The Circles of Gratitude

Last night I was teaching Matt's class at church and we were talking about gratitude with it being the week of Thanksgiving. We encouraged the kids to take a moment to thank God for the gifts in their lives and for who He made them to be. Then we broadened the circle of gratitude by having the kids write a thank you card to someone in their family, sharing something that they appreciate about the person they were writing to. Then, with the limited time we had, we asked them to write a thank you to someone in our church family thanking them for their contribution. Once they were done with their notes, the kids delivered the notes to those who were there, including the custodian who works at the school we hold classes in. Minutes after they delivered the card, the custodian showed up at our classroom. He came in to say to the kids, with a tear in his eye, how thankful he was to receive their note and how he was going to keep it on his desk to look at every day. When he left, there was a brief silence in the room - and for those of you who work with kids understand what a rare moment like that is. The silence spoke volumes to me, that the custodian's words captured their hearts. We asked the class how that moment impacted them and one girl shared, "it didn't take a lot of effort to say thank you but it made his day better and he's keeping the card." And when we asked the class how they felt being thanked by the custodian, they said how it made them feel good.

Expressing our thanks to God, and others, shines light and love into the hearts of the receivers, and the givers. 

So as we move into this week, let's make the time to...

pause. breathe. pray.™ 

Let's practice the same circles of gratitude the kids did last night. Let's take a moment to give thanks to God for the gifts in our lives and for who He made us to be. Then let's take a moment to give a call or write a note to someone in our family who we'd like to thank for who they are or something they've done for us that we appreciate. Then let's think about someone in our church family who we'd like to send a note their way.  Next, let's think about the people beside us day in and day out, like a friend or a co-worker, who we can express gratitude towards. And then let's grow in the habit of seeing the people throughout our day who we can say thank you to, even for the simplest things; like a person holding a door for us, the barista at the coffee shop, the cashier at the store, etc. When we posture our heart with gratitude, we are aligning ourselves with God, and who He made us to be. Unspoken gratitude is like having a gift for someone that we never give them to open. Gratitude shared can make a difference in our hearts and minds, and in the hearts and minds of those receiving it, like it did for the custodian last night. So let's be a part of the difference we want to see in the world, and be vessels of love and gratitude, as we are called to be today, and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving friend! I hope you have a blessed week and your eyes and ears are open to all you have to be thankful to God for.

With love and hope,

Shawn
 

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15

Harvest Love

Yesterday was the birthday of a dear friend, Val, who passed away this spring after a three year battle with cancer. Val and I met when my middle child and her youngest were in pre-school together. They are now in their junior year of High School.  

Val was a light in many people’s lives, including mine. When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, she showed up at my door with a Sunshine Box filled with encouraging words from her Girl Scout Troop. Val was just that, a ray of sunshine, from her smile and sweet, calming voice to her selfless acts of love; she scattered sunshine and love into hearts all around town.

Val and I were more acquaintances through the years until she reached out and shared her diagnosis with me. We went on a walk together where she opened up and let me in behind the surface of what she was going through. At the end of our walk we prayed together, and we came to see that our faith in God united us. From that walk on, our faith in God was the foundation of our friendship. Prayer was the core of our conversations. Val’s faith was rich and deep, and her love for God, her husband and two children, were  the strength behind her warrior’s heart.

Val’s battle was long and challenging, yet she continued to shine the light of love to everyone who was beside her, from her family and friends to the doctors and nurses who cared for her. Val’s love reflected the heart of Jesus, as she was more focused on those who were beside her than on herself.  She didn’t allow her circumstances to dictate her wellness, she chose to live well, and live out love, in spite of her circumstances.

The last time I visited with Val she was sleeping. Rather than trying to wake her, I sat on the side of the bed beside her and prayed over her and her family. When I left, I held her hand and whispered in her ear, “God bless you, Val. May His peace be with you.”  Unexpectedly Val whispered something back to me. Although I couldn’t make it out, knowing her she was saying, “and with you too.”

Val was a selfless soul who found life in Jesus, and in loving others.  Her joy was evident in her radiant smile and shining blue eyes. Having to see Val have to go to heaven to heal is hard to accept. Yet in her passing, I saw something beautiful, all the love she shared became visible as the church couldn’t hold all the people who came to celebrate her life. When I looked around at all the people who came to honor Val’s life, I saw that Val’s life, and love, made a positive impact in so many lives. She scattered seeds of love, and that love grew in other people’s hearts. Val planted gardens of love in our community, and love will continue to grow and be harvest here because she chose to live a life grounded in God’s love.

