Month: June 2021

Believe!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYwSKZ8D1oM&feature=share

Believe.

Believe!

BELIEVE!!

Believe, in yourself.

Believe, in your future.

Believe, love IS for you.

Believe, your dreams ARE attainable and worth having.

Believe, you will make it.

Believe, you CAN.

Believe, you WILL!!

Believe, ALL things really do work together FOR YOUR GOOD.

Believe, you are MORE than a conqueror, through HIM, who loves you.

Believe, you CAN, do ALL THINGS THROUGH Christ.

Believe, you win, regardless of how you feel.

Believe, in your present.

Believe, in your future.

Believe, your past strengthened, NOT weakened you.

Believe, you are covered, in love, by Love.

Believe, in your efforts. They SHALL bring forth their fruits, in their time.

Believe, God loves you.

Believe, God fights for you.

Believe, Life will give way to you.

Believe, your steps are protected.

Believe, beloveds.

God SEES you. God LOVES you. God CARES DEEPLY for your life.

As do I.

believing for and with you.

Cassandra LOVED AND BELIEVING.

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Real talk: HIS Handwriting Part II

I was writing, yes, using my own ugly handwriting, this morning. It is both easy, and hard, to do. Okay, not easy. Hard. Why? This is what I wrote:

I was thinking about blogging about my handwriting. The more I ‘write’, the more I look at my “ugly” handwriting, the more I am forced to see my perceptions, of my handwriting, came from ME comparing it, to other people’s handwriting.

Writing, I get to LOOK. At me. The TRUE me. The me God made! HE made my hands, and the works of them. HE made me loud. HE made me boisterous. HE gave me my ridiculous sense of humor. HE made me super serious. HE gave me this deep love, for people. People I will never see or meet. Yet, I love them. Still. I pray for them. I worry for them. I want them to KNOW they are not alone.

Writing, today, I don’t cringe, as much. My handwriting is HIS. As am I. He loves it. He loves ME. I am learning to love ALL of ME. I WILL love ALL of me! 🙂

It’s never easy to admit we don’t always, or often at times, see ourselves the way we need to. The way God sees us. The way Life sees us.

At times, we look, at ourselves. We pick apart this and cringe at that. We wonder how, in the world, could God, could Life, could others, POSSIBLY put up with, let alone love, this part of me or that part.

Thinking these things, we hide those ‘unworthy’ parts. Not knowing, the parts we view the least, God loves the most. Life needs them most. Those who love and care for us need them. They need to see us. ALL of us.

In resplendent gold. In dowdy grey. ALL of us IS:

Important.

Priceless.

Needed.

Necessary.

Loved.

Seen.

Heard.

Yes, we have things which needs tightening up. Yes, we have things which need to grow. Yes, we have things which need to be put away, when their end has been met.

Yet, in ALL these things, they ALL work together, for our good.

Every moment, of our lives, have been a benefit, if we allow them to be. The moments we find cringe worthy. The actions that did not lead to the best choices or outcomes. The thoughts that led us to places familiar and unfamiliar.

ALL these things have led us to the person we are, today.

The person you are, today, may not be one you are proud of, because of past or present doings. Isn’t it wonderful, to know that God and Life have taken ALL into account? Any moment, we choose, we can have a ‘do over’

We can start, again. We can build, again. We can be renewed, again. We can be born again, again. We can hope, again. We can live, again. We can win, again.

I love me, today. As I am. Broken parts, healed parts, I don’t even know parts….smh. I love ALL of me, today. I promise to do my best to love me, tomorrow. Yet, I live, in this moment, today, and love me. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

On a side note, the more I love me, the more I feel the Love of God, of Life, FOR me. Awesome. Amazing!

It makes me sad, looking at my handwriting now, knowing how much I had always hated it, hated looking at it, thinking it was not pretty enough or stylish enough or smart looking enough.

*sigh*

Makes me sad, for ALL of us, how we limit ourselves, view ourselves, think less of ourselves, at times.

