Category: faith

Keeping it real: Hard times…

Hard times…

Teaches you to fight.

Hard times…

Forces you to fight.

Hard times…

Reveals your fight.

So get up and FIGHT, beloveds!

Stop fighting against the fact things are hard.

Stop fighting with God because things are hard.

Stop fighting with Life for being so damned hard.

Get in there and fight!

For:

Your dreams.

Your values.

Your family.

Your job.

Your community.

Your faith.

Your voice.

Your causes.

Anybody can quit.

Just about everyone makes excuses.

The world gave up on you long time ago.

So what?!

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Keep going. Hard times or not. Yes, this message gets old. I am tired of saying it to myself, let alone you. SMH. Keep going. We got thangs to do….

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t dim your light for others.

Don’t dim your light for others, beloveds.

Don’t pick up your love toys and go home when folk have not enough bandwidth for you.

Don’t run away and hide your heart when others do the same. That’s a THEIR problem, not yours.

Too often, we allow what others do to determine what WE do. I have been doing my utmost to not allow circumstances or how others do, to determine how I shall:

Act.

Respond.

Try.

We all have our journeys. We don’t all travel at the same speeds. None of truly know the heart of another.

All we can do is be us and allow others the opportunity to love and get to know us.

I am doing my level best not to pick up my love toys and go home. There are ooodles and ooodles of folk who are longing to play with a loud, old lady like me….lol.

Keep on being you, beloveds. You are just right for many. Yet, you won’t meet your many until you get out there and wade through all the wanna bes, the nots and the what the hells.

Be encouraged. Enjoy you. God does. The Universe cracks up whilst thinking of you in all of your goofness.

Embrace ALL that is you. ALL of it. I mean it.

asking for a friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I love me some you. Love someone today. Starting with you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Recovery: Intermittent Power Outages.

Fresh hell!

The power keeps going out.

Intermittently.

Frustratingly.

The surge has gotten my television acting a fool. Again! It took hours to get it back going. For it’s own safety, and mine, I have decided to leave it off before I chuck it over the balcony and onto the wasteland now known as the yard. Crap!!!

I have to laugh to keep from crying. It is much too hot for a headache from tears that won’t wash away these darned power surges.

I keep reminding myself life can be just like these dumb surges: Intermittent. Slow. Annoying. Frustrating. Getting in the way!!!!

Instead of beating the telly to death, I beat the fresh hell out of some eggs and made some scrumptious eggs, hamsteak and potatoe thingamajigs.

Instead of letting life frustrate you, come and have some breakfast with me. Don’t forget the coffee and desert.

wondering what in the fresh hell all this life nonsense is about,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Don’t let life get you down, beloveds. Find some joy in there. Dig out a few laughs. Turn on some music. Read a book. Get some fresh air. Do a chair dance with me. We got thangs to do. Life is too short lamenting about power surges you can do absolutely nothing about. Let God do His Work. You be about yours. Let’s go.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Real talk: Both things can be true at the same time.

I’m okay.

I’m NOT okay.

Both things are true.

I’m incredibly sad.

I’m extremely grateful.

Both things are true.

I’m waiting on God.

I’m wondering where the world God is.

Both things are true.

I’m super tired.

I’m super hopeful/energized.

Both things are true.

I never want to get out of bed.

I am ready to move forward.

Both things are true.

Ah, God. What in the fresh hell is all of thisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss?

I want to run away and hide.

I want to rest.

Both things are true.

I have never felt more alone.

I want to be alone.

Both things are true.

I think I shall allow myself to be both things, all things, all at once. Just for today.

hurt/healing,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I did not want to get out of bed. I got out of bed. I have been wanting to write. All day. Truth be told, beloveds, I have been beating the fresh hell out of Reality, Fear, Doubt and ALL their friends all damned day. I am tired of figthing with them. Fight with them I must. As do you. Why I have drug myself out of bed, made a cup of coffee and wanderered in here to see what Mags or Craig have torn up now…lol.

Be encouraged, beloveds. I reached out to a friend who said they ‘didn’t have the bandwith for me today’. Wow. Ow. I just wanted to let yall know I ALWAYS have the bandwith to love you and care for your lives. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I am going through. Yet, beloveds, I REFUSE to allow myself to cut off the hurt of another because of being tired. Life is short. Keep on keeping on. No matter what. We SHALL be okay. Even when it feels as though Thanos has snatched everything. He has not. He was only able to wipe out HALF, remember….hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.


One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Turn the music up. Loud!

I was feeling mighty low. Fighting not to look outside. Knowing outside is STILL outside, whether I look at it or not.

What did I do? I hid in bed, of course. ALL day. ALL DAY!

Finally, I made myself get up. Yes, it was after 11 pm…..shrug….better than nothing, I say.

Presently, am baying at the moon to some Cee Cee Winans. Thankfully, my headsets still have a bit of juice else would be waking up half the neighborhood.

I just popped round to tell you to keep on turning up the music. Loud!

Fear, doubt, hopelessness and despair can NOT stand when we turn up the music. You see, beloveds, all those dummies want is for you to lisen to THEM and not to HIM(God) about what is going on.

Truth be told, it’s really not necessary to know. The older I get, the more I know I don’t NEED to know every blasted thing. I used to HAVE to KNOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW…..lol.

All I know, NOW, is all I really need to know is that I am loved and that I am NOT alone. Both things are true.

