Love God and Love Other Well

Hi friend,

Today most of us have the day off in honor of a person who chose to live out his faith for others, Martin Luther King Jr. On this day off we may hear some of his quotes, maybe we see a story or read an article or two about him. But do we pause to really think about this person who made a difference in so many people’s lives, and helped changed culture?

I invite you today to take a moment to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Let’s choose to pause and reflect on the life of Martin Luther King Jr. We see a man of faith who had the courage to say and do things others didn’t, who experienced consequences for standing up for what was right, and whose life was lost living out love for others. His lived with purpose, living out Mark 12:30-31, 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."

May we take a moment to reflect on how MLK's life is an example of these two truths being lived out.

We live in a culture now that focuses on ease, comfort and there is a lot of messaging around taking care of ourselves. And yes, those things are nice yet is living that way truly our purpose here? I would say it isn't.  Instead, I would say we are here to live a life of purpose and the two truths in that verse give us insight and wisdom to how to live purposefully; by loving God and loving others, as we would want to be loved.  And yes, we need to care for ourselves and nourish ourselves, inside and out, yet may we do so so that we are fueled with love so that we can then be more outward facing, loving others throughout our days. (And please know, if you are in a season of healing, the person you may need to focusing on loving today is you, but also, even when healing, sometimes loving others helps heal us in ways we never expected - and I share that from my own experience.)

We were made to take care of ourselves but not to be self-focused. Let's choose to care for ourselves so that we are able to use the gifts and skills we have to love others well. We are to be a light in this dark world, as MLK was, and be willing to stand up for others. I don't mean it has to be on a national level like MLK did, but in the small day to day moments let's keep our eyes and ears open to see and hear where there are needs, where there is injustice, and be willing to be a voice, or act, when needed. And this doesn't mean we need to be everything to everyone. Our time with God often will help us discern what is ours to do, verses what is God's, and for others to do. Time with God will help direct how we love others well.

Living this way is not necessarily a life filled with comfort and ease but it is a life filled with purpose. And I personally want to live a purposeful life? You?

When I think about how purposeful MLK was, I am inspired to live with purpose and to leave a mark on others hearts, as he did. And even though we honor his life today, when we step closer, we see that the mark he left wasn't really about him. But we see that he was a man of faith living out his faith. He was a vessel of God's love day by day, and he lived out the two truths in that verse well.

So as we step into our week, may we meditate on Mark 12:30-31 as a reminder of our greater purpose, to love God and love others well. Let's choose to live out these principles so that when someone hears our story, it isn't about us. But that others come to see God as the foundation of our story, like we do with Martin Luther King, Jr. 

With love and hope,
Shawn

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  I hope your New Year is starting off well.

Something that is on my heart recently is how we often are talking about what we are doing, and we don't have a lot of conversations around who we are being. Like many of you, I have goals I want to go after both personally and professionally this year. So I took some time last week to pause and reflect. I chose 'being' before 'doing.' 

I am learning in life, when I just go and do things, I am often redirected. Taking time to pause and be with God can give me clarity about what it actually is I am suppose to do.

As I prayed about the goals I want to achieve this year, I became aware of a layer we are not focusing on when we set goals. This time of year there is so much talk about setting goals, but there isn't a lot of discussion around the character qualities that we need to practice, that will ultimately help us achieve those goals.

For example, one of my life goals is to have strong relationships. In order to have strong relationships, I need to prioritize my time and plan to spend time with my loved ones. I need to be present and a good listener when I am with them. I need to be willing to be honest and trustworthy. Simply going on a date with my loved ones isn't enough. The character qualities I mentioned are what I need to practice while I am with them to help grow the relationships stronger.

Also, another life goal I have is to be an active elderly woman, wife, and grandparent one day. In order be that, I need to focus on using my time wisely and do what is mine to do to care for my health, like being active and eating wisely, which requires diligence, discipline, determination, and perseverance, today.

You see, we set goals, but that's not enough to help us reach them. What we need to aim for is to build up the character qualities within that will help us achieve those goals.

For me, some of those include:

- prioritizing time for loved ones
- planning
- being present
- being a good listener
- using my words wisely
- using my time wisely
- being diligent
- being disciplined
- being determined
- persevering

I share this with you today because I don't want you to go through another year setting goals and partially achieving them. This year, let's take time to unpack what the actually character qualities are we need to refine, build and practice that will help us actually achieve the goals we set.  Also, let's be sure we are setting the wisest goals for ourselves to begin with.

