Grace Is Free

This is a topic that I have found cannot be discussed enough—“Obedience through faith, not self-efforts.”

It seems that we have universally grown accustomed to feeling some control over our position before God. As if we must prove ourselves worthy in order to be given His free gift to cover our wrongs.

Sometimes we live in a state of self-condemnation, beating ourselves into submission in order to honor God with our lives. We think we have to pay Him back.

But God’s free gift of grace is just that… free.

Our Best Isn’t Enough-And That’s Grace

God even says that our righteousness (the best we have to offer), is like dirty rags.

God doesn’t say this to condemn us & mock our efforts, but rather to say that His gift cannot be earned, but is just GIVEN, free of charge, if only we believe on Him for that gift.

Our best still isn’t enough & yet God covers the gaps for us.

And yet we still strive to earn or to deserve His grace.

Doing Nothing Is Not the Cure

This isn’t to say that the opposite of the pendulum swing is true either, that because we cannot earn it, we shouldn’t strive to honor God with our lives.

BUT, it is not because we put pressure on ourselves to deserve His free gift & it is not through our own self-efforts, either.

Knowing We Weren’t Enough-God Makes a Way

In discussing this topic with a friend, this comparison came to mind:

God gave us the law (the 10 Commandments), knowing that we could never fulfill the law on our own & knowing that we would have to come to Jesus to be the propitiation for our wrongs to right our relationship with Himself.

In the same way, God gives us commands on how we ought to live this life, knowing that we do not have the capacity to live that way from our own efforts, knowing that He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us & empower us to live the way He has called us to live.

The Balance

Also, just because we could never perfectly fulfill the law or God’s commandments on how to live, doesn’t mean we should avoid living God’s way & instead do whatever we want.

But we should also not tire ourselves trying to be perfect when we are not.

So, it sounds like I have told you to both NOT avoid doing what is right while also NOT tiring yourself to do what is right.

I know this might sound like a contradiction, but it is actually the perfect formula for faith & for a life lived through a relationship with God through a life of faith AKA abiding in Christ (versus just following His example).

Lean Into Him to Do All He Asks of Us

You see, although we are incapable of living the way God has asked us to, & although this does not excuse our wrongdoings, we should instead lean into God for what we are called to do in our incapacity to do it.

Here is an example of something I say to God in my prayers:

“God, I feel so [distracted, lazy, busy, rebellious, tired, stubborn, worn out, incapable, discouraged, impatient, proud/arrogant, etc.], but I know this honors You, so please give me the [strength, wisdom, clarity, available time, power, ability, encouragement, inspiration, discipline, humility, patience, etc.] that I don’t feel I can muster on my own to accomplish this that honors You. You are all that I need in my limitations. I am not enough, but You are GOD. Thank You that I can be still & know that through my limitations, You ARE GOD.”

Because really, that’s what it all comes down to.

We Are So Limited, But He Isn’t!

I am limited. There is so much that God asks of me that I just don’t have the capacity to do on my own…

Like:

• Loving my enemies
• Knowing what to say to someone whose world is crashing around them
• Taking time for a quiet time with God when my world is chaos
• Accomplishing a big task that seems out of my abilities
• Knowing how to respect someone who is rude or mean
• Responding rightly in a high stress situation
• ETC.! (The list of my shortcomings & weaknesses, if I put a decent amount of time & effort into writing it, would be quite long, if I am honest!)

SO MANY things are beyond my human limitations & I can exhaust myself REALLY QUICKLY in trying to live up to all of it all the time, in my own strength or wisdom or power to make it all happen. And then , I will STILL fall short of it 100% of the time!

God Fills in the Gaps

But yet, God still asks them of me, knowing my limitations better than I know them myself.

And so, the beautiful solution to this gap is HIM. Letting God lead us across those gaps, between His commands on how to live & our human limitations, through/by/with HIS power, love, patience, hope, strength, joy, wisdom, etc.

HIS. Not ours.

Don’t Just Follow Christ-Abide in Him

So, if you feel like you’re barely holding your Christian life together, you’re doing it wrong.

Sorry, not sorry.

Stop trying to be Super Christian & instead, lean into our AWESOME, UNLIMITED, SUPREME, LOVING GOD.

Just stop.

And pray.

And let God move you where you can’t move yourself.

Take some pressure off yourself, because you were never meant to do it in your own strength anyways.

Shine hope, Lovely—Through FAITH, Not Self-Efforts.

Coming Next Week

Make sure to tune in every Monday morning EST for some more encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Eternity Necklace

Multiple mixed metal chains are hugged by a metal curved tube to create this simple yet elegant piece with a lobster clasp closure.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

(*Also shown: Western Stud Trio (silver pair), also empowering women out of poverty, in India!)

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

Pride & Timidity Versus Confidence & Humility

How often do we confuse confidence with pride & humility with timidity?

What’s the difference? Is there a difference?

Yes, & this difference makes ALL the difference.

Confidence Through Christ, Not Ourselves

You see, we can have complete confidence in life because we know that no matter our balance of rights versus wrongs, our salvation is bought by the blood of Christ & not through any efforts of our own.

Confidence says that because God has gifted me, I can step into this situation or this role knowing that my ability is from Him & that He will provide me with all of the strength, wisdom, & power that I need to accomplish what He asks of me as I lean into Him for help along the way.

Pride, The Enemy of Confidence

Pride gives ourselves a pat on the back, while confidence says that it’s all because of God & through God that we are able to accomplish any good.

The opposite of pride tends to be fleshed out as timidity (versus humility), also known as a fear of doing anything because we don’t want to encourage the credit to fall on us.

Can you see how Satan can use both of these extremes? We are either drawing attention away from God (through pride) or we are refusing to do what God asks of us, for fear of drawing attention away from God (through timidity).

What a sad pendulum swing that often traps us in self-loathing or inaction.

The God-Honoring Balance

But God asks us to let the pendulum rest on the most God-honoring balance amongst the two extremes.

He asks to have confidence & humility in perfect harmony.

We can have full confidence in what God has equipped us with, while having the humility to realize that those strengths are from God & not from us.

So, if you find yourself backing down from activities out of a fear of pride (aka timidity), step into it instead with confidence, knowing, with humility, that your ability comes from God.

Love you, Lovely!

Coming Next Week

Make sure to join me next week as I talk about Obedience through Faith Versus Self-Efforts.

And join me every Monday morning EST for more encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Holly Necklace

Holly’s passion is to empower women to be all God created them to be & live out their potential. Whether she is in the brothels of Asia to hometown USA, her desire is to see women live out their calling with confidence & dignity. This piece is a reflection of the confidence & skills a woman rescued from the brothels has when given the opportunity. A delicate piece, this golden/pink druzy necklace sparkles in the light.

Artisan Information:

In Asia, poverty leads many women to be sexually exploited in brothels. These women want to provide for their families but have so few options. But through your purchase, women are being rescued from these brothels & rehabilitated. Holistic care is given to these women, including a shelter, job training, healthcare, counseling, & educational grants for themselves & their children. You can help these women experience restoration for their future!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Asia!

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

How Do I Fit?

Have you ever found yourself wondering how you fit into God’s plan?

Being well aware of your own shortcomings, failures, & insecurities, in comparison to the perceived strengths, accomplishments, & courage of others can leave us wondering how we can have any influence in our hurting world that others can’t do better.

When I was growing up, I always looked up to those who seemed bold & courageous, the leaders & the ones already doing the work. I assumed that was for them & not for me.

I always tended to step back & let them do their thing, while I essentially sat back & made excuses for inaction.

Of course, we don’t like to admit it as inaction, but that is inevitably the result of letting others do everything that we are also called to do.

Not Lazy, Just Insecure

I don’t think it’s even necessarily laziness, but it definitely seems like Satan likes us to believe the lie that because others seem to be better, we shouldn’t do it as well.

Take this blog, for example. If I am completely honest with you, I feel completely ill-equipped & inadequate to run any kind of anything, let alone a weekly blog & Facebook community.

