Month: May 2024

Day 2: Chicken strips and fries saved my life.

God: Make some chicken strips and fries.

Me: Now?! It’s after 1 in the morning!😴

God: Go make them anyway.

Me: K.

I was tired, beloveds. Super sleepy. For some reason, my spirit just would NOT let me go to sleep.

It was on me to go make some chicken strips.

I made chicken strips. The moment they were done the tornado 🚨 sirens lost their minds.

A bit after that…🌪 🌪 🌪…

They have estimated three 🌪 hit. 300 plus lines are down.

I am using this time to rest and reflect. Here is the latest text I sent out to fam/friends:

ALL I have thought about is checking on folk.

Life is short. Please, please, please think it nit strange all that is going on in your life right now.

LISTEN to the ridiculous and small things God asks you to do that may turn out to be life savers. I am enjoying my chicken strips and fries! In the dark. With God. With you.

Life is good. Even when it’s hard. Will send this the next time I turn on my texting phone.

You know, beloveds, it’s really interesting what we find essential when having to ration battery time. Ah, another post topic!😆

living life anyway,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: What a week I am having. 🚨🌪😳❤️‍🩹😥🔥🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😱🤯🙏🙏❗️❗️😳🥺🤣😆😴🥰🥰

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Day 2: Am in my ‘so what?!’ phase.

Me: It’s 🔥 hot!

Me: So what?!

Me: I have no one to talk to.

Me: So what?!

Me: The phone is almost dead.

Me: So what?!

Me: NO one loves me. I am all alone. It’s hot dammit.


Me: So what?!

Me: I’m tired of being in the dark.

Me: So what?!

Me: It may take a week or more to get power.

Me: So what?!

Me: I’m missing the playoffs.

Me: So what?! Okay, so that IS kinda messed up.😭

Me:🥰🤣

Life is short, beloveds. When hare tosses you some super hard things, say ‘so what?!’ and keep it moving as best you can.

asking for A Friend,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Keep going. Everything will be alright.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Heart check Thursday.

It’s me.

Doing another heart check.

You don’t get enough heart checks, beloveds, in my opinion.

In truth, none of us do.

There used to be a time folk asked how we were feeling and actually cared about how we were feeling!

Now, folk don’t even waste the time asking how folk are feeling.

Speaking of…

How is YOUR heart, beloved?

You doin’ okay?

Has someone looked out for you today?

If not, tada! It’s me…lol.

Be encouraged.

I LOVE saying those two words…be encouraged. There is something awfully encouraging, to me, with those words. I don’t know why. Just always have been encouraged seeing those two words together.

I have been praying for you. ALL day. I keep asking for God to fill your heart with such love you can’t help but share the leftovers with all you come in contact with!

Ah, beloveds, be encouraged. Things will be okay. I sure miss hearing my mom telling me that everything will be alright. I could use those words now. I give them to you:

Everything WILL be alright.

In the meantime, you had best believe that you are loved and not alone. Keep being good to yourself. Get some exercise. Get plenty of rest. Get some fresh air.

I hear a cup of coffee hollering for me. Who wants to join me for a cup? Bring some cookies with you.

Asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note:

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

You are all you need.

I’m working on a piece called ’30 years in the making’.

It has taken me 50 years to understand there is NOTHING I need to fulfill the dreams I have carried around all these years.

I wish my hard head had listened decades ago. Fear kept me silent. Fear kept me caged. Fear kept me from doing all the dumb things my heart has been longing to do for 30 plus years.

Yep, beloveds, I STILL want to do the same foolish, ridiculous, who in the world will care or believe this type of foolishness.

I STILL want to wake up, EVERY DAY, and let folks know they are loved and not alone.

I STILL want to spend my days praying for folk and daydreaming about sitting on the beach and yakking endlessly, with God, about the wonders of the sea.

I STILL want to create motivational videos and audio pieces in weird ways wondering who on earth will give two flying figs about what this old lady has to say!

I STILL want to wake up early, drink coffee with mom, write, write, write, write, until my fingers are tired. Rinse. Repeat.

STILL.

Now, I do those things. As much as I can. Free from fear. Now, I do those things and wonder if I shall be able to do them on a beach, yakking endlessly with God about the wonders of the sea. Ah, God. I hope!

Unti then, I write. I write. I write. And, I write.

Until then, I encourage. I love. I love. I love. And, I love.

Until then,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You are all you need, beloveds, to fulfill all that is within you. You don’t have to have a mansion. You don’t have to have a bajillion million followers. You don’t have to have a million dollars. Just do you. Be you. The rest will come out in the wash.

I have NO idea if I will/shall ever walk out my dreams in real times. I hope. In the meantime, I am living my dreams. Right now. Writing. Encouraging. Loving. Ah, beloveds, enjoy your space and time. We get one shot at this thing. Make it a great one. In case no one has told you yet today: I love you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Repeat after me: I can do amazing things.

Repeat after me:

I can do amazing things.

I am amazing.

I can do life changing things.

My life is changing simply by me doing me to the best of my abilities.

I can do amazing things.

I have nothing to fear.

Yes, I shall fail.

Failing and falling comes with achieving amazing things.

I shall continue to amaze myself with my try.

I choose to see the beauty within me. Yes, I recognize that I may, at times, do some ugly things but I promise to do all within me to live, love and react with love.

I am amazing.

I can and will continue to do amazing things.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Beloveds, you are amazing! You are! Ah, beloveds, lift up your heads. Know you are not alone. Life can feel awfully lonesome as we trudge up the hill called what the fresh hell. Fear not. Keep climbing. I climb with you. As does He. Let’s enjoy the journey, shall we? In case no one has told you yet today: I love you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t focus on what you see.

