Hey YOU?

Hey.

Hey?

Hey!

You.

Yea, I was talking to YOU!

The YOU that has been weary. The YOU that has been on the verge of:

Giving up.

On:

You.

Your, hopes.

Your, dreams.

Your (fill in the blank).

You got this.

Did you hear me?

Did you HEAR me?!

You got this, beloved.

You CAN.

You WILL.

You just have to keep it moving, beloved. Beloveds.

No matter the hard. No matter the what. No matter the way.

It doesn’t matter.

One foot, in front of the other.

Just ONE, beloved.

You can do this.

You can DO this thing, called life.

Don’t give up.

Not, yet.

Not, now.

Not, on you.

Not, on Life.

Not, on God.

Not, on your family.

Not, on your friend(s).

Not, on your job.

Not, yet.

A little longer.

Just, a bit longer.

How long?

Doesn’t matter.

The matter is that YOU matter and that you continue to matter and care about the thing that TRULY matters.

Which leads me back to the beginning…

Hey YOU?

Yea, I was talkin’ to YOU!

Lift up your head.

Straighten your back.

Reach out your arms.

RECEIVE what IS coming for you:

Love.

Joy.

Peace.

Hope.

New Beginnings.

They are ALL for YOU.

YOU deserve them.

YOU deserve to be loved.

Why?

Because you are. 🙂

This is YOUR time.

I pray for you.

I rejoice for you.

I love you.

You are my people. I am yours. Time we all come together, in love, dontcha think?

Give some YOU away, today. Someone needs the love that only YOU can share from that precious and priceless heart of yours.

YOU can do this.

YOU will do this.

His and yours,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

P.S. If my life matters to you, let me know. EVERYONE needs their love tanks filled. I try to fill folks, on the daily. If you ‘like’ a sista, how about start talking to her? She has been waiting. Bring a friend. Let us give to one another, eh? Silent readers are great. Loud readers requested. BE loud with me, okay beloveds?

Caution!

This meme ALWAYS brings a smile, to my face.

Mostly, because it’s true!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH!!

I am:

Good people.

A goof.

Sometimes, a moron.

ALWAYS, trying.

I believe:

In, God.

In, Life.

In, myself.

In, people.

I KNOW:

ALL things truly DO work, for my good. Especially as I allow them to.

I am so:

Hopeful, for the future.

Joyful, in my present.

Grateful, for my past.

ALL things helped to make me, well, ME!

I think that ME is:

Delightful.

Wonderful.

Deeply loved, by God.

Deeply loves, God.

Ridiculously, talented.

I:

Love me, some me.

Love me, some you.

Love me, some Life.

Love me, some Jesus.

I believe in:

Me.

Love.

Life.

God.

You.

I will keep on loving some:

Me.

You.

Life.

God.

I hope:

Folk will ALLOW themselves to be:

Loved.

Loved.

Loved.

Loved.

Loved.

Loved.

By:

God.

Life.

Me.

Themselves.

Their, families.

Their, fellow man.

Again, I say…

CAUTION!

loved and loving,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

P.S. Okay, so how can you NOT be loving you some me, right now??!….hehe….life is good. Hang in there, beloveds.

Nuff said…

The week is at it’s end.

You have done your all.

You have given all you have to give.

You have lived your best life, in the best way you know how.

You have taken the high road, ALL week, when you have wanted to tell folks to go kick some rocks, already!

It is enough.

YOU have DONE enough.

Time to:

Rest.

Reflect.

Relax.

The world will do what it will. God and Life has got ALL under control. Thanks, in part, to your faith, your love, your effort, your TRY.

Enjoy your weekend.

Give yourself the pat on the back you richly deserve.

KNOW, of a surety, your voice matter, your thoughts matter, your hopes and dreams matter.

You are:

Loved.

Cherished.

Prayed for.

Fought for.

EVERY day. Every one.

Be at peace.

His and yours,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

I am: Just words upon a page.

I am…

?

I am, just words, upon a page. Words spoken, through love, given to a world seemingly who cares not, for my tone, my color, my gender.

You see, to the world, I should be unseen. I AM unseen.

For, I am:

Too, loud.

Too, old.

Too, female.

Too, black.

Too, spiritual.

Too, fat.

Too, ugly.

Too much, of this. Not enough, of that, it seems, to be counted worthy. To…

Be.

