Let’s talk about Overcoming fear when fear is how you see the world around you. For as long as I can remember, I have struggled with fear. Well meaning friends would say things like just Let Go and Let God, It’ll be fine, There’s nothing to worry about…and yet, I feared.
In the next few blogs, we will talk about different fears, what it looks like and why you can’t just “Do it” or “Have Faith.” Instead of dismissing someone’s fears or anxious thoughts, let’s learn compassion and offer practical help in their time of need.
Honestly, the top 3 things I really needed (and I dare say we ALL need) in my life were Sisters, Boundaries and Intimate Worship. Let’s start this bloggy convo!
Physical Fear: I grew up in a school where fist fights during the lunch break were a daily thing, bullies ran the hallways, assaults in our community seemed overwhelming.
As a young girl, the fear was real and there seemed to be no escaping it. I believed it was just a matter of time before I might fall victim to the whim of evil. Watching the news was only affirmation that my concerns were valid and we lived in an unsafe and powerful world.
My soul was cornered by fear, terrified to live but happy to be alive if that even makes sense.
Over the years, I avoided people or environments that involved intense emotions, violence, loud, anger, especially where alcohol was center stage.
Making the wrong move in public, saying something negative to someone, feeling angry myself, being around large groups, being around people who were drinking, hearing people argue, watching wrestling or boxing on tv or in real life triggered me into a flight mode.
I have lived my life looking over my shoulder, always afraid of the grab. I understood Stranger Danger, it was a thing just like Smokey the Bear Fire Danger for those back in my generation. Our education for friendliness and safety, how to be kind and nice, avoid arguments and dangerous situations was learned from Sesame Street, Family Matters, Mr Rogers, along with all the Hero and Villain lessons from everything Disney.
Of course, they used to have Officers come to the schools and walk us through Stranger Danger lessons and take our fingerprints so we could have a Safe Keeping Card for our Parents to have in the case we are ever missing. Life just felt like when, not if. They told us how to kick out a tail light to send a sign to other cars you were in the trunk! my oh my.... I would agree in a very practical way that learning and practicing some self defense would have been great.
Let's just say, I have learned a lot and plan on learning and implement more of this in this area as part of my ministry work. We will be practically equipped in courage and strength, wisdom and might with Sisters, Boundaries and Intimate Worship.
This fear of the grab stayed with me well in to adulthood. I rarely left the house after sunset for fear of walking in the dark. I remember stories of men following women in to their apartments as they carried up groceries and would just push through the door with them….ugh. It was the grab in the parking lot, or your own home. No where was actually safe.
So, I bought few groceries to only make one trip up, and quickly get in and out. To this day, I am still fully aware of my surroundings while I am out getting gas or groceries, shopping and running errands, being wise, just not panicked and fear-full..
Once I had my home, pulling in to the garage and making sure no one scooted in with the car helped, but then once we are all inside, it was checking all the doors and windows throughout the day and before bed, getting out of bed one more time to make sure the front and back doors were indeed still locked.
If you have dealt with fear, you know how real this feels. If you haven’t, you are probably thinking this is crazy! Trust us, it feels crazy, but it is such a reality.
You do what you can to feel and be safe as you go. Having an alarm on the house helped. My Mom used to spend the night with me and the 4 kiddos when my Hubby travelled every month. At least that was a nice bonus to spend that extra time with her. I was able to sleep better with her there. I would meet up with friends when I could because The Buddy System is not only fun but helped me relax!
It took time, but I learned to walk in the posture of Authority. I prayed myself up and kept my head up, literally! I used to avoid eye contact and keep my head down walking around yet always hyper aware of my surroundings to see the Grabbers if they were around waiting.
If you're a Mama of littles, start now with facing the fears becuase I am here to say the fear doesn't go away as they get older. You will wish you could 5 point harness them in a stroller and keep them connected to you and wish they could simply use a diaper and not go into the Public bathrooms. Fear is the issue!
Fear IS a Liar!!!
