I Believe

Last night we watched Polar Express. At the end when then boy says, “I believe,” I was brought back to this moment in my life when I said, “I believe” to God.

At the end of 2009 I hit bottom in a pit of depression which took me months to work through with the help of family, therapy and meds. Yet there was something else in those months that came my way, my parents and dear friend, who was a Christian, encouraged me to pray. So I tried it on for size asking God if he was even there, and if he was, did he hear me? or care?

For months I was throwing up questions to God asking to help me, if that was possible and if so, to give me direction in life.

The one day in June 2010 I was in the kitchen cooking and Kate and Gavin were in there with me. Kate was four and Gavin had just turned three. Kate was practicing her letters and Gavin asked if he could practice his letters too. I handed him a piece of paper and a pen I had on the counter and I went back to cooking. Before long Gavin said excitedly, “Mommy, I wrote my name! Come and see!” He had never attempted to write his letters before so I stopped what I was doing to see what his interpretation of his name looked like. What I saw stopped me in my tracks. What he had written was...

God 7

I looked at it in awe, I was speechless. I gave Gav a huge hug and told him what he had written. He smiled and walked away, floating back into his three year old world while I sat there holding this piece of paper in my hand. I looked at it dumbfounded, G-o-d 7.

I had no idea what to make of the 7 but God, that was pretty clear to see (I later learned 7 is the most biblical number meaning completeness). That day, God worked through my son to capture my heart. I sat there with tears in my eyes and turned to God and said, “I believe”...and I haven’t looked back since.

I share this with you today because I know in my heart there is someone who is needed a message of hope today. There is someone who is asking, “God, are you even there?” like I was 10 years ago. And with Christmas on the horizon, I thought it is a fitting time to invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

I know it can sound out there and different but the truth of my heart is that choosing to believe in God, and His son, Jesus, truly transformed my life. And I know it will do the same for you. I invite you to look beyond the surface of what Christmas is all about, Jesus’s birth, and ask yourself, do you believe? If not, that’s fine. I get it as I’ve been there. Yet I encourage you to start your own conversation with God. He will be present, loving and patient with you, as He was with me. And I will be praying that as you try prayer on for size, you also find yourself saying the words, “I believe,” too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? - 1 John 5:5

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Do What Is Needed

How are you doing this week?

Really?

I know for me, as we get closer to Christmas, it seems that the to do list is longer and time has shortened.

Can you relate? If so, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember that God gives us enough in the day to do what we need to do, but not enough time to do all we want to do. So many we sit down with our lists and pray to gain clarity on what we need to do, versus what we want to do. When we can do this and let go of some of those wants, we will find we will have more margin of time to get things done and hopefully also have more rest in our souls.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about.

Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” - Luke 10:42

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Prayer Changes Our Perspective

On this Monday morning, may we...

pause. breathe. pray.

To begin our day. May we know prayer may not change our circumstances, but it can change our heart and perspective about them. May we allow God to be the core of our hearts and minds today to give us the perspective we need.

With love and hope,

Shawn

"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you." - Jeremiah 29:12

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Young At Heart

Stephen and I took a walk this afternoon and came home to the boys surprising us with a snowball fight

It was definitely a top moment of 2020

I’ve always been told I have an old soul yet that gets balanced with being a kid at heart, and I love moments like this!

This moment was a great reminder of the joy of surprises and how fun and laughter nourish the soul.

I am sharing this with you today to invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

Let’s choose to break out of that shell adulthood can keep us in and find that kid inside who just likes to have some good old fashion fun. You never know how much a simple moment of fun can be the fuel your soul has been needing.

With love and hope,

Shawn

PS I am already planning how to get them back

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Let's Be Compassionate

8 years ago. I remember where I was, as I am sure you do. I remember hugging our kids and thinking about the unimaginable loss the families in Newtown experienced.

On this day, as we remember, may we hold each of these families in our hearts and prayers

May we also take what we learned from that day and apply it today. On that tragic day, our hearts broke together as a nation and we grieved with the families as though their loss was our own.

Although it may not be our loved ones who have lost their lives due to COVID, so many lives have been lost and those families are forever impacted by it.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember the children and adults who lost their life on that tragic day. May we take time to pray for their families and let their stories forever impact our hearts to be a part of the change we need to see.

May we also take that same heart of empathy and compassion we had then and take it into our days today. Whether we know those who are personally impacted by COVID or not, may we be compassionate and experience others losses as our own. May we do what is ours to do to help prevent more losses of life, by COVID and gun violence, so more families will not have to experience such tragic losses as these.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“Mourn with those who mourn.” - Romans 12:15

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Light Shines In the Darkness

Yesterday we went driving through towns looking for Christmas lights. It was a reminder to me that no matter how dark the days, or this season may be, there is light to be found. If these dark days, or this dark season, are weighing on you, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we keep seeking the light of God’s word and truth to be our guiding light through the darkness. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:5. May this truth become a meditation for our mind and anchor for our soul to see us through.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“I am the light of the world.”

