‘Nuff said.

Get out there and love on some peeps, starting with YOU.

Jaybird AMAZED

Yep, I am paying for my crime in not writing about doing a factory reset on my laptop.

How, you ask…system update wouldn’t update leading me to have to go back to the previous state. Which, you guessed it was the factory reset.

This time, however, I am a bit faster re installing things. Okay, I’m not but I am using my standing skills in NOT allowing myself to be distracted with frustration.

Choosing annoyance and pouting would only waste time. Instead, I pumped up the volume on my praise music, thanked God and Life for my laptop knowing many don’t have one.

I thanked Them for my home, knowing many don’t have one.

I thanked God and Life for the humor they birthed me with, knowing many don’t have my disposition.

I thanked God and Life for being with me, ALWAYS, knowing many have no idea they are not alone regardless of how they feel or what’s going on in their lives.

I thanked God and Life for my phone, being able to research my issue and be able to begin again, to restore to the previous state.

I thanked God and Life for restoring me and setting me upon a rock: God’s Word, God’s CHARACTER, and God’s Deep and Abiding Love for me.

Next, I told myself to take my time and do things right, the first time. I refused to get in a hurry.

God and Life are NEVER in a hurry. The INSTANT you feel rushed STOP right where you are.

Take a breath. Take a break. Grab a cup of coffee.

THEN, track down the Yikes, the Egads, the hurried feeling. Once you have talked with them and have centered yourself, begin again.

Once I did these things I was able to download my photos from my phone to my laptop. Or so I thought. Ack!!

The folder showed up but was empty. I tried everything. Finally, I remembered that I had to allow my phone to pair with my laptop. All the maneuvering in the world could not rectify my download issues until I ALLOWED these files to be downloaded onto my laptop harddrive.

God, Life, our loved ones all need for us to allow them access: to our heart, to our thoughts, to our hopes/dreams and to our fears.

Don’t allow frustrations or seeming setbacks to keep you from giving access to those who only wish to love and support you.

Allow access.

Be patient with yourself.

Understand God and Life may need to reboot and/or restore things from time to time.

Embrace the icks, yikes, oops, whatevers and keep it moving.

Choose to use EVERY opportunity to grow, to extend your faith, to learn something new or unlearn something old.

EVERY moment is an opportunity. What are you doing with your moments?

As for me, my moments are being used to allow God and Life full access to me.

Keep going,

Jaybird RESTORED

• 

I was doing great, for time, getting my office situated. Like a big dummy, however, I let myself get distracted in conversation with a friend. Of course, said distraction led me to running out of time, to do the vacuuming. I told myself I was simply being a good neighbor and not making all kinds of racket, this late at night.

This was a wonderful excuse, until God and Life asked me why didn’t I just use the broom sitting, over there, in the corner? The corner also in need of a good sweeping and/or vacuuming?

Good question. Yikes. Egads. True that, Yall.

Stomping quietly, couldn’t wake up the neighbors, being neighborly and all, I snorted, flounced and pouted my way to the stupid broom…..*mutters to self*…and continue on with my chore of getting cleaned, organized and ready to live life, not just to survive it.

Reminds me of a conversation recently had, or visited upon me, by my accountability partner. I thought I had been tearfully and understandably, presenting my case on why I could NOT blog that day. I had not yet restored my laptop(another story on another day. It’s called ‘Factory Reset. Ok, have to keep it 100 and admit that I have been stalling about writing THAT particularly piece. How do I know this? Because I have been writing about everything BUT that since my accountability partner told me she could not wait to read it….*sigh*…dear Lord a sista reads me up and down, yall)

*Cassandra realizes she has allowed herself to become distracted from writing about not allowing oneself to become distracted as easy to become distracted when Life and God gets to. Speaking of that Cassandra thinks of the time that….oppss…ehem…..*Cassandra gets some shut up and keeps it moving*…..how distracting!

Anywho, I was pleading my ability of not being able to blog due to all the ‘puter issues I had been having. She asked her simple, nothing simple at ALL about her simple questions, “why don’t you just write things down with pen/pencil and paper?

Of course, that gave me the perfect excuse that my handwriting was too poor due to the neurological issues I was having. God and Life was having none of this. BOTH told me to get off my hind end, transfer all of my files to the external hard drive I had just purchased, and get my laptop, to have some act right! For ME, to get some act right!!

Trust me, when God and Life tells you to get some act right, best believe you will start to get some act right, on your own, if you are smart/wise/like no pain applied to the hind end/ready to say uncle. Yikes. Egads.

