Live with Integrity

A part of myself I don’t discuss much is my love for being active. After my prayer time in the morning, I go to the basement to exercise. In each video I watch, there is an instructor, and beside the instructor there are always a few other people. One of them is a modifier, and another one is a person who intensifies the exercises. These options are provided we can follow the person who will best meet us, and lead us, where we are physically.

I am someone who loves to challenge myself in my workouts and for the majority of my life have tried to follow the person who intensifies the exericises. Yet something I have had to learn about myself is that even though I may be able to intensify my workouts, often when I do, I lose the integrity of my form; which has contributed to injuries over the years. The past couple of months, I have chosen to be honest with myself about what I really need, and that is to go at a pace in the workout where I can maintain integrity in my form. When I teach classes I say this, but the reality is, I haven’t always practiced this.

It is not easy for me to know I can do more and not do it. I am learning that just because I can do something, does not mean it is beneficial for me to do.

I share this with you today, because often in our lives, we are presented with various options or paths to take, offline or online. Some lead us to having greater integrity, and others lead us away from living with integrity. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Just because we are able to do things does not mean it is beneficial for us to do.  May we pray and ask God to take away any pride in us that is in our way from seeing the wisest path for us. May we choose to humble ourselves to the reality of what we really need to do, and then choose the path that will lead us to living with greater integrity. When we do this, as I have done in my workouts more recently, it will not only benefit us now, but will benefit our future selves too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely. - Proverbs 10:9

Happy Thanksgiving!

A few weeks ago I went to purchase makeup. The person helping me was very nice. As we were talking he said, "I can help you fix that if you'd like," while pointing to my cheek.

What he was pointing at is what many think is a dimple on my cheek, but when you are close enough to my face, as he was, you can see it is not a dimple but a wrinkled indentation in my cheek that was caused by radiation treatments. Without disclosing my whole story, I told him, "No, thank you. This is a memory mark that is not something I plan on trying to cover up or fix."

In a world that tells us not to have wrinkles, why do I not want to hide mine?

This visible scar is a reminder to me of God's love for me. God has been there for me in the darkest moments of my life, including when I was walking with cancer. I have never felt as close to God, or life, as I did during that season of my life. I don't want to hide my scars but instead I pray that when I see my scars, that they will always be a reminder to me to thank God for helping me through those times in every way, and that they also are a reminder to me that He is here to help me through today too.

I share this with you today, during this week of thanksgiving, to invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

This week, with all we are giving thanks for, may we also consider giving thanks for the tough times in our lives that brought us closer to God, which may include our scars. And if this is a challenging ask of you, please know I want to honor where you are. Instead of looking at our tough times, may we consider looking to Jesus and the cross, and choose to be thankful for His scars, that show us His deep love for us.

Whatever we choose to give thanks for this week, may we remember that we are seen, heard and loved by our wonderful God who is beside us today, and always, through the good times and the bad - and everything in between. And that is truly something to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

With love and hope,

Shawn

Enter his gates with thanksgiving & his courts with praise. - Psalm 100:4

Walk in Love

Recently I saw this cute creation by the coffee pot. It made my heart smile to see this little gift Matt made for Stephen.

May we remember the little acts of love often are what make the biggest impact.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

One of the greatest humans needs is to know you’re loved. May we choose to live out love towards someone today, without excepting anything in return. May we pray the heart of the recipient knows they are seen and loved. And may we experience that inexplicable joy that comes when we purposefully choose to live out love, as Matt did when he gifted Stephen this Lego coffee maker he made.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Live a life of love. Love others just as Christ loved us. - Ephesians 5:2

The Intersection of Joy and Sorrow

Today was one of those days where I know someone experiencing a day filled with pure joy while at the same time I know someone experiencing unimaginable sorrow.

Last year I shared my heart with a wise friend on a day like today. What my friend shared with me that day will stay with me forever. I am sharing his wise words with you today in case what he shared may help you, as they have helped me.

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 I would have said, “what?!” In my head and then just nodded my head politely to someone saying something like that to me. So please know I completely get it if that’s what you want to do right now. And some of you may be nodding your head in complete agreement with that statement. Wherever you are on your faith walk, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

What my wise friend was sharing 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 me; life.

When I have a day like today, I now look to the cross. For at the cross, I see that Jesus gave us a gift; the knowing that days like today would exist, and that joy and sorrow will have to exist together for us to truly experience the fullness of life.

