Any Job, with ZERO Obstacles to It…? What Would You Choose?

My friend asked me something like this in the past year or so: “If you could have ANY job, with ZERO obstacles to get it… what would it be? Meaning, no budget constraints for schooling, you automatically gain all the skills you need to do it… no job too big or too small, dream big… what would that dream job be?”

I don’t have to think about that one too hard. I know exactly what I would choose.

Growing up, this wasn’t the case. I was told I was smart, that I could be whatever I wanted. I was told I could dream big—even a CEO or lawyer… that I had what it took to think big.

But… for what? Nothing seemed quite right to me….

I Never Knew “What I Wanted to be When I Grew Up”

That question, though… boy did I dislike it: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Why did I loathe it so much? Because I never had a clue. It made me feel like I was SUPPOSED to have it all figured out, but for some reason could not grasp any idea of it.

I never really knew what job/career stood out to me. I tried so many different things, sort of just shooting in the dark to try to find something that would stick… became a “jack of all trades,” if you will.

I was a bank teller, a bridal gown consultant, acting bridal manager, real estate office receptionist, post office clerk, party store employee, nanny, housecleaner, technical school receptionist, temp, pet sitter, file room worker, call center employee for J Crew, church secretary, backup ESL Teacher in Japan, K5 teacher for a year before moving overseas, cashier for a school cafeteria, substitute teacher, sold knives for Cutco, worked with Trades of Hope (still do)…. But it all just felt like I was trying to force something that was just not mean to be for the long haul. Doing well at it but just feeling like it wasn’t the end goal.

God Always Has a Plan… & Sometimes What We Need Is to be Taken Off Course

Cue getting married & moving overseas. I could NOT seem to get a job. It was so discouraging. But I started doing more ministry related things… eventually designing & launching my website back in 2018.

But God never works without a purpose. He always has a plan we don’t see. He is working!

Eventually, through the study “Breaking Free,” by Beth Moore (you can find a link to this resource on the Resources & Recommendations page of my website, found: here), God showed me that although it was okay to mourn what never was–contrary to how it had sometimes felt–it was also not a punishment that I was childless, but rather a beautiful opportunity to pour into others.

(***You can read about that discovery in more detail in my previous post about it: “To the Barren Woman.”***)

God’s Plan Is Better Than What I Can See

You see, I was never huge with maternal instinct vibes, but I wanted kids just simply so I could pour into & disciple them to serve God long after I was gone. To leave behind a legacy for Christ.

And Beth Moore brought up that exact thing. That a mother’s main role is pouring into their children, but as a childless woman, I could pour into THEM, to strengthen & encourage THEM to then pour that overflow into THEIR children.

I bawled my eyes out when God showed me that because I realized in that moment that it was what I wanted more than anything in the world… to share His hope with those who need that reminder. And we all could use that reminder.

If I Could Have My Dream Job

My dream job?

Picture this: a small, quaint office, with a simple desk, a few chairs, a lamp, a bookcase, & a cozy rug. The bookcase has games, coloring supplies, & puzzles on its lower shelves… & books of authors who have led me, inspired me, & encouraged me closer to Jesus on the upper shelves. If a mom with kids, she could bring them to sit & play or color. We could talk. A revolving door for women of all ages: kids to elderly. Accountability, discipleship, prayer meetings. Talking about what the Bible says… talking about life… pointing to Him & His Word to help us navigate it all… prayer… sharing testimonies of His work… tears… laughter… openness… edifying (building up), encouraging (lifting up), & exhorting (urging forward) (AKA what I call “3E conversations”)… walking alongside one another… urging one another to seek Him in all things… all things for His glory.

That’s it. That is my dream job. If I could do ANYTHING, no obstacles…. To talk about Him all day to anyone who will listen. To point to Him in all things… to model praying through it all, seeking His wisdom above the world’s, seeking His face & His glory over anything this temporary world has to offer.

To Live All for the Glory of God

That’s what I want more than anything. To spend my life talking about Him with others.

To spend my life urging others to live life in full surrender, to be their prayer backup when Satan’s lies twist around them, to encourage them through hurts & struggles & pain. To point to GOD, through Christ, as our hope & our purpose in ALL THINGS.

It lights a fire in me. It invigorates me. It inspires me to remember the real reason we were put on this earth, to live for & bring glory to the One true, eternal King, Jesus our LORD.

And guess what? You don’t need to have my dream job to live your life for Him & for His glory… so how can you be doing that right where you are, in the job that you have… wherever God has placed you?

Shine HOPE by serving Him & giving Him glory wherever He may plant you. even if you never get your dream job….

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Enhanced Ruby Earrings–INDIA

Create safe jobs for women in India when you shop the Enhanced Ruby Earrings! These stunning drop-style earrings feature an enhanced ruby stone deepening the color of the ruby. Each earring is handmade by women in India earning fair wages for their work. Dress the Enhanced Ruby Studs up for the holidays or wear them as an everyday staple with jeans!

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

Always Watching…

When your face says a little more than you mean it to… when the tone of your voice gives a little too much insight into the bad attitude you’re trying to pretend isn’t there… when you just don’t seem to act like that something or other is really that big of a deal to you…. Everything you do & say, whether purposely or subconsciously… tells others what is important to you… tells others about who you are.

If you say God is important to you, but you only mention Him at church or in prayer before a meal… what do you think that really communicates?

When you say you love a family member, but you can’t seem to spend significant time with them without being on your phone… what do you think that really communicates?

I could go on & on with examples, we all know of them… whether we’re the witness or the culprit.

And the point of this week’s post isn’t to shame you on it either. It’s to help us see a different way to live. Gain perspective.

Are You Perfect? I’m Not.

None of us are perfect. We all give a facial expression from time to time that slips out how we’re really feeling. Or a tone of voice with a little more sass than you intended. Or feeling so zoned out & exhausted that even one more interaction just feels like too much in that particular moment, even for someone you love.

We’re not machines. We’re people. We don’t always immediately react how we ought to or have the perfect attitude as we ought to… love how we ought to… represent God how we ought to.

But we’re being watched all the same.

What are people seeing in you?

Not a Call to be Fake… But to be Intentional

Now, this point is not being made in order to push us all into some unrealistic pressures to achieve a perception of perfection… but rather a call to be mindful… to be intentional.

People observe us every day. We represent Jesus Christ, our LORD, whether we’re intentionally setting out to do so that day or not.

