We Miss This Sometimes

You are so loved, did you know that?

People make God out to be this Controlling Overseer judging our every move, constantly disappointed, badgering us with shame & guilt like we can never be enough….

But those images & perceptions of Him are entirely & completely false… Couldn’t be further from the truth, actually.

When our mistakes, our wrong choices, & our sin disappoint Him, it is not expressed to us through a sense of shame in us, but rather in knowing that every single command He gives is to protect us from the harm we don’t understand we’re causing ourselves & others. He cares too much about us not to warn us about things He knows will hurt us.

Imagine with me dodging to swat your kid’s hand away from the burning pot on the stove. Do you do that to shame your kid about their choices, to embarrass them? NO! You do it because you KNOW how much that would hurt them & you would much rather risk hurting their feelings in the moment by telling them “no” in order to protect them… than to stand by & watch them burn.

Everything He says “no” to is to protect us.

Like small children, who usually don’t know better–especially on their first attempt… they THINK they know, don’t they?

God will do anything to keep you from unknowingly hurting yourself. But we have to be willing to listen to His loving commands, through obedience to His Word, the Bible. It will not prevent all hurt in our lives, but it will prevent us from unnecessarily hurting ourselves or others around us who end up reaping the consequences of your actions.

He Sees You. He Cares About You. He Wants to Protect You from Yourself.

Imagine an All-Knowing, ETERNAL God–compared to us, whose lives are as a vapor comparatively… & us thinking we see clearer than He does. How ridiculous, right!?

Just like that tottering toddler believes YOU may not know what YOU’RE talking about. The audacity, right?

God knew you were gonna screw it up. He knew you would fail so many times. He knew you wouldn’t always get it, wouldn’t always believe Him over yourself… wouldn’t always listen & obey….

He made you anyway. He knew His grace, through Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sin would be big enough to cover it no matter what your screwups included.

God knew you couldn’t make yourself, so He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He wanted you to exist. He wanted you here… so He MADE you.

God knew you could never hope to pay for your wrongs against Him & so the wrath of God would fall on you, a burden that would swallow you whole & lead to eternal suffering & pain…. So, He sent Jesus to pay your price on the cross—If you trust in that free, unbelievably generous gift of His sacrifice on your behalf, He covers your sin free of charge, He takes God’s wrath on Himself instead!

We NEED to Obey Him, Because Not Only Does He Deserve It–It Is ALSO for Our GOOD!!

God knew this life would often feel too heavy to manage. He warned against mankind fighting to have the knowledge of good & evil in the Garden of Eden, to instead let Him shoulder it & handle it, but mankind chose self (as each of us do so often!) & that trait was passed down throughout all generations, & so now we often mistake being aware of good & evil as a need to try to fix it all & to try & carry the burden of it all on ourselves versus leaning into Him for His lead & His wisdom & His strength as He offers us freely.

His love for us in so unreal. His love for you.

He is not coming to condemn & point fingers & shame you.

He came to die on your behalf. Jesus died to take on God’s wrath reserved for you, so that you could be set free from the sin & guilt you shoulder yourself… from the eternal punishment you deserve.

All because He loves you.

He Cleans Us Up from the Inside Out… He Never Leaves Us Where We Are

He takes you as you are, but He doesn’t leave you there… He cleans you up. He loves you too much to leave you as is. He works in & through your life for GOOD.

What a gracious gift!! For YOU!!

No, God isn’t snickering at you failing & flailing through life… He nudges at your heart to come home to Him & let Him love you & clean you up.

He isn’t rolling His eyes, talking about you behind your back, as if “what a loser, what a failure, what a disappointment.” But beckons you to slump into His arms of refuge & forgiveness & the beginning of a clean slate.

He offers you His grace through Jesus. He offers you mercy in exchange for your wrongs. He gently, patiently cleans you up versus guilting you to do it yourself to be “good enough” for Him. He walks with you through this life, versus letting you figure it out yourself.

GOD. LOVES. YOU.

Come to Him. Bow to Him. Trust in Jesus. Watch Him make you clean from the inside out, giving you a fresh start, a clean slate, & a changed heart… a new life in Him.

Do You Feel Loved? What Does Love Mean to You?

He is the best decision I have EVER made & WILL ever make… & I trusted in Jesus’ saving grace at just 5. And I won’t ever top it. Any age you are is the perfect time to watch Him change your life.

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” (Isaiah 41:10)

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

“… For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God….” (Romans 3:23)

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

“For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

“… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

For God SO Loved YOU… God IS Love!

“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.” (John 3:16)

“In His presence is fullness of JOY.” (Psalm 16:11)

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

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body ^[a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:3-8)

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 28) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Capri Coast Earrings–Handcrafted in & Creating Jobs for Women in India!

These beautiful, hand-beaded Capri Coast Earrings create dignified jobs for women in India who are able to earn fair wages for their work in a safe environment. Each strand of beads attaches to a gold-tone semi-circle. Handcrafted in a workshop in India committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans, these fair-trade statement earrings are perfect for summer!

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

He Makes Us New

I hear a lot of people feeling pressured to have their life cleaned up before they can come to Jesus, but that is not how the Bible displays the grace of God.

On this recent Sunday, the pastor read from the story of the sinner on the cross.

This man, told about in Luke 23:38-43, recognized that Jesus did not deserve to be on that cross beside him, but that he himself definitely did. He acknowledged his own sinfulness… he did not deny it.

But what that robber also didn’t do was have opportunity to clean his life up before having any chance for heaven. He had no right to heaven & no more time left to prove himself worthy for it going forward. He was already at the end, time was up.

But yet, Jesus verbally welcomed him into heaven.

… Not based on this sinner’s deserving (he had none)… not on his work to make up for it or change (his time was already up)… but based on his belief on Jesus as the One Whom he needed to save him from his deserved wrath.

I know a lot of us know this, & yet, we can get so caught up in judging someone else’s faith or place in heaven based on their weaknesses & past. God cleans us up through our faith on Jesus Christ to pay for our sins–we don’t do the cleaning up–He does.

I STILL Don’t Deserve Heaven Sans Jesus Covering My Sins, Even All These Years Later

I don’t know about you, but I, being saved now for almost 40 years, understand very clearly how undeserving I STILL am.

God is a faithful Vinedresser. (John 15:1-8) He is still weeding those things out of me. He is still cutting off things that distract me from getting properly nourished through Him & from being the most fruitful I can be.

God is faithful in tending to how my heart needs to change, how I need to be renewed & molded to be more in the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Infinitely being gently corrected & changed, beyond what I deserve.

I see this a lot with sins that are embedded in a person’s perceived “identity.” I have heard people say that those who struggle presently with it cannot be a Christian while still believing those things or living in them.

But I challenge them on the power of the Gospel.

