I Don’t Know???

We all have something, even the most seasoned of Christians. We’re all a work in progress & forever will be until Heaven.

What are you holding back from Him?

Now, the problem with this question is that oftentimes, we just frankly don’t know.

We try to check all the right boxes & do all the right things… but there is always something, as subtle as it may be to us… that we are holding back from God.

What Is Influencing You?

Influences over us come in countless shapes & sizes. Sometimes it’s so deeply ingrained in our subconscious, that we have never even stopped to consider that it doesn’t line up with the way GOD says it ought to be.

And everything we think, believe, say, do, etc. should necessarily be run through that filter ultimately, should it not?

Sometimes it’s even the culture of your church, things the people generally seem okay with or don’t approve of or let slide or whatever else. And because it’s our church, we can tend to trust it blindly, allowing it to influence our understanding of God & His Word. (*Not that church influences should be something we fear, but rather that we intentionally make sure we check EVERYTHING against the Word of God, which requires us getting to know what the Word of God says. *I had a pastor in years past that would frequently encourage his congregation to question him by searching out the truth against whatever he preaches by reading about it in the Bible themselves. WISE WORDS.)

Everything we do, say, believe, etc. is a reflection of something we believe about God.

What Are You Hoping to Get Out of Your Time in the Bible?

I think it’s good to study your Bible—necessary even, but sometimes we can look at it all wrong, getting so caught up in the wrong things.

I have realized in my 36 years of learning about God through the Bible, since I was a child, that the most important thing we can gain from reading the Bible is not as a guideline rulebook for life, but rather a rich understanding of Who God is… what He cares about, what He hates, how He handles sin, what honors Him, how great & all-powerful & all-knowing He is, how eternal He is, how outside our understanding He is.

God is so far above anything we can comprehend, & yet our humanness screams to put Him in an understandable, relatable box. Something that makes us comfortable.

Something that allows us to feel some sort of control. What are you hoping to get out of your time in the Bible?

Know Him As He Is

Truth is, God made this world, in its entirety, before we were also made—He didn’t need our help then & He doesn’t need it now.

Truth is, God holds power beyond our wildest imaginings: making from nothing, controlling the winds & waves, making completely possible the completely impossible, working outside of time itself, bringing back from the dead, etc. etc. etc..

Truth is, God ABHORS sin & its inately destructive nature, which is why Jesus had to die.

Truth is, God sees everything (even what is hidden), including all thoughts & actions all around the world, in every hidden heart, throughout all time RIGHT NOW.

God Is Worthy to be Praised!

Truth is, God cannot be exhausted in ANY capacity. His power, His strength, His resources, His time, His presence, His faithfulness… NOTHING. He does not run out.

Truth is, God deserves to smite us ALL for falling short of His glory, for being ANY fraction less than what His glory deserves… & YET, He sent His own Son to die to pay our price.

Truth is, God doesn’t need us to get it right. (*He desires it, but He doesn’t NEED it.) He doesn’t need us to know what to do. He doesn’t need us to make the right choice or have the right attitude or the right response. God even hardens hearts just to show how even if we put up the worst of fight against Him, He WILL prevail.

Truth is, God will not be defeated. He isn’t scared. He isn’t planning. He isn’t frantic or worried. He is SEATED. He holds supreme sovereignty & absolutely nothing can even stand against Him—so He doesn’t have anything He needs to ever fear or worry about.

Truth is, God is worthy to be praised indeed! A God (THE God) with that much power & glory & authority & power… caring about US? Wanting US to be a part of HIS beautiful plan throughout all time? WHAT MERCY! WHAT GRACE! WHAT LOVE!

What Are You Holding Back from Him?

Do you treat Him like He has that kind of authority? Because He DOES.

Do you praise Him like He deserves it? Because He DOES.

Do you submit & surrender the whole of your being for His workings? Because He MADE you.

What are you holding back from Him?

What ideal? What belief? What understanding about Him or His desires for your life?

What are you holding back?

Trust Him to Rewrite What You Believe & What You Think about Him

Are you willing to say, “God, if I believe amiss, no matter how ingrained that thought of you may be… please change it in me. Help me to know You as You ARE… NOT how I believe You to be or WANT you to be.” Are you willing?