God doesn’t need us to fake the smile… fake the perfection… hide our weaknesses… but to use our mistakes to point to our need of Him… to demonstrate a life of surrendering our imperfections & struggles to the One Who holds our HOPE.

Not perfection… none of us have any hope of achieving that (& we all know that, no matter how hard you may try to appear so)… but intentionally living a surrendered & submitted life, for God’s help, to live a life that displays (& shouts even) His glory to a world that passes by you each & every day.

Not to be “perfect”… but to be intentional.

What Do They See About You?

If a stranger who sees you regularly at the town store were to try to describe you as a person, just simply by outside observation, how would they describe you? Patient? Rushed? Rude? Kind? Cheerful? Stressed out? Relaxed? Peaceful? On a mission? Gracious?

If a young child were to describe what matters most to you, what would they say? Your Bible? Your phone? Your shows? Church? Bible Studies? Fashion, sports, shopping, etc? Sharing the gospel? Helping others? Free time to yourself? Them?

What are you putting on display to the world? Even unknowingly?

When you die, what will people say was most important to you in life? Would they even think to mention Jesus?

You are communicating to others every day, without even saying a word.

So, what are YOU communicating to the world around you?

You Are Being Watched

Would they know Jesus from you? Would they witness you taking your weaknesses to God for help? Would they see you shutting down &/or shutting others out from stress? Would they see comfort & ease as your idols? Would they know they matter to you? Would they see God’s glory displayed through your day-to-day life? Would they say you value the well-being of others?

How are you living for the glory of God? What do others see in you?

Shine HOPE by taking every thought captive, making it obedient to Christ, by continuously asking for God’s help in how you: interact with others, treat others, how you react & respond, how you love others & how you love Jesus.

To God be the glory, forever & ever, AMEN.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

December 2025 “HOPE MAIL” (INDIA)

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of December! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!       

Your purchase of December Hope Mail provides one day of school for a girl in an area of extreme poverty.     

Featured in this month’s Hope Mail is the Gilded Crest Earrings. These detailed, hand beaded earrings are handcrafted by women in a workshop committed to fighting child marriage and creating dignified jobs for women in India. Each gold-tone earring uses traditional embroidery and hand beading details to show off our Artisan Partners craftsmanship featuring pearl accents.

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

When You Feel Unseen

Do you ever feel invisible? Like your hurts are just too much for others? Like you’re too much for others?

I definitely feel that way sometimes.

But, if I’m honest, I think everyone probably feels that way to some degree, whether they are able to acknowledge or articulate that or not. Some people clam up, avoid others when they’re struggling. Some cry a lot. Some seem clingy & needy. We all handle it a bit differently, but deep down, we understand our hard is a burden, which can make US feel like a burden.

Sometimes I Feel Like Others See Me as a Burden

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I have big emotions. It’s something that has been shamed quite a bit in my lifetime… something I often feel a lot of shame about, as a result.

I have seen the poorly concealed rolled eyes, the distancing from me, have heard the “so much drama” comments about me. It hurts, to be honest.

Nobody likes to feel shamed when they’re already feeling weak & vulnerable. They want to be embraced & loved just where they are, as they are… without having to mask or conceal the unsightly parts of their heart.

At least, that’s what I want.

Stay

And when I am facing a ton of hard emotions, the LAST thing I want is to feel as if everyone I love & trust seem to just begin to slowly pull away from me.

I want them to pull me in closer. Bear hug me. Tell me they still love me, even when I’m not at my best. Even when I feel I have so very little to offer them. That just me is enough.

It’s not something I really experience much. I more often than not feel invisible all of a sudden.

In My Poetry Journaling, I Can “Ugly Cry”

Besides crying alone & gripping the covers up to my chin to feel safe & secure… besides gripping (or chucking) my stress ball to help me squeeze out some of the tension I feel overwhelmed by… besides praying for help… I write about it. Little poems where I let out my darkest, ugliest swirling thoughts… where I allow them to be there & allow myself to be real about their existence, so I can call it out & pray about it as it really is… not just the prettied-up version God doesn’t need because He knows all anyway.

I write about longing for the perfection of heaven, the lack of tears, the lack of pain. I even sometimes write about wishing I could die so I wouldn’t have to ever feel any pain again. I write about longing to be in the arms of God, to feel safe & whole & wholly loved. I get real with God about where I’m at, letting myself trust that even if my reality scares people away or makes me seem like the family burden, I am never a burden to God.

God Wraps His Sufficient, Gracious, Merciful, Faithful, Long-Suffering Arms Around Me

He is big enough for me. He can handle it. He doesn’t need the cliff notes, He takes it all. I can full on ugly cry with Him. He can handle the ugly, the “drama”, the not-prettied-up version of me. He takes me as is. He loves me as is. He is sufficient for me as is.

I don’t have to mask for Him. I don’t have to plaster on a smile for Him. I don’t have to pretend. I don’t have to pretend my faith is bigger than it is for Him. I don’t have to will-power my way through anything with Him. I don’t have to be okay all the time for Him. I don’t have to make myself seem worthy or appealing enough to want to spend time with me, to counter how much of a burden I feel I can be. I don’t have to try to advocate for why I’m worth keeping around. I can just BE with Him. Just me.

I can collapse in His figurative arms. Raw, hurting, & empty. I can come with nothing at all to offer Him. I can be frail & weak & ugly crying with snot all over my face. I can be as much of a burden as is humanly possible & be no burden at all to Him. I can handle everything terribly, fall apart, have no answers, get everything wrong… & yet He Is Sufficient. He is merciful. He is patient. He is faithful. He will NOT leave me nor can He love me any less. I can have nothing & He will still bring me His everything.

I love that so much.

Love Like Jesus… Even When It Is Really, REALLY Uncomfortable… Hug & PRAY with Them

Do I really, really wish more people loved others the way He loves us? To feel a tangible love & friendship where I don’t always feel like I have to convince them I’m not too much? Where I don’t feel I have to muster up cliff notes that won’t bore them or scare them or make them uncomfortable? A love that is present & warm & caring, even when it doesn’t benefit them? Of course I do. That’s why God calls us to love other people that way.

To comfort the faint-hearted, not to sing when others are broken & hurting, to mourn with those who mourn….

Not avoid. Not fix. Not quote platitudes. Just presence… just an attitude that says, “even when you’re not all together, I love you & I’m not going anywhere.”