I see too clearly all of my rebellious nature & stubborn/selfish tendencies. I see my writing blunders & babblings & wish I didn’t sound “so dumb” in my writing, because my weaknesses are glaringly obvious to me.

Be a Light

But God has been giving me a sort of wake-up call with this type of thing.

The world needs lampposts in the darkness. Lampposts for HOPE. Lampposts that shine the light of Christ into this hurting world.

God wants people who are willing to show up & take a stand for Truth in LOVE.

Even If…

Even if I end up being a terrible writer & even if I mess up & even if I miss a deadline & beat myself up about it… God can still use my willingness to show up for Him.

Even if I am ignored & no one reads anything I share. Even if everyone thinks I am lame & have no business running a blog. EVEN IF NO ONE CARES… God can still use my willingness to show up for Him.

Maybe God…

If you are feeling it necessary to be a light for Christ, but you feel alone or inadequate in this endeavor, maybe God will use this blog to encourage you that it DOES matter & it IS worth it.

If you are wondering if Christianity is just my pick of the litter for religions, maybe God will use this blog to show you that HE is the ONE WAY to Truth & HOPE & that He offers this freely, apart from anything we are unable to give.

If you are struggling with a conviction & wonder if God is really working through that situation, maybe God will use this blog to solidify that Truth in your heart.

Even if I mess up & miss the point. Even if I speak poorly & am grossly inadequate, God can still use my willingness to show up.

Keep Shining Hope, Keep Showing Up

And so, I will keep showing up.

Not because I am especially disciplined or determined or selfless or humble or anything, but through GOD’S strength, GOD’S encouragement, & GOD’S help.

I am nothing. HE is EVERYTHING.

I am weak. HE is STRENGTH.

I am selfish. HE is KIND & GENEROUS.

I am limited. HE is INFINITE.

I am not worthy of this task, but HE CAN USE ME DESPITE ME.

He is everything!

Let God Maximize Your “Minimals”

We are ever incapable of measuring up to the needs of this world, but through God’s guidance & power & wisdom, we can have an impact! Through HIM.

We are always lacking. We are always prone to self-seeking. We are always insufficient.

BUT GOD IS OUR EVERYTHING.

But How???

How can you serve God when you are broken…? Because God is everything.

Lean into Him. Take your mustard seed-sized offering to Him & ask Him to grow your meager offering into something for His glory.

Maybe It Means

Maybe it means starting a blog. Maybe it means starting a prayer circle to uplift others by turning to God together. Maybe it means offering to help clean up the church once a week. Maybe it means offering to help improve the graphics at church.

Maybe it means bringing meals to those who are suffering. Maybe it means offering to meet with another woman or teen in the church to pray & encourage one another. Maybe it means being intentional in praying over the needs of your church.

Lean Into Him

God created us all uniquely. God designed us all specifically. God gave us all different gifts. But God fills in our gaps.

So, lean into Him. Ask for His guidance in where to go next & what to do next. Ask Him to fill in your gaps. Ask Him where He can use you. Ask Him to work out your God-designed potential in you. Ask Him to help you trust Him more & more each day. Ask Him to help you to know & love Him more.

God Is Still God

When you’re broken, God is still God.

He doesn’t call the equipped. He equips the called.

All we have to do is lean into Him & be willing to just show up.

Let His lamp be a light unto your feet. One. Step. At. A. Time.

Just trust HIM.

Coming Next Week

Check back on Thursday for this month’s special feature post!

Also, come back next Monday morning EST for some more encouragement from my heart to yours. <3

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Warrior Cuff

This brass gold, hammered, stacked cuff opens in the back and will be your go-to piece. (*Also available in silver color.)

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & they grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

(*Also shown: Fearless Earrings, empowering women out of poverty in Nepal!*)

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

Feeling Lost

Sprawled on the floor with a tear-stained face, wondering how you will survive through to the morning, wondering if you WANT to survive until the morning.

You have tried everything to revive the ruin of your life…. You have tried to stay positive…. You have tried to be strong.

And yet, here you are, melting into despair, wondering if a life ended is better than another day of the pain that you live now.

You know God. You consider yourself a Christian, knowing that Christ paid your debt to set you free from sin. And yet, you still wonder if even our great God could do anything to help bring hope into your crumbled, bleak resemblance of life.

And then the tinge of guilt for claiming to have faith while still falling apart.

It’s hard to admit you’re falling apart when others doubt your faith.

How do you give God your best when you have nothing left to give? How do you give God anything at all?

Being Faithful in Weakness

It’s so easy to think that faithfulness means never struggling, but how many retellings in the Bible express immense struggles, while still remaining faithful?

Sometimes, doesn’t it feel like, as a Christian, we put this pressure on ourselves to “measure up” to the “standard”?

It feels like being faithful means being perfect all the time.

Like being faithful means never messing up.

Like being faithful means never being overwhelmed by hurt & pain & stress.

We think that being faithful means always being strong & always believing unwaveringly.

We think that being faithful means never falling apart.

We often think that it’s up to us to carry through the storm, to prove our faith.

But Still…

But no amount of our strength & no amount of positive thinking can bring back a loved one.

No amount of effort can erase a hole in our heart.

No amount of trying can undo a devastatingly painful circumstance.

Sometimes, no matter how tirelessly we try, our efforts just don’t do a thing to solve our problem or heal our heart or fix our situation.

So why do we put so much pressure on ourselves? As if, if we try harder next time, we can overcome?

Expressing Pain While Staying Faithful

If we struggle to put the expression or feelings of hurt, pain, or torment in the same sentence as faithfulness, think of some of the people represented throughout the Bible.

Think of Job’s loss & torment, while still praising & trusting God.

Think of David’s lamenting psalms, while still looking to God as his help & refuge.

Think of Christ’s bloody tears, while still obeying God’s mission to save us on the cross.

Faithfulness Isn’t…

Faithfulness does not mean being strong on our own.

Faithfulness does not mean we never cry out in pain.

Faithfulness does not mean we don’t hurt.

Faithfulness does not mean pretending our personal world isn’t falling apart.

Faithfulness does not mean never wanting to quit.

Giving Our Best-Even When It’s Small

Even when we have nothing, even when we are at our worst, we can give God our best just by trusting God to be enough when we are not.

Mustard seed-sized faith–“small, barely holding on, but knowing somewhere, somehow, God CAN” type faith.

Faith that says, “I personally can see no way of hope, but if anyone can, God CAN.”

Stepping outside of the chaos & destruction to say, “God, how can You bring anything good out of THIS? How can THIS be part of Your PLAN?! Help me to trust You because I don’t know how to hold on anymore. I don’t have a plan. I can’t fix it. But God, You are somehow enough. Help me to rest in that. Help me to trust You when every odd seems to be working against me. I can’t. I CAN’T.

But You CAN.”

That’s faith. Trusting that He CAN in the midst of our CAN’Ts.

Giving To Get, But GOD

You see, as people, we have the tendency to think that to have faith or to give God our best, we need to be strong warriors. We think we have to bring something to the table for God to use.

But even when we have nothing, God CAN.

In those times of loss & despair, where nothing seems like it could ever improve, we have the rare opportunity to see that, plainly stated, IT’S NOT US.

That even when we are falling apart at the seams, GOD IS ENOUGH.

Even without our help.

Trusting in the Hurricane

As I sit here in the hospital with my 24-year old baby sister who is recovering from a ruptured appendix, I am reminded of this beautiful truth.

As I sat crying on the couch last Monday, after hearing that my sister was fighting for her life on the other side of the globe, I was reminded of this truth.

Botched travel plans & a day of rushing through three train stations & two airports, I was reminded of this truth.

I didn’t have anything to give. I couldn’t beam to Florida, from Japan, to be with my sister. I couldn’t fix the travel woes. I couldn’t heal her. I couldn’t control anything.

I cried. A lot.

And as I lay there frustrated & aching & scared, on my couch in Japan, far away from my sister, I was reminded that God CAN.

God never loses control.

God Reigns Through It ALL

He sees it all.

It may not turn out the way I expect or the way my limited perspective longs for, but He makes it fit together in a plan so big & so vast that expands beyond the current circumstances.

As I heard in a song once, “Sometimes God calms the storm & sometimes He calms His child.”

You see, even IF things do not go the way we pray. Even if it all seems to fall apart, God never wastes a moment & He is always in control.

He offers peace in the torment. He offers strength in the collapse. He offers power over the fear. He offers courage in the unknowns. He offers HOPE in the midst of hopeless.

He is always working HOPE. He is always pointing back to Himself. He is always offering to sustain us.

God CAN.

GOD CAN

So, as I sit here (now writing from the hospital cafeteria, in Florida, as my sister rests), I am reminded that GOD CAN.

I feel strength I didn’t muster. I feel courage amidst the fear. I feel peace in the storm.

God is with us. He is sustaining us. He is reviving us.

God has it in His able hands. God loves us unconditionally. God CAN.

And because I know my sister loves Jesus & has her hope placed in Him alone, I know that even if God had not indeed chosen a road to recovery, (*Which it miraculously seems recovery is where we’re headed at this point!!!!), God would have taken her to a shining & glorious place called Heaven, where she can rush into the loving arms of her Savior & dance a dance of hope & love & eternal joy.

God always has a plan. All for Him, even when things don’t go our way, but thank You Lord for the recovery we are seeing!!!!!

Even When… God’s Grace Remains

Even when we feel lost

Even when all hope is gone

Even when our hurt seems strong

God’s grace will still remain

And even when all crashes down

And even when our strength is gone

And even when we’ve given up

God’s good grace still overcomes

We may have nothing

To offer Him

We may have nothing

To offer Him

We may be hurting, all hope feels gone

BUT God’s Grace still reigns the day

God’s GOOD GRACE reigns always

((*Always shine HOPE, even if it means saying, “God, I can’t do this, but You can.”))

If you feel God is not calming the storm, pray & ask for His strength to carry you through. Ask for His peace & courage. Ask for His perspective.

And listen to “Blessings” by Laura Story.

*I don’t own the rights to this song. All rights to Laura Story & Company.

Coming Next Week

*I am sorry for the lapse last week. That was the day I found out about my sister. Thank you for showing me grace & for your prayers as she has a long road to recovery. Thank You, Lord, for Your healing power & sustaining grace!!!*

Check back every Monday morning EST for more encouragement! Love you, sisters!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Horizon Earrings

These golden diamond shaped earrings are wrapped with vibrant coral thread.

Artisan Information:

In India, poverty is rampant & fair working conditions are hard to find. But with every purchase, women are receiving an income, access to healthcare, adult literacy programs, & self-help groups! Not only does this change their lives, but they are also pouring back into their communities & helping others! You have the opportunity to empower thousands of women in India!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

(*Also shown: Awakening Bracelet from India!*)

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

The Struggle Is Real

One thing that is a constant struggle for me is being still.

Ever since a Smart Phone entered my life, I have had games, communication, & internet all at my fingertips… at all times.

I definitely love the convenience, but I must confess that my Smart Phone has sort of taken over my life.

Even having turned off push notifications for everything other than regular texts, I still find myself grabbing for it in the quiet moments.

How do I get my life back?

Every Morning, Every Night, & Everywhere in Between

First thing in the morning & last thing before bed consists of an hour or so of catching up on replies on Facebook & emails, as well as playing through my “lives” for my current game obsession.

In those still moments, I used to just rest, reflect on my day, & pray. But now, I am consumed with filling every moment with activity.

In those quiet moments, I now get restless, too used to having memes, posts, comments, & games at my fingertips.

I Need Rest

I find myself thirsty for rest. Quiet, peaceful, rejuvenating rest.

Maybe I will learn to not allow phones or other devices to enter my bedroom, so I am forced to just relax, reflect, & pray.

Maybe I will keep my phone in the other room during the day, so I can maybe get out of the habit of grabbing for it in every quiet moment.

Maybe I will start praying & asking God to pry that obsession out of my tight grasp.

Maybe I will take more hot baths, where my tension can melt away, or take more walks/runs, while I am left with my thoughts, having a conversation with God about every stressor that nags in the back of my mind.

Nagging Restlessness

Do you have those thoughts? Maybe, like me, you have a project (or ten) that you keep meaning to finish. Maybe there’s a call you keep putting off. Maybe a chore you find disgusting or a bad habit that keeps coming back to bite you? Nagging thoughts that keep you restless.

I can’t imagine I am the only one with these background noise naggings that play on in my head.

I guess that’s why my phone is so tempting. I can easily tune out the nagging if I keep busy.

But the nagging continues, the thoughts still hover over each day, & the restlessness builds.

Being Still in Quiet Moments

I need more quiet in my life. I need to learn how to be still. I need to learn how to quiet my mind & heart & to take those nagging problems to God in prayer so He can begin working an answer out in my heart.

I can run from my nagging thoughts, but they will keep coming until they are solved.

I want to learn to stop running & to take those nagging problems to God.
I want to learn how to be still & trust God.

Asking God for Solutions, Strength, & REST

I want to start asking God for the diligence, creativity, & wisdom to finish those unfinished projects. I want to ask God for the courage to make the call. I want to ask God to help me be an overcomer—even if it’s just cleaning the grimy grossness of a toilet bowl. I want to ask God to help me change my habits & to shape me into the woman He designed me to be.

No more running. I want rest for my soul. I want quiet moments with my Lord.

Setting Healthy Boundaries

It’s time to set limits on my phone use & when I am tempted to grab my phone, to instead stop & say, “God, help me overcome this temptation to run away from the restless naggings of my heart. Help me to learn what it means to be still in quiet rest with You. Renew me. Strengthen me. Help me to know & love You more each day. Amen!”

May this be the prayer of our hearts as we seek to live a life that honors & glorifies our loving Father in Heaven. Because He first loved us, let us strive to love Him all the more each day.

Shine Hope, Lovely!

Coming Next Week

Make sure to check back here every Monday morning EST for more weekly encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Western Stud Trio

These simple yet modern studs come in a set of three pairs: a gold, a silver, & a rose gold pair.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! 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 this piece & empower a woman in India!

Shop these & more Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

Getting Vulnerable

Today, I am about to get a little vulnerable with you. I am going to let you peek inside my reality of living in a foreign country, away from most English. I am going to share my journey with high stress & anxiety.

Some of you, if you have not had a similar experience, may be tempted to roll your eyes at me. You may think I am grossly exaggerating the truth in order to get attention or to make an interesting story & I honestly wish that were the truth, but it isn’t.

Some of you may know exactly how this feels & have felt like maybe you were the only one who has ever been ripped to shreds through anxiety & stress. You aren’t.

You Are Not Crazy.

Mental illness & struggles can make you feel like you have gone mad & you wonder what is wrong with you. Anxiety, like most mental struggles is something that does not discriminate & if left unchecked can literally ruin your relationships & your life. Sometimes, it can lead to suicide.

Anxiety, depression, high stress, PPD, PTSD, & so many other mental illnesses or imbalances can be serious business. Don’t take them lightly. Get help. It’s okay to not be okay.

Offer Unconditional Love

If someone you know confesses to a deep problem with anxiety or the other many mental illnesses/struggles out there, pray with them, for them, & seek to get them help & support. Show them that it is okay to not be okay. Show them that you love them in the mess, without expecting them to “get better” while you avoid them in the meantime. Trust God to be your strength & wisdom as you love them through their struggle. You don’t have to have all the answers or the great solution. Just love them & give them a safe space.

So, here I go….

A History of Depression

As a background, I have been through struggles with depression twice in my life. The first time was two full years in high school that left me in deep sobs almost every day, wishing my life were over, but too scared for suicide.

The second time depression hit, it hit twice as hard. I think because the first round drew me to understand how real God is & how much He really does love me, I assumed it was a lesson learned & thought that was the end of it, so when it attacked again, I fell hard. Suicidal plans on several occasions fortunately scared me into getting help.

