Today’s a new day and the first day of a new week. Whatever goals we failed to accomplish last week can be accomplished this week. Don’t sweat it!
This week let’s remember to: – consult God first – follow His guidance – give ourselves grace if we falter – keep going
I am a living witness that everything will work out according to God’s plan.
Transparent moment…
I really wanted to end my encouraging words with – “We may not always understand His plans, but know that they will always work out in our favor.” But every time I wrote that or something similar like – “whatever His plans might be” – I would erase it. Didn’t want to taint the encouragement with any notion of unpleasantries. Well… life and God’s plans are not always pleasant. Honestly, sometimes they are downright hard to comprehend and they hurt.
Exactly one year ago, my mom was admitted to the ICU and was in a coma for almost a week. Nothing was the same afterwards. She suffered for months before she passed. Honestly, it’s so hard to see the good in any of it other than our bond became stronger. But why couldn’t it have happened differently? Why couldn’t the same thing have happened while she was better? We could have done so many more things together. UGH!!!
Even though part of me wants to encourage others and myself, the other part of me is sad and hurting at the moment. Y’all, I miss my momma! All I want to do is scream!!!!
Yeah… this is how I’m really feeling today. I do pray that you have a blessed day and an awesome week. Be blessed.♥️
Hello! Here’s a Facebook memory from last year. I should have added, wherever your heart is, your mind and soul follows. Where is your heart?
Here’s an additional caption. I added this when I reshared it to another account.
Moment of Transparency:
There was a time when I allowed thoughts of imperfection to control me. Not saying those thoughts don’t still pop up, because they do, but they no longer control me. Yeah.. caused so much anxiety.
I keep telling y’all when I say God is sooo good, THIS is what I’m talking about. #ForeverGrateful
Y’all, God is absolutely wonderful. I just love watching Him work in my life. Used to spend most of my time watching Him work in the lives of others, now I am watching Him do the same for me. Of course it is not always pleasant to watch. Believe me, sometimes the tests and trials make me want to throw in the towel and just be; however, God won’t let me. He pushes me through. Then, I look up a year(s) later and I am so much stronger than I was before. This past week I attended a conference with women I used to feel intimidated to be in the room with. My imposter syndrome used to be on an all time high. However, this time, I knew… not only felt… but knew I belonged there. Again, God is absolutely wonderful!
That’s all I have for you today. About to get on the road. Please keep my family in your prayers. My bonus mom is really sick. We are not sure what’s wrong. She’s been sick for a while but is just now admitting it. At first I felt like this was deja vu because it is August again, but I am not claiming it. I know God is a healer. Amen
I actually slept all night! Believe I fell asleep around 11 PM and didn’t wake up until 5 AM. I needed the sleep.
Yesterday, one of my friends drove down to have lunch with me and we talked for hours. Y’all, I needed the company. I needed to feel like an individual again. I needed to feel like Shaun again. It felt so good to be able to freely express myself without judgement or tiptoeing around feelings. Grateful for true friendships.
I’m going to leave you with a few gems from August 6th (wish I could share them all):
Facebook Memories
All it takes is ONE.There’s only ONE you. Chosen.♥️I have loved basketball for decades (since high school). Went to one BIG3 game and knew I wanted to own a team. Optimistic.😊Trust God’s plan.
Listen, social media posts only provide snippets of full events. If you are not privy to the entire content or was not present, you have no idea what to think or believe, especially when someone else creates the narrative. And y’all, sometimes narratives are created to cause confusion. Everyone’s intentions aren’t good and can be purposefully misleading.
Here’s the reason for this blog…
I just watched an individual being dragged on social media for something they did. One angle of the incident that was shared earlier made it appear intentional and malicious. Now, hours later, another angle has been shared along with additional footage and context. What was earlier considered disrespectful is now being seen as a miscommunication. Hmm… imagine that.
Y’all, relationships have been damaged and some have even ended because something was taken out of context. Nowadays, we have to be careful not to form opinions, or choose sides, based on the first thing we see or hear. Wait for the backstory first. And if additional information isn’t provided, or there’s no way to verify the information, please refrain from sharing thoughts or opinions until you gather more info – valid info. Without all of the pieces you may find yourself in the wrong and on the downside of a relationship.
Also, people misinterpret things every day. A simple “Hello,” can mean one thing to one person and another to someone else. We’re human, we’re all wired differently.
My advice, at least what I’m doing–
Extend grace and mind your own business. If it doesn’t directly affect you, let it go. If it does, find out more information before jumping to conclusions.
Woke up with Smokie Norful’s, “I Need A Word,” playing over and over in my head. Here are the lyrics courtesy of LyricFind and Capitol Christian Music Group.