Do You Ever Feel Invisible?

Can we be more of that to each other? Allow each other not to always have it together or have all the answers or always respond in the perfect way to all of life at all times? To have big emotions we don’t know what to do with? To be human…?

Not excusing sin, not supporting strongholds… but also learning compassion, recognizing weakness is human, bearing with one another in love, as God calls us to.

Can we take the time to SEE each other, really see them… even when they may be at their worst & have nothing to offer the friendship?

Can we love more like God loves us?

How Can You Love Others the Way You Wish to be Loved?

Do you ever feel invisible?

What would help you in it? How can you love someone else the way it would help you?

How can you be present… even when you may not get anything from it? Even if it feels burdensome to you. How can you love them anyway? As Christ loves us?

What helps me? When people still invite me, even when I’m low energy & not much of a contribution to conversation/fun. When people genuinely want to know how I am & pray WITH me through it. A long hug–you know, when it gets to that fine line between “I’ve got you, no matter what,” & borderline completely awkwardly long? Like that. When people remind me of truth, but also remind me that even in my weakness, God never gives up on me. When people are willing to be a sounding board… getting to talk about what makes my heart ache oftentimes takes the power away from whatever is plaguing me, so a listening ear does wonders.

Shine HOPE by seeking to really see people in their hurting & let them feel seen. Even if it’s uncomfortable. Love the way you would love to be loved, even when you don’t really understand their hurt…. You don’t have to understand why they’re hurting so much in order to love them so much. Remember that. God doesn’t ask us to justify why we’re hurting, He just comforts & offers His sufficient, faithful love… let’s do that.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Scarlet Cluster Studs (INDIA)

Artisans in India are earning a fair and dignified wage as they handcraft these elegant and festive Scarlet Cluster Studs. Each gold-framed earring features a cluster of four scarlet-colored gems in a gold-tone setting, creating a beautiful fair-trade fashion statement. Every pair of Scarlet Cluster Studs create necessary jobs to end poverty cycles and keep families out of the slums of India!

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

How Do You Know if You’re Living with Blinders On?

If you saw on my social media the sermon notes I took down this past Sunday, you will have a clue as to the direction of this week’s blog post: How hard it is to live in light of eternity, when our everyday activities are right in front of our face all the time.

I can’t say I am always too good at this. I tend to live life with blinders on… run the errands, do the chores, do my tasks at work, come home to relax, etc. before considering the fact that really, when it all boils down… none of it is anything that will affect eternity or have any significance or worth after I die.

So, how do I do things differently? How do I live with a mindset of what will last? What truly matters once I am gone? After my loved ones are gone? Once Jesus returns?

If It Were Up to Me…?

One question that keeps ringing in my ear is the one I wrote on those sermon notes… “If it were completely up to me, who would go to Hell because I felt too uncomfortable to tell them about Jesus?”

That’s rough, isn’t it?

It seems a little too uncomfortable even reading or asking that question.

But there is some truth to it. No, it’s not entirely up to us. God doesn’t need us. But God DOES use our willingness to live in obedience & surrender to Him. It can bless others, help their road be less damaging, be a demonstration of HOPE to a world in desperate need of it. PLUS, it brings honor & glory to God.

We can play a part. We can plant a seed. But we can’t bring anyone to Christ—that’s God’s job. He does the saving, not us.

Where Is Your Focus Pointed?

How do you start your day? Do you grumble at your alarm clock? At the lack of sleep you had last night? (Saying from experience here.) Do you grab your phone for some mindless scrolling? Or do you pay attention to the fact that God sees you, right there, in your groggy fogged state, in whatever attitude you have at that given moment—He sees you. Do you take a minute to say hi? To confess your grumpy attitude, if you have one, & ask for an adjustment in perspective? Do you ask Him to guide your day, grant you wisdom, help you to see opportunities, help you to live for Him that day?

What about getting ready in the morning? Is there worship music playing? Are you praising Him? Talking to Him? Are you reviewing Bible verses as you brush your teeth to help you stand firmly on truth? Spending time with your Bible & study notes?

Where are you setting your focus?

(*My website offers a free Bible Study Notes Guide printable resource if you need help getting started on this. You can find it in the “Abiding in Him” section of the Resources & Recommendations page on my website.)

Where Are You Pointing Your Family?

If you have a family to cook for, are you seeing it as an opportunity to serve them lovingly? To create an environment where they feel safe & loved? Or are you doing it out of felt obligation? Do you take opportunity to demonstrate & teach the importance of taking time to thank God for His provisions before you eat, as Jesus demonstrated? Or just rush through the meal?

In the chores & the errands, do you see it as a way to bless those who will benefit from it? To create a warm, safe, loving environment for everyone to come home to? Or just work to be done?

At work, do you serve as if serving God? Trying to do it willingly & cheerfully? To be a blessing to others? Or just to get a paycheck at the end of the day?

I heard a comedian that gave me such a wonderfully fresh perspective on this. He talked about how he came to work every night, to perform his comedy bit, working on new material & practicing & doing the shows, to GET PAID… but that God got his attention one day to view it not as what he can GET, but rather what he can GIVE. That some may be stressed from piles of assignments at work, feel underappreciated or unseen, struggling through loss, etc. & that he had the beautiful opportunity to GIVE them space to smile & laugh & feel LIGHT. What a beautiful perspective!!

How can we apply that to different areas of our lives? Where can we GIVE?

Living the Gospel Out Loud

When others talk about their stresses or hurts, do you take a minute right there & ask if you can pray with them right then & there? To come alongside them in it? Or just promise to pray a prayer for them that you’ll forget about later?

Do you ask God for opportunities to be a blessing to others who may be secretly hurting, who may have needs you’re able to meet?

Do you talk about Jesus? Do you ever bring Him up in conversation? Do other people know that you know Him & trust Him with your eternity?

When you hear the lies of culture, do you take a moment to point out what the Bible says to counter in it with Truth? To point to a steady, sure, reliable foundation….

Do you read your Bible so you can get to know the character of God, to recognize the voice of truth when God tries to lead you? Do you know your Good Shepherd’s voice? Do you know His Word, the Bible, well enough to know the Truth, to know His leading, to hear His voice? How is your discernment?

Do you talk to Him all throughout your day? … Recognizing that He hears your every thought & can help you through every step as you allow Him to take the lead?

Do You Pray Without Ceasing? Talk to Him throughout Your Every Day?