God Guides When We Let Him

Fast forward about ten years & I meet Jamie, my handsome husband whom I love dearly. I was scared of commitment & hurt from my past, but God walked alongside me & gave me the confidence to lean into Him to guide me through my relationship of dating Jamie.

Through God’s amazingly inconceivable guidance (really, it blows my mind when I realize how involved He is when we let Him! Check out our love story, here), but through that, God led us to our wedding day for which I am eternally grateful.

Wedded Bliss Is Sometimes Stressful–Can I Get an Amen?

Three months after that wedding day, we moved to the opposite side of the planet, to beautiful, tropical Guam.

In my mind, living on a tropical island seemed like a dream rather than reality, but stress does not discriminate based on location.

I didn’t have a job or a car or friends for a good long time on Guam. I had come so eager & full of life & love, but was not met with great response.

Jamie worked twelve-hour shifts, plus the drive to & from, & usually ended up taking on extra shifts into his days off. Inevitably, he had little energy or much of anything left to offer me when he was home.

My life was defined by isolation & extreme loneliness like I had never known before.

Add to that, the fighting.

So. Much. Fighting. He was tired, I was sad… It wasn’t a great combination. It left him feeling inadequate & strained… It left me feeling abandoned & unloved.

While God worked through our tensions, through much prayer time as a couple, our relationship grew stronger, but the overall stress remained.

I became resentful of my circumstances & instead of bowing them at the feet of Jesus & clinging to Him as my ENOUGH while I struggled, I grew bitter because the pain I struggled with every day refused to go away for good.

Enter: Life as a Foreigner

Then we moved to Japan.

We moved to an area of Japan with almost ZERO English spoken or written. We moved to an area of Japan where full conversations rarely happened because broken English made them more difficult. We moved to an area of Japan that made my foreignness stand out like a glaring neon sign, mocking me at every difficulty to live my day to day life.

I loved our time there & our friends & church family & the immense beauty seen & adventures had, but stress was a natural byproduct of living life as a foreigner.

Loneliness increased. Isolation increased. Pressure & strain increased.

I was HAPPY with my life, but I was so stressed out that I couldn’t seem to enjoy it for very long! That’s part of what made me feel crazy because I could acknowledge the good in my life, yet still feel like I was crumbling.

Feeling the Disconnect

Thankfully, Jamie & I had learned on Guam that the fight was not against each other & since he had a lighter work schedule, we tended to work together instead of against each other on this move, but he still couldn’t fully grasp my struggle since he had some English spoken at work & dealt with equipment in English.

On top of that, church was in Japanese, with translators we are eternally indebted to & grateful for, but who were not professionals. We missed a lot just because that’s how it is. Lost in translation was another hurdle because words don’t always translate the same way in different languages.

Stress Off the Charts

I am certain that I would have broken a stress test had I had the opportunity to take one. I was crumbling with each passing week.

Eventually, I didn’t even recognize myself anymore.

The joy, the optimism, the hope, the faith in God’s ability & love… Regular prayer & hope in God… Spiritual support & encouragement… Everything started fading to grey & then turning to black.

Survival Mode

I started giving up & turning to survival mode only.

Every day was about getting myself to live until the next day.

Some days, all plans got thrown out the window because a day of Netflix was all that my stress & anxiety could handle.

I watched happy videos & read happy posts on Facebook that left me in bitter tears–incredibly sad that it felt so out of reach for me.

My Past Struggle with “Barrenness”

(*I put that in quotes because I don’t know if I am actually barren. I just know that despite the doctors giving me green lights across the board, I have no baby to show for 5-6 years of trying.)

On top of everything was a lack of children. My dream was to have children & to raise them intentionally to be lights out in the dark world for Christ long after I am gone, but God withheld even that from me. I felt like He was saying I wasn’t even good enough for that gift.

I thought maybe if I had purpose as a Mom… Someone to keep me company & love me… Someone I could love & pour into…. But God kept saying no. It crushed my spirit.

(*As an update on children, God has really shone light & hope into that area for me so that it no longer haunts me with disappointment, bitterness & pain… check out my blog post on it, here.)

The Crazy Got Worse

And then the rage came.

To people that ask, I describe it as having had a rage monster living inside of me, who thrashes & scrapes at me constantly. The rage began controlling my life.

And the sadness. The tears.

The triggers seemed to grow exponentially as things that once seemed to roll of my back as no big deal now seemed like it was the end of the world. When once I would shrug & laugh it off, now it seemed to rip through to my core, erupting tears of despair or uncontrolled bouts of rage.

I felt my sanity slipping & it scared me!

I remember calling Jamie when I was on home leave (with him meeting me in a week or so), crying because I thought that being away from the stress would relax me, but that I still felt uncontrolled rage & sadness at every tiny trigger. I was crushed!

Don’t get me wrong, I still had good hours, days, & weeks, but it was just that when things used to just slide off me, now they consumed me with anger or despair. I knew, logically, that there was no reason to feel so distraught, but it didn’t seem to matter. Imagine PMS that never ends & your emotions are on a constant roller coaster to the extreme.

And It Got Worse

And my language. WOW. Growing up in a Christian home, I always watched my mouth (soapy tongue was the consequence if I didn’t control it). And then, all of a sudden my language was more foul that I had ever heard from those who let it flow. (All of this was under my breath or when no one was around, but when no one was home, it was screamed.)

As an example, in trying to pack up our nativity scene after one Christmas, the Styrofoam packaging kept breaking apart, would not fit back together properly, & thus was a struggle to get it back into the box. My reaction? Dropping the Styrofoam with nativity piece & then chucking the box at the wall until it tore into several pieces, all while stringing together ten or more curse words at full volume (imagine a shrieking scream as I yelled them). Then? Tears.

The crazy was getting real & I couldn’t figure out how to make it stop.

Hurting Those Around Me

That became my life. It took everything in me to keep from doing that in front of Jamie, but I would try to leave the room to react or write long hateful messages on my phone notes to get it out of my system before I could explode.

Our cat, Cisco, would even hide from me when I would erupt, too scared for me to touch him.

Broken, & Feeling Hopeless

I didn’t recognize myself. I was broken & I couldn’t seem to put myself together again.

Hope was slowly draining out of every pore in me.

No one seemed to understand. Everyone had flat suggestions that I had tried a billion times. They seemed to be slowly stepping away from me, trying to avoid my stress from seeping into their own lives.

I felt SO ALONE!

A Safe Space

Luckily, because Jamie knew my history with depression, he was a safe space for me, which gave me some control over it completely devouring my life & sending me to suicide, but I was barely holding on each day.

When we had the choice to leave Hokkaido or extend, I told Jamie, “Here is my opinion. Either we leave as soon as we are contractually allowed to go, or we sign me up for counseling as soon as we possibly can because I am falling apart & I need serious help. This is not a drill. This is not an exaggeration. This is not a temporary emotional tremor. I need help. NOW. Because, if we do not leave the immensely consuming stress triggers or if I don’t get help soon, I am going to be a risk for suicide. I need help now.”

He listened, thankfully, & we moved within a few months. Praise GOD.

Recovering from the Damage

But the damage had already been done & it followed me like a threatening plague that had infiltrated my life.

I started asking God for help.

My prayers were barely believing, merely out of desperation, & they sounded something like, “I don’t know if You even care about me anymore or why You’re letting me just keep suffering, but somehow I know You must have a plan. Don’t You? Help me! I have nothing left, but I need help, so please help me.”

My Faith Was Small, But My God Is BIG

I barely believed He would even do anything.

Barely believed… you might say I had only a mustard seed-sized faith. Sound familiar? (Luke 17:6)

I had nothing left to give. Nothing to contribute to getting better. Nothing to offer God to use to help me.

I was broken & beaten. I was scarred & scared. I was sad & lonely. I was angry & bitter & hurt. No strength left to even lick my wounds. Just exhausted & done fighting it. I felt hurt at the woman I had become from a woman of strong faith in God’s ability, power, & love, to a woman sniveling on the floor, not strong enough to even lift her head out of the muck that was my life.

But, GOD

But. God. Can.

He. Is. Able.

When I can’t, He can.

When I can’t offer anything, He offers His all.

When I see no foreseeable victory, He conquers it all.

When I give up, He stays faithful.

When I am broken, He heals me.

He. Is. Enough.

There IS Hope

So, in those moments where you feel you’re not enough… When you feel like your life is falling apart & there is no fix in sight… GOD CAN.

When you feel resentful & bitter & have given up… GOD CAN.

When you feel you can’t fix it… GOD CAN.

When you are a complete failure with no value left to offer the world… GOD CAN.

GOD. CAN.

Sometimes, He lets us face the hardest trials of life where we cannot see any hope or good coming from it, but GOD HAS A PLAN.

God Is Mighty!!

In those moments we have the opportunity to see just how GREAT & MIGHTY & POWERFUL God is, because we know that none of it was from us!

Cling to Him. Lean into Him. Collapse into His arms or at His feet. Cry out to Him. Be honest with Him.

Ask for a heart change to allow you to trust Him when you don’t.

Just. Trust. Him.

GOD. CAN.

You have a choice between two statements:

“God, I can’t do this. I am broken. I am bitter & angry & sad. I fail at everything. I don’t have anything left to give. I give up.”

OR

“God, I can’t do this. I am broken. I am bitter & angry & sad. I fail at everything. I don’t have anything left to give. But You are MIGHTY. Help me to trust YOU. Help me to cling to YOU. Thought the storm may rage around me, yet I will trust in YOU.”

Amen?

AMEN!

I hope this has encouraged someone. I hope this has helped you see that in the hopeless, there is still hope.

Only. In. Christ Jesus.

Shine HOPE!

Coming Next Week

Check back every Monday morning EST for more encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Legacy Necklace

This necklace features a cream & grey chevron pendant made from ethically collected bone & resin, which distributes 20 strands of shimmering fringe.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & they grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & to send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

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

Is There Really a Difference?

In American culture, it seems that the line between these two options of trusting in religion versus trusting in Jesus is unfortunately being blurred more with each passing year–even for Christians.

Whether you are a Christian who has or hasn’t grown up in church, or whether you don’t follow Christ, there seems to be some confusion with these two options.

To be clear, there is quite a major difference between trusting in religion & trusting in Jesus, & I want to spend some time showing how even the most “devout” Christian can mix them up.

Religion Won’t Cut It

You see, we all fall short of God’s amazing glory & holiness (Romans 3:23).

We do not deserve redemption—none of us do… no matter how “good” we think we are. We don’t even come close.

But it is also sometimes difficult to embrace the idea that Jesus offers Himself & His sacrifice as a completely free gift, without our help.

We Want to Earn It… But We Can’t

We want to feel like we play some part in earning our redemption & salvation.

Maybe it’s because we want some control over our life? As in, “well, I may do this bad thing, but I also do this wonderful thing, so it evens out, right…?”

But how wrong that is!

All for Us… All for Him

First of all, are we truly repentant & accepting the grace of Christ when we are trying to control what we should be allowed to get away with based on the “good” we do?

I would argue not.

And that is not to make you feel terrible & awful about yourself!

It is actually quite the opposite.

We should not work to do good in order to feel good about deserving salvation (which would never work), but rather because it honors God Most High–because it’s out of grateful love & devoted trust in Him.

No Bueno

While we may feel some sense of security & control when we feel we have some say in what we think we deserve, it also places ALL of the burden & ALL of the risk on ourselves. We are left to always wonder in the back of our minds whether that good was even enough to cover that bad, & so forth. (*Hint: No good will ever be “enough”, but God, through Jesus, IS enough!)

What a stressful life that creates!!

The Good Can’t Blot Out the Bad–But Jesus Can

Even as Christians, we can have the tendency to try to earn God’s favor for our salvation. We want to feel we at least somewhat deserve what Christ paid for in His sacrifice on the cross.

But Beautiful, He says even our righteousness is like dirty rags (aka like used pads… Um, ew?)(Isaiah 64:6). Those are pretty strong words used against what I feel I am doing right.

We have nothing to offer Him AT ALL that can make up for the wrongs we have done. Because no amount of right can erase the wrong we have already done AND any right we do is imperfect.

God Sees All of You & He Loves YOU

But God sees through you. God sees the ugliest parts of yourself that make you cringe. He sees your past regrets, mistakes, & failures. He sees when you feel selfish, lazy, proud, etc. He SEES you. And yet, the Bible says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for you (us) (Romans 5:8).

He doesn’t wait for us to shape up & get right before we can accept His sacrifice on our behalf. We just have to be willing to accept that He is the only way & then put our trust in Him, laying our wrongs & mistakes at His feet, in exchange for His merciful grace.

We do good because it honors Him, not because it earns His grace.

He Loves YOU

And also, He LOVES you. He didn’t just pay our debt to be nice. He did it because He knew we needed it & He wanted to provide for us out of His infinite & unfailing love for us.

Pretty spectacular, huh?

Not to be Good Enough–Because We Aren’t… But He Is!

If you are a Christian, do you find yourself putting the weight of the world on your own shoulders to measure up to the expectations you feel God has for you in life?

That’s trusting in religion, pure & simple.

Trust in JESUS

ONE-He already paid your debt in full.

TWO-He loves you, flaws & all.

THREE-He has everything you need (infinite power, creativity, love, forgiveness, peace, strength, wisdom, etc.) to help you carry out His calling for you. It’s not about what you have to bring to the table—it’s about trusting what HE HAS ready to provide for you to carry out His plan for you.

Lay It At His Feet

Take a deep breath. Close your eyes & exhale slowly through your nose.

Say, “God, I am sorry about making my “goodness” all about me proving myself when you have already given me everything—life, payment for my sins, & Your strength & power to live a life that honors You. Help me to stop trying to be the perfect Christian in order to keep up appearances or to inadequately try to earn Your free gift of redemption for my soul. Help me just to focus on knowing & loving You more each day so that you can strengthen my “faithfulness muscle” & so that I may trust You to help me carry out what You call me to each day. Thank You for giving Your all for me. Amen.”

Not in Yourself, But in Him–Religiosity Won’t Cut It

Don’t put your trust in what you can do—in making sure you follow every law to the letter & trying to maintain perfection at every turn, in order to earn grace or prove your worthiness–it will always fall short (by so much!!)

Instead, just trust in Jesus. Lean into Him. Draw your strength from Him. Seek Him to guide your path & direct your steps. Seek His wisdom. Seek His face. Seek to know & love Him more each day.

He has all that you need to redeem you for Heaven & to help you live this life in a way that honors Him & brings His glory.

Not by your strength or wisdom, but through HIS.

Lean into it. Ask for it. Trust in God Most High.

He is able. He is enough.

Shine HOPE wherever He has you. Start small, ask for His guidance on the how & shine HOPE.

Love you, Beautiful!!

Coming Soon

THIS Thursday morning EST is our special feature blog post of the month, so make sure you check back here for more love!

Also, check in every Monday morning EST for more encouragement.

Love you!!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Holly Necklace

Founder Holly’s passion is to empower women to be all God created them to be & to live out their potential. Whether she is visiting the brothels of Asia or in hometown USA, her desire is to see women live out their calling with pride & dignity. This piece is a reflection of the pride & skills a woman who is rescued from the brothels has when given the opportunity. A delicate piece, this golden/pink druzy necklace sparkles in the light.

Artisan Information:

In many parts of Asia, poverty leads many women to be sexually exploited in brothels. These women want to provide for their families but have so few options. But through your purchase, women are being rescued from these brothels & rehabilitated. Holistic care is given to these women, including a shelter, job training, healthcare, counseling, & educational grants for themselves & their children. You can help these women experience restoration for their future!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Asia!

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

So Many Demands

The world we live in is so full of demands, isn’t it?

Whether it’s a job, errands, chores, mom-life, relationships, volunteer work, bills, etc., there’s a lot in life that demands our time, energy, & resources.

And when it comes to our relationship with God, sometimes it can seem like spending time with Him is just one more thing we are supposed to give our time, energy, &/or money to.

And sometimes, if we’re honest with ourselves, it feels like we only have our leftovers to offer Him, when all is said & done.

Sometimes, this reality gives us a sting of guilt & other times, the pressure of another demand seems crippling–especially one so important!

Another Way

But what if it’s meant to be different?

What if giving our time, energy, & resources to God actually gives us MORE time, energy, & resources to give to other things on the agenda?

Lucky for us, that’s exactly how it’s meant to work! God multiplies what we offer to Him of our time, energy, & resources!

I know, that may seem like religious mumbo jumbo to some of you. And some of you may have heard it in church, but still feel like the concept is so vague that you don’t really know how it actually is supposed to work out that way in reality.

That has been my sentiment for most of my life, if I’m being real with you.

Can It Be?

Growing up in church, I heard all of God’s promises at church, Sunday school, Bible studies, devotionals, Bible reading, etc. But they never really seemed anything more than a pleasant idea versus a solid reality I could count on.

Has anyone else ever felt that way?

Like it all sounds nice & we even memorize some of the verses with these nice ideas, but it never feels more than a nice idea.

But God wasn’t just giving us a Bible full of “look how nice all of these things sound!” No. He was writing to us, as GOD & Creator of this world, the truths about how He designed this world & how He promises to interact within it.

Have you ever thought about it that way?

He doesn’t just ask for our time, energy, & resources. He promises to help us make that happen AND give us a bigger return on our investment into growing His kingdom.

God Gives Us More Than We Can Give Him

Striving to have a fuller relationship with God can seem to put even more pressure on us, can’t it? Like we can barely hold together what we already are doing & then to feel like we have to give God even more than what’s left can seem like nothing more than a stress mess.

But here’s the cool part about it all, giving God our best really, actually helps us in every other way.

What we give to the world can seem to have little return on our investment, but what God gives in return far exceeds what we could ever dare to offer Him.

That’s the amazing thing about God.

He is limitless. He is infinite. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-wise.

Not Perfection, Just Trust

He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He doesn’t expect us to earn His approval or love, but He does expect us to right our perspective when it’s gotten out of whack.

And this is one area that I feel is SO EASY to get out of whack—for all of us!!

It’s so easy to think of our relationship with Him as just another item on our to-do list.

But the true story is this, because God is limitless, infinite, all-powerful, all-knowing, & all-wise, His return on our investment is limitless!

Not in Our Strength, But His

The more time I personally spend reading the Bible, the more this truth becomes glaringly obvious—the confident, daring victories I read about in the Bible are not because these people were a cut above the rest of us.

No, they had doubts, weaknesses, insecurities, flaws, & failures just like anyone else!

So, what’s the difference then? Why does their life look so victorious, while mine is just fighting to get through another day?

The answer? They drew their strength & wisdom & power & confidence & peace from spending time with God versus trying to get through each day on their own!!

They were victors & conquerors in life BECAUSE they gave their BEST time, energy, focus, & resources to GOD! And in return, for their investment in God’s presence for His glory, God gave them strength, confidence, wisdom, power, peace, & etc. in return!

WOW!

Not a Sacrifice, But a Worthy Investment into God’s Kingdom

In those retellings of events in the Bible, giving God their best was not a sacrifice, it was an investment with God offering major returns!

Those victors knew they could trust God. And they acted on that trust!

They knew He was worthy of their all. So they gave their all!

They knew God’s love was genuine & unconditional & because of that, they went all in!

They weren’t always faithful, but God always was.

What they were willing to give, God gave much more in return.

And that same truth is true for us, too. It may seem like just one more drain on resources, time, or energy, when you already feel like you’re running on empty… But God always returns on what we invest.

Go All In!

So trust Him with your all!

Let HIM be your strength when all is failing.

Let HIM be your power when the odds seem unsurmountable.

Let HIM be your peace when despair beckons.

Let HIM be your confidence in the midst of your insecurities.

Let God in! Let God work! Go ALL in!

The Vine Of Life

Do not be content to be the lifeless, brittle, dry branch trying to live life your own way & in your own strength & wisdom— invest in your relationship with God & thus connect to the vine of life, Christ, who gives life & fulfillment & strength & joy & love & power to overcome!

He. Gives. LIFE.

Because He Loves Us So!

Remember that giving of our lives to Him is not guided by trying to earn His approval or to “be a good person”, but because we trust Him & His infinite love for us!

The more our life is centered on His love, the more of an outflow we will see of peace, patience, strength, wisdom, love, & confidence as we face the demands of this world.

It is so, so worth it!

But How?

How can you trust Him with more of your life? Here’s some quick tips:

1. Resources: God asks for a mere 10% of everything He provides, called “tithe”, but He challenges us to trust Him with even more. Our ability to work—our intelligence, strength, & natural abilities all come from Him, so offer back a portion to support your church in return. God never leaves you high & dry when you’re being generous for His purposes!
2. Time: Spend time reading the Bible to learn more about who God is & learn to pray throughout your day. Spending consistent time with him along the way will help right your focus/perspective & allow you insight on where you can be a blessing to others. This also allows you a direct lifeline to God’s strength, peace, & wisdom when you need it. He is infinite, so before you stress, ask God for His help! He’s ready & waiting!
3. Energy: Be involved in your church & encouraging others toward hope in Christ. Start a prayer circle for other moms or wives or singles. Volunteer at a nursing home, homeless shelter, or other cause to support & encourage those who are struggling. But remember, don’t just give to earn God’s favor—you already have that! Instead, be bowing your heart before God & asking Him to direct your efforts to the plans He has for you. He made you specifically you, so He knows where His design for you will best fit into His plan to offer hope, love, & light to a hurting world. Listen to His guidance.

Trust God with the Struggle

If you struggle with any of these, don’t forget to pray about it!

I often pray, when I hear a truth that I don’t know how to implement or put my full trust in, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!” Be willing to start there & to ask God to change you in ways that might be needed & ask His insight on how to make it happen.

Not in your wisdom, but His. Not in your strength/power, but HIS.

Bow your heart & any area that needs growth & then ask Him to show you how to grow & make sure to ask for His strength to make it happen! Trust Him—He is worth our all.

Shine Hope, Beautiful!!!!

Coming Next Week

I can’t wait to be with you next Monday morning EST for our next topic of encouragement.

PS. I am by no means perfect, so please pray alongside me that God will continue to grow me for the purposes of being a light to the world. I definitely don’t want to draw people to myself as the source of their hope, but to point them to the only source of true hope–Jesus!! That is my prayer for this blog & for my life. <3

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty

Bombolulu Earrings

These hammered earrings are made from heavy-gauged metal.

Artisan Information:

In Kenya, where many people struggle with starvation & poverty, the women we partner with are defying the odds! Your purchase empowers these women to earn an income, overcome physical disabilities, & become important parts of their communities!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in Kenya!

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

New Year, New Possibilities

This time of year, many of us are excitedly planning for the new year.

Maybe you are setting your New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe, like me, you realize that those resolutions never seem to last further than February, so you are looking to set smaller goals towards those eventual goals.

On Thursday, I talked about the “One Small Change” Challenge. Basically, instead of setting major, vague goals, try taking baby steps toward the accomplishment of those goals (*Check out that post, “One Big Dream-One Small Change,” with suggestions on small change ideas, here.)

Whatever your plans (or lack of plans) for the new year, we all have a carried sense of areas of our life that could use improvement, am I right? I know that I recognize so many in my own life right now, for sure!

And above all, the greatest improvement we can make is to know & love our God more with each passing day, week, month, & year. (*Check out “The Greatest Prayer-To Know & Love God” post, here.)

The Tricky Subject

But wait a minute. This can be a pretty tricky subject.

I am sure, if you are like me, you may have heard many a sermon on “10 Ways to be a Better Christian.”

And maybe, if you’re also like me, you probably had already recognized many of those weaknesses within yourself & upon the sermon’s close, are now riddled with a sense of even greater disappointment & burden.

Sometimes, no matter how much you know you should change or how much you wish to change, you just don’t know HOW to be better, or where to start, or how to change… because your efforts always seem to fall flat.

The Solution We Need

Well, have no fear, because I have found a solution that will ease those fears, shame & worries away, while also bringing about those changes that you see are needed!

As I said, THERE IS HOPE.

God makes it happen-Not you.

Let me explain….

The Book That Unveiled Truth

I read a book a couple years ago, written by Andrew Murray (translated into English), called “Andrew Murray on Prayer”, a collection of his works. 

His words of wisdom changed the ENTIRE course of my life when it comes to failing at change.

COMPLETELY. ENTIRELY.

Mind you, it wasn’t HIS wisdom, but rather his teaching on GOD’S wisdom that forever changed me.

Here’s the magic key. (*Please read his collection for yourself, because he speaks much more eloquently & succinctly than I do!) The magic key is God.

Not on Our Own

Now wait a minute!! We are supposed to be doing these things FOR God… To be BETTER for God…. So how is HE the key to make that happen?

You see, God gave grace for free. We are not asked to now pay off our debt. (*Hint: We can’t!) We are all limited, finite, & prone to weakness & mistakes.

We CAN’T change ourselves on our own.

Only God can.

For God, By God, Through God

Andrew Murray’s writings helped me to see that every time God asks something of us, He includes, “by faith”, “through faith”, “by God”, or “through God,” with His request.

The pattern? When He asks something of us, He doesn’t expect us to measure up to be good enough or strong enough or wise enough or diligent enough to complete the tasks.

He simply asks us to trust HIS “enoughness” to make them happen!

He asks. He provides everything we need to fulfill those requests. And we just do. We let Him be the power, wisdom, & strength behind everything & we just do.

Lay It All Down

So, listen to me with this… Take all of that burden from your tired, aching shoulders, & place it on His.

REST in Him. Choose what is “BETTER“.

The Key–Strive to Know & Love God More & Trust HIM

Remember how I brought up the “Greatest Prayer”—to know & love God?

THAT is the key.

THAT is the key to EVERYTHING.

You see, God doesn’t ask us to take our yoke & then ask Him to help us carry it, with our plans & attempts to be better & good & everything else.

He asks us to take up HIS yoke. His plans, His ways, His goals for us, His path. Not ours.

“Come unto me, all you that labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you, & learn of me; for I am meek & lowly in heart: & you shall find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, & my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

We may mean well & want to please Him, which is an AWESOME thing to desire, but we must learn to desire HIM first & to learn to bow everything else before Him, trusting Him to shape us, guide us, & grow us in His timing, His ways, His wisdom, & HIS POWER.

Be Everything VS Trust God in Everything

I heard a friend share about the Proverbs 31 Woman. (*Some of you are eye-rolling right now, feeling completely lacking compared to this woman we all marvel at, but hear me out.) My friend shared a unique angle I had never heard taught before.

She shared the qualities of the Proverbs 31 Woman in clear detail, covering all of her amazing qualities & characteristics to a group of high school girls.

She finished this discussion with a list of all of them, bulleted plainly, to show all of them.

The girls began furiously taking notes, knowing that they should or wanted to be this type of woman for God.

But then, my friend did something that struck me so powerfully that it has stuck clearly in my heart to this day. She put a giant X through the list & told the class not to write a single word of it down.

What?!

Of course, we all, including myself, looked around, confused. We wanted to please God like that woman! We wanted to prove our dedication & love to Him by learning to emulate the Proverbs 31 Woman. We wanted to be enough for God! We wanted to be good enough.

But then, she followed with words similar to these, “Don’t write down that list. Imagine that list as a bunch of spinning plates. You are trying to balance each plate as it spins, focusing & stressing to keep those plates steady & spinning, all simultaneously. You drop one, two, five. They break.

You feel panicked, trying to measure up, trying to keep going. Trying to be good enough for God. But you keep failing. You are growing more weary. More dejected.

Instead, spin ONE plate—learning to know & love God more every day. Girls, as you strive to do that, God will guide you through everything else.

God doesn’t expect perfection upon salvation. He expects our love & trust in His ability to change & shape us into that woman in His timing. Give yourself grace & trust fully in GOD’S GRACE. He. Is. ENOUGH.”

Wow.

(*And now you know the story that inspired “The Greatest Prayer-To Know & Love God” post.)

The Common Thread

You see, the common thread between Andrew Murray’s writings & my friend’s Bible lesson is letting God be the orchestrator of change in your life.

Don’t strain to be good enough for God. Rest in the fact that God is good enough for you—more than GOOD enough.

Rest in Him. Get to know Him. Learn to love Him more each passing day.

Cross It Out, Lay It Down, Lean into God

So, take your list & cross it out. Or rather, lay it at God’s feet.

Tell Him, “Lord, Father, Almighty God… These are things I know I want to improve, but You know me. You know me better than I know myself. You, God, know how best to lead me. Guide me where YOU want ME to change. And give me wisdom on HOW to change, on steps to take, on where to learn modeled behavior that honors you for THAT area. Give me YOUR strength to make it happen. Give me YOUR power to see it through. You are enough & I trust Your guidance & growth in me, so help me see it through Your way, Your timing, & Your will. AMEN.”

He Is Faithful

One of my goals, for many years, was to read my Bible consistently & not just rely on “tweetable” verses or chapters used in studies I was going through. I knew God was pressing on me to improve in this, but I wasn’t trusting Him with the change or the how.

And today, I will be finishing my last two chapters in Revelation to complete my read through of the Bible for the second time!! And this time, diligently within the year of 2018!

I didn’t read every day & I allowed myself grace. But also, on days where I had a headache or was sick or distracted or busy, where I felt I just couldn’t read that day, I would stop & pray & ask God to give me clarity of thought from distractions or haziness from headaches/colds & ask God to give me strength to stay awake & alert enough to read before bed.

I wouldn’t give up if I didn’t feel His help right away, but would wait & rest in Him, knowing that He would give me the strength & clarity I needed to complete a task which honors Him—knowing Him more.

He always provided. He was faithful to help me make it happen 100% of the time, without fail.

He Provides His

God doesn’t ask us to honor Him with our time & efforts on our OWN strength, power, or wisdom. He provides His.

So, if you have something that you know you need to do that would honor Him, ask for His help in doing it. Don’t exhaust yourself doing it on your own.

He doesn’t ask us to prove our love to Him through tasks. He loves us & because God loves us, when we submit to Him, He offers His power & His wisdom to accomplish what He asks.

Not your ability, but His.

Trust Him. It’s definitely worth it, 100% of the time!!

Let Him be God.

Don’t think about all of the things you should be willing to give up. Think of all the ways He provides: peace, strength, contentment, rest, joy, love, etc.

He. Is. Enough. 100% & beyond.

Through God. By God. For God.

Trust His “enoughness.” Trust His plan. Trust His know-how. Trust His love for you.

Trust His everything.

Coming Next Week

Join me next week, on Monday EST, for some more encouragement!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Truth Earrings

These incredibly light earrings are made with genuine local capiz shell.

Artisan Information:

In the Philippines, finding employment as a woman in poverty can be extremely difficult. Poor working conditions, lack of job security, & unfair pay are often the realities. Through your purchase, these women are receiving an income, health care, & social development programs. This allows these women to realize their potential & pursue their dreams in a safe environment. You have the opportunity to change lives!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in the Philippines!

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

Know It. Believe It. Stand Firm in It.

As we draw nearer to Christmas, I think it’s important to know the things God says we can count on Him for.

Hard times, stress, grief, & other areas of strain do not take a break for Christmas, so we need to be prepared to know how to lean on the One who is above it all.

I am not ignorant of living in stress or anxiety. It can be easy for me to allow that pair to rule my life, if I let them.

And sometimes they seem to scream at me to let them rule me.

But God gives us promises that we can lean on & stand firm in in any situation, so I think it’s important to remind ourselves of those Truths constantly & daily.

Not Like Ours… BETTER

You see, God’s promises are not like ours.

We are fickle. We forget. We change our minds. We sometimes hold grudges & act accordingly (whether we intend to or not).

We are fallible. We are limited.

But God is not. He is infallible & unlimited.

He is also faithful, kind, patient, & He totally & completely loves us regardless of whether we think we are deserving.

He is steadfast. He is all-knowing & never forgets anything past, present, or future. He doesn’t go back on a promise. He doesn’t act out of spite, but always out of love.

When God gives us a promise, listen up carefully, because it will be something we can “take to the bank”, as the saying goes. In other words, we mustn’t read His promises as if they are something that COULD happen, but rather, something that WILL DEFINITELY happen.

He keeps His Word. Period.

Just Say No. And Trust God.

So, when Satan tries to bash you with lies & overwhelm you with doubts & fears & hurt & anger & bitterness & etc. etc. etc., turn to God’s Truth so you know how to knock each blow with an effective block.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13) (Emphasis added.)

(*Check out the rest of Ephesians 6 to know what God says when He mentions the “full armor of God”.–God provides everything we need when we’re trusting in Him!!)

Know His Word… And Pray

This is one reason why knowing God’s Word is so incredibly valuable for us. Knowing God’s Word makes us stronger because we can stand firm in Truth. We don’t have to waver.

We don’t have to doubt. We aren’t easily knocked down.

Knowing His Word is so important!

But be careful to also be spending time talking with God & growing a personal relationship with Him, through prayer. (*Read more about “The Greatest Prayer-To Know & Love God” in last week’s post, here!)

If you remember, the devil even tried to tempt Jesus using God’s Word! (*Read that account in Matthew 4.) It obviously didn’t work, but it’s a lesson to us that simply knowing the Truth is not enough. We need to also be spending time with God in prayer, growing in understanding & discernment.

(*Read more about what prayer actually accomplishes, here.)

Let’s Remember Some Promises We Can Stand On

So, this week, I am going to be spending some time sharing about some of the promises of God so that we can stand firm against the lies of this world. (Lies are always authored by the devil.)

God is the author of Truth, so let’s check out a few of the things He has to tell us.

There are so many promises I could touch on today, but for the sake of brevity, I will only touch on a few.

This week, I will share about God’s sovereignty as well as His promises to:

1. Heal the broken-hearted
2. Be our refuge & our strength
3. Give wisdom to those who seek Him
4. Be our “Enough”
5. Redeem us at our worst

God Is Sovereign

God’s Sovereignty runs through everything we are talking about today, because simply put, He is ENOUGH. He is our All in all. He is our Creator, Sustainer, & Redeemer. He is Beginning & End. What He says, goes. He is the Author of Truth & Life & Love & HOPE. He. Is. GOD.

And so, in everything we talk about today (& every day), we can rest confident that what God says will happen, every single time, no matter what, always. Nothing can thwart Him.

He IS.

As Colossians 1:17 aptly puts it, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

(*If you want a *One Page* summary of verses to describe *God’s Sovereignty*, check out this post by All About God, here. **Disclaimer, I have not checked the legitimacy of Truth on this entire site, but this page is legit & Scripture-soaked in goodness!)

God Heals the Broken-Hearted

So, for our first promise to cover for today, God tells us that, among other things, one mission of His is to bind up/heal the broken-hearted.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;….” (Isaiah 61:1) (emphasis added)

He doesn’t just want to simply help you cover up old wounds, He wants to bring healing. He CAN bring healing.

He is in the business of restoration.

So, let Him, Darling One.

If you have an ache that can’t be soothed, a scar that cannot seem to stop mocking you, or a grief big or small, God sees you. He sees your hidden hurting.

And He loves you so much.

Let Him Heal… Lean Into Him

Do you feel Him beckoning you into His arms? It’s not your imagination. He is not a figment of your imagination. He is real & He is faithful & He is calling to heal you.

He comes to us to heal our broken hearts & to refresh & renew us after big hurts (& little ones), as we let Him.

He knows you deeply, inside & out. He loves you the same way.

So, if that describes you (even for those background, nagging hurts that you try to convince yourself aren’t there or that you can “handle them.”), lean into Him & ask for His healing.

Don’t put all the weight of that burden on yourself, Darling. Dump it in His willing, loving, able arms & let Him wrap you up in comfort & love & healing.

God Is Our Refuge & Our Strength

This carries into our second promise to cover in this post, from Psalm 46:1-3, 7:

“God is our refuge & strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar & be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah…
… The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah” (Emphasis added.)

Not only does God promise to heal our hurts, He also promises to be a refuge for us in times of troubles.

When we fear, when we tremble, when we worry… We can lean into Him & count on Him because He Is Enough.

He Gives Perfect Wisdom

Promise number three for today is that God gives wisdom to those who seek Him for it.

Matthew 7:7-8 says: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Emphasis added.)

And James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Emphasis added.)

When faced with trials, temptation, anxiety, etc., we can always turn to God for the best answers to our questions.

We must remember that this does not mean asking God to confirm what we already want to believe, so we may feel justified in our own wisdom, but rather to lay aside our earthly wisdom in exchange for His Perfect Truth & Wisdom.

Do you want actual truth? Or do you just want validation to believe what you want to believe?

As says Isaiah 55, “His ways our higher than our ways.” We must learn to lay our wisdom down in exchange for asking God to fill us with His unfailing wisdom.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways
and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9) (Emphasis added.)

His Word never fails. We can count on it. It’s worth the trade a million times over to exchange our will & way for His. Every time.

So, seek His wisdom. Seek TRUTH. And you WILL find it in Him. Keep ASKING!

His “Enoughness”

Promise number 4 really puts everything into perspective. Stress, anxiety, fear… all of it cannot stand up to the “Enoughness” of God.

He is Sufficient. In EVERYTHING.

With every command or instruction He gives, it comes with His power to make it happen.

He doesn’t expect us to become super humans or decrepit slaves in order to obey Him.

He showers us with grace, lavishes love upon us, calls us forgiven & redeemed, & THEN gives us everything we need in order to accomplish anything He asks.

What an awesome deal!!!

And what does He ask? Well, He says that every commandment hinges on just two…

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your mind. This is the first & greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law & the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40) (Emphasis added.)

You see, so many of us get stressed out & wiped out simply by trying to be enough in everything, all the time.

We fail. We fall. And we despair.

We try harder. We try to be better. We fall again.

Some grow numb to serving God simply to protect themselves. While others tirelessly keep working in an effort to ever improve in this cycle.

But God is Enough. Not us. We aren’t meant to be enough. Because He IS.

“Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life & godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory & virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great & precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:2-4) (Emphasis added.)

God is enough. His power is able.

Don’t rush around trying to be the “enough” that you need so desperately. Rest in HIS.

He Redeems

And last, but certainly not least, He promises us the greatest promise of all….

…”if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord & believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes & is justified, & with the mouth one confesses & is saved.” (Romans 10:9) (Emphasis added.)

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

The best Christmas gift you can ever receive is Jesus Christ.

He fills you. He fulfills you. He comforts you. He heals you. He gives you peace & rest. He provides strength. He gives His power to do every good work. He is your ENOUGH. He loves you with everlasting, abiding, unwavering, tenacious love. He never gives up on you. He forgives. He renews. He loves. He is faithful. His promises are Truth.

So, bow your heart, Beautiful One & let Him in.

Merry Christmas!!

Coming Next Week

Make sure to check back next week on Monday morning EST for more encouragement. Love you, Lady!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear 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!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives. These pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Petal Necklace (& Petal Stud Earrings)

This cubic zirconia floral pendant hangs from an antique golden chain & pairs perfectly with the Petal Stud Earrings.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! 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 this piece and empower a woman in India!

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