Category: hope

Repeat after me: I can do amazing things.

Repeat after me:

I can do amazing things.

I am amazing.

I can do life changing things.

My life is changing simply by me doing me to the best of my abilities.

I can do amazing things.

I have nothing to fear.

Yes, I shall fail.

Failing and falling comes with achieving amazing things.

I shall continue to amaze myself with my try.

I choose to see the beauty within me. Yes, I recognize that I may, at times, do some ugly things but I promise to do all within me to live, love and react with love.

I am amazing.

I can and will continue to do amazing things.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Beloveds, you are amazing! You are! Ah, beloveds, lift up your heads. Know you are not alone. Life can feel awfully lonesome as we trudge up the hill called what the fresh hell. Fear not. Keep climbing. I climb with you. As does He. Let’s enjoy the journey, shall we? In case no one has told you yet today: I love you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t focus on what you see.

Don’t focus on what you see, beloveds.

Focus on what you are trying to bring into existence.

See through the eyes of FAITH. Tell fear/doubt to kick rocks. REFUSE to allow your image to be clouded and viewed through the eyes of fear and doubt.

The unknown can be a frightful thing if you are not certain of your steps. That said, as long as you KNOW Who is taking care of the unknown, you can walk confidently.

I am doing my best to NOT focus on what I think I see. My perceptions are currently being clouded by bills, bills, bills and more bills. Makes it hard to focus on enjoying life and doing what I know to do and everything else WILL come out in the wash.

I was laying in bed, in tears, wondering if ever will ever come. I woke and told myself I will focus, as best I can, on what I can currently see and do.

In the meantime, beloveds, keep on keeping on. When will I stop saying this? When we have all crossed the finish line!

You CAN.

You WILL.

believing in and for us all,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Remain hopeful. Remain joyful. Laugh at doubt and fear and tell them to kick some rocks. Love someone. Starting with you. I got your back. God has us all.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t worry about what they say.

I missed the playoff game.

Woke to see all kinds of folks calling the losing team a bunch of chokers and losers. SMH.

Folk will ALWAYS have something to say, beloveds.

Play YOUR game. YOUR way. You may lose. That’s okay. Don’t worry about those who relish over your apparent demise.

You gave your all. You tried. You left it all on the field. Let that be enough. The trophy is NOT the goal. Doing your best is the goal. Yes, you want to come out on top. Life is not like that. We lose more times than we win.

The trick is being just as humble during the downturn as we are with the win or the uptick.

The older I get, the less I need a cheering crowd behind me. I’m not even concerned about what place I end up in. First? Great. Last? Well, I tried.

No matter. Whatever. As long as I know I played the game with integrity and cared for my opponent, I can live with the outcome.

I’m sure the losing team is going to learn from mistakes made. If not, they may lose again. Then again, they may correct the mistakes and STILL lose the game. No one will be able to take away the knowledge that they gave all they had.

I have been feeling like such a failure the last month or so. I feel as though I should have gotten further by now. I tell myself all I can do is try. Still, my feels want to get all feely and downcast.

Then, I turn on some music and dance my way out of my feels. I don’t worry about what folks say. I don’t even worry about what I may say. I tell my doubts and fears to shut up and I keep it moving.

Do you and keep it moving. Folks are going to have something to say no matter what you do.

What does HE say?

Nuff said,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: We got this. We really do.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What do you have to say to the world?

What do you have to say to the world, beloveds?

What do you WANT to say?

What are you afraid to say?

There are words, dreams, thoughts that only YOU, beloved, is meant to share with all of us.

YOU are needed.

This world is waiting for YOU.

Yea, I know, beloveds, you are waiting for whatever so you can say and be what you think the world is waiting for.

There is nothing you need to have before you can speak.

Open your mouth.

Open your heart.

Trust the gifts that have been placed within YOUR heart.

Value your heart.

Value YOU.

It’s not your fault, beloveds, that others were so hurt they have been unable to see the awesome heart called YOU.

What do you have to say to the world, beloveds?

Time grows short. It’s time, don’t you think, for you to lift up your voice and share all the depths and warmth and love and light your awesome heart contains?

Get on out there, beloveds. Raise your voice. It’s your time.

Your voice may be the last piece I need to complete my decades old dream. Ah, beloveds, it may.

Speak.

We are listening.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, um, you are supposed to be out there speaking. Get going….

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What are you focusing on?

I had to bust out my blue screwdriver.

Yep, I had to do a nice concert to get me all fired up!

There is NOTHING more fantastic than peforming for an audience of one with my blue screwdriver.

