🌾 Starting a Business Out of Necessity

Starting a business out of necessity can be daunting — especially when you don’t see immediate results. Most businesses take time to grow, and sometimes you don’t even know if you’re doing it “right.” But here’s the truth: you’ll never know unless you try.

As long as you’ve prayed about it, done your research, and made sure there’s a real need for what you’re offering — let God handle the rest.

Manna in the Desert was birthed out of my own season of uncertainty. I was in a place where everything felt unclear, but I also knew I wasn’t alone. So many of us are building, starting over, or creating something new while still trying to trust God through it all.

This brand became my reminder — that even in uncertain times, God still provides.

Maybe you’re in that same place right now: unsure, scared, or wondering if you’re really called to do this. I don’t know your business plan, your idea, or what God has placed on your heart to pursue — but I do know this: you’ll never know what’s possible if you don’t jump.

Take the leap.
Start small.
Trust that even if you don’t land where you expect, you’ll land where you’re meant to be.

So, tell me —
💡 What business are you starting?
💭 What’s your biggest fear about stepping out?
🔥 Is it a need, or a passion that keeps calling you back?

🌞 Happy Monday: Finding Joy Where You Are

Happy Monday!

For many, Mondays bring a mix of emotions — especially for those who are between jobs, waiting for clarity, or just feeling uncertain about what’s next. It can feel heavy, slow, or even pointless.

But what if we reframed it?

What if we made Monday an actual Happy Monday — not because everything is perfect, but because we’re learning to find joy in whatever season we’re in?

🌿 If You’re Not Working

Take a moment to rest in the slowness of the day.
Notice the quiet. Let it breathe.

Pray.
Pour a cup of coffee.
Sit with yourself for a moment.

You don’t need to rush into productivity to prove your worth.
There’s peace in stillness, too.
Sometimes, the stillness is God’s provision — a pause before the next chapter.

💛 If You Are Working

Maybe you’re feeling uneasy, overwhelmed, or tired of routine.
Even then, find a moment to be grateful — for the job, for the breath in your lungs, for the people around you.

Pray for strength to get through the day and for those who are still waiting for open doors. Gratitude shifts our focus from what’s missing to what’s present.

🌾 Life Changes Fast

This life is filled with so many swift transitions — especially now.
It’s okay if you can’t name exactly what you’re feeling today.

But even in the uncertainty, remember this:
You saw this day.
Someone didn’t.

So if nothing else, that’s reason enough to whisper, “Happy Monday.” 🌤

💧 Feel It First: Learning to Acknowledge What You Feel

Whatever you feel — feel it.

If you’re feeling down, uncertain, sad, or even a little hopeless today… that’s okay.

For a long time, many of us were taught to push through our emotions. To smile, to keep busy, to move on. We were told that feelings make us weak or dramatic — that faith means pretending we’re okay all the time.

But that’s not true. God created us with emotions for a reason. They’re not a flaw; they’re an invitation.

🌾 Stop Brushing It Away

Sometimes we brush our emotions under the rug, hoping they’ll just disappear.
And they might — for a moment. But eventually, they resurface — louder, deeper, and heavier than before.

We think ignoring pain will make it go away, but silence doesn’t heal.
Acknowledgment does.

So, whatever you’re feeling — acknowledge it.

• Cry if you need to.

• Write it out in your journal.

• Pray and tell God exactly how you feel — He can handle it.

• Talk to someone safe who will listen without judgment.

The goal isn’t to stay stuck in your feelings — it’s to make peace with them, so they don’t control you.

💛 Faith Doesn’t Mean Fake

You can have faith and still have feelings.
You can love God and still have bad days.

Even Jesus wept (John 11:35). He felt grief, anger, compassion, and exhaustion — all deeply human emotions.
If He could feel fully and still remain faithful, so can we.

Faith doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine.
Faith means trusting God while you feel it all.

✨ Feel It, Then Deal With It

The days of bottling things up are over. This is the season of managing, not masking.
Let yourself feel — deeply, honestly, and without guilt.

Then, when the tears stop, you can breathe, pray, and take the next step.

As I always say:

“Imma cry first… then deal with it.” 💧

And that’s okay. That’s healing.

🌿 Reflection:

• What emotion have you been avoiding lately?