Witnessing the love Val shared become visible was powerful and made me see it isn’t what we get in life that matters, but what we give. And the greatest gift we can give is love, which can grow in the hearts of others.

I invite you to join me today to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May Val’s life inspire us to use our time, energy and resources, as she did, to plants seeds of love into the hearts of others through our words and our actions. So when our time comes to meet our maker, instead of harvesting a lot of things in this life, instead may the harvest we leave behind for others to gather be from the seeds of God’s love we have scattered into the hearts of others each day, just as Val did.

With love and hope,

Shawn

This was approved by Val’s family for me to share, and can be found in the 2023 Autumn Issue of Our Story Magazine HERE.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
- Matthew 9:37-38 ESV

Thank you, Veterans

To all who have served our country, 

Thank you for your selfless service.


With love and hope,
Shawn

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. - John 15:13

The Gift of Time

Yesterday was my birthday and the kids had off. They asked me what I wanted to do and gave me the gift of their time, all-day-long. Time together was truly such a blessing as Kate heads off to college next year and I see how these moments of the five of us being together will happen, but less often.

I share this with you today as a reminder that we can think we need to give someone some”thing,” when time is really the only gift we need to give.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Who is someone we can give the gift of our time to today? Let’s choose to give the gift of time, it costs nothing yet is worth everything…especially to my mama’s heart these days.

With love and hope,
Shawn

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. -Psalm 90:12

Prayerful Decisions

Gavin received his driver’s permit a while back and  we have been driving around together often to get his hours in to get his license. The other day there was a person on our tail and I found myself saying to him, “don’t allow the people around you to determine your choices for you.”  

After saying that, I realized that truth wasn’t just for Gavin, but that I could practice that truth myself. And that what I said wasn’t just applicable to driving but this truth can be applied in many areas of our lives.

I share this with you today in case you too at times find you allow the influence of others around you to determine your choices.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember that in life there are so many voices calling for our attention to influence us, in person and online. Words can feel like the person driving behind Gavin, pressuring us to make choices. We don't have to do much to hear others because it's around every corner we turn. Yet messages that align with God aren't as prevalent in our lives. Instead, we have to be intentional and directional to get to know God, and His word, so that we can better know His voice when we are making decisions.

As we move into this week, let's take time with God and pray over any choices we have to make. May we ask God to give us insight and wisdom so that we have a calm confidence when making the choices.

Will we always know that the choices we make are fully aligned with God's will? No, we won't because we aren't God. Yet by at least by making the choice to invite God in to be the greatest influence in our lives, we are not practicing living from the outside in, but instead living from the inside out, which will help renew our minds, grow peace in our hearts, and wellness in our souls...even when someone is tailing us.

With love and hope,
Shawn

A Step of Faith

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of going to Pine Grove School with Jan, the illustrator of A Place for Sam, to encourage the students. I love seeing their smiling faces as they hear that they are unique, valued, loved and their puzzle piece matters🧩 What I wasn’t expecting is to have an adult who was there come over to me and tell me that this what just the message she needed to hear right now. I won’t share more of her story, because it’s not mine to tell. Yet after hearing what she shared my heart smiled knowing being there with her was a divine appointment.

I share this with you today, yes to celebrate the joyful day we had, but also as a reminder that when we feel called by God to do something, even when it doesn’t make sense, do it. My background is a Health and Physical Ed teacher, not a writer. Yet when these words came to me 7 years ago, I knew they needed to be shared. And here we are 7 years later and the timeless message in these pages continues to bridge hearts with those reading, kids and adults.

So if you too feel like God has placed something on your heart to say or do, no matter the size of the ask- from walking to the neighbors to say hi to writing a book- I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we be willing to take a step of faith forwards, and trust God’s hand is in it and that He will do something from our act of love- even years later like He is doing with A Place for Sam💗🙏🧩

With love and hope,
Shawn

Trust God With the Detours

(original message sent via email 10/23/23)

Recently I was reflecting on when Kate and I were headed to spend the day together in Boston this summer. I have been there 1,000 times over the past 6 years because that is where my doctors are. Yet in all the times I traveled to Boston, I took the same route and was never once detoured…until this ride with Kate. We were traveling the Mass Pike and the GPS told us take an exit. I was confused because this had never happened. I took the exit but was getting a little unsettled because this was out of the ordinary. Kate could see I was unnerved by this detour and said, “This just means God has another route for us today, Mom.” I initially wanted to react and say something but instead I sat with the wisdom she shared with me.

