Month: April 2023

All that I have: I love you, America.

I don’t have much.

Much money, anyway.

I have an unlimited supply of love, hope and joy, which I freely give to you.

It’s all that I have. I hope it’s enough, for you.

I don’t have much.

Much in the way of looks they say, apparently.

I have an unlimited supply of support, encouragement and care, which I give without strings, without conditions.

It’s all I have. I hope it’s enough for you.

I don’t have much.

Much in the way of stature, of prestige, or so the world seems to think.

I have an unlimited supply of gratitude, of thanksgiving and charity, which I give to you with open arms.

It’s all I have. I hope it’s enough for you.

I don’t have much.

Much in the way of usefulness, being a loud person of color, to hear quite a few members of society, or so they say.

I have an unlimited supply of sisterhood, watching your backness and friendship, which I give with an open heart to all my brothers and sisters of EVERY race, creed, and gender.

It’s all I have. I hope it’s enough for you.

I don’t have much, America. Yet, all that I have, I give to you.

I love you, America. Even as many of you refuse to love me back.

I am here for you, America. I pray for you. I pray that you will heal. I pray that, one day, America, you will embrace me as much as I embrace you.

Be encouraged, America. We got this. We CAN, we WILL, one day, ALL of us, come together in love, solidarity and unity.

Life is short, America. We, all of us, are running out of time. Best we use that time to FINALLY become The UNITED States of America.

His servant and your friend/sister,

Cassandra

Note: It has been truly disappointing and disheartening to see so many Americans who have been gunned down for no reason other than being of a different race/creed/religion. It’s time for folk to lay down iron arms and open their arms/hearts/ears in fellowship and understanding. I will never stop praying and being hopeful we shall come together: United.

Load the dishwasher, Cassandra.

Old habits: Why don’t you order a pizza? Life has been kicking your tail. Yea, life being soooo unfair to you, right now.

New habits: Load the dishwasher, Cassandra.

Discouragement: Why do you keep going? Don’t you know insanity is doing the same thing while expecting different results? Why don’t you order a pizza?

Yikes!: Yikes, Cassandra! You have come so far. Keep going. You got this. New habits is right. Keep it moving and go load the dishwasher.

Anxiety: Yea, you know these bills piling up and your God all silent about meeting your needs. How ARE you going to make it when your money not stretching? Why don’t you order a pizza?

Egads!: Egads, Cassandra! God has your back. Keep going. Why don’t you keep it moving and go load the dishwasher?

Doubt: Why on earth do you keep wasting time shouting into the void this way? NOBODY cares. NOBODY is listening? Who do you think YOU are? Why don’t you order a pizza?

Doubts, anxiety, discouragement, old habits, new habits, Yikes! and Egads! proceeded to get into a knock down drag out to convince Cassandra to either order a pizza or load the dishwasher.

*Cassandra, The Father, hard, Life, and contentment watching, with amusement to see who would come out on top. Turning from the loaded dishwasher, Cassandra proceeded to take out the trash and kept it moving.*

hopeful still,

Cassandra

Note: Keep going, beloveds. Even when it hurts. Even when it’s hard. Even when there seems to be no evidence of things working out.

These are glorious times! They keep your faith muscles, working. They keep your try, trying. They keep your focus, focused. Hard is your friend. Hard, shows you how much you care. Hard, shines a light on how much you love. Hard, continually, offers you the opportunity to stand, love, grow, fight and win. You got this!

*Cassandra turns from the mirror, with a smile, and reaches for her tea set*

🍵 Tea anyone?

Underneath it all.

Underneath it all, your dreams remain.

Underneath the weight, you endure the strain.

Underneath it all, God carries your pain.

Underneath the weight, Life urges you to hang on, again.

Underneath it all, you stand tall.

Still.

Here.

Standing.

Underneath it all.

The weight, though crushing.

Your dreams, SHALL come rushing.

Hold fast.

Stay true.

God has things, in hand.

He has this.

And you.

Hold fast.

I will.

Will you?

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Never.

When can you give up on you?

Never.

