Why are we so afraid of Love? I am a Lover and a Dreamer by nature. My Mom says I was born wearing Rose Colored Glasses! And yet, anxiety and insecurity were shields about me for most of my life. While I could see Love and give Love freely and abundantly, this was a gift given, not freely received.
Have you ever given Love only to feel like it wasn’t enough? Or maybe it was ignored? Or maybe it was always taken but never reciprocated and you felt invisible or irrelevant?
There is so much written on Love and what it is, what it means, how it looks and behaves. For Believers, the most well known passage is the Love Chapter-I Corinthians 13, often read at weddings. Love is first and foremost a Person, Jesus Christ. Love is also a feeling, emotion and a commitment.
So what are we so afraid of? Aside from any experience we have had, I believe it's the fear of rejection. If you have been betrayed or hurt in your past, it’s not be easy to love the next time. We build a wall of protection around our heart to make sure that next time, the level of pain will be less. Our skin gets thicker and thicker for self-preservation's sake until we either rebel and give up on ever loving again or you become so guarded that you almost cannot feel love again. I lived a loooong time in that place.
But God!
God’s Love is so sweet and generous, unconditional, tangible, exciting, fun, adventurous, forgiving and accepting us where we are, picking us up when we fall, our strength in weakness, catching and wiping away all the tears that fall, holding us when we are scared, lonely or sad, lovingly correcting our attitudes, guiding and protecting us from the enemy. God is the first One to celebrate our victories and cheer us on to the next one. He is our Father, Friend, Healer, Savior and Redeeming King, Lord over All. This is True Love.
Love grows where trust is the soil.
Trust is a main ingredient to grow love. As we learn to let our wall down, may our trust and dependence be placed in the plans and purposes of God first and above all others. Trusting God to lead us in our love for others, and allowing them to Love us too, as He first loved us.
Does it means everyone has access to our deepest places? No. But we lead in our relationships with Love, for Love, in the Name of Love.
People will be led into our hearts for a moment, a season or a lifetime. Here are a few tips as you learn to let Love in:
- Pray for those the Lord brings into your life. Pray for God to show you the plans He has for love to be exchanged. How will you love them and let them love you?
- Start small with trusting conversations. Get to know each other on deeper levels. When you don’t trust, you don’t share. Many relationships, be it marriage or friendships, are ministry opportunities. They all begin with a Day 1.
- Remember the enemy will always be after heart connections that stir each other in Jesus Name, so pray over your connections for covering, always clearly edifying and guarding.
- Miscommunications happen and feelings do get hurt. Pray and talk these out. Pridefulness has no place in Love.
Love is a beautiful Gift. May you choose to give and receive it, unafraid!
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
You gotta love it when you feel BETTER in your 50's than your 30's & 40's! Mom life gets busy! We are typically the LAST ones to tackle our personal To Dos because the family list always comes first.
I lived pouring out myself (without filling back up) for so MANY years until the Lord sat me down to re-prioritize my TO Do list. If I continued to put myself last, I would continue to deplete myself into nothingness. My life felt borrowed...borrowed energy from caffeines and adrenaline, good ol sucking it up and pushing through every....single...day, because the clock never stoped ticking...using the last drop of energy and focus I had, until there was absolutley none left.
According to Women's Health, "Women are more likely than men to have an anxiety disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Research suggests that women may feel the symptoms of stress more or get more of the symptoms of stress than men. This can raise their risk of depression and anxiety."
The world yells SELF CARE....God whispers Seek Me! While He was the reason I did everything, served Him in the church and honored Him with all my heart as I served my family and others, He was not my source of strength or the first one I sought to serve, although in a weird way, I thought I was. I was serving everyone else and He and I got what was left, if anything.
I had become really good at doing what was necessary, not needed. Yet what I needed was a deep, intimate relationship with Him FIRST, then healthier habits and some good boundaries....so that I could love others as He calls us to.
He was seeking my heart, and I had been giving Him my help.
Help He did not need from me.
While it's hard for us to be sat down, God knows what it takes to get our attention. During this time, I was able to renew my focus, accessing His strength vs borrowing it from the world.
I tried everything a la cart, but true healing and restoration involves body, mind and spirit. I get asked all the time, so here are some of the core things I did to heal myself over the years. Some have links for quick grabs:
Body:
- Nutrition: Flooding your body with good nutrition is vital! This juice is magical to heal your gut and adrenals. My energy replenishes easily and it tastes sooo good! My teens and I also add in a packet of electrolytes mixed with other good for you things like magnesium, lions mane, potassium things to our water!