I am so thankful God and Life cared enough to set a bush ablaze. THAT burning bush. The one that caused me, to turn aside, to see and hear what God and Life had been waiting to tell me, to show me.

They just wanted to show me, well, ME. The true me. The one They created, before I was ever born. The me that was meant to be, that IS:

Blessed.

Loved.

Cherished.

Honored.

Received.

Valued.

Priceless.

Precious.

There is NOTHIHNG I need to add, to me, to make me valuable. Yes, there are things I can, I must, I WILL do, to maintain, to grow, the greatness ALREADY contained, within me. Yet, if I did nothing else, if I stopped my TRY, I am loved.

STILL.

ALWAYS.

RELENTLESSLY.

As are you.

Keep going, beloveds. Don’t be afraid to face your ‘handwriting’, whatever your ‘handwriting’ symbolizes.

Your life matters.

YOU matter.

Your life matters.

To, me.

To, God.

To, Life.

To, others, as you allow them in.

Draw closer, beloveds. Draw closer, to God, to Life, to folks. We need each other. I need you, in my life. You need me, in yours. Folks in our lives, well, they need to be able to love on us, to love us, to have us love them, fully. As God and Life intended.

This, person of color, me, love ALL of my brothers and sisters and others. Even the dummy ones who are too afraid to allow themselves to love folks who don’t look, talk, feel, see things, like them. Yes, love me some of them hard headed folks.

Love someone, beloveds. Begin, with YOU. Then, branch out and love some others who don’t think, see, feel, know, experience life as you do. We need each others love and perspective.

I love you.

Love me back.

Please and thanks.

His Daughter and your big/lil sis,

Cassandra FULFILLED

Hope ALWAYS wins!

How great is that!?

Don’t EVER allow yourself to turn loose of your hope.

Hang in there. Someone needed this message. Hang in there. You got this.

Cassandra HOPEFUL STILL

#YourLifeMattersToMe

😎

Celebrate you.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=z6DhNR3eO0U&feature=share

Look at you!

Go on ‘head, with yo bad self!!

Strut your stuff. 💃

Take a bow.

You livin’, beloved.

You doin’ you.

You handlin’ yo life bidnezz!!

Yassssssss!

Look at you!

You have:

Refused, to give up.

Refused, to give in.

You have:

Loved:

Hard:

No matter the cost.

No matter the why.

Look at you!!

Fear, has NOT defeated you.

Despair, cowers before you.

Discouragement…..well, you done told discouragement to go head and kick rocks, long time ago!

YAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

Look at YOU!! 😎

You living, you ain’t surviving.

You ain’t letting circumstances, see you sweat. Circumstances are now sweating you!

Take a bow.

Strut your stuff.

Know ye not, beloved, that ALL of Heaven is cheering you on. They sayin’ “Go on ahead, with your bad self!!”.

Know ye not, God and Life, are just swole, with pride, at your TRY, at your precious heart. They are honored to walk alongside you.

Look at you!

You got this!

Yea, you have had to catch your breath a time or two or ten or ten thousand.

No matter.

STILL, YOU STAND!

STILL, YOU LOVE.

STILL, YOU FIGHT.

Celebrate you, beloved. You are NOT your broken pieces. Grief/loss does NOT get the last say, in your life. Victory SHALL be yours.

Who is like you?

NOBODY!

There is only ONE you. Of all the world, in all the land, there is not another, made like you. You are the ONLY one who can do you as well as you do.

Hold up your head, beloveds. Rejoice. You got this. ALL of this. These present circumstances were just meant to help you fly. Eagles soar AGAINST the currents. Sailboats NEED the winds to keep them going. Diamonds are made when pressed. Gold is refined in the fire.

God and Life just making you piles of diamonds and gold, boo. Don’t sweat this small stuff. Yea, even the tough things bow to you. To, your TRY. To, your STANDING. Yea, the enemy don’t know what to do with you.

