This Is What I Believe

☕ Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Good morning, friends. ☕❤️

It feels like a Monday on a Tuesday around here. That’s what happens when we have a Monday off and then head back into the office on Tuesday. I didn’t get my normal work-from-home day yesterday, so my whole week feels just a little out of rhythm. But that’s okay. I’m walking into today determined to make it a good one, and sometimes that’s all we can do.

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Yesterday was actually a really good day. We spent Labor Day with family at my aunt and uncle’s cookout, had some good food, and enjoyed being together. I didn’t eat a whole lot, which is something I’m paying attention to these days. On the way home, we stopped at Reid’s Orchard, and of course I had to get some more honey because I go through honey like it’s water. I also got a caramel apple, which I guess ended up being my dinner.

Now, was that caramel apple exactly what I would consider the best choice for me right now? Probably not. It had sugar, and I’m trying to make different choices with food. But I caught myself trying to justify it by thinking, “Well, at least it has an apple in it.” And then I had to laugh at myself because that’s exactly what we do sometimes. We try to find a reason why something should be okay instead of simply being honest about the choice we made.

That got me thinking about excuses and compromise.

An excuse is a reason we give to explain or justify something we’ve done, especially when we’re trying to avoid accepting responsibility for the choice. And I’ve realized that I don’t want to live my life constantly making excuses for my choices. If I make a choice, I want to be honest enough to call it what it is, learn from it, and move on. I don’t need to make it worse than it was, but I also don’t need to pretend it was something it wasn’t.

I think that applies to much more than food.

It applies to our faith, too.

I’ve been sharing a lot lately about what I’m learning, what I’m struggling with, and how I’m trying to put God first in my everyday life. But I also realized that if you’re going to sit down and have coffee with me regularly, you probably ought to know what I actually believe.

I don’t believe everything simply because somebody told me it was true. My beliefs are based on the Bible, and I believe the Old Testament and New Testament work together. I believe in salvation, and I believe in the Holy Ghost. I believe that salvation comes from God and that it is something that happens between a person and the Lord, not something another person can simply give to you.

I believe there has to be conviction. I believe that someone has to have a fear of God and going to hell. I believe we have to recognize that we’re lost before we can truly understand what it means to be saved.

There are also things I choose not to do because of what I believe Scripture teaches. For example, I don’t drink alcohol or use drugs. There are different interpretations of some of these things among Christians, and I’m not trying to tell someone else what they have to believe. I’m simply telling you what I believe and why I make the choices I make. That’s an important distinction for me.

This isn’t a bash session, and I don’t believe I’m better than anybody else because of what I believe. I’m not writing these conversations to tell you that you have to believe exactly the way I do. You have a choice about what you believe, just like I do. But if you’re going to walk alongside me through these conversations, I want you to know where I’m coming from.

My faith isn’t something I want to pull out when it’s convenient. It’s supposed to affect the way I live, the decisions I make, the way I treat people, and the things I pursue. That’s something I’ve been talking about a lot lately because I know there are times when my life doesn’t reflect what I say I believe as well as it should.

And that’s where the food conversation comes back around for me.

I’m learning that I don’t want to live in a world of excuses. I don’t want to say, “Well, I ate this because…” or “I didn’t do this because…” and then beat myself up afterward. I want to be honest about my choices and willing to make different ones when I need to.

The same thing is true spiritually. I don’t want to make excuses for why I don’t spend enough time with God. I don’t want to tell myself that I’m too busy, too tired, or that I’ll do it tomorrow. I know how quickly tomorrow turns into another tomorrow.

So I’m trying to be more intentional.

I’m also starting my GLP-1 journey, and I’m already noticing some changes in my appetite and blood sugar patterns. I’m hopeful about what this next season will look like, but I’m also reminding myself that this isn’t just about a number on a scale. I’m trying to understand my body better, make better choices, and create a way of eating that I can actually live with instead of something I can only maintain for a little while.

I’m learning to give myself grace without using grace as an excuse.

That’s a hard balance sometimes.

And maybe that’s where God is meeting me right now. He’s teaching me that I don’t have to pretend I’m perfect in order to keep moving forward. I can acknowledge where I fall short, make a change, and keep going. I can be honest about my struggles without allowing those struggles to define me.

I don’t do this blog because I want a huge following. I don’t do it because I think I have everything figured out. I certainly don’t do it because I think I’m better than anybody else.

I’m sitting here with my coffee and talking about what God is teaching me because I want to remember it, and maybe somewhere along the way, something I’m learning will help somebody else.

At the end of the day, the things we accumulate here aren’t what matter most to me. The things I create, the money I make, the followers I gain, and the things I accomplish are all temporary. What matters to me is what I’m doing with the life God has given me and whether I’m using it for Him.

Matthew 6:20 says, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”

That’s the kind of treasure I’m interested in.

So today, I’m heading into work, thankful for the people I work with, thankful for my family, thankful for another day to learn, and thankful that God gives me another opportunity to get things right when I don’t.

Maybe that’s enough for a Tuesday morning.

And maybe today you can ask yourself the same thing I’ve been asking myself lately: Am I making choices because they’re truly what I believe and want for my life, or am I finding excuses and compromises to make them easier?

I’m still figuring that out myself.

Until tomorrow…

Keep your coffee warm, your Bible close, and your eyes open for the blessings God places in your path today. I’ll meet you back here tomorrow—with another cup of coffee and another conversation.

❤️ Mandy

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