Author: Cassandra S.

God got me. No matter the storm.

Yall are reading a miracle, beloveds. As we speak I am typing these words by the light of my phone.

Why?

My city has just gone through an awful 🌪 tornado.

There are downed trees everywhere. I could hear the roar of the tornado 🌪 outside my door.

I hid in the bathroom and yelled at Jesus to spare my life and protect my car.

Trees are everywhere. All around my car and neighbors.

Folk are wandering around wondering how our apartments are still standing.

I came upon a neighbor, a stranger. I asked her if I could hug her. She said her name was Natalie or Natasha. I can’t remember.

I hugged a stranger as if hugging a long lost kin.

I sat in my car and did a few videos to encourage folk to be encouraged during the storms of life. I will post to Instagram soon.

I called a friend and told him he was talking to a miracle.

Daylight won’t come for me for another hour. The heat is stifling. I only have 26 percent on my power pack.

The smell of gas leaks are all over our counties.

Not sure when the power will be on. Which means I will not be able to work from home.

Ah, God. Thanks for sparing my life. My heart aches as I went through the storm alone. Yes, you were there but I had no Jesus with skin on.

I was told to ‘be calm’ and ‘plead the blood of Jesus’ instead of hollering ‘Jesus help me’ over and over. I yelled, on the phone, don’t tell me how to pray when there is a 96 mile an hour 🌪 tornado in my yard!!!!

Am listening to some praise music wondering how I can encourage you, beloveds, when I don’t know what I shall see come daylight.

It’s a good thing I have pieces already scheduled to keep folk uplifted through Monday. As yall find encouragement, hopefully, maybe one or two or three of yall will say some prayers for me and others in my town and surrounding towns as we assess and move forward.

I don’t know how to feel. I’m not sure what to do.

Shaken but not stirred.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: 🌪😭❤️‍🩹😳😥

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

No longer about the number.

I used to chase numbers.

The number of people I could influence.

The number of folk I could help.

The number of things I could accomplish for God.

The number of ways I could succeed.

The number of ways I could help my family and friends.

The number of positions I could twist myself in to prove myself worthy of:

Attention.

Love.

Care.

The only problem with chasing numbers, beloveds, is that no one is EVER satisfied with the number you produce!

Especially YOU.

You look at all your try and determine it could not possibly be enough for God, for the world, or for you.

Then, you feel less than because your number was less than what you thought it should be.

Your number looks like soooooooooooo very little when you compare your number to other folks numbers!

Look at them, you exclaim❗

Look at THAT!😳🥺

Now, your THAT no longer matches with THEIR number(s).

Don’t worry about how many, beloveds. Just do what you can. The outcome has never been up to you. Or me. ALL we are required to do is to just be!

The ONLY number I concern myself with is how many times can I love and extend myself in a day. Speaking of which: I love you.

Be encouraged.

doing thangs,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note:

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Let’s be afraid together.

Me: I’m afraid.

Dreams: Of what?

Me: I’m afraid of letting you down. What if all of my ideas for us is stupid?

Dreams: To who?

Me: Everyone.

Dreams: What if everyone thinks your thoughts, your ideals, your dreams, meaning me, are stupid?

Me: So what if they do!? These are MY dreams. Many of my ideas ARE kinda stupid.

Dreams: 😆🥰. So how about we be afraid together?

Me: K.

I have been terribly hard on myself. I keep blaming myself for…*shrug*. Getting older, I guess. I don’t know why 55 has been such a tough go.

I NEVER used to consider growing older a problem. In fact, I rather enjoyed getting older. I enjoyed turning 50. Had a fabulous party for myself. I bebopped my way through 51, 52, 53, 54…???

????!!!!

55!!!!!!!!!!

55 came out the gates hollering and screaming for me to HURRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Don’t ask me what I was now supposed to be hurrying to do. Before 55 came calling, I was content with taking as long as it took to get to where God told me to get to getting to.

