Category: faith

BEFORE you start.

BEFORE you start.

Before you start, ask yourself why you are starting.

BEFORE you start.

Before you start, ask yourself who/whom you are starting for.

BEFORE you start.

Before you start, ask yourself if you are willing to do so regardless of the outcome.

What if the outcome does no benefit for you? Will you start?

What if starting will require more than you believed it would? Will you start?

What if starting results in losing folk because they don’t/won’t see things as you do. Will you start?

Too many rush to follow the crowd, without counting the costs.

Starting could cost you everything. Then again, starting could bring you more than you knew existed.

Life is short, beloveds. Be sure to ask yourself why you are doing or fixing to do your about to.

Remember that you don’t always have to say yes. Give yourself permission to say no. Folk are often afraid to say yes because they fear being judged or rejected.

To that I say phooey on that! That’s a bunch of gaslighting. Folk should be as willing for your no as they were thankful for your yes!

Your time is much too valuable to be doing something you truly want to do. Not a have to. A want to.

I encourage folk daily because I want to. There are times when I stop and ask again why I am here.

Am I here for you or for me? Is it to encourage others or to feed my ego? I make sure I do not type one word until I am reaching out to love folk without my mess mixed in.

To be sure, I gain as much as I try and give out. Reaching out to others really does help me to look UP, move FORWARD and stand on FAITH.

I’m praying for us all today. I pray especially for those who have been hopelessly turned off by religious foolishness. Be encouraged. It’s NOT God’s fault He has some super dumb acting children at times. Smh.

Have an amazing rest of your day.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I’m asking myself many questions these days. Life is much too short to be wasting on things for the wrong reasons. Be encouraged. Don’t forget to enjoy your day.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Love is NOT a transaction.

Love is NOT a transaction, beloveds.

Love is NOT transactional.

Love is:

Transformative.

Love:

Transforms.

Love: Transfers.

Love:

Gives of ITSELF.

Love:

Gives ITSELF to another.

Freely.

Without conditions.

Love just loves.

Period.

WE are given the AWESOME privilege of love. We get to choose:

WHO we love.

HOW we treat the ones we love.

How we treat those we DON’T love.

WHEN we will bestow love.

When we will WITHDRAW love.

Love is THE key.

Love is one of the greatest force on earth.

Folk have killed to obtain love.

Folk have killed themselves when love had been withheld.

Folks, daily, surrender everything about themselves, in attempts to earn/win love/acceptance.

Love is NOT a trophy to be earned.

Love is NOT a pawn in our game to be used to manipulate the world around us.

Sadly, folk use love as a transaction. Discouragingly, folk see/use love as a commodity to be traded/bartered.

Similarly, folk also use the love their family, friends and others have graciously given them. They use that love to guilt the giver:

“If you REALLY loved me you would have…”

“If you TRULY loved me you would have not…”

“If you LOVE me, you will give me…”

“If…”

“You should have…”

“You had better…”

The lover then finds himself/herself/themselves tossed into a prison of another’s making. They are now bound to new terms and conditions. In order to ‘keep the peace’, they oftentimes will cede the rest of their love, to the one who has now become a transactional user.

The floor of the relationship has now become one of eggshells. Fragile. Rigid. Unyielding. Now, the ONLY thing that matters is keeping the transactional party “happy”.

Why? Because, he/she/they will withdraw THEIR love FROM us.

Once this dynamic enters, beloveds, it no longer contains GENUINE love. ALL the love given, thereafter, is given out of:

Obligation.

Guilt.

Anger.

Apathy.

Resentment.

In fact, in truth, folk on BOTH sides are no longer loving. They are no longer GIVING love. They are no longer RECEIVING love.

They start giving:

Obligation.

Guilt.

Anger.

Apathy.

Resentment.

When we do this, beloveds, Love steps out of the way. Love REFUSES to be party to this equation. Love will withdraw Itself. The bible says we love because He first loved us.

I have been doing my best to remove as many strings as I can from relationships. On my end, from my choices, with my actions.

I give my love freely. Without conditions. Yet, I ask that you recognize, receive and value my love for the priceless treasure it is. Treat it with care. Treat it kindly.

If you can’t/don’t/won’t, I must protect my love from being turned into a transaction: By you. By me.

Love is NOT earned. That said, you must earn another’s TRUST. Then, and only then, will you granted access into another’s heart.

Be careful, beloveds. Most good-hearted folk liberally bestows trust on folk thereby giving their love every which way. Then, when their heart is broken by transactional folk, they will lock their heart away.

Be careful with Love. Love is so strong it makes Itself fragile so the recipient can experience what unconditional love fills like.

Unconditional love is a beautiful thing. It feels amazing while giving. It feels wonderful when received fully.

I’m doing my best to love folk. As best as I can. I am also understanding that I can’t afford to keep giving my love to those who treat it callously.

We have all been much too careless and carefree with and about love. I’m learning to value her more and more.

I know this was a bit lengthy. I wanted to do justice to the subject. I fear I have communicated clumsily.

I have given what I have…my love. I hope it was enough for some.


