I’m back for another Music Monday! (Insert clapping here) Yes, I’m still alive and well! College is keeping me busy y’all! I had an amazing Fall Break, which I will hopefully get to share with y’all soon!
This song by Hollyn has been in my head for the past few days. I’m loving the powerful message of it. He is coming soon to fight for us, He is our strength when we are weak, and He is always there to rescue us! We have hope!
Thank you Anne at A Country Girl’s Life for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award! Let’s jump right into this award!
Rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.
Here are the 11 questions Anne posted for me to answer:
I nominate these eleven bloggers!
C.B. Cook at https://proverbs31teen.wordpress.com/
Dainty M. at https://daintym.com/
Etain at https://ahomeschoolinglife.wordpress.com/
myliron at https://myliron.blog/
Cat at https://twilightpaint.wordpress.com/
Rayliegh at https://acceleratethejesusmovement.wordpress.com/
Crystal at https://crystalsadventuresforchrist.wordpress.com/
Sarah at https://foreveraspiringwriter.wordpress.com/
Katie at https://katiescottagebooks.wordpress.com/
Grace at https://myblessingbygrace.com/blog/
Nat at https://myranger.wordpress.com/
Here are my questions for y’all!
I hope y’all enjoy this award and these questions! I can’t wait to read all of y’all answers!
❤ Mandie
(This was not a planned post, this post was written on the way to my first college audition this past week.)
I need to be real with y’all. I hide behind my blog. I post happy and uplifting posts, but sometimes I’m not happy when I type them. Just because y’all don’t know me in life, I feel like I can fake it and I feel safe. And even the few who actually know me, I hide from y’all. When I’m blogging and people like my post, comment, or follow me I feel confident, strong and brave. But y’all don’t see the real me, the me the struggles. I’m not confident. In fact, I lack self confidence. I’m not strong in my faith, and I am definitely NOT BRAVE.
I’m afraid. But what am I afraid of? Afraid of the unknown. Afraid of being rejected. Afraid of failing. Afraid of being judged. Afraid of the future. Maybe even afraid of fear itself. I don’t want to be afraid! Some of my favorite songs are songs about letting go of fear or trusting God in every situation, but I still fear. I sing about being free, but I’m not. I’m held captive by fear. As I start flipping the pages to start a new chapter in my life, I fear. I fear people laughing at me, or worse…doubting me. I fear that my plans won’t be His plans. I fear going with the flow. I WANT to stand out in the crowd, I want to stand out for Jesus.
I don’t want to hide any more. I don’t want to hide behind my blog, but I don’t want to hide in life either. I’ve gotten so good at hiding it’s like I don’t realize I’m hiding. I don’t know what it’s like NOT to hide. I hold all my struggles and emotions inside to make others happy, to not weigh down on them. But I’m not happy, I’M weighed down. Why do I always feel like running when I can’t see what’s ahead. My heart tells me to stay, but my mind tells me to run. It’s a constant battle. I know we’ve all dealt with fear and hiding from something, then why do I feel like no one understands? When everyone says “you’ll do great”, or “you’ll do fine”, I’m over here shaking in my boots!
I know His Word is filled with many truths and verses about trusting Him and that I ‘m not alone. (Joshua 1:9) I know He is with me, but the fear still remains. I yell at my fear and my doubts, but they never seem to go away. I think to myself, “it’s hopeless, I will always be afraid”, those words haunt me day and night. They say I’ll be fine, but they don’t see what’s inside. All the fear, anxiety, and doubts all bottled up inside waiting to burst out. I’m ready to explode! I say I’m okay, but I’m not. My stomach is tied up in knots. Everyone believes in me except me…
I know what I need. I need peace. Not just any peace though, the peace that can only be found in Jesus. Because Jesus is peace. He tells us not to be afraid, and He leaves us His peace. (John 14:25-27) Then why am I still afraid, and why do I not have peace? I’ve felt this peace before. I remember the moment I found this peace. Beach trip waking up early in the morning, sitting outside on the deck, talking with God. Out in the cold, my mind racing, my heart stressed and weak, longing for peace and comfort. I opened the Word and found peace. A peace that comforts and calms.
