Meet Mandy England
Mandy England is a talented artist, wife, mom of three, and business owner. Her beautiful hand-lettering graces the pages of the new Life Lived Beautifully journals, and she is a passionate follower of Jesus. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Mandy for a conversation about living a beautiful life for God’s glory.
Defining a Beautiful Life
lalacosmetics: What is your definition of a "life lived beautifully?"
Mandy: A life lived beautifully is one that openly embraces the scars and ugliness of sin and points to the one who redeemed the mess. In Isaiah 61, it talks about God giving His people a beautiful headdress instead of ashes. I believe that beauty is made all the more beautiful because of the ashes. The ugly helps us to appreciate the beauty in a way we never could have before. A life that demonstrates the kindness of God’s grace and redemption in their brokenness is truly beautiful.
Finding Grace
lalacosmetics: When did you start following Jesus?
Mandy: I was raised in a traditional Southern Baptist church and "asked Jesus into my heart" in kindergarten. But I knew nothing of grace. I lived in fear, praying "the prayer" over and over, hoping to get it right. I felt like a "super Christian" on the outside, but deep down I knew I was a fraud. My life had never changed because I had never experienced grace.
Then I met David, my husband, in college. He hadn’t been to church or heard the gospel before, and we got married while still in college. It was a hot mess of lies, bitterness, and ugliness. About a year into our marriage, God started working in David’s heart, and he experienced the freedom of the gospel. I was crushed. My entire world fell apart. While he sought counsel and accountability, I became incredibly bitter, angry at both David and God.
For a year and a half, I struggled to forgive him. Time didn’t heal my wounds; it made me more bitter. I questioned my salvation. But God was working in both of our lives.
On February 13, 2011, we visited a church in Virginia, and that morning God opened my eyes to the gospel and changed my heart. The sermon was on Matthew 18:21-35, the story of the unforgiving servant. I realized I was that servant, who had been forgiven much but refused to forgive a small debt. I began to see the evil of my own heart and the sins I had committed in secret. I was horrified at who I actually was. I stopped focusing on how David had wronged me and became alarmed at the realization of who my sins were against. For the first time in my life, God gave me a glimpse of His holiness and of how incredibly short I had fallen. It was a moment of extreme shame, followed by a flood of overwhelming and irresistible grace. My hard heart had hated my husband for over a year, and in an instant, my soul cried out, "Of course I forgive him! How could I not when Holy God has forgiven me so much?!" I was blind and now I could see! I was dead and now I was alive! Holy God changed my heart, gave me new eyes, and brought me to life. All praise to Him! And I follow Him in gratitude.
Verses That Bring Life
lalacosmetics: What are some verses you constantly cling to and bring life to your soul?
Mandy: I mentioned earlier how the Lord used this verse to encourage me: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." – Phil 1:6. I still find so much comfort in this verse. Knowing what God has done in my life gives me so much confidence of who is working in me and comfort that He will not give up on me. He said so. And He has already shown Himself faithful.
Galatians 5:1 has been a big deal for me this year. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Sometimes I almost feel like I don’t deserve to live in victory… like it’s wrong for me to even dare ask for freedom. But that is a lie! Jesus said, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) This year has been one of clinging to truth, battling lies, and asking for extra grace to choose to live in freedom through Jesus.
Sharing the Gospel Through Creativity
lalacosmetics: How do you integrate sharing the Gospel with creativity?
Mandy: A lot of my art is hand-lettering, which is a perfect outlet for gospel sharing. If I were fishing, God’s Word would be the hook, and pretty lettering the bait. I hope that people who would not otherwise be drawn to read the Bible might find interest in it through something as simple as beautifully written words.
Mandy England Designs
lalacosmetics: What is your vision behind Mandy England Designs?
Mandy: Honestly, there hasn’t been a grand scheme. Ideas come, interests evolve, and as I look back I can see God’s hand in it all. I know that anything that has been built is by His grace alone. Right now I am praying over ideas for a study on truth and how to best encourage other women to live in the freedom that they have in Christ.
Lessons in Wifehood, Motherhood, and Business
lalacosmetics: What life lessons have you learned in being a wife, momma, and owning a small business?
Mandy: So much of my time is wrapped up in these roles, but they are not my identity. My identity is in Christ. Ephesians 1 talks about how we have been adopted as sons of God through Jesus, receiving every spiritual blessing, redeemed, forgiven, and lavished in the riches of God’s grace. That is my identity. That is your identity if you are a child of God. That is the only identity worth clinging to because if we base our identity on our performance of any of our roles, we will always disappoint ourselves. On the days when we don’t live up to the expectation that we have for what a good wife should be, or we lose our temper with our children, or our shop doesn’t get the views or make the sales we were hoping for… that’s ok! That should not change how we feel about ourselves, because those things (though they may be important) are not our identity. Our identity is in Christ. Everything that we can boast of is in Christ. And our God is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow… so if I am rooting my identity in Him, then I can’t be shaken by my successes or failures. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
Living for God’s Glory
lalacosmetics: If you could tell every woman reading this one thing God has laid on your heart, what would it be?
Mandy: When I am weak, He is strong. This doesn’t have to apply just to the big moments. If I get to the end of the day and don’t feel like I have any patience left to get my children ready for bed, that is just as much an opportunity for God to show His power through me. What would it look like if we chose to live in eager expectation of His provision?… To recognize our weakness and say “God, I can’t right now. But I know you can.” Wallowing in weakness is really a form of idolatry… choosing self-focus instead of fixing our eyes on the One who is able. I want to encourage you to notice when you are feeling empty, tired, worthless, and beaten down… and instead of throwing up your hands in exasperation, open your hands to the Lord and ask Him for extra grace to accomplish what needs to be done. Not so that we can feel good about what we’ve done, but so that God can be glorified in our lives. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Continue Your Journey
Learn more about us at: lalacosmetics
We hope you enjoyed learning from Mandy England! Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from beautiful women living their lives for God’s glory.