- Exercise: A simple walk a day is great and getting extra movement every day! Put on your favorite playlist or listen to a podcast and GO!! If you get bored walking the same path, change it up your route, drive to a nearby park, grab a friend and chat! Or, if there's a mall near you, be a mall walker!
- I find that I do best when I have accountability. I just started attending a monthly jumpstart group that meets 11 days online every month. And, it's free besides the juice I already order every month, so yay! Feel free to check it out here and let me know if you want to join me in it too!
- Water! I found I wasn't drinking enough water thanks to this accountability jug, but if you want an every day water bottle without paying a ton, I love mine! We call it Fake Stanley! LOL I have several with one specific to my 40oz water with a straw and cup fit bottom so it goes perfect with me on the go in my Jeep. Then I have the 24oz smaller size so I can take it with me on walks and on my paddleboard! Plus, my teens have these too for school and they always keep the ice! That's HUGE for us living in Florida! Sooo important to drink half your body weight
- Stillness: This is great for body/mind/spirit. Get quiet with your space and just breathe! I always have a blanket in my Jeep for days I go to the beach or park. But taking time in your eery day to sit still and let your mind just breath. Take time to process stuffed thoughts. If you have time to do some creative elements or other hobby you enjoy, try that! The main thing here is Peace & Calm.
- Community: Sisterhood is important. Mentors are important too! As a shy introvert, I take a little bit longer to connect and share life with other but over the past several years, I have come to see and feel the difference it had made in my life and now I am praying for God to help me create one!
Mind & Spirit:
- Pray! Grab your favorite songs in Spotify and create a playlist for worship. Here's mine!
- Read The Word daily and as often as needed! I use the ESV Study Bible. Plus, the YouVersion app is free!!!
- Sisterhood! Let down the walls and make plans to connect! Distance yourself from drama and guard your heart shaped circle.
- Gratitude! Be thankful, rejoicing always!!
These are the basic things of a million lifestyle choices we can make! I hope they help you get moving forward in your own healing journey too!!! It feels so good to seek first all the GOOD things God has planned and prepared for YOU!! Life is soooo good! Don't let it borrow you! You are already sought & bought!!!
Glory to God in the Highest!!! Enjoy Sisters!!!!
Blessings, Michele
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 declared I would never fly again even though I had many miles under my belt. I took that declaration back, April 2009. Flying had become my new Goliath. I was desperate for courage like David, and the audacity of Paul. I knew the enemy wanted to keep me chained to the ground but God had prepared for me to fly.
The week to take this Fear No More flight had arrived. I had planned all week to study, exercise,, cut all caffeines and sugars, and be prepared for the flight. My check list was plentiful of all I had to do to make sure the flight was a success. Yes, notice the "I."
The very first morning of "the plan," I woke up with a fever. For 3 days, I had no energy or focus...on the week I needed it the most. Anxiety swelled within me. I had planned and prepared for NO anxiety. Apparently HE had other plans.
How was I going to have a successful flight? How was I not going to have a full out panic attack on the plane and potentially have a heart attack?
Finally, the day before the flight I woke up without any symptoms. Yah, weird, but so goes spiritual warfare.
I leaped outa bed knowing I had MUCH to do to catch up on with The Plan to take down Goliath...sooo much studying to make up for and prayers to pray, salads to eat and vitamins to take.
Then, I heard in my spirit, "Lay back down." I literally laughed, there was NO WAY I was going to lay back down, are you kidding me?! I had so much to do!!
I started to get out of bed a second time. And the voice repeated, "Lay back down." Ummmm, don't think so. But I couldn't shake that maybe, just maybe it was the Holy Spirit.
I prayed asking for discernment if this was temptation or really God? It only made sense that it was Satan not wanting me to get out of bed to work my worship.
I prayed....waiting for something...I didn't know what I was waiting for.
At first, I was a little huffy....tapping my spiritual foot on the floor anxiously anticipating an explanation of why I was here and not over there getting stuff done. There may have even been an eye roll as I yanked the covers back over my chest. I had no clue and honestly, I felt frustrated wasting my time laying there, waiting.
So, I finally just asked God, "Why am I supposed to do now? Why am I here when I need to be getting myself ready for tomorrow?" What do you want to say?
After a short Holy pause, He spoke..."I won't drop you."
It was and still remains one of the most profound moments of my life. It was more than assurance of a panic free, non-crashing, non-freaking out flight, but as a whole, God is with me, He is near, He is not going to fail me. He won't drop me. This was His Plan. He was my Way. He was My Refuge and Strength, He was my Answer. He was my Calm. HE was The Plan!
I actually laid there in a Holy Hush and realized that I had been relying on myself, and not on God. I was working in my own strength, not trusting His provision of Grace.
I had become controlling believing my success was all up to me and my efforts and ability to break the chains. I had placed my hope and success in the fruits of my own efforts.
