Having hope in this Covid-19 season   

April 1, 2020.

In a world of lock downs, stock market crashes, fear, lay offs, deaths and pandemic, how can we stay positive?

I am working on focusing on things that I am thankful for, living in the moment, as well as things I am looking forward to.  Also, I am reminding myself that this is not forever, this too will pass! 

I am thankful for so many things: my family and friends, my faith and my health, my job (Statistics Canada, I am still able to work part time from home during this time) and technology, to still be able to communicate with my family and friends through texting, messaging, video chats and phone calls. 

I am learning again how to slow down, chew my food more slowly and enjoy every bite, flavour and taste, watching nature, not looking at my phone while in another conversation, taking deep breaths, not rushing around, and noticing more things around me as I walk. Honestly, it is wonderful to be in the moment so much more! I am so grateful! 

There is so much to look forward to!!!!! Spring is basically here in Northern Ontario. Every day I go for a walk and watch as the snow slowly disappears. I have seen many motorcycles go by, and I am so excited to have my "social distancing" motorcycle ride hopefully on Friday or Saturday. This anticipation has been building since last fall when I put the bike into storage! I am also looking forward to warm sunny days, swimming at our Sudbury and Manitoulin camp. I also look forward to being able able to see and hug people again, to be able to travel freely, and so on. There is so much to look forward to! 

This too will pass my friends. I hope you are able to take some time to slow down a bit and rest. Maybe spend more time with family, or get your house cleaned and organized, or catch up on some things you normally wouldn't be able to accomplish. I chose to see this season as a blessing, not a curse. I think of this great passage in Genesis 50:20 "Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people". Let's choose to see the good! 

I wrote this song last year, Learning How To Rest, it will be my constant life lesson. I hope you enjoy the song. 

Keep your head up. 

Kassie 

Thank You Radio Stations!!! 

Wow what an eventful few weeks this has been! Getting the new website up, recording a new song, getting stuff ready for sending Blue Socks out to radio stations. 

I would like to take this time to thank all of the staff at Smoothjazz.com for their support. It is so very much appreciated, all of their hard work. Thank you Sue Parker for believing in my song Blue Socks. 

Also to David Case and Celine Loyer, my radio promotions team. You guys have worked intensely over these last several weeks to get things rolling. Thank you for all of your dedication encouragement support and hard work. I am so thankful to have you on my team.

Unspeakable Joy 

If anyone says you cannot have joy in the midst of the storm, they do not know the difference between joy and happiness! A wise man once told me, "Happiness is dependant on your happenings. Joy however, is not!" 

"The joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10.... "rejoice in trials / suffering for we know that suffering produces perseverance and endurance, and endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation." Romans 5:3  
 
This takes a lot of character! Especially because we have to be reminded that God does not give us these trials nor temptations nor suffering! There is not a bone in His body that desires harm for us! "Every perfect gift comes from the Father above." James 1:17 
 
I have been in places of deep discouragement, but these last few months have been incredible! I am learning and growing in this thing called joy. In this time of exceeding joy I want to hold tight to what I have learned so that in times of hardship, I can remind myself of all that God has done and be strengthened in His joy when things aren't going the way I planned. "To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with exceeding joy." Jude 1:24
 

Kassie Loves Kittens 


Every time I look at this picture, I smile. This was taken the night I went to the vet's office to see my friend Cyndi. She works there. She wanted to show me the cutest 10-day-old kittens ever!  The poor pregnant momma cat had been dropped off two weeks earlier at Pet Land because her owners didn’t want to take care of the babies. Thank goodness Best Friends Animal Hospital agreed to look after them! Here is a picture of me holding one of the little baby newborns!


When Life Becomes a Juggling Act 


Have you ever noticed your mind spinning around and around all of things you have to do? That has been happening for me a lot lately because things have been way too busy! Juggling my job as a school bus driver and my other very part-time job as a respite worker (working one-on-one with two clients), working on launching a new website, getting ready to promote a song to radio stations in the US and Canada and wedding planning!  Not to mention the added responsibilities necessary to staying alive - like cooking, cleaning, laundry and so on.  

I’ve noticed lately that I have been rushing a lot more to get things done. So, I am trying something I used to do a long time ago. Walk. Relax. Give myself extra time to get things done. Breathe. Yes, just sit for a few moments and breathe. I know I can't change how many things I need to do, but I can take moments of rest and moments of peace and look at the big picture. Also, it is okay to say "No" to additional things so my pile doesn’t get even bigger!