It’s interesting that I shared this post four years ago while attending the same conference I’m at today. Ironically, this message is more relevant today than it was then. God has a way of bringing things full circle, even messages.
I originally shared this photo on April 7, 2018.
At the time of the original share, I was in the process of rebuilding trust—in myself, in those around me, and in my ability to achieve my goals and dreams. I honestly thought it would be easy. Little did I know it would take several years and cycles of reflecting, regrouping, refocusing and rebuilding, to get to where I am today.
Today, I trust myself. I trust myself to make wiser choices. I trust myself to take care of Shaun. Yes, I finally realize I matter, too. Don’t know why it took me so long to accept this fact. Guess I owe it all to Year50.
I also have a good group of people around me who I trust; who I know have my best interests at heart. God has been weeding people out while strengthening my current relationships. My circle is getting smaller but growing stronger.
As far as me trusting in my ability to accomplish my goals and dreams, I am there. I know I can. A few blogs ago, I wrote about my confidence being restored. Well, I owe that to actually trusting myself to do what I set out to do. Things have always been moving in the right direction; however, my confidence and trust and belief in myself had to catch up. Took a minute—a long minute to rebuild this one—but it’s all back! Grateful
This is it for now. Wishing you a restful Sunday.♥️
By the way, today is 50 years 9 months! Woohoo!!🎉 Not sure what I am going to do today, but I am going to do something special. Can’t believe Year51 is right around the corner. I am so very blessed to still be here and healthy. Y’all, health and peace are priceless. So thankful for both. God is good!
That’s all I have right now. Praying you have a beautifully, blessed Sunday.♥️
Happy Sunday, y’all! Was debating whether to write about what’s currently going on in my life (things are finally settling down—will share later) or share a Facebook memory. Well…I chose the memory. Smile. Its message could not be any clearer—God’s will be done.
Whatever it is, release control and surrender to God’s will. Believe me, He will not let you fail. He’s got you.
Of course I heard Marvin L. Winans singing, “Draw Me Close To You/Thy Will Be Done.” Smile. He ends the song with, “I seen You work in others and I want You to work in me.”
This morning’s prayer is:
Lord, I am surrendering it all to you. I have seen Your work with others and know You will do the same with me. Lord, I completely trust You with my all. Thy will be done. Amen
Praying you have a wonderful week! Stay in prayer. Stay connected to God. Love you!♥️
Yesterday I said I would fill you in on what prompted my post, Thankful for God’s Mercy and Grace. Well, without going into too much detail, my sister had to be hospitalized after developing postpartum preeclampsia. By yesterday afternoon, all of her vitals and labs were back to normal and she was able to go back home to her babies. It was a very long and scary week.
Now, I am waking up to news that a friend’s 17 year old daughter is missing. Whew!! I don’t even know how to process this one. This is her only child.
Also, now that I am finally awake and alert, I remember my son waking me up last night saying he had gotten a ticket on his way home from work. I looked to see if I had missed his call, but hadn’t. Y’all, I was exhausted by the time I got home. Once I hit the bed, I was out.
When I tell you I am so grateful he made it home safely. He’s been pulled over before for no real reason. They made him get out the car and everything. Ended up telling him he was stopped because his tag was hanging (it wasn’t). From then on, I told him to let me know when he left work or to call me on his way home. He didn’t do either.
Please keep my friend in your prayers. She’s very reserved and conservative and stays to herself. Her daughter and husband are her life. I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s going through.
Life… It does what it does. Believing God for another miracle. Amen
I tend to give people a lot of grace because I know people be peopleing (yeah, I know it’s not a word—I’m peopleing. Smile). You never know if someone is having a bad day so they come off as rude or unapproachable; or maybe that’s just their demeanor, but they are still good people. Listen, I have relatives who will cuss you out and love on you in the same breath. I also have some that will treat you like you’re the best thing walking and tear you down when you’re out of sight. Yes, I have seen it all.They just be peopleing. (Smile) So, for me, first impressions don’t really mean anything. It’s a person’s actions and character the majority of the time that shows me who they truly are. People can hide who they are some of the time but not all the time.
If you’re not privy to someone’s daily life, trust your instincts. Do not keep overriding them. If something does not feel right, it’s probably not right. If something seems off, it probably is. Stay covered. Believe me, when you stay covered, God will keep you protected.
And yes, this message is definitely for me too. I tend to extend too much grace. For some reason, I believe there is good in everyone. It just baffles me that some people intentionally set out to use, misuse, abuse and hurt others. Just writing this seems unreal. Thankful for God’s protection.
Hopefully this wasn’t too dark. Didn’t mean for it to be. Praying you have a wonderful Sunday and fabulous week. And remember to be kind. I really wish there was a way we could add more kindness to the world.
Love you!♥️
Shaun
Trust your gut; and always, always, ALWAYS, trust God. Do not override your feelings.
Today’s message is, “Do not give up!” It’s a message I have shared on this date for the past few years. No matter what things look like or how badly you might want to quit (I know you’re tired), do not give up! God is working on your behalf. Soon everything will work in your favor.
Facebook Memory: February 25, 2019
Good Morning! Here’s today’s social media find. Believe me, God IS working. Every setback is preparing you for a bigger blessing. Just don’t give up. No matter what, keep believing, keep going.
You didn’t break. You were being built. Still standing!
Facebook Memory: February 25, 2022
Woke up with the word “steadfast” stuck in my head. It’s all I kept hearing. Now, my Facebook memories are showering me with confirmations. Listen, do not…I repeat…DO NOT give up!! God is working.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Facebook Memory: February 25, 2023
Listen!! DO NOT give up! What may seem impossible to man is NEVER impossible with God. Keep the faith and continue doing your part. God will take care of the rest. Have a blessed day.♥️
Luke 18:27 (NIV) Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Remember, with God, all things are possible. He will not let you fail. Trust Him!♥️
This morning I am torn between sharing the song that’s currently in my head or, not one, but several Facebook memories. The song has nothing to do with the memories. It’s just what I woke up hearing.
