Do You Have Something That Holds You Back? If So, What Is It?

If you grew up in church, like me, then you know that it’s important to read your Bible… now, whether or not you actually do it is another thing.

I didn’t really read my Bible as if a necessity growing up. Yes, I would go through spurts where I would read it regularly… but then that would sort of feign away. I think because I had always been told different “read through the Bible in a year” plans as the way to do it, but because it wasn’t yet a habit… every time I fell behind by forgetting or having an off day, my number of chapters became so unreasonable that I would just give up.

Then came the trend of “I really just feel like I am turning ‘reading my Bible every day’ into a checklist item versus something from the heart, & I just don’t like feeling like that as my motivation—it feels icky, so I just didn’t read it today.”

Looking back, I can see very clearly in hindsight that those were 2 very effective ways Satan has kept me & many other well-meaning Christians from making Bible-reading as major a part of their lives as it should be.

After reading Andrew Murray’s compilation on Prayer book, it changed my whole worldview on Bible reading. (*You can find the link to this book & others that I personally recommend on my website–I do not receive any compensation for promoting this book: Recommended by Michelle | Michelle Hyde Online)

You see, I didn’t really get why it was as big a deal as it actually is.

God Interacts with Our Lives Way More Than We Credit Him

I also didn’t really believe or understand how interactive God really wants to be with our lives. I thought it was ONLY: “I sinned–I wronged God–Jesus paid my debt–I trusted Jesus’ payment for my sin—I get to go to heaven, not because of my goodness, but because Jesus paid my debt on the cross & rose again in 3 days to conquer sin & death. PERIOD.” (Basically, I thought the Gospel + trying to be a “good person” for God was all there was to being a Christian.)

And after that, well, my view was, for a long time—try not to screw up because you’ll make God mad, so try very hard to be a good person at all times so He doesn’t get mad at you… but it all falls on you to make that happen & to be good enough for Him—not for salvation, but because you’re supposed to… so do better. That’s how I thought.

How incomplete & skewed that thinking was.

God doesn’t exist with this squinted, dissatisfied grimace on His face, scowling down at us, constantly pointing fingers, crossing His arms, & slowly shaking His head back & forth as if to say, “well, she screwed that up again.”

 And guess what… I have screwed up A LOT.

Do you know what I have learned from all of those screwups, mistakes & failures? How gentle He is. How kind He is. How always ready to welcome me back He is. How forgiving. How faithful. How loving. How wonderfully longsuffering He is in His love toward me.

His Grace Still Amazes Me

That does not serve as an excuse to disgrace or disobey Him… not one little bit. But His love for me goes so much deeper than whether or not I’m doing a good enough job at it today or not.

He knows I am but human. He knows I am going to fall into trusting myself again, get it all wrong, trip & fall & make a huge mess of everything & then come back to Him for help eventually. And He is kind every single time it happens. It blows me away every single time.

His grace still amazes me is a line in a song that I sing with tears in my eyes every single time–because it’s the truth.

He is not my scowling overlord, but my loving heavenly Father... even when I absolutely least deserve it.

Read Your Bible!

And God is very present in my life, beyond what I could have ever believed to be true as a young Christian. He is very interactive. And the more I get to know Him through talking to Him (prayer about all things big or small) & reading His Word (the Bible, regularly), the more I see Him interacting with me & my life… the more I see Him.

Reading the Bible is so much more important than we make it out to be! PLEASE hear me on that! PLEASE!!

It is NOT just words on a page. It is NOT just a life instruction manual. It is NOT just a “collection of wise words.”

IT IS THE WORD OF GOD.

It is living. It is active. It is sharper than a two-edged sword.

You can read it a billion times & not ever reach its depth, while you can simultaneously read it once & have its truth change your life forever.

It is GOD-BREATHED.

This is not something to play around with. Listen to me, why do you think there are always infinite obstacles at the ready to keep you from reading it regularly???

Satan Will Do WHATEVER He Has to in Order to Discourage You from Reading God’s Word Regularly–Will You Let Him?

Distractions, headaches, tiredness, busyness, boredom, zoning out, feeling it’s just a checklist item… Satan will use EVERY tool he can to keep you AWAY from God’s Word… because even HE knows its power!

You NEED to be reading it. I cannot stress that enough. No amount of capital letters or exclamation points could ever be enough.

You have to read it.

Yes, maybe you go to church, maybe you go to Bible study, maybe you do a daily devotional… but HOW will you know whether any of it is truth if you yourself are not studying it & reading it?

And even if they are leading you rightly, the Bible says to crave it like newborns crave milk… is that a once-a-day thing for them? NO, they crave it repeatedly every single day. They act like they DEPEND on it… because they DO.

Do we treat the Word of God like that?

I don’t CARE if it’s like a checklist item only for you… READ IT ANYWAY. CHECK IT OFF. Let it get in your head & change your heart from the inside out. You may not be like me & crave food all the time, but you still need to feed your body, don’t you? Same with your soul! How malnourished is it right now?

Pray & Trust That God Can Get You Past What You Can’t Yourself

I didn’t get where I am without reading my Bible every day & I need MORE of it… I am a work in progress with you.

Even if you have to pray, “God, You know I’m bored & I check out… but I know You say to do it, so I know it honors You… so help me to focus anyway as I read right now. AMEN.” And then READ & watch Him fight for you.

You won’t be consistent right away maybe, but building a habit takes time.

You don’t stop eating nutritional food forever moving forward because you ate really bad on one day, do you? NO. Your body still appreciates the good you DID give to it… the same with your soul. Miss a day? Come back tomorrow where you left off… every bit matters…. Let it renew you.

Reading the Bible Is SO Much More Important Than We Make It out to Be

God never prescribes “reading through the Bible in a year” plans. That’s man-made. Just start somewhere. Start small, see it change you & make you crave more every year that passes. Watch it change you as you let it.

Just a checklist item for you? GOOD—READ anyway.

Distractions galore for you? GOOD—God is BIGGER… PRAY & READ anyway.

Too boring for you? GOOD—READ anyway.

No letting Satan keep you away anymore, okay? God is on your side on this. He WANTS you to know Him… to hear His voice… to see His care for you….

But you need to open your Bible… & you need to read it.

Stop letting Satan win this part of your life & your heart & your future of seeing & obeying God better.

