Have you had one of those mornings where you want to tell your positive attitude to positively shut the hell up already!?
Hhmm….scuse me…..*Cassandra rushes off to make coffee. Apparently her want to went on ahead and went back to bed*
We know return to normal broadcasting….
Where was I? Oh, yea, something positively positive or some such about keeping it moving or going or whatever todays’ rah rah and yada yada theme was.
Yikes!
Egads!
Hey, there. Have not seen yall in a tad. The newbies, around here, won’t yet know yall unless they go back and read some older posts. Hint!
What do you mean the positivity was starting to slip a bit? Okay, yea, let me get back to moving, growing, being, seeing, rinse, repeat…*sigh*.
Keep moving.
Keep going.
Laugh today.
Live today.
We only get one go around to go around so there is not enough to go around for us to be going around not trying to get around….lol….I crack myself up, at times.
There are days, weeks, months, even, when the LAST thing I prefer to do is to keep moving. Getting out of bed, is an effort. Making life, er, coffee, is an effort. Getting dressed, is an effort. Deciding what to eat for breakfast, is an effort. Having to eat, said breakfast, is an effort.
Effort.
Effort!
EFFORT!!
At times, good egads, life takes some much damned effort!
What’s worse, during those times, our want to, well, it just don’t want to….*shrug*….don’t blame it, though. I sure have wanted to, here lately.
How I have felt, however, is beside the point…*sigh*. I already feel my want to getting revved up to let me know that I HAVE to keep going.
Keep going.
Keep moving,
Keep believing.
Keep caring.
Keep trying.
Keep shouting into the damned void demanding it give us our hopes, dreams, healings, families, jobs, vacations, coffee, fried chicken, bacon(don’t judge me. I love me some bacon!), and all the manner of people, places and things we have been yelling into the void to and or for.
Exhausting, yall.
All this hoping, dreaming, believing, receiving, giving, waiting, LIVEing, yada, yada, rinse and repeat.
Yet, we gotsa keep it moving, we have GOT to keep believing, loving, trying, trying, trying,…whew….this living thing sure takes effort.
Effort.
Effort!
EFFORT!!!
My want to just don’t wannu!….*stamps foot*.
Today, now, this morning, just feels like a longer version of yesterday. And, yesterday took FOREVER to get the heck out of here. Good egads. I know. I know. Not supposed to just ‘endure’ our days. At times, though, I must admit that I grow a bit weary with all this effort of growing.
I also admit, I am enjoying ALL these steps. Even, the hard ones. Even, the boring ones. Even, the long ones. Even, the lonely ones. Each of them are revealing a new me, a better me, the original me that God and Life intended for me, in the first place.
The me BEFORE all hell had broken loose, on my life. Before I broke all the hell loose on my life. Before, others broke all the hell loose on my life. Hell! Crap!
Each and every time we keep on going, keep on moving, keep on believing, keep on loving, keep on receiving, keep on shouting into that damned void to give us our goods already, we grow.
We grow:
Closer, to the miracle called us.
Closer, to those dreams.
Closer, to all the healing.
Closer, to the love meant for us.
Closer, to one another as we continue to strive with and for one another.
Closer, to accepting ALL of ourselves. Not just the parts we think will be received and loved.
Closer, to God.
Closer, to Life.
Closer, to our friends.
Closer, to venturing out to making friends if we don’t currently have them.
Closer, to laughing at our mistakes. Knowing those mistakes are, in fact, revealing the greatness ALREADY locked deep insdie.
Closer, to our families.
Closer, to our venturing out to build a family if we don’t yet have one of our own.
Closer, to the knowledge that we know absolutely NOTHING and that’s okay.
Closer, to understanding we are so much more than our effort, what we do or don’t do, what we have or don’t have.
Closer.
Closer!
WE ARE GETTING CLOSER, BELOVEDS!!
Keep going.
Keep moving.
You CAN do this.
You WILL do this.
Tell defeat to go on ahead and kick some rocks. STOP kicking yourself for where you are not yet yet…lol.
Love yourself, today.
LIVE, today.
Love someone, today.
Let someone love you, today.
God and Life has your back. As do, I. In prayer for you and for me.
We don’t have to add, anything. We be fantastic all by ourselves. Just, as we are. Yes, we may not be, where we want to be, where we thought we would be, where we hope to be. Yet, we are:
Enough.
Again…
I, am.
So, are you.
Folks who can’t get with that can go kick some rocks, already!π€·ββοΈ
Keep on doing and being you. As, ever, shall I.π
We got this, beloveds. So, let’s get about getting it, eh?
