Growth in Uncomfortable

“Growth is on the other side of what is comfortable.”

I heard this quote on my morning run and it made me think about all the excuses I had to not to train for this marathon including that I am 45, I am not a runner, my knee and hip hurt…

There were a mountain of reasons to not commit to doing this training from couch to the NYC marathon.

Yet when I sat with the reasons why I should do it, they were more potent…

I’d get to raise awareness and money for ACC research to help friends in the fight.

I’d get to be a part of a community on team @bravelikegabe and be inspired by the individual stories from the team.

I’d get a chance to put principles into practice I teach my kids about but would need to live them out in order to be successful.

I have a chance to do this once in a lifetime event, and I may fail, but what if I actually am able to do it?

I don’t want to live with regrets so I signed up and made this commitment.

I was literally nauseous when sending the email committed to team #bravelikegabe. Also, I couldn’t talk about the marathon for weeks as I would get a wave of anxiety when I even thought about it.

I was extremely uncomfortable on many levels yet I’m growing.

I am growing as a runner but it’s more than that. I am growing healthier in my mind, my body and my soul through this process while helping a cause near and dear to my heart.

I share this today in case you have an opportunity to do something and it scares you deeply and you have every excuse to not do it. I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we pray asking God if what we are uncomfortable doing is something we need to move towards and through to grow and be refined. Every circumstance is different, yet God’s principles remain the same. If we do feel lead to move towards what is uncomfortable, may we remember God that is with us, He is for us, and will equip us with what we need to help us through. And you just may see growth on the other side of what is comfortable, as I am experiencing with this training.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Speak the truth in love - Ephesians 4:15

The other day while on longer run on the trail, I ran by a woman and I took a double take. I realized it couldn’t be who I thought it was, my middle school PE teacher and basketball coach, Miss Martin. Sadly she passed away a number of years ago from colon cancer.

Seeing this look alike of Miss Martin made my heart smile at first, and then it got me a little choked up.

You see, I met Colleen when I was in sixth grade and full of negative self talk and lacked confidence in myself. One day she pulled me aside telling me she thought I had talent and that she believed in me. She told me that I should try out for a state basketball team. Following her lead, I did and to my surprise I made the team. Miss Martin believed in me and my ability when I didn’t believe in myself.

When I passed this person who looked like Colleen on the trail that day I was halfway through the longer run. With tears in my eyes I laughed and thanked God for this random person who passed by me. She was a reminder to me of Miss Martin and her belief in me, at a time in my run when I was getting into my head.

I share this today because often there are divine appointments waiting for us along our path. May we keep our eyes and ears open. Yet I also share this because of the gift Miss Martin gave me, as it is something we can give others too, speaking truth to hearts.

I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we be like Miss Martin and when we see someone has a talent and that we believe in them, may we be willing to speak truth into their heart. It may be a seed planted in the moment yet in time, that brief statement may grow roots in a heart and be there as a reminder to that person when they need it, like it was for me on the trail the other day.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Speak the truth in love - Ephesians 4:15

May We Remember - 9/11

May we remember...

...every person whose life was taken too soon.

…every family impacted by the loss of their loved one, who carry the memories of them in their hearts everyday.

…every survivor and their visible or invisible wounds.

...how people walked beside one another in their brokenness.

…every selfless soul who ran towards the danger to help others, some surviving, and others giving their life to save someone else’s.

…the empathy and compassion we had for one another.

…we laid down judgements of others and saw one another as the human beings we are.

...we stood beside one another in solidarity.

…how out of this tragedy, we united in the love we have for one another.

I invite you to join me today to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we choose to remember so that we keep the memory alive of those whose lives were taken too soon. May we honor their lives by letting their story continue to make a difference in our hearts. And when remembering, may we pray for God to help us learn from the past so that we can do our part to make a better present, and future, for generations to come.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Pictures…

1. 911 memorial in NYC

2. The statue at our local library in memory of Amy Toyen, whose life was taken too soon on that tragic day.

3. My Uncle Harold, who was a FDNY fireman, who thankfully got out just in time before the second tower fell.

4. The red bandanna in memory of Welles Crowther - you can read or watch his story as a reminder of his selfless acts of love, that reflect the heart of so many that day.

don’t point out the speck on someone else’s eye when there is a log in your own.” - Matthew 7:3

This morning Stephen and I were talking and I asked him a question and he replied, “I just told you the answer to that a minute ago.”

