Category: faith

Give yourself permission.

Give yourself permission.

Give yourself permission to fail.

Give yourself permission to try.

Give yourself permission to rest.

Give yourself permission to stay.

Give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing.

Give yourself permission to ‘be lazy’.

Give yourself permission to be loud.

Give yourself permission to be silent.

Give yourself permission.

You do NOT have to ALWAYS being doing what you THINK is expected of you. Put down the weight of your own expectations. Put down the weight of the expectations of others.

Give yourself permission to be whatever the world your heart feels the need to BE. Just BE. Folk are so worried about what others may think of them being they forget to just be.

Enough with that!

Kick rocks, expectations. Our expectations are from Him. And, ALL God asks for us to do is to try. That’s it. We do NOT have to be perfect. We do NOT have to walk this earth all dolled up and lovely.

There are times when we feel like running around in sweats and having a bad hair day. Give yourself permission, beloveds, to have a bad hair day! God loves you. Just as you are.

And, if folk in your life can’t love you when you are in scrubs, sweats, shorts, frumpy clothes they are just not the right ones for you.

Kick off those high heels. Put down your bajillion dollar hand bag and go grab a burger at a fast food restaurant or something!

Too hooey with having to have a billion dollar mansion before folk will love you.

And, for the beautiful men and women out there, STOP treating yourselves like trophies! You are NOT! it is NOT your fault God made you beautiful. You are much more, though, tha your outward beauty. STOP allowing folk to parade you around like Barbie and Ken dolls! Yall have much to contribute.

Men, STOP allowing yourselves to be the wallets of the world! Yall are amazing. Yall are deserving to be loved. Give yourself permission to tell a woman to get out of your Porsche if that’s ALL she sees you for! What’s more, you do NOT need to be in a damned Porsche to be valued. There will be plenty of women who will love you for the amazing man that you are. Get to know YOU, beloveds. You have much to share.

Women, good grief, put down the damned Tik Tok and get to know YOU, again. You do NOT have to compete with jillions of Tik Tok folk who are faking it! Stop wasting all your money on stupid organizers and all kinds of junk you are told you need to be happy. Give yourself permission to just be you.

Married folk, STOP listening to a world dumb enough to try and make it a shame for folk to be happily married. Love your husband. Love your wives. Love your kids. Even when everyone is acting like a moron. It’s what families do. We drive one another up ten walls and back.

Christian folk, STOP listening to a world gone crazy who are trying to talk you out of YOUR faith. Keep walking. Give yourself permission to love folk and tell them to kick rocks, without apologies.

Sports starts, STOP listening to dummies who have never picked up a ball or have worked as hard as you have. ENJOY your money. You have earned every dollar. Get your bag!!

Content creators, STOP chasing algorithms! Do YOU! Be YOU! What benefit does it do for you to make a bajillion dollars creating content only for click bait sake?

Young folk, STOP apologizing for being young. Yall are NOT lazy. Yall are NOT entitled. Yall are just smart enough to have recognized the trap us old folk fell into regarding working ourselves to the end of our lives. Give yourself permission to figure out YOU. Give yourself permission to listen to some of us oldies as we have much we can share and teach you. Give yourself permission to pursue excellence. Give yourself permission to learn the value and joy in hard work.

Old folk, STOP working yourselves to death! STOP chasing the ridiculous dream of piling up billions of dollars to make you happy. Look around you! You have ruined many a relationship chasing the dollar bill. Enough already. Put down the plow, pick up some flowers and romance somebody! Give yourself permission to dream. Then, get on up and do.

It’s high time, beloveds, we ALL get some act right and give ourselves permission to start living. Enough of this existing and barely scraping by life tired, exhausted and discouraged.

Okay, I think I have covered everyone. If not, someone else take up the mike and help us all get some act right….lol.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is short. What in the fresh hell are you waiting for?

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I am not strong: It’s okay to be Clark Kent.

I am not strong.

Not today.

Not for some time.

I wonder if I shall EVER regain my strength.

I wonder if I shall ever find my feet upon solid footing.

God: You are standing upon My Word. You are standing on faith. You are standing on joy. You are standing on love. You are standing with the fruits of the Spirit. How much safer could you be.

Ah.

Aha!

I am learning to be okay with being Clark Kent. I do NOT have to be Superman all the time. I can just be:

Tired.

Worn.

Uncertain.

Hesitant.

Why?

Because, as the Bible says, when I am weak, THEN He is strong. And, His Strength is made perfect in my weakness. It’s a good thing because I am awfully weak, at the moment.

I have never been allowed to be weak. Society DEMANDS black women to be stoic, strong. We are expected to champion, carry, deliver for the entirety of the world. We are not to have dreams.

Our dreams, we have been told, are to uplift and make true the dreams of everyone in the world. Then, and ONLY then, if there are a few meager scraps, we are able to hoard them and partake ONLY if no one else wants them.

