Beanz - Where You Belong

Yesterday I stopped by Beanz & Co. Café to meet up with a friend and to drop off some more A Place for Sam books.

If you don’t know Beanz, it’s a place “where everyone belongs.” Beanz was started by the new england pasta company owners Kim and Scott Morrison and their friends Noelle and Tim Alix. Both couples have daughters, Meg and Cate, who have Down’s syndrome. What the Morrison’s realized as Meg was approaching 21 is the lack of job opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). So they paired with the Alix’s and together they started this inclusive cafe where they hire people with IDD.

When you go to Beanz, you experience life as it should be, with everyone being accepted for who they are and treating one another with love, dignity and respect. I always leave there nourished by the people, the experience and the food.

For years now Beanz has carried A Place for Sam in their store where it’s placed next to their “Everyone Belongs” shirts and mugs. When I wrote Sam I was simply writing my story at a kid’s level hoping to remind kids that they have a place and a purpose and their puzzle piece matters What I didn’t know is how the story would resonate so well with families with a loved one with IDD. I feel truly blessed to be a part of the Beanz community and their mission to be a place where everyone belongs.

People have flown in from across the country to experience this beautiful inclusive community. I highly recommend you stop in for a visit to Beanz. It’s where you belong

With love and hope,

Shawn

Love your neighbor as yourself. - Mark 12:31

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Honor One Another

Some people want big celebrations for their birthdays and others want to remain behind the scenes with a simple recognition of the day being enough.

Yesterday was Gavin’s birthday.

Can you guess which one of the above he is?

To Gavin and all those like him,

know we want to shout from the roof tops to celebrate you because we love you so much.

Yet instead of doing what we want to do, we will do our best to honor your wishes, and celebrate you in the quiet way you wish...

...And for Gav, maybe take you to a Mets game

With love and joy,

Shawn

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. - Romans 12:10

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Beyond the Surface

Recently I had a touching conversation with a dear friend who has her oldest son graduating from High School next week. Listening to her talk and share was therapeutic for her, and for me.

She shared how she is looking back on what she has done, and what she didn’t do. She is looking forward to this new beginning for her son yet is processing how things will be different at home in this new season ahead for her. She shared the joy and sadness she is feeling all at once. She wasn’t trying to keep it together and allowed herself to be raw and real with me, owning where she was at so beautifully.

I share this with you today because sometimes when we are hurting or processing an experience, we can close up and not let others in. (I know this from my own experience). Yet what was refreshing to me as a friend was to be let in beyond the surface and really hear what’s on my friend’s heart.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember that all of us are processing something and we don’t need to do it alone. May we be willing to be vulnerable and share our hearts with those we know will hear them. And if we have a friend share their heart with us, may we give thanks for being a safe person for them to share and be fully present with them when they speak. May we recognize God placed us beside them to listen, love and support them in this time. Also, God may be using their story to speak to our hearts and renew our perspective, as this conversation with my friend did for me.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
- Galatians 6:2

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Selfless Service

Yesterday I was reflecting on how often we can be in the present and not think about the people before us who have contributed to the freedoms we get to experience today. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember and honor those who sacrificed their tomorrow’s while serving our country. Let’s look at their example of selfless service and honor their life today by choosing to live out love towards someone else. May whatever we choose to do benefit someone else, and not ourselves in any way- maybe it even costs us something (like our money, time, etc). Doing this isn’t even close to what these men and women gave yet can give us a sliver of the selfless perspective they chose to live, and die, with.

And when we pause to think about it, these people were examples of the selfless love of Jesus, who chose to live, and die, for you, and for me.

May that truth be planted into our hearts and minds as we give thanks for those who have come before us who have contributed to the freedoms we get to experience today, inside and out.

With gratitude, respect and hope,
Shawn
 

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
- John 15:13

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Thank you, Teachers

Dear Teachers and School Staff,

Where do I begin? I guess with a wholehearted thank you.

Thank you for choosing to show up for our kids in person and/or online.

Thank you for your dedication to our children and figuring things out, even though it was challenging and not what you signed up to do.

Thank you for being examples of courage, strength, and bravery for our kids.

Thank you for your patience with our children and with us, the parents, as we were all navigating the unknown beside you this year.

Thank you for the countless hours outside of your paid day that you have spent to make this year happen.

Thank you for the energy you put into our kids, even when you yourself may have been depleted.

Thank you for wearing a mask all day so our children could be in school with you and their friends.

Thank you for keeping up with the tedious task of cleaning your classroom when we didn’t know if that’s how the virus spread.

Thank you for understanding that what the kids are going through within is more important than the score on their paper and for doing your part to help them be well within.

Thank you for pairing with us everyday to raise our children and help them grow into who they were made to be.

Thank you for you perseverance to see this year through.

Thank you for your selfless service to our children and our community. Not everyone was made to do the work you do, and you do it so well.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for all you have done this year, and all you do every year.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Shawn

"They may forget what you said but they will not forget how you made them feel." - Carl Buechner

“May God bless you and take care of you, May God smile on you and be gracious to you; may God look on you with favor and give you peace.”

- Numbers 6:24-26

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Be A Blessing

Yesterday I ran to Home Depot to get a few things. I had pulled my car up front and started loading the heavy items into my car. As I went to get the second round of items, a young man who worked there came over from the parking lot and asked if I needed a hand. I accepted his kind offer, and he and I worked together to load my car.

When we were done, I told him how much I appreciated his help. He wasn’t asked to help, he simply saw a need and chose to use his time and energy to help meet it. He said he had just finished bringing the carts in and saw me loading the car myself and just wanted to help.

Isn’t that what we all hope our kids grow up to be like?