I laughed because a mirror was held up to my face in that moment reflecting to me a truth I didn’t want to see.

You see, I had just been frustrated with Stephen yesterday because I said something and he said he didn’t hear me.

Isn’t it funny how we can get frustrated with someone else so easily yet when we do the same thing, we would appreciate forgiveness and grace?

I acknowledged my hypocrisy and Stephen and I laughed it off. And then of course I brought it back to God- because I guess that’s what I do. And I thought of the verse “don’t point out the speck on someone else’s eye when there is a log in your own.” - Matthew 7:3

Over the past few years I have been humbled like this regularly. I find that as soon as I judge someone else within 24 hours or so I find myself saying or doing the same thing in a parallel or different way.

I share this today because I find it easy to see other people’s faults yet God is reminding me often to notice and refine myself before I go judging someone else for theirs. This process isn’t necessarily natural and it’s humbling. Yet when we can do this, there is freedom in our own hearts, and in our relationships.

If you could use a little freedom within, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.™

Before we look outward, may we look within and pray to see ourselves clearly, as God sees us. May we seek to refine our thoughts and ways, so that we have a greater peace within. And then rather than judging others, we can meet others with compassion and grace, as God meets us, and as Stephen met me this morning.

With love and hope,

Shawn

Love God and Love Others Well

Last week, we had to say good-bye to Stephen's loving Aunt Peggy and to sweet Mary, who was like a Grandmother figure to me.

Loss is always heart-breaking yet this weekend as I was reflecting on these two thoughtful, caring women's lives, I find comfort in knowing they lived their lives so beautifully, loving others. And I am comforted that they are now resting in peace and are well in every way.

Mary and Aunt Peggy were love in action, through their words and acts of love to those around them.

Aunt Peggy was always kind and gentle hearted. She walked beside others with the patience of a saint. She always gifted all the grandchildren in our family 'decorate your own cookies' at Christmas and when they were little, books with their names woven throughout the story. Her presence was always welcoming and she was as selfless as a human could be.

Mary was such a love. In her compassionate way, she took me, and a handful of other moms at our church, under her wing and just loved us where we were. She walked beside me when I struggled with the church, never judging me but made sure I still knew she was there, and God was always there for me. She would have me over for tea and Entenmann's to simple talk and listen and would always impart wisdom I needed to hear. She was in charge of the bereavement committee at church and I can't imagine a better person to have sat with people whose hearts were hurting and guide them with love in such a tough time in their lives.

The common theme at both of their funerals was that they talked about faith and how they loved others well from an endless fountain of love they had.

As I enter this week,I am prayerfully turning to gratitude, thankful for these beautiful women in my life, and for their example of faith and love in action. I share this with you not for sympathy, but so that their generous lives may inspire you too.

I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take time to be still with God, and fuel up on His love so that we can be outward facing, and loving others through our words and actions throughout our days, as Aunt Peggy and Mary so graciously did. Or maybe there is someone in your life that has inspired you by the way they lived and loved well. If so, may we take these people into our hearts and minds, and live out love in honor of them this week. And may we allow the love they gave us to continue to live on through us.

With love and hope,

Shawn

A Prayer for High School Seniors

Today Gavin starts his senior year! For Gav, and all the seniors…

Be present and enjoy the moment.

May this year be filled with wonderful memories beside your friends and family.

Don’t stress about the college process. Do what is yours to do and trust that God already has a place for you.

Rest in knowing you don’t have to know what career you want to go into, many adults are still figuring it out.

Explore the wisest path for you to refine your innate gifts, talents, and skills, which may be at college, or along another path.

Remember your parents are beside you to help prepare you to step into your independence, not to drive you crazy - although we may unintentionally do so in the process.