But God!! His grace is sufficient and patience so abundant!
So the next time you prepare for battle, armor up and line up. God stands ready to fight with you, you need not fight alone!!
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
The month of Love. For some, it's a blissful month of chocolates, cuddles, oodling, dating, intimate moments, extravagance and flowers while others feel heartache, loss, jealousy and loneliness.
We were created with a need for True Love. We spend our days searching to fill that space, trying so many different things, and will until you find Love Who Fills.
The media is so good at showing us ways to fill this need. Eventhough Love Himself fills and holds my whole heart, blessing me with a Man to share life and love with for over 30 Valentines, I catch myself oodling at the beautiful diamonds and romantic getaways on all the commercials.
In my every day life, I am simple. I enjoy a coffee on the couch in pjs, simple gifts, simple meals, simple outings, a simple way of life. I am not a glam girl. Do I love pretty things? Beautiful clothes? Nails and hair done? Nice food out? Luxurious spas? Sure! But I don't need them or chase them.
A few years ago, I decided to start hosting a Sweet Love night at my home. I was so nervous because I hadn't ever hosted a party for friends before, an Introvert, yes, but also...fear of rejection. There it is. What if no one came? What if I was boring? What if they thought it was stupid?
But God! I dumped the lies and pursued True Love and did it anyway. I invited a group of women from my church over, in the Name of Love. In the room were woman who had recently lost their spouses, who were struggling to feel loved in their marriages, some who were too exhausted to experience love - Sisterly or Intimately.
These were soul satisfying nights of introducing these Sisters in Christ to each other, sharing stories of hope and love, and for those who don't know me yet or been to one of my events...yes, we enjoyed some serious coffee & chocolates!
As much as we need to embrace Love, some of us need to break up with false idols who keep us from receiving and giving love.
Today, what do you need to dump in order to have True Love?
Insecurity?
Fear?
Anxiety?
Control?
Addiction?
Perfectionism?
Feelings of lack, envy, hate, jealousy, greed, addictions, pride, immorality?
Lust?
Now that you have broken up, let's pray for Love's return and filling. Ask for blessings of Grace and deep soul satisfying wholeness. Open your heart to receive again.
Whatever barriers have been placed around your heart, will you allow Jesus to be the new Gate Keeper? Will you trust, let go of control and surrender to Love?
May it be so.
I pray this month brings you such deep joy as you remember the Love The Creator, Your Father, the Great I Am has for you. His Love is unconditional and of the purest kind that no human on this earth, no matter how wonderful they are, can match.
He is the Ultimate Lover of Your Soul.
You can trust Him.
He's got you in His heart.
Will you allow Him in yours?
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
Do you ever find yourself wanting to say No but feel you simply can't?!? I get you! I was you until 2009 when the Lord strongly and "graciously" told me No to being Super Woman.
As someone with a heart for people and deeply rooted in the old ways Insecurity taught me to people-please…saying No was HARD! It felt rude and selfish and yet all the years later, I have come to realize saying No is a kind and humble thing to say.
The world gives you that look Mama used to give if you say No, even in the church. How can you say No to doing something good, right?! For us, saying Yes makes us feel like the Hero and it's so much less to worry about finding the right words and avoid offending, or being rejected by someone. Honestly, we just don't know how to say NO with grace and freedom! Let's practice saying a basic phrase....
Thank You so much, I am honored but I will need to say No right now.
I think this is great but it is not a fit for me.
No thank you..
No is also a complete sentence too. You don't owe anyone the reasons why, but I know us heart centered girls feel better when we share our hearts behind our answers.
We don't say No just to be lazy or get out of things, and if you're like me, you're not trying to! It's quite the opposite...we want so badly to say YES!!!!
When we become everyone's yes, it means we are saying No to something else by nature. What is being avoided or ignored if we don't guard it's yes to it?!? Sometimes it's just our sanity, lol.
Other times, we are depleting ourselves to the point of never being able to serve in our mission or calling because we are so busy serving every one else's. I think sometimes people say Yes without even considering it wasn't theirs to say yes to and are stepping into a place meant for someone else.
When our morning prayer is " God lead me today into the Yeses YOU have already prepared for me and give the wisdom and courage to stay focused" we are more easily able to find the right answer at every ask.
As you seek your Yes or No, may you seek first ask what His answer is and follow along His lead! (God doesn't always say Yes to everything we ask either - can we get an AMEN to that!)
Lord, Thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit to lead and gird us up for our day. In a world of so many opportunities and temptations alike, we surrender our Yes to YOU ALONE so that we can say Yes or No to the world. Give us Your eyes to see the path laid out for us! 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
