March 12, 2020

Meet Alston Shropshire

Local Stories

Thanks for sharing your story with us Alston. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Life will produce enough highs and lows. Alston Shropshire’s will be no different. You likewise may have had your share of these journeys. I was becoming weaker because of life’s discord, confusion, and endless disappointment. With perseverance and resilience, a propelling force, a miraculous measure of vitality will produce change someday. A life-shifting illness will cause an absolute test. I would have to look at the word faith.

Sounds familiar? Have you experienced a breaking point, a life-shifting event, day-to-day challenges, loss of a job, death of a parent, child or loved one, bullying, debt, bankruptcy, divorce, illness, or countless others, thus you too have had your FAITH tested. Countless trials and tribulations throughout half of a lifetime will at least have you at the point where you are guessing, “How will I get through this?”

I had to go back to the introduction of the countless prayer and words of wisdom of a calm voice and spirit, Grandma. No one had a stronger influence. The matriarch of the family. The one who prayed and fasted and attended church.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing in life I think is relatively smooth for anyone I think. I am a mother of three sons, Jerome (27), a Sergeant in the Army, Bernard (22), a Senior Airman in the Air Force, and Jaimere (21), my special needs son. I have congestive heart failure, and my heart is functioning at 15%. I currently have a pacemaker. My heart stopped on June 25, 2019, in which my pacemaker/defibrillator revived me. At that moment, I said I have a will in place, but I did not leave my children with the word of God. As a teen mother, I did not take my children to church as my mother and grandmother took me. I had to think quick, and I wrote this book in a week. I did not know how much time I had left. I wanted to go them something, in hopes would lead them to the bible if they had not already done so. I know they would read their mother’s book. I wanted to tell them how prayer works, how children and parents alike have storms. I wanted to explain some of the things I went through in life, not giving glory to the storm but glory to God. I want them to know they can make it with or without me.

I have survived my heart being at 15%, my pacemaker becoming infected, and my heart-stopping, but I never doubted GOD. There are so many listeners out there that are holding on and trying not to give up. I know that if God kept His hands on me, He would keep them too. They need to hear. I would say my path did not start as many others. Becoming an author had to be ordained by good because it wasn’t planned, yet it has taken off as if God is guiding this thing through. The book came because of the struggle, and the process is easy in comparison to what happened prior.

Please tell us about your work.

Alston Shropshire is an author with a story to tell and a mission to empower, encourage, and inspire people to be positive and have a relationship with God. Sometimes taking a person back through their childhood from the position they are in now can be the reality check they need. A storm or tragic event may have you realizing how short and precious life is. I send out daily inspirations on my website and social media pages to uplift and continue some of the messages from the book. I am proud to tell my story to my children first, give them some guiding prayers and scriptures; in hopes of answering some questions in their lives or questions, they may have about mines. I hope to encourage others that things can get better. To inform them that support is necessary, the family is important, but God is everything. I don’t believe I am set apart from others because I think there’s a little bit of Alston in everyone. I do believe that when God has His hands on you, there is something that may shine a little brighter from the inside and when a person can recognize what abides in you is of God, they tend to set you apart from others.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?

My grandmothers, grandfathers, mother, father, husband, aunts, uncles, sisters, cousins, my real blue friends, church family, pastor, first lady, my daughter in law, my publisher (A2Z publishing, some local and business owners ( DBS Sounds, Coast 97.3 FM’s Brandon “Big B” Hickman, Sassy Strut Shoes, 2021 eats,SHE Enterprises, local sheriff’s office (Sheriff Victor Hill), local congressional offices, and supervisors were my supporters and advocates. Most importantly, however, my children and grandchildren were most instrumental in the overall process of my life. My children and grandchildren have always been my driving force to fight for my life. These all are the people that motivated, prayed, encouraged, supported, and cried with me on so many occasions. These are the people who sat by my hospital bed and held my hand. However, the one who deserves all of the credit is God. None of this would be possible without Him, the storms, the testimonies, or the book.

Contact Info:

Website: https://alstonshropshire.com/
Email: alstonshropshire@yahoo.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alstonshropshire/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alstonshropshire/

Image Credit:
Sassy Struts Shoes
Rose Couture
K. Cannady
J. Gilliard
A2z Book Publishing

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