What are you deciding FOR God? What limitations are you placing on Him? What are you clinging to for security in your life over Him? What might you believe amiss?

Shine HOPE by allowing God to be LORD in your thoughts about Him, in your ideals, in your beliefs, in your presuppositions, in your subtle subconscious ideas, in your desires, in your hopes, in your fears, in your worry… in your everything.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for SEVEN 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” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

July 2025 HOPE Mail (INDIA)

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

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

Wake up to change the world with the Daybreak Necklace! The Daybreak Necklace is featured in this month’s exclusive hope mail. Create dignified jobs for women in India when you purchase this month’s hope mail that includes the Daybreak Necklace. This gold-tone necklace includes a sun charm and a faceted labradorite bead charm to complete the look. 

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

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

How You Can Help:

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

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

God Made Us All Different for a Reason

One of the reasons I have grown to love reading the Bible is seeing over & over again how great God is. Seeing through the whole expanse of time, how He displays His limitlessness, His power, & His ability even when we have so little to offer Him.

The patience He showed with Jonah. The miracles He worked through Moses. The might He showed through Gideon. The gentle care He showed to former prostitutes. The sovereignty He showed through Job. The faithfulness He showed through the Israelites.

I could go on & on & on. And yet, through all of these examples (& more!) something amazing stands out to me. People in the Bible were not all the same in willingness, in faith, in making right choices, in personality… & yet, God used them all in such mighty ways that we still talk about them today!

We all have different backgrounds. Different upbringings. We have all lived different experiences. We all have different traumas, (even those subtle ones where we would claim with vehemence that it is not trauma, but are revealed in our unhealthy gut responses to things we have learned hurt us in the past). We all have grown up with different ways to protect ourselves or feel strong or avoid showing weakness. We all are made different by our personal circumstances & life experiences.

So, when I see God discussing the call for us to have unity in the body of Christ, I cannot fathom the thought that He intends for us all to look & sound the same, dress the same, handle things the same way, have the same strengths or the same weaknesses. To all be carbon copies. God is way more creative than that.

God Is Creative + God Is Sovereign

Diversity + unity seems to be the perfect blend.

We are called to have one mind—to be on the same mission: to know & love God more… all on the same team: seeking to serve & love others to the glory of God. Living as Jesus Christ’s ambassadors.

He calls us to obedience, to honor Him with our choices, our thoughts, our words. In the matter of following God’s law, in the matter of showing respect & honor where it is DUE… we are called to be the same.

But that doesn’t mean WE are all the same…. But in all of our differences, unity.

Avoid Only Being Around People Who Think Just Like You—Allow Room to Grow

The tendency of humanity is as the age old saying goes: birds of a feather flock together. While the fellowship & community with other believers is vital, it is so easy to hang out ONLY with other believers that make us feel comfortable in what we already think & believe.

I think one of the beautiful aspects of being part of the body of Christ is the concept of iron sharpening iron. We all have different growth needs. We all have different areas of strengths & weaknesses. And we can all help each other toward the goal of better representing Jesus to the world… toward striving for holiness. We will all be a forever work in progress & we NEED each other through it!

But we also need to live with grace toward one another.

The Struggle Spots in Some Friends Can Spurn Greater Growth in YOU, Too

Don’t avoid discomfort! We need it!

I have had friends in the last 10 years in every place I have lived in whom I could see some sort of trauma at work in their heart, trumping the truth of God’s Word. And they were unwilling to see it. That is very uncomfortable for me (even though I can also exhibit the very same stubbornness in certain seasons of my own life).

My temptation was to not spend time with them anymore because their ruts made me so unbelievably uncomfortable in some circumstances, even though I respected their faith & understanding of the Bible in areas where I was weak. But God challenged me that even through their weaknesses, it was challenging me to pray & study to solidify in my heart whatever truth of God’s Word their situation represented, challenging me to grow & grow myself!

I needed to be challenged versus just taking what I knew for granted… versus only talking about something that comes easily to me. It was good for me that they didn’t think like me because it challenged me to grow in my thinking more like Jesus & in better knowing God’s Word.