Now, I find 55 blasting megaphones in my ear to HURRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

I keep telling myself to chillax, relax and continue following the path God has for me. I have time, I tell myself. I have time. Still.

Time seems to be laughing at me. Time keeps reminding me I just don’t know how much of it I have left. God keeps telling me to STOP wasting my time wondering how much time I have. He says I don’t have the time to be wasting time worrying about time…lol.

Running out of time can seem frightful. That’s okay. Let’s be afraid together, beloveds, eh?

The bible says that God has NOT given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I tell myself this on the daily. Whew!

Fear not, beloveds. And, when afraid, take your fear with you and do the thing that terrifies you the most.

Last night, I lay in bed wondering if I will ever get there. If I will ever see my dreams in full flight. I grew discouraged. Just a tad. Until, I remembered it’s not up to me. All I can do is all I am doing. I can live with that. I think.

In the meantime, I promised me I would be good to me. So, I am going to fix myself a nice meal of some concoction or other I will toss in my electric skillet. Come by and dine with me.

We got this. God has us all.

hopeful still,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You CAN. You WILL. Be encouraged. Your discouragement is nothing but an appointment with upcoming greatness. Prepare to open the door to some amazing experiences. Love someone, beloveds. Starting with you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

It’s important.

It’s important to rest.

It’s important to cease from labor.

It’s important to take a break.

It’s important to stop searching.

It’s important to refrain from movement.

It’s important.

Don’t fall for the lie you have to be doing something, thinking something, being something 24/7.

Rest is just as important as action.

Be sure to get in your me time.

If you are ‘too busy’ to be good to you, you are simply too busy!

I used to use the excuse I was ‘too tired’ when it came to getting in some ME time. I killed myself for everyone else. I chastised me for even THINKING of taking a break…*sigh*.

You don’t have anything to prove. Folk who truly care will already understand and champion your need to do you for a while.

Take care of YOU, beloveds, so you can continue to love them.

It’s important.

YOU are important!

You matter.

You do.

So do I.

Let’s go!!

Um, let’s go rest!🥰🤣🤣🔥

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: ❤️‍🩹♥️🤗

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

It’s NOT what you think.

Boo hoo.

Woe is me.

It’s ALL over.

Yep, that was me this morning. Lamenting because I just did not know how to make my finances do what I NEED FOR THEM TO DO DARNIT!!!!!!!!!!

Yea, I was acting a fool until my dreams rolled up and whispered in my ear.

Ah.

Aha!

dreaming again,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: If you must tell yourself a story, beloveds, be sure it’s a tale of fantastic feats and victory!

We lose ONLY as we tell ourselves we have lost. The goal is not the goal…hehe. The try is the 🏆 prize.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Count it all joy.

Uh oh, beloveds, I have my trusty blue screwdriver!🥰

“Count It All joy!”🎤🎶🎧

Be encouraged. Count It ALL joy. Enjoy the day. Am spending a delicious afternoon just enjoying the afternoon. 🥰

I said I was NOT going to write today. My heart couldn’t help spilling out on the page.🥰🎶🤣

Stop worrying about things you can do little to nothing about.

Ah, life.💪❤️‍🩹♥️

Life is good. Even when it’s hard. Stop focusing on the hard and enjoy your day. It’s the only one you have.

Have you worked on your dream today? If not, get outta here and get to working on your dream. If so, stop for a spell and have a cup of ☕ coffee and a 🎶 sing with me.🎤

counting ALL as joy,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: We got this.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I love you, God said to me.🥰

God: I love you. Nuff said.

Me: 🥰❤️‍🩹♥️

loved,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: God loves you. As do I. Be encouraged.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

It’s okay to say ‘Ow’.

It’s okay to say “Ow’.

It’s okay to say ‘Why now?’

It’s okay to ask ‘What now?’

Ow, God!

Why NOW?

