Life

Wednesday Writings

Obedience. The definition of obedience is – an act or instance of obeying (following the command or guidance of).

As many of you know, I have been on this journey of completely allowing God to lead; to follow his guidance without wavering. Well.. just imagine how that’s going. Sigh

So, there is this little thing called free will, which is the ability to act at one’s discretion. Well, I’m finding free will isn’t always my friend. During this journey, free will has popped up numerous times and continues to pop up whenever – 1) I don’t believe God is moving fast enough or He’s moving way too fast; 2) I believe things are going in the wrong direction; or 3) whenever I flat out don’t want to follow His instruction. Y’all, sometimes free will is a pain and often delays blessings. Ugh!

Last night I was given specific instructions to leave a certain matter alone, to allow God to work so that I could see His glory. Y’all know I love watching God work! Well, that didn’t happen. I kept picking at it. Checking to see if progress was being made. Kind of like putting a bandage on a wound and removing it every couple of hours to see if it’s healing. Uhh.. It won’t if you don’t leave it alone. So, this morning I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t leave things alone. I went in and started manipulating things. I was like, “God, I’m just gonna do this one little thing then give it back to You.” And that’s exactly what I did. And guess what, I feel like I have failed another challenge. Not in a shameful way, but in a way that has me regretting my decision. However, at the same time, I still have the desire to do better. I just have to know how things will turn out if I allow God to lead.

Okay.. y’all, I just had another “Aha” moment. Imagine going into a lab, starting an experiment and when the experiment isn’t moving along fast enough, you decide to manipulate the process. Guess what?! You just altered the outcome. You will never know what could’ve been had you left it alone.

Slowly but surely, I’m learning. If I am going to allow God to lead, I must be obedient. Period.

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a lovely Wednesday!

Shaun

Life

Hello Sunday

Today’s blog is a song by William Murphy, Praise is What I Do.

Praise is What I Do
by William Murphy
Courtesy of Musixmatch

Come on, song goes like this

Praise is what I do
When I wanna be close to You
I lift my hands in praise (oh, oh, come on)
Praise is who I am (let’s declare it church)
I will praise Him while I can
I’ll bless You at all times (I vow)

I vow to praise You (when you gon’ praise Him church?)
Through the good and the bad
I’ll praise You (whether happy or sad)
Whether happy or sad (I will)
I’ll praise You (thank you Jesus)
In all that I go through (yeah)
Because praise is what I do
‘Cause I owe it all to You

Praise is what I do (even when I’m going through)
Even when I’m going through (say, I finally learned church)
I’ve learned to worship You (yeah, yeah)
(And I declare)
No my circumstance (doesn’t even stand a chance)
Doesn’t even stand a chance (’cause my praise)
My praise outweighs the bad (so I vow to praise)

I vow to praise You (I need somebody to wave your hands and declare)
Through the good and the bad (I will)
I’ll praise You (doesn’t matter how I feel)
Whether happy or sad (I will)
I’ll praise You (in all that I go through)
In all that I go through
Because praise is what I do (I owe)
‘Cause I owe it all to You

This section was omitted from the online lyrics but is included in the song.
[Now I just need someone to open your mouth and give Him a crazy praise.
Somebody send the praise to the nation.
Somebody send the praise to Africa.
Somebody send the praise to China.]

Praise is what I do (open up your mouth church)
(It’s what I do)
It’s what I do
(Yes, church open up your mouth and somebody clap those hands and declare)

Praise is what I do
(It’s what I do)
It’s what I do
(Somebody [send] the praise to Germany)
(Somebody [send] the praise to France)

Praise is what I do (it’s what I do, yeah)
(It’s what I do, it’s what I do)
(It’s what I do)
It’s what I do
(Somebody [send a] praise to [Bankhead])
(Somebody [send a] praise to [Buckhead], yeah)
Praise is what I do
(Yeah)

Source: Musixmatch Songwriter: William Murphy III Praise Is What I Do lyrics © Lilly Mack Music, M3m Music

Be Blessed

Shaun

Life

Wednesday Writings

Found this quote in a journal entry. Not sure of the context but it must have stood out for me to write it down.

Suddenly is an accumulation of events that happened while you were waiting.

Pastor Joel Osteen

Over the past week or so, I have found lists of goals in random places – journal entries, saved notes, and scribbled on pieces of paper. Every time I find one, I am always amazed at how many goals I have actually achieved without ever revisiting the lists. Honestly, I am not sure how things happen without me actively pursuing them, but somehow they do. Which leads me back to Pastor Osteen’s quote. Suddenly really isn’t something that happens randomly, but an accumulation of events that were set in motion once written down.

Yesterday, I found another list and added updates. Then I made a new list. Can’t wait to revisit it in the future!

Y’all, I hope this all made sense. I really need to stop writing so early in the morning. Especially when I am half asleep. Ugh! I’m on day 137 of continuous blogging and it is also Wednesday, so I had to write. (Smile)

Enjoy your day!

Shaun

Life

Wednesday Writings

Facebook memory: September 22, 2019

Good Morning! It’s September 22, 2019. No social media find today, only my thoughts. This weathered, folded note is a journal entry I wrote on September 22, 2014. I call it my “purse note.” I have kept this one, and a few others that I’ve added over time, in my purse for years. I actually read them quite often to make sure I’m on track, especially when I become discouraged.

This morning I just want to say, don’t give up. Don’t settle. No matter how things look, hold on. Because, what’s for you, is already yours. Remember that God’s blessings are better than life! I love y’all.
🙏🏽♥️

Honestly, I have not read my notes in a while. Started with one note that I was supposed to read daily. Now I have several ranging from 2014 – 2021. They keep me motivated and encouraged. They remind me that no matter how things appear, I am still on track.

The other day, while reading journal entries from the late 90s, I came across a list of goals I had forgotten I had written. After reading them, I was surprised to see that my goals really haven’t changed much. What I desired to achieve then, I still desire to achieve today. Overall, nothing has changed.

So here is what’s in the photo – a copy of my first “purse note” from September 22, 2014 and my goals from March 30, 1997 (both unedited).

Goals. Dreams. Motivation.

Well, as you can see, I keep and document just about everything. From personal stories to current events, I have them documented somewhere in my journals. Whenever I come across an entry where I have documented major events from someone’s life – births, marriages, etc. – I screenshot the passage and send it to them. They seem to love it.

I love my life.

Thanks for reading! Wishing you a wonderful Wednesday.

Shaun