I swept up. Even pulled out the super cute storage desk sis had gotten me for my birthday. It is soooooooooooo cute! Here I was having my desk lamp and such on a barstool.

Sorry, God. Sorry, Life. Sorry, sis. Sorry, me. I will do better.

I will LIVE, not simply survive. I will do the needed things, the hard things, the tiring things, the frustrating things, the life-giving things, the life-affirming things that will help me to continue to grow closer to God, to Life, to myself, to my family, to my friends.

It is so easy to allow distractions to keep us from doing the things that we KNOW we should be doing. Rather, COULD be doing. Neither God, nor Life, will beg us to do the needed things, the necessary things, the required things. All they will do is ask. Ask and Wait. Wait and Ask.

The trick to overcoming distractions is understanding there is a big difference between taking time away from a project, job, situation to refresh yourself and get back after it. Or, avoiding the project, job or situation because you don’t want to deal with it/them/that.

Avoiding life, is not living it. It is surviving it. We done with survival, remember?

When you find yourself beginning to avoid Yikes, Egads and the like, ask yourself why? Are you: tired, frustrated, sad, mad, wondering, tired of wondering, wandering, forever tired of wandering? Etc etc ad nauseum.

Deal with WHY you have allowed yourself to become distracted, then get back after getting some act right and taking care of the person/place/thing.

I feel good, looking around at the partially swept floor. Yes, I admit it. I allowed myself this momentary distraction, to tell you not to allow your momentary distractions, to become permanent distractions. We have things to do. We have people to love. We have all manner of dreams to conquer. We don’t have time for distractions, yall.

Speaking of distractions, yall are distracting me! I have to get back after it…*sigh*…..*Cassandra picks up the broom and gets to work*.

Last words, for real, for real: God and Life are in need of us. They need our gifts, our talents, and our love. They need us to be shoulders for others to lean on, hearts to love others with, arms to hold those in need of care. The bible says that as He is, so are we in this world. It’s not just our business most of us are to be about. It’s about the business of others: friends, family, loved ones, coworkers, strangers.

Even if you don’t have a relationship with God, Life still asks for you to engage, to be a part of it. Yep, just ain’t no getting around the fact that YOU are needed. If you are reading these words, yes, I be talking to you homie/homette! 😉

John 9: 4-5 – ⁴ I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

If you hear not another word spoken from me, hear, receive and KNOW this: God SEES you, God LOVES you, and God CARES DEEPLY for your life.

Your life was worth the death of a King. THE King. His Name is Jesus. He wants to be Your Homie. Your Best Friend. Your Protector. Your Cheerleader. He wants you to get closer to God, to Life, to those around you.

It is my continued prayer that you allow Life, God and others to love you. Life is short. Live it.

living with you distraction free,

Jaybird UNENCUMBERED

• 

I have had the greatest time talking to my Dragon software and having it do all the work for me. The hardest part for me was training the Dragon software to recognize my voice. This takes hours to do. In fact, it took so long to do that I hesitated from having to do it.

Many years ago, I had complained to a friend that it was hard for me to write due to all the typing my job required. This was very frustrating for me. There were many things I wanted to say, yet no time, or so I told myself, to write the things that I wanted to write, things that I NEEDED to write. Knowing this, my friend ordered me some Dragon software and sent it to me.

I was ecstatic, until I saw all that was involved in setting up the user profile. Yikes!

Of course, this was another excuse for me not to write. I told myself I just do not have the time to sit for one to two hours to set up my user profile.

SMH. Okay, really, Cassandra?…*sigh*.

Isn’t that just like us, though? We ask for things from God and Life, then wait for them to do the thing for us. Often times, we want the reward, without the effort. We want the world without the striving. We want the thing, without the doing.

Yet, God and Life are not like that. Both require our time. Both require our effort. Both require that we give our all to Them. Both require that we keep our word to Them. Both demand things from us. Both demands that we demand things from ourselves.

This life is NOT meant to be a spectator sport!!

Life demands to be seen, heard, and LIVED.

Life cannot stand being survived. To Life, surviving is a big waste of time. Surviving involves hiding: from Life, from God, and especially from ourselves.

It troubles God greatly, when we try to survive life. He wants us to have an abundant life. He wants us to have a joyful life. He wants us to have an awesome life.

