A Hardening Heart Toward God

If I’m completely honest with you, I have noticed my heart hardening toward God over the last year or so.

It’s not that I don’t pray. I still read my Bible before bed every night. I go to Bible Study with other ladies. I keep up with my blog to honor Him even on days I’d rather be lazy.

I still see Him work in my life. I still ask for His help. I still feel Him near me, caring for me… even when I fail… a lot.

But I have grown cold. Selfish. Hard-hearted. Coveting of spending time the way I want or eating what I want or staying in the bubble of my comfort zone… Living my life for me… & not for Him.

I see it. I feel it. And yet, I don’t want to change it.

I Need to Diligently Spend More Time with Him & Seek after Him

There’s even a nudging on my heart as to the cause of it… a beckoning & a welcoming whisper to the security, safety, peace, & joy I felt when I spent more time with Him. In fact, the more time I spent talking with Him & seeking Him through reading & studying the Bible, the more those things seemed to define the state of my heart.

And I know I need more of it. I know my lack of pursuit of Him is what is slowly draining the joy & peace & eagerness out of my heart.

I need to seek Him more. I need to submit my heart to Him & spend time in His presence, through prayer & reading His Word, the Bible. I need to make HIM my daily focus… Not Me.

But I don’t want to do anything about it.

When My Life Is All about Me & Not about Jesus

It makes me feel ashamed even to admit it out loud that I have started to make my life more about me & not so much about Him.

Consider my anxieties that flooded my life when I heard we’re moving next month. Or the anxiety I feel when I think someone might ask something of me that may take away from my preferred use of free time.

Selfishness has begun to replace a pursuit of holiness.

Those anxieties should have been replaced by humbled willingness to see how they can be used to shine His light & honor & please Him, but all I could think about was the hassle & not having things go my way.

And I know it. And I feel no desire to change it, even though my heart aches & pleads for me to do so, to redeem the heart of peace & joy & love I felt when I did pursue Him more.

I Would Rather Have Hard Times with Him

I feel like the only way God is going to get through to me again is by letting me go through something hard. I feel trapped by the sinful, selfish hard-heartedness I seem to be clinging to.

It’s true that going through hard things is, well, hard. But if it gets my attention back on what matters & shakes me out of this selfish pattern of self-destruction, then I welcome it.

I wish I could recognize that reality, allow that to be all I need, & change course before it happens so I can experience that joy again without the trial first, but I just don’t want to change & I would rather hurt facing a hard lesson & readjust, than keep on this trajectory of self-absorbed destruction.

A Prayer of Repentance

“Lord, forgive me. I am so selfish & self-absorbed. I want my life to be about me, where I am the main character & everything happens to benefit or please me. I want everything to go my way & be comfortable. I don’t want things in my life that don’t cultivate comfort for me. Please forgive me. I don’t know why You even put up with me at this point. How many times must I learn this lesson? How many times do I need to be reminded that You are beyond worth losing literally any & everything? Why must I always cycle back to needing this lesson again & again? I don’t understand Your level of patience & forgiveness & grace & love. I must have long ago used up my ‘deserved’ amount. Please forgive me. Help me find my way back to the peace & joy & eagerness to pursue You in everything I do. Forgive me for making ME the main character, when the main character is, was, & always will be You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Shine HOPE by trusting that God will continue to pursue you, even when you stop pursuing Him, & by knowing you can always turn around back to Him & find Him waiting with open arms.…

Don’t hesitate to run into those arms.

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 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!!

Journey Backpack

This genuine leather Journey Backpack is handcrafted by Artisans in India who wash, tumble, & vegetable-tan the leather to create a vintage well-loved look & feel. With its versatile, hands-free design, varying neutral shades of weathered cognac brown, & double-stitched reinforced construction, this backpack is a must-have fair-trade “carry-all” for anyone!

Get one for yourself & empower women artisans in India out of poverty. <3

How You Can Help:

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! Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Are We Bearing Consequences We Could Have Avoided If We Had Sought God First?

Have you ever considered the consequences of seemingly inconsequential decisions to just act as most do on something versus stopping to ask God first?

Maybe your decision or solution is simply that of what generations of people have always done in that situation–like going to the doctor when you’re sick… maybe it just seems logical & reasonable like seeking an ally in battle… maybe it doesn’t seem any serious offense like pride, arrogance, or rebellion against God.

That’s how it typically goes for me anyway. I don’t think of it as being prideful or distrusting of God–I’m just acting on what I know to do from past experiences or the advice of those before me.

I don’t think of it as pride to go to the doctor when I am sick. I don’t think of it as turning my back on God when I ask for a friend’s help in crisis. It’s just what what one typically does in those situations.

My Hope Is in the LORD! … Do I Act Like It?

But then this little verse in 2 Chronicles 16 just has to throw a wrench into everything I believe to be reasonable.

“Because you have relied on the king of Syria, & have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.” (2 Chronicles 16:7)

Now. I don’t believe God’s intent with this statement was to throw a temper tantrum of rage, but rather to say, “I could have helped you, but you didn’t even ask me… you went somewhere else for help instead, & because of that decision, you won’t get the help you so desperately sought from other sources.”

God is our hope. Not just our SOURCE of hope… He IS our hope.

He wants us to come to Him as our solution, as our top priority, as our first inclination right off the start.

He knows He can help us & He wants us to know it & seek Him for it as well.

Accepting Sin or Accepting God’s Help for Change?

This also rings true in regard to our sinful habits, ones we think are “just who we are.” Sure, if we act on that assumption (that it’s “just the way we are”), rather than trusting God’s way as best & Him as our help, we won’t find anything else to be true, as we rot from the inside out because of our sin patterns that He passionately wants to help free us from.

But, if we stop to think that although, from our very core, we feel our gut instinct inescapably true, that maybe just maybe the God who created the universe might just MIGHT know better & we stop to ask for HIS way & will & help knowing HOW…. We’ll find the solution we seek in Him.

He Needs to be My First Go-To

God alone knows everything & God alone knows every solution, so why is my gut instinct not to go to God first for everything?

Before I search online for answers.

Before I ask a friend for their thoughts.

Before I ask my parents for advice.

Before I go to a doctor or any professional for help.

