What if there is purpose in the pain?

The other night I while skiing, I witnessed someone get hurt. The details of this story are not mine to share. I will say I learned this person is on their path to healing which I am so grateful for. I have spent the past 24 hours reflecting on the experience. I saw hurt and pain yet I saw something else too; love come by their side.

I saw preteens, moms, off duty EMTs, and a firefighter pause from their path of leisurely skiing to come over and help the hurt person - and call for help. I witnessed the ski patrol, police, and EMTs help get the injured person where they needed to go.

I saw each person do what was theirs to do and then back away for others to step in to do their part to get the person the help they needed. I saw people coming together and work towards a common goal; to help this person towards their path to healing.

I saw people living close to their God given purpose; to love one another.

I share this with you today because today there are people in pain, with visible or invisible wounds. Maybe that person is you. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

If you are in pain, inside or out , please reach out to someone and let love in today to help you on your path to healing. And if you are well, please consider opening your eyes and ears to see who along your path today may be in pain, inside or out. May we choose to be the love that pours their way, and be a bridge to care if they need it. There may be many we see, if so may we do for at least one, when we may want to do for all.

It is easy to assume that someone else is already helping, or will step in. Yet what if no one does? As uncomfortable and unfit for the role we may feel, may we choose go close - and extend love their way. Even if it doesn’t make sense and you don’t know what to say or do. Pray, and allow God to give you the words to speak, if any, and wisdom on the next best step.

Pain is hard & something we so often avoid. Yet what if it is being close to where there is pain that will draw us closer to God & our greater purpose - to love one another and be the love by someone’s side?

With love & hope,

Shawn

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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Be A Builder

When I was a PE teacher, there was a game I had the kids play called “Builders and Bulldozers.” I’d have a bunch of cones of various sizes around the gym and I’d divide the class in half; half of the kids were builders and the other half were bulldozers.

The bulldozers would knock over the cones with the assigned body part I gave them, like their elbows. The builders goal was run around and stand all the cones back up.

It’s a fun game to play with kids. Yet sadly it seems we’re still playing this game in life as adults, not with cones, but with our words and actions.

I share this with you today because we have a choice as we enter this day if we will be a builder or a bulldozer.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we choose to be a builder today, within our homes, in our communities, states and our nation. May we choose to say and do what will benefit one another. Yes, there will always be bulldozers but may we pray there will always be more builders than bulldozers, and some of those bulldozers have a change of heart and too become builders.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Ephesians 4:29

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Be in the Thin Space

A few months ago a friend shared with me an idea that will always remain with me. She spoke about being in the “thin space.” I had no idea what she was talking about and she shared how the thin space is when it’s you and God, nothing in between.

I love this idea and know the times I am in the thin space yet if I am honest with you, I spend a lot of time in the thick space- when I have allowed life’s layers to come between God and me.

Today, as I drove by my favorite local lake, I saw this. I had to pull over and sit with this beautiful visual. I had to ask myself, are these layers of ice on the lake growing or are they melting?

The same question is significant between me and God. Are the layers between God and I melting, or are the layers growing between us?

I share this with you today in case you want to be in the thin space too. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take a moment to absorb this picture. Let’s be honest and ask ourselves what the layers are that are between us and God right now. May we “be still to know God” so He can help us melt those layers away to get back to Him being the primary layer in our life. From this thin space is where God will be able to help us better get through the thickness of life .

With love and hope,

Shawn

W.O.W. (Word of the week): Be

V.O.W. (Verse of the week): “Be still and know that I am God” - Psalm 46:10

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See Their Uniqueness

A big pull on my heart for a while now is to see my kids as God sees them. What this prayer has lead me to see is that our youngest often does things his brother does because they are best friends, but I don’t know if he is really doing things he loves to do.

So last night we tried something new, as we aren’t skiers or snowboarders. Matt attempted snowboarding and he loved it, and I loved watching him do something he loved! This experience reminded me of how our children are individuals, with their own unique God given interests, and skills. My job as their parent is to lead them to who God made them to be - which may mean doing things that we have not done before and don’t come natural to us.

