Month: May 2021

No Greater Love.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz9oS2WTjs&feature=share

If you have not listened to CeCe Winans ‘Believe For It’ album you are missing out!!!!

YAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

Awesome!!!

Her song ‘No Greater’ makes me want to run through a wall or something!!!

The Love God has for us is fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is NO Greater than HE!!!!

Jesus is the Bomb.com!

He is:

AWESOME.

FANTASTIC.

ADORED.

CHERISHED.

His Love for us is:

Relentless.

Never-ending.

Never-changing.

Fathomless.

There is NO depth, He will not go for us.

There is NO place we can go that He is not already there. He goes with us, always. He goes before us. He looks out after us.

How great is that?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whatever you are going through, at this present time, know that Jesus loves Him some you. Whether you know Him or not, He KNOWS and loves you. Whether you receive His Love, it is there for you, regardless.

There is no low too low for Him to reach down and lift you up. No height that is too high for Him to reach, on your behalf.

You could search the whole world over and will NEVER find any beside Him, like Him, as bad as He. NOWHERE. NONE!!!

That’s what’s up, beloveds.

WE BE LOVED!!!!!!!!!!

We have unmerited love, peace, grace, joy available for us ANY moment we choose to receive them.

How great is that to know??????!!!!!!

Just wanting to share some good news, today. Someone needs to know they are valued, loved, cared for.

You don’t have to earn love. Is ready for you.

Be blessed, this day. As am I.

Cassandra LOVED

#YouMatterToMe

Love them/you a new way.

CeCe Winans – No Greater (Official Audio): https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz9oS2WTjs

Sitting in my car, jamming to ‘No Greater ‘, yakking with mom, in my heart, out loud, just enjoying time with her.

Yes, I ache, not being able to be with her, physically. Some days, the ache aches so much it is almost a physical one. I want to snatch my heart out, want to hold it up to God and Life and ask them to take the ache away…*sigh*.

I have learned to love her, a different way. Our new way, now. When I am missing her, the most, I sit in my car, the last place I heard her voice, made her laugh, cried when she told me ‘I love you’.

One would think this would be the last place I would want to be, being the last place I was ‘with’ her. Could not even tell you why it brings me so much peace and comfort. If anyone knows, feel free to let me know. Would be truly interested to know folks thoughts on this one.

Anywho, just sitting here, loving on mom a different way. A new way. Can’t say it’s better seeing as she is gone.

No longer looking for better, easier, faster etc in life. I have learned, am learning STILL the harder, longer, tougher, etc. way has introduced me to someone awesome/amazing: ME!

I am doing things, never done. Trying things, never tried. Living large, not existing as small as possible.

I cry more, try more, give more, hope more, believe more.

I stress less, fuss less, distress less, give in less.

In fact, I have removed LESS completely from my vocab. No more hopeless. No more helpless.

The ONLY ‘less’ I allow myself is RELENTLESS!😎💃🔥

Lift up your head, beloveds. Yes, you have lost some great loves, situations, places, etc. Love them, though, in a different way. In a new way. Only YOU will know what that way will look like.

The eggs are already broken, the milk already spilled. All we can do now, beloved, is to clean up, let them go, let it go, as it was, and embrace the NOW.

In the meantime, keep on loving. In the car, in the house, where ever you need to.

Just because we have to love different, love someone different, doesn’t mean we have lost or we have failed. Life just did life.

Keep going, beloved.

I go with.

Cassandra BLESSED

Real talk: Later comes much sooner than you think.

Dammit.

*sigh*

DAMMIT!

This is the conversation had EVERY morning now, with this beautiful, money saving water filtration system.

EVERY morning! Every fantastic, cold, delicious sip of water from this 20 dollar system I thought cost entirely too much right now when I can pay 99 cents for a jug of water’.

OMG, Cassandra! How COULD you have fallen for that lazy, lazy, lazy, costly 99 cent lie?!!

Takes me a few minutes to get over myself.

I tell myself I am saving NOW. There truly is nothing I can do about things not done, THEN, than dealing with those things NOW.

A lesson I shall never forget. Until I remember the next dumb thing I need to correct, fix, move, remove, replace, etc.

