Keeping this one simple…♥️ ~Shaun
Facebook Memory: May 10, 2022
You deserve a wonderful life. Period. Have a wonderfully, blessed day.♥️
It’s True
Category: Life
Prayers for Strength, Guidance and Patience
The quote below was taken from a book of encouraging words my mom had written a while back. Thought I would also include guidance and patience because all three are definitely needed—strength, guidance, and patience.♥️ ~Shaun
It’s Been One Year
Today is the first anniversary of my mom’s passing. I still remember her screaming “Hallelujah” over and over again before she had her last seizure—which was the day before she officially passed. I honestly believe she left us at that moment. However, we waited for her to recover as she had done before, but she never did. She was in a coma.
I mean, we knew she was passing. We weren’t naive. For months her appetite had been slowly decreasing. Her blood levels were steadily declining. Almost every other week she was getting a transfusion. Her stage 4 wound wasn’t healing and she had become septic…again…as she had become every couple of weeks. Yes, we knew she was dying but we just wanted her to look at us one more time. We kept trying to wake her up by singing her favorite songs, talking to her about her favorite shows and meals, washing her face, everything. But nothing worked. No eye movement. No sign of irritation whenever they came in to change the dressing on her wound. Nothing. The only signs of life were the numbers on the monitor that were gradually dropping.
On the morning of her passing, the doctor told us it was time for us to make the final decision. The oxygen and blood pressure medicine were the only things keeping her alive for us. Basically, she was already gone. They had tried taking her off several times before and her oxygen and blood pressure levels plummeted. Because she was a DNR, they wanted to make sure we were ready for what was to come before disconnecting everything.
After they removed the oxygen and IVs, we waited for something dramatic to happen. Thought she would immediately go into cardiac arrest. According to several nurses, the end wasn’t always pleasant. But nothing happened. The nurses asked if we wanted them to give her some pain medicine and we declined. She had been in severe pain for years and that was the first time we had seen her at complete peace. They told us to let them know if she became uncomfortable or began to moan and they would give her something. Again, nothing happened. She just appeared to be asleep. Which is how she said she wanted to die. She told us she had prayed and asked God to let her die in her sleep. And she did.
From around 2 PM until a little after 9 PM, we sat with her as her numbers slowly decreased. We took turns holding her hands and rubbing her forehead until they became cold and grayish. We didn’t immediately call the nurse in after we knew she was gone. We just sat there in silence.
Our momma…
Dorothy Ree, we miss you!
We have all been dreading this day. Been grieving for a whole year. Some days have been better than others. For me, last night was really rough. The tears just kept flowing, as they are now. I’m not bawling but the tears just seem to be flowing from nowhere.
Think I will end here. I may or may not share a second post today, or I might share several. I’m just going to go with the flow.
Thanks for allowing me to share.♥️
Love you,
Shaun
Good Night (5)
Attempting to wind down but the song, “My Testimony,” by Marvin Sapp keeps playing over and over in my head. I guess my soul is having its own late night praise and worship session. The song says:
So if you see me cry
it’s just a sign that I’m,
I’m still alive,
oh yeah, I got some scars,
but I’m still alive
In spite of calamity
He still has a plan for me
And it’s working for my good
and it’s building my testimony
Y’all, I made it! I actually made it through. When I look back over my life and all the things I have gone through; things that should have taken me out; things that made me want to quit; all I can do is praise God.
Y’all, I made it!!!
Blessed and grateful…
God is good.
Praying you have a restful night.♥️
Love you,
Shaun
Embracing All Good Things
Today, I am embracing all good things. Embracing every single blessing God sends my way. I am so thankful for His love. I can’t say it enough, I am truly blessed.♥️
Shaun
Blooming
Pruning season is finally over and blooming season has arrived. Remember to stay present and enjoy every moment. Love you!♥️ ~Shaun
Facebook Memory: May 8, 2023
It’s blooming season. Even if it doesn’t feel like it at the moment, know that it is. The blooms are coming.♥️
A Reflection: It’s Been Ten Years
In my previous post, I mentioned receiving an invite to a media training that awakened so many dreams. Well, here’s what I wrote afterwards:
Shaun’s Journal Entry: June 3, 2014
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. Please give me the knowledge, strength, courage, and intelligence to do things the correct way. I thank you so much for the favor!
Y’all, there are so many key elements in that entry that I had no idea I would struggle with over the years that followed. Didn’t see any of it coming. When I tell you my life was disrupted for real! Whew!! But I made it!!!