I still have seasons where I am foolish & allow myself to be deceived, where I have excused circles around my sin habit. But God is always gentle, forgiving, & faithful to continue pruning my heart, just as God got David’s attention through a prophet He sent to confront David near a year of David having deceived circles around his own quite major sins. (2 Samuel 12:1-8)

Despite our facing of the natural consequences of our wrong choices, how merciful God is to us.

We Are Naturally Often Afraid of Seeming Like It Means We Are Excusing Our Sin in Mentioning God’s Ever-Gracious, Merciful Nature

The fear we may face of talking about the possibility of being saved while living in sin is usually wrapped around the thought of it being an EXCUSING of sin, as if, “well, it IS paid for, so stop making a big deal about their sin… stop making that a deal-breaker.”

There is no way I am saying that. Sin matters. Your choices matter. Your obedience to God MATTERS.

Sin still causes damage. Sin still hurts us, others, AND God. Sin still tests & angers God, because God knows the damage & hurt it causes & tells us not to engage with it… & when we instead trust OURSELVES—we are then putting our own limited “wisdom” above the God Who made us & the world & everything in it. It is severely insulting to Him. It still has a cost. And sin still makes a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on that cross for our sin.

So sin still very much matters.

We Still NEED to be Seeking God WHILE Letting Him Prune & Change Us from the Inside Out

Pursuing holiness & obedience to God, living as a testimony of His truth & living FOR HIS glory—STILL MATTERS.

There are so many verses that attest to the opposite of living apart from regular, repeated sin is what allows you to be truly saved.

But by Christ alone.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 4:3; Romans 10:9)

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

“… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

Even the prodigal SON passage displays this. (Luke 15:11-32) This story is not one of a stranger becoming a son, but rather a son making a mockery of his Father’s great generosity, WASTING it, & the welcoming grace that awaited him upon his humbled return.

I Didn’t Get Cleaned Up All at Once… But I am Failing Forward with God’s Working in Me

And then, there’s my life. Almost 40 years of mistakes, of failures, of wrong beliefs that were not called out or righted right away. Living sinfully because I was convinced I was doing nothing wrong, or that it “wasn’t really that bad.”

The gentle guiding, teaching, convicting of my heart throughout my life.

I was deceived. I let myself be led astray. I was foolish.

God kept weeding things out of me that shouldn’t be there. Ever faithful, ever working on my heart, ever making me more like Jesus.

God kept leading me & bringing sin to mind so I could lay it down. Sometimes I fought Him, but He kept working on me until I finally obeyed Him over trusting myself. It wasn’t all it once, it wasn’t always a willingness, but knowing it was a necessity, that God knew better than me, even when I didn’t want to believe that.

Only God Knows–Speak Truth, in Love–Warn of the Consequences–But Mostly, PRAY for Them

Is it hard to watch someone proclaiming Christ to be living in sin? Yes.

Does it make it seem like they’re not really saved because they’re not CURRENTLY living like it in this season? Yes.

Will that sin harm them & bring them destruction? Yes.

Does God still HATE our sin while still loving us? Yes.

Ought we warn people about their sin? YES.

Ought we turn away from our sin, even if we enjoy it, believe in it, & have been deceived over it, understanding that God ALWAYS knows better than we do & because obedience to Him still matters more than getting to live the way we want to live? YES.

If what we desires contradicts God’s Word—we’re the ones who are wrong, not Him.

He must be heeded.

We must obey His Word over our desires.

He is in charge, He knows everything—NOT us.

Sin (Doing Opposite of What God Commands or Says Is Right) Destroys. PERIOD. Don’t be Fooled!

But when we see someone proclaiming Christ while living in sin that they have convinced themselves is just fine, we need to warn them not to choose themselves over Christ… of the destruction, deception, & dishonor to God that it brings… while loving them anyway.

“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)

BE CAREFUL.

God says that if we don’t HATE everyone that matters to us compared to our LOVE for HIM–in other words that we need to make Him FIRST above ALL ELSE in our lives–that we’re not worthy to be His disciples. (Luke 14:26) If you are choosing yourself or anyone/anything more than you are willing to love & obey Him, you are living in a way that dishonors Him. You are living in sin.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

If you even have an INKLING of a thought that maybe you are wrong about what others call sin… AND you proclaim to trust in Christ… you MUST be willing to defer to Him & His Word over yourself. You must be willing to ask God to examine your life & weed out what He wishes.

Your sin may be your security blanket, but that particular security blanket it eroding away at you, eating at you from the inside out, destroying you. DON’T TRUST IT.

God Cleans Us Up–Come to Him First

God’s Word brings LIFE. Sin DESTROYS.

Every time. Every SINGLE time. Do not trust it.

Lay it down. Let Him have it. Turn it over to Him.

If you are living in sin, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are not saved, but it does mean you are actively making a mockery of the sacrifice that was offered in the life & death of Jesus Christ our Lord…. GOD FORBID we mock His sacrifice for our lives & our forgiveness before God!

Shine HOPE by not determining FOR God the eternal standing of anyone… by refusing to inaccurately represent the need for our goodness to accompany the grace of God in being allowed admittance into Heaven, by warning against the destruction brought on by trusting self over God Almighty, by refusing to make a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ by living our way over His… by living ALL you do for the glory of GOD.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 27) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

July 2026 “Hope Mail”-Empowering Women out of Poverty in India!

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of July! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!    

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

July hope mail includes the beautiful Brisa Hoops, perfect for summer styling! Each handmade earring is crafted with a gold-tone hoop and beaded fringe details.

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates safe jobs for women to become financially independent in areas of extreme poverty in India and helps fight child marriage.      

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

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

How Can I Have That?

I think maybe one of the reasons I can tend to doubt these sorts of promises, is because I just don’t always feel it & maybe sometimes I really don’t even understand what it means.

We know we have God’s presence with us always, as He promises “He will never leave us nor forsake us.” (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:8) So, combining this verse & that, we should always be experiencing this “fullness of joy,” correct? Well, sort of….

I am for sure wearing out this point/topic, but here we go again… chances are, we’re probably missing a VERY key point… abiding in Him.

The POTENTIAL for this “fullness of joy” is for sure always there, but to access it… to experience it… to benefit from it… we need to be spending time IN His PRESENCE.

How to Make Really Hard Decisions When Either Answer Feels Wrong

Similarly, I had an experience a few months ago where I was feeling super over-encumbered by my to-do list. Lots of plans/activities going on, trying to plan for a big trip, coordinating details, booking tickets, making reservations… all ON TOP OF my regular schedule of work & various ministries I participate in… & then I got asked to come in to work to help with something outside of my normal schedule… & they were desperate for help.

Now, this is an especially sticky, hard situation for me, honestly… I knew how busy I already was, but then I felt like I’d be the “bad guy” if I said “no,” because I knew they really needed me.

And the help they asked for was over TWO days, not just one.

Oh, cue the inner turmoil between “I don’t want to look like I don’t care,” & “but I am already way in over my head!” “What do I DO!?!?”

I kept praying about it throughout the morning & emailed back saying as such, to give me time to look over my schedule. I desperately wanted to just say no, but I really didn’t want to leave them hanging in their need.

