hope

Y’all, I Got My Roses!

Just made it home and was surprised with two gift—

One…

My daughter’s home! She told me she probably wouldn’t come home because I was going to have a busy weekend, but she had sent me something that would make me smile.

And two…

I’m smiling. She sent me flowers. Y’all, I got my roses!

Talk about the perfect ending to a very long day. God is so very good.

Beyond Blessed!♥️

Shaun

hope

Update: I Need To Get This Out …

Good Evening!✨

I wanted to share an update to this morning’s post, “I Need To Get This Out, Please Bear With Me.” In short, I’m feeling so much better. I decided to drive up for the funeral today instead of waiting until tomorrow. And I’m glad I did. As much as I wanted to be alone, I needed to be around family. I needed the love, laughs, and hugs. God is good.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers! I needed them. Wishing you a peaceful, relaxing evening.🙏🏽♥️

Love you always,

Shaun

hope

Roses

My photo memory is filled with pictures of roses. These just happened to be saved on May 8th.🌹♥️

May 8, 2020
May 8, 2016

When I was a little girl, almost every house on my great, great grandparents’ street had rose bushes. There was even a lady who lived down the street named Ms. Rosie, who had a yard full of roses. I said that I’d have a whole garden of roses when I grew up. Instead, I have a phone full of photos and drawings of roses. Smiling because life is funny. Gotta love it.♥️

Shaun

hope

When God Moves

Good Morning☀️

Over the past month, I have watched God move in ways I have never witnessed or experienced before. Last night, when I shared that my spirit was having its own praise and worship moment, I was still in awe of how God had shown up hours earlier. Even as I write, I can’t help but praise God.

Short story…

Almost a year ago, I received a direct message from someone asking me if I would share an event on my Mississippi Thriving Facebook page, and I shared it. About a month later, I attended a luncheon for women veterans, and the person who asked me to share her event was the guest speaker. Towards the end of the event, I introduced myself to her, and she invited me to have coffee (hot chocolate for me) the following week. She was looking for volunteers to sit on the planning committee for the event I had shared for her. Well, what was supposed to be a quick meeting turned into a two-hour conversation. During our conversation, she shared her vision of providing resources, services, and assistance to unhoused communities in Central and South Mississippi.

When I tell you our meeting was divinely orchestrated! I had asked God for a mentor to help me with my nonprofit, which had been sitting idle for three years, and He sent her. After a couple of conversations with her, I finally launched my nonprofit.

Since meeting my mentor, who is now my newest friend (as you can see, I’m not ready to share her name yet), I have made more connections with the community than I made while doing community-based research—nearly 20 years. I have also participated in more community events (participating in another in a few hours) in less than a year than I have in my entire career. When I tell you I am so in awe of God! I asked, and He moved.

Yesterday, I attended my first public hearing to support my friend. If you didn’t know, providing assistance to the unhoused community isn’t very popular with cities. Over the last several months, my friend has had to jump through hoops to renovate an abandoned hotel that she and her husband have planned to turn into a day/resource center for the unhoused. Yesterday was another hoop… BUT GOD!!! When I tell you I watched God work! Yesterday, when I shared “God has the final say,” I was sitting there watching Him in action. At first, things appeared to be going downhill, but at the last minute, it all worked out in their favor.

Listen, you can’t tell me what God can’t do! When He gives you a vision or dream, hold on to it. It may take years to come to fruition, but it will happen. Also, timing is everything. We both talk about this all the time. Them acquiring the hotel, which had been sitting abandoned for years, was all about timing. Even our connection was about timing, and my obedience. You see, I almost didn’t go to the women veterans event. Kept making excuses all that morning, all while hearing I needed to go. Talk about an opportunity that could’ve been missed!

I can’t say it enough—God is so good! I just love the way He loves me. I asked for this side of 50 to be different, and lo and behold, He’s making it happen. I am so very blessed.


This is all I have for now. I pray that you have a beautiful day. You deserve it!♥️

I love you always,

Shaun

hope

Stronger And Braver?

Good Morning!☀️

Three years ago, I wrote that the complexities and experiences of life and love made us stronger and braver and were worth experiencing.

Question—

Have the complexities and experiences of life and love, particularly love, made you stronger and braver?

My answer…

“Yes” on the strength part. The complexities and experiences of life and love have made me stronger. However, “No” on the bravery part. Well, only in the case of love. My experiences with love and its shenanigans have always made me retreat. I have yet to become brave in this area; however, I am working on it. One day I’ll be a love warrior-Queen! Smile

Anyhoo… On a softer, less complex note.

Last year, I celebrated the tenth anniversary of my dreams being revived. I wrote about how an invitation to a culinary experience had changed my life ten years earlier (May 2014). I said it had awakened childhood dreams I had buried in my early 20s. Well, at 51, those dreams are still alive, and this time, despite the “complexities” of life—because life is going to keep lifeing—I plan to keep them alive. Just call me the warrior-Queen and protector of my dreams!


That’s all I have for you now. I do want to know your thoughts on the question above. Are you stronger and/or braver because of your experiences?

I pray you have a fabulous day. You deserve it!♥️

I love you much,

Shaun