Tag: gratitude

hope

In A State Of Praise and Gratitude

Shaun Bradford

When I created this blog site, I created it with the intent of sharing a bit of my world with the world. Well, most of my world is my relationship with God. Y’all, I’m still on that note and the past 10 years. When I tell you my life has drastically changed. I used to wonder why people told the same story about overcoming hardships over and over again. They say it’s good for business, and is. However, I see mine a little differently. To me, it’s my opportunity to acknowledge and praise the greatness of God. Y’all, His grace and love are unmatched.

After I shared my last post, I realized those 10 years were so much more than my obedience. They were about me rekindling my relationship with God. A relationship I began at eight years old, and one that I took very seriously when I became a teenager. Then, after I thought I had let God down, it began to fall apart. I was so ashamed of myself for not resisting temptation. Honestly, I’m not sure why I thought I had to be a perfect Christian. It’s funny how I gave grace to everyone else except myself. Then, when life happened to me, I didn’t give it to myself. I always reference my marriage because it was during that time when my relationship with God basically ended (nothing to do with my ex, I actually hindered his worship). Now, don’t get me wrong, I knew God was still God, but I felt like I had lost all privileges to communicate with Him. I knew I had entered something sacred and knew I shouldn’t have. I was just so disappointed with my life and God not stopping me from making the first mistake I made. I mean, He was God, right? So, why didn’t He stop me?! Y’all, I’m just being completely honest and transparent about how I felt. It wasn’t until much later, during that four year long divorce process, that I realized I had been punishing myself for years. Those crazy decisions I made were punishment because I felt I did not deserve better. And y’all, all that time God was loving me.

So, when I say that things make me a bit emotional, or I am forever praising God for one thing or another, it’s because I am no longer in that bondage I had created for myself. Y’all, I’m actually free!!

All praises to God!

Okay, this time I’m done for real. Just had to share my testimony. Listen, there’s nothing like being mentally and spiritually free.

God is so good!♥️

Shaun

hope

My Purse Note

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning! I hope you rested well last night. I surely did.😊

So, as you can see I’m still talking about my “purse note,” which I retired yesterday. Yay!! Yes, I retired it. It had been ten years and needed to be released along with everything else I released on the other side of 50. As I said, there wasn’t anything juicy or story worthy in it, just something between me and God. Basically, it was about my state of being and mindset at the time (2014).

At the time I was on the brink of a divorce and I thought my world was falling apart because things weren’t going as smoothly as I had hoped. For those who don’t know, I initiated the divorce (full story can be found elsewhere). I knew before I said “I do” that I shouldn’t have. Besides that still small voice screaming in my head “Don’t do it!”, there were many other signs. Side note: When I tell this story I have always referenced “When I said ‘I do’.” Well, it just dawned on me that we never said any vows. We got married at the courthouse and one of the options was for the vows to be said to us and we just say “I do.” And that’s what happened. Wow!

Anyhoo… let me not get sidetracked. As I have written before, I had to make things right. He had no idea I wasn’t in my right frame of mind when I got married, but God knew. For years I lived in guilt and I kept hearing my life wouldn’t get any better if I didn’t make things right, which was letting him go. And boy when I did it wasn’t pretty. Becoming emotional all over again. Y’all, I had no clue I would lose everything. Everything! My house. My car. Family. Looking back, had I known, I’m not sure if I would have done it. I would have needed to. I had lost myself. I was depressed. I wasn’t mentally present for my kids. I had lost so much hope. It was just a bad situation that I needed to get out of, and I did.

Now, here I am 10 years later full of gratitude! I made it!!! Yessss!!! Here I am 10 years later and God has restored everything I lost including dreams I had given up on long before I got married. Y’all, obedience pays off. Listen, right those wrongs in your life and watch God work. At first, the enemy will make you feel like you’ve made the biggest mistake in your life. However, the biggest mistake is living a lie, and not living to fully fulfill your purpose, dreams, and goals. Y’all, there’s so much more for me to do and see! I can’t wait to see what God has planned for the next 10 years!

The message: Be obedient…the first time.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

Hello Sunday

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning! Here’s what I shared on September 22, 2019, five years ago.

When I tell you this one post has had me crying for a few minutes now. So many emotions about this memory, about this particular “purse note.” It was the very first of my notes. When I wrote it ten years ago, I was told to keep it near and to reference it often. That I would need it. I had no idea what that meant, but I was obedient.

Over the years, I began to read it less and less often. At one point I was reading it almost daily. At times, I questioned some of the things I had written inside (nothing juicy, just things only I would eventually understand). This year, I’ve only read it twice. The crazy part is, it has actually taken ten years for me to fully grasp what I wrote. Hence, the reason I’m crying.

As I wrote a few blogs ago (had no idea it would tie into this one), be obedient. God really does know the outcome. He sees and knows all. Yes, I’m pretty emotional behind this one. Y’all, I just can’t believe I have kept this note in my purse for 10 years!! I am blown away by my compliance, my belief, my obedience (over the years), my willingness to follow God’s word and allow Him to lead (took a minute…well, almost 10 years to get here). Talk about mind blowing!

Whew! I’m going to end here and leave you with this. You never know what you can do until you do it. Allow God to lead. You may not understand the assignment, and half of the time you may even think you’re crazy. Just do what He asks. As I wrote on the back of the note, “God blessings are better than life.” I used to cringe every time I read it without the apostrophe (God’s). However, today, I see it differently. God blessings—meaning the size of the blessings—are better than life.

That’s all I have for you now. I pray you have a wonderfully, blessed Sunday.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

Divine Connections Are Amazing

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning! On this date last year, I wrote:

Divine connections cannot be created, duplicated or forced. They just happen.

You never see the connections coming.

Y’all, I am so grateful for the divine connections I have made over the years. They’ve always come at the right time. While some connections have been brief, others have lasted much, much longer—both having a significant impact on my life.

Honestly, I am forever in awe of how God orchestrates these connections. It’s literally me minding my own business then BAM, out of the blue, the connection happens. It’s bumping into someone at a meeting; us responding to the same social media post; our kids attending school together; or some sort of weird thing that just happens out of nowhere—the kind that can’t be explained (the most interesting kind). As I said before, these connections just happen; and I must say, they’re pretty amazing!

As years come along, I am looking forward to even more divine connections. Y’all, there’s so much more for me to do, and I know I will not be able to do them on my own. Plus, for me, life is just more interesting and fun when God places the right people in my world. Smile

Well, that’s it for now. I pray you have a great weekend!♥️

Love you,

Shaun

hope

Just Be Obedient

Shaun Bradford

When I tell you God just checked me! Laughing. I heard to do something, something that made me somewhat uncomfortable. Basically, it was out of the norm. Well, as I often do when God asks me to do something that shakes my comfort level, I started second guessing if I heard correctly. Then, I wanted to know the outcome. “What would happen if I did it?” “What would happen if I didn’t?” Also, “Why?” Why did I need to do it? That’s when I was hit with the, “Because I said so.” HA!!

Me: “Okay, I hear You, God.” DONE!

Listen, if you consider yourself a vessel of God and claim He can use you as He pleases, get ready to have uncomfortable moments. From my experience, the moments are never detrimental, they’re just uncomfortable. You can do it. My advice, release control—yes, it’s a control thing—and be obedient. God knows the outcome, and He’s the only one who needs to know.♥️

Love you,

Shaun