We are placed here as Light Houses of faith, to guide and direct others towards Jesus! It's not easy to stand alone on the shores, but in the darkness is where we shine brightest. I know that sounds intimidating as a shy heart, perhaps you have been struggling with insecurity wondering if you were enough to lead or show up in such a way. The answer is YES!
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What a Week!!! Not only is it Easter weekend, it's also my bday week. So much LIFE to Celebrate over here!! Long story short, the Lord drew me out of drowning waters of perfection, worry, insecurity, living my life as a Check List Christian, hustling for my worth, and led me beside still waters where we sat quiet in the chaos, together.
It didn't feel quiet really, but the waters were quiet. I didn't feel peaceful at first, I was still catching my breath from treading water and tumbling about my days nearly all my life. I was exhausted and at the end of my ability to keep up the hustle. He saw me, the sheep who had meandered to the back of the pasture, struggling to keep up and in His loving kindness walked over to me, carrying me back to nearness to Him once again.
But God. He was faithful as we sat in Holy Hushed silence.
While I had known Him nearly my whole life, it was during this time I got to know His heart. Good Friday took on a whole new meaning from this birthday on. What's so good about it?!? It's the act of Love that saved my life and yours. Good Friday taught me Love in Honor rather than expectation. Christ the King surrendered. His death wasn't "good." He is good.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. His Love is Good.
My birthday week is especially special because it is my Celebration of Life date. It's the date I declared chains off, pit filled, valley conquered, heart mended, weakness overcome. April 2009 will forever be this Anniversary date in my life.
I can't help but live my life in a state of worship after living it in a lifetime of worry. He paid...it...all.
I am forever grateful for my very breath. I am forever grateful for His Heart for me, and for you too. The enemy knows this and continually works to make us small. The enemy wants us to live life overthinking, overwhelmed and busy. This is how we miss God's whispers. This is how we miss out on fellowing with Him.
Soul stillness...this is that season for me. Being still, allowing Him to lead me beside still waters. It's hard to find the words to describe it, hopefully this video I recorded the other day helps.
Whatever season you find yourself in, I pray you find stillness for your soul, a rest in the arms of your Sweet Savior. that brings you to worship. If you love a good worship playlist, I shared mine here if you are looking for some new ones.
Happy Easter, Happy birthday to all of us. We each have the opportunity to celebrate new life in Jesus Name, our Savior and King, Father and Friend.
If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!
Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
I just didn’t know I could change. I thought I was just me. When it’s all you know, it’s simply all you know. This is why speaking life is so important along with Sisterhood, Mentorships, personal development and community.
Born into the Cradle Roll at our church by a military Dad and Friend-to-Everyone Mom, “going above and beyond and doing the right thing" was basically my DNA. You add in my shy, insecure personality and there ya have your official Shy Girl, Holy Rolly, Goodie Two Shoes, always trying to be perfect and pure, not causing any issues, church girl.
I accepted my Less-Than-Ness, fueled in the comparison game of observing the brilliance and beauty of everyone else seemingly living the perfect life. While my mindset was completely wrong, my heart was pure, desiring to be better and live "right" before God, family and others. It would be many, many years later I learned to live a life of Grace and honor rather than perfection and perception.
You don’t have to go very far online or out in the world to discover the next newest thing you don’t have and why you (apparently) need it now!
You can't help but wonder if it could be true. Those of us who struggle with insecurity are the perfect customer for these commercials. We are willing to try any and every thing out there in the quest for becoming better.
After years of self-doubt and constant fear of judgement, I collapsed under the pressure falling prostrate into a pit. Thankfully God knew I was heading that way, and He had already lined it with grace.
Grace softened my fall. It bruised me, and scared me, but it didn't kill me.
Grace caught me.
Grace said Just be you. Grace said Life is short. Grace said Worship, not worry. Grace said Fear not! Grace said I am capable and you are in My hands. Grace said Follow Me, not them. Grace said My grace is sufficient enough for you! Grace said It’s Time! Get up and go!
This is one of the things in my life I wish I would have learned sooner. I wish I would have understood Grace and more important God’s love for me. I wish I would have learned about His heart sooner rather than in my 30’s. I am forever grateful for the season in the pit, as painful as it was, I was refined and chiseled as I tumbled about.
Friend, know God loves you so much and He is near. Be courageous and confident in His Love and live in this Gift of Grace. Take time to be still and know, asking and seeking His heart for you.