π ITβS NEVER TIME TO QUIT β PIECE THREE COLUMBO DIDNβT NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING. Beloveds, I have apparently become Columbo. π€£π΅πΏββοΈ Not intentionally. Nobody issued me the trench coat. I did not apply for the position. But after spending an absolutely ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out why my posts suddenly would … Continue reading →
Just stopped by, beloveds, to askβ¦ How are youβreally? Not the answer you give because somebody is waiting, somebody needs something, or you do not feel like unpacking the whole suitcase today. I mean you. Have you eaten something? Had some water? Taken your medicine? Rested before your body had to submit a written complaint … Continue reading Just stopped by to ask…→
π ITβS NEVER TIME TO QUIT β PIECE TWO WHAT IF I DONβT HAVE ANOTHER TRY IN ME TODAY? Beloveds, Yesterday I told you that sometimes the way you refuse to quit is by refusing to keep going the same way. Today I want to talk to the person who read that and thought: Cassandra, … Continue reading ITS NEVER TIME TO QUIT→
π ITβS NEVER TIME TO QUIT β PIECE ONE SOMETIMES THE WAY YOU REFUSE TO QUIT IS BY REFUSING TO KEEP GOING THE SAME WAY. Beloveds, I want to start this new series by clearing something up. When I say, βItβs never time to quit,β I do NOT mean you should keep pushing yourself until … Continue reading ITS NEVER TIME TO QUIT.→
SUNDAY WITH CASSANDRA. IT ME! π SUNDAY GRATITUDE JOURNAL WITH CASSANDRA πͺπ Beloveds, Come sit with me.Yesterday, I invited you to the movies. Today, Iβm inviting you somewhere quieter. Pull up your chair. πͺBring your coffee.Bring your tea.Bring your questions.Bring your faith.Bring your doubts.Bring your laughter.Bring your grief.Bring the parts of this week that made … Continue reading SUNDAY WITH CASSANDRA. IT ME!→
π¬ COMING ATTRACTIONSβ¦ Beloveds, Tomorrowβ¦ π΅πΏββοΈπ THE ADVENTURES OF LIEUTENANT CASSANDRA COLUMBO. One woman. One phone. One mysterious formatting problem. Approximately 9,742 attempts to figure out why something that looked perfectly normal over HERE suddenly became: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?! over THERE. ππ€£ Just one more thingβ¦ π Tomorrow morning, we are going … Continue reading →
Yea, I’m talking to YOU. The you that you don’t allow others to see. The goofy YOU. The outrageous YOU. The serious YOU. ALL of YOU!
Time to get YOUR shine on. Time to own WHO YOU ARE.
God and Life are PROUD of YOU, beloved. Yea, YOU. The goofy you. The outrageous you. The serious you.
This world needs ALL of YOU. This world is in desperate need of those who are not afraid to….BE!
Be!
Be YOU!!
YOU are:
Amazing.
Spectacular.
Awesome.
Your life, matters. Your thoughts, matter. WE, this world, NEEDS your:
Hopes.
Dreams.
Daydreams.
Hope, beloved. Dream, beloved. Daydream, beloved.
YOU can do this. YOU will do this.
As will I.
YOU are amazing. As, am I.
Don’t let ANYTHING silence YOU.
Not:
Fear.
Not:
Words, said to you.
Words, said about you.
You ARE:
Amazing.
Necessary.
Required.
Beloved, stop looking around, in hopeless, wondering how things will change, if things will/can change and BE the change.
Open your heart, to others. Allow others, to open their heart(s), to you.
Your life DOES matter. If it did not, why the world, would the world, the enemy, circumstances, situations try and convince you that your voice is ‘just’ that. A voice.
Know ye not that ‘just a voice’ has, can and will continue, to change lives. Think of someone who changed your life, lifted your spirits with ‘just’ a kind word or two. Think of the folks who have been lifted, by YOU, by YOUR care, by YOUR words, by YOUR efforts.
You are changing EVERYTHING, simply by being YOU. The world paints success by how much folk have or don’t have. God and Life are ever shouting, to us all, it’s in how much we LOVE that is important.
How much we love ourselves. How much we love one another.
I stopped writing, for a bit. To take a break, yes. But, if I were to be 100, I would admit that I have asked myself what would be missed by my missing blogs? What do my words mean? By extension, what do I mean?
Am I, though, just words upon a page? And, if this be so, is this not something to be celebrated? I think so. I can not tell you how many joyous days I have experienced, reading the words of other bloggers. Their stories, their lives, have touched my heart, in more ways than I could ever begin to count.
I think of words written, to me, that have influenced me, decades after they were originally written. I have letters, tattered from being folded/unfolded, that lifts my spirits, still.
I think of God’s Words, inspired and written, many, many moons ago, that change me, daily. Words upon a page.
We, each of us, are ALL words, upon a page, upon this stage, this thing, we called life. Wars have started, because of words. Wars have ended, because of words. Amazing.
WE are amazing:
You.
Me.
All, of us.
Time to BE amazing, beloved.