Don’t Kick Others While They’re Down… Even If It’s Behind Their Backs

It hurts my heart when I hear Christians talk ill of other Christians. And I see it A LOT. I probably have been guilty of it as well when frustrated & caught up in a conversation about said frustration.

But shame on me. Shame on us. What are we doing? Don’t we get that we’re all family under God because of Jesus?

We can shake our heads at Jonah, but which of us would see outright murder of young children to false “gods” & not feel like they ought to get what’s coming to them?

We can look at Abraham & be like, “DUDE, why are you putting your wife in a compromising-to-her-safety situation to protect yourself AGAIN,” but which of us would not also feel panic rise up when up against a royal army & possibly moody king with the power to kill you on a mere whim?

We can be absolutely disgusted by David’s infidelity (& basically murder), but which of us has not allowed the temptation of sin to deceive us at one point (or many times over a lifetime)?

(But how easy it is to relate to Job in his laments, right? Because his pain “makes sense” to us.)

Shame on us for holding up the judgment stick against another believer. Are their choices always good ones? No. Is hindsight always 20/20? Yes. Can we know God knows all & still end up doubting Him, fearing, or hesitating? Also yes.

How Easy It Is to See the Weaknesses of Others

I heard somewhere how we tend to look at our own misbehaviors or weaknesses or failures through a telescope, but for others, a microscope. Isn’t that the truth?

We know our intentions. We MEANT well. We didn’t MEAN to screw up so badly.

And yet… did you see how badly THEY screwed up? How poorly THEY are handling this? How long THEIR season of weakness is lasting?

Shame on us. Shame on me.

I think we can all agree that we have all had our own lapses in judgment, when flesh won out over spirit, even if “only” in our own heads. If that were broadcast about us as the subtitle to our life, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? Wouldn’t that HURT?! So why even consider doing that to someone else?

Give grace upon grace!

Be the One Who Edifies the Body… Versus Tearing It Down When It’s Weak

We are meant to build up one another toward Christ. We are meant to be the strength in another’s weaknesses. We are meant to comfort the fainthearted. We are meant to live in LOVING-as-an-action UNITY, even with our many differences.

Some of us are just a finger. Some are a whole foot. Some are the spine. Some are the eyeballs.

And you know what, I think our part to play changes through different seasons of our lives. But we are ALL meant to work alongside each other toward the same goal—honoring God with our lives & giving Him glory through the way we live & treat others.

Using your gifts. Using your resources. Using your time. Using whatever you have to offer Him in either your strengths or weaknesses.

He Is Worth It! Proclaim It!

Proclaiming to the world that whether you’re strong or weak… He is worth it.
Whether you fail or succeed… He is worth it.
Whether you get it right or have to try again… He is worth it.
Whether people “get you” or talk poorly about you… He is worth it.
Whether everyone loves you or everyone hates you… He is worth it.
Whether everything goes right or everything falls apart… He is worth it.
Whether you win it all or lose it all… He is worth it.
Whether you’re surrounded by loving family & friends or feel all alone… He is worth it.
Whether you’re strong or weak… He is worth it.
Whether you have everything to give or nothing at all… He is worth it.

It is never an “US” vs “THEM” situation. Only US.

Grace Upon Grace

We are ALL a work in progress. None of us have “arrived” & none of us ever will. Strong in a lot of areas? I guarantee you are not strong in EVERY area… & if you truly believe that you are… you are greatly blinded by deception my dear friend. Pray for God to show you your blind spots if you dare. (And you should dare… because He is gentle, faithful, already knows them, & Jesus already died for them—they don’t own you.)

And you should treat others with the same grace. If you see something, don’t be afraid to speak up IN LOVE, not to tear them down, not to feel self-righteous, not to look like “it’s a good thing they have me because BOY do they have a lot they need to work on,” but IN LOVE, to HELP them.

Yes, strive for holiness! Yes, obey God’s Word & encourage others to do so! But also, show grace in the failings. Support & encourage versus tear down. Pray for versus talk about. We’re all at different stages of growth in different areas. We need each other.

Don’t expect others to have it all figured out & pruned & perfected. Walk alongside them & encourage them as the Holy Spirit does that work in them throughout their lifetime of seeking to know, love, & obey God better. Fail forward.