John 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

God wants us, to take the time, to sit down and get to know Him. He wants us, to take the time, to sit down, and get to know Life. He wants us, to take the time, to sit down, and to get to know ourselves. Learning takes time. Learning takes effort. Setting up a user profile for your life may take a lifetime to do. Nevertheless/However, it will be well worth it, in the end.

Matthew 7: 7-8 – ⁷ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ⁸ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The hour it took to set up my Dragon software was well worth it. Now, all I have to do is to start talking and the software will do the rest. Yet, setting up a user profile is never done. The software still needs to learn my voice so makes mistakes often. My job is to take my time, speak clearly, and correct the mistakes. The more time that I spend with my Dragon software, the easier things will flow, the less mistakes it will make, and the more clearly I will speak. Either way I win.

Relationships take time, especially new relationships. Re-establishing old relationships, also take time. The hard part is deciding to DO. Time to start doing. Time to start living. Time to start letting Life get to know you. Time to start letting God get to know you. Time to start letting YOU get to know you. Time to start letting the people that you love get to know you.

They need to hear from you. They need to hear your voice. You need to hear your voice. It has been closed off for a long time, now, hasn’t it? I’m sorry for that. It’s okay, though. It is, precious one.

You have imagined that Life wants to keep you quiet. Nothing could be farther from the truth, beloved. Life has been begging for you to speak up for yourself your whole life. Life has prodded to you, cajoled you, begged you, entreated you, beseeched you, to engage. To LIVE. It’s time, beloved.

You have imagine that God has wanted to keep you silent. Nothing could be farther from the truth, beloved. God has prodded to you, cajoled you, begged you, entreated you, beseeched you, to engage. To LOVE. It’s time, beloved.

you have imagined that your family and friends have wanted to keep you quiet. Nothing could be farther from the truth, beloved. Your family and friends want the best for you. They want you happy. They want you safe. They want to see you living your dreams. They want you to share your dreams with them. In short, they just want you to live and to love.

Don’t you think it’s time?

They need to hear your voice. God. Life. You. Your family. Your friends. New friends. Old friends. Your neighbor. Strangers.

They need to hear your voice. I need to hear your voice. Talk to me. Talk to us. Talk to Them.

Time to call on your friends Yikes, Egads, Reallys, SMHs, What-the-world-was-THAT!!?s and get to living.

You can do this thing called life. Go for it. You got this. I got you. God and Life has us all.

Jaybird UNAPOLOGETICALLY

Hhmmm…??…hmm??

Which to use more of, less of, or not to use at all??

*Cassandra stalks the kitchen in heated debate with herself*

The last batch of chicken salad was FANTASTIC, with the extra boiled eggs.

On the other hand, the batch, before that was outstanding, with a shade or two less boiled eggs in it.

That said, the batch before that was perfectly fine, with NO eggs in it at all.

You were thinking we were gonna chop it up debating which came first, the chicken or the egg, you say?!

Sorry, about that. Great question, though. A question that can be used about all manner of subjects.

I feel like a mother hen, yikes, pun intended, I guess, for this discussion….*embarrassed look*.

Now that I have received so much healing, from yakking with God, with Life, with myself, with family and friends.

Well, I find myself wanting to branch out. I want to try new things. I want to go new places. Before I go, though, I have looked around my apartment, in horror, at what I see.

It looks as if I just moved in! I moved in, officially, September 30th, of 2016. Opps. Yikes. Double Egads. You have to remember, though, this was a super rough period for me. I had two months to find a place to stay, purchase a new car, pack, move to a state I had never lived in, get to working, taking care of a new place in Arkansas, whilst wrapping up old home life in Mississippi, all whilst plastering an ‘all is right with the world look upon my face’.

*sigh*….*Cassandra thinks of all the time wasted hiding behind masks, walls, Superwoman Capes, and all manner of distractions to keep from admitting that Life was kicking her hind end.

It’s now 2021. New way of thinking. New way of doing. New way of LIVING. Free to blog, hands free. Hands are free!!! Yasss!!!

I am no longer limited by how fast my hands can type. I am ONLY limited, now, by my thoughts and they seem endless.

I feel like a mother hen, preparing her place and space for new life, for new opportunity, for new moments. I find myself ready to tear down the sleeping bag covering my window. Don’t judge me, yall. Life was rough, after mom passed away. Found myself not giving two hoots about curtains, making my place a home for mom to see….*sigh*.

Knowing she would never see my home, well, yall I put off making my apartment my home. Felt I would be betraying her if I got on with the business of living.