Do you seek His comfort & pray when you’re down or burdened or hurting?

Do you seek His wisdom & pray when you’re anxious, worried, or stressed?

Do you seek His strength & pray when you feel weak, incapable, or insecure?

Do you seek His help & pray when you feel ill-equipped, unsure, or out of your depth?

Do you seek His words & pray when you want to talk about Him or His Word to others, but you just don’t know how to say it?

He is always listening. He is always capable. He is always strong. He is all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful.

ASK Him.

Living in Light of Eternity? Or Just Right Now?

Do you live your life in light of eternity? Or just right now?

How are you living?

Will it matter when you die?

Will it have affected the lives of those around you for eternity after they’re gone?

What changes will you make? Will you ask God where to start? Will you ask God to give you wisdom in the how & strength in the change? Will you have the courage to ask Him to help you live more in light of eternity vs. just right now?

How are you living?

Shine HOPE by living every day in light of eternity, realizing the difference between what will be here today & gone tomorrow, versus what will last long into forever after we’re dead & gone. What will you invest your life in? Will it matter? Shine as a beacon of hope in Jesus Christ, so that, if it were up to you, everyone who even passes by you will have every opportunity to know how they can spend their eternity in Heaven & never feel the painful pangs of Hell. Live like forever matters… because it does… it really, really does.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Sealed with Love Ornament–NEPAL

HOLIDAY EDITION – While supplies last! Create safe jobs with fair wages for the women in Nepal who handcraft the adorable Sealed with Love Ornament through this dignified partnership. Your Christmas tree will be so charming with this festive mother and baby duo holding a present. Each ornament is crafted using 100% wool and traditional wool crafting techniques that have been passed down for generations. 

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

Here’s to 42!

Well, tomorrow is my birthday & it’s the big 4-2 happening here.

Nothing big planned—just planning to go walk around the mall & get dinner with the hubs. It’s how I like it. Simple, good company, small, quiet, good food, & maybe a few presents & light pink balloons, too.

Aging is interesting, isn’t it? For one, I do not feel 42. As my mom says every year, “how are you ________, when I’m still 29?” That’s how it feels, doesn’t it? I wonder if it’s because our souls are eternal & our bodies are not. Our bodies are slowly wearing down over time (I definitely feel that truth more & more with each passing year), but our souls are forever young.

Not Ashamed to Say It… I Love My Birthday!

But I think getting older is cool. I LOVE my birthday. I’m a complete kid with my birthday. It always involves a lot of pink & all my favorite foods & presents I get to pick out (which makes it twice as nice because I so enjoy shopping (even just window shopping is super fun for me—seeing beautiful fabrics & creative designs & people’s artistic expressions).

But beyond those things, I think celebrating my birthday each year is really cool because it’s a reminder of another year I have completed. Another year of experiences lived. New hobbies or lessons learned or new friends met. New lessons God has taught me. New things overcome.

Every year passed is another year of time with family & friends, of traveling, of seeing how God wants to use me during my time on this green earth… it’s like leveling up in a video game—an achievement I have earned (with SO MUCH of God’s help), an achievement worth celebrating.

Another year of life LIVED. Another year of seeing God’s blessings, even through the darkest, hardest of times.

Don’t Fear the Grays–Embrace Them! They’re a Crown of Glory!

God actually says that gray hair is like a crown of glory. (Provers 16:31) Why? Because it shows how much you have faced to EARN that gray hair. A life long-lived.

“Even to your old age, I [God] am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:4)

“Wisdom is with the aged,
    and understanding in length of days.

With God are wisdom and might;
    he has counsel and understanding.” (Job 12:12-13)

“So even to old age and gray hairs,
    O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
Your righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?” (Psalm 71:18-19)

In My 42nd Year…

In my 42^nd year, I hope to surrender more of myself & my way to God’s will & way. To be used by Him. To surrender more to His leading, to do more of what pleases & honors Him. To use my time well.

In my 42^nd year, I hope for more warm & happy memories with my family & friends… more edifying (building up) & encouraging (lifting up) & exhorting (urging forward) conversations. (AKA, more “3E” conversations.)

In my 42^nd year, I hope for more opportunities to travel (& maybe a couple Disney trips thrown in there, too–Tokyo Disney is so cheap & so fun!).

In my 42^nd year, I hope I will be able to look back at the end of it & see how much I’ve grown, how many fears God has helped me overcome, how many better habits I’ve established & incorporated with God’s help, how far God has brought me from this moment right here writing this.

To 42 Years, & Counting

You see, deserving or not, God never gives up on me. His love compelled Him to give His all for me, when I deserved none of it. He didn’t have to. He wanted to. And He still gives & gives & gives! Peace in the storms, wisdom when I’m lost, strength when I’m helpless, & gentle love through it all.

And I trust that He will continue to work on me, weeding out the not-so-greats & pruning the could-be-betters. He is faithful. He is working. He doesn’t give up on me. Not now, not ever.

And I want my year 42 to reflect that in every high & in every low, not because I have a right to have this platform, but because He has a right to have this platform be used to proclaim His glory with every single letter written from now until my final dying breath.

With every breath, may I praise the LORD.

Shine HOPE, by allowing your age, the number of years you’ve lived, be a proclamation of how far He has brought you, of accomplishments, of experiences lived, of lessons learned, of life LIVED. To God be the glory, forever & ever. AMEN.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Snowdrop Owl Ornament (NEPAL)

HOLIDAY EDITION – While supplies last! Create safe jobs with fair wages for the women in Nepal who handcraft the adorable Snowdrop Owl Ornament through this dignified partnership. Adorn your Christmas tree with a beautiful Owl Ornament featuring pearl beaded accents, crafted using 100% wool and traditional wool crafting techniques that have been passed down for generations. 

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

HERE’S TO YEAR 42!!

Never Thinking I’m Good Enough… So Never Wanting to Try

My whole life, I’ve lived life scared. Scared I wasn’t good enough. Scared of getting into trouble. Scared of failing. Scared of looking bad. Scared of disappointing anyone. Scared of not being liked or wanted. Scared to try. Scared of saying the wrong thing. Scared of looking like I was trying too hard. Scared of looking dumb. Scared of not being “wantable” or loved.

It’s turned me into a people pleaser. It’s kept me from trying new things. It’s kept me stuck.

It’s not in everything, but I’ve seen it trickle into my life & I have overcome some, through God’s help, as well.

