A Letter to My Fellow Expat:

Being a foreigner is hard. Period. Whether you’re in the military, mission field, or are a contractor, it’s tough being the odd one out.

… If you have ever been a foreigner, you probably understand what I mean.

The fact that being a foreigner comes with unique challenges does not negate the fact that there is much adventure to be had while making good memories with great friends… but it is hard.

Feeling Out of Sync with the World Around You

There just seems to be a rhythm in each place in the way they do things & when you don’t know that rhythm, you are automatically out of sync with the world around you.

This could show itself in their customs & etiquette in specific situations that differ from your home country, or slang used in a particular area that you are unfamiliar with, or even how the checkout line or gas station operates—not to mention the currency differences.

Communication takes on a whole new level of hard when you have to use broken sentences, speak slowly, use translation apps & pictures just to find simple things you previously took for granted as a quick in & out stop.

Sometimes employees make a quick 180 & hope you didn’t notice them noticing you before they dart away to avoid an uncomfortable language barrier ridden conversation.

Sometimes children point & stare like you have three heads.

Sometimes you’re hurt or lost & you don’t know how to ask for help.

The Well-Meaning Advice of Others Just Falls Short

Friends & family will often give well-meaning advice, but they don’t really get it & the things they offer are things you’ve tried unsuccessfully a million times… because life is just hard as an expat in a way that not many people will ever experience personally.

Whether it be to avoid things you can’t avoid or try things that can’t be tried the way one may imagine, some advice just doesn’t work when applied to every situation. Because try as you may, it may still just be hard.

The Struggles We Face

Loneliness is a companion you never wanted to ever feel so acquainted with… isolation from a world going on around you… not understanding the signs or billboards or words spoken all around you as people pass on the street.

Straining your ears for a smidge of understanding when listening to announcements or alarms. Keeping your eyes glued to the scrolling train signs for English to appear so you don’t miss your stop because you can’t understand the announcements.

The world goes on around you in a specific rhythm & you are out of sync, lonely while surrounded by people who don’t speak your language.

I know it’s hard because I have been that expat.

The Strange Blend of Happy Memory-Making & Overwhelm/Stress

You can still enjoy where you live, taste the adventure, not be particularly unhappy… & still experience the very real HARD it is to live abroad as a foreigner. It doesn’t stop being hard just because you’re having fun. And the constant striving to adapt is a constant challenge to the brain.

As an expat, your brain is working on constant overdrive, sometimes burning out or overheating from constant input that it can’t make any sense out of. It gets tired more easily. It feels overwhelmed more easily. And even things that once were taken for granted as “simple” now make you want to cry because you’re already maxed out.

The stress on your brain is real. Culture shock is not just an initial adjustment period, but a literal shock to your brain with every new thing your brain can’t compute easily or understand because it’s not the way you’ve always known things to be.

Overwhelm, stress on your brain, loneliness, isolation… all of these can happen for an expat because they don’t fit the rhythm of the world going on around them… even while you’re making wonderful memories.

You’re Not Crazy… It’s Just Hard

So, if you are an expat, if you’re military or a missionary, please know you’re not crazy. Even if no one seems to understand just how hard it can be or why it feels so hard for you specifically, you’re not crazy. It’s just hard.

Friends & family don’t mean to belittle your struggle. They’re not trying to say you’re weak or weird for struggling… they just may not have experienced it the way you have… they just may not understand & how could they if they haven’t themselves experiences it before?

Even I, before moving to Hokkaido, didn’t understand one bit. I visualize their experience as an extended, adventurous vacation & would romanticize “how cool it would be,” not realizing how hard it would be right alongside that “cool.”

Please be Kind to Others… Even if It Doesn’t Make Sense to You

And if you haven’t been a foreigner, please be kind to the foreigners you know, whether they be friends from your home country who are now overseas & their struggle doesn’t make much sense to you, or whether it be friends who are foreigners in your home country… be kind… because it’s hard.

Be patient with them as they struggle with the language & the customs & the way of life & the unexpected & the out of the norm for them. Give them grace.

Pray with them as their emotions & stress & overwhelm struggle with being out of rhythm with their world, feeling isolated & maybe alone. Pray with them & for them.

It’s okay not to understand why they feel what they feel, but God understands, so remind them of that & offer to just take a moment to sit & pray for them, asking God to help them manage the stress, to comfort them & give them peace, to be their strength, & to give them courage to face the unknowns of each day, with each new wave of culture shock that may catch them off guard.

Give Yourself Grace… & Pray/Lean into God for Help

And if it’s you who struggles right now, I get it, friend. I get it. It’s hard & somedays all I could manage was to cry because the strain & stress & overwhelm & isolation felt so oppressive. It’s hard.

But God IS greater & bigger & stronger than you are.

He CAN give peace where peace seems impossible.

He CAN BE your strength if you let Him.

Some days I rocked it. I cried & prayed & asked God for help with some semblance of normalcy & comfort & peace & strength & courage… & He gave it & I overcame that day with His help.

But other days… I just cried & tried to shut out the oppressive overwhelm that threatened to consume me.

Give yourself grace in the hard. It’s okay that it feels hard because some days it is. You don’t have to conquer every day with easy courage. You’re allowed to struggle & recognize you need help.

As Always, Ask God for Help in the Hard

Lean into Him. Take your burden to Him, drop it, & say, “God, this is too heavy for me today. I feel like I am being swept down river. Help give me my footing. Help me cling to You & not let myself be swept away by the stress of today. Help me trust that You really are enough when I am not. Help me to have grace when others may flippantly dismiss my struggle, not understanding how it could be such a struggle for me. Help me to be patient with them & with myself. Help me to recognize that it’s okay that it feels hard & that You can be enough for me in the hard, when I come to the end of myself. Even in loneliness, You are my Friend. You counsel me & love me & are faithful through every bit of it. Thank You, Father for Your consistent love. Amen.”

It’s okay that it’s hard. God is enough in the hard. Cling to Him.

Shine HOPE by letting Him be your enough even on days when you realize you really, absolutely are not.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Dali Earrings (East Asia)

LIMITED EDITION – While Supplies Last! Add some sparkle to your wardrobe with these totally unique 14k gold-plated Dali Earrings with stunning cubic zirconia crystals. These abstract sculptural hoop earrings are ethically made by women rescued from brothels in East Asia.

–>Every purchase provides safe housing, health care, trauma counseling, job skills training, and a dignified income for sex trafficking survivors.<–

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Tears, Anxiety, & a Hot Mess, Oh My!

I have had a lot of opportunities to feel weak over these last few months.

From dealing with the disappointment, bitterness, & anxiety of moving back to Guam from my favorite home—Misawa, Japan, to all of the problems with the entire process of the move (prep fails & all of the move process problems), to then the struggles that seem to barrage us at every turn since we have arrived… I have definitely felt beaten down by life a lot lately.