When will God give up on you?

Never.

When will Life give up on you?

Never.

When can you walk away from your dreams?

Never.

When can you stop shouting into the void?

Never.

When can you give in to doubt?

Never.

When can you accept defeat?

Never.

When can you run away from you?

Never.

When can you pack up your toys and go home when no one will come out to play with you?

Never.

When will you give up on you?

Never.

*Cassandra wipes tears from her eyes, turns her back on the mirror, and keeps on keeping on*

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

P.S. I told sis, a while ago, I was tired of shouting into the void. I told sis I was tired of feeling like a little girl who keeps taking her tea set outside to play and…

*Cassandra takes out her tea set in case there is someone in need of a spot of tea*

Keep going. Even if it feels you go alone, beloveds. You don’t. Neither do I. Some days feel tougher than others.

You CAN. WE Will.

I can’t rest.

I find work difficult.

I can’t get my fellow man off my mind.

I care.

I wish I knew what else I could say that would be of any hope, of any comfort, of any use.

I have been shouting into the void.

Shouting.

Shouting!

SHOUTING!!

Keep going, beloveds.

Keep fighting.

Keep on trying.

Don’t give up.

Not yet.

You can do this thing called life.

You are so very much more than what you do.

You are so much more priceless than what you have.

Your life matters.

It does.

So much.

I wonder if you hear me.

I wonder if you know that your dreams really WILL come true.

IF, you:

Keep, going.

Keep, loving.

Keep, giving.

Keep, reaching out.

Keep, looking up.

Keep, reaching higher.

Say.

Live.

Love.

Will you?

Keep trying?

I will.

*Cassandra turns from the mirror, dries her eyes and faces the void, once again.*

His servant and your friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Just because.

Just because you feel helpless…

Does not mean you are.

Just because you feel like you can’t…

Does not mean you won’t.

Just because you feel alone…

Does not mean you are.

Just because you feel like all is caving in…

Does not mean it will.

Just because.

All is well.

As my mama used to tell me “everything will be alright”.

You are at the precipice of your breakthrough.

You are one step away from your miracle.

You are seconds away from…

You must keep going to find out, okay?

Okay.

*Cassandra turns from the mirror and waits at the precipice*

waiting,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Keep going, beloveds. Don’t focus on the rock in your shoe. Pay no mind to the heat beating down on you as you move forward. Keep going. I got your back in prayer. Have mine.

Fulfillment: It’s a YOU problem.

Fulfillment is on YOUR raquet. It’s a YOU problem.

Your job, does NOT owe it to you to fulfill you. Your job gives you a paycheck. Hopefully, you enjoy what you do, do your best and find fulfillment in your try, in building relationships with your peers and leadership.

Your family, does NOT owe you their lives to fulfill your every hope, dream, wish and demand. Yes, your fam is there to love, support and protect you as best they can and as much as you will allow them to do so. Yet, once you have grown, of legal age, it is up to YOU to get and keep some act right in order to find fulfillment. This is YOU life. Your family owes you nothing. They love you because, well, just because they love you. When/if you get to acting ten kinds of fools they are perfectly free to kick you to the curb until your act right has gotten it’s act right.

God does NOT owe it to you to fulfill you. YOU must participate in a relationship with Him and grow your faith. He is NOT your concierge, Santa, butler, or maid.

Life does NOT owe it to you to fulfill you. YOU must climb those mountains. YOU must remove those mountains one pebble at a time. YOU must tell Life what you need and ask for assistance in getting what you need/desire/want. YOU must keep keeping on even after your keeping on has long since left you.

Your friends do NOT owe it to you to fulfill you. Yes, they walk with you. Yes, they support you. Yes, they give what they can when they have it to give. Your friends do NOT owe it to you to be your life raft. They give as they can. And, when they don’t have the time or energy it’s not on them or you. You love each other. Period. End of story. For as long as you both shall live or can live with or without one another.

Fulfillment: It’s a YOU problem.

Too many folk are forever disappointed or angry or all manner of things with God, with Life, with jobs, with friends, with family…

All because of having expectancy, having expectations that outside forces will content them on the inside.

