Shy Introverts: Sharing Your Faith and Shining Your Light

We are placed here as Light Houses of faith, to guide and direct others towards Jesus! It's not easy to stand alone on the shores, but in the darkness is where we shine brightest. I know that sounds intimidating as a shy heart, perhaps you have been struggling with insecurity wondering if you were enough to lead or show up in such a way. The answer is YES! 
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Are You Afraid to Love? Learn to Trust Again

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

Why Moms Need Other Moms, God and Coffee to Raise their Children

Bless You Mommas whose hearts are weary. Let the grace of God wash over you and fill up your soul. His mercies are new every day and it's never too late to seek forgiveness, restoration and peace. He is near. Draw close to His heart. Feel His breath over you, He is near.

I pray this brings some peace and high 5's to my Momma friends this week as the world celebrates Moms. We are sooooo valuable as the called vessels from God to the Mission Field of Motherhood. Bind the enemy from diminishing your impact and stirring up doubt or exasperation as you work in the Fields of Grace. Keep your eyes up, sing, dance, worship, play and pray!! You've Got This!!! 
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Breaking Up for True Love

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