God has allowed me to go on detours before in life, and I trusted Him then. Why would I not trust Him with this detour off the highway?

Psalm 25:4-5 Says, “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

This verse is a reminder that God has a path for me, and you, in life. The wisest choice is to do our best to align with His paths for us, rather than determining paths for ourselves.

Admittedly, this practice isn’t just a switch that flicked inside of me, or you.  And that day with Kate, even after I heard what she said, rather than resting and trusting God, I double checked our destination to be sure we had the address in the GPS correctly. After that, I prayed through the unsettled feelings I had, asking God to guide me, as this Psalm reminds me to do. I realized that worrying and gripping to the usual way wasn’t going to benefit me, or my time with Kate. So I chose to let go of the normal route, trusted God - and the GPS. Kate and I ended up driving through beautiful towns we had never seen before and ones we would have never seen if we were on our normal route on the highway. After a following this new path, we arrived at our destination on time.

I share this with you today in case your days, or paths, ever get detoured like mine do. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

When we get detoured in life, may we notice our natural reaction - which for me usually doesn’t include God and instead a lot of emotions. Then, let’s choose to invite God into the detour with us, as Kate reminded me to do on that drive to Boston. May we remember that detours may not be convenient but they are opportunities for us to rely more on God, and less on ourselves. As we move into this week, let’s pray for God's guidance to help us follow His paths for us, rather than our own. 

To help you remember this week's message, click HERE for a FREE printable of this week's verse, and listen to this week's Live from the Inside Out™ podcast  HERE.

I pray you have a blessed week, friend! 

With love and hope,

Shawn

The Intersection of Joy and Sorrow

(original message sent via email 10/16/23)

We had a wonderful weekend at a family wedding. As much fun as we had, there is also a weight on my heart knowing that there are others right now in the fight for their life. This dichotomy stops me in my tracks sometimes and brings me back to the question, "how can one day be filled with pure joy and at the same time there be such unimaginable sorrow?"

This is a question I asked a wise friend a couple of years ago. The response my friend shared with me that day will stay with me forever. I am sharing his wise words with you today in case you struggle with this dichotomy as well. I pray that what he shared with me will help you too.

What he said to me that day is, “what you are describing is the cross; the intersection of where joy and sorrow meet.”

Let me pause for a moment.

I know a number of years ago if someone said this to me I would have said, “what?!” in my head, and then just nodded my head politely to someone talking about the cross like this to me. So please know I completely get it if that’s where you are today and what you want to do right now while reading this. Yet I also know some of you are nodding your head in complete agreement with my friend's wise words.

Wherever you are on your faith walk, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

What my wise friend was sharing with me is that the cross, where Jesus died, is where joy and sorrow intersect. In the moment Jesus died, there was great sorrow for his death yet that same moment was also filled with immeasurable joy for his selfless sacrifice for you, and for me; freeing us from our sins and giving us life. (And if the word sin is a little much for you, I get it, as it used to be for me. What helped me understand sin better was to see that it means what we say and do that isn't in alignment with God.)

So when I am in a day where I see joy and sorrow happening at the same time, I now look to the cross. For at the cross, I see that Jesus gave us a gift - the example that days like this would exist, and that joy and sorrow will have to exist together for us to truly experience the fullness of life. 

Yet that is not the whole story.

There is also hope.

You see when Jesus died, the people thought that was the end of the story, but it wasn't. And so when I hear and see of inexplicable sorrow, it makes me turn to the cross, and remember, God is working at all times, and often we cannot see what He is doing. May we look to Jesus' life, death and resurrection as a reminder that there is hope even when all seems hopeless. 

And so today I choose look to the cross and to hold on to hope to anchor me on these days, and in these times, and I offer for you to do the same to help you through. 

To help you remember this week's message, click HERE for this week's FREE printable: Hebrews 6:19, and listen to this message on this week's Live from the Inside Out™ podcast  HERE.

I pray you have a blessed week, friend! 