How can you defeat one who……….REFUSES TO BE DEFEATED!?

Celebrate you. Go on ‘head, with your bad self. ENOUGH giving yourself a hard time. Rejoice, in where you have come. Celebrate, where you are going. You going far, beloveds. Yes, we handlin’ bidnezz and doing work. How great are we??!!!

celebrating me,

Cassandra 😎💃❤🔥

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Time to dance!!

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjfs3rSIpIQ&feature=share

Time to dance, beloveds!🔥💃❤

Ran the dishwasher.

Turned on the lights.

Loved somebody.

Loved ourselves.

Yasssss!

We have shouted, into the void, and have won.

Time to dance.

Dancing with you,

Cassandra LOVED 😎

Sometimes, you just have to turn on the lights and start the dishwasher.

Egads!

Yikes!

May and June can be rough, at times. Time I dodge, get through, the Mother’s Day bullet, here comes, the Father’s Day bullet…*sigh*.

During, these weeks, I suck it up butter cup, I pull myself up by the bootstraps, I keep on keeping on, and all the other blasted sayings one says to get through times like these!!!!!!!

Opppps…..sorry for letting the mini scream slip out, there. Have been wanting to have a good cry, a good scream, a good SOMETHING to let these, I miss you mom, I miss you dad, feelings out.

I miss you, mom.

I miss you, dad.

So much so, I spent ALL weekend. And, I mean ALL of it, hiding in the dark, whilst binge watching Station 19 AND Grey’s Anatomy. That and ate pizza, in moderation, of course.

I REFUSED to allow myself, to go backwards. Have come to far, dammit, in order to allow myself to slide, to hide, in the dark, and pretend the okay, was okay. When, in fact, the okay has NOT been okay, and, that’s okay.

I did NOT want to:

Turn on the lights.

Go to work.

Live.

I wanted to:

Hide, in the dark.

Survive, under the covers.

Distract myself.

I CHOSE, to keep it moving. Put on my big girl pants, stood, shakily, turned on the lights, went to work, kept it moving. Work was hard. Didn’t want to be there. Fought through the not want to. Took a break and….loaded the dishwasher.

Don’t ask me why doing something so mundane, turned the rest of my outlook and afternoon around. I think because it reminded me of how I FINALLY, turned things around, after mom had passed away. I had spent days, days I tell ya, in the dark, getting roaring drunk. did so, for 11 days, straight. I know, because I counted.

I drank, and cried. Cried, and drank. Fussed at myself for doing so much drinking, when not a drinker. Forget about standing. Forget about reaching out. Was NOTHING but a ball of pain, of mad(at God, of course for taking mom), of…no idea. Just one big ball of fresh hell and grief.

On day 12, I said ‘no more’. Mom wouldn’t want this. Told God….hmm….okay what I told God would not be fit for young viewers. Let’s just say, the words, kick rocks, was all up in the mad/sad somewhere.

God understood. Whispered to me to turn on the lights, take out the trash, and run the dishwasher. He didn’t admonish me. Didn’t chastise me for being angry with Him. Did not toss the previous 11 days in my face. Just whispered “Turn on the light. Take out the trash. Run the dishwasher”.

I get up, still mad, turn on the light, still mad. I slam trash every which way, still mad, stuff all the every which way trash, in the blasted trash bag, dammit, STILL mad. I delicately slam dishes in the dishwasher, still mad. As delicately as you could slam and throw around, plastic dishes, of course.

The hum, of the dishwasher, accompanied my tears, hummed along to my angry ‘why dammit, why’ rant, hummed as I slung the dammed trashbag, over my shoulder like Santa Claus. My hurt and anger and grief, hummed along, with me, as I stomped and stormed my way, to the dumpster.

Dumpster lid, flew one way, trash bags, another, as I tossed them, tossed my grief, howled my anger, into the trash bin. Drug myself back, up the stairs, into a well lit room, with dishwasher humming, keeping me company, keeping my grief company, almost as if to say ‘you will be okay. Just takes time. Just have to start with turning on some lights, with turning on the dishwasher.

