My life. My world. Love, hope, peace, joy & happiness.
Sitting here watching Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday interview with Maya Angelou. I have only seen snippets of it before. Now I’m watching the entire episode. Y’all, I feel her. Gratitude and love are EVERYTHING! If you have not watched it, here’s the link. It is so worth watching– Maya Angelou Super Soul Sunday Interview.
Loving life. Loving the place I’m in. Living from a space of gratitude and love. Staying present while residing in peace.
This is my world, this is my life…
Shaun
Happy Tuesday!
Woke up with the song, “Be Encouraged,” playing over and over in my head. Not long afterwards, I checked my Facebook memories and low and behold look at what popped up!
Kept scrolling through my memories and found another gem from July 11, 2017. I immediately began singing Donald Lawrence’s song, “I Speak Life.”
Thanks for dropping in to see what I had to say today. I so appreciate you! Enjoy your day.♥️
Shaun
I did not draw anything this morning. I actually slept in. Had a few crazy dreams but slept really well. Guess I needed a change of scenery or to be with my parents. I miss my mom. Her ashes were buried in a cemetery near here. I don’t usually visit graves after people die, but I have to go see my momma. I miss her so much.
Well, since I do not have anything new to share, I will share a few past gems from this day, one of which I reshared this morning on Facebook.
Facebook Memory: July 7, 2022
Facebook Memory: July 7, 2019
I reshared this memory this morning with the following quote:
Still enjoying BET Plus, a vision that came to fruition. A couple of months before I snapped this picture at Essence Festival, I had attended Madea’s Farewell play. During the intermission, they played a video of Tyler Perry celebrating 25 years in the industry. I believe it was in this video that he mentioned Tylervision, which is very similar to BET+.
Y’all, we really must stay the course! If God has put a dream in your heart, I don’t care how impossible or outlandish it may seem, stay the course because IT WILL HAPPEN. You may have setbacks and become discouraged, but stick with it. Sometimes you have to put blinders on so that you are not constantly comparing your growth to others. Celebrate them, then put those blinders on and keep grinding. IT WILL HAPPEN!♥️ Tyler Perry is THE GOAT!
Facebook Memory: July 7, 2018
Okay… that’s it for today. After I make a few posts on my other platforms and respond to notifications, I’m shutting things down for a while. I need to be present and enjoy my family. I love y’all!♥️
Shaun
Breathe.
God’s got you.♥️
~Shaun
Your dreams are important, too important to let die. No matter what comes or goes, or how much time passes, never give up on your dreams. Everything will happen at the appropriate time.♥️
When I was in high school, my English teacher gave our class personalized, handwritten notes. Mine was written inside of a card that a former student had given her. On the cover was a painting of “The Lady of Shalott.” I was drawn to that painting. It was like I could feel her pain and agony.
Here is the inside of the card with an additional note attached. The words from the attached note have keep me inspired, encouraged and hopeful for more than 30 years.
Hello! Happy Saturday and Happy July 1st! Praying you have a wonderfully blessed weekend.❤️
Today, I am doing something I have never done before. Something that is taking me far beyond my comfort zone. I will provide details tomorrow, after it is over. Let’s just say I am walking into new territory. I know God is with me.
As I was scrolling through my Facebook memories for today, I could not decide on what to share. Every message was significant. I finally narrowed it down to a few that really resonated with what I am currently experiencing. Y’all, I can already tell this is going to be one eventful year. I must remember my theme for this year–to stay present while residing in a state of peace. I cannot allow what happens around me to disturb my peace.
Here is a compilation of Facebook memories shared on July 1 beginning with 2022 dating back to 2015:
Sitting here in gratitude, thanking God I am not where I used to be. So glad I listened and acted. I know God has so much more planned for my life, and there are many more steps and leaps to make. However, as long as I have God with me, protecting me and loving me, I know I will make it to wherever I am destined to be.