Life is full of choices. Every day. ALL day. Choose to keep getting out of bed. Choose to keep fighting. Choose to keep standing on FAITH, not fear. Tell fear to kick rocks and take two seats. We have too much to do to waste time afraid about everything.

For me, the awful thing has happened. It already has. Now, I am trying to pick up the pieces.

Why?

I have a life to live. Some kind of way.

In the meantime, I am turning up the music. I have dummies to keep out.

What about you?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: CHOOSE. Don’t let the frightfully frightening outside mess too much with your insides. Asking for A Friend.


One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Cultures: Take another look.

I have spent a delicious day/night/evening visiting folk from all over the world:

I spent countless hours watching a couple who had gone to France and purchased an abandoned convent to restore. The gratitude the people of France expressed did my heart good.

I spent time watching a woman from I have no idea where, travel to Italy and buy a small home she called heaven. The pride she showed, in her new country, blessed my soul.

I watched an Australian man restore and renovate gardens for elderly folk for free. The heartfelt thanks the elders showed made me teary.

I watched an American go around cleaning up yards and lots and sidewalks and such so the neighborhood could look better and folk could enjoy their property and views.

I watched Asian folk and Japanese folk and others preparing delicious pies, cakes, breads etcetera for the world to enjoy.

I watched folk restore things, build things from scratch, tear things down, move thing in, take things out. All to make their world and ours a better place.

Ah, beloveds. Let’s ALL take another look. At one another. Inside our hearts. Let’s come together. Let’s shine our lights and turn back the divide.

I have to go. Another part of the world is calling for me. Care to join me?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: We are all we have, beloveds. We are all we need. Love someone. Starting with you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I hope you know.

I hope you know.

How priceless you are.

I hope you know.

How special you are.

I hope you know.

How unique you are.

I hope you know.

How loved you are.

I hope you know.

How fearless you are.

I hope you know.

How wonderful you are.

I hope you know.

How determined you are.

I hope you know.

How magnificent you are.

I hope you know.

How wondrous you are.

I hope you know.

How much you are loved.

I hope you know.

Ah, beloveds, IF you KNOW all these things about you, why on earth do you give yourself such a hard time?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Stop being so hard on you, beloveds. You are doing the best you can with what you have. Be encouraged. Keep looking up.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I wish I knew.

I wish I knew.

How to be all things for all people.

I wish I knew.

How to be everywhere, for everyone, every time.

I wish I knew.

How to be humble, always. And, angry, never.

I wish I knew.

How to be there, all while wanting to stay here.

I wish I knew.

How to right every wrong.

I wish I knew.

How to erase every heartache.

I wish I knew.

How to get rid of every doubt.

I wish I knew.

How to embrace hard things without feeling how hard the hard truly is.

I wish I knew.

I don’t.

So, I try.

I give.

I share.

I love.

Anyhow.

wishing I knew,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I disappointed my wombie. I think. In thinking thus, I am disappointed. In me. Ah, God. I wish I knew. 😥❤️❤️‍🩹

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I’m done with the shame game.

I’m done.

Done with the shame game.

Done shaming me.

Done shaming You.

Done shaming me for not being enough.

Done shaming You for not doing enough.

I’m done.

Nuff said.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been spending the weekend forgiving me for all the things I coulda, shoulda and woulda done if I had not been afraid.

If I had not been this.

If I had been that.

If.

IF.

If!

I WASN’T those things!

I WAS that!

So what?

What has been done has been done!

I am over shaming me, beloveds.

Why?

I found myself wishing, desperately, that I could go back to my boring life BEFORE the tornado.

I cried acknowledging that God, that I, that Life, that The Universe, that family, that friends, that money can NOT turn back the hands of the clock.

The tornado happened.

An actual fact.

The aftermath is here STILL.

Also, an actual fact.

Now, the present I wish was not mine, IS, in fact, mine. Now.

Fresh hell.

In acknowledgment, there is also peace. There is nothing left to be done but to accept what is and figure out if I am making lemonade, lemon meringue pie or throwing 🍋 lemons at anyone in the vicinity.

God: Lift up your head.

Me: K.

Lift up your head(s), beloveds. Let’s be done with the shame game, shall we? We have NOTHING to be ashamed of. If you have done something shameful, fix it. Forgive yourself. Move on. Rinse. Repeat.

We have all done things, said things, not did things, not said things we should/should not have. What’s done is done. God forgives. Why can’t/shouldn’t you? And, I don’t mean the false/fake stuff folk appear to be doing in simply saying folk ‘make mistakes’ then do nothing to correct things, make things right or apologize/repent for said stupid/thoughtless/shameful thing(s) said/done.

We got thangs to do, beloveds. Let’s stop wasting the precious moments we have left shaming ourselves and shaming others. How about we offer up some grace and keep it moving? Asking for A Friend…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I’m done with the blame game.

I’m done.

Done with the blame game.

Done blaming me.

Done blaming You.

Done blaming me for all the things I couldn’t.

Done blaming You for all the things You wouldn’t.

Doesn’t even matter why I didn’t.

Doesn’t even matter why You couldn’t.

I’m done.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I’m done, beloveds. No more. Blaming me. Blaming this, that and the other thing for why my life is or has turned out to be what it is. It just is. I have done the best I can/could, with what I had/have.

Be done, beloveds. Your life is your life. Change it, if you deem it needs changing. In the meantime, embrace it. Love you. Love folk and let the rest come out in the wash. You have done all you have known.

Back away from the blame game. Let it have it’s end. Mine ends now. How about yours? Asking for Your Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!