It’s okay, though. God and Life have ALREADY figured in EVERY dumbness we could ever do or come up with. 🤣

My morning beatdowns have gotten much shorter. I am loving on me, more. Giving myself a hard time over mistakes made, less.

I am doing my utmost, to count the cost NOW. To pay the price of standing, living, loving, enduring, hoping, giving NOW. In order to have them all built up and waiting tough times LATER.

Count the cost, NOW. Do the hard thing, NOW. Do the standing, NOW. DO the LIVING, NOW.

Life is short, beloved. Don’t waste a moment chastising yourself for not having replaced your filter then. Do it, now. Then, move on and keep it moving.

As long as you are doing all you know, God and Life WILL and ARE taking care of all else in you, in your life, for you, for your life.

We got this.

Good Yikes! though! Do you know how much money I have wasted these past five years! CASSANDRA!!!! OMG!!!…*shrug*. Lotsa money, yall. Omg!!😱🤷‍♀️

Keep going.

His and yours,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

What are you willing to lose, in order to win?

What are you willing to lose, in order to win?

What are you willing to give up, in order to gain?

What are you willing to lose, in order to find again?

Will you, at all costs, think the sacrifice is worth it all?

All may be required. Your all, may be required. Are you willing to give?

Your all?

To Him, without knowing outcomes end?

Do you need to know the ending, His Ending, before you are willing to begin?

What are you willing to lose, in order to win?

Are you willing to lose all, in order to win all, not knowing what ALL, giving your all, will entail?

If the answer is yes, then proceed, without caution.

For caution, too often, has caused you to fail.

Fail, to move. Fail, to try. Caution, your caution, in fear resides.

Toss caution, aside. Tell caution, you’ll win. In beginning, you are winning, winning ALL, you’ll see.

What are you willing to lose, in order to gain?

How much, is too much, before you will take a chance.

Take a chance, take THE chance, on YOU.

In being willing, to end things, in order to begin things, you have ALREADY won.

In ending, without seeing the ending, a beginning, you have begun anew.

You have launched out, despite knowing, if all will be found, and won, by you.

In going, without knowing, with fear showing, darkness growing, your steps never slowing, you have won the greatest prize.

This prize, called FAITH, God and Life have granted thee. THEIR Faith given thee which contains:

Certainty.

Stability.

Assurity.

Ability.

Tranquility.

Sustainability.

Now that you have given all, to win, all, God and Life shall do all, to ensure all…that touches you, touches your life SHALL be blessed.

Keep going.

You got this.

I got this.

WE got this.

We in this…..together.

I love you. I pray for you. Daily. On the regular.

I have your back. Be encouraged, beloveds. Be at peace.

We have ALREADY won.

winning with you,

Cassandra VICTORIOUS

Real talk: Pressure. Bring it on. We making diamonds!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=orPr3M_fCH4&feature=share

Owww!

Circumstances, situations, the world, the enemy, applying pressure something fierce, here lately.

Oww!!

I must admit, I got clipped, nicely today. Roundhouse to the chops. Minding my own business, standing, doing my utmost to do my utmost and….

POW!

After getting over the shock of being unfairly targeted by foolishness, I proceeded to stand, regally. I gracefully sidestepped the bombs, thereafter, and had a glorious and pain free rest of the day.

NOT!

Had some hardship. Fell flat on my face. Pouted. Got mad. Pouted, some more. Got mad, some more. Rinsed and repeated the aforementioned dumbness. Added a sprinkle of ‘feeling sorry for myself’. Stormed about, in my mind, carrying on and wondering, whining, rather, where God and Life were.

Did they NOT know I was tarrying, working, getting punched, in the face, for THEIR sakes?????!

Climbed on my high horse, and did a fine soliloquey on the unfairness of Life, of God, for having me toil, try and get pounded on, for no good reason, I am tellin ya….smh….*sigh*….*Cassandra has to shake her head knowing she KNOWS better than to be wasting time on tantrums such as these*….*sigh*….

I admit it. Acted quite the fool. Asked for prayer, from my accountability partner. Got said prayer. What was more important, I got a nice hind end kicking. Much deserved.

I know better!

I KNOW BETTER!!!

These tough days, these hard things, these lonely, rock filled, snake infested roads are ONLY providing the needed pressure to form this diamond, called me!

