Doesn’t matter, if the damned mountain still won’t move.
Doesn’t matter, if no one will go with you.
Doesn’t matter, if Life and God keeps saying no or not now.
Doesn’t matter, if I don’t see the change or experience the moment.
No, it just does NOT matter….
Even if it doesn’t get better, I want to BE better!
God and Life are interested in OUR response. Cares not one whit how others are being or what they may or may not be doing.
The question is:
What am I doing?
What am I learning?
What am I giving?
What am I receiving?
When the world is cutting up and acting a fool, am I doing the same?
Or, am I CHOOSING to be the:
Light, in the darkness.
Hope, for the hopeless.
Am I CHOOSING to:
Stand.
Love.
Hope.
Grow.
Go.
Give.
Do.
Show.
Or, am I using circumstances, situations, old tapes, new tapes, old foes, new friends, old woes, new roads as an excuse to:
Give up.
Give in.
Run away.
Turn away.
Become angry.
Stay angry.
The harder life gets, the more I am learning, have learned, learning again, to EMBRACE the hard. The hard is teaching me so much:
About, me.
About, Life.
About, God.
About, others.
In going THROUGH the hardness, I am learning/experiencing:
I am much stronger than I thought.
I am much weaker, than I thought.
In going THROUGH the hardness, I am learning/experiencing:
I have much more patience, than I thought.
I have much less patience, than I thought.
Now, that standing has become a habit. Now, that seeking God and Life, FIRST, has become a habit. Now, that embracing the suck/accepting the hard, has become a habit….
NOW, I KNOW I really do ‘got this’.
I am a better ME!
I no longer seek a pillow when I come upon THE rock and a hard place. Now, I have started looking out for how the hard thing, THIS hard thing, the next hard thing, can/will/should make me a better ME.
It will. IF, I make the choice. The choice to BE better, no matter what, no matter how, no matter who.
How do we ensure we have become better?
Easy Peasey! By simply recognizing, receiving, accepting ALL God and Life requires from us is our ‘try’. God and Life will show us how to ‘do’ the thing. They just require our ‘try’. They just need our ‘yes’ to begin the thing.
The rest truly will come out, in the wash.
Keep doing you.
You ARE becoming better. Each time you choose to try, when you could have done as most, and returned to the easy way.
Keep on acknowledging, THAT burning bush, raging inside, burning quietly inside, burning constantly inside.
Keep on acknowledging, you are doing and have done all you know.
Keep on acknowledging, you are loving best you can, giving best you can, receiving best you.
If you have done these things, you are ALREADY better than you were, yesterday.
It is enough.
Wipe the day’s journey, off your feet. Rest. Enjoy some you time.
In getting organized, in reconnecting, in repairing broken things, I have realized how much time has been wasted, how many years wasted in using broken things, in being unable to use broken things.
It could be easy to blame myself for not knowing, or for knowing and not doing.
Yet, God and Life is uninterested in us berating ourselves for what we did not do, for what we did not know, for what we failed to do with what we knew.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about it, now. Now, all we can do is something about it NOW.
Life is short.
Repair what you can.
Move on where you can’t.
Start fresh.
Start again.
Does not matter where.
Just start.
In the middle.
At the end.
Who cares.
The world will get tired of fooling with your greatness. Will get tired of knocking you down, only seeing you rise, AGAIN!
Too much greatness in us, beloveds, to even think about throwing in the towel.
The ONLY thing we gonna quit doing is quit listening to dummies who think we can’t/won’t make it.
HA!
No need on crying over lost days. Best get to making the most of the rest of them, don’t you think?
As for me and my house, we fixing to have a nice cup of coffee, watch a ridiculous Super Hero Movie and imagine I am the one in the cape.
We just have to maintain, in the meantime, while our better days catch up with our former ones.
Keep going.
You can do this.
You WILL do this.
As will I.
Don’t let this world get it twisted: NOTHING shall stand between us and our growth.
