Tag: my journey

hope

Here Is A Nugget Of Encouragement

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️

May 13, 2024

Be intentional about encouraging others and yourself. Leave little messages for yourself here and there so you will see them when needed. I found the following in one of my posts from 2023.

“It always amazes me how God has me leave nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for my future self. Nuggets that are always relevant for when they are needed. Forever grateful. I’m blessed.”

In the same post, I wrote about finally becoming comfortable with sharing my works and ventures on all my platforms. That I was no longer intimidated or worried about being judged. I used to feel the same way when sharing my writings here. My heart would drop whenever I found an error after publishing my post. No lie. I would literally become sick and dwell on it for hours. Today, I don’t have that problem. If I see an error, I correct it and keep pushing. The anxiety I used to feel is gone.

So, I said all that to say that this reminder was a nugget of encouragement I needed today. Where I was a few years ago compared to where I am now is like night and day. I’m so grateful for how far I’ve come. Even where I was a year ago is nothing compared to where I am today. I’m growing, evolving, and becoming, and I love how it feels. God is so good.

Today, I would like to encourage you to reflect on your growth over the years. Look at how far you’ve come!

I’m proud of you. Now, keep going!♥️

I love you,

Shaun

hope

I’m There

Shaun Bradford

Good Morning☀️

I shared the following on May 12, 2022—

Thank You, Lord for hearing my prayers and making this side of 50 different. Amen

That was God’s word to me three years ago, which I so graciously shared with you. Smile. You’ll never get to where you want to be if you can’t see or feel yourself there. It’s all about mindset.

Same questions as before:

– Can you see yourself there?

– Can you feel yourself there?

– Are you already there?

Me, I’m already there.

I’m there (here), fully immersed in and experiencing it all.

Y’all, God is so good! When I think about where my life and mindset were three years ago compared to where they are now, all I can do is praise God. I’m so thankful that He never gave up on me. So grateful that He kept nudging me forward when I felt like giving up and when I wanted to settle. I am so very blessed.

I pray you have an exceptionally wonderful week. Remember to keep God first and keep shining!✨♥️

I love you always,

Shaun

hope

When God Moves

Shaun Bradford

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

My Journey With God, No. 92

Shaun Bradford

Last year I wrote—

“Heal so you can grow. If you do not heal, you will never grow to reach your fullest potential.”

Now, you’ll grow, and grow well in certain areas of your life, but you’ll never reach your fullest, God–ordained potential. At least, that’s what God told me, and I passed the message along to you. Smile.

When I turned 50, I asked God to allow me to live out my next 50+ years differently than my previous, and one of His answers was that I needed to heal. As much as I wanted to reset my life, I still had baggage I never fully unpacked or addressed—shame, guilt, disappointments, heartbreaks, and other hurts. I had to address them first so I could begin healing.

At first, I felt like my world had been turned upside down. Nothing was the same. My mom had just passed the month before. Then, God kept revealing the areas where I needed to make changes. I called it my pruning season because baby, I was being PRUNED! I was being pruned in all the places I needed healing. So, it was necessary.

Now, here I am, almost two years on this side of 50, and I can honestly say my life has changed—for the best. Not only do I feel it, but I’m beginning to see it, too. Although it’s all new, and I’m still working through some things—healing is a journey—I love my new life over 50. I’m determined more than ever to reach my fullest potential before I leave this earth. I want to see every God–given dream from childhood until now manifested. My recent experiences with so many second chances only prove that I’m not too old or too late for them to come true.

God is so very good. I’m blessed.♥️

Shaun

hope

My Journey With God, No. 91

Shaun Bradford

Over the past four years, I have used this same graphic in different posts. However, the first time I used it was on May 4, 2021. I went to look for further context and could only find this graphic and caption, “Make it happen.” Even on this site, I had only shared the graphic in the story format (when WordPress was doing stories).

Although I couldn’t find any other details, I decided to add a couple of scriptures from this morning’s reading. I believe they are aligned with the message of God setting the stage for me to make things happen.

Isaiah 46:10-11 (NIV)

10. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

11. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.

There’s a purpose and plan to be fulfilled—God’s purpose and plan. And today, I am prepared to make it happen♥️ ~Shaun

Now, I’m the woman in the graphic—“The stage is set, Shaun. Make it happen!”