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Welcome!
Hello Lovelies!
Visiting a Waterfall near the Biei, in Northern Japan.
I am so Glad to have you here!
Thank you so much for joining me on my website!
This website was designed with you in mind. My goal is to provide edifying encouragement that builds you up while lifting you up. I know life can be hard sometimes & I want to journey alongside you as we seek Hope together.
Whether you are looking for an encouraging weekly blog to pour into your heart, resources to help you along the way, or recommendations for outside resources, my goal is to have this website be your go-to.
God created us for one singular purpose: to give Him GLORY. Now, maybe you think to yourself, "AMEN!" or maybe it's more of an eyeroll. Wherever you're at, I get it. I have been on both ends of the spectrum. But when you consider that God paid a debt we could never pay because He loves us THAT much, we begin to see the tip of the iceberg on just HOW deserving He really is. My hope is to pour that hope into your life every week, encouraging you to surrender more of your life to Him with every passing day.
Mountains in Hokkaido
I always have lived with this perspective, “when I die, will I look back on my life… my jobs, my relationships, my activities… & feel like I am proud of how I used my time here on Earth? Or will I be disappointed that I could have encouraged more, loved more, & changed more lives for the better?” I want to make sure I can look back on my life with contentment & peace, knowing I served Jesus & others well.
God made you, Lovelies. Not just in a general sense, but specifically… YOU. He designed you, even. (Psalm 139:13-16) And He designed you with a specific-to-you Plan & Purpose. Each of us has a beautifully God-designed plan for our life! (Ephesians 2:10) And this design does not come with a disclaimer of “Must be perfect & Have made no mistakes, in order to claim.” NOPE, He can take your life right where it is, right now, & make it Beautiful... for your good & His glory.
Sunflower in Chitose
It can be SO easy to feel like we are alone in all of this, though, am I right? Like we are the only ones who struggle with our struggles or the only ones who doubt the things we doubt… The only ones who feel too busy or too swept away in the crazy of life. It can feel like we are the only ones who even care at times. Or maybe we feel like the only ones who dream of More. But I assure you, Lovelies, the good news is… that is a LIE. We are not alone in any of this!
Additionally, we were made for sweet fellowship with one another. We were made to encourage each other, to lift each other up, & to sharpen one another. We were meant to live this out Together in community & fellowship.
So that is why I have created this space. I will share my struggles, my doubts, & the Hope that helps me Shine through it all. I am by no means perfect & will never claim to be. I am a work in progress & everything I say should be compared to God’s Word, but I am done hiding my Light. I want to Shine!
So, come with me, Lovelies!
On this website, you will find:
1. My Blog: My “virtual living room”, where I share weekly encouragement & Hope
2. About Me: Get to know the behind-the-scenes me
3. Resources & Recommendations: These have benefited me & I want to share them with you!
4. Work with Michelle: Want to learn how to join my team in intentionally spreading Hope? Check this out!
5. Hope is Found: In here, you can hear my testimony of why I chose Jesus as my true & lasting foundation of Hope
6. Connect with Me: Let's get connected! Contact me here!
To Be Honest...
Resting in a peaceful spot during a walk in my neighborhood.
To lay myself bare, when planning out this Blog, I struggled with it for a long while (years even), before now, because I kept allowing my weaknesses, insecurities, & imperfections to dictate whether I could or should Shine God's Hope (through Jesus) into this world. “My writing isn’t good enough… I will mess up… I will seem lame… Maybe people won’t like me…” But let’s face it, we will never be perfect! And our weaknesses, insecurities, & imperfections should not dictate whether or not we encourage, serve, & Love one another. In fact, they should be seen as opportunities to shine that where we lack, He is sufficient... where we are weak, He is strong!
Another way to look at it is this, In II Corinthians 12:9a, the author wrote, “But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Do you know why that is? Because when you are out of your comfort zone, trusting God instead, you are then allowing space for GOD, the true source of joy & hope & strength & LOVE, to shine through your life instead. And when you do this, wonderful things happen! So, if you are weak & imperfect, but willing to let God lead… Great! God can use you (& Me)!
My Mom, by the mountains near the Biei, in Northern Japan.
God’s Only requirement for Him to work His you-specific plan is for you to humble & surrender your life to Him & be willing--willing to ask Him to show you His will in the daily moments, even in the crazy we call life. He can & will work amidst & through it all!
This is a difficult world we live in, no one can deny that. But God tells us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) HE is our Hope in the hopeless. In all of my hesitations, basically my imperfections delaying this website & blog from existing, I kept thinking of those two concepts:
- Troubles exist in this world (AKA Hope is needed!)
- God has overcome this world (AKA I know The Hope that is needed!)
And if I know those two things, coupled with knowing my only prerequisite being a willingness despite weaknesses, well… let’s just say God got my attention.
Even if I screw up somewhere in life, write terribly, miss a blog post, or whatever “could” happen… I (and you!) have the potential to Shine even Some hope into this world, because I know Jesus--the source of Hope. And even if I can inspire & encourage & offer hope to ONE young woman… It is so SO worth it! I want to encourage you & journey alongside you & hopefully give you the courage to do the same (SHINE) wherever you are.
A Rose by the road.
You have probably heard the motivational saying to “bloom where you are planted.” So I am saying this, Lovelies, “Shine Hope, Lovelies, Wherever God Has You Right Now, Shine Hope.”
With Love,
Michelle Hyde