Be gentle with you, in the meantime. You are doing all you know to do. This is ALL that is required.
You DONE paying rent. You DONE with trying to earn love/favor/joy.
Those who don’t see your greatness, well, wish them well and keep it moving. Plenty of us out there who WILL and DO care about you. Look around. We are here.
Has made me angry enough to REFUSE to give up, give in, or give out.
The ONLY way we lose, folks, is if we give up.
Not gonna happen.
Not on our watch.
We got TOO MANY dreams to fulfill.
We got TOO MUCH love to receive/give.
We got TOO MUCH life to LIVE, not survive.
There is NOTHING that can keep us from having what we are meant to have.
Keep going.
Keep LIVING.
Keep trying.
Keep loving.
Keep striving.
I don’t give two hoots how hard it is.
These hard days are ONLY making you stronger.
These hard days are ONLY making you more seasoned.
These hard days are ONLY making you more determined.
These hard days are leading you to that which you have been fighting for.
You are getting all your Nos out of the way.
You are getting all your obstacles out of the way.
You are getting all the hangers on out of the way.
You are getting all your pride out of the way.
You are getting all of your discouragement out of the way.
You are getting all of your fear out of the way.
Keep going.
ALL things have their say. ALL things have their beginning and SHALL have their end.
The trick is how will YOU be at the end of the test/trial/road/story?
Victorious!
God and Life is cheering you on.
Keep going, beloved.
You got this.
If you did not, got this, why the world do you think the world, situations, circumstances have ALL prevailed to get you to give up on you.
Don’t you DARE give up!
It’s not the effort, that will make the difference. You are going to be rewarded, yes, BECAUSE of your effort, because of your perseverance.
You are going to win, however, because God and Life are going to make sure you do.
You have a good heart. You are a good person. You love as much and as hard as you can. Keep doing you. This world is DESPERATE for what you have, for who you are.
We need you. Keep going. I need you to help me keep going.
There are days, not many but some, that I want to damned that burning bush.
It never goes out.
IT NEVER GOES OUT!!
Calling me.
Welcoming me.
Unnerving me.
Entreating me.
Beseeching me.
Some days, it’s just an ember. A gentle reminder to keep trying, to keep fighting, to keep loving, to keep seeking.
Other days it’s a raging inferno. An insistent notification to:
KEEP FIGHTING!
KEEP TRYING!
KEEP LOVING!
KEEP SEEKING!
Mostly, it’s there, always there now, a constant reminder to:
KEEP FIGHTING!
KEEP TRYING!
KEEP LOVING!
KEEP SEEKING!
Dear Lord, that blasted burning bush can drive one up ten walls, though, can’t it?!
Real talk. Growing is hard. Being pulled aside, to see where we have kept ourselves from growing, to see where others have kept us from growing, to see where we have allowed situations and circumstances to keep us from growing, hurts.
It hurts I delayed God’s and Life’s blessings due to MY unbelief in:
Myself.
God’s Character.
Life’s Care.
Support of family/friends.
Opportunity.
Moments meant to change my life for the GOOD.
Miracles hidden into EVERY day had I looked for them.
I imagine Moses may have been overwhelmed, himself, being called aside to see that burning bush. He was minding his own, thinking his time had passed. He may have even been chiding himself, deriding himself for opportunities lost from being booted out of Egypt.
He may have been doubting himself, his worth, in coming from wealth to tossed aside, banished to the desert, to fight it out with scorpions etc. He wandered for 40 years remember.
I wonder if Moses wondered, as he wandered, if he had missed God’s and Life’s best for his life. I know I have wondered, as I have wandered, if I have ‘missed it’ somehow. The older we get, the farther removed from old dreams, hopes, aspirations, the easier it can be to get down on ourselves for ‘just’ tending some sheep.
We feel as if we ‘should have’, ‘could have’ been doing MORE.