When the Answer Still Didn’t Come… No Peace Either Way… What Do I Do??

And the answer wasn’t coming. I kept praying. Still nothing. No certainty. No fog lifted to reveal an answer to my dilemma of which I felt absolute peace. No reassurance to turn it down. None to take it & add more to my already busy plate. Just nothing. And I KEPT PRAYING… getting a little more worried with each passing hour before I needed to make a final decision, feeling the pressure increasing.

So, I started praying to that effect, “God, You know I have a deadline… that I need to make a decision… You are the only One Who knows whether I can feasibly accommodate it or whether I would sacrifice my necessary trip preparation responsibilities to do so. PLEASE help me.… Why aren’t You answering me? Why can’t I find peace either way? What should I do?”

Then God Answered… Not My Question… But Where I Needed to Find My Answer

Then it came… this urgency that I needed to STOP my busyness. I needed to STOP scuttering around. I needed to STOP & sit with Him for a minute so I could more clearly hear from Him.

I needed to stop treating Him like my secretary, tossing out a request & carrying on with my tasks while I await His getting back with me. I needed time to just BE in His presence so I could more clearly sense His leading.

So, I did that. I stopped working on my list. I stopped my scuttering around the house. And I went in my room & I knelt down & said, “Ok, God, I hear You. I’m sorry for not taking a minute with You about this, expecting You to answer on MY schedule. Please help me know what to do. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.” And I just STAYED there in silence & awaited in His presence until I could clearly tell what He was trying to tell me.

And you know what happened? All of a sudden, things came into focus & I knew what I needed to do… that I could replace some unnecessary regular plans with instead working some extra hours so that I didn’t need to compromise my responsibilities & I could help them as well. Like a solution that came to mind clear as day. A solution that traded versus added. A solution that hadn’t occurred to me before then. God gave me the wisdom I requested in that still quietness in His presence.

In His Presence… That’s the Key…

I think this “fullness of joy” that He promises us is in the same vein as this. We need to allow ourselves to just BE in His presence.

It is realized when we STOP. When we decide to put aside all else & just take time to be in His presence… to talk to Him like our best friend Who cares about ever single little mundane detail of our lives like nobody else ever could.

It is when we determine to JUST BE with Him… nothing else in that moment… just you & Him.

It refills your cup somehow. It satisfies something in your soul you didn’t realize could be filled or satisfied… those little “that’s just how life feels… stressful & rushed,” that it doesn’t need to feel that way.

Extra time, but time that seems to fill you up.

Extra effort, but effort that seems to settle everything else.

Abiding in Him is an EXTRA in life… but it’s an extra that repays more than you could ever spend.

He sustains. He nurtures. He listens. He cares. He satisfies. He fills. He strengthens. He encourages. He emboldens….

HE IS where we meet fullness of joy.

“IN His Presence Is Fullness of Joy”

So, if you’re not feeling it… this “fullness of joy” mentioned in Psalm 16… are you taking time to BE in His presence? Or are you just flippantly tossing a prayer His way, thinking that ought to be enough?

Not a genie. A Friend. A God Who made you & loves you more than anything… He gave His Son, Jesus, to pay your sin debt to Him. He LOVES you. He CARES about you. He wants you to be in His presence. He wants to fill you with joy even in the midst of the worst of circumstances.

I have seen it. I have experienced it. I have felt it. And I still sometimes forget I need to set aside time for it.

Easily distracted… easily convinced it’s all up to me & I’m too busy… but I NEED it. I NEED Him.

You need Him, too.

Shine HOPE by spending time with Him, abiding in Him, gleaning from Him, turning to Him… being in His presence.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 24) on my YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

June 2026 “Hope Mail” (Handcrafted & Supporting Women in GUATEMALA)

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of June! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!    

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

June hope mail includes the Antigua Horizons Pouch, perfect for carrying summer essentials! Each handmade pouch features genuine leather and upcycled traditional fabrics to create a beautiful and functional zippered pouch.  

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in Guatemala and allows mothers to send their children to school.   

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

Have We Stopped Caring Whether We Neglect/Dishonor God? Living OUR Way Instead of HIS?

As I have seen our culture in America become bolder & bolder in “living their truth” or living their way—living their sin out loud—I wonder if our culture today is lacking a fear of God.

It honestly seems so.

God’s Word—the Bible—informs us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)

An understanding that God is GOD & I am NOT is where true wisdom begins.

What Does It Mean to “Fear God”?

I have often had a fear of God described to me as–for those who do not trust Jesus to pay for their sins, often referred to as “unbelievers”—this “fear of God” is a trembling fear that they will meet the wrath of God for their actions if they do not humble themselves & trust Jesus to cover their sin, submitting themselves to God….

While, for believers on Jesus, it is a mere “reverence.” An “awe.” Not really FEAR, fear anymore.

But, I think we need to be careful saying that. Of toning down how we ought to behave toward God. How we ought to surrender our lives to Him as our Heavenly KING.

Not of His Wrath, But of His Eternal Deserving

No, we who trust on Jesus do not need to fear the WRATH of God, because we know that we could never hope to pay in full what we owe… we know we are ONLY able to be made righteous because of JESUS, not ourselves.

But it is more accurate to consider FEARing Him vs just “being in awe” of Him.

Because we need to take sin very seriously. We need to understand that God is GOD. He is not to be ignored or trifled with. He is not to be ignored or “tossed in for good measure when we need something.” We ought to treat Him as our Master & our Commander… our KING of kings.

Not that we need to be living in constant anxiety-driven fear, because we know we have the blood of Jesus covering our sins, but also not taking advantage of the cost that was paid for us.

Living, rather, as worthy of it. Living in HONOR of the One Who paid to set us free.

NOT mocking His sacrifice by living by what seems right to us, but surrendering to–& trusting in—how HE says we ought to live.

Are You Living as a Slave to Sin? Or of Righteousness?

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered [the GOSPEL, trusting Jesus to cover your sins because of His death on the cross & conquering sin AND death]. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:15-23)

It Is ALWAYS One or the Other

The Bible says we are either slaves to sin or to righteousness. Either we live to the whims of the heart, tossed to & fro, facing the fine print painful consequences of living according to our fleshly, sinful nature….

OR, living as a servant of Jesus Christ, living under His redemption, the cost paid by Him… slaves to righteousness, living to please our great God, Who gave His all so that we could be called sons & daughters of the King vs. merely as slaves, abused & used.

What Kind of Master Would You Rather Serve?

Imagine with me a tyrant boss who counts you as just a number, worthless–who doesn’t care how poorly they treat you or anything for your well-being. You feel used & like you don’t matter to anyone. You hate going to work because of how you are treated.

That is like living as a slave to your sin. It will wreck you, destroy you, chip away at you. It cares nothing for you or the consequences you will pay as a result of your choices.

But then, imagine with me a boss who uplifts you, treats you respectfully, even sacrifices their own time to make sure you are adequately supported, taking care to treat you with consideration & kindness. Bonuses, little treats, & kind words to help you get through your day feeling seen, appreciated, & that your work matters.

This is what it is like being a slave to righteousness. Sure, the work isn’t always easy, but the more you learn to turn to your “boss” aka God Almighty, the more He supports you & helps you. He never manipulates or shames you, but steps in to be quick to forgive & to help you over your hurdles. It’s a pleasure to serve Him & work for Him because He actually cares about you as a person.

How Would You Rather be Treated?

Both slaves, but each treated very differently, with very different treatment & outcomes.

One makes you loathe going to work, the other makes you eager to start each day.

One boss doesn’t care one bit about you. The other sacrificed His life so you could be forgiven & given a clean slate when you terribly screwed it all up.

One hates you. One loves you beyond what any words could express.

One leads to your destruction. The other leads to your freedom & a full, fulfilling life.

Treat Him with the Respect, Honor, Reverence, Submission & Humility That He Deserves as Your King Who Gave His ALL for You

No, as a believer on Jesus for covering our sin payment for us, we don’t have to fear God’s wrath, but we should still live as if He is worthy of that fear, as if He is deserving of that kind of respect & reverence, knowing that Jesus died a very brutally gruesome death on your behalf… as if we wouldn’t DARE making a mockery of that sacrifice just so you can live YOUR way over HIS.

So, how is your fear of Him? How do you treat God? Do you treat Him as worthy of that kind of fear & respect? Or do you just sort of toss a thanks His way, while living the way that pleases YOU first & foremost each day?

How are you treating Him? Do you FEAR Him in that way? Honoring His sacrifice on your behalf?

Is Our Culture Today Lacking a Fear of God?

How can you change? Start by asking His forgiveness if you have been taking His Word less seriously than it deserves… if you have been living mainly by your agenda rather than His.

And ask Him to continue to shape you to be more respectful & honoring to Him as KING of kings.

And read His Word—the Bible—to know better how to please & honor Him with your life, your time, your resources, your beliefs, your desires, your thoughts, your friendships... your EVERYTHING.

And PRAY. Talk to Him.

Honor His sacrifice for you by how you live for Him.

Turn to Him & FIND LIFE

(And, if you don’t believe on Him & you are still an abused slave to your sin, your dishonoring behaviors & thoughts, not submitted to Jesus to pay for your sins…. Start there. Ask God for forgiveness of your sins, agreeing with God that they are sinful, & humbly ask Jesus to cover your sins, trusting on Him to pay for it all… becoming a slave to righteousness instead from here on out.)

“He who finds his life [lives for self, pleasure-seeking] will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake [lives instead as a slave to the will of God] will find it.” (Matthew 10:39)

No more living for US with a dash of Jesus thrown in there for good measure.

Shine HOPE, by fearing God–treating Him the way He deserves, & by honoring His Word with obedience above your desires, even when you don’t feel like it, knowing He WILL help you as you ask Him for it. So, ASK.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 21) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 EIGHT 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!!

Golden Wave Hoops, Handcrafted in INDIA! Purchase These Below!

In India, poverty often leads to exploitation of vulnerable women in sweatshops.

Purchase these beauties below to provide these Artisans with fair wages, access to healthcare, education for their children, and care for elderly family members. Purchase these earrings and empower an Artisan in India!

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

Do You Bow to the Word of God? Or to Self?

I have known a lot of people in my life who have claimed to be Christians, while also believing it to be completely okay for them to live completely opposed to how God says we ought to live: from sex outside of marriage to marrying someone of the same gender to partying & getting drunk every weekend.

I have also known a lot of people who claim to be “religious” or “spiritual,” whatever that means, as if claiming these things is entirely sufficient, which, again, I don’t really know what being religious or spiritual gains for you at all when it comes to whether or not God is pleased with you & your life.

If we want to say we love God, we have to be willing to submit to & obey Him.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

The 2 are entirely inseparable. You cannot say you love God & then live so opposite His Word.

We Don’t Decide Who God Is… He Does.

The deception here, I believe, is thinking that we can define Who God IS. That we choose verses that align with US so that we can feel okay with how we have decided is “Him.”

That is the danger of having the entirety of your knowledge of the Bible come from mere devotionals or sermons on Sundays. While beneficial, they are man-made snapshots… an incomplete picture of the whole of Scripture.

And the further danger is not really knowing God at all… but only the parts that make you feel all warm & fuzzy.

If you’re avoiding the Old Testament, for example, because it makes God seem “mean,” while reading only the New Testament because it makes you feel loved, pursued, & worthy of that love… well, you are missing out on really seeing how wretched God considers our sin… the death & suffering that happens as a result of it… the unrelenting judgment… the wrath of God.

You see, God is the same God throughout all of eternity, & this includes both the OT (Old Testament) & NT (New Testament) portrayals of Him. He is a never-changing God.

God Is the Same Yesterday, Today, & Forever… (Hebrews 13:8)

The OT shows WHY Jesus HAD to die. What complete insufferable wretches we are in our sin nature… the price that must be paid in its wake.

The NT shows that God did not just decide to forget our wretched sin or downplay it, but rather, required Jesus to suffer a brutally gruesome death because of it.

Mercy & Justice met on the cross.

So, when we claim to follow Jesus & we claim to trust He paid for our wretchedness on the cross, to pay OUR debt in such an awfully painful way… WHY then, WHY would you openly KEEP sinning???

WHY would you think YOU get to TELL GOD what YOU, the CREATED, want to believe about Him?

You do not…. He IS.

“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)

Where Love, Justice, & Mercy Meet… On the Cross of Jesus Christ…

Don’t you dare focus so much on His LOVE that you neglect to see His wrath against your sin, paid in the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Yes, His love was displayed so fully & beautifully on that cross, but so was His justice & His wrath against our sinfulness.

Being “religious” or “spiritual” gains you NOTHING without trusting on Jesus Christ Who paid your debt on that cross. NOTHING.

You will go to Hell with ALL of your “spirituality” & “religion” if you do not submit your sin before the cross of Christ.

Do not be fooled. You are not good. You are not good enough… but you are so loved by a God Who loves you SO MUCH anyway & gave EVERYTHING to redeem you from your sin against Him.

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

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)

Live Submitted to Him, Not Your Desires or Beliefs

Live like you believe He loves you.

Live like you believe God is the One true God & has a right to our surrendered submission to the truth of His Word.

Live like you believe He alone is GOD—not YOU, or your desires, or your will, or your beliefs… HE is GOD. NOT you.

You don’t get to decide. He does.

You don’t get to determine what He considers sin or truth. He does.

You don’t get the final say. He does.

Being “Religious” or “Spiritual” Is Not the Same Thing as Being Biblical

Submit your life to HIM. Submit your sin to HIM.

Let Him be your authority… not you.

Being “religious” or “spiritual” is NOT the same thing as being Biblical.

Only faith in only Him.

Shine HOPE by determining to honor & obey the Word of God in its entirety—not just the parts that make you feel good. Jesus died so that you may know true hope & have life to its fullness. Trust Him & obey Him with everything. Hold nothing back. Leave nothing out.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 18) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 7.5 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!!

Sparrow Pin, Handcrafted in India!

When you purchase the Sparrow Pin, you create safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty where vulnerable women are often exploited by sweatshops.

This adorable pin shows off the craftsmanship of our talented artisan partners in India! Each bead is hand-sewn onto the pin to create this bird image. This is the perfect addition to any blazer, coat, or canvas bag to instantly give you a unique look!

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

Tell People the “It’s So Good, I Can Hardly Believe It!” Good News!

If you’re a Christian–someone who trusts in Jesus Christ to cover your wrongs before God, knowing you could never hope to pay Him back on your own–you ought to want to share the hope found in Jesus with others.

It’s not nosy. It’s not arrogant. It’s not a negotiable.

If you really, actually believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven (because He is–John 14:6), why would you keep quiet, knowing the alternative leads to their eternal condemnation & never-ending suffering?

Spread HOPE! Tell people about what Jesus did for you & for them so that they can know Him & be saved!

The Rest Have Holes in Them! The Rest Will Sink!

Imagine you knew your town was about to flood in a major way, like destroying homes, no visible ground, turning your town into a river type of way….

You know the ONE company that has absolutely no holes in their life-saving boats, & you know that every other company is actually lying & theirs will sink & its passengers will for sure drown. It’s not an assumption or paranoia–for whatever reason, you KNOW about the state of the boats better than anyone & you KNOW it’s the case because it is FACT.

How eager would you be to tell ALL your neighbors, friends, & families that they HAVE to buy from that ONE company?

Would that make you rude? Nosy? Getting in other peoples’ business? Snobby or self-righteous?

NO. It would make you a decent human being who cares about what happens to those around you!

No Other Gods… No Other Hope… Only Jesus

Well, you have that information. Jesus is THE only way. NO ONE comes to the Father God without Him. He is IT. (John 14:6)

If you have neighbors, family, or friends who die & they have not turned to Jesus to cover their sins before God… they WILL STILL go before the judgement seat of Christ & they WILL STILL fall short & go to Hell as the consequences of their own unholiness.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

“… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Even if they really think they’re a good person… as we talked about last week, your good will never be good enough. (Read that post, here: “Do You Think You’re Good Enough to Go to Heaven?”)

They will die… & without Jesus… they will go to Hell. Period.

But I Don’t Know What to Say…..

So, how do we tell people about Jesus then? How do we get them to understand about the ONE “life raft” that will keep them alive?

I’ve spent my life being intimidated by this question. Even at Liberty University, in our required Evangelism course, I practiced it, learned verses, wrote out my testimony, etc.

But, in my 37 years of wrestling with this… I have discovered something quite profound: the best method of evangelism is actually not any of these methods, but rather: abiding in Him & praying for opportunities.

Not Regurgitation, But Spirit-Led… Because It’s Him Who Does the Saving Anyway, Not Us

Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to hand out tracts, to leave them in public restrooms or with a good tip at a restaurant. I’m not saying it’s wrong to know some good verses to point someone to when they have questions. I’m not saying it’s unwise to practice sharing your testimony with others, even.

But think about how YOU met Jesus. How personal it was. How intimate it was, as if God just spoke the words right into your heart through someone else.

What does that tell you? Was it a formula? Or was it the Holy Spirit waking up your heart to the truth of your sin, & your need of a Savior?

Now think about the Bible. Is there a prescribed outline or formula in the Bible for sharing the Gospel with others? If there was one formula, don’t you think God would have had the wisdom to share it with us?

But over & over is talked about prayer, submission to Him, surrender to Him, faith in Him, reliance upon Him… abiding in Him.

The Best Method of Evangelism? Abiding in Him & Praying for Opportunities

So, the best way to evangelize, or share how Jesus came to earth as God-come-as-man, to live a sinless life, & to die on the cross, taking on the wrath of God reserved for us… would be to abide in Him & to pray for opportunities.

If you are ABIDING IN HIM, aka reading & studying the Bible consistently & regularly, thinking about His Word day & night as you go through your life… & if you are talking with Him (prayer) consistently & regularly… then you are doing the best thing you can do… you are letting Him take the reins of your thoughts & actions… you are allowing His Word to be at the forefront of your mind… you are allowing His thoughts to become the way you think… you are allowing Him to speak to them through you.

And if you are living this, while praying for God to give you opportunities… well, you don’t need any special formula or very specific set of verses to regurgitate (PLEASE hide His words in your heart anyway, though! Psalm 119:11), because you have something way better to guide you: the Holy Spirit, Who knows their heart & their needs PERSONALLY.

ABIDE in HIM!!

He can guide you in what to say or do. He isn’t caught off guard ever either. He already knows what they need in order to draw them to Himself. He can use His Word that you have hidden in your heart to speak to their heart. God will use what you have already hidden in your heart.

So, if you’re intimidated, that is OKAY. But DON’T let it STOP you from sharing the best possible thing you could ever share with another person–the way to have their sins wiped clean, forgiveness, a clean slate, HOPE, & a way to Heaven to be with the God who loves them SO MUCH that not only did He knit them together in their mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), but He also sent His Son to die for their sins so that they could go to Heaven & be with Him for all eternity in absolute peace & joy, never again facing anything that could ever hurt them ever again.

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

“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)

““I [Jesus] am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Shine HOPE!!!

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 17) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 7.5 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!!

May 2026 “Hope Mail”!!

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of May 2026! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!    

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

May’s hope mail includes the Haven Necklace, perfect for summer styling! This silver-tone pendant necklace features a sun with a dazzling CZ stone in the middle.

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates 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.  

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

Can You Really Say You’re Sure?

No matter your projected confidence with this question, most, if being completely vulnerable & transparent, will admit that when the dust settles, the lights are out, they’re lying in bed staring at the ceiling… that they can’t be entirely sure.

No matter how good you have lived your life… or have tried to… something will always nag at you… something inside you will always ask, “Are you sure? Like REALLY sure?”

It’s a fair question, because the reality is quite frankly that we all are aware of all the ways we feel we never measure up… of the bad attitudes we can sometimes hide behind an innocent smile… the dumb, selfish choices we have made… the imperfections we know all too well are there in us. The blatant screwups.

The ways we have really messed things up….

The short, easy answer for every single one of us unfortunately… is, “We’re not good enough to go to heaven….” Not a single one of us is good enough, no matter how hard we may try to be.

How Much Do We Downplay the Seriousness of Our Inadequacies & Mistakes?

I think one of the most humbling books of the Bible is Numbers. “Lord, Change My Attitude,” by James MacDonald, does a great job at walking through the chapters of the book of Numbers, helping us to see the terribly harsh punishments God has used for things we count as barely a sin, such as complaining.

The first time I read through the entirety of the Old Testament, in my early twenties, I remember praying something like, “God, um… from a PR standpoint… this really does not make You look very good. If You wanted to come off as loving & compassionate… full of grace, love, & mercy… well, this is not how to do it. WHY would You include all this in the Bible?? It makes You seem so cruel! NOT loving!”

I don’t know for how long I prayed along those lines, really struggling with how harsh a picture it was painting of God & really not liking it much at all… but when His response finally came as a gentle whisper across my heart, boy was it a slap back to reality… in the gentlest way imaginable.

“I needed to show why Jesus had to die.”

WOW did that put me in my place IMMEDIATELY.

Never Trivialize Your Sin for Which Jesus Died…

You see, I don’t know about you, but I tend to trivialize certain “imperfections,” like complaining. And when I see such a harsh punishment as making the ground open up & swallow whole an entire family… well, that seems disproportionate.

But, looking at it from GOD’S perspective, we see things a little differently.

That God is PERFECT & cannot tolerate ANY sin, even the “SMALLEST” one because it mocks His perfection & holiness.

So anything short of opening up the ground & swallowing us whole for one “teeny tiny” sin is MERCIFUL.

We canNOT measure up. We could NEVER measure up. We fall short on so many different accounts that we aren’t even AWARE of.

And yet, by His MERCY, we have not been swallowed whole into the ground beneath us.

How Often Do You “Miss the Mark”?

Sin often means something akin to “missing the mark” & I think that no matter how good any of us may try to be in any area of our lives… we can’t with ABSOLUTE certainty & self-honesty, claim we hit the mark of perfection on every account over the entire course of our lives (or even just in one single day).

You are NOT GOOD ENOUGH to go to heaven. Me either. NO ONE is. No one ever HAS been & no one ever WILL be. We ALL fall short of the glory of God. PERIOD. (Romans 3:23)

So, if you feel like you are constantly on an uphill battle to be “good enough” for God… well, stop it. Stop it & surrender your heart & life to the One, Jesus Christ, Who paid for your debt on the cross & Who ROSE AGAIN, victorious over death AND your sin!!!

You canNOT “good” your way to heaven… because no matter your level of good, your good will never be good enough.

But… Jesus… HOPE

So, are we all doomed to Hell?

Without outside redemption… absolutely yes.

But… JESUS.

Christmastime, we celebrate Emmanuel, “God with us” when God, as Man, was born to us on earth so that He could die for our sins & that when we celebrate Easter, we can celebrate our risen-from-the-dead SAVIOR, REDEEMER, GOD.

Jesus is our only hope.

Jesus Paid It All, All to Him I Owe

Jesus paid it all… all to Him I owe.

He has washed me white as snow.

I am free, I am free.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

Lord, I need You, oh I need You… every hour I need You.

He’s my One defense, my Righteousness… oh God how I need You.

By His blood, I am free.

What a precious gift He is to me.

The One, My Savior, Who has set me free.

Stop running. Listen to His knocking on your heart.

Do You Think You’re Good Enough to Go to Heaven?

Let Him come in. Let Him be your Lord. Let His blood wash your heart clean.

Jesus died so that you may live.

“… and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)

“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)

“The thief [Satan] does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy [you]. I [Jesus] have come that [you] may have life, and that [you] may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

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

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Jesus Died So That We May LIVE in HIM

Jesus died so that you could know the gift of eternal life in Heaven.

Jesus died so that you may have life, & have it more abundantly.

All to Him I owe.

Do you think you’re good enough to go to heaven? Or do you know what Jesus gave for you? Which will you choose?

Shine HOPE by turning to our One true Hope, Jesus Christ, & by telling everyone you know (& don’t) where to find the hope you have because Jesus died for you (& them).

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 16) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 7.5 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!!

Dear Darling Pouch, Handcrafted in India

Create dignified jobs for women in India that allow families to leave the slums when you carry this darling hand-embroidered pouch!

This adorable, beaded Dear Darling Pouch is handcrafted by women earning a fair and dignified wage for her work in India. No detail is left out with this embroidered and hand beaded pouch that showcases the amazing craftsmanship of our Artisan Partners. Crafted to look like a letter with postage, the Dear Darling Pouch is perfect for those with a wanderlust spirit.

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

People Judged Her Harshly, for She Was Indeed a Sinner… But When She Came Humbly to Jesus… Everything Changed

If you’re unfamiliar with this story, I encourage you to check it out straight from the Bible itself, in case I leave anything out (& because God’s Words are more powerful than anything I have to say). (Luke 7:36-50)

But basically, this Pharisee has Jesus over for a meal & while there, a woman of questionable occupation comes in. “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39b) She was looked down upon.

And yet, when she met Jesus, He changed her… she saw the healing in His hands. She felt led to repent… to change her ways… to ask forgiveness, & turn to Him for HOPE.

And even though she didn’t speak the words out loud (at least not that is recorded here), Jesus knew her heart.

She Came Unashamed to the Feet of Jesus

She got mocked, probably got talked badly about in public… & yet she came & knelt at Jesus’ feet, weeping. And as her tears dripped over Jesus’ feet, she began to clean His feet with her hair.

If I had sinned in a way where everyone knew & I was ashamed to show my face & everyone talked openly about my shame, not letting me put it behind me… letting it define me in their hearts… I would be wanting to live in the shadows.

But she came to THE Light. She came to where true hope is found. And she humbled herself openly at His feet, in front of the whole world.

Once Upon a Time… I Worshiped Unashamed, Too

Tangent here, but I remember back when I attended Liberty University for my bachelors in Business Marketing, & while I can’t speak to the spiritual climate of the school today (I graduated in 2010), when I attended, everything in my life pointed back to Jesus. Everything in my life was about living for Him, surrendering more to Him, shining for Him, knowing Him, sharing Him, teaching others about Him.

And back then, worship was the air I breathed. My whole life literally revolved around Jesus.

I still remember one worship service where I knew I had been holding back, not wanting to look a fool, or have people roll their eyes or judge me… & I was trying to maintain composure with an acceptable “okay” amount of worshipful expression.

But that night… as I sang praises to God during the service… I felt the nudge on my heart, “Are you more concerned with how others think of you? Or in giving your all to Me, as I deserve?”

So, crying from the realization of that truth, I ignored all perceivable responses to my actions & I turned, knelt in front of my chair, bowed my head, & I lifted my heart in full surrender to Him as worthy of my all.

It’s not always seen as “acceptable” in every place though. People will judge. People will think you’re being dramatic for show. People will think you feel self-righteous, as if you think you’re somehow better than everyone. It’s embarrassing. People will think what people will think.

But Am I Willing to Move Past What People Think of Me… to Worship God in a Way That He Deserves?

Then I come to stories like this. A woman who was already being openly judged, her identity being tied to her poor life choices.

And yet she came unashamed, boldly… humbly… to the feet of Jesus… because she knew He deserved it…. & she knew that she needed Him. (2 Samuel 6:14-22)

I want to be again like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair… because I too know that He deserves it… He deserves my everything… no matter what anyone else has to say about it.

What Do You Praise More Excitedly Than the One Who Made You & Sent His Son to Die for You?

Another example is David, returning home, dancing wildly in abandoned praise before the Lord, his wife watching, judging him, annoyed with him for it. But David scolds her for trying to make him feel ashamed for giving his all to God in praise, not holding anything back. (2 Samuel 6:14-22)

What sets your heart in awe? What grasps your sense of wonder? What leaves you in stunned silence?

Do you ever think about or praise the God Who made it possible?

A huge up-close waterfall? A singer that leaves you with goosebumps? A 10-foot manta ray swimming just above your head? Seeing your baby for the first time? Seeing a sunset? Being at a concert even?

What pumps you up? What leaves you breathless? What do you jump up & down for? Is it ever Jesus & what He did for you?

Live Your Praise Out Loud

Do you allow that same amount of unrestrained praise come out for the God Who made you & gave everything for you? The Lord of Heaven & Earth? The God Who is the great I AM?

Do you worship Him unashamed? Or do you hold something back? Are you willing to pray about it?

SHINE HOPE by not being ashamed to be public with your worship & praise of God. Live your love for Him out loud. Let people judge. Let them.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 10) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @6pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 7.5 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!!

Refuge Bracelet–Handmade in the Dominican Republic!

Create safe jobs for women rescued from human trafficking in the Dominican Republic when you shop the Refuge Bracelet. Each bracelet features African turquoise beads varying in shade with gold-tone and pink moonstone beads blocked throughout the design.

—Purchase the Refuge Bracelet to help fund a safe house for young girls in the Dominican Republic to experience real love and freedom.—

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

Don’t Underestimate the Value of God’s Word

While the Bible is a great guidebook to life, as it is written (inspired) by God Himself Who knows all things… we shouldn’t look at or come to the Bible just as that… but rather to come to it to know the One Who wrote it.

You see, God isn’t looking to create just moral people… He wants people to know & love Him, to live for His glory above all else.

But how can we do that without knowing His Word?

Instead of Do’s & Don’ts… Come to KNOW HIM

A very helpful trick I’ve learned when I read my Bible is to look at every verse from the perspective of: “What does this teach me about Who God is?”

You cannot imagine the richness this can bring to even the hardest text to get through (Leviticus anyone?) because it goes from learning infinite measurement details to now seeing that God is extremely detail oriented. He doesn’t just leave it up to us to figure out. He is specific & knows all of the specifics. We can count on Him to help with the details.

It really helps make even the most seemingly mundane passages come to life, because it can teach you more about Who God is. It can help you to see His eternal character, His pursuit of us, & the great lengths He is willing to go to to forgive & restore us to Himself, no matter the cost.

How He never hangs our wrongs over our heads… just crying out to Him, admitting our need for Him… & all is instantly forgiven. What a gracious, compassionate, patient, kind God we serve! That despite the utter wretchedness of our sin against Him, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay that debt for us who believe on Him for it!

He is far worth getting to know. He deserves our all because He gives His all & holds all authority on Heaven & earth. Praise God!

Look for Hints of Who He Is… Seek to KNOW Him

Look for hints on how God feels about our sin—like in Numbers 16, as well as the fact that they are so despicable that Jesus had to die a gruesome death in order to pay for them on our behalf. (Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18; Isaiah 53; John 3:16-17)

Look for how God responds to certain prayers & petitions. Notice God’s promises so you know you can have confidence in your prayers.

Look for the compassion God shows through fears & hurts.

Look for the repeated calls to repentance, even from Jesus with His constant responses of “Go & sin no more.”

Look for how God supplies & provides.

Look for how quick He is to forgive when we cry out to Him as our HOPE after getting ourselves in a really big mess we can’t get ourselves out of. (Like Psalm 107 or Luke 15:11-31)

And KEEP Looking!

Look for how He expects us to steward His provisions, our bodies, the church, & lives all around us… our time & resources.

Look for how He asks us to love, whether it’s enemies or strangers or anyone really.

Look for how He feels about you… His thoughts about you… what you mean to Him… what He gave up for you.

Look for hints of His character.

Look for what pleases Him.

Look for what He offers to you as you lean into Him.

Look for the life He created for us & intended for us pre-Fall.

Learn about His love that He expressed for you by sending Jesus to die on the cross & rise again for your sins.

Learn about His Kingship & authority.

His eternal nature… His hand in all of creation… in knitting you together in your mother’s womb… His plan that spans all eternity…

Get to Know It, Get to Know HIM–Read Your Bible

Don’t just read the words to read the words. Don’t do it to check off some imaginary “Christian” checklist.

Don’t do it to “be a good person.” Or because it’s “what God expects from you.” Don’t do it thinking it earns you more favor from God as earning your own way to heaven.

Don’t get caught up in how many chapters you “ought” to read or in “having to read through it in a year.”

Just READ it! THINK on it! LIVE it!

Do it to get to know the God Who wrote it.

Do it to fall more in love with the God Who loves you more than anyone else… more than you could ever BEGIN to comprehend.

Do it because He wants you to. He wants you to know Him. He KNOWS you NEED it, even if it just feels optional to you. He made a point to have it inspired into text that has been passed down, translated, printed, & in your hands for a REASON.

Do it to know the God Who made you.

“But by Every Word That Proceeds Out of the Mouth of GOD.”

Do it because we don’t live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God. Food nourishes our bodies (or can/should)… the Bible nourishes our SOUL.

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)

It is literal SUSTENANCE for your soul. I saw a quote on social media that said something like, “If you only ate on Sundays, you wouldn’t live very long.” Read that again.

Feeling restless? Antsy? Burdened? Overwhelmed? Over-encumbered by life? Angsty? Drowning? Unsettled? Alone? Hurting? Read the Words of God & nourish your soul with the Words of GOD.

I know it seems like it’s just more reading… but it’s NOT JUST MORE READING. God’s Word has POWER!

Get to know IT…. Get to know HIM.

Let Him nourish your soul through the power of His Word.

Shine HOPE by getting to know the God Who gives it… by getting to know His Word (the Bible).

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

NEW!! Watch This Week’s Episode on YouTube:

(*TUNE IN to watch this week’s LIVE STREAM (Episode 8) on my NEW YouTube Channel!! @: https://www.youtube.com/@MichelleHydeOnline (*Tuesdays @5pm EST/Wednesdays @8am GUAM*)

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 7.5 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!!

March 2026 “Hope Mail”

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

Enjoy the subtle, sophisticated style of the Blush Fan Earrings when you shop Hope Mail this month! These gorgeous Blush Fan Earrings are handcrafted in a workshop in India that’s committed to fighting child marriage and helping women become financially independent as fair-trade Artisans. Featuring blush pink glass set in a gold-tone frame with a creamy white fan dangle charm, these earrings are not only beautiful but create necessary jobs for women in areas of extreme poverty in India.  

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates 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.

***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!***

How Can You Help Artisans around the World AND Help Support MichelleHydeOnline.com?

#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.

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!

How Much Does God Actually Want to Interact with Our Lives?

Growing up, I really didn’t think of God much beyond the fact that Jesus had died for my sins so that I could go to heaven someday.

I knew I *ought* to read the Bible & pray, but not why. Just felt it was what a “good Christian person” does… not much beyond that.

I also understood that I was supposed to live in a way that pleased God, so… try to be a nice person, try not to break His laws/commandments, & make good choices that would make Him happy.

Then there’s tithe, to support my local church… go to church on Sundays… pray before a meal… serve somehow, some way… pray when I’m scared of the dark or of a nightmare (I used to have chronic nightmares).

Other than that… well, I didn’t really think God was much involved in my life. More like a distant overseer who would let me into heaven someday because of what Jesus did for me.

What Can Prayer Actually Do?

I also REALLY didn’t understand the purpose of prayer, or even the point of it sometimes (I mean, He already knows my thoughts anyway).

(***You can read 3 previous blog posts on the topic of prayer, here: “What Even Is Prayer?” “What Is Prayer & Why Does It Matter?” “‘Pray Continually’–What Does Prayer Actually Accomplish?” ***)

So, thinking about God as a part of my daily life just seemed sort of not really a thing.

But, the more I read the Bible, the more I pray, & the more years that pass as someone seeking to know Him more & more… the more I have realized just how personal & involved God wants to be in our lives… if we but let Him.

Think of the verses in the Bible about “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) this isn’t some sort of “stay knelt at the edge of your bed with your hands clasped & your eyes closed… & never EVER leave there.” This is a “instead of just inner dialogue, recognize God hears every thought & turn those thoughts toward conversation with Him.”

Learn from Those in the Bible Who Turned to God in Prayer about EVERYTHING… Vs Those Who Didn’t… (Sometimes the Same Person Did Both)

My husband & I read a chapter of the Bible together every night before bed, followed by our thoughts on what we’d read & then we take turns praying over our next day & thanking Him… & we just finished 2 Chronicles.

Just reading about all of the kings throughout Israel’s history during that time period, you see the good, the bad, & the UGLY (like burning your children alive to “appease” false “gods” UGH).

But what these chapters show over & over again is what God can do with a life willing to go to Him with every thought, every question, every struggle… willing to humble yourself before God with everything… & when they didn’t, like near the end of 2 Chronicles (2 Chronicles 35) (also, see David’s story), even when warned that it was God’s leading & to not try to stop it… instead of stopping to confirm with God, Josiah got himself killed. Every decision should go before the King of kings… not just doing what seems right to us.

The Patterns of the World?

Or how about the many repeated times where the phrase “& the people did what was right in their own eyes” shows up? (Judges 21:25) I always pictured it talking about orgies & other despicable things… but it quite literally is just what it says, they were “doing what was right in their own eyes.” That is seen as a bad thing, & goes along also with the phrase of the “vain patterns of their fathers,” doing what’s always been modeled to us versus checking it against what God says & how God leads.

“Don’t conform yourself to the patterns of this world, but BE transformed by the renewing of your mind….” (Romans 12:2)

We are not here on this earth to just live & then die. We were born, KNIT TOGETHER, (Psalm 139:13) our days numbered before even one began… to WORSHIP OUR KING. To live for the SPIRITUAL Kingdom of GOD. NOT this world!

How often do we live like that is actually true? How often do we just follow the patterns of the world we live in? The way we grew up?

How often do we stop & say to ourselves, “wait, everything else will just die with me when I go… ONLY living for God’s kingdom will last beyond my lifetime”? How often?

Who Do I Act Like I Am I REALLY Living For?

I grew up thinking to try to live a good life, “with a little dash of Jesus for good measure.” But who am I living for? Me? Or Him?

Even praying before meals had become a mindless ritual in many cases, while Jesus demonstrates it solely as a sign of humble respect, thanking God for His provisions, recognizing it as all from Him, before eating it. (Luke 22:19; John 6:11)

Do you know how much RICHER your life will become when it is fully, completely, & entirely submitted to THE eternal, all-powerful, all-wise, gracious, loving KING of kings? Because EVERYTHING you do will hold ETERNAL significance!

Don’t you want a life like that??? Don’t you CRAVE that???

What Would That Life Look Like?

A life where even menial, thankless, ever-needing-to-be-done tasks (like laundry, dishes, cleaning, bill-paying) become opportunities to thank God for all He has supplied, to honor Him by stewarding the resources well, to honor Him by working hard & allowing it to become a safe haven space for you & your family to come home to?

Work becomes a space where you can shine a light of hope to a world who does not know Hope, to pray for co-workers, to offer encouragement or grounding truth from God’s Word, to serve them, to find ways to make their EVERY day a little brighter & easier to show up for?

Where screw ups & failures & weaknesses never get wasted, because you pray & ask God to teach you to better trust & rely on Him through them & they become examples to the world of how great & gracious our God truly is. That He can do anything… He has no limitations.

Where peace enters your life when chaos still lingers because you have humbled yourself before Him to hold you through it. A peace not reliant upon peaceful circumstances returning.

Where bad attitudes, stress, & short tempers are met with a lowered head & a silent prayer of asking God for forgiveness & the grace to face that moment in a way that honors Him vs. just how it’s making you feel.

Parenting becomes discipleship. Marriage becomes a display of His grace. Friendships become fellowship. Church becomes humble worship… LIFE becomes humble worship.

Isn’t that what you want? Don’t you crave that?

How Much of Your Life Do You Let God Be a Part Of? … & How Much Do You Keep Back from Him?

Really think about it: How much of your life do you let God be a part of? … & how much do you keep back from Him?

Do you follow the patterns of people that live “with a dash of Jesus”? Or do you seek to let God help you forge a life fully surrendered to His Kingdom?

As I heard in a video recently, “Pretend that every time you walk into a room—God sent you there. How would that change how you act/live?”

We are here for a purpose: to worship & glorify God through all that we live, say, think, & do… are you living that way? Or are you just satisfied with your “dash” of Him?

Shine HOPE by letting God be your ALWAYS focus in your EVERY moment… not just the “dash of Jesus” ones.

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

***He is waiting for you… will you come?:***

***(Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10; John 14:6)***

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 7.5 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!!

January 2026 “Hope Mail” INDIA

FOR A LIMITED TIME – Only available during the month of January! Enjoy free shipping and 10% off your Hope Mail package when you subscribe every month!       

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

Featured in this month’s Hope Mail is the Love Letter Necklace. This adorable golden necklace features an envelope pendant and is creating dignified jobs for women in India. Each gold-tone envelope pendant looks like it’s sealed with a heart.

Every purchase of this month’s Hope Mail creates 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.

***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!***

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.

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!