hope

Navigating Life With God

Shaun Bradford

I usually post under “My Journey With God,” but this post is a little different. This one is about how I watched God order my steps. Y’all, He’s so strategic.

Yesterday was one of those days when I couldn’t help but notice each step. From me deciding to change my morning routine to taking the “longer” way home and stopping for gas, every move was divinely orchestrated. I remember thinking, “Why am I going home this way?” Even when I was nudged to stop for gas, I did it without a second thought. Usually, I don’t get gas unless I have plans to go somewhere, and at the time, I didn’t have any plans.

Well, not even two hours later, I received an invite to a luncheon across town that was set to start 45 minutes later. Had I not switched up my routine or stopped for gas, I wouldn’t have made it there on time. Little did I know, I was the guest of the hour. Yesterday, my elder friend, Ms. Ray, announced to the group that she was passing the torch to me and preparing me for when she’s no longer around. Talk about a surprise and honor!

When I woke up yesterday morning, I was somewhat in my feelings because I couldn’t understand why I was constantly being told to be still, why I couldn’t make certain moves. In one of my recent posts, I spoke about being on the tightrope of God’s will, and how difficult it’s been not to jump off and do my own thing. As I said then, I won’t leave God’s will because I am so dead set on seeing where it takes me. I have the vision. He gave it to me decades ago, and it’s been etched in my mind since. However, the way to getting to what I saw has never been clear. Yesterday, God showed me how each step, no matter how insignificant I believe them to be, plays a role in the bigger picture. Every time I volunteer, every “Yes” I give, every “No” I receive, every contract I take on, even down to my daily routines at home, all are part of the bigger picture. Even my writings and my documentation of events and occasions are all connected to the vision.

Everything is connected. Everything is connected to the vision.

I’m going to end here because I’m finally sleepy again. I just needed to talk/write. Hopefully you can follow what I’ve written. I’m too sleepy to review and revise.

Talk to you later.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

My March 24th

Shaun Bradford

I had written two long posts about how weird my day has been (nothing bad—actually, it’s been weird in a good way) and, at the last minute, decided not to share either. In all honesty, this quote from last year actually sums everything up—

“God is Hope.”

March 24, 2025

The message—

Whenever you feel like life is doing too much, look to God. He knows exactly what you need to keep you motivated and going. He is Hope.

On another note, here are a few random photos I considered sharing before I started writing my heart out in the other posts. The first is significant because I was leaving the known for the unknown, and the other photos are fun—they’re lyrics from songs I was listening to on this day six years ago.

March 24, 2021— I was finishing packing up my office after resigning from my job of 15 years. What a leap that was!

As I’ve mentioned before, I take a lot of random pictures, and these were saved in my phone.

Here’s what I was listening to on March 24, 2020. Can you guess the songs? Lol

I know…too easy!😂

Anyhoo…

I hope your day has been lovely. Wishing you a relaxing evening. Talk to you tomorrow.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

Tumblr – My Forgotten Site

Shaun Bradford

This morning, I was reminded that I had a Tumblr account. I had forgotten all about it until the suggestion to share a post on the site popped up. Well, after I logged in, I had a notification that my ninth Tumblr anniversary was last month. Had no idea! The last time I shared anything on the site was five years ago! Can’t help but wonder if this is my sign to mosey back over to that space for a while. It’s a hodgepodge of random posts. Nothing structured. Free flowing…like me.☺️

And TODAY I made my 100th post on my site!!🎉 Celebrating the small successes.✨

ShaunsSmile: https://www.tumblr.com/shaunssmile

Let me know if you’re on Tumblr and I’ll follow you.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

By the way, I’ll be 53 in exactly THREE MONTHS!!!🎉🎉🎉

hope

Always Remember

Shaun Bradford
March 23, 2023

Written on March 23, 2023—

Two things to always remember –

  1. WHO you are.
  2. WHOSE you are.

You were not created to blend in. You were created to stand out and make a difference.

Written on March 23, 2025—

Who are YOU?

Me: I’m God’s daughter. I am love. I am joy. I am hope. I am peace. I am light. Goodness, kindness, and strength flows from me. It’s who I am, and I embrace ALL of me.

Never forget who YOU are.

Always remember.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

March 23, 2023 – Grieving

Shaun Bradford

On March 23, 2023, I wrote the following in my journal entry—

“Momma is dying. Her body is basically shutting down. All of her vitals are getting weaker and weaker. Blood counts are severely low…it’s time to let her go. We’re all going to miss her. I’ve been missing her for a while now. 

I called her earlier this evening to check on her. She told me that they have been having a hard time getting blood. It’s like all of her veins are shutting down. They were finally able to draw some from her feet. [My sister] said they called earlier with the results but Momma didn’t want to go to the hospital. She said the doctor said if she didn’t come in tonight he would need to discuss palliative care with her. Momma knows she’s dying. While on the phone with her earlier, she told Nala [her dog] to take care of me for her, not the other way around. Yeah… that’s when I knew.”

My mom knew she was dying. She did all she could to prepare us. At the end of April, she gave my sisters and me our Mother’s Day gifts and gave me money for my upcoming 50th birthday. When I asked why she was giving it to me so early, she blamed it on her forgetfulness and wanted to give it to me while she still remembered. On May 9, 2023, five days before Mother’s Day, she passed.

I ended my journal entry with this—

“It’s weird that Iyanla shared a post about grief not even two hours ago. It’s like God’s preparation before the storm. I love my momma.”

I attached this screenshot of Iyanla’s post to my entry.

As Iyanla said, we owe it to ourselves to grieve, and it’s true.

Unknowingly, I had been grieving my relationship with my mom long before her death, but I didn’t recognize what it was. I had been caring for her for several years while watching her health slowly decline. For years, she hadn’t been the mom I knew. By the time she reached this stage, I was already prepared to let her go physically, but not mentally.

I have a picture of my mom on my nightstand so I can see her whenever I like. She’s smiling. Her smile is my daily reassurance that everything will be alright.

Momma, I miss you.🌺

If you need to grieve, please grieve, and grieve as often as needed. I believe grieving helps us heal.

This is all I have for now. Wishing you a beautiful day and wonderful week. May they be filled with love.♥️

I love you,

Shaun