By the way, his name was Jordan.

I share this story with you today because as we enter our week, we, like Jordan, will have our list of things to do. Yet I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

Wherever we go this week, may we choose to keep our eyes and ears open for the needs around us. And may we, like Jordan, when able, choose to use our time and energy to bless someone else and lighten their load. It may not seem like much, yet that simple act of kindness may leave a lasting impression and inspire another person to pass along the kindness, as I am inspired to do.

With love and hope,

Shawn

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act." - Proverbs 3:27

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Quiet the Noise

Do any of you have trouble sitting to read a book because it takes a number of minutes for your brain to quiet down and actually focus on the words in front of you?

I noticed this was happening to me and it was one of the reasons I started doing social media free Sundays this year.  I’ve been taking a break from social media on Sundays for months now and I have to say the one day break has grown into my taking more breaks throughout my week.  I found my time on social media was depleting me and the more time I am off of it, the more alive and refreshed I’ve been. 

I share this in case you can relate and are also wanting to take some time off of social media to renew your mind, so you will feel more alive and refreshed too.  I strongly encourage you to join me this weekend either Saturday or Sunday to take a break from social media.  

I’ll be real, those first few weeks on my days off of social media I saw how I randomly picked up my phone and subconsciously pressed buttons.  I had a pattern I did every time I grabbed my phone that I wasn’t even aware of!  So know you’re not alone if you experience that.  Thankfully, I have growing in awareness and am growing more purposeful in my use of social media.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

Choose to go social media free on Saturday and/or on Sunday this weekend.  Its a refreshing experience and a gift to yourself!

By choosing to disengage on social media is one step we can take to live from the inside out and quiet the noise that it makes in our minds.  So the next time we go to grab a book to read, we will be able to sit and actually focus on the words in front of us.

And if this is what being off of social media does for us with reading, imagine the focus we can bring to the people around us too by this simple practice.

With love and hope,

Shawn

#socialmediafreesundays

Be still and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10

A Rainbow Moment

As Stephen and I drove away from Boston last week, there were beautiful blue skies before us and dark clouds behind us.

“There has to be a rainbow, there has to be a rainbow,” I repeated over and over again to Stephen. The brightness of the sun in front of us coupled with the darkness of the clouds behind us was the perfect setting for a rainbow.

And low and behold, to the side of our car was this beautiful rainbow. As I enjoyed its beauty it made me think of God.

We all have our struggles, aka the rain, in our lives. Yet I wholeheartedly believe with the help of God, aka the sun, He will make good of the struggles, in His time.

I share this with you not just because it sounds good, but because over and over again I have experienced this truth. From my walks with anxiety, depression, cancer, in my relationships, debt, work, etc. I have learned to say, “God, if what I am experiencing is something you need me to experience to help others and shine a light on your love, then please equip me for this journey.”

One rainbow moment I experienced is when I was passing another Mom at pick up and she stopped me. She said she wanted to thank me for writing my book, My Journey to Live from the Inside Out, about my struggles with anxiety and depression. She said, “After reading it I finally reached out and got the help I’ve been needing.”

Rainbow moments like that one are when I have seen how God took my struggle, and used it for His greater purpose. We are not to be ashamed of our struggles, but instead put them into God’s hands and ask God how we can pair with Him to use them to help others.

If there is a struggle on your heart today, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

Like the rain and the sun working together to bring us the beauty of the rainbow, may we take our struggles to God and trust that He will make something good come from them, in time. May we be patient with God, and ourselves, as we wait to see how the rain of our struggles when given to God, can be made into a rainbow moment.

With love and hope,

Shawn

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

who have been called according to his purpose.

- Romans 8:28

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You are Beautifully Unique

Yesterday while in Boston, Stephen and I walked through the Commons as we always do. We came across this patch of tulips and I couldn’t help but think of the Dr. Seuss quote, “why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

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

pause. breathe. pray.

May we remember that God made us each so wonderfully unique. May we not fall into the temptation to try and conform to be like others. Instead may we choose to embrace the unique person He made us to be. May we follow the unique path He has before us and use our unique gifts with others.

For the beauty in life, and in this picture, is not found is everything being the same, but in the wonders of what is different and unique.

With love and hope,

Shawn

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

- Psalm 139:13-14

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The Edge Brings Perspective

You don’t really get the full view until you come to the edge. 

Recently on a hike I walked to the edge, although it’s scarier there, the view is so much more beautiful.  I was able to see things I wouldn’t have seen had I not walked to the edge.

It made me think how the same can be true in life.  For example, I have been brought to the edge once again.  Last week I went to the dentist for a regular check up and long story short, I was in Boston today for a scan. (Thank God all is well.)

These expected and unexpected scans have been a part of my life for almost four years now.  I have not gone more than six months without a scan, and in many ways I am thankful to have thorough drs, access to scans and have the healthcare that is available to us. To be honest though, I am also growing a little weary of meeting the edge this frequently.

Yet as I saw on the hike and I see today, the edge, though scary, brings with it a closeness to God and a renewed perspective I wouldn’t receive any other way.  When life floats back into normalcy I can lose the view of who and what matters most. The edge always brings those into clear view. What is nonessential falls away and what is most significant rises into clear view. 

I share this with you today as a reminder that the edge, although scary, can also bring with it a renewed, beautiful view.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

If you are on the edge in some way, I pray that you draw close to God so He may help you see beyond the clouds of your circumstances and give you renewed perspective.  And if you aren’t near the edge, yet are needing a shift in perspective, I offer for you to sit beside someone who is.  Sometimes just sitting beside someone who is going through things helps us have a renewed view of life that we wouldn’t see unless we were sitting on the edge with them.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. - Colossians 3:2

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