Mandy Barrett

I heard something the other day, and I really had to ponder it; When someone asks, “How are you?” am I truly in tune with myself enough to know how I’m doing, or do I respond like I’m giving a weather report, talking about everything going on around me?

In other words, am I defining myself by the circumstances around me?

If someone asked you how you were today, would you truly be able to answer? Would you answer how you truly were, or would you answer about the tornado going on around you? These produce two very different answers.

Isn’t it funny, if you’re anything like me, you’ve learned to let the circumstances around you define who you are instead of tapping into your authentic self? 🤔🦋

Letting go of fear, this seems so counterintuitive, but isn’t that life?💝

If the heart says:“I give so I will get.”
That tightens.

If the heart says: “I give because I trust.”
That frees.

Philippians 4:17 I do not say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

“Happy Full Moon in Leo. May all that has been manifesting over the past six months shine brightly today. May your ego and your highest self align with the Ruach of God, His breath, Spirit, and life force, so that your own ruach radiates love, truth, and sacred knowledge.” 🌕🦁✨

As we enter Epiphany, I’ve been reflecting on a message our pastor shared a few weeks ago about the nativity story and how it likely looked very different in real life than the scenes we often imagine. The wise men, for example, did not arrive at the moment of Christ’s birth, but came later, guided by God’s timing and revelation.

I hope you don’t mind me sharing a reflection that felt especially apropos to me today. It reminded me that I, too, have been entrusted with gifts to offer. That truth carries a gentle reassurance: I have value to contribute, and I am loved by a God who invites me not only to give, but also to receive. To be welcomed at the table, to break bread together, and to share life with one another is part of that gift.

On this Three Kings Day, we remember those who noticed God’s sign, trusted His leading, and set out on a journey to worship Christ. They did not rush or demand certainty. They watched, followed, and offered what they carried, not everything they had.

Epiphany invites us to pause and ask:
Where is God gently revealing Himself to me right now?
What gifts am I being invited to offer Him in this season of service, motherhood, marriage, and quiet faithfulness?
And just as importantly, where might He be inviting me to rest, receive, and serve within healthy, life-giving boundaries?

May we continue to walk in His light, trusting that even our unseen devotion matters deeply to Him, and that God honors both our giving and our wise tending of the lives He has entrusted to us.

In the book Love, Medicine, and Miracles, Dr. Bernie Siegel speaks about the ability to identify areas of illness through a person’s language. For example, when someone repeatedly says, “That person is a pain in my ass,” he would not be surprised to later find illness manifesting in the colon. This insight suggests that the body listens closely to the stories we tell.

Dr. Bruce Lipton has since supported this understanding through cellular biology, demonstrating that what we feed our cells, not only physically but emotionally and mentally, influences how tissues, organs, and systems develop and respond. The environment surrounding the cell shapes its expression.

Even in grammar, we speak of “words,” “spelling,” and “spells.” Language itself can act as a kind of hypnotic state, one we place ourselves into repeatedly. The words we choose can either reinforce limitation or invite healing.

I woke this morning thinking about all of this and felt deeply aware of how important it is to speak to myself with intention.

Jesus speaks directly to this principle in the Gospels. After healing, he often instructed those who were healed not to tell anyone. In Mark 1:44, after cleansing the man with leprosy, Jesus says, “See that you say nothing to anyone.” Similarly, after raising Jairus’ daughter, Mark 5:43 and Luke 8:56 tell us that he strictly charged them not to spread the news. These moments suggest an understanding that the surrounding voices, beliefs, and expectations of others can influence one’s internal state, what we might call today the mental or hypnotic realm.

Jesus also tells his disciples that his leaving is not a loss, but a gift. In John 16:7, he says, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” This Advocate, the Holy Spirit, is the living breath of God, dwelling within each of us. It is not distant or reserved for a few, but alive and present in all.

Call it a mantra, an affirmation, or pure gratitude. Today, the “spell” I choose to place myself under aligns with the love the Holy Spirit wants me to feel, know, and share:

“I am the divine temple of love.
Today I honor, cherish, and care for this temple, mind, body, and soul,
allowing beauty and love to flow through me as a sanctuary to all.”

Treat the treatment. I bless you! Be loyal to God and know that He and He alone has all the power. Beliefs are powerful, and we often let them limit us, dictating where we think we can go or who we think we can become. We need to bless these limiting beliefs, just as we say "bless you" to someone who has just sneezed. Emmit Fox

A sneeze does not last forever; it is a minor inconvenience. When someone sneezes and we say "bless you," we wish them well and then move on, no longer focusing on the sneeze but on the present moment. In the same way, we should focus on creating the life we want.

We should not remain stuck in the past, dwelling on the sneeze. How often do we sit with our fear, guilt, shame, anger, and loneliness, forgetting that they are nothing more than temporary states—like a sneeze, just a blip in time? Bless them and move on. LIVE, create, become!