Before anything, my first instinct ought to be to seek God’s help, wisdom, & direction.

God Knows What I Cannot See

Maybe He knows I will be ripped off by the person I am inclined to seek help from… maybe they won’t have the skill needed to detect &/or prevent an impending health concern… maybe they are just best-guessing based on previous evidences…?

But God? He only does for my good. He knows exactly who I need to go to. He doesn’t have to guess. EVER.

So why is He not my first go-to for help?

How many times has my life been negatively affected because I did exactly what King Asa of Judah did in 2 Chronicles 16 in going to someone or something else before or instead of going to God?

WAIT on the LORD

Those verses to “wait on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14)… to acknowledge Him [as GOD] in all I do (Proverbs 3:5-6)… to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)… to be still & know that He is God (Psalm 46:10)…

They all beckon me to not just pray as an extra measure or as a last resort, but to sit in prayer, to sit in it & wait on Him, knowing I can go elsewhere, but with HIM, I can be certain… that I ought to wait on Him.

I think a big reason I do everything else before consulting Him is the wait. I see a need & think it must be solved now. My gut instinct is not to see a need & WAIT, even knowing a wait for God is more effective than a quick maybe solution.

God has perfect timing & even His wait is because He knows the circumstances that need to line up just so & that rushing it will not allow for that.

Maybe He guides to go to the hospital, but He doesn’t tell you right away because the doctor who will know & see the real cause/need isn’t working the day you ask God for help & God waits so you see the right doctor… we don’t know.

But we can know that HE knows. And He alone KNOWS—even the TIMING... Even when the wait is frustrating &/or scary.

Trust Him in the wait.

Shame on Me

Shame on me for thinking any other person, even a professional, could trump an all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful GOD ALMIGHTY.

Shame on me for just jumping to fix it myself as if He doesn’t know better & have perfect timing in all He does.

Shame on me for making myself higher than Him in my heart, as the authority in those decisions–even those decisions not to wait.

My Prayer

“God, I know You get it. You know I am so limited in understanding just how powerful & great You are. I know You are patient & long-suffering. But please forgive me for thinking I might be able to fix it sooner/better than You-for making You lower than You are. I’m sorry for making myself god over seeking You first. Please forgive my pride & foolishness. Please forgive me & help prompt my heart when I am doing it so I remember, ‘oh yeah, pray first.. let GOD.’ Help me change my patterns to stop & consult You before anyone else. Help me recognize that You offer Your wisdom to those who ask & keep asking (not asking a lot to “activate” it, but asking a lot as in a determination to KEEP trusting You even when it doesn’t happen when I think it should). You alone are God. You alone know. Please forgive me & help me grow in awareness & humility… & help me change this bad & prideful habit. In Jesus’ loving & powerful name, Amen.”

“Because You Sought ______ Versus Me….”

Is God your go-to? Is He the One you instantly think to go to first?

Is He the first One you trust to have the answer? Even in timing that isn’t your own? –the ONLY One you trust to have the perfect, RIGHT answer? Even above professionals?

Or is He supplemental or a last resort?

How do you treat the need for the help of God? Is it an “ABSOLUTELY” or a “sometimes”?

Take a moment to take stock of those times & lay them before Him in humble repentance, asking for His forgiveness that He is always so quick to give. And ask for His help to humbly do better at seeking Him first in ALL things.

Remember King Asa & Seek the LORD

Remember 2 Chronicles 16 next time you are faced with an opportunity to see a doctor or seek help in some other way. Will you seek your hope in Him? Or will you pay the consequences of missing out on His wisdom, direction, & aid as told in 2 Chronicles 16?

Will you choose to trust Him, or will it be said, “Because you sought ________________, versus Me…”?

Shine HOPE by making Him your first choice & your first instinctive go-to when you need anything in life, big or small. Because He alone KNOWS.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

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 almost 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!!

Northern Lights Studs

These studs hold labradorite stone, displaying multiple captivating colors that vary in different exposures to light, just like the Northern Lights themselves.

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

Purchase these studs & empower a woman in India!

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

I Wanna Do It

It’s not easy for me to stop & be still & just know that HE is God.

When I am faced with something difficult, my trust is not so easily placed in the hands of God… I want to fix it… I want a say… I want to help (so it goes my way—as if I can make it happen that way).

I have realized lately just how much this reveals a lack of trust in God… that it’s easy to know I ought to trust God in all things… & quite a bit more difficult to actually rest in that trust when hard things come my way.

I Know What to Do… But That Doesn’t Mean I Necessarily Submit to Doing What’s Right Every Time

We Christians receive a lot of flak for being hypocrites… & often for good reason.

There are areas of my life where I have seen God work in situations I felt were impossible, teaching me to further rest in Him when similar circumstances arise… but when I am faced with something new, for some reason, my gut response is not to recall all of those other circumstances & thus rest in God’s ability, care, & resources… but for me to start anew by trusting myself first.

It’s Terrifying Sometimes to Entrust Someone Other Than Myself

Trusting God can feel terrifying sometimes because it feels that if I don’t do enough, everything will fail… or at least fail by not going the way I want it to.

Why do I put so much stock in my own efforts & care, even when God has proven Himself faithful & much more capable than I countless times?

More Faith in Him… Or Myself?

This journey of embracing my limitations, while simultaneously embracing the limitless nature of God, is no easy task. It requires me placing more faith in Him than I do myself—& with all the many times He has proven Himself capable while I have often failed, you would think I would be much quicker to jump to God for help.

Learning to Trust God’s Plan More Than What I Can See

My current situation is no different. We are moving to Guam, with little option to bring our cat of 9 years (aka our furbaby) with us.

I want to rest in God & know He has a perfect plan in it all, but instead, all I often feel is worry, afraid that His answer will be something I won’t like & wanting to step in & fix it myself just in case that happens to be so.

How little I trust God!

God Knows What I Don’t—And All He Does Is for Our Good

Even in times where His answer was the exact opposite of how I asked Him to help in a situation, in hindsight, I eventually ALWAYS saw His plan as exceedingly better than mine—no matter how hard it was to trust & follow His way at the time.

For example, when I long ago had to say goodbye to my first love in order to follow God’s leading on my heart, it was the LAST thing I wanted to do, but I see now that my heart wanted someone I was not fit for & that my husband now (who, at the time I didn’t even know existed or whether he would ever come into my life at all) ended up being such a better fit for me & I for him.

God KNOWS what He is doing, even when in MY ”wisdom” He is doing something I want to fight back against.

God KNOWS

God doesn’t have to “best guess” it. He doesn’t have to trial & error it. He just KNOWS.

I know I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. I know every single person has at least a small area where they hold back or try to self-solve, self-shield, or self-soothe in their own limited wisdom, thinking it’s up to them…. as I do….

But I also know I need to not let that become an excuse & that holding onto this control for myself just leads to unnecessary anxiety, fear, stress, & overwhelm… that it keeps me trapped in the facade that I have any true control over my life, ever on the hamster wheel of trying to maintain what’s not up to me to maintain… instead of learning the true rest that comes from trusting God to KNOW.

God Is Patient… God Is Kind

It’s a process. It’s a failing forward.

I don’t always get it right… I most often DON’T get it right the first however many times.

But God is patient & God KNOWS what to do when I am finally willing to come rest at His feet for help… to place the situation in His hands versus gripping onto false control for myself.

A Journey of Embracing My Limitations

If you met me in person, I am sure my highlight reel would be a tempting perspective of me… but I am no different than anyone else… I get it wrong… a lot… I forget to pray for help & usually just act on instinct first instead.

And I am on a journey of ever learning how to embrace my limitations so I can better rest in the limitlessness of God Almighty & His gracious, capable love.

Shine HOPE by learning to accept that God knows more & better… that He can where you can’t… that He wants your GOOD… that even if His solution seems scary or hard, you can rest in knowing that He has a plan, that He knows what He is doing, & ultimately that it’s even for your GOOD. Amen & amen.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

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

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week.

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for 4 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” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

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! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Long Chain Necklace (India)

Love long chain necklaces? This is the necklace for you. This silver-tone link-chain design is handcrafted in India & is totally on-trend! Wear alone, double up, or layer together with other chain necklaces from our One World Collection, like our Long Chain Necklace – Gold.

Every purchase provides fair trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help:

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 to continue supporting them as well as continuing this website/blog, encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

God Is Able… So Why Do I Resist His Help?

First of all, we all know, deep down or otherwise that God is capable of it all. He is infinite in His power, wisdom, & resources… so when I determine to respond to life in my own power & fall short in that while refusing His help, that is my sin fleshed out in my pride.

God’s been convicting my heart of this fact over the last few years—that when I refuse His help even for healing trauma/hurts—it’s actually sin.

Sometimes it’s easier to not ask for God’s help. Even when I hate the pain, I sometimes hate the idea of “letting someone get away with something by moving on” even more, or I find comfort in feeling justified to not let something go… & I sometimes even begin to wrap my identity around it, thinking, “Well, I’m just not the type of person to _______.”

I resist His help because I oftentimes think I am handling things “just fine” or “as well as can be expected.”

Hurts… Well… HURT

We all have hurts, whether it’s scars from bullying at school that we sort of subconsciously internalize in the back of our minds as adults, or whether they are hurtful words someone we care about once said recklessly that we now rehearse whenever an event triggers those hurts, or whether we make choices based on survival mode in reaction to something wrong or painful done to us or that we were subjected to.

And when all those types of things happen, it is only natural for me to develop a trigger response to help protect me from getting hurt again, disappointing others, embarrassing myself further, feeling like I don’t fit, or whatever the fear may be for that particular circumstance.

Hurts hurt & when they do… I do what I know to protect myself from further hurt.

The Natural Response Versus the Response with God’s Help

And it feels natural, these responses, because they are my natural defense mechanisms, often subconscious even… I am not consciously aware of & choosing to do it my way over God’s or anything like that… my brain just comes up with whatever feels like the best safety protocol & does it without much thought on my end.

This same sort of defense mechanism that we all employ in one way or another, doesn’t feel sinful or rebellious.

And, in some cases, in a way—it isn’t… It’s what we do with them that matters.

When We Learn God’s Way, We Have to Make a Choice Regarding Our Natural Response Versus His Help for His Way

But then, we learn God’s Truth about a matter. I hear Him say not to hold bitterness or whatnot & then I have a choice to make at that point—do I continue just reacting in my natural response to the situation?

Or do I take God’s commands/Truth & submit my response to His help & healing?

That’s where the sin generally becomes solid sin in those situations, because while I didn’t mean to be sinful in feeling bitter about a situation—it was just my natural, gut response to the pain trigger—once I hear from Him that I shouldn’t be bitter & that He is able to heal the brokenhearted, I have to choose to let Him… to do things HIS way over my gut reaction way.

I Often Choose Wrongly

So, how does that look in reality?

Typically, whatever my gut response is happens first, out of habit.

Then, I feel His nudge & a reminder of His Word about how I ought to handle it.

And then, I usually fight it, feeling justified in how I feel I want to react about it.

And eventually, I realize my way just seems to make me more miserable & I desperately ask God to help me see a different way… to help me do things HIS way, even if that may seem impossible to me in that particular circumstance.

My Triggered Response Often Becomes Mingled with My Identity As “Someone Who Just _____”

Sometimes my trigger responses become part of my identity & it seems impossible to change because “I am just that way,” or “that’s just how my heart handles that type of thing,” or, “that’s just what I’ve found helps me.”

It becomes so engrained in my gut response that it seems inseparable from ME. I begin to identify as a person who does whatever it is in that type of situation.

So, coming across God’s Word about whatever such things, can sometimes feel like a personal attack against me—like I can’t be ME… like I have to be FAKE to please God… like my NATURAL response or feeling is WRONG–& it is, because it’s led by my human flesh versus the wisdom of God.

But my identity is not in how I have subconsciously trained myself to deal with whatever trigger or trauma may present itself… it is in trusting God to know better than I do & that He can handle it better than I can–if I let Him help me His way.

I Need to Let Him Decide Because He Never Gets It Wrong

When God makes me aware of a poor way of handling something or of the fact that I am forming my identity around something that doesn’t actually need to define me, I feel attacked because it throws into question everything I think I know about myself & how to handle hurts.

And when what I know seems under attack… my comfort zone… that is usually where the rebellion & refusal to admit a need for change happens—the sin of it—because my pride tells me “that’s just who I am & I can’t help it,” while God says I shouldn’t determine what I should be, but rather let Him decide instead.

Our Benevolent King of Kings

But God always & only wants our good. Everything He does & commands centers around His love & goodness toward all of us. He is a very benevolent, almighty King—it may not always be the easy or comfortable choice—but it is most definitely always for our good.

I shouldn’t question or doubt Him. I shouldn’t rebel & make my refusal to accept His help turn into a sinful response.

I SHOULD just OBEY Him.

It’s not easy for me, I admit. I want to vet everything He asks of me, checking it out before I obey—pride is the root of every sin we commit, because it essentially says we think we know better.

I need to be willing to take my gut response, my “identity” that I have established, my trauma triggers, etc. & be WILLING TO SUBMIT THEM TO HIM.

A Prayer of Repentance & for Help with a Willingness to Accept His Help:

“God, please forgive me. I’m sorry that I cling to “my identity” or the “it’s just who I am” thoughts versus trusting You 100% ALWAYS know better than me. Help me submit those reactions to You. Help me not wrap my identity around anything besides what You created in me—Your Truth versus how I feel it ought to be. Please forgive me for refusing Your help sometimes & going on my gut versus Your limitless wisdom. Help me to better submit to Your help. Help me be more aware of when I need to make that choice. Help me choose to trust You to help me & to be willing to BE helped versus staying in my “understandable” bitterness or other wrong choices. You know best. Always. Help me to better trust that & to better submit to Your will, Your way, Your help, & Your healing. I love You. In Jesus’ name, I pray: AMEN.”

Ask Him for the HOW & for the HELP to Do It

So, if you feel trapped by a sin that “you can’t help or control,” when God says to do otherwise… don’t refuse His help.

Ask Him to help you see HOW to change & to walk you through it, trusting His will over your own.

Don’t let Satan deceive you into thinking you have to be that way, knowing that it’s God who can take your brokenness & make you whole.

Shine HOPE by letting God in & letting Him help you through whatever it may be.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

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 almost 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!!

Darling Charms Set

This set of six pairs of versatile & colorful ethically collected bone, clay, & metal charms are handcrafted in India by Artisans who are committed to fighting child marriage & providing opportunities for women to become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. Designed to mix & match, create a new look each time you wear them with our Customizable Gold Hoops (shown) or your favorite bracelets & necklaces!

Every purchase supports vulnerable women in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Is This Fair?

“For whoever shall keep the whole law, & yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

I used to think this verse seemed unfair… that I could get it all right & yet make one mistake & it’s as if I committed every sin there is. I used to think it was an overly dramatic & ruthless response to one sin. I used to think it illogical—that, if this were so, what’s the point in trying to avoid other sins if one makes you guilty of them all anyway?

But all of that was really just indicative of the fact that I didn’t really understand what sin was in the first place.

The root of sin is the same for every sin—thinking we know better than or trying to put ourselves above God.

Sin Shows Where We Trust Ourselves or Our Desires… Over God

When we crave something God tells us to avoid, & we give into that craving… we are trusting our desire over God’s wisdom.

When we act out of a gut, knee-jerk reaction, where God tells us to turn to Him for help in it instead… we are trusting our feelings over God’s wisdom.

When we go to or do something God tells us to avoid… we are trusting our logic & reasoning over God’s wisdom.

When we avoid something God tells us to do… we are trusting our fear & insecurities over God’s wisdom.

Why Is It That One Sin Equals All?

So, why is it that one sin equals all? Because anything we do that is considered sin stems from a subconscious (or outright) belief that maybe we know better than God or see something He doesn’t or need something He can’t handle or provide.

No matter how small or infrequent our sin may seem to us… every occurrence reveals an area where we think we may know better than God Himself.

This is why, even though one sin is as if I did them all, I should avoid just doing them all, even if I committed one sin already. Because I need to be moving in the direction of MORE trust in God, versus LESS.

God Is Both Loving AND Forgiving–He Made a Way Where There Is No Way

And this Truth of one sin being as if I committed them all does not make God unkind or unforgiving, but quite the opposite because even if one sin equals doing them all—we can’t save ourselves anyway! AND, JESUS offers His payment on our behalf to ANYONE who accepts it.

So, when God tells us in James 2:10 that one sin is as if committing them all, He is revealing to us the true nature of sin—putting ourselves above Him in one way or another–& THAT is why even the “littlest” sin is such a terrible thing… but, JESUS.

Take That “Little” Sin to Jesus

So, if there is a sin you are justifying because it feels secret or little or easily justifiable because of the circumstances… recognize that that one “little” sin is the same as doing them all… Recognize that that one “little” sin hurts God (& you) just as much as them all.

–> And repent. Admit it to God & admit you need His forgiveness for it–& ask Him for that forgiveness! <–

Work to not allow ANY sin to be excused away in your life, but strive to live a life that is wholly pleasing to God, honoring Him in all things… WITH HIS HELP.

And shine HOPE by not excusing away that “one little sin.”

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

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 almost 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!!

Long Chain Necklace (India)

Love long chain necklaces? This is the necklace for you! This silver-tone link-chain design is handcrafted in India & is totally on-trend! Wear alone, double up, or layer together with other chain necklaces from our One World Collection, like our Long Chain Necklace – Gold. Every purchase provides fair trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable Artisans in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase this necklace & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Do Traditions Trump Recognizing Jesus?

Easter is such a special time, no matter how much I take it for granted every year.

Deep down, I know it’s about Jesus… about Him coming to His Earth as a man, willingly dying to cover the debt of my own sin, rising from the grave as Conqueror over that sin & death. I know it’s about His love & sacrifice for me… for you….

And I may not be big into Easter bunny traditions, making my excitement about candy stashes & such, but I STILL find ways to overshadow the true reason we ought to celebrate Easter–Jesus.

Not Just a Nod

My challenge to you, & to myself, is that we look for ways to thank Jesus every Easter, not in a “let’s remember to thank Jesus!”…. “Thank You, Jesus!”…. “Ok, let’s get dressed up, do our church thing, eat a lot of food, & eat a bunch of candy after we go see the Easter Bunny!”… But really MAKE IT ABOUT JESUS.

That’s harder than it seems sometimes, for me.

I grow complacent pretty easily.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I do the whole, “Thank You, Jesus,” but more out of, “I know I ought to thank Him—it’s EASTER, after all,” rather than any real bowing of my heart in gratefulness to His sacrifice on my behalf…. More out of “Christian necessity” rather than a surrendered heart of gratitude.

Jesus Gave It All & None of Us Deserve It

Without Jesus, I would get Hell & have no other option.

I could try, as many do, to be a “good person” & do all of the right “Christian-y things,” but without Jesus, I would get Hell… every single one of us would.

God says: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, & yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

God says: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

God says: “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)

God says: “As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one;’” (Romans 3:10)

God says: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)

God says: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

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

Do You Numb Over It As Easily As I Do?

How is it so easy for me to numb over all of that? To give myself so much credit that I forget the weightiness of this gift that we are meant to remember & celebrate on Easter?

I need to learn how to be intentional in making Easter about JESUS—specifically, exclusively about JESUS.

I am not saying fun traditions are evil or necessarily wrong, but we need to be so careful not to, even unintentionally, overshadow the weightiness of this beautiful gift we have been given through Jesus.

We deserve Hell. I deserve Hell.

We can’t earn otherwise. I can’t earn otherwise.

But… JESUS. Let me not forget that!

But… JESUS

“But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25)

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,” (1 Peter 3:18)

But, JESUS.

How Can You Intentionally Make Easter About Jesus?

How do you make Easter about Jesus?

Do you talk about Him? Share about Him with people who matter to you? Do you stop to consider your daily “little” sins of trusting your own wisdom over God’s & thank Him for taking your deserved punishment on Himself so you can live daily by grace instead of guilt?

Do you make Easter about JESUS?

An idea God gave me several years ago was to make quiche as my Easter dinner versus a feast. A meal where the eggs are cracked open, broken, & poured out to provide me with a nourishing, delicious meal–much like how Jesus allowed Himself to be broken, pouring out His love & life to give me life.

Or maybe, talk about Easter eggs representing Jesus being broken for our sins, to give us a wonderful gift, much better than the candy even that we find inside our Easter eggs.

Even take some time of renewal, if there are sins you hold back or try to hide or justify… bring them to God, in prayer, asking forgiveness & thanking God for Jesus’ covering over that, too. Take it as an opportunity to refresh your hope in His grace over your sin.

Whatever you choose to do, make efforts to make Easter all about Jesus.

Accept the Gift of Jesus That We Celebrate Every Easter

And if you haven’t accepted Jesus, if you have rebelled “beyond forgiveness,” realize that NO ONE is beyond forgiveness with Jesus. Just take those sins… those “I know better than You, God” actions… & admit them to God, ask for His forgiveness, & ask for Jesus to cover those on your behalf, knowing He is the ONLY way back to God & restoration/redemption. He is our Redeemer & He died so that we may live & He now lives so that we may live in Him!

Jesus doesn’t stand in your way, determining who does or doesn’t deserve His free gift of covering our sins—because not a single one of us CAN deserve it—He offers it freely to ANYONE who will believe ON HIM as that solution of redemption & grace before God. So, ask Him now.

And shine HOPE by letting whatever you do, in reflection or in tradition, even if you need to first ask God for ideas… work to make Easter (& every day) about Jesus.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

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 almost 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!!

Zoya Earrings (India)

Zoya means “shining, life” in Hindi. These stylishly stunning gold-toned earrings are handcrafted in India, featuring genuine freshwater pearls on a delicate linked-chain design. Every purchase provides fair-trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Are You Ever So Angry You Don’t Want to NOT be Angry?

Silly question, here, but… have you ever been angry with someone? How about SO angry that you don’t want to NOT be angry with them? Because, well, “they deserve it!”

Yeah, me too.

When I am low on sleep, (especially but not exclusively), I tend to be short-tempered. Not short-tempered in the sense of screaming & throwing a fit & road rage, etc. but more like smile while seething type of short-tempered.

Have you ever done that? Get so mad at someone, but you don’t want to show that you’re completely losing your patience, so you just grit your teeth until you can scream into a pillow later?

I have.

And when I am in that anger, there is no where else I would rather be. I sometimes don’t want to NOT be angry.

I Justify My Anger… But God Beckons Me to Entrust It to Him

No really, I know I cry & whine in my head about how much they are aggravating me or testing my patience & oh how I wish they wouldn’t put me through this turmoil… but really, deep down, I feel a gentle nudge from God that I want to justify away & into the oblivion.

God beckons me to trust Him in my anger. To ENTRUST it to Him. To ask for His strength & peace & for Him to hold me steady & sure with His faithful love. And to ask for His help in forgiveness & long-suffering, bear-with-one-another LOVE toward the other person (see also, “love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you.”) (Luke 6:27-28)

Well, that is usually the EXACT OPPOSITE how I think those situations ought to be handled. NO. Someone has to pay for their wrongs! They have to apologize & never do it again! They have to recognize THEY HURT ME & feel for me! I DESERVE TO BE ANGRY WITH THEM!!!!

Yeah, ^^^ a little glimpse there into that “nonexistent” short-temperedness I was talking about.

But God asks me to entrust it to Him. To let HIM handle it. To forgive.

God Wants to Help Me Through It… If I am Willing to Entrust My Anger & Hurts to Him

I’m not so great with the whole “be gracious & quick to forgive & love your enemies & pray for them” stuff. I often (okay, USUALLY) fail at bowing those hurts & that short-tempered anger to God for His help.

I know He wants me to find peace & rest by coming to Him with it. I know He wants to strengthen me & be my calm in the storm. I know He wants me to ask Him for help in forgiveness & patience & all that.

But I usually don’t quite feel like giving Him that.

I honestly thought for a good long while that I was justified in that. I mean, I can’t HELP that I feel that hurt & anger. I don’t TRY to be hurt or angry. It just HAPPENS.

But in the middle of that anger (or inner boiling rage depending on the time of month), God beckons me to trust Him with all of those bad feelings & to entrust it to Him for His help in it & through it.

Be Willing to Wave the Flag of Surrender (to God) When You Want to Raise a Battle Cry Instead

But I have to be willing to lay down that cry for battle, unclench my fists, take a deep breath & humble myself for God’s will & way over what I am feeling is deserved in any given moment.

If God lived by emotions, I would go straight to Hell. So would you & everyone else.

But thank God for JESUS—am I right? Thank You, GOD!

If anyone has a right to be mad at anyone, it’s God with us…. And yet… JESUS.

And as much as I sometimes HATE to admit it… Jesus died for other people’s mistakes, too… even the ones I really, really hate.

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

Let God Handle It

God tells us in Romans to leave room for HIS wrath (Romans 12:19), because He alone is the righteous Judge over heaven & earth… to let HIM handle it when others wrong us versus going vigilante on them in reality or your imagination.

I’m not good at it. I want them to see the pain they caused me when it happens. I want them to feel it & feel sorry & apologize, but that is selfish & oftentimes, wish as I may, that will never happen anyway because sometimes people are just clueless or just plain don’t care. And then that anger & hurt breeds into bitterness that begins a slow (or very rapid) rot in our hearts.

And God knows this.

He also knows that when WE hold on OURSELVES, that inevitably, we begin to build walls of self-protection, that prevent us from being vulnerable & gentle & open to others, distrust having built a moat around our willingness to serve & love others.

So, I need to learn to let God handle it.

A Prayer of Surrender

So my prayer is that God help me lay down my banner for war. That He help me unclench my fists & jaw. That He help me be willing to lay it all down at His feet & say:

“God, I know You know this already, but that really hurt me! I just want to scream & angry & hold in anger for them. I want them to see what they did in their reckless words or slander or whatever else. I want them to understand how wrong it was & apologize. I just feel so hurt & angry right now. But you tell me to be angry, without sin (Ephesians 4:26). You tell me to love my enemy & to pray for those who persecute me. I just feel I can’t, so please help me trust You in this hurt. Forgive them & forgive me for wanting to hold onto the rage myself versus trusting You with it. Help me to submit those hurts at Your feet & to be willing to receive help from You. You know best. You care for my hurt heart. Help me to know Your love can fill the hole they made, if I but let You. Help me trust You better. Amen.”

Am I Willing to Let Go of My Anger & Entrust It to God?

Are you quick to forgive or do you stuff it or rage or let bitterness simmer under the surface?

Are you willing to let God into the situation? Into the feelings of hurt & anger & ask for His peace, wisdom, strength, care, & help loving whoever feels like (or is) your enemy in the moment?

Ask yourself: Am I Willing to Let Go of My Anger & Entrust It to God?

Let God in. Ask for Him to step in. Ask for help in loving that other person. Let God’s love, through Jesus, WIN.

Shine hope by not justifying seething in hurt or angry feelings, but rather entrusting those feelings to God for His help in & through it.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

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 almost 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!!

Ellora Necklace Set (India)

This set of two adjustable gold-toned necklaces can be worn separately or together. Mixing classic styles together by layering freshwater pearl & a golden coin pendant make these delicate necklaces on-trend.

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase this necklace & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Feeling Like a Grump

Have you ever had one of those days (or weeks) where you just feel cranky?

That’s me this week. I am more short-tempered & don’t feel like I have patience for “long-suffering patience” with others.

I feel teleported back to my teenage days where the popular saying was “talk to the hand.” I just don’t feel I have patience for anything or anyone.

How do I honor God in my interactions with others when I feel so grumpy & DONE?

How do I treat others kindly, serving one another in love? … When all I want to do is tune everyone out & hide under a blanket in bed?

I Want to Have a Temper Tantrum & Just Take a Nap

I guess I am not too much different than a little kid sometimes. Yeah, maybe I have grown in covering up my grumpiness most times & I can usually manage it more maturely, but sometimes I just really don’t want to bother.

Can you relate?

Whether it’s a series of unfortunate events, where stress is the culprit, throwing me off balance & building tension where there is otherwise ease… whether someone unexpectedly gets short with me… or whether it’s a lack of sleep or even PMS… some days just feel harder than others to get through with the sort of patient loving-kindness that God asks of me.

And being responsible in preparing healthier meals, doing my morning walks, spending time in prayer, doing a workout, or anything else even remotely beneficial to me feels like the absolute LAST thing I want to be doing when a bowl of ice cream & a tv screen seem so much more appealing.

I just want to take a nap.

Low Threshold for Annoyances &/or Inconveniences

Well, that’s been me these last several days. Of course, I have had some laughs & some good moments, but my threshold for things that aggravate or throw me off seems to be a lot lower lately & I don’t even know why—probably the inconsistent sleep I’ve gotten this week.

And yet, that doesn’t change the fact that I have to make a choice: Will I choose to honor God with this poor attitude, slumping into Him in defeat & asking for His help to do better when I don’t want to?

Or will I choose to say, “Forget it. I am going to eat bad as my high, avoid all responsibility, & not bother hiding my general annoyance with the world”?

What will I choose?

I Don’t Always Make the Right Choice

Well, I will tell you this much… I certainly don’t always surrender my bad attitude to God’s help.

I too often choose the second option.

I self-shield, blocking out anything that bothers me or doesn’t add to my comfort.

I self-soothe, rehearsing the annoyances in my mind, justifying my bad behavior & sour attitude.

I self-solve, turning to other things for a temporary “high” to make me feel better in the moment—like television, video games, food, mindless video-watching online (one after the other after the other until I finally look up from my phone & realize 3 hours have gone by).

What I often fail to do is self-surrender.

I Ought to Pray

I often fail to take all of that ick, all of that grumpy, impatient tension & surrender it at God’s feet in prayer, saying something like:

“God, hi, it’s me. I feel so ick lately. Everyone & everything is annoying me. I feel tense & frustrated & annoyed & I just want it all to leave me alone. I just feel tired. I don’t want to be nice when I feel like this. I want to let everyone know to leave me alone, closing myself off. But I know Satan uses that want against me. He knows I struggle with depression & all he wants is to isolate me until I am sinking in muck I can’t seem to escape. It feels justified though. It feels safe. But I know it’s a lie. I also don’t want Your help. I want to just ooze comforts over all the tension & block it out & ignore & avoid it. I don’t want to face it. I don’t want to deal with it. I want a “high” to boost my spirits—maybe ice cream or fast food… or mindless tv staring. But I know that won’t fix anything. It will hover over me… it will begin to become the thing I have to actively stuff into the bottom of my heart until it numbs me. God help me. Help me honor You in this ick. Help me not compromise. Help me not to turn to other things as my help or try to “fix” it my way. Help me trust You with it. Help be my strength & peace. Help me cling to You as my help. Help me treat others with patience & kindness, not taking out my bad attitude on anyone I come across. Help me express Your love to others even when I feel unloving. Fill in where I lack. Forgive me. Be my help. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Some Days Are Just Plain Hard to Be a Nice Person… In My Own Strength

Some days are hard.

Some days I just feel like smacking everyone who even looks at me funny.

Some days I want to spend it hidden under a blanket in bed.

Some days I want to seek out that “high” that might make it feel all okay, at least for a little while.

Some days are just hard.

But God IS enough.

I Have to be WILLING to Accept God’s Help to Handle the Ick HIS Way

But frankly, I HAVE to be WILLING to ACCEPT His help, His way, His solution… & not just ASK for it!

Trust me, some days I just want to pray & have Him just fix it… in fact, most days that’s what I want to happen.

But sometimes, God wants to show me that He can be my peace & strength EVEN WHEN those storms still threaten to wreck me.

Just One of Those Days

So, when it’s just one of those days–cling to Him.

Determine to go to Him AND ONLY HIM as your help.

Let Him help you versus clinging to the, “but I don’t feel like it.”

Surrender to His help. LET Him help you.

He won’t force you, but He will certainly help you… if you are willing to ask for & accept it.

Shine HOPE—even on the dark days—by determining to LET HIM BE your HOPE, strength & peace… & to love others through you… even when you don’t feel like it.

Amen & amen.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

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 almost 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!!

Ellora Necklace (1 of 2 Shown–Hand-Crafted in India)

This set of two adjustable gold-toned necklaces can be worn separately or together. Mixing classic styles together by layering a freshwater pearl & a golden coin pendant (not shown) make these delicate necklaces on-trend.

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops. Every purchase provides these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members.

Purchase this necklace & empower an Artisan in India!

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

A Hard Message for All of Us

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

This message isn’t just for us women, but it is for all of us.

We are urged, in these verses (in God’s Word), not to stir up or awaken love (desire) when it is out of place… aka outside of a marriage relationship.

But this call to not stir up desire is not an easy one in our media-saturated culture.

The “Sex Sells” Obstacle

A quick observation tells us that in marketing, “sex sells.”

Almost every television show & movie & video game seems to strive after being sexually appealing. Whether it’s merely implied, showcased in crude jokes or comments, shown glimpses of, or just flat out displays sex… sex appeal seems to be pushed everywhere in media.

It’s even a minefield in books, not just in the romance novels so sought out by many women, but even in mysteries & dramas & comedies, authors seem to always be finding ways to slip in a sex scene.

And then to be confronted with this little verse that is repeated throughout Song of Solomon (also called Song of Songs):

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

This can be quite the challenge in our sex sells culture.

Purity Culture Isn’t Enough

Lust started early for me, maybe preteens. Since I grew up in purity culture, I knew not to have sex outside of marriage—more out of fear of condemnation than an understanding that God knows what is best for us & trusting His call with it–but that meant I found other ways to indulge the temptations–with fantasies.

Honestly, I think purity culture is lacking, as displayed in Song of Solomon, where it does not seek to shy away from displaying the pleasure of this topic… but rather with a very important key: context.

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

That it is something to look forward to with a spouse—a shared intimate experience with your partner in life rather than something tossed about like a cheap ragdoll, misused & perverted from the intimate joy it’s mean to be as shared with your spouse.

God’s Gift to Us–Within Context

Sex should not be taboo, avoided in Christian conversation. Sex should be celebrated as a gift of God to us, to be shared in the context with which He designed it to be enjoyed.

But a warning of the alternative should be included, as echoed throughout Song of Solomon:

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

Because although God heals & restores that which was lost, if we heed this echoed warning, there won’t be as much need for healing & restoration.

Not Even a HINT–RUN from It

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” (Ephesians 5:3)

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18)

God tells us to run from temptation & to avoid even a HINT of it in our lives. He does NOT say, “enjoy a little bit until you can enjoy it more later.”

He says:

“I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

We need to ditch the romance novels, skip the shows & movies that elicit a desire for lustful thoughts, & RUN from temptations in this area, to ensure that we DO NOT STIR UP NOR AWAKEN LOVE until its time–not even a HINT of it.

Avoid Now So You Can Avoid a Need for Healing Later

As someone who loop-holed her way into a pattern of fantasizing (AKA indulging in my form of that HINT OF sexual immorality), I can tell you–even with “JUST” a HINT–fantasizing–healing had to be done & it took YEARS.

God began showing me the damage done as I cried out to Him for help understanding my hurts & my guarded heart & as I surrendered those to Him, He began to heal… but I wasn’t always willing to admit I needed healing because I wanted to justify my sinful patterns, still.

The more we tempt our tendency for temptation by allowing ourselves to be in situations where we are more prone to be tempted, the more we will struggle against & need to fight that temptation… the more we will be tempted to give in to lust & sexual sin.

… & the more we rack up our need for that healing & restoration only God can provide us.

He heals. He restores.

But take time to repent NOW. To avoid NOW. To heal & restore NOW.

It’s NOT Worth It–But It’s SO Easy to Allow Satan to Convince You It Is… That It’s “Harmless”

Don’t tempt it. Don’t go anywhere near those visuals or words that tempt you toward the pit of destruction.

It may not be obvious. You may even convince yourself that the ache you feel, the emptiness you feel, the divide & distance you feel is “just the way life is.”

But it’s not.

It’s not meant to feel that way.

It’s meant to be something rejoiced about. A safe space. A joy.

It’s meant to be done in the context of how God designed it.

He knows you. He knows your heart. He knows its fragility. He sees you try to justify it, while it eats away at you. He knows.

And He doesn’t want that for you. None of it.

Trust His design. Trust Him to know you even better than you do.

Trust Him to know what will bring you joy & peace & fulfillment better than what you think you know.

What Does It Mean to “Not Awaken Love Until Its Time”?

Remember—He is God… ALMIGHTY, All-Knowing GOD.

Trust His design & “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.” (Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4)

So, what does it mean to not awaken love until it pleases? …Until its time? It means avoiding those HINTS of sex outside of marriage, FLEEING from them even… waiting SOLELY for the context with which God designed it to flourish & bring joy–marriage.

Shine HOPE by determining to trust God on this, repent if you haven’t or don’t want to, & ask for His help with awareness of your compromise, help running from the compromise, help with a willingness to accept His help in the compromise… & help with healing & restoration for the mistakes you have already made.

He knows best. He IS enough. EVERY TIME. And God is quick to forgive.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out the new free printable resources!***)

This blog/website has been running for almost 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!!

Zoya Earrings (India)

Zoya means “shining, life” in Hindi. These stylishly stunning gold-toned earrings are handcrafted in India, featuring genuine freshwater pearls on a delicate linked-chain design. Every purchase provides fair-trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Do We Model What We See from Others? Or Do We Seek God’s Instruction?

How well do you know the Bible… aka the Word of God? Would you be able to tell whether the words of Mark 7:8 describe you? “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men….” (Mark 7:8)

In other words, how much of your walk with God (or strivings to live in such a way that honors & pleases God) revolves around God’s own instructions versus what you grew up seeing demonstrated at church or from others?

I Follow What I Grew Up With, Often without Considering God May Ask Something Different of Me

To be honest, most of my life could probably reflect more of following “the traditions of men” versus even having a clue as to what God wanted from me or even bothering to ask Him or seek it out… & I even much preferred that, thinking God’s tall order would be too overwhelming & beyond my willingness &/or ability to maintain.

But what a sad life that creates… empty & void of any true blessings that come from God’s way of doing things.

Test What You Know Against God’s Instruction

One of the vital reasons we need to be in God’s Word daily is that it can be too easy to live based on our personal preconceptions, thinking, “well, this is just the way my church [family, friends, etc.] has always done things.”

This pattern gets us easily looped into an often-unintentional self-righteous attitude of doing “churchy” activities/traditions rather than surrendering to God’s will for each situation & time… trading our worship for tradition… trading God’s lead for tradition.

Avoid the “Good Christian” Check-List Way of Life

On the flip side of this coin, we can get so used to our churchy activities & traditions, that we slip into auto-pilot, neglecting to consider it as our worship to God & instead checking it off our imaginary “good Christian” check-list.

This was reflected in Revelation 2:2-5, where God commends the people on all of their hard work, but says that the one thing He has against them is that they have lost their first love—a cautionary alert to anyone going through the motions of “good Christian work,” while simultaneously forgetting their WHY behind it—worship & grateful service to our Almighty Father.

I Don’t Do It on Purpose!

Now, how can I change that? It is usually not even intentional when I live this way.

God will lead me to something, I then will surrender to His lead & ask for His help in it… I do it… & then pretty soon, my doing becomes just routine/tradition & I forget to pause & ask God for any necessary changes to my course or my work… just checking off my obedience in my routines/traditions, versus consistently following God’s lead, through prayer & doing it out of worship & service to Him.

What Is Your Why?

Are you doing things because it’s the way you’ve always done things or because God is asking it of you? Because it’s the way your family has always done it? Because it’s the way your CHURCH has always done it?

And do you do things to please & honor Him? Or simply to keep up “what good Christians do”?

Do you need to come clean to God & repent? To start fresh again? Renewal & a clean slate?

Do you take time to get to know God’s Word & do as HE leads, both in the Bible AND as He moves your heart in prayer?

Following the Traditions of Men… Or Not So Much… Versus Asking God’s Way Forward for Me

For example, I struggled reading the Bible all the way through my whole life (I became a Christian at 5 & I didn’t read the Bible through completely until about 30 years later) because it seemed boring, unrelatable, not understandable, tedious, etc. & because I had always been told I have to read through it in a year… but as a non-avid reader, this was overwhelmingly daunting, I always fell behind, & then I would just quit.

BUT, when Andrew Murray’s book on PRAYER (highly recommend, by the way!) mentioned our need of God’s help in our obedience, I would pray for God to help me in my obedience, even in my willingness to obey & perspective change… & God encouraged me that nowhere in His Word does He say how many chapters or for how long I ought to be reading each day… just that His Word renews my heart & mind & that I ought to be dwelling on its Truth day & night, sitting & standing & going about my day. (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:16; Joshua 1:8; Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

This revelation allowed me the freedom to just READ without the pressure of “not enough” or “not deep enough,” just walk in obedience by reading it.

How freeing!

And somehow the more I read the Bible, the more I seem to WANT to read & learn… reading His Word invoked that reaction without me trying to force it to happen from the get-go. I simply obeyed in the doing, asking for God’s help along the way in the doing & in the willing to do.

Don’t Rely Solely on Human Teaching… Learn from God Himself

No person is perfect, even pastors, & while God appoints pastors to guide us as our earthly shepherds, we cannot replace our personal need for God & His Word with a pastor.

Traditions start as a benefit, to streamline the how-to, but can often eventually become merely the, “this is how we _____________” … replacing the life-giving, essential step of intentionally & frequently asking God how HE wants us to ________________ this time.

Traditions of Men or Commandment of God?

Don’t rely solely on traditions. Get to know God’s Word & His instruction.

Get to know what honors & pleases God from God Himself, through His Word & through prayer for help & discernment versus depending solely on “the way we’ve always done things.”

Keep your faith fresh this way, seeing God’s lead & work actively in your life & through your life & instead of blindly following the traditions of men, seek the commandment of God. (Mark 7:8)

Shine hope by leaning on the good, pleasing, & perfect will of God.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    & lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him,
    & He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out the newly updated Resources & Recommendations page!***)

This blog/website has been running for almost 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!!

Long Chain Necklace (silver-toned) (INDIA)

Love long chain necklaces? This is the necklace for you! This silver-tone link-chain design is handcrafted in India & is totally on-trend! Wear alone, double up, or layer together with other chain necklaces from our One World Collection, like our Long Chain Necklace – Gold. Every purchase provides fair trade jobs in areas of extreme poverty in India.

How You Can Help:

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!

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!