Diamonds are formed by heat and pressure, over a long period of time. Buried, deep within the Earth’s crust. Down deep, where they must be ferreted out. A costly endeavor. Diamonds are valuable because of their:

Rarity.

Time they took to form.

Expense it takes to ferret them out.

People’s perceptions of their value.

Yes, man has found a way to reproduce diamonds. Yet, NOTHING can top the diamonds God and Life have made! Man made diamonds will ALWAYS have their flaws, their occlusions. Even man made diamonds, though, have their beauty. Still have to pressure to make them.

So, don’t sweat the pressure, when it comes. The pressure won’t break you. Just feels as though it can, or will, at times.

The ONLY thing we need to allow pressure to break is our pride, our fear, our discouragement, (insert whatever words you like here).

When you feel you are being squeezed, rejoice.

When you feel you are being pressured, rejoice.

When you feel you are under intense heat, rejoice.

When you feel you can’t take ANOTHER step, rejoice.

You are being tried, tested, pressured, pressed, above measure. The priceless diamond, called YOU is being formed.

Stay, in the fight.

Stay, in the fire.

Stay, in the waiting.

Stay, in the standing.

Stay, in the trying.

You SHALL come out as gold. You shall come out the diamond.

Tried.

Tested.

Priceless.

Precious.

Keep going.

I go with.

Cassandra TESTED.

Quitting is NOT an option.

You got this. STILL!

Yea, circumstances seems to have showed up and showed out, today.

Yea, life sure seemed to have wopped you upside the head, for NO, apparent reason, today.

Yea, your get up and go, seemingly got up and went sometime, during the night.

Yea, you gave your all and your all looked at you, today, and said ‘No idea what you thinking but we ain’t winning today’.

Yea, your spirit was willing but your flesh said, ‘Not today, partner’.

In ALL these things, however, YOU STILL win!

Why?

Because, you are still:

Standing.

Trying.

Striving.

Hoping.

Growing.

Living.

The best you can, uyou are doing these things.

Keep going.

Do NOT look at today’s outcome. The outcome is besides the point.

God and Life just trying to keep your ‘try’ going. This is ALL that is required, today, and EVERY day.

ONLY ONE QUESTION NEEDED TO BE ASKED:

Did you ‘try’, today?

If the answer is yes, well, EVERYTHING that has transpired and has come after, are just gravy!

Look at you!

You are LIVING life, not simply surviving it.

You GOT this!!

The world, the enemy, circumstances, situations, and people look to make you jump through hoops to ‘earn’ your spot, to earn your shot.

Beloved, God loves YOU. Yes, He appreciates your effort. Yes, He champions your ‘want to’. Yet, God and Life does NOT expect you to toil and scrape by, wondering if They are there for you. They are. Always!

You are NOT your efforts, beloved. Yes, your efforts are important. However, your efforts are just that: effort.

Keep going.

Keep doing you.

Keep trying.

Keep loving.

Keep LIVING!

Living can get frustrating when we are not where we think we could/should/would be. God and Life understands.

Cut yourself some slack.

Keep going.

Keep trying.

Quitting is NOT an option.

Ever.

Never.

Hang in there.

The light will NEVER relinquish.

We are the light.

We shall NEVER relinquish to ANY darkness!

We shall NOT relinquish, extinguish, diminish or dismiss our light.

WE hold back the darkness.

WE provide hope, for the hopeless.

WE point the way to freedom and healing.

WE carry ALL that is needed, inside us.

WE uplift:

Ourselves.

Others.

God and Life NEED us, beloveds.

We be THE LIGHT.

We be THE FIGHT!

I absolutely REFUSE to give up this country, my community, my family, my brothers, my sisters, my others.

I got you!

We got this, beloveds.

Keep on shining the light, called YOU. Shine in whatever form, fashion, manner YOU deem fit. It’s not for others to tell you how to shine.

I don’t care how long it takes. I am going to keep on, keeping on. If I have to go, by myself, I am a goin.

Who goin’ with me?

We will NOT leave things to folks tearing down things, wreaking havoc in 240 characters or less.

I am the light. I shall NEVER relinquish to the darkness.

YOU are the light. Don’t you DARE relinquish your spot to the darkness.

We SHALL beat back this darkness. One light, at a time. One voice, at a time. One step, at a time.

Life is short. When we going to do this, beloveds, if not now?

