I decided to try making this into video and using British voice. I find him soothing. Let me know what you think.
Have awesome week!
asking for A Friend,
Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I love you, beloveds. Life is short. Get out there and try something. I have spent the last few hours learning more about Capcut and trying new things.
Things may not turn out as I am hoping, but so what?! I am living. NOW. I am loving me. NOW.
My life has been broken in two: Before the tornado. After the tornado. It used to be before mom died. Then, after mon died.
I guess, when you go through super rough times, beloveds, life will have a way of sticking some after AFTER your BEFORE!
Through Your Eyes, I am beginning, slowly, to see what You have always seen in me.
Through Your Eyes, I am beginning, slowly, to love who/what You love, which is…me.
Ah, God. Thanks for loving me. Just as I am. Thanks for letting me know that I am worthwhile even as I rebuild my life. Help me see my worth in simply being Cassandra. I love me some You. Your Daughter/Your Friend Cassandra.
forever grateful for Your Love,
Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I am rebuilding. Daily. Daily, I am being rebuilt. It’s not easy. I want to holler ‘owwww’ and climb down off of God’s Operating Table!
The tornado broke my spirit. I’m finding my way back to her. I am annoyed with this fraidy cat me. I want to be the strong tigress I used to be. I long to be her. She is in there somewhere.
In the meantime, beloveds, I encourage you to hang in there. If you are being rebuilt just now, be encouraged. New growth tends to take an awfully long time to come to pass. I just want things done already!
Wait. Patiently. As shall I. In the meantime, try and enjoy your day. Find some joy in there somewhere. Hard is not always so hard when you do so with joy, love and laughter. Take care and be well…
One step.
One step.
One step.
You are loved.
You are NOT alone.
Keep on being…YOU!
If this piece encouraged you, share it with someone please/thanks.
Pain – You have been a friend in a way. You have forced me to seek out comfort. You have forced me out of the shadows. You have caused me to want to heal and to grow. You have brought me closer to God. You have helped me to understand my mom more. He has helped me to understand that life is simply being life. I don’t like it when you show up. Still, I grow each time I allow myself to understand that pain happens to us all. It’s nothing personal for you.
Silence – You have forced me to find my voice. You have made me relentless in my pursuit of my dreams. You are maddening. You make me want to try harder!
Fear – You have taught me that you are nothing but a liar. You have forced me to fight for my dreams and to get beyond you to experience true joy.
Anger – I have learned about patience in dealing with you. I see how much leaning on you has kept me back from experiencing the joy of life had for me. I have been forced to deal with the real reason(s) why I have been angry. I have been forced to confront and deal with disappointment because of you.
Doubt – You force me to question you daily. In so doing, this forces me to question ME. In so doing, I am learning to doubt you while believing in me.
I am learning to look at things through new eyes. I am appreciating all the lessons being learned. I will continue to learn from you. How about cutting me some slack for awhile?
asking for A Friend,
Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Life happens to us all. Our perception shapes our world. It may help you to look at things in a new way. Be encouraged.
One step.
One step.
One step.
You are loved.
You are NOT alone.
Keep on being…YOU!
If this piece encouraged you, share it with someone please/thanks.
I just stopped ’round to check on your heart and give some things you can feed yourself to get through anxious moments:
Ask yourself WHY you are anxious – I let my nerves go haywire just by telling myself I was too old to figure things out. Once I laughed at that dumb notion, I started again.
Remember WHY you are doing what you are doing – I had let my mind wander on all the things I could not yet do. Once I focused on my why, I relaxed. I went back to enjoy simply doing me as best as I could.
My spirit has been anxious lately. There are so many negative reports out there. It has been difficult to drown them out. So much so I had to turn off the television and my phone.
I must admit it. It has been difficult standing 10 toes down on faith. I choose faith. I choose me. I choose my try. I don’t know how things will turn out. I do know that I choose to not stand on feelings of anxiousness.
Be encouraged. They will always be things that will cause us to feel anxious. We don’t have to give in to that anxiousness. There are things we can do. There are things we can try.
Keep feeding yourself positive things. Continue living in the moment.
I’m contemplating another attempt at making homemade brownies. I don’t know if the world can withstand that….lol.
We shall do great things.
believing for us all, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: When you’re finding yourself feeling anxious, get up and do something. I did laundry.
I am listening to Mandisa’s “Overcomer”. My heart still grieves her loss. I can’t believe she’s gone.
The rest of us left behind HAVE to keep going!
We ARE overcomers! We ARE overcoming!
We CAN.
We WILL!
After Mandisa passed away, beloveds, I wanted to hide this song and never listen to it again. Her loss hurt. Someone soooooo talented and inspiring snatched away much too soon.
Then, Life told me to play her song. She finished her earthly race. My journey has yet to be completed.
I don’t know how many more days I have left. I plan on using them to love as many folks as I can get my hands on!
I love folk. Call me cra cra if you must. I love you anyway!
For months, forever it seems, I had been raging. At God. At the damned tornado. At me. At God again. At me again. Rinse. Repeat. Ad nauseam. Ad boredeum!
Forever, I roared. Scared. Angry. Angry. AND scared. Angry for being angry and scared.
I was angry at God for being silent. I was angry at me for being too stupid to hear.
