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

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It's one thing to teach your kids about how to deal with stressful situations and a whole other to have to show them! Our actions will validate or destroy our words.

After the kids had some dental work done yesterday morning, which included happy gas, we headed out for some breakfast and errands before we left the mainland. (It's an 1.5hr drive home.) 

PROBLEMS:
Just a few miles from the office at a huge intersection, my car freaks out! My break pedal starting lifting against my foot while I was breaking!! Then the power steering went out!! I was in the turn lane to make a u-turn! That wasn't gonna happen. I didn't even know if I'd get all the way across it before my car died. Or, if I was losing my break and was gonna run into the guy in front of me! 

Good news, thanks be to God, got to side street, pulled up into sidewalk of street (no curbs here!) I was off to the side safely and under a tree! Next to a gas station! 

Turned off car, popped hood-no Fire. No problem! Called mechanic and told me can't drive it. Belt was gone! Called tow truck. 

To make long story short, we waited almost 4hrs for tow truck to show up.

The kids were frustrated and I was exhausted and frustrated. Their pain meds also were wearing off! We had left the house at 5:20am and we should have been home at Noon. But here we are sitting at a car repair shop in a city we don't know at 4pm...tired, hungry, not feeling well. 

Eventhough I am super über patient and not a yeller...
I wanted to loose it.
I wanted to yell at the wreckers for canceling and then being hours later than promised.
I wanted to yell at the insurance company who would only pay to tow it to nearest shop where I broke down and not my own hometown.
I wanted to yell at the kids to stop fussing and complaining.
I wanted to yell at God for not granting us a salary that allows us to have bought a new vehicle.
The kids wanted to yell because they missed rehearsals and our big pool party at church!!
I wanted to yell just cuz I felt like yelling! Somehow yelling will jolt the universe back into a perfect way right?!?
Wrong.

Thankfully I am not an outward exploder...but I do yell inside where only my heart freaks out! 

What do we accomplish by yelling? Exploding externally or internally? Nothing good. We actually do a lot of damage, accomplishing nothing to move us forward, only moving us where we feared we would end up...to only end up there because we took ourselves there one step or word at a time.

The shop manager commended me on my calm demeanor and good behavior of bored and tired kids. He said people usually are cursing at this point in a day like ours. The kids were barely happy because they did get treats of cokes and bad for you snacks lol!

May we be seen as the salt and light of the earth, a city on a hill! Not a torch on a hunt!

PRAISES:
But God.....God has given us glorious provisions. Because yelling accomplishes nothing and praise accomplishes everything!! I had watching eyes and listening ears. I had a God who I trusted was with me helping me manage. I had an opportunity to allow my actions to be my words. As a parent, we say a lot, but how often do we get the chance to show them in real life? How can we overcome our problems? We count our blessings. Disciplining ourselves to find the blessings keeps ours hearts and minds focused on our victory and hope. It keeps Satan from getting a foothold. Remaining calm helps us think and process more clearly.

Counting our blessings:
*We broke down in town at 10mph, not on the freeway at 70mph.
*We broke down in the shade under a tree God provided like Jonah had, not under the open sun.
*We have insurance that covers towing even if it wasn't where I wanted it to take me.
*Kind Mamas who worked at the dental office only 5 min away took us to a store, we were not left without help.
*While my husband was out of state unable to come help, he was able to talk to us on the phone to offer help.
*We were in a safe place, with air conditioning and wifi, and ice cold sodas to offer!!
*Even though I left so early in the morning, my friend was able to go over and check on my puppy.
*The shop rented us a loaner so we could go eat dinner from 5-6pm while they repaired the belt they just happened to be able to get last minute.
*We we were able to get the car fixed and drive it home.*Our drive home was uneventful and we arrived safe and sound.

God was actually very gracious to us today and I praise Him for all He allowed to happen and not to happen.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21


"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 
 
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 
 
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:5-7





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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