• How can you make space to feel it today?

• What does “managing, not masking” look like for you?

🌿 Keep Going: The Only Difference Is They Didn’t Stop

The only difference between you and them…
is that you stopped and they didn’t.

It’s not always talent. It’s not always timing.
Often, it’s simply consistency.

No matter what you’re working toward — growing your faith, building a business, creating content, improving your health, or walking in purpose — stopping can’t be an option if you want to see fruit.

🌾 They Kept Going

You might look at someone’s life and wonder:

• “Why do they have so many followers?”

• “Why does their business seem to be thriving?”

• “Why do they seem so much stronger in their faith?”

But what if the answer isn’t that they’re better or more gifted — what if it’s that they just kept going?
They showed up when no one was watching.
They kept posting when no one liked the post.
They prayed when they didn’t feel anything.
They believed when nothing seemed to change.

Growth is often quiet. Progress is often unseen.
But those who endure — they reap the harvest.

“And let us not grow weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not give up.”
— Galatians 6:9

💛 When You Want to Quit

I’ll be honest — there are days I want to stop, too.
Days when it feels like I’m pouring out and seeing nothing return.
Days when the weight of waiting feels heavier than the promise of purpose.

But every time I think about quitting, I remember:
stopping guarantees I’ll never see what could have been.

Faith doesn’t always look like shouting on mountaintops — sometimes it’s whispering,
“I’ll try again tomorrow.”
“I’ll show up anyway.”
“I’ll keep going.”

✨ Reflection: What Have You Stopped?

Take a moment today and ask yourself:

• What did I start that I’ve stopped?

• Was it a dream, a goal, a routine, or a calling?

• Is God inviting me to pick it back up?

You don’t need a perfect plan — just a willing heart.

Remember, the only difference between you and them is that they didn’t stop.
So today, decide: you won’t either.

Keep going. 🌾

✨ The Sandpaper: How God Shapes Us

According to Google, sandpaper is produced in a range of grit sizes and is used to remove material from surfaces—whether to smooth them, remove layers, or even roughen them.
The grit comes in different types: coarse, medium, fine, and extra fine.

• Coarse grit is used to roughen or shape materials.

• Medium grit is for final shaping or smoothing.

• Fine and extra fine grit are used to refine and finish surfaces.

Just like sandpaper works on wood or metal, our lives are shaped by different tools — experiences, people, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit. Each one plays a role in refining us into who God has called us to be.

We are all works in progress.
Our character is shaped by our past, our pain, our environment, and most importantly, God’s hand. But growth doesn’t happen in isolation. We need connection — first with God, and second with the people He places in our lives.

There are parts of us that can only be changed when we allow the “sandpaper” moments to do their work.

🪓 Coarse Grit: Tough Love and Correction

Sometimes, we need coarse grit — those moments of tough love and truth that reveal what we can’t see in ourselves.

In 2 Samuel 11, King David fell into deep sin. He desired Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and went as far as arranging her husband Uriah’s death to cover it up. The Bible says, “the Lord was displeased with David.”

In the next chapter, 2 Samuel 12, God sends Nathan the prophet to confront David. Nathan shares a story that mirrors David’s own sin, and in that moment, David sees himself clearly for the first time.

Sometimes, we need a Nathan — someone who loves us enough to speak the hard truth. These moments might sting, but they smooth the rough edges of pride, sin, or selfishness. They reveal what’s hidden so God can heal what’s broken.

💬 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” — Proverbs 27:6

Correction isn’t rejection — it’s refinement.

📖 Medium Grit: The Word of God

The Word is God’s ultimate shaping tool.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
“For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…” — Hebrews 4:12

If we never open our Bible, we miss the very tool designed to teach, guide, and transform us. Scripture is medium grit — it forms us, teaches us truth, and aligns our hearts with God’s will.

A few years ago, I realized I couldn’t claim to follow Christ while ignoring His Word. Reading it isn’t just a routine — it’s a relationship. It shapes how we love, forgive, lead, and respond to life’s challenges.

The Bible is not just information — it’s transformation.

🌬 Fine Grit: The Holy Spirit

Finally, there’s the fine grit — the Holy Spirit.

From the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over the waters (Genesis 1:2). He has always been present — guiding, empowering, and refining creation.

