I had an interesting conversation with an old friend on my latest visit to the states.
As we were talking & catching up after the church service, he mentioned that he was going to a new church.
Nothing really seemed too odd about that to me because I know plenty of people who have switched churches from where they once attended for whatever reason.
For him, I gathered that, in praying about it, God had directed him to this other church… not because they offered more, but because they seemed to be struggling as a church.
At first, this seemed sort of strange to me, but as he talked about it, it made so much sense.
He felt that God wanted him to be part of the help that the church needed. He wasn’t going there because of all it offered him, but because he wanted to offer his service to that church in need.
I Have Stressed Over Finding a New Church When We Move
I will also add that I have been stressing about finding a new church in Orlando, when we move, because I will not go to a church & be okay if they compromise the Word of God (the Bible) in any way, shape or form…& that sort of biblical foundation can be hard to find in a lot of places these days, unfortunately.
I also really wanted to go to a church that had many ways to get involved & make friends.
But after talking to my friend, I realized I have very little reason to worry.
It’s easy to want a church with good music, good aesthetics, good programs, good ministries, ample Sunday school classes to learn & grow together… Bible studies even.
But what if God wants to send us to a church with very little of all that? What if God sends us there to help start some of that going there? To be part of the solution & growth?
Maybe He doesn’t want to send us to a ready-made church, but rather one which is a work in progress like me?
Church Isn’t Meant to be a Christian Country Club… But a House of Worship
I think it can be easy to subconsciously consider church to be a Christian country club where we go to be fed the Word & be encouraged by others to help fuel us each week.
But church is meant to be a body of worshippers, where all parts big or small, “important” or “insignificant” come together, all parts working toward the health & well-being of the whole… all there to bring God glory because of what Jesus has given for us with His life, death, & resurrection.
Do you serve in your church?
Do you get involved? Do you feel like you don’t know where to step in?
Do you feel you don’t have much to offer—time, resources, skill, confidence, ability, spiritual maturity?
The cool thing about the body, is that it needs even small things to run well. So, even if you feel your contribution can only be small… well, there you go… it’s still needed.
And as we work alongside each other, we share in the blessings of what God will choose to do with it… to multiply our efforts & use it to change the communities around us with HOPE.
Do You Go to Church to be Served… Or to Serve?
So, start by praying about it. Ask God where you can help where you’re at in life right now.Ask Him how you can contribute & be a part of the body of Jesus Christ in the church.
Don’t just come & take… come to give. God will help you if you’re willing to ask Him.
Never in a million years did I think I’d be doing all I do now, but I started small & God grew me as I continued to obey His lead in it. Now I am blessed to have been a part of so many wonderful ministries here on Guam—children’s ministry (teaching K4 & K5 what the gospel means & how God cares for them & paid for their sins)… choir & now praise team (that was so super scary for me, yet here I am!)… prayer team after service… & women’s prison ministry! PLUS this website, my blog, & YouTube channel! Never EVER in a million years!
God multiplies what we have when we offer what we have to Him!
Start small if you have to… & watch Him multiply it over time. It will amaze you.
Pray over it & obey as He leads.
Shine HOPE by serving in your local church, being a participating part of the body of Christ in serving others & working to give God all the glory!
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”(1 Corinthians 10:31)
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 myFREE 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 since Summer 2018!! 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!!
Convertible Wrap Necklace, Handcrafted in & Empowering Women Out of Poverty in India!
(Shown: Convertible Wrap Necklace (also available in silver), handcrafted in & empowering women in India out of extreme areas of poverty with every purchase, partnering with the artisans!)
This elegant, gold-tone necklace from India will give you a custom jewelry piece your versatile wardrobe needs! This Convertible Wrap Necklace is beautifully crafted with a detailed gold-tone chain featuring a toggle closure and gold charm. The toggle feature allows you to wrap the necklace around for a more layered, shorter look or wear it long to elevate any piece of clothing!
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!