One of my biggest struggles, which I believe is the reasoning behind the self-sabotage, is this one statement: “I am destined for greatness…”
Y’all, that was a very bold statement. I saw it. I felt it. And over the years whenever I felt it creeping up again, I would shut it down. Every. Single. Time.
Very interesting revelation, isn’t it? Had no idea I was even doing it.
Moving forward, I am going to keep the same prayer in mind—
God, please give me the knowledge, strength, courage, and intelligence to do things the correct way. Amen
I believe if I make this prayer the center of all future endeavors, I will be okay.
Here’s to 10 years!🎉🎉
Yes… this is Year50…♥️
Shaun
Here are a few pictures from my trip and the invite from this day ten years ago. Still can’t believe it’s been ten years.
The Ultimate Confirmation
Whew!!! These past few weeks have been very interesting. There has been this struggle between remaining comfortable and leaving this cozy space of mine. Some days I feel bold and empowered, while others I just want to leave my ambitions and dreams for the next generation to achieve, or for another lifetime. Then, one small thing will happen, a comment, an ask, a show of appreciation or love, or that still small voice, that lets me know that I have so much more to do. That I am not meant to settle here. And THIS particular Facebook memory I am sharing is the ultimate of confirmations.
When I tell you God’s timing is impeccable! Y’all, He is so strategic!
Facebook Memory: May 7, 2019
Good Morning! Here’s today’s social media find. It confirms what God has been telling me- I need to let go of my comfort zone and start fulfilling His purpose. Story time. I’ll try to make it short.😁
On this exact date, five years ago [May 7, 2014], something awaken in me that I haven’t been able to shake. It was the day that I knew I was destined for more. That God had a purpose for my life. I know all of this sounds crazy. That’s why I keep “receipts.” Lol! So a friend invited me to a two day media training in New Orleans where Chef John Folse was the host and Teri Goudie, famous media trainer, was the coach. That trip was miraculous. It awaken all kinds of dreams that I had put to rest because I thought my time had passed. Those dreams were for the Shaun who hadn’t made any mistakes. Those dreams were for teenage Shaun. They weren’t for the grown, well seasoned Shaun. So I thought.
Two years later [May 7, 2016], I was introduced to Cheryl Wood! By that time I had become the president of our state’s Dietetics association, and I was still trying to recover from my marriage ending. I was a mess! It was the worst time to be president. However, Cheryl’s encouraging messages helped me make it through. She would always post things like, “You belong there,” “No one has your unique fingerprint,” and “Your story isn’t for you, but for someone else.” All confirmed what Teri Goudie had instilled in me two years earlier. The only problem was, I did not want to be noticed, not even as president.
So here we are five years later! WHEW!!! It really doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. I’ve been to three of Cheryl’s presentations, actually had a conversation with her (that’s a powerful story for another day), and attended a year-long, virtual speakers boot camp. I think it’s time for me to come out of this shell! I love being behind the scenes. I’m so comfortable helping others pursue their dreams. I’m that cheerleader, that hype girl!😁 Now it’s time for me to shine. I have work to do! Amen
HA! I shared this five years ago, and that self-sabotage I always refer to, happened over and over again. I allowed my feelings of unworthiness, not being enough, fears of failure and fears of success, stop me from being totally committed to the dream, promise, and purpose. As I promised myself almost a year ago, this side of 50 would be different because I was going to intentionally make it different. Which has meant pushing beyond my feelings and the desire to remain comfortable and coast through the rest of my life. I’m laughing because no matter how many times I have tried to settle, God has said, “Not so!” Y’all, He won’t let me.
Tomorrow, I will explain why today was so significant. Just needed to document this moment, today. It’s a moment I didn’t even realize was happening. This is ten years later…
This is the other side of 50!♥️
Shaun
More Than A Conqueror
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 NKJV
The song, “More Than A Conqueror,” by Hezekiah Walker says:
The fight is fixed
I know, I’ll win
I won’t give in
Cause I’m more than a conqueror
My walk is strong
My faith is long
I can’t, can’t go wrong
Cause I’m more than a conqueror
Despite of it all, I am more than a conqueror. And so are YOU!♥️
Love you,
Shaun
Heal So You Can Grow
If you do not heal, you will not grow.
I repeat…
If you do not heal, you will not grow.
Meaning…
You will never reach your fullest potential if you do not heal. You might get a glimpse of it, but you will never reach it.
Heal so that you can grow.♥️ ~Shaun
It’s Shaun’s World 
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