Shaun
For several years now, I have shared the same message, “Be still” or “Be still. God is working.” Thought I would continue the tradition and share it again today along with another message I reposted several years ago.
Today, I would like to encourage you, as I encourage myself, to be still and wait on God. Do not move until He gives you His approval. Resist the urge to help. Believe me, He does not need our help to move things along a little faster. Yes, the wait can be long and tedious. I know you are tired, so am I, but as we have witnessed many times before, it’s always best to wait on God. His timing is perfect.
Have a blessed day!♥️
Shaun
Choose kindness, even when handling yourself. Always, always, always be kind.♥️ ~Shaun
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
Was looking through Facebook memories and old journals to find inspiration for today’s blog. I could not find a journal entry from this date 20+ years ago, so I decided to include my Facebook post from last year, June 4, 2022.
“Just me being me.🤷🏽♀️😁 Y’all, life is good and God is sooo amazing. I’m so grateful for His mercy and grace. And the way He loves me – INDESCRIBABLE!! Whew! Getting emotional just thinking about it.☺️ Twenty days until #Year49, and I’m going to enjoy every minute because I KNOW #ImBlessed! 🙏🏽♥️”
As I mentioned, I could not find an entry written on this date over 20 years ago. However, I did find several entries between 1991-2002 written either the day before or after June 4. Y’all, I weep for that young lady. She was so lost, hurt and broken. For years, even decades, she accepted any and everything that was thrown her way because she felt unworthy and unlovable. When I tell you her self esteem was shot. I can see now that she was punishing herself for that one decision she wish she had not made. That one decision caused her to enter a downward spiral that led to self hatred and mental abuse. She consistently punished herself by allowing others to misuse and abuse her. She felt she deserved the pain because she had not lived up to the dreams and goals she had set for herself. Y’all, she did not know she could recover. Sadly, it would be decades before she realized that one mistake did not define her and that all of her dreams and aspirations were still in tact.
Now, here I am 20 days before Year 50. As I mentioned last year, I am so grateful for God’s love, mercy and grace. Y’all, it is truly INDESCRIBABLE! Today, I can happily say that my life is drastically different than it was 30 years ago. That young lady is finally a woman who understands that that one decision was just part of her (my) story. Smiling
Year 50 is loading. Excited to see where this next journey takes me.
Shaun
I am going to try not to make this one very long but I have a lot to say. It is so ironic that my favorite show, Tyler Perry’s Sistas, returns tonight for its sixth season and the caption on the trailer is, “A new day brings a new beginning.” I love the new look. Everything seems so refreshing. Which leads me to what I am about to share in today’s blog. Not sure where to start so I will begin with one of the first “new beginnings” in my 40s. You know I’m about to turn 50, right?! Smile
Today’s date, May 31st, is significant in so many ways. It’s the day before I begin celebrating my birthday month, but it is also the day that marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.
On this day in 2014, I was preparing for a trip that I believe changed the entire trajectory of my life. It was definitely a pivotal moment. A couple of days before, a friend reached out and asked if I wanted to attend a chef’s media training in New Orleans on June 1st. Y’all, this kind of thing was no where on my radar. Had never even crossed my mind. Little did I know that my life was about to change. At that time, the only thing I knew was that my marriage was ending; however, I had no idea of what the future held. Well, I accepted the invite, attended the training, connected with people who were where I once dreamed of being, and began living. Accepting that invitation set things in motion. It was a leap that I was afraid of taking but deep down I knew I had to.
