New Day, New Me

It’s the start of a new year! Everyone is busy focusing on their new founded goals and resolutions. We all love beginning new years because it resembles a time of starting over. We all start off every year so excited to restart our lives and actually accomplish our goals. I know I am more than guilty of saying on January 1st each year, “This is my year! I will accomplish these goals and become a better me!” I’m sure y’all have said something to that effect before too. 😉

I’ve been very thoughtful lately and reflective on how I live each day. The other day it dawned on me that I wanted to refocus already, just after starting a new year with a new focus! I couldn’t help stopping to ponder why this always happens! I always seem to “fail” and need to start over. Then God placed a thought in my head; instead of the common saying New Year, New Me, He put a different saying in my mind: New Day, New Me! If there is something that you wish you could change or improve, in any area of life, why not start today!? I am challenging myself, and I am challenging y’all too, to start every single day with focusing your mind on God first. Before you jump into what you are doing throughout the day or what you need to do, pray and ask God to help you make the most out of your day. Here are some verses that I have posted in my room, so that I see them throughout the day!

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23

“Sing to the Lord, you saints of His; praise His Holy Name. For His anger last only a moment, but his favor last a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night: but rejoicing comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:4-5

“because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death until he appeared publicly to Israel.” – Luke 1:78-79

Today is a new day! How are you going to use it? What do you need to change? Do it today, don’t wait for tomorrow! “For tomorrow will worry about itself.” -Matthew 6:33-34

❤ Mandie

 

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Music Monday!

Today I am sharing a song, from Brandon Heath’s new album, called I Run. We are in this race of life to run! Run to Jesus everyday! All I want to hear is WELL DONE! I love all of the lyrics in this song! Enjoy!

(I own nothing! All credit goes to Brandon Heath and producers!)

Somedays I feel like
I got nothing left
Like I’m running on empty
Down to my last breath
My feet are so heavy
Don’t wanna carry the load
But then I think of You standing there
At the end of the road

I’m in this race, in this race
In this race to run
I’m in this race, in this race
In this race to run

When the miles come slowly
Put my heart to the test
And the wind comes blowing down
Against my chest
I’ll lean into the burning
Press in to the strain
And I’ll know it was worth it all
When I see Your face

I’m in this race, in this race
In this race to run
Every step I take
Is worth the pain
Just to hear You say well done

So I run (right into Your arms)
Straight on until the morning
I’m chasing down the sun
You’ll be there waiting for me
Yeah, I was born to run
Straight on until the morning
I’m chasing down the sun
You’ll be there waiting for me
So I run (straight on until the morning)
I run (I’m chasing down the sun)
I run (You’ll be there waiting for me)
Yeah, I was born to run

Music Monday!

YAAAAYYY!!!! A new song from TobyMac!!! I could not resist sharing this song with y’all today for Music Monday! All I need is Jesus. Hope y’all enjoy this song as much as I do!

(I own nothing! All rights and credit go to TobyMac and producers!)

❤ Mandie

Music Monday!

Good morning! How are y’all this happy morning? I pray y’all’s year has hit off on a great note! The song today is Masterpiece by Danny Gokey. This is a song that I needed to hear last semester, and I know there are many of y’all who need to hear this song today. This song basically describes my journey in my first semester of college. I struggled a lot. But even through all of the pain and confusion He was making a masterpiece out of me. Wherever you are today, or wherever you were yesterday, know that God is making you into a masterpiece.

I love the analogy of a cross stitch. I love cross stitching so this hits deep with me. When you finish a piece, and are tying the last knot, you see chaos. Threads crossing this way and that way, knots in every random place. No beauty to be found. This is us in a storm and the chaos of life…no beauty can be found. But that’s not the end! Tie the last knot and turn it over! A beautiful picture can be seen! Just so does God turn our lives around and show us the beauty that can be found in our chaotic lives! God is moving in our lives in ways we can’t see!

You are a masterpiece. PERIOD. No matter how you feel. No matter what you look like. No matter what other people say. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. AND YOU ARE LOVED BY THE ONE TRUE KING. He is the only one who’s opinion matters! Get out there and shine!

Heartbreaks a bittersweet sound
Know it well
It’s ringing in my ears
And I can’t understand
Why I’m not fixed by now
Begged and I pleaded
Take this pain but I’m still bleeding

Heart trusts you for certain
Head says it’s not working
I’m stuck here still hurting
But you tell me

You’re making a masterpiece
You shaping the soul in me
You’re moving where I can’t see
And all I am is in your hands
You’re taking me all apart
Like it was your plan from the start
To finish your work of art for all to see you’re making a masterpiece

Guess I’m your canvas
Beautiful black and blue
Painted in mercy’s hue
I don’t see past this
But you see me now
Who I’ll be then
There at the end
Standing there as

Your Masterpiece
You’re shaping the soul in me
You’re moving where I can’t see
And all I am is in your hands
You’re taking me all apart
Like it was your plan from the start
To finish your work of art for all to see
You’re making a masterpiece
You’re making a masterpiece

Heart trust you for certain
Head says it’s not working

You’re making a masterpiece
You’re shaping the soul in me
You’re moving where I can’t see
And all I am is in your hands
You’re taking me all apart
Like it was your plan from the start
To finish your work of art for all to see you’re making a masterpiece

(I own nothing! All rights go to Danny Gokey and producers)

 

2017 Goals How many did I accomplish?

Today I am going to recap the goals that I made for 2017 and see how many I accomplished! I only made 11 goals last year, and I accomplished most of them! Here they are:

1. Grow deeper in my wisdom of the Bible, and deeper in my relationship with God. I can really tell that I have grown spiritually. 2017 was a tough year, but that made me stronger.
2. Exercise regularly No, I didn’t work out everyday, but I actually worked out a lot more than I thought I would! And I feel stronger each day!
3. Eat healthier Okay, now you’ve got to go easy on me with this one! I went to college okay! ;D
4. Find a college I found the best college ever! I am so excited for what the next few years hold!
5. Go to church camp I went to church camp with the best youth group ever!! 😀
6. Make the most of every moment I feel like I could have done better at this one, but I will always be working on this!
7. Encourage/inspire someone My prayer every day is that I will be an encouragement to someone. I can honestly say I accomplished this one. Going off to college I was able to stay in contact with friends from back home and encourage them at different times. I also got the privilege to meet new friends and encourage them too. And in turn, they also encouraged me so so so much! ❤
8. Write/compose a song I wrote a song for my friends! (And a few others songs, no one has heard) 😉
9. Be a secret santa to someone who doesn’t know me. Sadly I didn’t get to do this one, but maybe this year!
10. Post more on my blog I am so happy I have been posting more on my blog this year! The past few months I was absent because of college, but other than that I did pretty good!
11. Plan a fun girls night I did have the opportunity in April the help plan a fun girls night for the girls in my youth family!

What are some goals that you accomplished in 2017? And what do you hope to accomplish this year?

❤ Mandie

Goals? Resolutions? My One Word 2018

Hello friends! I feel that this year holds something special. This year I didn’t make any goals or resolutions. It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to find my word for 2018! My one word for 2017 was celebrate. Looking back at the year I would give myself a B. Lol! Now if you know me you are probably shocked I didn’t give myself an F. I tend to be hard on myself in every area of life. I give myself a B because I feel I made the most of this year. Maybe I wasn’t happy all the time and I had my share of rough roads and made plenty of mistakes. But that’s life, isn’t it?! And nobody’s perfect, so I stick to a solid B.

Now don’t get me wrong! Just because 2017 is over I am not just switching words and forgetting about my previous word! No, I am going to continue to work on celebrating the rest of my life! Now onto my new word for 2018!

God gave me my word before I even realized it and before I was even thinking about a new year! As I was praying about the new year and thanking God for bringing me through 2017 a word kept coming to my mind. Surrender. That is my word for this year. And God also gave me my verse for the year through my sweet friend S.

It’s 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; ‘But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’

This year I want to let go and let God. I surrender my life. I don’t have a resolution, but I have a focus for the year: to surrender every day to the Lord. And this is my prayer for 2018.

Hey God, You already know what’s going to happen this year. You already know the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I know you will be by my side the whole way through. But God, you know how imperfect I am and how many times I fall astray from Your Words. Help me to fully let go and not hang on to my doubt, my fears, or the past. Help me to speak up and speak out. Give me the courage to share my faith with others, no matter the cost. Soften my heart and help me not to focus on myself but to focus on serving and loving others. I know it won’t be easy, so fill me with your love, your strength, your peace. All I want is You. Thank you for carrying me through 2017 and for pouring out your blessings in my life. And now I surrender my life to you. Everything I have is Yours! My friends, my voice, my life, it’s all yours! You can take all of it away and I’ll be okay, because I’ll still have You! I will surrender to you everyday! From now on I’m yours! Take my life and use it for Your glory alone!

Amen!

❤ Mandie

Happy New Year! 2018

WOW! I cannot believe how fast 2017 flew by! And I have a feeling 2018 won’t be any slower… 😉 Let’s recap some things that happened in 2017!

It started off with college auditions! Ahhhhhh! What an experience that was!

Next I got the flu for the first time… 😦

I went to the rodeo again, and had a month off from my job because we remodeled!

Senior photos, and graduation! GO CLASS OF 2017! 😀 (Wow this feels like forever ago…)

I had the opportunity to do another performance, and sing in church!

VBS 2017, go game crew! ❤

Volunteering at Compassion international!

Camp 2017!

Senior night at youth….<3

College.

THE END. Nothing more to say.

haha College was definitely a roller coaster of emotions and experiences. But looking back I am so grateful to be where I am now and to have this opportunity in college. I am also so so so thankful for all of my new life-long friends! ❤

My prayer for 2018 is that it is filled with many more adventures and growth. Whether good or rough times come I pray that I will stand firm in You alone God. That I will not be shaken from your words, and that whoever I encounter they will see You in me. I pray I will stay joyful and be a light for the world to see. I pray You will strengthen me and humble me. Break my stubborn walls down and help me to learn not to hold everything inside until I explode. Help me to let go of my life and give you complete control. You are my everything. Help me to show that through the way I live.

Amen.

Music Monday!

Hello my lovely friends! I am bringing you another Christmas song today! I hope y’all don’t mind! 🙂 I love this song and it has been on my favorites list for a while now. Sometimes I fail to stop and actually realize why I am singing the words I sing though. Imagine a young child, who hears of a King, and brings His only gift he has. He arrives to the King and suddenly feels inadequate with his gift of playing his drum. “I’m only a child, not learned enough to play for this King!” the child says as he sees the gifts others have brought to the King. Gold, Frankincense, even Myrrh! But he gains enough courage to play something, pu rum pum pum pum, he plays. The King smiles grateful for the gift of a Child. Such a humble heartfelt gift.

I believe we can apply this song to our lives throughout every year not just at Christmas time. Everyday we should ask ourselves this question. Did you bring God your best today? Even if it is something as simple as playing an instrument, singing, doing homework, or going to work, did you bring your best? Give your heart to God and the Little Drummer Boy gave his everything.

(I own nothing! All rights go to For King & Country and producers)