Breathe.

Have.

Do.

Yet, there is SOMETHING, inside me, STILL, that wants to try.

To:

Love.

Have.

Be.

Do.

My heart says that I am:

Beautiful.

Loving.

Worthy.

God and life says that I am:

Beautiful.

Worthy.

Loved.

The world says:

Nothing.

The world, sees me as not worthy of it’s time, it’s visage, it’s supposed ‘rewards’ for being one of the pretty ones, the white ones, the male ones, the male white ones.

I am just words, upon a page, pages no one wants to read, the world continually mocks and tells me.

The world says:

Give up.

Stop trying.

No one will care enough to read your pages. Your words were already judged and found wanting. Simply because of your gender. You were immediately unwanted, because of your race. The world said I would never be loved, because of this face.

God and Life says the world lies. They encourage me to keep going. They tell me I AM loved. They tell me that my life was worth the death of a King.

I tell, Life. I tell, God:

I am just words upon a page. All I have to give are the words, the love, the joy, in my heart.

What could, what does, what will those words, that love, this joy, in my heart ever do or change?

For, I am loud, female, black, fat, ugly, poor, spiritual. At least, this is what the world tells me, on a daily basis.

God: Do you believe this of yourself?

Me: Absolutely, not!

Life: How do YOU see yourself?

Me: I see myself the way God made me:

Beautiful.

Loving.

Joyful.

Free.

Whole.

Life: Did you always feel this way?

Me: No. For many years, I believed, the world. I believed, it’s lies.

God: What changed your mind?

Me: Your, Character. Your, Deep and Abiding Love. Your, Word. The Love of One, who cares for the one, me. Because of those things, because of Your Relentless Love, I was able to SEE, me. I was able to RECEIVE, me. I was able to LOVE, me.

God: There are countless others who feel this way about themselves. It grieves Me. Deeply.

Life: It grieves, me.

Me: It breaks my heart. I wish I was more than just words upon a page. If I could, I would heal EVERY broken heart. I would mend each one. By my own hand. I would be gentle, with the stitches.

I would speak healing words, to each heart. I would sing to it. I would encourage it.

God and Life: If you had ONE chance. One chance only, to speak, to the world, what would those words be?

Me: I would simply say what I have said many times, in as many ways as I have known how:

God SEES you. God LOVES you. God CARES DEEPLY for your life. Your life, matters. Your thoughts, matter. YOU, matter. Your life was worth the death of a King.

God: Tell them.

Me: I will.

Yet, I am, just words, upon a page.

Am I?

We shall see.

Unapologetically, His.

Unapologetically, yours.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Tell, someone.

Tell, someone.

Tell, someone, they are:

Loved.

Needed.

Required.

Let, someone.

Let, someone:

In.

Love, you.

Give, someone.

Give, someone:

You.

Let them, give, to you.

Show, someone.

Show, someone:

Your, heart.

Let them, show their heart, too.

Love, someone.

Love, someone:

Beginning, with you.

Extend that love, to another.

Allow another, to extend that love, back to you.

Help, someone.

Help, someone:

See, their worth.

Help them, to help you, to see your worth.

Believe in, someone.

Believe in, someone:

Beginning, with you.

Extending that belief, believing in, others.

Tell, give, show, love, help, believe in, someone.

Let someone, tell, give, show, love, help, believe in, you, too.

Tell, someone. Begin, with you.

Beloved, you ARE:

Loved.

Needed.

Required.

By:

God.

Life.

Me.

Others.

I love you.

His and yours,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Why Can’t I BE Loud?: I hide my heart, no more.

Today, I rejoice.

Fully, present.

Fully, LIVEing.

Fully, here.

Fully, invested:

In, life.

In, love.

In, me.

In, God.

In, Life.

In, others.

It feels good. To, be. Just to be, ME!

Never, again, allowing circumstances, situations, others, other’s expectations, or lack thereof, to:

Define, me.

Own, me.

Silence, me.

Frighten, me.

Defeat, me.

Dismiss, me.

Unapologetically, LOUDLY, proudly, I:

Stand, my ground.

Draw, my line, in the sand.

Fight, for me.

Alongside Him, for me.

Love, me.

Choose, me.

Receive, me.

Accept, me.

Honor, me.

Give, to me.

Humor, me.

Play, with me.