More what? Don’t ask me. The world, situations, circumstances, the enemy, often taunts us. Points out where other folks seem to have ‘gotten it’ and ‘gotten things’ long before we have/did.
Single folk may be lamenting never having been married. Married folk may be lamenting never having children. Folk with children may be lamenting not pursuing education/adventures prior to having children.
Seems like, each of us, have all manner of ‘sheep’ or things we have been tending, all these years, prior to being tapped on the shoulder and asked to ‘turn aside’ and view that burning bush.
Seeing that burning bush, that reminder inside of us freedom, greatness, hopes, dreams, goals, (enter whatever you like here) are just bursting, inside us, waiting to get free, is a great thing. It is also a frustrating thing, to be honest.
That burning bush, it NEVER goes out. A reminder there is MORE to this life we had been surviving, up til now.
Yes, LIVING life feels good. But, it can also be exhausting, frustrating, scary etc. Surviving, seems like, was much easier. It was MUCH simpler guarding our sheep, then it is to be forever trying to grow, to be free, to LIVE. Surviving, we lie to ourselves, takes less effort. The reverse, in fact, is true.
It takes ALL your survival skills, to hide the truth from yourself. It takes ALL your energy to pretend like your self imposed prison is okay. It takes ALL within you to deny your heart’s cry for freedom, love, opportunity, moments and all God and Life has prepared for us.
That burning bush is a friend. Yet, lately, it almost feels like a task master, doesn’t it?!
I don’t feel like taking the high road, today. I want to fuss, fume, fret, gripe and complain about why it’s not MY turn yet. I want to, let’s be honest, act a fool, like a child on a long car ride, asking ‘are we there yet?’
I want to already BE there! As soon as the lights came on, as soon as I saw that burning bush, my heart rejoiced.
FREEDOM!
LIFE!
LIBERTY!
Let’s go! I want to rush out, to my new ‘home’, to my new experiences.
Yet, those things may not be ready yet. There is STILL work to do!
Even if God and Life opened the door, to a new place, I STILL have to pack up the old one. I STILL have to get rid of old things, to make way/room, for the new things.
I STILL have to prepare my heart for company, if I have been alone.
I STILL have to get my body in shape, if I have abused it or have been ill or the myriad of things that can happen to our physical man.
I STILL have to make things right with relationships I wrecked, or situations/circumstances wrecked, or the enemy wrecked.
I STILL have to break old habits of being afraid to try new things.
I STILL have to get rid of old tapes I have listened to where others, circumstances, situations, the enemy, (insert whatever you like here) have told me I was not enough, I have to stay on the hamster wheel and earn my place/love etc.
That burning bush does so many things, for us. It not only enlightens us, but also shows us what we had been living with, in the darkness.
The light can show us some frightful things, about ourselves, can’t it?
Who the world knew I would be soooooooooooooo terrrified to start a new job?
Who knew I was working myself to death, in part, believing I had to keep earning God and Life’s respect/love/care/blessings?
Who would have ever imagined, I could spend decades, encouraging the world, and have spent so long keeping the same encouragement, from reaching my own heart, playing Superwoman and not letting folks/love/moments ALL the way in?
THAT burning bush! I am so thankful God and LIfe turned me aside.
THAT burning bush! Dammit, God and Life, my life would have been so much easier, had you left me alone, in semi darkness, surviving this life, not living it.
THAT burning bush!
WHEW!!
That burning bush is giving me so many opportunities to:
Stand.
Grow.
Love.
Rejoice.
Lament.
Strive.
Cry.
Laugh.
Attempt.
Succeed.
Fail.
Succeed, again.
Fail, again.
Try.
Try.
Try.
Hope.
Yea, that bush has renewed my hope. In myself. In God. In Life. In others.
That bush, helps me to keep trying.
It call to me to keep going. Keep going, Cassandra.
I do.
I will.
I am.