I share this with you today, in case you can relate with your kids. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we ask God for us to see our kids as He sees them and to reveal to us their uniqueness. May we meet them for who they are and get uncomfortable ourselves if we know it will lead them closer to who God made them to be.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“Do not neglect the gifts within you.” - 1 Timothy 4:14

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God Is Doing A New Thing

“Mom, will you proofread a paper I have to hand in for class.”

Me: “Sure!”

These were the first words typed on the page.

Initially I felt a punch to my gut. Out of all the experiences our child could write about, four years later she chose this. “Oh goodness, how did my getting diagnosed with cancer change her life for the worse,” I immediately thought.

I took a deep breath and continued reading. Yet what I read surprised me. Although our child wrote about how hard it was to experience for her Mom to have cancer, she also shared how it taught her many life lessons, and will help shape her life.

I share this with you today because with COVID, and all that is happening in the world, it’s easy to think, as I did when I was diagnosed with cancer, that what our kids experience will forever impact them in a negative way.

Yet I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we open our eyes to the truth that the hard times are opportunities for refinement, for ourselves and our children. A quote that reflects this truth is:

“God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls, and coal into diamonds using time and pressure, He's working on you too." - Rick Warren

Yes, times are challenging yet it’s often the hard times that are what help us grow more into the person God made us to be. Rather than this time being a weight on our shoulders that crushes us, may we ask God to help us instead place it beneath our feet so we can use it as a stepping stone to be who He made us to be.

And maybe we will find ourselves four years from now sharing our story of these challenging times and the life lessons we learned that have helped shape our lives.

With love and hope,
Shawn

See, I am doing a new thing!
- Isaiah 43:19

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Love One Another

My heart breaks on so many levels with what is happening in our nation’s Capitol. Protests have their place. This is not a protest but a riot. To get to the point where there is complete disregard to the visible and invisible boundaries that have been established for centuries, built on God and respect for authority in our nation, is disturbing and sad.

As I’ve watched, I hear that nations are watching, yet you know who is watching as well?

Our children.

Our children are watching this.

What have they witnessed? Respected, sacred ground being taken over by people who have lost all respect and regard for authority. They are witnessing pride, power, and lies ruling hearts. They are seeing a President who refuses to stand up for what is true, right, honorable, and just. Our children are, once again, witnessing unprecedented circumstances.

No matter your political affiliation, I invite you to join me to ...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we choose to come together as Americans, human beings, and children of God; not for ourselves, but for our children.

God says in His word, a nation divided will fall. Let’s not give a divided nation to our children. May we commit today to say and do everything within our abilities to be part of the healing that needs to take place in our nation.

We need stop following people and get back to following God’s truth which teaches us - and our children - to treat one another with honor, integrity, respect, and to love one another as He loved us, with a selfless love.

With hope,

Shawn

Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. - John 13:34

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Hello!

With it being the New Year and having some new friends here, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, and share a few things so you can get to know me a little better.

1. My name is Shawn and I am an author, teacher and speaker.

2. I was born in Atlanta, GA, and moved to Connecticut when I was 4.

3. I still live in my hometown in CT with my patient husband, Stephen and our three courageous kids, Kate, 14, Gavin, 13 and Matt, 8.

4. We have a quirky black lab, Georgia, who loves to take long walks with me.

5. I love to encourage others to be who God made them to be.

6. I am the youngest of 4.

7. One of my favorite childhood memories with my brother and sisters is singing along to Van Halen’s “Jump” in the back of our VW Vanagon.

8. I have my undergrad in Health and Physical Education, my Masters in Health Ed., and a 200 hour yoga teacher certification.

