The Universe: You are much more successful than you know. Keep going.
Me: How? Where?
The Universe: Great questions! Keep asking. I will tell you a secret:
It’s not you, it’s Me. Getting in the way. Preparing the way. Making the way.
Me: Why?
The Universe: You shall run into the answers as you try. You will understand as you continue to strive.
I hate to say this for fear some may misunderstand…
Going through this tornado may have saved my life. Prior to it, beloveds, I was in the midst of running myself into the ground for any and everyone.
I had worked too hard. I had worked too long. I had ignored my body’s tells for far too long.
I had been burnt out for months. Okay, for the last two years at least. I told myself I could not afford to rest. I told myself folk could not afford for me to rest. Hogwash!
I did us ALL a disservice: Me, fam, friends, work, my community. I had nothing substantial left to give.
The tornado was like a huge needle being scraped over the vinyl record called my life.
I honestly do not know if I would have stopped abusing myself as I had. Abuse is a harsh word. A true one.
Don’t get it twisted, beloveds. The Universe is NOT served when we drive ourselves into the ground and rise as empty husks.
That said, I have promised to use EVERYTHING for my good. I don’t know why the doors have not opened yet. Yet. Three words driving me cra cra!😳😭
Hang in there, beloveds. It’s not you. Life has to make it do what it do. You just have to keep standing on business and doing all you know.
THEN…rest.
We got this.
believing in us all, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Have FAITH. DON’T quit. Not just yet. Yet…*sigh*. Be encouraged. I love you. So does He.
What do you do when life happens at the worst time?
I’ve been asking myself that question for the last 6 months. I have been trying to figure out the answer for the last 6 months. This is the absolute worst time to be trying to find a job. This could not be a worst time to be 56 without a job. The tornado could not have picked the worst time to have happened.
Now I am left with trying to figure things out. in real time. Having been left with nothing, I have to do the best I can with what I have left. which has been a whole lot of nothing. Go figure.
It’s hard to learn a lesson when you’re trying to figure out how to keep the lights on. It’s not easy remaining calm when disaster seems near.
Living in the meantime can be awfully difficult when in the meantime, life is especially troublesome and tiring. The fairy tales don’t tell you what to do after the credits stops rolling.
These times are here for a reason. It’s up to me to work to find out what those reasons are. I wish I could tell reason to kiss my uh oh. I can’t. I have to be the mature 56 year old I am. Yikes.
I’m trying my utmost not to be angry about having to start over at 56 in this manner. I could have done this easily 30 years ago. Youth would have been on my side. Now I have an old body and a tired mind.
The news is full of nothing but gloom and doom. I refuse to see it with my fear. I pour the oxygen of praise, love and joy over the sad tidings. I find that 56 is a valiant warrior. She refused to give up. She laughs at hard. 56 is an encourager. She tells me to keep going. She tells me that everything truly will work out. She tells me that everything will come out in a wash. I am beginning to enjoy 56.
56 is relentless. Maybe she recognizes how truly short life is. I’m doing the best I can with the days I have. I have to. So do you. There’s too much left unfinished.
I still don’t know how to quite answer. What do you do when life happens at the worst time? I’m still figuring that out in real time. I’ll let you know on the other side. There will be another side for me. I will make it there. as will you.
In the meantime, keep doing the best you can. For as long as you can. Rest, then begin again.
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: God has never lost a battle. He never will. Be encouraged.
The bills won’t stop. The month is running out. My want to has not always wanted to.
My want to:
EVERY day, I drag want to out of bed…
Hard has been forcing me to DO SOMETHING, CASSANDRA!
The more I DO SOMETHING, the less large fear looms. In fact, fear gets embarrassed when I DO SOMETHING. Fear doesn’t know what to do, when WE do something to combat fear.
Ah.
Aha!
Just this morning, beloveds, fear told me to stop writing. Doubt chimed in and said nobody cares about you or your thoughts. Reality insisted I will NEVER see my dreams in real time.
Ha, I replied!
I appreciate hard, now. I don’t care for it being so bloody hard. I understand why, now.
Don’t be discouraged when hard gets so damned hard, beloveds. These times are simply opportunities to activate and utilize your faith. Period.
We all believe in something. Hard times simply show us what we are actually standing on.
Keep on believing in your try. Your try WILL result in a wonderfully, delicious life.
In the meantime, try not to focus so much on the hard of things. Enjoy your day. Hard is going to be hard. So what? You have thangs to do.
Tell reality to kick rocks when it reminds you of your age and limitations. We CAN. We WILL.
