Every time you dim your light, you betray yourself and minimize the glow God has placed inside you. Let your God-given light shine through and let it shine bright!♥️
Love you,
Shaun
Keep Shining Bright
Tag: hope
The Six Triple Eight, Part 3
Yes… I’m back. Hopefully this is the last of my posts about the movie and my military experience.
As a soldier, airman, or seaman, the mission always comes first. You don’t have the luxury of being in your feelings while working. No, you suck them up and get the work done. I was one of the “lucky” (written with lots of sarcasm) ones like the women of the 6888 battalion because my job was mission essential. Meaning, we worked around the clock, 24/7, no weekends or holidays off. We were blessed to have superiors like Major Charity Adams who were generous enough to work breaks in. Morale was everything!
Being a single mom in the military added another level of stress to a job that was already stressful (if you only knew all that my job entailed—whew!). I remember my desire to always overachieve because I didn’t want anyone to use my status as a single mother against me. I never missed work. I always made sure I had a babysitter even when my daughter was sick. I never wanted to be the burden to the group.
When I received orders to go to Turkey, I asked if I could turn them down and accept another location stateside. I was told I couldn’t. That if I didn’t accept the orders I would be forced to get out. So, I had to make a decision—to leave my daughter with my mother who was already struggling to care for my siblings or out process. I told the person handling my case that if I could not take my daughter with me, I would out process. After reviewing my enlistment papers and the orders, I was told I had exactly enough time remaining on that enlistment to do an accompanied tour, which meant I could take my daughter with me. Y’all, that was God! Because I was ready to give it all up if she couldn’t go with me. Then, when I got Turkey, I had 30 days to find someone—a stranger—who could escort my daughter back to the states if a war broke out. Whew! Just thinking about it all brings back so many memories and feelings. I was 24 years old with a little one. I remember walking around base with her in tow trying to get things done. I had a car but it was being shipped over, and I didn’t have the money to keep taking taxis. I would make our little trips adventures so she wouldn’t complain or cry. Most of the time it worked but not always. She was still a child, and when she got sleepy it was over!
I remember this one time when missiles were launched towards our base (yes…Turkey is in a war zone) and the sirens were going off (again, I can relate to the movie), I had to choose between grabbing my chem gear to protect myself or not. I was at home at the time. Had just gotten off of a 12-hour night shift and my daughter was at daycare. My thoughts were if she’s not going to survive, why should I? Fortunately, the missiles were intercepted and life went on. Those were crazy times.
Y’all, I actually made it through those times. This is why I praise God. I have soooo much to be grateful for. So much! I made it and my baby girl made it. We’re here!
Okay… THIS is the last of my military story…at least for now.
Thanks for allowing me to spill.♥️ ~Shaun
To lighten the mood, here are a few pictures from our stay in Turkey. She was 3 when we arrived.
My life….
I am beyond blessed.
Grateful🙏🏽
The Six Triple Eight, Part 2
Good Morning!☀️
I have been watching interviews and reading reviews about The Six Triple Eight over the past few days, and all are true. The movie accurately portrays the strength of the Black woman and our ability to take on challenges and excel. We’ve always had to prove ourselves worthy of our positions and place in this world (even today). I know the mental anguish all too well. Believe me, I have my own military stories, as well as civilian ones. As Johnnie Mae kept saying, being in the military was no different from being back home. She and Charity Adams were my sheros in the movie.
So, when I wrote my initial thoughts about the movie, I chose to focus on Lena’s character and her journey. Not her journey as a soldier but her journey as a woman trying to navigate through pain and still perform as if everything was okay. Still trying not to give too much of the movie away. Yes, I know that pain as well. Mine may not have been caused by the same thing, but the pain was there. As I said, I have my own military stories.
As I wrote in my last post, the movie was awesome! It’s definitely a must see!
Praying you have a wonderful weekend!♥️
Love you,
Shaun
Trust Yourself, Trust Your Instincts
Here’s what I shared two years ago.
As I suggested two years ago, we trust our instincts to protect us from harm but rarely use them to guide us toward good things. How about we consider reconditioning our mindset to expect good things to happen instead of bad or expecting the best of people instead of the worst?
Trust your instincts to expect and accept good things.♥️
Love you,
Shaun
Releasing the Limits
I KNOW y’all probably think I’m a little loony because of the way I praise and interact with God, but I promise you I’m not. This connection I have with Him is surreal.
