Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Another year.  What a gift!

As we enter a New Year, I often feel a pull to change my outer being. For so much of my life I have lived believing if I looked good on the outside then I would be well within. I believed this to my core that I have spent much of my career in the wellness field teaching others how to do the same. For the majority of my life, I have been entangled in trying to look good on the outside but the interesting thing is, often when I have looked my best by the world's standards, I have not been well within.

I will admit, the temptation arises within me to go back to this belief and follow it to a new exercise routine, diet and to set goals for myself that often align with the “change the outside first” mentality.

Can you relate?

If so, I have good news for you that will bring you a renewed perspective for you to ring the New Year in with that doesn’t require you to change the outside of yourself.

The good news is that your wellness begins within.

Wellness is when we are well in our soul with God.

And when we are well, we will experience more of the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

How do we experience this nourishing fruit?

God says He is the vine and we are the branches, whoever remains in Him will produce much fruit. (John 15:5) Our wellness is not dependent on what we look like on the outside. Instead our wellness is something that grows from our deepening relationship with God.

Please know, I am not discounting the importance of taking care for our bodies, as they are the temple for the Holy Spirit. We need to treat them as we would any holy place, with dignity, honor and respect. And yes, I do love to exercise, eat well, drink plenty of water, get a solid amount of sleep, etc. Yet God’s Word tells us to be less concerned about the outside and more focused within,

“…our outer self is wasting away, (and) our inner self is being renewed day by day.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16

He wants us to be well in our soul with Him first, above all else.

So as we enter the New Year, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

This year let’s choose to begin within. May we make our growing relationship with God our priority. Day by day, may we choose to give God the first fruits of our time so we can fill up on His Word and His Truth to nourish our hearts, minds and souls. May this New Year be a new beginning for all of us as we focus less on what is on the outside and instead choose to live from the inside out and align ourselves with God, and His divine design for us. The world’s messages of what will help us be well are ever changing. Yet God’s Word is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Let’s choose to root ourselves daily in His unwavering Word and Truth so we are well in our soul with God and experience more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, no matter what the year brings.

This will be a journey for all of us, myself included. Please know I am here to walk this truth beside you and encourage you along the way.


With love and hope,
Shawn 

What We Need Is Already Within Us

We were on a family hike recently and one of our kids said, “using the exercise bike has made my legs stronger.”

That comment made me pause. Was it really the bike that made a difference or was it that my child was choosing to use the bike, and put in effort, consistently?

In response to their comment I said, “no, the bike hasn't made your legs stronger, it's been your commitment, dedication, consistency and hard work that have made them stronger. The real difference was within you, the bike was just a tool.”

My kids cringe when I say things like this, but I want them to see that the true work begins within.

There are so many messages around us saying if we get this, then we will get better at (fill in the blank). I am guilty of falling into the trap myself. Yet what I am learning is that so many of the outcomes I desire truly begin with the work within myself.

Can you relate?

If so, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Let's take a moment to answer the question, what is it we are thinking we need to get that will help us get a desired outcome we are seeking in this season? 

(Please note: if what you have to get has to do with your health, please listen to your doctor about what you need, not me. There are definitely tools we may need for our health so let's do our due diligence to get what we need for that.)

Instead of rushing out and getting some-thing, let's pray and ask God to reveal to us what it is we really need in this season; is it commitment, dedication, diligence, effort, consistency, etc.? For when we see that much of what we really need are tools that are already available within us, then we can ask Spirit to help us take the tools and use them wisely so we are able to move towards our desired outcomes. 

May we see that much of the real work to achieve the outcomes we desire begins within, just as it was for my child's legs to grow stronger.

With love and hope,
Shawn 

Healthy Risks Help Refine Us

This was an unexpected moment. Kate and Matt enjoy skiing/snowboarding but Gav was adamant that he would never ski again after not enjoying it the few times we’ve gone as a family.

I had planned to take Kate and Matt last night to meet up with friends when Gav shared his friends had invited him to go. He said he was going to give it another try!

Needless to say, Gav had a great night with his friends. What made my heart smile was seeing his friends meet him where he was at and their willingness to teach him and help him grow.

When I saw Gav on his last run of the night, I saw a person who at the start of the night was so hesitant to even try skiing again grow into someone who had more confidence and who challenged himself, physically and mentally.