If maybe only a few of these things had happened, any of those things may have been merely a temporary frustration, but when it happens again & again & again & again & doesn’t seem to have any end to the “agains,” it starts to feel defeating & exhausting, my nerves already shot & my patience spent, turning a near nonissue into another fail to add to ever-growing pile.

A Display of Weakness

And I don’t try to hide it. Why? Because my weakness is a canvas for God’s glory & all He is capable of when I am clearly not.

Tears come more easily lately & anxiety rears up more readily & I just feel tired & distracted & disheveled pretty regularly these days… not all the time, mind you… but pretty regularly.

I don’t like hard. I covet easy comfort. I know it’s an idol of mine & boy has God made it clear to me how much I yearn for it over Him these past several months.

This journey of moving back to Guam, in all of its struggle & trouble, has led me to cry out like Paul when he cried out to God about the thorn in his side. “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

I don’t try to hide it because I want everyone to know just how weak I really am, so that they know any strength or peace I possess is not from willpower or personal strength, but because I turn to God & ask for HIM to BE my enough when I’m not.

In the Waiting, May My Weakness Display His Strength

I cry something similar pretty frequently these days. I just want a period of peace, where I have nothing new to report & at least nothing new goes wrong for a while. I don’t even need it to be perfect & fun necessarily, I just want a break from the hard for just a little bit.

And maybe that day is coming soon… or maybe not….

But just like Paul was reminded, God reminds me also that God is enough for me IN the hard. (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

A Blessing Is Not Just When Everything Is Going Right

I see so often a list of GOOD things shared by friends, followed with “I’m so blessed!” but sometimes the blessings come most preciously when nothing in life seems to ever go right… where NOTHING seems good… because in those moments, we can most clearly see that while nothing else seems sufficient, nothing seems to be working out, everything is going wrong, & I don’t have the strength to be capable & strong seeming in & of myself… that God really IS sufficient.

My weakness is a canvas for His glory… for His strength.

When everyone sees just how weak & incapable & foolish I am… me as a mess… then any good that comes from my story can only be explained One way… Him.

God, I Need You… Every Hour I Need You

When I am weak, where peace seems an impossible thing, where rest feels to be eluding me at every opportunity, & I am beaten down by life… I can slump down & cry… I can be honest with Him about how it hurts & hold nothing back… & then I can say, “God, I need You. I need You to be my enough right now. Thank You that because of Jesus paying my debt & restoring a right relationship between You & me, I can come to You with it all & trust You to be enough, even when I most certainly am not. Thank You for being faithful even when I feel faithless. Thank You for Your sufficiency & grace. Thank You for giving me Your peace even when any peace seems impossible to me. Thank You! Amen.”

Only He Is Perfect

We’re not meant to try to present ourselves as infallible & perfect, someone who never fails, struggles, or makes mistakes. We are meant to present Him as such.

Should we strive to honor Him in all of life? Yes, of course.

Will we always succeed? Nope.

Should we pretend we always succeed “for our testimony”? NO.

We should humbly accept where we fall short & draw back to Him for His loving grace & mercy, displaying His grace, love, mercy, faithfulness, & power in every circumstance.

Shine HOPE by letting your weakness be a canvas for God’s glory in the lives of those around you.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Celebrate My Birthday This Week by Getting Yourself a Treat:

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!!

Capiz Dove Ornament Set (Philippines)

LIMITED EDITION – WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! This elegant set of three handcrafted capiz shell ornaments begins at the bottom of the sea surrounding the Philippine Islands. Divers collect basketfuls of beautiful “windowpane” shells for Artisans like Emelyn, who cut each custom shape and bind them by into delicate gold-plated frames to create these dove-inspired ornaments. Every purchase of this ornament set empowers women in the Philippines out of poverty!

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

What Is Our Motive in Doing Good?

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) (emphasis added)

What a freeing command that is right there.

Basically, don’t do something to measure up to someone else’s expectations, don’t do it to “be good enough” or to do “enough” to be considered a “good” Christian… & don’t do it as a means of striving for praise &/or recognition (aka chasing your “identity” from a job well done)…

… but do anything & everything simply & solely to give God the glory.

That Little, Powerful Word: FOR

This idea of doing everything for God’s glory may seem to come with the territory of trying to live God’s way, as He instructs in the Bible, but that is only part of it. Otherwise, that verse would say to do it BECAUSE it glorifies God.

Let’s be careful that we don’t mistakenly assume that just because we’re doing the doing, that we’re also doing it FOR His glory.

I always assumed this little verse of 1 Corinthians 10:31 was reminding us that in all we do, we ought to do it the way that God instructs, but the more I grow, the more emphasis I am seeing in that little (yet powerful) word “FOR.”

The Dangers of Any Other Motivation

So, even if I do all the right things, I can still be doing it to look like a good person/Christian, or because I “want to do what’s right all the time,” or basically other motivations that stem from me being a good person versus striving to let God have the glory.

You can do all the right things & still be doing them with all the wrong motivations.

The danger in just keeping God’s Word & doing as He says ONLY, without this proper motivation of “for His glory,” is that it can easily puff us up or make us feel self-righteous, like we somehow deserve His grace because of our good behavior… as if we deserve Jesus’ sacrifice… because really, who doesn’t want to try to pay Jesus back somehow or let Him know we “really mean it” when we accept His free gift? It’s natural, but it again, is missing the point.

So How Do I Do Everything FOR His Glory?

One way that comes to mind is instead of trying to sheer willpower your way into doing the right thing because you know it’s the right thing, even though you sure don’t FEEL like doing the right thing then… to instead surrender your honest feelings in the moment & asking for God’s help in them versus trying to power through & pretend they’re not there.

God isn’t fooled & eventually you are going to wear yourself thin trying to be everything God asks of you in your own strength, wisdom, & power.

A Surrendered Prayer to Live Each Situation for His Glory

But when I choose to take those very real, very human natural responses to Him & say, “God, I know You see clearly how I don’t want this [to be loving to someone cruel, to serve even when it doesn’t come easy, to read my Bible even when I’m tired, to do what’s right even when I am tempted the opposite direction]. You’re not fooled. I’m sorry I feel this way. Help change my heart here & to see the perspective of Your unending grace. I’m sorry I feel so pulled to act on these feelings & that I feel like I have to FORCE myself to do otherwise sometimes… but Lord, You don’t have to force it because it’s Who You are. You are loving & kind, merciful & gentle, gracious & majestic. You are infinite & sufficient. So, help me respond for Your glory. Let others see Your goodness, grace, & love, despite my fleshly feelings. Help them to see You in this [love, act of service, obedience, overcoming of temptations, etc.]. Let those around me see YOU & not me. I am NOT good, but You are. I am NOT always patient, but You are. I am not always feeling like showing love, but You ARE love. So help me display Your glory & do this thing for that reason alone… not to show myself worthy or righteous, but to show that those words describe YOU ALONE. In Jesus’ ALL-powerful name, AMEN.”

Your Motive Matters-All for His Glory

Don’t just do something because it’s “the right thing to do” or because you don’t want to look like a “bad Christian.”

