Welcome to The Heart Blog! 
Praying you find some love, truth, and Heart encouragements!

Additional Resources over on HeartsFromGod.com


There was a season I didn't count the stars at night, or watch the trees blow outside the window. I didn't used to pay attention to the incredible colors of a sunset or glowing moonlight. I was much too busy and exhausted for that...until one day I had to.


After weeks of turmoil spinning in the depth of my soul, all day, every day, I had to take a step outside just to breath. 


As a Mom of young ones at home, life began to get stressful. I found myself taking extended potty breaks to my tiny sanctuary for 2 minutes of nothingness, 5 extra minutes walking to the mailbox, strolling to the grocery check out line.


Day after day, it was a hustle and a hoot to live life in my skin. I volunteered, I served, I lunched, I exercised, I did laundry, shopping, cooking, cleaning, writing, cuddling, settled arguments and tantrums, and Bible Study, all with a proverbs 31 smile on my face, day after day, never with permission to take a break. 


The flow was constant and chaotic if I am honest. And yet I absolutely loved the life I imagined I was living. The laughs, tickles, snuggles, cute outfits, pudgy little feet and swings at the park! I loved the little sandwich shapes and notes in the lunch boxes.


Being a Mom was the best job and I loved every moment of it...I just wished it wasn't so demanding, exhausting and depleting. It made being a patience and perfect 

Mom so hard. If only I knew then what I knew now...


One day my heart leaped so far out of my chest a shock wave pinged down my left arm. The deeper breath I drew, the deeper the pain. I couldn't breath. I was suffocating. There were warning signs but as true to my courageous (and prideful) self, I kept going.


I was a do-gooder, focused intensely on being a perfect Christian Mom, Wife, Friend, Neighbor with intentions God would be pleased and represented well as I lived my life serving sacrificially, representing what a Christian Woman, especially as a leader in the church, looked like only to learn the only one who can represent God, is God Himself. We are simply His instruments, His vessels of Grace and Love, that through our LOVE, others would see HIS LOVE! 


I had to live the expectations of all the Proverb 31 things...anxious for nothing and courageous and excellent about everything else that her children would rise up and call her blessed. These whispered lies- striving for perfection in every area of my life- were no different than the craftiness of the enemy when he spoke to Even in the garden. The whispers of twisted truths of how to glorify God in my little address on this planet. Wrong. Satan is the father of lies.


Our God paid it all so that the captives would be set free in His Name. I didn't see it when I was in the midst of it. I had lost my self and lost my worship. I felt like a powered robot, scheduled to do all the things everyone else needed me to do, yet so honored to serve God and my family.


I could no longer be a slave to perfection or fear. A new journey began that season, learning how to strive for love and not perfection. I learned the preciousness of experiences with God instead of the suffocating expectations of the enemy.


THIS IS WHY TITUS 2 relationships are so IMPORTANT!! We NEED EACH OTHER! 


Grace became the new expectation, a healing balm to a weary and wrecked soul. I learned to seek and plan out quiet moments in the day to exhale the toxins built up within my heart and soul. I learned to have Grace. I learned how to find my value in His heart and not in my doings. It took surrender, discipline and accountability. It took desperation for peace and purpose in The Plan I believed in my spirit God had for me, and for you. 


God did not create us for a robotic life of busyness and living life on auto-pilot, constantly hustling to achieve the next expectation in the name of proving worthiness, or the evidence of what a Christian Woman should live and look like.


The evidence is Jesus, and we are His vessels of Love here on this Earth, that all people in all nations will know the Grace of God…not the judgements of God.



Friend, if you have found yourself struggling to keep it all together, let me give you the permission you absolutely don’t need from anyone but you think you doBE FREE in the arms of Grace!!! Surrender your heart to His and guard it in your day. Look at the stars, smell the flowers, dance, read, laugh, serve and lead...FOR HIM!!! Not for anyone else! 


Freely serve, give, love, worship, laugh, cry. Be the wonderful created one He created you to be and steward well the gifts (the babies and the spiritual ones) along with the resources He has given you! He’s got you! Surrender, ask, seek and TRUST Him with your breaths.


The HEART of God wants yours! 

You are loved, seen and heard every day, right where you are! 

You were made for worship!

 


“And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” 1 John 1:16


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


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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