Stay, with me.

I hide my heart, no more.

I offer her, unashamedly, unreservedly, indefatigably, to God, to Life, to whosoever will receive her. Those, who can not, will not, are unable to, I love, still, and move on.

Life is short. I hide my heart, no more.

I hide my heart, no more. Not even, from me. Especially, not from me.

I, shall love her, this heart of mine, for the rest of my days, and beyond.

I, shall be good to her.

I, shall be good, FOR her.

She, deserves the best of me, not the rest of me.

This, I shall give her. I love her. She is me. I shall love me.

I, pray you do the same, beloved. Love you some you, would you please and thanks?

loving me some you whilst I love me some me,

Sweetpea

#YourLifeMattersToMe

P.S. So often, we wait for others, things, situations, circumstances to do this and that, in order for us to, supposedly, feel love. Love starts with us. IN, us. FOR, us. Love is a choice. A conscious KNOWING effort that we WILL care, we WILL try, we WILL do. Or, not. CHOOSE to love, beloveds. You, first. Others, next. God and Life, always. I love you. As does, He. Be at peace, this day…

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    It’s been a day. Be encouraged . Cassandra Today was… *sigh* Whew!! It’s not the 2nd but still…

Jesus, here You stay.

Jesus, here, You stay.

Here, with me, You remain.

Where ever I find me, I find You, there, too. No matter, where, You are there.

I love You, Jesus. For, You have NO shame, when it comes, to me. To, seeking me. To, finding me.

Where EVER, I go, there, You are willing to go, too.To, the depths, of my deepest, darkest despair, I have found You.

To, the heights, of my greatest adventures, there, I found You, there, too.

You have seen, and accepted, the worst of me. While, helping me to find, to BE the best, of me.

Yet, You love me.

STILL.

ALWAYS.

In ALL my ways. For, ALL my days.

You have loved me.

You love me, still.

I am in awe.

That You, Jesus, love me.

Always.

All days.

Even when, even if, even as, I find, at times, me a bit hard to deal with, to love, to cherish, to be there, for.

It is only because of Your Grace, Your Mercy, Your Deep and Abiding Love, Jesus, I find that I do my best to love ME, as You love me:

Completely.

Totally.

Joyfully.

Unapologetically.

Jesus, here, in my heart, You stay.

Your Grace, Your Love, Your Joy covers me. Your Thoughts stray, always, to me.

Amazing!

Your Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch, like me. I once, was lost. I, now, am found. I was blind. Yet, now, I see.

I SEE, Your Love, for me.

I HEAR, Your Heart’s Cry, to my heart’s cry.

I FEEL, Your Love, for me.

For, ME!

Amazing. How, very amazing.

Amazing, Jesus, Your Love.

Amazing, Jesus, Your Care.

Amazing, Jesus, You Are Amazing. Amazing, still. After, all these years. I love You, Jesus. Unapologetically. Freely. With ALL my heart.

Jesus, I long for others to KNOW, SEE, FEEL, and experience Your Love, Joy, Care, and Protection. Jesus, will You go to them, where ever they find themselves? Will You let them know, You are there, for each and every heart? They don’t even have to believe, in You, if they don’t yet know You. I just ask that You visit each heart. To let them know, You are:

Available.

Able.

Capable.

Ready.

Reliable.

Relentless.

In Your Pursuit for ALL to know the freedom, the experience of being free, of being loved. For love’s sake. For no other reason.

Jesus, here You stay.

With, me.

Jesus, here I shall stay, with You.

Forever Your Friend,

Sweetpea

#YourLifeMattersToMe

He plays with ME. Wow.

God plays.

With me.

With ME!

Wow!!

I am a different breed of cat, as they say. I enjoy goofhead things. I ENJOY being a goofhead. Most folk, though, either are too uncomfortable, too annoyed, or too something or other to allow me to, well, just be my goofhead side. I need to BE, her, at times.

In times past, I would quiet her, silence her. I didn’t want her embarrassing folk, annoying folk, getting in their way of their super serious side. Yet, I ALWAYS wanted to just be able to BE, this part of me, around folk. It’s the side of me that tickles me, the most.

I used to get angry with that side of me. She was FOREVER getting glares, stares and what not. Where ever she went. Dammit, she was loud. She IS loud. Always has been. Always will be, I suspect.