I whisper to you, I encourage you to keep on going, beloveds. Keep going. Keep trusting in yourself. You got this! Don’t be ashamed of what that burning bush, has revealed to you. Do NOT allow the world, the enemy, situations, circumstances, yourself to get down on you for where you are now. You are not ‘JUST’ anything! You have not ‘just’ been tending sheep. You have been doing the best you can, with the knowledge you had to work with, at the time.
Yes, it may have taken more time, years, circumstances then you would have liked, before you were tapped the shoulder, to see your burning bush. Do not lament the time it took. Do not fret about the standing, time, dreams, hopes, aspirations you think you may have lost.
You are STILL winning. You have ALREADY won. The fact you have turned aside, have put down your pride, fear, etc, to look upon your burning bush, is a great victory. THAT burning bush is revealing your freedom. That bush is showing you the way. It will guide you. It will warm you. It will encourage you.
Be encouraged. GOD will explain what THAT burning bush is. It means many things. Be patient, with yourself. Be patient, with others. When we grow, we become different. Folks around us may be uncomfortable with your growth. That’s a ‘their problem’ not a ‘you problem’. Keep on growing. They will either grow with you, go with you, or will get gone, unable to accept your growth. Keep growing.
You do.
You will.
You are.
God and Life just wants us to keep trying. It gets hard, waiting for the results of freedom. Being free comes with a cost. We have to keep giving our ALL. Freedom costs us everything. Yet, we win ALL.
We do.
We will.
We are.
God has our backs. He knows dealing with that burning bush can be trying. Yet, God’s Character, God’s Deep and Abiding Love for us will see us through.
He did.
He will.
He has.
While we are in our ‘in the meantime’, in between growth and walking in complete freedom, continue to:
Your thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, ALL matter.
Keep doing you. Keep BEING you. Do NOT allow this world to silence you. Your worth is NOT tied in what you do, what you have, what you will or will not do.
Your life matters because….well, because you were born. Period. Full stop.
Kick to the curb, ALL who would attempt to get you to silence the greatness called you.
See, most folks are envious of those who are not afraid to be different, unique (insert whatever you like here).
Folks are envious of those who:
Dance in the rain.
Hear voices others can’t hear.
Dare things most refuse to think on let alone do.
Sing where others are afraid to lift their voice.
Write what most are afraid to read.
They want to silence you as you are a reminder, to them, if what they are not doing.
Keep turning aside, and acknowledging the burning bush inside you. God and Life have it burning for a reason.
YOUR burning bush, the fire going inside you, to do better, to BE better. Keep on listening to it.
Your life matters.
Your greatness is not in the number of folks you impact. The fact that you woke up this morning, put on your try hat, put on your I am going to shoes, donned your I got this cape has ALREADY had an impact on the world around you.
Your life matters. It matters to me. It matters to God. It matters to Life. It matters to those around you.
Your life is:
Seen.
Heard.
Loved.
Valuded.
Esteemed.
Cherished.
Respected.
You are an HONOR to know. NEVER doubt this, beloved.
And, if you don’t believe me, just ask Dad, Your Heavenly Father. He will let you know the awesomeness called you.
Have spent a lovely afternoon hanging out with my adopted son yakking about everything and nothing.
After a tough week of tearing things up, it is sooooooooo important to unplug and just get some do you time in there!
Read a book. Take a drive. Watch a show.
Enough of saving the world. The world can wait.
Time to get some you time in there.
You be important!
I LOVE being grammatically incorrect. Drives the writer in me mad breaking rules and not adding commas or doing what writers do in making thing coherent.
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God: Forgive him. Me: He said some terribly hurtful words. God: I know. Do this for me. Me: He said some blatantly racist things to his supposed friend!!🥾😡 God: I know. Forgive for they know not what they do. Me: He KNEW. HE CHOSE THOSE AWFUL WORDS!!😠✋️ God: How will he ever learn and grow … Continue reading Forgive them, Cassandra, God said to me→
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Exodus 3:14 – 14 And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
Moses was tending sheep, minding his own, when he happened along the burning bush. Curious, he went to go and see ‘what’s up with that?’.
