Happy August!…or is it? As we turn the page to this new month, reality is setting in. Kate heads back to school mid-month, and Gavin heads to college at the end of the month.
So what do I do with the awareness that the time we have together with all of us at home is shifting soon?
Be present.
Be present with God.
Be present with each of them.
Be present with the truth of change.
Enjoy their presence, their laughs, their interactions with one another.
Enjoy the moments at the table, playing cards, or chilling in the family room together.
Enjoy the moments when people are coming and going, and even those moments I have alone.
May I be present, soaking up the moments and also…
Let them go.
Palms up.
Entrust them into God’s care, more than my own.
Let them be.
Watch and witness them in this time.
Let them experience this as they need to.
And allow myself to process it all as I need to.
This is a happy month, but it will have sad moments too, and that is okay.
I share this today as I know I am not the only one sending kids off to school soon. If you are too, I invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
May we be present with God so He can help us be present with our loved ones. May we give thanks for what was, for what is, and for what’s to come. Letting go, and trusting God has our kids, wherever they go.
In fact, He always has.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Prayer for the Mind
Another run done🙌 I thought I’d let you in on something I do at the start of every run…I pray over my mind, body, and soul.
Years ago when I was in a Bible study, I saw clearly when I was reading Psalm 119 how in scripture there is wisdom about the greater purpose of our minds and bodies. As a previous health and PE teacher, and someone who loves the mind, body, and soul connection, seeing these verses revealed to me a new - and greater purpose - for my mind, my eyes, my ears, my mouth, and so on. Yet it’s not just in that Psalm. Throughout the Bible, there is wisdom about the greater purpose of our minds, bodies, and souls.
So I figured I’d start sharing some of the scriptures I pray as they aren’t just relevant for running, they are relevant to pray over ourselves and others anytime, any day.
I’ll start with a couple about the mind today.
Every run my mind is messy, resisting the process. One of the first verses I pray is asking God to:
“take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” - 2 Corinthians 10:5
I pray for God to weed out all the thoughts that are holding me back and then pray for a “renewal of my mind, by the power of the Holy Spirit” - Romans 12:2
I share these with you today in case your mind gets messy like mine. I invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
Rather than ruminating on the other thoughts that aren’t serving us, let’s take time to pray these verses. And may we trust, in time, there will be a renewal within our minds.
With love and hope,
Shawn
The Threshold
I’ve been reading a book, Braving the Thin Places. In it, the Irish author shares, “the threshold or liminal places take us from one place to another, in our surroundings but also inside of ourselves. Just as the half-doors of Ireland can open in and out at the same time, our eyes navigate this inside-outside dynamic for our lives.”
After reading that, I saw this view out the door while we were on the Blasket Islands.
It made me reflect on the quote and the threshold I am standing at in life with Kate and Gavin heading off to college soon.
Like the view from the doorway, what is in the distance is unknown.
And as I stand at this threshold of change in my life, I know it will be a process to embrace our new normal at home. Yet I am reminded that I do not stand here alone.
God is with me on either side.
He goes before us and knows the unknowns.
There is comfort in that truth for me, and I pray there is comfort in that truth for you too.
I share this with you today not knowing the threshold or liminal place you are standing in. I invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
May we remember that no matter where we stand, or what we are stepping into, we are never alone. God is with us, and there are people he has placed beside us as supports in this time. May we find comfort in that truth and trust that no matter what lies ahead, He will guide us and help us stand in solid ground on the other side of this threshold, in time.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Gratitude for this Gift
From mountain highs to valley lows and everything in between, I’m forever grateful for this beautiful place, the gift of time, and this precious life beside my favorite people💚
to view pics from our family trip CLICK HERE
Challenges are opportunities for refinement
Kate, Gavin and Matt had an amazing time surfing for the first time.
It wasn’t easy.
It wasn’t comfortable.
It wasn’t perfect.
It took facing an unknown.
It took falling.
It took getting back up.
It took patience.
It took determination.