God Doesn’t Need You… He WANTS You

GOD DOES NOT NEED THEM (OR YOU) TO BE PERFECT. Jesus died & paid IN FULL. PERIOD. God is infinite. He doesn’t need ANYTHING from us. But it’s because we trust Him to know best & we obey Him because He deserves it most, even when we don’t always understand. He CHOOSES to ALLOW us to participate in HIS work…. Don’t forget that.

We don’t need to talk down about others, stick our noses up at them, look down on them, feel shame paralyze us, worry what other people think of us, or put ourselves down.

JESUS. PAID. IN. FULL. ALREADY. FOR. THAT.

Obey Him As Lord, Trust Him As Your Savior

If you really love someone, if you really TRUST someone… the proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. You will SEE it.

If others saw your life… would they see your love for God? Would they know?

God Can Use Even Just a Willing Heart…

We don’t all have to be on the same level in every area of growth for God to use us.
We don’t have to all look or act the same way for God to use us.

We don’t have to have the same upbringing or church background/knowledge for God to use us.
We don’t even have to respond rightly every time or get it right every time for God to use us.

We don’t have to have all the right answers for God to use us.

We don’t have to be capable at all for God to use us.

Because He is GOD. He doesn’t need our contribution. He is sovereign. He is good. He is far more gentle than we often are with each other. And He wants to use HIS power THROUGH us to love others & offer them a lighthouse home… to hope found only in the arms of their Savior Jesus Christ.

Diversity + Unity = The Perfect Blend

Diversity + Unity. All on the same team. All have different strengths & different weaknesses. All of us will have different seasons of victory or failure. All supporting one another & working together with one mind & one goal: to better love, honor, & obey God tomorrow than we did today, no matter where you’re starting from.

But we all serve the same great God. And Jesus died for ALL of it.

Let others be weak. Let them not have it all figured out. Let them make mistakes.

Because you are too, you don’t either, & you do too.

But God is strong when we are weak.
God knows all.
God is sovereign over even our mistakes, failures, & weaknesses.

ONE TEAM. FOR JESUS. THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT & THE POWER OF GOD ALMIGHTY.

Shine Hope by not looking at how differences make you uncomfortable or different, but how God uses all sorts of people in all states in every circumstance. Knowing God is more than capable of filling in the gaps. Not arguing. Not talking about. But loving, supporting, encouraging toward honoring God in every circumstance & weakness & struggle, come what may—Diversity + Unity = The Perfect Blend.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for SEVEN 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” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Mother of Pearl Earrings (INDIA)

Make a fair-trade fashion statement with these genuine mother of pearl earrings! These gorgeous earrings feature a gold-tone, organic-shaped stud with a mother of pearl circle. These unique artisanal 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.

***Purchase these beautiful earrings, handcrafted in India, by using the “Shop Here” link below, to empower women in India out of poverty!***

How You Can Help:

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

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

It’s not about the music you listen to

It’s not about your church attendance record

It’s not about the clothes you wear

It’s not about the places you go

It’s not about the books you read

It’s not about your future or past

It’s not about how much you serve

It’s not about how much you give

We all need a whole lot more of Jesus

You can’t earn God’s favor

You can’t earn your way to heaven

You can’t impress God by doing more & more

You can’t manipulate or one-up God

You can’t even the scales

You can’t control your fate

You don’t make the rules—no matter how badly you may wish to

We all need a whole lot more of Jesus

You can have raised hands & a closed off heart

You can attend every service & think only of how good it felt

You can dress modestly & feel a step above the rest

You can go to bars & be a witness

You can go to community outreaches & think of how good you seem

You can read good books & do it to try to feel self-sufficient

You can have a hard future ahead & God can use it for good

You can have a hard past & know God can redeem it

You can serve & give merely to calm a guilty conscience

We all need a whole lot more of Jesus.

We need to sing to Him & not just about Him

We need to bow our hearts & not just our heads

We need to dress in a way we feel pleases Him & not just the trends

We need to live the gospel wherever we go & not just at church

We need to read to learn more about how to please & honor Him with our lives & not just for entertainment

We need to trust Him with our future & bow to Him our past & not just see things as they seem to us

We need to serve as an extension of our love for Him 1st & others 2nd & not love in our own strength, but His through prayer

We all need a whole lot more of Jesus.