It was only THEN, when Moses decided to turn and see what was up, that God spoke to Him, told Moses to go tell Pharoah to let His Peeps go.
This makes me think of many things:
Would God have called Moses, if Moses had not turned and noticed that burning bush?
If Moses had minded his own business, and NOT turned aside, would God have left Moses, to mind his own, and choose someone else to tell Pharoah let My Homies and Homettes go?
Was the burning bush a test for Moses, to see if he would turn aside? Was the burning bush just for Moses, or for anyone who would care enough, to ‘turn aside and see?’
I wonder. I wonder…
In wondering, I now wonder:
Why would God have chosen some seemingly unimportant sheep looker after to look after His Flock, to select this unknown man, to let His Many Chillun go?
As far as the world was concerned, Moses was a big fat zero. This man, Moses, was no hero. Perhaps, had Moses stayed up in Pharoah’s mighty home he could have been chosen. He was a prince, back then. He had stature, back then. When the world viewed him as a SOMEBODY. He was considered a son of Pharoah.
Yet, God waited until Life had put the smack down to Moses, leaving him destitute, enslaved, without hope, without help. Tending to sheep, not ruling over men. Dressed in rags, not fine garments.
One would think, God would have called Moses when Moses had the stature of men, the stage of all, to use his voice. Back then, when Moses had it all, I am sure he had the confidence to go with it, the position to go with it, the favor of the Pharoah.
Yet, He waited. And, waited. And, waited.
40 years later, God reached out to Moses. When Moses seemingly had nothing to offer. Moses wandered and wondered around for 40 years, thinking his best days behind him, I am sure.
Then, the bush, the call ‘Go roll up on Pharoah and let him know it is time to let My People go. Tell Pharoah I AM has sent you.
Of course, Moses presented ALL the reasons why he was not the one for the task. Listed all he could not do, all he did not have. Am sure he went over all the lost prestige, favor and honor he had ‘back in the day’.
Just as Moses saw the burning bush, God saw Moses heart. God cared what was IN Moses. God cared not one whit about what Moses had or did not have, what he wore or did not wear. God gave not two hoots about who Moses knew or did not know.
ALL God required of Moses was his willingness to go, to try, to do as asked. He knew, on the front end, Pharoah would not listen. He knew, on the front end, Moses would need for God to work wonders, on his behalf.
He just needed a willing vessel.
These days, God and Life have burning bushes going off every which way. Waiting, waiting, waiting, for willing hearts to ‘turn aside and see’.
See, God and Life, can’t take care of things without us. They need our:
Heart.
Hands.
Shoulders.
Hugs.
Feet.
Love.
Relentlessness.
Care.
Hope.
Light.
Life.
Yet, don’t we tend to want to shy away asking,
Who am I?
What can I do to make a bit of difference?
What do I have worth while to give?
What weight will my words evey carry?
We make a bargain with God and Life. We will turn aside when we obtain:
Wealth.
Knowledge.
Stature.
Education.
Health.
Looks.
Community.
We have to pay rent, you see, to the world. We have to earn the right to:
Speak.
Love.
Hope.
Receive.
Give.
Yet, God and Life have NEVER asked, demanded, forced, required any of us to earn love, peace, hope, joy, freedom. These things are FREELY given. By God. By Life. Just waiting for US to RECEIVE THEM!
Sadly, this world has conned us, ALL of us, in thinking we have to strive, buy, earn, kill, take, steal love, prosperity, happiness, joy, (add your own words here), where ever and whenever we can.
The world mocks our efforts, admonishes us for dreaming, thinking, hoping, believing we can and will be loved. Just for us. Just because we matter.
We allow the world’s laughter to get us to jump on the eternal hamster wheel of effort, effort, effort, more effort, indefatigable effort of earning our place in the world.
