Who Needs Sleep?

Well, this morning, at 8am, I sat at my laptop, ready to begin writing my blog for the week… after having not slept a single bit last night.

If you remember, I had that wonderful, great 4-day weekend I was so looking forward to last weekend, only to be sick for all of it & get nothing done on my list.

Fast forward back to THIS weekend, & I am thinking redemption is HERE. I am going to MAKE UP for last weekend! YES!

Oh, silly me.

Sick Again? Didn’t We Do This Last Weekend?

Friday, I woke up nauseated for no reason. I am used to my yearly ish dehydration sickness battle & this was not that. It also wasn’t as brutal as food poisoning—had that before, too. AND, it didn’t feel as bad as a stomach bug either. Literally only a couple “bathroom runs” & finally threw up only once (but, warning for tmi a LOT) sometime in the evening. I just felt stuck all day. No videos, no games, no movement or I felt it bubbling up. Just lying still with nothing to entertain me ALL DAY while feeling nauseated.

 Saturday, my wonderful husband remembered only a couple days prior that he had forgotten to tell me about a boat trip he had signed us up for that day. AND, what I expected to be the usual 3-4 hour boat trip was a SIX-HOUR boat trip, plus 40 plus minute drive each way. That day was shot, basically. Beautiful & fun with swimming, snorkeling, sea turtles, tropical fish, dolphins, sunshine, sunset, cool breeze. But gone nonetheless.

And Sunday? Stayed home from church SICK—with another cold! I cannot catch a break. Wasn’t I just sick with a cold all last weekend?

So, then I slept zero hours last night because my nose was like I had plastic wrap wrapped tightly over my nose, with zero airflow, so if my mouth even THOUGHT about slumping closed, I felt like I was literally being suffocated. Needless to say, it made it pretty hard for me to let myself relax enough to feel that again after the first few times.

Now that we’re all caught up… 8am at my laptop… no sleep… sick AGAIN… zero productivity AGAIN.

*deep sigh*

Pay Attention, Michelle!

I feel like God is trying to teach me something about trusting Him.

I mean, last week it was all “God AS my strength reminders” + “Jesus went through MUCH worse than this VOLUNTARILY to die for MY sin.” (Read that post, here: “What to Do When You’ve Got Nothing Left.”)

This week, I am feeling like my plans just are not working out. And they’re good plans.

Trying to Get Ready

My sister & nephew are coming to visit our home for the FIRST TIME since we moved overseas THIRTEEN years ago. FIRST time. I want it to be perfection.

And not because I think she’ll judge me or be disappointed in me. No, I know her well enough to show the messy & feel confident she’ll still love me without judgment. No problems there.

But, this is her FIRST time. Probably her ONLY time. She won’t get to see a before & after. Only one or the other. I want it to be a summation of all the years my hubs & I have spent growing in our marriage & life & home together. I want her to see it at its very absolute best if she’s only going to get to see it once.

Plus, these are things I want to accomplish anyway, & having a deadline to work toward is a good motivational kick-in-the-rear to get moving on those projects.

Crafting My Plan to Stay on Task

Back in January, I recognized clearly how busy life gets. How easily “I have so much time to get things done” can turn into “oh no! I only have 2 weeks left!”

So, I started a general “20 Tasks in 20 Weekends” list to help me track with the ticking clock. I made a list of the 20 most desirable to-do projects I want done before they arrive, while also listing the dates of the next 20 weekends.

I’ve done pretty well, but not where I’d like to be & so I have been trying to spend a weekend these last few weekends just knocking several almost-done ones off to help level the numbers. But… well you see how well THAT’S going.

My Personal Strength Is but a Mirage… But So Is Any Semblance of Control in My Own Life

It’s almost like God is DELIBERATELY pulling the rug out from under me, as if to say again & again, “remember, Michelle, you are not the one who is in control here.”

So, I don’t know. Maybe God will just have tons to be left undone & I will have to settle for their one & only experience being the “before” experience rather than its shiny final form.

Maybe God wants to show me how no matter what curveballs life may throw at me, they have nothing on Him & He will come in clutch & just make it to all work out when it seems I don’t have close to the amount of time I will need to complete it all.

I don’t know. God does. I don’t.

When Things Don’t Go as Planned… God Is Still in Control

Basically, I need to just rest in my being sick state. I need to rest easy & know that whatever happens, it’s in His hands completely. He doesn’t lack control for one single second. He knows what will happen before it happens. He can also very well make the impossible happen.

