Growing & Learning Together

I always try to consider you, the reader, as a friend sitting across from me in the living room, sharing how God is working in our lives.

Not me as the “expert” & you as the “learner,” but as both of us growing & learning together on this journey called LIFE.

The Conversation Starter

There’s a friend of mine from college who used to lead conversation in such a life-changing way almost every time we’d hang out. (If you’re that friend—Thank you! It really encouraged me.)

Every time we would get lunch or meet for games or hang out in any way, he would always ask, “What has God been teaching you lately?”

Such a simple question, that undoubtedly sent me into a nervous frenzy of feeling put on the spot with nothing prepared… but over time, I came to pay more attention, intentionally, about where God was growing me, how He was leading/guiding me, & what He was teaching me… so I would be prepared when I was asked again next time.

Growing Encouraging Awareness

Because of this simple conversation starter, I grew in my AWARENESS of God’s working in my life, making it easier & easier to answer that question each time we met up, & almost always leading to an uplifting & encouraging conversation that led to constant reminders about how big & great & loving God really is.

So, I want to ask you today: “What has God been teaching YOU lately?”

(Maybe this should become a new weekly social media prompt…?)

Growing Your Faith Muscles Together

I really recommend meeting weekly with either a younger woman you would like to mentor (ie. go alongside in life, encouraging her & pointing her to God in all the highs & lows of life, praying together) or meeting with an older woman you feel would be a great mentor for YOU in the same way (or BOTH!).

Both have the potential to encourage you in many great & unseen ways!

It’s also a great idea to agree on an accountability partner with a woman who is more of a peer, encouraging one another to pray, seek God, learn the Bible, & so much more to grow your faith muscles together.

Accountability Questions

Here is the list of Accountability Questions my friend & I aim to ask each other & then discuss together each week:

(There is no magical set of questions & there are so many other options, but not knowing where to start, I prayed over how to be intentional in our conversation & these are what came to my mind personally, as a result.)

1. What is something you are grateful to God for this week?
2. What has God been teaching you over the last couple weeks?
3. What have you been reading in the Bible recently & did you learn anything specific from it?
4. What is one area you want to be growing in spiritually?
5. Is there something you would like me to help you stay accountable in?
6. What would you like me to be praying for?
7. (Then we take turns praying for each other.)

Let’s Grow Together!

Imagine a world where we all lifted each other up INTENTIONALLY & REGULARLY, by helping each other to remember to always seek God’s help, comfort, wisdom, strength, courage, peace, love, assurance, stability, guidance, etc. in every area of life!

Considering the pandemic, restrictions, isolation, sickness, death, political tensions, & everything else going on in this world right now, what I find myself longing for most is more friendships that always remind me to lean into God’s strength, comfort, peace, & Truth.

It’s easy to complain & try to ignore it, but how beautiful it is when we can come together, lift each other up, support each other, & always be pointing to our one & only TRUE source of HOPE—God Almighty, through the support & guidance of the Holy Spirit & the clean slate forgiveness, mercy, & grace offered freely to us by Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.

Always Point to HIM

Let’s be intentional, through this stormy season in life, to lift each other up by remembering to always point to Him.

Have a chat with friends & ask questions that remind them to be AWARE of God’s love & power… & let’s keep that on the forefront of our minds through every storm we face together.

God’s got us! Let’s shine HOPE by intentionally & always pointing our friends to Him as our always-answer in everything big & small.

Please consider passing on some encouragement to me &/or anyone else who may read this, by answering one or all of the Accountability Questions in the comments below… or maybe ask a question of your own that will help us remember to seek Him right now! (Or, feel free to send me an email so we can chat!)

RESOURCE SUGGESTION:

My friend & I are currently working through the tiny but impactful book, “Sit, Walk, Stand,” by Watchman Nee.

This book walks through the Christian life.

“Sit” starts us off by helping us remember God’s DONE: God (Creation-God made it all), Jesus Christ (Redemption-Jesus paid it all), & the Holy Spirit (Sanctification-gives us all we need to live for God with strength, comfort, peace, wisdom, etc.!) “Walk” then moves into how our position with “SIT” affects our Christian life & “Stand” shows how this same Truth affects our ability to stand against the enemy (Satan).

Check it out & consider going through it with a friend who wants to grow their faith muscles!

Find it on Amazon.com, here, or Thriftbooks.com, here.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Nairobi Necklace from Kenya

Small hammered ovals & ethically sourced bone shapes adorn this golden necklace that shimmers in the light. Crafted in Kenya.

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!

How You Can Help:

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

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

I Believed a Lie

Why did it take me most of my life to read my Bible consistently, although I trusted in Jesus when I was still a child?

Aside from being naïve to the fact that I could ask for & receive help from God when I didn’t feel like reading (whether from stubborn rebellion, sickness, bad attitude, distractions, lack of time, not wanting to “be told what to do,” etc.) was this subtle lie that has misguided me on countless occasions… All or NOTHING.

I Didn’t Know I Was Believing a Lie

It wasn’t until recently, in the last few years, that I began to even recognize this as a lie or that it was even something I actually believed without being aware of it, which is why it is so important to pray often the much-quoted biblical prayer, “Lord, search me & know me. See if there be any wicked way in me,” (Psalm 139:23-24) because sometimes we’re so fooled that we don’t even realize we’re living based on a lie.

I certainly was…. It made sense to me.

What Is the Lie?

So, what do I mean by it? What is the “All or Nothing” lie?

Quite simply what it sounds like…. Satan convincing us or us convincing ourselves that if we can’t do it all… then we can or should do nothing.

The “All or Nothing” Lie

Do any of these sound familiar to you? They’re all things I have reasoned in my own mind many more times than I care to admit.

“I don’t have time to read 3-4 chapters a night to accomplish reading the Bible in a year. It’s just too much to commit to. It overwhelms me… so I am going to stop reading.”

“I don’t have the time nor the focus to sit still & pray for 30 minutes to an hour. It’s just too much for my attention span to handle! So I won’t take time to pray.”

“I can’t complete all of these lessons for the ladies’ Bible study because I have been busy… so I’ll just not go to the study group at all this week.”

“I can’t possibly solve the world poverty problem & every time I buy something that supports artisans working to be empowered out of poverty, it reminds me of the much greater need & it stresses me out… so I am going to stop buying that stuff.”

“I overeat sometimes, binging on junk food, so I am just going to quit trying to taking care of the body God has designed for & given to me because my failures discourage me too much.”

I Didn’t See It for What It Was

Do you see the pattern in those statements… that if I can’t do it to my expectations, I should just not do it?

Well, for so SO long, I DIDN’T see that pattern at all & I still struggle to recognize it for what it is sometimes.

These reasonings made sense to me. I couldn’t live up to the expectations others put before me (or the ones I placed upon myself after seeing that particular honorable habit modeled in someone else’s life) so I would just not do it at all anymore.

And so often, that’s exactly how Satan operates. Satan likes to convince us that because we can’t do it BIG, we shouldn’t do it at all.

But instead, what if we FIRST asked for God’s help for a starting point & also help in sticking with it… & just start SOMEWHERE with SOMETHING, even if it’s small!

Flipping the Script… Turn it to “All or SOMETHING”

When discouraged that you can’t keep up, try saying instead:

“I don’t feel like I have time or focus or energy to read that much of the Bible at a time, just starting out or for the season of life I am in… but I know that any that I CAN read will benefit me AND honor God, so I will read just a little every day & ask for God’s help in sticking with even that.”