I am feeling pretty okay right now. God is really helping remind me when I start putting too much of the future on my own shoulders vs. trusting He sees, He knows, & I don’t have to figure it all out on my own… & that it will not, in fact, be the end of the world if everything doesn’t work out exactly the way I think it’s supposed to.
But, because this is a season–in our moving from Guam back stateside to Florida–that has much room for anxiety to come in & take over, I thought it would be great timing to make some reminders to myself, as well as share them with you who are reading this.
This blog post today is taken from my notes that I typed up for Prison Ministry this Thursday. I will be teaching the lesson this week & next, so prayers are much appreciated! God’s wisdom, challenge, & encouragement for them is my goal—all to His glory!
With all the preparations & planning & leaving my home & selling my home & moving & goodbyes & being displaced while we home-search & then home-searching in general… well, there are opportunities galore for anxiety galore.
Whenever I do feel that anxiety creeping in, God has been gracious in reminding me with a little gentle nudge on my heart: “This is showing an area of which you don’t quite trust Me all the way.”
So, let’s talk through some practical ways that we can remind our hearts to stay calm, draw in peace, & look to Him versus feeling the spiral take control.
God’s Word, the Bible, is not just a collection of “wise words” or just a “life instruction manual.” God’s Word is living & active. It interacts with us. It is God-breathed. It is nourishment that our strained, restless souls are often MUCH more starved of than we realize.(2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:2)
Aside from that, reading the Bible allows us to get to know God. He wants us to know Him. Why does that help you? Because it teaches you, word by word, how small you are & how incredibly great & awesome & infinite & eternal & powerful & gracious & kind HE IS.
And the more you know your God, the more you begin to settle into Him & put less pressure on yourself… not to be lazy, but to be at peace in this life. Seeing Him more fully puts all of life in clearer perspective, where it isn’t all up to you, but Him.
You NEED it.
Memorize it, too. You will begin to be surprised when you pray & a verse you memorized years ago floats across your heart as the exact thing you needed to hear or be reminded of right specifically in that moment. It is AMAZING when that happens! (John 14:26)
But you can’t just READ it, deceiving yourself… you must DO it. (James 1:22)Like having an instruction manual for a complicated piece of furniture… just reading the steps doesn’t do anything… you have to actually do what the steps tell you to do.
Examples of Doing Vs. Just Reading/Hearing God’s Word
Ie. Don’t just say, “Praise God!” but take some time to ACTUALLY praise Him—“God, You are so wise, so wonderful. You are in control, You are seated on Your throne. You gave Your all for me through Jesus on that tree! Thank You, God for loving me so much! Thank You that I can rely on You in ANY storm! You are wonderful & so greatly to be praised!” PRAISE HIM!
“Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.” Do you actually take a moment to take stock of what is stressing you out & pray over each one? “God, You are better equipped for this than me. Help me to trust You with this. Please give me the wisdom that I need. Provide me with Your peace. Guide me through. AMEN.” CAST YOUR CARES ON HIM! (1 Peter 5:6-7)
AND, with reading your Bible consistently, you begin to see a pattern.All of these “heroes of the faith” are not heroes because they always knew what to do & did it, never failing… but because through each season, they came back to God for help, let Him lead, trusted His power, & came back to Him when they screwed it all up. God is the Hero in their stories, not them. He is the Hero in our stories as well! Take heart!
If you are determining to live for His Kingdom & His glory, you can trust Him to come through for you. If you are not, it’s as simple as humbling yourself, apologizing for wrong motivations/focus… & asking Him to shift that in you… to live for Him & not for you.
In Everything, PRAY
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God….” (Philippians 4:6)
This verse is not written to shame you for feeling overwhelmed.It is an invitation. There is actually hope, is what it’s saying. It’s a reminder that you indeed are not in control, but there is One Who is.
Take the burden off yourself to solve or fix or come up with a path forward… & ask the One Who already knows how & can help you. Praise Him & thank Him for Who He is… & ask for His help.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
He wants you to learn the practice of resting in His Godhead… letting Him be God. I heard a quote recently that said, “if God brought you to something, He doesn’t expect you to become God to do it… trust HIM.” Wow & yes & AMEN. PRAY ABOUT IT. Cast those cares on Him!
Sing Praises to our LORD!
“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!” (Psalm 47:6)
What will you take time to praise Him for right now?
When we take the time, right in the middle of our chaos & whirlwind, to sing praises to Him, you would be surprised how you can go from feeling like everything is hopeless & falling apart, to remembering Who is seated on His throne right now.
He doesn’t let one little single thing slip through His fingers. Yes, He allows hard, but He doesn’t make us go through it alone or be the one to figure it all out & make it right… He asks us to trust HIM in all of that.
He wants us to learn, without a shadow of a doubt, that He CAN when can feels incredibly impossible.Give Him a chance to show His glory in the midst of your hardest circumstances.
And praise Him in expectation for that glory & that help.
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!” (Psalm 150:1-2)
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6)
“O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” (Isaiah 25:1)
Remember All That the Lord Has Done
There are several instances in the Bible where God encourages the people to set up spaces or memorials that remind them of what God has done for them, & even as a testimony to others who come after them.
When the anxiety seems to swallow you whole, as you pray to & praise God for all He is, take some time to praise Him for all He has done for you in the past… all the ways & times that He has come through for you or has used your hardships faced for your good. He knows what He is doing & we can trust Him… so take some time to remember all that the Lord has done. (Joshua 4:6; 1 Samual 12:24)
Going along with this topic of remembering, God has given me a useful tool that is tangible & helps ground me when I feel unexplainable restlessness or unsettledness… when I just feel ick that I can’t escape because I just feel anxiety enveloping me….
Taking a hot bath or a hot shower is fantastic. No phone, dim the lights, let the warm water soothe your tension away. And in that space, pour your whole heart out to Him, even if you don’t know how to say it or know how to pretty it up, start there: “God, I don’t know why I can’t feel okay. I feel so unsettled & restless & anxious like my mind is going everywhere & I don’t know how to stop it. Please help me!”
Speak Truth over Your Anxieties
And for me, especially having glass on our shower wall, I will write it out in cursive, my concerns or worries or fears & then I will write as if God’s truth is speaking in response to it.
“I don’t know what to do….”“I do know.”
“I can’t do this….”“I can.”
“I feel so alone….”“I am always with you.”
“I can’t figure this out…”“You were never meant to.”
“I am too weak for this….”“I will be your strength.”
“I’m scared of the unknown….”“I am already there.”
“I don’t want to face this….”“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Do you see where I am going with this? Taking time to speak His truth back at my hurting & worrying & weakness & fear. Reminding myself of His presence. Grounding myself in His presence. It works wonders & just letting the water running over me wash over me like a soothing blanket, as if He is holding me steady & comforting me when I feel like I’m falling apart.
My Worst-Case Scenario Notebook Is Not What You Think
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us….” (Ephesians 3:20)
Sometimes all my mind can see is everything going horribly wrong…sometimes it’s because I have seen it go horribly wrong already & the trauma is rooted in very real memory. And because of this, sometimes I cannot seem to get my mind to see hope.
So, God encouraged me to start a Worst-Case Scenario journal. I treat it like how I see many Psalms, where there is no holding back, no sugar-coating, no trying to sound more okay with it than I am… no faking it to try to sound better than I am in that moment… God already knows.
I pour out every bit of it that scares me or worries me sort of in a chart.
First column is what scares meor what is happening that causes me anxiety.
Second columnis the absolute worst that could come of it if everything really did blow up in my face & fall apart. (This could be: loss of a loved one, loss of a job, being betrayed by a loved one, divorce, rumors turning into a ruined reputation or loss of friendships, etc.)
Third columnis “But, God” to the tune of, “if that really did happen as the worst it could possibly be, is that beyond the scope of what God can turn beautiful or work through for my good? Is that too much for Him? Is He not capable of walking me through that successfully & sustaining me through it?”
And once I walk through that last column, the reality of Who God is begins to wash away the fears–sort of putting them in their place. Like, ‘right… so why AM I so worried about that?‘ God’s got me & He is not letting go… He is greater & more powerful than anything that can try to knock me down. He’s got me. He sees me. I will be okay. (Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 139:16; Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11)
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us….” (Ephesians 3:20)
Dealing with Anxiety–Practical Ways to Live Biblical Truths When Anxiety Hits /Hard
Are you dealing with anxiety as I often do? Do you fear it doesn’t honor God, so you try to stuff it, cover it up, pretend it isn’t there, or sugar coat what you’re actually going through because you don’t want to offend Him? God sees it. He already knows. He offers you a way out of it–His presence.
Basically, what it all boils down to is this… in God’s presence is fullness of joy. If you want to get out of your anxiety chaotic whirlwind, you need to step into His presence. Read your Bible, pray/talk to Him, sing praises to Him, remember all He has done for you & in eternity past when all hope seemed gone—He always made a way.
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
What are you struggling with right now? What is helping you? What ways has God taught you to help you remember to look to Him & to step into His presence through His Word, prayer, praise, & remembering?
He’s got you. He’s got me. And because of that, come what may, even in the hard… we’re going to be okay. God will turn into something beautiful & He will not waste a single bit of it. What a wonderful God we serve!
Shine HOPE by drawing close to Him when the world seems to scream threats in your face that everything is going to crumble down around you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He’s got you! (Hebrews 13:5)
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”(1 Corinthians 10:31)
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 myFREE 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 Jewelry Set-Golden-Handmade in India!
(Shown: Mosaic Jewelry Set-Golden, handcrafted in India!)
The stunning, Mosaic Necklace & Bracelet handcrafted in India will give you the fun, colorful look your summer wardrobe needs! These pieces are beautifully beaded with multicolored dyed quartz beads, featuring gold accent beads. Wear alone or style with other necklaces & bracelets for a layered look!
Create dignified jobs for women in India when you shop the Wave Hoops in gold, a modern pair of statement hoops. Each hoop has a minimalist look and are perfect for everyday wear or can be dressed up to fit any occasion, featuring a hinge closure. 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!
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)
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 myFREE 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
(Shown: Blue Sage Jewelry Set, handcrafted by & empowering women in extreme areas of poverty in India)
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!
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:
The right buyers for our home, with a healthy return on our investment into this house
Contractors to do the work who charge fair prices & do good work
Wisdom on what to focus on & what to let go of in prepping our house to sell
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)
Bible-preaching church with good community near our new home
Friends who are both edifying & encouraging—pointing us more to Jesus
New ministry opportunities
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)
Jamie’s new job(& my new job?)
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)
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 myFREE 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!
(Shown: Santorini Jewelry Set)
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!
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)
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
(Shown: Mosaic Necklace–Purchase this necklace to empower 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!
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)
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!
(Shown: Marcella Earrings, handcrafted in India! Buy a pair & help women find fair wages in India!)
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!
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)
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!
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)
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!
(Shown: Champagne Seashell Pouch, handcrafted in India!)
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!
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.
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)
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!
(Shown: Solenne Earrings, handcrafted by & providing fairtrade 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!
Today has been a rough day, if I’m completely honest. Our kitty cat of almost 13 years, Cisco, passed away April 30, on a Thursday morning.
That Thursday held a lot of tears & grief. Friday was hard, too, because I work with kids & they who often lack tact were constantly asking about him… (way too much for a mere 24 hours after losing him). I also tried cleaning up his stuff & had to stop because by the first room done, I felt like I had just erased him from that space entirely. Too soon.
By Saturday, I recognized my fear of praying for help through the grief. I was afraid of just picking myself up, brushing myself off, & moving on as if he no longer mattered, as if forgetting he ever existed & moving on without him. But I expressed that to God. God helped me find a balance between reminiscing versus crumbling whenever I missed him.Honoring his long-lasting presence in our home… while letting it bring a smile versus hurt & heaviness.
It Comes in Waves
But a couple times since then, something has really triggered a memory of him & I just lose it.
Today, it was me facing the stress of an upcoming thing for which I would usually just scoop him up & keep him near me as motivation, & just it really hitting me that I will be facing it without him this time. I really didn’t want to.
The hardness of the realization just really hurt hard today. He has been so woven into our schedule & home that it just doesn’t feel normal with him no longer apart of any of it.
I just want him back.
So Busy… Getting Overwhelmed by It All
And I don’t feel great. The stress has been real… more things to do than I have time for… external pressures coming in strong.Feeling overwhelmed, too much to do… too little time… no kitty snuggles to bolster me through it.
The emptiness in that reality hurts me.
Life isn’t always easy. Sometimes it hurts really, really bad.And yes, maybe you don’t get the pain of losing a pet, getting to know their personalities & them wanting to be in your presence at all times, living as your furry unconditionally-loving shadow, sleeping alongside you whenever they can, all that… butI am sure you can, in some form, relate to the pain grief brings.
Are You Willing to Worship God Because Things Are Going Well… Or Because He Is Worthy?
And here is the question: “Are you willing to worship God when things are going well? Or because He is worthy?”
On a Sunday morning, on a good day, it is easy to sing along with the praise team. On an especially great day, worship just seems to flow effortlessly from our heart, lifting up to Him….
But what about on the hard days? What about when your heart is crumbling, defeat overwhelms you… you feel hurts hurdling at you from every side.
Do you praise Him then? Or do you struggle to understand how you could possibly praise Him?
Do you praise Him every day, even on the mundane days? Even when you’re not at church? Every day because He is worthy of your praise?
Or only when it flows easily? Only when things are going well & you feel like you’re on the mountaintop rather than the dark valleys?
Praising Him IN the Storm
I am reminded of God’s response when crying out to Him after being attacked by an animal back in early 2022, I believe it was.
I am reminded of God’s repeated response when I kept asking him for courage in facing the super typhoon that “brushed by” Guam & seemed to never leave… leaving destruction & discomfort & the unknown in its wake.
The same response He gives me every time I feel like I am drowning in life & I cry out to Him for help.
“Worship Me.” “Praise Me.”
God is still on the throne. God is still in control. God will not waste a single tear. God is enough even when we are nothing & have nothing. God is worthy to be praised even when we feel like we have nothing left & like the world is falling apart around us… no matter the cause of it.
God is in control. God is worthy to be praised.
Where Is Your Heart on This Topic? Do You Need to “Pray & Repent & Be Humbled in [Your] Worship…” of Him?
I have mentioned this before & this will likely not be the last time I mention this, but I remember hearing an interview with a worship pastor at a church, who was asked, “Is it hard to lead praise & worship on your hard days, when you’re struggling with having a right attitude?” His response was something to the tune of:
“No, those are actually my favorite days to lead… because I am forced to recognize how unworthy I am to sing His praises, how unworthy I am to worship our great King… how much I need His help every single day… how undeserving I really am to be in His presence. I pray & repent & am the most humbled in my worship on those days.”
What an encouragement. What a realness, as we all struggle with right attitudes some days.What a conviction.
Humble Your Heart before Him, Even on Your Terrible Days… & Lift Your Voice in Praise to Our God Who Is Worthy… Regardless of Any Circumstance in Which You May Find Yourself
Do you need to adjust your mindset about worship? Do you need to learn the habit of moving it even outside the walls of your church building, into your every day?
Do you need to repent? Do you need to be reminded of His great worthiness, despite your circumstances?
Are you willing to worship God because things are going well… or because He Is worthy?
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 23) on my NEW 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!!
Marina Bloom Earrings, Handcrafted in India!
(Shown: Marina Bloom Earrings, handcrafted in India! Every purchase helps fight child marriage & poverty in India!)
These stunning hand-beaded Marina Bloom Earrings are handcrafted in a workshop in India committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans!
Each earring features a stunning soft blue and white embroidered design to make a fair-trade fashion statement. These earrings are perfect to style every day to dress up any occasion!
***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!