Shine HOPE by reading your Bible like it’s the best thing you could do for yourself–because it is. God says to read it for a reason… so listen to Him.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 35) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @7pm EST/Wednesdays @9am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Blue Sage Jewelry Set (w/ Necklace), Handcrafted & Empowering Women in Extreme Areas of Poverty

This jewelry set includes 3 handmade bracelets, a pair of earrings, and a genuine stone necklace that are all handcrafted in workshops in India that’s committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. The Blue Sage Bracelet Stack is crafted using up-cycled bone to create a beautiful look, perfect for daily wear or gifting. Each bracelet is accented with one gold-tone bead and the set features a blue, green, and tan bracelet. The ethically made, gorgeous Blue Sage Earrings features layered shapes crafted out of up-cycled bone. Each earring has a tan circle stud connecting to an olive green rounded bar and a powder blue open arch pendant suspended below. The stunning Blue Sage Quartz Necklace features dyed quartz on a gold-tone adjuster chain and is perfect for everyday wear.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

The Countdown Has Begun

Every week that I come on here to write my blog, I am familiar with the countdown it signifies… every blog post means another week closer to our move to Florida from the other side of the world, on Guam.

I don’t like it.

Yes, I feel like God is keeping me steady in the day-to-day as of now. I am recognizing when I need to end the spiral by stepping out of the chaos that is sometimes my world & taking time to pour it all out to God & ask for help.

I am working on the step-by-step process. Trying to stay present with friends & ministries here, while also planning for my future there.

It is a hard balance… but God is helping me walk it.

There Are a Lot of Not-So-Funs about Moving

When I tell you that I dislike house-hunting, I am putting it lightly. I hate it.

I hate living out of a suitcase, living in the in-between, knowing wherever you are isn’t really your home–just where you are at that current moment… no settling in. No homey vibes of comfort.

Then the house-hunting itself is so disheartening. It requires repeatedly falling in love with homes, only to have them snatched away last minute. Letting yourself visualize that space as your home, then starting the search over again.

Or maybe just not even finding anything that matches the feel of what you would like, wondering about compromise… & how much compromise… from your dream home.

The negotiations, the high hopes, the snatched away hopes, the waiting, the not knowing when it will end.

House-hunting is not for the faint of heart–& I am faint of heart. I still have trauma from doing it all here. It was the worst.

It’s painful, to be honest. Call me weak if you want…. But I just don’t like it.

Revealing an Area to Pray About

So that’s obviously where I need to be praying most right now, because it’s the thing giving me the most anxiety right now.

I need to rest in the fact that God already sees where we ought to live for reasons only He can see. It could possibly not look like what I wanted or prayed for after all, but it will be what I needed. I have to trust that. I have to trust He knows better than me, come what may–because He does.

Giving up the dream I have in my head of what I want it to look like or be like… fearing the potential need for giving that up… is what’s the hardest for me right now. I don’t want to give up on it.

But God sees what I don’t. He knows… I only think I do. I need to let Him take the lead, whatever that ends up looking like. I need to be willing to let go. I need to be willing to trust Him to do what I need more than what I think I want.

Surrender.

I hate that word sometimes, don’t you?

I Can Trust Him to Know Better Than I Do

But God knows better than me. God, You know better than me—please help me to remember that every time I try to cling to my dream… every time fear threatens to chokehold me.

You’ve got me covered, God… I can bank on that… no matter what my fears may tell me at any given moment. I can trust that at least… even when I may not be able to see it at all.

So, God, please help me. Guide our steps. Calm my heart. Help me to trust You over what I think I know. You know better. You’ve got me. You see it already. You know without having to guess. Help me trust You more with my fears here… with my hurts that are coming in feeling displaced without a home for however long that takes. You will care for me, even if I’m hurting. I know You see me. You care. Help me to remember that every minute so the fears & hurts don’t have power over me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

It’s okay to be afraid—we’re human & we don’t see all that God sees… but that fear isn’t from Him—because He already knows & He wants you to trust that fact when you can’t see it yourself. So, remember that fact when the fears come a knockin’. Because, in a life where we can’t see it all—fears will come… but He is still on His throne… He still cares for you.

So, trust Him. (I’m saying all this to myself right now, too, you best believe it.)

Where Is the Fast-Forward Button in Life?

The anticipation is killing me sometimes. I want to know NOW. I want to put the fears to rest by SEEING the RESULTS. Where is the fast-forward button in life? Can God please CC me?

Do you ever feel that way, too? Worried that maybe what you dream is ahead will all come crashing down? That everything you’ve worked so hard towards will just not come through the way you hoped?

But God is on His throne. He knows better than us. Even if it seems we got “jipped,” we can trust that God did it for an excellent big picture reason that we maybe can’t even see. He has a bigger & broader view of the situation than we could ever hope to have. Maybe we move in a less-than-ideal neighborhood because someone there needs Jesus… or because a future very best friend is waiting there.

I don’t know… but I know that He knows.

Shine HOPE by recognizing to fear is human… but it’s not from God… so take that fear to Him… lay it down… & trust He can do far above what you can do with your circumstances & your future. He’s got you. Always. 100%.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 34) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @7pm EST/Wednesdays @9am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Magnolia Pouch–Handcrafted by & Empowering Women in India out of Areas of Extreme Poverty

Every purchase of the Magnolia Pouch supports women with fair jobs, helps educate girls, fights child marriage, and empowers families leaving slums in India. This stunning green velvet, versatile pouch is handcrafted by women rising above the grip of poverty in India. Each Magnolia Pouch features beautifully embroidered florals to create an adorable look with a convenient zipper closure.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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 Sees & God Knows… Thank God!

Who else has a major life change coming up? Or maybe you just went through one?

As you may have heard, my husband & I are closing the final chapter to our 14-year adventure abroad & moving back stateside to Orlando, FL.

With all we need to accomplish between now & then… the temptation to be swirled into a whirlwind of anxiety is out of this world.

I also feel like I am living a double life right now. Part of me is already there, already making preparations & plans for the home we will be building in that area… the other half of me is very aware that I still have a life HERE… ministries, my job, & my FRIENDS.

Oh, & don’t forget the home projects, setting up contractors for bigger projects, & working toward selling our first home. There’s a lot to do & a lot of new here!

But then we just breathe. Take a breath… take a moment… & just breathe.

Learning to pray our way through every obstacle, through every I-don’t-know-how. Learning to ask God to illuminate each step I should take, just putting one foot in front of the other... because God already sees… God already know… thank GOD.

What to Do & What to Forget About

It is unlikely that everything on our list will get done in 8 weeks… that’s just facts… so knowing where to start & what to prioritize is quite daunting in some moments.

And I don’t know about you, but when I get overwhelmed, it is quite literally paralyzing. Like my mind just shuts down as I stare blankly at the wall… as if my brain just hit reboot & is working on starting back up again. Anyone else? Just me?

So I have to be really careful not to get to that point. I have to take my whole list to God & say, “God, I don’t know what to prioritize here, but I know You do. I don’t know what to do with half of this list (or more), but I know that You do. Please help show the way. Please give me wisdom. Please help me take each step one step at a time. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

If I don’t do this every time the tide starts getting a little threateningly high… I run the risk of more shutdowns where I get nothing done until my brain “reboots.”

We could really use your prayers during this season of our life. The next 8 weeks are going to go by so quickly & we have so many things yet to do & so many unpaved paths to walk where we don’t really know yet what to do.

One step at a time. One prayer at a time.

We Ask You to Please Pray

So, here, I am going to share my prayer request master list with you one more time… & I am praying very specifically because God can for sure handle the details better than I can. And sometimes He doesn’t answer the exact way I ask, but even better to the heart of what I am asking. He sees how it will all fit together much better than we do, even when we may miss it.

Please pray with us:

1. The right buyers for our home, with a healthy return on our investment into this house
2. Contractors to do the work who charge fair prices & do good work
3. Wisdom on what to focus on & what to let go of in prepping our house to sell
4. Searching for a new home (well-kept, clean/safe neighborhood with sidewalks for walking a dog, good parking, open floorplan for entertaining/hosting space, a well-lit office for me & 1 for Jamie, enclosed pool, modern-looking interior, good storage, in our price range, near Jamie’s work & near our church)
5. Bible-preaching church with good community near our new home
6. Friends who are both edifying & encouraging—pointing us more to Jesus
7. New ministry opportunities
8. New pets (2 kittens & a puppy made for us, with sweet & fun demeanors with pretty coloring—I really want a kitten that is gray or light brown with cream/white)
9. Jamie’s new job (& my new job?)
10. PEACE through the process in taking every new day one step at a time, praying our way through it, trusting God can where we can’t & that He has far better wisdom than we do & can help us as we seek Him for it.

Thank you if you decide to pray with/for us. I cannot wait to see in what ways God answers our prayers!

Praying through Major Life Changes

It is so hard not to get swallowed up by all the anxieties of the unknowns & yet-to-comes, & that is why it is SO important to remember that God sees what you can’t… His wisdom far surpasses your own… His knowledge of the situation & of your future are unmatched… He can do immeasurably more than you could ever ask or even imagine… so ASK HIM.

Don’t stress–PRAY!

Shine HOPE by going to Him with every detail, big or small, knowing He cares for you! When you’re tempted to stress—PRAY!

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 33) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @7pm EST/Wednesdays @9am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Santorini Jewelry Set-Handcrafted in & Providing Jobs for Women in India!

This stunning, blue necklace and bracelet set from India will give you the sweet, seasonal look your summer wardrobe needs! The Santorini Necklace and Sky Bracelet is beautifully beaded with aqua-colored glass beads. Wear alone or style with other necklaces and bracelets for a layered look! Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

Bind My Wandering Heart to Thee

Why is it SO easy to get distracted from what really matters in life?

I have talked before about how I relate so much to the Israelites in the Bible. I am them.

Yes, I know when the dust settles that only because of Jesus do I get to go to heaven, & yes I get to see just how patient & long-suffering the love of God, through the loving sacrifice of His Son Jesus really is.

But distractions are EVERYWHERE.

It’s not an excuse, but it is a reality.

Satan Doesn’t Really Have to Try So Hard If He Can Get Us to Just Feel Comfortable & to Rely on Ourselves

I have mentioned this before, but in other countries, spiritual warfare is often much more obvious & often terrifying. Demon possessions happened in the Bible & they still happen today. Satan is not sleeping with this world anymore today than he was in Bible times.

But, in America, I think he has found, in his thousands of years of studying human behavior, that all Americans need really is a false sense of control… complacency… something seemingly so subtle that it can be so easily excused away as “not that bad.”

We dismiss the danger, & so we fail to protect ourselves from him.

God Warns Us… And We Ought to Heed Him

Verses telling us to be alert, vigilant, suit up in the armor of God seem more like cute little verses about trusting God through hardship versus any real NEED to ACTUALLY stand firm against any real threat.

But Satan is still roaming. He is still seeking to kill, to destroy, to deceive. He still wants to destroy your life & your testimony.

And he’s quite frankly doing an excellent job. Let us destroy ourselves because we are lulled into thinking the threat isn’t even a threat worth caring about… believing the lie that we’ve got our life pretty well handled without being on our knees in prayer every day, gleaning from God’s Word every day for the sustenance to survive.

It’s like we forget or majorly downplay all the warnings God so carefully made sure to make us aware of over & over in His Word.

Not just a passive, “we have God, we’re good,” but a, “if we’re not daily leaning into God moment-by-moment every day, we are just as susceptible to falling for Satan’s wiles as Adam & Ever were. We NEED to take the threat seriously as God has repeatedly urged us to do in His Word, the Bible, & live IN an ABIDING in Jesus Christ, not just an acknowledging of Him.”

SO Easily Forgotten

Sometimes, I shock myself at how quickly I turn. I can be all on fire with, “I will do ANYTHING for You! God, You are worth my ALL!” to later that week, being so engrossed in mindless activities that I don’t WANT to look up from it, for anything or anyOne—even for God.

I am drawn SO EASILY toward COMFORT.

It goes straight from, “God, thank You for this moment of rest & peace!” to, “who? God? No, I would rather do this right now.” Shame. Shame on me. Why am I like this??

It is like a constant turnaround from, “I’m ALL IN!” to “I’d rather do this” to “God, I did it again, I am so sorry. Help me focus on what matters—YOU” & then back again.

Why am I like this? Soooo stupid. It really just is so stupid. So why do I keep falling for it?

It’s so subtle too. I don’t even see it happening until I am neck deep in comfort & haven’t thought to ask His opinion all day.

The Good Shepherd’s Hook–The Tough Love Our Wandering Hearts Really Need

That’s what makes me think of the shepherd’s hook, how Jesus is described as the Good Shepherd… how we are described as the dumb sheep who are so prone to wander.

I am sure it doesn’t feel good to get whacked with the shepherd’s hook or have it yank around your neck when you’re about to mindlessly walk off a cliff.

But the shepherd will do it because he knows that the alternative is so much terribly WORSE–that the sheep need rescuing no matter how uncomfortable it may be… it’s far better than the alternative.

I need His tough love sometimes… to be yanked back to reality… to have my perspective righted over & over again.

What Will Ru(i)n Your Life?

What really matters?

What will matter of your life after you are gone?

What will God say of how you used your time when you are standing before Him face-to-face?

What will have been worth it?

What opinion will you have of your life when you are laying on your death bed, no longer able to do anything about it?

How will you live now for the glory of God?

Shine HOPE by being willing to “about face” as many times as needed to turn back to what matters—living for the glory of God—keeping in mind the infiniteness of God’s long-suffering, patient love for you. Turn back—over & over & over again, as many times as it takes. He’ll be there waiting & He is beyond worth it–All for the glory of God.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 31) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Mosaic Necklace-Empowering Women in India out of Sweatshops

This stunning, Mosaic Necklace handcrafted in India will give you the fun, colorful look your summer wardrobe needs! This necklace is beautifully beaded with multicolored dyed quartz beads, featuring gold accent beads. Wear alone or style with other necklaces for a layered look!

Purchase this beautiful necklace to provide safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

Not What I Had in Mind

It’s Sunday afternoon right now as I’m writing this & I just need to brag on God a little bit.

You see, today was my first day back teaching the K4/K5 Sunday School class after a few month summer break of traveling & hosting my parents here on Guam.

I am not one who gravitates toward working with children, but you would never know it because I literally work with kids all the time. I taught K5 years ago (was not my plan), I help with K4/K5 children’s church now, & I also aide for 2^nd grade (previously 1^st grade for a few years). So, saying it isn’t something I would eagerly gravitate toward sounds pretty understandably unbelievable.

I feel like those actresses who play the same genre several times & then get pigeonholed there… they may WANT to branch out, but people automatically envision them playing those types of roles & so those are the ones they tend to be able to book. (Do I need to just not mention anything about my past of working with kids & see where I get placed in the future as a blank slate? Haha, maybe.)

But, I did pray & ask God to show me where He wanted me to serve, versus just shooting straight for what my preferences would be: ie. Discipleship, women’s ministry, maybe even young adults/teens. And God answered by just putting this I-can’t-ignore-it nudge on my heart to serve where I’m serving. And here I am.

It’s Healthy Sometimes Not Doing What Feels Most Comfortable

Anyway, because this isn’t exactly the ministry area I would have picked, sometimes I feel so out of my element & so out of my comfort zone, that I need to weekly take a deep breath & pray for a good attitude, the energy to get through it, & the words & wisdom to share with the kids so my teaching isn’t wasted.

I pray every Saturday night this way: “Lord, please help me to have a good attitude about getting up earlier tomorrow & help me have the right words to say to help them understand what I teach from Your Word. Give me the words & wisdom & please help me get through it. Give me a right attitude about it, too. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Years ago, back when we first lived on Guam, right after my hubs & I got married, there used to be adult Sunday school at our church & we were in the marriage & family class.

Our teacher had so many nuggets of wisdom to help us as a newly married couple hoping & fully expecting to have kids someday.

But one thing in particular that he taught stands out to me in regards to ministry. He would always say, “Don’t just volunteer where you feel comfortable & in something you feel already confident in… because what happens when you do that? You’re trusting in yourself, your know-how, your abilities… no. Instead, volunteer outside of your comfort zone, where you don’t feel you can do it… because then you’re not relying on yourself—you’re relying on HIM through each day of it. And when you rely on Him, you are letting Him work through you, in His strength, His wisdom, His guidance… & that is where true work can be done because you’re letting Him take the lead instead of yourself.”

What wise words!

Praying My Way Through It

And that’s my life these past few years—praying my way through every day of it because it is NOT what I would have chosen for myself. And honestly, it’s been WAY more rewarding getting to see HIM work through what I KNOW cannot come from ME.

And today was no different. It’s the start of a new school year, kids that are barely past THREE are now joining my class. Most of those who would have been my now K5ers (who know the rules & routines of our class & can help set the tone for the rest of the class) have moved or are just not back on island yet from summer travels… so hardly any of them know the rules & routines. Starting FRESH here.

That’s hard enough, but I had FIFTEEN kids today. FIFTEEN! I normally have no more than 8, maybe?

Then I had several kids who knew no boundaries or self-control. They were loud, all-over-the-place chaotic. (2 got in a fist fight!) Multiply that & pretty quickly the whole class can dissolve into chaos. It’s a LOT.

I’m Glad I Can Count on Him When I Can’t Count on Myself

But I went to God with it all last night in preparation for it. I prayed through it today. And the unnatural calm I felt today in the midst of all THAT was all Him.

It didn’t get to me. I took a deep breath, prayed silently, then handled each situation with calm, demonstrating how they are to handle each situation.

Not joining the chaos or trying to fight above it… but bringing them down to my calm instead.

And for the most part, it worked. I showed them respect & stayed calm. They mirrored & began to get how we do things in our class.

It was truly miraculous. I can’t believe how well I handled that because that is not my natural response to chaos (cue panic & frustration & get-me-out-of-here thoughts of desperation).

God had me. God helped me. God kept me centered & grounded.

Because I relied on Him & not me in it.

I’m SO glad I can count on Him when I can’t count on myself.

Don’t Fear Serving Him Where You Don’t Feel You’re Made for It

So, don’t fear being outside your comfort zone. Don’t fear what you’re not good at. Don’t just serve where it makes you feel comfortable.

Pray about it. Ask God to lead. Ask God to decide.

And trust Him to take the lead through it. His wisdom. His words. His guidance. His work through you.

He’s got you even when you don’t got you.

Trust Him! He’s got it.

Shine HOPE by turning to Him through the hard, when you’re completely out of your comfort zone & have no clue what you’re doing. He already knows. He’s got it. He will help as you call out to Him for it.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 30) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

August 2026 “Hope Mail”

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to health care, education for their children, and care for elderly family members. Purchase this month’s Hope Mail and empower women in India!

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

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

August Hope Mail includes the stunning Blue Sage Quartz Necklace, handcrafted by women in India earning a fair wage for their work. Featuring dyed quartz on a gold-tone adjuster chain, this necklace is perfect for everyday wear.

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates safe jobs for women to earn a dignified wage and send their children to school. 

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

This Girl Likes to be “in the Know”

I am not a fan of the unknown, or, more accurately, I am not a fan of feeling like I can’t have control over a certain aspect of my life.

Because, let’s face it, fear of the unknown is really a fear of not knowing how to prepare, how to handle it, where to go, what to do next… it’s a fear of not feeling any control.

And not having any control in any given circumstance is NOT my comfort zone.

When I Have to Pray Just to Get through Each Moment… It’s Hard

That’s a big reason why feeling weak is so hard on me–like sleeplessness or prolonged injury or sickness—I want to pray the weakness or discomfort away, pray for strength, & feel capable again… without needing to pray for help every second of every day for absolutely everything just to get through the day.

That’s a big reason why moving is so hard for me, too—not knowing where we’ll live or when I’ll be able to make friends or get a job or or or…. I feel super vulnerable. I feel very little control over whether people like me or whether I’ll fit in or anything really. I feel completely out of my element… & I don’t like it.

I think that’s why I so often pray the way of getting comfortable again, feeling capable, feeling “I’ve got this” vibes. I like feeling in control of my environment. (Also why I like having a “buffer friend” in a crowd so I know that if every person there were to reject or dislike me… I’ve still got someone by my side. I’m okay speaking TO a crowd, but not trying to speak IN a crowd, if that makes sense. Crowds make me nervous because I don’t know where I fit in that crowd–it overwhelms me. I’ll do it anyway… because I like making & having friends… but it is not comfort zone approved in any way whatsoever.)

It’s Coming… & the Temptation for Wanting to Know Everything RIGHT NOW or Else PANIC Is So Annoyingly Intense Sometimes…

Well, the unknown is coming… it’s here already, technically.

And I don’t mean “it’s already here” by the fact that “really, if I were to really think about it… every single day is the unknown because I actually have very little control compared to the illusion of control I feel myself to have.”

I mean that God is moving with something in my life & I have no idea what that is going to end up looking like (& no, it’s not pregnancy)… & the huge temptation is unease in the uncertainty… the waiting… the unknown.

I want to KNOW! Now!

But, I am reminded again that God is already there. He already sees it. He already knows. And if there is any delay in getting further information, it is only because God knows the exact right timing to converge the details the exact way they need to be… & any rushing from me would potentially steal away something God is working together because I tried to rush ahead of His timing. I don’t want that.

Stepping into the Unknown with a God Who Knows

I have to be willing to be faithful with what God puts in front of me in the waiting versus trying to rush ahead to the next thing before it’s time… & trust Him with what He hasn’t quite shown me all the way yet. He doesn’t need my help… He needs my obedience to His will, His working… & HIS timing.

Am I so tempted to want to micromanage God a little bit? Honestly, yes.

But would that end up being in my best interest? Probably not, no.

As much as I want so badly to have a say & to be “in the know,” I have to be willing to recognize that He has got things handled far better than I could ever hope to manage.

—God’s got me.—

I Want to Wait on Him… & to Trust Him in the Waiting

So, as much as I may want to rush to the last page of this chapter to see what He is working on behind the scenes, I need to step back & pray about it… pray for peace in knowing He’s handling it… pray for wisdom & discernment moving forward when it’s time… pray for the ability to be present & obedient in the waiting.

God’s got me. He sees. He knows. He’s got me.

“So, here I am, God. Yes, I see You. I know You… You’re working. I don’t have to step in… You’ve got it… You’ve got me. I need to get better at trusting You. I know that. So, help me in the waiting. Help me when the details are still so unclear, when excitement & anxiety & worry all want to swirl together around me & sweep me away. Still me. Remind me You’ve got this & You don’t need an ounce of me to step in to help. Let me let You & help me to be faithful & to show up in the waiting, obeying You where You have me right now. You’ve got the future covered. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

So, if you’re stepping into some sort of transition, too… some new season… a new unknown… will you sit with me in it? Trusting you don’t have to agonize over all the details… you just have to wait on Him, trusting He’s doing His work even when you can’t quite see it… to rest in Him in the waiting… to be faithful with what’s in front of you right now, trusting His lead & His timing not to need an ounce of your micromanagement. He’s got us.

What a comfort that is… to know that I am stepping into the unknown with a God Who KNOWS.

Shine HOPE by resting in Him during the seasons of unknown, trusting He has a plan, He is working, He’s got you.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 29) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Marcella Earrings–Helping Empower Women in India out of Poverty!

Our stunning Marcella Earrings are handmade in India by women earning fair wages for their work. These earrings have an asymmetrical design. One earring has a pearl stud that features a gold nugget at the bottom of the chain. The other earring has a gold stud with pearl accent beads throughout the chain. Every purchase creates safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

We Miss This Sometimes

You are so loved, did you know that?

People make God out to be this Controlling Overseer judging our every move, constantly disappointed, badgering us with shame & guilt like we can never be enough….

But those images & perceptions of Him are entirely & completely false… Couldn’t be further from the truth, actually.

When our mistakes, our wrong choices, & our sin disappoint Him, it is not expressed to us through a sense of shame in us, but rather in knowing that every single command He gives is to protect us from the harm we don’t understand we’re causing ourselves & others. He cares too much about us not to warn us about things He knows will hurt us.

Imagine with me dodging to swat your kid’s hand away from the burning pot on the stove. Do you do that to shame your kid about their choices, to embarrass them? NO! You do it because you KNOW how much that would hurt them & you would much rather risk hurting their feelings in the moment by telling them “no” in order to protect them… than to stand by & watch them burn.

Everything He says “no” to is to protect us.

Like small children, who usually don’t know better–especially on their first attempt… they THINK they know, don’t they?

God will do anything to keep you from unknowingly hurting yourself. But we have to be willing to listen to His loving commands, through obedience to His Word, the Bible. It will not prevent all hurt in our lives, but it will prevent us from unnecessarily hurting ourselves or others around us who end up reaping the consequences of your actions.

He Sees You. He Cares About You. He Wants to Protect You from Yourself.

Imagine an All-Knowing, ETERNAL God–compared to us, whose lives are as a vapor comparatively… & us thinking we see clearer than He does. How ridiculous, right!?

Just like that tottering toddler believes YOU may not know what YOU’RE talking about. The audacity, right?

God knew you were gonna screw it up. He knew you would fail so many times. He knew you wouldn’t always get it, wouldn’t always believe Him over yourself… wouldn’t always listen & obey….

He made you anyway. He knew His grace, through Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sin would be big enough to cover it no matter what your screwups included.

God knew you couldn’t make yourself, so He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He wanted you to exist. He wanted you here… so He MADE you.

God knew you could never hope to pay for your wrongs against Him & so the wrath of God would fall on you, a burden that would swallow you whole & lead to eternal suffering & pain…. So, He sent Jesus to pay your price on the cross—If you trust in that free, unbelievably generous gift of His sacrifice on your behalf, He covers your sin free of charge, He takes God’s wrath on Himself instead!

We NEED to Obey Him, Because Not Only Does He Deserve It–It Is ALSO for Our GOOD!!

God knew this life would often feel too heavy to manage. He warned against mankind fighting to have the knowledge of good & evil in the Garden of Eden, to instead let Him shoulder it & handle it, but mankind chose self (as each of us do so often!) & that trait was passed down throughout all generations, & so now we often mistake being aware of good & evil as a need to try to fix it all & to try & carry the burden of it all on ourselves versus leaning into Him for His lead & His wisdom & His strength as He offers us freely.

His love for us in so unreal. His love for you.

He is not coming to condemn & point fingers & shame you.

He came to die on your behalf. Jesus died to take on God’s wrath reserved for you, so that you could be set free from the sin & guilt you shoulder yourself… from the eternal punishment you deserve.

All because He loves you.

He Cleans Us Up from the Inside Out… He Never Leaves Us Where We Are

He takes you as you are, but He doesn’t leave you there… He cleans you up. He loves you too much to leave you as is. He works in & through your life for GOOD.

What a gracious gift!! For YOU!!

No, God isn’t snickering at you failing & flailing through life… He nudges at your heart to come home to Him & let Him love you & clean you up.

He isn’t rolling His eyes, talking about you behind your back, as if “what a loser, what a failure, what a disappointment.” But beckons you to slump into His arms of refuge & forgiveness & the beginning of a clean slate.

He offers you His grace through Jesus. He offers you mercy in exchange for your wrongs. He gently, patiently cleans you up versus guilting you to do it yourself to be “good enough” for Him. He walks with you through this life, versus letting you figure it out yourself.

GOD. LOVES. YOU.

Come to Him. Bow to Him. Trust in Jesus. Watch Him make you clean from the inside out, giving you a fresh start, a clean slate, & a changed heart… a new life in Him.

Do You Feel Loved? What Does Love Mean to You?

He is the best decision I have EVER made & WILL ever make… & I trusted in Jesus’ saving grace at just 5. And I won’t ever top it. Any age you are is the perfect time to watch Him change your life.

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” (Isaiah 41:10)

“For God did not send His Son [Jesus] into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17)

“… For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God….” (Romans 3:23)

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

“For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

For God SO Loved YOU… God IS Love!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

“In His presence is fullness of JOY.” (Psalm 16:11)

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body ^[a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:3-8)

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 28) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Capri Coast Earrings–Handcrafted in & Creating Jobs for Women in India!

These beautiful, hand-beaded Capri Coast Earrings create dignified jobs for women in India who are able to earn fair wages for their work in a safe environment. Each strand of beads attaches to a gold-tone semi-circle. Handcrafted in a workshop in India committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans, these fair-trade statement earrings are perfect for summer!

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

He Makes Us New

I hear a lot of people feeling pressured to have their life cleaned up before they can come to Jesus, but that is not how the Bible displays the grace of God.

On this recent Sunday, the pastor read from the story of the sinner on the cross.

This man, told about in Luke 23:38-43, recognized that Jesus did not deserve to be on that cross beside him, but that he himself definitely did. He acknowledged his own sinfulness… he did not deny it.

But what that robber also didn’t do was have opportunity to clean his life up before having any chance for heaven. He had no right to heaven & no more time left to prove himself worthy for it going forward. He was already at the end, time was up.

But yet, Jesus verbally welcomed him into heaven.

… Not based on this sinner’s deserving (he had none)… not on his work to make up for it or change (his time was already up)… but based on his belief on Jesus as the One Whom he needed to save him from his deserved wrath.

I know a lot of us know this, & yet, we can get so caught up in judging someone else’s faith or place in heaven based on their weaknesses & past. God cleans us up through our faith on Jesus Christ to pay for our sins–we don’t do the cleaning up–He does.

I STILL Don’t Deserve Heaven Sans Jesus Covering My Sins, Even All These Years Later

I don’t know about you, but I, being saved now for almost 40 years, understand very clearly how undeserving I STILL am.

God is a faithful Vinedresser. (John 15:1-8) He is still weeding those things out of me. He is still cutting off things that distract me from getting properly nourished through Him & from being the most fruitful I can be.

God is faithful in tending to how my heart needs to change, how I need to be renewed & molded to be more in the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Infinitely being gently corrected & changed, beyond what I deserve.

I see this a lot with sins that are embedded in a person’s perceived “identity.” I have heard people say that those who struggle presently with it cannot be a Christian while still believing those things or living in them.

But I challenge them on the power of the Gospel.

I still have seasons where I am foolish & allow myself to be deceived, where I have excused circles around my sin habit. But God is always gentle, forgiving, & faithful to continue pruning my heart, just as God got David’s attention through a prophet He sent to confront David near a year of David having deceived circles around his own quite major sins. (2 Samuel 12:1-8)

Despite our facing of the natural consequences of our wrong choices, how merciful God is to us.

We Are Naturally Often Afraid of Seeming Like It Means We Are Excusing Our Sin in Mentioning God’s Ever-Gracious, Merciful Nature

The fear we may face of talking about the possibility of being saved while living in sin is usually wrapped around the thought of it being an EXCUSING of sin, as if, “well, it IS paid for, so stop making a big deal about their sin… stop making that a deal-breaker.”

There is no way I am saying that. Sin matters. Your choices matter. Your obedience to God MATTERS.

Sin still causes damage. Sin still hurts us, others, AND God. Sin still tests & angers God, because God knows the damage & hurt it causes & tells us not to engage with it… & when we instead trust OURSELVES—we are then putting our own limited “wisdom” above the God Who made us & the world & everything in it. It is severely insulting to Him. It still has a cost. And sin still makes a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on that cross for our sin.

So sin still very much matters.

We Still NEED to be Seeking God WHILE Letting Him Prune & Change Us from the Inside Out

Pursuing holiness & obedience to God, living as a testimony of His truth & living FOR HIS glory—STILL MATTERS.

There are so many verses that attest to the opposite of living apart from regular, repeated sin is what allows you to be truly saved.

But by Christ alone.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:3; Romans 10:9)

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

“… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

Even the prodigal SON passage displays this. (Luke 15:11-32) This story is not one of a stranger becoming a son, but rather a son making a mockery of his Father’s great generosity, WASTING it, & the welcoming grace that awaited him upon his humbled return.

I Didn’t Get Cleaned Up All at Once… But I am Failing Forward with God’s Working in Me

And then, there’s my life. Almost 40 years of mistakes, of failures, of wrong beliefs that were not called out or righted right away. Living sinfully because I was convinced I was doing nothing wrong, or that it “wasn’t really that bad.”

The gentle guiding, teaching, convicting of my heart throughout my life.

I was deceived. I let myself be led astray. I was foolish.

God kept weeding things out of me that shouldn’t be there. Ever faithful, ever working on my heart, ever making me more like Jesus.

God kept leading me & bringing sin to mind so I could lay it down. Sometimes I fought Him, but He kept working on me until I finally obeyed Him over trusting myself. It wasn’t all it once, it wasn’t always a willingness, but knowing it was a necessity, that God knew better than me, even when I didn’t want to believe that.

Only God Knows–Speak Truth, in Love–Warn of the Consequences–But Mostly, PRAY for Them

Is it hard to watch someone proclaiming Christ to be living in sin? Yes.

Does it make it seem like they’re not really saved because they’re not CURRENTLY living like it in this season? Yes.

Will that sin harm them & bring them destruction? Yes.

Does God still HATE our sin while still loving us? Yes.

Ought we warn people about their sin? YES.

Ought we turn away from our sin, even if we enjoy it, believe in it, & have been deceived over it, understanding that God ALWAYS knows better than we do & because obedience to Him still matters more than getting to live the way we want to live? YES.

If what we desires contradicts God’s Word—we’re the ones who are wrong, not Him.

He must be heeded.

We must obey His Word over our desires.

He is in charge, He knows everything—NOT us.

Sin (Doing Opposite of What God Commands or Says Is Right) Destroys. PERIOD. Don’t be Fooled!

But when we see someone proclaiming Christ while living in sin that they have convinced themselves is just fine, we need to warn them not to choose themselves over Christ… of the destruction, deception, & dishonor to God that it brings… while loving them anyway.

“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

BE CAREFUL.

God says that if we don’t HATE everyone that matters to us compared to our LOVE for HIM–in other words that we need to make Him FIRST above ALL ELSE in our lives–that we’re not worthy to be His disciples. (Luke 14:26) If you are choosing yourself or anyone/anything more than you are willing to love & obey Him, you are living in a way that dishonors Him. You are living in sin.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

If you even have an INKLING of a thought that maybe you are wrong about what others call sin… AND you proclaim to trust in Christ… you MUST be willing to defer to Him & His Word over yourself. You must be willing to ask God to examine your life & weed out what He wishes.

Your sin may be your security blanket, but that particular security blanket it eroding away at you, eating at you from the inside out, destroying you. DON’T TRUST IT.

God Cleans Us Up–Come to Him First

God’s Word brings LIFE. Sin DESTROYS.

Every time. Every SINGLE time. Do not trust it.

Lay it down. Let Him have it. Turn it over to Him.

If you are living in sin, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are not saved, but it does mean you are actively making a mockery of the sacrifice that was offered in the life & death of Jesus Christ our Lord…. GOD FORBID we mock His sacrifice for our lives & our forgiveness before God!

Shine HOPE by not determining FOR God the eternal standing of anyone… by refusing to inaccurately represent the need for our goodness to accompany the grace of God in being allowed admittance into Heaven, by warning against the destruction brought on by trusting self over God Almighty, by refusing to make a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ by living our way over His… by living ALL you do for the glory of GOD.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 27) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

July 2026 “Hope Mail”-Empowering Women out of Poverty in India!

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

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

July hope mail includes the beautiful Brisa Hoops, perfect for summer styling! Each handmade earring is crafted with a gold-tone hoop and beaded fringe details.

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates safe jobs for women to become financially independent in areas of extreme poverty in India and helps fight child marriage.      

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

He Wants Even Better Than That for You

I need to warn you about a pattern I see growing in many church cultures—the “God just wants me to be happy” lie.

Does He care about your well-being? Yes, of course He does.

Does God love you with a love purer than any human being could try to muster? As displayed on the cross of Christ, & of God creating us despite knowing the many ways we would fall short or reject Him, YES.

Does God want the very best for you? Also, yes.

But God also is wiser than we can comprehend. He knows that good does not equal easy & that hard is not always bad.

He lets us face really hard things because He knows He is infinitely capable. He knows how readily we want to trust in ourselves instead of on Him. He wants us to put our trust in HIM more than we put it in ourselves.

And if we never face hardship or pain, we will forever live in the anxiety of our own insufficiencies & live forever afraid of where our sufficiency will end or not prove to be enough.

But when hard things happen… when we are forced to look beyond ourselves… we learn that He HAS us. He IS God. He CAN be trusted… that He infinitely CAN where we absolutely cannot.

Facing Trials & Hardships… As Hard as it Sometimes Is… Is Actually for Our Good

Facing hardships & the uncomfortable grows our peace because it grows our understanding of God’s faithfulness, goodness, & infinite power… His immeasurable grace & love towards us.

He never wastes a SINGLE tear. He NEVER quits on us. He has a plan that goes beyond what we see.

His goal is our holiness, our wholeness, our being fulfilled in Him… more than on our temporary, fleeting, unreliable happiness. PEACE.

I would know. I chased happiness for years & ended up dryer & dryer as time went on… it ended up emptying me instead of fulfilling me.

But when I humbled myself at His feet & trusted Him over my own pursuit of happiness… well, I found joy that the trials of life couldn’t touch. Because I was no longer relying on that temporary, fleeting, unreliable thing… but on the eternal, steadfast, faithfully reliable GOD.

The “God Just Wants You to be Happy” Lie

My life isn’t always happy. Some days really hurt. But even in those, I have hope because I know Who has me. I know He’s using it to shape me. I know He won’t waste it. I know He will use even the most painful of circumstances to teach me more to lean on Him instead of myself, to show better compassion, to be more gracious… to have more peace come what may, because it’s more rested in Him vs. myself.

Don’t chase a lie. Don’t chase happiness as your pursuit. Chase truth. Chase HIM.

Shine HOPE by living like you know where your hope comes from—not in the endless & fruitless pursuit of happiness… but in the God Who made you & Who gave His life for you through the sacrifice & resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ!

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 26) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Champagne Seashell Pouch, Handmade in India, Empowering Women Out of Poverty!

Create fair-paying jobs for women in India when you purchase the hand-beaded Champagne Seashell Pouch, handmade in India! This stunning mini pouch features a beautifully detailed, shell design.

Every purchase of the Champagne Seashell Pouch creates safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!

I am Unworthy

If you know me personally, you most likely already know this… but I am not the ministry “leader” anyone needs me to be.

Even with all the different things I help out with & the teams I serve alongside… even with the website & blog & YouTube channel… I am not the ministry “leader” you need me to be.

I would run out of hours in a day trying to tell you about all my many insecurities & insufficiencies & failures… all the times I trust myself more than I should… all the times I trusted in God’s blessings more than I actually trusted Him… all the times I trusted His gifting in me more than Him as the One Who imparted the gifting.

No, I am not the “leader” you need me to be at all.

It’s Not About Me as the Hope Anyone Needs

In fact, this website almost never happened in the first place because I understood all that about myself. I mean, who am I to be sharing on any sort of platform at all?

And yes, God helped me see that this all isn’t about anyone seeing ME as worthy of praise, but HIM… that it’s about pointing to HIM as the hope people need—NOT me… so it’s okay that I am imperfect & a work-in-progress just like anyone else, sure.

But guys, you don’t understand. I have seasons where I really struggle… like really struggle. I have seasons where my comfort zone actually becomes the strong aching in my heart… it becomes the familiar… it becomes my safe space, as if the hurts in the world (or in my world around me) are happening AT me… & I expect it to. As if I’m justified in moping & despairing & hurting & maybe even some bitterness being allowed to creep in there.

That’s been happening to me a lot in the last few years. I’ve talked about it before: “Sometimes I Think About Dying.”

And no, it’s not an all the time thing… like now, I am not feeling it… but I did just 30 minutes ago.

It’s a Simmer I am Becoming Far Too Familiar With

Slight rage… bitterness… hurt… beating myself up emotionally & endlessly for never feeling like I can ever be good enough… for being too needy… too sensitive… too insufficient. “If I could just be more _____________________, then maybe ___________________.” If I could just be LESS _____________________, then maybe _____________________,”

I beat myself up. I feel alone sometimes. I feel like it’s my fault when I feel alone.

I feel like if I just cared less, then it maybe wouldn’t hurt so much. If I was less needy or sensitive… then maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much.

I resent feeling that way, or having situations or circumstances that make me feel like that.

I fantasize about dying. A heart attack that straight shots me straight to heaven—where pain no longer exists. (I know that is dark… I’m sorry.)

I feel tired. I feel like nothing is going to change & I’m tired of trying… of believing it ever will.

It makes me want to throw in the towel & just check out… quit. Not in an ending it myself type of thing (which I have definitely been there in my 20s & in my teens, but not for a while since then).

I just want to be in heaven so badly sometimes.

There’s the Solution Staring Me Straight in the Face

And then I see it… the solution staring me right in the face… the one I am always encouraging you toward… abiding in Him… praising Him… coming before Him with a heart that seeks gratitude toward God for all that He is & all that He has done for me… remembering that He is still in control & He still has me.

But I honestly feel so beat up… it’s become my gut response to respond in bitter anger & then resentment toward myself. I don’t want to reach out to Him. I want to wallow in my bitter pool of resigning to it. And I know that’s wrong & I know that will only end up hurting me worse & I know that it won’t solve anything. I know that emotions are just indicators–not facts, not determined outcomes.

Pray for me, please. I need to remember to praise Him when I feel the hurt hit me in the face unexpectedly. I need to remember Who He is. I need to lean into Him when I feel I can’t stand. I need to trust He can where I can’t. I need to keep praying & not stop just because I’m not seeing the results I want as fast as I want, the way that I want them.

I need to put my trust in Him alone… not in reaching the end of hurtings, not in things going the way I want them to, not in people all treating me the way I wish they would… but in Him alone.

The Unworthy Are Still Called to Magnify Him

So, yes… I am so humbled, so glad that the unworthy are still called to magnify Him. I don’t deserve to have my name attached to Him. I am so unworthy of the righteousness I can claim not because of me, but because of Christ… but I guess that is kind of the point isn’t it? The lavishing of grace? More blessing than I deserve because of Jesus being willing to die for all of my sin. What great reasons we have to praise Him, even when life hurts a little or a lot.

He is King of kings, LORD of lords, Alpha, Omega, Beginning & End, my Maker, Sustainer, Redeemer, Almighty God of Heaven & Earth. He is my God. He is my friend. He cares for me, made me, died for me, & is seated on His throne. He will have the final say. He will use every hurt for His glory & my good. He never wastes any hard thing, any tear. He is GOOD. He is my Father. He is My God.

He is worth living for… when things are going so well, & even when my heart is heavy & hurting.

He is worthy of my all–even though I am so incredibly unworthy of Him.

Shine HOPE by recognizing that even in all the ways you fall short, He is still worthy & we are still made to give Him glory.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 25) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Solenne Earrings–Providing Jobs for Women in India!

These stunning cascading Solenne Earrings feature white glass beads and embroidered gold seed beads to create the design. Make a fair-trade fashion statement with these beautiful earrings perfect for summer or any season and handcrafted in a workshop in India committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans.

***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 Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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!