And He can also show me that even if it doesn’t work out at all as I’d really hoped it would… He has a reason somehow in that, too. Even if I can’t at all see it.

Because when things don’t go as planned… God is still in control.

Amen? Amen.

What Holds You Back & Stresses You Out?

What keeps getting pushed back against your preparations & efforts that is stressing you out? Have you thought to trust that God sees & God knows? That He can help you? That He has a plan in what just looks like a mess right now to you? That you’re not in this alone? That His timing & priorities are higher than the ones we come up with for ourselves? In other words, we ought to be trusting HIS judgments way above even our own. He doesn’t ever have to guess or panic.

Shine HOPE by resting in His all-knowing plan, not letting messed up plans throw you off or stress you out, knowing they’re all in His hands & He’s got it covered. Every bit of it. Even when you don’t.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Calla Wristlet (INDIA)

The Calla Wristlet creates fair paying jobs for women in India to earn a dignified income, in some instances for the first time in their life. This ethically made design is functional and stylish with its multi-colored, woven wristlet strap as well as a zippered card pouch that includes two card slots and another zippered coin pouch. The cream color of this zippered vegan leather wristlet is perfect for the woman on the go. 

*** Purchase this beautifully handcrafted Calla Wristlet, using the “Shop Here” link below to empower women in INDIA out of poverty! ***

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

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

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

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

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

When Things Don’t Quite Go the Way You’d Imagined

Well, I have been through the wringer these past 4 days.

I was so excited about this recent 4-day weekend. After having traveled over Spring Break, losing a week of opportunity to check off items from my house project to-do list because we went stateside for the week instead… to losing the last 4-day weekend I thought I would have because I ended up needing to work through it… I was so excited to finally have a stretch of time where I could feel refreshed, enjoy the beach, maybe hang out at the mall for some girly time… plus a huge chance to check off several things in my queue.

Let Me Tell You About My “Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad” (Last 4) Days

Well, Thursday… cue the beginning of a cold.

Thursday night… cue less than 4 hours of sleep because of clogged sinuses from said cold & not having taken medicine before bed.

Friday… cue Cisco (our cat who just finished his antibiotics for a gastrointestinal infection on Wednesday & we thought was now all better)… vomiting every 10 minutes all day, followed by a really not great visit to the vet (he does not do well at the vet), with no time for any rest or nap because whenever I would begin to nod off… cue vomit noises coming from somewhere in the house. (Plus, the crashing disappointment & sadness of thinking the meds made him all better to realizing it’s not over yet.)

Friday night… 2-3 hours of sleep. Sinuses… managed to fall asleep, but got woken up by something & couldn’t fall back asleep because of how dried out my throat was from falling asleep with my mouth open. Could not find our soothing throat drops ANYWHERE. The physical discomfort was too “in my face” for me to relax enough to fall back asleep.

And It Doesn’t Quit…

Saturday… more cat vomit, me being weak from not much sleep/my cold–most of the day spent in bed. Sad that the vet had already closed by the time he threw up again.

Saturday night… 5 ish hours of sleep aka better but not great.

Sunday… no vomit… feeling better… hope swelling.

Sunday night… NO SLEEP. Between “that time of the month” meaning consistent bathroom trips throughout the night, plus my sinuses, plus the desert throat from trying to breathe with my mouth open…. SO tired.

And now it’s Monday… After a night of ZERO sleep, I reset my alarm for an hour before work… had a jackhammer headache screaming in my skull all morning… felt I couldn’t even take off from work because I may need it for another vet visit once Cisco’s anti-nausea medication runs out… used my migraine cooling mask (lifesaver) & went back to bed until the reset alarm time & managed about a 1 hour nap before I had to get ready for work.

I don’t feel like I have much in me left.

The Physical Strain, the Mental Strain, the Emotional Strain… I Was Being Hit from All Angles

I am so physically weak. So discouraged about Cisco & feeling helpless while I watch him in pain at times & I’m out of it mentally because I’m not sleeping & sick & my sinuses.

There’s this little “Squeezamal” squishy stress ball thing I keep on my nightstand & I may have chucked it at our bedroom wall.

I feel like I am being tormented… attacked. Physically with sickness. Emotionally with Cisco. Mentally with no sleep.

Living on a Prayer

This morning was a battle for the ages in my mind that was SCREAMING for me to crawl back in bed & not get out until the jackhammer in my head stopped. To not get out until I knew Cisco is all better & I’m feeling all better.