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I REFUSE to allow hard to keep me from trying. I got thangs to do. Don’t you dare let your hard keep you from LIVING!
I have had to clean house this year. I have had to clean up many a mess due to some internal stinking thinking.
I didn’t believe in myself, like I could have. In turn, I failed to fight for myself, as I would have.
Just now, I took out the trash. It has been terribly cold these last weeks. So much so I have absolutely DREADED taking out the trash.
Today, I told lazy to stop being lazy. The sun was stunning. She brilliantly showed off her sparkles for all who were smart enough to get outside.
Taking out the trash gave me the energy to do more. Okay, it didn’t. I made myself get on with the business of LIVING.
Fear, of the future, can keep us from living, in the present.
Be sure to get out of your fears, beloveds, and into your brilliant future.
Folk all over the world have been bemoaning the state of the world. To hear folk tell it, we may as well just pack up, not care, and kick a pet or two on the way out. Hooey on that!
Real talk, beloveds, we HAVE to keep up with our internal housekeeping. If not, we shall find ourselves too easily swayed and dismayed by lies and disinformation.
ENJOY your today. It’s the only you get. Hopefully, another today will be tacked on to this one!
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Okay, um, like you are supposed to be doing chores. What are you still doing here?😁🥰🤣❤🙏
All you have to do to meet the challenge is to meet the need.
Stand up!
Show up!
Meet the need!
The world is in desperate need of folk who will get out there and love it. Warts and all. Faults and all. Misdeeds and all.
Lately, folk have been urging black women to boycott and not work for or shop in corporations that don’t/won’t value us.
I choose the bigger fight. I choose to love. Period. In whatever setting I find myself in. The world will do what it does. I CHOOSE not to respond in kind.
I will:
Stand up!
Show up!
Meet the need!
Can a sista get some help here?
asking for A Friend,
Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Apathy is for the lazy. Hate is for the misinformed. Gloom and doom is for the haters.
I’m taking a break for a few days. I’m relinquishing my need to control things I can NOT control.
The unknown does NOT have to be the terrifying place I have been making it, these last few weeks.
I have been seeing gloom and doom when neither of those things have been near.
I have been secretly prophesying my imminent demise, from my abode.
I have been seeing boogeymen in EVERY corner, when none have been close by.
Unknowingly, I was building a castle of fear. Realizing my error, I gave myself permission to step aside. I needed to regroup. I needed to catch hold of that which had caught hold of me.
I need to step back so I can keep the main thing THE main thing: Standing on FAITH. Standing ten toes down. Waiting PATIENTLY. Free from fear.
Why? Because, I am loved and I am NOT alone. Neither are you, beloveds.
I REFUSE to allow the fear of the unknown to run my right now. Right now, I am here. Right now, I am cared for. Right now, I am enjoying my place. Right now, I have a wonderfully tight relationship with God, a few family members and a couple of friends.
Right now, I have my health, such as it is. Right now, I am in my right mind. Right now, I have amazing life I am reimagining. All I have is right now.
Someone needs to KNOW that things are NOT as they appear. I wonder who has me up this late? Ah, God, we have need. Hear us. I speak also for those who don’t believe in You. Bless them also. Continue to love them also. Give us grace to hang in there. Ah, we are trying so hard not to be tired. We are a smidge on the exhausted side. Be there for us. Uplift every heart. Meet each need. Asking for many friends. Amen.
Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Things are NOT what they seem. Be encouraged.
I’m tired of of ALWAYS having to keep my act right acting right.
I’m tired of fighting with/against fear.
I’m tired of watching the wicked prosper whilst the gentle/meek inherit hard times.
I’m tired, God. You tell us not to be weary in well doing as in due season we will reap if we faint not. I’m tired of wanting to faint and be weary but not being able to.
That said, I shall NEVER tire of You.
Your Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Sometimes, it’s necessary to let friends know how you feel. Their response is up to them. Never be afraid to be honest with your true feelings. Too many folks are running around in pretend mode.
I AM tired. Doesn’t mean I am giving up. I have too many thangs to do. There is much too much love I have left to give.
My heart wanted to encourage folk. My spirit was tired. Initially, I sided with spirit. I turned off the phone. My heart asked what if there was someone who needed a bit of a boost? I sided with YOU. Be encouraged. Rest as needed.
Give yourself permission to be a tad weary. We are human. We can’t go 100 miles an hour all day. Rest, then keep looking UP. It can be hard to look up when all you see are storm clouds coming.