By grace, you are saved and held. By grace, you are brave. By grace, you are whole! Yo are fearfully and wonderfully made with a Divine purpose meant only for YOU!! You are YOU for this very reason! He has equipped you for such a time as this!! Rise up and Go in Grace!
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!
Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
Let's Start out this Monday with a Confession shall we?!?!
I used to think it was a kind, humble, heroic and a Servant-Leadership quality to say YES to e v e r y t h i n g.
Whether it was for my kids, my husband, my friend, my church, my neighbor...I said Yes. People-Pleasing, yes but not in the I need their approval kind of way, rather I thought I would be exemplifying the Love of Jesus by serving and helping others if they asked.
This was a problem in 2 big ways:
1.) I burned out and found myself running on fumes trying to be everything to everyone regardless if I felt able to (or wanting to) which caused anxiety, anger, frustration, shutting down in depletion, to name a few. There were many days I felt like a Doormat. Some days I felt like a Vending Machine.
2.) I was taking someone's else's blessing of serving in their place. I was a quick Yes without praying and asking God if this was my Yes or someone else's. Which also meant that I may have missed my own Yes Blessing because I was doing theirs.
Once I crashed and burned, God sat me down for a season and said, Enough with that. I need you to meet with Me first. I AM your Yes, No, Not Yet.
This is why I am always quoting Matthew 6:33. It's so important we seek what God has prepared and planned for us. Some things may be amazing opportunities and reasons to say Yes, but if God hasn't called you to it, it will feel hard, frustrating, depleting and like you are working with weights on. You may be able to do the things, but are you supposed to be doing those things is the real question.
It's so important for so many reasons why we need to Seek Him, Ask Him, first! We can't outrun God or fall so far behind He can't bring us to the right place, but we certainly can get stuck in an unnecessary wilderness or walked needlessly the wrong way and missed out on some blessings prepared for us.
Prayerful considerations are what are stablished within learning boundaries. Boundaries for setting up the guardrail and launching pad that prayer comes first before my word is given, be it a yes or no. Boundaries for knowing where my strengths and weaknesses and allowances are.
Prayer to ask God if this is something He has set up for you. Prayer to ask God for the strength and courage to do it if you don't think you are able or qualified. Prayer to release the selfish desire to be the hero and instead step back and support the one called to so the thing. Wherever He leads, this is where I set my eyes and energy.
Of course, this I not being legalistic to ask God , My Child is sick, should I stay home with them or go shopping with a friend, Should I buy my friend a cup of coffee when we go out, Should I let someone get in line in front of me at the store because their baby is ready to go home. God gives is common sense and discernment for every day life things. Some things won't be super easy, or obvious which those are the moments we Seek Him.
Knowing we'd need Community support, encouragement and iron sharpening iron mentorships, He created us for each other to intertwine our paths. Titus 2, Proverbs 27:17...such valuable relationships (gifts) in our lives!!!!
Teaching these things to her too, my mini-me empath, generous, compassionate, people-living, God-loving Girl.
Lord, Thank You for Your loving kindness, patience and gentleness to restore, renew and return us back to You. We confess when we run ahead of You, pull us back Lord. We confess when we are stubborn or afraid and we hide behind, pull us up Lord. We need You to Lead us. Be our Guide, our Shield, our YES and AMEN!!!!
We need and love You so much, in Your Son's Merciful and Grace upon Gracious Name, amen.
If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!
Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
After failing at my attempts to be the perfect Proverbs 31 Woman, God stepped in and put a stop to all the nonsense of this even being a thing to chase. 
I learned:
you can’t be all things to all people
you have to prioritize all the to-dos and don’t set unachievable expectations on yourself 
no one is perfectly handling life as you assume them to be
to find moments of grace breaths throughout the day
to stop overthinking and start preparing and planning
that the world is not watching and waiting for you to fail
my family and dearest friends love me right where I am and God Loves me more!
Grace upon Grace.
We are hardest on ourselves and those of us with huge hearts must be on guard against the temptation to think we can or should be all things to all people. Release that pressure before the pressure crushes you.
While learning these things was a tough season to walk through, it was a necessary lesson I am so grateful for now because it is the very season where I learned more about God's 
heart (His) and hope.
heart (His) and hope. Whatever YOU ARE facing, remember Who is for you and who is against you.
Our Audience of One. He’s the most important person you can serve and spend time with each day. Seek Him first and always and receive His Love and Grace.
If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!
Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