The amount of PRAYING that had to happen this morning for me to even function enough to get up & get dressed & drive to work was…. A lot.

I have cried more in the last few days than I have in the last month… from just being so frail & fragile on lack of sleep combined with watching as my sweet kitty cat just suffered while I watched & couldn’t stop it from happening. Plus being sick on top of all that.

But Wait

But God reminds me of something in all of this misery. That my strength is but a mirage. It’s not real. My very life is sustained by His breath. I live because He gives me life. I am because He made me to be. Nothing is really actually of myself.

And when all of my perceived humanly strength is stripped away & the illusion washes away… I am forced to actually remember it’s Him where my strength comes from. And to lean into Him because I have none without Him… even when it hurts.

Hi IS

I don’t have to be strong to be strong.

I don’t have to have answers to know He does have answers.

I don’t have to see a way forward to know He sees one.

I don’t have to hold myself up to be held up.

I don’t have to bring anything to the table to receive Him.

He is not diminished by my depravity, my weakness, my frailty, my need.

He is endless. He is limitless. He is strength. He is love. He is faithful. He is the covenant-keeper. He is the Savior. He is the Creator. He is the Redeemer. He is my portion. He is everything… even when I am nothing.

Jesus’ Love Compelled Him

Jesus endured worse than me… but signed up for it… knowing full well what was to come.

And He came anyway. His love for me… for you… COMPELLED Him to come.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

One of my favorite newly discovered quotes puts it so incredibly well:

“Jesus came to pay a debt He did not owe because I owed a debt I could not pay.”

-author unknown

Jesus, King of kings, Lord of heaven & earth, creator & sustainer of all things…. Came down from His heavenly throne to die on a cross because I could never measure up… I could never hit the mark every single time. I failed Him. And He redeemed me.

Because love compelled Him.

And He rose again & is SEATED at the right hand of God!

What to Do When You’ve Got Nothing Left

So, what to do when I’ve got nothing left?

Praise Him for all that He is for me in my lack.

Praise Him for His sustaining when I have nothing to offer.

Praise Him for His love & great sacrifice to pay for MY sin against Him.

Praise Him for having control even when I don’t… for being faithful through it all.

And show up for Him, telling others where I find my hope when it feels all hope is lost.

Praise God. Hallelujah. Amen.

In God, through Jesus Christ.

Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here, I find my rest
Without You, I fall apart
You’re the one that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour, I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour, I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand, I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour, I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
You’re my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You” (Song: “Lord, I Need You” by Matt Maher)

Shine HOPE by remembering Who you can turn to when you’ve got nothing left, & by telling others where you find that hope, even when you reach the end of yourself.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Resilience Bracelet (GUATEMALA)

Each Resilience Bracelet creates dignified jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in Guatemala. Featuring mixed gemstone beads in soft pastel tones and a silver flower charm, the Resilience Bracelet is perfect to wear daily or as a gift to a loved one.

***Purchase the beautiful Resilience Bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below, to help empower women in Guatemala out of poverty!***

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

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

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

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

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

From “Hosanna!” to “Crucify Him!”

Lately, as we sing “Hosanna!” to Jesus, in preparation for Easter at church, all I can think about is how quickly those songs of praises all those many years ago for Jesus turned to cries for His gruesome death.

From “Hosanna!” (“a joyful declaration of salvation & deliverance; an expression of praise & adoration”) to blind rage, screaming for His death.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John all make sure to include these 2 accounts in each of their writings (emphasis mine):

“And the crowds that went before [Jesus] and that followed Him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9)

“Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let Him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let Him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:22-23)

“And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9)

“And they cried out again, “Crucify Him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:13-14)

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)

“… but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21)

“So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13)

“He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” (John 19:14b-15a)

I don’t know about you, but reading those accounts just leave me a little speechless. It cuts so bitterly seeing such devotion & praise turn so quickly to a desire for His pain & destruction. The rejection He experienced while coming to rescue them from their own sin & debt to God. It cuts me.

And He knew all of that was going to happen… & He came anyway.

His Response to Our Cry

But even after that, even after He was abandoned & betrayed & rejected & beaten & bruised & bloodied & hung on a cross to die… what was His response?

“And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

And the plan that He came to earth to fulfill was still fulfilled (what grace! what love!):

“… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 3:23-24)

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17)

Even though humanity proved grossly undeserving. Jesus fulfilled what He came to do: to die in our place… to take our punishment upon His shoulders… to give us a chance at hope & forgiveness.

Our Response

Oh how we ought to PRAISE Him! Oh how this ought to SPUR us to live wholly for Him!

And then, take a moment to read through Isaiah 53, which always seems to put the whole world into perspective.

Do you praise Him on Sundays & live for yourself the rest of the week?

Is praise just something you do because it’s what “good Christians do on Sundays”? Or is praise actually a LIFESTYLE for you?

Is your praise empty words repeated from a screen? Or does it flow out of your heart of surrender to Him?

The Longsuffering Grace & Love of Our God

God made the world & everything in it.

We decided to live our way instead of His.

Death entered the world as a result.

God taught us how to live His way so that we could be free of the pain of our wrong choices.

We couldn’t live up to all of it because we kept choosing to doubt Him.

Pain & damage escalated.

God sent His Son to pay the price we couldn’t pay, through Jesus Who willingly died so that we could find life through Him vs trying tirelessly & in vain to find it in ourselves.

God never gives up on us. God always pursues us. God always forgives when we come to Him with our wrongs & trust on the payment of His Son on our behalf.

Jesus Condescended Himself from His Throne… For US!

Jesus Christ is King, was sitting on a heavenly throne, repeatedly & continuously being praised & worshipped, with His royal robes filling the throne room.

Jesus existed before time & participated in the creation of mankind & the world.

But Jesus condescended Himself, being born as a vulnerable human baby.

He grew up sinless, healing & teaching & showing love through His actions to all He met.

And Jesus knew the plan was His death on the cross for our sins.

He stepped down from His throne to die a gruesome death, paying a debt He didn’t owe so that a debt we couldn’t pay would be paid in full.

His righteousness to become ours by believing on Him.

Hallelujah, indeed!

Remember! Praise Him! He Is Worthy to be Praised!

Easter is a celebration of JOY, a reminder that this King of ALL kings came down to die for you & me. And He ROSE again, victorious over both sin & death!

… So that our faith in HIM may be accounted to US as righteousness.

Praise God!

So patient. So kind. So gentle. So loving. So longsuffering. So gracious. So GOD.

A love we don’t deserve.

* Shine HOPE by determining to live in full appreciation of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you, living your whole life to point others to Him. Love others enough to not want them to end up in Hell not knowing that Jesus Christ our LORD gave His life for them, too. *

***As a bonus, I wanted to share a fun Easter tradition idea I saw online. 1. Take the kids outside to gather stones (heavy ones are good), 2. Fill their baskets with said stones. 3. Come home & use a marker to write sins on each of them, noticing the weight of those sins in that basket. 4. Leave the baskets on a table & cover them with a red cloth, signifying the blood of Jesus covering those sins. 5. When they go to bed, replace those heavy stones with your usual Easter basket treats, reminding them when they awake & remove that red blanket (only to discover that the stones have been replaced with treats) that because of the blood Jesus shed for us, we have hope & LIFE in HIM! Hallelujah!***

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Mata Gift Set (USA + INDIA)

A thoughtful gift set to share with those you love! Create fair paying jobs for women in a safe working environment in the United States and India when you purchase the Mata gift set. Mata translates to mother in Sanskrit, a classical dialect spoken in regions of India. Included in the gift set are the Mata Earrings, a modern layered earring look featuring a beautiful pink stone with a dangling raffia semi-circle and wooden leaf shape.  Also included is a 2oz Honey Oatmeal Hand Cream crafted by women in the U.S. who are finding freedom from poverty, sexual abuse and exploitation, addiction and homelessness.  

***Purchase this great gift set, using the “Shop Here” link below to empower women. Each Mata Gift Set purchased gifts one week of life-saving nutritional meals to a child in need.***

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

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

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

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

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

Anyone Else Need a Nap?

How are you doing today? Like, how are you really doing?

Honestly, I am tired. And not just an “I need more sleep” kind of tired, (although a nap does sound increasingly tempting as the day goes on)… just all around TIRED. I just don’t feel like I have much to offer anybody today.

My body feels worn down (admittedly becoming more & more common with each passing year, as I inch along through my 40s), my mind feels tired (just a lot going on), & I just feel a little beat up today, to be honest.

I’m not discouraged or disheartened, gratefully, but just feeling so incredibly worn out.

Watching Someone Else Hurting Is Hard

Part of it has been just the fact of watching my sweet kitty cat suffering these past couple days has been hard. If you have had a pet a while, you probably understand. They can’t tell you what’s wrong, but you see the desperate begging in their eyes for help & you feel helpless because you can’t exactly ASK them what is hurting them.

