Tag: God

Life

Focus On What Is Ahead

Shaun Bradford

I shared this last year and it is just as relevant today.

“Focus on what’s ahead, not what was left behind. Believe me, God has so much more planned for your future. Trust Him.” – Moi, June 20, 2022

Do not look back. God has something greater planned.

Not sure why, but I woke up feeling somewhat anxious and in a panic. I cannot remember if I had a bad dream or what. Maybe it had something to do with me falling asleep with a lot on my mind… other people’s problems, to be exact. Thankfully, the feeling is passing.

Lately, I have come across so many people in pain, mentally and emotionally. The weirdest part is the people who are hurting and finally being very transparent about their pain–or forced to be transparent because all of their dirty laundry is on public display–are the so called rich or wealthy. It is so heartbreaking. Money can buy experiences and lots of things, but it cannot buy the things people truly need most–unconditional love and peace. No amount of signed NDAs or gag orders will ever give them the peace they seek.

Sadly, many of these people have built entire personas to mask their real lives. They look fabulous and perform well; however, they are absolutely a mess underneath. With time, that mask eventually falls revealing everything they tried to hide.

Y’all, people are really hurting. And I am not only talking about celebrities. I’m talking about entrepreneurs, influencers and self-made millionaires. They appear to have it all because they are finally able to do all of the things they dreamed, yet they are still mentally and emotionally unwell. My heart truly weeps for them. My question is, where is their support system? Have they been pushed away? Have they been replaced with an online audience or followers?

Okay… I’m done. Maybe this is another layer of baggage that I need to shed, internalizing others’ problems. Their problems are not mine to solve or deal with. Going forward I must remind myself that I cannot save or heal the world, that is God’s job. My job is to show love and kindness, and keep them in my prayers.

Now that I have released their problems, let me go back to sleep. I pray you have a blessed day.

Four more days!!!

Focused on my future.

Year 50 is loading…

Shaun

Life

Brighten Someone’s Day

Shaun Bradford

Brighten someone’s day by doing something that lets them know they are valued, appreciated, and loved.♥️ ~Shaun

“In case nobody told you today, you’re special.” – Lizzo
Life

Hello Sunday

Shaun Bradford

Today, I am celebrating my father, my daddy. I love this man!

These last several years have been very difficult for him. I have watched him push through two strokes, eye surgeries, hearing loss, the death of two of his siblings and the death of his only son. ALL of this has happened since 2018.

When I called him earlier, he was shaving. Not sure if he’s going to church or to his shop, probably both. In spite of everything that has happened, he keeps going. Can’t slow him down. Y’all, I love my daddy.

Happy Father’s Day, Mr. Sutton!

To all of the fathers and father figures reading this, Happy Father’s Day! Today… and every day… belongs to you. We see you, we love you and you do matter!♥️

Shaun

Life

I Am Blessed

Shaun Bradford

Woke up this morning feeling so blessed!

Y’all, I can’t believe I will be 50 years old next Saturday! 50…. 5-0… Half a century!! Yes, ME!! Can’t you tell I’m excited! Smile

Y’all, God has been so very good to me… so good. I am truly, truly blessed!

Feeling blessed and loved.♥️

I cannot end without thanking God for His love, mercy and grace. Yes, I’m most definitely blessed.

Year 50 is loading…

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEBORAH!!! Wishing you many, many blessings. Love you!

Shaun

Life

God’s Masterpiece

Shaun Bradford

Masterpiece: A work done with extraordinary skill.

You are God’s masterpiece. You were divinely created to fulfill a wonderful purpose.♥️ ~Shaun

One of one.
Life

Choose Kindness

Shaun Bradford

Choose kindness, even when handling yourself. Always, always, always be kind.♥️ ~Shaun

You deserve kindness too.

So let’s talk about yesterday. Yesterday I found myself dealing with an issue I thought I had mastered– loving and accepting ALL of me.

Yesterday, I allow someone’s words, spoken with good intentions, make me feel like the weird little girl who always spoke before she thought. Yes, that was me. Whatever I thought came out, and always at the oddest moments, especially when I was excited.

Well, it still happens today. My siblings and kids are always reminding me that I sometimes say weird or unfiltered things. The crazy thing is I have absolutely no idea when I’ve said something wrong or weird until it’s pointed out. So now, I always try to think before I respond, especially when I am excited.

Let’s just say, yesterday was one of those days. I was happy and excited and I retweeted a tweet without knowing if the information was factual. Then someone saw it and asked me if I was going to delete it. Y’all, they didn’t know about the blog I had written about it or my fangirl behavior. I’m laughing now, but yesterday, I was a mess. I allowed that person’s comment to make me feel like that weird little girl again. So I unpublished the blog; however, I did not delete the tweet. It wasn’t like I was the only one who had tweeted it.