Do it always & only FOR HIS GLORY.

To put Him on display.

To point to Him.

To show Him as your HOPE & sufficiency.

To let others see that you’re not sufficient & you’re not always willing… but that HE IS.

To say it’s His grace, not your goodness.

To make it all always about Him.

What a beautiful reminder that it’s not about ME being “good enough” or “deserving,” but that I can put those things aside, knowing I’m not & never will be, but that God is my goodness, through Jesus, & that ONLY HE is deserving of any praise. And that He gives me His grace just the same.

Shine HOPE by watching your motives & doing ALL *for* HIS glory! AMEN!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Leaf Coaster Set (India)

Create the ultimate autumn tablescape with nature-inspired decor that empowers families in India out of poverty. These coasters are made from sustainable natural acacia wood with carved whitewashed accents and are designed for you to enjoy your favorite hot comfort drinks without worrying about heat damaging your furniture. Complete your fall look with our Harvest Napkin Set, Harvest Placemat Set, and Pumpkin Trivet.

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

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

We Have a King Eternal

Reading through the Bible, you can find this phrase: “and the people did what was right in their own eyes” repeated quite often & when this phrase was used, it was often in direct correlation to their kingdom lacking a king. (Judges 17:6; 21:25; & find list of other mentions throughout the Bible, here.)

But our kingdom, the kingdom of God, is never lacking a King. Our King eternal is God Almighty. Despite this fact, I find myself living as if it weren’t true quite often, living as the Israelites did during the time periods talked about in Judges when they were without a king—doing what seems right in my own eyes.

This is not to say that I am indulging in sin, but rather the fact that I often forget, “oh yeah, I should probably ask God what His opinion or direction is here.”

Even If, He Should Still be Consulted

As I have talked a lot about recently, I like feeling capable. I like feeling like I am able to find a solution to whatever problem arises & ask God to help me do just that. In other words, I like to be in the driver seat (in control), with God acting as my assist when I “need” it.

But even when I DO feel capable, DO figure out a solution, & DO feel confident in my ability to carry it through, I need to stop & consider whether I am simply doing that which seems right to me… in my own eyes… or whether I am turning to my King for direction & wisdom.

There is so much I could unpack with this particular topic, but let’s touch on a few key points today in regards to “gray” areas in the Bible, allowing God to disrupt our plans, & letting God direct how we confront situations… rather than doing what seems right in our own eyes.

1. “What about the ‘gray’ areas in the Bible, where it doesn’t specifically call something a sin? Is that my call to make?”

The answer to this seemingly innocent & obvious question is: no—just because something is not clearly forbidden or called sin in the Bible, does not mean it is then up to you to do what seems right in your own eyes. It could be a concern of a weaker brother or sister (someone in your friend circle who struggles (openly or secretly) with it as a gateway to sin), or it could be that for you personally, (whether or not you willingly admit it). Either way… God knows better than even you in making those decisions.

When Jesus ascended to Heaven after He rose from the dead, after dying to pay our sin debt to God, He sent to us the Holy Spirit to act as our Helper & Counselor. (John 16:5-7)

Whenever a situation is questionable on whether or not something not specifically forbidden in the Bible is okay, whether it is based on a rule from a particular church or pastor, or whether it was just how you grew up, we always ought to defer to God, through the Holy Spirit, for His guidance in your situation & circumstances particularly.

Conflicted Feelings Is Often a Sign to Avoid Something

If you feel conflicted about engaging in whatever it is, I highly discourage you from participating, as this could be a clear sign that the Holy Spirit is sending your heart a warning signal… & the Bible does tell us that if we are unsure whether something is a sin & yet we indulge in it, to us it IS a sin because in the indulgence we are making a decision that even if we aren’t sure if it is okay with God, we’re willing to risk dishonoring Him for our own gratification. (Romans 14:23)

A personal example of this would be my second ear piercing. I grew up believing that it was sinful to have more than one piercing, but couldn’t find evidence of this & I really wanted one. And, knowing my intentions were because I thought it looked cute versus a way to show off, I felt it was okay… but wasn’t quite sure if it was sin… & I got that piercing anyway. God reminded me that because I wasn’t sure & did it anyway, that it was a sin for me to have done it… so I asked for forgiveness, removed the earring, let it grow back, & asked for Him to give me a clear answer, determining to give it up if that clear answer never came. For me, it was a sin because I chose to do it not knowing whether it was a sin, showing I cared more about my desire for it than honoring God with it.

The Holy Spirit will give you peace if you determine to turn to Him rather than doing what seems right to you. It may not be immediate & it may not be the answer you were hoping for, but keeping that determination to wait on His response will ensure that you do not dishonor God with your choices.

2. “What about my day-to-day living in the little moments/routines? As long as I try to do good & not sin, is it okay to make my own judgement calls?”

This one is a little trickier. It is both a “yes” & a “no.”

I would say, if you are living your life with the goal to please God with your thoughts, words, & actions (even if you mess up sometimes & have to turn to that daily repentance to clear your conscience & move forward in His grace), then you are living in a way that honors Him.

BUT, the big but in this instance is the willingness to let God interrupt your plans & also making sure to bow your fleshly instinct for His lead & wisdom to win in every situation–this is a lifelong learning process.

It can be so easy to have a schedule, a routine, & the little ways you like to do things or how to spend your free time to relax (aka your “me-time”), but we always must bow those routines, habits, way of doing things & me-time moments to Him, being willing to let Him interrupt it with His own plans, wisdom, & way.

I Like Knowing What’s Coming & Having a Plan

I don’t like having my plans interrupted. If you read my post about “What If I Ruin My Children,” you’ll see that one of my concerns for having children was my own selfish fears of having my schedule & free time interrupted daily. That is a sinful fear because I want control of my own life versus letting God take the reins & guide my moments.

We need to be willing to lay down “the way we do things” to His will & plan for any given day, knowing He sees past, present, AND future, as well as the innermost thoughts of every person. We need to learn to have a heart that is willing to say, “God, these are my plans for today, but help me be willing to let You interrupt them if You so desire… & help me to ask for Your help in following Your detour versus clinging to my design for my day. AMEN.”

So, you can be living in a way that overall brings God honor & glory, while still making small choices to do what seems right in your own eyes by grasping to Your plans & being unwilling to be interrupted by letting Him lead with His plans, wisdom, & way.

3. “What if I am taking a stand against something that displeases & dishonors God? Isn’t it enough that I am DOING something, when so many people, even Christians, seem to only sit & watch it happen?”

Oh, this one gets many a Christian & I have most likely fallen into this very trap myself on occasion.

We can be doing godly THINGS with the right HEART, but still completely miss the mark because we are doing it in such a way that makes sense to US.

God sees beyond what we see. I can be as determined as ever to create change in something, but if I am doing it in a way that makes sense to me, without bowing that urgent, desperate desire to fix things to HIM, then my attempts are not going to be as effective as I would hope them to be.

I need to be willing to see a wrong, take a deep breath, & PRAY as my first instinct… taking that concern to Him for a solution: “God, this really makes me angry & I really want to speak out about it… but give me the words… help them be bold, full of Your Truth, grace, & love… & give me the timing & place that is appropriate, so the right ears may hear & change may occur. Show me & guide me on how I may help!”

We can easily get drawn into self-righteousness when He is the only One Who can create any real & lasting change on others’ hearts. So, instead of blaring your agenda, no matter how noble & biblical it may be, make sure you take that concern to God first for guidance & wisdom rather than reacting in a way that seems right in your own eyes.

Is Life a Big “Choose Your Own Adventure” Story?

So, is life a big “choose your own adventure” story? This topic is such a deep one. There are so many areas of our lives that it touches & so often, because oftentimes something just seems right to us, there are circumstances where we can be completely clueless to the fact that we are indeed living in a way that simply seems right in our own eyes & may not be what God desires in a given situation.

But we must always remember that we are NEVER without a King who can guide us & strengthen us, & Who gives us wisdom as we seek Him.

So, go to your King every day, in every decision big or small, in everything.

Shine HOPE by letting your King be KING in your life, in matters of discernment, in letting God interrupt your plans for His, & in fighting concerns you have in life.

Our King is worthy of praise! Amen!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Merry Mice Ornament Trio (Nepal)

LIMITED EDITION – WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! This set of three whimsical Merry Mice Ornaments will add some playful charm to your holiday decor with their cheerful smiles, fluffy tutus, and festive gifts! Each adorable wool felt mouse is handcrafted by a woman in an area of extreme poverty in Nepal. Every purchase of our Merry Mice Ornament Trio empowers a woman in Nepal with dignified income and education.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

This May Ruffle Some Feathers…

This topic is an unpopular opinion because no one praising God sets out to worship themselves & so I may ruffle some feathers with this one, but it weighs on my heart & so I feel I must address it—Does our worship reflect giving God the glory or giving it to ourselves?

Now, it may be true that a song is encouraging & uplifting & hits all the right feels, but if we consider the heart of true worship, does our worship point all eyes & hearts to Him as our source, our help, our King Almighty? Or does it uplift us in our own abilities?

Turning Our Hearts to Him… In EVERY Song

It IS true that almost any song can be turned to worship, because worship is the posture of your heart toward our loving Almighty God, in song & in life.

So, even if a song never mentions God’s work as His work, (think Esther), we can still acknowledge from Whom those blessings & delights that are mentioned in the song are from (as long as they are not promoting or discussing sin or something that displeases or dishonors God).

Or, even if a song DOES promote self-worship, we can still personally make the choice to bow our hearts to Him as we sing, praising God that we feel strong BECAUSE OF HIM, or we feel capable BECAUSE OF HIM, lifting Him up in our hearts as we sing.

Our Worship Should ALWAYS Direct ALL Glory to HIM

But, we must use discernment in the songs we use to lift up our holy God. He is sovereign & almighty. He is perfect & pure. He is eternal Creator, Redeemer GOD.

Our worship should ALWAYS promote & lift HIM up. It should ALWAYS glorify Him for who He is & all He has done, still does, & will do because of who HE is.

So, when we are drawn to songs that make us feel strong & capable, singing lines like, “I am able,” “I am strong,” “I can,” or “I am enough,” make sure that it also includes (at the very least, in your heart), “because HE enables me,” because HE strengthens me,” “because HE gives me all I need,” or “because even at my worst & in my complete undeserving, JESUS made me so by HIS sacrifice for me.”

Not I, but CHRIST.

The Lines So Easily Blurred Because It SOUNDS Spiritual

I know it feels good to feel good. I know it can be easy to blur the lines in music that mentions God, is sung in church, & sounds so spiritual, encouraging, & uplifting…

But beware lest you find yourself unintentionally worshipping yourself instead of God.

I have nothing of myself, but He provides.

I am weak, but He is strong.

Even my righteousness is counted as dirty rags to me, but Jesus makes me righteous because of His sacrifice & my faith in that sacrifice.

I can offer nothing to God that He does not already have & that He has not been the One to give me.

But I can WORSHIP Him as He so richly & rightly deserves.

Does Our Worship Reflect Self-Glory?

So, as you prepare to worship… as the praises begin to ring… ask yourself: “Does our worship reflect self-glory? Or does it give ALL glory to Whom it truly belongs?”

He is my strength & shield & Redeemer.

He is my Maker & my King.

He loves me with an unconditional, everlasting love.

Even in my complete undeserving, I can worship & praise God because He offers His all to me despite me having nothing of worth to offer Him.

Praise GOD!

Shine HOPE by giving God all the glory in all that you do, all that you say, & all that you SING!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Lola the Llama Ornament

LIMITED EDITION – While Supplies Last! This adorable single Lola the Llama ornament will add some fair-trade fun to your decor all year long! Handcrafted by women in a rural family-owned workshop in Mexico, this fun smiling llama with colorful tufted ears and a festive hand-stitched saddle blanket is made with 100% wool felt!

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

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

The Move of Continuous Struggles… But… God

You may or may not have followed that my husband & I just moved back to Guam a few months ago & that we are in temporary living until we can work through details for a home purchase.

Well, the saga continues with even more issues. It looks like temporary living is extended yet again & our longings for a HOME put off once more.

To say this entire process has been trying would be an understatement. From the process of the move continually blowing up in our face at the last minute to the MANY trials of the 2.5 days of travel, to now our seemingly never-ending pursuit of a place we can call HOME… it has been ROUGH.

And to admit it continues is disheartening. When does it end? Why is this happening? How many times can stuff go wrong? How many mistakes can be made by how many professionals whose job it is to guide us through this? Why? How? What? WHEN?!

But God has confirmed to us His hand in this, so we are left with a giant “shrug” emoji as our response to it all.

How Can I Trust God When Everything Falls Apart?

We have no clue how God is working or what He is planning, but we know He sure has His hand in it somehow because He has overwhelmed us with reassurance of His guidance for this path.

So, *shrug*

How can I trust God when everything falls apart as it seems to be so readily & consistently doing every step of the way?

Some have told us, “kinda makes you wonder if this is actually where God wanted you if so many things keep going wrong,” & trust me, I have been tempted to think this way sometimes, too, because satan easily & often convinces me of the easy-to-believe LIE that hard=bad & easy=good.

God’s Fingerprints & Reassurance in the STORM

But the ease in how this job came to our attention & how the pieces almost seemed to form together as we followed, without our trying to make it happen, show us His fingerprints in the plan.

And still the fact that EVEN with EVERYTHING seemingly sitcom-worthy nonsensical mishaps & craziness en route just all worked out anyway even though it seemed there would be ABSOLUTELY NO WAY POSSIBLE after everything that went wrong… almost like God was saying, “Nope, not even THAT can keep My plan from moving forward.”

He has SHOWN UP in this.

Hard Hurts

But hard hurts. Hard doesn’t feel good. Hard isn’t easy.