- John 8:12

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Hold One Another

This morning our youngest came running down and jumped into my prayer chair with me. I had been texting someone yet a wave of clarity came over me and I put down my phone and wrapped my arms around Matt.

It wasn’t long before he was ready to jump back up and head back upstairs.

And that’s it. It isn’t long...

It isn’t for long that our kids will willingly jump into our laps and let us hold them, or their hands.

So while we have the opportunity, may we remember to...

pause. breathe. pray.

And choose to put down our phones and hold the people we love. This may not be a perfect practice yet may we make this our standard so when the time comes when the choice isn’t there, we know we chose wisely while we had the opportunity to.

With love and hope,
Shawn

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”
- Ecclesiastes 3:1

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Let's Imitate Jesus' Love

As joyful of a time of year this is, I am also hearing the heaviness of many hearts. I just want you to know, if you’re heart is heavy, it’s okay to not be okay. And if you’re also feeling stuck, please be sure you let someone know

And if you have someone share their heavy heart with you, or tells you they are stuck, may we make time for them and imitate Jesus’ love towards them. He wouldn’t be focused on getting his to do list done. He would make coming beside the heavy hearted his priority knowing all else that needed to get done would get done. So as much as there may be for us to do in this season, may we be sure take time to slow down to..

pause. breathe. pray.

May we keep our eyes and ears open to those who are heavy hearted. When able, may we be imitators of Jesus’s love by coming beside them and let them know they are seen and heard. And even though we may not be able to make everything better, may we be a bridge to care if/when needed and be a prayer warrior for them in this season.

And if you’re like me, sometimes we may see so many people going through things, we can be paralyzed and do nothing or think we can’t make a difference. Instead of being paralyzed or thinking we can’t make a difference consider this quote that helps me,

May we “do for one, when you want to do for all” - @andy_stanley

and/or choose to do at least one thing, when you want to do everything.

With love and hope,

Shawn

"Love each other as I have loved you."

- John 15:12

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Gift of the Heart

On a recent hike I found a birch limb in the woods. I had this idea to use it as a part of a centerpiece for our dining room table. I asked Stephen if he would build me a box out of extra wood we had around and turn the birch limb into candle holders for me.

I have a thousand ideas a day, and Stephen graciously listens to many of them, patiently waiting for me to lay many of them down. Yet this idea was one he could see I was excited about.

After an errand the other day I came home to the empty box on my dining room table and Stephen asking me how he wanted the birch tree cut

This is one of the reasons I love my husband so much; he listens to the things that may not matter to him but he knows they matter to me. And he could go out and buy me the box but the fact that he and Gavin made this for me - even while football was on - means so much to me.

I share this with you today because in these times of giving, sometimes a gift of love doesn’t require spending money. Sometimes it may cost us our time and energy. Yet whatever we give the most important thing is that it is from our heart to theirs.

As we enter this holiday season, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

As we go to give gifts, whether they are homemade or purchased, may it be a gift from our heart to theirs. What I mean by that is that when we think of the person we are giving to, may what we give not be about us, but about the joy we know the gift will bring to them. May the gift speak to their hearts that we hear them when the speak. Even though what they like may not matter to us, like this box to Stephen, they know we are giving it because we love them and know how much it matters to them.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like a shifting shadow.” - James 1:17

LET'S STAY CONNECTED

Blessed are the Flexible

All three kids are back home this week remote learning. I know it’s an adjustment for our family when all three are home, as I am sure it is for any of you experiencing similar shifts this year has brought us.

Something that has helped me is to remember these words a friend gave me last year.

As someone who thrives on routine, the shifts in our schedules has definitely thrown me off of my desired path. Also, as someone who has practiced and taught yoga for well over a decade, I know the value of flexibility in the body. Yet the same truth holds true for our hearts and minds.

If we hold tightly to our plans and expectations, when shifts come, they may break us. Yet when we put our palms up to God and say, “these are my plans, but when you direct my steps, I trust your lead,” it provides enough space for us to be more flexible to His will over ours.

So if you are finding yourself growing more rigid with the changes this year brings, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

These times are challenging and shifts in our schedules/routines does try and break us. Yet to help us from breaking may we choose to be more flexible and let go of our desired plans and expectations. May we instead practice trusting God as our steps are redirected. It’s not easy, and I am far from perfect at this; ask our kids. Yet these practices aren’t just about my peace, I also know my kids are watching. How I respond to these moments matters. I pray to point them back to God as the one who never wavers, in this ever wavering world.

With love and hope,

Shawn

We make our plans, God directs our steps.”

- Proverbs 16:9

LET'S STAY CONNECTED