I shared my last post, “Welcome to Freedom Fridays,” almost 3 hours ago. How about I just opened YouTube, and the first sermon was Pastor Steven Furtick’s message “Freedom From What’s Holding You Back,” which was posted five hours ago, hours before I wrote my post. Well, it gets even better! Y’all, why was he talking about the limits we keep placing on God and how they’re holding us back?! In my post, I wrote, “I’m releasing the limits I’ve placed on myself and the ones I have placed on God.” I had no idea he had already preached this in a sermon. Talk about confirmation! So, yes, the limits must go!
You see, this is why I have to write more. Soooo much happens between posts. So many testimonies and revelations to be shared. Listen, get you a relationship with God. He’s so amazing!!
Love you!♥️
Shaun
Welcome to Freedom Fridays
Welcome to Freedom Fridays!
What are you releasing today?
Me… Limits! I’m releasing the limits I’ve placed on myself and the ones I have placed on God.
How about you?🤍 ~Shaun
Tiny Successes
Facebook Memory: December 20, 2021
I believe successes are just like blessings; no matter the size, each should be acknowledged and celebrated.
Each success means that you are one step closer to achieving your dreams. I know the tiny ones may feel like drops in a huge bucket that seem impossible to fill. Believe me, I am right there with you. However, I also believe that one day, that bucket will overflow with success. You just have to keep filling it. You must stop looking at the size of the bucket—it’s a distraction. Instead, lean into the size of your God. With Him, what might be considered a tiny success could be enough to fill that one bucket, then some. But the only way you’ll know is if you keep going and keep adding to the bucket—adding to your dreams.
Please, do not give up. Keep going. The impossible is possible with God.♥️
Love you,
Shaun
P.S. I’m ditching my posting schedule. It’s way too limiting. I have too much to share in between scheduled times that never gets posted. As I have said before, some people make videos, I write. Looking forward to sharing more!
Hmmm… I think I just reached another level of freedom.
Welcome to my world!😘
Absolute Peace
Good Morning!☀️
1 Kings 5:4 – But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster.
Only God can give absolute peace. Not only does He have the power to calm our hearts and minds, but he also has the power to calm everything around us. Rest in Him, knowing that He has everything under control.
Everything…♥️
Love you,
Shaun
Almost 30 Years, Part 2
Last week around this time, I was headed to visit my daughter. It feels so wild to have a child that’s almost 30. As I wrote in Almost 30 Years, she’s been through it all with me. Words can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am that God gave her to me.
I decided to take a real trip down memory lane this morning, a 30 year trip. I didn’t write anything on this day 30 years ago (December 19, 1994), but I wrote something two days before. Here’s what I wrote. Hope you can read it.
December 17, 1994— My baby journal
I had no idea if I was having a girl or boy so I always referred to them as “Honey” and “Sweetie.”
From where I was then, to where I am 30 years later, I am so very blessed.♥️
Shaun
The Trade
Good Morning!☀️
I’m not sure if this new routine of getting more sleep is going to work. I feel like I’ve gotten too much sleep. It’s new so I will allow myself time to adjust. The real test will be how I perform throughout the day. Will I need to take a nap this afternoon or not?
Anyhoo, here’s a message I found in last year’s journal entry. I wrote I found it on LinkedIn.
The LinkedIn quote—
“Your new life is going to cost you your old life. You ready to make that trade?” –Author Unknown
The cost.
There’s always a cost associated with change.
When I declared that this side of 50 would be different than my last 50 years of life, I had no idea of what it would cost me. On some days I feel like I have lost so much more than I’ve gained. My life isn’t the same. (Just being honest.) Then, on other days—most days—when I’m working on my own projects or spending time with my loves (which is what I really wanted—the freedom to move and spend time as I please), I’m on cloud nine. But it did cost me.
Yes, I made the trade because I desired something different. I wanted to experience something different. I’m only a year and a half into it so it’s very new. I know that in time I will adjust and one day the things I lost will feel like a gain. Giving myself time, grace, and space to process it all.
That’s all for now. Not sure if 6:00 AM CT will be my new post time or not. We shall see. I did wake up around 3:30, but forced myself to go back to sleep. This is another thing I will eventually adjust to. I know in the long run it’s for the best.
I pray you have a wonderfully blessed day!♥️
Love you,
Shaun
It’s Shaun’s World 
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