WHAT now?!

Whew.

Nuff said.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Sometimes, beloveds, doing what needs to be done hurts. It can be cumbersome. It can be unwieldy. It can be nasty. It can be heavy. It can be lonely. It can be frustrating. It can, and often is, all kinds of things we wish it were not.

Keep going anyway. He didn’t tell us to keep going only when things are comfortable. He didn’t say keep going only when we understood. He didn’t say keep going only when we feel like it. He asks us to keep going. Why? Because, we have thangs to do. Best we get to it, eh, beloveds?

In case no one has told you yet today: I love you. So does He.❤️‍🩹♥️

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

You won’t know you can until you have to.

Today required a lot of patience.

Too bad I had none.

Nada.

Zilch.

Not even a smidge.

I had to keep going, though.

No choice.

I HAD to.

I had no idea how it’s gonna get through the work day.

I had to find a way.

I found a way.

Don’t ask me how.

I just did it.

I didn’t think I could.

I did.

I told myself I would try.

I tried.

I did.

You won’t know you can until you have to.

Be encouraged.

rooting for you,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You have NO idea of the depths of you. Don’t stop until you reach the finish line.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Stay the course: Can I be honest, God?

Me: Can I be honest?

God: Yes.

Me: I mean REEEEEAAAAAAAALLLLLY promise I won’t get to hell for being honest, honest?

God: Yes.

Me: I’m having a hard time with hard. I’m having a realllly hard time waiting for YOU. I know You promised to be with me during hard but You have been awfully quiet. Your Silence is awfully loud, God. Just saying.

God: I understand.

Me: Do You? It doesn’t FEEL like it. It doesn’t LOOK like it. I am simply living by MY faith in YOU.

God: Exactly. Wait for it, beloved.

Me: Ah. Aha!

God: When I am the most silent, your heart speaks the loudest.

Me: I know! I can’t get her to….hhm. I think I see what You mean! I am forever trying to control how my heart needs to be acting or doing. I need to trust her more and just let her BE. Me. I’m afraid to be me.

God: Why?

Me: Because, my me is soooooooooooooooo, well, ME. I can’t find another 55 year old who does this life like I do.

God: Okay, beloved, there is only one you. This was by design.

Me: Why does my design feel sooooooooo inadequate?

God: Inadequate to whom, beloved?

Me: Ah. Aha!

God: Exactly. Keep going. Even when you don’t understand. Especially when you don’t understand. I am here. I keep My Promises. Will you keep YOURS?

Me: I will.

God: That’s all I ask.

Me: K.

Can I be honest, beloveds? It has been terribly difficult to stay the course. My age, my lack of resources, my this, my that and every other thing is laughing all up in my face.

Today, I had to drag myself out of bed. I called my twin. Told her I did NOT know HOW I would do work. today. She told me to do work today.

I told her I did NOT know HOW I would be able to keep on keeping on. She told me to keep on keeping on.

I told myself God told me His Grace was sufficient for me. Whew! Grace where ARE you?!!

I got up.

I started work.

I started enjoying work.

Be encouraged, beloveds. If you are in a terribly difficult spot, get to rejoicing! Your victory IS at hand. If not, fear/doubt and all their friends would not be on such a rampage to get YOU to give up on YOU and your dreams.

Hold fast, beloveds. Oftentimes, your dreams are not being held up because of anything you have done or not done. Your dreams, at times, are being held up because God is doing work in and for someone else.

Now, I don’t know why this hard has had to be THIS hard. I just know hard ain’t nothing but a tool we use to keep us sharp, focused and fresh.

Be encouraged. Don’t let anything keep your joy. Turn on some music. Step out into some fresh air. Get on up, beloveds. We got thangs to do.

Encourage someone. Life is tough for us all. We got this. God has us all. In case no one has told you today: I love me some you. So does He.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, so the whole piece was a note. Geeeeeeeeeez.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!