So as we step into this new year, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

Let's be sure to prioritize time with God every day so we can be before we do. May our time with God help us learn more about His quality of character - and inspire us to live more aligned with Him. May we pray for Spirit's help and guidance to help us refine the character qualities within ourselves, so when we get to the end of 2024, we look back with contentment and gratitude, not just about goals we have reached, but more importantly, who we have become within.

To kick start your New Year HERE is a printable to help you uncover the character qualities you need to achieve your goals. 

Wishing you a New Year filled with being still with God, faith, peace, joy, and love! And for more encouragement, listen to this week's Live from the Inside Out™ podcast HERE.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones from our family...and Georgia!

Driving around the other day, I noticed the bareness of the landscape. When I looked at the bare space, during the most wonderful time of the year, I was reminded that Christmas may be a challenging time for people, as people may be mourning a loved one, experiencing a health scare, healing from a broken relationship, etc.. Even with so much good around, it may be hard for some of us to see above the challenge and experience the joy this season, and this day has to offer. So today I write yes, to celebrate Jesus' birthday, and also to be sure, if today is hard for you, for you to remember you are not alone. 

A verse I hold very dear, especially this time of year, is Isaiah 9:6. It 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 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; Emmanuel, God is with us. 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 rest 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 today, as we celebrate Christmas as a reminder of who Jesus is in our lives.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

On this Christmas day, 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 the landscape I saw that day, may we remember we are never alone, God is always with us, and He puts others in our lives to help us through as well. Jesus was born to show us the way, the truth and life, may we receive the free gift He is offering and by doing so, experience rest, and joy, in our soul, even in a bare season.

Wishing you a blessed Christmas friend! 


With love and hope,
Shawn
 

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder,
and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Isaiah 9:6

How to Overcome Temptation

The other day my sweet mom dropped off cupcakes and 13-egg cookies, a friend gave me chocolates and our neighbor dropped off her annual delivery of Christmas peanut butter balls. Needless to say I ate a few things that day that I normally wouldn't eat. When I went to bed that night I told Stephen I wasn't going to have any more Christmas cookies/sweets. I am not sure that statement was realistic yet I do know certain choices will leave me with regret and other choices will leave me with more peace within.

The day after I told Stephen that, I was thinking about a quote I love:

"Just because everything is available, does not mean it is beneficial."
- Andy Stanley


This truth is applicable in so many areas of our lives. And that day this quote was a reminder to me that just because these extra sweets are available to me in this season, doesn't mean they are beneficial for me.

What is available to you that you know isn't beneficial for you?

I was in the kitchen that day and I saw the last peanut butter ball on the counter...and instead of walking away, I rationalized that if I ate it, then they would be gone and I wouldn't be tempted anymore. So I ate the last peanut butter ball.

Can you relate in some way? You say you aren't going to do something again, and you find yourself doing it again soon after?

This my friend is temptation.

Temptation is real in our lives, and not just with cookies. There is so much temptation around us everyday. And a root of our discontentment can be giving into temptations, like it was for me that night in ned. 

The thing is often it's easier to give in. The path to temptation is clear. Choosing to practice self-control and be willing to turn from the temptations that don't benefit us is more challenging.  And the reality is, trying to conquer it on our own strength will lead us to often fall short, but with God, His Spirit is willing and able to give us what we need to resist the temptations.

There is a powerful verse about temptation that I love to meditate on. I don't always remember to lean into this verse in the moment - obviously - but when I do remember, it truly helps shift my focus from the temptation to a new path.  The verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13,

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 

This verse is a reminder to me, and you, that we are all tempted, whether its by food, technology, money, gossip, power, or other desires. Yet this scripture tells us that God is faithful and will provide us a way out.  Isn't that encouraging?!

Yet to know what we need to turn from it's important we identify our temptations. Let's take a moment to answer these two questions:

1. What are the top 1-3 temptations in my life?

2. When I am tempted, am I seeking a way out, or do I create an excuse to give into the temptation (like I did with the peanut butter ball that day)?

After taking time to answer those, I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.™

We live in a world where temptation is around every corner as so much is available to us. Yet that does not mean what is available is beneficial to our wellbeing; our mind, body, soul, our relationships, etc. Let's ask God to prompt us within when we are tempted and, rather than giving into temptations, that we seek the way out He is offering us. May our prayer, and meditation on this scripture, help us turn away from what our personal temptations are so that when we lay our head down at night, rather than having regrets like I did that night, instead we experience a greater peace within that comes living more aligned with God's Word and Truth, as we choose the way out, rather then give into temptation. 

With love and hope,

Shawn

Do You Ever Overreact?

There was some excitement over here at our home last week as Gavin got his license!  We are so excited for him! Two drivers in two years. It's crazy but a gift to watch our kids grow.