Jesus promised the Spirit as our Helper in John 14:26:

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit whispers truth, convicts us gently, and shapes us in the quiet places where no one else can reach. He’s the finishing touch in God’s shaping process — smoothing our rough edges with grace.

💡 Without the Spirit, we may change our behavior.
With the Spirit, God transforms our hearts.

🛠 Becoming Refined

Spiritual shaping isn’t easy. It requires humility, openness, and surrender. Sometimes, God uses:

• People to challenge us

• His Word to convict and instruct us

• The Holy Spirit to guide and sustain us

If we resist these tools, we stay rough and unfinished. But when we yield, we become vessels that reflect His glory — living epistles of His grace.

And sometimes, God will ask you to be the sandpaper for someone else — to lovingly speak truth or walk beside them as they grow.

🌾 Reflection:

• Who has been “sandpaper” in your life lately?

• Where might God be calling you to submit to shaping?

• How can you open your heart more to His Word and Spirit this week?

Let God smooth what’s rough, refine what’s hidden, and shape you into the masterpiece He’s always seen in you.

💭 Do It Anyway

I came across a TikTok recently where the creator asked:
“What if you chose your nervous system over your ego?”

It stopped me in my tracks.

Because so often, we let fear — dressed up as pride — make our choices for us.
We say we’re waiting on the “right moment” or for “things to feel aligned,”
but really, we’re avoiding the discomfort that comes with growth.

We choose our ego over our nervous system.
We choose to stay comfortable instead of courageous.

🌾 When Fear Feels Safer

Sometimes it’s not that we don’t know what to do — it’s that we’re scared of how it’ll feel when we actually do it.
We’re scared to look cringey.
Scared to fail publicly.
Scared to start small.
Scared of silence when we finally speak.

So instead of moving, we stay stuck —
sitting in fear,
convincing ourselves that staying put is “wisdom,”
when it’s really just ego protection.

But here’s the truth:
Every new level will shake your nervous system.
It’ll stretch your faith, your confidence, and your identity.
And that’s okay — because that’s where transformation lives.

✨ Do It Scared

I want to challenge you today:
Do it anyway.
Launch it anyway.
Speak it anyway.
Show up anyway.

Whether it’s starting the business, applying for the job, posting the video, or saying yes to the thing that makes your heart race — do it.

Your nervous system might tremble, but your soul will grow.
And you’ll discover that fear can’t stop what’s meant for you — only inaction can.

🌿 Ego or Elevation?

So today, you get to choose:

• Will you let your ego keep you safe, silent, and unseen?

• Or will you let your nervous system feel the fear and still move forward?

Because one of them will lead you back to comfort.
The other will lead you to healing, breakthrough, and the next tax bracket.

You decide.

💭 What will you do today that will shock your nervous system — in the best way?

✨ Give Up

For most of my life, “giving up” was my default response when things got hard.

If a friend hurt me, I wouldn’t talk about it — I’d just end the friendship.
When college became too difficult, I dropped out.
If a job demanded too much, I found another one.
When a relationship became complicated or painful, I walked away.

That’s how I handled challenges — by running. By quitting. By giving up.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that this pattern was shaping not only my relationships with people, but also my relationship with God.

When prayer didn’t seem to work fast enough, I’d stop praying.
When worship felt heavy, I’d stop singing.
When God didn’t move on my timeline, I’d stop trusting, stop pressing in, stop showing up.

Because that’s what I’d always done — walk away when things got hard.

But what God has been showing me is this: maybe I was meant to give up — just not in the way I thought.

Instead of giving up on Him, I was supposed to give up to Him.
To surrender my will, my time, my emotions, and my expectations.
To lay it all down and let Him lead.

🌾 A Lesson from Joseph — Genesis 45:4–8

Joseph’s story has always moved me.

He was Jacob’s beloved son — the favorite. A dreamer. And because of that, his brothers resented him deeply. When Joseph shared a dream that hinted he would one day reign over them, it pushed their jealousy over the edge. They sold him to Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt, where he was sold again to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials.

If I’m honest, that alone would’ve made me give up. Betrayed by family. Stripped of freedom. Far from home.
It’s easy to imagine Joseph wondering, “Does God still love me? Did I do something wrong?”