I open the Word now and I can’t find peace for my soul. Was it the environment? Or is it me? Is it my heart? This stubborn hardened heart? But I’m willing and I’m crying out for peace Lord! Do you hear me? I ask. My fears, my nerves, they overwhelm my peace and my strength. You say to trust you Lord, and I try but fear surrounds my soul. It overtakes me. It swallows me whole. Everywhere I go, there it is. I try to be confident in You, but sometimes I just can’t find the strength to do it. I cower when I should stand up and shout. I need Your strength so I can fulfill what You have in store for me. (Philippians 4:13; Psalm 119:28)
While saying all this song comes to mind. “I have confidence” from The Sound of Music, I would change this to I DON’T have confidence. Here’s what it says, with me editing it:
I (DON’T) have confidence in the sunshine,
I (DON’T) have confidence in the rain,
I (DON’T) have confidence that the spring will come again!
Besides what you see I (DON’T) have confidence in me.
I’m supposed to have confidence. Confidence in Christ. But I fear, I worry, I lack self confidence, I lack true strength. God’s Word has answers for all of these. Fear not! He says in His Word. (Deuteronomy 31:6) Do not worry about anything. (Matthew 6:34) He tells us to be confident in Him (Jeremiah 17:7) He will give you true strength (Psalm 46:1) We are supposed to rejoice in every situation, but sometimes I don’t feel like rejoicing. In His Word this is what God says in Philippians 4:4-9:
‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned from Me, or seen in Me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.’
What does this mean? Does it mean we can just fake it all the time and act happy? NO! It means SO much more than that. (This is my understanding of this set of verses. It could mean something completely different to y’all) To me this verse means that everything I just wrote down means nothing. NOTHING. I’m free because Jesus died for me. I don’t need to worry my brains out about what will happen. If I do start to worry (which I will still do because I am human) I need to pray and bring my fears to God. He will give me peace. The peace that calms, comforts, and restores. Even more, I need to guard my heart and mind from all evil things. Finally, I need to put all of this into practice, but not just what this verse says, what the whole Bible says.
Once I put all of this into practice, with God’s help, I will be FEARLESS, CONFIDENT, STRONG, FREE.
Afraid by Tenth Avenue North: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WohcTuNRBFE
No Longer Slaves by Bethel Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TkUMJtK5k
This one is now my life song. It reminds me that I can be Fearless with God by my side. Fearless by Jasmine Murray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h-kQkcrOok
(I own none of this music! All rights go to the artists and producers)
❤ Mandie
Thank you Sarah at Forever Aspiring Writer for nominating me for this award! Sorry it took me so long. 😦
The Rules:
~ Write a post to show your award.
~ Give a brief story of how your blog started.
~ Give two pieces of advise for new bloggers.
~ Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
~ Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to.
How my blog started: Well there is not a very big story behind the start of my blog. My friend got her blog, and then my sister, and then I joined them because I thought it would be fun! And I am so glad that I did start blogging!
Advice for new bloggers: First of all, be yourself. Don’t try to copy what other people blog about, unless that is what you are passionate about.
Write about things that you love. I am not a poet and I know it! So why would I write poems (attempt I should say) and post them on my blog? I love music and encouraging others, so that is what I post the most.
Communicate with other bloggers. Blogging is a community. I think it is so important to talk to and communicate with the bloggers who follow you and who you follow! It shows that you are interested in them and fully support them.
My biggest tip is this one: don’t get upset if you don’t post regularly. I used to get really upset with myself because I didn’t post a lot. It can be really hard sometimes if you don’t have anything to post about. But don’t get upset, just move on. Try to sit down sometime and just brainstorm ideas for posts, so that when you haven’t posted in a while you will have some ideas to post about.
Here are the bloggers I nominate:
I just put a few nominees, but if you are reading this you are nominated! Love y’all! ❤
Mandie
mandiesworld 