With love and hope,

Shawn

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. - John 10:10

Help Bridge the Gap

On one of my last days on the ropes course this season, there was a group of kids who were really challenged to work together. Their first task was to come up with a team name. Some students in the group built walls instead of bridges with their classmates, digging their feet into the ground and not opening their ears to hear what their classmates were saying.

After giving them time to try and work it out on their own, I found myself saying to them, “you may not always agree, but try to find a common thread so you can work together towards your goal.”

After the words came out of my mouth I realized how these kids were showing on a small scale what the world is looking like more and more these days; people closing their ears to listen to those who think differently than them and the unwillingness to seek the common thread which will help us work together.

With the week ahead, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we choose to be the ones who listen to others, who are willing to help bridge the gap and choose to find the common thread we have with others, even if we aren’t in full agreement with them on everything.

Our kids are watching.

May we teach them what it looks like to be able to listen to those who have different views, respectfully disagree with others, and how to be a bridge that helps close the gap so we can come together with others, and work towards a common goal.

With love and hope,

Shawn

.

.

.

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ - Matthew 22:39

Gratitude For Each Season

This morning I looked out back and saw the bare trees. It was beautiful to see the sun peaking through them. I had a moment of appreciation for all those moments this fall I’ve paused to look at the beautiful changing scenery and that I didn’t just wake up to the bare trees this morning.

The reality is, I haven’t always noticed the autum leaves changing. I often would look up one day, see the bare trees and think, “I didn’t even notice the leaves changing, and now they’re gone.” Life can be so busy and rushed, and I can even be distracted by my own thoughts, that I forget to look up and appreciate what is around me. And this isn’t just true about the scenery.

Life has taught me how precious our time here is. It’s an imperfect practice but I am prayerful that I remember to notice the gifts God has surrounded me with everyday, from the people beside me to the scenery around me.

If you too have felt like seasons, in the year or in life, are passing you by, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we take a moment to be present where we our feet are. May we look at the scenery around us, and take a look at the people who are beside us; whether we are at home, at work, or wherever we are. May we pray that with God’s help, we can go slower, if not in body, in mind so we are able to grow in our ability to be present with who we are with, and where we are. So when the seasons change, we don’t look back in regret, but instead look back with gratitude for being able to be present in that season.

With love and hope,

Shawn

.

.

.

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

Trust Where God Leads

On the way home from soccer tonight, Matt and I were driving along a winding road in town. It was getting dark and this winding road narrows a couple times over two small bridges. Even when I go over the bridges in the daytime with another car, I am cautious. So when I went over the bridges at dusk tonight, I was extra cautious as I passed a car coming from the other direction.

As I continued along I thought of Matt in the backseat. He was just chilling out, with no concern of the twists and turns or narrowing of the road. I loved the thought of how he rests while being driven around. He is able to rest because he trusts whoever is driving will get him where they are going.

This thought made me pause and think of God. In life He is the driver and we are the passengers. Rather than always trusting and resting where God is taking me, I am often the backseat driver with my eyes on the road trying to direct God, like I know better.

If you can relate, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we own our desire for control yet in the next breathe exhale and give control back to God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways higher than ours ways. In this ride of life, may we follow Matt’s example, and trust where God is taking us and that He will help guide us through the twists and turns along the way, so we too can have rest for our souls.

With love and hope,

Shawn

.

.

.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” - Isaiah 55:8-9

A New Adventure

Kate is no longer only a passenger, she got her license today!

…and I am having a mom moment.

From the day our kids are born, we are driving them everywhere they need to go. The time spent with the kids in the car starts with singing the ABC’s and 123’s. Some days they are content as we ride along and other days we wish the crying would just stop and they’d fall asleep. We drive them them to and from the library, play dates, pre-school and more.

Then they get bigger and though the places we take them may change, our kids are our constant companions for the ride. Yes, sometimes our kids are loud and they often leave a mess. Yet there’s a day when we realize that the sound of their voices is music to our soul, and we’ll miss it when we don’t get to hear it.

Once they are big enough they graduate to sit beside us rather than behind us. Some of them share their hearts with us on those drives, others sit quietly beside us and most of them prefer to be the djs on those drives.

We drive them to and from each activity, sometimes it’s early in the morning, other times it’s late at night. And many of the drives with them are in those hours in between. Some days, and seasons, it feels like driving them from place to place will never end.

And then a day like today happens.