*Cassandra sees she is STILL allowing herself to be distracted by these words to keep her from writing other words, NEEDED words. I hear you, God. I hear you, Life. I will do the hard things*

I have to digress, just a bit, to talk again, about distraction and how distractions can keep us from living, from growing.

Even when doing good, when being helpful, when loving others. Even in this, distraction(s) can become dangerous/unhelpful. God and Life both have been pestering me to get on and write about the Factory Reset. Those words were needed, to help explain these words. Ah, God, I hear you. Give me the courage/strength to do the hard thing…

Have these changes, happening on the outside/inside, been a product of the changes that God and Life have made, within me?

Chicken or the egg.

Which came first?

Did I decide to get organized, to get my outside matching the healing on the inside, BECAUSE of the changes that God and Life has made, in my insides?

Is the organization a natural progression of it being spring? Is it simply because of being woefully tired of me being tired of old ways of doing or not doing things, of old ways of thinking or not thinking?

Was I, AM I, tired of those old ways of doing, thinking, and being BECAUSE of the change?

Is it because of THEIR effort/time or MINE?

Chicken?

Egg?

Which came first….hmmm.

Speaking of chicken salad, my friend Howard, had been FOREVER pestering me to try new things, to “get back in the kitchen and cook, Cassandra!”

Good egads and Yikes, the chastising way Howard says my name when I am acting a fool can be scary….*shiver*…sorry, Howard, you were right….*sigh*…gets real annoying when Howard gets to be so darned right.

He shamed me into STOP wasting money on ordering out and get back to cooking for myself, Casssandra!

He demanded I start making new things. Humiliated my spice choices until I was forced. Forced, I tell you!, into buying a variety of spices to add to my food. Don’t tell Howard but… man adding all those spices was sooooooooooooooo tasty!

So, much so, in fact, I began experimenting and adding all kinds of spices to all kinds of food. One morning, I decided, why the world not!

I would be daring! I would be bold! I would shock, shock I tell you, the culinary world, AND Howardby adding something other than Sandwich Spread to my chicken salad!…*incredulous gasp*…dare I do such a thing???

Apparently, I had either seen some law, or made one up, that one could ONLY use Sandwich Spread in chicken salad. No other seasonings or flavors allowed, people. This was just how the sausage, er, chicken salad was made. No deviation. Why? Don’t ask me. I was just dong the thing, not wondering why the world I had to always do the things this same way, EVERY time. Another blog, for another day….

Shut up, Howard! Goodnight the argument we had about THAT particular food/spice choice.

Anywho, daringly, for me, I decided to add a dollup of onion powder, a tad bit of paprika, a dash of pepper and…..hmm. Heaven!! Now, I have ZERO idea what Paprika even tastes like but it sure does add SOMETHING to eggs, don’t it, yall??

Now, I spend a delightful, half hour or so, debating which it shall be: chicken salad with eggs, without eggs, with less eggs, with more eggs. Choices. Choices. Life so full of choices.

Yet, that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

Remember, you have come too far, to only come this far! It’s time. Time to try new things. Time to go to new places.

Time to try the outrageous thing.

Time to try the scary thing.

Time to try the daunting thing.

Time to add some Paprika into your life. I was going to say time to spice things up. But, that would be too much, even for me. Smh.

God, Life, AND you are working, TOGETHER, for your good. Keep on working with Them. Keep ALLOWING Them to encourage you, challenge you, exhort you, beseech you, entreat you, to keep trying, keep healing, keep organizing, keep on re organizing.

It takes true courage to be willing, yea, to be able, to let go of those things we hold to be comfortable/familiar/accepted. We must be WILLING, to do the hard thing: letting go of habits, people, places and things that are; holding us back, distracting us, keeping us from LIVING.

Enough of being with someone/something just to ‘survive’.

It’s time.

Time to make some new salad.

Time to try some new spices.

Time to put away some things.

If needed, pick up a broom.

If necessary, grab a new spice.

Whatever you do, my friend, LIVE.

I love you.

His and yours,

Jaybird ACCOMPLISHED

• 

You did not come this far, only to come this far. You did not go through all this pain, just to live this life in pain, fear and doubt.

You did NOT come this far, only to come this far. Continue doing the hard thing. Continue challenging yourself to get on out there and live.

You did not come this far, only to come this far. Yes, I know it gets tiring. Keep moving. FORWARD. Leave the past where it belongs. Strive. Try. Do. Be.

