Feeling a bit disturbed. Didn’t wake up this way, but feeling it now.
A few weeks ago, I saw that an ex had started following me on Facebook. I tried to ignore the likes. But then he messaged me. That was the wrong move. I knew that responding would’ve opened a door that closed decades ago. Forgiveness doesn’t mean access. BLOCKED.
Just checked another Facebook account and here he is again with another follow—not even four hours ago. This time BLOCKED off the bat.
I’ve come too far to relive 30+ years ago. It took me forever to get my life back on track. That time and space is somewhere I never want to revisit.
If he’s the same person I knew back then, then I know he’ll see this message.
This is for YOU…
The love I had for you was ages ago and only for that moment. There’s no going back. I’ve moved on. You may have changed like you said, and I pray that you truly have. I wish you nothing but peace. I pray that you find love and live out the rest of your life at its best. May everything you touch prosper and be successful. I truly want you to be happy and blessed.🙏🏽
My life…
Why am I hearing Mary J. Blige singing “No more pain…”
No more drama.
No more pain.
Not this time.
Sorry to have included you all in the conversation, but it needed to be said.
I pray y’all have a glorious Self-Love Saturday! May it be filled with lots of love and joy.♥️
Woke up with the thought, “Handle with Care,” on my mind. When you handle something with care, you don’t just treat it any kind of way. You hold it as a gift, a treasure.
I know it’s the end of the year, but the next few months are a preface to the year to come. So it makes perfect sense that I set and implement my theme now—
“Handle Me with Care.”
Whoever enters my life, as well as those already here, must handle me with care. No, I’m not fragile—I’m rare and priceless. I am One of One.💎
I’m God’s Child
Listen, know your worth and make sure you’re treated accordingly. You’re not asking for too much to be treated with exceptional love, kindness, and respect.
I pray you have a wonderful day and the most beautiful weekend! May it be filled with lots of love, joy, and happiness.♥️
For years now, I have had LaShaundreaB’s Wellness Wednesdays on my calendar; however, I seldom take my wellness day. Well, today, I can’t take the full day, but I plan to take at least half the day to focus on my wellbeing. Yay Me!
Anyhoo… Back to the song of the hour. The song that I’m singing this morning is Yolanda Adams’ song “I’m Gonna Be Ready.” The song says—
I say a prayer every night Whatever I do, I’ll get it right With no regret, no guilt or shame this time No not this time
Once I surrender, I won’t dare look back ‘Cause if I do, I’ll get off track Move ahead in faith, and patiently await your answer What will it be?
Sight beyond what I see You know what’s best for me Prepare my mind, prepare my heart For whatever comes, I’m gon’ be ready Strength to pass any test I feel like I’m so blessed With you in control, I can’t go wrong ‘Cause I always know, I’m gonna be ready…
Y’all, God has been so good to me. I’m so thankful for sooooo many chances to get this thing called life right. I’m finally at the stage in life where I’m moving without regret, guilt, or shame—all three!
I’m so looking forward to where this next stage of my life will take me now that I’m truly committed to taking care of myself first. I know I’ve been stressing this a lot lately, and I wish that I could fully explain what this means to me. Maybe one day I’ll be able to find the words. Just know that I’ve reached another level of freedom that I never imagined possible.
Feeling grateful and blessed.
This is all for now. Remember to take care of yourself, because when it’s all said and done, besides God, you’re truly all you’ve got! Others can only do so much. The rest is on you.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the past post below. It’s a reminder to LIVE!
As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve always had to make an effort to put myself first. It never came naturally. One call, one sound, or one look of despair, and I’d drop everything to tend to someone else’s needs. But not anymore. I believe that last conversation with my daughter finally got my attention. She told me that I needed to focus on me, and only me. She was right. My mom’s gone; she and my son are grown; my dad and stepmom have each other; my siblings have their spouses and family; it’s just me! For the first time in my life, I’m solo.
Here’s the post I shared three years ago, when I was a new 50 year old.
You better live! Life isn’t slowing down or waiting for you to catch up. Stop putting everyone else first like they’re more important than you. Listen… and hear me good… No one is more important or more valuable than you are. No one! You’re not being selfish, self-centered or inconsiderate. Nah… You’re just recognizing your worth. Now it’s time you start living in it. Love you!♥️ ~Shaun
So far, it’s been a week since I made a conscious effort to prioritize myself and my needs. Seeing this message today confirms and encourages me to keep moving in this direction. Not sure where it’s leading me; however, I’m looking forward to meeting the woman I’m becoming. The woman God predestined me to be.
Shaun, I got you girl!😘
Just a little self-love this morning. Smile
This message is also your reminder that you matter and must take care of yourself first. Take care of YOU before you pour into others.
Y’all, I have gotten more rest in one day than I have this entire year! No joke. On Monday, I accepted that I must put myself first—not second or third, but FIRST! I am my only priority. Then, yesterday, I rested. And not like I had been resting before. Nothing like what I’ve done previously. I’m laughing because I actually cleaned my house and did laundry. The rest I needed wasn’t physical; it was mental. I needed to rest my mind. I didn’t listen to any podcasts, or watch any spiritual or motivational videos. I put on a random show, downloaded a random game on my phone, and did housework in between playing the game and watching the show. I also responded to a few emails. But I didn’t even check my email until sometime yesterday afternoon. Oh! And I also said a few no’s. No’s without the guilt—the guilt I would typically place on myself.
Yesterday, I broke free from the box I’d put myself in. Sometimes, we create our own stress—lol, and I was definitely creating some of mine.
