The Heart Behind Mindy Larsen: Uncovering God's Goodness in the Mess
Why I changed lovemin to Mindy Larsen, the heart behind my new tagline “Uncovering God’s Goodness in the Mess”, and what’s next for Mindy Larsen
Welcome to my brand-new website! I am so excited to reveal what has been a work in progress for the last year. Much like my own heart, this space has evolved. You’ll notice a new logo, name, web address, fresh colors, and more.
There’s a deeper meaning to the transformation and I want to share it with you.
Why the writing stopped
My writing came to a screeching halt when my dad died in May 2022. In fact, if you look back at my blog from the past three years, I’ve only written six total posts. (I did write An Advent Laced with Grief, which honestly is by the grace and power of God; sometimes I look back and think “wow, how did I do that so freshly in the throes of grief?”)
The writing stopped for obvious reasons. My world turned upside down when my dad died unexpectedly. Grief consumed every thought, every breath. Then Chris and I moved only a few months later, thrusting me into new life times two. Life didn’t pause in all of this, so my energy was spent on simply keeping going. All of that, plus grief brain, left me no mental space to write.
The writing stopped for less obvious reasons, too. Deep loss changed me; I felt lost, questioned my identity and realized I had to say goodbye to my old self. (Read more about that turning point here.) After that I didn’t know where to start. How does one just jump back into something that was left to sit for so long? And the last reason, the one that drove my redesign, is this. It was uncomfortable returning to an online space that looked the same pre- and post-loss, as if nothing had changed in me or my world.
After much thought and a lot of work, I created this new online space to reflect who I am, who I’ve become, and where I believe God is leading me as I continue to write.
A new name: From Nouvelle a Moi to lovemin to Mindy Larsen
Thirteen years ago, when I first started blogging, the “cool thing to do” was give your blog a cutesy name. I was brand new to the scene and started blogging as a random outlet, so I went with something very straight forward “New to Me.” Except I thought, “that’s not very cool” so I translated it into French because I was a French minor in college and thought that might take it up a notch. Now looking back I’m not even sure that’s a proper translation, hah!
The best part of this iteration of my blog was the description. If you need a giggle, head here and give it a read. It started out like this; “In some ways I compare my new stage in life to arriving on Pandora in the movie Avatar...” I was obsessed with Avatar at the time and with no shame, used it as an analogy for where I was in life.
Reading that description gives me joy and a good chuckle. But it’s also a real representation of what this blog has always been – an authentic, vulnerable outpouring of who I am.
This sweet, humble beginning quickly grew into a passion and calling to write. With it, came a new name, a new website I designed, and my very own logo. I was so proud of the brand I created and gave it the name “lovemin”.
The new name was a play on the idea of “love, Mindy”, a play on my nickname of Min, and a play on sounding out the name as “love ‘em in” which meant love them into God’s kingdom. What I wanted, and still do as I write, was for my readers to know that every time they read my words, they will encounter authenticity, encouragement, and a declaration of the Lord and His mission that we all might come to know Him and give Him glory.
It's hard to say goodbye to “lovemin”; so much happened during her existence. My first published article in a magazine, leading way to countless others on Christian online publications, and more. But it’s time. I’ve outgrown her and I am ready to own the space God gave me from the moment I was conceived in my mother’s womb- and that is simply as who I am.
So, say hello to the new name of my blog and home for my writing – Mindy Larsen.
With this new name and new design, I’m driving a stake into the ground, standing up in who I am and knowing that this online space will continue to grow and transform as I do.
A New Tagline: Uncovering God’s Goodness in the Mess
I’ve been reflecting a lot in this rebranding process, and I’ve realized there is one theme that repeatedly resurfaces in my writing – uncovering God’s goodness in the mess of life.
It’s there as I write about finding peace in the highs and lows of my struggle with anxiety. It’s there in the painful retelling of the unexpected death of my dad as I reach for hope that can only come from the Lord. And it’s in the simpler stories too, where I navigate daily challenges like exhaustion and overwhelm, and recognize when I can’t stand, God sustains me.
Over and over again, this proclamation- “God is still good, even in the hardest parts of life” pours out of me.
I believe wholeheartedly that in every season of life, God’s goodness in all its forms – faithfulness, provision, protection, peace that passes understanding, unexplainable joy, comfort, understanding, hope, and more – is always with us. But sometimes, when life is brutal, we get so fixated on the trouble or pain right in front of us that we cannot see anything good, nor imagine how a kind, loving God could be there helping us.
This is where “uncovering” comes into play. If we want to embrace and experience the goodness God has planted, we must be intentional about searching for it amidst life’s challenges and be faithfully expectant that it is, in fact, there to be found.
The naming of this tagline, “Uncovering God’s Goodness in the Mess” is my way of taking ownership of what God has already been doing in my heart and through my writing. I’m going to lean into this theme, for me and for you. That we might claim this truth and recognize God more clearly in the joys and the dark seasons of our lives.
Why this message is dear to my heart
I am passionate about this theme because really, it’s the heartbeat of the gospel. God is the master of entering into our world and creating light, hope, and a way for us to find life in the midst of brokenness. Evidence of this is written all over scripture. From the very beginning in Genesis, to Jesus, and eternity with Him.
Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Notice that first word, while. God didn’t wait for a moment when we were on our best behavior, or the world was looking a little more peachy keen (let’s be honest He’d still be waiting). He sent His son in the middle of the mess so we might experience His hope, love, salvation, and redemption through Jesus right here, right now.
God’s goodness is the thread that exists throughout time, woven throughout the Bible, throughout all of our struggles and joys, and leads us to the ultimate gift of eternity with Him. It’s there, always. We just need to open our eyes and see it.
What’s next for Mindy Larsen
The redesign of this website is a bit like the line that is famously misquoted from Field of Dreams – “If you build it, they will come.” I am faithfully stepping forward praying that through the building of this website, and sharing my heart behind the tagline, more words will come.
Writing is a lifeblood for me. It connects me to myself, to my heavenly Father, and to you. I am eager to press my fingers to the keyboard and pour what God writes on my heart onto the page.
My promise to you is that I will keep showing up – I will keep sharing stories, both the joyful ones and the hard ones, and through them point both of our hearts to give glory to the Lord.
Thank you for being here on this journey with me. It means a lot.