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Heart Blog

Breaking Up for True Love

Michele Dickerson
breaking up, Couples, expression of love, love one another, purity, showing love, sing;e, temptation, true love, Valentines
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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 and loss, jealousy and loneliness. I get it, and to be real, the media is really good at making us see all the things we don't have. It's called marketing! Their single goal is to show you what you don't have and surely need.

Even though I have been with my Man for over 30 Valentines, if I am not careful to guard my heart, I catch myself oodling at the beautiful diamonds and romantic getaways on all the commercials. The well manicured, gorgeous couple in suit and dress. The lack game is real...for everyone.

However...

Lack is not love.

Lack comes from a place of envy, judgement, loss. Does this sound like Agape Love?

No it does not.

A few years ago, I decided to start hosting a Sweet Love night at my home. I invited a group of multi-generational women from my church over to gather together, in the Name of Love. These were wonderfully satisfying nights of getting to know new Sisters in Christ, sharing stories of hope and love, and for those who don't know me yet...yes, we enjoyed some serious coffee & chocolates! After the closing prayer, it was a true delight in the name of Love.

No wonder He looks at our hearts, not the outward. No wonder He tells us in His Word to seek first His Kingdom. No wonder He says Guard your heart, and to resist the devil. No wonder He tells us in Philippians 4 all the things to think on, and to not be anxious for anything! He knew we would lust for things in this world seen and unseen.

Today, what do you need to break up with in order to have True Love?

Insecurity?

Fear?

Anxiety?

Control?

Perfectionism?

Feelings of lack, envy, hate, jealousy, greed, addictions, pride, immorality?

Lust?

GOOD FOR YOU!! I know that wasn't easy and it may still take some time to trust again. But now that you have broken up, let's pray for Love's return. Let's ask for blessings of Grace and deep soul satisfying wholeness to fill us. Let's open our hearts 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?

Prayerfully 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?

Today, I challenge you to experience True Love and share it! How? Well, check out my recent blog with a million ideas how to share love in non sexual ways.

For the couple's in here, here is a couple's Do & Don't list to help ya out!

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.

And be thankful."

Colossians 3:12-15 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

Heart Shaped Valentines

Michele Dickerson
comparison, Couples, Love, marriage, Valentines
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What does Valentine's Day mean for you? Remember those younger preschool and elementary days when your Mom took you to the store to pick out the Box of Valentine's for every kid in your class whether you liked them or not?!? There was no avoiding not sharing kindness to the kids who were mean to you even in the slightest way. There is such a lesson to be learned right there and I could run down a rabbit hole with that one, but I will leave it there for right now.

Statistics say Christmas and Valentines are the highest recordings of suicide and depression. People feel unloved, unseen, dismissed, forgotten, used and lonely. Thanks to the commercialism of the holiday, men and women alike find themselves feeling left out in the absence of being romantically noticed.

Truth be told, relationship status has little to do with feeling loved, treasured, adored and precious.

Couples, whether married, engaged or courting, may not have a partner who is good at showing love. For some couples, they may have found themselves in a season of angst, miscommunication, betrayal, selfishness, grief, off balance or abuse,

Life and Love is intentional effort and hard work, with a whole lot of Jesus...okay, and small amounts of coffee and chocolate help too! Did I mention praying, grace and patience yet?!? lol

Back to the holiday....

Somewhere along the timeline of adolescence into adulthood, This Love Day evolved from a community love to a more sensually-focused couple-relationship in the receiving of affections physically through tangible gifts or human touch. As young children begin to surge with socialtial pressures, and hormones mind you, school-aged pressures to couple-up build with every age. I get it...you're not coupled up right now, or maybe you are coupled up and not receiving love from your partner, but you want to be loved, seen and made to feel precious and beautiful like all the other Valentines walking around with flowers and balloons, sitting at Tables for 2..

You might find yourself wishing you could stop thinking about "finding love," "being loved," or "feeling adored and beautiful."

What if I said you don't have to!?

