Category: Running

Set the standard. BE the standard.

Have you ever heard the saying that says “the standard is the standard?”

Mike Tomlin, the head coach for The Pittsburgh Steelers, uses this phrase all the time. It’s true. The standard IS the standard.

This means that there IS no excuse for not getting things done. You get things done. Period. You do things to the highest order. Period. You do things with excellence. Period.

I am doing my utmost to set the standard in my life. Period. I am doing my level best to BE the standard. Period.

We all have the opportunity to have and make a tremendous impact. Get to it…lol.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Your life matters. Let the folk in your orbit know their lives matter as well. Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Life is a gift. YOUR life is a gift.

Life is a gift.

YOUR life is a gift.

Nuff said, beloveds. Now, get out there and present your priceless self to the world.

Enough hiding!

Enough judging yourself!

Enough making yourself a transaction!

You are precious. You have no need to bow your head in shame.

Ah, beloveds. Look up. Stand tall. Walk proudly. Stride unapologetically.

There is sooooooooooooo much awesomeness in you. There is so much love in you. There is so much strength in you.

Life is a gift. YOUR life is a gift. Never forget this.

keeping you up in prayer,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been saying extra prayers for all. Hang in there. Help IS on the way.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t despair. Turn on some lights.

Things are dark in the world.

This is so because many have decided to throw their hands up in despair.

Don’t despair.

Turn on some lights.

BE a light.

Soon, some will be curious about that light over there.

Warm them by your light. Feed them. Remind them they can turn on some lights.

Another may turn on a light. Then, another. Then, another…

Gotta start somewhere. Let it start with me…*Cassandra opens her heart ♥ and lets her light shine*

Whose with me?

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Promise yourself that you absolutely REFUSE to be used as a vessel to peddle in anything but that which uplifts, teaches, loves and all other things that helps someone grow.



Prior to making the decision not to in 2020, I would have been deeply outraged and full of rage at all the awful things being spewed about. Wisdom has taught me to see all this bait for what it is: Bait and a huge waste of time!

Life is short. I’m using my moments to love as much of this world as I can wrap my arms around. Don’t give up on folk. They are afraid. They are hurting.  They don’t understand themselves or anyone else.

Be encouraged. Fill your 2025 with as much of your awesome life as you can. You matter. The world NEEDS your voice in this hour. You were made for this. In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He.

P.S. You don’t have to wear your lampshade outside. Only if you want to.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t let it in.

Hate.

Don’t let it in.

Apathy.

Don’t let it in.

Indifference.

Don’t let it in.

Racism.

Don’t let it in.

Sexism.

Don’t let it in.

Ageism.

Don’t let it in.

Dumbism.

Don’t let it in.

I just saw where someone had posted, to a video, that they couldn’t be friends with black people because “they are ghetto and many of them are overweight”.

Life is short, beloveds. I don’t love just those who look like me. I don’t remove my love from those who hate me simply because I am. Or hate me for being…me.

The fires that are decimating California are heartbreaking. What is more disturbing is the hateful, racist,  awful, awful, awful rhetoric being spewed about to get folk to turn on his/her brother/sister/neighbor, all under the guise of politics and patriotism.

I stopped by to let folk know how much I love them and care about your lives. Even those of you  who won’t be friends with me cuz I am fat.

This world is what WE make it. I plan on feeling 2025 with oodles and oodles of love, joy, faith and laughter. Who wants to join me?

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I absolutely unequivocally love you. So does He. Nuff said. Be encouraged. Have an incredible week. Make it an amazing Monday.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

See a path.

See a path for your success.

Be a path for someone else’s success.

Make a path for others to attempt success.

Much, much too often, all we allow ourselves to see are obstacles. We see disaster everywhere. We fail to see opportunities anywhere.

I have been using these tough days to reimagine my steps and my viewpoint.

I CHOOSE to see the diamonds in the middle of hard.

I CHOOSE to hear love in the silent ghosting of the world.

I CHOOSE to feel joy smack dab in the middle of devastation.

I am soooooooooooo thankful, beloveds, that I was not able to immediately find a job. I would have ended up an exhausted soul. A soul who was too terrified to pursue HER dreams.

When I turned 55, my brain immediately went into alarm status. Suddenly, ALL I saw/felt/heard was that I was much too old to accomplish anything.

I looked at my life of service and wondered if my service had meant anything.

God said yes. My dwindling bank account said heck no. Initially, I sided with my bank account.