“I don’t feel I can commit that much uninterrupted time praying, but I know that God hears me whether using the restroom, showering, laying in bed, driving, etc. So, I will ask God to remind me consistently to come to Him first in all things big & small for help, leaning into Him through all the highs & lows of life & coming to Him for all requests & praises when it crosses my mind. Any prayer will benefit me & honor God, so I will make a point to at least PRAY in the small moments I get.”

“I don’t feel I can complete my lessons this week for Bible Study, but I will ask God for timing & focus & motivation to do at least what I can of it & if I still fall flat, I will show up anyway knowing that the fellowship will lift me up & the conversation will remind me to come to Him in anything.”

“I can’t solve world poverty/starvation problems, but I can help as God presents me with opportunity. Even a small help is a big help to the person it benefits. So, I will ask God to help me see what my part is & be ready to follow His lead in that part & leave the rest in His hands, praying for those who still suffer.”

“I struggle taking care of my body consistently because of gluttony, versus seeking that fulfillment & satisfaction from God. So, I will ask God for forgiveness & that He help me keep doing little GOOD things for my body even when I fail sometimes.”

Where Have You Believed the Lie of “All or Nothing”?

What examples can you add to those above? Where are you believing the lie that because you can’t do it the way you feel you “should,” that you should just not do it at all?

Where do you need to just START, even if just a little at a time… & where do you need to ask God for help in doing even that small thing?

Shine hope. Start small & let God help you grow as you go.

SUGGESTED RESOURCE:

Something that helped wake me up to this “All or Nothing” lie is the itty bitty book, “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. This short book shows the perspective of demons conversing with one another, deliberating how they might deceive the person they seek to destroy. It was eye-opening & helped teach me to pray for discernment far more often than I was beforehand. Check it out on Amazon, here, or Thriftbooks.com, here.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Anika Earrings

These silver-plated hammered Anika Earrings are made in India where they get their name from an ancient Sanskrit word meaning “grace & favor”. Add some fun to your wardrobe with these lightweight statement earrings!

Artisan Information:

Women in India still face widespread discrimination that often leads to poverty & exploitation. Your purchase provides opportunities for women to earn sustainable income through creative expression as fair-trade Artisans.

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

How You Can Help:

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

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

Favorite Ornament

My favorite ornament on our tree every year is a cross. We are always careful to place it near the top, at eye level, front & center….

The Ending That Stuck with Me

Over a decade ago, my family (parents & siblings) went to see the Christmas Nativity Sight & Sound production in Pennsylvania. (If you have not had the enormous pleasure of seeing one of their shows, put it on your bucket list for sure! Live animals, wrap-around stage, & wonderful re-enactments of the true stories of Scripture. Both Inspiring & Beautiful.)

Not only was the entirety of that Christmas Nativity performance moving & spectacular, the ending is what stuck with me all these many years later.

As the performance came to a close, the lights dimmed… & shown in the backdrop, illuminated, was a CROSS.

I will never forget it.

Reflections This Christmas

In the production’s retelling of Jesus’ birth: the virgin Mary, visited by the angel & told of the child she would carry, placed in her by God Almighty… her fiancé Joseph who honorably chose to put Mary away quietly rather than have her stoned for “infidelity” & who was then also visited by an angel of God & told that the child Mary carried was the Son of the Most High God & would someday save the world from their sins… the traveling to fulfill the king’s command… the inn where there was no room… the stable-like cave they were placed in as Mary gave birth to our Savior… the angels who sang & announced to the lowly shepherds the arrival of God-come-as-man for all mankind… the wise men who travelled far, offering gifts of honor….

And for them to end the whole re-telling of the first Christmas with an illuminated cross as the backdrop sent me sobbing to myself in my seat.

Christmas Grace, Christmas Mercy, Christmas LOVE

This precious, sweet infant Jesus… God in flesh… He came willingly to earth so He could love us in person & display His truth & mercy & grace & LOVE… knowing He ALSO came to die… for us

And this was God’s plan all along.

… Not just since the first Christmas, but since BEFORE TIME. God ALWAYS knew that Jesus would come as man & live as Emmanuel “God with us” to eventually die in our place to make us right with God.

What mercy! What grace! What wonderful LOVE!

The Struggle Is REAL

There are so many things struggling for our attention during this season:  Christmas cards (our close friends & family are getting ‘New Year cards’ this year, haha), cookie-baking, caroling, shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, cleaning, planning, parties, church services, driving to see the lights, & all the hustle & bustle of the holidays.

But one must take the time to quiet their heart & remember…

The Most Wonderful Gift Can’t be Bought

Remember the beautiful gift of Jesus Who willingly came to pay for our sins on the cross.

He was God-with-us. He was the most impactful, life-changing, life-sacrificing, LOVING gift we will ever receive on any Christmas for all time. He topped the charts… ALL the charts.

So, take a moment right now to close your eyes & take a few deep, slow breaths… quiet your heart & mind from all the crazy going on around you… & thank Him. Let your heart feel the blessing that is JESUS.

My Christmas Prayer

“Lord, we don’t deserve You. I mean, we are sometimes SO BUSY that it’s hard to even remember that You’re still with us. Thank You for coming… for giving us a JOYFUL & beautiful reason to celebrate this season. You are such a loving gift to us. We can get so wrapped up in everything this season has become & miss the most beautiful, life-changing part. Help our hearts to take some time to reflect on You & to express our gratitude & to somehow point to You & give You the glory You so rightly deserve during this holiday season. THANK YOU. Thank You that Your immense love for us demanded that You rescue us. You couldn’t bear to leave us to ourselves because Your love for us is so complete & all-consuming. You ARE love. Thank You that despite how often we disregard or disrespect You, whether stubbornly intentional or naively unaware… You still love us so fiercely & Your love for us cannot be drowned out by anything. How deep, how wide, & how GREAT Your love for us is. Thank You for this Christmas & all it means to me & to all of us. THANK YOU. Amen.”

Merry Christmas!

These are my reflections this Christmas as I seek to remember the reason we all have to celebrate Christmas this year & every year to come! Amen!

Merry Christmas Beautiful! I pray that you realize just how much He loves you & is always with you, no matter what. He loves you so much!

Shine HOPE this Christmas by pointing to Him as your hope & joy this holiday. <3

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Northern Lights Studs (India)

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

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!

How You Can Help:

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

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

Trying to Find My Place

Have you ever felt like you don’t measure up to anyone else’s expectations?

Do you ever feel like the oddball? Or is it just me…?

Maybe you feel too loud… or too quiet.

Maybe your interests don’t seem to line up with anyone else’s & you feel like you don’t quite “fit in” anywhere?

Maybe you never were that good at sports or maybe you lack a green thumb or maybe your craft DIY projects look more like a 3-year old who got into the craft supplies.

Maybe everyone else seems to mingle with ease, while you stuff your face with whatever food they have to offer, sitting as far away from the awkward social interactions as possible. (*coughdonethatcough*)

Have you ever felt like the “ugly duckling” of the group? Like you don’t fit in & don’t measure up & just don’t belong anywhere?

I have. Oh, I have.

I grew up feeling super shy. I know, some of you may not believe that, but boy is it true!

I was so desperate to fit in & “belong.”

“Do You Like Me? Check Yes or No.”

I remember being in 4^th grade & I felt so ashamed that I didn’t have a crush on anyone because that seemed to be the talk of every girl on the playground, so I picked a guy at random whom I thought was cute & would “gush” about him so I would feel part of the normal girl crowd.

Lame, I know.

Don’t worry… On the last day of school, since I no longer would have a playground circle of girls discussing their current crushes… I wrote him a note that said I decided I didn’t like him anymore.

OUCH, I know… but honestly, I think he was probably quite relieved because boy were my “love” notes LAME. “Do you like me? Check yes or no.” He ALWAYS checked NO… or more like circled it several times, highlighted it, & drew several arrows toward it. (Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but sadly too close to reality, haha.)

My Super Power Is Being Socially Awkward

Maybe you’re thinking, “Well Michelle, that was 4th grade. EVERYONE was awkward at that age.” Well, I wish I could say it stopped back then.

It’s ridiculous the things we can do to be liked, isn’t it? And trust me, the examples of mine did NOT end in 4^th grade, although I REALLY wish I could honestly say that they did.

A majority of my most embarrassing moments, which I can usually laugh about now, were due to me just trying too dang hard to be liked by everyone else.

“Please Like Me!!”

Even my dating years consisted of me trying tirelessly to be the “perfect” girlfriend while trying to NEVER assert my own opinions or feelings, afraid to be considered too much of a burden.

I kept my real self locked away & I tried to be everything they could ever want: flirty, fun, supportive, good listener, funny, laughing at their jokes, agreeing with everything, trying to match my interests to theirs, wanting so badly to just be accepted & wanted, not realizing I wasn’t even giving them a fair chance to do so, locking the real me away.

The silly things we do to be loved. And wanted.

Trying Too Hard

I used to hear things about God’s love for me & never really got it. I would hear that my “identity is in Him & not in me trying to be enough.” I didn’t know what that meant either.

A majority of my life can be summed up by me trying to be what I thought everyone wanted or expected from me… always feeling like I never quite got it right.

Basically, the phrase “trying too hard” was an accurate summary of my life.

It makes people uncomfortable when they can tell you’re trying too hard. And yet, I didn’t feel I was good enough on my own & was always over-compensating.

The Things We Do to be Liked

Maybe you read this & think, “Michelle, you are exaggerating… I have NEVER felt this way about you!” Well, thanks for lying… haha… but really, some of you may be thinking, “Oh yeah, I definitely have gotten that vibe from you. This explains so much.”

But, while I still struggle with insecurity & feeling like I fit in sometimes, I have grown SO MUCH in this area because of one beautiful & simple thing… I started understanding those 2 things I mentioned about God & how that impacts where I “FIT.”

Where We Stand with God

I think a lot of us who grow up in church take for granted “churchy” phrases they may have heard their whole lives, while never really grasping their significance or even their meaning, while those who don’t know Jesus just have no clue, period.

So, let’s take some time to hopefully remind us all, including awkward, lovely me, where we stand with God… to hopefully help us overcome this strong, pulling desire to be liked, wanted, & to fit in with those around us.

How Do We KNOW God Loves Us?

Let’s start at the beginning… the before-the-world-even-BEGAN, beginning. Our Alpha & Omega God.

God knew He was going to make you even then. He knew all the ways you would fail, in the small & big things. He knew. And yet, not only did His plan to make you remain, but He also made sure there would be a plan in place, through Jesus coming to die on our behalf & rise again victorious, to make you right before God again & restore that relationship FOR you. Our Creator, Redeemer God.

Then He made Earth, full of beauty & all you would need to survive, sustaining you & helping you to live a life of JOY. Beautiful sights to behold: sunsets, waterfalls, flowers, animals, stars, oceans, mountains, fish, birds… Smells that delight the senses… Textures that comfort, relax, refresh, invigorate… Sounds that soothe, uplift, encourage, comfort, surprise… Tastes that make you mmmmmmmm. He made all that possible for you to enjoy. Yes, it is broken by sin, but there is still SO MUCH beauty to enjoy. Our Wise, Creative & Lavishing-of-Love God.

How Do We Determine Our TRUE Identity?

Then He made YOU, individual, unique, crafted by hand, knit together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16), designed by GOD. He made not only humanity, but YOU… specifically YOU. Your identity is wrapped up in the fact that He made you with a design & a purpose that He worked out for you ahead of time & that you will discover more as you lean into His guidance & lead… Our Creator & Father God.

AND, He sent Jesus to die on your behalf, before you were even born, so that when you realized your need for Him, He would be ready with open arms to welcome you home… Jesus having paid the price of your rebellion & mistakes & all you have to do is ACCEPT that gift to you. Your identity is wrapped up in His grace for you, paying your debt & making you whole once more. Our Redeemer, Rescuer God.

With You Every Step of Life

AND, He had the Bible written for you. His Word. To us. Instructions, advice, & a story laced throughout with love & redemption for a people prone to wander. A people like you & me. His grace is His message (John 11:25). We can TRUST His Word & OBEY it because it was ALL meant to show us what is the BEST of life. A life lived with trusting love for our All-Knowing, All-Wise, LOVING God.

AND, He doesn’t stop there. He HELPS you with that plan He has just for you… your unique story, written by God. He offers His GRACE. He offers His wisdom & strength & hope & peace & love & joy & guidance & He makes a way. He is MASTER of the IMPOSSIBLE. He turns ashes to beauty (Isaiah 61:3) & He works ALL THINGS together for the GOOD of those who love Him & are trusting His way (Romans 8:28). Our Author, Sustainer, Helping God.

The Grand Splendor Awaits!

And when you die, if you have but accepted God’s fully paid for grace, through Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf, you are welcomed with OPEN ARMS into a place called Heaven, where there is no more death, no more tears, & no more sadness or grief (Revelation 21:4). A place full of wonder & awe, praising this all-powerful God who loves us so incredibly much. Our King of kings, Lord of lords GOD.

And that is why you can accept His love for you & trust that He’s got you. Because it’s not based at all on whether you are good enough, but that HE IS.

Far Beyond Understanding, But Fulfilling Beyond Words

He LOVES you beyond anything we can ever understanding & so far outside anything another person could try to mimic. He sees you completely, past & present, hidden & revealed, pride & shame, EVERYTHING… & He says, “I love you. Come to me.”

How much FREEDOM this gives us! Hallelujah!

I don’t have to be what I think others want of me… I just have to be who God MADE me to be… & if I don’t know what that is because my whole perception of myself is built up around what others have expected or told me… trauma & fears… & all my mistakes… I (& you) can go to Him & ASK HIM.

Asking God How HE Made Me

“God, I don’t know how you made me, to be honest. This person says I need to be like this & culture says I need to be like that. Friends all do this & society seems to believe this… I don’t know what’s true about me anymore. I DON’T KNOW WHO I AM. God, please show me. If You MADE me, then ONLY YOU would really know who I am & who I am meant to be. Help me sift through the lies. Help me to see the truth… Your design. Help me know how to trust You. Help me see the me You made me to be. I am tired of always trying to live up to everything. It’s exhausting & confusing & feels so fake. Help me know the truth. Set me free from expectations. Help me have the confidence to stand on who YOU say I am & not need anyone or anything else to define me or give me my worth. Help me, please, Father, Creator, Loving GOD. Help me. I love you. AMEN.”

I prayed that more times than I can count growing up. I got so tired of the game to fit in. I didn’t know who I was. I was lost & tired of holding up the façade I thought others expected from me.

I URGE YOU… pray similarly. If you have resonated with a single thing I’ve said today… pray that prayer.

His Word & Design Trump ALL ELSE

Let HIM shape you. Let HIS design define you. Let HIS love for you, a love that could never be used up or exhausted, let it FILL YOU.

You don’t need to impress me because the God who made you is so overwhelmed with love for you that He made you, knowing you’d leave Him, set a plan in place to redeem you, & has a story written singularly just for you, WITH HIS HELP as you lean into Him, all wrapped in His love, strength, hope, joy, grace, wisdom, understanding, & power.

He’s got you, babe. Oh, how He’s got you!

Stand in Confidence!

Let Him love you & then shine His grace to this hurting, bleeding world. It’s THE most valuable use of life to shout the praises of the One who made the world, saved the world, & loves it in His infinite grace, welcoming us all to come & accept His beautiful design & to dismiss the rest of that mess in which we tend to cling to so tightly.

He’s got you.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Bombolulu Earrings from Kenya

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!

How You Can Help:

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

Your purchases not only help these women, but my commissions allow me to continue encouraging women all around the world with the HOPE we have in Jesus. Win win!

Enjoying God

Enjoying God has been pretty hard for me in the past, thinking of God mainly as a rule-giving dictator, BUT over the last year, in praying & asking God to help me know & love Him more, God has been illuminating this idea of “Enjoying God” in my heart, making the richness of all He has done for & continues to do for me (& you) every day become more obvious & clear in the day-to-day of my life.

Way Beyond the Practical

A few weeks ago, I talked about God’s creation & how He went WAY beyond the practical to make His creation beautiful & diverse in color, taste, texture, smell, size, shape, sound, etc…. Such amazingly inspiring diversity for us to ENJOY!

AND, before humans were even created, He had already formed the land & separated the seas & made the sky with all its stars, moon, & sun. He made the seasons & formed the plants & birds & animals & everything we would need to survive & thrive… He had it ALL done & ready before He made us.

His Plan All Along–To Redeem Us

And as I mentioned last week… God KNOWING, before creating us, that we would choose to distrust Him & thus rebel against Him, He also worked into His design a way for our redemption, through Jesus. Even that was DONE for us.

We were born with a way of healing, forgiveness, & redemption… a way back to Him… already in place, before we could even have the chance to even make our first poor or selfish decision. What GRACE!!

We Were Meant to Leave That Up to God

When we were made, we weren’t made to carry all of the heavy burdens of the world… we were meant to leave that up to God & to enjoy & tend to the work God had already DONE.

When we wronged God, we weren’t meant to struggle under the strain of making ourselves right with God, never quite accomplishing it & always falling short, straining & hurting to save ourselves… we were meant to leave that up to God as well, through Jesus, & to enjoy the richness of His great love & forgiveness & mercy.

We are MADE to ENJOY GOD.

That is how we give Him the most glory… by ENJOYING HIM.

We do this by resting in what He accomplished in HIS power & resting in what HE can do to help us as we lean into Him & obey Him, asking for HIS power.

DONE At Creation… & DONE At the Cross.

And so, we can praise Him & thank Him for all He has made for us to enjoy, from the tiny dandelion to the fluttering butterfly to the vibrant sunset to the crashing waves to the feel of rain on our skin during a hot day to the taste of a delicious favorite meal.

And still, we can praise Him & thank Him that even when we fell & fall short, the work has been completed for us already on the cross. We can come back, running with full assurance that He will forgive & extend to us all the richness of His confounding grace & mercy & LOVE.

When we have nothing, but we have Him… we have EVERYTHING.

He Fills Everything We Lack As We Learn to Lean into Him in All Things in Life

Not easy, but better… Fulfillment, peace, reconciliation, wisdom, grace, forgiveness, understanding, patience, mercy, open-armed love. We have HIM through all the hard.

And I would rather have hard times with Him than good times with ANYTHING else, because nothing else can offer me those things the way that He so completely & fully CAN.

Other things we lean on for hope may seem to promise a lot, but they never seem to be enough… Where, with God, it’s quite the opposite… He may not seem like He could ever be enough, but He delivers A LOT more than we can ever hope or even imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

That’s something worth living for. HE’S Someone worth living for.

Because His work, His creation, & His redemption… His DONE… allows me to ENJOY Him.

Enjoying God Gives God Glory

I stumbled on these quotes that echo this whole idea of learning to enjoy God as a means to give Him glory… to learn just how rich His love & blessings really are so that we can naturally draw others to find TRUE & lasting HOPE that will change their lives for the better & for all eternity!

“The entire human race was created to glorify God & to enjoy Him forever.” -Oswald Chambers

“In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him. Fully to enjoy is to glorify.” -C.S. Lewis

“To serve God, to love God, to enjoy God is the sweetest freedom in the world.” -Thomas F. Wilson

I hope these quotes echo a sweet call to your heart to seek to know & love God more, to trust His love & grace & DONE work so well that you naturally learn to ENJOY GOD.

His Words, Not Just Mine

Take a moment to read through these reminders from God’s Word that remind us of all the things we have to truly be thankful for & to rest in Him & to ENJOY GOD. (All emphasis mine.)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

“You [God] will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

“This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, Who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

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

“But He [Jesus] was pierced for our transgressions,
    He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,
    & by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in Him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    & never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Timothy 6:17)

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy & find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, & the love of God, & the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

To Know & Love Him More

Don’t be content in considering God to be a demanding dictator, but consider Him to be a trustworthy & Almighty God who always knows best & in all He does, considers what is for our best.

Be daring enough that when you seek to OBEY God (in trusting love), that you also seek to KNOW & LOVE Him MORE (Link: “How to Know & Love God More”) & as you learn to enjoy God more, you will crave to seek Him all the more because you begin to discover that not only can you trust Him… He also LOVES you & LAVISHES His richness on you because of that overwhelming love He has for you.

Shine HOPE by enjoying God & by always asking God to help you to know & love Him more (Link: “The Greatest Prayer-To Know & Love God More”) every single day.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Grace Earrings

These earrings feature gold plated metal around 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!

How You Can Help:

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

Why Enjoying God Matters

As promised, I wanted to revisit this idea of “Enjoying God.”

Last week, I shared how unusual a concept it always was for me to “enjoy God.” I had always heard other words lumped with God… like, “obey God.”

And while obeying God is very important (& VALUABLE to us), if we neglect the idea of ENJOYING God while instructing others to obey God, we are missing a huge chunk of the WHY we obey God… not that we obey Him to get what we want from Him, but that His commands are always meant to benefit us & that’s why He instructs us in the ways that He does.

Way Beyond the Practical

So, today I want to revisit this concept that we dove into a couple weeks ago, where I shared about the many ways God reveals His love to us in the world around us aka His creation.

God lavishes on us in so many unnecessary ways, ways that go way beyond the practical. For example, He didn’t just create one type of plant, in one shape & color & size for the purpose of providing oxygen to us, but MANY types of plants in MANY shapes & MANY colors & MANY sizes. (& even different scents!) And that’s just the plants!

All we have to do is look up to see the sky in all its many beautiful colors & always-changing designs, to see how God goes above & beyond the practical to reveal His love for us.

God WANTS us to enjoy His many blessings that He has made for us!

He Makes It Personal

But today, I want to talk about something that isn’t just about enjoying God through the beauty & wonder of His creation, but enjoying God on a much deeper level–a personal level.

He knows you… & I mean KNOWS you. He created you & knows every little thing there IS to know about you… even the subconscious things you can’t or won’t admit to yourself whether you are unaware or are hiding from scars. He KNOWS you… And He LOVES you.

He loves you so much that although He knew you would rebel against Him & go your own way (even when we do day-to-day thinking we’re good enough on our own), He planned a way to redemption through His Son Jesus & He made you anyway, even with such a high price to win you back. He LOVES you.

And He WANTS you to ENJOY that great & faithful & gracious & WONDERFUL love that He has for you! So let’s talk about it.

Sit, Walk, Stand… Let’s Sit First

If you finish this blog post & think, “I want MORE of this topic,” please check out the short book, “Sit, Walk, Stand,” by Watchman Nee, which you can find on Amazon (for about $6 at the time of me writing this post.) I found it easy to read & super encouraging/informative. Check it out!

In his book, Nee mentioned that when we turn to Jesus & submit our brokenness to Him & ask Jesus to save us from our sins, accepting His loving & powerful payment on our behalf… when we start submitting our life to Jesus Christ & God’s way, it doesn’t start with a big DO, but with a big DONE.

Were You There? Were You Able? … But, GOD

Were you there when God created everything? Nope. (God took care of it all for us. Ask Job, who was asked this by God in Job, chapter 38)

Were you able to save yourself & make yourself right before God? Nope. (But Jesus offered His life for US! Read Romans 5, focusing on verse 8, for some WONDERFUL encouragement!)

Is your life of following God up to your own strength, efforts, goodness, wisdom, power, etc.? Nope. (You don’t become God when you accept Jesus’ gift of reconciliation with God… you’re still just human, BUT you have FULL access to God & all of His resources to help you as you lean on Him for HELP. Read 2 Peter 1, focusing on verse 3.)

Our life as a Christian, abiding in Jesus, doesn’t start with a big DO, but with a big DONE.

Even God’s COMMANDS Are For Our GOOD

Does this mean we have zero responsibility? Nope. But it DOES mean that God helps us with HIS power through EVERY responsibility we have AND every responsibility we have is ALSO FOR OUR GOOD.

God doesn’t arbitrarily give us instructions & commands to assert power & authority over us or to have us PROVE our faith… NO. He gives these instructions & commands because He knows it will benefit us &/or protect us from so many lasting & unnecessary hurts, most of which we don’t even realize we’re succumbing to on this earth because it quite honestly just seems like the norm.

Let Him Handle the Rest

It’s not up to you to SAVE the world. You can’t.

It’s not up to you to CONVINCE the world of the Truth. You can’t.

It’s not up to you to do ALL the things. You can’t.

It IS up to you to walk on the path that God illuminates for you as you learn to trust & love Him more, letting Him take the lead, letting Him provide you with what you need to accomplish the tasks He sets before you, AND letting Him handle the rest.

That’s where the SIT part comes in as the starting point in Watchman Nee’s book that I mentioned above… You SIT in a KNOWING that it’s not up to you, but Him. That He starts you out with a giant DONE, versus a giant DO.

Let Me Set the Record Straight

If you browse my website or read my blog posts or watch my Facebook LIVEs or enjoy my weekly emails & think to yourself, “well, of course SHE does this stuff because SHE seems to have bigger faith than me… or more wisdom… or more self-discipline… or less of a past… or less trauma… or whatever it is.… Let me set the record straight for you RIGHT NOW.

I AM JUST A PERSON. I am weak. I am generally lazy & a procrastinator. I worry WAY TOO MUCH. I stress out. I try to self-solve, self-soothe, & self-shield until every effort of mine has failed BEFORE I weakly cry out to God for help. I tend to pray for comfort versus courage. I trust myself more than I trust the God who made me. I want to quit whenever I get a single criticism. I am insecure. I struggle with image issues. I have trauma I wrestle with sometimes. I AM JUST A PERSON.

ENJOY GOD

God wants us to SIT in KNOWING that our success or effectiveness or courage DO NOT come from US, but as a RESULT of trusting HIM. He wants us to find rest & peace & JOY in trusting that He’s got it covered & that if we JUST show up with a willing heart to honor Him, He will take care of the rest as we lean into Him for it!

Trust God! He’s Got You!

I literally whine, mope, beg to avoid, want easy, crave comfort, feel stubborn & obstinate, but then I beg God, “God, You are so much bigger than all my reasons not to. And although I am just a weak human, You are NOT. So, help me. Be what I need to fill in my gaps. Help me be faithful when I want to quit. Help me allow my vulnerabilities & insecurities & failures & weaknesses be opportunities to show others that even in the many ways that I CAN’T, YOU CAN. Help me to show up. Help me to trust You enough to SHOW UP. And work through me. Use my life to bring others to the hope we can only find in You. Help me in my own weakness to be a vessel for Your grace. Thank You that You are ALWAYS, 100% ENOUGH. And help me. Please. Amen.”

Unwilling, But Willing to Ask God to Change My Opinion

And sometimes, guess what… my prayers sound more like this, “God, I don’t want to. Please don’t make me do this. I am too SHY! I am too worried I won’t be able to do this! I don’t want to set myself up for criticism! I just want to be invisible. Please let me be invisible…………….. SIGH. But… God… I do know that MAYBE You can help me & that MAYBE You know better than me & know what’s best for me & can handle all my mess. So……. Can You help me be willing to trust You? I don’t know if I can in this. I want to run from it, not stand in faith. I don’t have enough faith. So…… maybe if You help me? Please help me be willing to trust You & ask for Your help versus running & hiding. Help me trust You… PLEASE. Amen.”

Because it’s not about how big your faith is, but how big your GOD IS.

Take your weaknesses, insecurities, vulnerabilities, AND UNWILLINGNESS to Him & ask for His help through it.

Enjoying God, Part 2

You see, God didn’t stop at helping us enjoy Him with the BEAUTY & WONDER of nature & His creation…. He cares about that heart of yours on a MUCH deeper level, Beautiful.

He created you. He knit you together. He planned for Jesus to rescue you before you even had a chance to wrong Him. He knows your every thought & He loves you more than anyone EVER could.

And He starts your journey of following after & abiding in Him with a giant DONE.

Learn to ENJOY God & All That He Willingly Offers to You If You But ASK

Our “job” is to learn to enjoy Him… To sit in wonder of His great love… To praise Him for His beautiful creation… To give Him GLORY & point to Him in ALL things because we know He offers that same HOPE of grace to EVERY SINGLE PERSON who is willing to run to Him… & to realize that because He loves us so BIG, we can trust Him in EVERYTHING & turn to Him in, through, & for EVERYTHING…. And because we trust Him & all He has DONE & will do, we obey… with His help.

That is how we can ENJOY Him. That is how we can SIT, as Nee’s book says. And after we SIT there, that is how we can WALK with His help & also STAND in His strength.

ASK HIM. Please, Ask Him.

If you struggle knowing how you could possibly have that kind of rest & peace, start there & ask God to help you see His perspective, because He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or even IMAGINE. (Ephesians 3, focusing on verse 20)

So, ask Him. And enjoy Him. And trust Him.

Shine Hope by enjoying all God has DONE & by enjoying God’s lavished LOVE & GRACE & MERCY on ALL who put their hope & trust in Him.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Radiant Necklace SET

On-trend set of 3 layered necklaces (Only ONE of 3 shown in photo) that can be worn together or separately, featuring one necklace with a labradorite stone, one with hammered discs, & one with a blue topaz crystal drop.

Artisan Information:

In India, poverty is rampant & fair working conditions are hard to find. Every purchase provides women with income, access to healthcare, education for their children, & care for elderly family members. Many of these artisans have been exploited by sweatshops in the past but are now receiving fair wages as artisans in safe & caring fair-trade workshops.

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

How You Can Help:

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

Let’s Talk about Us

Today, I want to talk about us.

Not literally you reading this & me writing this, but us as a community. We need each other.

As people, we were made to need community… with God… & with each other.

So many of God’s commands revolve around us loving one another, because God first loved us, so should we love one another.

The Church

And that is a big design element when God established The Church… not just as a crowd of people sitting in pews, listening to a pastor preach from God’s Word, the Bible… although that is a very important part of our lives as The Church.

And it’s not a building where we go to sit… WE are The Church.

Not a building, but a family.

Not a biological family, but a family made family by accepting God as our loving, heavenly PERFECT Father, heirs together with Jesus Christ, who gave His life on our behalf, in obedience to God & because of His great love for us… to pay our penalty so we could be reunited as family under God.

WE are the family. WE are The Church.

We Need Each Other

I want to take a moment to express how valuable it is to meet together & praise & worship God together, while also hearing teaching from God’s Word, as we do when we “go to church,” but us as The Church FAMILY does not end beyond those walls.

I will say it again, we were MADE to NEED each other.

We were MADE to NEED GOD.

We were NOT made to be self-sufficient or self-reliant.

Trauma Leads Us to Isolate

I will be the first to admit to you that this concept was not always easy for me. Trauma of having someone you trust betray you can leave you feeling very much like you were MADE to NEED to be self-sufficient… that you can’t rely on someone else… that you can only truly rely on yourself.

But that is trauma… & that is Satan taking your trauma & instead of encouraging you into the loving arms of our great, capable Healer (God), it is Satan instead convincing us to isolate & try endlessly & exhaustively to try to manage on our own… a way that was never meant to be as a part of God’s original design of US.

If You Really Had Faith…

Many of us have grown up in the church (aka GOING to church), hearing how we should be for God “if we truly have faith.” Many of us have grown up seeing displayed for us the “necessity” to be good enough for God because we “have faith” & therefore “should be able to handle it just fine.”

How damaging an ideal that is!

God tells us “faith like a mustard seed can move mountains.” A mustard seed is itty bitty. In other words, it’s not at all about having ENOUGH faith, but rather about WHO your faith is IN that matters.

We Were Not Made to Be Self-Sufficient

But I am getting sidetracked… my point in mentioning that little nugget of truth that I need to constantly remind myself—that it’s not about what YOU can do FOR God, but what GOD can do if you are trusting Him MORE than you trust YOURSELF—is that we were NOT made to be self-sufficient.

We were made to NEED help.

And the toxic, false (non-Biblical) lessons we feed ourselves of our call to be holy meaning specifically that we can NEVER show or reveal imperfection/weakness/vulnerability to one another is SO DAMAGING.

We were MADE to NEED HELP.

… Help from God & from others… that we are to lift up, encourage, edify, build up, sharpen, correct-in-loving-concern-not-in-self-righteous-judgement, & LOVE one another!

No One Is Perfect… Especially Not ME

And get this… because we ALL (literally, ALL) of us make mistakes, are imperfect, are limited, get it wrong sometimes, don’t know everything, & need HELP… we can learn to let our guard down & just be HONEST with others about our own flaws.

Because, listen up to this… we are not supposed to be displaying to the world how WE’VE got it all together… but how GOD holds it all together.

We are to accept our own frail human condition & our great need for our even greater God… showing our weaknesses & trading that for God’s HELP & GRACE with every step.

Come Together in Humility & Grace

And we are meant to come together in that type of humility & grace & love for one another, constantly reminding each other that God is always waiting & able to help… that He cares SO MUCH for us that even when we ignored His perfect, designed ways, as spelled out to us in the Bible & even when we live our way as if we know better than this all-knowing eternal God… EVEN WHEN… His plan all along, from before time, was to rescue us through the willing, loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

And that because of Jesus Christ, we can find forgiveness… we can find healing… we can find restoration & GRACE in the arms of our great, awesome, & loving God.

Not That You’re Enough… But That HE IS

Allow yourself the grace to admit your own human frailty & to admit you were MADE TO NEED GOD & each other… & instead of working hard to prove you’re enough… work to prove that HE IS.

Seek community in The Church FAMILY. Seek to build each other up. Be on the lookout for weak spots in others & seek how you can help… whether it be encouraging a single mother with meals… or cleaning your church building… or offering to mow someone’s lawn after surgery… or being a shoulder to cry on in grief….

Or, even in just saying, “Hey, I don’t have all the answers & you don’t have to beat yourself up for not having them either. We weren’t made to be self-sufficient… we were made to need God & each other, so let’s ask God for help. Can we talk to God about it real quick & let Him know how you’re feeling/hurting & ask for His help right now? I know He can help much better than I ever could. And I will ask Him to help me know where I can help you, too.”

Not Just Well-Meaning Words…

That statement of offering to pray about ideas of how you can help one another is not something you say to get out of helping… to sound pious & spiritual… but out of humility & TRUST that God REALLY DOES KNOW how to help best.

And when God nudges your heart to act on their behalf & lend them a hand, be ready to turn your anxieties about lack of time, lack of ability, or lack of resources back to your own prayers of request to Him, “Hey God, I don’t know how to do that thing you’re nudging my heart to help with, though, & it makes me nervous & I want to avoid it even though I feel guilty feeling that way…. Can You help me overcome my apprehensions & give me the courage & wisdom to know how to help them in a way that gives you glory & honor & displays Your great love for them? Please don’t let me give in to fear & allow Satan to pull me away because I don’t know how on my own… because I know You are MORE than capable of helping where I lack… & because I know I was MADE to NEED YOU. So, please… help me.”

Strive Toward Community

We Need Each Other. Strive toward community with others & always SHINE HOPE by pointing out our need for our great & loving need-Provider. And not the “needs” we have already decided or determined we need… & thus judging His level & care based on OUR limited-perspective solutions… but trusting that God sees the WHOLE picture & has 100% PERFECT knowledge & wisdom to handle it way better than you ever could.

Shine hope by acknowledging your need of God, through Christ, with the leading & help of the Holy Spirit & POINTING to Him in ALL things… & striving to come together with others in humility & love & GRACE.

Vulnerability isn’t a weakness. It’s a reality.

But He’s got you, babe.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Nairobi Necklace

Small hammered ovals & ethically sourced bone shapes adorn this golden necklace that shimmers in the light. Crafted in Kenya.

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!

How You Can Help:

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

My Misunderstandings About God

Now this isn’t a topic I ever thought I would write about.

I grew up believing God to be all about rules. I felt pressured to be perfect… pressured to be more than I felt I could live up to. Following God for me was laced in the guilt & shame of never quite feeling like I measured up to His standards.

I thought you live, trying to do your best to live by all the rules (strained, tired, guilt-ridden, just doing your best to make God happy), & then you die & get to go to Heaven (if you trusted Jesus to save you versus yourself).

And reading verses in the Bible where Jesus is quoted as saying, “I have come to give life & to give it abundantly,” well, I just didn’t understand how that kind of life could be considered “abundant.” (John 10:10) (… Unless I clenched my jaw, forced a smile, & said, “of course it’s abundant life because God said it was!” while trying to force reasons to support that claim.)

God Knows Better

But, as in all things where God says one thing while I believe another, I have learned that instead of taking my personal perspective as TRUTH (which is usually my go-to response), I instead need to ask God for HIS PERSPECTIVE to help me shift how mine differs from His Word (the Bible)—Starting from a place of, “Well, God is GOD & I am just a person, so maybe He might be more right than I am… no matter how right I feel I am.”

So, this has been a journey of learning to submit my perspective of who I believe God to be & instead asking God to show me who He is, while reading His Word so I know it’s the Holy Spirit’s leading, versus Satan’s sometimes subtle lies & tricks.

“For God So Loved the World…”

And what I have been learning has shocked me. Like, it has literally rocked my world & has made me see God through such different lenses than the rule-warlord I once viewed Him as.

I want you to know Him this way, too.

I may end up even doing a short series on this, because seriously, this perspective will make you ENJOY submitting to God’s ways, ENJOY turning to God when you have wronged Him, ENJOY relying on God when your world is falling apart, & ENJOY SPENDING TIME with God when your world seems too crazy to fit a single extra thing into it. It will begin to be something you crave more with each new perspective shift.

I want you to learn to ENJOY GOD this way, as I am slowly growing to understand how much He really does love us.

Who Will We Allow to Influence Our Perspective of God? The World? Satan? Self? Or God Himself?

Admittedly, this is not easy for me—enjoying God—because I am still very much living under my old perspectives, without even realizing I am doing it most times, while gradually recognizing necessary perspective shifts as God shapes my heart to know & love Him more.

Just Practicality… Or Is There More to God’s Design?

First, let me begin by asking you a very simple question. And do yourself a favor & be completely honest with yourself… you have nothing to prove to anyone, I can’t hear your response, & God already knows what you’re thinking better than you let yourself admit… so be honest!

Do you think God created all that He did merely for practical purposes?

God’s Creation is such a beautiful & potent reminder in considering the idea of enjoying God, because we see it everywhere we look (even when you look at yourself in the mirror, beautiful!)

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!

Instead of listing my thoughts, I am just going to write out some of my praises to God for you & pray that it be a reminder or realization for you of how much our great God really does love you! Hint: He went WAY beyond practical in His creation!

Lord, thank You for lavishing Your great love on me. You have used a gentle cool breeze to refresh my heart on days I felt despairing & rushed. Thank You for expressing Your gentle care for me that way. Thank You for the way that cool water feels against my skin on a hot day, whether it be rain, a shower, or when swimming. Thank You for how refreshing fresh clean water tastes when I am tired. Thank You for how therapeutic hotter water is on tired muscles. Thank You for sunsets & sunrises & all of the beautiful artwork You create in the sky moment by moment, always shifting & changing, but always so beautiful! Thank You for how soft kitties are & how comforting their soft fur & gentle purrs are. Thank You for the feeling of warmth from sunshine on my skin, feeling as if You’re wrapping me in a nice, cozy hug. Thank You for how many beautiful flowers You have made! I love seeing all the plants You have made, in all of their beautiful diversity. Thank You for using so many colors & textures & sizes & shapes in creation. You are SO creative & even the grass blowing like waves in the wind is so beautiful. Thank You for the breathtaking view of the ocean waves & the comfort that their sounds can bring to my hurried heart. Thank You for the lightning & thunder in reminding me how powerful You really are—it’s such a comforting reminder that I can fall back & rest in Your capable arms. Thank You!!! Thank You for creating me with hair I can style & play with & a face canvas I can color with beautiful colors. Thank You for nails where I can add a personalized pop of fun. Thank You for my beautiful blue eyes with their specks of gray & gold. Thank You for the soft texture of warm sand or grass between my toes & for all of the fresh air smells. God, I could go on for weeks just thinking of all of the beautiful ways where You went above & beyond practicality just to shine Your strength & wisdom & power & LOVE on me. You are so lavishing in Your love. Thank You! And help me, Lord, always, to KNOW & LOVE You MORE. AMEN.

Enjoying God

Pull out a journal & take a minute to write or say your own praises to God & remember all the ways He expresses His love for you, displayed even in just His creation of the world around you. Just spend some time ENJOYING GOD.

I encourage you, Beautiful creation of Almighty God… if you are questioning me right now, rolling your eyes, or even slightly struggling to see how you can really, truly enjoy God versus seeing Him as a strict Rule-Giver, PLEASE ask God to help you see how you can know & love Him more & KEEP asking Him as He gently shows You His loving nature of kind gentleness… a King who uses His vast riches to pour out His great wonders for us to enjoy.

Let’s Revisit This Later…

I have so much more I can say about this, so let’s just call this part 1, to be continued in a later post.

But for now, start by asking God to show you how to know & love Him more & keep asking Him until your human perspective, tainted by the sins in the world & by Satan’s subtly believed deceit, is brightened by the joy God wishes to lavish over you even as just seen in His wise & beautiful creation.

Shine HOPE by enjoying & appreciating God’s beautiful design in creation & all the EXTRAS He included just because He knew it would make you smile.

He loves you!!

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Holly Necklace

Trades of Hope Co-Founder Holly’s passion is to empower women to be all God created them to be & to live out their potential. Her desire is to see women live out their calling with pride & dignity, no matter their culture or past. This piece is a reflection of the pride & 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!

How You Can Help:

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

What Do Our Actions Say?

Some of you, like I would have, will read the title of this post & immediately say to yourself, “Jesus, of course!”

But, do our actions say we trust Jesus? Or morality/religion?

I grew up in the church. I was taught all the right things to do & to say. I knew the stereotypical answer to every question was ‘JESUS.’

And even though I understood at a young age that I did bad things sometimes (like lie or hit my sister), that those actions separated me from God & made Him unhappy… & that Jesus took my punishment on Himself so that I could be forgiven… I still grew up with a sense of morality guiding my actions, versus trusting in God, through Jesus.

What’s Your Motivator?

Have you ever felt condemnation leading your decisions? Like you didn’t want to make God angry when you messed up, so you did ______________ to help you overcome the shame or guilt you felt?

Or, maybe you felt like as long as you tried to make “good” choices, that’s all God really cared about & you went about making your own decisions & leading your own life your own way, as long as you felt like a good person while doing it?

There are often so many ways that this sometimes subconscious morality motivator has permeated the way that we live life.

Subtle… Subconscious… But So True

So often I didn’t even realize that I was letting morality guide my decisions more than I was actually letting GOD lead my life.

Do you do that, too? Can you think of some examples of this in your own life?

God has really been waking me up to the fact that I do this far too often.

I am often subconsciously letting religion/morality guide me rather than a humble surrender to God, through Jesus… rather than a loving trust in a God who loves us SO much & who is also perfectly reliable, trustworthy, wise, powerful, strong, knowledgeable, etc.!

What Jesus Did Was ENOUGH

Jesus already paid my debt. In full. Forever. I have a zero balance to what I owe God (& good thing, too, because I could never even get close to repaying Him).

I don’t owe God anything. Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient.

“BUT WAIT,” you might think to yourself, “that doesn’t justify doing wrong & it doesn’t mean you can just live however you want & dishonor God just because your debt is paid!” Exactly right.

But my hope in this post is to bring to light where our motivations are in living a life that honors God.

Ask Yourself These Questions

1. Are you trying to be good enough for Him?

NO NEED. God loves us so fully & completely that nothing can separate us from it nor diminish it, even at our very absolute worst.

2. Are you trying to earn God’s grace?

NO NEED. Jesus paid the debt we owe for our sinful, selfish choices. PAID IN FULL. As long as we accept Jesus’ sacrificial gift on our behalf & place our trust in Him as our hope (rather than ourselves or our ‘good’ actions), then we’re all set there.

3. Are you exhaustively trying to keep an image of perfection?

NO NEED. We need to be pointing to Jesus as our hope IN our human imperfections & limitations.

Human perfection is unattainable. We ALL struggle. We ALL get it wrong sometimes. We ALL make mistakes. We ALL need grace. We ALL need God’s wisdom, strength, comfort, peace, love, grace, hope, courage, power, help, etc. EVERY DAY.

Our weaknesses… HIS GLORY. Don’t live to prove you have it all together. Live honestly in all your human weakness, pointing to & leaning into God every step of the way. Make it all about what HE can do, rather than what YOU can do.

Don’t Get It Twisted

I want to pause to point out how I HUGELY misunderstood Question 3 above.

I thought that BECAUSE I was a Christian, I SHOULD be able to be perfect.

What I didn’t then realize, was that my NEED for Him does not end at salvation (accepting Jesus’ payment for my sins).

Don’t ever think that when the Bible tells us God has given us all we need in order to follow Him well, that we don’t need HIM for & through it all!

You don’t become God when you become a Christian… you just gain full access to His resources. So, don’t neglect to ask for His help!

A Grateful Trust

Those reasons stated in the questions I listed above are NOT the right motivators to live righteously (righteousness is trying to please God & living the way He says is best, in the Bible).

BUT, if we look at those “NO NEED” reasons I just mentioned & instead are living out of GRATEFUL TRUST in our great, loving God, THEN we’re getting it right.

Do You Trust Morality… Or Jesus?

So, where are your motivations? Will you let yourself be honest with YOU & with God? Do you trust morality… or Jesus?

Are you trying to measure up? Are you trying to earn God’s forgiveness/grace? Are you trying to put on a perfect façade so others think you’re doing a good enough job as a Christian?

Or, are you trusting God’s love for you… trusting Jesus’ grace for you… & pointing to Him as your true source of HOPE?

Ask Him Where You’re Not Sure

And if you, like I did for SO LONG, question whether God really does love you that much or how much exactly you could entrust to God or in being vulnerable in pointing to GOD as your hope… ASK GOD for help in even helping you to trust what God says/knows about it.

My Prayer:

Start there. Bow your heart & say something like:

“God, I believe, somehow I believe… but help my unbelief. Help me trust that You really do love me that much. I don’t see it sometimes… I mess up too much & I was so stubborn & rebellious & self-centered & wise-in-my-own-eyes, not trusting You. I STILL struggle sometimes to trust You over myself as my first instinct. So, help me! And Lord, help me to trust Your GRACE. I don’t have to add to it or deserve it. Grace is, by definition, UNDESERVED… & yet You still, though it be undeserved, gave it & offered it to me. Help me to rest in that… to have peace in Your power to overcome my worst & forgive it all & to help me be better step by step. And help me to not make following You about how good I AM as a follower, but rather how inept & foolish & selfish & weak I am in light of how GREAT & AWESOME & INFINITE & LOVING You are. Help me point to You in every weakness, every insecurity, every fear, every doubt, every worry, every stress, every mistake, every shame… we’re all in this together, all making mistakes… so help me to be real & honest with my journey to others so that they can more clearly see YOU, not me. YOU are the hope I should be pointing to in everything. Help me be okay showing my weakness for Your glory. And help me to lean into You through everything… to seek to please You with my life out of gratitude for Your grace. And help me to TRUST You enough to do life YOUR way & to ask You to guide me in it & to help me through it every step because You know I fail often. So, HELP ME. Thank You that You always make Yourself available to us night or day, any time, anywhere & You never for a moment tire of us nor lack the wisdom, grace, strength, comfort, power, etc. that we seek & request of You. Thank You for being our infinite & gentle, kind, patient, & LOVING God. I love You. Help me to know & love You more every day. AMEN.”

Amen & amen.

Check Your Motivators & Shine HOPE

Shine Hope by trusting His love for you (& asking for His help in trusting it if you don’t trust it), by trusting His grace (Jesus paid it ALL), & by living with your heart on your sleeves… Not trying to be perfect, but pointing to the One who IS—Jesus Christ, our only true & real HOPE. Shine HIM. <3

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Mirage Earrings

With just a touch of glimmer these earrings are fun & easy to wear.

Artisan Information:

In Asia, poverty leads many women to being sexually exploited in brothels. These women want to provide for their families but have so few options. 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 artisans & their children. You can help these women experience restoration for their future!

How You Can Help:

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

Meekness… It’s What Bwings Us Togevah Today

So, what is meekness?

The coolest way I have heard this word described was as “power under control.”

You see, God designed our bodies & our minds to do some pretty amazing things. Just think: mathematics, physics, calculus, engineering, artwork, athletics, & SO much more. It’s incredible! (Now, each of us have our strengths & are certainly not gifted in every area, for sure, but as a whole, humanity can create & build tremendous accomplishments, don’t you agree?)

The problem we all seem to struggle with in this grand design of humanity is the simple, yet quite challenging, practice of meekness.

But, I’ve Got This…!

It can be all too easy to see what we can do & run with it, never once inquiring of our great Maker for the best use of our God-given abilities.

We tend to either neglect our gifting, abuse our gifting, or use our gifting for purposes of our own, versus God’s (which, arguably, is the same as abusing it).

We talked last week, in “An Undeserved Grace” that God is 100% perfect in wisdom, understanding, & knowledge.

He also MADE us with incredible gifts! And while none of us possess every gift, we can certainly each use our unique gifts to support one another in love.

And since He is perfect in wisdom, understanding, & knowledge… AND He made us & gave us our gifts… It only stands to reason that the wise choice would be to ask Him to take the lead on how we use our gifts & how we live our lives.

Meekness in a Self-Driven Culture

I always pictured meekness as shyness or maybe timidity is a better word for how I felt. That I should shy away from using or improving my gifting.

And yet, others seem to think their gifting is for their own purposes. We could all stand to learn about having more meekness in a self-driven culture.

Meekness recognizes both boldness AND humility in perfect harmony. It represents the idea that while we know we were given wonderful gifting, they were given for a purpose,

God Just Really Does Know Best

You may be tempted to feel that God is thus trying to control you & limit you, but think of it this way, using it on your own, in your own way is really what is limiting you because you only have limited wisdom, understanding, & knowledge.

God knows PERFECTLY what is best in EVERY circumstance.

So, bowing our gifts to God is recognizing our own limitations, while acknowledging God’s perfect will & plan. It doesn’t mean we hide our strengths, but rather that we trust a perfect God over our imperfect selves to take the lead in our lives.

It is putting Him in the driver seat, allowing Him to act as Driver & Navigator, while we are the car (MADE by God). We let our God-given strengths & skills to be put to better use, trusting our loving Father to take the lead.

“Submission” Is Not a Bad Word

Words like “meekness”, “surrender”, & “submission,” sound scary because it takes control out of our own hands. But in this case, where it is being placed in the hands of ALMIGHTY God/our LOVING Heavenly Father, it is the BEST possible option, meant for both our benefit & that of everyone around us.

But… How…?

How do you become meek? How do you give up control when the “need” for control seems to be in our very nature?

Learning to know & love God more. Asking God to show you how. Asking Him to help you trust His control & to show you areas where you have a white-knuckled grip that needs to let go & let Him.

It’s okay to be terrible at meekness… join the club!

But don’t let it stop there.

Bow your head & heart to God, confess how HARD it is for you, & ask Him for His HELP, knowing how desperately you’re going to need it if you are ever to have success relinquishing control of your own life to God’s able hands & infinite wisdom.

Ask Him & don’t let fear ever keep you from asking.

God’s got you. He loves you. He is able.

Trust Him… And ASK.

Instead of THIS:

X Self-Soothe: Binging TV, food, phone time, or games to avoid stress… Turning to sex, relationships, drugs, alcohol, etc…. to feel better.

X Self-Shield: Defensiveness, avoidance, hatred, slander, gossip, withdrawal, isolation, fear, hidden hurts, not getting close to others… to protect yourself.

X Self-Solve: Stress, Just “dealing with it,” accepting things as is, acting out, coming up with your own solutions, giving up, taking a stand on your own wisdom/timing… to figure out a solution to a problem.

Try THIS:

O PRAY (Ask God) for comfort, healing, help, strength, courage, wisdom, truth & His love to help you feel better.

O PRAY (Ask God) for courage, wisdom, solutions, freedom, victory, strength, humility, meekness to help you fight trials the right way.

O PRAY (Ask God) for wisdom, solutions, direction, guidance, God’s way, patience, understanding through God’s perfect wisdom to help you solve a problem.

Let go & Let God.

Shine HOPE by learning to have a meek, submitted, & surrendered heart & life to our loving God Almighty.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Grace Earrings

These earrings feature gold plated metal around 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!

How You Can Help:

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