The harder we work, the more effort we give, the farther we get from said love, worth, prosperity, (add your own words here). The farther away these things get, the harder we work, the more effort we get, the farther peace/joy/hope is removed from us.
Despairing, we give up, internally mostly. Give up on ever ‘getting there’. We find ourselves locked in a prison of hopeless, wondering if we will EVER have that which we seek.
What’s worse, we have toiled and striven so long, we have forgotten what the world we were striving to/for.
Until…
UNTIL!
One day, God and Life will set a burning bush, inside of us, and wait. And, wait. And, wait.
They wait and whisper ‘This is NOT the life meant for you. You were NEVER meant to toil, to strive, for love, to BE loved. You are loved. Your life matters. YOU matter’.
They whisper, to each of us, and wonder, who will turn aside. They hope. They pray. They encourage. They wait.
I am thankful, grateful even, for the Relentless Love of God. For me. God loved me enough to keep waiting, to keep whispering, to keep encouraging me. Until I was ready to turn aside and see the burning bush inside of me.
There is nothing more humbling, amazing, awesome, unbelieving knowing that I AM, He who created everything with His Word, loves me!
ME!
GOD LOVES ME!!!
Amazing! Amazes me, still.
When you know that you know that you KNOW, you are loved….wow…..changes EVERYTHING!
KNOWING you are loved changes you, completely.
KNOWING you don’t have to strive for love, that you ARE loved…..whew….hard to fathom.
KNOWING you don’t have to earn a thing, do a thing, be a thing and God loves you, STILL!??
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
It is so awesome being warmed by the Fire of God’s Deep and Abiding Love for me.
Makes me want to help God, help Life, free others from the knowledge they have to earn their keep, that they have to DO something or BE something to be loved.
I want to rush out, shouting, hollering, letting folks know…..hmm….who am I, though?
What do I have?
What stature am I?
What do I have to give that is of any worth?
What the world do MY words mean to this world?
I rushed to God, My Father, I AM and asked Him:
Who am I?
This is what I AM said to me:
Jeremiah 31:3 – The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Isaiah 41:8-10 –8 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 9 Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. 10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Romans 8:38-39 – For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
*hugs self*
I am:
His.
Loved.
Cherished.
Protected.
Seen.
Heard.
Valued.
Respected.
There is NOTHING I need to add, to do, to give, to be, to do, to be loved. Just am. Yes, I do, give, love, and be BECAUSE I am loved. Not to receive it. Awesome!
Now, I wait. With God. With Life.
Wait for you, to also turn aside, to look inside, to see the burning bush. So, you might be warmed by His Love, by the knowledge that you are loved, you DESERVE to be loved. Just because. Just because you are you.
I wait. And wonder. How many will turn aside. How many will ask…..who am I?
BELOVEDS, YOU CAN HAVE MY FLOWERS. I DON’T NEED THEM ANYMORE. ❣️💟💕💞💓💗💛🧡🖤💙💚🤍🩶🤎💜❤️❤️🩹💖💝💘💘🧩🧸 Beloveds, You can have MY flowers. I don’t need them anymore. 🌹🌷🌻 No, really. Take them. Take every last one. Give them to somebody who can smell them. Give them to somebody who can hold them. Give them to somebody who needs to … Continue reading BELOVEDS, YOU CAN HAVE MY FLOWERS. I DON’T NEED THEM ANYMORE.→
God: Forgive him. Me: He said some terribly hurtful words. God: I know. Do this for me. Me: He said some blatantly racist things to his supposed friend!!🥾😡 God: I know. Forgive for they know not what they do. Me: He KNEW. HE CHOSE THOSE AWFUL WORDS!!😠✋️ God: How will he ever learn and grow … Continue reading Forgive them, Cassandra, God said to me→
