December 19, 201521 Comments
My dear friends…it’s that time of year again when being single can…well, sort of suck. When the happy family outing pictures from your married and taken friends on your Facebook feed seems to be on steroids. When you just can’t seem to muster the desire or will to rock around the Christmas tree as a party of one. But never fear. If you’re feeling especially solo this Christmas, I’m here to bring you good tidings of … » Read More
November 30, 2015104 Comments
It’s been a hard year.
2015 has been a hard year.
I’ve hesitated to write about it in-depth up til this point because I don’t think I was ready to see it all in words, on a piece of paper. I didn’t want to seem negative or whiny or discouraging. I didn’t want to be that vulnerable. 2015 was the year I became less vulnerable, and I hate it. I’m more guarded now…less open, less trusting. And … » Read More
October 30, 20153 Comments
It can be easy in today’s technology world to allow our friendships to fall by the wayside of texting and tweeting and emailing instead of investing ourselves and our energy into actually spending quality time with people. And in an age where the phrase “I’m crazy busy” has become synonymous with “here’s my excuse why I’ve been a crappy friend to you”…I say it’s time to stop letting our friendships suffer in favor of work or … » Read More
July 25, 201516 Comments
I’m leaving the ranch.
For those of you who follow my Instagram feed, you know that for the past year I’ve lived at a peaceful little ranch (the road to the ranch is pictured in the photo here) out in the country that is almost too beautiful to be real. And you might be surprised to learn that I’m leaving, given how much affection I have for this place, this magical place, that saw so many ups … » Read More
July 17, 201589 Comments
Sometimes I feel particularly invisible to the opposite sex. Kind of like Harry Potter tossed his magical Cloak of Invisibility around me when I wasn’t looking and then darted off to go do whatever it is Harry Potter is doing these days. (Of course, old Harry is a male so he probably didn’t see me in the first place!) But seriously…as much as the idea of having a super power appeals to me, I could … » Read More
May 25, 201541 Comments
As a follow-up to 40 Days to Feeling Good, my dear friend Caroline and I have decided to kick off 40 Days of Surrender, and we want to invite all of YOU to join in with us! Basically the goal of this process (for me, at least) is to learn to loosen my grip on the things that I can’t control (which is most things). To stop trying to force and manipulate and endlessly overthink life and … » Read More
May 13, 201540 Comments
Last weekend I posted something on my personal Twitter page that a lot of people disagreed with. I got hate tweets for two days about it, which was baffling to me, because when did having a differing opinion become so offensive to people? Are we all supposed to be cookie cutter versions of one another, never having or voicing a contrasting idea or thought or viewpoint or opinion? How boring would life be if that … » Read More
May 6, 20159 Comments
I was reading this well-known and beloved quote from The Velveteen Rabbit today that popped up in my Timehop and something occurred to me that I’m not sure has ever occurred to me before.
Love is messy.
We always talk about life being messy, and it is. But love…LOVE…real love, true love, life-changing love…is impolite. It’s untamed. It’s not always pretty. It knows no boundaries and lives by no rules.
Love is messy.
Look no further than a grandmother’s … » Read More
April 20, 201521 Comments
•Let yourself off the hook a little.•Be kinder to you.•Speak to yourself the way you would a friend.•Show yourself grace.•Realize that no one’s life is perfect and stop comparing your bloopers to their highlight reel.•Forgive yourself. You are doing the best you can.•Replace the negative self-talk with positive affirmations.•Begin each day with gratitude.•Stay mindful and present. Leave the past in the past and let the future take care of itself.•Accept everything about yourself, because God … » Read More
April 17, 201534 Comments
I’ve realized over these past few weeks (as I’ve been dealing with some challenges) that I’m not very nice to myself. I am kind to others, supportive of others, encouraging to others…but when it comes to myself, I can be really harsh and unforgiving and completely lacking in grace. Examples of negative self talk:
“You look terrible today.””You’re so weak. Why does something so stupid bother you?””You’re never going to be normal and happy, like everyone … » Read More
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Life doesn’t always look the way we want it to look. In Mandy’s upcoming book, Turn Toward the Sun: Releasing What If and Embracing What Is, you’ll find encouragement to live in the moment, sit with your experiences, and trust God with the unknown.
