Category: Writing

Don’t let THEIR change you.

Don’t let THEIR opinions change you.

Don’t let THEIR apathy change you.

Don’t let THEIR fear change you.

Don’t let THEIR lack of faith change you.

Don’t let THEIR anger change you.

Don’t let THEIR divisiveness change you.

Don’t let THEIR hopelessness change you.

Don’t let THEIR anxiety change you.

There will ALWAYS be folks, beloveds, who will try to project THEIR stuff onto you. No matter what their THEIR is, it’s THEIR PROBLEM, not yours.

I have learned, am learning still, how I have allowed so many other folks’ theirs, to keep me from believing in MY whys. Never again.

I know. I know. Writing wise, I have made many a writing faux paus. On purpose. Why? Because I am writing as I write. Weirdly. Annoyingly, perhaps. Yet, as me. To emphasize the need for folk to be themselves. Without apologies. Especially from themselves.

I still fight with cringeness about the way I have been made to write. I see the beautiful prose all over WordPress and almost want to hide my page. My page is boring. My page is full of foolishness. My page is me…*shrug*.

Before I go off on a tangent having nothing to do with the subject…

Be encouraged.

Be you.

Unapologetically.

Don’t fret about your haters. Haters are going to hate. It’s what they do. They are angry at your try. Because you are trying. They wish they had your courage. They wish they had your love. They wish they had your integrity. They wish they had your truth.

They don’t. So all they can do is to try and extinguish your fire/light with THEIR theirs. Ha! I don’t think so.

Let’s go, beloveds. You take yours. I shall take mine. We SHALL accomplish wonders. We shall touch many lives. Maybe not in the way we thought. Yet, we shall. I think that enough. Don’t you?

asking for Your Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: We have been under a heat advisory for days. I am melting. My resolve wants to melt. Ha! I got thangs to do. As do you. Don’t let the heat keep you from believing that all WILL be alright. It will. Sooner or later. The trick is surviving until. Geeeeeeeeeez, God. Can You hurry a bit more? Asking for many friends…

In case no one has told you yet today: I love you. Jesus says hi. The Universe says what the world you waiting for? Get in the game….

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Awakening.

Something is awakening.

From deep inside.

Dare I wake her?

Is it safer to leave her sleeping?

She stirs.

I am moved.

Shall I move?

She stirs.

I grow still.

She looks at me.

I stare at her.

Something is awakening.

From deep inside.

She knocks.

I answer.

Here goes nothing.

To be continued?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I feel at the precipice. Of what, I know not. I am ready. I think. Ah, God. Catch me…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

How can I?

How can I?

Be 55 and feel as though I am 20?

How can I?

Be on the edge of disaster and feel on the precipice of a miracle?

How can I?

See impending doom and experience profound serenity?

How can I?

Sense the end of everything but the beginning of all?

How can I?

Have forgotten all I have learned and remembered the slightest details?

How can I?

How can I not?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Ah, God. How can I have lost sight of Your Love for me because of a tornado and loss of a job? I am humbled. How can I? Asking for me. Finally. At last…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

This is going to be an AMAZING Monday!

Repeat after me:

This is going to be an AMAZING Monday!

Now, get on out there and make this an AMAZING Monday!

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Today will be what YOU make it. YOU choose. Configure an outstandingly, amazingly, spectactulously AMAZING Monday!

Do NOT take, last week’s worries, into today. Do NOT take, last year’s fears, into today. Be sure to take plenty of hope with you. Add a smidge of irony and get after it. Remember, you got thangs to do. Speaking of doing, I hear a cup of coffee calling. Who is up for a cup?

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Love yourself.

Love yourself.

Not just what you do.

Love yourself.

Not just what you have.

Love yourself.

Not just for what you can produce.

Love yourself.

Not just for how you look.

Love yourself.

Not just because where you live.

Love yourself.

Not just because you are part of a set.

Love yourself.

Even if you have.

Even if you have not.

Just because.

You are:

Amazing.

Awesome.

Incredible.

Love yourself.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been having to remind myself of this, beloveds, ever since the tornado.

Before, I KNEW I was amazing. Why? Because I was good at my job. Because I was a fantastic friend. Because I was a supportive sister. Because I could pay my own way. Because I had plenty of energy to motivate the world.

Now? Tired. Broke. Empty. Having nothing but ME to offer. Ah, Aha!

Am I enough?

Really?

Truly?

Yes.

It just does not FEEL like yes. At the moment. Ever again? I sure hope so. In the meantime, I keep on doing my best. With what I have. Even the not muchness of my broke, not having much self.

Love yourself. ALL of you. Even the little you think you have left to give. It IS enough. As are you. So am I. He says so, anyway….

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Uprooted: You shall have your fruit.

I have felt useless today.

Rootless.

Fruitless.

I cried.

I told God it feels like everything I have planted has been for nought.

I don’t SEE the fruits of my labors.

My bank account is empty.

My love tank is empty.

I give out on the daily.

Not a lot returned.

I told God that encouraging the world, on the daily, is NOT paying the bills.

He is silent. Except to say to keep encouraging folk.