The noise of my day The depression that steals my voice The confusion that arrests my life So I can’t even make a choice
Life seems so loud I’ve been too proud So Lord, what do I do? I just need a word from You
Oh, I need a word Tell me which way to turn I need a word Tell me which way I should go I need a word To tell me just what to do Please send a word God, I need to hear from You Drown out the noise Let me hear Your voice I need a word from You
Ooh, oh, I just got bad news Life just darkened my day My family is in need And I just cant seem to make a way, oh
Life seems so loud I’ve been too proud But I’m asking you now Lord, send a word from You
I need a word Tell me which way to turn I need a word Tell me which was I should go I need a word Tell me what should I do, Lord I need a word I need a word from You Drown out the noise Let me hear Your voice Oh Lord, I know need a word from You
I hear You Lord, I hear You say
Stand still and know that You are God Stand still and believe You’ll work it out Stand still and see my victory walk right in ‘Cause with You, I will win
I need a word Greater is He that’s in me than He that’s in the world I need Your word No weapon formed against me shall be able to prosper Drown out the noise Let me hear Your voice I need a word From You
It’s growing season. You are being pruned. Lean into God.
Praying you have a wonderfully, blessed week. Love you!♥️
A few days before my birthday, I heard as clear as day, “Once you turn 50, your sabbatical is over.” All I could say was, “Yes, Lord.” I did not ask questions because I already knew what that entailed. Honestly, now that my children are grown and Momma is no longer here, I have absolutely no excuse for not embracing my purpose, pursuing my dreams or living my life to its fullest. None!
Here are a couple of messages that I shared on July 2nd over the last two years.
Facebook Memory: July 2, 2022
What good is a dream if it’s kept buried and unattended? Not much, right?
Water and nurture your dreams, then watch them grow.
Doing all three–watering, nurturing and watching my dreams grow. I’m blessed.
Facebook Memory: July 2, 2021– This was written in response to a video I shared.
Listen, write it down! Whatever you desire, WRITE IT DOWN. It may not happen in your timing, but you best believe it’ll happen when God knows you’re ready. And it will be greater than anything you’ve ever imagined.
Those two messages, along with my sabbatical ending, have me both excited and a little nervous. Excited because I love adventures. God always throws in something exciting and unexpected. However, I am a little nervous because sometimes those exciting, unexpected moments take me outside my comfort zone. Which brings me to yesterday’s experience.
So, it is no secret that I see myself as a future ambassador. I have written about it many times–Ambassador and/or Liaison. But Ambassador/Liaison of what?… I am not sure. All I know is, for as far back as my teenage years, I have seen myself standing before people, mostly dignitaries or people from other nations, informing them about something. The thing is, I hate public speaking. I absolutely hate it.
Sometime last week, my uncle–who is a candidate for a state office–asked if I could represent him at a political rally because he had a few other events to attend in another part of the state. I was hesitant but said I would. Friday he sent me his campaign speech. After reading it, my anxiety kicked in. All kinds of thoughts crossed my mind. Would I be able to do it? Who was going to be there? What was I getting myself into? About an hour or so after he sent the speech, he texted me and told me to just be myself, that he trusted me to say whatever I was going to say. Talk about a burden being lifted. However, I then felt the pressure of needing to represent him in the best way possible. Life…
Well, here is my reaction as I left the rally.
This was my raw reaction after what had just taken place. I love ME! Sometimes I crack myself up. This time I did not dwell on what I could’ve or should’ve done differently. Basically, I did not criticize myself, which is something new. Again, this stage of my life is all about staying present and at peace.
Listen, I delivered the speech the only way I knew how to–I was myself. Afterwards, I had other candidates come up to me and tell me that I had set the stage for the rest to follow (I was the third to speak). I guess I should mention that the rally happened in a small town and there were only about six people of color in attendance, including myself. Most of others were family members of one of the candidates. I met a sweet, older lady who told me she does not see color, that we are all the same. Bless her heart. I met local politicians, state politicians and representatives of candidates. Needless to say, I had a wonderful time! Y’all, I really do love meeting and talking with people. Everyone is different, but all want to be included. It is so true that we are more alike than different.
Can’t you hear, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony…”?I surely can. Smiling
When I called my uncle to fill him in on the rally, he told me the audience was the reason he asked me to go. He said he knew they would love me. Hmm… Is that a compliment or not? Laughing. Then he said he had a few more rallies coming up that he wanted me to attend. Umm… I believe my campaigning days are over.One event was enough.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, this year/decade is already different. Looking forward to seeing what exciting things God has planned next.
This is all I have for you today. Thanks for reading! Praying you have a wonderful day.♥️
It’s Shaun’s World 
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