If the Church Isn’t Talking about It…

I know this is an uncomfortable topic, but as someone once said to me, “if the church isn’t talking about it, then we’re only hearing what the world says about it.” So let’s not let that happen, because the Bible sure isn’t shy about it.

Whether it’s an innocent-seeming, secret, “harmless” sexual compromise habit like pornography, or even more easily justified—fantasizing sexual thoughts… or whether it’s adultery or desiring someone of the same sex or wanting to be a different gender or whatever your thing may be… whether you’re blatant & confident & bold in it… or whether it’s a hidden secret you have tucked away in shame, the world says we feel icky about it because of those who don’t validate our desires.

The truth we cannot see is that even if the WHOLE WORLD validated it… it would STILL feel icky.

Why? Because deep, deep down, our soul KNOWS God is not pleased… that God did not make us for that… that we are dishonoring the God Who made us, working to go against His design.

But justify we do, do we not?

We Make Excuses for It… Satan Knows Where to Hit Us…

Whether it’s an “I was born like this & don’t try to be this way!” Or whether it’s an “it’s not hurting ANYONE because no one even KNOWS about it!” Or whether it’s a desire so strong it feels impossible to believe you could ever feel any way differently & just resign to it being “just the way you are.”

Satan’s lies feel so good, don’t they? So satisfying. So validating. So EMPOWERING. So convincing.

But poisonous they are. Subtly deadly.

”When We Lay It All at the Feet of Jesus”

I saw a powerful video the other day about a woman who called herself “trans” & believed herself to be a man SO STRONGLY that it SICKENED her to even consider differently. Her husband? … Wanted to be with a man. They even INSISTED the person who married them address them as Mr. & Mr. So & so.

But however long into their marriage, something cracked in all of this.

Something broke through… the truth of God & the grace brought through Jesus Christ.

They discovered that all that time that they felt God was “trying to take something away from them,” that when they actually “surrendered it all at the feet of Jesus,” they discovered that God ACTUALLY wanted to BLESS them through HIS WAY ABUNDANTLY beyond what they ever imagined possible.

God restored them body & soul. She no longer desired identifying as a man, but desired Christ. He no longer desired to be with a man sexually & realized it was her all along. And they both surrendered their feelings, their desires, their “just the way I am” to a God Who knows BETTER THAN THEM… Who MADE them.

And they discovered the beautiful reality that God really actually did know better than them all along.

Beautiful!

God Redeems! God Breaks Chains! God Gives Freedom!

Then, I have someone I know personally who has struggled, as a man, with a desire to be with other men. It was a lifelong struggle for decades upon decades. He brought shame & hurt on his family with his choices, convinced he was in the right to act as he did, other than the hurt wreckage his choices brought in their wake.

For years, he seemed to wrestle with “still wanting what he wanted,” but when a life-threatening condition hit… he was forced to wrecken with the reality of heaven & hell. And God brought him to his knees, where he left it all at the cross.

God has transformed his life from a life of chains, brought on by his dishonoring-to-God desires, to a life of FREEDOM & RENEWAL.

He now takes all he has faced, believed, & surrendered to openly help others who wrestle with God & addiction to harmful, dishonoring-to-God chains, find the same freedom that he found when he finally “laid it all down at the feet of Jesus.”

I Have Been Deceived… I Have Felt the Chains of My Own Choices…

Same for me. I am no exception.

As a child, I was flipping channels on our 5-channel selection back then & I was maybe in single digits age. I saw a flash of a woman without clothes from the side view & it implanted in my brain forever (leading to a lifelong addiction of sexual fantasies from the curiosity it ignited in me—PARENTS, WATCH WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE WATCHING!! I HAVE PLAYED A CHILDREN’S GAME WHERE THEY HAD FAKE PORN ADS WITH REAL PEOPLE—FULLY CLOTHED BUT THRUSTING LIKE PRETEND SEX—WATCH WHAT YOUR KIDS WATCH!!!)

For years & years, I convinced myself of my innocence. I was fooled so deeply by the lies of Satan that it sounded so right. The Holy Spirit tried to warn me & I didn’t listen because I had loopholes upon loopholes to convince myself it was harmless—no sex before marriage, no porn, “they” were never real people so I wasn’t “committing adultery in my thoughts because they weren’t real people,” no one knew about it… “no harm, no foul.”

But there was harm. I became addicted. Simple things were no longer enough. It got worse. I was shackled & could no longer feel strong enough to convince myself to trust God’s way out (because He will ALWAYS provide one, but you have to be willing to take it). (1 Corinthians 10:13)

My “Secret” Choices Still Caused Hurt

And when I got married, the damage had been done. 2 decades of damage had been done.

I no longer felt safe being vulnerable with a real, actual person—my own husband. I never felt comfortable not having complete control over every bit of it—like my perfectly curated fantasies, where every bit was imagined & not real. I never felt safe enough to connect that way in real life. I would check out. I would feel scared of someone else desiring me because I didn’t feel in control.

It hurt my marriage because of my addiction & because of my choices.

My sexual compromise was indeed not freeing at all. It shackled me, chained me, prevented me from enjoying the real thing with my own husband.

Sexual Compromise-Seems Freeing, But Brings Only Chains

You can justify it all, my friend. But God knows. He knows the TRUTH. And He warns us of that truth. He provides a way out. But we HAVE TO BE WILLING to let HIM be God & let Him call the shots. You have to be willing to “lay it all down at the feet of Jesus.”

Until you do that, the chains shall remain.

And you can blame anyone & everyone. You can say you feel that subtle little twinge of not-rightness because of EVERYONE ELSE NOT ACCEPTING YOU THE WAY YOU ARE… but that icky feeling will remain right up until you are finally willing to “lay it all down at the feet of Jesus.”

“For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” (Proverbs 9:10) for it means you are finally willing to accept that God is GOD… & you, my friend, are not.

Shine HOPE by dropping those sexual compromise CHAINS—your will, your way, your desires, your opinions, your “just-the-way-I-ams,” & laying them ALL down at the feet of Jesus.

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 SEVEN 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!!

Soleia Clutch (INDIA)

The Soleia Clutch creates the opportunity for women in India to earn a dignified income, in some instances for the first time in their life. With its fun summer look, this straw clutch resembles a sun with it’s woven design and fringe semi-circle on the flap it’s perfect for carrying around your summer essentials! Featuring an interior slip pocket and removable cream crossbody strap, this artisanal summer bag will not disappoint!

***Purchase this clutch—using the “Shop Here” link below—to empower women in India out of poverty, giving them opportunity for a brighter future with their families!***

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!

I Honestly Just Want to be Comfortable

Our culture screams our right to comfort, doesn’t it?

Everything at our fingertips. Stores galore. Choices galore. Advertisements constantly drawing us toward things that will “make our lives better.”

I feel it. I’m drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.

Honestly, it almost seems like it has crept into our churches as well, becoming Christian country clubs where we can come, sit, be entertained, feel good about ourselves, check off the “good Christian” box & go home to the rest of our life.

And if we’re bored or the sermon isn’t captivating, well… why bother… maybe we just need a new church… maybe zoning out is the best bet so that we’re still “technically” going to church. We want to be comfortable at church.

Why Should I Go to Church?

Are we there to be served? Or to serve & praise God?

Are we there to feel good? Or to serve & praise God?

Are we there to get comfortable? Or to serve & praise God?

Why go to church? Why do you go?

And I am preaching to myself here, too, don’t get me wrong about that. These are questions I need to remember to ask myself from time to time when my attitude isn’t quite where it ought to be.

Going to church does not get me any brownie points with God. It doesn’t absolve any bad behaviors or attitudes from my week. It doesn’t earn me anything. God doesn’t need me to go to church. In fact, God doesn’t need ANYTHING from me at all.

But He still calls us to it… to worship Him TOGETHER… to serve TOGETHER… to live as a body with Jesus Christ as the Head. To build up (edify) & lift up (encourage) one another.

What Do You Think It Means to Worship?

Admittedly, in my 41 years of attending church, there are definitely weeks where I am just not feeling like I am getting anything out of the sermon or worship songs even.

So, when that happens… what do I do? What’s the point of it?

I think, to really answer this question well, we must strip it back to the meaning of one singular word—WORSHIP.

What is worship?

Is it getting dressed nicely & sitting in a pew so that you can check that “Christian box”?

Is it singing Christian-y songs in church?

Is it repeating a prayer or a Bible verse?

Is it listening to a sermon?

Um… nope.

Worship is a posture of the heart. Worship is a bowing down of your heart, your ideals, your beliefs, your understanding, your desires… & lifting up Him & the truth of His Word, the Bible.

What Does Worship Look Like

And to be honest, it’s hard to know when someone is being genuine in their worship just by looks alone–that’s why it’s not too great an idea to be looking around for it when you should be focusing on the posture of your own heart.

I once had a woman, who saw 20-something year old me sitting during the time we were asked to stand & sing, ask me to show respect & stand because “we’re singing now & I should not be sitting down.” What had I been doing? Feeling so overwhelmed by something in my life that I just sat down & prayed right there while others sang, calling out to God for rescue in a moment of deep hurting. I was worshipping… but it didn’t look the way some may think I “ought to” worship.

On the flip side, some may sing fervently & passionately, knowing every word, but inside, they’re thinking more about how great their voice sounds rather than truly bowing their heart to Him & lifting Him up in praise. (I have been guilty of that, too, on days when my voice surprises me.)

But true worship isn’t about appearances at all. In fact, even if we are SURE someone is NOT worshipping, as God whispered conviction over my heart years ago: “Whether or not they are truly worshipping should NOT determine whether or not I am truly worshipping.” Ouch, but true.

Worship Is About the Heart

Looking back, especially to my few years at Liberty University getting my degree in Business Marketing, I learned what true worship looked like.

It wasn’t raising my hands or bowing my head or even kneeling at my seat.

But it WAS a willingness to let my pride be washed away so my heart could elevate Him over myself, which often included a lifting of my hands a bowing of my head, & sometimes even a kneeling at my seat. Because it became more about laying aside others’ opinions of me so that I could lift Him up.

There was so much zeal, so much zest, so much LIFE in my life back then.

Some Settings Make It So Easy to Live a Life of Worship

But you know what? Everything in my life back then was always, consistently pointing me back to WORSHIP.

My professors, prayers before classes, weekly convocation, discussions in the dorms, student leadership, Bible Studies, church… everything in my life pointed out to me the “WHY” I ought to live each day—JESUS.

AKA to live a life of Worship.

And because I was surrounded by reminders & testimonials of seeing God always at work around me, it was easy to want to be all in—I could see very clearly that He very much is deserving of my everything.

So, even though surrender is still hard—it still requires a laying down of self & what I want or believe or think, in exchange for His ways… surrender to Him felt always like the better choice—because it always is.

Everything in my life pointed back to Him, back to worship… & as a result, I was encouraged to lay more of my life down to Him.

And as a result of that… joy was a defining feature of my life.

Why Do You Go to Church?

We ought to go to church….

Not because it makes you feel good, but because He is good.

Not because it is always easy, but because it is always worth it.

Not because you feel you ought to, but because He deserves it despite however you feel.

What Happens When the Zest Fades?

It’s been 15 years since I graduated (& that is WITH waiting until I was in my mid-twenties to go back to college).

Not everything in my world points back to Him nowadays. Every discussion around me no longer encourages my focus back to Him. Distractions are everywhere & testimonials are few & far between at times.

And my craving for comfort seems to win far too often.

I mentioned on social media last night how I feel like I have lost my zest for life. I feel more somber, more gray, more tired.

“Peppy & full of life” doesn’t really describe me most days anymore. “Tired” seems more accurate.

“I Will Praise You in This Storm”

My life doesn’t really feel like it’s in a “storm,” but more like a fog has settled over it. More clouds than sunshine maybe.

And I am tempted to pray for that zest to return once more—to feel that alive again when I worship.

But true worship is not defined by how much zeal I feel. It is tested in the murky waters, too, when it doesn’t come so easily. I realize that oftentimes, I am tempted not to be intentional in my worship when I am just not “in it.” As if that were the point of worship.

It’s not.

Worship Is About Him

Worship isn’t about me or how good it feels to praise God. Worship is about Him… His deserving, His worthiness, His holiness, His goodness, His grace, His everything.

And you know what… it’s been a good reminder for me, not feeling so full of zeal & zest… to realize my worship is not about me anyway.

Do I crave the type of worship where my heart was all in, full of joy, full of zest, head low, hands raised, heart lifting Him up in all of His splendor? Oh yes, for sure.

But maybe not yet. Maybe right now, right here is where I need to be… learning to praise Him even when it doesn’t feel so easy, when I’m more tired & He’s still the same.

Go to Church Anyway

It is a humbling reminder of how great He is even when I don’t feel so great.

He never changes. He is still & always will be worthy to be praised.

And that is why I should go to church… Even without my zest. Because I need community. I need edifying. I need fellowship & testimonials. I need reminding.

I need to worship.

On those days where I feel out of it, somber, gray, tired… when the sermon “isn’t hitting” & it falls flat on my heart… when I don’t feel like I am “getting anything out of it,” I can take a moment to remember that none of that is a factor in whether or not my God deserves my worship.

Have a Surrendered Heart Anyway

I can still bow my head through my numbness & be honest with Him:

“God, forgive me for not feeling “into it.” You are worthy regardless of how I may be feeling. Help me to learn more about You through Your Word today. Help me to be an encouragement to others today. Help me to serve You well in the ministries You have encouraged me to help with, ever pointing them to find their lasting hope in You alone. Help me to remember who You are & all that You deserve from me. Help me to serve You faithfully. Help me to live with a surrendered heart, willing to obey… even when it doesn’t create happy zest feeling in my life. You are fully deserving, no matter how I may be feeling in any given season of my life. Thank You for never ever giving up on me, though I deserve it more than I could ever even realize. You are worthy to be praised. Always. AMEN.”

He Is Deserving

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised….” (Psalm 48:1a)

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.” (Psalm 100)

Shine HOPE, by determining to praise/worship God & go to church anyway, even when it doesn’t always give you “happy feels”… even when life isn’t comfortable… even when you feel gray… because no matter what, He is worthy to be praised.

Hope Mail (June 2025)

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of June! Enjoy free shipping on your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!    

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

The stunning Sea Breeze Earrings are beaded in a workshop committed to fighting child marriage and creating dignified jobs for women in India. These drop earrings feature dusty blue and white beads with peach moonstone accent beads to complete the look.   

Each Hope Mail comes packaged in a handmade Sari Pouch, to create a thoughtfully curated look.   

***Purchase this month’s Hope Mail, using the “SHOP HERE” link below, to create safe job opportunities with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.***

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 6.5 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!!

June 202

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

God Never Contradicts Himself

There are a lot of verses in the Bible that, upon first inspection, can seem to contradict one another, but aside from a point I highlighted in a previous post, where “In the Bible–Audience Matters,” sometimes we just need to take a moment to consider both sides of the same coin.

For example, the Bible warns against vain repetitions in our prayer, because doing so implies that God doesn’t already know…  but it also instructs us to “continue steadfastly in prayer.”

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:7) (emphasis mine)

“… continuing steadfastly in prayer.” (Romans 12:12b)

So, what exactly is the Bible getting at here? Our motivation behind what/how we pray.

Vain Repetitions…

Is there a feeling of pressure? As if there is a desperation calling you to “just repeat the prayer as much as you can so that God will listen & hear you?” That would be the vain repetitions God warns against. He doesn’t need us to tell Him multiple times–He knew before you even asked Him. We also don’t need to feel we need to manipulate or strong arm or convince Him. Although He may not answer the way YOU think is best… He DELIGHTS in helping you. (Psalm 147:11)

Think of your absolute best friend, your best friend of a sibling, your spouse, boyfriend, etc. If they were to have a problem they know you could easily help with & they begged & begged & begged repeatedly, as if they feel you wouldn’t care about helping them otherwise… wouldn’t that be kind of offensive? It would show that they doubt whether you care enough to help them & feel they have to REALLY convince you in order for you to care about them. Ouch.

Think of how God feels. He already even knows your heart & your need. He DELIGHTS in helping you. How do you think it feels when you repeatedly plead with Him as if He doesn’t?

Why Do You Pray?

On the other hand, at least for me, I can have a tendency to pray & then act. Pray & then do. Pray & then figure it out myself. Pray & then disregard my need for Him. Basically, praying out of habit versus waiting on Him at all–just doing it myself, my way, with just a little dash of prayer “for good measure.”

That is also offensive, isn’t it?

If I really believed He DELIGHTS in helping me & that He is MORE THAN capable (Ephesians 3:20-21)… why would I treat Him like prayer is just the backup plan or the little bit extra “just in case” cherry on top? Ouch again.

Continued Reliance

No, the staying at it is not to convince Him enough to help me… it’s not to somehow “activate” His power… it’s not a backup/”just in case” measure… it is THE answer.

It is to live in a constant state of “You, God. YOU are where my help comes from. YOU are the answer. YOU are my source of wisdom. YOU ALONE. Nothing else. I need YOU.”

No matter what you need. No matter the distress. No matter what you can’t figure out. No matter what you can’t do on your own. No matter what brick wall you hit. No matter the temptation. No matter the fear. No matter the lack. No matter the obstacle. No matter the worry. No matter the hurt. No matter the confusion. No matter the lack of direction. No matter the trial. No matter the problem. No matter the question. No matter the whatever else you can think of….

He IS THE answer. Not AN answer. Do you pray like that?

Why Do You Pray? Vain Repetitions VS Continued Reliance

Why do you pray? To get your way? To “convince” God to listen to you? To “convince” God to care? As an extra measure, “just in case”? To “get” God to carry out YOUR plan that YOU figured out that YOU think is best?

Why do you pray?

Or do you pray to bow yourself before an ALMIGHTY GOD Who made heaven & earth… & YOU? … to trust He alone is your true source of hope & help & wisdom & strength & power to do what you cannot?

That’s why we KEEP praying, because whenever we doubt, it is a determining to CONTINUE again & again to remind ourselves to always GO BACK to the ONLY One we KNOW we can turn to as our help & our hope in EVERY circumstance—to GOD ALONE.

Why do you pray?

Shine HOPE by putting your continued hope in HIM AS your answer–Him alone…. in continued reliance upon Him.

(*Read these previous posts about prayer & its purpose: 1.)“Intentionality–Making Prayer a Priority,” 2.)“Pray Continually–What Does Prayer Actually Accomplish?”, 3.)“Why Pray When God Already Knows?”*)

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 6.5 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!!

Enda Necklace (INDIA)

When you shop the beautiful Enda Necklace, you are creating safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.  Enda is an Irish name, meaning “like a bird” and it is a sign of endurance or a reminder of one’s ability to rise to new heights. The Enda Necklace is beautifully beaded with turquoise-colored glass beads, featuring dangling pearl charms throughout. Wear alone or style with other necklaces for a layered look!

***Purchase this beautifully handcrafted Enda Necklace, by clicking the “Shop Here” link below, & help empower women in INDIA out of poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:5-6)

Do You Call Yourself a Christian?

Do you call yourself a Christian?

Do you know what it means to call yourself a Christian? It is like calling yourself “little Christ” or “Christ follower.” Would you say you live like those descriptions were true?

Calling yourself a Christian is not an automatic “get out of hell free card.” There is no power in giving yourself the title.

The power is in Christ, not you.

Just Because Jesus Paid for [It]… Doesn’t Mean We Should Live Excusing [It]…

But then… knowing it is not of myself, knowing I need & rely on Jesus Christ paying my debts before God… one can be tempted to think we’re free to live how we want… because Jesus paid for it.

But, if you walk/live according to your own rules & your own ideals, can you really say you’re a “Christ follower”?

If we live counter to God’s ways because “Jesus paid for it,” aren’t we just making a mockery of the sacrifice Jesus paid for us? (Hint: in that case, we are.)

Don’t Make Excuses for Your Sin

I find it surprisingly & shockingly common to see people who would label themselves as a Christian also blatantly live completely opposite to what God’s Word says.

Whether it’s sex outside of marriage, getting drunk with friends, pursuing same-sex romantic relationships, regularly using foul language, gossiping & painting someone else in a negative light to others, harboring bitterness, regularly screaming at your kids (guys, I GET it—overstimulation is so very much real—but still, we must learn to PRAY & bow down before God with it to replace the knee-jerk outbursts that dishonor God & hurt the children—I don’t have kids, but I have been one), cutting off people on the road & driving aggressively…. The list goes on.

If you live with these attitudes, behaviors, or actions, while actively excusing them away or thinking nothing of them… well, be careful. Don’t make excuses for your sin.

Imagine having a Jesus bumper sticker on your car while driving recklessly & being a jerk on the road. Not a great representation of the Name that bumper sticker represents, huh?

Same goes when we call ourselves a Christian while also living counter to how God asks us to live.

We Are ALL a Work in Progress, Though

I get it. We are ALL a work in progress. I am NOT talking about little bad habits that spike up from time to time & that which we have to keep bowing down to God for His help in changing us from the inside out. That will be a LIFELONG process for ALL of us.

I am instead talking about perpetual sins that we excuse away as “not that bad” or for which we have decided we know better than God already in that area & we’re okay living exactly the way WE want, as if that were actually true… WHILE calling ourselves a “Christ-follower.” Uh-oh.

It’s better for you to just not call yourself a Christian at all… taking off the bumper sticker, so to speak… so as not to misrepresent the Word of God or Jesus Christ to the world.

God’s Word is TRUTH, whether we have “decided it is” or not. Fact is, we didn’t make the world… HE did. He alone gets to determine what defines TRUTH. NOT us, whom He made.

Do People See Christ When They See You?

How do you represent Him?

What would the world assume incorrectly about God by viewing your attitudes, behaviors, or actions?

Would they see grace? Would they see Truth? Would they see accurately the mind & heart of God?

God doesn’t need your PR efforts. He doesn’t need His Word fluffed or prettied up. He doesn’t need help making His Word more palatable.

He calls us to obedience–even when it doesn’t make any sense to us: His creation. He calls us as His holy priesthood, His ambassadors. We represent Him, whether we’re good at it or not so much.

How do you represent Him?

Be a Light for Him to the World, Even in Your Imperfections

Don’t make excuses for your sin. Don’t sugarcoat it. Call it out for what it is. Repent of it. Ask God to change your heart. Bow your ideals & your ideas to Him to be changed how HE wills it.

Who do you make to be LORD in your life? HIM? Or you?

Shine HOPE by laying down your excused habitual sin habits, turning from them, asking God’s forgiveness for it, bowing it before the King of kings & LORD of lords, Creator of heaven & earth. And by living your life as a truer representation of being called “little Christ” to this hurting world that needs hope only He can provide. POINT to HIM with your whole self & whole life. Not your will, but HIS be done. Amen & amen.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

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 6.5 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!!

Adventure Bundle (USA & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

The Adventure Bundle combines style, purpose, and impact in one thoughtful package.

It includes our ethically crafted olive-green t-shirt with a classic fit featuring the message “Adventure with Purpose” and is ethically made in Nicaragua using 100% U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Standards. Designed with care for both people and the planet, this piece is as ethical as it is stylish!  

Paired with the tee is the Kairo Bracelet made by human trafficking survivors in the DR. Each stretch-to-fit Kairo Bracelet features a striking combination of grounding black lava beads, warm brown wooden beads, and a dainty gold accent bead at its center. The natural textures and earthy tones make it a versatile piece for any style.

*** Purchase this bundle, using the “Shop Here” link below, to support a safe house in the Dominican Republic, providing education, legal services, safe housing, & trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking. ***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

We All Have Trauma of Sorts… But We Also Have a Choice…

We cannot always control our circumstances… but we can always control our response.

All of us have trauma of some sort, whether it was unkind words that stuck, or bullying, or a tough childhood, or loss, or betrayal or injury or witnessing something awful. So many other things as well.

And we may downplay it, as if it isn’t actually trauma because we think it may not be as bad or as extreme as someone else’s trauma, but if it has had a negative impact on how you view yourself, others, life, or God… it’s trauma.

It’s important, I think, to dig up that trauma & face it/deal with it. Not to rehash it or grow in bitterness, but to avoid stuffing it or avoiding it when what we ought to be doing is turning it over to God by praying through it & finding healing in it… moving forward in freedom versus hiding from it in fear.

We have no control over our past, but we do have full control on how we respond to it.

Talk about TRAUMA

Other than Jesus, Joseph is my favorite example of this attitude of choosing to respond rightly even in the midst of just absolutely terrible circumstances.

(***You can read this gut-wrenching story laced with grace & honor & a trust in God that rose above every harsh circumstance, in its entirety, in Genesis 37-50. Easily one of my favorite stories told about in the Bible.***)

Most adored by his father (don’t show favoritism parents, just don’t do it), hated by his brothers because of it, Joseph was thrown into a deep pit to be left trapped to die by his brothers who resented him.

His eldest brother thought to just scare him, leave him in the pit (allegedly to die) so he could secretly free him later… but when big brother left the scene, the rest of the brothers decided they would make more profit from their hatred by SELLING their own brother, Joseph, into slavery.

Hated, thrown in a pit, his life threatened… to being sold as a slave by his very own flesh & blood.

That’s brutal.

He Couldn’t Control His Circumstances… But He Still Chose to Respond Rightly

But, did Joseph lash out & blame a poor response on all of that trauma he had most definitely just experienced?

The Bible doesn’t say. What it does say is that he did his very best at being a slave, serving his master honorably. So much so that his owner took notice that God was literally blessing & flourishing everything Joseph was put in charge of doing or managing.

Then, that same master who praised him & gave him power over ALL of the workings of his household had a wife who got mad that Joseph refused her advances in order to show respect & honor to his master, her husband. So, he got imprisoned because the angry, rejected, & likely embarrassed wife accused him wrongly of attempting indecency with her.

Joseph Kept His Eyes above the Storm… He Trusted GOD

But, did Joseph lash out & blame all of that trauma for it?

Again, the Bible doesn’t say. But it does say that he did his very best at being a prisoner, & that much like his recent master, the prison guard witnessed the very same thing about God obviously blessing everything he set his hand to & therefore put him in charge of the other prisoners. Like, what?

Not exactly how I would initially respond, that’s for sure. I would be demanding my rights!

Joseph understood–He couldn’t always control his circumstances… but he could for sure always control his response.

And let’s not neglect to mention that he felt so sure in his right responses because of one very important thing… he trusted that God had a plan & that God was in control in all of it somehow–even through all of that horrible trauma he had experienced.

Trauma Hurts… But it Doesn’t Define Us… & It Doesn’t Need to Control Us… & We Still Have a Choice in How We Respond to It…

I can’t say my sisters have ever hated me, but they for sure have never plotted to push me into a pit & leave me for dead (not to my knowledge anyway), nor have they ever sold me into slavery.

I’ve for sure been falsely accused & misunderstood & been lied about many times in my 41 years, with some just not feeling concerned with clearing the air, seeking reconciliation, or hearing my side of the story… content to dislike me for whatever they believe to be true about me–that kind of thing hurts, doesn’t it? But I’ve never been to prison for it like Joseph.

I have had plenty of very unkind things said to or about me that still ring in my head from time to time. I have been bullied, mocked, betrayed, & ostracized.

I have lived in an area of Japan where English wasn’t spoken much aka so much isolation, been through a pandemic of even more prolonged isolation, & have survived a once-in-20ish-years super typhoon of mass destruction. I have witnessed a whole lot of very real pain of people I care a whole lot about.

The Hurts Are Real… But So Is My God

I have wrestled through seasons of deep depression throughout my life, where suicidal thoughts were near daily & have gone through intense seasons of loneliness when I was in a place where I couldn’t seem to make any connections despite my efforts… where isolation was a very real reality for me.

It may not be the type of trauma that everyone can relate to or understand. It may not be as severe as a cancer diagnosis or losing a loved one… but trauma it is all the same.

And I couldn’t choose whether any of it happened to me.

But I can choose how I respond to it.

I can trust (& now see) that God always sees the future & has a plan & WILL always use every traumatic experience BOTH for my good & for His glory. Always. Every single time He has done so.

God Never Wastes Our Traumatic Experiences

Whether it is to strengthen my character or teach me compassion or give me personal perspective over the struggles of others so that I know how to better relate & be with them in it/through it. Whether it’s to see Him come through for me over & over & over again so that my trust in Him would solidify… so that it could anchor my soul… so that I could know rest in Him is possible despite the circumstances.

To see that the impossibilities He promises, through Him, are actually possible.

We need to take every opportunity to look for how we can trust God above all of our circumstances, honoring Him over self in all of our circumstances, knowing He has a plan & has it all figured out & knowing we just have to be good stewards of what we’ve got right now—through the good, the bad, & even the horrible.

Because God never wastes our traumatic experiences.

Think Like Joseph…

Even if a family member threatens your life.

Even if you were to get sold into slavery by your own family.

Even if you work hard & do your very best, only to have people accuse you of doing something you would never dream of doing… not leaving any room for reconciliation or hearing your side of the story.

Even if you are thrown into prison for a crime you never committed.

Even if you are hated & scorned, spit on & beaten, wrongly accused & everyone wants you dead. (Isaiah 53)

Even if you came to give your life for theirs but all they do is scream for your death. (1 Peter 2:24) (Luke 23:20-25)

Even if no one understands you.

Even if you feel alone in this life.

Even if the hard doesn’t ever seem to stop.

We just can’t blame our trauma.

We have to choose to respond in a way that gives God honor anyway, trusting that God has a plan every step of this very hard way. Trusting He will provide a way through it all with His help, every step.

Where Have You Allowed Your Trauma to Call the Shots in Your Own Life?

Where’s the stronghold in your own life?

What are you allowing to run the narrative?

What are you using as an excuse for inaction, for a bad attitude, for doubting God, for simmering in bitterness, for closing yourself off from others…? What excuse are you using?

Do you need to pray & ask God to help you better honor Him despite your poor circumstances?

Do you need to pray & ask God to help you trust that He will always have a plan & that He will always use every awful circumstance both for your good & for His glory?

Shine HOPE by recognizing why we can’t blame trauma… by choosing to give God glory & honor anyway, despite it… by choosing to trust that God is ultimately in control no matter how bad the current circumstances may be… by choosing to trust that God has a plan that you may not see, a plan that is 100% always both for your good & for His glory.

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 6.5 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!!

Daisy Gift Set (INDIA)

A thoughtful gift set to share with someone you love! Create fair paying jobs for women in a safe working environment in India when you purchase the Daisy Gift Set. This impactful set includes the Daisy Raffia Studs and the Daisy Handbag Charm. The Daisy Raffia Studs support women with fair-paying jobs, helps educate girls, fights child marriage, and empowers families leaving slums in India. The Daisy Handbag Charm is also created in a safe working environment for women in India to earn a dignified wage.

***Order this set, using the “Shop Here” link, to empower women in India out of poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

Good Thing God Fills in Our Gaps

Well, here I am sitting down to write & nothing is coming to mind. I don’t feel like I have anything new to talk about.

But I guess that’s not entirely a bad thing, because this blog isn’t really supposed to be about me being profound. Its main purpose is really to point to where I find my hope… to use my failures & shortcomings to point you to trust Him & obey Him & live for His glory through every season of life—good or bad or all the in betweens.

He is truly what it’s all about.

I am nobody special. And that is okay.

Boy, Do I Fall Short

To be honest, despite trusting on Jesus to pay my sin at an early age, I grew up still testing boundaries & doubting God, wanting to assert myself & my ideals. I misunderstood a lot about who God is. I thought He was all about rules & controlling me… & that honestly made me squirmy. I wanted a reason to doubt Him so I wouldn’t have to follow all the rules. I had a rebellious heart.

God really was gracious & patient & kind as He grew me. No “I told you so” responses, but always met with patient grace.

I didn’t know how to tell what was God’s voice, my voice, or Satan’s even.

I’m inconsistent in my devotion to Him even. Sometimes I am on fire & am in complete surrender to Him, trusting Him completely with no hesitation. Other times, I’m selfish & self-focused & have a bad attitude about everything.

Sometimes I doubt God’s best & try my own way, EVEN STILL!  (I mean really… you’d think I’d learned better by now & be immune to that.)

Oftentimes, I begin to trust & rely on His blessings more than on Him Who supplied those blessings.

I have to pray for help righting my attitude more often than I’d really like to admit.

I would not be my first choice.

God Can Use the Unusable

I never thought I would ever lead Bible studies, be on student leadership in college, teach Sunday school for all different ages from K4 to college age girls, be a lead camp counselor, disciple others or lead accountability, design/launch a website, do a weekly blog for 6+ years. Me? No… I was not good enough for that.

All those inadequacies I mentioned were why I was so scared to start this blog back in 2018.

Like, choose someone else, God. You know everything, so You ought to know best all the reasons I’m just not it.

But here I am. God reminded me all the way back then & even today as I feel so completely void of anything useful to tell you… it’s not about me really anyway.

He’s Worth It

It’s about me showing up for Him anyway.

Hard days? He’s worth it.

Good days? He’s worth it.

Selfish days? He’s worth it.

Victorious days? He’s worth it.

Complete & utter failure days? He’s worth it.

Right attitude days? He’s worth it.

Bad attitude days? He’s worth it.

Lazy days? He’s worth it.

Sick days? He’s worth it.

Have very little to offer Him? He’s worth it.

He Can Where I Can’t

It’s not about how much I have to offer Him–God can supply. It’s about how much He has to offer us, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

I can’t. He can.

I’ve got nothing. He is infinite.

I fail. He doesn’t.

I fall short. He supplies.

I get it wrong. He is sovereign.

I hurt Him. He forgives.

I live in a perpetual state of undeserved GRACE. I can’t earn it or deserve it. But God keeps on giving it.

I’m Nothing… & That’s Okay

And that’s why I’m here each week. Not because I feel I’m profound or better or worth listening to or anything else… but because He’s worth it.

I’m nothing… & that’s okay.

Do you justify not serving or honoring Him with something because you don’t feel you’ve got what it takes… that you’re not good enough… neglecting to consider He can fill in that gaps wherever you lack & still use your life for His glory as you seek to obey & honor Him with your life?

It doesn’t have to make sense to you. You don’t have to be your first choice. You just have to be willing to show others that He is absolutely & always worth showing up for.

Shine HOPE by living that reality every day around every person God chooses to put in your path. Even on the days where you feel you really have nothing special to offer anybody.

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 6.5 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!!

Calla Carryall Tote (INDIA)

Create the opportunity for women in India to earn a dignified income when you shop and carry the Calla Carryall Tote. With its iconic look, this faux croc-leather styled bag has room for everything you need to carry with you as a woman on the go! Each ethically made tote includes a snap closure, padded interior laptop sleeve, interior zipper pocket, slip pockets, and is perfect for your everyday essentials!

***Use the “SHOP Here” link below to purchase this beautifully handcrafted bag & to empower women in India out of poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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!

Have a wonderful week living for His glory in all that you do!

God Breathed

God created us to worship Him… & not in a selfish, arrogant way, either, but simply because He IS. He is our whole existence. He is the reason we are. He created us & gives us life & made all the resources we need to survive.

Thinking back to the Garden of Eden, life for us was meant to be simply tending to what He already had made. Enjoying His beautiful & bountiful creation. Walking alongside Him in the garden. Trusting Him while we carry no worry or fear.

Life was meant to be simple, carefree, peaceful, FILLED with beauty everywhere we looked. No shame or awkwardness. No insecurity. No stress or worry or anxiety.

Just peace. Just beauty. Just love & trust in the God Who formed us.

But… sin.

Self-Asserting over God

Sin is a breaking away from God’s way for our own. Sin is thinking we know better. Sin is distrust & self-seeking. Sin hurts.

God gave us His Word with His commands, not to control us, but because He designed the world & everything in it & He knows how it all best fits together, even when it doesn’t seem to make logical sense to us in our limitedness. That’s why He made sure to tell us, because He knew it wouldn’t be something we could perfectly piece together.

But… sin.

Sin doesn’t trust God. Sin wants to figure it out. Sin wants to make sure we’re covered & cared for our way. Sin wants to double check God. Sin wants to see for itself. Sin wants to take care of self. Sin wants to trust self over the God Who made us.

Sin wants to believe: “my life is about me.”

This Is His Story

I am not the main character in my story, in my life. I am a supporting character. So are you, I’m afraid.

This story is about GOD, not you or me.

The whole Bible, with all of the flawed humans written about in it… they’re to constantly & consistently point back to GOD, not the people. GOD’s faithfulness, GOD’s power, GOD’s grace, GOD’s love toward us who don’t deserve it.

They fail… He perseveres.

They are weak… He proves strong.

They can’t… He can.

They mess up… His faithfulness stands true.

They lack… He sustains.

They sin… He forgives.

They get in trouble… He rescues.

They get it wrong… He is sovereign.

They are limited… He is Almighty.

They are fearful… He is capable.

They die… He remains from generation to generation.

They sin… He redeems.

They are human… He is GOD.

Every story in the Bible… & in our life… is actually all about HIM, not us.

Living Your Life for ____________________

You get up, get ready, go to work, care for the kids, study, shop, run errands, do chores, do vacations, go to church, relax, enjoy hobbies, etc. etc. etc. & it feels very deceptively like this life is about YOU. YOUR world. YOUR activities. YOUR hobbies. YOUR responsibilities. YOUR family. YOUR job. YOUR skills. YOUR money. YOUR LIFE.

But it is NOT.

We are FOOLED into thinking our life is about us.

We are lulled. We are deceived. We are short-sighted.

All of this is going to pass away! Years from now, no one will even likely remember you existed! This life is NOT ABOUT YOU.

This is all temporal, fleeting, inconsequential.

Your job won’t matter after you die. Your hobbies won’t matter. Your cares & anxieties… Your responsibilities… None of it will matter anymore.

We’re fooled into thinking our life is about us.

God Is Eternal…

We need to WAKE UP.

The ONLY thing that will last beyond our lifetime is God, His glory & His grace & His power & His sovereignty & His LOVE.

He is ETERNAL. He has no beginning & no end. He knew your great great great grandparents that you probably don’t ever give a thought about. He KNEW them.

He will know your kids’ kids’ kids, long after you’re dead & gone. Your existence may never even cross their minds… But God knows them, too.

What in your life will matter after you are gone? Decades later even?

What Will Matter When You’re Gone?

When on your death bed, will you be able to look back & say that you lived your true & only real purpose? To give God glory? To make Him known? To live in worship of Him?

What matters to God should matter to us.

Who does God put in your path each day? A spouse… kids… coworkers… boss… cashier… passerbys… beggars… family… friends… neighbors…?

Do we care enough about our neighbor we may only occasionally see in the driveway? Knowing they spent however long living next door to someone who knew THE way to forgiveness from God? Because they will have to answer to Him, too, even if they don’t believe in Him. (We don’t get a free pass for our sin against God because we claim not to know better. God reveals Himself to us in so many ways, so we are without excuse.) (Romans 1:20) Have you told them?

What about the cashier at your grocery store? Do you seek to strike up conversations with them, to show them they matter more than just as a means to an end? To grow opportunities to share hope with them? To see them as a person with a NEED?

*If you died tomorrow, would you regret not telling someone you had the chance to warn of their need for repentance & hope through Jesus alone?*

We are God’s AMBASSADORS. Do we live like we are? Or are we fooled into thinking our temporal, fleeting life is all about US?

We’re Fooled into Thinking Our Life Is About Us

Our life is about HIM. Do you live like that? Do you live with an eternal focus? Of what matters beyond your lifespan? Or are you consumed with the NOW?

How are you living? Who are you living for? Who does your lifestyle imply you’re living for?

I don’t mean to say you can’t ever have fun or enjoy shopping or enjoy your job. God gives us good things to enjoy, doesn’t He? We can see that in all the extravagantly creative beauty of nature, as well as in His sending Jesus to die for OUR sins.

But do you recognize yourself back in the Garden of Eden? Enjoying all of the good gifts from the Lord, but also trusting Him in all things & letting Him guide the steps of your days, trusting Him fully & peacefully? Letting HIM be God in your life?

Where Is Your Focus? What Is Your Priority?

Do you praise Him for all of His faithfulness, grace, & care? Worship Him? Lean into Him for peace when your world swirls out of control? Bow your heart before Him? Go to Him first in troubles or anxieties? Ask for His leading in decisions? Trust He knows more than you when you can’t decide on something? Know He will empower you as you seek to obey Him? Repent & trust Jesus’ payment for a forever clean slate with no shame hanging over you? Love others sacrificially, knowing it all comes from Him & He will supply? Call out to Him for rescue? Use your job or errand interactions as platforms to be an ambassador for Christ, as if God was pleading through your life for them to be saved? (2 Corinthians 5:20) Talk about God’s work & growing in your life with friends to encourage them as they also seek to live for Him? Lead children to trust & obey God? Obey God even when it doesn’t seem to make sense to you?

Who are you living for?

Who is your life about?

Are you fooled into thinking your life is about you?

Shine HOPE by bowing your all, your life & everything in it, to the very One Who made you & gave you all things. PRAISE GOD, through the saving work of JESUS CHRIST!

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 6.5 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!!

Hope Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

Create hope for human trafficking survivors in the Dominican Republic when you wear your Hope bracelet! This adorable friendship-styled bracelet beautifully represents our partnership with these young women, who were once trafficked themselves, and who now earn a dignified income in a safe working environment by creating this Hope Bracelet. Each stretch-to-fit bracelet features blue-grey, faceted crystal beads and silver-tone letter beads that spell out “Hope”.

***Purchase this handmade bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below, to support a safe house in the Dominican Republic that provides rescue, housing, education, legal services, and trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

No Really, I Am

Well, this is a fun topic to talk about, isn’t it?

It’s true that I run this blog/website, volunteer at church, etc. but at my very core, I really am a self-seeking brat.

How can the two realities coexist? Because I understand that what I feel like on any given day should not usually determine my actions.

I like ease, comfort, status quo.

I thrive on my routines & measuring my time so that I don’t ever get overwhelmed or overstimulated.

I like & prefer living for ME, in all honesty.

But God did not create me to live for myself, as much as I often crave to do so.

I have to be willing to SURRENDER—there’s that word again—all my selfish, self-seeking desires & wants, to be willing to lay those down in order to bring God glory & to serve & love others as He calls me to do.

I’m a Self-Seeking Brat

Some days it comes easier than others. Other days, I am a lot more whiney about it. Sort of an inner stomping of my feet with crossed arms. “I WANT to go back to sleep, NOT wake up early to help out with that.” “I WANT to go straight home after work to relax, NOT go back out to serve when I’m already tired.” “I WANT to save face, NOT share all of my inadequacies & shortcomings & failures with all the internet to judge me.” “I WANT to binge tv, NOT spend hours editing.” “I WANT to eat whatever I want, NOT steward the body God knit together.” I want, I want, I want.

I’m a selfish person at heart. I’m a self-seeking brat. Sometimes I wake up feeling so groggy & so wishing I could have gotten a couple hours more of sleep & I just want to scrap it all for the comfort of slipping back into bed, pulling up the covers, & relaxing back into sleep (that sounds REALLY good to me right about now, actually). NOT making choices that honor God over self.

But, God.

When I Want __________________… I Need to Trust Him to be More Than Sufficient

I want to serve Him. I want others to know Him. I have to trust Him to be what I need when I crave serving my desires my way.

When I want rest, I want to trust He can provide & be that rest FOR me.

When I want comfort, I want to trust He can provide & BE my comfort.

I don’t want to live for what I want so badly. I want to learn to trust that He is BETTER.

I don’t want to be trapped by my bad attitude. I want to point the world to Him.

I don’t want to be limited by my own limitations. I want to trust He can provide where I lack.

He is worth showing up for, even when I am just not in the mood… even when my fleshly selfishness seems to be winning. He’s worth laying down my life for Him to be known.

A Prayer from a Bratty Me to the Forgiving, Faithful God

“God, forgive me for my self-seeking, bratty heart. Forgive me for being so drawn to satisfy myself over You. Forgive me for my longing to look out for myself first. Please help me to continue to shift my perspective, to continue to lay myself down. Please help me always to remember that You are MORE THAN worth it every single time, & that You are MORE THAN capable to fill in the gaps for me, even on the days when I really am just a self-seeking brat. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

*Self-Check*

Where are you denying God your all because it’s just too much? Too hard? Too much time? Too exhausting?

What do you lean into in place of God? What do you desire most?

What do you need to lay down? To ask His forgiveness? To ask for His help supplementing where you lack… even if that lack is a lack of a right attitude?

What do you need to entrust to Him so the world around you may see & recognize that in all of your lack & wrong attitude & potential bratty-ness… that He is WORTH showing up for no matter WHAT?

What is it for you?

Shine HOPE by determining to lay yourself down in order to lift Him up on display in your life… even on the days where you feel like me… a self-seeking brat.

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 6.5 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!!

Ardent Necklace-Golden (INDIA)

Create safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in India when you purchase the Ardent Necklace! The design of the Ardent Necklace makes it uniquely customizable, featuring its twisted cord, elegant metal finishing and an adjustable golden bead for easy wearing. This necklace is easy to pull over your head and adjust to your perfect length. The gold-tone pendant is an organically shaped pendant with a freshwater pearl.

***Purchase this beautifully handcrafted necklace, using the “Shop Here” link below to help empower women in India out of extreme poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

God Is Not Intimidated

“Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?

The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.” (Psalm 2:1-3)

Why is it so easy for us to think we know better than the One Who MADE us?

America, the Beautiful… Needs to Return to God

America seems to be plagued at the moment—plagued with a sense of self-importance, self-actualization, self-declaration, self-promotion, etc. etc. etc. SELF.

The arrogance I see amongst so many people blows my mind. It also makes me brace myself a little because God will not be mocked. (Galatians 6:7) He WILL have the final say. He WILL be proven to be in control & Sovereign. Nothing anyone may try to do can stop that from being reality.

God Is SEATED-He CanNOT be Moved

“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
“Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.”

“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.” (Psalm 2:4-8)

God is SEATED. He is not swayed at all by the “intellect” of man or the whims of our culture. God is seated. He’s not worried.

Whatever our world thinks it is to accomplish against or outside of His will quite simply will fail every single time. God is Sovereign to the absolute. In fact, He LAUGHS when culture does its very absolute best to abdicate Him from His throne & Godship. He owns it ALL. Everything.

He is not intimidated.

We Cannot Win When We Go Against the God Who MADE Us

“You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” (Psalm 2:9)

Culture & “progress” cannot win against God. He is outside of time itself, eternal.

Do not set yourself up against God. Do not presume to know more than Him. He MADE the very mind you may use to come up with wills against Him! (Psalm 139:13-16)

“I was BORN this way & He tells me it is wrong!” Then LISTEN to Him! He is the very One Who MADE you! Don’t ever tell God how He made you. How foolish!

We Were Born in Sin, Wanting to Satisfy Our Flesh… We Must be Born Again to Live to Satisfy the SPIRIT

We were born with a desire for satisfying our fleshly desires. We were born with a draw for our way. We were born in a world defined by SIN. We were born INTO sin.

That is the very reason why God says we must be “BORN AGAIN” of Him, setting aside the wills of the world & flesh to now desire His will & way, through putting our trust in Jesus Christ instead of in ourselves. (John 3:1-21)

He didn’t MAKE you HAVE to sin. But we are born into sin. And the only way to break those devastating & suffocating & deceitful bonds is HIM, the One Who made you & Who didn’t stop there. He sent His only Son, JESUS, to condescend Himself from His throne in heaven to willingly DIE for that proclivity toward sin, to set you FREE from their bonds forever!

“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)

REPENT & Turn to Him!

But don’t be fooled… if we resist Him & reject the One Who gave us life… He will not be mocked. He is patient & long-suffering with us, to the point where it seems He can’t or won’t do anything… but if you persist down that self-path, you will personally discover the wrath of God firsthand, & you will fall.

“Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.” (Psalm 2:10-12a)

This is not a sense of coercion: DO THIS OR ELSE! But rather a warning that EVEN IF you don’t believe Him nor want to do it His way, His way IS the ONLY way. He WILL prevail. He CANNOT be thwarted. He CANNOT be moved. He is Sovereign to the ABSOLUTE.

Not a Threat… A Promise.. You WILL NOT Win Against God, in ANY Scenario

So, even if you think you still want your way & you can’t get past your rebellion, wisdom says you should bow. Surrender. Understand you can’t win & that you SHOULDN’T win, no matter how badly you WANT to or think you SHOULD win.

He is GOD… & you are not.

These past few verses are not a threat or coercive instructions… they are FACT. Fact that you WILL lose if you come against the One Who made you… God Almighty.

He Is the Very Place You Will Find the Rest You So Desperately Seek

“Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” (Psalm 2:12b)

And the truth is, a funny thing will happen when you decide to submit. The blessings you fought so hard to get YOUR way are actually found in HIS way.

Your way, your wisdom, your intellect, your plans, your ideals… they all PALE in comparison to HIS.

You discover that He is what you were searching for in all of it… you just didn’t realize or understand it. You were fooled. You were blinded. You were deceived.

But now you’re FREE from all of its hold on you… once you finally submit & put your trust in HIM over YOURSELF.

God is not trying to be Sovereign over you to control your life like some maniacal dictator so He can ruin your life into misery.

He IS Sovereign & He IS in control & He wants to set you FREE from the misery you already live in.

Turn to Him & Find the Rest You Seek

You may feel like you’re being “progressive,” but God exists outside of time itself & sees into eternity future. He already knows where our “progressive” “ideals” lead… & He knows they will fail & fall short in the end. We cannot outthink God. We cannot outwit or outsmart God. He IS.

God is SEATED. He canNOT be moved.

So, what are you holding against God? What are you holding back from Him? What are you shaking your fist at Him about? Where is your rebellion? Your rejection?

Will you submit to the One Who made you? Will you submit to the One Who holds time in His hands? Will you submit to the One Who sent His Son to die for your wrongs against Him? Will you submit to the One Who loves you more than you could ever comprehend?

What are you holding back from Him?

Shine HOPE by turning to God Almighty, & by living in the blessing it is to put your trust in God more than you place it in yourself.

(DO NOT BE DECEIVED: Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5; John 3:36; Revelation 20:11-15; 1 Peter 2:21-24)

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 6.5 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!!

Hope Mail-March 2025 (INDIA)

These uniquely beaded Vera Earrings create necessary jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in India, allowing them to leave the slums and become financially independent. These intricately hand-beaded earrings feature a stunning floral mural showing off the finest craftsmanship of our Artisan Partners. Make a fair-trade fashion statement when you style these stunning earrings!

Each Hope Mail comes packaged in a handmade Sari Pouch, to create a thoughtfully curated look.

***Purchase this month’s Hope Mail, using the “Shop Here” link below to help create safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops and human traffickers.***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!

How Much of Your Life Do YOU Control?

“… in all your ways, acknowledge Him, & He shall direct your steps.” (Proverbs 3:6)

Let me ask you a question, & I want you to be really honest with yourself here: Do you really acknowledge God in ALL your ways? ALL of them?

I can’t honestly say I do that. (Far from it, in fact.)

Thinking back to the fruit of the knowledge of good & evil back in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:17), I think a major reason God forbade eating from that tree is because He knew this very thing would happen to us—that we would try to become our own problem-solvers… that we would try to steer the ship of our own life… that we would try to take the place of God to BE “god” of our own lives.

Except… we’re NOT God. So, you can imagine how well that works out for us.

We Were NEVER Meant to be the One in Charge

In other words, Satan enticing Eve (Genesis 3:4-5) by telling her she would be LIKE GOD was only partially true, just as everything else he uses to try to entice us… LIKE God in taking charge of our lives… NOT like God in that ONLY God is ALL-wise, ALL-knowing, ALL-capable, ALL-powerful, outside-of-time GOD… & well, we are not ANY of those things.

We do a botch job every single time. Even when we THINK we have really hit it good this time… well, the problems in it will reveal themselves eventually, even if just in the form of those nagging little unsettled feelings we try so hard to stuff down & pretend aren’t there. But they’re there regardless of our tireless efforts to avoid, cover, numb, or excuse them away. Aren’t they?

But, God is in the business of restoration, isn’t He?

Thank GOD for that! Really… thank Him!

God Restores the Brokenness We Create

God sent JESUS, Who came WILLINGLY to die to restore us. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is. (Romans 5:8)

So, back to it, then… in our little lives of playing “god,” how often do we stop & acknowledge HIM as sole holder of that position in our lives?

Do you live as a BONDSERVANT to God, as is a title often claimed by followers of Jesus throughout many Bible passages? (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; James 1:1; 2 Timothy 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:20) Do you see yourself that way? Really?

Or do you have YOUR routines, YOUR job, YOUR roles, YOUR hobbies, YOUR free time, YOUR habits, YOUR schedule, YOUR house, YOUR family, YOUR preferences, YOUR comforts, YOUR possessions, YOUR passions, YOUR dreams, YOUR ambitions… etc. etc. etc.? Who do you live to serve?

This isn’t to say those things are BAD! But do you give them more control in your life than you allow God?

We Need to Ask Ourselves

Now, let us get one thing straight right now. I am NOT talking about this today because I am the one who has gotten it all figured out. Nope, nope-ity, nope, NO.

I have so far to go in this it’s embarrassing really.

BUT, that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize how much this NEEDS to be the outlook in my life, regardless of how far I feel it being from my current reality.

Do I really acknowledge God in ALL my ways? Do I treat myself as a BONDSERVANT of GOD? Do I see this as HIM being the main character of HIS story, while I am just a supporting role vs the lead character in my life? Do I see HIM as the One Who RULES my life? Do I really consider Him to be & treat Him like He is GOD?

Do I?

Oh how convicting this thought is to me.

Which Is Scarier Though?

I understand how scary this sounds to some people… but honestly, how much scarier it is to consider someone running my life who only sees in part, only understands in part, only knows in part, is limited & frail… as I take control from the One Who made the world & everything in it & then, even before I screwed it up, sent His Son to die for MY sin. Which is the scarier option in this scenario for control over my life?

So why do we fight Him for control then? It’s something we really ought to consider. Why do we do that?

For me—fear. I’m afraid God will make me do something uncomfortable.

For me—doubt. I doubt God’s perfect will in my life.

For me—pride. I think I know best what I want.

How Sovereign Over All Is He Though?

But He MADE me. KNIT me together in my mother’s womb, He says. (Psalm 139:13-36)

He made the WORLD. WITHOUT my help. (Genesis 1)

And as I read through the Bible more & more times, I see just how SOVEREIGN & CAPABLE He really IS… DESPITE the many times the people in the stories completely mess it up & get it wrong… God IS. God’s perfect work prevails even still. His grace prevails even more so.

He sent JESUS. Do you really stop to consider the weightiness of that fact? The SON of GOD, ON HIS THRONE, robes FILLING the throne room, being worshipped audibly continuously day & night of His GLORY, MAJESTY, HOLINESS & WORTHINESS… willingly stepped down, was born on hot mess earth, with all of its sin & ugliness & pain… was lied about, slandered, hated by the very people He MADE & allows to live… was beaten, stripped, & murdered horrendously… to DIE FOR US… for US!

How can we doubt Him after that?! How can we STILL doubt Him?!?

And it didn’t all end when He died. He ROSE AGAIN, VICTORIOUS over sin & death.

He. Is. GOD.

How can we doubt Him?

Do You “Acknowledge God in ALL Your Ways”?

Do you acknowledge God in ALL your ways? Do you really?

Is He LORD of your WHOLE life? Or just some parts?

Is your life before Him about going to church on Sunday in your Sunday best, singing Christian-y songs, trying your best not to curse, saying a prayer before a meal, giving your 10% to support your church… do you do the bare minimum in living your life for Him?

Are you all in?

Do you count on Him when you’re in a bind? Stressed? Worried? Hurt? Need answers or healing?

Or does He have your WHOLE heart, your WHOLE mind, your WHOLE soul, & ALL your strength?

How much of your life do you hold back from Him for yourself?

For your job? For your family? For your routines? For your free time? For life your way?

Do you acknowledge God in ALL your ways?

Who Do You Primarily Live For?

Do you take time to acknowledge HE alone is in control, that He alone knows what’s best, that He alone sees your day before it begins, that He alone has a plan beyond & above your plans for yourself or your day…?

Whose agenda are you working for in your day-to-day life? Yours or His?

Do you think He doesn’t understand your responsibilities?

Do you think He doesn’t know your needs? That He can’t supply them like you can?

Let me tell you something: we can trust Him a whole heck of a lot more than we can ever trust ourselves.

Do you believe that?

Shine HOPE by LETTING God be GOD in your life–ALL of it, by acknowledging Him in ALL your ways, letting Him have the reins in every area, every moment of the life He gave you. You can always trust Him more than you can ever trust yourself… because He MADE you.

So, tell me… do you acknowledge God in ALL your ways…?

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 6.5 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!!

Renew Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

Every Renew Bracelet supports a safe house in the Dominican Republic that provides housing, education, legal services, and trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking. The stretch-to-fit bracelet features beautiful peach moonstone beads varying in color and a single freshwater pearl bead in the center.

***Purchase this beautiful sandy-toned/earthy handcrafted bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below to help empower women in the DR out of poverty!***

How You Can Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support My Website:

#1 is PRAY. Financial help is great & helps pay my website fees & helps support these women artisans… but God’s help is always needed most… both for encouragement & for spiritual hope, through Jesus, for the women we support through our ethical fashion purchases. Always PRAY first.

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 living for His glory in all that you do!