hope

My Journey With God, No. 106

I finally looked at my Facebook memories from past birthdays. Here are a few that made my heart smile.

Facebook Memories:

My brother was creating digital art 14 years ago. He created this for my birthday. I miss him.🕊️

Even when it doesn’t seem beautiful, it’s beautiful.

Forever grateful.🥰

My beautiful momma. This morning, I had a hard time writing my first post because I was missing her so badly. I wish she could be here with me. I’m so glad I have memories like this. They’re my treasures.♥️

Six years ago, I celebrated my birthday with kids at a summer camp. My heart was full.

Now, I’m getting ready to go make more memories with my son. Today is his day with me.☺️


I am so blessed.

Thank You, God, for loving me.

This is Year52!🎉♥️

Shaun

hope

Blessings, Glory, And Honor

Good Morning!☀️

I pray that you’re doing well.🌸


I woke up singing Maurette Brown Clark’s song, “Just Want To Praise You.” The song says—

“I just want to praise you forever and ever and ever. For all you’ve done, done for me. Blessings and glory and honor they all belong to you. Thank you Jesus for blessing me!”

That’s exactly what I feel—blessed. My theme for Year51 was “Beyond Blessed,” and this year has lived up to that theme. This is why I need to be mindful of the theme I set for Year52. Smile

Blessings and glory and honor all belong to God. I truly cannot express it enough, I am absolutely blessed—Beyond blessed!

FOUR more DAYS!!🎉

I’m enjoying my time with my baby girl. She always makes me feel so special. I just love being in her presence. You dote on your babies when they’re little ones, but I never imagined feeling the same about an adult child. Of course, it’s not exactly the same. I doubt if she even knows how I feel. She’s worried about making sure I enjoy my birthday weekend when all I want to do is spend time with her. I just love her.🥰

Anyhoo…

I pray that you have a fabulous day and beautiful weekend! May it be filled with lots of love, joy, peace, and laughter. You deserve it!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

hope

God Is Moving And I’m Moving With Him

As I said in 2019, God is always moving, and I’m moving with Him. Sometimes I wish I knew where He was taking me or what was ahead. Wouldn’t life flow smoother if I did? But then, sometimes I say, “God, surprise me!”

Today, I’m at the point where I am sitting back and watching Him work. Wherever He takes me, He takes me. Whatever lies ahead will be. No matter what, I am certain that wherever I land, He will be with me, He’ll never leave me, and everything will work out in my favor because He loves me.

I am truly blessed.♥️

Shaun

hope

My Journey With God, No. 102

Sitting here reflecting on when my life took a major shift around 10-11 years ago. I was entering my fourth decade of life, and was in the process of getting a divorce. Looking back, I can’t believe I went through and overcame as much as I did. God is so good!

On June 13, 2015, I wrote in my journal that my house was about to be foreclosed on, and I didn’t know where I’d get the money to save it. Well, I never got the money, and it went into foreclosure. That was a difficult year—probably one of my most difficult ones—but I made it.

I started that entry with—

“Thank you Lord for all you’ve done and continue to do. Lord I thank you for grace. I thank you for loving me. So many times I don’t see a way, but you make a way.”

Well, God didn’t make a way in the way I wanted Him to. I lost the house. However, I’ve gained so much more since that loss. The knowledge and experience I’ve gained from multiple setbacks and restarts over the years have only made me stronger.

I ended the entry with a self-discovery that has shaped who I am today. I wrote—

“I’ve tried to be like others, but it didn’t make me happy. Now I’m embracing the true me, the forever evolving me, and I love it, but some don’t. They liked the fake Shaun. Well, I’m me!”

I love how I picked up on and embraced the “forever evolving me.” Because that’s who and what I am. I am forever evolving. Who I am today will not be who I am next week, next year, or ten years from now, and I’m okay with that, because I love being me!

God, thank You for making me, ME!♥️

Shaun

hope

My Journey With God, No. 101

On June 11, 2019, I began my journal entry with—

Singing, “Anointing fall on me. Anointing fall on me. Let the power of the Holy Ghost fall on me. Anointing fall on me.” Amen 

I mentioned that I was about to rewatch Sarah Jakes Roberts’ message “Unfinished Business ” from that Pentecost Sunday. I had been on the phone with my mom and had missed most of the message.

I also wrote about Leah Chase being laid to rest the day before, and how my conversation with her was connected with the nutrition sessions I was providing for children attending a summer camp. During our meeting in 2014, Chef Leah encouraged me to teach children about where food came from—that it didn’t come from the grocery store but from gardens and farms. So, on the day of her funeral, I was doing just that.

I wrote so much more on that day (I usually write several times a day); however, I ended the day with this—

“Whew! God just blows my mind. For real.”

