Mandii's Muse

It's Monday! Last week was a crazy week. I took control of a first grade classroom, and had three meetings in the mornings. Slightly overwhelming. I was asleep on the couch by 8:30 Tuesday through Thursday. I wish I could say I was kidding. This week, I plan on being more prepared (with the blog and my classroom!) and have a new Motivation Monday post for you! This prayer appeared on Facebook, and spoke to me. How many times have I worried about things that I have no control over? The answer? A LOT! Worrying doesn't solve the problem, it just adds to the problem. I need to remember that my life is in the Lord's hands. His plans for me are far superior than any plans I have for myself. Things will happen on His time and I need to trust in that timing.  I may not know when I am going to get a teaching job, or married, but God does. It's been planned ever since I was thought into existence. My goal is to not stress this week. I'm going to put all of my concerns ...

I don't know about you, but I really like these Motivation Monday posts. It sets my week off right, and puts me in a good mood. I saw this fact on Pinterest, and was blown away. The phrase "Do Not Be Afraid" is written in the Bible 365 times.  Image There are 365 days in a year. Coincidence? I think not. Three hundred and sixty five times this is written.  I know that I don't have to be afraid. God is guiding me and protecting me on a daily basis. I should live each day without fear because my days are already planned out for me. I don't know what each day entails, but God does. He knows about the hard times, and the exciting times. Not being afraid is hard. I come from a long line of worriers. I started worrying from a young age. When I was little I was afraid that I would swallow my tongue, or quit breathing. So I wouldn't swallow, and hold my hand under my nose to make sure I was breathing. (What kid thinks of these things?!) I didn't have ...

Most of the time today, you hear or think about the negative in people. Negativity is plastered all over the news. People complain about servers, customer service representatives, or cashiers all the time. Positivity is a rare thing in today's world.  Looking for gold can be be hard. Maybe the woman in front of you in line was rude to the cashier. What we might not know is that she may have an ailing husband at home. Perhaps the man that was talking to you on the phone was short with you. What if his house burnt down and his family lost everything? Look for the positive in people. Maybe you gave your waitress a little extra tip because she looked like she was having a bad day. That's positive. Maybe you complimented a new mom who was looking frazzled with her kids. You might have just made her day. A positive thing that my family and I like to do is to bring meals to those in need. Maybe they just came out of the hospital, or have been going through a rough patch. We c...

When I first saw this on Pinterest, I just smiled. I thought to myself, of course the word "Valentine" would be hidden in John 3:16. We are God's greatest Valentine. He loves us no matter what. So much, that he sent His Son to die for us. That is true love. No matter if you are single, taken, or married, no love can compare to the love God has for His children. We are loved so much, by someone who died to know us. How incredible is that? I know that on this Valentine's Day, I'm not going to dwell on the fact that I'm single. Instead, I'm going to be thankful that I am loved . Not just by my family and friends, but by my Heavenly Father. I think that is what the true meaning of Valentine's Day really is; being loved.  This Valentine's Day, know that you are loved no matter your circumstances. He loves you!

Image When I first read this quote by Rick Warren, I knew I had to include this in a Motivation Monday post. How absolutely true is this? Sand doesn't turn into pearls overnight, It takes time. Just because he didn't answer it right away, doesn't mean he didn't hear it, or isn't going to answer!!! God's timing is the right time. He is working on us to become our best self. We aren't perfect. We may have to endure trials and tribulations, but those only help us become stronger. A pearl is formed when an oyster is trying to protect itself from a foreign object.  A beautiful pearl forms out of the nicks and scratches the oyster endures. Wouldn't it be great if we could emerge more beautiful through our trials, how ever hard they may be? I am going to trust that God isn't finished working on me. He needs to mold me from a hard piece of coal, to a beautiful diamond. I know it isn't going to happen immediately, but I will emerge more b...

I struggle with my self confidence a lot. It is something that I am trying to work on every single day. There are many times when I just don't feel "enough." Not pretty enough, or not skinny enough, In God's eyes, I have no flaws. My scars, under eye circles, or any other flaw I see, is beautiful in God's eyes.  How wonderful would it be to wake up and look at yourself through God's eyes? That weight you have been trying to lose, those flabby arms you have, God doesn't even see it. He wants to know what is in your heart. I'm going to begin to see myself as God sees me. Any time I have a negative thought about myself, I am going to erase that negative thought. The scripture says that there is "no flaw in  you." No flaw.  I'm incorporating this into my life, are you?