I felt stupid, stupid, sttuuuuuupppidd!!
This was no way for a positive, moving forward, be about being about person to feel. Was it?…
All the while, beloveds, I was encouraged to encourage folk. Okay, so HOW in THEEEE fresh hell was I supposed to encourage folk when I was questioning what in the actual hell I believed in?
God told me that was a me problem and to get back to being about being about it.
How dare?!
I felt like an imposter. I felt like a fool. How could I encourage folk to have faith when I had no idea where to find my own?!
God: Great question! Keep asking!
Me: Ah.
God: Aha!
I am finally getting the hint. I finally get it. Life will do its life things. We have to learn to adapt and to overcome.
Working through all this hard is working out all of the kinks in me. The hard is bringing out the best in me. The hard is bringing out my try. The hard is only making me want to try harder.
I have learned to use my age as my asset. that no longer view my 50s as a detriment. that never used to. I didn’t mind turning 50. I enjoyed it in fact.
The tornado stripped my confidence. I am fighting to get it back. In the meantime, I encourage you to stay confident. Keep trying until you get it. You will.
There are days when I believe I have finally gotten the point. There are other days when I don’t know what in the fresh hell is going on. I guess the point is that sometime life just not seem to have a point…lol
I’m just living in the meantime. I’m just enjoying me in the meantime. Enjoy your life. Enjoy your day. Enjoy your moments. Make as many of them count as you can.
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: Believe in yourself. Believe in your gifts. The tough times you are going through is growing you. Have an amazing rest of your day.
Note: We are NOT alone. Morning shall come. In the meantime, turn on the light. Be a light. Shine your light.
The world seems upside down. It’s not. It just feels that way, at the moment. These moments shall pass. All moments do. Make the most of yours. I’m doing the best I can with mine.
Don’t let the loudness of this present darkness fool or frighten you, beloveds. God is in control EVERYWHERE. Besides, karma is a true B for a reason!
Keep on being the person of integrity that you are. Keep on being the hopeful person that you have always been.
Keep on looking UP. Keep on moving FORWARD.
These times shall pass. Who will you be when they do?
For weeks, months really, I have been struggling to figure out HOW to start again.
There is so much I want to share. There is much I would love to say.
The trouble has come in the HOW. Not so much the what of things.
I spent the day drinking coffee and dreaming of the day where I could freely share ME and encourage a billion folk.
I paced the floor. Okay, I paced in my mind as the floor needs to be vacuumed and I am trying to pretend it’s not there.
Anywho, I pondered. I wondered aloud.
Out of the blue, God tapped me on the shoulder and whispered:
“Just give them you”.
Four words. Stopped me in my tracks.
Suddenly, all kinds of silly slogans came to my mind. Dumb thoughts I have been trying to squish down as who would seek out THAT?!😳
Apparently, God thinks MY that is what is required just now. Wow!
I had ALWAYS tried to keep my silly out of my writing. I enjoy phrasing things in weird ways that makes no sense whilst making all the sense in the world.
I enjoy removing commas for the sheer pleasure of breaking rules that were written by a somebody therefore anybody can rewrite or write over them. Whew!
I guess God just wants me to be…ME.
ME!
The me that was never asked out. The me that never went to prom. The me that never had kids. The me that will never be called grandma by blood relatives.
Yet, this me has been one that has cared for many, many others through being Certified Nurses Assistant caring for the elderly. A Youth Worker who cared for kids who had been physically, sexually and emotionally abused.
A me who has been a Correctional Officer. A me who spent more than 14 years happily assisting customers and stores.
A me who tells terrible jokes. A me who longs for unity with all. A me who enjoys football. A me who enjoys watching cooking shows from folks all over the world.
A me that I love. Now. I didn’t used to love me. I had learned to listen to all the lies that I was unworthy, not worth it and not worth while.
I was. I am. I always will be. So are you, beloveds.
I am an encourager. I am an intercessor. I am a goof. I am God’s Goofhead. As it should be.
It took years to learn HOW to love me some me. I endeavour to spend the rest of my life loving others and shouting love from the rooftops.
Ah, beloveds, if God spared me from that tornado to be ME, let me be me and say:
You are worth it.
You are worthy.
You are worth while.
Oh, that I could walk each and every one of you home!
I love you. I hope the best for you. I wish I could take away your every hurt. I wish that I could meet your every need.
Ah, God, folk need to be loved. They need Your Love. Love them. Be there for them. Let them know they CAN. Let them know they WILL!
asking for A Friend, Cassandra
#YourLifeMattersToMe
Note: I’m walking you home in my heart!
Keep on being YOU, beloveds. This world needs what only YOU can give it.
We are in some mighty dark times. Only love will see us through. It will. In the meantime, be encouraged. I’m praying for us all. Even for those who think me the fool. I am. A fool for Christ.🤣❤🥰🙏🎤
I want to be a safe space for folk to be loved and cared for.
I will be.
I want to be the kind of person who will love those who don’t love me.
I will be.
I want to be a light.
I will be.
I want to be one who brings joy to the joyless.
I will be.
I choose to be a vessel of peace. I choose to be a safe space for folk to be loved and cared for. I choose to be the kind of person who will love those who don’t love me.
