Tag: positive energy

Life

Obedience Takes Courage

Shaun Bradford

Being obedient is not always easy, but necessary. Spiritually, I have struggled with being obedient for some time. Although the struggle has became easier since intentionally allowing God to lead, I still struggle with it. I still question whether the moves are right for me, especially when those moves cause uncomfortable shifts. So yeah, I am still working on being obedient. With that being said, I can also proudly say that I am becoming better at listening and complying. Yes… patting myself on the back.

Yesterday, Bishop T.D. Jakes said the following during his sermon – “Your gift will get you there, but your obedience will keep you there.” If I want to stay where I’m going, I must be obedient. Period.

This morning I was scrolling through my Facebook memories and there was the word, “Obedience,” again. This time it was associated with last year’s blog, Hello Sunday July 31, 2022. That particular blog was about me logging off one of my main Twitter (X) accounts.

For several years, I had been struggling with the value I had placed on that account. Basically, it was my life. At first, it allowed me to get away when life became a little too much, but it did not stop there. Later it became my obsession (being very transparent). Sadly, I did not see it at the time – you know it’s hard to see things when you’re right in the middle of it. Y’all, I was obsessed and addicted to it. I was addicted to the interactions and feedback and impressions (yes, I’m a numbers person and Twitter analytics was my best friend). Well, God told me I needed to let it go (I explain all of this in last year’s Hello Sunday). I was never told to deactivate the account, nor delete it, I was simply asked to log off. To log off so that I could get my priorities and focus right. Listen, the way I reacted you would’ve thought He had asked me to throw away my entire life. Y’all, my priorities were not right. All of the glory and praise I should have been giving Him was going elsewhere.

Over the past year, I have logged off, logged on, logged off again, then logged back on… currently, I am logged on. This time I logged back on because I was instructed to do so. I was obedient. Won’t go into detail but the account wasn’t the problem, my obsession and addiction to it was. Until I had learned how to properly handle it, I could not log back on.

Y’all, I am so grateful God loves me. He loves me so much that He even protects me from myself. Honestly, I would not be where I am today had I not been obedient. I would’ve still been stuck where I was, doing the same things and getting nowhere. I’m so glad I listened and obeyed.

I am so much stronger and better equipped because I listened and obeyed.

Be obedient.♥️

Shaun

Life

Under God’s Protection

Shaun Bradford

Last night, my daughter and I were discussing timing and how we can now see that if things would have worked out according to our timetables, we would not have been properly prepared to handle the things that came along with them. That was when it dawned on me that we were and are being protected.

If things have not happened yet, accept that it’s not time, and that you are being protected. Stay under God’s protection.♥️ ~Shaun

Stay protected.

On another note (gonna try to make this short by using screenshots where I can)…

So, a couple of days ago I forgot to check my Facebook Memories. Y’all, I rarely forget. It’s like part of my morning routine. Well, sometime Thursday evening a memory popped up that prompted me to check my other memories. When I tell you God is always on time! Here’s what I shared based on one of the memories:

Facebook Post: July 27, 2023

Can’t believe I am just now looking at my Facebook Memories from July 27th. I usually look at them first thing in the morning, but for some reason I didn’t today. Had forgotten all about them. Thankfully a story I shared last year popped up and jogged my memory. I needed to see this particular post today. When I reshared it in 2019, I shared it with Tyler Perry’s quote, “When you pray, believe.” Back then, that quote was relevant for where I was.

Today, another quote taken from his caption has resonated with me. It is a question he asked himself, “God, why would you put all of these dreams inside of me and not show me a way to accomplish them.” Y’all, I feel him on this. I have so many dreams. Some would probably say I have too many. That I need to narrow them down, but I can’t. I want to accomplish them all.🤷🏽‍♀️😢

As Mr. Perry did, I am going to continue to work towards them until something happens. I know God is working behind the scenes. I KNOW that one day everything will happen. In today’s blog I wrote the following:

“Here is what I have learned and am still learning – my job is to lean into God, allow Him to lead, move when He says move and be still when He says be still. AND I must do ALL of this while operating from a space of peace. Talk about challenging, but if He believes I am capable of doing it, then I can do it.”

I will continue to stay in prayer while waiting and listening for my next moves.♥️

That was two days ago. Here are a few screenshots from today’s Facebook memories.

“I love who I am Becoming,” July 29, 2022
July 29, 2022–Response to the next screenshot originally shared on July 29, 2018.
July 29, 2018

Y’all, I can’t help but tear up. I’m doing exactly what I set out to do. Yes, I have a lot of dreams, and guess what – I’m achieving them ALL! AND I have many, many more to achieve.

Listen, if God has put dreams in your heart, please don’t allow others’ success or progress make you feel like you are:

Behind – Girl, you’re 50 and just now getting started.

On the wrong track – You should be doing XYZ and making money.

Your goals are unattainable or unrealistic – Girl, you are nowhere near qualified for what you want and where you want to be, and never will be. Get your head out of the clouds.

Block distractions and silence those voices (yours specifically) that tell you your dreams are too big, unrealistic or impossible. For we know, and must remember, that with God ALL things are possible.

That’s all I have to share today. I know it was a lot. Praying you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for reading.♥️

Life

Be Encouraged

Shaun Bradford

I can hear William Becton singing –

Be encouraged no matter what's going on,
He'll make it all right,
But you gotta stay strong.

I know right now it's impossible to see,
But God is gonna work it out if you just believe.
Remember this one thing while you're going through,
If God delivered Daniel, He'll do the same for you.

Be encouraged no matter what's going on,
He'll make it all right,
But you gotta stay strong.

