Today we’d like to introduce you to Shemika Dunbar.
Hi Shemika, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 NIV
We often turn to social media influencers, celebrities, and business books to aid in our journey to success. But have you ever thought to ask God his strategy for you instead? There’s a quote that says, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” We can often promote our desires on display as a way to start a business. But how many of you know not all your desires align with God’s will for your life? Yes, you want to do something you love, but did you ask God if that specific desire is the very thing that will help you prosper in business? The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 KJV, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” You don’t really think of the Bible as a business plan, but scripture says it right there. My devotion to God supplied me with not only my purpose but a destiny greater than I could imagine. I laid down my selfish desires and decided to let God be God in all aspects of my life. I found rest in his word and built trust with him. I allowed him to make the plan by letting his purpose prevail. Knowing that in return, all these things shall be added unto me. All I’ve ever wanted will indeed come to pass because I sought the kingdom of God first. My entire journey is a faith move. I didn’t know how my life would turn out, but God did. I didn’t know how successful I would be, but I stayed obedient. I didn’t know how things would turn around for me, but I didn’t turn away from God.
“But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.”
Psalm 1:2-3 NLT
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron” Isaiah 45:2 KJV
The road has not been smooth, but my God says he will make sense of this for me. My God says he will work this out.
When people settle in their own expectations of you, it can be hard to step out of that box. I have questioned if I was making the wrong decisions or even if could try to do everything God has called me to do at once. The answer from my maker was simply not right now. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT
I had to understand that where I started doesn’t have to be where I stay. Even with a business, you always hope for an elevation from the starting point. I couldn’t focus on the current condition when I’m being conditioned to a new level of favor. I was created to give birth to an expansion of my father’s house. As big as the kingdom is, there’s plenty of room for more than one of my gifts to prosper for his glory. The mental process is the biggest battle. But, once you have developed your connection to a trust that never waivers, you learn to lay those thoughts down. I have accepted my season of being transplanted. Prospering in this journey just as the Lord our God has planned it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In business, I’ve been introduced to the world as the “cupcake lady.” Four years ago, I discovered my baking abilities. Not only did I accomplish the look of a baked dessert, I actually managed to make it taste great too! My hobby quickly turned into a business, and I’ve had a major change in my life because of it. Being an entrepreneur has exposed me to a lot of people. Entrepreneurship has also brought me out of my shell and helped me to build confidence. Baking was a gift I managed to discover later in life. But God placed it on my heart that I needed to deliver my firstborn. I was born a writer. My ability to put my imagination on paper was effortless. Because I grew up shy, I wrote all of my emotions instead of expressing them out loud. With writing becoming my first language, I became very creative with my expression. So creative that I began to write poetry. One day, I was asked to write a love letter to God, and I birthed my first poem dedicated to the one who loved me the most. It changed my life. It inspired other people. It open doors for me that I never saw myself stepping through. I was finally seeing my firstborn walk. The inspiration my writing provides to the mind is going to change a life more than a cupcake ever could. I’m not abandoning my gift; I’m being obedient to my assignment. “And she gave birth to her firstborn…” Luke 2:7 NIV This is my Mary moment. A birthing of a promise to change generations to come.
What sets me apart is that I actually am set apart from the world’s expectations. “You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” Deuteronomy 14:2 NLT I am chosen to promote a standard that goes against common sense. I am led by God to do the will of God, and that may look foreign to others.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
I will finally be releasing a 60-day gratitude journal filled with scripture and poetry to help you enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. If you want to know God or even develop a better relationship with him, you will definitely benefit from this journal. Follow my social media and be on the lookout to receive the words you never knew you needed, but the Holy Spirit knew you would.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/she_mika_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shemika.n.dunbar?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@she_mika?_t=8cRrZq57jZe&_r=1
Image Credits
Juliana O.