Growth doesn’t happen in our comfort zones.

I was so happy for Gav, yet witnessing this also made me take a look within.

Am I challenging myself or am I staying in my comfort zone?

How about you?

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we take time to reflect on, and answer, that question. I will be honest, I am comfortable and I need to get out of my comfort zone more.

How about you?

This doesn’t mean we should be irresponsible, but we need to take healthy risks that help refine us more into the person God made us to be.

As we look to the new year ahead, may we choose to be more bold and courageous, like Gav was last night. May we invite the right people beside us who will meet us where we are yet will challenge us to grow, like Gav’s friends did. And may we ask God to help us grow stronger, from the inside out, so when we get to the end of our day, week and year, we are more fulfilled within, knowing we have taken a step in faith, outside our comfort zone, having trusted God to do His work in us, and through us.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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

Ignite the Light

This morning was dark. Like many, we had wind that caused our power to go on and off. We had the candles ready to light up our dark home. When I lit this candle, it made me think of church on Christmas Eve when each person holds an unlit candle. To light up the dark church, one candle is lit and the light gets passed from one person to the next. Slowly the space gets illuminated by the lighting of the candles. This thought made me pause…

In my yoga journey, we talked about the light in us.

My faith in Jesus now informs me that light in us is a gift from God; the Holy Spirit.

However we currently view the light within, I pictured each of us holding a candle as we walk through our days.

Is our candle lit? If not, are we looking to the right place to light it?

If so, are we more focused on keeping our light lit rather sharing the light with others?

Are we doing our part to light other’s candles?

Are we fanning the flame of other’s lights during our days with our words and actions to help them continue to experience that warmth and light within?

Could we be contributing to extinguishing that flame in others?

Looking at it through this new lens, I am encouraged to be a person who will help light and fan the flame in others for God, and I encourage you to do the same. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we be sure we are igniting the light within us each day with our time with God. May we take the flame He gives us and use it throughout our day to help ignite, and fan that the flame in others. Like in church, may our homes and communities become brighter from the sharing of that light.

With love, light and hope,

Shawn

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Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12

Isaiah 9:6

As I waited in line yesterday to pick up Matty, I looked over and saw this bare scene. I took this picture because I realized how quick we are to capture the colorful moments of the season, yet these spaces exist too.

When I looked at this bare space it reminded me of a messy day I had recently. My mind was clouded and I was stuck in a negative thought cycle and I had a hard time shifting out of it most of the day. I had not had a day like this in a long time and I forgot how debilitating it can be to be so stuck in one's negative thoughts. Even with so much good around me, I had a very hard time - even after praying - keeping my thoughts in a healthy place.

Isaiah 9:6 is a verse I hold very dear this time of year, but one I truly need to call upon all year through. The verse reads,

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

When I think about not only the struggle I had recently with my thoughts, but any struggle we encounter in our lives, it is comforting to know that we have a wonderful counselor available to us night and day. We are never alone. We have a mighty God who is for us, and wants to be invited in to help us fight the visible and invisible battles we experience. We have an everlasting Father who loves us unconditionally whether our lives - and thoughts - are tidy, or a mess. And we have the Prince of Peace who came into our lives so we can have peace in our souls, no matter our circumstances. Knowing this truth doesn't mean our struggles will always go right away, but it gives us a truth to help anchor our souls, and something we can meditate on to help us through. I share this with you in case you too can get messy minded, or are struggling in some way, and need to be reminded of who Jesus is in our lives.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

As we celebrate Christmas, may we not only see the baby in the manger, may we allow Jesus to be the light in our lives He came to be. May we open our minds, eyes, ears, hearts and hands to Him and receive what He is offering; to be our wonderful counselor, our mighty God, our everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace. May we allow His love for us to transform our hearts, minds and lives. And on those days, when we are feeling bare within, like this picture, may we remember we are never alone. And if God always brings spring after winter in nature, may we wholeheartedly trust He will grow something new and beautiful in our hearts and minds as well.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Love In Action

Today I saw love in action and it was beautiful.

I’ve mentioned to you before a local cafe, Beanz. It’s such a special place on so many levels. Beanz was started by two families whose daughters have down syndrome. As their daughters grew into adulthood, they recognized the options for their employment were slim. These two families came together and opened Beanz, a cafe where everyone belongs, and where they employ people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Meg, the daughter of one of the owners, works at Beanz daily and everyone who goes there knows her well, including one of their regular customers, and local artisan, Crystal.