And I know some of you witness suffering & hurt from family members & friends & I can’t imagine how trying that is on the day-to-day, especially when it’s ongoing.

Last night, I came home to a puddle of blood on the floor after we had been seeing a few vomit spots throughout the house over the last 2 days (that’s probably where part of my tired is coming from in just constantly feeling like I am finding & then needing to clean up vomit around the house when I really hadn’t factored the time to do that into my schedule for the day).

It is hard to watch someone suffer. Especially when you can’t do anything to stop it. It takes a toll on you, doesn’t it?

(*He may be improving today, but it’s hard to tell at this point. I sought medical advice & was told to give it one more day because today he seemed to show slight improvement. Prayers appreciated for wisdom + his healing/comfort.*)

Even When I’m Tired

I don’t feel like I have much to give today, but I know that God is enough… even when I’m tired.

Lord, thank You for this reminder to seek You in all things, even things that seem small. To not rely on my own understanding. You know & You don’t ever have to guess. I need to be “praying without ceasing” & coming to You through every bit of life. I often mistake nudges from You as You trying to guilt me out of something I want, when You have no reason to do that. You know what is best & in Your goodness, You want to guide my every step if I but let You. Thank You for Your endless patience with me. Thank You for Your wisdom when we seek it. Thank You for being sovereign, even when I’m tired. Thank You for caring for us so well. Help me to better rely on & trust in You in all things big or small. Help my kitty get better & help me know how to help him. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Shine HOPE by trusting God in your weakness, on your off days, when you think you have it all together, & when you know you definitely don’t.

He is with you… even when you’re tired.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Ginkgo Earrings-Silver (INDIA)

When you shop the Ginkgo Earrings, you are creating safe jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in India. These stunning, sculpted earrings are the perfect fair-trade fashion statement! Each silver-tone Ginkgo Earring features two connected ginkgo-shapes to create the beautiful dangle earring! These earrings are also available in a gold-tone finish.

***Purchase these beautifully handcrafted Ginkgo Earrings, using the “Shop Here” link below to empower women in India out of poverty!***

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

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

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

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

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

God Breathed

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

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

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

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

But… sin.

Self-Asserting over God

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

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

But… sin.

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

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

This Is His Story

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

This story is about GOD, not you or me.

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

They fail… He perseveres.

They are weak… He proves strong.

They can’t… He can.

They mess up… His faithfulness stands true.

They lack… He sustains.

They sin… He forgives.

They get in trouble… He rescues.

They get it wrong… He is sovereign.

They are limited… He is Almighty.

They are fearful… He is capable.

They die… He remains from generation to generation.

They sin… He redeems.

They are human… He is GOD.

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

Living Your Life for ____________________

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

But it is NOT.

We are FOOLED into thinking our life is about us.

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

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

This is all temporal, fleeting, inconsequential.

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

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

God Is Eternal…

We need to WAKE UP.

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

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

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

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

What Will Matter When You’re Gone?

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

What matters to God should matter to us.

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

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

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

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

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

We’re Fooled into Thinking Our Life Is About Us

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

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

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

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

Where Is Your Focus? What Is Your Priority?

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

Who are you living for?

Who is your life about?

Are you fooled into thinking your life is about you?

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Hope Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Times I Ask: “God, Where Are You?”

One of, if not THE hardest thing that causes me to wrestle with my faith is this: that sometimes God doesn’t take the pain away.

Whether it is the seasons of depression I struggle with or periods of maddening sleeplessness, or, like this past weekend, 4 hours of needing to actively fight against throwing up due to motion sickness on a flight–& not being able to get off the plane for some fresh air relief… when the pain keeps going, I begin to whimper… “God, where are You?”

It is most difficult for me to realize that sometimes God wants more for me than just the end of my suffering… He wants me to know Him as sufficient in all things… He wants opportunity to be glorified… He wants people to see that the peace He has to offer is not dependent on everything being comfortable & easy.

And that’s HARD.

It’s Always So Important to Look Back

I don’t know about you, but I do not like suffering one tiny eensy little bit. And when I am actively suffering, whether it’s emotional/hormonal imbalance or whether it’s physical… all I can think of is “MAKE. IT. STOP! PLEASE!”

But, looking back is the best reminder to keep on trusting God in the storms, because every single time, He has proven Himself faithful to me… that He had a plan all along… that He does not waste a single OUNCE of my suffering.

There are SO MANY examples of this that I have written about over these past almost 7 years. I couldn’t even name them all if I tried… there are just too many. God has always been faithful. God has always shown to have a plan. God has never once wasted an ounce of my suffering. No matter how hard it may seem, He proves faithful, sufficient, all-knowing, sovereign, gracious, kind, & wonderful every time.

Let’s Look Back Together

Depression for 2 years in high school, where I thought about suicide almost every day & cried alone in my closet more days than not? God showed that though He had stripped everything away that I counted on or trusted in or relied on for my identity or reputation… that even if I were to lose it all, if I had Him, I had ALL.

Not finding a job for MONTHS when I was desperate for money? God provided through odd jobs here & there every time before a bill was due, allowing me also to pay off all my debts to my parents as well, showing me HE WAS MY PROVIDER AS I trusted in HIM & HIS leading.

Sleeplessness for 2 months straight? God showed me He could BE my strength even when I had NONE, when I was willing to repent of my distrust & ask for His help. He WAS my strength in the hard!

Loneliness over a 6-year period, despite active efforts? God showed me that even though I handled that time progressively worse & completely failed Him & gave up on Him & resented Him… in all of that SIN & distrust & failure… He STILL worked through my life, showing me it’s not about ME being worthy, but about HIM being worthy.

I could go on forever about my undeserving & failure & falling short & distrusting Him & suffering… all with the same outcome: God showing Himself to have a plan, to never waste my struggle, & to be faithful through it all despite my unfaithful heart.

Yes. God can be trusted. Even when God doesn’t take the pain away.

God Didn’t Make Me All Better

On Sunday, I was sitting in my seat on the plane feeling so miserable. Motion sickness was tormenting me so much I couldn’t even reach for my bag to get meds without risk of vomit. I had to keep my head steady & concentrate actively on slow, steady breathing. Trying to catch the airflow from the vent to stay cooled. Trying to distract myself with randomness in my mind. PRAYING for relief & help. And staying very, very sick for the last FOUR HOURS of our flight.

Did I mention the PRAYING for relief & help? Well, I guess I never threw up, so that’s something… but the extreme constancy of discomfort didn’t ever let up. And there is no stopping a plane so I can pull over, get out on steady ground, & breathe fresh air until my tummy settles. Can’t exactly do that on an airplane….

And I PRAYED. Whimpered. Begged. Cried. I was so desperate to feel steady & have my tummy settle. But it didn’t… because sometimes God doesn’t take the pain away.

Rehearsing in My Mind What I KNOW to be TRUE… Even When It Doesn’t Exactly Feel Like IT

So, I have to look back… to remember His past faithfulness… to remember His always eventual displayed goodness when it wasn’t so readily visible in the struggle itself… to remember He will use this somehow, too.

God is good. Even when He doesn’t take the pain away. God is good.

He is faithful. He can BE your strength when YOU have NONE.

I think of the blind man… the people asking who sinned… his parents?… him?… And Jesus’ response? Neither (not that they were sin-free, but that their sin was not the cause), but that God could be glorified–so God’s power may be seen by the people. (John 9:2-3)

Because that man had a need, he was able to experience God’s provision, through Jesus. AND onlookers were able to witness the POWER of GOD, through JESUS.

If Ever Tempted to Doubt God’s Goodness…

And guess what? Our GREATEST need allows us to experience God’s provision, through Jesus, too.

We all fall short. We don’t have what it takes. We’ll never be enough, not REALLY. We’ll never measure up. We will always fail & fall short & get it wrong.

We can’t save ourselves. We can’t be sufficient. We can’t ever be good enough for God.

But… JESUS.

Can we just take a second to relish in that? To meditate on that TRUTH? We fail Him every single day in small ways & big ones, whether it’s distrusting Him in our struggles or anything else… we don’t deserve Him… BUT, He gave His Son to DIE for OUR debt ANYWAY.

I saw a quote yesterday that is so sweet & profound & it went something like, “He came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.” Hallelujah, PRAISE GOD!

Sometimes God Doesn’t Take the Pain Away

God is sufficient in our NEED! God is GOOD! God is FAITHFUL!

He may not always answer the way I want Him to, but He ALWAYS answers to my deeper need: learning to let Him be God over every ounce of my life & being... to see Him as truly sovereign AND sufficient.

Perfecting me. Growing my faith in Him as sufficient in all things. Pruning me…. Making me more like Jesus.

Where do you question Him?

Where do you need to repent of distrust?

What need do you need to allow Him to fulfill?

His Son on the Cross for Our Sin

If ever tempted to doubt God’s goodness, we need not look further than His Son on the cross for our sin.

God wants you to know His goodness. He wants you to be confident to rest in Him. He wants you to draw near. He wants to be your sufficiency for all your need. He wants you to know Him.

Shine HOPE by trusting God’s goodness, provision, sufficiency, plan, faithfulness, & love… even when sometimes God DOESN’T take the pain away.

THANK YOU for your patience in the delay of this post being published. That 4 hours of “motion sickness” on the plane ended up being some sort of stomach bug that stuck around 4 FORTY-EIGHT hours. In other words, it got so much worse & yesterday I was just so weak & nauseated that I didn’t do much more than stay in bed. I am feeling much improved today & God held me through the worst of it. Happy to see the sunshine at the end of that dark tunnel. Today is a new day.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Peace Bracelet (EAST ASIA)

Help women escape brothels in East Asia when you purchase the Peace Bracelet! This blue-toned phoenix stone and hematite beaded bracelet includes the word “PEACE” for a fun, fair-trade look! Easy to dress up or down for daily wear, the Peace Bracelet is the perfect bracelet to add to your bracelet stack.

***Purchase this beautifully handmade Peace Bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below, to create jobs supporting sex-trafficking survivors in East Asia with safe housing, health care, trauma counseling, job skills training, and dignified income.***

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

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

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

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

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

God Is Love

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

God gets misunderstood quite often. It’s understandable, really, because not only is He so far above our comprehension… there’s also an enemy actively seeking to twist & distort everything about Him.

For one, it is really hard to comprehend someOne who is completely set on Justice, while simultaneously being completely merciful. He never will sacrifice one for the other—they exist in tandem for Him.

He Literally Knows What Is Best… He Doesn’t Have to Guess

He made everything. He has absolute power & authority over what He made. He alone gets to determine what is right or wrong. And there are consequences to breaking that.

But imagine knowing literally everything there is to know… to its absolute core… because you made literally everything in existence… imagine with me that our little creatED brains cannot even come CLOSE to all He KNOWS. We can somehow kinda sorta begin to see that that our “knowledge” & our “wisdom” doesn’t even scratch the SURFACE.

AND, He didn’t leave it at that, did He? Nope. He GAVE us a book to teach us how He made things to work. He didn’t leave us to guess at it, inevitably screw it all up, all so He could punish us.

NO. He GAVE us His Word!

Then, imagine with me again that if He knows literally everything there is to know about the natural order of things, our thoughts, our intents, every ripple effect throughout all of time… even to our subconscious… that He also knows what is absolute best, whether it makes sense to our creatED minds… or NOT.

God Redirects Us

“For the Lord corrects those He loves,
    just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:12)

AND, knowing ALL of that… GIVING us His Word… He says that the consequences of our “missing the mark” (aka sin), is DEATH. Because not only does He KNOW… He also WARNED us. So, for us, with our little creatED minds to have the AUDACITY to think we know better than the One Who MADE us… & then to do what WE THINK over what He KNOWS… it will 100% of the time cause harm to ourselves & to others, which He ALSO KNOWS. So, there are major consequences….

He is not punishing you for not assimilating. He is punishing you because He KNOWS everything, MADE you, GAVE you His Word… & because disobedience to God means you will every single time hurt yourself AND others AND Him.

The GOD Who CREATED the universe gave you EVERYTHING you need to succeed (His Word & this world & HIMSELF) & when your response is essentially “… nah,” even at the risk of hurting others…. There are major consequences.

He gives His Word out of love for us.

God Shows His Love through All He Created, Including His Vast Expressed Creativity

He made this world, in all of its extravagant beauty out of love for us. He could have made everything one color, one shape, one size, all uniform, all bland, all flat. But that’s not the world He made for us, is it?

Ears to hear the lapping waves on a shore, waterfalls & rivers rushing, breezes through tall grass & the leaves on the trees, a kitten’s purr, a baby’s laugh, kind words.

Taste buds to taste fresh hot apple pie a la mode, your favorite meal, a sweet treat.

A nose to stop & smell the roses, kitten fur, baby skin, fresh air, something baking in the oven, perfumes, fresh cut grass.

Skin to feel the warmth of a hug, the softness of a blanket, the comfort of soft fur, the rush of water on bare skin, the breeze across your face.

Eyes to see a rainbow, kittens, tropical fish, a sunset, a beach, a smile from a friend, flowers in bloom, mountain peaks, the green grass on rolling hills.

God didn’t skimp out on us when He made this world for us, did He? Not one bit. What a LOVING God He is!

He Showed Us His Unimaginable Love through JESUS

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

And not only did He give us His Word because He cares about our wellbeing & knows He sees beyond what we’re capable. Not only does He hold accountable those who are reckless in their destructive sin to protect them & those they hurt with their recklessness. Not only did He lavish His excellence on us through His creation….

But, JESUS.

Jesus is the ABSOLUTE embodiment & display of God’s love for us.

We Could Never Earn It… So, Jesus Paid It

Guys. Even IF we determine to live up to God’s standard & trust His Word & live by it… we still fall short of it every single day… honestly probably every single moment.

And yet… He could have said, “well, too bad, huh? I gave you this world. I gave you My Word to live by. You STILL screwed it up? That’s on you.”

But instead… JESUS. I mean… WHAT?!?

He looked down at all our screw ups & the feeling He felt toward us was not hatred or resentment… but COMPASSION. Like, all our lack is just filled in with HIM.

God Condescended Himself FOR US

God CONDESCENDED Himself from His THRONE to come be born in fleshly state & be rejected & scorned & mocked & beaten by those He loves & came to die for. (Isaiah 53) And His response? “Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

GUYS!!!?

Love came DOWN to US!

Believing on HIM BECOMES OUR righteousness! Grace, by definition is UNDESERVED!

What LOVE!!

AND… God doesn’t even stop there!!!

Creation, His Word, Jesus, & Now, the Holy Spirit… Love Is ALWAYS His Motivator!

After we have trusted on His death for our sins & His raising from the dead conquering that sin… God offers us HIMSELF. He promises us the Holy Spirit to indwell us, to guide us, to be our helper & counselor & comfort.

In other words, we no longer have to even try to obey Him or live for Him in OUR OWN strength, but through HIS!

A consistent laying down of our lack & a requesting for His ALL.

A consistent life of letting Him shape us to look more like Jesus to this hurting world around us.

Please understand this, in all the misunderstandings there are out there about God: Love is ALWAYS His motivator.

Shine HOPE by sharing the love of God with others… His Word, His creation, His sacrifice, His ALL… His LOVE.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Flora Bunny Decor (NEPAL)

LIMITED EDITION – While supplies last! How fun is this Flora Bunny Decor that creates jobs for women in Nepal! This adorable wool bunny hanging decor is perfect to add a little springtime fair-trade fun to your decor! Each Flora Bunny is handcrafted using traditional wool-crafting techniques that have been passed down for generations.

***Your purchase, using the “Shop Here” link below, provides a woman in an area of extreme poverty with a safe job and fair wage.***

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

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

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

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

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

No Really, I Am

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

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

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

I like ease, comfort, status quo.

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

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

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

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

I’m a Self-Seeking Brat

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

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

But, God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Self-Check*

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

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

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

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

What is it for you?

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Ardent Necklace-Golden (INDIA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Is Not Intimidated

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

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

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

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

America, the Beautiful… Needs to Return to God

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

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

God Is SEATED-He CanNOT be Moved

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

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

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

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

He is not intimidated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REPENT & Turn to Him!

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

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

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

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

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

He is GOD… & you are not.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turn to Him & Find the Rest You Seek

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

God is SEATED. He canNOT be moved.

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

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

What are you holding back from Him?

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

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Hope Mail-March 2025 (INDIA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Much of Your Life Do YOU Control?

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

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

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

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

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

We Were NEVER Meant to be the One in Charge

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

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

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

Thank GOD for that! Really… thank Him!

God Restores the Brokenness We Create

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

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

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

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

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

We Need to Ask Ourselves

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

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

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

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

Do I?

Oh how convicting this thought is to me.

Which Is Scarier Though?

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

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

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

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

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

How Sovereign Over All Is He Though?

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

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

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

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

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

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

He. Is. GOD.

How can we doubt Him?

Do You “Acknowledge God in ALL Your Ways”?

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

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

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

Are you all in?

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

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

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

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

Do you acknowledge God in ALL your ways?

Who Do You Primarily Live For?

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

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

Do you think He doesn’t understand your responsibilities?

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

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

Do you believe that?

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

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

(***Check out my FREE Journal Printable Resources: “Accountability Partner Guide + Question Prompts” & “Bible Study Question Prompts ,” as well as “Prayers of Surrender” prayer guides!***)

This blog/website has been running for 6.5 years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Renew Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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