Friend, it is okay to want to be loved, to feel loved and to feel adored. The truth is YOU were created to be and YOU ARE!

Our human souls were created for belonging. Our complex yet fragile hearts are wired to desire Love, being the Love of Christ and Love with others.The temptation is to measure one's value on the quantity of received attention from other human hearts.

The commercial retail industry's banks on the addiction to love as they flood the market with all things in the name of Love.

So much so, the Love of Christ may not come to mind for most, yet here in His Sweet Love, we find the measure of our worth and value.

In this season, may I remind you of the greatest commandment, Love God and Love others! Should we celebrate loving others? YES! Should we also celebrate the Love of God? YES!

Sister Friend, Happy Month of Love! Grab your friends and get together this month in the name of Love, Jesus! Remind each other how beautiful and precious His Daughters are.

Whether happily coupled up, or dreaming of the day you will be, may you find intimacy in the Love of the Father for Your His child. There is no greater love to celebrate, cherish, trust, hope for that compares to His sweet heart for you!

With Love,

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

Living in Grace in All The Things

Michele Dickerson
anxiety, exhausted, faith, faithlife, fear, God
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After failing at my attempts to be the perfect Proverbs 31 Woman, God stepped in and put a stop to all the nonsense.

I had to learn:

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

it’s better to function in community rather than control

no one is perfectly handling life

to find moments of grace breaths throughout the day

to stop overthinking

that the world is not watching every step for me 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 believe we have the ability to be all things. Recognize and Release that pressure before the pressure crushes you. And yes, there will be people in your life who demand more of you than you feel able, or desire to give, even there in those moments, your inner dialogue with God and self are important to keep in peace. Your strength and energy are found within the spirit living inside you. No one can choose that for you. This is where YOU shine, for the Glory of God! Not perfection. Not others.

When you feel empty, remember Who fills you. It's easy to fill ourselves with temporary satisfaction, and meaningless tasks and distractions. This is where the enemy depletes you one decision at a time.

Whatever you’re facing, remember Who is for you. Remember this Audience of One. He’s the most important person you can serve and spend time with each day. Your identity, purpose, strength, peace, restoration and joy are found in HIM!

In every hour, we need Him, every valley and mountaintop, every edge and every pit....Seek Him first and always. Friend, you are loved, seen and heard. Stay strong, keep peace, walk by faith.

Hugs & 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

God is WITH YOU in Your Anxiety, Fear and Obstacles

Michele Dickerson
anxiety, be still, believe, emotional pain, victory
0 Comments

You are not alone and undefeated! The Lord is near and He has already been fighting on your behalf.

Fear, chaos, anxiety, insecurity, depression are not from God! Take a deep breath and pray as you recall to mind Whose you are! You are enough!! His Heart is for you!!!

Overcoming Stress and Anxiety with Worship

Michele Dickerson
anxious, be still, chaos, fear, hope, peaceofmind, romans, stress
0 Comments

You want to be happy but you can’t fake the pain. I get it.

This is for the person who needs someone to look them in the eyes and say …..

“It’s going to be okay.

You are stronger than you think and feel.

You’re not a lost cause.

You are not a quitter, unless you quit.

I know it hurts to breath.

I know you can’t get control of your racing thoughts, but greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. He will help you be still and give you that very breath."

The things you focus on will drain you or empower you so watch what you are doing in those dark moments.

Breath, don’t bash.

Calm, not chaos.

Meditate on Scripture, not secular theories.

Stop asking why and worship.

Worship the pain into praise.

When you can’t sleep, worship.

When you walk into chaos of circumstance, worship.

When you feel like you’re drowning, worship.

You’ve got this because He has you! Hold onto Him! Don’t give up!! Never forget you have an enemy looking for ways to shrink and sabotage you BUT GREATER is HE who is IN you than he who is in the world!

Read the Psalms.

Read Philippians 4.

Read Romans 8.

Read Genesis 1.