Don’t focus on what you see, beloveds.

Focus on what you are trying to bring into existence.

See through the eyes of FAITH. Tell fear/doubt to kick rocks. REFUSE to allow your image to be clouded and viewed through the eyes of fear and doubt.

The unknown can be a frightful thing if you are not certain of your steps. That said, as long as you KNOW Who is taking care of the unknown, you can walk confidently.

I am doing my best to NOT focus on what I think I see. My perceptions are currently being clouded by bills, bills, bills and more bills. Makes it hard to focus on enjoying life and doing what I know to do and everything else WILL come out in the wash.

I was laying in bed, in tears, wondering if ever will ever come. I woke and told myself I will focus, as best I can, on what I can currently see and do.

In the meantime, beloveds, keep on keeping on. When will I stop saying this? When we have all crossed the finish line!

You CAN.

You WILL.

believing in and for us all,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Remain hopeful. Remain joyful. Laugh at doubt and fear and tell them to kick some rocks. Love someone. Starting with you. I got your back. God has us all.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t worry about what they say.

I missed the playoff game.

Woke to see all kinds of folks calling the losing team a bunch of chokers and losers. SMH.

Folk will ALWAYS have something to say, beloveds.

Play YOUR game. YOUR way. You may lose. That’s okay. Don’t worry about those who relish over your apparent demise.

You gave your all. You tried. You left it all on the field. Let that be enough. The trophy is NOT the goal. Doing your best is the goal. Yes, you want to come out on top. Life is not like that. We lose more times than we win.

The trick is being just as humble during the downturn as we are with the win or the uptick.

The older I get, the less I need a cheering crowd behind me. I’m not even concerned about what place I end up in. First? Great. Last? Well, I tried.

No matter. Whatever. As long as I know I played the game with integrity and cared for my opponent, I can live with the outcome.

I’m sure the losing team is going to learn from mistakes made. If not, they may lose again. Then again, they may correct the mistakes and STILL lose the game. No one will be able to take away the knowledge that they gave all they had.

I have been feeling like such a failure the last month or so. I feel as though I should have gotten further by now. I tell myself all I can do is try. Still, my feels want to get all feely and downcast.

Then, I turn on some music and dance my way out of my feels. I don’t worry about what folks say. I don’t even worry about what I may say. I tell my doubts and fears to shut up and I keep it moving.

Do you and keep it moving. Folks are going to have something to say no matter what you do.

What does HE say?

Nuff said,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: We got this. We really do.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What do you have to say to the world?

What do you have to say to the world, beloveds?

What do you WANT to say?

What are you afraid to say?

There are words, dreams, thoughts that only YOU, beloved, is meant to share with all of us.

YOU are needed.

This world is waiting for YOU.

Yea, I know, beloveds, you are waiting for whatever so you can say and be what you think the world is waiting for.

There is nothing you need to have before you can speak.

Open your mouth.

Open your heart.

Trust the gifts that have been placed within YOUR heart.

Value your heart.

Value YOU.

It’s not your fault, beloveds, that others were so hurt they have been unable to see the awesome heart called YOU.

What do you have to say to the world, beloveds?

Time grows short. It’s time, don’t you think, for you to lift up your voice and share all the depths and warmth and love and light your awesome heart contains?

Get on out there, beloveds. Raise your voice. It’s your time.

Your voice may be the last piece I need to complete my decades old dream. Ah, beloveds, it may.

Speak.

We are listening.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, um, you are supposed to be out there speaking. Get going….

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What are you focusing on?

I had to bust out my blue screwdriver.

Yep, I had to do a nice concert to get me all fired up!

There is NOTHING more fantastic than peforming for an audience of one with my blue screwdriver.

When I am bellowing along with Cee Cee Winans, I forgot about all my troubles. I forget I was supposed to be afraid of my circumstances. I no longer remember I am supposed to be terrified of the unknown.

Naw, beloveds, when I have my blue screwdriver, ALL I can focus on is the joy spilling all over everything!

The instant I focus on the fact that I am NOT alone, joy bubbles get to running all over the place.

HHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Hard is not quite as hard with my trusty blue screwdriver in hand. In fact, hard gets to gettin’ down with me!

YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

I told 55 she had best get to getting after it with me instead of trying to scare me half to death.

Lately, I have been focusing on:

My age.

My age.

My age.

Bills.

Rinse.

Repeat.

I can do nothing about my age. I am doing my best to work through whatever this thing is about age aging me. Yikes.

This has been a glorious evening of writing, singing, praying, acting a fool in my undies and being thankful for all that I have. It sure can be easy, can’t it, to focus on what we don’t have or how hard like can be?

I am currently bellowing to ‘I Will Get There’ by Boys II Men.

‘I WILL GET THERE!!’

*mike drop*

You shall get there, beloveds.

As shall I.

hopeful,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is good. Even when it’s hard. Hold on. Stand fast. You are NOT alone. In case no one has told you yet today: I love you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

We are loved. We are NOT alone.

Be encouraged, beloveds.

This will be my last piece, in real time, until the power comes back on. Could be a week they say. It’s raining and thundering again.

I have hour and a half on my laptop and 37 percent on the phone so charging it best as can.

Life can be rough. It’s tough now but God has me. He has us all. I must admit I thought my numbered days had run out. Am still here.

It comforts me KNOWING I am alone, yet not.

I am loved. So are you. Love someone. Starting with you.

STILL here,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Yikes, that was a hella terrifying tornado!!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!