When I tell you the rest of that year was indescribable! I would think things and they would happen. For years I wanted Bell Biv Devoe (BBD) and the entire New Edition (NE) to perform at one of my birthday parties. Listen, I was serious! When it didn’t happen on my 35th or 40th, I was crushed. I’m telling y’all, I might be a little crazy because I just KNEW it would happen. Like, how, Shaun? Imagine sitting in Hattiesburg saying… not wishing… but saying BBD and NE are going to perform at my birthday party. Well, this particular year I was fed up with not having them perform for my birthday and had told my daughter I would settle for them performing at my funeral. Listen, if I couldn’t have them perform for my birthday, the least they could do was perform at my funeral. Yes… I was being very dramatic. Y’all, I am so ashamed. It’s all documented in my journal. Anyway, the day before my birthday, I entered a daily drawing for tickets to a Rhythm and Blues festival and was notified that evening that I had won. Y’all, up until that point, I had NEVER won anything outside of door prizes. Baby, when I tell you I was screaming. Guess who was going to be there…. BBD!!!!!! God must have said, “Let me go ahead and give this child what she wants.” It was two months before I actually got to see them, but I knew that was my gift, all mine. Y’all, God did that just for me.
The next unforgettable moment occurred that October. I was attending our national dietetics conference in Atlanta and did not realize I was actually staying in the same hotel as Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Yes… THE Marcus Samuelsson! Y’all, I was sitting outside of the hotel waiting on the airport shuttle and I happened to look up just as these tiny legs (yeah, he’s small) hurried across the driveway and enter a black SUV. All I saw was the socks and my heart leaped. I just knew it was Marcus. Didn’t even have to see his face. A friend of mine confirmed it was actually him with a text, “I just saw your boy. That chef you be talking about.” Hilarious! By that time I was already on the plane. Little did I know, he was doing a cooking demonstration for one of vendors at the conference.
Later that week, I almost missed another opportunity to see him and my other fav, the late Chef Leah Chase, when our department chair called an impromptu meeting. The meeting was scheduled for the same time I was leaving to attend Chef Leah’s dedication ceremony in New Orleans. When I tell you I was so discouraged. Felt so defeated. After the meeting, I heard that still small voice say I could still go. Listen, I was about to go home, then at the last minute I hit the highway and headed to NOLA. When I got there, the event hadn’t even started. I arrived just before Chef Leah did and had time to meet her, have a real conversation with her about my goals as a dietitian, and take pictures. What a year!
Five years later, and four years ago on this day, May 31st, my ex husband finally signed our divorce papers. Tearing up as I write this. I had waited over four years for that divorce. I believe him signing it the day before I entered my birthday month was another gift from God. He knew how badly I wanted to be free. Then, the judge signed the divorce papers exactly one week–SEVEN days–before my birthday. So I entered that next year of my life completely free! What a gift.
Now here I am; another May 31st with a new outlook on life. For a few years now, I have been asking God for a mentor and I believe He has finally sent me one. I have known of her for years but only met her a few months ago. To me she is me, 30 years from now. You heard me. It’s like I am experiencing my future self in real time. She was in the Air Force–retired officer and flight nurse. It’s beautiful because we both understand each other when discussing our former lives and careers. Most Air Force nurses know nothing about the airfield or my career; however, she does. Plus… we are both health professionals. Another thing is she’s that ambassador and liaison I have always longed to be. Over the past two days I have watched her gracefully interact with local leaders and community members.
Yesterday, someone came to her for help because she heard that my mentor could connect her with the right people. Y’all, I feel like a sponge soaking up everything. Believe me, I have been taking notes. I told my daughter I feel like one of those armor bearers in church, following her every move. Oh! And the icing on the cake is her husband was an artist, a real artist. I told her that I drew too. Haaa… That’s when she showed me some of his work. Y’all, I was blown away. His work is incredible! After seeing his art, I vowed to take my journey to becoming an artist seriously. If I desire to be a world renowned artist as well as a global ambassador, it’s time to stop playing. And today is that day.
Tomorrow I begin celebrating my 50th birthday month. I was reading a journal entry from a few years ago where Pastor Cynthia James had mentioned year 49 is considered the year of restoration and year 50 is the year of jubilation. I feel it! A new era is dawning.
Pivotal moments… Year 50 loading.
Have a spectacular day!!♥️
Shaun
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