Gracious God, the chains fear had on me finally broke off in 2009.
I had spent so much time scared to live and make myself feel safe that I never put on The Armor. I never asked my King to guard our walls. I didn’t understand how an “invisible God” could fight my tangible threats…
BUT GOD!!
Oh me of little faith...and little trust.
Friend, if this is you too, breathe. There are so many practical things, especially nowadays you can do from gadgets to apps to help protect your home, but today, I encourage you to ask God to help you be strong and confident in His Armor.
Nothing can separate you from His care and in Him, you are more than a Conqueror. He sees you and He is near. You can have sweet sleep, You can feel prepared and equipped in Him in both your flesh and your spirit. The battle really is His.
Circle your fears with Sisterhood.
Share your fears and nervousness and Buddy Up for things as you practice walking out your courage, taking thoughts captive and doing your part, allowing God to do His!
Circle your fears with Boundaries.
Set your own comfort levels to say yes or no to certain events, places, relationships. Pray yourself up and listen to the leading and protection of The Lord. The Holy Spirit is your Helper. Learn to listen to Him.
Circle your fears with Intimate Worship.
Worship means a lot of things to different people. Intimate worship deep dives all the way in to the center of us, to the protected guarded places we don’t allow anyone in to, often including God, because we struggle to trust and surrender.
Today, we choose to give God the keys to us, our home and our heart. We declare a surrender to His protection and provision knowing that nothing happens He is unaware of and with Him, we can do all things!
Can something happen to us, sure. You can grab my list here of some of the very simple and practical things I have implemented to feel confident. They seems so common sense, but it takes intentionality and that's something you must prepare and work on consistently to create new healthy habits.
This side of glory is evil, but it is also good, because He is here amongst us. He is near. He goes before us, stands behind us and fights with us! To imagine the great cloud of witnesses, to imagine angels entertained around us, to know God does exceedingly and abundantly more than we can think or imagine is peace.
Surrender is Peace.
Trust is Peace.
God is Peace.
Less of me God, More of you.
Sister, you are safe in His care and in His arms. He’s got you and you can have peace. Armor Up and don't forget the shoes of Peace.
All the love and courage,
Your Sister 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
Endurance doesn’t level out…you’ll always be enduring as you up level in each healing place. Healing is a forever thing this side of glory! We will always be fighting the good fight!
Ever felt blind-sighted by yourself? Like "Wow....You should have known better!?!" This just happened to me.
To say to myself "Be watchful for the schemes of the enemy" is like, DUH! Preaching to the choir of I Know This. And yet.... here I am having just had the moment of preaching to the choir and I was like, OH!
The faith walk is sometimes so hard to discern but if we take the time to reply get honest and quiet, we can find our positioning and purpose with peace.
I have been in a hunker down season. A little more withdrawn. A little more quiet. I little more guarded. I have been in these seasons before and I don't hate them, at all, in fact, I enjoy them. Over the many long walks with God, I know sometimes we walk amongst the crowds, other times it's reclining at the table with a small group and sometimes, He is reaches me up in the tree or walking in the dirt approaching His burning bush! He's always near.
We don't stay "hidden." He always calls us out and I have felt that. But it has been a slow walking out. I should have recognized it. Sluggish doesn't;t come from God. Lack of motivation, making excuses, don't come from God. I felt the calling out to move more and I didn't feel the energy to and I now recognize exactly where those thoughts were coming from...the one who preferred I stay quiet and hidden, withdrawn and introverted.
We should be seeking Him first but He is so sweet when we don't, to send others in to our day to get our attention. This is why our circle matters! Sometimes it's a song, sermon, reel or text from a friend, sometimes it's through a social media post. This happened to me today.
A friend of mine shared a shout out yesterday to follow someone and I felt the nudge to go check out her profile. WOW did God have a message there, big time! She had just done a Live the hour before and it was exactly what I needed to hear. Answers to questions only God heard me asking these past few weeks, in my quiet. She confirmed and affirmed what I needed.
