Smiling as I write. Nothing in particular, just happy to be alive. Happy knowing God is working behind the scenes taking care of the unknown. Now I’m tearing up with tears of joy behind that thought. Just think, He’s forever working behind the scenes to make sure we are able to handle whatever comes, good or bad. He’s just good like that. Praying only good is to come, or so much good that it overshadows the bad.
I know I haven’t shared much about what’s happened since I resigned. I will eventually. You know.. since I believe in being transparent. Smile. Just know God’s been doing His thing! Talk about working overtime behind the scenes. Ha! Now I’m crying. Y’all, He never ceases to amaze me. It’s like I can see every detail, every puzzle piece put into place in realtime. It’s difficult to explain. For years I’ve described my life as a Forrest Gump life. It’s like I’m present for everything. Again, it’s hard to explain. It’s like I see the backstory, present and where it’s leading, all in one setting. I see how it all fits together. Okay.. let me stop writing before y’all think I’m crazy. My life.
Going to end with a quote I shared on May 2, 2019:
You owe it to yourself to become everything you’ve ever dreamed of being.
I’m becoming that person. It’s my hope you’re doing the same. Enjoy your Sunday!
No one knows what tomorrow holds, not even the next moment. Over the last few weeks, I have witnessed life changing moments (good and bad) happen in a blink of an eye. Y’all, one move, one decision, really can change everything. Some decisions were planned while others happened unexpectedly. I have learned that the key to maneuvering through changes is to completely rely on God.
Before I started writing this blog, I watched a video by motivational speaker Trent Shelton. Within the last month, Trent has lost his mother and grandmother. And just two days after his mom died, his baby girl was admitted to the hospital where she spent four days in ICU. In the video he spoke about faith, purpose, and the value of time. I’m so grateful I haven’t experienced any losses in the last few weeks, but I have learned a valuable lesson about faith, purpose and time– most importantly, time. If you would have asked me a few weeks ago which of the three was most important, I would’ve chosen faith then purpose. Today my answer is time, not as it relates to death but as it relates to life.
So, I just spent an entire week in my hometown. Something I haven’t done in at least 20 years. I went to celebrate my dad’s birthday and ended up staying longer than planned. As usual, God had a purpose. While there, I had a rude awakening about time. Because of the circumstances of my stay, I was forced to throw my schedule out window and go with the flow. I have always considered myself a flexible person, able to adjust to anything; but y’all, I’m not as flexible as I thought. It seemed like the more I tried to control things the more frustrated I became until I finally decided to let things be. Let time be. Honestly, I needed to spend time with family. I knew everyone was aging because… well… I’m also aging. However, I guess I never realized how much they were aging. My parents, aunts, and uncles now remind me of their grands and great grands. Seems like it was only yesterday that they were my age or younger. Now they’re in their 60s and 70s. All I can say is I’m so grateful God granted me the opportunity to spend time with everyone.
Now I’m back home. Y’all, I missed my babies. They leave me all the time, but this time was different, I left them.Being gone so long (yeah..I know it was only a week) made me appreciate the time I spend with them even more. Made me cherish the hugs a little more. My next move is to spend a little quality time with Shaun. I’m always promoting self-care but rarely do it. I have a few things scheduled for the first part of next week, but afterwards it’s all about me.
Here’s what I’ve learned. Time should be appreciated as well as respected. From the time God’s given us for self-care, to the time He’s given us with others, it must be cherished.
Happy Sunday! Came across a quote from a few years ago which basically sums up how I have felt over the past week. It read, “And so, she started living the life she’d imagined.” Y’all, I’m in tears right now. I have never felt so free. So in control. So focused. Been watching God work. I have to admit, at times I’ve become a little overwhelmed because He’s really loving on me. I wish I could put into words what I’m feeling. Just know that when you finally give God complete control, baby, He moves. I’m blessed! Going to bask in every moment of His favor. Smiling
Umm.. trying to figure out where to begin. Y’all do know I always write on the day I publish, right? I want my blogs to be as authentic as possible. So whatever I’m feeling whenever it’s time to publish, that’s what I write about. With this said, I did promise to tell y’all my news.
Drumroll………
On April 1st, I took a wild leap of faith and resigned from my job. Yes.. I resigned!
When I think about it, the 18 years I spent at the university resembled the 18 years I served in the military– 18 and 18, they overlapped but kind of eerie, huh. Anyway.. was about to get sidetracked. Lol. The resemblance was similar because of the levels career advancement. In the military I went from Airman Basic (E-1) to Master Sergeant (E-7). During my 18 year stay at the university, I went from an undergraduate student to principal investigator. Talk about favor! I will say, both institutions allowed me the freedom to explore different opportunities without ever having to leave my safety net. For that, I’m forever grateful.