Pray and praise! I know it’s hard, but though we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

You are okay and you will have what you need for every next moment. Know that you’re never alone!! He sees you!! He loves you!!”

Be still and know what you know.

I shared a 9 min encouragement today on You Tube if you want an extra hug of love. Check it out HERE.

Blessings and Hugs,

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

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I am so glad (and honored) you are here! I have been blogging since 2009 as a way to journal out my thoughts as I pray God would use these story shares as practical heart encouragements for YOU TOO! We all need to recall and share those Living Stone moments.

Feel free to look around and make yourself at home!

If you're looking for Journals & Books, check these out over on HeartsFromGod.com too!!

If you are looking for an Online Sister Community

?Are you an Introvert Rising?!? If you are looking for a Community of HEART Centered, Jesus Lovin' Sisters ready to rise up over their insecurities and seek after the Heart of God?!? Meet us here!

I share encouragement over on the Facebooks on my personal profile as well as the Encouragement Page Livin’ Where Faith Is on too.

I have two free resources for you:

1.) If you'd like some help sharing YOUR story or testimony, here's a link to grab the fill in the blank PDF I created to help you get started sharing YOUR heart with others! There's a video that goes with it over in the But God Sister Squad Community on Facebook.

2.) www.CreatingSpaceforGrace.com is PDF I share the things I have done (and do) the help guard my peace on the daily!!! I get asked about this all the time, this is my practical resource guide!

Heart Hugs and Blessings,

Michele"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV

Pssst...by Law, I have to share there are affiliate links in here where I earn money from your purchase when you make a purchase! it's affiliate marketing and I love not having to sell stuff! And you know me, I am not gonna sell anything, but I will share everything! I love it!

A Little About My Heart

Born and raised in the church, a Christ Follower, Kingdom Encourager, Wife, Mama, and an Overcomer! GLORY TO GOD!!

I lived most of my life fearful, anxious, and insecure.. I found myself always hiding but serving, striving for perfection in my less-thanness, as a way to earn my worth to self, God and others, sacrificing in the name of serving, hospitality and humility...putting others needs before my own from a place of hiding in my lack, and trying to earn value rather than serving in the space of grace, confident faith and overflowing love.

Never attaining, only to lead a life of more insecurity, overwhelm, anxiety, and panic, screaming to break free from this bondage, to be that actual strong, courageous Christian Woman everyone else seemed to be, but me.

BUT GOD.

In 2009, Where Faith Is was born as a blog, learning my voice behind the safety of a keyboard, building courage to speak my truth behind the screen...and here all these years later, Little by little, God is expanding my heart boundaries as He reveals more of His to me. I am so excited to share so freely!

I especially love being an encourager to other encouragers in the faith who know they are called to encourage yet they themselves struggle with their value and ability. Isn't that how the enemy works? He tries to disqualify us in the same area we are called to shine! What an irony!

I believe if more people let go of fear and insecurity, surrendered to grace and BELIEVED their value, their spark for life will return to a roaring fire that lights up wet wood!

When women choose to walk courageous and strong in body, mind and spirit...they step out of the boat and walk on water as Peter did, part the waters like Moses and set more people FREE in His name through their Divine purpose to the Glory of GOD! We are each a Light House of Strength on the shorelines of Grace .

Friend, you may not believe it, but you are meant for more than eat/sleep/work/repeat. You are also equipped with good works to serve and bless the Kingdom Body, and the world with His Love, through YOU! You've got to surrender your fear and let Him lead you.

You are more able than you think you are and most likely, the thing you feel is the weakest part of you is the strongest thing about you!

If you are an introvert too and want to be a part of our newly launching online community, we are here for you!! Let's Connect! It's an honor to encourage the Encouragers.

I am H.I.S. (Heart In Surrender & Service).

Hugs & Blessings,

Michele

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:1-4

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Heart Blog

Breaking Up for True Love

Heart Shaped Valentines

Living in Grace in All The Things

God is WITH YOU in Your Anxiety, Fear and Obstacles

Overcoming Stress and Anxiety with Worship

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