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I long for the days when folk looked upon one another with care and not just another transaction to get something from…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Even when no one sees.

Keep doing right.

Even when no one sees.

Keep looking out.

Even when no one knows.

Keep taking care.

Even when no one seems to care.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Your efforts are seen, beloveds. Be encouraged. You are loved this day. By me. By Him.



One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Have you reached out today?

Have you reached out today?

For support?

For love?

For help?

To help someone else?

To love someone else?

To support someone else?

We all need one another. We are all important. Stop putting yourself last. Stop dismissing your needs. Stop believing you are not worth inconveniencing others with your concerns.

You are NOT a burden. Neither am I. We just have our burdens to carry. Let me take a pebble from your worry mountain. Be encouraged.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Remember, alway: You are worth it. You are worthy. You are worthwhile.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t let hard keep you from doing what you can.

Don’t let hard keep you from doing what you can.

Nuff said.


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I got up this morning. I told hard to take the day off. I put on some praise music 🎶. I sang. Badly. I wrote. Clumsily. I drank ☕ lustily.

Ah, life. You ain’t ALL hard…

Be encouraged. Sing badly. Dance clumsily. Live.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Give yourself.

Give yourself time.

Time to fail.

Time to grow.

Time to recalibrate.

Time to recover.

Time to evaluate.

Time to reevaluate.

Time to decide.

Time to accept.

Time to reject.

Life is short. True that. That said, give yourself time to do what needs done. You don’t have to rush headlong into potentially foolhardy happenings.

I had to stop my job 🔎 search. Why? Because I had begun focusing on everything that could possibly go wrong. I stopped thinking on a positive future. I had myself convinced I would be homeless in mere moments. Smh.

I stopped evaluating potential and began desperately seeking just about anything. I looked down to find I had been standing, ten toes down, on a cushy bed of fear.

Realizing this, I stopped. Everything. I took a breath. Then, I took a break. I am giving myself a bit of space and time to reevaluate.

Don’t let reality scare you. Speak LIFE to your circumstances. Tell yourself the TRUTH: You CAN. You WILL. Then, start again. Ten toes down. On FAITH.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: We are walking towards a brilliant future. In the meantime, beloveds, let’s do our best to enjoy our right now. I am putting on ☕ coffee. Who is up for some? Be encouraged today.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Take a moment to touch a heart.

Take a moment to touch a heart.

Take a moment to touch a soul.

Take a moment to touch a spirit.

Starting with your own, beloveds. These have been some dark years for us all. The pandemic shut us in and shut us down.

Politics seem to be tearing us all apart. Or trying to.

Financial hardships are tearing away at our confidence. In ourselves. In our institutions. In our governments.

Yet, WE, each of us, make up our world. WE, each of us can:

Lighten a load.

Lend a hand.

Love someone.

Life is short. Take a moment. Take the time. Take the lead.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I was feeling super unnecessary. I lamented on my lack of finances. Then, I reminded myself I have plenty of love I can give. I shall give it all away. Be sure to take an extra helping eh? Be encouraged.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

It’s hard to be pitiful when you are grateful.

I wanted to make a grand meal for Christmas. My wallet laughed at the notion.

Momentarily, I was embarrassed 😳 to be this age and unable to afford a nice Christmas meal.

I began to reflect on what I DID have. This made me think of all I DO have in my life just now. Which made me grateful.

I have my peace. I have my blog. I have my ☕ coffee. I have my 🎶 music. I can throw myself a party 🎉 anytime I want to.

My soul began to sing. My heart began to dance. I forgot about what I could not buy.

Ah, beloveds, you can’t buy this peace at any price!

Be encouraged. Focus on what you DO have. Rejoice over how far you have come. Keep moving FORWARD.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: This place in time is not here to break you. Have FAITH. In YOU. In God, if He is your cup of tea. I uplift those who can’t/don’t believe so you are covered as well.

Ah, beloveds. You got this. As do I. Sure wish I had a full bank account. Would be nice eh? I love you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

When all walk away, will YOU stay?

When all walk away, will YOU stay?

When the challenges stay hard?

When the way remains steep?

When the road grows longer?

When all walk away, will YOU stay?

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Remain in the fight.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Even when I quit, I can’t give up.

Even when I quit, I can’t give up.

Sounds like a dumb thing to say. Seems like a ridiculous thing to utter.

It’s true. I have secretly quit, in my mind, many times these past weeks.

My heart laughs, then makes me try again. Heckamiah! Geeeeeeez.

I quit when mom died. Then, I made myself live again.

I quit when friends walked away. Then, I made myself reach out to new folk.

I quit when I couldn’t figure out HOW. Then, I made myself try SOMETHING.

I’m hardheaded. I’m ridiculous enough to believe everything truly will be alright.

Be ridiculous with me, beloveds.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Be encouraged. Just because you don’t understand, doesn’t mean there isn’t One Who Understands. He does.

The way you take is meant for you. Keep moving FORWARD. Even when you quit. Even when you don’t get it. Even when folk don’t get 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 being…YOU!