Shine HOPE by bowing all your efforts, all your beliefs, all your ideals, all your understanding, all your plans, all your heart, mind, soul, & strength… to the God Who deserves your all & gave His all through His Son… Jesus.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for SEVEN 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” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Jasper Breeze Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

Every Jasper Breeze Bracelet supports a safe house in the Dominican Republic that provides housing, education, legal services, and trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking. The stretch-to-fit bracelet features beautiful jasper beads varying in color and a rare genuine Larimar stone that can only be found in the volcanic regions of the Dominican Republic.

***Purchase the Jasper Breeze Bracelet, using the “Shop Here” link below, to support & empower women in the Dominican Republic toward brighter futures.***

How You Can Help:

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

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

Attendance… But Heart Change? Worship?

Have you noticed the growing trend? Getting dressed, plastering on a smile, & walking into church… getting in some good Jesus feels… feeling encouraged & blessed… doing what good Christians ought to do….

But take a step back. Yelling at the kids in the car… haven’t prayed all morning… feeling frazzled… worried about a million things… don’t remember the last time you sat down to read your Bible… not involved in serving anywhere in the church….

Why do you go to church? What’s the point, really?

Why Are We Here?

Does it make you feel good about yourself? Does it check off the “good Christian” box? You’ve always grown up going so it feels like you’re supposed to? Spiritual high? To get encouraged? As your only dose of the Scripture for the week?

If you really take a moment to evaluate yourself… what would you say? Why do you go to church?

If I am honest? It has definitely included a lot of the above. (I also really enjoy singing, so sometimes I am not even hearing the words because I am focusing on trying to harmonize or whatever—I’m no pro. That’s an outlet that uplifts me as well.)

Have you ever sat in church thinking the sermon was a bit dry, the decorations were a little tacky… or lame, the music seemed too loud… or too outdated, they didn’t offer enough programs, you don’t feel you have enough friends, people aren’t friendly enough or they’re too friendly… basically everything you see they’re “just not doing right,” Etc.?

Do you church hop “for a better fit”?

If your church changes pastors after one retires… do you move on “because you don’t like that pastor as much”?

What is the purpose of church?

I will tell you one thing… it is not about us, that’s for sure.

Wake Up, Church!

Church is about 2 things & 2 things only—the greatest commandment of God & the one like it. Love God with all of your thoughts, all of your feelings, all of your efforts, & all of your being. Everything, all for Him… & the 2nd like it? Love others.

The church is meant to be a body. If you were a body part, would it be limp & unused? Or would it be strong & contributing to the strength of the body as a whole? (Note: there are indeed seasons where we feel useless, struggling in life & hurting, needing the comfort of others… it’s okay to not be okay. But we ought not use that as an excuse to remain detached. We NEED each other.) (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Do you go to be served? Or, like Jesus, LORD of heaven & earth… to serve others? (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:13-17)

Do you go to be encouraged? Or to encourage others?

Do you go as your only time of worship/Bible-reading for your week? Or as a chance to come & worship before Him together as one body?

Do you go because it’s the right thing to do… or because God is deserving of our bowed hearts… our praise… our everything?

Why do you go to church?

The Church, as a Whole, Needs to Wake Up!

The world NEEDS what WE have to share! The better-than-seems-ever-possible GOOD News!

People can have different opinions, believe whatever they want to believe. But when they die, they will everyone of them face the same God Who made them. The day of reckoning will come for each of us…. They will offer all of their efforts & beliefs & ideals & will come up grossly short for what ONLY Jesus can pay for them. They NEED Jesus!

Do we love people enough to live like we believe that?

Do we care so little about the world moving around us that we don’t care what happens to them? It’s not our problem?

Church isn’t a Christian country club! Bow your hearts to Almighty God. Ask forgiveness for making your life about the wrong things. Ask for His help in making a change… & bow to His help in living a life that shines Hope EVERYWHERE.

Just like Moses, it’s not about what you have to offer or how brave you are of how good you are or how insecure you are but how GOOD GOD IS & WHAT HE CAN DO THROUGH YOU. Wake up!

What Is Your WHY?

God doesn’t give you brownie points for going to church. You don’t get extra favor from Him for it. He’s not impressed by your going through the motions.

God wants your devotion, your obedience, your love & your worship. God alone DESERVES it. He wants you to work as a body with other believers, with Him as the Head.

When you sing, is it because it uplifts you? Because it sounds nice? Or because you know He is worthy to be praised, worthy of your all?

You know, I grew up always thinking ministry was for all those “other people” who were better equipped than me, but guess what… Moses felt that very exact same way! And look how God used HIM all because he was willing to let God lead him in his own lacking & insecurities.

Are you willing to trust God beyond what you like… what you feel comfortable with… what you feel you have time for… what you feel you’re not “gifted” enough for? Will you trust like Moses did?

Why do you go to church? Why?!?!

Where Is Your Focus?

Do you bow your heart low? Do you lift Him up in your heart in praise for all His deserving? Do you ask forgiveness when you get tense & yell at your kids on the way to church (forgiveness from them & from God)? Do you dress to impress or to honor Him with your best? Who do you do life for? Do you sing out because you sound nice or because He deserves your praise? Do you serve or come to be served? Do you judge decoration choices more than you focus on worship?

Where is your focus?

(An aside here: Parents—APOLOGIZE TO YOUR CHILDREN OFTEN. You can say, “It was not right how you were acting/disobeying, & it did hurt me when you made that choice, but it was not okay for mommy to react that way toward you either, so for that, please forgive me.” DO NOT say, “I’m sorry I did that, BUT you __________.” Instead, “I didn’t like when you _______, but that still does not give me the right to respond wrongly. Will you please forgive me for my wrong choice?” Rebuild bridges! Display humility. Demonstrate asking for forgiveness & owning wrong behavior with grace & humility. Kids will define themselves based on your sinful, flesh-led responses to them in a heated moment—don’t allow that to happen just because your pride got in the way.)

Their Doing It “Wrong” Should Not Prevent Your Doing It RIGHT

Are you distracted by how everyone could be “doing it better”? More engaging. Less flashy. More interesting. Less noisy. More up-to-date. Less boring. Less modern. More interesting decor. Weaknesses galore.

On this side of heaven, guess what? You will be led by imperfect people. You will encounter fellow PEOPLE. They won’t always get it right. They WILL have room to grow. They will get it wrong sometimes. They will still be learning. They will be a work-in-progress JUST LIKE YOU. Don’t let that distract you from bowing your heart & lifting God up in the praise He deserves from you.

Unless they’re preaching counter to the Truth found in God’s Word or teaching ANYTHING other than Jesus as the way of salvation before God… don’t turn away from your church family just because it’s not a “good fit.” Siblings don’t always get along, but siblings we remain. Learn to work toward unity & togetherness in the body regardless.

Worship Regardless

I have mentioned this many a time, but it seems to aptly fit this topic: when I was a youth leader for youth group in my twenties, the worship music, led by a teen band, felt more like their moment to shine & be admired & cheered on by their peers than having anything to do with bowing your soul before Almighty God in reverence & respect & awe & praise. It grated my nerves & was all I could focus on every week because it seemed so blatantly obvious that they were more focused on themselves than on true worship. I prayed REGULARLY about it because it just annoyed me so much what they were making worship out to be for likes. What was God’s answer one night during the worship music? …

“Whether or not THEY are truly worshipping me should not determine whether or not YOU are truly worshipping Me.” OUCH.

Do You Love the Lord Your God with… Your Everything?

Are you looking AROUND? Judging? Nitpicking? Annoyed? Bored? Coming for yourself? Coming because you ought to? … Or are you too busy bowing down your heart & looking UP?

Why do you go to church? For WHOM do you go to church?

“Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment.And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)

Shine HOPE by serving others as part of the church BODY, not coming to BE served, but to SERVE… & most of all, come to bow your heart before an Almighty God Who MADE you & Who gave you His only begotten Son to pay your unpayable debt.

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for SEVEN 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” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Cherry Handbag Charm (INDIA)

How adorable is this Cherry Handbag Charm?! Using red and green leather, women earn a dignified wage crafting this Cherry Handbag Charm. Add to any handbag to instantly change the look! The ethically made Cherry Handbag Charm is handcrafted with care in India. Every purchase provides safe jobs with fair wages for women in areas of extreme poverty in India!

***Purchase this adorable Cherry Handbag Charm, using the “Shop Here” link below to help empower women in INDIA out of poverty!***

How You Can Help:

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

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

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:5-6)

Do You Call Yourself a Christian?

Do you call yourself a Christian?

Do you know what it means to call yourself a Christian? It is like calling yourself “little Christ” or “Christ follower.” Would you say you live like those descriptions were true?

Calling yourself a Christian is not an automatic “get out of hell free card.” There is no power in giving yourself the title.

The power is in Christ, not you.

Just Because Jesus Paid for [It]… Doesn’t Mean We Should Live Excusing [It]…

But then… knowing it is not of myself, knowing I need & rely on Jesus Christ paying my debts before God… one can be tempted to think we’re free to live how we want… because Jesus paid for it.

But, if you walk/live according to your own rules & your own ideals, can you really say you’re a “Christ follower”?

If we live counter to God’s ways because “Jesus paid for it,” aren’t we just making a mockery of the sacrifice Jesus paid for us? (Hint: in that case, we are.)

Don’t Make Excuses for Your Sin

I find it surprisingly & shockingly common to see people who would label themselves as a Christian also blatantly live completely opposite to what God’s Word says.

Whether it’s sex outside of marriage, getting drunk with friends, pursuing same-sex romantic relationships, regularly using foul language, gossiping & painting someone else in a negative light to others, harboring bitterness, regularly screaming at your kids (guys, I GET it—overstimulation is so very much real—but still, we must learn to PRAY & bow down before God with it to replace the knee-jerk outbursts that dishonor God & hurt the children—I don’t have kids, but I have been one), cutting off people on the road & driving aggressively…. The list goes on.

If you live with these attitudes, behaviors, or actions, while actively excusing them away or thinking nothing of them… well, be careful. Don’t make excuses for your sin.

Imagine having a Jesus bumper sticker on your car while driving recklessly & being a jerk on the road. Not a great representation of the Name that bumper sticker represents, huh?

Same goes when we call ourselves a Christian while also living counter to how God asks us to live.

We Are ALL a Work in Progress, Though

I get it. We are ALL a work in progress. I am NOT talking about little bad habits that spike up from time to time & that which we have to keep bowing down to God for His help in changing us from the inside out. That will be a LIFELONG process for ALL of us.

I am instead talking about perpetual sins that we excuse away as “not that bad” or for which we have decided we know better than God already in that area & we’re okay living exactly the way WE want, as if that were actually true… WHILE calling ourselves a “Christ-follower.” Uh-oh.

It’s better for you to just not call yourself a Christian at all… taking off the bumper sticker, so to speak… so as not to misrepresent the Word of God or Jesus Christ to the world.

God’s Word is TRUTH, whether we have “decided it is” or not. Fact is, we didn’t make the world… HE did. He alone gets to determine what defines TRUTH. NOT us, whom He made.

Do People See Christ When They See You?

How do you represent Him?

What would the world assume incorrectly about God by viewing your attitudes, behaviors, or actions?

Would they see grace? Would they see Truth? Would they see accurately the mind & heart of God?

God doesn’t need your PR efforts. He doesn’t need His Word fluffed or prettied up. He doesn’t need help making His Word more palatable.

He calls us to obedience–even when it doesn’t make any sense to us: His creation. He calls us as His holy priesthood, His ambassadors. We represent Him, whether we’re good at it or not so much.

How do you represent Him?

Be a Light for Him to the World, Even in Your Imperfections

Don’t make excuses for your sin. Don’t sugarcoat it. Call it out for what it is. Repent of it. Ask God to change your heart. Bow your ideals & your ideas to Him to be changed how HE wills it.

Who do you make to be LORD in your life? HIM? Or you?

Shine HOPE by laying down your excused habitual sin habits, turning from them, asking God’s forgiveness for it, bowing it before the King of kings & LORD of lords, Creator of heaven & earth. And by living your life as a truer representation of being called “little Christ” to this hurting world that needs hope only He can provide. POINT to HIM with your whole self & whole life. Not your will, but HIS be done. Amen & amen.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Adventure Bundle (USA & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

The Adventure Bundle combines style, purpose, and impact in one thoughtful package.

It includes our ethically crafted olive-green t-shirt with a classic fit featuring the message “Adventure with Purpose” and is ethically made in Nicaragua using 100% U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Standards. Designed with care for both people and the planet, this piece is as ethical as it is stylish!  

Paired with the tee is the Kairo Bracelet made by human trafficking survivors in the DR. Each stretch-to-fit Kairo Bracelet features a striking combination of grounding black lava beads, warm brown wooden beads, and a dainty gold accent bead at its center. The natural textures and earthy tones make it a versatile piece for any style.

*** Purchase this bundle, using the “Shop Here” link below, to support a safe house in the Dominican Republic, providing education, legal services, safe housing, & trauma counseling for survivors of human trafficking. ***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, Thursday… cue the beginning of a cold.

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

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

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

And It Doesn’t Quit…

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

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

Sunday… no vomit… feeling better… hope swelling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living on a Prayer

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

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

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

But Wait

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

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

Hi IS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jesus’ Love Compelled Him

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

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

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

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

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

-author unknown

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

Because love compelled Him.

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

What to Do When You’ve Got Nothing Left

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

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

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

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

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

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

Praise God. Hallelujah. Amen.

In God, through Jesus Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Resilience Bracelet (GUATEMALA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From “Hosanna!” to “Crucify Him!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

His Response to Our Cry

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Response

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

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

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

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

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

The Longsuffering Grace & Love of Our God

God made the world & everything in it.

We decided to live our way instead of His.

Death entered the world as a result.

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

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

Pain & damage escalated.

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

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

Jesus Condescended Himself from His Throne… For US!

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

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

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

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

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

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

His righteousness to become ours by believing on Him.

Hallelujah, indeed!

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

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

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

Praise God!

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

A love we don’t deserve.

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

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Mata Gift Set (USA + INDIA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Breathed

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

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

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

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

But… sin.

Self-Asserting over God

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

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

But… sin.

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

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

This Is His Story

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

This story is about GOD, not you or me.

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

They fail… He perseveres.

They are weak… He proves strong.

They can’t… He can.

They mess up… His faithfulness stands true.

They lack… He sustains.

They sin… He forgives.

They get in trouble… He rescues.

They get it wrong… He is sovereign.

They are limited… He is Almighty.

They are fearful… He is capable.

They die… He remains from generation to generation.

They sin… He redeems.

They are human… He is GOD.

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

Living Your Life for ____________________

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

But it is NOT.

We are FOOLED into thinking our life is about us.

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

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

This is all temporal, fleeting, inconsequential.

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

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

God Is Eternal…

We need to WAKE UP.

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

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

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

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

What Will Matter When You’re Gone?

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

What matters to God should matter to us.

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

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

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

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

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

We’re Fooled into Thinking Our Life Is About Us

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

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

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

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

Where Is Your Focus? What Is Your Priority?

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

Who are you living for?

Who is your life about?

Are you fooled into thinking your life is about you?

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Hope Bracelet (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that’s HARD.

It’s Always So Important to Look Back

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

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

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

Let’s Look Back Together

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Didn’t Make Me All Better

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If Ever Tempted to Doubt God’s Goodness…

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

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

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

But… JESUS.

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

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

Sometimes God Doesn’t Take the Pain Away

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

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

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

Where do you question Him?

Where do you need to repent of distrust?

What need do you need to allow Him to fulfill?

His Son on the Cross for Our Sin

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

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

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

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Peace Bracelet (EAST ASIA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

God Is Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NO. He GAVE us His Word!

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

God Redirects Us

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

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

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

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

He gives His Word out of love for us.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He Showed Us His Unimaginable Love through JESUS

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

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

But, JESUS.

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

We Could Never Earn It… So, Jesus Paid It

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

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

But instead… JESUS. I mean… WHAT?!?

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

God Condescended Himself FOR US

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

GUYS!!!?

Love came DOWN to US!

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

What LOVE!!

AND… God doesn’t even stop there!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coming Next Week

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

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

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

A Note from Michelle:

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

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

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

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

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

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

Flora Bunny Decor (NEPAL)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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