It has taken a long time to regain my footing. Truth be told, I am still regaining my footing.

These days, I rarely have to talk myself out of bed. I get up. I make coffee. I wash dishes. I write. I have things to do. As do you.

Are you living, beloveds, or just barely scraping through, too afraid to hope and do something?

You can start again whenever you get ready. Let’s go! We got thangs to do.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Starting over is hard. It gets old. It’s terribly frustrating. Such is life. Start over as many times as you need to. In case no one has told you: I love you. So does He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I no longer fear the future.

I no longer fear the future.

I no longer fear MY future.

I no longer fear.

I deal with my fears now. Head on. Ten toes down.

Some days, they win. Most days, I conquer. On ALL days, I fight to stand on FAITH.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Be encouraged. You don’t walk alone. I got you. God has us all. Take care of that precious heart of yours.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

We were born to live.

We were born to live.

Most folks spend their lives waiting to die. Still others are afraid to live. They spent their lives contemplating death and loss.

I’m doing my best to live in the moment. I’m doing my best to seize as many moments as I can. I’m doing my best to love as many people as I can.

I’m no longer concerned with whether i’m loved in return. I love me. God loves me. My family loves me.

I plan on spending the rest of my days trying to get as many people as I can to live. Life is so short.

I stopped by to remind you to LIVE, beloveds. Make 2025 something special.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: LIVE. Seize these moments and shake as much joy and happiness out of them as you can. You got this. As do I.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Everyday!

Keep trying.

Everyday!

Keep believing.

Everyday!

Keep going.

Everyday!

Life is NOT waiting around for us, beloveds.

It’s up to US.

Have you worked on your dream this week? If not, get going. If so, good on you.

I made lazy do extra chores. I made despair do some laundry. I made doubt take out some trash.

I greeted the day with a song in my heart. I gave hard a cup of coffee and said “Let’s gooooo!!

laughing at hard things,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Every day, beloveds, speak out loud. Tell yourself how very much you matter. You do. EVERY day, choose to see the best in your situation. EVERY day, ask for what you need.

This IS your year. Make it a fantastic one. Starting today. 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!

New Beginnings: Never again, Cassandra!

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told myself.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told fear.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told limitations.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told my age.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told the obstacles standing in my way.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told my laughing critics.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told lonely.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told anger.

“Never again, Cassandra!”

That’s what I told apathy.

You see, beloveds, I used to allow those things, and more, to define me. Worse, I allowed those things to keep me from DOING, from moving FORWARD, from looking UP.

I have been fighting to regain my form, my footing, my confidence, my joy, my humor, my faith since the tornado came in and almost blew my home down. Literally.

Slowly, but surely, I began to rebuild. Slowly, but surely, I began to allow God to help rebuild ME. Slowly, but surely, I began to find my voice.

With my voice came my footing. With my footing came my bearings. With my bearings came my humor. With my humor I found everything else.

Be encouraged. I say this EVERY day. It helps. It’s my reminder that things take time. Meaningful things, anyway.

It’s imperative to encourage yourself. Especially, as most never will. They are too busy making their own way.

Tell yourself the truth: You CAN. You WILL.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I love you. He does too. Nuff said.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Feel your way out.

I am trying to teach myself a new skill.

I am NOT faring well.

I feel like an idiot.

A bit ago, I felt myself becoming more and more anxious.

Here is where I KNOW I have grown. In times past, I would have allowed those anxious feelings to grow so loud I would not be able to move forward.

Then, I would start the blame game. I would blame me for feeling anxious. I would blame God for not keeping me calm. I would blame life for doing lifery things.

For good measure, I would find several other things to blame on MY anxiousness.

Instead, recognizing WHY I was anxious, I:

Put things down.

Took a breath.

Took a break.

THEN, I got back after it. Anxious grew bored with my tenacity/faith and went to find another sucker to sucker.

Be encouraged, beloveds. Keep standing on business. It’s not easy. It is doable.

The more I make it THROUGH the hard, the harder I want to try.

You SHALL make it. I have preparations in place for the winter storm that may put out the power in a few hours.

I’m learning how to maintain my joy, as I work THROUGH the hard. The ONLY way to get through tough times is to go through the tough time.

I am praying for all. If you have lost heart, that’s okay. I have enough faith for us all.

standing in the gap for all,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Be encouraged. Don’t despair. You are exactly where you are supposed to be. Life shall open it’s bounty to you at the appropriate time. In the meantime, I pray over your needs, your hopes and your fears. Be encouraged.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!