Hearing the swish, of the stupid dishwasher(still angry of course), calmed my broken heart. I imagined my heart getting cleaned, as well. The thumping of plates and glasses, opps, didn’t put them in as nicely as I could and should have, seemed comforting, somehow, someway.

God didn’t lecture me. Just stayed with me. Listening to the dishwasher, with me. Listening, to me, as I asked Him, over and over, why He needed to take my mom….*sigh*. She was in pain. He didn’t want her hurting so, anymore. Neither, did I.

By the time, dishes done, my anger, was done. Grief, still there. Is here, still. Yet, said grief is now enveloped in His Comfort.

Now, when I have a really bad missing mom/dad day, I make sure to turn on a light, somewhere. Get on up, take out the trash, and put one foot in front of the other.

If you are struggling, beloveds, get on up, turn on the light, take out the trash, start the dishwasher.

Yes, the losses still hurt. Yes, you still wish to cry, rant, rave, carry on. It’s okay to not be okay, until you ARE okay. Okay?….*smile*.

It felt good, truly, to lean upon God’s Words, Gods Character and God’s Deep and Abiding Love for ME.

I got this. You got this. And, God and Life, has us all.

It WILL be okay. Things really do come out, in the wash. 🙂

His servant and your friend,

Cassandra LOVED

Rely on Your Help.

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

One of THE most awesome things to hanging out with God is when life is super tough, and you don’t think you can make it not even one more step, He steps in and is right there, with us.

That is, IF we remember to reach out, for help, for support, for love, when we are struggling.

I don’t know why it’s so easy to withdraw, to hide, when going through things.

We tell ourselves, like dummies, we don’t want to ‘be a burden’ to others.

So, we do a dumbsky, grab our capes…*sigh*…, tell ourselves “we got this”.

Only, to find out, we actually “don’t got this” and are stuck with the following choices:

Keep our dumbsky cape on and keep flying into walls or getting caught in a tree.

Keep our dumbsky cape locked in the closet, where it belongs, and lean upon Our Help, Our Strong Tower, Our Comfort, Our Comforter, Our Friend.

Thankfully, I chose the latter. Ran clumsily, loudly, shakily into The Arms of He Who Loves Me.

Yes, I still missed my mom, terribly so. Yet, His Comfort was soooooooo precious. So needed.

Felt like a little girl, lost in such a big world. Til, He scooped me up, let me know everything really would be okay.

I think why I struggle so much, at times, without mom, is she always told me, on my roughest moments, when I reached out to her, ‘everything will be alright’. Have needed to hear this, that everything WILL be alright, that I will be okay. Maybe, not today. Maybe, even, not tomorrow.

Yet, I KNOW Who holds ALL of my tomorrows. Who holds my todays. Who holds my tears, even the unshed ones.

It’s okay to not be okay, at times. It is NOT okay, though, to hide your heart, during those times. During tough times, especially during tough times, it’s important to rely on Your Help. You are NOT alone. You are not and were not meant to fight your battles, all alone.

You can. If you choose to. You can hide. You can go back to depending on yourself. You can choose to let the broken pieces to stay broken. God and Life understands and will understand. Will just be there, waiting for you. To get up and try again. To reach out, for support.

Your heart is not a burden. Never has been. Never will be. Your hurt, and what you go through, is just as legit as everyone elses’. Not sure when it became vogue to have to validate one’s hurts, in order to be deemed worthy of being seen, heard, and supported.

Rely on Your Help, beloveds. As will I.

we fight on,

Cassandra WOBBLY BUT HERE…

Stillborn dreams.

I’m tired. Tired of shouting into the void.

That’s what I told God and Life, yesterday. And, the day before that. And, the day before that.

I shout into the void.

I wait.

I wait.

I wait.

I wait.

The day, turns into the night…

The void has mocked me. ALL day.