Life is short. Time for us, all of us, to own our own stuff. Time for us, all of us, to get some act right and get to filling our own jars. Yes, it is wonderous when others fill up some of our empty spaces. In the meantime, the main person responsible for our fulfillment.

Get to filling.

His and yours,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Let Him have it.

Let Him have it.

When your heart is troubled.

Let HIM have it.

When you have experienced one too many boo boos, let HIM have it.

Okay, I don’t mean let Him have it as in….kapow.

Although….

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

Just kidding.

This morning, I was ready to let somebody or something have it. I was thinking ‘enough already!’ about life continually being, well, life.

The every day sameness and what in the fresh hell is all this going on and why is THAT not going on and why is THIS STLL GOING ON was about enough to send me up ten walls. Being too tired to climb said walls, I talked to my wombie, instead.

Unapologetically, openly, I shared my heart and frustrations. Then, we both climbed up in The Father’s Lap and told Him all about our problems.

Then, we LEFT THEM WITH HIM!

Life seems to be about that life cutting up and acting a fool life, here lately. Costs are getting higher, nerves appear to be more frayed, folks seem to be growing less hopeful and more hopeless.

Storms come.

Storms pass.

They do, beloveds.

HOW we survive and thrive AFTER the storm, is the whole point. It’s the ENTIRETY of the ball game.

If the enemy, doubts, fears, circumstances, situations and a million other things you could state, can continually keep you unbalanced, unhappy and pointing fingers every which way…smh…

How and WHEN will you ever truly be content?

Answer:

YOU NEVER WILL!

Be, content.

In, ALL things.

No, it’s not easy.

Yet, it IS possible.

Have a fit. Ten, if it helps. Then, get up off the canvas and list all the things you do have. There is zero you can do about what you don’t currently have. Why keep going around that woe is my why don’t I have yet mountain. Leave there!

Instead, skip around the mountains of faith, hope, love, joy, friendship and all the other mountains you currently have, in your life.

Life is short.

Let Him have it.

Give your problems to Him.

He cares.

He will take care of things and you.

You got this.

I got this.

God and Life has got us all.

You can do this.

You CAN.

You WILL.

Be encouraged.

Stop giving yourself such a hard time.

You are doing all that you know.

That is enough.

Let it be enough.

I appreciate these hard times. Even the disappointing ones. Even the frustrating ones. Each time, each difficult time, keeps me fighting. For, me. For, my dreams. For, the love I want to have in my life. For, my peace of mind.

Keep fighting.

I love me some you.

fighting with you alway,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

I’m trying.

I’m trying.

‘Nuff said.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have come to the place, finally, where I am okay, with not knowing. Okay, with not having the right answers. Okay, with not having any answers. And, that makes me okay. All you can do is ALL you can do. Love as much as you can, as many as you can, for as long as you can. We only get this one go around. While you are ‘getting it’ be sure to get on with it. Love someone. Starting with you. You got this as do I.

I wander no more.

I wander no more.

What a wonder.

I no longer wander, aimlessly, wondering where I fit, who I fit with, why I don’t fit.

I wander no more.

I no longer roam, tirelessly, seeking a group to call my own.

I wander no more.

I no longer rush about, looking for love in people, in places, in things.

I no longer wander.

I no longer look for myself in my efforts, in my job, in what I have, in what I do not have.

I no longer wander.

I am now:

Settled.

Stablished.

Secure.

In, Him.

In, Life.

In, me.

All the rest, as they say, will come out in the wash.

I have yet ONE life to live.

I shall live it.

I SHALL live it with INTENTION.

I shall love in it.

I shall love INTENTIONALLY.

I shall hope in it.

I shall allow my yipppppeeees to yippppee as long and as loud as they like.

I shall rejoice.

I shall remain hopeful no matter what comes, what is here, or what decides to leave my life.

Yes, wander no more do I.

I am satisfied.

With me.

That, beloveds, is more than enough.

Be encouraged.

You are loved.

As am I.

gloriously here,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe