It’s My Way or The Highway

It’s easy to go through life on our own terms.

We naturally go through life the best way we know how. We live according to what seems right to us.

We understand we aren’t perfect, but we do our best.

Sometimes we beat ourselves up when we don’t get it right… Sometimes we blame others… & still other times, we blame circumstances.

But we inevitably determine to get back up & try again in the way that seems best to us.

Suck It Up, Buttercup… Or Not

Life is hard. No one can go through life without struggle, without mistakes, without regrets.

Although we can brush it all off with a, “I have no regrets, only lessons learned!”… Deep down, we know things could have gone better, but they didn’t.

Have you ever felt trapped by wrong choices? Like they define you in some way now?

Have you ever bolstered yourself to be strong & bold in light of your mistakes, eager &/or desperate not to show weakness or vulnerability, while silently feeling the pain underneath the façade?

Do you ever get tired of trying to have it all together?

I do.

Survival of the Fittest

I don’t know where we ever got the idea that we have to have it all together. Maybe it’s instinctual not to show weakness or vulnerability. Maybe it’s stubborn pride, not wanting to admit defeat.

Whatever it is, it’s hard.

God is slowly teaching me how often I do what seems right in my own eyes, versus humbly bowing my actions, decisions, & feelings under His able care.

He’s Right There All Along

You see, we often wait until we’re falling apart to cry out to God for help, when He has been right alongside us the whole time.

We don’t have to have it all together. We don’t have to have all the answers or always get it right.

We are limited in our understanding, wisdom, strength… But He is not.

Doing What Is Right in Our Own Eyes

In studying through Psalm 107 recently, with a Bible Study called Steadfast Love, by Lauren Chandler, I was reminded over & over through that particular chapter how those people started out doing what was right in their own eyes way before they started openly rebelling.

Coincidence? I think not.

Why? Because when we go through life on auto-pilot, just doing what we think is best, we will inevitably not get it all right because we cannot ever see every facet of every particular circumstance.

We Want Him to Make OUR Plan Work

And the more times we mess up, the more difficult our lives get… & the more difficult our lives get, the more we wonder why God isn’t fixing it & wondering where He is in all of it….

And the more we doubt God, the more we feel slighted by God… & the more we feel slighted or neglected by God, the more we tend to rebel against God.

… Even though He was right there all along, offering His help along the way….

Instead of asking God to help us follow HIS WAY, we often only ask for Him to make OUR way work.

Learning to Trust Our Savior

But when we flip the script to NOT do what is right in our own eyes, but instead ask for Him to guide us in HIS way of doing things, we get to see HIM work miracles. We get to see His hand guiding & shaping & upholding & strengthening us along every step of the way.

And as we live, drawing constantly from His wisdom, His way, His strength, His power, His love… we see things fit into place much more nicely & we grow in trust when things don’t go well because of the sin of others around us. We get to rest in His ability to uphold & strengthen us with His peace.

And we’re much less likely to rebel when we are receiving His life flowing through our lives. The Vine to His branches.

We’re Meant to Live by His Design

You see, we’re not meant to live life in a way that seems right to us… We’re meant to ask our Designer, Creator God what HIS design for our lives is meant to be & to do our best to lean into Him as He guides the way on the greatest adventure of our lives.

We weren’t meant to just be born, survive, & then die.

We were meant for a purpose… to change lives… to love others intentionally… to shine hope into the darkness… to be an impactful force for good… to serve the Most High God, Creator of heaven & earth & Lover of our souls.

Baby Steps… Pray & Ask

If you are like me & you struggle to release the tight grip of the reins of your life, struggling to trust that God can do a better job with your life than you can… start by being honest with God in that fear.

Put a toe into the water. Ask God to help give you the courage to dive in. Ask Him to help you trust Him with the little things. Ask Him to help you have the wisdom & humility to seek His way above your own. Ask Him to have His potential of your life fleshed out through seeking Him. Ask Him to help you to know & love Him more EACH DAY. Ask Him to help you TRUST HIM.

I will tell you with all honesty that those prayers have been the most influential, life-changing, purpose-enlightening, peace-churning questions I have ever asked in my entire life.

He’s Got This… & You

He knows what He’s doing. He’s walking alongside you, waiting for you to plug into Him as the vine, so His life & wisdom & peace & love & grace & strength can flow through you & produce fruit that also nourishes those around you.

Will you connect to the Vine?

He is waiting to nourish you. He loves you too much to let you be content with an empty, tiresom façade.

He loves you.

Shine Hope, by plugging into Him as your source of hope!

Coming Soon

Check back on Thursday for our monthly Special Feature post, shared every last Thursday of the month! Will it be a poem? A short story? Tales of our adventures overseas? Come back Thursday to check!

Also, join me every Monday morning for your next post of encouragement as we learn together how to give our all to our God who gives His all for us.

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Truth Earrings

These incredibly light earrings are made with genuine local capiz shell.

Artisan Information:

In the Philippines, finding employment as a woman in poverty can be extremely difficult. Poor working conditions, lack of job security, & unfair pay are often the realities. Through your purchase, these women are receiving an income, health care, & social development programs. This allows these women to realize their potential & pursue their dreams in a safe environment. You have the opportunity to change lives!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in the Philippines!

(*Also Pictured: Sea Glass Necklace made in Jordan!*)

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

Are They Laughing At Me?

Who else here struggles with social anxiety, even occasionally? (*Raises hand!)

I saw a meme recently that had showed an inner self dialogue between a young woman & her anxiety. It went something like…

*Walks into a crowded room… Notices some ladies laughing*

Anxiety: They’re laughing at you.

Me: But I don’t even know them…!

Anxiety: But they’re laughing at you.

Me: … They’re laughing at me….

It’s funny because it’s true. (And maybe it happens way more often than we’d like to admit?)

The Cruel Tricks of Anxiety

Anxiety can play some mean tricks on us sometimes & us women seem to be plagued by it often.

We oftentimes struggle comparing our lives to others. For example, my husband says he doesn’t especially like social media because it can be so harmful only seeing the good moment snapshots of someone else’s life, without seeing the whole picture.

They Have It Together… Or Maybe Not

If you’re anything like me, it is so easy to look at someone’s snapshot of a win for them & think they have it all together, making it glaringly obvious how much I do not have it all together.

Maybe you read my blog or watch my videos either regularly or occasionally & think to yourself, “Wow, this chick has it all together with her faith & her life & her marriage.”

I will be the first to laugh at that & tell you, “I most certainly DO NOT have it all together!”

The Endless List of Ways I Do NOT Have My Life Together

Jamie & I still have misunderstanding & get annoyed with each other on occasion.

I make mistakes constantly, most of which end up being the inspiration for blog posts, because I first royally screwed things up BEFORE turning to God to ask for wisdom & His power to fix it.

I tend to act first & pray second, often resulting in big messes, tears, & lessons learned. I am so glad God is a God of GRACE & seemingly endless PATIENCE, aren’t you!?

Divisive Lies Abound

But going back to our topic, there are so many divisive lies that we believe about ourselves & others, which end up keeping us apart, versus being unified in encouraging & uplifting one another.

Sometimes, we can become embarrassed in a specific situation & then we tend to avoid eye contact with the people involved, considering all of the things they must think about you now, after the fact.

Other times, we don’t even have to be involved in an embarrassing moment to have our insecurities take the mental reins & make us feel less than worthy to associate with certain women.

And still, other times, we are completely misreading, misinterpreting, & misperceiving reality completely, making us draw conclusions about the other person or our view of how the other person must see us.

Inner Thoughts of Anxiety

“They must think I am an IDIOT after that! Oh goodness, I can’t look them in the face anymore!”

“Wow, I just showed them my true colors & now they must think I am lame compared to how cool they always seem to be!”

“I just completely lost it just then, they must think I am either a weakling or just plain crazy!”

“All the other wives (or moms) seem to be so good at ___________________ & I am just not. They probably think I am a terrible wife (or mom).”

“They looked at me funny. I don’t think they like me. They’re so much more confident than me.”

Satan Knows Where to Hit Us

You see, our minds can play some pretty nasty tricks. And Satan knows exactly where our weak spots are & likes to exploit them whenever possible.

But God is bigger. God is stronger. God is more powerful, more wise, more loving.

So much of the reason we are not more unified as Christian women, is because we are letting these embarrassments, insecurities, & misperceptions be our road map in our interactions with other women.

Dispelling the Lies, Praying, & Clinging to Truth

We no doubt miss out on some wonderful encouragement & opportunities to encourage others because of this truth & it would benefit us all to stop & pray in those moments where divisive lies threaten to keep us apart.

“God, do they think I’m an idiot? Or am I just being insecure? Help me to rise above my insecurity & embarrassment so I can be an encourager to them. Don’t let me jump to conclusions. Even if she does think that, help me to still be a good friend to her. Amen.”

“God, help me to remember that no one is perfect. I am not expected to be perfect. I am just human. And even though they seem to have it all together, help me to see them as a human who needs encouragement just as much as I do. Help me to overcome my own insecurities of my own imperfections, & help me to see her as a human in need of support, just like me. Amen.”

“God, I made a mistake. Please forgive me & help me to make it right. Please help them to be gracious to me & help me to be humble. I know that we all make mistakes, but help me to rectify this for Your glory instead of avoiding it to save face. Help bring unity here. Amen.”

“God, my weaknesses & faults seem SO OBVIOUS when I see other women do those things so well. Help me to be able to love them in THEIR strengths, while appreciating the strengths You have given me. They are not perfect either, so help me to be able to help where they need it & please keep my pride at bay so I can serve them when they need the help & help me to grow in areas where I am weak or failing. Amen.”

“God, I know that we all have insecurities of certain things, so help me not let my anxiety rule my thoughts. Help me to overcome my fears & help me to be bold in loving & encouraging others. Amen.”

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus & Draw Your Truth & Encouragement from Him

You see, perspective changes things.

We can either avoid, hide, & push others away, or we can take those insecurities to our able & POWERFUL God Who is willing & waiting to help us.

Learn to change the inner dialogue from fear to trust… avoidance to prayer.

We have all learned coping mechanisms to help us protect ourselves from hurt & oftentimes, we miss out on WONDERFUL friendships because we let our self-protection get in the way of restoration & healing. So… PRAY!

We All Have Our Strengths… We All Have Our Weaknesses…

When you worry about whether or not someone dislikes you or is too cool to want to be friends, remember that we all have our strengths, but we also all have our weaknesses… & that oftentimes, our ideas of other people’s dislike of us is a misperception built on our own insecurities.

Let prayer rule the day & kick that social anxiety OUT.

Let God Give VICTORY

Don’t let Satan’s lies keep you isolated. Let GOD trump those lies with His truth, grace, love, power, & wisdom. He’s got enough to share.

Love you!! And if we met in person, even if I have resting snooty face… it’s probably me just being insecure & thinking inwardly about my own faults, not yours!

We’re all a work in progress! Hug it out, pray it over, & encourage one another in love!

Shine Hope by praying out the insecurities & praying for the boldness to LIVE LOVE.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning EST for more encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Eternity Necklace

Multiple mix metal chains are hugged by a metal curved tube to create this simple yet elegant piece with a lobster clasp closure.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write and grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to help end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

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

The Accusations Are True… But Wait

This post may ruffle some feathers, but this topic needs to be addressed. We need to change. We need to run back to God & let Him lead!

Hypocrisy & the Church seem to be synonymous these days & it breaks my heart & the hearts of so many others, because we see that God is our one true hope, but yet we can’t seem to distinguish ourselves from this painful reality of prevalent hypocrisy.

So why is that? Why are we known as hypocrites? How did this become such a huge distraction from the truth that has set us free—the grace of Christ?

Trusting in Ourselves… Instead of God

The most glaringly obvious answer to this question stems from the source of the hypocrisy itself—trusting in ourselves more than we trust in God.

We may believe God’s Word is true (or, for most of us, we live like it is “mostly” true, even though it is COMPLETELY true—it is NOT just God’s “opinions” of truth), & yet we don’t live those truths.

Why?

Because we like to talk about them & point them out to others. We like to judge others on their actions & ourselves on our intentions. We like to say we believe it without putting it to the test.

Being a Christian Isn’t the Same As Actively, Daily Trusting in God

Basically? We like to trust ourselves first & God second.

The results? Looking so “GOOD” on the outside, but living just like everyone else in reality. And when pressures arise, what’s on the inside shines brighter than what we try to project on the outside.

In other words, we are just human, just like everyone else… And we can’t rise above our human nature without first surrendering that human nature to the will, wisdom, power, & guidance of the Holy Spirit leading us each step along the way.

Looking the Part Without Acting the Part

 And if we don’t surrender our human nature to the will & wisdom of God, we can say all of the TRUTH that we want, & try to act as GOOD as we can, but we will be just as messed up & lost as anyone else on the inside—creating that dreaded reality of hypocrisy.

It’s not even that we intend to be hypocrites. In fact, I can remember getting really offended at that accusation because I was trying SO HARD to be SO GOOD on the outside & to TALK the TALK, without really WALKING the WALK by putting my trust in God over myself.

Doing Good Things in Vain

Even for those who become activists for great causes, take a stand for the hurting or overlooked, volunteer for service projects galore, & work in many ministries within the church… without leaning our will & our way & our wisdom & our passion to the will & wisdom & direction of the Lord… Well, if you read my post from a couple weeks ago, you know that we are “building” in vain.

Human Nature Trumps Doing God’s Will When We’re Not Actively Putting Our Trust in God

Because WE ARE JUST HUMAN on our own!

We are just as vulnerable to HUMAN NATURE.

We have just as many TEMPTATIONS.

We have just as many FAULTS & INSECURITIES & FALSE PERCEPTIONS.

Without leaning into God as our source of all wisdom, direction, & power, we are quite simply just building our life, our ministry, or our causes in vain.

We are trying to ACT godly, without letting GOD make us like Himself through HIS strength, wisdom, direction, & power.

How Do We Make It Stop?

So, how do we stop this plague of hypocrisy that seems to have infected the Church?

We lean into God daily. We ask Him to shape us & grow us. We ask Him to remove false perceptions we’ve come to rely on. We ask Him to help us overcome. We ask Him to strengthen us. We ask HIM to change us from the INSIDE OUT.

And when we learn lessons from God, we CONTINUE to bow our understanding to His leading & wisdom for each new situation!

Saying All the Right Things, But Falling So Short

Because without getting Him involved in the details, we are whitewashed tombs that look & sound godly, while grossly misrepresenting God & getting in the way of His glory… Depriving Him the opportunity to shine through us to the hurting world we wish so desperately to encourage toward lasting, secure HOPE through Christ.

We may think we have it figured out—especially if we have already learned a lesson in a certain area… because we tend to cut & paste & re-use each lesson we learn from God for every similar future situation versus continuing to bow our understanding to God’s wisdom—but no matter what we THINK we know… HE will always know more & He will ALWAYS know better. So, ask Him.

Always Ask Him

Always ask Him.

If you have already learned a lesson… Ask Him to continue teaching you.

If you already think you understand something… Ask Him to weed out the falsities.

Always, ALWAYS refer to His Word & rely on His guidance through prayer.

Knowledge may be power, but it is also dangerous… Because the more we know, the more we THINK we understand.

Always ask God.

He Will Direct Your Steps As You Lean into Him for Guidance

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    & lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
    & He will make your paths straight.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6) (Emphasis mine)

Always shine HOPE… by asking God for the BEST way to give Him the glory in all that you do.

Coming Next Week

Make sure to join me every Monday morning EST for more weekly encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Stargazer Set

This stunning necklace features a golden hammered half moon pendant with nine blue-grey tassels & a matching bracelet.

Artisan Information:

In India, poverty is rampant & fair working conditions are hard to find. But with every purchase, women are receiving an income, access to healthcare, adult literacy programs, & self-help groups! Not only does this change their lives, but they are also pouring back into their communities & helping others! You have the opportunity to empower thousands of women in India!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

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

If… Then…

I have heard it asked, more times than I can count, that “if God allows people to go to Hell, how can He be a good God?”

They also tend to follow that question with: “If God isn’t good, I don’t want to follow Him.”

The above declaration is also often preceded with God allowing the presence of evil in this world, so let’s address both concerns today.

Who Are We Compared to Him?

First of all, let’s get the “If God doesn’t [fill in the blank], then I don’t want to follow or believe in Him” claim out of the way.

If God IS real & He DID create the world & everything in it. If God DOES have complete control, power & dominion over it all… I would think our opinion of His deserving our respect should not matter so much. In fact, to risk being blunt, our opinion would be completely irrelevant.

He doesn’t have to get our stamp of approval for Him to be real & for His righteous punishment for the rebellion of sin to be real.

He Is “I Am”

And reality check, He IS real, He DID create the world & everything in it. And He DOES have complete control, power, & dominion over it all.

I feel that it’s important to start there because we are not dealing with a Someone whom we can shape to our liking or decide whether or not they are real or deserving… That’s not up for debate.

The consequences are real.

But so is His grace.

How Is God Good?

So, let’s get to the “God is Good” part, in light of sin & the consequences of that sin (Hell) as a reality we must accept.

So maybe you decide God could possibly be real. Maybe you feel that little tug on your heart, beckoning you to accept His grace & be welcomed into His haven of love & comfort & hope, even on earth.

But maybe you’re stuck on sin… & on Hell.

Maybe you question God’s goodness & therefore doubt whether you can put your faith & trust into Someone you feel afraid of or defensive of in light of what you believe about yourself or the world.

Completely understandable. I have BEEN there.

Even after I got saved, I grappled with this for a while.

It’s scary.

But…

Digging Deeper

God IS Good, & so let us dig a bit deeper than the surface.

Oftentimes, we hate this idea about God because we either see our own good intentions or the good intentions of others, when thinking about our sin.

Or maybe we feel haunted by a decision we made or something we did & now we feel trapped under the wrath of God, afraid to accept it as a reality rather than an imagined construct that we can just dismiss & figuratively run away from (or try to).

But God’s wrath is real.

BUT, His grace is just as real & it covers your worst when you bow it all to Him.

We Choose to Choose

You see, if you caught my blog post a couple weeks ago, “Garden of Eden: What Was So Wrong About Eating That Fruit?” then you know that we were never intended to be in this mess of a world & life in the first place.

God’s intent was for us to stroll with Him in the perfect Garden of Eden without fears or worry, pain or strife, living in a trusting relationship with our Father God in control of everything in this world that would otherwise cause us lasting &/or immense pain.

But Adam & Eve rebelled, wanting to make those calls for themselves, thus dooming us with that same knowledge of good & evil, brought on by eating that fruit.

And not only that, but we choose to eat of that fruit every day, don’t we?–in the way that we live, choosing to supersede God’s will & way so that we can do it our own way (& inevitably screw something or someone up).

We Have the Knowledge, But Not the Infinite Wisdom

You see, we have the knowledge of good & evil, yes, but we DON’T have the capacity to see every ripple effect of every choice. We DON’T have full wisdom to see all pieces in play past, present, & future. We DON’T always know all the details involved or the subconscious trauma that our decisions cause ourselves & others simply by essentially shoving God out of the way to run things ourselves.

Even as a Christian, I am guilty of living like this, despite my intent, every single day.

It’s too easy to go based on habit, cultural norm, how I was raised, my own perceptions, my self-protection mode, good intentions, pride, fear, insecurities, doubts, uncertainties, etc., before stopping to realize I have done it again—I have acted without stopping to ask God for guidance on how to do it best.

No One Good But God

You see, we mess up every day.

No one can call themselves Good. Even Jesus said, “there is no one good, no not one” (paraphrase Romans 3:10-12) & that our “righteousness is like dirty rags.” (Isaiah 64:6)

Only God is good because He is perfection. He is lacking nothing.

He doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t act out of fear or hate or pride.

He just IS. He is the great I AM.

All God Asks…

And all God asks of us is to trust Him to do the hard stuff, to protect us from the painful things, & to guide us in the way that will bring us & others the most joy, fulfillment, & peace.

But we still rebel.

God Also Made a Way Back for Us

And THEN, we have the audacity to shake our fists at God for sin on this earth… for not allowing entrance into heaven for those who do not accept His grace offered through Jesus Christ.

Because He offers that grace to EVERYONE, without exception.

God Makes All Things New

Paul murdered countless Christians, BUT when he surrendered his wrongs to God, God restored him & gave him a new purpose (his originally designed purpose) to encourage countless more to find hope in Christ.

David was called a man after God’s own heart when he repented of his own guilt & shame of sleeping with another man’s wife & then sending that man to the frontlines so that her pregnancy would not be found out. But God redeemed him & used his life for wonderful things, washing his slate clean.

You see, the people written about in the Bible aren’t even “good” people.

They are REDEEMED people. Redeemed through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ, for even them.

And for you.

He Gives Hope Despite What We Really Deserve

THAT is why we can easily call God our GOOD God, because despite the fact that the perfect life of trust & peace & joy in Him, that He intended for us to have was spit upon by Adam & Even eating that fruit… And EVEN THOUGH we make that same decision daily by bypassing His help to do it our own way… & even though we have pasts that make us cringe in the sight of God’s righteous judgment upon our sin….

God… Offers… GRACE.

HE made the way. He paid the price. He invites us back to Himself. He bridged the gap. He beckons us home.

Run to Grace

He forgives. He guides. He loves. He protects. He listens. He gives Himself as a Comforter through the Holy Spirit. He gives HIS grace to all who seek it, through Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

Don’t live defending your wrongs, in the sight of God Almighty. Run to Him.

Don’t live running from His righteous judgement. Run TO Him.

Don’t be content avoiding God in fear. Run to Him.

He Gives Grace & His Grace Is FREE

He is beside you, waiting with open arms to welcome you home.

No questions asked… No lecture awaiting your return… No crossed arms or glaring gaze.

Just GRACE.

Celebratory dancing & singing, twirling around with joy, hands reached out to pull you into a loving, joyous embrace, an “I’m just so glad you’re HOME!” type GRACE.

Let Him…

Let Him love you.

Let Him shower you with His goodness.

Ask Him to show you, personally, His love & forgiveness & hope & GRACE.

It is so, SO worth it, my friend!

Always Learning, Always Growing

Even I have to constantly grow & learn new ways to submit my ways to Him, so that I can experience His presence & goodness more thoroughly in my life.

I will forever need to grow, but His grace is once & for all.

I am forgiven. I am set free. I can look forward to heaven with full assurance that the grace of God covers even me.

And it covers you as well.

Will you answer the call?

Coming Next Week

Join me next Monday morning EST for more weekly encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Nairobi Necklace

Small hammered ovals & ethically sourced bone shapes adorn this golden necklace that shimmers in the light. Crafted in Kenya.

Artisan Information:

In Kenya, where many people struggle with starvation & poverty, the women we partner with are defying the odds! Your purchase empowers these women to earn an income, overcome physical disabilities, & become important parts of their communities!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Kenya!

(*Also Pictured: Grace Earrings, made in the Philippines!*)

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

The King Who Deserves My All

Sometimes I wonder what life would be like, if I let Someone else have the reins.

If I stop tirelessly trying to have all control, & let Someone else rule my life.

I know that it’s foolish to believe I know better.

I know that it’s vanity to try to do better… Than the Sovereign One who reigns.

But still I find myself fighting to win out control & come out above even Him.

It’s silly really because I know He loves me so

And that His vast wisdom & power far surpasses my own…

He is limitless, infinite, & never lacking at all.

He is Creator, Redeemer, & Almighty God.

And who am I but a flea? A creation created by He.

And yet still, though my fight wages even today, knowing full well He deserves the throne…

He died for me. He loves me. And He patiently guides me when I offer my will to His way.

I don’t deserve the kind of love that my gracious Savior gives,

And yet He lavishes so, on my broken, weary, & rebellious soul…

Letting His love be the call that calls me to drop all control.

And fall safely & securely into the arms of my God. Resting in His full control.

I don’t obey because I have to, for He gives me the choice.

I don’t follow from guilt, for His grace set me free, through Christ’s willing payment on that wretched old tree.

I don’t bow because of force, for His gentle hand guides me.

He is patient & kind & loving & perfect.

He is gentle & strong & sovereign & wise.

He gives grace undeserving for His love covers all.

I walk humbly & slowly, & sometimes broken & stumbling…

To be wrapped in His warm loving arms.

For despite my wasteful life, He has arms open wide,

A banquet & celebration waiting for me,

If only I turn & come home.

To my all-powerful, loving, Savior who willingly died for me

And calls me to lay my crown at His feet

And let Him knowingly, wisely, & perfectly guide me

Into the potential woman He made me to be

He beckons for kindness, for love, & graciousness

For patience & self-control.

And above it all, a life bowed to Him,

The King Who deserves my all.

Coming Next Week

Check back on Monday morning EST for more regularly scheduled encouragement!

I hope you enjoyed this month’s Special Feature (every last Thursday of the month), in the form of this poem.

This poem came from my heart & encourages even me at the loving heart of our Lord God. I hope this poem encouraged you to fall into His arms & to begin or continue this wonderful journey of understanding more fully His deep love for you. It’s a beautiful adventure!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Sea Glass Necklace

Artisans recreate the look and feel of sea glass by upcycling glass bottles from local hotels & restaurants that would otherwise be discarded, & tumble it with water & sand from the Red Sea until it is smooth & resembles the beautiful pieces found in nature. Sizes & colors may vary.

Artisan Information:

Many Jordanian women have their lives controlled by their closest male relative. They balance many customs at home, creating a lack of independence. Some of these women are divorced, widowed, or married to a man who may already have many wives. But amid struggles, these women we work with arrive to a family-like workplace. They can be heard singing, laughing, & seen drinking tea while creating our unique jewelry made from upcycled glass bottles. The glass is tumbled with water & sand from the Red Sea. Your purchase empowers them with boldness & financial independence for the first time!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Jordan!

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

A Painful, But Beautiful Reminder

“Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
    & go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for He gives to His beloved sleep.”

(Psalm 127:1-2) (emphasis mine)

It’s beautiful because God’s got it all under control… It’s painful because we do not.

I Don’t Run Things, No Matter How Hard I Try

I can try to be good.

I can try to do good things.

But God is in control, not me.

If I rely on myself, I get nowhere.

Even if I seem to go somewhere, it yields little results.

Or sometimes my actions create the wrong results, causing the problem to either worsen or to be off in another wrong direction.

Letting God Be God

The watchman watches over a city in vain if God is not also watching out for it, because power comes from God, not the watchman or even the soldiers or the king.

I write my blog in vain if I don’t let God guide me.

I cannot force inspiration. If He erases ideas, I cannot will them to reappear. He has power even there.

Compared to Him…

I am so small compared to His greatness.

I am so foolish compared to His wisdom.

I can fight all day & talk all night, trying to be a light for God, but unless He works, I work in vain.

He is the source. He is love. He is power. He is grace.

Doing It My Way Didn’t Work

I spent all day writing & erasing this blog today.

Nothing seemed right.

I felt hopeless & tired exhausting every effort to make something out of nothing & I could not.

If God shuts a door, I canNOT open it.

He Allows, But He Has the Power to End It

It is true that He allows me to conjecture & speak in my limited level of human understanding, possibly getting so much wrong, or at least not completely right. He doesn’t prohibit the freedom of speech. You can see as much when people speak completely against His character, in hatred & lies & causing pain to others.

But if God shuts my mind or my mouth, I canNOT overcome Him.

He is GOD.

It’s Okay, We Know What to Do Here… Or Not?

So often, we try so hard to be “good people” or “good Christians” but so much of it is in vain because it is not submitted to the Almighty God.

We can believe we are completely right, with no doubt & with all passion & fervor… We can THINK our understanding is true with every fiber of our being.

But God doesn’t have to rely on thinking He knows… He DOES know… Everything.

Let Him Be God

Cling to Him. Even when everything swirls around you. Even when you try so hard to do a good thing, with zero results… cling to Him.

The unknown is at the base of almost every fear known to man. We like to feel like we have a good handle on things, & when we don’t feel that way, everything seems uncertain & dark & spinning out of control.

But God is a constant. He doesn’t get thrown off balance. He isn’t surprised. He isn’t caught off guard. EVER.

God Is Self-Sufficient, But He Chooses to Let Us Work Beside Him

In reality, God doesn’t need us to do anything for His work to be accomplished.

We may think, ‘I HAVE to share this because people need it!’

But God doesn’t need our help. He is sufficient. Completely sufficient.

God Almighty, Creator, Redeemer, & Friend

God created everything.

He sent Jesus to pay our debt for us, on the cross, for our wrongs against Him.

He. Is. Sufficient. In every possible way, God is sufficient.

A Sidekick to God, Who Is The True Hero

And that’s the beautiful thing about living for Him.

Even in our mistakes, inadequacies, failures, rebellion, insecurities, etc., God cannot be thwarted. God cannot be diminished. God cannot lose.

His will WILL be done.

He WILL get the glory.

Even those who lash out openly against God, thinking they know more than Him or thinking they have it all figured out… They are just providing another opportunity for God to show just how little we know in light of how vast & mighty He is!

But, He chooses to let us work beside Him. He loves us & wants us to find joy in His work by participating in it.

Not because He needs us, but because He wants us.

Change of Plans… Letting God Build

I am humbled today, as this was not my intended message for the week.

I wanted to flounce in here full of confidence & knock this out in a few hours.

But God wasn’t building with me, so I built in vain (aka wrote, erased, & re-wrote, & re-erased all day!)

He wanted me to have opportunity to stop & remember that it’s NOT about my wisdom or about people NEEDING to hear MY message.

It’s about taking His hand & walking alongside Him in HIS plan.

Unless the Lord builds it, I build in vain.

What About You?

What area of your life are you trying to fly it solo, even in the name of doing it FOR GOD?

What are you trying to do on auto-pilot or in your own wisdom or strength?

Take a minute to humbly lay that before God & ask Him to guide you in His plan over your own.

Let Him do the building. Let Him show you where He is building & ask where you can join in.

Let Him do the watching. Ask Him to look out for you & to teach you how to trust His protection & plan over your own.

He is able. He is oh so able.

God is sufficient for you, Darling One. Trust Him.

Coming Next

Check out our Monthly Special Feature post (every last Thursday of the month), THIS Thursday! See you then!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Nyla Set

As Nyla means “dark royal blue”, this necklace & bracelet set features royal blue glass beads on rose gold mixed metal chains.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty &create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

(*Also pictured: Northern Lights Studs from India!)

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

Just Imagine…

Picture this: Beautiful, lush greenery… colorful birds flitting & flying above & around you… the sound of chirps & kitten purrs & peaceful wild animals trodding about… sunny skies & calm breezes brushing against your warm skin… smelling rich aromas of flowers & the fresh scent of clean air filling your lungs… walking barefoot in soft, green grass beside God as a confidant & friend, protector & creator, loving you so fully that you feel no hint of fear or worry at all in the world.

That is my best visualization of the Garden of Eden.

All It Was Meant to Be

The Garden of Eden was literally meant to be a safe haven of perfection, full of acceptance, love, & pure joy. Just imagine how amazingly & breath-takingly beautiful & serene it was!

And yet, that one tree, with that one kind of fruit that was forbidden by God… that because of one rebellious act would eventually blur, distort, & crumble the beautiful life we were created to live out in that wonderful garden.

Let’s Go There

What was the big deal about that fruit? How could it really, seriously doom the human species to live in this broken, sin-filled world we now call home?

How could God claim compassion & even allow us to eat it… or doom the world because it got eaten?

Let’s go there.

Forbidding Was a Reflection of His Goodness & Love

For many people who become followers of Christ, we can sometimes just tend to accept the fact that it happened… the rule not to eat the forbidden fruit, the eating of the fruit, & the curse on mankind as a result… without actually stopping to consider how Him forbidding it really reflects the GOODNESS & GREAT LOVE of God.

Give me a second to explain why I specify it as an act of Goodness & Love on God’s part.

The Knowledge of Good & Evil… But Not the Capacity to Manage it…

Let’s start with the purpose & nature of that fruit. It was called “the fruit of the knowledge of good & evil.”

Think about human life now. The tendency toward stress, anxiety, hurriedness, failures, pride, selfishness, weaknesses, mental illnesses, major mistakes, hurts, fears, insecurities… & so much more that we fight to prevent throughout our lives.

Now, think about what that tree offered. The KNOWLEDGE of good & evil…. Not the wisdom of how to process or manage it. Not the knowledge of how it all fits together & how to best work it all together… just the knowledge OF it.

Why We Should Have Trusted God & Should Do So Every Day & Forever

And here is where God’s gracious, all-knowing, all-wise, ALL-LOVING GOODNESS comes into fuller display….

God knew that yes, we would gain that knowledge, but that if we did, we would then be carrying a burden & weight on our shoulders that He never wanted or intended for us to struggle & hurt under.

We gained that knowledge, but being created beings, versus the CREATOR, we don’t have the capacity to carry that weight within our own limited understanding & wisdom, & under our own limited strength & power.

He Saw It All… He Knew… & He Warned Us

He knew it would wear us thin. He knew it would cause anger & hurt & tears. He knew it would result in misunderstandings & mishandling of that information, which would in turn hurt others along the way.

He saw the ripple effect that that knowledge of good & evil would create in our lives… & all He asked was for us to TRUST HIM enough to let Him handle it FOR US so we could just relax, in a trusting, loving, safe environment.

And He still asks you & I to trust Him in the now. To turn over what we do know & ask Him to be our guide & source of wisdom to navigate this difficult world.

We Still Choose to Eat the Fruit Every Day…

And that knowledge got passed down to us… & every day, in our own ways, we choose to take the bite ourselves.

WE want to make the decisions. WE want to make the choices. WE want to run things.

Even knowing the truth, I feel my flesh rearing up as if to say, “but I want to do things THIS way!”

So Hard to Trust That He Can Do It SO MUCH Better Than Us

That’s why submitting to His wisdom, His will, & His way feels so hard! Because of what we DO know, we think we have all there is to know to best guide our own lives, even with all of the limitations that limit us.

That’s why God asks us, even now, to take His hand & to trust Him as a little child trusts a strong, loving father.

God loves us so much that He never wanted that pain for us.

Then Why Even Create That TREE?!

Maybe this information is equally freeing & frustrating to you. Maybe you see the benefit of trusting Him, but feel hurt that He even gave us the option to doom ourselves.

So why was that fruit even created? Why even dangle that irresistibly forbidden fruit in front of Adam & Eve in the first place?

Why not just remove that temptation completely so that there would be no risk of damning the world & then we could just be free to enjoy God’s intended life in paradise & direct presence & relationship with God Almighty?

You Have No Choice, You MUST Love Me…

Would that feel like true, genuine love? To have no choice? A love that is forced?

We can want to be loved so badly that we can attempt to force it on people. We can try to be likable & a people pleaser & cling to someone we feel gives us worth, even in the midst of abuse or neglect, human nature clings to the need to feel loved.

But, can love be forced? No. Why not? Because true love grows out of trust. And trust cannot be forced on people.

God Designed Us to Experience True, Unconditional Love in His Presence

God wasn’t designing us to be forced to love Him. He designed us to experience His love genuinely, built from genuine trust & relationship with Him.

So, maybe He put the tree there to allow Adam & Eve the choice to either trust in Him or to trust in themselves instead…

He wanted us to know His love through trust. He wanted us to obey, not because He felt like controlling us, but because we learn to trust Him completely.

But That Was Adam & Eve… Not ME! So Why Does the Curse Affect Me Too?

Well, as I mentioned earlier, we choose to take that bite ourselves almost every day, as we seek to live according to our limited wisdom & design.

But, there IS hope!

The Punishment Is for Our Good

Apart from the fact that we face natural consequences of wrong or misguided decision-making on our part, God also made life more difficult than it was meant to be… And He did it to bring us back to Himself.

If everything was just as easy as the Garden of Eden, we wouldn’t realize what greatness we were missing out on. We wouldn’t feel the need to look for something more. Or Someone more.

It serves as a reminder & a prod to come back under His protection & care & to allow Him to remove the burdens we face every day as a result of that knowledge of good & evil, so we may rest peacefully in His love instead.

Everything He does is just. Everything He does is His right.

And Then There’s Jesus

Everything God does is marked by His love & graciousness that He offers us in every moment that we turn to Him, & for all eternity if we accept His free gift of Jesus’ life for our debt.

You see, God is perfectly just & yes, He demands a debt be paid for our rebellion. BUT, He also LOVES us infinitely, despite our stubborn rejection.

And because of His perfect LOVE, He also sent Jesus to pay that debt FOR US, if we but accept Him.

He Is God

Turn to Him. Submit under His leadership. Ask HIM to HELP YOU trust Him.

Let me say that again, because every single one of us needs to grow in this, whether it be a pastor, the “worst” sinner, or anyone in between…

Ask HIM to HELP YOU trust Him more every day.

He is God. We are not. And that is OKAY.

Let Him be God.

He Takes Joy in Forgiveness & Redemption

Let Him cover you in HIS love, HIS power, HIS grace, HIS joy, HIS peace, HIS assurance.

He is waiting, always… & willing.

He is not there with crossed arms & a tapping foot, pointing at you, like, “Look what you’ve done! And NOW you want me to help you? HA!”

No.

He has His arms wide, a big grin on His face, waiting every moment without fail to welcome you home, with a, “Darling One, come close! Let me hug you! Let me help you! Let me cleanse you & refresh you & give you a new start. I love you always & always have, my precious daughter & I have been waiting so eagerly to welcome you home!”

Shine Hope, by trusting Him.

It’s worth everything.

Coming Next Week

Join me next Monday morning EST for some more encouragement, & next Thursday for our monthly Special Feature post! Make sure to “Join My Tribe” (subscribe) so you don’t miss out!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Inverted Capiz Earrings

These earrings feature shimmery, creamy white capiz shells, each framed by a black edge.

Artisan Information:

In the Philippines, finding employment as a woman in poverty can be extremely difficult. Poor working conditions, lack of job security, & unfair pay are often the realities. Through your purchase, these women are receiving an income, health care, & social development programs. This allows these women to realize their potential & pursue their dreams in a safe environment. You have the opportunity to change lives!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in the Philippines!

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

Why Is This So Hard for Me?

This one is a toughy, for sure. I would dare say it is tough even for ministry professions—Work first or God first?

Why is this so tough?

Because our roles & responsibilities demand our attention, whether or not we even believe in or acknowledge God.

Working Hard “for God” Is Not the Same As Putting God First

So, why should we & how can we possibly put God first then? And I am not talking about just praying at mealtime & making church attendance a priority… how do we place Him above everything else in our lives?

Even the retelling in the Bible about Mary & her sister Martha. Martha was working hard to be a good hostess to JESUS. How much more important of work could there be?

And yet, her sister, Mary, was praised for her decision to skip the work & rest at Jesus’ feet, absorbing His teaching & friendship.

The story of Mary & Martha is a prime example of why this is a difficult balance even for ministry workers. We can tend to try to “do all the things” “for God” while not actually making HIM come first in our lives.

Isn’t It Just “One More Thing” To Do?

But even for us “regular” people, how can we consider putting anything above work when work doesn’t ever stop?

Kids (& spouses/relationships) demand attention & care.

Work has deadlines & demands.

Bodies demand sustenance & hygiene.

Home requires chores & upkeep.

So, how can we possibly consider putting God before all of that? How can that even be an expectation? How are we expected to make time for anything else?

Short Answer? God.

Well, here’s the relief… God helps us.

Hear me out. When we put Him first, He helps us fit the other pieces together.

He sees every piece of our lives. He sees the things that need more time & those that need to be let go. He has the power to help run our lives more efficiently & peacefully than we could ever hope to imagine through our own efforts.

We tend to think, even subconsciously, “If I have tried everything under the sun & nothing has worked, there is certainly nothing GOD can do for me!” Wrong.

Consider this fact: God does not exhaust His resources… EVER.

He Is Infinite & Willing to Help

I heard it said, while I was attending Liberty University (my alma mater-woohoo!), that “no matter how or what words you use to describe God, you are ALWAYS putting Him in a box.”

He is INFINITE. God thinks & operates outside of our understanding & abilities. His ways are above our ways… His thoughts above our thoughts.

So, if we ask for His help, it doesn’t diminish Him at all when He helps us.

Why Wait Until It All Crashes Down?

So often we wait until our life is falling apart at the seams before we cry out to Him for help (see pretty much every story in the Bible & every story of my life!), but He wants His help to be a daily, continual blessing in our lives.

He wants that relationship with us. He wants to carry our burdens, to give us strength & wisdom & peace & power to live in a way that honors Him & I dare say, blesses us.

Not Easy, But Oh So Much Better!

This doesn’t mean that life will suddenly be easy & we will get everything we want… reality check, we live in a broken world & we don’t always know what is best for ourselves anyway. On this side of heaven, life will NEVER be perfect… but God can & WILL help as we seek to live for Him.

So, when we put anything else before Him, we are attempting to lift the car-strain of life while Someone stronger than Superman waits by to help if we but ask.

It’s embarrassing to admit how often I “look up at Him standing beside me” & shout, “No, I got this! I don’t need Your help yet… I just have to try it this way next time!” Sigh.

He Enjoys Helping Us

God first, ALWAYS. Not because we feel like God will condemn us & point fingers at & shame us if we don’t (He doesn’t do that)… but because we greatly handicap our life if we don’t.

It’s like insisting we drag our bodies through life when a wheelchair is right alongside us.

It’s like dying of thirst while someone beside us is constantly offering us a drink, or starving while they offer food.

It’s like working in our own strength while He offers us His. (Actually, that’s EXACTLY what we’re doing!)

“Darling One, Lean Into Me”

When God asks us to obey Him, He doesn’t say, “Go ahead & add it to the list, honey,” but rather, “Darling one, lean into me & I will give you the strength, ability, patience, & power to do all that I ask… & the wisdom & peace to know what to let go of.”

He is like having a Personal Assistant who also happens to be the Owner & Creator of the company. He not only made us & rules everything, but He also offers to walk alongside us & help us along the way.

Such a GRACIOUS & LOVING God!!!

Let God Be First Priority

So, if you are feeling exhausted & ready to just give up or to run away from it all, I urge you to stop where you are… close your eyes… breathe deeply in & out… & pray to ask God for His wisdom, His direction, His patience, His peace, His power, & His strength, to live according to His will & His way.

It is 100% ALWAYS the best option. ALWAYS. 100%. (Did I emphasize that enough? I know I will probably need this reminder AGAIN by the end of the day… Anyone else?)

He is able, Darling One & He is waiting with open arms to help ease the burden & set you on the right path that will not only lean into your purpose, but will also be for your good.

He knows you best. He knows what He’s doing. He knows everything.

Rest in that.

Let Him run your life His way, in His direction, with & through His power.

But How?

How do you put God first, then? Realistically? Daily? Moment-by moment?

A lot of it is PRAYER. Talking to God. Asking for His insight, wisdom, & help throughout each & every day.

A lot of it is TRUST. Taking the trust away from yourself & putting it with God. His way, His wisdom, His strength, His patience, His courage, His love, His understanding, His knowledge, His sovereignty.

Put God first by stepping aside & letting God work His will in your life, through His power.

Let go of the need for control & the hamster wheel of life & trust HIM to know what He’s doing with your life instead & do whatever it takes to let Him be the boss & to let Him call the shots for your life.

He’s worth it. Every time.

God First… Anything else… Second.

Shine Hope, Lovely… by leaning into Him, resting in Him, & letting Him lead your life for His purposes, in/through His strength.

Coming Next Week

Join me next Monday morning EST for some more encouragement from one imperfect gal to another & “Join My Tribe” (subscribe), so you never miss a thing!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Sea Glass Necklace

Artisans recreate the look & feel of sea glass by upcycling glass bottles from local hotels & restaurants that would otherwise be discarded, & tumble it with water & sand from the Red Sea until it is smooth & resembles the beautiful pieces found in nature. Sizes & colors may vary.

Artisan Information:

Many Jordanian women have their lives controlled by their closest male relative. They balance many customs at home, creating a lack of independence. Some of these women are divorced, widowed, or married to a man who may already have many wives. But amid struggles, these women we work with arrive to a family-like workplace. They can be heard singing, laughing, & seen drinking tea while creating our unique jewelry made from upcycled glass bottles. Your purchase empowers them with boldness & financial independence for the first time!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Jordan!

(*Also pictured: Truth Earrings from the Philippines! & my kitty Cisco-not for sale, haha.)

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

Doubts, So Many Doubts

If you have read my testimony, you have seen that my life was once defined by insufferable doubts for most of my growing up years. (Read my testimony HERE.)

I hated the tossing & turning that the doubts invoked, but I didn’t know how to find the calm amidst my slew of unanswered questions.

Saved Young, But Then…

You see, I accepted Jesus as my Redeemer & Savior when I was very young, but then the doubts of the world threatened me at every turn, & they seemed to multiply with each passing year.

I didn’t know how to quiet the questions.

I wished for childlike faith, an innocence that could easily believe.

I wished that I could turn off the doubts & live in peaceful assurance.

I wished that I didn’t feel the need to know & that I could just move on with life.

But I couldn’t figure out how.

More Friends… More Doubts

With every new friend came new opinions about religions & “gods”. Every person seemed to have their own opinions about “truth”.

But if they were all true, then none of them were true.

How could one “god” be right to one person & another be right for another person? Wouldn’t that imply that both are imagined & made up by the believer or group of believers?

It didn’t make sense to me.

So who was right?

Every Answer Stirred More Questions

No matter how many questions I asked, with every answer or explanation I was given, I was met with the exact same personal conclusion, “but they’re human… & “to err is human.”

So, whose opinion could I really trust? Which one was true? Who determined which one was true? How could anyone ever really know?

And so, because I could not trust every opinion I was given & because I didn’t know whose opinion I COULD trust, I was always brought back to square one, in my tangled mess of doubts.

Relatable?

At this point, you may be relating to me. Maybe you have wondered the same things.

Maybe you avoid asking those questions because you don’t know their answers.

Maybe you avoid acknowledging those questions exist because you’re afraid of what that means about whether your salvation is genuine (for those who have already accepted Christ).

Maybe you are intent on or content with believing your own opinions, whether they are true or not.

But, although I personally struggled through each of those “maybe” scenarios, I could not keep those questions from wanting to burst out of me.

Truth I Could Live For

I had to know the TRUTH.

Not what others WANT me to believe. Not just what others WANT to believe themselves. I wanted the TRUTH.

If God was real, I had to make a decision whether to reject or accept Him.

If He wasn’t real, I wanted to know so that I could live however I wanted, without unnecessary guilt of not following the 10 Commandments from the Bible.

But How Do You Really KNOW?

But, as I mentioned above, every answer I sought after left me right back where I started, because every answer I received stemmed from human understanding, human wisdom, &/or human knowledge.

And anything from us as humans is vulnerable to mistakes & misunderstandings & circulating misinformation.

I needed more.

Case for Christ

If you have ever watched Case for Christ, a movie that came out in 2017, it will greatly help you understand both my doubting & how I found my answer.

Case for Christ is a movie based on the true story of former atheist Lee Strobel. When his wife becomes a Christian, it sends his world in an upheaval & he embarks on a mission to use his research journalistic skills to disprove Christ.

I may not have done the extensive research that Lee Strobel did, , but my doubts weighed just as heavily, & like his experience, no proof seemed sufficient.

In the movie, there is a scene where he is pushing his wife to tell him why she would believe something he can’t prove (even though all of the professional sources he sought implied that all evidence pointed to a supreme being in existence).

Her answer was my answer & it can be paraphrased as something like this, “because He feels more real than anything I have felt in my life.”

Forever Searching… Or, Ask God for Truth

You see, I could search for proof my whole life, but it all comes down to this, will I let myself have faith?

Faith is not easy, but it doesn’t rest in having to know the answer to everything. It comes down to admitting we can’t & that God is more real than anything we can feel in this life.

If you struggle with this, take a moment to consider this: Are you willing to submit to the truth when you find it? Or are you avoiding truth, just looking for an excuse to live your way, just without consequences?

We can all admit that there are consequences to the choices we make. We live in a broken, fallen world, plagued by sin & self-led choices.

But God offers hope because He tells us the truth. It’s not up to us. It’s Him. So, submit your life to Him & let HIM show you the truth you seek.

“Lord, I Believe. Help My Unbelief!”

Be willing to pray the doubter’s prayer, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”

If you REALLY want the truth, ASK Him to show you. Stop letting your doubts torment you & finally find stability in the truth.

It can sound something like this:

“God, I am so exhausted from doubting everything about life! How can I know what is real? How do I base my life on what I don’t understand or don’t know is positively true? Help me to see the truth. If you are who You say You are, then You alone can shine straight through to the core of my doubting & shine a light of truth into it. Stabilize me & show me what to believe. I don’t want to base my life on a lie, but I don’t want to face the consequences of an ignored or avoided or misunderstood truth. So, please help me. Show me the way to truth. Lord, somehow I believe, but help my unbelief. AMEN.”

Keep Asking… He Hears You & He WILL Answer You If You Seek Earnestly

I prayed something similar for many years, not willing to give up & surrender to the great waves of doubt that tossed me to & fro in life. I wanted to feel grounded & secure. I wanted to build my life on truth, not opinion or fantasy.

Will you take that journey? Have you already come out the other side?

I no longer have those doubts, because He has cut through them to show me Himself. He knew exactly what I needed because He is GOD.

Keep seeking His face, for He knows just what you need. And once you find the truth in Him, you will see that He feels more real than anything real that you have ever felt tasted, seen, heard, or smelled…

& that’s how I know He is THE truth.

Shine Hope, Lovely… By seeking HIM.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning EST for more encouragement from one imperfect human to another.

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Crystal Spring Earrings

Made from real silver and chalcedony stone, these drop earrings are so easy to throw on.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

(*Also Pictured: Sea Glass Necklace from Jordan!*)

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

Still a Work in Progress

First, I want to make sure that I clarify something up front… I am NOT writing this because I have got this practice of graciousness down & nor am I confident in consistently getting it right in my attempts to be gracious.

I write to you today as a fellow struggler in this area of graciousness. I write this as someone who needs these reminders just as much as anyone else.

I write this because God makes a way, even when it feels IMPOSSIBLE in our own efforts.

Feeling the Sting

So, graciousness… I can guess, pretty confidently, that I am not the only one who struggles in this area, am I right?

Whether you have felt the sting in your own heart, wanting to prevent showing any sign of grace because of a hurt done to you, or whether you have made a mistake, (even a one time slip up), only to be met with the opposite of graciousness… It affects us all.

And it hurts. A LOT.

Loving Our Enemies (Or People Who Hurt Us) Isn’t Easy!

But God asks us to be gracious to people who have hurt us & even asks us to love & pray for our ENEMIES & to leave justice in God’s able hands.

But that is so hard to do, isn’t it?

Even though, as I pray over & think over this topic, I am reminded of what Jesus suffered through for our sakes (even for those who screamed for His death on the cross), I still found myself wanting justice & for wrongs being righted before I could submit to any form of graciousness.

Right in the Hurt

But God doesn’t want us to withhold grace until it feels deserved. (That sort of defeats the idea of it being considered grace, doesn’t it?)

He wants us to offer grace right in the midst of the hurt.

Because not only did He do the same for us… “For God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…” (Romans 5:8) But God knows that He has the ability to fill the hole that the hurt left AND He has the ability to strengthen us to love as He loves, even when we don’t have it in ourselves to love that way. He IS SUFFICIENT. His GRACE is sufficient.

But How?!?

But how in the world do we love someone & extend grace to someone who clearly doesn’t deserve it?

Again, I might interject here that Christ knows a little something about that very thing…. But, it’s easy to think, “But… He’s God, so obviously He has more power to overcome that….” More on this in a minute.

The obvious answer is to pray & ask God to calm your heart & soothe the wound the other person inflicted. And to ask Him to right your perspective to love them the way He loves them. And to ask for HIS POWER to help us in being gracious because it feels so impossible to do so in our own strength.

Righting Our Perspective of HIM

But here is the other thing to try.

Not only should we pray for God’s perspective on how to love that other person who is hurting us & to extend grace to them…

But we should ask God to right our perspective about HIM.

The Hurts, Well They HURT!

I was recently faced with a situation that made graciousness seem pretty impossible. I wanted to defend myself & I wanted to resolve the unsettled, unresolved conflict that the other person seemed intent on leaving unresolved, after hurting my heart significantly.

I wanted to avoid that person. I wanted to gossip (but didn’t). I wanted to hide & never try again, afraid of being met with such rejection again.

And that’s what God used to show me the piece of the puzzle that prevented me from extending grace to that person…

Who Do I Live to Please?

I realized that their words were hurting me so much because I was making that person’s opinion of me a god in my life, hinging my emotions, future actions, & view of myself all on their words & opinions.

I was taking God out of His place as my Lord, & placing up there the words of that other person.

As if, if they were not happy with me, then I was “obviously” a failure & should doubt every future action unless it was met with their nod of approval.

I was living to please them, instead of God, & when that didn’t work, everything seemed to fall apart from there.

You see, God did not create me to please everyone. To love them, yes, but not to fashion my life around their whims or opinions.

Jesus Fixed His Eyes on God & Remained Gracious to the End

And that is where I started to find the road back to peace & forgiveness & graciousness.

Although Jesus came to die for the sins of mankind, the people who once praised & followed Him were eventually the ones screaming, “Crucify Him!!”

Talk about OUCH.

But Jesus knew Who God was, & it was not that crowd.

He came to serve God & to live for God’s purposes.

So, when those people screamed to have Him killed, although it hurt His heart, He continued fixing His eyes on God’s will.

Praise Is Nice, As Long As We Don’t Hinge Our Worth Or Actions on It

The praise of others feels nice & reassuring, but when we compromise our efforts of living to please God in order to maintain that praise, we miss the mark & end up in a scramble to keep that praise coming in order to feel secure.

I will make mistakes, undoubtedly. (I am pretty sure it’s a daily occurrence for me!) But as long as I do my best, through reliance on help from God, I cannot let the opinions or words of others become a god in my life.

I need to brush it off & keep my eyes focused on Him.

People are allowed their opinions, but His is the ONLY one that matters. EVER.

And because of that truth, I can learn to be gracious, in making God’s favor my aim.

My Prayer:

Lord God,

It hurts. I hate when others think so low of me, even when I am doing my best. But that is all I can do—my best. Help me to keep my eyes on You & on pleasing You, versus pleasing the fickle hearts & limited understanding that all of us humans possess. Lord, if I focus on making everyone happy & pleased with me, I will be tossed to & fro every day, dizzy from disappointing this person or that. But, God, You have a plan for me. You know where You want me & why. Help me to stay fixed on You in the midst of the arrows that race past me, threatening to disable me & to drown out my light for You. You are KING over all the earth. Help me to make You King in my life & help me to live for You & to be gracious to others. Amen.

Leaning into God When It Hurts

And when we live like that, showing graciousness when it is undeserved, we undoubtedly will shine a light for Him, because human nature screams self-protection & defensiveness & bitterness & even revenge… But God has the strength & power to help us rise above it all, if only we will lean into Him instead of trying to fight our way through it on our own.

Pray for a perspective to love them like God loves them… & pray for a perspective to make God Lord of your life versus the opinions of other humans like you.

Shine Hope, Lovely.

Coming Next Week

Join me each Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement, from imperfect me! See you then!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, 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, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Petal Necklace

This cubic zirconia floral pendant hangs from an antique golden chain & pairs perfectly with the Petal Stud Earrings.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

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