The void says to me “Come again, tomorrow.

Perhaps, the love you seek, the dreams you bring forth for fulfillment, the gifts you wish to utilize may be yours.

Tomorrow.

Return to me, tomorrow. And, we shall see.

So, I fight the night, to win the dawn. I fight, to earn the right, to try, yet again. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow has now become, today.

Again.

Again, I shout, into the void.

For, myself.

For, others.

Rinse.

Repeat.

I wait.

I wait.

I wait.

I wait.

Silence.

The void, is silent.

God, is silent.

Life, is silent.

Now, the silence, not the void, mocks me.

Taunts me.

“Are you sure, beloved?”

“Are you SURE?”

Silence: DID God and Life REALLY mean for you to have these things?

Me: Yes.

The void: Are you sure? What of all the hopes, dreams, goals, unfulfilled, strewn behind you, all these years?

Me: Yes.

Unfulfilled dreams: Are you sure? You sure God and Life are going to give me to you?

Me: Yes.

Circumstances: Are you sure? Don’t you see how I keep you dancing, keep you confused, keep you wondering? Do you trust God and Life? Really? Still? STILL?!

Me: Yes.

Life: Are you sure? Are you sure that you KNOW God has your back? Are you sure?

Me: Yes.

God:..

Me: Speak not, God, My Father. I KNOW you got this. Let the void have it’s silence. Let silence have it’s say. Let circumstances do what they will. Let the unfulfilled dreams taunt and mock. I KNOW You have my back. I KNOW and experience, daily, Your Deep and Abiding Love for me. I KNOW and stand on Your Word. They are true. They never fail. NEVER. YOU, never fail. You never have. You never will.

Today, I shout into the void. I shout, KNOWING, my dreams are not stillborn. They never have been. They never will be.

Yes, there have been dreams, things, situations, circumstances that never panned out the way I THOUGHT they should. Does this mean they did not do as God and Life intended for them? I may never know. Yet, the point in dreaming, in hoping, in loving, in trying, is all in the TRY, beloveds.

It is the TRY in which we grow. It is in the TRY we learn. It is in the TRY we are refined. It is in the TRY we learn when and how to stand. It is in the TRY where our victory truly lies.

Beloveds, it is in the TRY, in the middle of the night, when trying still is STILL so hard, that you find out who/what you are.

Can you TRY, still, when every door seems to have been locked tight, to you?

Can you TRY, STILL, when you have left EVERYTHING on the field, on the job, in the relationship, and NOTHING seems to have come of the thing, the relationship, the situation?

Can you TRY, when you have, faithfully tried, for years, and the thing, situation, relationship, never came to pass?

Can you TRY, and remain hopeful?

Can you TRY, and not allow your TRY to become discouraged, angry, mistrustful, hopeless, helpless?

Are you standing over your stillborn dreams? Are you looking at them, angry, wondering why you wasted so much time, so much energy, so much love, only to see them withered, empty, unfulfilled, still?

Take those stillborn dreams, to God and Life and ask for them to be resurrected. While there, ask for some grace, some comfort, some healing, for yourself, for your heart. Carrying what we perceive to be stillborn dreams, can be painful.

There is good news, for us. Our dreams are NEVER stillborn dreams to God. To Life. Our dreams are our faith seeds. Seeds, of hope. Seeds, of faith. Seeds, of joy. Seeds we joyfully planted. Planted and waited.

And, waited.

And, waited.

And, waited.

And, waited.

You see, the dreams never changed. WE changed. In the waiting. The waiting seemed to take too long. So, we dug up our dreams. Some, we gave up on, completely. Others, meant so much to us, we tucked them in the back of a drawer. Other dreams, well, we began to fear dreaming. Began to water our dreams with doubt, fear, perhaps a bit of anger here and there.

Dreams can’t thrive, breathe and grow, without FAITH, TRUST, HOPE, LOVE. The ONLY things that will grow when we douse them with doubt, fear, discouragement and helplessness is anger, bitterness, despair, mistrust.

