It Was Never Random

It was never random.

None of it. Not one minute of this past year of my life was ever random.

As some of you might recall, about a year ago I decided to put myself back on the dating scene by venturing into the world of online dating. I downloaded the Bumble app, not having a clue how it would change the course of my life.

I’m not being dramatic. It changed the course of my life.

Here’s something » Read More

Scary, Beautiful, Necessary Change.

Some things are going to be changing around here.

I’ve been feeling a stirring, a restlessness, in my spirit, for some time now. Like I was ready for a change. A shift. A new direction. Not just in my writing but in my LIFE. I’ve been writing about singleness for six years now. I’ve explored it from just about every angle possible. I’ve written one self-published and three published books about it. I’ve loved sharing my » Read More

One Year Ago Today

I woke up this morning with snapshots from one year ago today running through my mind.

The phone call on that fateful Monday morning. My mom’s voice, tearful and frantic, on the other end. “Kevin has been in an accident and we don’t know how bad it is. Cher and Daddy are on the way to him at Vanderbilt. Mandy…pray.”

Trying to throw on clothes while intermittently throwing myself on the floor before God to beg, to beseech, » Read More

2015 Was a Hard Year

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

How to Be a Better Friend (It’s Easier Than You Think)

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

You Are Not Invisible

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

Things I’m No Longer Apologizing For

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

Dash of Sass: Be Who You Really Are

Today I hereby give you permission to feel exactly how you are feeling without apologizing or stifling or excusing or resisting. I give you permission to drop the politeness and the masks and the sugar-coating and just be REAL. To stop wasting time justifying and rationalizing and analyzing and just say what you mean and mean what you say. To accept yourself in all your brave, broken beauty and to stop trying to pick up » Read More

Dash of Sass: Wait.

Wait. Don’t lose your cool, don’t assume the worst, don’t jump to conclusions. Don’t throw in the towel and say “God must have forgotten about me” or surrender to the idea that change is never coming or give up hope of ever falling in love or listen to the naysayers who want you to believe you’ll never find your way. WAIT. Breathe. Give things time to work out. Let God bring things to pass in » Read More

Something wonderful is on the horizon
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.
Preorder from Baker Book House for 40% off and free shipping!*
*US shipping only
Something wonderful is on the horizon
Turn Toward the Sun CoverLife 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.
Preorder from Baker Book House for 40% off and free shipping!*
*US shipping only