Step into your uniqueness. Embrace, it. Embrace, YOU.
Lift your head, beloved. Don’t belittle or be ashamed of what you see. I see, greatness. God and Life sees, goodness.
Be, great.
Be, good.
Be, YOU.
Be, free.
It’s time, beloved, don’t you think? Time to stop hiding your precious heart. This world NEEDS you. God and Life NEEDS you. Your family NEEDS you. Your community NEEDS you. Yea, I’m talking to YOU!
You got this!
Fear, not. And, if you fear, so what? Do it, anyway. Be you, anyway. Don’t worry about being judged. I will tell you a secret:
Those ‘judgy’folk are not actually judging you. They see your boldness, your acting in spite of fear or absent fear. They see these things and are jealous, afraid, envious. So, they lash out. Be understanding, beloved, when this happens. For, they are truly really lashing out, at themselves. Judging, themselves. Hating, themselves. Love them. Keep being you. And, slowly, they may also find the courage to LIVE and walk as you.
YOU are, amazing.
I, am amazing.
Don’t be afraid to shine, beloved. Let your light, your life, your love, shine brightly. Many WILL be warmed, by YOU, should you find the courage to….BE.
π ITβS NEVER TIME TO QUIT β PIECE THREE COLUMBO DIDNβT NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING. Beloveds, I have apparently become Columbo. π€£π΅πΏββοΈ Not intentionally. Nobody issued me the trench coat. I did not apply for the position. But after spending an absolutely ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out why my posts suddenly would … Continue reading →
Just stopped by, beloveds, to askβ¦ How are youβreally? Not the answer you give because somebody is waiting, somebody needs something, or you do not feel like unpacking the whole suitcase today. I mean you. Have you eaten something? Had some water? Taken your medicine? Rested before your body had to submit a written complaint … Continue reading Just stopped by to ask…→
π ITβS NEVER TIME TO QUIT β PIECE TWO WHAT IF I DONβT HAVE ANOTHER TRY IN ME TODAY? Beloveds, Yesterday I told you that sometimes the way you refuse to quit is by refusing to keep going the same way. Today I want to talk to the person who read that and thought: Cassandra, … Continue reading ITS NEVER TIME TO QUIT→
π ITβS NEVER TIME TO QUIT β PIECE ONE SOMETIMES THE WAY YOU REFUSE TO QUIT IS BY REFUSING TO KEEP GOING THE SAME WAY. Beloveds, I want to start this new series by clearing something up. When I say, βItβs never time to quit,β I do NOT mean you should keep pushing yourself until … Continue reading ITS NEVER TIME TO QUIT.→
SUNDAY WITH CASSANDRA. IT ME! π SUNDAY GRATITUDE JOURNAL WITH CASSANDRA πͺπ Beloveds, Come sit with me.Yesterday, I invited you to the movies. Today, Iβm inviting you somewhere quieter. Pull up your chair. πͺBring your coffee.Bring your tea.Bring your questions.Bring your faith.Bring your doubts.Bring your laughter.Bring your grief.Bring the parts of this week that made … Continue reading SUNDAY WITH CASSANDRA. IT ME!→
π¬ COMING ATTRACTIONSβ¦ Beloveds, Tomorrowβ¦ π΅πΏββοΈπ THE ADVENTURES OF LIEUTENANT CASSANDRA COLUMBO. One woman. One phone. One mysterious formatting problem. Approximately 9,742 attempts to figure out why something that looked perfectly normal over HERE suddenly became: WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?! over THERE. ππ€£ Just one more thingβ¦ π Tomorrow morning, we are going … Continue reading →
I have been doing my best, here lately, to accept the things I can do nothing about. It has NOT been easy. Yet, it has been worth it. Doesn’t always FEEL that way, though.
It is a very good thing that I make the choice, EVERY day, to walk by FAITH. NOT my feelings. NOT by how I think things should have gone, should go, need to go.
Things won’t always go MY way. In fact, things, here lately, have appeared to be going in the opposite direction! Ack!
I have lost some things, lost my mind a bit, about this situation and that. I have lost some ground, at work. Lost a family member, recently. I have lost more hair, gained more weight…*sigh*….
I have spent the week, in my undies, in the dark, in tears.
Why? Because, well, because life has been so blasted HHHHHHHHHHHAAAARRRDDDDDDDD these past few weeks. Normally, I have been able to take the ‘high road’. These past few weeks….whew….have wanted to tell the ‘high road’ to go ahead and kick some rocks!
I wanted to be angry. Had not allowed myself to BE angry. The other night, I ALLOWED myself to be angry. Allowed myself to be….BE…sad. I had a good cry. A great cry, in fact. I cried about many things.
I cried that I was STILL:
Alone.
Financially, strapped.
Alone.
Work stressed.
Alone.
Missing, my mom.
Alone.
Missing, my brother.