Lead yourself, and the lower classmen, well.

Ask for help when you need it, it’s a strength to do so.

Make choices your future self will thank you for.

Fresh air, sunshine, movement, prayer and a good night’s sleep will benefit you.

Seek ways to make someone else’s day better, and thank those who make your day better.

Do something out of your comfort zone that will grow your character regularly.

May God bless you and give you calm confidence about your next step forward.

And may you trust the best is yet to come💕🙏💕

With love and hope,
Shawn

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. - Joshua 1:9

Psalm 23

There are so many things we can turn to to try and bring rest to our souls. I’ve tried turning to many people or things, yet the one place I have turned over and over again that has truly given me rest in my soul is when I’ve turned to God.

If you are seeking rest and restoration for your soul, invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take time to consider who or what we turn to when we are seeking rest within. May we not judge ourselves but be honest with ourselves and accept where we are. For me, I know turning and following God will help me and I still forget to turn to Him sometimes. So wherever we are on our faith journey, may we take time today to turn to Him, share our hearts, trust we are heard, and that in time, He will bring rest to our soul💕🙏☀️

With love and hope,
Shawn

Look Up Child

Recently while on a run with a friend who has run marathons before, she shared with me that when she finds herself hitting a wall, a strategy she uses is to look up at the tops of the trees. It improves posture and keeps the gaze off the pavement and challenge.

As soon as she share this, all I could hear was this song, Look Up Chid, in my head, and think about the scripture that tells us to “fix our eyes on things above and not on earthly things.” -Colossians 3:2

And since my friend shared this wisdom with me, when I find my eyes on the pavement in front of me, I shift my gaze and posture and fix my eyes on the tree tops, and bring my awareness to God. I pray to be reminded of who I can be praying for -or running in honor or memory of- to help make the run not about me, but a prayerful encounter with God.

I’m not saying there aren’t tough moments still, yet when I fix my eyes on God and am reminded to pray for people, it helps keeps my mind off my struggle and send love towards someone else in prayer.

So whether you are running or not, if you find yourself gazing down, at the pavement, I invite you to join me to…

pause. breathe. pray.

May we look up towards the treetops, adjust our posture, opening our heart to invite God in. May we pray about our own challenge and also ask if there are others we can be praying for as well. For when we do this, we may find that it will help renew our thoughts, strength and perspective, like it does for me to get these runs done.

With love and hope,
Shawn

PS Thanks @terrywalterscooks for thewordsofwisdom💚🙏💚

Prayer for Middle School Students

It’s crazy to say this but Matt is off to Middle School!

He’s always been up for an adventure. And as he meets this new one, I pray for Matt, and all the other middle schoolers…

May you look within, not around, to discover who you are.

Write down the people in your life who genuinely care about and believe in you, and know those are your safe people to go to.

Surround yourself with friends who build you up, and don’t tear you down.

Create u’s not circles in friendships leaving room to invite others in, and a space for you to leave if you need to.

Remember you weren’t made to be great at everything, which means you may not get an A in every class and that is okay. Study skills, a strong work ethic and character are what you’re building, not a perfect report card.

May you know your worth is already established and not dependent on your grades.

Words matter. Choose yours wisely.

Guard your heart and remember what God says about you above all else.

An attitude of gratitude goes a long way.

Know you can learn something from everyone, sometimes it may be how not to be.

Looks for ways to make someone else’s day better.

Remember asking for help is a strength not a weakness.

Engage in activities that build community for you.

Fresh air, sunshine, movement, and a good night’s sleep will benefit you.

Have fun and laugh everyday!

Pause, breathe, pray, and trust God is with you every step of the way.

With love and hope,
Shawn

Shawn on Great Day Connecticut!

Thank you for all your generous donations💝🙏💕 In two short days we’ve raised $2000 more towards rare cancer research! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!💝

If you missed the video and/or want to make a donation and haven’t yet, you can watch it HERE,  and donate HERE.

And thank you again to @melissa__cole and the @greatdayconnecticut team for helping make this happen💙🙏💙

With gratitude and hope,
Shawn