It took perseverance.
It took time.
It took effort.
It took hope.
And eventually they each ended up catching multiple waves.
It was awesome to watch!
I share this with you today as a reminder that the inner work matters.
I am not sure what you are working towards today, whatever it is I Invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
May we remember our challenges are also opportunities to refine us within. Whatever it is we are working towards, may we remain determined, persevere, get back up after any “falls,” be patient with the process, put forth the effort needed and have hope, in time, we will see progress, as my kids did.
With love and hope,
Shawn
Romans 3:3-5
1 Samuel 16:7
oday we went to a music store, and the woman helping us was very kind and friendly. She was open about her life and shared about her music, her family’s history, and that she was visually impaired. On our way out, she encouraged us to go across the street to see a beautiful garden.
We took her advice and followed her directions to the garden. We never would have noticed the garden had she not mentioned it because it is tucked behind a church. As we walked through the garden, it kept going and going. There were actually three different gardens, including a labyrinth prayer garden and a family tree garden.
Walking through the beautiful gardens was a peaceful retreat from the lively town. I thought about the woman at the store, and even though she couldn’t see the gardens as we could, she still knew the depths of its beauty.
I share this with you today to invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
Let’s remember that real beauty is something deeper than what the eyes can see. May we learn from this woman and seek to see beyond the surface, and in doing so, may we find true beauty in places and one another.
With love and hope,
Shawn
“People look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7
The Climb is Worth the View
I was reminded again today that sometimes the breathless, uphill climb can lead to something beautiful on the other side.
I share this with you today because I know everyone has their own uphill story to share. If you are feeling breathless recently about what you - or others - are going through, I wanted to invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
Rather than keep moving, let’s take a moment to pause and catch our breath. Let’s invite God in to help equip us with what we need to persevere and endure on the path ahead. And even when we can’t see what’s on the other side, may we trust that God will show us the beauty on the other side, in time.
With love and hope,
Shawn
A Reflection
No matter where we go or what we do, these three will forever be my favorite view💚
Prepare the Heart and Mind
Preparing the heart and mind.
This is something that’s been on my mind recently. It’s been so lovely having everyone home this summer, but soon that will change when Kate and Gavin head off to college next month.
It’s easy to be in the moment and soak up the goodness of time together with our crew.
Thinking of what’s to come is something I could easily avoid addressing. Life has taught me, though, avoiding what needs to be addressed isn’t beneficial.
So instead of avoiding the inevitable, I allow myself to have moments as they come, knowing the time together now is precious and fleeting. And I pray for God to prepare all our hearts and minds for what’s to come. Each of our experiences will be different, and as life does, there will be highs and there will be lows.
Inviting God in to prepare our hearts and minds is my way of saying that though this process may be wavy, God is like the horizon we can look to as a steady calm to help us along the way.
I share this with you today if you too are in a transitional time, or have one coming. I invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
Let’s not avoid what we need to address. May we ask God to prepare our hearts and minds for what’s to come and trust, even when we don’t see things working, He is at work within us.
With love and hope,
Shawn
The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. #philippians 4:5-7
Let's be willing to be refined, from the inside out
Please don’t let the shirt fool you. I am a work in progress. The truth is it took me thirty minutes to get out the door today for my training run.
The inner resistance is real. Staying home and following my excuses instead of the training plan is ridiculously tempting.
But staying comfortable will not help me strengthen and refine my mind, body, and soul.
Choosing to do what is uncomfortable and pushing towards the resistance is where refinement and growth happen.
I share this with you today in case you’ve been talking yourself out of something you know is beneficial for you. If so, I invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
Let’s remember that temptations and excuses will always be there. But often what is easier in the short term will lead us further from where we seek to be in the long term.
May we invite God in to give us wisdom, strength and whatever else we need to take the harder, wiser step forward. And like the run this morning, may we allow ourselves to be refined from the inside out, so that we can grow more fully into the resilient person God made us to be.
With love and hope,
Shawn