But Joseph’s story teaches us something vital:

The presence of trouble is not the absence of God.

✨ 1. The Presence of Trouble is Not the Absence of God

Later in the story, Joseph was falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit and thrown into prison (Genesis 39:20–21).

If we’re honest, jail would feel like the end — the breaking point. But for Joseph, it became another opportunity to serve, to minister, and to interpret dreams through the power of God.

How many times do we interpret hardship as abandonment?
When finances fall apart, when relationships break, when jobs end — we assume God has left us. But Joseph’s life reminds us:

God’s presence isn’t proven by comfort — it’s revealed in how He carries us through discomfort.

None of us are exempt from pain. Jesus Himself told us in John 16:33:

“In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The difference for us as believers is this:
We don’t walk through trouble alone.
The Holy Spirit walks with us, giving peace, perspective, and strength to keep going.

Maybe Joseph shouldn’t have told his brothers his dream — or maybe, just maybe, that betrayal was part of the plan. Maybe the pit was necessary to reach the palace.

Maybe what you see as a setback is actually God setting you up for purpose.

💛 The Real “Give Up”

So now, when I feel tempted to quit, I remind myself:
I’m not giving up — I’m giving in.
I’m surrendering to God’s plan, His pace, and His presence.

Because the journey might be hard, but He’s in it.
And if He’s in it, there’s purpose in it.

🌿 Reflection:

• Where in your life have you been tempted to give up?

• What might surrender look like instead?

• How can you invite the Holy Spirit into the places that feel heavy?

Take heart — God hasn’t left you. He’s working, even here.

💌 To the 92%

I never thought I’d have to write something like this.

But here we are — navigating a season that none of us saw coming. And while it may feel heavy and uncertain, I want you to know this one truth: God is not shocked or surprised by any of it.

He still has a plan.
He still sees you.
He still provides.

To my sisters — we are resilient. We are dependable. We are intelligent, trustworthy, and powerful beyond measure. We’ve built, we’ve carried, we’ve led with grace. And though this moment has taken many of us by surprise, it cannot take away what God has placed within us.

This is not the end of our story.
It’s a pause — a pivot — a preparation.

So in this in-between, I encourage you to:

• Reflect on who you’ve become and what you’ve learned.

• Pray for clarity, strength, and direction.

• Pivot if needed — shift toward the places God is calling you next.

• Prepare for what’s ahead — the doors He’s about to open.

• Gear up for the next season with faith and expectation.

I don’t know exactly what’s next for each of us. Maybe it’s another job, a new career, launching a business, stepping into investing, or embracing a new rhythm as a stay-at-home mom. But whatever it is — you already have everything you need in your hands.

You got this.
And we have each other.

Take heart, sis. We were built for seasons like this. 🌾

With love and hope,
[Your Name]
Manna in the Desert

Think On These Things

We’ve all faced those tricky interview questions—like the one about handling conflict at work. Honestly, it’s one of the questions I dread most. But it also reminds me of something deeper: how we deal with conflict as believers.

At work, disagreements may just end with agreeing to disagree. But within the church, or in our walk with God, conflict should lead us back to common ground, our shared love for Christ, and our desire for peace.

Paul addressed this in his letter to the Philippians. Writing from prison, he urged believers to stay united, even calling out two women in the church who were at odds. Then he gave us this powerful guide for our thoughts:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

What to Think On

• True: God is Creator, Savior, Healer, and Provider. His truth never changes.

• Noble: God alone is worthy of our respect and honor.

• Right: His holiness is our standard for living.

• Pure: We must daily ask Him to cleanse our hearts and minds.

• Lovely: Our faith in Him delights His heart—even when it wavers.

• Admirable: God’s goodness and grace deserve our praise.

A Personal Reminder

Not long ago, I lost my job unexpectedly. My thoughts were scattered, my prayers felt weak, and doubt crept in. But the Lord reminded me: my focus shouldn’t be on loss, but on Him.

Life has peaks and valleys. But through it all, God’s truth stands. Even when nothing around us seems praiseworthy, He still is.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for giving me a guide for my thoughts. Help me to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. When my mind is restless, anchor me in Your peace. Amen.

Journal Prompt

• What negative thought do I need to surrender today?

• Which truth about God do I need to meditate on this week?