January 7, 201520 Comments
Pride. One of the ickiest words I know. I hate it. It makes me feel small, and petty, and just…gross. I started thinking about this the other day because I felt myself getting all puffed up about something silly. It’s easy as a (semi) public figure to sometimes allow your ego to get the best of you. Even though I KNOW that nothing I’ve accomplished is because of my own smarts or strength or abilities, … » Read More
December 30, 201419 Comments
I’m such a lover of devotionals. And though I am NOT a lover of early mornings (the struggle is SO real)…there is honestly nothing I love more on this earth than those mornings that I wake up super early and snuggle up in front of my fireplace for my quiet time with a cup of coffee and my trusty stack of devotionals. I say “stack” of devotionals because I’m a bit of a hoarder in … » Read More
December 29, 201429 Comments
As most of you know, 2014 saw the release of my second book, I’ve Never Been to Vegas But My Luggage Has…which is essentially my life story.
As much as I love my first book, The Single Woman, (and I do love that book, with all my heart) #NeverBeenToVegas is and will always be particularly special to me. It is essentially my heart, my LIFE…poured out on pages for the world to see. And I never dreamed … » Read More
November 22, 201439 Comments
I started this blogging challenge over a year ago and I’ve only worked my way up to Day 18…though the timing of writing this particular blog is so perfect, I can’t help but believe that even in our busyness and forgetfulness and procrastination, God’s timetable still manages to have its way with us.
I’ve just finished reading Every Bitter Thing is Sweet by Sara Hagerty, and though she’s married with five kids, I saw so many … » Read More
November 18, 2014162 Comments
Sometimes my fingers literally start itching as inspiration strikes me, and I have to run and grab up my laptop and start writing immediately…let the words come tumbling out onto the page as fast as I can type before the moment escapes me and the idea gets tossed aside and forgotten.
As I was sitting and reading my daily devotionals this morning (and the number has grown to five. FIVE! Good grief.), I came to a … » Read More
October 27, 201472 Comments
It hit me yesterday that I talk regularly about how strong and independent I am as a single (and fabulous) woman…
…and yet, it’s all a big, gigantic LIE.
The message in church yesterday was about singleness and how our contentment can only be found in God, not in the safety of marriage or the independence of single life (Thank you, Pastor Trevor Atwood, for BRINGING IT). And as I sat there and listened and let the … » Read More
October 9, 201473 Comments
My spiritual beliefs are pretty simple. Jesus is Lord. And it impacts every single thing that I do, big or small…simple or complicated. You know how at the end of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy turns to the Scarecrow and says: “I think I’ll miss you most of all”? Well, I think my walk with Jesus impacts my love life most of all.
God has saved me from toxic, damaging relationships. He has protected me from … » Read More
March 27, 201431 Comments
The first leg of the tour has officially ended. We are en route to California as I type this. I can’t even quite wrap my mind around all the places I’ve been and things I’ve seen and people I’ve met over the past week and a half. Only two weeks ago that we departed for this adventure and it feels like a million years ago in some ways. Then again, it also feels like in … » Read More
March 14, 201420 Comments
As you guys know, I have been on a “God Adventure” in 2014, with my only goal this year being to pursue Jesus with reckless abandon. And so far He’s challenging me to get uncomfortable in every last area of my life.
Like inspiring me to get in an RV for almost a month and travel the country to speak to women and promote I’ve Never Been to Vegas but My Luggage Has. He gave me … » Read More
February 10, 201439 Comments
“Dear Lord, please remove anything and anyone from my life that isn’t pleasing to you.”
It seemed like a good prayer at the time. I’m not sure WHY it seemed like a good idea at the time, since my friend Anetra gave me the idea and told me that prayer turned her whole world and year upside down when she said it back in 2006. But I’m stubborn and sometimes I have to learn things for … » 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.