With love and hope,

Shawn

Let's Not Do What is Wrong to Belong

(original message sent via email 10/9/23)

Before I share this week's message with you, I wanted to invite you to join me to pray for Israel, however you feel lead to pray...
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Thank you. 
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Below is this week's encouraging message for you.


Recently I caught myself making a poor choice and at the heart of my decision, I was trying to avoid this person's disapproval of me. I walked away knowing that I avoided saying what was best just to please the person.

Have you ever done that? 

After making this choice, I remembered something my eyes were opened too at a women's group I attended this summer. During one of our group discussions, something really hit my heart. I realized that sometimes we may do what is wrong to belong, and avoid doing what is right in God's sight. This realization hit me as a person, and as a Mom. The desire to belong in life can be so strong, at any age, that we sometimes choose to go against our values and say or do things - or avoid saying or doing things - with the hope of gaining belonging/approval of a certain person, or a group of people. Since realizing this, it has helped me grow stronger within and more compassionate towards others, especially my kids. (Now I clearly see how some of their choices through the years has been about their longing to belong - which I admittedly didn't see at the time.)

I share this with you today in case you can relate on a personal level, and/or if you have kids - to better understand the why behind some of their choices. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember that the desire to belong is innately in each of us. The truth is we already belong, as we are a member of God's family (-Ephesians 2:19). What can be challenging is that God is invisible and the people in front of us are visible. Therefore, it's very natural, and understandable, for us to seek to belong to what is seen rather than what is unseen. Yet moving forward let's flip it and pray to have a heart towards God first so He can help us make wise choices with our interactions with the people who are in front of us. This is easier said than done, but worth the practice.

As we move into this week, may we ask God to help us recognize when we find ourselves saying and doing things to belong or gain the person's approval - and open our eyes when we start avoiding saying and doing things to avoid a person's disapproval. May we pray to have the wisdom and strength to say and/or do what is right in God's sight, trusting nothing we say or do will change our belonging to His family.

And most importantly, if there is anything you keep in your heart this week is to remember that you already belong, in God's family...and in our Live from the Inside Out™ community. 

To help you remember this week's message, click HERE for this week's FREE printable: 3 Questions to Ask Ourselves to Help Us Do What is Right In God’s Sight, and listen to this message on this week's Live from the Inside Out™ podcast  HERE.

I pray you have a blessed week, friend! 

With love and hope,

Shawn

Set Our Minds on Things Above

(original message sent via email 10/2/23)

On a recent family hike, at the top of the mountain there was a tower that you can climb up to to view the valley below. We climbed up the tower and as I looked out, I saw how the sun was shining over the valley below and how some clouds were scattered in the sky. I was thinking about how the people who have no clouds above are experiencing a sunny day, but those below the clouds are experiencing a cloudy moment in their day. 

From this mountain top perspective, I could see that it was a sunny day and the clouds were only temporary.

When I paused to process this, it made me think about God's point of view of our lives. From His vantage point every day is sunny and He can see that any "clouds" we are experiencing are temporary and will pass, in time. And even in the evening, when we see the night sky, the sun is still shining, we just don't see it from where we are, but God does.

Reflecting on this made me see how I can sometimes be "under clouds" or "in the dark" and I may forget to look up and consider what God sees from His perspective. God is the one who sees the whole picture and how whatever it is I am experiencing is temporary - although temporary in our lives may not always feel temporary. 

Colossians 3:2 reads, "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." This verse reminds me that I can get focused on the clouds, or dark moments, and that it's best for me to seek God first to help me with whatever it is I am going through. I need to remember that there is good in every day, and whatever the clouds are that I may be experiencing, it's best to look at them with God beside me, rather than try to tackle them alone.  I am sharing this with you today in case you too can get fixated on the clouds and forget to invite God in. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Whether we are experiencing a good day or a bad day, may we pray to seek God above all else. May we give thanks to God for the good days, and the good in each day, and if we are having trouble seeing the good, may we pray that God helps us see it. And if we are experiencing a cloudy or dark day or season, may we remember that God is with us and sees the bigger picture. Instead of trusting in ourselves, which I admittedly do, may we place our trust in God and do what we can to help keep our eyes and ears on God, above all else, so our perspective broadens, as mine did that day on that mountain top. 

For more encouragement, click HERE for this week's FREE printable: 7 ways to help keep your eyes on God, and click HERE to listen to this message on this week's Live from the Inside Out™ podcast.
 

With love and hope,
Shawn

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