Beloveds, hear me, we were NEVER called to bear the burden of the world. Yes, we serve others. Yet, ONLY out of choice, out of love, out of integrity, out of desire to make things better than where and when we found them.

We were NEVER meant to toss aside our dreams. We were NEVER asked to dismiss our why. We were NEVER supposed to keep our hearts away from love meant to love us.

Ah, beloveds. You are worthy. You are valued. You are cherished. Your life was worth the death of A King. Jesus. Even those who hate Him. Even those who don’t believe He is.

Ah, beloveds, lift up your head. Stop shaming you. Stop allowing others to shame you. They are only projecting THEIR shame onto you.

Ah, beloveds, it’s okay to be Clark Kent. You do NOT have to be Superman. You do NOT have to be strong.

Why?

Because, beloveds, you are loved. And, you are NOT alone.

Be encouraged. If you are weary, rest. If you are ready to move on, move. If you are ready to go, then go.

You got this. God has you. How much safer can you be?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Beloveds, you are NOT alone. Life can feel awfully lonely. I have never felt soooooooooooooooo lonely in my life. Ever. I have also never felt so loved. Ever. By God.

Folks who I thought were friends, showed themselves not to be friendly. Folk who I thought had my back, turned their backs on me. Folk who I was CERTAIN would show me love, ghosted me instead.

Yet, God has been with me. Here. Now. He has gathered my tears. He has listened to my fears. He has held my dreams when I had tossed them aside. He has reclaimed prayers I had stopped giving Him thinking He had not and would not hear.

Be encouraged. This time is NOT here to break you. It’s here to help you realize you do NOT have to be Superman. Pick up your glasses, Clark Kent, and rest. God got this. Let Him be there for and with you. Asking for A Friend. In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He. Jesus said ‘what’s up?”

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

You got this.

You got this.

You can do this.

You can have this.

You shall overcome this.

You shall rejoice and be glad in this.

You will receive this.

You will experience this.

What is the this I speak of?

God knows and He’s not telling.

Get out there and find out all He has in store for you.

getting this with you,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You got this. Now go get it! Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What are you waiting for?

What are you waiting for?

Who are you waiting for?

What are you hoping for?

When are you thinking of going?

How long before you allow yourself to get going?

What are you waiting for?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Go, beloveds. You got thangs to do.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Uprooted: Overcoming me.

I am overcoming, beloved.

I am overcoming:

Me!

I am overcoming:

Fear.

Doubt.

Dread.

Scared.

Sad.

Mad.

Circumstances.

Situations.

Machinations.

Mechanics.

Mentals.

Incidentals.

Accidentals.

All things.

Everything.

I absolutely REFUSE to allow ANYTHING to cause bitterness or lack of faith to grow anywhere near me or inside me.

Nada.

Nope.

Not going to have it!!!!!

What has changed?

Me.

Me!

ME!!

As I have been forced to fight FOR me, because God has been so damned silent, I have learned to just try, to just keep it moving and let the rest take care of itself.

The bible says, in Isaiah 26:3 – YOU will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Which means to keep focusing on HIM. He shall keep us in perfect peace.

Now, for the non believers, I still pray perfect peace for you. We all fam, eh?

We are not alone.

We are loved.

How can we NOT be uplifted?

I am overcoming me. I’m sure this shall be the case for the rest of my days. No matter. I got time. I think…lol.

Be encouraged. Keep overcoming you. Don’t let you be the reason things don’t happen in your life. Try. Live. Love. Hope. Rejoice. Do. The rest SHALL come out in the wash.

I know it’s discouraging not hearing or receiving the way we think we would have, should have or could have. I am doing my best to ask and then joyfully receive what is given. Period.

Sooooooooooooooo, beloveds, I hear a large cup of coffee calling. Who is joining me?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: We are more than conquerors. Get to conquering!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Uprooted: Go anyway.

It’s time to go.

Somewhere.

Somehow.

Some kind of way.

My heart absolutely REFUSES to stay, in THIS spot, for one more second. Nope, she says it’s time to get out of here. She doesn’t know how. Frankly, she could care less.

My heart could care less about my 55 year old whining, complaining, what if it doesn’t work out self. Ha, my heart says. Let’s go.

So, I go.

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez.

going even though I have NO idea where/what/when/how,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I am excited. I am anxious. I am ready, though. Life is short. I am taking a leap of faith. I am leaping, beloveds. For ME. Pray for me. Leap with me. For YOU. Asking for Your Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Repeat after me: I’m amazing.

Repeat after me:

I’m amazing.

I can do countless things.

I WILL continue to thrive in EVERY element.

I shall NOT give in to callousness, apathy or fear.

I shall TRY. My try SHALL be enough.

I KNOW I am enough. Already. Always.

I’m blessed.

I’m courageous. I keep going no matter how badly I may feel.

I am loving.

I am lovable.

I am altogether lovely.

