Unrealized Potential?

Are you influencing the world or is the world influencing you? This question was posed at church on Sunday & it really stuck with me.

We have so much potential to live out the grace of God to the world around us, do you realize that? Do I?

Oh, I know our neighbors & our co-workers & extended family seem “just fine,” but imagine having to carry the weight & burden & shame of your choices, second-guessing yourself maybe or trying to stuff those feelings deep down so you can carry on, always stretching toward an ever-fleeting peace or hope or happiness—because you don’t have any true, lasting, solid HOPE.

You have the potential, as an ambassador for God, dear Christians, to live as a physical representation of His grace & hope & peace in the world going on around you every day. Do you realize that?

It’s easy for me to want to answer that question with a quick, “duh, of course,” because it really IS my desire… but when I take a moment to honestly examine my thoughts, my attitude, my day-to-day choices, & my focus—oftentimes, it doesn’t really look like I do realize that after all.

Just Livin’ Life

I go about my life like most people. I get up, usually grumpy at my alarm clock, tired, & dragging my feet to the bathroom to start getting ready for my day.

Then, I say a quick “I love you” to my husband (& my cat) & head to work.

I do my job, barely looking up from my piles of papers to check, except to walk kids to their daily specials… then go to lunch… go home for a quick, often unappreciated kitty snuggle (deep down, I know he loves me… but his snuggle limit typically lasts about 4 minutes)… then get to my chores & “learning corner” of hobbies (ASL, Spanish, & piano).

Time to get dinner ready, greet my hubs, eat, hang out, then get ready for bed & TRY to sleep (I’m not always good at sleeping).

Just going about my day. All that routine… all that stuff to do… but I barely ever really stop to think, “am I representing the grace of Jesus to the people I pass at work? To people I see when I run my errands? To anyone really?”

I just seem to day-in & day-out DO what I need to DO that day & then start again the next day.

Without His CONSTANT Influence & Guidance…

Do you go with the flow, letting the world shape your mind, your attitude about stuff going on in the world, or even your routines/habits? Or do you intentionally seek to lay everything down every moment with a silent prayer of, “Lord, I know my gut response is _____, but what honors & pleases You in this? Help me do that. Give me wisdom & give me strength to do that. Nothing else. Help me live every moment for You & Your glory somehow. Show me how. AMEN.”

I think that’s why God instructs us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing.” That’s that WHOLE verse right there. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

He knows full well how easy it is to just hop right into our routine without a second thought.

I need to remember to better learn this habit of “pray WITHOUT CEASING…” every thought, every routine, every habit, every task, every interaction, ALL OF IT bowed to Him… offered to Him as an opportunity to be an INTENTIONAL influence for HOPE in the world around me every day… every moment.

Just Don’t Let Them Get in the Way of GOD

Habits & routines aren’t bad. They help us function more effectively & efficiently… but the danger in them is that I can get so used to them & so comfortable in them that I barely ever look up… I barely ever consider, “what if God wants to change my route today? What if God wants me to interact with someone specific today for a loving word of Truth or a smile or an encouraging word… & it takes me off my scheduled/routined path?” What if?

Will I be willing to let God interrupt my routine/habits to better be an influence of grace to someone He puts in my path or will I be too sidetracked with my own routine?

Will I be willing to say, “God, interrupt my day if it’s Your desire. Show me PEOPLE & HEARTS in need of You today. Give me Your eyes. Give me Your wisdom. Give me Your LOVE for PEOPLE. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Are our tasks important? Sure. Are they AS important as God’s assignment for your any given day? NOPE, not even CLOSE.

God Knows… He KNOWS

Maybe it’s tempting to think: “But, I have RESPONSIBILITIES! GOD KNOWS THAT!”

Yes, He does know that. So, guess what… if He chooses to interrupt your plans, HE HAS A PLAN for THAT, too!

Oh, how easy it is for me to trust MY plan & my view of the day & what I think is just SO important.

Oh, how easy it is for me to look to OTHERS to tell me what is of utmost importance. A boss maybe? Should I listen to them? Of course? Should I let them trump God’s lead? NOPE, never. God has a plan for THAT, too.

Oh, how I tend put God’s lead LAST.

As if He doesn’t know it’s important.

As if He doesn’t know my responsibilities need doing.

As if He doesn’t know I have commitments to keep.

As if He doesn’t know.

Am I Willing to Trust Him Above MYSELF? Am I?

Am I willing to trust that He knows what’s needed… what’s expected of me? That He’ll cover that & lead me in the HOW?

Am I willing to think maybe, just maybe He knows better & more than ME?

Am I willing to LET HIM interrupt ME?

Am I willing to let Him use me to be an influence of His grace to the world around me?

Am I willing to pray WITHOUT ceasing, bowing EVERY interaction & thought & activity & routine & habit & task to HIM for HIS will over MY plans?

Are You Influencing the World or Is the World Influencing You? ALL for God’s Glory

Are you influencing the world? Or is the world influencing YOU?

“So, whether you eat or drink, or what ever you do… do it ALL FOR the GLORY of GOD.” (1 Corinthians 10:31, emphasis added)

Shine HOPE. Be intentional. Be surrendered. Be willing to be interrupted. Be willing to let God take the lead of your every thought, task, or habit. Be willing to be an influence for HIS GRACE to the world around you everywhere you turn.

“God, I want to be this way for You! I really do! But I am so quick to my routines. Please teach me to pray WITHOUT ceasing, making my every passing thought a prayer to You to lead me, to interrupt me, to use me for Your grace & glory. Take me by the hand. Make this thinking my true over-arching-all habit. Use me to influence this lost world with Your Mountain-Moving GRACE. In Jesus’ all-powerful, unconditionally loving, gave-everything-for-us name, amen.”

AMEN.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for almost FIVE 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!!

Agate Key Bracelet (Dominican Republic)

The varying shades of genuine blue lace agate stone make every Agate Key Bracelet from the Dominican Republic entirely unique. Each stretch-to-fit bracelet features a gold-tone accent bead and a delicate gold key charm.

***Every purchase of this bracelet supports a safe house in the Dominican Republic that provides housing, education, legal services, and trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking.***

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Who Is Really Behind It? Be on Alert!

I take things personally too often. It’s one of my not great qualities. Honestly, that’s why I had to pray so much leading up to even taking the first steps with creating & publishing this website.

Even if it’s a simple misunderstanding with another person, I tend to take it as my character &/or integrity being questioned & it hurts my feelings.

I know people make mistakes. I know I make mistakes… but I still feel the sting when someone misunderstands me in some way.

But then, deep down, if I take time to surrender the hurt to God, God reminds me that my true wrestling match is not with the other person (Ephesians 6:12), but with Satan aiming to sow discord among us.

The Cunning Snake

You see, Satan is a cunning snake. He has had MANY years to learn how humans tick… to know how to create divisions, disagreements, & discord. He knows where to strike.

It’s something I always try to keep in mind & repeatedly try to remind others when meeting with young ladies for discipleship/accountability. Because if you have a relationship with someone that honors & glorifies God, encouraging & edifying one other toward the gospel & good works… you can be SURE that Satan will be QUICK to do WHATEVER he can to break that up… ASAP.

So, if you feel a pull from insecurity, shame, annoyance, frustration, or anything not PEACE-laden pulling you away from someone, you can be sure Satan is doing what he can to keep you both from glorifying God together…. Another reason why he attacks marriages & ministries so often!

And yet, even knowing this… I still fall for it sometimes.

Disagreements, Grumpies, & Hurt Feelings

It can start as small as a disagreement about something, seeing something differently than someone else… or maybe a misunderstanding… & if left unchecked, begins to erode away the potentially God-honoring, blessed connection you may have with someome, until you feel so stiff, tense, &/or insecure around them that you maybe start making new routes in your life to avoid interacting with them.

Sometimes it’s a grumpy mood, “that time of the month,” waking up “on the wrong side of the bed,” or just a good ol’ tough day… & it gets misinterpreted or maybe taken out on someone else… or the grump on your face gets seen as an afront against someone else & now you’re in a feud with someone you didn’t even realize you had offended.

Or maybe you DO realize because your day was SO bad & your mood was left unchecked for TOO long & the cramps are UGH & you just let a curt word come out of your mouth when responding (or rather, REACTING) to someone else. Oops.

It doesn’t take much. Satan is QUICK to jump in there with leading conclusions & jabbing at your insecurities & stabbing at your vulnerabilities until now you’re fuming & “well, I didn’t realize they were SUCH A JERK! Forget them!”

Yeah, it happens.

Be Aware So You Can Pray

But, we need to be aware of this because we need to know to pray about this.

We need to know the signs, the dangers, the manipulations that Satan uses on our weak spots, emotions, & insecurities.

And we need to know to PRAY.

Satan wants grudges, God wants grace.

Satan wants rifts, God wants restoration.

Satan wants division, God wants unity & peace.

Learn to take your gut reaction to God… to forgive you for your gut reaction if it does not honor or would not please Him… for help laying the offense at His feet… & for wisdom on a path toward restoration, through grace, for reconciled unity & peace with that person.

A Prayer of Surrender in the Hurt of the Moment

“God, OOOHH that was not cool! I feel so frustrated & tense & I just want to REACT! But… God help me, please help me. Help me to take a deep breath. Help me place this on Your strong shoulders. Help me let go. Maybe they’re having a bad day. Maybe they’re just grumpy & I’m making more of it. Maybe they really are MAD at me. I don’t know & it shouldn’t matter! Help me lay that on You. Give me Your peace. Don’t let me fall prey to Satan’s twisting, manipulative divisiveness. Help me give it to YOU. Help me to LOVE even when I don’t feel loved back. Help me to SERVE those who seem to dislike me, knowing they don’t have to even like me for me to do the right thing. Help me to honor YOU with how I respond. HELP me do that. My gut response is pettiness, anger, frustration, avoidance… but You command GRACE as You have given me such grace. Grace, by definition, is undeserved—so even if they meant to be mean to me, help me to have the surrender-to-YOU attitude to let You handle it & to help me give grace. Help me love like You love, not reviling or threatening in return (1 Peter 2:21-24). But, love. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Don’t Let Satan Sow Discord Among You

Maybe they really are just having a bad day & it really has NOTHING to do with you.

Maybe they MEANT IT & wanted to hurt you.

Regardless… LOVE.

Regardless… GRACE.

Regardless… Honor God with your RESPONSE (even if you have to bite your lip HARD, take a DEEP breath, & PRAY for help desperately).

If you have a prayer partner, an accountability partner, are in discipleship with someone… EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN & PRAY AGAINST IT & for discernment to see it!

It Hurts, I Know…

You don’t have to be respected to be respectful.

You don’t have to be liked to love.

You don’t have to be admired to do what’s right.

You don’t have to be well-treated to be kind.

Despite their choice… YOU have a choice.

Honor God. Lean on God. Let God help you.

To God be the Glory Forever and Ever!

Don’t let Satan sow discord among you, because Lord knows HE WILL TRY.

Shine HOPE by praying for the discernment to recognize Satan’s crafty schemes & the submissive heart to come to God for help with a response that honors Him versus letting Satan control the narrative through your natural human response.

Choose to honor God ALWAYS, even when it doesn’t feel so great in that exact moment.

God will bless you for your obedience.

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 almost FIVE 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!!

Silver Remi Necklace (India)

This classic silver-tone beaded necklace from India is an everyday wardrobe essential. Wear it alone or layer it with other necklaces! Customize your length with the adjustable extension chain on the back featuring an easy-clasp closure.

***Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.***

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Let’s Keep Learning…

It seems there is no rest for me lately with lessons learned… hard lessons.

First was trusting God with moving where I didn’t want to go, leaving a place I wanted to stay, needing to wrestle with the anger, hurt, & fear to trust & learn to desire God’s will & plan over my own… then the chaotic move that had Satan seemingly throwing obstacles at our every turn, needing to run blind & just trust that God would clear a way where there seemed no way… then all the stuff with the house & needing to rest that in His hands… to 2 months ish of consistent sleeplessness, where I learned He is sufficient & faithful & can be my strength even when I have none & that He would thus also provide the strength I needed if I gave up sleep on purpose to honor Him with a regular morning quiet time… it’s been a trying year for sure.

God Proves Himself… I Doubt Him in a New Way… My Weak Faith

And now, this. Ugh. I feel like the Israelites going through the wilderness… hardship at every turn, yet God always provides & leads & proves Himself mighty, strong, worthy, & more than sufficient—He provided their food, water, made sure their clothing never wore out & their feet never swelled on their long journey (Deuteronomy 8:4; Psalm 78:20-25). That’s pretty crazy! PLUS, the grand rescue from Egyptian enslavement! And yet… they continuously grumbled against God versus remembering to GO TO GOD.

That’s me. Grumbling. Always grumbling…. The, “not agains” are too many to count.

You would think I would sit back & say, “After all that? Nah, I have nothing to worry about. God will take care of it somehow like He always does… I just need to turn to Him as my help & sufficiency!” But, no… I grumble with each new struggle.

Idols Aren’t Always So Obvious

I have been working through a daily devotional on food freedom, learning to turn to God versus anything else we may turn to… including food.

Well, for me, it’s mainly the eating out. “I’m bored… let’s eat out.” “I had a bad day… let’s eat out.” “I feel angsty & numb & want to feel SOMETHING… let’s eat out.”

Sensing a pattern with me here? An idol maybe? Yep.

It’s not just the eating out temptation as my go-to fix-all… it’s the tv binging some days, & the video scrolling for hours on my phone, or the gaming that starts as an hour & ends with the sun setting. These things have become almost synonymous with NECESSITY versus an option.

My Coping Mechanisms have become my idols–what I turn to instead of God as my help.

I’ve Come a Long Way, But There’s Still More Growing to Do…

You see, as you probably or may know, in my struggle with depression (not depressive thoughts, but the chemical imbalance in my brain that sometimes coats me in oppressive brain fog, numbing over, losing any care for anything because I just feel so full of NUMB in my brain that it’s sometimes physically tiring to try to get myself to care about something), I have come so far from where I once was.

And I thought I was doing pretty well.

I have learned that there’s a distinction between 1. the cause (chemical imbalance), 2. symptoms (brain fog, lack of motivation, tired, checked out), 3. consequences (feeling like every easy thing is way harder than it should be & noticing others’ responses to it), 4. Satan exploiting all of the above: “you’re a waste of space, you annoy everyone, you’re a burden, etc.” & 5. MY CHOICE in how to respond to all of the above: Trust God despite it staying hard, determining to set my focus on Him no matter how hard it may get… or spiral because Satan sounds so convincing. (Read more about these 5 distinctions in a previous blog post: “Understanding Depression with Discernment.”)

But I still have a long way to go… obviously.

What Exactly am I Afraid Of?

But, back to the devotional I mentioned earlier. She made a point about FEAR being a major motivator for overeating or eating poorly.

Her point was about feeling unworthy compared with others or something like that, but God has already worked me through the difference between my worth/value/beauty being completely separate from my HEALTH & caring for the one body God has made for & given to me. (Read more about that journey in a previous post: “Your Weight Does Not Determine Your Worth.”)

BUT… the fear thing stood out to me. I didn’t know why because that seemed a drastic thing to claim when I don’t consciously feel afraid of anything specific… especially not my worth being in question because of poor health.

So, I asked God to help me understand that. And as I continued the devotional, it all came to clarity… she asked me, as the reader, to list things that make me feel tense or afraid & as a counter to each, to list THE PEACE OF GOD as greater than anything I could fear.

And my response? My depression symptoms. The angst. The bored restlessness that seems surprisingly consuming at times. The empty numbness that sometimes envelops my brain. The screaming in my head to satiate, to run to comfort, to feel SOMETHING other than that. To hide. To run. To AVOID it.

Hiding My Fears Behind Coping Mechanisms

I thought my coping mechanisms were smart. I thought I was protecting myself. But in that great, strong security fence I had been building around myself, I realized it had inadvertently become my own prison… one of my own making… a sense of “go to those coping mechanisms, OR ELSE.”

I realized I had been hiding my fears behind coping mechanisms all along. That without them, I felt vulnerable… overwhelmed… treading water… my face tingling with anxiety… a weight on my shoulders & around my ankles that threaten to slowly drag me down to despair.

I thought I was doing so well, but I had placed my hope in “happy highs” that can never actually solve the problem or give me any real victory or hope….

The days I lose. The ambition that drowns in my avoidance of feeling all of the above. The empty hours. The wasted fulfillment. The perpetuating emptiness of time passed that can’t be regained. The looming threat.

Facing the Truth… That I Need Someone Greater Than My Coping Mechanisms

So, last night was rough. I was forced to face the truth… that my solution had imprisoned me.

I realized I didn’t know how to go to God in this. I didn’t know how to do anything but run, hide, & stuff. I didn’t know how to face it & overcome it. My coping mechanisms weren’t fixing the problem… they were helping me pretend I was AVOIDING it.

I realized that I didn’t actually trust God’s peace to be enough for me in this particular circumstance. My desperate rush to cover, hide, stuff, run, & avoid proved that.

And I’m afraid. I’m afraid of not running… of standing facing it… of being overcome by it if I don’t run. I’m afraid of losing to it.

I’m afraid God won’t be enough for me in it.

After ALL He has brought me through & ALL His faithfulness He has DEMONSTRATED to me… & I am here doubting… just like the Israelites.

It Took Me 3 Days…

Our sermon at church this week was “How to Lose Your Spiritual Way in 40 Days,” based on the Israelites going quickly from “whatever God says, we will do!!!” faith (Exodus 24:3; Exodus 24:18) immediately to drunken orgies & worshipping a golden calf because Moses went on the mountain & didn’t come back right away (Exodus 32). After ALL God had JUST brought them through miraculously & more than sufficiently (Exodus 15)! WHAT?!?!?

And here I am. Doubting God, too. After ALL He has brought me through even just this past year.

A Prayer of Surrender to Trust God… Even in This

“God, please forgive me. My coping mechanisms have clearly become a stronghold in me. I hold onto them. Satan uses them to convince me I need them more than I need You… or instead of You… that they will serve me better. And I have unknowingly bought into it hook, line, & sinker. Please forgive me! It just feels too much. I hate falling prey to my symptoms… of feeling vulnerable to them… of facing them versus running. I’m too scared. I can’t do it. Help me. Please forgive me. Help my unbelief. You are enough. You are ALWAYS enough. And You’re always faithful… & gentle… & kind… & You gave everything for me, through Jesus, when I didn’t & don’t deserve it. How can I doubt Your sufficiency & willingness here? You’ve proven Yourself. You are worthy of praise, God! Help me set down these chains. Take down my security fence. Become my refuge… my fortitude. Help me to rest in You as sufficient & nothing else. NOTHING ELSE. Help me re-write fulfilling coping mechanisms, with You at its center, clinging to You as my Hope, Guide, Counselor, Faithful Friend, Strength, & Sufficiency! You ARE Enough. I believe, Lord, Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Is there anything you’re running to instead of to God? What is your personal stronghold that you feel you NEED in place of God’s peace? Where do you feel God’s peace won’t be sufficient for you?

Shine HOPE by going to Him in ALL things. ALL THINGS. His peace… GOD’s peace… is sufficient!

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”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Mabel & Walter the Bunnies (Vietnam)

LIMITED EDITION – while supplies last! Cuddly, soft, and lovable, Mabel the Bunny is adorable, mini, fair-trade fun with her cute pink flower and carrot accessory. Each bunny comes with an adorable carrot that is not attached to the bunny making it perfect for creative play! Artisans in Vietnam hand crochet each bunny with soft cotton-blend yarn and neutral cream, black, and pink colors that make this stuffed animal the perfect gift for any occasion or decor. Each huggable bunny is hand stuffed by visually impaired women in areas of extreme poverty.

Have you met Mabel’s best friend, Walter the Bunny? They make quite the pair!

***Every purchase of Walter or Mabel the Bunny provides fair-trade jobs for local women and villagers who are overcoming disabilities, homelessness, and extreme poverty in Vietnam.***

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

It Doesn’t Have to be Intentionally Wrong… to be Wrong

This is an unpopular topic… mostly because when Christians fall into this, they have ZERO intention of TRYING to make sin appealing & would NEVER claim that it’s even okay to do such a thing.

But just as the verse puts it, “… holding onto the traditions of men…” (Mark 7:8-9), it is easy to see what was okay to the past generations & feel if it’s okay with them & THEY weren’t intentionally trying to promote sin & it was always meant as “all in good fun,” then it can’t be wrong now either. And even though those verses refer to coming up with traditions to SEEM holy, rules God never gave in the first place because it made them feel good about themselves… the same can be true about justifying things we engage in that dishonor Him.

This is where the recurring theme/danger of humanity “doing what was right in their own eyes” (Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25) comes in & needing to pray the prayer, “Lord, search me & know me… see if there be any wicked way in me….” (Psalm 139:23-24) Because it’s not always INTENTIONAL when we’re in fact dishonoring God. We often have good intentions (or at least harmless ones) indeed.

But that doesn’t make it NOT wrong, either.

Almost True = NOT True

It is VITALLY important to do spiritual checkups frequently because we are fed information, beliefs, & opinions every day of our lives through every person we come in contact with, whether through our personal lives or through the media/social media. We are being fed from somewhere, always.

This is also why we NEED the MEAT of the Word of God to be part of our daily spiritual nutrition, coupled with constant prayer, because quite frankly, we don’t always recognize WHEN we’re buying into something that’s just not quite right… even though it may seem PRETTY CLOSE.

Let me put it this way… if something is ALMOST true, what does that make it?

Blurring the Lines Is No New Tactic

As a culture, I have witnessed what has actually been happening every day throughout all history, as it ebbs & flows in its determination to honor & please God… the watering down of how BAD sin really is. Sin sometimes sort of seems to come off as “doing a bad thing” versus wretchedness, wickedness, & deserving of Hell as it actually is.

Think about it. If we water down the severity of sin, which Satan is so intentional in his deceit here, it makes it SEEM like God is just on a major power trip… or that He is just overreacting about EVERYTHING… or that “WHY HELL?” It makes Him seem a maniacal dictator throwing the temper tantrum the century.

Satan very much wants us to think these things about God… to doubt Him… or at the very least, to question Him… to blur the lines of sin & God’s deserving, to make our secure foundation of faith begin to totter & crumble beneath us.

We Need a Reality Check Sometimes

We need a perception adjustment here as a culture.

When we sin… we are defying, disrespecting, & spitting in the face of a HOLY God, Creator & Sustainer of ALL life (that includes you & me!), Who gave His ALL for us through Jesus on the cross, paying the debt WE owe for OUR sin & wretchedness. We don’t deserve Heaven, but He paid the way for every one of us who is willing to turn to Jesus as their only hope. (Because He IS our only hope!)

So, we’re not just mocking HIM when we water down the wretchedness of sin, but also the fact that He knew you would, knew you could never adequately pay Him back to make it right, & so HE HIMSELF MADE a way for you to be cleared of your debt FOR YOU… Our sin mocks THAT, too.

He is infinitely WORTHY of us making sure we are not, in the SLIGHTEST, watering down what displeases God simply because it’s been widely accepted throughout mainstream culture or even sometimes, sadly, the church.

It Doesn’t Matter What It Is… If It At ALL Offends God… WALK AWAY from It

And when you take things like “identity” & make it a “choice” rather than His specific design… that’s mocking Him.

And when you say you don’t have a choice BUT to sin, because it’s “who you are…” that’s mocking Him. Reality check, even if you feel you’ve had a certain DRAW toward a specific something God calls sin since you were a kid… guess what… you were BORN a sinner, so that has since become a decision to satisfy SELF more than a desire to please God… that’s mocking Him.)

And when we downplay certain sins that seem like they’re “not really that bad compared to “WORSE” ones,” assuming sometimes it can be “innocent” & that God “knows your intentions”… that’s mocking God.

And when we defend certain books or movies or games that even a little bit make us wonder whether it offends God… why do you resist that nudge? Have you asked yourself that yet? Have you dared to confront it? To surrender it if needed? To be willing to let God change your mind about it & move on from it? Or do you shove that little heart nudge so deep down that you don’t have to think about it anymore because you don’t want to be made to feel bad about it?

Do you claim that giving it up would be “legalistic”? Is that the method Satan uses to successfully get you to desperately cling on to something that dishonors, displeases, or offends God?

He Gets to Choose

HE made us. HE gets to choose. HE gave us a choice, desiring that we would choose to honor Him, knowing we wouldn’t always, & then made a way for us anyway through JESUS. He is WORTHY of PRAISE & HONOR!

I get it. Trends are popular & tempting because they can be fun, engaging, exciting, & SEEM harmless… but if they honor something God calls sin… can we really, honestly examine ourselves & say that engaging with it doesn’t dishonor Him?

Are you willing to do a soul inventory? Are you willing to be “searched” & “known” by God as the prayer requests of God in Psalm 139? For Him to show you if there be “any wicked way” in you? Or do you insist on remaining comfortable in what you have wrapped excuses around as “not that bad”?

It’s tempting for me, when I come to these sorts of crossroads, for me to rear up, feel defensive & called out… to feel offended… because I am NOT TRYING to offend God IN THE LEAST! But if I am willing to be honest with myself… am I fully convinced that I am indeed NOT offending Him with ANY of my choices?

Or do I just want what I want, to convince myself it is just fine, & to stay tucked in that comfort?

I Don’t Like Being Challenged to Let Go

When facing myself & coming to a willingness to be shown as wrong… It’s scary to me. It is. It takes a willingness to try surrender. To say, “God, I don’t know about this. You know I’m not trying to offend You, right? I would NEVER want that! But I feel myself rearing up. I feel the tension & ick & fear of having to realize that what I was so convinced was just fine before… maybe isn’t actually so fine. I don’t like that. Help me. If this is something that DOES indeed offend You, God, help me be willing… WILLING… to let it go. Change my heart & my perspective to want only what honors You, even if I have to lose something I like. I am afraid of losing this. But I also don’t want to even RISK offending You, either. Help me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Are you willing to pray that? Are you willing to let God see the parts of you that you’ve justified circles around? Are you willing to let HIM change your mind about it if it indeed offends Him? Are you willing to risk losing that to make sure you honor & please Him with your choices no matter what?

Or will you cling? Will you rear back? Will you talk to friends who will help you feel better about it again so you have someone to back up what you want to feel okay about again?

Will you shut God out of that part of your life?

What/Who do you want more?

The Cultural Breakdown of Sin–Making Evil Look Good

We should NEVER try to sugarcoat what God calls evil or sin. EVER. And for GOOD reason! The cultural breakdown of sin–making evil look good, only stands to HURT us.

Are you willing to believe that if it dishonors or offends Him that it is for a GREAT reason? That His choices & commands ONLY EVER revolve around BOTH your good AND His Glory?

Are you willing to REALLY believe that?

Shine HOPE by being WILLING to go to God in whatever you felt defensive about as you read this… by being willing to ask God to search & to know you, to let you know if there is ANY wicked way in you that you may be excusing or justifying… SO THAT He can lead you in “THE WAY EVERLASTING.”

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”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Mini Mandala Dish (India)

Create a gorgeous missional tablescape or display your favorite jewelry with this decorative Mini Mandala Dish from India! This eco-friendly dish is made from fast-growing mango wood, a sustainable byproduct of India’s mango fruit industry. Each dish features unique natural wood grains. Every purchase supports families in areas of extreme poverty in India.

In addition to being eco-friendly with fast-growing mango wood, our Artisans use up ALL parts of the wood! Nothing is wasted. This leads to many variations in the bowl, showing off its natural beauty. 

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

The Idol of Comfort-Seeking

I get it. I am basically the queen of wanting to avoid things that make me uncomfortable. It’s one of my biggest idols—comfort-seeking.

You may see my blog posts & social media encouragement & think, “yeah, but you still get stuff done, so how can you really say you relate?” But if you knew how much inner fight went on behind the scenes some weeks, you would get it. My heart craves comfort-seeking.

In a social media world especially, it’s easy to make life about the feel-good moments & the aesthetics. Frame it well, include some pretty florals, & use the right font & I am more likely to want to try whatever it is. Put it in black & white, in a boring font, & yeah, no thanks.

Reframing Your Perspective Is Actually a Good Thing!

It’s not wrong to try to reframe a situation in a more positive light… for example, if you use a planner, having gold foil accents & florals make it more appealing to use it… or in thinking about chores, changing your mindset from seeing it as grueling housework that you have to do versus something you GET to do to help make your home more comfortable & a safe space to come home to.

Nothing is wrong with re-framing our mindset about responsibilities, but the problem sprouts up when we refuse to do it if we can’t find a way to make it seem pretty or appealing. When we can’t find a way to make it make us feel good.

In a culture primarily led by how something makes them feel, we ought to do what’s right, even when we don’t feel like it.

Legitimate Struggle, But Not Worth Giving Up–Because God Is Bigger Still

I struggle with depression & probably anxiety. Now, this isn’t the type of depression that is feeling depressed & woe is me (although, when left unchecked, it can surely go there) & it is not the type of anxiety where I am constantly worrying about every outcome & everything around me, but rather they are manifested more in feeling physically & mentally tired, worn out, sluggish, checked out, numb, restless, & angsty… making it easy to want to seek out whatever feels better versus adding to the already existing strain.

It’s a legitimate issue… a legitimate struggle. It’s not trying to be lazy, but rather not feeling you have anything left to give anything else.

But, responsibilities still exist & as they pile up unchecked, so do the anxieties & stressors–typically making things worse. And God is always waiting to help as we cry out to Him for help. He wants us to live for Him & He also has the full, inexhaustible supply to help us make it happen.

It Always Leads Back to Surrender

It comes back to surrender… surprise, surprise… a willingness to lay down how I FEEL for what is right, even when I don’t feel like it. But thank GOD He doesn’t leave it up to my willpower or strength! He supplies as I cry out to Him AS my help!

This applies to showing up & doing my blog every week, even when I really don’t feel like concentrating or working some weeks.

It means not wasting away my afternoons when I get home from work, introverted me tired from being around people all morning, but rather surrendering & asking God instead to help take my hand & lead me step by step through my required tasks for the day, even when I would really rather just play video games or binge on a tv show the entire day.

It means doing the hard things, even when they don’t make me feel good.

It means being a PART of the body at church, serving in some capacity, even when some days I just don’t want to be around any other humans because I am TIRED.

But it also means recognizing when God is saying I just need rest, but not taking that to mean rest ONLY, ALWAYS. It always leads back to surrender to His lead & His help.

In a Culture Often Led by How Something Makes You Feel, Do What’s Right Anyway

What would the world look like if EVERYONE ONLY did what made them feel good?

You know what, being a janitor is dirty work… & because it is, I try to remember to thank them respectfully every time I see them working past me, even using sir or ma’am, because I want them to be honored for doing something most of us wouldn’t feel good doing, but I am SO grateful that they do it! If you are a sanitary worker, THANK YOU!

Imagine a world where we all only got the jobs that made us feel good… no janitors, no one to shovel poop on the farm, no one to care for the sick & dying…. It would become a pretty ugly world pretty quickly if we all avoided what didn’t make us feel good.

But don’t we often avoid taking extra time we don’t feel we have (& because it doesn’t always feel good) to serve God or honor Him by studying His Word, or taking intentional personal time with Him every day when we’re busy or worn out? Or is it just me?

What is the world around you missing out on in seeing Jesus through you because it doesn’t always make you feel good to honor Him all the time? Surrender.

I am Not the Shining Example I Ought to Be

I know I am pretty convicted by this. I am certainly not writing this week as a shining example of what ought to be done… unfortunately.

This is something I need to lay down every day, but I honestly sometimes don’t.

It’s something I need to surrender… to be willing to surrender to Him for help.

I have been asking for prayers lately for God to help me rebuild my life after our move because I have a REALLY hard time starting over & setting new routines & productive habits… after the craziness dust settles after a move, I easily fall into “oh phew! Now I need a BREAK!” & then I just never want to come out of that break because I have no good habits built up to fill in the blank spaces yet.

But alongside my prayers for a rebuilt life, I realized that my true need is a willingness to give up that break… (again, surrender) to ALLOW God to replace some of it with productive, healthy habits versus just existing through my day into the next one.

What are you avoiding for this very same reason–because it doesn’t make you feel good or give you a happy high in your day? That’s MY struggle.

Even When I am Weak, He Is Strong

Through my chronic sleeplessness lately (which I am grateful to say seems to have passed), God taught me how much of a Supply He could be if I were but willing to surrender to His help rather than giving up when I was so weak & tired & so prone to crankiness. He taught me that even with an against-my-will lacking, He was enough for me through it….

So, if I lost sleep on purpose (versus setting my morning alarm for the last possible second) to start each morning spending time in Bible study so I could begin my day purposefully focusing on Him versus just numb go-through-the-motions, that He would for sure be enough for me there as well.

He is helping me rebuild… to honor Him better with my time & choices… because I am willing to lay down my coveting of time-my-way for time HIS way… but I am still in need of more work with it FOR SURE & it is taking a DAILY surrender in this area.

What Are You Willing to Surrender, Even If It Doesn’t FEEL Good?

This week, I had a 5-day weekend, & I committed to fast from television, video games, mindless video scrolling online, & mindless swipe games… to work on making a commitment to better use my time. I’m going to need to keep working on it because my progress felt so incredibly sluggish because I am so reluctant… but I want to keep learning to bow that to Him so that when I look back a year from now, I can see & know I spent my time well & not wasted.

What do you need to give up that you are clinging to other than God as your help? What are you avoiding because it doesn’t make you feel good? What are you saying “no” to God about because it doesn’t seem appealing?

Shine HOPE by being willing to do what’s right, even when you don’t feel like it… with God’s help & a willingness to surrender to that help!

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”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Leather Leaf Earrings (Haiti)

These totally unique brown and ivory Leather Leaf Earrings made by women leading their families out of poverty in Haiti! Inspired by the natural beauty of the changing seasons, these genuine leather statement earrings are hand cut and accented with ivory glass beads and 14k gold-plated fishhook-style ear wires.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

What Should Prayer Look Like?

If you’re wanting to learn what God says about prayer, a quick internet search on prayer verses in the Bible will bring up quite a few references to what the Bible (AKA God) says about prayer, but something I would like to highlight is a newer-to-me perspective on why I ought to pray.

I grew up believing that prayer was about asking for what I want. In fact the Bible even says to let our requests be made known to God:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) (emphasis added, & hey, it’s also our verse from last week! Read that post, here: “How You Can Have Impossible Peace.”)

But make no mistake… prayer is not about making God do what I want. And trust me… that’s a GOOD THING.

God Doesn’t Answer to Me… Will That Cause Me to Doubt Him?

Something I always seemed to misunderstand was how I could be expected to make my requests known to Him & NOT be trying to make God into my personal genie—as I had always been told He was not… because He isn’t. He is GOD. And God does not answer to me.

So, going through deep depression lows & other seemingly never-ending times of hardship in my life, I would do as the verse says… I would make my requests (to end my struggles) be made known to God.

But when He did not remove the struggles or hardships… well, I stopped finding it so easy to trust Him.

And guess what… that is Exactly what Satan wants to result from our hardships & struggles… to doubt God & to turn away from Him... from HOPE.

And so I have come to realize that while the Bible does instruct us to make our requests known to God… I was missing a key piece to the whole prayer thing.

Prayer is meant to help me get on the same page as God. To align my heart with His perfect will & steadfast peace. To trust He knows far better than I do.

Remember These Major Truths When You Pray

Really effective prayer stems from another few verses we ought to keep in mind as we pray (emphasis added):

1. “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)
2. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)
3. ““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,
   And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
4. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
5. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

It’s okay to let God know your preference & to ask for it. But when looking at the above verses, it sounds like God is trying to tell us something there, doesn’t it? And boy do I need that reminder almost every day…. Our preference should not be the end-all-be-all, my-way-or-the-highway type of request… but a request of humility, understanding that in ALL things, GOD KNOWS BEST.

Fearing God Is Where It Ought to Start… Because of Some Pretty Awesome Reasons

Fearing God means recognizing really & truly that God is GOD & we are NOT–that’s why true wisdom starts there. Couple that with the fact that God tells us directly NOT to rely on our OWN understanding, well, it stands to reason that when we pray, we ought to ask for HIS GOD-will to trump our own will… that He help us trust HIS will & that He uphold us in it & through it.

Prayer is not about bringing a grocery list of requests to God for Him to pop out as you ask them, allowing you to have your ideal life with zero struggle or pain.

Prayer is about bringing our requests to Him & asking with a BUT, “… BUT, help me to see YOUR will in this. Help me to face it in a way that honors YOU. Strengthen me & help me to give YOU glory—no matter the outcome, & help me trust that YOU will also be my enough every step through it & will work it out for my good because YOU are a good God.”

Pray your prayers with a heart of surrender, being willing to trade your preference for His perfectly wise & always GOOD will.

Who Would You Rather?

Consider it this way: If you had a choice between entrusting your faith to a toddler to help you know what is best… Or an adult… who would you rather call the shots? (Hint: We are the toddler in this scenario… & God is the adult, but so much more.)

Oh, we may want something REALLY badly & feel like it’s the absolute end of the world if we do not have it (our dream job, our dream guy, 2.5 kids with a white picket fence, or a clear bill of health–none of those are wrong to want, by the way)… But we only see & understand & know a mere FRACTION of what God sees, understands, & knows.

God sees & understands & knows EVERYTHING. Do we? I know I don’t.

(But let me tell you, it is getting harder for me to raise eyebrows at screaming, demanding-their-way toddlers nowadays because I’m beginning to realize how closely I must resemble them before God sometimes.)

So why oh why would we want & sometimes maybe even demand to get OUR way if it differs from GOD’S way?

God Is Good, So Good–Pray for His Will

I heard pastor & author Chip Ingram say in his video series on “God as He Longs for You to See Him”:

“God is all-wise & all-good, so if there was a gentler, kinder, better way for God to accomplish His perfect will for your life… That’s the way He would do it.”

-Chip Ingram

God knows what He’s talking about on literally EVERYTHING. So that’s why, when we pray, we ought to pray that God help us line up to His perspective & His will in the situation, that He help us trust in that even when we don’t really understand it or see how it could possibly be any good... that He help us through His way & in letting go of our way if it is His will.

“BUT, Your will be done… & help me to trust You through it… I don’t understand, but I know You do. And be my strength & guide & ENOUGH every step of the way.”

Do you pray to get your way or for help trusting God’s way?

Do You Pray to Get Your Way? Or for Help Trusting God’s Way?

Request your request, but have a heart willing to yield that request for His glory & His help through every step of it.

Because He may not give you what you so desperately want, but He WILL supply you with all you need through it, AS you lean into HIM as your Enough. He will NEVER waste your struggle or lack. EVER.

So, shine HOPE by turning your prayers from getting your way to asking for help in being willing to see God’s plan win over your own, & for Him to be your supply through it every step of the way.

He ALWAYS shows Himself faithful. And you can ALWAYS count on that.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Aventurine Lock Bracelet (Dominican Republic)

The naturally varying shades of genuine aventurine stone make every Aventurine Lock Bracelet from the Dominican Republic totally unique. Each stretch-to-fit bracelet features a gold-tone accent bead and a delicate gold lock charm.

*Every purchase of this bracelet supports a safe house in the Dominican Republic that provides housing, education, legal services, and trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking.*

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Surrender to God Brings Joy

Last week, we talked about how we ought to surrender to God’s plan when it contradicts our own will. (Read that post, here: “Surrender to God When His Plan Contradicts Yours”) But really, to find true joy in life, everything in our life requires surrender… every little bit of it.

The wonderful thing about that fact is the truth that as we surrender to God’s will & His help in every little thing, big or small, we begin to take so much of the weight & burden off our own shoulders & place it on His very capable, inexhaustible shoulders (Matthew 11:28-30).

Everything takes surrender, whether it be a bad attitude, feeling gloomy or frustrated or even days where you feel like rolling your eyes at everything… & even on a good day, when you think you have it all together & you’re just rockin’ it—because doing what seems right in our own eyes, no matter how righteous it seems, will ALWAYS fall short of deferring to God in any given moment. We need Him.

Let’s go through some areas that require daily surrender.

Rise & Shine? Or Waking Up with the Grumpies?

When I begin my day, it’s my morning attitude & sleepy grumpiness that I must surrender first. My alarm goes off & I confess, my initial response is NOT “Riiise & shiiine, & give God the glory, glory!!” (Anyone else have camp leaders sing that to your hall every morning… oh LORD, I needed to pray for patience & grace those mornings!)

But, NO, that is not my usual first feeling. Normally, I groan in disgust, pinch my eyes shut in annoyed defiance to the required wakeup time, roll out of bed slowly, unwillingly… & pray something like, “God, I’m sorry. Please forgive my bad attitude. I am SO tired I just want to go back to sleep! Please help me honor You today & help my attitude get in shape this morning. Help me not ruin my own day with my own bad attitude. Help me give You glory today instead. AMEN.”

Surrender.

God Asked Me to Do It, But _____________________

Sometimes the need for surrender comes in those moments where I feel an annoying little nudge-prompting from God to do something that intimidates me or something for which I feel ill-equipped. My heart rears back & I feel fear & defiance & anxiety take root.

It’s when I feel too busy to handle it… or too easily distractable… or too worn out… or too ________________________. Distractions & inadequacies & obstacles seem to come in every shape or form when I feel anxious about something God asks of me.

And then God whispers over my heart the reminder that whatever He asks of me, whether a habit I need to get to making, or an area of obedience I am avoiding, or a task to speak to or help someone… no matter what it is… HE will take care of the details & the how. I just have to be willing to say, “Yes, Lord. Show me how. You know this scares or intimidates me because I want to be honoring to You, but practically, I don’t know how to do this. But if it’s something that honors You, I need to remember that You WILL help me to do it if I just be willing to let You. Don’t let any obstacle or limitation keep me from trusting You can make it happen anyway. Show me how & give me the strength to do it… & I will do it. AMEN.”

Surrender.

Love & Pray for My ENEMIES?

Or, here’s a good one. You know the verse that says to “love our enemy & pray for those who persecute us?” (Luke 6:27-36) Sometimes someone is straight up RUDE to me & they know it & they just don’t care one bit. Or, they are completely & utterly CLUELESS to how their bad attitude is being directed at me & so don’t feel the need to apologize at all.

Is my natural reaction to love & pray for them? NO! A BIG no. I want to throat punch them & tell them to shape up. I want to DEMAND the injustice & unkindness be righted.

What I DON’T want… is to be gracious (remember, by DEFINITION, grace is UNdeserved.)

I have to take a deep breath, swallow my righteous anger (because really, I have a right to be angry, but God instructs us to be angry & NOT SIN. (AKA no hatred & yes to loving them & praying for them instead), (Ephesians 4:26-32) & I have to stop & pray: “God… GOD… You saw that. I know You heard what they said & that You feel the hurt it caused me. I want it made RIGHT! I want justice. I want an apology. I want to scream. But I know bitterness & grudges & bottling up my anger doesn’t please You. You want me to love them & pray for them. HOW?!? Help me forgive them. Help me give grace. Help me remember I am just as in need of grace as they. Help me to leave it in Your hands & trust You to handle it. Show me how I can possibly love them. Teach me how. Love them through me & teach me to pray for them versus stewing in it or slandering them over it. Please help me. AMEN.”

Surrender.

So Many Things Don’t Go My Way… & Surprisingly, That Always Ends Up Being a Good Thing

And then there are my plans & goals & dreams, like I talked about last week. Sometimes God says “no.” Sometimes He says, “not right now” & sometimes the “when”not right now” seems so far off or so unclear that you’re not even sure if maybe it’s actually a NO. And it hurts.

Maybe it’s lacking a relationship & you wonder if you’ll be single forever (been there), watching your younger siblings & friends get married while you are yet to have any true prospects (again, been there). Everyone else seems to be enjoying marital bliss but you.

Or maybe it’s a job or career path that ever seems to be slipping out of your grasp or you feel like you’re floating through life, still completely unsure of “what you want to be when you grow up.” Everyone else seems to have it figured out but you. (I can also relate).

Maybe it’s wanting children, but every month you are hit again with the realization that it won’t be this time around. And that happens over & over & over again & you wonder why it seems God won’t answer that for you. Everyone else seems to have a happy family with game nights & camping trips & time with cousins… but you arrive childless to every family gathering. (That was my heart hurt for MANY years, although God has grown me to appreciate the different plan He has had for us. Read about that story, here: “To the Barren Woman.”)

Maybe it’s a prolonged illness, a bad diagnosis, a terrible injury, a mental disorder, or a trauma that seems to haunt you on the daily. Everyone else seems capable & able to live life to the fullest, but you feel stuck, missing out & held back against your will.

I could go through so many maybes, but the truth is, sometimes life just doesn’t happen the way we so, SO want it to.

And that takes surrender. Surrendering to GOD’S will when it seems so opposite your own. DETERMINING to cling to Him & trust His GOODNESS, to trust HIM. No matter what.

True Joy Comes in Living a Life of Surrender

EVERY decision He makes, as absolute authority over heaven & earth is ALWAYS meant for BOTH His glory & your GOOD. Always. 100%.

True joy comes in living a life of surrender, whether it’s my attitude, or little choices in how I respond or treat a situation, or being obedient to Him even when I don’t want to or it’s hard, or facing the fact that God’s plan may not line up AT ALL with mine.

It brings true joy to surrender to Him in all things because STRIVING after & CLINGING to & DEMANDING to have your way happen or that you DESERVE to feel that way or react that way… when we do that, we hurt ourselves.

Let God take on that heavy weight. And let Him carry YOU. Let Him care for & comfort you.

Say, “God, I don’t like the way this is turning out & I want to be bitter & mad at You even. I’m sorry for that, but it’s the truth. I don’t understand why You would allow this to be my life. How can You say you love me & allow this to be my life? I don’t understand. But I want to trust You. I want to trust that You’re still good & that somehow You know what You’re doing & that You’re even ENOUGH for me in this plan I DO NOT like. Help me. I really want to believe You, but it hurts so much. Help me fall back on You & know that You will be there to catch me. Help me stop striving & to start abiding in You & Your comfort & Your enoughness. Show me how. Teach me. Help my broken, bitter heart. Forgive me. Amen.”

Surrender IS Hard, But It WILL Change Your Life for the Best

It’s called surrender because it means the giving up of your way of doing or handling things, of giving up the way you’ve always wanted things to go… of choosing His will over your own.

But that’s where true & lasting joy breeds… in a surrendered-always-to-Him LIFE.

It seems nonsensical that by giving up the way we feel things should be handled or how I want MY life to go… that it will somehow make things better? But we’re not just throwing it all away to chance & then hoping at least some good will come of it, resigning to just giving up or numbing ourselves to what we want so we can bear to carry on… no, we’re ENTRUSTING that difference & contrast to an Almighty God who LOVES us so very much & Who sent Jesus to pay your debts so you could be set free from your due punishment.

He wants what is best for you & He KNOWS what is best for you… even if you think it doesn’t look very much like how you would want it… That’s a GOOD thing when you consider Who is doing the planning!

So, shine HOPE in your life by determining to choose surrender in the big & the small every single day & let HIM be GOD of your life. AMEN!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Kaia Earrings (Philippines)

These elegant eco-friendly earrings feature ethically sourced, sustainable, capiz shells that local families harvest from the bottom of the sea surrounding the Philippine islands. Artisans handcraft these natural capiz shells into blue ombré teardrop shapes and then wrap them in silver-tone metal frames before adding silver-tone fishhook ear wires.

Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in the Philippines.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

It’s Hard to Trust Him When His Plan Goes Against Mine

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it hurts & yet your prayers seem to fall on deaf ears? You know God sees your aching heart & feels your hurt, & yet, He doesn’t answer the way you want?

Or have you gone through something so incredibly hard that you beg God for a solution or healing or an end to it… & yet none comes?

Why surrender to God when nothing is going your way? HOW can you?

Hitting a Crossroad… Sometimes Prayers Don’t Get Answered the Way That I Want

I feel like life is a constant progression of coming to these crossroads: Will I choose my will… or His when they’re very different?

First that I can remember was my depression era in high school, where I wanted to die more than anything else… I wanted the pain to stop but it just never would… like I was trapped in a broken, fractured mind that barraged me constantly with thoughts about how much of a worthless burden I was. I prayed for freedom from the constant onslaught of attacks, but none came… for two straight years, none came.

Then there was my romantic heart where any boy that was nice to me… well, I was already basically picturing what our kids would look like & what our life would be like if we ended up together. I wanted to be married more than anything else… I loved the idea of feeling completely & utterly loved… but traumas & fears caused me to run whenever it got serious… & nothing ever felt quite right… like I was chasing validation versus real, sacrificial reciprocated love. I prayed & prayed & prayed, but everything hit a dead end, watching my younger sister & younger friends all wed before I even came close… & it hurt… a lot.

And Hokkaido… the isolation… the loneliness… the culture shock waves that would knock me off my feet unexpectedly… the stress buildup that started ripping apart my threshold for stressors… snapping & crying & rage & despair & feeling trapped by the effects the stress was having on my life & not feeling able to stop it… & no one in my life seemed to understand, isolating me even more. I prayed for it to end, but it always seemed to just only get worse.

Surrender to God When His Plan Contradicts Yours

I have been through even more examples of times when nothing seemed to go my way (like not being able to get pregnant or fighting through traumas), no matter how reasonable or good intentions my pleading had, it never seemed to be enough… the agony didn’t end… the answer to my prayer seemed nonexistent… God was silent when it came to giving me what I so badly wanted.

Surrender seems the least obvious choice here. Well, maybe surrender to the despair or hopelessness… but not to God & the possibility that He may have a different plan than I do. When God withholds the way I want so desperately for things to work out, it doesn’t spark an eagerness to surrender to Him at all… it makes me want to hold on & fight, as if maybe I just need to BETTER convince God to hear me out & help me & answer my way.

When All Hope Feels Lost… Will You Surrender to Him AS Your Hope?

When you are stuck not getting what you so desperately want… the thing you ache & long for, whether it be the end of constant pain or the end of loneliness or freedom from constant stress… will you choose to cling to the end of that struggle above all else?

Or will you surrender to God & ask for His will to be done in your life, EVEN IF it is different than your own?

“God, You know I’m hurting. You know how desperate I feel right now… But I also know that You are God & You are good. You have a perfect plan in this. You are sufficient. If You choose to take me a different route, hard as it may seem to me, can You please show Yourself sufficient to me? Help me remember You want my good & that You love me & that You are always enough? Help me trust that You know what You’re doing better than I do... that You see the WHOLE picture that I don’t. Help me learn how to better trust You when Your plan seems so wildly different than what I so, so badly want. I have to trust that, even if it doesn’t go my way. Help me to trust You, to surrender to You, come what may. AMEN.”

Surrender to God’s Will ALWAYS–Even If It Means the Hurt Won’t Stop, It Means He Will Carry You through to an Even Better Plan Than Your Own

In my biggest battle with depression, where I had already listened to Satan’s lies so much that I had spiraled to a place so dark I didn’t even know how to find my way out anymore… I not only prayed but tried everything to pump joy into my life my way, only to find it progressively worsen. It wasn’t until I fully surrendered that I found freedom. I gave up every pursuit to make myself happy, to control my happiness input to ensure I would be happy, to instead say, “God, nothing else. Only You. Nothing else.” And only in the surrender of my pursuit of happiness to rest it all on Him no matter what, did I find that freedom… & not ONLY freedom, but the definitively clear dispelling of doubts I had carried my whole life, giving me an even richer freedom that I never knew could even be possible in my life.

In my longing, lonely, desperate heart of singleness, watching everyone else get married while I seemed to be on a path of eternal singleness, I was inspired by my aunt who had lost her husband & in that loss, she clung to God as her hope. I used to pity her, but after a long, unexpected car ride with just us, I saw behind the image I imagined & instead saw a woman who had such peace & assurance & inner humble confidence. I realized then that singleness was not a curse, but a blessing… if I would but surrender to God’s will over my own... His sufficiency & His love.

And then there was Hokkaido… where I didn’t surrender. I wanted to feel comfort. I wanted to escape the stress. So, I hid from it. I idolized comfort above all else, even above God. I avoided by tv binging & gaming & food. I didn’t learn from my past… that surrender leads to HOPE. I fought God’s plan to keep me in that stressful atmosphere rather than surrendering to that FACT that He would be ENOUGH for me IN it. I let bitterness against God take root & I didn’t get to see the hope that surrendering to Him brings.

Surrendering to God’s will seems THE LAST thing I want to do when life isn’t going my way, but it is in that surrender that I finally find that HOPE I so desperately search for.

God Can be Trusted in Our Surrender

God knows what He is doing. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, & perfectly, without-any-mistakes-ever WISE.

God sees the big picture: all the pieces in play, all unexpected turn of events, spanning through all eternity. He sees it ALL, while I just think I know what I see in my tiny fraction of it.

God can bring beauty out of ashes. No matter how impossibly hard something seems, it ALWAYS is appreciated when it is finally over when I choose surrender to Him in it.

God can be ENOUGH for me in the hard. He is NEVER lacking & how obvious it becomes when I struggle & feel at a complete loss & yet allow Him to be enough & see that He indeed IS.

It’s in the hard that we can see it’s not me or getting my way that will bring me joy & peace & fulfillment… No. It’s found in surrendering to HIS way where we find all that, even when His way seems the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of our most desired way.

Let God Have His Way–You Will Never Regret It

So, why surrender to God when His plan contradicts yours?

Because God is GOD. He can be trusted 100%. He is enough. And if you let Him, He will take your less than ideal & paint a beautiful, unique masterpiece out of your life, one where you will one day look back in awe & wonder & PRAISE that in the impossible, God made a way… & not just A way, but the most beautiful story you never could have imagined for yourself.

So, shine HOPE by learning the beauty in SURRENDER—even when nothing in life is going your way & even when God seems to want the opposite of your own desperate desires.

Surrender to Him… always.

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 newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Kavita Necklace (India)

Handcrafted by her fellow Artisans in India, this eye-catching necklace is named in honor of Kavita, who inspires women in her community and around the world to become heroes of their own stories! Naturally varying shades of raspberry, blue, white, green, black, and faded pink make this colorful design truly mesmerizing, whether you wear it alone or layer it with more of your favorite fair-trade designs! Every purchase creates safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Let God Call the Shots

Well, this is going to be a fun topic & I may indeed ruffle some feathers, but I want you to take a deep breath & at least hear me out, willing to lay aside whatever you believe, how you grew up, what others around you say is acceptable… & be willing to ask God for HIS opinion… because my opinion doesn’t really matter does it? But His? It means EVERYTHING.

What Do Star Signs, Enneagrams, & Mental Disorder Labels Have in Common?

So, why this title? What do star signs, enneagrams, & mental disorder labels have in common? Well, let’s get into it, shall we?

While enneagrams, or other personality tests, can potentially help us better understand our current starting point… & mental disorder diagnoses can teach us about what we’re working with, in regards to our brain chemistry… they all can also have the danger of shaping how you define yourself… versus allowing God to do that for you.

And while star signs can do the same, we must be careful to recognize that star signs, while often seen as harmless fun, are superstitious stereotypes at best.

Well, It’s “Just the Way I Am”

Have you ever heard someone say, “Well I am [or, he/she is] a Scorpio, what do you expect?”

Or maybe, “Well, I am a 4, so that’s normal for me.”

Or even, “I have depression, so really, it’s just how I am.”

I don’t TRY to use them as excuses, but that very well can be what they become.

Now, it’s natural for me to try to figure out how I fit in the world & to want to see my blind spots & my weaknesses, but I need to be careful that I don’t begin to DEFINE myself based on those things.

Personality tests & diagnoses need to be merely a starting point on where I need more surrender to God’s intended design for me.

How We Learned to Survive… But Not the Way It HAS to Be

Much of personality is what we cultivate even from our toddler observations of others around us, taking it all in & determining what seems to work & what doesn’t, how we can be safe or make people like us or get along well in the world.

Growing up, we often hear people tell us, “you’re so smart,” or, “you’re so funny” or “you’re annoying,” & we begin to determine who we think we are from the input we are given… how others perceive & determine us to be.

In other words, our personality is largely an accumulation of your life experiences, how you chose to deal with them, & the patterns that emerged from that... but it’s not how we HAVE to be.

Your personality is not set in stone, but can be tenderly & lovingly shaped & matured over time as you rely less on it & more on asking God to show you & teach you better how you ought to respond or feel about something, yielding your natural instinct & asking Him for what He leads as honoring & pleasing to Him—closer to HIS intended design for you.

God Is the Designer… He Made You… Let HIM Guide You in HIS Design

For example, if I do indeed take a quiz & determine my enneagram number or use some other type of personality test, this can only be used truly to show me where I am at that exact moment. It doesn’t tell me WHO I AM. Only God can determine that—because HE MADE me.

If my specific enneagram number or personality type is prone to one such flaw or weakness, this does not excuse me from needing to submit these areas to God for His work to continue in me.

I can say, “I am this “type”, which can tend to struggle with ________________, SO, I need to be conscious of making progress in not doing that anymore & conscious of my need to ask God to help me reshape that instinct, tendency, or habit.”

Or, if I say, “I have this mental disorder, which tends to make me feel __________________, SO, I need to be conscious of this & ask God whenever my tendency leans toward that versus justifying it as “just the way I am” if it dishonors God or harms myself or others.”

Let God Continue to Shape You to be More Like Jesus

I can’t use a star sign, an enneagram number, or a mental illness label to define myself or excuse myself of behaviors, thoughts, attitudes, or actions that dishonor God.

I must take my tendencies that are sinful in nature (as we are all born sinners & that is what we are naturally bent to do) & lay them before God, asking Him to shape & mold me into Jesus’ image, seeking to please & honor God with all areas of my life.

My tendencies & instincts are not acceptable excuses to God.

My tendencies & instincts are not untouchable from God lovingly shaping me.

My tendencies & instincts do not define me… only God does… because HE MADE ME.

So, whether you believe in superstitious fallacies, personality test numbers/letters, or whether you are diagnosed with a specific condition… don’t allow those to tell you who you are… only God can do that. Let God continue to shape you as you GROW closer to Him.

Don’t Ever Underestimate God

And whatever you feel you “can’t help”… if it hurts you, others, or God… don’t underestimate God’s redeeming power in the areas where you feel trapped or stuck in “just the way it is.” God is more powerful than ANY “just the way it is.”

Shine HOPE by taking those definitions of yourself to God & asking Him to show you HIS design, EVEN IF it goes completely against what those things tell you about yourself.

God has the final say. He can redeem any behavior, attitude, or habit. So, even if unbelieving at first, lessen your grip & allow Him to show you what He can do with your willingness to grow in His design for you, His way. Be moldable.

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 newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Floral Wooden Jewelry Box (India)

What holiday surprise will you hide inside this eco-friendly, intricately hand-carved jewelry box? This unique, ethically made gift features an Artisanal floral design on the removable lid and a subtle whitewash finish. Artisans create this jewelry box using fast-growing mango wood, a sustainable byproduct of India’s mango fruit industry. Every purchase supports families in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Dancing the Line

I grew up looking for what I could get away with when it came to the Bible. I was definitely swayed by the world around me, wanting to fit in, but also wanting to “technically” obey God.

Dancing the line between honoring God & still getting to live the way I wanted led me to lean heavily on the “well that’s okay as long as I don’t __________” judgment calls I made along the way.

For example, I may have been a flirt, making inappropriate jokes, but I didn’t use foul language or have sex, so I thought I was doing okay.

Sometimes it’s just the “acceptable practices” of other Christians I saw that helped me feel justified in doing what I wanted that wasn’t technically a sin at all.

Taking a Step Back

But I think it’s important to take a step back & consider those things… not just only for the purpose of better honoring & pleasing God with our choices, trying to be a “better Christian,” but also because God puts those boundaries in place because He KNOWS that without them, we set ourselves up for more hurt, struggle, & temptation that He never wanted us to have to battle.

So, in learning discernment, it is important to ask yourself, even in the “accepted by Christian society” options available to you, do your decisions sow or stir discontentment &/or temptation?

Even in the Innocence… We Can Sow Feelings of Discontentment or Temptation

For example, I have found that certain tv shows, while mostly clean & widely acceptable in church family homes, may hint at sexual tension & therefore create a temptation in my struggle against lust/fantasizing. The show may not display sexual activity, but it sows & stirs temptation I wouldn’t otherwise have to combat.

Another big one for me was actually the lovey dovey tv shows/movies (I think we can all think of a certain channel known for these, especially during Christmastime) that, while pretty PG, sowed & stirred in me great discontentment during my years of singleness that seemed to never end (I got married at age 28, while most all my friends & even my younger sister were married way before me).

Those movies & tv shows aren’t raunchy or bad, but even in the innocence, they made me wrestle with that longing to be loved, making me feel impatient & frustrated at my ringless finger rather than keeping my eyes on finding HOPE in God’s love.

I Set My Eyes on Things That Won’t Actually Satisfy

I all too easily cling to things as my idol. It may not be a little carved image that I physically bow down to or chant my allegiance to, but they are definitely things I put before God.

Instant gratification culture, brought on by online shopping, fast food, & quick internet search results have led me to covet ease & comfort… So much so, that when I struggle with depression, my idol becomes the end of my struggle, rather than trusting God to be sufficient in the struggle.

The same thing can happen when we make decisions that sow or stir discontentment or temptations. We start focusing more on what we feel we “ought to be able to enjoy” rather than letting discernment tell us to trust God & that while it may be socially accepted in Christian circles & may in & of itself not be sinful at all, it may not be worth the discontentment &/or temptations it breeds.

Now Hold on a Minute…

Making these decisions to deny ourselves something that doesn’t even seem sinful is not easy & oftentimes seems quite the opposite of logical or reasonable. It seems unnecessary at best & legalistic at worst.

Your flesh may rear up in defiance. You may feel defensive because it’s not even something sinful or bad. You may feel like clinging to that thing you enjoy because it’s “not even bad.”

But is it worth the extra fighting? The added struggle? The sadness or worry or wrong desire you now become burdened with? Is it worth all that?

Learning Discernment: Do Your Decisions Sow or Stir Discontentment &/or Temptation?

I have felt all those things. I don’t automatically say, “Yes, LORD, I see it now! Those things pull me down & make my life more complicated than it already is… more difficult than it needs to be! And although they’re not technically bad choices, they affect me negatively, so they’re not worth it! I will stop right now!” No, sadly, that’s not usually my quick response.

I “like” to learn by making the same poor decision again & again & again because I don’t want to miss out on or give up something I enjoy that’s not even BAD!

It doesn’t feel fair. It feels like missing out. I don’t like missing out.

I NEED to Lean into Him… But I Often Justify Myself into Discontentment &/or Temptation Again & Again

But sometimes I feel a gentle, soft whisper over my heart… a gentle awareness really, the Holy Spirit nudging my heart, saying, “do you remember, Michelle, how much it hurt dealing with the aftermath of this decision last time? Don’t do this to yourself again… trust Me to be enough in its place so you don’t have to go through that again.”

But I don’t listen. I keep justifying, based on how innocent it seems in & of itself, or how accepted & embraced it is by Christians I respect. I don’t like missing out.

And God keeps whispering, nudging, beckoning my heart to trust Him.

When I choose to listen, I find freedom.

A Prayer I Often Don’t Want to Pray

It starts with a reluctant prayer for help: “God, I hear You. I can feel the conviction tugging at my heart to leave this behind. But it’s not even “bad” & I don’t want to miss out. But I do want to trust You better than just getting this… but I need Your help trusting You more than my desire for this. Help me trust that You are nudging me because You see & You don’t want me to keep putting myself in situations where I am discontented or tempted. Life can already be hard enough… I don’t need to enjoy things that just make it harder. I get that. Help me let go. Help me trust You instead. Please help me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Let Yourself Fail… & Keep Trying to Trust God More… With His Help

It starts small. I may fail. But I can expect to not be good at something when I am not used to practicing it. So, I must determine to keep trying, allowing myself grace to fail, & to keep trying again, with God’s help & grace along the way.

Lovely, God may be asking you, nudging your heart, to give up something you feel justified in enjoying. You may feel threatened, feeling that He’s saying you’re not being a good enough Christian & that maybe He’s guilting you or testing you.

But hear me on this… God is always gentle & loving & kind… & He also knows ALL things. He doesn’t want you enjoying something that is actually HURTING you, EVEN IF that something seems completely justifiably embraced by other Christians. EVEN IF that something is not sinful in & of itself.

Because He loves you & will always fight for what is best for you–even if the thought of the change makes you uncomfortable. He will never give up that fight because you mean that much to Him.

Let the Conviction Bring a Smile Rather Than Fear

So, if that conviction keeps tugging at your heart, let it bring a smile to your face, reminding you that God is fighting for you right then & there, to give you His absolute best in this life.

For example, I don’t use umbrellas like EVER… I am a run & deal with the wet type of person. But some mornings I feel a little nudge that I need to get my umbrella. I dismiss it with a scoff, “ha, I never use it anyway, so no thanks.” Then it ends up downpouring at a time I am stuck outside, wishing I had that umbrella. God doesn’t just say, “hey, an umbrella would typically be favored for the typical person on a day it will rain, like today,” but rather, “I know YOU will want one today, & because I know that, I am giving you a heads up.” What a good & loving God!

Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. And ask God to help you trust Him more than you cling to that thing you are clinging to that sows or stirs feelings of discontentment &/or temptation… because “ain’t nobody got time for that.”

Shine HOPE by being willing to give up those “okay” things that sow or stir discontentment &/or temptation within you so that you can trust God’s call with it in its place.

Coming Next Week

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

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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 newly added FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts”!***)

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR 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!!

Mini Leaf Dish (India)

Sold as a single dish. Artisans in India handcraft this nature-inspired Mini Leaf Dish from neem wood with subtly carved veins to add a realistic touch. Neem wood is a fast-growing hardwood that grows abundantly in arid regions of India with natural color variations, anti-microbial properties, and interlocking grains that make it an ideal, durable material for furniture and home décor.

Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages, health care, and clean water for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!