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I'm Cassady.

Writer, wildflower, and wanderer. Passionate about living with love and wanderlust. Love, because this is the most precious instruction the human race has been given. And wanderlust, because we're all sojourners here and life on earth is best lived with an eternal perspective. Welcome, fellow wanderer.

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cassadyleeanne

“A moment for café” in Hebrew. ☕️
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I’ve been awfully quiet here since starting this seminary journey, but this weekend I found my voice again. I updated my sorely-neglected blog so that it no longer claims that I live in Northwest Arkansas (it’s been 6 months and typing those words still brought a lump in my throat). I took the time to let myself write something that won’t get turned in to a professor. And this little mug at the front office where I work is the perfect Ebenezer stone to hold space in this corner of the ‘gram for it all.
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Link in bio, or you can go to cassadyleeanne.com > Posts > To More Moments. ☺️
#tomoremoments #withloveandwanderlust #westcoastwanderings #californiamusings

Sometimes — when all the thoughts are loud and j

Sometimes — when all the thoughts are loud and jumbled and laced with anxiety, when I can’t seem to find words for the worries I’m warring with — I’ve found that the most peaceful thing I can do is hop in the car and just drive. Today that drive brought me here, and it was a much-needed reminder that all the roads...they will always ultimately lead me right Here — to the feet of Jesus. This is where my Hope is found. #adventuresinArkansas

Summertime wild things. #lunchbreaknaturewalks #fi

Summertime wild things. #lunchbreaknaturewalks #fieldnotesfromawildflower #adventuresinArkansas #naturetherapy

So I haven’t been writing much lately, and it bo

So I haven’t been writing much lately, and it boils down to two main reasons:
The first is grief. I tried to think of a prettier, gentler way of saying that, but there it is.
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In a span of two weeks, there was a tragic, deadly shooting at my alma mater, my church family here in Arkansas received heartbreaking news about one of our littlest members, and two of my closest friends went through unexpected breakups. And although none of these events affected me “personally,” they each weighed heavily on my heart for reasons that I don’t fully understand yet.
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But this I know: grief is grief. There is no such thing as having or not having a “right” to grieve. I’ve found that we often don’t have a whole lot of control over the things that break our hearts, no rhyme or reason to the situations or words or experiences that cause our eyes to sting with tears. And here’s the thing - all grief grieves God. His own heart aches when any of His image-bearers staggers under the burden of pain that haunts this whole sin-stained world. Even those that we would be apt to accuse of bringing pain upon themselves or somehow deserving grief that comes down like a gavel heavy with “justice.” Or the ones who seem to escape unscathed on the fringes of “real” tragedy. He grieves with all of them. All of us.
All grief grieves God.
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As for the second reason for my prolonged silence? Well, in a classic case of coexistent contradictions, the second reason is a source of great joy - I recently announced that I’ll be moving to Southern California in a few short weeks to begin seminary studies! I am excited beyond words for this new adventure, but as I told a friend earlier today - I am ready to go, but not ready to leave. The past three and a half years of #adventuresinArkansas have changed me in wonderful ways, and I’m sure I’ll have lots to say about that as all the “lasts” start to sneak up on me.
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That’s the main reason why I wrote this...to break the silence. To give myself permission to share my voice again, but not without acknowledging the grief that kept me quiet for a season. And so, with that - I’m back, friends. 🙂 I’m really looking forward to sharing in this space again!

I spent countless hours in this library...it’s s

I spent countless hours in this library...it’s so hard to believe that today there were students being escorted out of it by police officers in the aftermath of a shooting in the Kennedy building. Praying for my alma mater today.
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Lord, we know that You are a God who is present in even the most senseless and horrific situations. You do not abandon or forsake Your children in the midst of incomprehensible tragedy.

Please send Your Spirit to the campus of UNC Charlotte right now to bring peace in the midst of fear, confusion, and chaos. Be a strong Rock of refuge and a Friend to all who were traumatized by today’s events. Be a Healer to all who were injured. Be a Comforter to those who lost loved ones.
Give wisdom, clarity of mind, and strength of heart to the campus staff and other leaders as they care for students in the aftermath of this violence.

Please help us to mourn with those who mourn, and to turn to You with our broken hearts in the face of evil that we don’t understand. Teach us to respond to hatred with love, however that looks in each of our hearts and lives. Lord, we ask that You would bring an end to the violence that is ripping apart our world, our nation, even our cities and schools. Come, Lord Jesus. #prayforunccharlotte #charlottestrong 💚💛

“So here’s the point. The resurrection of Jesu

“So here’s the point. The resurrection of Jesus is given to us as the confirmation or evidence that he was indeed free in laying down his life. And so the resurrection is Christ’s testimony to the freedom of his love.
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Of all the great things that Easter means, it also means this: it is a mighty “I meant it!” behind Christ’s death. I meant it! I was free. You see how free I am? You see how much power and authority I have? I was able to avoid it. I have power to take up my life out of the grave.
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My resurrection is a shout over my love for my sheep: It was free! It was free! I chose it. I embraced it. I was not caught. I was not cornered. Nothing can constrain me to do what I do not choose to do. I had power to take my life from death. And I have taken my life from death. How much more, then, could I have kept my life from death!