Getting Married Didn’t Solve All My Problems Like I Thought It Would

Somehow, I think I believed marriage would solve this… you know, find someone who happens to love you for you & all your problems melt away. But, somehow, I think my fears got worse instead.

All of a sudden, another person was tied to me, by choice… which meant they could change their mind.

It’s not like my husband puts unreasonable stipulations or expectations in place or like he holds my imperfections over me… they’re self-inflicted.

So, getting married didn’t actually fix anything. It’s something I need to surrender to God for help instead as I come across it.

My “Anti-Word”

You may or may not remember a couple years ago or something, how, instead of choosing my “Word of 2024,” I chose an ANTI-word: Victim. (Read that post here: “My ‘Anti-Word’ for 2024–VICTIM.”)

I recognized I had been living as a victim. Not an actual victim… but living as if I were one.

God had started whispering the reminder “victim” over my heart every time I was letting it happen, as if to gently make me aware of what I was believing & living… so I could stop doing that.

God didn’t make me to be timid… that is something Satan uses to keep me over-protective of self & closed off from others, while diminishing trust in God & appreciation of God’s many blessings.

God’s Glory or Protecting Self, Living in Fear?

Well, progress (at least in living afraid of disappointing my husband every day), has happened… but I find now I have so much more to go.

For one, I love to sing. Never have I ever sung solo because the idea terrifies me: I am “not good enough, not consistent enough with my range, not confident enough.” (I dropped out of doing choir when I hit high school even because solos were required. That’s a giant NO for me. And it’s why I never joined choir last time I lived on Guam: solo tryouts were required. Automatic NO thank you).

So instead of doing something I absolutely LOVE… that also gives God glory… I run from & avoid it like the plague because I am too scared to look a fool or fail to live up to others’ standards.

Is it just me??

Baby Steps to Living for God WITHOUT Living in Fear

But, I have been praying about all these people-pleasing fears & the lack of singing in my life as well… & God encouraged me to at least ASK about joining the praise team at church. (If solos were required, I was OUT.) No solos required & I was invited onto the team!

Instant regret! Thinking of ways to back out without looking like a complete wimp. Praying constantly 24 hours leading up to it because the urge to drop out was PRESSING.

But I didn’t quit. I prayed A TON. And, although I was shaking like a LEAF the WHOLE TIME… I DID IT!

I determined I would do my best to give Him glory, to sing with my soul & not just my voice, worshipping Him versus worrying whether I sounded good enough to justify being up there.

Where Did My Carefree, Child-Like Love for & Trust of God Go? Just Basking in All He Is?

Did you know, I’m even scared of dancing in my OWN HOME because I’m afraid someone will happen to see me & raise eyebrows at me & judge me? Or worse, film or photograph me looking foolish? Same with belting out singing at home? Same with most things? (Paranoid much?)

When did I become so afraid of everything?

I used to put on socks & headphones, with my little hot pink cd player & blast my music & just dance!

I used to draw & paint & create art.

I used to be silly & light-hearted & fun.

In What Ways Are You Living Life as the Victim? What Are You Missing Out on because of It?

I’m so uptight now. So scared of judgment. So worried someone will take an unflattering picture & blast me with hurtful words. So worried of not looking like I have it together & don’t care what others think… the old move I used to use in grade school, where I got openly mocked for being completely inept at sports because I had been homeschooled & didn’t know any of the rules… so I grew to put on the “oh, sports? pshh, lame. I am talking with my friends instead, duh!” so I would appear as if it were “too beneath me” vs something I was so afraid of everyone laughing at me about. Act like you don’t care & they can’t mock you for caring & failing. So sad.

And I still do it. I live as a victim. If I act like I’m not interested, I can’t make a fool of myself. I don’t attempt friendly games of sport because I feel like a flailing pigeon. I don’t sing or dance because I don’t think others will think I’m any good. I don’t want to sing solo because I don’t want to prove to others I don’t deserve the chance. Still living as a victim.

Let Us Not Live Life Scared

I want to give myself permission to be imperfect… to fail.

I want to give myself permission for people to not think I’m good enough… to be less than.

I want to give myself permission to be misunderstood… to be disliked.

I want to give myself permission to try… even if I’m terrible at it.

I want to give myself permission to ENJOY the blessings God gives me… unashamed.

God doesn’t ask me to be meek BY STAYING SCARED. Those two are not the same thing.

God doesn’t ask me to try to be every person’s “cup of tea.”

So, yesterday I sang with just a few other people… on stage… with my own mic… & I survived. Scared… but I did it. God made my voice to give Him praise… & I want to use it, whether or not I’m the best at it!

Live Unapologetically for Him! Enjoying His Blessings & Using His Blessings to Give Him Glory!

I want to begin living unapologetically. Not in sin… but not in fear either.

God made me to be a light… to live in confidence through Him… to live how He made me… to shine for His glory… not to hide.

I have a long way to go… but with God’s help, I’m going to keep going.

Shine HOPE by living first & foremost to please, honor, & obey God, letting yourself be imperfect, letting yourself fail, letting yourself be a work-in-progress, letting others dislike you or misunderstand you, letting yourself be who God made you to be, even if not everyone likes it or understands it. Above ALL for HIS glory!

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Emerald Wrap (INDIA)

This emerald green wrap is handmade by women in India who are facing extreme poverty. By shopping this wrap, you’re creating an opportunity for them to earn a fair and dignified wage so they can feed their babies. Each Artisan-made scarf is handcrafted using a soft viscose material.

Every purchase creates safe jobs and fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.  

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

POST #400!!!

I just want to take a minute before we get started to acknowledge how big a thing this is! Me, the girl who starts & quits a million craft projects, who struggles tons with self-motivation & insecurities, wrestles with dark seasons of depression at times… ME… + FOUR HUNDRED POSTS!

What a faithful God Who helps me even in my hard seasons to remain faithful with this little corner of the internet, however small it may be. What a testimony to our blog topic for this week!

When God began to lead me down this path, in 2018, I was SO nervous… mainly because of all the reasons I listed above. I don’t want to be fake with people either, pretending I have my life together to “be a good testimony.” I really struggled with that. But God reminded me ever so gently, that this space is not about showing how worthy & capable I am… but how worthy & capable HE is.

It’s not about me having all the answers, but knowing Who to turn to for those answers. Not about me being strong, but showing Him as my strength. Not me as the best writer, but Him as worth writing about. Not me as the most faithful, but about Him as worth showing up for, even on days I feel I have very little left to give.