Who else will do this, if not me, if not you, if not us?

Us livers of life, has got to get to some of these survivors of life.

Darkness, you can go ahead and kick some rocks! Get up out of here!!!

WE, run this show.

WE, love each other.

WE, fight for one another.

Keep on being the burning bush, the light.

As ever shall I.

burning with and for you,

Cassandra UNITED AND LIT!!

Look at you!

Look at you!

Go on ‘head with yo bad self!!

You have made the choice, the tough choice, of LIVING this life, not surviving it.

You have gotten up, on yet another day, to try to be the best you, the latest you, the greatest you.

Go on ‘head with yo bad self!!

Give yourself a twirl, pat on the back.

Tip your cap, to yourself.

You trying, where so many others have stepped off the field, in defeat.

Celebrate some you, this day. You are doing this thing, called life. You are doing YOU!

REJOICE!!!

Tell discouragement, fear, frustration and their ilk to kick some rocks and get going!!

You SHALL grow.

You ARE growing.

You ARE going.

Go on ‘head with your bad self!

Take a bow.

Your life, YOUR efforts, are changing things. You are not only changing your life, but you are changing the lives of folks around you.

Know ye not, beloveds, as you allow your burning bush, your try, your standing, your love, your joy, your voice, your anxt, your falling down, your getting up…..

ALL of these things, are making an impact. You are giving folks, watching, permission to try, themselves. You are giving folks, watching, the courage to try, themselves.

Look at you!

You have not joined the voices of many who say/think/feel trying is not worth the effort. You have chosen not to be a survivor.

Go on ‘head with your bad self!

You are:

More, than a conqueror.

Blessed, above measure.

Relentlessly Loved, by God, by Life.

Filled, with greatness.

Cheered on.

Prayed for.

Fought for.

Keep on doing you.

Look at you!!!!

Take the time, from time to time, to step away, from the battle. Step away to look at you….

WITH YOUR BAD SELF!!!!

This world is TERRIFIED of you. Terrified, you may, you will, discover who you ALREADY ARE!!!!

Beloveds, we ALREADY are:

Worthy, of love.

Worthwhile, peeps.

Destined, for greatness.

What does that greatness look like? Looks different for each of us. We were NOT meant to be the same. We were NOT meant to just run with those that look like us, think like us, do like us. How the world will we EVER grow staying in the same mold, in the same place, at the same time, with the same people????!!

Look at you!

Daring to be different. Daring to be you. Daring to DO you.

Keep on doing you, beloved.

Take a bow. You are changing lives. You HAVE changed lives, starting with your own.

Be sure, today, to tell ALL who would oppose you to kick some rocks and keep it moving!

You got this. God and Life has us all.

His and yours,

Cassandra VICTORIOUS

Time to change the filter.

For years, five of them, in fact, a friend has been fussing with me to use a water filtration system, instead of purchasing bottled water.

Why? Because the water, where I live is awful. Because I was FOREVER whining, complaining, fussing, about fifty thousand water bottles, jugs I had to throw out.

Endless!!

Ack!

Yikes!

Egads!!

O, hey guys, yall no help in reminding me to go ahead and put in the filtration system.

FINALLY, after years, YEARS I TELL YA!, I buy this gorgeous Brita water filtration system.

Huh? Did I hook it up, right away, and begin to use it, you ask?

Ok…..so….hmm…..yikes.

It may, or may not, perhaps, perchance, may have kinda sorta happened, I became lazy and my new, sleek, water filtration system had now turned into a coaster on my kitchen counter….oppps.

So, NOW, I have doubled my anxt! Instead of griping, whining, complaining, fussing, fretting about all these blasted water jugs every which way and having to dump the trash every other five thousand seconds because of these stupid jugs and…..OMG!!!!!!!….*pout*….

Opps…..sorry bout that. So, instead of having the aggravation of fifty thousand jugs, I NOW have to keep moving the stupid, sleek, new, shiny, regal looking dumb, in the way! water filtration system!!

God: Why do you keep buying jugs of water? Why do you keep slapping your new water filtration system around? Wouldn’t it be easier, more cost affective, to take a few minutes and install it?

Life: Yea, what He said.

Yikes!: Seems smart to me. Save me all this daily hollering about jugs and such….