Hmm…. Let’s see what I decide.
Well, I went to my journal for inspiration, and my entry from last year basically summed up the Facebook memories I was thinking of sharing. So, I guess I will share a snippet of what I wrote.
Journal Entry: February 4, 2023
Today’s quote was, “Keep Showing Up.” I’m learning more and more that my dreams are not meant to be given up on. Even when I feel like things just aren’t going to happen or everything is pointless, God shows me otherwise. Those goals that I wrote down years ago, as well as the dreams I had as a little girl, they’re all going to come to fruition. What I imagined over 40 years ago, I will have. I just have to keep showing up and allowing God to lead.
I ended the entry with–
Lord, I’m trusting You to do it Your way. Amen
Honestly, I really don’t need to write more. I believe that said it all. The only thing I will add is, no matter what, do not give up on your dreams. Many of mine are over 40 years in the making and I still have not given up so you don’t either. Love you!♥️
Shaun
P.S. That song that’s currently stuck in my head is “Exhale” by Whitney Houston. I know, very random, but that’s me. Smile
This morning I’m just writing and rambling. Let’s see what I end up sharing.
Happy Sunday!
Honestly, I really do not know what to share today. I have a few Facebook memories that are worth sharing but I am not sure which I should share, and if I shared them all the post would be much too long. Guess I will start with this:
Yesterday, I hit 980 consecutive days of posting! Woohoo!! So, the countdown to 1000 has begun. Still unsure of how I am going to celebrate, or if I will do anything differently after 1000. Hmm…
Three years ago today, I became a published author. Another… Woohoo!! Smile. It seems like it was so long ago. Sadly, I can no longer feel the excitement of that moment. Last year I somewhat felt it, but not this year. I wonder if it’s because my mom helped me promote book sales on Facebook. So as soon as I saw the memories from that day, her name was everywhere. She had tagged me in so many posts. Now, this makes me smile. A year later, she became a first time published author fulfilling one of her dreams. Y’all, I had no desire to become an author, but she did.
Now that I am reflecting on this, perhaps my opportunity to become an author opened the door to her fulfilling her dreams. If I would have turned down the opportunity, she may have never connected with the person who initiated the anthology. The person was from somewhere in Florida and we live in Mississippi. BUT… if it was meant to be it would have been, even without me. Listen, that’s how God works, for real! Y’all, life is truly interesting. And GOD!! Whew!! Listen, the way He works is mind blowing!
Now, here I am looking at my life and doors that were opened for me due to someone saying “yes” to something they probably never thought of doing. Also thinking about how me joining the Air Force inspired two of my siblings to join the Navy. Also, how I have been told more than once how my career as a research dietitian inspired other dietitians to work in communities. Y’all, this career found me. I had no desire to become a dietitian. I wanted to be a personal chef. Then, one meeting with a dietitian during my culinary internship at a hospital changed everything. And me volunteering as a student to assist with a research project lead me to becoming a research dietitian. Isn’t God awesome?!
My experience from my research days as a student led me to hire students for my projects. During the summers, I would hire them to assist me with data collections in rural Mississippi. Y’all, we had so much fun! Most of our trips required overnight stays. So, I would rent a 15 passenger van, reserve hotel rooms and take them to local restaurants to eat. Since most of them had never seen rural areas, or interacted with people from underserved communities, I wanted them to get the full experience. Plus, I love adventures and boy did we have some! Sometimes the GPS led us to some sketchy spots. So grateful for good phone service and a full tank of gas (always kept it above 1/2 full), we always made it to our destinations and had stories to tell afterwards.
Yeah…that’s what I miss! I miss the students. I miss the trips. I miss the conferences. I miss my colleagues. I miss meeting new people. I miss the communities. I miss the adventures and stories. Now, how can I make it happen again without going back to work for a university or with people who don’t share my same values?
I guess that’s something to tackle this week. Very few people know I have a nonprofit. Been tweaking things over the years. Maybe this year is the year I finally launch a project. Gotta start somewhere and with what I have.
I needed this! Started off not knowing what to write and in the midst of writing, discovered a plan. God is absolutely amazing!! I just love how He works. I am truly, truly blessed and loved.
Thanks for reading my first official rambling of the year. Again, God is so wonderful! So grateful to know Him.
What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?
E. H.
That was a quote I shared five years ago—January 14, 2019. Next is the caption that accompanied it:
Happy Monday! Wishing you a blessed week! Here’s today’s social media find. Take the leap. Yes, there’s a possibility that things won’t go as planned (been there); however, there’s also a possibility that they might AND exceed your expectations (been there, too). You’ll never know, if you never leap. You already know God is going to catch you– FLY!
During my adulthood, I have taken numerous leaps—mostly spontaneously. As I mentioned above, some things went as I hoped and/or exceeded my expectations, while others didn’t. Either way, I never fell or failed. Somehow I always managed to fly. All praises to God.
Lately, I have not taken any leaps (it’s been three years). I guess you could say I have been living a pretty quiet, unadventurous life—been playing it safe. Honestly, I am not sure if I am just tired or if the adventures have ceased. Hopefully, it’s not the latter. There just has to be more adventures and leaps in my future. Y’all, I’m too young to stop leaping now. Sighing
Why am I hearing Donald Lawrence singing, “The Best Is Yet To Come”? Shaking my head. My thoughts and their theme music. Even my subconscious mind has a sense of humor. My life… Laughing
Well, that’s all for now. I pray you have a wonderful day!
It’s Shaun’s World 
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