Know your labor is not in vain.♥️
Stay in prayer while waiting and listening for your next moves.

Y’all, politics is not my thing. I have never been interested in being involved in more than encouraging people to vote and showing my support by sharing information. Now I am doing things that are stretching me far beyond my comfort levels. I’m not sure what God is doing; however, I know from experience that whatever this is it’s preparing me for future endeavors. As Bishop Jakes says, you cannot have change without disruption, and boy has disruption come.

Here is what I have learned and am still learning – my job is to lean into God, allow Him to lead, move when He says move and be still when He says be still. AND I must do ALL of this while operating from a space of peace. Talk about challenging, but if He believes I am capable of doing it, then I can do it.

Shaun

Life

Step Into Your Calling

Shaun Bradford

You already know what you have been called to do. You have seen the vision and it is very plain. However, you are hesitant to move forward because it will take you completely out of your comfort zone; you feel like there are too many uncertainties to take the risk. Believe me, I understand. I am right there with you. But now is the time for us to step into our callings. No more excuses. No more delays. Those who need what we have to offer need it now… TODAY. Let’s do this!♥️ ~Shaun

It’s time!

Side Note: This consecration time with God that Bishop Jakes suggested Sunday is THE TRUTH! Listen, I thought I was already spending time with God and following His guidance, but clearly I wasn’t. Over these past few days, things that I thought I had handled resurfaced and I had a choice to either bury them again or face them head on. Well, I decided to face them. Listen, if you want to KNOW about yourself, spend a little time with God, real time with God and I guarantee He will show you who you really are. Y’all, it was not easy, but it was so necessary. Grateful

Life

I Am God’s Child

Shaun Bradford

Hey Y’all!

I promise you this is my final blog for today. If you have been following my blog for a while then you know I believe in transparency. When I began blogging, one of the things that really bothered me was the lack of transparency with people. This was one of the issues I had with social media and people always sharing their ups but never their downs. Well, since I wanted transparency, transparency was what I decided to give.

Overall, I am a very positive and happy person, no lie. I really do get excited about the tiniest things that happen. I can see a butterfly and be like God sent it my way just to see me smile, you know, because He just loves me so much. Smiling. That’s really me 90-95% of the time. Honestly, I used to believe something was wrong with me because I could not stay mad very long nor could I wish anyone bad, even after being done wrong.

Recently, I started paying attention to different scriptures about God rewarding us in the presence of our enemies. I have heard them all of my life but somehow those scriptures never resonated with me because I never believed I had enemies. Call me naive, but y’all, I never even thought anyone would want to wish me bad or see me hurt. I hear people saying things about other people, but never believed I could ever be included in someone’s ill thoughts. Well, I finally realize that everyone is not like me. That there are people out there who would love to see me fail or hurt.

Well, I’m not going to fail because God does love me and He loves blessing me. Yes, I may stumble, may even hurt at times, but I will ALWAYS bounce back. I am God’s child, and He loves seeing me smile and making me happy. THIS I KNOW to be true. So whatever weapon that has been formed against me will NEVER prosper or stop me from prospering. Amen

God’s got me!♥️

Good Night

Shaun

Life

Give It To God

Shaun Bradford

You know better than I do what “it” means to you. So whatever “it” is, give it to God. Release it. Let it go. Let Him handle it.♥️ ~Shaun

“I Told The Storm” by Greg O’Quin & Joyful Noize

Side Note:

When God has a message for you, you best believe He will make sure you receive it. Now whether or not you obey it is on you.

Funny story… or more like a transparent moment… guess I have been feeling Year50 a little too much. I’m not going to lie, I have been like, “if it did not happen on that side of 50 I’m moving on.” Every time these moments happened I would hear God ask if I had consulted Him. Well, I would tune Him out. I didn’t want hear anything about consulting Him because I felt like I had been consulting with Him long enough on issues I could clearly handle on my own. Told you I’m being very transparent.

Well, this morning we had a meeting and I had to let go of a few hurts and disappointments, hurts and disappointments stemming from things not happening in my time, or the time limit I had placed on Him (God)–everything had to happen before 50. My mind and mouth said I was okay with His timing, but my heart and soul were not okay. Until this morning, I had not allowed myself to feel the pain of those hurts. I wanted to leave everything behind. But as we all know, whatever we don’t fully address will always be lurking in the background just waiting for the opportunity to resurface.

Here’s the message I received this morning, and get this… I wrote it. Must have written it specifically for this moment–gotta love God’s timing!

Facebook Memory: July 18, 2022

Like God didn’t see what I was doing. Baby, I was busted. He saw me and He knows me better than anyone else, even myself at times. My job is to be still, wait, and follow His lead. Y’all, I cannot move without Him because His plan IS the best plan.

Enjoy your day!

Life

Gems From July 7th

Shaun Bradford

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

What a message! Blessings will get you through the lessons while the lessons prepare you for greater blessings. Just have to make it through the lessons…

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!

I was so excited to see this! Do you know how wonderful it feels to see someone’s dreams come to fruition? I don’t know about you, but it makes me hopeful because I KNOW God loves me too, which means my dreams will also happen.

Facebook Memory: July 7, 2018

Whew!! When I tell you this path has been anything BUT straight. I’m not going to lie, I have wanted to throw in the towel numerous times. Yet, here I am five years later, still following God’s lead. I know He’s taking me somewhere wonderful! I trust Him.♥️

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

Life

God’s Got You

Shaun Bradford

Breathe.
God’s got you.♥️
~Shaun

Sending love, prayers and air hugs.