Yesss… yesterday, I set myself FREE!
Here’s to me doing better and being better, because I matter to ME!🎉
By the way, I retired my “Quote of the Day” posts. There’s still a quote, but it’s now part of my daily inspiration message.
This is all for now. I pray you have a wonderful Wednesday. May it be filled with lots of love and peace.♥️
I believe these last three years have pushed me outside my comfort zone more than any other period in my life. I’ve already done more on this side of 50 (at 53) than I’ve done in decades at a time. I asked for my years beyond 50 to be far different from the last, and I’m so in awe of how God is bringing my ask to fruition.
While scrolling through my photos, I came across this text between my daughter and me. Y’all, all I could do was smile. It’s a testament of me asking and God answering.
This was October 2023.
I just love my baby girl!!💗
I was at home that day, reading tweets from colleagues attending our national food and nutrition conference (FNCE). For years, I lived for attending those conferences. They gave me the annual boost I needed to stay motivated, as well as sparked new ideas. You see, after I took my big leap of faith and resigned from my job, I could no longer afford to attend the conferences. I could barely afford to attend our state conferences.
Then, a year later…
Less than six months after my daughter texted, “You are preparing for the next level!!!!”, I said yes to serving as the president-elect of our state’s dietetics association. This didn’t take me outside my comfort zone (I had served years before), but I was at a stage in my life (or so I thought) where I just wanted to live the “retired” life. Smile
Here are more pictures from that day. Y’all, I really love our conferences.
Met my fellow Potter’s House e-church member, April.😊
Okay… So maybe I go for the food.😂 Always a good time!
I also attended last year’s conference in Nashville. This year, I’m planning our state’s conference, so it’s my main focus right now.
A few posts ago, I asked the question— “What do you want most [from life]?” And in another post, I wrote—
“Listen, if you want to truly live, sit and stay in God’s presence. He will give you experiences that will satisfy your soul. Yeah…His experiences are soul deep!”
I know what I truly want, and so does God. Attending the conferences may seem like a small experience, but for me, it’s one of those soul-deep ones. Yes, I love the food (I really think food is my love language☺️), but I love being around the people most. When I’m at those conferences—and that’s any conference or event—I talk to EVERYBODY! I even talk to the janitors cleaning the restrooms. I want everyone to feel seen, valued, and appreciated. Plus, it’s how you make connections. So yeah… it’s soul deep for me.
Listen, there are so many soul-deep experiences outside of your comfort zone. Be open to saying yes to new opportunities and doing something new.
This is all for today. Have a wonderful self-love Saturday. Celebrate it by doing something new!♥️
I really didn’t know what to title this post because I didn’t want to do a third part of “Air I Breathe.” But here I am still writing about the song I’ve been waking up to, hearing throughout the day, and falling asleep to for a week now. Today’ I’m sharing the lyrics to the entire song. Maybe once I get it out, I won’t hear it anymore. Don’t get me wrong, the song isn’t a bad song or annoying. Honestly, it’s actually quite soothing. But I would really like to hear something else.
Here are the lyrics—
Breathe by Byron Cage
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your Holy presence Living in me
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your Holy presence Living in me
This is my daily bread This is my daily bread Your very Word Spoken to me
And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your Holy presence Living in me
This is my daily bread This is my daily bread Your very Word Spoken to me
And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe
So the song title is actually “Breathe.”🤷🏽♀️ As I mentioned before, the song is really soothing. It’s a nice, slow-paced worship song. However, I would really like to hear something else if it’s God’s will. I had to add this caveat because I don’t want to speak against God’s will. Amen
Anyhoo…
This is all I have for now. Remember, it’s Self-Love Saturday. Be sure to do something extra nice for yourself.♥️
***I wanted to add this. Just thinking about how I wrote, “I don’t want to speak anything against God’s will.” Y’all, I truly respect God’s will. I truly honor Him. He’s too good to me for me not to. Amen
Singing “Air I Breathe” by Byron Cage. Feel free to sing and worship along. The song says—
“This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your holy presence Living in me…”
Y’all, God is so good. I am so thankful His presence surrounds and lives in me. Amen
Not only is today Self-Love Saturday, but it’s the International Day of Charity. While you’re showing yourself a little love, please consider supporting one of your local charities. So many people are in need, and anything you can give—even if all you can afford to give is your time—will go a long way. Believe me, your little is someone’s blessing.🙏🏽
This is all for the moment. Wishing you a wonderfully blessed day.♥️
After going down numerous rabbit holes watching interviews with and about Dolly Parton, I’m never going to apologize for fully enjoying and living life on my terms. Maybe I’ll never be invited into certain rooms or be everyone’s cup of tea; however, at the end of my life I’ll know that I lived it to its fullest being my most authentic self and doing what I love. I wouldn’t be honoring God if I didn’t.
Y’all, I truly love who I am. This wasn’t always so. I wasted many years wishing I could fit in. Wishing I could be invited to this or that, or accepted by certain groups of people. Now, I don’t care whether or not I’m invited or accepted. Those who love me, love me. Those who were tolerating me are slowly being removed from my life, and I’m learning to let them go. I’ve found that it’s true, God will replace what you thought you lost with better.
I’ve said this so many times over the past few years that I’m beginning to sound like a broken record—I am absolutely loving this side of 50. I am so grateful for my life.
God, thank You for making me, ME. Thank You for loving ME.
I pray you have a wonderful Saturday! Be sure to be extra loving, kind, and gentle with yourself. Give yourself grace.♥️
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