Month: July 2024

God, thank You for the lemonade.

Life has been handing me lemons.

By the bushel.

By the boatload.

I wake up to lemons.

I seem to end the evening with the damnable things.

I have pouted because of them.

I have cried my way through them.

I have fussed due to them.

I have laughed despite them.

In the meantime, I have been learning new, more creative, ways to make lemonade. I figure there is no need to be wasting all this hard by complaining how hard things are and have been.

Slowly, I have perfected each glass:

A dab of laughter here.

A smidge of drama there.

A whole heap of grace mixed in.

A smattering of reality.

Oodles and oodles of self care and comfort liberally throughout each glass.

What’s more, beloveds, I now keep snacks handy to have with said lemonade!

Life is much too short to forever lament about how unfair, hard, mean yada yada it can be.

I would not have wished for these lemons to be presented in such a fashion. I am thankful for the opportunity to…*shrug*. I’m just thankful.

I wish I didn’t have to go this way. It has been super stressful, lonely, trying and every other ‘ing one could think of. It has also been exhilarating, freeing, and every other positive ‘ing one could imagine.

If nothing else, I have plenty of fodder to encourage folk with, eh?….hahahahaahahahahaha.

Be encouraged, beloveds, if Life has you going through an especially tough patch. This time is NOT here to break you. It is just revealing the awesome heart, mind and soul called you.

Take care with your heart. It is much too priceless and precious to be dismissed. Be good to you, beloveds. Cut yourself some slack. You are doing all you know.

Life is too short to be wasting lamenting why you have been given your lemons. Get to making a nice tall glass of lemonade. Short of that, get to make some pie, tarts, cookies or whatever else you want to make from your lemons.

What you make of your lemons, with your hard, with your life is YOUR choice. No victims here. We get what we make out of our lives.

I hear a cup of coffee calling. Who is hankering a spot of coffee/tea?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is worth living. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. Don’t give up, beloveds. Not quite yet. I didn’t want to start again. I started again. I did not want to fight with reality. I punched reality in the face and told it to leave me and my joy alone. I did not want to dream again. Dreaming is just too hard. I dreamed. I dream. Still. I dream of a world where we all continue to love one another and to try and make things the best we can.

In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He. Be encouraged. Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Shut up and learn, Cassandra.

My brother has been trying to teach me.

I have been a trying student. Trying his last nerves. Yikes!

Instead of answering his questions, I have been questioning why he is asking.

I sowwy, big bro.

I am trying to learn to keep it shut and learn. The way HE teaches me. If anyone but my big bro, I would have probably been more patient, more gracious, more understanding.

I don’t know why we can be sooooooooooo dismissive of siblings and loved ones. Maybe it’s because we know each other’s secrets. We don’t have masks we can hide behind.

Ah.

Aha!

I’m trying to let those closest to me, close to me.

I’m trying to get out of my own way. I keep telling myself to shut up and learn. Learning sucks about now. I want to be finished with finishing school.

The Universe: Shut up and learn, Cassandra.

Me: K.

trying to learn sorta,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I don’t know why Life is sooooooooooooooo insistent we learn this, that and the other. Probably so we can stop getting on It’s nerves forever asking why this and why that…hahahahahhaha. Be encouraged. Have an amazing weekend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Saturday.

Saturday.

You are here.

Finally!

What a week.

What in the world, Saturday, took you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo long to get here?

Ah, Saturday, now that you have come, what shall we DO, today?

I vote nothing. How ’bout you?

asking for a friend(me)

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: The Olympics have started! Yippeee!! I get to hoot and holler at the television for the next little while. Have an amazing Saturday. Be sure to love on you today. Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Say yes to you.

It’s time.

To say yes.

To YOU.

You spend your days telling yourself no.

You spend your hours telling your dreams no go.

Let’s go.

Right now.

Let’s do this.

Somehow.

Some kind of way.

Say yes to YOU.

To your dreams.

To your needs.

To your hope fors.

To your wishes and rainbows.

Why not now?

Why not you?

Why not yours?

Let’s go, beloveds.

We got thangs to do.

Today.

Now.

Let’s live.

We are done with surviving life.

We are:

Thriving.

Trying.

Traveling.

We are moving towards our dreams.

Slowly.

Surely.

Certain.

Let’s go.

Say yes.

Finally.