So, here’s to post #400! Praise to God!

He can use our little to do great things, because all the power belongs to HIM.

“The Exceeding Greatness of His Power Toward Us Who Believe…”

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:15-21) (emphasis mine)

When did we stop believing all that God is capable of to those who believe on Him?

How often we underestimate Him & in how many countless ways!

Oh, What God Can Do in & through Us… If Only We Believe!

How much of what God calls us to do we think is up to us to fill in for Him or do FOR Him?

Do we not remember that He walked on water, calmed the stormy seas, freed Israel through miraculous signs, whittled down an army so that even the small could defeat the great in His power? He led David to victory against all odds, shut the hungry lions’ mouths, kept even the SMELL of smoke from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He created the WORLD… from NOTHING… knit us together in our mother’s womb.

The whole Bible SCREAMS at us the power of our great GOD. Do we listen? Do we BELIEVE?

We Need to Get in the Habit of Believing Him Enough to Ask for the Impossible

If you, for one second, think you need to prove your faith by doing it without asking Him for His infinite supply—STOP. Isn’t that just the OPPOSITE of faith? When did we get that twisted? God doesn’t need us to prove WE can… because HE can.

ALL work in our homes, at work, in church, in the world (grocery store even) ought to flow out of time spend before Almighty God & His infinite supply.

If you feel ineffective or like your life is not really being lived all for His glory, but you feel there’s nothing you know to do about it… don’t stop at what YOU know or what YOU can manage. Ask HIM.

Let me tell you something. God is so much more infinitely capable than we could ever even BEGIN to wrap our minds around. So infinite. So limitless. So powerful.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

It’s Been a Hard Couple Weeks

Last week, well… the last couple weeks… have been hard. For one, my cat of 12 years is fading & has stopped eating real food. The vet is out of ideas. Options are out. We’re on our last attempt. We may have to say goodbye soon. It’s been hard watching him become less & less himself. Weaker. Thinner. It’s tough.

But that’s not all.

Work has been infinite for my husband recently. I had strep. Meds are now making me super tired & drowsy. And there’s other stuff I won’t get into for the sake of others’ privacy.

It’s just been one of those months where I feel like I am being slapped back & forth in the face. I’m weary. I’m wounded. And on some nights… I feel I can barely stand under the weight of all that I can’t control or stop or make better.

Even His Little Is Infinitely Great

And I had one of those nights recently. If you follow me on social media, then you saw my posts about it. But it’s worth bringing attention to it again… in case you missed it or forgot.

In the depth of that hurt I felt I was paralyzed… I had no answers, no profound prayer to pray, no strength. Just hurt.

So all I could manage was I whimpered to God: “help.”

That’s all I had. Just a little whimpered, pathetic “help.”

I faceplanted on my bed, & just felt as if I was being directed to one simple thing & then another… pulled over my phone, turned on the music app, set it to my worship playlist, & the first song that played was one I didn’t even remember owning: “Turn to Jesus,” by Katy Nichole (highly recommend).

It’s like God knew & summed up all the whirling pain & overwhelm & just washed His comfort over my heart when I didn’t think comfort was possible. In just the simplest of ways… a song with the words I so desperately needed to hear.

Do Not Forget How Great Is Our God

He doesn’t need my input or my particular profound words to hear my heart & know my need.

He doesn’t need to calm the storm to calm my heart.

He doesn’t need to show up to make Himself shown to me.

He carries the weight. He doesn’t need my help. He can.

I’m the one who needs Him… not the other way around.

And yet, even in my greatest, most weak moments, He doesn’t tell me to get it together… He tells me to come to Him.

Ask Yourself

Where are you selling Him short in your life?

In where/when you’re willing to serve?

In your hurts/traumas?

In your day-to-day task list items?

Where do you leave Him out?

Are you believing in God as the God Who made the WORLD?

As one of the ladies on my hall in college once wisely taught us, “when you write on a piece of paper the most amazing, mind-blowing thing you can think of about God… & you put that piece of paper in a box… just remember that whatever it is that you wrote on that piece of paper… you are still putting God in a box.”

Shine HOPE by believing God is as He reveals Himself to be in the Bible, taking Him at His Word, believing He can work the impossible, willing to say, “Send me, Lord,” knowing this is true about Him. That He CAN where you most certainly cannot. To God be the glory! How great is our God!

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now (BLOG POST #400 TODAY!!!!)! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

November 2025 “Hope Mail”

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of November! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!  

The Merry & Bright Mini Pouch is a hand-beaded pouch is handcrafted by women in India in a workshop committed to fighting child marriage and creating dignified jobs for women. Every stitch and bead showcases the incredible skill and artistry of our Artisan Partners.  4.5 in x 6 in. Beaded on the front with a cream satin backing.

Your purchase of the November Hope Mail provides one day of school for a girl in an area of extreme poverty, giving her a chance to learn, dream, and thrive.

Each pouch is beautifully unique, with small variations that make it charmingly artisan-made!

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

God Is Patient, God Is Kind…

God is so incredibly patient. Do you believe that? Have you seen that in your own life? Because I have.

Today, I am reminded of the Israelites in the wilderness. They are so easy to pick on until you realize how accurate a reflection of us they oftentimes are.

They complained A LOT.

They had spent SO LONG crying out to God for help. God heard their cries & led Moses to lead them to their rescue & escape from years of being the slave labor of the Pharoah. But nothing was ever good enough for them.

God Always Has a Plan…. When Chaos Seems to be Winning… God Is Working

It had started out as an offering from a king who respected Joseph (remember him?) (Genesis 47) but when that king died & it was now years & years later, the Israelites had multiplied so much that the new king in power was thinking to himself, “they could overtake us, so let’s just squash that right now & make them our slaves & oppress them… oh, & kill all their baby sons.” (Exodus 1)

But God had a plan.

So God led Moses (Exodus 3), did miracles (Exodus 7-11), wowed literally everyone, & after showing that He ALONE was God Almighty, He got His people FREE.

But then, it didn’t stop there. He made sure their clothes never wore out & their shoes stayed good (Deuteronomy 29:5) … And God led them with a pillar of cloud by day & of fire by night for light (Exodus 13:21). He parted the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21). He provided them with FOOD they didn’t have to farm or buy (Exodus 16). He had water gush from hit rocks to provide water where there was none (Exodus 17).