The bible says that 2 Timothy 1:7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

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.

It is up to me, it is up to YOU, to water your dreams, your hopes, you future, your current family, your hoped for family, your friends, your hoped for friends with HIS Word, not your fears, doubts, (add whatever you like here).

ALL God and Life requires of us is that we TRY. We hope. We live. We love. We give. The outcome. Well, the outcome is not up to me, it is not up to you. Things may not turn out the way we thought they would, should, could.

If you have done your all, given your all, have done all you know, let your TRY and God do the rest. The fact you tried, you gave, you loved, you lived, is victory, all in itself. You cared, at least you tried to, care for those around you. You tried to make a difference. You tried to be the difference.

Your efforts, your TRY, your dreams can NEVER be stillborn.

Keep dreaming. Keep trying. Keep reaching out. Keep shouting into the void. Tell the void, circumstances, fear, doubt, despair, hopelessness to go on ‘head and kick some rocks!!

And, when they all try and taunt you telling you you dreams are still born, well, remind them jokers of a man called Lazarus!

Ha!

We got this. I got this. As do you.

Keep going. You do NOT go alone.

praying for us all til our dreams be fulfilled,

Cassandra VICTORIOUS

Turn your comfort food into a meal with The King.

I admit it. I have been upset, ALL day.

Missing mom. Exhausted from doing a new job I don’t know how to do.

On top of all this, I have to live and not survive. Can’t hide behind distraction. Can’t keep my dammed feelings in a drawer where only God and Life can see.

Am forced to live, fully, and, dammit, exposed living leaves one…well, fresh hell…exposed.

EXPOSED!

Life, folks, situations, the enemy, hell, all comers, it appears, get to take pot shots at our hearts.

They get to do as they please with it. And, what’s worse, we have to stand, to allow, to be open, to be receptive.

Fresh hell.

I would love to tell you how I graciously and spiritually stood. How I fought, valiantly, and won.

Ha!

Instead, I made the super dumb choice(don’t judge me, yall) to order a pizza to go with the lone hold out wine cooler that had been guarding the bacon bits in the fridge so religiously for the past few months(from my last dammit I am tired mini pity party rant).

Que sad music, Tuscany Chicken Alfredo Pasta, breadsticks, large pizza, last hold out black cherry wine cooler, and me, star of this show, fixing to have at it and feel sorry for me missing mom so.

One breadstick in, I decided to call my twin and vent my heart ache and mad with her. I yelled a bit. Okay, yelled. A lot. Loudly. Yelled, at God and Life, for all I was worth.

Had a second bread stick.

Yelled.

Started a third. Cried a bit. Yelled a bit more.

Realized, God and Life, were right there, WITH me, as I yelled, cried, ate a bit. Realizing I was NOT alone, I changed my mini pity party into a praise one. Told sis ‘I am switching out this wine cooler for a cup of coffee’. Put the cooler away, packed away the pizza to be eaten, in moderation. Had enough pasta, for a meal, not a binge session, and talked with sis and God and Life for a while.

We had quite the conversation, enjoyed each other’s company.

I REFUSED to go backwards. I absolutely REFUSE to go back to surviving, to go back to hiding and making due.

NO way. NO how. I have come too far, MUCH too far, to give up on me, on my dreams, on my future, on my relationship with God, on my renewed relationships with friends and family, now.

Yes, the ‘in the meantime’, before the realization of dreams come, is painful. Excruciating, at times. Maddening, ALL the time.

Yet, I CHOOSE to keep standing. I CHOOSE to trust God and Life and the process. I CHOOSE to keep my feelings, my heart, out there, exposed, so it can soak up all the love, joy, peace, comfort, freedom meant for it.

Too often, we allow the temporary hurt, discomfort, pain, unfulfillment, silence, (add your own words here), to cause us to give up, give in, walk away, distract ourselves, run away, hide.

