me was our dodgeball fundraiser that was supposed to happen today. And as much as I have enjoyed that day and raising money for our ACC community, we will get to play, another time.

Instead of holding on to what I was going to use for dodgeball, we transformed it into something that can be used for those in need today; our medical personnel.

With the donation of some of Kate’s headbands we created masks. We may not had the capacity to make many but every one made will help someone.

I share this with you today because we all have had to let go of something to stay home and be a part of the healing. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we ask ourselves if there is something we have within our reach that we can use to help others during this time? Maybe it was something to were going to use, or money we were going to spend, etc. If we do have something, let’s offer it to where there is a need now, knowing everything we give up is replaceable, but the people we can offer to help are not.

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2

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Do What We Can From Where We Are

Yesterday was supposed to be opening day for baseball. For me, it wasn’t a big deal at all that we missed it but when you have a baseball loving family, you could see they missed the joy the game brings them. So Stephen and the boys created their own opening day in our front yard⚾️

And this friends is the dance I have experienced since my walk with cancer, and that many of us are in right now.

There are people struggling right now, literally for their lives, there are people who are putting their lives on the line to save others. This is the below the surface reality that happens daily that has now risen to the surface in society. The world now sees the struggle is real. And it is in this place where we gain perspective and see clearly who and what matters most in life. 

Yet my kids aren’t fully there. Yes, we have honest conversations with them to inform them, age appropriately, the reality of what is happening, just as we did with cancer. And yes, we are doing what we can from where we are to help. We are staying home, sending money, making masks, sending meals, praying, etc. to be a part of the healing. I want them to know there is real stuff happening and we can do what we can as a family to help. Yet I also am trying to meet them as the 14, 12 and 7 year olds they are.

Yes, I want this experience to open their eyes and give them better perspective in life, yet I need to trust that that will come in God’s time.

For now, I need to come beside them, loving them where they are, and understand things like missing baseball matters to them. 

When I watched the world through their eyes as they played yesterday, they showed me there is still laughter and joy to be had in this day, even in the midst of this struggle.

I share this with you today because I know I am not alone with that tug of war in our hearts between keeping perspective on what’s really happening and living life beside our families while we are at home.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May God open our eyes to the truth of what is really happening yet not lose sight that our kids, and others, may not have that perspective we have, and to meet them where they are.

May we do what we can from where we are, even if it means watching your kids play baseball in the yard, and dedicating each throw and hit as a prayer for the sick, for the doctors, the nurses, the volunteers, the scientists, the mailmen, the helpers, etc. 

Stay well and God bless💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

- Ephesians 4:2

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Focus on the Light

Last night I lit this candle and sat in the darkness watching the light flicker.  

The more I focused on the light, the brighter the room became.  

I share this with you today because there is a lot of darkness in our world right now. If we keep our eyes fixed on it, it may paralyze is from living this day we have been given. Instead, may we fix our eyes on God and the light of love shining into the darkness.

May we look, and give thanks, for those who are shining their light of love into the darkness; the helpers, the doctors, nurses, volunteers, scientists, farmers, grocers, teachers, neighbors, etc.

And may we shine a light of love from where we are into the darkness; by making a phone call, sending a text or card, FaceTiming someone, drawing a picture, sewing masks, sending food and/or supplies someone’s way, etc.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

Yes, this is a dark time, yet when we focus on the light of light, may we see this fire we are experiencing, is purifying us as individuals, as communities, as a nation, as humanity, to be the light of love we are called to be. 

Let’s choose to shine God’s light of love into the darkness today by loving one another today, however we can, from where we are, to make the world a little brighter today💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:5

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Today I am Grateful to God for...

Today's encouraging words to put into practice:

There is always someone, or something, to be grateful to God for.

Gratitude is a practice that can shift our eyes from the darkness to the light. Even in life’s greatest storms, there is always someone, or something, to be thankful for. I invite you to join me to...

Pause. Breathe. Pray.

May we write down at least 5 things we have to be grateful for today to help us fix our eyes on what is good in this day.

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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Honoring Those Who Selflessly Serve

Three years ago this week my dear friend sent me this picture of her family’s hands together in solidarity with me as I had my maxillectomy surgery.

Today these same hands don’t get to be together as the father of this family is going to work; he is a doctor.

To protect his family, he has made the wise, but tough choice, to stay at a friend’s vacant apartment after work until this passes to be certain if he by chance got it, he wouldn’t pass it along to his family.

This is the selfless service and sacrifice many are making for their families and our communities to help #flattenthecurve.

May we take a moment to...

pause. breathe. pray.

And join our hands and hearts together in solidarity to honor the selfless service and sacrifice others. May we do our part to help keep them well so they can do what they were made to do and help others heal. #stayhome #staywell

With love and hope,
Shawn

“May God bless you and protect you, may God smile on you and be gracious to you,

May the Lord look on you with flavor and give you His peace.” - Numbers 6:24-26

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Learn From Those Who Go Before Us

A couple of summer’s ago, I took our older two tubing. Kate was ahead of Gavin and I. At one point I heard her scream, “OW!” Then she called back to Gavin and I saying, “I just hit a big rock. Move over so you don’t hit it too.”

This moment has always stuck with me because often in life, there is someone who has walked the path before us. They have experienced things we can learn from, and have wisdom to share with us so we don’t have to experience the same things.

I share this with you today because we have people who have gone before us with the Coronavirus who we can learn from, whether it is what they did, or what they didn’t do.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take what others have experienced and see what we can learn from them to make the wisest choice for our families, our communities, and beyond💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.” - Proverbs 4:6

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