To you.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is short. Stop using reality to talk you out of saying yes to all the ridiculous ideas and notions floating around in your head and heart. Get going. Be encouraged.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

30 years in the making.

30 years in the making.

My dreams.

My hopes.

My frustrations.

30 years in the making.

And more.

30 years in the making.

Desires, seeking to be free of me and fears long held.

Expressions, longing to breathe life into the absolute ridiculous ideas careening around my soul.

Satisfaction, seeking to be sought from accomplishing wishes long buried now waiting to be set free.

Ah, God.

I’m trying.

Why has this making been 30 years in the making?!

I’m ready.

Let me know.

Let me grow.

Let me go.

Let me try.

30 years in the making.

Making me cra cra.

Making me wonder.

Making me.

Ah.

Aha!

You have been making ME!

These past years, beloveds, have been such a teacher. Before, I was pursuing ministry. Before, I was chasing after relationships. Before, I was chasing after career. Before, I was chasing after dreams.

Now, I no longer chase. Now, I no longer pursue. Now, I am learning how to wait. Patiently. Expectantly. Hopefully. Faithfully. Joyfully.

And, no, beloveds, the wait has NOT always been joyful and hopeful. In fact, the wait has often felt like a huge weight. In my way. On my shoulders. Keeping me from DOING dammit!

DOING used to be my main focus. Now, my focus is doing what’s necessary, WHEN it’s necessary. I don’t want to be doing outside the right time. Timing is everything. I don’t want to do before folk are ready. I don’t want to do before my heart is ready.

Doing, for the sake of doing, has been one of the biggest reasons why I burned myself out. I was so used to doing, for doing’s sake, I forgot what the world I was doing in the first place! Yikes! Egads!

I have promised I will do my level best to be and let the doing take care of itself. I am also learning not to judge my doing, or lack thereof, based on other folks do or not do.

We each have our path. We all have our own thangs to do or not do. Best we stop judging ourselves by others and be about being about it for ourselves, eh?

30 years in the making.

I think, beloveds, if I could wait 30 years, I think I can manage a bit more time….lol.

Be encouraged. Don’t regret the time spent pursuing your dreams. The time has been spent, for a reason. Maybe, the reason never was for you. Maybe, beloveds, the reason has been for others, all along.

All we can do is to do, wait, be, try and allow the outcome to be whatever The Universe has chosen for it to be.

My heart has been terribly saddened to see so many folks trampling on the hearts of others to get their ‘needs’ met. My soul is grieved to see folks gleefully taking from others in order to have for themselves. My spirit cries from seeing folk who just don’t understand how precious and priceless others are.

We are NOT the center of the universe. We are NOT entitled to have whatever the hell we want whenever the hell we want it. We are NOT here to steal as much as we can from the environment, folk pocket books and the world at large.

We are here to leave things better than we have found them.

We are here to be of service to one another.

We are here to love.

We are here to be loved.

We are here to care.

We are here to share.

We are here to hope.

We are here to shine our light to drive out the darkness.

We are here to laugh.

We are here to cry.

We are here to live.

We are here for many, many reasons.

We are here, beloveds.

Since we are here, how about we DO something with the lives we have?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note:

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Be an umbrella for someone else’s rainy day.

Life has been pouring down rain for me here lately.

So much so, beloveds, I am drenched, tired and frustrated. I promised myself I would encourage folk when I was feeling the most this way.

So, I am doing my best to be an umbrella for someone else, today. I imagine there are folk who are soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick and tired of being rained on, rained out, torrentially and horribly poured down on to the point where there is nothing delightful about dancing in so much blasted rain!!!!!!!!!

I got you, beloveds. I shall let others tap dance delightfully in the rain. I am holding an umbrella over you as you yell at The Universe for the stupid deluge which is drowning out your dreams!

Give folk their rainbow(s) Universe and stop all this blasted rain!!!!!

Yes, I KNOW, rain is needed. Yes, I KNOW we have to have stupid storms and such so stupid plants and such can grow. During the stupid storms most of us could give two hoots about all that!!!

We want the rain to stop!

We want the power to come back on!!!!

Ack!!

Fresh hell!!

Crap!!!

Whew.

Okay, beloveds. I just did a whole bunch of hooting and hollering for those who are just too tired to hoot and holler. I got you.