Meg and Crystal discovered their common love of doing Peleton workouts. When Crystal shared with Meg she was going to New York to do the workouts in person, Meg was excited for Crystal. Meg asked Crystal if she would bring her favorite Peleton instructor, Matty, a Beanz shirt, that reads “Everyone Belongs.” Crystal was more than happy to deliver the gift for Meg.

While she was in New York, Crystal was able to meet Matty. She shared with him the gift Meg had for him. He was so touched by Meg’s gesture, he told Crystal they had to make a video for Meg to thank her.

Crystal was tempted to send Meg the video by phone but instead chose to wait and deliver it in person so she could see Meg’s reaction.

Today while at Beanz Meg shared with us the video Crystal had gifted her. To see them watch this together was just so heart warming.

Meg and Matty were gift givers, and receivers.

Crystal, the loving messenger, brought gifts of love from Meg, and Matty.

This is what love does, it gives and it receives.

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

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we take a moment to absorb the beauty from these acts of love. May we recognize how love listens. Love gives. Love receives. Love bridges hearts. Love brings joy.

May this story inspire us to keep our eyes and ears open to others, so we too can be a vessel of God’s love when we are called to, as Meg, Crystal and Matty so beautifully were to one another.

With love and hope,

Shawn

A friend loves at all times - Proverbs 17:17

He Sees the Whole Picture

Recently my niece was in town and she told me she always wanted to try to embroider. I had always wanted to try as well so we spent one morning together sitting across from one another stitching, and it was lovely.

This project has been a work in progress for the two of us since, and we keep checking in with one another. Last night, I was finally able to send my niece my completed piece.

As I looked at it, I was reminded of something someone told me years ago. Life is like a tapestry, we see the back side of it, with all the threads messy and entangled. Yet God sees the front side, the picture beauitfully woven together.

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

pause. breathe. pray.™

Whatever is on our hearts today that have us feeling messy and entangled within, may we bring it to God. May we be reminded that we don’t always see the whole picture like He does, and may we trust He is weaving something beautiful together on the other side.

With love and hope,

Shawn

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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

Choose to Do What You Can

(Cousins playing football at Thanksgiving)

The other night I overwhelmed with a couple of things I needed to complete that were time sensitive. Sensing my tension Matt came into the kitchen where I was working and said, “Mom, I’ll make dinner for you.” I thought he was joking but he wasn’t. He got right to work, and made the family a delicious meal.

I don’t share this to boast about Matt but more so to share what he taught me; if you see a need and your able to meet it, meet it.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we keep our eyes and ears open to the needs that are around us, at home and beyond. If it is in our ability to meet a need, let’s choose to meet it. I know sometimes there are so many needs that it can paralyze us from doing anything, or we think someone else will do it. Let’s make the choice to do at least one thing over nothing. For when we do, we will experience an inexplicable joy in our heart for choosing to help someone else just because we could, without the expectation of getting anything in return, like Matt.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. - 1 John 3:18

Recognize the Helpers, and Be One Too

(Cousins playing football at Thanksgiving)

This weekend I was watching a football game. There was a punt return where the player ran 70-yards for a touchdown. As the players celebrated in the end zone, all I could think about were the two players who made great blocks that helped the player get to the end zone. They did what they were able to do to help their teammate, and team.

I started thinking about my life, and if getting to the end of each day was my end zone, how many people help me throughout the day? From my family helping around the house, school staff with my kids, the admin assistant at the doctor’s offices, the cashier at the store, the mailman, my family and friends, etc. Throughout our day, there are many people who are helping us, in small or large ways. Are we aware of their help along the way, and if so, do we take the time to acknowledge their contribution?

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

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we be intentional and directional to see the people God placed beside us each day to help us. May we not only see them, but recognize their help with a smile, a thank you, a note, or engage in a conversation with them. When we live this way, we are choosing to live not just for ourselves, but for others, which is what we are called to do. And like the player who did what he was called to do on the football field to help his teammate, may we live as we are called to by letting others know they are seen and appreciated. May we not only be seeking those helping us along the way, may be also be a helper to others too.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Love others the way I have loved you. - John 15:12

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