So how do you discern whether you are supposed to stay where you are or it's time to move?!? You seek Him first! That's what I haven't been doing. I was comfortable and on auto-pilot doing the things I know to be doing. I'm working, writing and tasking care of my home. But I also know He has been saying go deeper, faster, and bring the glory in! But the whispers of "later" made sense and felt good.
Thing is we are not guaranteed "later." I have been reminded of this over and over in my own life experiences and through relationship with others. Our time is not in our hands. Our mission work is not later. Our pace is not ours. We reveal His glory as we go, even in the waiting, we are actively serving and moving, yes, but He will also show up and say "Let's Go, Follow Me." I wonder how many times we take that moment for granted that we can d that later, when we feel ready or able...instead of stepping into the dirt and discover the manna, casting the net to the other side after a long weary day/season, to step into the ocean and see the water part, to walk up the mountain and hear the ram.
Good thing Noah was not a later kind of guy! Moses tried, but God stood firm and sent Him Aaron. Even Paul waited in the cells praising God....then God rattled the earth and set the captives free. So many times we are in placed in the basket and sent down river or tossed into a fiery furnace only for God to then show up and say Let's Go!
Ask, Seek, Find! Pray for the next steps every single day and do not become complacent. He always comes after His sheep so don't think He is gonna let you just mosey on by in the back of the pasture! He won't, He can't. In the flock, under His watchful eye is where He keeps us to guard us.
So if you have felt the nudge, tug, prompt, pull, feeling....whatever it feels like to move, pray and ask Him! Still not sure? Ask for God to bring you the "others" to show you and keep your eyes and heart open. Don't stay in the place you are meant to move on from. God is near and is with you in the waiting but also in the wanting!
Thankful today for others.
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
Remember how FUN starting college was but also so overwhelming to navigate! Our teens are faced with even greater social pressures with the added element of social media access. This generation experiences a social pressure and presence we did not have.
Even if you think they don't listen to you, deep in your heart, know they are. While we have been training them up for these past 18 years, it's still important to send them off with reminders to help them prioritize the well-being of their minds even if they think they already know it all. Behind the eye rolls, you know are coming, they do appreciate these highlights as they walk into the new open doors....and so do YOU!
Our thoughts impact how we view our current reality, influencing how we perceive and interact with the world around us, including our college-bound teen. Along with prayer, incorporating a few simple practices can make a world of difference for them AND for YOU.
These are some simple truths my teen and I discussed as WE prepared for move out day and life in college. I pray they are encouragements for you too. It's amazing how easily we can slip away from common sense in times of stress and transition, even when it's all happy things!
First, start by being mindful of the content you consume.
Limit exposure to negative news and surround yourself with positive influences. As a believer, staying grounded in The Word is so important and seeking Him first in the day, and in every situation. If you need to set up parent controls on your devices, even as an adult, do it! It's up to YOU to protect YOU from YOU! Also, if you are looking for a Daily Reading Plan, there are tons in the You Version app, and they are all free!!
Second, pay attention to the people you surround yourself with.
Our friends can take us from one mood to another with just a text, or a look. They can lead us to Christ, or away from Him. Our teens may not have experienced unequally yoked friendships yet so this is a good time to share with them the value of like-minded friends and how powerfully they can help us stay steadfast and grounded in the Ways of Christ in every season of life, especially big life transitions.
Praying for the circle of influence around them, and also around us, their teachers and our own mentors, our friends and their friends helps us keep God in the midst of our relationships. Then, we can trust those open and closed doors when they come and walk through this new season without feeling overwhelmed or alone...or tempted towards worldly pleasures.
Next, taking our "vitamins!"
It is super important in order to think clearly and have a healthy brain for processing but one of the most forgotten Vitamins is G : Gratitude. Practice gratitude daily. Taking time to acknowledge the good things in life helps rewire our brains for optimism and hope-filled living. College is hard for EVERYONE and it will be important to take those prayerful deep breaths, in order to think clearly before making quick decisions! Some things take time to get adjusted to and remember, you can do all things with Him!!
