Day 2: Chicken strips and fries saved my life.

God: Make some chicken strips and fries.

Me: Now?! It’s after 1 in the morning!😴

God: Go make them anyway.

Me: K.

I was tired, beloveds. Super sleepy. For some reason, my spirit just would NOT let me go to sleep.

It was on me to go make some chicken strips.

I made chicken strips. The moment they were done the tornado 🚨 sirens lost their minds.

A bit after that…πŸŒͺ πŸŒͺ πŸŒͺ…

They have estimated three πŸŒͺ hit. 300 plus lines are down.

I am using this time to rest and reflect. Here is the latest text I sent out to fam/friends:

ALL I have thought about is checking on folk.

Life is short. Please, please, please think it nit strange all that is going on in your life right now.

LISTEN to the ridiculous and small things God asks you to do that may turn out to be life savers. I am enjoying my chicken strips and fries! In the dark. With God. With you.

Life is good. Even when it’s hard. Will send this the next time I turn on my texting phone.

You know, beloveds, it’s really interesting what we find essential when having to ration battery time. Ah, another post topic!πŸ˜†

living life anyway,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: What a week I am having. 🚨πŸŒͺπŸ˜³β€οΈβ€πŸ©ΉπŸ˜₯πŸ”₯πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ™πŸ˜­πŸ˜±πŸ€―πŸ™πŸ™β—οΈβ—οΈπŸ˜³πŸ₯ΊπŸ€£πŸ˜†πŸ˜΄πŸ₯°πŸ₯°

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Day 2: Am in my ‘so what?!’ phase.

Me: It’s πŸ”₯ hot!

Me: So what?!

Me: I have no one to talk to.

Me: So what?!

Me: The phone is almost dead.

Me: So what?!

Me: NO one loves me. I am all alone. It’s hot dammit.


Me: So what?!

Me: I’m tired of being in the dark.

Me: So what?!

Me: It may take a week or more to get power.

Me: So what?!

Me: I’m missing the playoffs.

Me: So what?! Okay, so that IS kinda messed up.😭

Me:πŸ₯°πŸ€£

Life is short, beloveds. When hare tosses you some super hard things, say ‘so what?!’ and keep it moving as best you can.

asking for A Friend,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Keep going. Everything will be alright.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t focus on what you see.

Don’t focus on what you see, beloveds.

Focus on what you are trying to bring into existence.

See through the eyes of FAITH. Tell fear/doubt to kick rocks. REFUSE to allow your image to be clouded and viewed through the eyes of fear and doubt.

The unknown can be a frightful thing if you are not certain of your steps. That said, as long as you KNOW Who is taking care of the unknown, you can walk confidently.

I am doing my best to NOT focus on what I think I see. My perceptions are currently being clouded by bills, bills, bills and more bills. Makes it hard to focus on enjoying life and doing what I know to do and everything else WILL come out in the wash.

I was laying in bed, in tears, wondering if ever will ever come. I woke and told myself I will focus, as best I can, on what I can currently see and do.

In the meantime, beloveds, keep on keeping on. When will I stop saying this? When we have all crossed the finish line!

You CAN.

You WILL.

believing in and for us all,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Remain hopeful. Remain joyful. Laugh at doubt and fear and tell them to kick some rocks. Love someone. Starting with you. I got your back. God has us all.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

We are loved. We are NOT alone.

Be encouraged, beloveds.

This will be my last piece, in real time, until the power comes back on. Could be a week they say. It’s raining and thundering again.

I have hour and a half on my laptop and 37 percent on the phone so charging it best as can.

Life can be rough. It’s tough now but God has me. He has us all. I must admit I thought my numbered days had run out. Am still here.

It comforts me KNOWING I am alone, yet not.

I am loved. So are you. Love someone. Starting with you.

STILL here,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Yikes, that was a hella terrifying tornado!!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Your little makes a whole lot.

*sigh*

I give.

What I have.

What I have sure doesn’t seem like much.

Yet, God reminds me of Jesus feeding 5,000 with folks few fish and loaves of bread.

Sooooooooooooooooooo, I give what I have:

My meager fish.

My half burnt, stale loaves of bread.

I ask for Him to bless them and feed as many folks as can be fed.

Ah, God. I wish I could do more. I wish I had more. I wish I could BE more for You and for others.

Until then, I shall continue to giving as much love as I can. Oh that it can and will be enough.

giving all that I have/am,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Give what you have. You are more than enough. As am I.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

God got me. No matter the storm.

Yall are reading a miracle, beloveds. As we speak I am typing these words by the light of my phone.

Why?

My city has just gone through an awful πŸŒͺ tornado.

There are downed trees everywhere. I could hear the roar of the tornado πŸŒͺ outside my door.

I hid in the bathroom and yelled at Jesus to spare my life and protect my car.

Trees are everywhere. All around my car and neighbors.

Folk are wandering around wondering how our apartments are still standing.

I came upon a neighbor, a stranger. I asked her if I could hug her. She said her name was Natalie or Natasha. I can’t remember.

I hugged a stranger as if hugging a long lost kin.

I sat in my car and did a few videos to encourage folk to be encouraged during the storms of life. I will post to Instagram soon.

I called a friend and told him he was talking to a miracle.

Daylight won’t come for me for another hour. The heat is stifling. I only have 26 percent on my power pack.

The smell of gas leaks are all over our counties.

Not sure when the power will be on. Which means I will not be able to work from home.

Ah, God. Thanks for sparing my life. My heart aches as I went through the storm alone. Yes, you were there but I had no Jesus with skin on.