So what happened? Why did I resign?
Simple. God said it was time. I woke up one morning and He said it was time to leave. Of course there’s a back story but it’s not important. What’s important is once again I listened and let go– which is also the title of my chapter in the Finally Free book anthology. This time when He said it was time to leave I didn’t ask questions. And yes, this time. You see, I had been instructed to leave several times before but I was too afraid. I used to ask, “Lord, how am I going to make it?” I’m not going to lie, I needed a detailed plan that included a good financial setup. However, this time I said, “Okay, Lord. I trust You.” Never once did I think about how I would survive, nor was I afraid. Even when I told my kids they didn’t question what God had told me. They said they knew everything would work out because God has always taken care of me. Talk about faith!When I tell you I have the best kids!!
Y’all, 2020 restored my dreams and this year I’m fulfilling them. In my first Hello Sunday for this year, I wrote I was starting this year with a blank canvas. That’s when I hit the reset button and started rebuilding my life. Now it’s time for me to fully walk in God’s purpose. Y’all, I can’t wait to see the picture He paints. I know it’s going to be spectacular!
Before I end, here’s another eerie story. On April 1, 2011, I retired from the military. Ten years later I resigned from the university. It’s crazy because I had no idea I had chosen the same day until I saw my Facebook memory. Timing. God’s timing.
I’m a little late getting started today. I cannot believe I actually slept until 6:00 a.m. So unusual, yet so needed. I know that the past few Hello Sundays have not been very informative and they’ve been pretty short. Believe me, it’s not because I don’t have anything to write about, it’s the exact opposite. Y’all, I have so much I can write about, I just don’t know where to begin or which story to tell. All I can say is, God is sooo good and y’all, He’s working!!
Listen, this past year– from last March to this March– things have been happening nonstop.. one significant event after another. You would’ve thought the pandemic would have slowed things down but it had the opposite effect. Everything just sped up. It reminds me of how Bishop T. D. Jakes used to say, “Get ready! Get ready! Get ready!” Listen, when God starts moving, you better be ready! Honestly, everything is happening so quickly. I haven’t even had time to ask myself if I’m ready. I’ve just been moving with the flow. It’s like an opportunity presents itself and I take it. God says to do this or that, and I do it, no questions asked. I mean, I’m really going with the flow. I know this blog probably doesn’t make any sense because I’m so in my feelings right now. Everything that’s happening is surreal. Listen, I’ve always said I love watching God work. However, it’s one thing to watch Him work in others’ lives and a totally different feeling watching Him work in your life. Totally different!
I’m going to end now because the tears won’t stop flowing. Which is a good thing. I’ll take tears of joy over tears of sorrow, any day. I’m blessed.
Here’s an excerpt from a Facebook post I made on this day in March 2019. Y’all, I’m beginning to realize I posted a lot that March. Feeling like a butterfly because I believe that’s when my metamorphosis began, March 2019. Wild! Timing.. God’s timing.
“When I began expressing my gratitude, even for the tiniest thing (like finding a parking space), God began to bless me. It’s true, when praises go up, blessings come down. No, I’m not rich financially, but I’m rich spiritually. Spiritual blessings are indescribable. The bond I have with God is like no other. I’m so grateful He loves me. I’m so grateful for His mercy and grace. I’m so grateful He changed me. I love my new life.”
Y’all, life is good. A couple of weeks ago I made another life changing decision which I’ll write about it in next week’s Hello Sunday. Just know that I’m excited about what God is doing and where He’s leading me.
Spring is finally here! Although it does not feel like Spring outside, it feels like Spring in my soul.
Spring is when nature awakens. It’s when the flowers and trees begin to bloom; the grass begins to grow; and creepy-crawly things decide to make their debut– something I’m so not looking forward to. Spring is when butterflies appear and mornings are filled with the wonderful sounds of baby birds chirping. Talk about glorious!Can’t help but smile.
I also love Spring because it’s when I feel most alive. For years I have believed it was the month of March. Now I’m beginning to believe it’s more associated with the season than the month. Yes.. it’s the season. For me, Spring signifies life, growth and new beginnings. It’s when I seem to smile a tad bit more.
