hope

Keep Smiling

Good Morning!☀️

For a few days now, “Smile, you are loved” has been the message. And you are loved, so smile. However, there are also other reasons to smile. For one, God has your back. You can always count on Him. Another is that He provided you with the Holy Spirit to be your personal guide, confidant, and intercessor, and He has placed angels around you for your protection. All reasons to smile. Also, if you are reading this, I believe it’s safe to say you’ve been blessed with the gift of sight.

I said all this to say there’s always a reason to smile. So smile.

Oh…and your smile might be the reason someone else smiles.

So, again, smile.🥰


I pray you have a wonderful day and beautiful weekend.♥️

Love you always,

Shaun

Originally shared on December 28, 2021, with the lyrics from “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick –
“Keep smiling. Keep shining. Knowing you can always count on me, for sure. That’s what friends are for.”

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My Journey With God, No. 44

Yes, it’s after 3:00 AM and I’m awake. My new sleep schedule is a work in progress. Plus, it’s the weekend! Smile

Anyway, “trust” is on my mind. I was thinking about how I’ve had my guard up most of my life because life experiences have taught me not to trust too easily. There were times when I let my guard down for people I believed I could trust, only to be disappointed and heartbroken later. What hurt even worse was finding out they never had my best interest at heart. They were always out for themselves.

Well, God has been working on me in this area. His message has been constant—trust Him. Trust Him to bring people into my life who I can trust. This also means trusting Him when He says and shows me that someone doesn’t mean me well and must go.

So, I’m going to do something new. I’m going to lower my guard and trust God to bring people into my life who I can trust. If He says I can trust them, then I can trust them.♥️ ~Shaun

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My Journey With God, No. 39

After watching a recent interview with Denzel Washington, where he asked God to let him see His face, I decided to ask God to show Himself to me as well, but not in the same way. I wanted to hear Him. I wanted Him to speak to me in real-time and so clearly that I wouldn’t have to question if it was Him. And y’all, He did it. Of course, I didn’t hear His voice, but He answered a very specific question, in detail, through someone else. Listen, can’t nobody convince me that God isn’t real. The crazy thing is that He always talks to me, but sometimes I second guess what I hear. Him answering me as He did only made my relationship with Him stronger.

Seeing this Facebook memory from three years ago puts my request into perspective. God is real, so very real. And the best part is, He loves me!♥️ ~Shaun

Let Me Touch You by Kirk Franklin

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Keep Shining Bright

That shine looks good on you!

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

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Smile, You Are Loved

In case no one has told you today, you are loved. Never, ever doubt that you are. God loves you, and I love you, too.♥️

So… Smile,

Shaun

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Self Love Saturday

Sitting here reflecting on the past couple of days. Y’all, God is so very amazing.

Revelations 21:5 (NIV) says, “… I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

I wish you could feel what I am feeling right now. I’ve been hanging out with my daughter the past couple of days, and this is the first time—very first time—since I was around six years old that I haven’t had to worry about anyone else besides myself. Even when I joined the Air Force and left home, my siblings were always at the forefront of my mind. I’ve always been their second mom, so it was natural for me to be concerned about them. Afterwards, my babies became the center of my life, and then my parents.

Y’all, this is the first time ever that I am my only concern. This is the most liberating feeling I have had in my entire adult life. Like I said, I wish you could feel what I am feeling. Honestly, I never knew it was possible to feel this way. I am so, so, soooo very blessed.

I pray you’re having a wonderful weekend. Don’t forget to do something extra special for yourself today.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

Blessed! God is good.

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Chosen On Purpose

Good Morning☀️

God chose YOU on purpose for His purpose.

That’s the message.

God chose YOU on purpose for HIS purpose.

As I wrote three years ago, “let that sink in.“

Listen, no one—NO ONE—can do what you do. They may come close, but they will never be able to do what you were chosen to do. God placed a very specific, very unique key inside of YOU to unlock plans, dreams, and hopes others have been waiting for. There’s absolutely no other like you! Allow God to use you.♥️

Love you always,

Shaun

Chosen. God’s child.
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Message From The Past

Here’s a message from the past—it’s direct and to the point—“Make it happen.”

That’s all!

Enjoy your day!♥️

Shaun

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The Journey Continues, Part 2

I’m back! Back with a continuation of my previous post, that is. Smile

In my last post, I wrote, “So, to reconnect ten years later had me wondering why. Why, now?” Listen, when I tell you God is so timely with His answers! I just read my journal entry from December 7, 2014, ten years ago, and all I can say is “Whew!!!” Y’all, I was going through it. My ex-husband and I were on the brink of a divorce and my life was completely chaotic. I wrote how we were down to our last bar of soap and he was talking about getting a new air conditioning system for the house. He had the money I needed for things for the house but wanted me to ask for it. I ended my entry with, “AAaaahhhhhh!!! I wish I could actually scream!!!”

Again…WHEW!!!

There’s no way I could have successfully carried out any project at that time. I was breaking.

As I said a while back, this year has been about opportunities resurfacing. Earlier this year, I was re-elected as the president-elect of my state’s dietetics association. In 2015, in the midst of all the chaos that was happening in my life, I was elected to the same position. Talk about God restoring everything I lost! I carried out all of my terms—pres. elect, president, and past president—but not as successfully as I would have liked. I wasn’t completely there and just couldn’t perform as I wanted to. Now, I’m getting a second chance.

Okay…I’m going to end now. Crying too much—both sad and happy tears. Sad ones for the broken woman I was ten years ago, and happy ones for the woman I am today. Y’all, God is soooooo good!!

Listen, please don’t give up! Where you are today is not final.♥️

Love you,

Shaun

Thought I’d add this excerpt from the beginning of my entry from December 7, 2014. I used to refer to all life experiences as adventures, including the bad ones. That was how I was able to cope with life. Had been doing it from childhood. I recently wondered if something was wrong with me because I no longer saw life as an adventure. Now I know why. I no longer need to.☺️

“I really should write a book- The Life of LaShaundrea Bradford. I’ve had a crazy life. It’s been one adventure after another.”

Ha! I guess that “book” is now my blog “It’s Shaun’s World.” Y’all see how God works? Had no idea what He was doing, but He did!

Okay… I’m really done now. Love you!

hope

The Journey Continues

Good Morning☀️

Be careful not to let your current situation stop you from pursuing your dreams. This is only one small part of your story. As long as you are living, your story continues, and life goes on.
–Facebook Memory: December 7, 2023

Shared on December 7, 2023.

Where you are today is not final. Life does go on.

From several events that happened over the past few days, even to over a week ago, to reading my first blog and celebrating my niece’s graduation yesterday, life does go on. Where we are today is not where we are meant to stay. As long as there’s breath in our bodies we will keep moving.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I was recently reconnected with someone I wanted to work on a project with ten years ago. Unfortunately, that project never happened. I told my daughter how I wanted to do that project so badly, but nothing ever worked out. I just kept getting the runaround. So, to reconnect ten years later had me wondering why. Why, now? I told her I felt like I had taken a ten-year detour, and now I’m finally back on track. It’s the same with reading my first blog post. There were so many things I had mentioned in that post that never panned out. However, seeing what I had written was like a greeting from God saying, “Welcome back, Shaun!”

Remember, where you are today isn’t where you are meant to stay. So much has happened over the past ten years, so many lessons and experiences—not all good and not all bad. As they say, nothing is ever wasted. Everything was preparing me for this moment and my future.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for being part of my journey. I pray you have a wonderful day!♥️

Love you,

Shaun