Community Connections and Connecting to Self:
Engaging in hobby or ministry activities that promote movement and positivity like prayer, dancing, exercise, worship, meditation, outdoor experiences, volunteering and serving others, endless fun hobbies, or journaling, can aid in centering our thoughts and reducing stress. creating playlists in Spotify or other music apps is fun to be able to share with others too!
We cannot forget Mindfulness.
Guard your heart and mind and renew them daily. Prayer alongside essential oils, good supplements, good friends, a healthy mindset, God's Word & Worship provide healthy, natural support for physical and emotional relaxation that lends us into peace and joy and mental clarity nd spiritual strength that brings us closer to the Lord's purposesnd provisions, to bring Him glory along the path He has set before us each.
It IS a big deal. It IS going to take intentionality. It IS an adjustment. There will be misunderstandings, tears and awkward conversations in the process...but when we lay the foundation of Love, Trust, Joy, Hope and lean in to the new season with openness and honesty, and again, LOVE...it will be full of growth for both you and your teen.
Seek Him FIRST!!!! Pray fervently! Do not fear! Do not be afraid! You trained them up to go!!!!
It's time Mama.....
Stay close to the Lord, surround yourself with fish-filled friends and be grateful for the blessing to have raised them to go! You did it!!! You're doing it!!!! You're not alone!!!!! He is near. Lean in. He's got you BOTH!!!!!
Blessings and Heart 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
Living the college dorm life can be hectic and overwhelming. Between classes, assignments, studying, and social activities, it's essential to have a calm and soothing environment that feels like your sanctuary. While it is important to have good nutrition, a healthy mindset and body, the air is just as important! What can you do when you can't have candles / open flames?? A diffuser!
They are SO EASY to use too! Simply add water and 2-4 drops of oil, and yes, creating your own blend is fun too! I'll share some of our favorite blends below. No flames, no noise, no mess and it has a timer on it! There are many kinds out there so find one you love.
Incorporating the power of essential oils into your dorm room, you can easily create a calm and healthy atmosphere that supports your physical and mental well-being which is especially important for first time college students.
1. Improve Concentration and Focus:
Studying for long hours can be mentally draining. Thankfully, certain essential oils are known to enhance cognitive function, memory, and concentration. Peppermint and Lemon oils helps maintain mental clarity and focus. Say goodbye to those dreaded brain fog moments and bad for you energy drinks! If you need something to sip on alongside your water, try Nitro and Zyng!
2. Promote Relaxation and Reduce Stress:
College life comes with its fair share of stress and anxiety. Transform your dorm room into a peaceful oasis by diffusing the soothing scents of Lavender, Joy, or Stress Away essential oils. These calming aromas can help anxiety and promote relaxation, making it easier for you to chill out after a long day of classes.
3. Purify the Air and Boost Immunity:
Dorm rooms often have poor air quality due to limited ventilation. We did buy an inexpensive air purifier from Amazon to help but we also sent our girl with a diffuser to strengthen her immune system which we know will take a hit the first 90 days.
As we get set up to move in and for a once a day session, she will run the cinnamon and clove essential oil blend, known for its powerful antiviral and antimicrobial properties, to cleanse the air and ward off nasty germs, giving her a healthy breathing environment.
Not to forget mentioning insects....they will be less of an issue in this dorm room!!
4. Good Sleep:
A good night's sleep is essential for academic success. Diffuse Cedarwood, Lavender, or Roman Chamomile essential oils before bedtime to create a tranquil environment. These calming scents help promote relaxation and prepare your mind and body for a restful night's sleep.
Don't let the stress of college life take a toll on your student's overall well-being. Enhance the dorm room experience with a diffuser and enjoy the benefits of improved focus, relaxation, purified air, and a positive sleep routine. Embrace the power of nature to transform your dorm room into a calming haven where you can thrive academically and recharge both your mind and body.
Read more from our Dorm Life Essentials series, here. Happy Diffusing!!!
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