Image When I found this prayer on Pinterest, it really resonated with me. I need to start my day with this prayer every day. This prayer reminds me that I'm not walking through my life alone. Even when I feel like I am all alone, God is right beside me. He may put obstacles in my path, but he will guide me through them.  This week, I am going to incorporate this into my morning routine. I plan on printing it out and sticking it somewhere where I can easily see it. Not only will it give me added comfort, but it will also remind me that I am on the Lord's side, and he is directing my path. 

"Lift up your eyes. Your Heavenly Father waits to bless you in inconceivable ways to make your life what you never dreamed it could be." Anne Ortlund God's blessings come in many shapes and sizes. We fail to recognize them at times. Today's world is consumed with ourselves. It is all about me, myself, and I. This saying is telling us to "lift up our eyes!" God will bless you beyond measure to make your life the best it could be.  I will admit, trying to find the blessings is hard. For example, this fall, our house was attacked with bees. They were coming in our house through the cracks in the doors! My dad tried to spray them, and ended up falling off a ladder and irritating his hamstring. (We thought he might have tore his knee up!) My dad and I are allergic, and at the time I was thinking, "why is this happening to us?" We didn't plan on having to spend money to have an exterminator come out and get rid of them. Looking back on it,...

"God has a reason for allowing things to happen. We may never understand His wisdom, but we simply have to trust His will." Anonymous I know that in my lifetime, I have questioned God's Will many times. Usually, I was questioning His plan for my life. Why does He allow people to hurt, or get ill, or go through any form of difficulty? We don't have to understand it, but we have to trust in His timing and His will . When I was in college, I failed the Math Praxis 6 times. This is an important test to pass in order to be a teacher. I was always within three points of passing. I was angry at God. Why did He let me fail this test six times? Did He think I wasn't meant to be a teacher? I definitely had that thought cross my mind.   To this day, I don't know why He had me fail that test six times. Maybe it was a test to let me practice patience and waiting. I trusted that He would guide me in the direction that He wanted me to go. If it wasn't the ...

"Faith is not believing God can, it's knowing God will."  Anonymous How true is this statement? I am a firm believer in faith and the power of prayer. Like many of you, I know several people who are struggling with illness, and personal problems. I pray for them daily.  I pray for the blessings God hasn't even done yet. I say "Thank you Lord for healing so and so," sometimes, the prayer will be, "Thank you God for the good weather we will be having" if we are traveling.  I do this because I know God will heal that person, or give us traveling mercies.  I have faith knowing that God will direct my path, and any obstacles he puts on my way are there for a purpose. Finding faith in the middle of a storm is not always easy. The Bible says that if you have "faith as small as a mustard seed, than you can move mountains." (Matthew 17:20) A mustard seed, tiny as it is, is all the faith you need. Faith, and knowing God will pull y...

"People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord's plan will happen."  Proverbs 19:21 How many times have we planned our day to the exact minute, and we find ourselves mad when things don't go according to our plan? The beauty of this proverb, is that you can plan all you want, but the Lord already has a plan in place for your life. His plan may include some trials and tribulations, but He wouldn't have put them there, if He wasn't going to help you through them.  When I was three years old, I had to have open heart surgery. This surgery was not in my parent's plan for me, but it was the Lord's plan. What if God chose me to have this surgery, so my family could lead another family, or a doctor to Him? When you stop to think about it that way, it's pretty special isn't it?  I take comfort in knowing that the Lord already has my life planned out for me. I know that my plan will include highs and lows. Things may not happe...

Have you ever heard, or saw a quote or saying and it was just what you needed at that specific moment? I have had that happen several times, and it is always a comfort. To me, it is like God saying, "I'm here." I was out shopping the other night, and had such an occurrence. I was walking through an aisle that had a plethora of signs. One in particular caught my attention, and I just stopped, and read it several times. "Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there." I always get amazed with God's creation as I look out into the ocean. Wow! How profound and perfect is that? How many times have you worried about tomorrow? I have! Have you worried about what will happen in your job? What about waiting for a test from a doctor to come back? Worrying if you will have enough money to pay the bills.  The beauty of this saying is, that God is telling us not to worry. He has our days planned out for us already. Hard times and good times. Don...