While teaching Gavin to drive this year, and Kate last year, I wasn't only teaching them but I was being refined in the process as well. I loved the time with my kids in the car but to be honest, I didn't love the process of teaching them to drive. There was a sermon I heard last year while teaching Kate and the wisdom was so timely, it became something I meditated on again and again as I drove with her last year, and while driving with Gavin this year. The line from the sermon that struck a chord with me was...

"Over Under React."
- Andy Stanley

I realized through the process of teaching Kate and Gavin to drive is that I at times overreact. It's not absurd to react when you think your head may hit a mailbox...yet mine never did. That was the story in my head, not the reality. And I realized when I felt out of control I allowed the emotions of what might happen lead me rather than the truth of what was actually happening be my guide. Did Kate and Gavin need to be redirected at times? Yes. Yet the way I was reacting needed to be refined, just as their driving did. The reality is that sometimes my reactions stirred up more chaos in the car that could have lead to an accident rather than help avoid one from happening. 

Whether or not you have ever taught someone to drive, have you ever overreacted at times?

What I have learned is that I am quick to react when I feel out of control when my kids are driving. These three words from the sermon were a saving grace - when I practiced them.  To help me put them into practice I would repeat them in my head, and sometimes out loud...

Over Under React.

Over Under React.

Over Under React.

I share this with you today in case you have a student driver and/or you too are someone who can overreact when someone says or does something, or you feel out of control.  I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we choose to over under react. These three words remind me of a wise saying by Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl. He said, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." 

The thing is, we don't always give space between stimulus and response. Instead there is a stimulus and then we react. Let's choose to practice creating space between stimulus and our response to it. And in that space is when we can invite God in to help us give a healthy, productive response, rather than a quick, destructive reaction. So as we walk through this Advent season, when our schedules can be busier, and we may tend to react quickly than respond prayerfully, let's choose to invite God in to help us over under react.  By creating space between stimulus and response, we can grow more prayerful which will keep us closer to God this Christmas season, and help us be the reflection of His love that we are called to be, especially to the kids in our lives. 

With love and hope,

Shawn

What Do We Pass Along?

With Christmas season ahead of us, I know that our lists get longer, and our time and patience at times can grow thinner. Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite stories that reminds me not to go with the flow of the chaos around me, but to choose to be rooted in God's love and allow that to be what flows from me.

When Matt was in Kindergarten I received a call home from a teacher saying that he, and other classmates, had made poor choices in class that day.

When Matt arrived home that day I told him about the call and asked him what happened.

He replied very matter of factly, “There was a classmate who was angry and he pushed the kid next to him. Then that boy passed the anger to the next kid by stomping on his foot and then that person passed the anger to me. Then it was my turn to pass along the anger.” His response made me pause and repeat in my head what he said…

It was my turn to pass along the anger?

I did not condone Matt’s choices that day and shared with him that yes, anger may come our way, or bubble up within us, yet it doesn't mean we have to pass it on.  This doesn’t mean we become punching bags for others yet we are called to be slow to anger. Anger is not suppose to be our first response. Yet like the line to students showed that day, passing anger can be easy, and seem normal.

And this isn't just true in their class.

When I broaden the lens, passing anger along is something that we do as adults. 

Have we ever had a bad day at work and come home to our family and are short with them?

Have we ever had someone say something to us, and we say something back out of the anger we feel?

Have we ever had something happen to us that made us upset and rather than diffusing the hard emotions, use them as fuel to ‘get back’ at someone?

I think it is in human nature to allow anger to be our fuel. Yet this isn’t God’s plan for us. He calls for us to "be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger." (James 1:19)

I am sharing this with you today to invite you to join me to... 

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we remember that we are called to be slow to anger and that what we do with our anger matters. Let’s recognize that our initial reaction most likely is more destructive than productive. When anger comes our way, or we experience it within, instead of passing is along, may we instead create space - and invite God in. Let's do this so that we can sift through the anger and choose wisely what to say or do, or what not to say or do. 

And like I shared with Matt that day, we can’t control what comes our way but we can control our response to it. So as we move into this week, if we find ourselves getting tense, or tensions arising around us, rather than allowing the tensions to be what fuel us, may we pray that God's truth and love is what fuels us, and flows from us, instead.

With love and hope,

Shawn

The Worst Part of An Arguement

For at least a year Gavin has been trying to have Matt watch a movie. He kept telling Matt that he’d love it. It was a historical movie, and Matt loves history, but Matt thought it may be a little much for him. So Matt chose to not watch the movie for over a year.  

Unbeknownst to Matt, Gavin downloaded that movie onto the iPad for a road trip. On our way home, Gavin told Matt that he had that movie on the iPad and asked if he was up for watching it. Matt finally said yes.  