Good morning! I love my new avatar!! Now I can express me!!! Two issues: I’m almost out of free space and will have to upgrade this week. Secondly, I have been sick enough to have upcoming surgery and to take a full week off to rest. Yet, my heart won’t let me quit you, beloveds. … Continue reading Still In Love→
REAL TALK: DESPISE NOT SMALL BEGINNINGS, BELOVEDS. 👘🦺🥾👟🥿👞🩴👢🩰👡⛑️🔌🕯️🔎🖌️🖋️📢 Beloveds, Real talk. Despise not small beginnings. “For who hath despised the day of small things?”— Zechariah 4:10 KJV I want to talk about your hard. Not motivational-poster hard. Not the kind somebody can wrap up in three sentences and put underneath a pretty picture of a … Continue reading REAL TALK: DESPISE NOT SMALL BEGINNINGS, BELOVEDS.👘🦺🥾👟🥿👞🩴👢🩰👡⛑️🔌🕯️🔎🖌️🖋️📢→
Beloveds, Before there was a blog, there was me. I need to start there. Because if I’m going to introduce myself—really introduce myself—I don’t want to begin with a website. I don’t want to begin with something that happened to me. I don’t want to begin with a list of things I have survived, things … Continue reading IT ME!→
IT IS FINISHED. BUT BELOVEDS, WE ARE NOT. ❤️🩹🌎 For Mom.For Wombie.For every person in this world carrying the name of somebody they love who is no longer here. Beloveds, Before I say anything else, I need to say two names that don’t belong to a sermon. Mom. Wombie. Before there was Why Can’t I … Continue reading IT IS FINISHED. BUT BELOVEDS, WE ARE NOT. ❤️🩹🌎→
💙📫 ONE LAST POSTCARD — LOVE SOMEBODY NOW Beloveds, My mother died on Christmas morning in 2016. Before she died, we had plans. We were supposed to take a vacation together in March. I was going to show her my new car. I was so sure we had time. We never got that chance. We … Continue reading LAST ONE. FRFR!→
💙📫 A POSTCARD FOR YOU: DON’T GIVE UP YET Beloveds, DON’T GIVE UP YET! I don’t know who needs this little postcard today, but I’m sending it anyway. Don’t give up yet. Not because I can promise you everything is about to become easy. I can’t. Not because I know exactly what you’re carrying. I … Continue reading DON’T GIVE UP YET!→
AFTER MIDNIGHT — WHAT ALL OF THIS WAS ABOUT 🌎❤️🔥 Beloveds, Tonight we went a long way around to arrive at something that has actually been here all along. Why Can’t I Be Loud? was never simply about being loud. It was about having a voice. It was about refusing to let this world decide … Continue reading AFTER MIDNIGHT — WHAT ALL OF THIS WAS ABOUT 🌎❤️🔥→
Growing can be hard. Good yikes, growing HAS been hard, this last year or so, hasn’t it?
So many things to get discouraged by:
Covid.
Racial Unrest.
Division.
Seems like darkness is everywhere. It is not. Just seems this way.
And, trying to grow, in the midst of all this seeming hell, has been especially hard. Feels like EVERY day is hard, every day has some kind of pain waiting around a corner. Easy to want to just give up, in silence, wondering if my voice, if your voice really matters.
It does. Mine does. Yours does, as well.
We HAVE to keep shouting into this void. LIGHT WILL beat out this darkness. It will.
We can’t allow the growing pains, though, to silence our voices.
Keep growing. Keep going. We got this. We truly do.
It will take time to bring us all together, as ONE nation, as ONE people, as ONE heart.
We ALL have work to do. On ourselves. On each other.
I do my part. You do yours. We will leave the rest up to the rest. Ok?
Keep on believing. Keep on shining. Keep on running towards your hopes, dreams and goals.
YOU WILL GET THERE.
We shall get there, together.
We only get ONE shot at this thing called life.
LIVE, beloved. Don’t survive this life.
Do you. As I will keep doing me.
Keep sharing.
Keep caring.
Keep loving folks. Yes, they be blockheads….smh….we ALL be blockheads, at times.