So, hard feels BAD. But hard is just hard.

I want to feel capable & in control, with a plan that I can execute, with God’s help, & feel strong & well able to charge ahead in this new path… but I’m not.

Throw depression in the mix & it’s like, “Really, God? Really?”

It’s like my life & my inner self is being stripped of everything that makes me feel strong & capable…. Glaringly obvious signs that I am NOT, in fact, strong & capable.

And it doesn’t feel good, let me tell you. It does NOT feel good.

So HOW can I trust God when everything falls apart? HOW?

Fearing God Is the Beginning of Wisdom

Because it all boils down to the repeated phrase throughout the Bible, as mentioned so well in Proverbs 9:10, “Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom.”

(Read my previous post on this topic, here: “Fearing God Is the Beginning of Wisdom.”)

That sounds foreboding & menacing, like a threat to submit & fear Him… maybe… but listen up….

For someone who rejects God, then yes, very much yes… you WILL face judgement whether you want to believe Him or accept Him or not. And if you insist on rejecting His grace, you WILL be called on to pay for your sin. The debt will fall on you.

But if you have accepted the gift of God, through Jesus paying your debt in full, submitting your life to Him… fearing God doesn’t come with a sense of doom, but rather facing a fact that God is GOD… & you are not.

So, taking that to heart, God’s absolute authority, Kingship, power, & control as ALMIGHTY GOD… I can trust that even if it seems like a hot mess of a dumpster fire with doom & destruction where absolutely NOTHING seems to work no matter HOW HARD you try… that HE HAS IT COVERED.

PERIOD.

We Know He Has It Covered!

Like I said, through God working the move together despite every turn being met with something or other falling apart at the last minute, coupled with the confirmation He has provided to me & my husband on this path with this house… we KNOW HE HAS IT COVERED.

Is it easy to have no say & absolutely no control whatsoever in this working out? NO!

Is it easy to not know what will happen & having to step forward without knowing where we will end up or when we will be able to call someplace HOME again? NO!!!

Is it easy to trust God when I don’t know His plan? No, no, no!

I have cried. I have felt like giving up. I have struggled with feelings of anger & bitterness. I have intimidated by the problems. I have wanted to just quit & run toward something that feels easier to me. I have had days where I just feel WEIGHED DOWN with ALL of it!

I don’t always have good days where I JUST TRUST. I don’t always submit in prayer immediately or respond with a gracious heart right away. My attitude has not always been honoring to God through this process.

But in those days & times, God whispers over my heart to praise Him, to recalibrate my heart to fix my eyes on Him & not on what I see or can’t see.

He reminds me to trust Him to be better & stronger & more capable than ME… by INFINITE amounts.

He reminds me that He WILL work everything not just for His glory, but always also for my good.

My Role Is to Just. Trust. Him.

And my role? Just. Trust. Him.

Let go & just trust Him.

Fall at His feet. Crawl to His throne. Whisper prayers in my weaknesses. And just trust Him.

“God, help me please oh please to just trust You.”

Shine HOPE by DETERMINING to trust the FACT that He has you, EVEN when EVERYTHING seems to be falling apart. Because He does. Oh, He DOES! Amen!

Just. Trust Him.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Pippa the Penguin (Vietnam)

LIMITED EDITION – While supplies last! Cuddly, soft, and squeezable, Pippa the Penguin is timeless, fair-trade, holiday fun with a festive red winter scarf! Artisans in Vietnam hand crochet each lovable penguin with soft cotton-blend yarn and gray, white, yellow, and red colors that make this adorable stuffed animal an ideal winter gift or addition to any holiday decor. Each huggable penguin is hand stuffed by visually impaired women in areas of extreme poverty.

Every purchase provides fair-trade jobs for local women and villagers who are overcoming disabilities, homelessness, and extreme poverty in Vietnam. 

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Am I Fit for Motherhood?

Have you ever had the fear that you were not good enough to be a mother or that you would somehow ruin your children if you had any?

Dealing with depression, I have definitely had that fear. When I am at my lowest, I struggle to even take care of myself, so I sometimes am afraid that if God were to give me children, I would do a terrible job at taking care of them in those lows.

I’m also selfish. Well, not all the time… but honestly, there are some days that I think, “I would never have the freedom to do this so easily with children… do I even want them?” And if I have days with those thoughts, how could I ever be fit to be a mother?

Many Women Have This Same Concern

Some ladies have confessed to me that it’s their past that scares them away from motherhood… whether it’s their own childhood with abuse, neglect, or even just the human shortcomings of a parent… or whether it’s their own personal mistakes of their past that make them feel unfit.

And since I have heard this fear expressed multiple times through my life, of: “Oh no, I could never have kids… with my [mental disorder, past, history of mistakes] I would ruin them for sure!”

Take heart with this simple but profound Truth: no one is beyond God’s reach & no one is unredeemable.

God Fills in the Gaps

There are so many strong Christian women I have met who were abused, neglected, cheated on, or were completely failed by their parents in some way & yet, through their surrender to God’s healing hand, their life was redeemed & God used their past for His glory & for their good.

It is common for parents to fail their children in some respect, despite their desperate attempts to avoid doing so… because they are human.

This is not an excuse to use in order to ALLOW the poor behavior, wrong responses, neglect, etc., but is simply a fact. Humans will always fall short.

But the good news is that God is always willing & perfectly able to fill in the gaps.

Scenarios Where God Can Redeem

Picture a military wife, wide-eyed & excited to be wooed by a military man in uniform, falls in love, gets married, has children, & then he gets deployed. Now she’s raising them on her own, she’s tired & stressed & feels alone in the day-to-day, just trying to make it through until he returns… she gets short with her children, easily upset, tense, checked out, sad, frustrated… just living in survival mode, running on empty….

The yelling. The “just leave me alone” over-stimulation. The short temper. The tears.

Will it have a negative impact on her children? Most definitely it will. But… God.

But then picture a new scenario, where a mother has full support from her husband, attends women’s Bible Study to stay filled & encouraged, but on days where she hasn’t gotten enough sleep the night before, she slips & screams in response to her child repeatedly disobeying & ignoring her instructions.

Will that have a negative impact on her children? Most definitely it will. But… God.

And sometimes it is simply just repeating the patterns the mother saw growing up, oblivious to the potential of it being any different because it’s all that has ever been modeled to her.

Will that have a negative impact on her children? Most definitely it will. But… God.

We ALL Fall Short

The point is not to scare you into thinking, “why bother then?!” but to encourage you that NO mother will EVER be perfect. We ALL fail in some regard. And it WILL have a negative impact on the children.

BUT, GOD.

We live in a sin-torn world & God tells us we WILL have trials & tribulation, BUT that HE has overcome the world! (John 16:33)

He also tells us that He PROMISES that EVERYTHING will be worked for the GOOD of those who love Him & are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

We all fall short of His glory. (Romans 3:23-24) He heals & binds up the wounds of the broken-hearted. (Psalm 147:3) He is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

In other words, GOD CAN REDEEM ANY PAST & HEAL ANY HURT. And though we do & will fall short… HE IS ENOUGH.

What If I Ruin My Children?

We don’t have to be imprisoned by the fears of all the ways we could mess it up because 1. We can trust that God can help us each step of the way IN our weaknesses & failures, & 2. We can trust that God can heal & redeem anything broken.

This gives me confidence that I can lay down that fear at His feet & say:

“God, I see that I am insufficient. I have my own personal struggles & past hurts & bad patterns that were modeled to me by the world I grew up in (some that I am sure I am not even aware they exist yet!). But God, You are greater. You are sufficient. You can fill in the gaps where I lack. Help me not to be controlled by my fears of insufficiency, but by Your power & love. Help my trust to be in You & not in me. Help me to lay this down. Forgive me for my failures & redeem those situations. Give me wisdom moving forward & help me to always remember to stop & ask for Your help where I am lacking (in mood, wisdom, strength, willpower, patience, & anything else I struggle with in each moment). You are enough. You are sufficient. Praise to You! All glory & honor belong to You. Watch my [potential future] children & hold them in Your capable hand. I love You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Shine HOPE by laying those fears of “what if I ruin my children?” at His feet & asking Him to redeem in your mistakes day-by-day.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Noel Nativity Art (Haiti)

LIMITED EDITION – While supplies last! Wish everyone on your gift list Merry Christmas with this ethically made Noel Nativity Art from Haiti! Artisans meticulously hand cut, hammer, and embellish the word NOEL with Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in a manger beneath the nativity star. Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for Artisans in Haiti.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Let’s Take It a Step Further…

Stemming off of last week’s topic: “Overcoming Stubbornness: More Willpower or More Surrender?”, where I fleshed out the important distinction between more willpower versus more surrender when trying to overcome personal stubbornness or hard-heartedness is this very important need for daily repentance.

Now, this is not repentance unto salvation, as in when we recognize we are personally sinful & have personally wronged God & are deserving of His wrath & so also recognize & admit our need for Jesus Christ to cover that sin & make us right before God unto our forgiveness by God once & for all, by admitting our wrongs to Him, asking His forgiveness, & turning away from indulging in those sins….

This is not the repentance I am referring to in this post, but rather committing to a consistent heart-posture of laying my daily pride or selfish thoughts or thinking I know better or doubting God or complaining versus praising… this is a repentance of continually being willing to admit to God that I am wrong & He is right & asking Him to restore & grow me in His will & way, putting my trust fully in Jesus’ FINISHED work on my behalf.

What Is Sanctification & When Is It Complete?

Sanctification is a work that God does in you through the Holy Spirit. It is not immediate. It is not instant. It is a lifelong process of renewal & growth, weeding out the sinful patterns we grow up with & exchanging those for God’s will, way, & perspective in all things.

Because my sanctification is lifelong, I will continue to make mistakes & get it wrong along the way as I learn & grow. I do make mistakes… & sometimes intentionally, out of pride or hard-heartedness & selfishness of wanting to cling to His blessings & comforts more than I cling to Him as the One Who blesses & comforts.

And my mistakes are seen in having those little thoughts of praying & then acting versus praying & then waiting on Him or clinging to comforts He provides over clinging to Him or any number of ways that I get it wrong.

It is so easy to see my balance sheet of life, if you will, begin to pile up with my wrongs… & if I am not quick to trust on the grace of Jesus, holding in those wrongs & trying to just ignore them &/or move past them, because they continue to pile as I continue to make mistakes, Satan will undoubtedly begin to exploit that & tempt me to believe that my mistakes are too great for the grace of Jesus.

Don’t Let Satan’s Cunning Trick You into Acting on a LIE

I can’t tell you how many times in my life, having been a Christian (accepting Jesus to cover my sin) since I was a child, that I have allowed Satan to convince me of that… that my sin is just too great… that I shouldn’t disgrace God’s grace by asking forgiveness for the millionth time of my life… that I should just bottle that guilt & live under the weight of it because it’s what I deserve.

And inevitably, when I did get tricked into believing that & I let that guilt & shame pile & pile upon me, I began to drift away from my relationship with God because of my shame & the weight of my wrongs being too painful to face... which is exactly what Satan wanted.

But let me tell you something: JESUS PAID FOR THAT, TOO.

Jesus paid for that. He knows I can’t save myself. I can’t even BEGIN to save myself… that’s why—JESUS came & JESUS paid… ONCE & for ALL.

HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!

And to deny the depth of His grace is a much greater offense to God, because believing we shouldn’t come freely to Him about our sins as they happen tells Him that we believe His grace to be lacking.

Keep Short Accounts with God

Don’t determine to carry the weight of your wrong behaviors, attitudes, thoughts, or actions. Come clean as soon as you realize it. Embrace & grasp hold of His grace every moment.

“God, I’m sorry I just thought that. Please forgive me & help change my pattern of thinking to better honor & please You. Thank You Jesus for paying for that, too.”

“God, I’m sorry I just doubted You when You prompted that on my heart. Please forgive me for thinking of You less than You are. Thank You Jesus for paying for that wrong thought.”

“God, I am sorry I judged them. I am no better. Forgive my pride & thank You Jesus for paying for that.”

“God, I am sorry I didn’t wait on You & instead acted on my opinion after I prayed to You for help. It shows I am not trusting Your timing, willingness to help, &/or Your power. Please forgive me & remind me that I CAN wait on You & trust Your timing to be perfect. Thank You Jesus for paying for that, too.”

“God I am sorry for being rude & lacking graciousness & patience just now. Forgive me & help me to rely on You for help next time. Thank You, Jesus for covering that.”

Don’t wait. Don’t hold it in with shame or guilt. Don’t avoid going to God. Don’t try to just do better without apologizing for not getting it right this time. Trust that Jesus is enough for that, too.

Apologize & ask for His help with better patterns & impulses moving forward, to trust Him first.

And trust that Jesus’ payment on the cross & rising again victorious over death & your sin is an ALL-SUFFICIENT GRACE.

The Great Power of Daily Repentance

That repeated, consistent, daily repentance habit is what allows a surrendered heart to grow in you… an understanding that you are weak, but He is strong… you are insufficient, but He is ALL-sufficient. It cultivates a submitted, humbled heart before an Almighty, loving GOD, freed from the great burden of shame & guilt by the power of Jesus–daily.

Not more willpower, but more surrender.

Because Jesus paid for that, too. That unwillingness, bad habit, bad attitude, poor reaction, selfish desire, prideful thought, ALL OF IT. PAID IN FULL. Because of Jesus—hallelujah!

Shine HOPE by living the habit of & shining the great power of daily repentance because Jesus is always sufficiently enough in all things.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Woodland Friends (India)

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

Purchase these Woodland Friends & empower a woman in India!

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

I Don’t Determine What Is True… God Does

I am a stubborn person & my past demonstrates my constant desire to “fact check” God.

When I used to read God’s Word, the Bible, I would do so comparing it to what I “already knew about the world” & sort of parse through it with that lens, as if I were determining which parts of the Bible I could rely on.

Now, I know, this seems incredibly arrogant of me, but my view of the Bible was that of a slightly outdated tool that could still be useful today versus the living, active (still completely accurate TRUTH) of Almighty God.

And because I viewed the Bible this way, I would read it, looking for the Truths that I could still apply today… the little “nuggets of wisdom” still tucked in its pages, if you will. And when I felt God highlight a certain part in my heart, I would determine which parts to toss aside because it didn’t mesh well with what I could logic & then try to follow the rest.

But now God has shown me that His Word is living & active, sharper than a two-edged sword & that if I don’t understand something to possibly be true, with my logic, reasoning, & understanding, then I am the one missing something, not God… & I have learned to take that gap to Him when I feel one, to seek His wisdom & understanding on the issue to better align myself with His Word.

Because God determines what is true–not ME.

I Tend to Second-Guess God First

But, my stubbornness does not end with me hesitating to full-on trust whatever God says as is, apart from my understanding or “getting” it. My stubbornness can most often be recognized through my hesitation to obey.

What do I mean by a hesitation to obey? I mean, being a Christian since I was 5, I did not read my Bible all the way through now read it consistently/daily until just a few years ago, even though I know it honors God to learn His Word & to meditate on His Truth daily.

I struggle doing uncomfortable things. I struggle reaching out to someone who seems gruff when God puts them on my heart. I struggle speaking truth, in love, to someone God nudges me to speak to. I struggle feeling inadequate & so wanting to keep hidden in the background versus stepping out to connect.

I struggle with stubbornness because I second-guess God.

Are “Good Intentions” Good Enough for God?

I used to think this was on me to fix. I would try to set daily schedules & routines, which would get forgotten or missed & then the habits would quickly fade into the forgotten.

I used to think I just needed to be “a better Christian” to achieve that level of obedience & well, I just wasn’t that yet.

I used to think “I’m just not good at concentrating that long” or “I’m just not good at speaking up” or “I am just insecure, that’s life.”

I used to think I was just too easily distracted or that I just couldn’t very well control disruptions from others, so “it’s not really even my fault.”

In other words… I had excuses lined out the door because overcoming my stubbornness seemed an undefeatable feat. And yet, I had good intentions… so “God understands.” But God knows I need His help & that He is willing to offer His help, so really, I was hiding my disobedience behind my good intentions because that just seemed easier.

I struggle with stubbornness.

Overcoming Stubbornness: More Willpower or More Surrender?

But something happened along the way, as I prayed about this insurmountable obstacle within myself… God showed me that overcoming my stubbornness had very little to do with what I could manage, & all to do with what HE could.

In other words, overcoming stubbornness is not about more willpower, but more surrender to His help.

If I truly AM willing, versus making excuses to avoid that which seems uncomfortable to me, then there is definite, sure HOPE because my overcoming has very little to do with what I am personally capable of doing & so much more to do with my willingness to surrender that lacking for His help instead.

Be wary of human wisdom, yours or that of anyone else… no matter how popular or appealing or intelligent they may seem. If anything contradicts God, it’s wrong. PERIOD.

A Prayer of Surrender

What does that surrender look like? It looks like a humbled, willing heart of prayer to an Almighty, loving God:

“God, I know this honors You, so I want to do it. I know I ought to trust Your Word 100%, so I want to do it. But, I feel so stubborn! Why do I resist You at every turn? Why does it feel the odds are always stacked against me? Why is it so HARD to just trust & obey when I know I ought to!? Please forgive my stubborn, selfish heart. Forgive me for forgetting. Forgive me for it being less of an absolute priority to me than it ought to be. Forgive me. And help me. Take my unwilling, hesitant heart. Shape me to Your will & way. Give me Your wisdom in the how & Your strength in the doing. Help me to stop at my self-made roadblock & instead of turning around to head the opposite way, help me to stop & pray. Help me to determine to keep asking in it versus a one-time prayer & then, “nope, still too hard, BYE!” Help me to SIT & WAIT & say, ‘God, I am not moving from this until You help me because I want to obey You but I need Your help!’ Help me to be persistent in my prayer for Your help versus giving it up when it stays hard. Habits take time to cultivate & grow, so help me just keep asking You for help in it each & every time, because You ARE enough, even when I am just a complete stubborn fail. Thank You for Your faithful persistence in Your love for me. Thank You for Your future help with this. Help me live to love & honor You above all else in this world. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Overcoming stubbornness is NOT easy. It feels impossible sometimes, even.

But… God.

Trust Him, lean into Him, & let Him show you that He indeed is quite sufficient in it.

Shine HOPE by not trying to overcome stubbornness, but rather by surrendering it to Him for His help in the overcoming.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for over FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Botanica Charms Set (India)

Designed to coordinate with your other favorite Botanica Collection designs, this set of six pairs of versatile jade, Acacia wood, ethically collected animal bone, & metal charms are handcrafted in India by Artisans who are committed to fighting child marriage & providing opportunities for women to become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. Designed to mix & match, create a new look each time you wear them with our Customizable Silver Hoops or your favorite bracelets & necklaces!

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

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!

Redeeming the Narrative

Okay, let’s take a moment to kick Satan out of this conversation. He has too long written the narrative for mental illness & it is about time we take it back & place it under our loving ALMIGHTY God.

So, if you are no stranger to my blog, then you know by now that I talk about my battle with depression—a lot—how it has shaped me, how it torments me in some seasons of my life, & how God has used it in my life to make Himself & His love known to me.

But something I have not really addressed, at least not with much detail, is how to parse through a life with mental illness & come out with victory versus defeat. So, let’s redeem the narrative.

Victory In, After, & Through

Now, I am not talking only about victory after the fact… you know, the struggle & fight & maybe eventual crash that God uses to show Himself sovereign, in control at all times, faithful, full of grace & love, & His ever willingness to turn any bad in my life for His glory AND my good… But victory IN & THROUGH the struggle as well!

For me, this seems to be an occasion for a good eye roll. “In & through the struggle” means the struggle is still going on, so how can that mean any victory is happening at all???

But hang with me & let’s flesh this out so that if you struggle with a mental illness (or any illness, really) or whether you simply know someone with that struggle… then you know how to have wise discernment in it, you know how to pray through it, & you know you don’t HAVE to give in to it—you CAN have victory IN & THROUGH it!

Our Struggle or Sin Does Not Define Us

First of all, we need to recognize that one of the cunning tactics of the devil is that he loves to take our struggles with sin or our circumstances & wrap them into our identity.

Satan does this with homosexuality, for example, as we can clearly see in our culture today. God gave me the discernment to see there are no “homosexuals” only PEOPLE. Some people PRACTICE homosexuality & some don’t, but all are PEOPLE—an important distinction!

The same is becoming true with regard to mental illness. “I struggle with mental illness” is becoming an identifier for ourselves.

This isn’t necessarily sinful, but rather a way we learn how to relate to the world & accept our limitations, but Satan is not without his tricks & cunning manipulations.

When we begin to IDENTIFY as “one who struggles with ________________ mental illness,” we can fall into the trap of limiting ourselves along with the limitations that illness creates within us… & limiting God right along with it!

The Five Parts

So, today, I want to break apart this issue of depression (or mental illness) into the 5 separate parts involved in how we identify mental illness (cause, symptoms, consequences of symptoms, Satan’s exploitation of those, & our CHOICE in how we respond to it all) & help us understand mental illness with discernment so we do not have to feel controlled by it.

I want to break mental illness into five parts—I will be using depression as my example, since that is my personal struggle, but this can be applied to any limitation you face mentally or physically.

Parts 1-3 (Cause, Symptoms, & Consequences of Symptoms)

First, consider the actual, medical problem that exists, also known as the cause—for example, depression can mean that your body does not properly regulate how much serotonin or dopamine is released in your body.

So, secondly, because your body does not produce or regulate well its proper levels of these chemicals in your brain… the symptoms, or the second part of depression, are what results from this lowered or unregulated release of these chemicals in your brain. The symptoms may include sluggishness, feeling tired or checked out or numb to goings on around you. You can feel a lack of energy or excitement.

And now, the third part would be the consequences of the symptoms… maybe not being as engaging, cheerful or personable, tasks seeming more difficult to complete, you don’t feel happiness in accomplishing tasks, making simple tasks feel complicated, frustrating, &/or difficult. In short, life feels HARD even in situations where those things may typically seem simpler or easier for us or others.

Part 4-Satan’s Exploitations of Our Weak Spots

Here is where we typically go wrong in how we determine what IS depression or mental health: Satan’s exploiting those symptoms & consequences, using our limitations & insecurities.

These manipulating exploitations often feed off of insecurities or poor reactions from others & sound similar to: “you are no fun at social gatherings, so just stop going & just avoid people altogether-who cares about them anyway, you don’t need them.” Or “You annoy everyone with your symptoms, so they would be better off without you,” or “everything is hard all the time because you’re a failure of a human being, so just quit already.”

These are twistings of the truth & that is Satan’s specialty. He is cunning & has had a lot of practice. He knows where to hit us & how to kick us when we’re down. He is a liar. (John 8:43-44)

Part 5-The Choice

But that is where part #5 comes in: WE HAVE A CHOICE IN HOW WE RESPOND.

We can either A.) believe Satan’s lies, cave under the weight, & just give up trying because everything just feels hard & quitting just feels like the easier &/or only option.

OR, B.) we can CHOOSE to DETERMINE to cling to God as our hope, our strength, & our comfort. This one takes a humbled, surrendered heart for God’s help to replace our desire for self-sufficiency.

My Cravings for Self-Sufficiency… But… God

I get it. I struggle EVERY time with this choice. I crave easy. I crave comfort. Easy & comfort are some of my main idols in life that I wrestle regularly. It seems SO MUCH EASIER to just be like, “screw it. It’s too hard. I can’t do it anymore. I don’t have it in me to always have it this hard ALL THE TIME!”

BUT… God.

I like to feel capable & in control. I like to feel like “I got this!” & move with confidence that I can handle anything life throws at me… that I can figure it out & work past it & do okay.

But depression reminds me that this isn’t real. I am NOT enough. I DON’T have enough strength. I WANT to quit. I WANT to be capable in & of MYSELF, but I’m NOT!

But… God.

I Am Not Meant to be Self-Sufficient

I’m not meant to be self-sufficient. I was made (& you were made) to have God be our sufficiency. WE WERE MADE TO NEED HIM.

And that’s hard for me, to be honest. It’s really hard.

I don’t like feeling weak. I don’t like SIMPLE tasks feeling SO DANG HARD. I don’t like struggling. I don’t like not being enough. I don’t like when things don’t wrap up all neatly with a nice pretty bow on top.

Depression brings me to the end of myself quite frequently & I quit… a lot.

But when I make a pattern of quitting, Satan knows his tricks well… they seem easier… they seem better… they may even seem like the only option left… but continuing to quit leads to darker & dimmer & a spiral of despair that leads to a darkness so thick you don’t even know how to get out anymore… & Satan knows it.

But… God.

With God, There Is ALWAYS Hope

God can get you out of that darkness you don’t know how to find your way out of… But He can help you well before that, too.

But it takes humility. I’m not going to lie to you… Humility & surrender is HARD, but not as hard as giving up will end up being.

I have to be willing to accept my weakness… my limitations… the HARD, take them to God, & say:

“God, please help me. Help me discern the lies of Satan so he can’t trick me anymore. Don’t let me follow him. Help me cling to You. Help me trust You to be my enough. Humble me to accept YOU as my strength when I have none. To trust You as sufficient in my struggle. To trust You as my comfort. Teach me HOW to do that. I don’t want to live according to Satan’s tricks anymore. I want to choose You—I want to choose LIFE. You are my LIFE. You breathe life into me, so please do that now. Bring joy where I only feel pain. Bring Your strength where I only feel weakness. Help me to praise You IN this. Don’t let me retract into loneliness. Help me give grace to my family & friends because I don’t understand why everything is so hard—it doesn’t make sense to me how it can be this hard—so how can I expect them to understand? Forgive me for my anger at them for not understanding. Forgive me for wanting my control back, for wanting to feel capable & self-sufficient. Help me slump into You. Help me grasp hold of Your hand. Help me trust You against every odd. You are enough for me. Help me to remember that You are enough for me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!”

Understanding Depression with Discernment

Hard doesn’t have to equal bad… it’s just hard… & that’s okay, because HARD allows us a reminder that we are not enough & to look to Him who IS.

Hard allows us the miraculous insight into the grace & love & comfort & peace & strength & faithfulness & HOPE of God. WHAT AN UNCOMPARABLE GIFT!!!

And check this: Easy doesn’t always mean GOOD. And don’t let Satan convince you otherwise. God calls him the father of lies for a reason. (John 8:43-44)

Don’t define yourself or others by an illness, instead, consider the 5 parts so you know how to ask God for help & how to discern where Satan may be trying to exploit your symptoms & the consequences of those symptoms. God is greater still!

Shine HOPE by CLINGING to God & HIS Truth, HIS comfort, HIS strength, HIS peace, HIS faithfulness, HIS love, & HIS grace, even when you can’t seem to find any of that within yourself.

HE. IS. ENOUGH.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

This blog/website has been running for FOUR years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to learn more of my story, check out the “About Me” tab. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” tab, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Turtle Backpack (Guatemala)

Handcrafted in Guatemala from upcycled traditional Mayan tipico fabric, every 100% cotton backpack features a zipper closure & totally unique patterns & colors. Send your kids to school with this adorable turtle backpack to help moms in Guatemala send their kids to school too!

Every purchase supports women in areas of extreme poverty in Guatemala.

How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:

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

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

Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!