This part of me, the super goofhead part of me, Jaybird, now, Sweetpea(someone I love with all my heart gave me this nickname recently…*delicious shiver), loves:

Dancing in her underwear in complete darkness(don’t judge me)

Making a ton of precooked bacon and eating it like potato chips(True story, just ask Howard…*shrug*…don’t judge me, Howard!)

Eating fried chicken just about EVERY day. Okay, you may judge this. Great to do, though. Am tellin’ ya. ALMOST as good as eating bacon like potato chips! A bit crispy but NOT burnt.

Yakking earnestly, for hours, in pitch darkness to God, Jesus, Life, whoever is up at 3 am, about the upcoming NFL season. Yasssssss!!!

Making my Google Mini do stupid things, in the middle of the night, such as turning ALL the lights on and off, telling me jokes, switching from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ cuz….well, just cuz I can….*shrug*…is that weird??

Using my microphone, which I previously bought for the serious task of podcasting(when I learn how), and talking into my Dragon software to save my hands, to turn my goofhead into THE most awesome singer around!! It may or may not be true that I was just finishing singing a fantastic concert, along with Hillsong. I am tellin’ ya I can belt a good tune whilst singing into this magic microphone! Turns my ‘joyful noise’ into…okay, it is STILL joyful noise but so much fun singing into the microphone and not having to use a hairbrush…

I could go on and on about this side of me. The best part of this me, is the freedom, the joy, the love, I feel FOR me, by allowing myself to be fully free, fully me, ALL THE WAY ME!…..*hugs self*….

I used to get sad when folks wouldn’t let me be me. Sad, for me. Now, I find myself sad, still, but for THEM. Sad, folks don’t seem to know HOW to be, fully them.

Fully loving themselves.

Fully accepting, themselves.

I want to tell them not to be so hard, on themselves. I want to let them know that it’s okay they are currently stuck, unable to just BE, themselves. Many are afraid of their inner ‘goofhead’. I pray for them. I pray for us, all. Pray that we be good to us, as we make our way, through this world.

In the meantime, I am grateful. Grateful that God, that Life, not only allows me to be fully me. They REJOICE with me, whilst I am in the midst of play, of yakking, of eating bacon, of loving me, of loving life, of offering myself, in play, to others.

I used to be lonely, when folk would not allow me to be this part, of me. No, longer. Now, I continue to be her, to be me. I:

Dance, in my undies.

Write, in darkness, by the light of my phone.

Laugh, for no reason.

Shout stupidness, to my Google Mini.

Pray.

Play.

Rejoice.

All with God and Life, in tow.

How great is that!???

HOW GREAT IS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!???

YYYYYYAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

Life is short, beloveds.

LIVE.

Love.

Let God and Life love you back.

Let others love you back.

loving me some God, Life, Me AND you,

Sweetpea

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Real talk: Play.

It may, or may NOT be true, depending on who you listen to, or who be snitching, that I am sitting here, in my undies, drinking coffee, blasting Hillsong’s ‘Through it All’, in semi darkness, bathed only in the glow of my candle warmer…..*shiver*….awesome!!

My heart woke me. She wanted, to play. No, she NEEDED, to play. It had been a super, long, super duper, heavy week. My! Now, today, this morn, in the dark, in my undies, my heart rejoicing, in the day, in the NEWness of the day, needed to play.

No idea when ‘play’ became the enemy of rest. Okay, I DO know. Just not wanting to get all philosophical and teachie, this morn. I am playing, remember? We shall get to that, in a bit. Or, not….*shrug*….I am playing. Which gets me ’round to my original wordplay….hehe…love when I do that. Play, on words, I mean. See!? I did it again!……hahahahhaah…..play on words…..*Cassandra thinks she is just the hoot this morn*…..

Sadly, most folks are spending their days, just about ALL of their days, toiling, working, working, working, working, working, working. Rinse. Repeat.

They are hiding behind work, using work to cover the multitudes of sins:

Fear.

Hurt.

Worry.

On and on, I could go. Won’t though. Nope. Nada. Not, today. Not, now.

It’s time to PLAY.

Time, to release the hard of the day, week, year, years.

Time, to shake off the weight.

Time, to give ourselves PERMISSION to live, if only for just a short minute or two.

Time, to swing our arms wide.

Time, to thrust our hearts to the heavens.