Today’s Hello Sunday is based on a random thought. Have you ever felt the need to explain your decisions or beliefs to others without being prompted? Not sure why I asked because I already know you have. All of us have. Like when you tell someone you can’t do something you follow it with “because xyz.” Or you make a decision (good or bad) and feel compelled to provide more details– “I’ve decided to do this because xyz.” Or you explain why you like or dislike something without being prompted– “Girl, I like/dislike xyz because…” Y’all, do we really need to explain ourselves? Are we doing it so that we’re perceived favorably, or so others feel more comfortable with what we do or say?
For me, it’s a little bit of both. When it’s something that directly affects other people, I often feel the need to provide more details because I want them to know there was thought behind my decision(s). On the other hand, I also find myself further explaining my own decisions to include my likes and dislikes, which only affect me. Umm… but why?
Y’all, I just had an “AHA” moment!
It’s the fear of being judged. That’s it! It’s that– “What are their thoughts of me now?” “Do they think I’m considerate or inconsiderate?” “Do they think I’m focused or weird?” I guess, at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter how many details you or I provide, it’s about how the other person perceives or interprets the message. Period.
Well, problem solved! Only provide more information at your discretion, not because you feel you must.
Me unnecessarily providing more information after I’ve just written not to do so. UGH!! It’s after 5:00 a.m. my time and I’m so sleepy. You see, I fell asleep around 8:00 p.m. last night and woke up a little after midnight. So, I’m going to publish this blog and go to sleep. As always, thanks for reading my ramblings.
Today’s Hello Sunday is dedicated to Canadian DJ and music producer, Ryan Shepherd.
Yesterday, as I was checking my Twitter notifications, I noticed that Ryan had liked a few of my Hello Sunday blogs. Usually I don’t click the profiles of people who like my tweets; however, yesterday I was curious because only one or two of my followers actually read my blogs. So I immediately assumed Ryan was a bot. Well, he’s actually a live, breathing human being. Lol. Come to find out we’ve been using the same hashtag, #HelloSunday. Imagine that! Of course my #HelloSunday refers to my blog. However, his refers to his newly released song, “Hello Sunday,” featuring Caitlyn Scarlett. It’s a fun, cheerful tune that makes you wish everyday was Sunday.
Last night I watched the movie, “Malcom and Marie,” which was a 2-hour dialogue between a couple who had just come home from an awards ceremony. Malcom had won an award for a movie he produced about a 20 year old model/aspiring actress who had overdosed on drugs. Marie.. well.. I don’t care how many ways Malcom tried to spin the story.. Marie was his inspiration behind the movie. I’m not going to give away too much of the movie. I want to give you a chance to watch it because, I don’t know about you, I hate spoilers. So, I’ll just leave you with this:
Most women are nurturers. When we love someone, we tend to put their needs and feelings before our own. From the macaroni scene, to stifling her feelings, until the end, Marie was that woman. But did Malcom notice? Do men notice? Like Marie, most of us suppress our feelings, smile and keep going like we’ve never been hurt or bothered. Is it right? Heck, no! But it’s what we do. It’s who we are. Like most women, Marie didn’t want to steal Malcom’s shine. She just wanted to feel appreciated.
Hmm… Wonder what would happen if we started putting ourselves first?
Women, nurturers, Queens, thank you for your selfless acts of love. For acts that go unnoticed. For the things you do that are second nature. Thank you for holding households together while trying to maintain your own sanity. Thank you for your unconditional love. Thank you for loving hard even when it’s hard to love. Thank you for pressing forward through your tears. Thank you for being that rock. Thank you for the sacrifices you make so that others can excel. Thank you for being you. In my Tupac voice, “You are appreciated!”
I guess you can say this is my second blog for this morning and third blog this weekend. Earlier, I decided to post a thread on Twitter. Just had a few things on my mind and didn’t feel like journaling or using it for my Hello Sunday’s blog.
Read this quote minutes ago- “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” In some ways it’s misleading. The quote doesn’t factor in things that happen randomly such as things we can’t control. On the other hand, it’s still accurate. Whatever future we desire we have to be intentional about creating. Which brings me to the book launch for Finally Free – it was a success!! Y’all, I’m so proud of myself and all of the other authors. We worked our butts off promoting this book. In the end, it all paid off. See reblog below.
Anyway, since the beginning of the year, I’ve often found myself telling others, “This year will be different because I plan to make it different.” I feel like it’s becoming my mantra. I have chosen to intentionally create the future I desire and deserve, all while following God’s lead. After the book was released, I asked God what’s next. You see, life is too short to keep taking unnecessary breaks. I’ll rest and pamper myself when needed, however, this time, I have to keep moving.
It’s Shaun’s World 
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