9. I am in charge of games at all of our family gatherings.

10. I am young at heart with an old soul - I want to either play or have deep, meaningful conversations.

11. I find putting laundry away painful for some reason.

12. I have written and self-published three faith-based books. My fourth book is coming out soon!

13. I am a survivor of a rare cancer and have an artificial palate called an obturator that helps me speak and eat.

14. I am a morning person who thrives on routine and am 99% of the time dressed to workout or go on a walk/hike.

15. If I could have dinner with any three famous people it would be Jesus, Mother Teresa and Jimmy Fallon.

16. I teach spiritual strength and stretching classes, aka Christian Yoga (and am starting an online class soon!).

17. Tortilla chips are my “go-to” when I stress eat.

18. Blueberry Green, Earl Gray with lemon and honey, and Egyptian Licorice with peppermint are my favorite teas.

19. The Bible is my favorite book.

20. Writing is my therapy.

So that’s a little about me. Feel free to share something about yourself in the comments so I can learn about you too!

I am grateful to connect with you here. Yet if you’d like to be encouraged beyond social media, be sure to sign up for my encouraging weekly emails. When you do you’ll receive a pause. breathe. pray. winter printable in your email inbox. To sign up, visit at the LET’S STAY CONNECTED button below.

I look forward to walking beside you this year with God’s word and truth as our guiding light; step by step, day by day

With love and hope,

Shawn

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There is Value in Pausing

Word of the Week: Pause

Verse of the week: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” - Psalm 37:7

I heard a story once about a young woodsman who walked into a village seeking someone to challenge him in a tree cutting competition. Everyone turned to the elder of the village, who accepted the challenge.

The following day, the young and older man took their axes to the woods. They began cutting down trees. The young man kept going, going, and going. He laughed to himself when he saw the older man sitting on a stump. This didn’t happen just once, it happened every hour that the young man saw the older man sitting down. He thought to himself, I got this.

As the day came to a close, the young man was confident he won the competition. Yet when all the trees were counted, the older man had cut down more trees. The young man was shocked. He asked the elder from the village, “How did you win? You sat down every hour for a number of minutes?!” The elder replied, “Yes, I did. It was when I was sitting, I was able to sharpen my ax.”

May this story be a reminder as we enter our week, and year, to not just go, go, go, but the value of pausing.

I invite you to join me this week, to set a timer on your to remind yourself to...

pause. breathe. pray.

Lets take time to pause with God to sharpen our “ax;” our hearts and minds each day. May this pause give us what we need to meet our day with greater clarity, efficiency, and whatever else we need for our day.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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Invite God In As You Set Goals

As I sat yesterday to set my goals for 2021 I was reminded of this verse. You see, I have spent years making goals, and have continuously missed the mark on most of them. Yet something I hadn’t been doing was praying about the goals. I have a choice:

I could start this year setting goals on my own.

I could start this year inviting God into the equation and be more prayerful about what actual goals I need to set.

As different as it is, I am choosing to go with the latter. Having God as the third strand, with me and the goals, is what I believe is needed to make the right goals for myself this year.

I share this with you today if you too are setting your goals for the year. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

Let’s take time in stillness and in silence with God and ask Him what He wants for us to focus on this year. We may get clarity, or not. If not, let’s recognize we may set goals that don’t align with God’s path for us. Let’s remain open to a change of course if/when needed.

Whatever goals we set, may it not just be about us and what we are working towards. May God be the third strand that either disconnects us from the wrong goals, or holds us together tightly with the right ones.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:12

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year

As you can see Matt was a bit excited for the new year just like the rest of us. Today I sat to reflect on the year ahead, I had a thought that made me pause.

What makes this day different from yesterday?

Yes, it’s a new year but the truth is, it’s another day. Yet today has something we didn’t believe about yesterday. Today is filled with hope and with the beliefs that we are able and that good things will come. It isn’t the day that changed, but our mind and belief around the day.

So as we move into this new year, let’s capture this mindset we have today and take time to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we ask God to remind us that each morning is a new day and our mindset for that day is significant. With God’s help, may we practice meeting each day with the hope and beliefs that we have today.

Who knows, maybe we will find ourselves jumping into our days like Matt jumped into this New Year

With love and hope,

Shawn

Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. - 2 Corinthians 10:5

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