Tag: dreams

hope

Treasure Your Gifts

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️

Treasure your gifts. Not gifts, as in talents, but the gifts—the people—God has placed in your life. They are irreplaceable and one of a kind. Whether for a season or a lifetime, God placed them in your life for a specific purpose that only they can fulfill. Never take them for granted. Life is much too short and precious not to treasure them.

As I mentioned last night, I was with my two hearts (daughter, 30, and son, 21). Words can’t even begin to describe the way I feel about them. As a child, I always longed to feel loved unconditionally and accepted for me. One of the things we talked about last night was me always dancing to the beat of my own drum. I never quite fit in, even when it came to my own family. I thought and moved differently. Not so differently that I didn’t blend in, but different enough to know I didn’t fit. Well, here I am 30 years later with two adult children, and I finally feel the love and acceptance I longed for. They’re not cookie cutters of me. As we often joke, we couldn’t be more different, but we’re so much alike. All three of us dance to our own beat, and we don’t judge. We embrace each other’s uniqueness.

Y’all, they are my gifts.🥰🥰

This was taken in January during my daughter’s 30th birthday weekend.

On another note—I know I never mentioned anything else about celebrating the 30–year breakthrough or rebirth I was experiencing leading up to my daughter’s birthday. I intentionally stopped celebrating when I noticed she had made her celebration mine. I explained to her that I had already lived and celebrated my 30th; the weekend and occasion were all hers. And we celebrated her! Yes, her birthday felt like a great release for me. I finally felt free to release myself from being a mother, provider, and caregiver to being me—a woman taking care of me.🦋

I pray you are treasuring your gifts. Also remember this too—something that took me far too long to realize—YOU are also a gift. Yes…YOU!

Have a beautifully, blessed day.♥️

I love you always,

Shaun

hope

Keep Climbing💗

Shaun Bradford

Despite setbacks, each day moves you closer to your dreams. You live, learn, and keep moving. You cannot afford to give up. God has too much for you to see and do. Keep climbing!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

hope

Surrender, Trust, and Obedience

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️

Whatever I need, God will provide. (Reread this until it sinks in.)

Here’s the secret—

Totally surrender every worry to God.

And…

Trust Him completely.

Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV) says—

25. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

26. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27. Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?

28. “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

29. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

30. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

31. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32. For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In addition to the other two, I’m adding this last one because many of us struggle with it, but it is so key—Be obedient—obedience matters. When God instructs you to do something, whether to be still or to move, do it without delay.

This is all I have at the moment. I pray that you have a great day and a wonderful weekend. The South is expecting some pretty bad weather this weekend, so please keep us in your prayers.🙏🏽

Hmmm…🤔 How should I end this one? Been playing around with my “I love you” endings.

I love you to heaven and back!♥️

Shaun

hope

Never Fret

Shaun Bradford

Never fret. You’re in God’s hands, and it’s such a wonderful place to be.

Love you much!♥️

Shaun

Leave your worries with God. He’s got you!

Kept hearing “He Has His Hands On You” by Marvin Sapp while I was writing. Thought I’d share.

hope

My Journey With God, No. 75

Shaun Bradford

Earlier, when I shared my first post, “I’m Blessed,” I had no idea I had written the following post on March 13, 2023, until I read my journal entry from that date.

This morning, I wrote—

“Thanking God for blessing me with hope and the gift of dreaming new dreams. I am beyond blessed.”

I had no idea I had actually written about my hopes and dreams on this date two years ago. Here’s what I shared then—

“I’m Already Living In My Dreams,” March 13, 2023

Much too often we limit ourselves to what is familiar… to what we know and see.

When I was in my twenties, God gave me a taste of what I said wanted but I was too naive to recognize it. For decades, I saw myself in international spaces. Wrote in my Senior book (high school journal) that I wanted to work for an international company. God gave me the Air Force. Said I wanted to travel to different countries. I lived in Germany and Turkey. Shoot, even said I wanted to live in the city I’m living in now, eight years before I actually moved here; and the move was not intentional, it just happened.

So, here I am actually living in all I have spoken… in all I have dreamed. No, nothing is or has happened the way I envisioned, but everything has happened and is happening.

For years, I have seen myself standing in front of the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland admiring the flags of different countries. I have seen myself walking its halls and interacting with people from all nations. Well… I am already doing it through my blogs and social media platforms. No, I am not physically at the U.N.; however, everything I saw myself doing, I’m doing from the comfort of my home. Now, this does not mean I don’t want to go to Geneva, Switzerland because that’s still a dream of mine. What it does mean is I now recognize the gift I have been given and I am eternally grateful that I am living in my dreams.

I am truly blessed.

I would like to thank all of you for reading my blogs and helping me fulfill my dreams. I so appreciate you!♥️

If you don’t mind, please leave a comment and let me know where you are reading from.

I thank God for reminding me that dreams rarely resemble what we envisioned; however, the core of our dreams never changes. I am not just dreaming new dreams but expanding and reimagining the dreams God placed within me as a child. I also recognize that my reality is interconnected with my dreams. Talk about being blessed!

Y’all, God is so amazing!♥️

Shaun