God HAD them. He cared for them & protected them & provided for them & FREED them... against ALL ODDS!

Instead of Complaining, Have You Tried Praying?

And yet it seems that every single chapter detailing this journey was met with a NEW COMPLAINT AGAINST GOD.

But you know what the absolute wildest part of it is? I am not entirely convinced that God would even withhold what they wanted if they had just believed in Him enough to ASK Him.

Grumbling at every turn. Lusting after the few comforts they had had before, in captivity. Lusting after the known & fearing the unknown. Lusting after comforts over FREEDOM.

It really just sounds DUMB.

Until I realize I do the same thing.

Forever a Work-in-Progress… & Thank God (really, THANK Him) That He NEVER Gives Up on Us

I try to self-solve & self-soothe my way through hard stuff. I avoid it even sometimes. I feel frustrated & overwhelmed & despairing.

And eventually, God gives me a gentle nudge reminder that “oh yeah… God.”

So dumb.

Now, please realize I have definitely grown a lot in the past years with this… but I definitely still have some growing left to do.

Our Complaining Shows We Really Don’t Trust Him

I also see a consistent thread that the reason God was so upset about the complaining was that it showed that the people didn’t believe in Him.

I mean, can you blame Him? I mean, leave out the fact that He literally made us AND the world we live in (without our help, at that… & out of nothing but His WORD) … leave that very important part of the equation out & JUST consider EVERYTHING He did supernaturally to make sure you were set free & were free indeed. Miraculous! Did they not remember?

Instead of complaining & grumbling, they could have taken a moment to consider ALL God had done for them ALREADY & gone TO HIM with their struggles!

Believe that if He did all that for you… He is worth believing & ASKING…. Not complaining.

How Much Do I Lose Out on Because I Don’t Believe He Can Do More Than I Can?

How much do I miss out on because I don’t bother to consider believing in Him over myself or my circumstances or my resources or my time or my hurts?

Lack satisfaction? Ask Him to teach you contentment.

Lack resources? Ask Him to provide.

Lack time for something? Ask Him for timing.

Lack courage or wisdom? Ask for it.

Lack energy? Ask Him for a way forward.

Don’t resort to trusting yourself, your circumstances, or your hurts to guide you.

Don’t resort to grumbling & complaining about your life.

ASK HIM. Turn to Him. Trust Him. Believe in Him.

God Is GOD & You Are NOT

He can do far more than you’re capable of doing. Do you trust that? … And ACT on it by turning to Him in everything?

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

How do you know what to ask for, though? By reading your Bible & praying for wisdom on that very thing.

“Because You Can’t” Is Not a Valid Excuse… Because You Know God CAN

And I think that’s where some lose interest, because complaining feels like we’ve acknowledged that there is a problem that we can’t fix, so we’re free to avoid it & live how we see fit. As if we’re absolved from accountability because it’s “not our fault.”

But God can. We know God can. But we have to trust God can & ASK Him. And God isn’t at all fooled at the fact that our complaining just seems a more comfortable solution… a copout.

Asking seems like more work. Asking is admitting we can’t & need help. Asking is letting someone else be in charge. Asking brings accountability. Asking may require work on our part that we’re intimidated about.

Don’t Stay Stuck… PRAY to the God Who CAN

But don’t stay there. Don’t stay stuck. Trust God knows what He’s doing AND wants a life that is best for you, not just mediocre or “surviving.”

“The thief [Satan] does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

It doesn’t mean the hard will stop, but it does mean He’ll be your enough in the hard.

So ASK HIM.

Shine HOPE by daring to ask the God Who made you & gave His all for you… rather than just copping out with complaints that anger Him because they reveal a lack of trust.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Gingerbread Village Set (INDIA)

HOLIDAY EDITION – While supplies last! Shop to support families in areas of extreme poverty in India! Display the darling Gingerbread Village Set along with all your favorite holiday decor! This set of three unique, hand-painted mango wood houses will create a beautifully cozy feel when placed on your mantel or in a tablescape display. Each house is eco-friendly and made from fast-growing mango wood, a sustainable byproduct of India’s mango fruit industry. Each house features unique natural wood grains and hand-painted gorgeous designs.

***Purchase this beautifully unique & handcrafted set, using the “Shop Here” link below, to empower women in India out of poverty, by providing them with safe, reliable work environments!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

God Sees, God Helps

It’s been a while since I have struggled like this with getting to my blog for the week. Maybe I’m not sleeping enough. Maybe it’s the gray, rainy weather we seem to be having nonstop these last couple weeks… who knows (I think I am partly solar powered, so these constant gray skies are no bueno). But here we are, so let’s get to it.

Something to Think About

Let’s start off with some questions I want you to think about:

1. What do you keep from God?
2. What in your life are you lord of vs God?
3. What habits or patterns are you modeling after the world/culture over submitting to God being Lord over them?

These are tough questions, I’m not gonna lie. They’re easy to make justifications… to feel like it’s “just the way life goes,” etc.

But, if you’re really, truly honest with yourself (& with God), are you ALL IN for Him?

Do you live your life primarily for Him? Or for you?

Are You Trying to Do “Just Enough”?

I think of the rich young ruler, as talked about in Matthew 19:16-22 & Mark 10:17-22. He was missing such a crucial part of the picture.

He made sure to obey all of God’s laws, to try to live a pretty GOOD life. But Jesus challenged him with something he couldn’t handle.

Jesus challenged him on whether or not he was really willing to go ALL IN... or if his faith was divided.

Jesus knew the young man’s biggest weakness, his biggest stronghold… his reliance on his wealth.

Money isn’t bad, much like most strongholds in our lives… until it replaces your willingness to trust God ALL IN… until it becomes the thing you trust in more than you trust God.

Can You Answer “Nothing” to These Hard Questions?

What do you refuse to entrust to God?

What do you hold back?

What do you hold on to that isn’t God Himself?

What, if God hinted at taking it away, would wreck you most?

What would it take to compromise your trust in Him above all else?

We won’t always understand. We won’t always get it. He is GOD Who made the world & everything in it… we’re just PART of the created… a mere blip in the timeline. It makes sense that we won’t always get it.

But God is GOD all the same. Regardless of whether you GET IT.

And we must submit all the same.