Life is much too short for any of that, now, beloveds. We have no idea how many more moments we have.

I’m glad I chose to turn my hurt/anger into a conversation and meal with The King, My Father, God. We had a nice convo. No, He couldn’t bring mom back. No, He didn’t change my circumstances just because I was annoyed, hurting, exhausted, mad, troubled. He understood my mad. Loved me. Still.

I love me, still. Dumb decisions and all. Loved me enough to not hurt myself hiding, binge eating, drinking and any number of dumb things I have done in the past and may have done, tonight.

I have bet on me. On my future. It is a good one. I just have to hold out and to hold on. I must keep on reaching out, caring for folks, ALLOWING folks to care for me.

In short, I must continue to live, exposed, and wait, patiently.

Fresh hell, there goes the patiently waiting bit. I will get it, in a minute.

I don’t dare give up on me. God never will. Life won’t. ONLY way I lose, is if I am a dumbsky and say enough.

No way. No how. Quit can quit it, already, and go kick some rocks! Along with doubt, fear, anger and all their ilk.

I choose me.

I choose love.

I choose joy.

I choose to wait patiently.

I choose to LIVE.

I choose…..

Keep going, beloveds. Do NOT allow ANYTHING to give you the excuse to go backwards. Life is too short.

Choose to keep moving forward, with me. Pack up your pity party, if you are having one. Turn your comfort eating into a meal with The King. He IS there, for you. Life is there, for you.

In the meantime, I pray, rejoice, hope, cry, try.

Do so, with me, beloveds. We have GOT to keep going, in the meantime.

Remember, don’t rush the cook. Let Him prepare the meal, fully.

Whatever you decide, don’t hide: from you. From God. From Life. From those who love and care for you.

waiting patiently with you,

Me

Show your heart.

Life can be hard. So much so can get easy to want to hide. From, Life. From, yourself. From, folks who love and care for you.

Don’t:

Hide.

Do:

Show your heart.

Your heart is:

Beautiful.

Wonderous.

Amazing.

Needed!

Your heart contains too much love and goodness to keep it locked away.

Yea, there have been some dummies who have hurt you, have wounded your heart.

Most have done so, unknowingly. Others, more so.

Yet, no fair for you to be hiding your heart, from the rest of us. No fair, for you to tuck it away, afraid it will be hurt again.

It will, beloved. It will.

I know. It hurts when you try to love others and not feel loved in return.

Yes, it is agonizing when you reach out and silence greets you.

Showing your heart, IS a risk. Every time. It’s a terrifying high wire act of risk. Will he love me? Will she see me? Will they love and accept ALL of me?

We never know the answer, on the front end.

So, we leap and hope. Hope and leap.

Til, one day, the hoping gets too hard. The silences too long. The wait, for love, seems unbearable.

Makes one want to lock their heart away. Made me tuck mine away, in a drawer that ONLY God and Life could ever see.

Until, one day, someone came knocking and asked to see my heart. I could not show it. Had tucked it away, in a drawer, where only God and Life could see and know it was there.

I didn’t even know I had tucked it away, for safe keeping. Thought I was just tired. Had been feeling a bit numb for quite some time.

Told myself I was just tired. From, having lost so much, lately. From, having keep growing and keep going and keep loving, even while losing and missing my mom so much, lately, it’s hard to breathe.

I kept standing and caring and sharing. I gave all my care but appears I tucked my heart and ran.

Stop, running, beloved. Can’t go back to hiding your heart. Can’t go back to existing.

Continue to show your heart. The world needs her. Needs YOU.

I speak these words to myself, first.

I speak them to you. We have come to far to retreat. This world needs what we have to give. God and Life needs us. ALL of us.

Needs our awful handwriting. Needs our loud voices. Needs our ridiculous sense of humor. Needs our serious side. Our quiet side. Our loud side. Our silly side.

Show your heart.

I give you mine.

Cassandra JAYBIRD ALWAYS