After the movie was over, Matt was saying how much he loved the movie. And then he said something that has stuck with me since, he said,

“the worst part of an argument is when you realize you are wrong.”

The wisdom - and humility - in that statement from our 11 year old hit me hard, as it made me see that I don’t like to always admit when I am wrong. Yet what I was hearing Matt say is that admitting I am wrong would be a humbling, and worthwhile. 

I share this with you today in case you too can find yourself too prideful at times to admit when you are wrong as well. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

May we be willing to humble ourselves, as Matt did with Gavin, and admit when we are wrong. Yes, it may be uncomfortable at first to do so, yet the long term benefits that can come from that admission, personally and relationally, will make it worth it. 

With love and hope, 

Shawn

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2

A Story of Thanks and Giving

A story of thanks and giving…

I met Eden years ago on the sidelines of the baseball field where our boys played ball. Over the years a friendship formed and we started walking together regularly. On our walks, I had the chance to get to know Eden more, and learn more of their family’s story.

Eden has a daughter Abby, who is 8 years old, and she has a rare and severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS). People with LGS have multiple types of seizures that vary among individuals. Most people living with LGS experience some degree of impaired intellectual functioning or information processing, along with developmental delays and behavioral disturbances. There is no known cause nor cure for this debilitating syndrome.

As a friend of their family, it has been powerful to watch Eden, her husband, John, and their son care for Abby throughout the years.

On our walks, Eden would share what life is like with a child with LGS. One comment she made one day has stayed with me. She shared, “having a loved one with LGS is like living in a battle zone, the bullets aren’t always flying but you need to be prepared for when they do.”

As we continued to walk and talk, over time I learned how the van they had wasn’t meeting their needs. Eden or John were lifting Abby into the van to buckle her in daily. Doing this all the time wasn’t something they complained about yet was growing more challenging as Abby was getting bigger and stronger. Having a van with a ramp that had more safety features would be a blessing to them.

God put it on my heart one day to ask Eden if she’d be willing to share her story and let people help them get a motorized, handicap accessible van.

She was resistant.

They are a humble, hard-working family and have been so use to doing life all on their own, to ask for help was challenging.

I made sure she knew there was zero pressure but asked her to consider it.

As I waited for her to think about it, doubt grew in me as I honestly wasn’t sure if we’d get the funds and would hate to put this out there and fall short for their family. Yet I’ve learned that when God prompts you to do something, it’s best to follow His lead.

Over time Eden and John eventually agreed to our creating a gofundme to raise funds for the van.

I reached out to family and friends who graciously donated but we were only a tenth of the way towards our goal.  I had also reached out to some connections at various churches locally to see if they could contribute.

One day I unexpectedly received a call from a local care minister who said their church had a connection with a local non-profit, Amy’s Angels, that helped them get a van for someone at their church.  He kindly connected us with the non-profit.

Eden and John met with the people from Amy’s Angels who listened to their story. They didn’t make any promises to Eden and John but after months of the Gofundme staying at the same amount, the meeting brought more hope to our hearts.

Time went by with no word from the non-profit.

Then one day they called Eden and John and said they had raised enough money, coupled with the Gofundme, to get the van for Abby!

The joy we all experienced was palpable! Happy tears flowed!

Then a couple of weeks ago I got a note from Eden saying their van was being delivered the next day! She sent me pictures of their family receiving the van from Amy’s Angels, and it brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Seeing them receive the van for Abby was awesome and a moment definitely worth celebrating!

Yet their story is also a reminder that when we have a need, it may be hard to let people in but we need to. It took a step of faith for Eden and John to stop doing it on their own and be willing to let others know their story and lend a hand their way.

Also, their story reminds me that when we get a prompting within us to do something, even when it doesn’t make sense, when we don’t know what the outcome will be, and we fear failing, we still need to take a step of faith into what God is asking us to do.

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

pause. breathe. pray. ™

May this story encourage us that God knows our needs and has circles of love around us to lean into to help us. We were not made to do life alone. We need community. May we be willing to take a step of faith and let someone in to help us.

And if we are in someone’s circle of love who we know has a need, may we do what we can to lend a hand their way. And if we get that inner knowing we are to do something that seems impossible, may we also take a step of faith. May we place our trust in God, and remember that He is working at all times in ways we cannot see.  And that His timing is best, even though it is not always aligned with ours.

May our lives be filled and fueled with stories like this; when friends open up, friends and community support one another, needs are met and love is always the common thread in the story.

With joy and gratitude,

Shawn

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. - Matthew 25:35-40

*names were changed to honor the family’s privacy

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

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