Sitting at my desk and noticed the “Trust” rock I wrote about several posts ago. It’s funny how, in years, I have rarely turned the rock over. I never had a reason to until today. After picking it up, I noticed a bit of white paint peaking around the side, so I flipped it over. I forgot that I had written “Encouragement!!” on the other side. Now, I really want to know the full story about the rock. What was the assignment that day, and why did I write encouragement on the other side instead of something else? Life is truly interesting. I have to do better at leaving myself notes. Lol
This is the Facebook memory I shared with my other post.Here’s the front of rock today (7 years later).Here’s the backside.
All I can think of is I must have known I would need encouragement to rebuild trust.
Or maybe the two aren’t even related. Perhaps I just needed encouragement.
You were created with intention—to manifest God’s glory. Let God’s light and love guide you, shape you, and make you into the beautiful masterpiece you’re becoming.♥️
God is always working and moving, even when it appears He’s not. Here are a few memories from April 7th.
April 7, 2022and 2018
This is a photo of a rock I painted at the same conference held four years earlier, April 7, 2018. “Trust” was one of my biggest barriers to moving forward. I had lost trust in almost every aspect of my life—family, job, profession, and myself. I was at ‘rock’ bottom and in the process of figuring out how to rebuild the trust I once had in those areas, as well as in unfamiliar areas I was tapping into.On April 7, 2022, at the same conference mentioned above, I was presented with an award for Nutritionist of the Year. I had no idea I was receiving an award and had left the conference to check out of my hotel room. I remember receiving texts from several colleagues congratulating me and asking where I was.🤦🏽♀️😅
April 7, 2024
This photo was taken last year on April 7, 2024, at our state dietetics’ conference. It was the day my colleagues learned I had decided to run for president-elect again. These ladies have been by my side throughout my entire dietetics career—almost 20 years. They are my rocks!
In 2018, I was going through a weird phase in my career and wanted change. I needed it! I was losing confidence and trust in the work I was doing and in myself. So, a few months after the conference, I enrolled in a doctoral program to pursue a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree. I had already been working in community and public health nutrition, so it seemed like the logical move at the time. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, I needed a change. That was 2018.
Three years later (2021), I took a leap to become a full-time, independent consultant. That was around the end of the pandemic. At that time, I hadn’t seen my colleagues in person for over a year, so I felt pretty isolated. However, it was also during that time that I decided to promote our profession and my colleagues on my social media platform, Mississippi Thriving. I wanted Mississippians to know who we were and what our contributions were to improving our citizens’ health. So, I reached out to our dietitians asking if they’d be willing to be showcased on Mississippi Thriving’s “RDN Saturdays” (something I came up with early one morning🤷🏽♀️☺️), and several agreed! Hence, one of the reasons for the award I received.
Looking back, I’ve actually done a lot more than I thought over the past ten years. In no way am I bragging. I’m only acknowledging my accomplishments. For the longest time, I’ve felt like my life’s been stagnant, but in reality, it’s been moving. God’s been moving!
Y’all, I can’t say it enough, I am truly, truly blessed.🥰
In case you feel ill-equipped, know that you are more than capable of fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. He would not have chosen you for the assignment if He knew you could not achieve it. God is not cruel and would never set you up for failure.
I can’t sleep, so I’ve decided to write. There’s nothing wrong—I just fell asleep much too early, and now I’m wide awake. As I lie here, I’ve been reflecting on why I continue to blog. Am I only blogging so I don’t have to start over at Day One (on Day 1422)? Or is it something I actually look forward to doing? Honestly, at this point, I can’t tell. It’s like second nature—I just do it.
Thinking forward, I’m not sure where I want to go with “It’s Shaun’s World.” What began as my journey through the complexities of life has morphed into a strange mix of personal stories, testimonies, praise and worship, and words of wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement. I’ve considered separating each into its own blog, and I still might at some point, but for now, I’m keeping everything together. Like my life, nothing about “It’s Shaun’s World” is simple and can be compartmentalized. As Ledisi would say, these are the pieces of me.
Only time will tell how “It’s Shaun’s World” will evolve. I’m pretty sure God has something planned. One thing I’ve learned is God always has a purpose for everything. Can’t wait to see where it goes!♥️ ~ Shaun
It’s Shaun’s World 
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