Be encouraged. Rest, now. I’m holding the umbrella for you. Perhaps, tomorrow, you shall cover me, eh?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: What a week we are having, eh? Geeeez. Ah, God. Help some sistas and brothas out, would you please? We are ready for our dreams to come true. Asking for many friends(especially me)

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

(Hidden) Connections.

16!?

SIXTEEN!!!!????

What the what the?!!!!

🤯😡

My router was acting a fool. I had my provider send someone out. Turns out, there were 16 things connected. My router does not like more than 9, so the technician said, before it would rebel and act a fool.

After resetting things, the technician had me change my password to keep others from using connections they had not paid for and did NOT deserve to use.

Folk are like that: They will take what is not theirs, use folk up and spit them out. All the while leaving others drained and wondering why their connection is so darned slow!

No wonder, beloveds, how long it takes us to get to where we are going. We are tied down to and with hidden connections sapping the very life from us.

It’s important we take stock from time to time to ensure we are not connected to people, places and things which are draining us and taking us away from where we need to be.

I have been using this time to process and remove connections which are hindering me, distracting me, upsetting me, frustrating me, driving me away from standing and acting on FAITH and not being led by the choices, needs and wants of others.

There is nothing wrong with doing for others. We just need to ensure we are doing so out of choice and not guilt. That we are doing so because we choose to and not because we have been told we should, have to, got to or had better.

The main thing I am doing is keeping the main thing the main thing: Being connected to Him. Being connected to The Word. Being connected to The Holy Spirit. Being connected to Jesus. Being connected with my family. Being connected with my friends. Being connected with my community.

Life is much too short to be led about by folk with agendas which does not serve us. And, life is also much too short to only do things because it serves only us. There has to be a balance: Some for you. Some for me. Some for Life. Some for The Universe. Some for God. Some for family. Some for friends. Some for the community.

Getting rid of connections can be hard. We wonder if we will be alone if we get rid of relationships which have never been reciprocal. I desire synergy in relationships. You get some. I get some. Transactional relationships I leave for the bank and restaurants…hahahahahahahahahaha!

Life is short. Take some time to check your connections. What/who are you connected to? Are you serving one another? Is it time to move on? There is nothing wrong with letting go of a relationship that has ended.

I can’t remember who said folk are in our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. I am mindful of this. We have no idea who is meant for us for a reason, season or lifetime until we walk with them for a spell.

If for a reason, wish the other person well.

If for a season, enjoy the season, then wish the person well.

If for a lifetime, enjoy for your lifetimes.

What life connections are you allowing? Is there something you are connected to which is draining your spirit? Do you need to break away for a time? Do you need to shut down the connection permanently?

I have a Chocolate Chip Muffin that is screaming for me to disconnect from this laptop so I can enjoy it with a cup of coffee.

Be encouraged. I say this EVERY day. Why? Your heart NEEDS to hear these words at least once a day. Be sure to say them to yourselves, out loud. Be encouraged.

You got this. You CAN. You WILL. I also often say this. Say these words to yourselves. It’s important to feed yourself. On the daily. On the regular.

I am currently chair dancing and filling my heart with uplifting music. Who wants to join me?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Don’t focus on the hard. Focus on enjoying your day. It can become super easy to focus on how hard the day is. The day is just bringing about the greatness locked deep inside. Let it come out. Asking for Your Friend. In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

It’s not you.

When life turns things on its head.

It’s not you.

When all hell has broken loose simply because you said you were ready for more.

It’s not you.

When folk walk away after you have let them know your boundaries.

It’s not you.

When folk become upset when you express opinions they asked for in the first place.

It’s not you.

When your job, spouse, friend, family, or others fail to recognize how much you have given/ tried,

It’s not you.

When you dreams keep outrunning your try.

It’s not you.

You given you.

You have given your all.

That is enough.

For those who demand more, show them the door.

Celebrate your try. None of us celebrates our try enough. We are too busy chastising ourselves for not being perfect. Phooey with that!

We care. We hope. We love. We dare try. I think this makes us heroes!

not afraid to be Clark Kent,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Cut yourself some slack. In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Uprooted: You can have the cape, Superman.

I used to be Superman. Rushing in, saving the world, in a single bound.

Problem solver.

Way maker.

Getting in the way maker.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I am learning to get out of the way.

I am learning I do NOT have to be Superman.

I am learning that it is fine to NOT be strong.

I am learning to just be.

Me.

I am enough.

Already.

So are you.

Shame on us all for dismissing our greatness because of what we own, what we don’t have, what we don’t possess. Things are just that: Things!

No more judging ourselves by things, eh?

I for one am spending the rest of my days letting folks know they are loved and not alone. I have been doing so for the past three decades plus. Yet, I judged myself, harshly, because I had not built up great stores of wealth so I could ‘prove’ I was not a waste of space.

Ah, beloveds, know ye not you are a priceless soul? There is only ONE you. There is only ONE me. We can NOT be substituted. We can NOT be replaced. We can NOT be copied.

It saddens me that folks are trying to make something of themselves they are not because they believe they are not enough.

Superman can have my cape. I am happy to keep on wearing my Clark Kent glasses. Life is much simpler this way.

I will leave it for others to bear burdens never meant for their shoulders. As for me and mine, I hear a cup of coffee waiting for me. Who is coming with?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Lay aside the weight, beloveds. You ought not bear the weight of the world. Not your job. Let folks do their own work. You have your own thangs to do. Doing thangs with you….

In case no one has told you yet today: I love you. Jesus says ‘What up tho?’

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I am not strong: Time to feel, Cassandra.

Time to feel, Cassandra.

That’s what God said to me.

NO, I hollered back.

I don’t want to.

Too bad, feels have said to me. They are running around, beloveds, everywhere!

I find them in my sleep. I find them hanging around the coffee pot. I find them in the bathroom. They are in the shower. They have stolen my commas!

My feels are soooooooooooooooooooooo ready, to lament about all the happenings that have befallen me.

I don’t know what to do with them. I don’t know what to do with ME.

Sleep escapes me. Every night.

The next step(s) keeps running up ahead.

Yet, God has been forever silent. Leaving ME to shout liberally and loudly. The silence is just soooooooooooooooooooooooo loud!

I don’t want to feel. Anything. Anytime soon. Anymore.

I am feeling the loss of a job I enjoyed for fourteen and a half years. I’m angry I have not been able to suck it up and go back to work. I am angry I have not been able to trick myself into pulling myself up by my bootstraps so I can keep on going.

I am angry the damned tornado tore up the damned yard!!

I am angry mom is not here to tell me everything is going to be alright!!

I am angry I don’t have a significant other to tell me how significant I am right now. I don’t feel significant!

Fresh hell, beloveds, I am angry. Again! Dammit. Crap. Geeeeeeeeeeeeez.

Just when I think I am okay, I open my door and see all the destruction and start the whole damned angry train all over again!

God, I am angry. Still. Not at You. Just angry. Not because these things have happened to me. Just because they happened at all. To anyone.

Ah, Cassandra. Time to feel.

I am not strong.

weak but here,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been unpacking all this mad so I can enjoy the rest of my day. Don’t allow your feels to keep you held hostage. Feel, process, deal with things then move on with the rest of your day.

It’s okay to be angry with losing that which has meant a lot to you. Who cares, why, eh? Losing sucks. It hurts. When loved ones leave, it hurts. When we leave a job, it hurts. When we lose a relationship, it hurts. When we have to move, it hurts. When we have to give up something, it hurts. The reason(s) why does NOT remove the pain.

Yet, God is there for us as we hurt and heal. Even for non believers. For those who have told God to kick rocks, I pray for you, still. I got you, okay? Don’t judge yourself to harshly. Occasionally, I go off on God about why in the fresh hell He has apparently allowed all manner of foolishness to befall us.

Be encouraged, beloveds. I love you. So does He. Love yourselves, okay? I know this sounds like a ridiculous request. It’s not. There was a time, if you can believe it, when I loved everyone in the world BUT me.

This is why I spend EVERY day praying for each and every person who visits this blog. Whether you join, leave, like or roll your eyes, know you are prayed for. EVERY day. I ask for blessings for you and your family. I ask that the way be made straight for you.

I pray and ask God to show you how. I ask God to give you friends who shall walk with you for the rest of your days. I ask that nothing befalls your precious heart. I ask grace for you. I ask peace for your souls. I ask that God opens your eyes so you can see the truly priceless and person you are.

Mostly, beloveds, I ask that God carry EVERY tear you have ever shared and that He sprinkle them upon your dreams to keep them freshly watered and cared for.

Be encouraged. You are loved and not alone. I promise. As did He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!