Not in Part, But in Whole

We can quote the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17) & be like, “I’m pretty good at keeping those,” as that rich young ruler responded to Jesus… but we forget the tall order brought by the first few commandments, to love God above all else, with zero competition. (Matthew 22:36-40)

Do we live like we love Him that way?

All that God does, every single little tiny bit of it is ALWAYS 100% for BOTH His glory AND our good. He is worthy to be praised! He is worthy of our ALL IN.

It All Starts with a Willing Heart & a Big God Who Can Help Change Hearts

And you know what? It starts with that mustard seed of faith. (Mark 9:23-24) A willingness to say to God, “please forgive me, God, that I feel so afraid, so threatened at the idea of ever losing ____________________, if You so chose it. Forgive me for my small faith. For trusting me above You. Please help me loosen my grip. Help me to trust anyway. Help grow my desire & willingness to go ALL IN, knowing I can trust You with the ENTIRETY of my life…. Not in part, but in WHOLE. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Think About It…….

So, let me ask you again, the 3 questions I asked you earlier:

1. What do you keep from God?
2. What in your life are you lord of vs God?
3. What habits or patterns are you modeling after the world/culture over submitting them to God being Lord over your plans?

We fill our lives with so many good things: family, friends, job, hobbies, church even… but do we allow time for God to give it meaning beyond the right now… for eternity… for His glory?

Do we bow it all to Him to be used by Him & for Him?

Do we take the time to ask how He might want to do that in our lives?

Or do we just keep on living it the way we always have?

Shine HOPE by offering your life to God as a LIVING SACRIFICE, being willing to ask God how you can go ALL IN for Him… His glory… your good.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Citrine Cluster Studs (INDIA)

These stunning Citrine Studs from India feature a set of stones and pearl within a gold setting. Perfect to dress up for a special occasion or for everyday wear, these studs create lasting change for families in India.

***Purchase these beautifully handcrafted earrings, using the “Shop Here” link below, to provide safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

At the Feet of Jesus

I used to think that being a good Christian was all about all I DID for God.

As if God needs my help….

The more & more times I read through the Bible, the more this perspective has shifted. Because, in all reality: God does not need me.

And in all the retelling stories of the Bible, this reality is echoed over & over & over again. God requested, God provided. People screwed it all up, God still worked through it. God protected. God won wars. God healed. God gave wisdom. God directed steps. God answered the peoples’ cries for help. God created. God IS.

God Is Entirely Sufficient

God is entirely sufficient. Just Him. He has no need that He could need anything from me. He has no lack that I could have opportunity to supply. He is the infinity to my limits. He is the sufficiency in my lack. He provides the air I breathe & crafted the lungs to breathe it.

What a freeing thing that is! He doesn’t need me!

That means there is no expected pressures placed on me except to obey Him!

Now wait! Obedience is expectation! … Well, sort of? Because guess Who knows everything to more than adequately craft the perfect plans for you? Guess Who has infinite wisdom to see what to do with all facets of every ripple effect throughout all time so He knows how to direct you? Guess Who has the power to make the world from nothing & can supply your every need? Guess Who offers Himself to us in everything He asks of us?

Stand Up by Laying Down

Yes, you see… if you want to stand for God… you have to lay yourself down.

Trade your weaknesses for His strength.

Trade your limitations for His infiniteness.

Trade your lack for His sufficiency.

Trade your fears for His power.

Trade your inability for His inability to fail.

Lay it all down!

It Takes Surrender… And That’s the Hardest Part of It

I get it, though. It takes surrender still… it really does. Surrender of your way, your expectations, your ideals, your comfort zones, your pride, your insecurities, your will… for His.

It takes laying down of how you want to live, to live how He designed your life to be.

It takes time spent with Him… Abiding in Him by getting to know His Word (the Bible) & talking with Him regularly (prayer).

Oh, What a Merciful God!

I don’t always get this right. If you’ve followed along my blog journey all these 7 years (how has it been 7 years?), then you’ve seen it in me. The seasons of hesitation, of selfishness, of struggle, of failure.

But always waiting there with open arms He remains. Steady. Sure. Gentle. Kind. Forgiving. FAITHFUL.

No guilt trips. No shaming. No scolding.

Patient, all-enduring LOVE. Mercy. Grace.

All It Takes Is a Willing, Surrendered Heart

I want to live more for Him & sometimes I think that means I need to do more. But really, it means I need to lay down more of myself. I need to lay down my efforts, recognize His deity, authority, & KINGship, & lay down all of me for all of Him.

It starts with a willingness. A saying: “God, I want this. I want to give more of myself & my life to You. I don’t know how that should look, but I want it. I don’t know how to fit it into my current lifestyle, but I want it. I don’t feel I would be good enough for You, but I want it. Show me how. Teach me surrender. Teach me to lay more of myself down at Your feet for Your will. Not spending this life on me, but on You, on eternity. Help me to live the life You designed for me. Not my routines, not my habits or cultural expectations. Show me how to live my life for You, by You, through You. All for your glory & not for mine. Trusting You are worth it. More than worth it. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Because I guarantee you… if you are willing to pray that way… God will show you. He will lead you. He will teach you. He will prove Himself worthy. More than worthy.

Shine HOPE, by Letting Him be GOD in Your Life

So, if you want to stand up for Jesus… start by laying down.

Shine HOPE by taking a stand for truth, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to a broken world who may pretend or strongly believe they don’t need Him, but who desperately do all the same. Be a LIGHT. Shine HOPE.

*A beautifully written book on this topic is one I rave about quite often: “Sit, Walk, Stand,” by Watchman Nee. Check out my list of recommended reading to find its link for more information.*

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement right here on my blog/website @ www.MichelleHydeOnline.com.

Share with friends & family… & SUBSCRIBE by “Joining My Tribe,” so you never miss a week!

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 7 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox (make sure to check your other inbox folders), along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

October 2025 Hope Mail (UGANDA + INDIA)

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of October! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!       

*Your purchase of October Hope Mail provides one day of school for a girl in an area of extreme poverty.*

This exclusive October Hope Mail package makes a great gift for any occasion! The beautiful Nambi Light Bracelet is handmade by women in Uganda. Featuring handmade paper beads painted in cream, ethically sourced bone beads, and gold-tone accent beads.  Every October Hope Mail creates necessary jobs for women and mothers in areas of extreme poverty in Uganda!       

***Purchase this month’s Hope Mail, using the “Shop Here” link below, to create safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in Uganda and India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions help me in continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win-win-win!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!