Time, to laugh, with shrieking, super LOUD, shouts of pure joy.

Time, to…..*shrug*…..however you play, just time to PLAY, beloveds.

God and Life, are, right now, at play, with me. Awaiting, you. We are in the midst of a finger painting battle royale. I smeared royal blue ALL over Dad’s face, gave Him a big hug and took off. Life, snatched up some red and is currently looking for me. Don’t tell him where I am hiding, okay?

Yikes!

Egads!

Hey, there! It has been a while, eh? Shhh! I think Gabriel and Michael are on God’s Side. I just saw them tiptoe, around the corner, with some deliciously awful shades of military greens and greys…eww…..

*Cassandra crouched behind a couch*…..ppsssst……over here…..come on out, beloveds. Play a bit. Life is short….yikes….*Cassandra tears off, in search of some playmates. Jesus goes streaking past, yellow paint making a trail straight to His Hiding Place*…..*Cassandra shakes head*….Rookie move……..lol…..

This is the day the Lord has made. I SHALL rejoice and BE glad in it…..

loving me some you and Him,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Alone: A shepherd.

Am feeling alone, today. Not, lonely. Just, alone. A sheperd. Helping God and Life to gently usher the little ones, back to the rest of the herd, where there is safety.

Jesus loves all. Yet, His Greatest Concern, is for the stragglers, the lost sheep, those who stray a bit, from the safety the other 99.

I love the scripture that speaks of the shepherd going in search of the one. He loves that one, that straggler, that stray. He wants them safe. Needs them home.

Home.

Home!

Home…*sigh*. We are all, all of us, just trying to make it home, are we not?

Home sure can seem awfully far away. We get to wondering, to wandering. Until, we find we are no longer home’s. We have wandered, a bit, found ourselves out of eyesight of The Shepherd.

Yet, here He comes! Relentless, in His Pursuit, in His Love for US. He just wants us safe. Just wants to protect us. Just wants us near to Him. As, we are dear, to Him.

The Shepherd loves me! Ah, He loves me. He came, for me. He has set me free. And, now, free, I am become His companion. His friend.

Now, I tend the flock with Him. We roam, He and I. Looking for the weary, the tired, the lost, the lonely, the hungry, the broken, the empty ones. Looking to get them home, to safety, to healing.

Today, all seems quiet. I think I see 100 so I am resting, now. I am set apart. Alone. The quiet is peaceful.

Yet, in the quiet, I feel my aloneness. Yes, ministering to the one, I find myself, still one, still in need of The Shepherd’s Love, His Care. I am alone…

What is this!?

Ah, The Shepherd has arrived. For, me. For ME! Seems I had wandered, a bit, as I was wondering where I fit, in such a large world. Where is my tribe? Where is my posse? Where is place? Where do I fit?

These musings, all necessary, all new, can have one wandering. Wandering is necessary to FIND one’s place. It can get scary, though. We have no idea where we are going. We wonder, as we wander, if we are lost, if we have missed a turn, if we will ever ‘get there’.

We shall get there. We just have to keep going. Alone. Yet, not. The Shepherd, is ALWAYS near. For, we are dear. To, Him. Our lives matter, to Him. We are so much more than JUST one. We are not JUST anything, to The Shepherd.

We are, to Him:

Priceless.

Precious.

Cherished.

Loved.

Seen.

Heard.

Valued.

A million things we are to Him.

Returning home, with Him, my tiny hand held tenderly, gently, solidly, in His Nail-scarred Hand, I am reminded of His Awesome Sacrifice made. For Me. In order that I can be here, now, next to Him. Going, home. Helping Him, to get others home.

There! I see another. She seems lonely. A bit tired. Look, there! Another. Oh, he looks so thirsty.

Would you do me a favor and help me tend to them? There are so many.

Seems like I have forgotten I was alone. Turns out, The Shepherd was always there. He always will be.

For all the shepherds, out there, as you wonder and wander, remember you are not alone.

For all the stragglers, the strugglers, the strays, the angry, the hopeless, the hungry, the needy, the needed, KNOW, of a surety that The Shepherd is near. He is looking for you. He shall be along, shortly. Hang in there, til He come. In the meantime, here, I shall sit, with you. So, you won’t feel so lonely. He is coming, for you, beloveds. Receive Him. He loves you. You be loved. Let Him.

here as best I can,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe