Your ingredient is needed.

I made THE perfect grilled chicken breast!๐Ÿฅฐ

It was seasoned perfectly!

A pinch of this.

A dash of that.

A sprig of the other.

Delicious.

If just ONE grain had been missing…I shudder to think of it!

Which has me thinking of you, beloveds. What you bring to this world is terribly needed.

This world needs YOUR ingredients. Only YOU can flavor this bitter world with your love, with your sauciness, with your distinctive flavor(s).

Keep on being YOU. Keep on allowing The Universe access to who you are. We need to sample your goodness.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been praying all morning for those who feel unworthy. Beloveds, your life is soooooooooooo priceless. You are worth a million prayers.

Release yourself from the prison of secret shame and doubt you keep yourself in. The expectations placed upon you are NOT yours to bear.

Your life was worth the death of A King. Be encouraged this day. Asking for Your Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on beingโ€ฆYOU!

Take a step.

Take the next step, beloveds.

Just ONE.

You don’t have to know EVERY step, in order to take a step.

Just ONE.

Go on, now.

You can do this.

You CAN.

You WILL.

Well, I know, beloveds. The next step is often the:

Hardest.

Scariest.

Sometimes, the messiest.

We don’t know where the next step may/will need.

Take a step anyway.

Boldly.

Unapologetically.

Joyfully.

Then, take another step. Then, another.๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿ˜„๐Ÿค—๐Ÿ†

Ah, beloveds. I see you! Keep doing them thangs!!

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Get to steppin’…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on beingโ€ฆYOU!

Don’t run away.

Don’t run away.

Stay in the fight.

Stay in the fire.

Stay in the place The Universe has asked you to remain in.

Yes, it hurts.

Yes, it grows tight.

Yes, it gets old.

Oftentimes, beloveds, we are where we are because we are acting as a placeholder for others.

I know. I know. You are ready for YOUR turn. Your turn SHALL come. Then, someone shall act as YOUR placeholder.

Be patient.

Be steadfast.

Be steady.

In the meantime, rejoice for someone whose life you are impacting simply by being obedient and living a life of integrity.

Your legacy will honor your sacrifice. It IS a sacrifice to remain in a tough/hard place because you have been asked to remain right where you are.

Is it fair to be asked this? Does it matter?

Don’t run away.

You may be running away from the greatest blessing you have ever known.

rooting for us all,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I want to run away. I can’t. Life is much too short to run…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on beingโ€ฆYOU!

Give yourself permission.

Give yourself permission, beloveds.

Give yourself permission to try.

Give yourself permission to dream.

Give yourself permission to stop.

Give yourself permission to start over.

Give yourself permission to rest.

Give yourself permission to walk away.

Give yourself permission to return.

Give yourself permission to fail.

Give yourself permission to succeed.

Give yourself permission to win.

Give yourself permission to lose.

Give yourself permission to rejoice.

Give yourself permission to grieve.

Give yourself permission to love.

Give yourself permission to be loved.

Give yourself permission to age gracefully, without apology.

Give yourself permission to express your youth with exuberance, no matter your age.

Finally, beloveds, give yourself permission to…

Ah, beloveds, you tell me!

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I am as vulnerable as I have ever been. I FINALLY shared my biggest need with my fam:

I need to find out who I am APART from being beholden and available to/for them 24/7. Doing so has been all I have ever known. Ever.

55 years. Just in case. Maybe I will be needed. I can’t go. Someone might need me for something at a crucial moment.

As a strong, black woman, I am supposed to forever be there for the whole damned world. I have been.

A while ago, God asked me three questions:

What do YOU want?

What do you see?

Why are you here?

I have been running from those questions. God ain’t supposed to be asking about ME?!๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿค”

See, beloveds, God is supposed to be this big narcissistic God that needs me to forever be doing this, that and every other thing for Him, for the world and to hell with me and MY needs. I’m not supposed to have any needs. Right?!๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ˜ณ

To my surprise, to my consternation, to my sincere gratitude, God refused to stay in the box society tries so desperately to keep Him in.

Now, I find myself slap dab against these three questions. Ah, God, what shall I be/have/do at answers end?

I am tiptoeing closer to them. You shall see my answers soon. Perhaps. Maybe.

Ah, God. I’m afraid. Of what I may learn about me. I’m afraid of what You may think of my answers. What if I fail this pip quiz? Asking for a friend(me).

Come with me, beloveds. Let’s find out together:

What do YOU want?

What do you see?

Why are you here?

Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on beingโ€ฆYOU!

It’s time to find out.

It’s time to find out.

Time to find out who cares.

Time to find out who could care less.

Time to find out if I can.

Time to find out if I will.

Time to find out if I will succeed.

Time to find out if I will fail.

Beloveds, I’m tired of living in fear of who will, who want, what will, what won’t.

I’m ready to find out.

How about you?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is short. I have been needing to step completely away from everyone, especially family, so I can figure out what CASSANDRA needs and wants.

I have been afraid they won’t understand. I have been afraid they might take it personal. I have been afraid they won’t be there for me when I return.