I am alive to show you that I really loved you. I freely loved you. Nobody forced me to it. And I am now alive to spend eternity loving you with omnipotent resurrection love forever and ever.

Come to me, all you sinners who need a Savior. And I will forgive you and accept you and love you with all my heart forevermore.”
(John Piper, “Love to the Uttermost: Holy Week with John Piper”)
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Y’all know I love these #youversionBibleapp reading plans. 💕Happy Easter, friends! ✨#HeisRisen #wearefreelyloved

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of w

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 20:24)
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“And so from that one kernel of wheat - Christ Himself - an entire harvest is sown to the glory of God. Perhaps this is why wheat has always been to me a symbol of grace. If grace is the gift of reaping what you didn’t sow, then this is the gospel of the kernel of wheat - that Jesus has sown righteousness for us through His perfect life, endured a dark and painful death on our behalf, and now we reap the harvest of peace with God. And not only us, but “all people” (John 20:32), because the Seed that dies bears much fruit.
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On this Good Friday, let's remember Christ's sacrificial death and give Him the glory that is due to Him for His unfathomable love, mercy, and sacrifice.”
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(little excerpt from today’s #fieldnotesfromawildflower for this Good Friday.)
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But truly? The best words I have for today are: “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) #GoodFriday

Last week, I shared the reminder from 1 Corinthian

Last week, I shared the reminder from 1 Corinthians 3 that growth is never up to us - God is the One who gives growth to the children we raise, the flowers we plant, and the dreams we hold in our hearts. This week, I accidentally plucked this entire stem full of buds right out of the ground (I was hoping to just grab the one bloom that was already open).
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Devastated by the thought that I’d just robbed the rest of the buds of any hope for growth, I half-heartedly tucked the stem into this tiny little Mason jar and stuck it on my windowsill at work. And I completely forgot about it.
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Until yesterday evening, after a long and busy day, when I glanced over at my little jar of buds and noticed two new blooms had opened up! And God whispered to my heart again, “I give the growth.”
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Sometimes I need help remembering that He gives growth even in places that I’ve completely forgotten about, right in the tightly closed parts of my soul that I’m sure have been ruined by my own carelessness. I hope this little reminder encourages your heart today too. 💕 #fieldnotesfromawildflower •
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(Update: three more blooms had opened up by the time I left my office this evening! When God gives growth, He doesn’t do it half-heartedly. The growth He provides is always abundant, more than we could ever ask or imagine. 🌸🌸🌸🌸)

Spring showing off a bit of her vibrant glory. I

Spring showing off a bit of her vibrant glory. I love how this season reminds us to acknowledge and worship God’s beauty instead of just His usefulness. (And thank you @christynockels for also reminding us of this often 💕) #nofilter #fieldnotesfromawildflower #gloriousinthemundane

Inspiration for this week’s #fieldnotesfromawild

It’s really here! 🌸🌺 #spring #nofilter #fi

It’s really here! 🌸🌺 #spring #nofilter #fieldnotesfromawildflower

My roommate surprised with me these lovely flowers

My roommate surprised with me these lovely flowers last week just to say, “hey, thanks for being a sweet friend!”💕 Surprise flowers (and also coffee) are my love language, so I was absolutely delighted! As I admired the beautiful bouquet, I noticed this one little droopy bloom, and these words slipped out of my mouth:
“oh, little one, God loves you too.”
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And I got a little teary, because how often have I felt like that droopy little flower? While others seem to be blooming tall and strong, it sometimes feels like I’m barely hanging on, battered and bruised by a life that doesn’t seem like it should be this hard. Maybe you’ve felt this way too?
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There is Good News for us, friends. Our God sent His Son for the weak and needy ones, the poor in spirit who are bent over by the weight of our sin and shame.
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We read in Matthew that Jesus Himself fulfills the words of the prophet Isaiah - “a bruised reed He will not break,” and all the weary ones breathe a sigh of relief. He came - not to break us with the crushing weight of the Law’s demands, but to fulfill those demands and “faithfully bring forth justice” by sacrificing His own perfect, righteous life on the Cross. And because of that sacrifice, God looks at us - the bruised reeds and droopy flowers in His garden - and gently whispers:
“oh, Little Ones, I love you too.”💐
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P.s.- the second installment of my devotional series, Field Notes from a Wildflower, will hit your inboxes this Friday! If you haven’t signed up yet, you can go to cassadyleeanne.com and drop your email address in the sign-up form. I’d love for you to join us as we connect with God through the beauty of nature this spring!🌷
#fieldnotesfromawildflower #withloveandwanderlust