And He does. Every day He blows my mind. He’s so wonderful. Just to know Him and be in His presence is indescribable.

God, thank You for loving me. Thank You for showing me YOU!

Amen

Shaun♥️

hope

June 2, 2014

Good Morning☀️

How are you?

I pray you’re doing wonderful!🌺


June 2, 2014 at 6:59 AM

I wish I knew what I was thinking at that very moment. I wonder if I had caught a glimpse of my future. I was in New Orleans getting ready for Day Two of my culinary experience. Actually, it was a culinary media training where I was being trained to speak in front of a camera while preparing food. Even though I still haven’t done much with the training, it was a great experience, and I met some wonderful people.

I really do love my life.

I didn’t write anything in my journal on that day; however, when I returned home, I wrote:

“New Orleans was definitely a great professional experience. I came back with a sense of worth. I felt like I could actually accomplish my goals. I now have a different outlook on life & my role in this universe. I am destined for greatness & there’s nothing wrong with it. Thank you God for helping me realize my potential.”

Wow! So many gems in that statement. What an interesting, roller coaster ride of an eleven years it has been, and now I’m here. Here in this time and space. What will I do with it?

Well, that’s all for now. I pray you have a great day and wonderfully blessed week.

I love you!♥️

Shaun

hope

Enjoy Your Weekend

Enjoy every moment of your weekend, starting with today. I pray that it’s just as amazing as you are!♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

The Country: So Serene, So Simple

When I say I want to lie in the grass and gaze up at the sky, this is what I’m talking about—the country.

The Mississippi Delta

Photos by Moi☺️

So serene…


Earlier today, the smell of honeysuckles and fresh rain was in the air. I also noticed wild blackberry vines growing everywhere. Y’all, there’s nothing like picking a honeysuckle flower and tasting its nectar, nor picking wild blackberries and eating them off the vine. Oh…and the smell of fresh rain hitting the ground! Nothing comparable! All brought back memories of my summers with my grands (grand and great grand-mothers, aunts, and community ladies who helped raise me).

I miss them. I miss my summers. I miss the serenity and simplicity of it all.

Great memories. Blessed to have had those wonderful experiences.😌

God is good.♥️

Shaun

hope

Encouragement

This is very random…

Sitting at my desk and noticed the “Trust” rock I wrote about several posts ago. It’s funny how, in years, I have rarely turned the rock over. I never had a reason to until today. After picking it up, I noticed a bit of white paint peaking around the side, so I flipped it over. I forgot that I had written “Encouragement!!” on the other side. Now, I really want to know the full story about the rock. What was the assignment that day, and why did I write encouragement on the other side instead of something else? Life is truly interesting. I have to do better at leaving myself notes. Lol

This is the Facebook memory I shared with my other post.
Here’s the front of rock today (7 years later).
Here’s the backside.

All I can think of is I must have known I would need encouragement to rebuild trust.

Or maybe the two aren’t even related. Perhaps I just needed encouragement.

I guess we’ll never know.😅

Welcome to my world!♥️

Shaun

hope

April Is Here

This morning, I thought I’d share a few of my Facebook memories with you. I’ll start with the oldest and work my way up.

April 1, 2011

I miss being in the Air Force and the Air National Guard. I did half of my time in one and the rest in the other. Enjoyed them both. I still don’t like wearing stud earrings. That’s why you’ll always see me in hoops. I also don’t miss the steel-toed boots. However, I do miss my Air Force family. I mistakenly tried to treat my civilian job and colleagues like family and quickly realized they were not the same. I miss watching and hearing the planes take off. I worked in Airfield Management, which meant we managed everything on the airfield. I loved watching the fighter jets take off at the break of dawn. Talk about beautiful! And I loved hearing the big-body aircraft take off. Soooo powerful! It’s fascinating how something so big can stay in the air. And the aircrews! I had to brief them before their flights. Y’all, I got to meet pilots from all over the world and astronauts! I still can’t believe that I walked into the recruiter’s office on an April afternoon and committed to serve. Wasn’t afraid at all. Never had second thoughts. I just did it, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Seems like a lifetime ago!☺️

April 1, 2021

This is a message from my momma. When I first read it, I read it from the point of four years ago. Then, I read it as if she tagged me in the post today. Today, I’m saying, “Father, thank You that You’re taking me where I couldn’t go on my own.” Amen. I have absolutely no idea where God is taking me, but I trust Him. I know He’s got me.🙏🏽

April 1, 2023

I must keep shining! God has blessed me with an AMAZING life. There’s absolutely no reason for me not to. I am truly, truly blessed! I can hear Janet Jackson singing, “I’ve seen the world, been to many places…” And I have. I am beyond blessed.


I pray you have a blessed, peaceful, and prosperous month. May your April be filled with lots of love and joy. You deserve it!♥️

Love you much,

Shaun