I shared my concerns with a dear friend and she told me I needed to take this time for ME.

So, I took my fear and shared with some fam I am stepping away for a bit.

Yesterday was the first time I allowed myself the treat of sitting on my balcony and enjoying the cool breeze. I missed that. I have missed me.

The tornado has successfully sucked some life outย  of me. I am going on a walkabout to find where life went.

Life is short, beloveds. Cut the strings of the fears that may be holding you back from being honest with you and those that you love.

Wish me luck. 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 beingโ€ฆYOU!

Fear, you have no place here.

I dreamed of tornadoes.

That shook me. I have not dreamed of tornadoes since the tornado hit.

Maybe it’s because the power went out the other day. Plus, they are rebuilding the fence and other parts of the apartments. The more things are fixed, the more I realize how lucky I am to still be here.

That knowledge has me shaken. Again…*sigh*

I keep telling myself I am okay. I am not okay. In fact, I am not strong. Not at all.

I feel small.

I feel frail.

I feel terribly frail and oooooooooooolllllldddd.

I feel the terror again.

I want to hide.

From the feels.

From God’s Silence.

From everything.

Everything is making me tired.

I fight the tired.

I fight the frail.

I fight the old.

I have to.

I have thangs to do.

I sure wish I knew what to do next.

I still have my joy.

I still chase after my peace.

I have stopped seeking understanding.

How the hell can you understand hell?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note:

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on beingโ€ฆYOU!

Don’t stay because of fear.

Don’t stay in a relationship because of fear.

Move on.

A HEALTHY relationship awaits you.

Don’t stay in a job because of fear.

A REWARDING job awaits you.

Don’t stay in a cramped environment because of fear.

The world awaits you.

Stay because the relationship is healthy.

Stay because the job is rewarding.

Branch out because the world awaits you.

Time to stop making choices based upon what you fear.

Time to make choices based upon faith in your experience, in your learning, in your growth, in wise counsel.

You have the life you are putting in the effort for, beloveds. Simple as that. If you are not satisfiedย  with your life, make changes.

If you don’t like the changes, make more changes. Simple as that.

Come on, beloveds. We got thangs to do. We have ZERO time to be entertaining fear. Tell fear to kick rocks whenever and wherever it rears it’s lying head!

doing thangs free from fear,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: It’s okay to be afraid. Just not okay to allow fear to run our lives. The unknown is ONLY terrifying when you have to go it alone.

Isn’t it great, beloveds, to know we are loved and that we are NOT alone?!โค๏ธโ€๐Ÿฉนโ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿฅฐ

Be encouraged. 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 beingโ€ฆYOU!

Receive.

Receive.

Love.

Receive.

Care.

Receive.

Effort.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Put down the Superman/Superwoman cape, beloveds. Life is short. RECEIVE the love, care and effort that God has in store for you.

You don’t have to struggle and strive alone. There are caring folk just waiting to love YOU. 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 beingโ€ฆYOU!

Ask.

Ask.

For what you want.

Ask.

For what you need.

Ask.

For help.

Just ask.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been wanting chicken strips. Couldn’t afford it. Made what I had and was thankful.

Still, I have been wanting chicken strips and a few other items. Every penny I have now is allocated for rent, car insurance etc as I wait for my heart to be healed enough to return to work.

I longed. I wanted. I checked my account. I sighed.

I longed. I wanted. I prayed. I asked God to bless me. Told Him to fulfill His word as the Bible says given and it SHALL be given and that man shall give unto your bosom. Told Him to do what He said.

I returned the call of a friend. Right before the end of the call, they told me they had received an unexpected raise. Wonderful, Iย  said. Just before hanging up, they asked if I needed groceries. I said I had been wanting a few things.

A few minutes later…๐Ÿฅฐโ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿค—

I am fixing to have some chicken strips. How great is that?!

Tell Him what you need, beloveds. Life is short. Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on beingโ€ฆYOU!

You are worth it to me.

Doubts have been pounding me.

Skeptical has been laughing at me.

Lonely has been dogging my steps.

I write every day.

I hope every day.

I pray for folk every day.

Yet, The Universe stays silent.

I don’t know why.

So, doubts continue to pound.

Skeptical continues to laugh.

Lonely brings a tinge of sad with it.

I have a secret weapon, though. His Name is Hope. He brings Joy with Him.

Why?

So, I can keep doing my why.

Why?

Because folk need to hear, to know, to feel they are loved and not alone. Every day. Every single day.

Beloveds, hear me when I say this:

You are much more than a click or a like.

You are beloved.

You are worth every lonely step.

Your tender heart is worth praying for.

Your beautiful spirit is worth fighting for.

You matter.

To me.

To Him.

To others as you open your heart.

You are worth it to me.

I’m up. Early. Doing thangs. Lifting you up in prayer. Ah, beloveds, I am asking for awesome things for your lives.

Ah, beloveds, be encouraged. Embrace this day. I’m waiting with and for you.

Take care of you. Would you please/thanks?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I love you. So does He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on beingโ€ฆYOU!