Alone.
Alone.
ALONE!
I was just feeling so damned ALONE, lately. Not, lonely. Just…
Just…
Just…
Alone.
So, alone, in the dark, in my undies, I had a good cry. Cried out, to God, to Life, to the universe, to the void. To any and all who would listen.
Cried and wanted.
Wanted and cried.
What did I want?
I wanted to be:
Loved.
Seen.
Heard.
Needed.
Yea, I NEEDED to be needed, know what I mean?
I emailed a friend, and said all I have ever really wanted was to be CHOSEN. To be chosen so I could be love and I could love. Someone. Many someones. I felt sad. Feeling as though I have never really been chosen. Not in the manner I THOUGHT I should be, thought I WOULD be.
Yet, had I ALLOWED folk in? Enough to get to know me enough to choose me? Or, did I only show the parts I thought would be acceptable and therefore ACCEPTED?
IF I were to be, completely honest, I would admit that I had done more ‘work’ to earn love, favor, respect, care, etcetera. I gave all of that, hoping the ME that I was, the ‘other’ parts of ME that were not so shiny/beautiful/lovely would be, well, accepted, along with the hard work, the care, I had given.
Was that fair? To, others? Was that fair, to ME? Probably not. What’s more, had I not been chosen? Many times? Yet, had I possibly, backed away, ran away, dashed away? In, fear. The fear of not being ‘enough on my own?
Without:
My, work.
My, efforts.
My, gifts.
My, talents.
My, money.
Acceptance…*sigh*. I can accept the fact, now, that I had hid my heart, then. And, now, I am paying for that hiding, from way back when, back then.
Knowing this, I can be patient, as I accept that change does NOT happen overnight. Friendships take time, to build, to mend, to breathe, to grow. Relationships take time, to find another, to learn another, to receive another, to grow another.
Knowing this, I accept this time alone. I can use my alone, now, to prepare for not being alone, soon, later, whenever.
Knowing this, I can forgive the ME I was then. I can tell that ME I had done the best I could do, at that time. Yet, I am a different ME, now. Rather, I am the ME Life and God and circumstances and time and people and places and….and…and are helping to build ME to be.
I can accept this.
I DO accept this.
Acceptance.
ACCEPTANCE!
The word, now, feels triumphant. Now. Before, the word, acceptance, seemed like, FELT like a ‘victim’ word. Felt like surrender. Surrender, felt like such a cowardly place/position to be in.
I have learned, however, surrender is one of THE most powerful words, one of the most powerful positions, one could find oneself. ONLY someone truly strong can surrender. You see, it takes letting go of fear, letting go of pride, letting go of ALL we hold dear, in order to truly surrender ourselves, our positions, our this and our thats.
In order to TRULY love, as love demands, we have to give up OUR desires and replace them with the desire of the heart we have given our love to. The bible says this about love:
Β I Corinthians 13: 1-7: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.Β 2Β And though I haveΒ the gift ofΒ prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith,Β so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.Β 3Β AndΒ though I bestow all my goods to feedΒ the poor,Β and though I give my bodyΒ to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
When we love, we have to accept, ah, there that word goes again, we may not be loved, in return. Love accepts this fact and continues to love. In full surrender.
In knowing this, I can accept loving ME, now, fully and completely and honestly. I can accept that God loves me, fully and completely and honestly. I can accept that others may or may not love me, fully and completely and honestly.
I can live with this knowledge. I accept it. I CHOOSE to receive whatever may come, my way.
Love? Here I am. Something else? Depends on what the ‘something else’ is….hahahahahahahaha!!
In the meantime, I am living, in the NOW, in the present. I accept that I have not always done my best. Yet, I tried. The outcome, now, is I am alone, now. Will that be forever? Who knows. I enjoy being alone, most days. I get a huge kick out of me. I get a kick out of acting a fool, in my undies.
What’s more, I have NEVER been alone. God has ALWAYS been close by. Waiting. Loving, me. Rooting, for me. Waiting for me to see, learn and KNOW that He has been close by, this whole time.
Now, right now, I kick it, with Him, whilst waiting for another, for others. Will they come? Who knows? God does and He ain’t telling. π
Acceptance.
Ah, such, a beautiful word! Such, a freeing word. Such a giving word.
I, accept ME. I, accept the uniqueness, of life. Of MY life. I may not be everyone’s cup of tea but God and Life sure enjoy my flavor! Knowing this, I am all good. The rest of the world, well, yall missing out. I am some good people.
Life is short, beloveds. Time to accept the facts:
You, be loved.
You, are NOT alone.
You, are awesome.
So, get on out there and BE.
You.
Unapologetically.
Life is short. We only get one shot at it. Get on out there and live. Broken pieces and all. With ALL that you have. Give and it SHALL be given back to you.
In the meantime, you got you some me. How great is that??!