Tag: peace

Life

Focus On What Is Ahead

Shaun Bradford

I shared this last year and it is just as relevant today.

“Focus on what’s ahead, not what was left behind. Believe me, God has so much more planned for your future. Trust Him.” – Moi, June 20, 2022

Do not look back. God has something greater planned.

Not sure why, but I woke up feeling somewhat anxious and in a panic. I cannot remember if I had a bad dream or what. Maybe it had something to do with me falling asleep with a lot on my mind… other people’s problems, to be exact. Thankfully, the feeling is passing.

Lately, I have come across so many people in pain, mentally and emotionally. The weirdest part is the people who are hurting and finally being very transparent about their pain–or forced to be transparent because all of their dirty laundry is on public display–are the so called rich or wealthy. It is so heartbreaking. Money can buy experiences and lots of things, but it cannot buy the things people truly need most–unconditional love and peace. No amount of signed NDAs or gag orders will ever give them the peace they seek.

Sadly, many of these people have built entire personas to mask their real lives. They look fabulous and perform well; however, they are absolutely a mess underneath. With time, that mask eventually falls revealing everything they tried to hide.

Y’all, people are really hurting. And I am not only talking about celebrities. I’m talking about entrepreneurs, influencers and self-made millionaires. They appear to have it all because they are finally able to do all of the things they dreamed, yet they are still mentally and emotionally unwell. My heart truly weeps for them. My question is, where is their support system? Have they been pushed away? Have they been replaced with an online audience or followers?

Okay… I’m done. Maybe this is another layer of baggage that I need to shed, internalizing others’ problems. Their problems are not mine to solve or deal with. Going forward I must remind myself that I cannot save or heal the world, that is God’s job. My job is to show love and kindness, and keep them in my prayers.

Now that I have released their problems, let me go back to sleep. I pray you have a blessed day.

Four more days!!!

Focused on my future.

Year 50 is loading…

Shaun

Life

Brighten Someone’s Day

Shaun Bradford

Brighten someone’s day by doing something that lets them know they are valued, appreciated, and loved.♥️ ~Shaun

“In case nobody told you today, you’re special.” – Lizzo
Life

Hello Sunday

Shaun Bradford

Today, I am celebrating my father, my daddy. I love this man!

These last several years have been very difficult for him. I have watched him push through two strokes, eye surgeries, hearing loss, the death of two of his siblings and the death of his only son. ALL of this has happened since 2018.

When I called him earlier, he was shaving. Not sure if he’s going to church or to his shop, probably both. In spite of everything that has happened, he keeps going. Can’t slow him down. Y’all, I love my daddy.

Happy Father’s Day, Mr. Sutton!

To all of the fathers and father figures reading this, Happy Father’s Day! Today… and every day… belongs to you. We see you, we love you and you do matter!♥️

Shaun

Life

I Am Blessed

Shaun Bradford

Woke up this morning feeling so blessed!

Y’all, I can’t believe I will be 50 years old next Saturday! 50…. 5-0… Half a century!! Yes, ME!! Can’t you tell I’m excited! Smile

Y’all, God has been so very good to me… so good. I am truly, truly blessed!

Feeling blessed and loved.♥️

I cannot end without thanking God for His love, mercy and grace. Yes, I’m most definitely blessed.

Year 50 is loading…

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEBORAH!!! Wishing you many, many blessings. Love you!

Shaun

Life

Be Still

Shaun Bradford

Happy Thursday!

According to my Facebook memories, this particular message has been a running theme for this date, June 15th, for several years now. So, I will not rock the boat or switch it up. The message–

Be still. God is working.♥️ ~Shaun

Whatever it is, take your hand off of it and give it to God. Allow Him to work!

So happy to have God in my corner. Y’all, I am truly, truly blessed.

Right now the song, “I Do Worship,” by John P. Kee is stuck in my head on repeat. The song says–

For Your goodness and Your glory
For the joy inside my story
I do worship You

Year 50 loading…

Life

Choose Kindness

Shaun Bradford

Choose kindness, even when handling yourself. Always, always, always be kind.♥️ ~Shaun

You deserve kindness too.

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

Life

Ask… Then Believe

Shaun Bradford

Last year’s journal entry began with this quote–

Crazy faith flourishes in the atmosphere of belief. – Pastor Mike Todd

Shaun’s Journal Entry, June 13, 2022

I ended the entry with a screenshot of a post I had shared earlier that year. I won’t share the screenshot, but I will share the message that was attached to it.

Ask, then believe.

Listen, ask for what you desire, then believe it will happen.♥️

Crazy faith!!

Shaun

Life

God’s Best

Shaun Bradford

Reminder–

You are worthy of God’s BEST. You do not have to settle for anything less.♥️ ~Shaun

Yes, YOU are worthy of God’s best.
Life

Be Consistent

Shaun Bradford

This morning I heard the phrase, “be consistent,” while watching a video. I love one of Merriam-Webster’s definitions– to be marked by harmony. Here is what I have learned about consistency. If your head is in it and your heart is not, or vice versa, despite good intentions, you will not be consistent. Both need to operate in harmony.♥️ ~Shaun

Consistency matters.
Life

Hello Sunday

Shaun Bradford

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.

No more pain. I got you!♥️

Shaun