When I am bellowing along with Cee Cee Winans, I forgot about all my troubles. I forget I was supposed to be afraid of my circumstances. I no longer remember I am supposed to be terrified of the unknown.

Naw, beloveds, when I have my blue screwdriver, ALL I can focus on is the joy spilling all over everything!

The instant I focus on the fact that I am NOT alone, joy bubbles get to running all over the place.

HHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Hard is not quite as hard with my trusty blue screwdriver in hand. In fact, hard gets to gettin’ down with me!

YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

I told 55 she had best get to getting after it with me instead of trying to scare me half to death.

Lately, I have been focusing on:

My age.

My age.

My age.

Bills.

Rinse.

Repeat.

I can do nothing about my age. I am doing my best to work through whatever this thing is about age aging me. Yikes.

This has been a glorious evening of writing, singing, praying, acting a fool in my undies and being thankful for all that I have. It sure can be easy, can’t it, to focus on what we don’t have or how hard like can be?

I am currently bellowing to ‘I Will Get There’ by Boys II Men.

‘I WILL GET THERE!!’

*mike drop*

You shall get there, beloveds.

As shall I.

hopeful,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is good. Even when it’s hard. Hold on. Stand fast. You are NOT alone. In case no one has told you yet today: I love you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

We are loved. We are NOT alone.

Be encouraged, beloveds.

This will be my last piece, in real time, until the power comes back on. Could be a week they say. It’s raining and thundering again.

I have hour and a half on my laptop and 37 percent on the phone so charging it best as can.

Life can be rough. It’s tough now but God has me. He has us all. I must admit I thought my numbered days had run out. Am still here.

It comforts me KNOWING I am alone, yet not.

I am loved. So are you. Love someone. Starting with you.

STILL here,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Yikes, that was a hella terrifying tornado!!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

When even hard says what the fresh hell?

Hard: What in the fresh hell is THIS?!

Me: I dunno. I was fixin’ to ask you the same thing!

Hard: Why do you think Life is coming at us soooooooooooo hard?

Me: I dunno. I was fixin’ to ask Life the same thing!

Me: Why are You being soooooooooooooooo hard on me and hard?

Life: He told me to.

Me: Who? What? Why? How?

Life: Great questions! Keep asking.

Me: K.

Good crimeny, beloveds. Hard has been sooooooooooooooo hard I hardly know what to do with it or me.

I fight on but golly gee willakers!

Whew!

Hang in there, beloveds. This time is NOT here to destroy us. Rather, this time is here to do many a thing. What those things are depends on our attitude and what we are willing to learn, or not, THROUGH all this blasted hardddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd!

I promised me that I REFUSE to give up. I don’t give two flying fiddlesticks what is going on. I don’t care who gives up on me. I don’t care who walks away from me. I could care less about anything other than standing fast and holding on.

Be encouraged, beloveds. Keep on fighting for you and your dreams. I know. I know I say this EVERY day. I shall continue to say this until I am holding my dreams in my cold dead hands…..lol.

In the meantime, beloveds, don’t feel as though you are being punished because hard is just so terribly hard, right now. You are being promoted. If you couldn’t be trusted with this hard, you wouldn’t be put through this hard. Nuff said.

Enjoy your day. ALL of it. Even the hard. Take a breath. Take a break. Listen to some music. Read a book. Call a friend. Make a friend. Make some awesome memories. Life is short.

Remember, beloveds, that you CAN and that you most certainly WILL!

doing things with you,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You got this. As do I. In case no one has told you: I love you.

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!

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!

When will I be loved, 55 asked me.

When will I be loved?

My heart has been asking this since I turnEd 55.

In truth, I have not put my heart out there. Not really. Not all the way. Not where I can be hurt.

I find myself closer to taking a chance. On me. I wonder if it’s too late. For that part of love to come for me.

I am not desperate. I am not lonely. I am just wondering. I am just wandering a bit. Towards something.

I think this is a good thing. Mom gave up her dreams for us. I am sad she didn’t do more for herself. I think she would be sad if I would do the same thing.

I want to walk on a beach with a friend. I want to talk of silly things. I want to talk of many things. I want to talk of serious things.

I would like someone to get to know the whole of me and find that me satisfying. I wonder if that should ever happen.

I am not looking for romance. I am not looking for sex. I am not looking for companionship.

I am looking for connection.

I wonder if connection will find me?

I am asking a question. I don’t know what the question is.

Do you?

asking for A Friend,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I feel deliciously vulnerable right now. I used to hate feeling vulnerable. I don’t mind it now. It just means my heart are speaking loudly. I hear you. What does your heart say to you?

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!