Sheree Braswell

     Hey loves! This topic was heavy on my heart and I decided to blog about it because it's what I've had to face and that is when things in life didn't go as planned. To be honest, I thought I would be finished with my Bachelor's, even my Master's, be married and at least have one child on the way living my best life down south. Instead, I'm here in Michigan dreading the snow, single, no children, and still working on my Bachelor's. I never thought I would be diagnosed with a mental illness at a young age and have my entire life altered, it just didn't seem fair to me. But it happened, and the best decision I had to choose for my life was to become an advocate for mental health awareness. You see, even though I strongly had other desires, God has other plans and a purpose for each season in my life and the same goes for you! Even though it doesn't make sense. Even though I cried, screamed, got angry and frustrated with the LORD about my desi...

Sheree Braswell

\      Hey, lovelies! So God has laid this topic on my heart and that is for the feeling of being incompetent. Have you ever applied for a job and didn't get it? Have you ever felt like you were called to do something but haven't stepped out yet because you have these feelings of being unskillful? Have you ever read the bible and felt as if it was just too difficult for you to understand? Have you tried breastfeeding your baby and couldn't get past two weeks? Have you ever suffered a miscarriage and it left you feeling that you were never able to become a mother? Are you working on your degree for school and it feels like you can't finish that degree? Or are you supposed to be in school but because of the feeling of incompetence, you procrastinate on applying? These are just a few scenarios out of many but if you answered yes to any of these, please know that you are not alone. The feeling of being incompetent will leave you feeling defeated every time. I personall...

photo cred: @tiffanybackmeierphoto         Hey Singles! So the Lord really led me to write about this topic that most singles can be in denial about, and that is their bitterness and jealousy towards other couples. Some of us have tried so hard as you scroll down your timeline on Instagram, Facebook and twitter to be happy for other couples but in the back of your mind, you're like "What about me, God?" or "What did he/she do to deserve to get him/her?" or "What's wrong with me...why am I still single?" Some of us have felt that being committed to God for a certain amount of time that we would reap a reward called marriage. Some of us have contemplated or have settled because we wanted so bad what others have. Some of you have friends and family members around you that are getting married and having babies, and you're like yet again another invitation or announcement and you're struggling to stay happy for them while you feel like ...

     One thing I've truly learned in my 26 years of living, is that the enemy always makes it seem like that whatever you are going through...you are going through it alone. God wanted me to remind you and I that we are not alone. For truly if we are His, his word tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 3:16). At times, living with mental illness, it can be very challenging and sometimes I can honestly say I feel so alone. I'm currently being stretched in the prophetic gift and even though there are prophets with mental illness, I haven't met one yet that would sit and talk with me. I'm learning how to use my gift but also remembering to keep my mind healthy. I'm learning balance with it and it can sometimes be tiresome. But God is there to help! These are my encounters with it but God wanted me to encourage you in these following ways to let you know that you are not alone! If a father or mother abandoned or neglected you....you are n...

Photo Cred: I Feel Pretty Movie     In May, I went on a date with Jesus to go see the movie, I Feel Pretty. It was such an awesome movie that touched me deeply because I just wrote a self-esteem book that should be published this year for sale. In my self-esteem book I talk about confidence, and being esteemed in Christ. In the movie, the main character had a spell on her (no, it wasn't a christian based film) that made her overly confident and made her view herself as the most beautiful woman in the world. Without the spell, she felt completely horrible about herself. She thought of herself as super unattractive and ugly.      This movie moved me because the main character had the same dealings a lot of women have about ourselves. Not feeling good enough or pretty enough! But what if we sat with the Lord and meditated on His word to minister to our hearts about ourselves and be enriched by the Word of God? We would be better off than we think without ha...

Mariah Carey on People Magazine       Just recently Mariah Carey opened up the first time and revealed to the world that she has Bipolar Disorder. It was something that a lot of people may have already felt that she was battling with a mental illness but wasn't quite sure what it was. Mariah talks about on different platforms how she suffered in silence and felt that it was time to be open with her story with battling Bipolar Disorder. One thing she mentioned in People's Magazine was to not allow your illness to define you and how she refused to allow Bipolar Disorder to define her. I know for sure how it feels to suffer in silence and wanting to share it with the public before anyone else mentions it. I know what it feels like to not what to take my meds and cooperate with treatment because I did not what to be what I was diagnosed. It took the well support from my therapist to help understand that my illness doesn't define me as a person. I had to learn through t...

 So, as I type this blog post, I'm currently listening to one of my favorite worship songs by Kari Jobe x Sweep Me Away! I'm totally blown away how God is a healer and a redeemer of time. When God told me to write this post, I struggled with it a bit because I wondered would I get tested in this area again. The test to see if I'm healed and whole in the area when it comes to rejection. Just a recent incident showed me I had hidden wounds. That I knew were there but I didn't think was that bad... Until, a friend that I was childhood friends with got married... and I wasn't invited... Matter of fact, I found out about them being in a relationship, engaged and married all through Facebook. It open a can of worms for me because I felt, "oh no not another failed friendship, God". Because we haven't talked in a while even though I invited that person to my graduation dinner and ordination and received no reply texts. But I chalked it up to ...

Photo Cred: Hill Media Group     Happy February loves! I'm so excited to be writing this blog post about something so dear to me and that is therapy! I feel like everyone should have a therapist. Personally, I've been going to therapy since I had my first nervous breakdown when I was 16 years old. But I didn't experience breakthrough until these past few years. After my last breakdown, I had my last hospitalization in July 2014, is when I started to accept that I had a mental illness. And that it needed to be dealt with by taking my medications daily and going to therapy. One thing that I learned that I should have done a long time ago was be completely honest. I had so much pride but that broke all the way down after my last episode. That whole season was totally humbling.  I will never forget it. It was tough. I took time to actually learn about my illness and recover, then in Fall 2016 is when I felt that it was time to do something I call intensive therapy. I ...

Photo cred: Hill Media Group Hey lovelies! Happy New Year!   So much has happened since I’ve last blogged on here. I received a grant from Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority to advance my mental health advocacy, did a mental health first aid training for adults at my church, volunteered at Children’s Hospital with the hematology and oncology department, got accepted to Madonna University for my bachelors. Now i am currently working on a self esteem short book for young women. These past 7 months have been a time of pruning, getting closer to the Lord and strategizing. There were definitely some up and down moments but I’m so glad i made it!! Now that i updated you, the Lord really laid on my heart to blog before Valentine’s Day things I’ve learned in my 7 year time of being single. By the way I love how 7 is for completion! Woohoo  ! So here it go: Timing is everything . I learned that at times I wanted a relationship so badly but God was showing me ...