You got this, beloved. You have simply come to far to only allow yourself to get this far.

Don’t get down on yourself for not being as far as you think you should be. You are EXACTLY where you should be. God and Life put everything into the equation. Yes, even your fear, doubt, hard headness and all that has befallen you.

You did not come this far, beloved, only to come this far. You SHALL make it. You SHALL be free. You SHALL be victorious. Yea, even as you continue to try, you are already victorious. Life is about the journey and has very little to do with victories won or loss. Enjoy the journey. Fight the battles. Keep on winning.

winning with you,

Jaybird FOREVER

Hmm…..

End the day, as you started it, eh?

That’s an awfully easy command, IF, you started the day WELL. Didja?  Be honest now.

Did you use the early moments for a bit of coffee with God and life? Or, did you decide to go it all alone today?

Often, we end the day frustrated, wondering what happened.

Often, God and life wonders what happened, asking each other what happened to you?

They were waiting for you, you see. They had coffee and a double chocolate chip muffin waiting just for you. They were excited to see what the day would bring for you. They were excited to hear your thoughts. They were anxious to learn of your dreams. They wanted to know if your dreams for your future matche what They had in mind for you.

What choice did you make for yourself today? Did you take a few precious moments to make some beautiful moments? Did you take some quiet time just for you? Did you spend a few quiet moments with someone that you love and care for?

Or, did you lay in bed, dreading the coming day? Did you ponder all the things that could go wrong with the day?

Did you make yourself the hero or the villain in this day? Did you see yourself successful or a failure during this day?

The Bible says, this is the day that the Lord has made. I shall rejoice and be glad in it. Did you rejoice and were glad in this day?

If so, you have done well. It’s time for you to dust the road off your feet, take a seat and enjoy a bit of time with God and Life. Reward yourself with a job well done. You have done your best. You have given your all. You’re all is all that God and Life requires. Take a bow. Take YOUR bow.

It’s not your job to make things grow. So long as you have done your job, God and Life will do theirs. Let them.

As for me, I shall end this day as I started it: loving God and Life, thinking and praying for you, and daydreaming about what tomorrow may bring. Awesome!

Keep standing. Keep on living. Keep trying. Keep reaching out for love. Keep allowing love, Life and God to reach out to you. Keep believing in you.

Refuse to give up on yourself. Refuse to give up on the people that you love. Refuse to allow negative words to change or alter your day.

Always remember: you are loved, you are seen, and you are enough…PERIOD

Jaybird FREE

*Cassandra looks up at the day that is ALREADY looming large*

Yikes! Sure seems mighty tall and daunting.

*Cassandra wonders if the day may be a bit too much for her today*

Yikes!! Just the very thought of the effort required to attack the day and win…exhausting.

Yikes. *Life and God tap Jaybird on the shoulder*

“We got you. Start at the ankles and bite your way outta today”

😂

Get after it. Today is yours. Seize this day. We shall never have another.

6:30 am pecked me on the forehead and offered me a moment. Asked me if I would like to spend a delightful little while with Life and The King.

Hhmmm….??…🤔

Yesterday HAD been, well yesterday. Exhausting. Shall I restart yesterday or go for the delay and a power nap?

Will letcha know what I chose when I wake from my nap.🤣

*Cassandra heads for coffee and muffins with Life and God*

Can’t wait to yak at them both. Today is a new day. I CHOOSE to spend it looking for every chance I can find to love and be loved.

Let’s do this, yall. We got this. God and Life has got us. How much more blessed can we be?

Ready. Set. LIVE!🎉💃

Jaybird AMAZED

It’s the smallest choices that can make the biggest differences. Choose to give Life and God a bit of a moment before you rush out. Be sure to take them with you. A half hour, of time with Them, now, may save you a million headaches and heartaches and heartbreaks and heartburn, later.😎😁

‘Nuff said.

Keep standing. Keep going. You can do this. You WILL do this.

No matter what this day holds, God and Life go with you. They SHALL hold you up. They shall laugh with you. They shall do the thing with you.

They shall encourage you when you are too tired, disappointed, or discouraged to encourage yourself.

This day shall never come again. Enjoy your moments. ALL of them. Especially the difficult ones. Your friends Yikes and Egads await among them. I know I found a ton of Yikes yesterday. 😜😂

Jaybird SATISFIED

Change your life, today. All it requires is your betting on yourself for once. God and Life believe in you. They KNOW you can do this thing well called life.