Thursday, May 23, 2013

BELIEVE




As children we all dream of who we want to be when we're older.  Often it's a nurse, firefighter, or police officer.  When I was little I honestly can't remember what I wanted to be besides the Little Mermaid. At that moment in time my mind saw Fairytale as reality and if I prayed hard enough my barbies in the windowsill would come to life.  Looking back on your life, ask yourself, are you what you always wanted to be?  Who you are is not always defined by the job you have, unless you want it that way.  I believe the person you are is defined by the parent you've become, the friend, the neighbor, the life partner. Aside from my five day a week 7-5 job I am defined by how I spend my free time. What I value as important is what I spend time doing.  One thing that I love to do, and has carried with me all my life, is painting and drawing.  Some days I would spend hours on that blank canvas and others, time would go by and I wouldn't touch it. My life easily absorbed with deadlines and tasks. Sitting down to paint became something scheduled last.  Recently, one afternoon I was exhausted from writing a paper for my MBA program and as I walked down the hall to my apartment I noticed the door left open.  I scurried to the door and walked in; I was without words from what I saw.  A room filled of paints, an easel  pallet, paper, and blank canvases waiting for a story to be painted on them. I turned around and my fiance stands smiling.   

Sometimes it takes a statement from someone who loves us, put in our lives to say..."I believe in you more than you believe in yourself."

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. 


Friday, May 17, 2013

PROJECT INSPIRED

Pressure, perfection, and never is enough. Nicole Weider was a young model living in Hollywood spending time with celebrities and staying up all hours of the night being seen.  She thought she was on top of the world; featured in the most well renowned magazines and seeing her face on billboard ads down the boulevard.  As her success climbed her depression climbed higher. When Nicole was 23 her mother had enough. She moved her daughter out of Hollywood and into Tucson AZ where Nicole realized life is not about her, it is about helping others. With time she came out of her depression by gaining a deeper relationship with Christ and living life in simplicity. Soon after, Nicole started an online website called Project Inspired.  The website is designed for young girls to have a "safe haven" where they can be free to grow in an understanding and purpose that is more than the glam of a Hollywood dream. She continues to make it her mission to support young girls and their discovery about the truth in living. You can find more about Nicole and what she is doing by following this link: Project Inspired (click here)

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity

Good works are in behaviors more than words alone
xoxo,

Mandy

Sunday, May 12, 2013

TO MOM WITH LOVE





"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." Abraham Lincoln.

A special person in my life is my mom. She has been an inspiration for me to never stop trying and to always be there for those who need a friend. Happy Mothers Day to all you special moms! LOVE YOU MOM:)

Thursday, May 9, 2013

BUILDING BLOCKS WE CALL COMMUNITY




















(photos not taken by Clarte, but retrieved from another source)

Living in a metropolitan city can sometimes feel like a small spec in a vast sandbox.  It is the melting pot of entrepreneurship and corporate ladder climbers scurrying past each other to get to their destination.  Growing up in a small town can initially feel overwhelming adjusting to the big city life. Through the experience of culture shock I found ways to make anywhere feel exactly where I am meant to be, wherever home is. I found there are many people in a city that want to feel a sense of community just as I have. I see the reoccurring customers at the same coffee shops, music venues, and movie stores.  There are local stores that are "bringing it back home" and opening shop with a style sense of timelessness. 
I recently was doing research online and came across an amazing store and story about a man named Steve Kang who opened Black Blue in St.Paul Minnesota. The store opened in 2009 and offers classic, locally made menswear. The apparel commonly has the brand names your grandpa wears with a new twist of sophistication. I was inspired to learn more about Black Blue because of Steve Kang's vision to support his community from the clothing to the wall art.  Places like Black Blue are an example of the community that is seen in many big cities; a recognizable smiling face that I look forward to in every experience. People helping people. 


Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others