Egads!: What Yikes! said.

Me: Okay, now THIS is true!…*slaps self upside the head*.

Did I hook up the water filtration system, right then?

Of course NOT!

I RAN OUT OF BOTTLED WATER AND WAS TOO LAZY TO ORDER SOME MORE AND WAS THIRSTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tis an absolutely TRUE statement that a lack of decent bottled water, truly IS the mother of invention!

Stomping over the the kitchen counter, I snatched the coaster, dumb water filtration Brita unit, stormed to my seat to actually read the directions.

Who KNEW what can happen when one ACTUALLY READS THE DIRECTIONS!!!….*gasp*…..

Heaven opened up, I am tellin’ ya! It did!!

I could follow the pictures!!!

The directions actually made sense, kinda!!! I only had to re read them about fifty times. I only had to curse out the dumb adaptors about ten times!(None fit. None needed. Dammit!). Took a whole five minutes to put the system on correctly.

Took all of five seconds to find out I put the actual filter on incorrectly. Crap!….*Cassandra reminds herself to mop up kitchen floor in a minute*…

After fits and starts, starts and fits…..

HALLELUJAH!!!!!

WATER!!!!!

I felt like Patty Duke in the ‘Miracle Worker’ when she finally figured out Melissa Gilbert could sign water! (Great movie by the by. Yes, I know Patty Duke started in the 1964 version being the blind one and Anne Bancroft played the teacher. I digress. Both fantastic, by the by).

Enjoying an absolutely delish(!), glass of water, I thought about ALL the money I could have saved, ALL the trips to the trash, I could have saved, ALL the jugs, I could have saved, just by buying and installing a water filtration system sooner.

LIVING, instead of surviving, can seem exhausting, at times. It IS exhausting, at times. Yet, I have learned so much about me, about life.

I thought, I was ‘saving time’, buying jugs of water. Also, it was ‘just; 80 cents a jug. I had looked up systems before and they were ‘up there’, I told myself.

In actuality, I could have bought……good Yikes no telling how many I could have bought, in these last five years.

I spent money, on water, I could have used for other things, other needs, other wants, other pursuits.

I let laziness, habit, fear of tearing up the sink, distrust in what the water would taste like, habit, laziness, habit, laziness, habit, and laziness cost me a bundle.

I’m glad I finally changed my FILTER, my way of looking at things, which helped me to go ahead and install my water filtration system. This will save me:

Money.

Time.

Aggravation.

We pick up too many bad habits, from surviving life. We tend to want to do the ‘easiest thing’, go the faster/easier/less complicated way. We look at ways to trim, get out of doing, living, being. Surviving life takes too much effort to worry about things like striving, trying, standing, and all the other ‘exhausting’ things one is required to do to LIVE life and not simply to survive it.

THAT burning bush, the one that God and Life has tapped you on the shoulder to turn aside and see, also helps you to see all the areas where you are still ‘surviving’ life, instead of LIVING life.

While we are living life, it’s important to see where we are still ‘surviving’ out of habit, laziness, fear, (insert your own words here). Check to see where you may be losing out on life, things, opportunities, moments, miracles, love from not changing your filter.

Change your filter, as needed! The ‘water’ is fantastic!!

Keep going.

You got this. God has us all.

His and yours,

Cassandra THIRST QUENCHED

You are NOT alone.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ddXy527mq4A&feature=share

What a comforting thought! There are days when the world seems so big. Seems like Covid, strife, and so many things have isolated and separated us all.

It’s awesome to know we don’t have to ‘got this’ all by our lonesome, isn’t it?

Just wanting to let folk know I have been praying hard, for all of us. Praying for healing, strength, growth, joy, laughter, freedom, all kinds of good things for our lives.

Just wanted to take a moment to let folk know they are NOT alone.

I am grateful, for this day, for folks who care. I am grateful, for all the hard that came with today. I am grateful for the love of family, friends, God, Life, Yikes! and Egads!

KNOW you are:

Loved.

Cherished.

Respected.

Valued.

Honored.

And so very many other things.

God and Life have been watching your back for more days than you will ever be able to count. Rest upon Them. Rely on Them. Let someone know they are not alone, would you? I can’t get to the whole world.

Help a sista out woudja please/thanks?

I love you,

Me

Cassandra HOPEFUL