You had me at “4 story coffee shop” ☕️ •

You had me at “4 story coffee shop” ☕️
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Grateful for a girls’ weekend / mini World Race reunion in KC! #reunions #butfirstcoffee #kansascity #wrreunions #after11n11

Friends!! I’m so excited to share that the old b

🌷Happy First Day of Spring!! 🌷 I’ve been w

🌷Happy First Day of Spring!! 🌷
I’ve been working on something special for the blog lately, and I can’t wait to share it with you all tomorrow! Here’s a little sneak peak! #fieldnotesfromawildflower

🎶 Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?

🎶 Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life? 🎶
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This week’s #themesongthursday brought to you by my wishing that I was sailing through the San Diego Bay again. #takemeback
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Also, “Landslide” happened to play in a coffee shop I was hanging out at this morning and that is always a good way to start the day.
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What are you listening to this week? 🎶
#Landslide #DixieChicks #sailSanDiego

Today’s #themesongthursday features one of my al

Today’s #themesongthursday features one of my all-time favorite artists, Andrew Peterson. He is brilliant and raw and brings me to tears with some of his lyrics. With spring just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot of nature & growth & rebirth and he is one of my favorite voices when it comes to connecting these themes with the gospel. And with Lent starting yesterday, I am especially loving his Resurrection Letters. Enjoy these lyrics from his song, “Remember Me” and leave a comment with your own theme song for the week - I LOVE new music recommendations!
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“Who can ascend the hill of the Lord?
The one who utters no untrue word
Whose hands are clean, whose heart is pure
Who can ascend that hill?
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There is none righteous, no not one
We are prodigal daughters and wayward sons
We don’t know the half of the hurt we’ve done
The countless we have killed.
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Our priests are cheats, our prophets are liars -
We know what the Law requires
But we pile our sins up higher and higher
Who can ascend that hill?
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And I am a sheep who has gone astray
I have turned aside to my own way
Have mercy on me, Son of David.
Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.”
#andrewpeterson #rememberme #fieldnotesfromawildflower #withloveandwanderlust

Isn’t it amazing how the ground knows it’s tim

Isn’t it amazing how the ground knows it’s time to usher in spring + green + new life even when it seems to be playing tug of war with the sky? These bright green tips shooting up through the snow brought me so much hope and delight when I ventured out into the neighborhood on Sunday. (@emilypfreeman we’ve been thinking along the same wavelength!)
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Also, let’s talk about why I was out in SINGLE DIGIT temperatures. There is a certain dog that I helplessly adore and whose big, brown eyes I am incapable of refusing. When those eyes pouted, “You mean, you’re not going to take me on a walk - my favorite activity in the whole wide world - because of some tiny specks of frozen water?”, I had no choice. You guys, this is not even my dog. He belongs to my roommate who is a wonderful and loving dog-mom, but still I insist on spoiling him rotten. I digress.
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When said 85-lb dog didn’t notice me slowing down to examine the tapered tips of life pushing up through the earth, it was bad-news-bears for my left ankle, which twisted painfully in my boot as I stumbled on the uneven pavement. He believes that my boots were made for walking and not gawking at the edge of someone else’s front yard. So I shifted my body weight to my right leg, snapped a few pictures, then carefully tested out my left foot with the lightest possible pressure as I walked. And you know what? Less than 5 minutes later, the pain was completely gone! Isn’t it amazing that God has made our bodies to be so resilient? I have a lot of friends and family members who have undergone significant trauma to their bodies lately - surgeries and cancer and infections and heart attacks - but mercifully they are all recovering.
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You see, we are a resilient race, humans. And I think it’s because we’re made in the image of a God who cannot be defeated - He literally cannot fail. So there is something inside us whispering, “Keep going, Beloved One. You are created in the image of a victorious God. He has made you an overcomer. Death and decay and pain are not the end of the story.”
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So if you needed some encouragement to persevere today, I hope you’ve found it here. Be resilient. This is not the end of the story. ♥️

Sometimes I like to notice the evenings when the s

Sometimes I like to notice the evenings when the sunset is dull and hazy just to remind myself of what a glorious gift it is when God makes one that’s flaming and flamboyant.
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#dontforgettolookup #fieldnotesfromawildflower #withloveandwanderlust #adventuresinArkansas #hopewriterlife

Alright, winter. You may have delighted me with de

Alright, winter. You may have delighted me with delicate snowflakes in November, but we are over and done with the cold + grey + daily defrosting of our windshields. #pleasesendspring 🙏🏼

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