Anyhoo… yesterday I wrote another blog after I unpublished the original one and I ended it with this–

I went from being happy to feeling weird. This is definitely something I need to work through. Living a life where you feel you can’t fully express yourself isn’t really living, is it?

Less than two weeks to 50. Will I live my life out loud or continue to box myself in because the real Shaun is too much for most?

Not even two hours later I republished my original blog with the caption – “DECIDED TO LIVE!!” I realized that that weird little girl feeling I had was something I had placed on myself. I created the “weird girl” box ages ago and was about to retreat back into it. As I say so very often, I am so grateful God loves me and will not allow me to stay down. After thinking about how I allowed one comment to take me back to a place I thought I had passed, I decided I had a choice, I could keep carrying that box around or destroy it. I decided to destroy it!

I told y’all I’m dropping baggage before I head into this next half of my life. Either I’m going to embrace ALL of me or stay bound. Y’all, I am choosing ALL of me!

Ten more days! Only God knows what other baggage is still left to be released or destroyed. One thing I can say for sure is He’s bringing all of it to the forefront saying you either release it or remain where you are. So, yeah, the ball is definitely in my court.

Okay… I did not intend for this blog to be this long.

Message – Remember to be kind to yourself and embrace ALL of you!

Love you!

Shaun

Life

Just Believe

Shaun Bradford

“Just believe!” We say it all the time in passing. However, most of us never put too much thought into it, we just say it. As we all know, the action of believing is much more than a thought.

Question – How strong is your belief system?

Keep your belief system(s) strong!

According to last year’s journal entry (June 10, 2022), I was watching Bishop T. D. Jakes sermon, “Hurdles to Wholeness.” Think I need to rewatch it.

In his message, he spoke of faulty belief systems and how we will only rise to the levels of our beliefs. Hmmm

Here are a few more questions–

Do you believe in what you are believing for?

Or

Are you all talk and either, do not really want it… or… you do not believe you will receive it?

According to Bishop Jakes, however you respond to those questions will dictate where you go in life.

I guess you can say my Saturday has started off DEEP! Whew!! Wasn’t expecting an assignment for this morning. Time for me to reevaluate my belief system(s)–thought I was good–and make some necessary changes. Y’all, I am really serious about not taking baggage into the next half of my life, and part of that baggage is a faulty belief system. Either I want what I say I want or not!

On another note…

Two more weeks until Year 50 is here! Don’t have anything planned, but I am still excited. I actually feel like I’m getting ready to cross over into a new space in life. I used to believe I needed to bring in 50 by doing something huge. Something I could take pictures of and say, “I did that!” Now, it’s all about the big show that’s happening on the inside. I’m excited about where God is taking me spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Once those are in check, everything else will follow. Yeah… I’m excited!

Thank for reading! Praying you have a wonderful weekend.♥️

Shaun

Life

In God’s Hands

Shaun Bradford

Resist the urge to take the reins from God. Whatever it is… and I mean whatever it is… leave it in God’s hands. Allow Him to lead you through the process.♥️

Oh what a difference it makes when we release control and allow God to lead!

Y’all, I am so grateful my flowers were not lost. Tearing up again. I am very proud of the finished product. Stick around because the best is yet to come. Blessed

Shaun

Life

Every Praise

Shaun Bradford

How about I have been singing Hezekiah Walker’s Every Praise for about the last hour or so. Little did I know I would actually need to send up a few praises for real. Laughing. Y’all… I just lost the artwork that was supposed to accompany today’s quote. Yep… it’s gone!

I had started working on it last night. Fell asleep in the middle of drawing one of the flowers, then woke up early this morning to finish them. When I tell you the flowers were so beautifully detailed… I actually felt like an artist. Well, just as I began working on the tree branches the app restarted. Although it auto saves, sometimes it doesn’t save everything. HA!! When I reopened the app the ONLY thing that was left were the branches. My beautiful flowers were gone. Talk about speechless.

Message–Every praise, every praise is to our God! In spite of what I lost, I will continue to praise God. Amen

We’ll just say I am fine tuning my craft. The extra work will be worth it.

Y’all have a blessed day!♥️

Shaun

Life

Follow Your Purpose

Shaun Bradford

Your purpose is unique and connected to something you do effortlessly. It’s authentic, never forced.

Advice–if you desire to live a happy, fulfilled life, follow your purpose.♥️ ~Shaun

I’m following mine, are you?