We find ourselves jumping up and down with joy for them as they get their license. Then when reality sets in, as it is for me right now, and the flashbacks to all those sweet moments in the car flash through our head, we will see clearly how precious all those moments were with them behind us, and beside us, in the car.

I know we will still get sweet moments together, yet the truth that’s hitting me today is how those moments in the car will grow fewer in number over time.

Then I look up.

I see the joy in my girl’s face. I witness her wings growing a little bigger and wider, as they are meant to.

I find myself pausing to thank God for what was, for what is, and for what is to come.

To Kate, and all the other kids growing in their independence, , make wise choices, take care of yourself and others out there, and know there are circles of people who care about you wrapping you in love and prayer daily.

Now is your time to go and explore. Know God is with you wherever you go.

We can’t wait to hear your stories when you get home

Be strong and courageous do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9

Look Up Child

One day I was walking on a trail with my youngest, Matt, and a couple of my friends and their kids. As we walked along, Matt and I were pushing our feet through the abundance of leaves that had fallen to the ground. He and I were talking about how we didn’t like the withering leaves on the ground. We preferred them when they were vibrant on the trees above. We carried on the conversation for a couple of minutes with our heads down as our feet continued to rustle their way through the crunchy, dead leaves.

In a break in our conversation I heard one of my friends say in amazement, “look at what we’d miss if we forgot to look up!”

My friend’s words caught my attention as I realized I had been walking with my head down focused on the dead leaves on the ground. I had forgotten to look up.

What had we been missing?

When I looked up, what I saw amazed me.

The sky was a beautiful blue. The magnificent sunlight was breaking through the towering trees, illuminating all below. The light enhanced the leaves array of colors. Everything above was bright, brilliant and beautiful. What a difference to what Matt and I had been focused on.

When we continued walking this moment made me reflect on how in my life I can often be “looking down,” focused on the struggle in front of me. Whether it be a mundane struggle like getting laundry done, a parenting struggle, or a life struggle I’ve had to walk through such as anxiety, depression or cancer, I find I easily can fixate on the struggle, like Matt and I were focusing on the dead leaves.

Yet that isn’t what God wants for me, or for you. He doesn’t want our eyes to be focused on our struggles. He wants our eyes to be fixed on Him, His light, His Word and His Truth. Doing this doesn’t mean we won’t have struggles but if we are looking to Him, then we have lifted our eyes from the struggles to where our help comes from; God.

When my thoughts remain focused on a struggle, I can find myself growing heavy hearted. Yet when I choose to lift my eyes from the struggle and instead choose to look to God, it’s like His wisdom and Truth are the sunlight breaking through the trees shining a light on my heart and mind.

I share this with you today because I know I am not the only one who has struggles. If you too find that your thoughts, and conversations, can fixate on your struggles and you forget to look up from them, like I did the leaves on the ground, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember to look up. To look to God who will help us through the day, no matter the struggle. May we recognize that when we focus too much on our struggles, we may miss out on the beauty God has for us in this day. Every day, may we purposefully, and physically, turn our heads and our eyes up towards God to remember He is with us and wants to help us. He is the light that will shine into the darkness of our struggles. He is the love that lightens the heavy and will help us experience the fullness of the day, even in the midst of our struggles. He is the one who can take a moment on a walk with my son to help me see more clearly, and I know He can do the same for you too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. - Psalm 121

Amazing Grace

While working on the ropes course with another group of kids recently we were circling up to do the next activity. A bunch of kids were side by side and another kid was trying to get into the circle. I watched as the kids in the circle were not letting the other kid in. After giving them space to do it on their own, I said, “extend some grace and make room for him to join us.”

As the kids made room for the boy, the kid to my right looked at me, and with sincerity asked, “what is grace?”

It was a beautiful moment to share with this boy how grace is extending favor, or kindness, to someone not because they deserve it, but simple because we get to. He looked and me and simply said, “okay.”

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

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember, and give thanks for, the amazing grace God extends to us daily. Also, may we remember we have the opportunity to extend grace to others throughout our days to shine a light of God’s love into other’s hearts, while filling our own in the process. And I hope you’ll join me in praying that this brief conversation with this boy is a seed planted in his heart and that he experiences God’s amazing grace, and shares that gift of grace with others too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

I once was lost, but now I'm found, Was blind but now I see - Amazing Grace

Copyright ©  2025                                                   Live From the Inside Out, LLC                                           All rights reserved.