I was told to ‘be calm’ and ‘plead the blood of Jesus’ instead of hollering ‘Jesus help me’ over and over. I yelled, on the phone, don’t tell me how to pray when there is a 96 mile an hour πŸŒͺ tornado in my yard!!!!

Am listening to some praise music wondering how I can encourage you, beloveds, when I don’t know what I shall see come daylight.

It’s a good thing I have pieces already scheduled to keep folk uplifted through Monday. As yall find encouragement, hopefully, maybe one or two or three of yall will say some prayers for me and others in my town and surrounding towns as we assess and move forward.

I don’t know how to feel. I’m not sure what to do.

Shaken but not stirred.

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: πŸŒͺπŸ˜­β€οΈβ€πŸ©ΉπŸ˜³πŸ˜₯

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

No longer about the number.

I used to chase numbers.

The number of people I could influence.

The number of folk I could help.

The number of things I could accomplish for God.

The number of ways I could succeed.

The number of ways I could help my family and friends.

The number of positions I could twist myself in to prove myself worthy of:

Attention.

Love.

Care.

The only problem with chasing numbers, beloveds, is that no one is EVER satisfied with the number you produce!

Especially YOU.

You look at all your try and determine it could not possibly be enough for God, for the world, or for you.

Then, you feel less than because your number was less than what you thought it should be.

Your number looks like soooooooooooo very little when you compare your number to other folks numbers!

Look at them, you exclaim❗

Look at THAT!😳πŸ₯Ί

Now, your THAT no longer matches with THEIR number(s).

Don’t worry about how many, beloveds. Just do what you can. The outcome has never been up to you. Or me. ALL we are required to do is to just be!

The ONLY number I concern myself with is how many times can I love and extend myself in a day. Speaking of which: I love you.

Be encouraged.

doing thangs,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note:

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Let’s be afraid together.

Me: I’m afraid.

Dreams: Of what?

Me: I’m afraid of letting you down. What if all of my ideas for us is stupid?

Dreams: To who?

Me: Everyone.

Dreams: What if everyone thinks your thoughts, your ideals, your dreams, meaning me, are stupid?

Me: So what if they do!? These are MY dreams. Many of my ideas ARE kinda stupid.

Dreams: πŸ˜†πŸ₯°. So how about we be afraid together?

Me: K.

I have been terribly hard on myself. I keep blaming myself for…*shrug*. Getting older, I guess. I don’t know why 55 has been such a tough go.

I NEVER used to consider growing older a problem. In fact, I rather enjoyed getting older. I enjoyed turning 50. Had a fabulous party for myself. I bebopped my way through 51, 52, 53, 54…???

????!!!!

55!!!!!!!!!!

55 came out the gates hollering and screaming for me to HURRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Don’t ask me what I was now supposed to be hurrying to do. Before 55 came calling, I was content with taking as long as it took to get to where God told me to get to getting to.

Now, I find 55 blasting megaphones in my ear to HURRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

I keep telling myself to chillax, relax and continue following the path God has for me. I have time, I tell myself. I have time. Still.

Time seems to be laughing at me. Time keeps reminding me I just don’t know how much of it I have left. God keeps telling me to STOP wasting my time wondering how much time I have. He says I don’t have the time to be wasting time worrying about time…lol.

Running out of time can seem frightful. That’s okay. Let’s be afraid together, beloveds, eh?

The bible says that God has NOT given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I tell myself this on the daily. Whew!

Fear not, beloveds. And, when afraid, take your fear with you and do the thing that terrifies you the most.

Last night, I lay in bed wondering if I will ever get there. If I will ever see my dreams in full flight. I grew discouraged. Just a tad. Until, I remembered it’s not up to me. All I can do is all I am doing. I can live with that. I think.

In the meantime, I promised me I would be good to me. So, I am going to fix myself a nice meal of some concoction or other I will toss in my electric skillet. Come by and dine with me.

We got this. God has us all.

hopeful still,


Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You CAN. You WILL. Be encouraged. Your discouragement is nothing but an appointment with upcoming greatness. Prepare to open the door to some amazing experiences. Love someone, beloveds. Starting with you.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

It’s important.

It’s important to rest.

It’s important to cease from labor.

It’s important to take a break.

It’s important to stop searching.

It’s important to refrain from movement.

It’s important.

Don’t fall for the lie you have to be doing something, thinking something, being something 24/7.

Rest is just as important as action.

Be sure to get in your me time.

If you are ‘too busy’ to be good to you, you are simply too busy!

I used to use the excuse I was ‘too tired’ when it came to getting in some ME time. I killed myself for everyone else. I chastised me for even THINKING of taking a break…*sigh*.

You don’t have anything to prove. Folk who truly care will already understand and champion your need to do you for a while.

Take care of YOU, beloveds, so you can continue to love them.

It’s important.

YOU are important!

You matter.

You do.

So do I.

Let’s go!!

Um, let’s go rest!πŸ₯°πŸ€£πŸ€£πŸ”₯

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: β€οΈβ€πŸ©Ήβ™₯οΈπŸ€—

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

It’s NOT what you think.

Boo hoo.

Woe is me.

It’s ALL over.

Yep, that was me this morning. Lamenting because I just did not know how to make my finances do what I NEED FOR THEM TO DO DARNIT!!!!!!!!!!

Yea, I was acting a fool until my dreams rolled up and whispered in my ear.

Ah.

Aha!

dreaming again,

Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: If you must tell yourself a story, beloveds, be sure it’s a tale of fantastic feats and victory!

We lose ONLY as we tell ourselves we have lost. The goal is not the goal…hehe. The try is the πŸ† prize.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!