Let’s go, me!

I got thangs to do!

doing thangs,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, um, so like you have me sooooooooooooooooo fired up, beloveds! What the heckamiah are we still doing here!? Let’s go! We got thangs to do!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Heart check Monday.

How is your heart doing?

Have you:

Gotten in your me time?

Taken a chance?

Taken a break?

Cut yourself some slack?

Worked on your dream?

Let someone in?

Kicked someone out?

Looked up?

Prayed?

Stayed?

If so, good on you. If not, what in the wide world are you waiting for?

Be the person you have been waiting for. Give the love you have been waiting for. Share the gifts you have been waiting to receive.

I am currently jamming to ‘She’s A Bad Mamma Jamma’. For, I AM a bad mamma jamma!

YYYYYYYAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

How’s your heart, beloveds?

Just checking on you.

Okay, enough talk. Time for us to be about being about it.

Be encouraged. Enjoy your Monday. ALL of it. Don’t be afraid of the beginning of the week. It’s a wonderful time to start all over the mess you made from last week, eh?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAAH!

chair dancing cuz life has got it going on like popcorn even when it’s hard,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You got this. As do I. Let’s rejoice, k? Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Uprooted: Fighting with(those)feelings again.

My feels are loud, right now.

My feels want to spill into/onto everything, right now.

My feels want me to feel everything in high definition, right now.

My feels want me to give up, right now.

My feels want me to run away somewhere and hide, right now.

My feels want to run amok and be as loud as they please without giving two damns about anyone hearing, right now.

My feels want to rage at The Universe for getting me in this uprooted mess, right now.

My feels want to just FFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLL DAMMIT, right now.

Right now, however, I have told my feels to sit down and to breathe, for now.

Breathe.

Rest.

Reflect.

Rinse.

Repeat.

Being uprooted can be terrifying. Being uprooted HAS been terrifying. Yet, I have found great comfort as I have continued to reach out and show my broken/tender/wounded heart.

I have been loved.

I have found that I am NOT alone.

Ah, God. Thanks for remaining silent so my voice can rise within me.

Be encouraged, beloveds. Continue to reach out for support and love. Continue to be good to yourself as you find your footing, once again.

I am shaken, still.

Still, my hope remains steady.

I have NO idea what the rest of this day shall bring. I shall greet whatever comes with hope in my heart. Still.

I fought the night, all night. The night won. Night kept dawn in it’s clutches much longer than it should have. Finally, Day wrenched itself from Night and Reality’s cold grips and gave itself to me.

Day: Make something of me, beloved. Life is too short to waste.

Me: K.

I am doing my bestest, beloveds, to make something of THIS day. I am not looking beyond this cup of coffee. Speaking of which, come have a cup with me. Someone bring some Herbal tea for Craig. He says no milk please/thanks.

asking for a friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Hang in there, beloveds. Don’t let your struggles lie to you. You WILL be okay. As will I. I refuse to allow fear to enter ANY equation for me, right now. I have been fighting with NOT being anxious since the tornado.

Fear not, beloveds. Remain hopeful. The best is yet to come. It just doesn’t FEEL like it. Do NOT allow your feels to run your right now. Acknowledge them. Listen to them. Feel them. Deal with them. Then, send them on their way and continue walking underneath your umbrella of love, hope and joy. I go with you. In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He. Be encouraged…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Use a bigger cup, Cassandra.

I love, love, love me some coffee!

Yummers!

*hugs self*

So much so, beloveds, I have been scarfing down an inordinate amount.

I have many, many, many oodles of cups and containers to contain such wonderfulment. Ah. Aha!

Here lately, for whatever what in the fresh hell reason(s), I have been CHOOSING to make said wonderfulment in a too small cup. Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeez!

Don’t ask me why. Habit, I guess. One day, I wasn’t feeling my usual tall container and snatched up the smaller cup. That worked, then. It sho nuff ain’t working for me, now. Ack!

Ask me why I have not yet gone back to my larger container and I honestly could not tell you why.

This morning, God tapped me on the shoulder and handed me my larger container. He told me to enlarge my tent AND my container at the same time.

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!

I guess the moral to the story, beloveds, is to keep growing. Don’t allow something needed, back then, to stop you from growing, in your now.

Ah. Am currently enjoying my larger cup. It suits me.

For now.

Who knows. I may need to go back to the smaller one. The point is to do what is needed, now. Don’t let fear or convenience keep you from moving up, moving forward, moving down, moving out and showing out!

Life is short, beloveds. We got thangs to do, ‘member? There is someone waiting for YOUR dream so they can fulfill theirs. Who knows? You may be what I have been waiting 30 plus years for! Let’s go!

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, all that coffee talk has me thirsty. Who is bringing snacks? I think you know who needs to bring us some of her Texas BBQ! Take care all. You are much too priceless and precious to walk around discouraged and defeated. Let’s goooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!