Day Eleven: Why I’m Still Single (The Ugly Truth)

Day 11: In Chapter Eight of You Are Enough, I share all the reasons why I think I’m still single, the good…the bad…the ugly. Talk about all the reasons why you think you’re still single. Don’t be afraid to be really real and raw and honest. If you’re not still single, talk about a time when you were single and lonely and afraid that love would never arrive.
Why do I SAY I’m still single?

A pithy, » Read More

You Didn’t Know

You didn’t know. You trusted, and you loved, and you assumed the best of someone…and that is never wrong. You took a shot on love or on friendship…and that is always brave. You believed that the other person would treat you with the same dignity and respect with which you treated them…and that is noble.

You didn’t know. You didn’t know they weren’t capable of loving you back. You didn’t know they weren’t trustworthy. You didn’t » Read More

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

The Hardness of Life. The Goodness of God.

It’s impossible to REALLY know God if you’ve only known good.

This is the phrase that keeps running through my head these days. Hard days, for more reasons than one. I’ve found myself increasingly attune lately to the hardness of life. My dear friend, probably my best friend, Caroline, has lost two friends in six months. One to disease, another to addiction. Another friend of mine is facing a huge life challenge and spiritual battle that » 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

A Beautifully Uncertain 31-Day Challenge: Week 4

Welcome back to the Challenge, everyone! I thought it might be good for everyone to have a couple of days off to reflect on how far they’ve come so far…so technically, this is a 28-day challenge but we’ll keep using the hashtag #31DayChallenge for the sake of conformity.

Day 25: Face a Fear

Okay! On to the business of Day 25!

In Beautiful Uncertainty, you’ll read about a very funny moment (at least it’s funny NOW, it was » Read More

Dash of Sass: 40 Days to Feeling Good

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

Dash of Sass: Sentence, Chapter, or Book?

You know what? Sometimes this happens in life…we dedicate entire chapters and books to people who barely give us a footnote in the story of their lives. I’ve done it. I did it – literally! For years I tried to cast someone as the romantic lead in my story who hadn’t even auditioned for the part. And there are moments I want to take my book I’ve Never Been to Vegas but My Luggage Has » Read More

Make Friends with Your Singleness: A Lesson in Grace from the GE Ideas Monster

I’ve been haunted by the General Electric “Ideas Monster” since I first saw him (her?) in a commercial a few months ago. If you haven’t seen this commercial and you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here. (You really need to see it before you read the rest of the blog.)

The commercial has stuck with me so powerfully, I can’t seem to shake it. Today I started wondering why. So I watched the » Read More

Dash of Sass: If You’ve Been Looking for a Sign…This Is It

You know the scariest part of starting to write a new book? (Or blog, or post, or speech, etc. etc.) That moment just before I actually begin. When I’m staring at a blank page that I have to fill with words and I feel absolutely terrified that I’m going to fill the page with the WRONG words, or that my brain is just going to stop working and I won’t have any words at all. » 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