Geeeeeeeeeez.

I stopped by to encourage you to keep going. Your efforts SHALL bear fruit. Maybe not the fruit you were expecting or hoping for.

Yet, it SHALL be life-giving. It shall be life-affirming.

For who(m)?

Ah.

Aha!

Great question.

Keep doing you. Keep being you. The rest shall come out in the wash.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: My me just doesn’t feel enough lately…

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

DO something.

When you are feeling afraid.

DO something.

When you are feeling lonely.

Do SOMETHING.

When you are tired of the same old, same old.

DO SOMETHING!

Nuff said.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Okay, so what the world are you DOING here? You supposed to be out there living life and DOING thangs. Get to it. Asking for A Friend.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Heart check Friday.

How is your heart, beloveds?

It’s Friday.

It’s what in the wide world was the week I am having day.

It’s how on earth am I going to make ends meet with THIS day.

It’s all I have done my best day.

It’s all the day God made so I may as well rejoice in it day.

It’s also I have folks who love me in spite of all my dumbness day.

It’s also life is too short to be worrying about things which won’t happen but I can manage when it happens day.

It’s also whatever you choose to make it day.

What are you CHOOSING to make of your Friday, beloveds? Whatever you choose, be sure to liberally sprinkle joy, laughter and a whole lot of cut you some slack in there.

Be encouraged. Be well.

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You CAN. You WILL. We got this, beloveds. If we didn’t, reality wouldn’t be so desperate to keep us locked in comfort zones and living lives of quiet desperation. The heck with that! We got thangs to doooooooooooooooo! Let’s go!!!!!!!

In case no one has told you yet today: I love you. So does He. Jesus said ‘What’s up with that?’ Means how are you and stay safe……:)

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I give my all.

I give my all.

Not knowing, if my all, will be enough.

I give my all.

Not knowing, if my all, will be selected, at all.

I give my all.

Not knowing, if my all, will satisfy, all or at all.

I give my all.

Not knowing.

If my all:

Will satisfy.

Satisfies.

All.

If, at all.

giving my all,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Only those who have truly given their all, and have found their all wanting, seemingly, will understand this piece.

If this is you, be encouraged. Your all WAS, IS, and ever shall be enough. As are you. Be encouraged. 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!

Living with new normal.

Fresh hell.

Ack.

Dammit.

Seems like I spend EVERY day muttering and uttering these words. Here. In my normal. My new normal. This new normal sucks!! I hate it. I hate this.

I hate the not knowing.

I hate the standstill.

I hate not having a job.

I hate that I don’t hate not having a job.

I hate my hesitancy.

I hate my whining.

I hate my complaining.

I am hating everything but the main thing I am REALLY hating:

Ah, beloveds, I am beating up on me because I gave my all to a job that only gave me a paycheck. I thought it ought give me more. Tough to swallow. Much needed, though.

This was on me placing my everything, for almost 15 years, into a job that viewed me as a replaceable thing.

That’s what jobs do. Simple as that. This is also why God implores us to set our hearts on things that are eternal, that lasts, that fulfills.

Us folk stubbornly, stupidly(if you ask me), put our faith in making money in order to make us ‘secure’, ‘necessary’, indispensable’ and on and on.

We already ARE those things. Life has to punch us dead in the mouth before some of us wake up to see this. It took a tornado for me.

Uncle! You win, Life.

I am beginning to see, faintly, how much more I am than what I have done. I tell folk this on the regular. I find I am in need of hearing this for ME.

I was hollering at God, just a bit ago, that my encouraging the world is NOT paying my damned rent! When folks get their encouragement, they find no need for ME!

Ouch. Truth, though. Still, God made me His Encourager. Ask me what the hell for and I won’t be able to tell you. I just know I am. So I do. So I shall.

EVEN IF ENCOURAGING THE WHOLE OF THE DAMNED WORLD IS NOT PAYING MY RENT AND I HAVE NO JOB AND THE DAMNED TORNADO TORE UP MY TOWN AND I AM 55 YEARS OLD AND HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THE HELL TO TURN OR WHO TO TURN TO OR WHAT IN THE FRESH HELL I AM SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS NEW NORMAL I CAN’T STAND!!!!

Ah, beloveds. Pay me no mind. New normal has moved in and I am pouting at where she is putting the furniture. I liked things the way they were. She says no. Says I have been in a rut it took a blasted tornado to shake me out of.

True that. Ow. New normal could give two hoots about hurting my feels.

Be encouraged, beloveds. Even in your new normal. Especially in your new normal. Cut yourself some slack. The unknown is awfully loud with its huge megaphone.

I have no idea what’s next. I DO know what I am going to DO next:

Rejoice.

Hope.

Laugh.

Love.

Wait.

Patiently.

What about you?

asking for A Friend,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Life is not fair. So what? You got thangs to do. Get out of bed. Take out the trash. Fuss with God. If you must. Just stop with the Superman cape. Asking for Your Friend.

Be encouraged. Be good to you. You have done and are doing all you know. This is enough. The results are not up to us. We have time to do what needs done. As for the rest…*shrug*

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!