I just didn’t know I could change. I thought I was just me. When it’s all you know, it’s simply all you know. This is why speaking life is so important along with Sisterhood, Mentorships, personal development and community.
Born into the Cradle Roll at our church by a military Dad and Friend-to-Everyone Mom, “going above and beyond and doing the right thing" was basically my DNA. You add in my shy, insecure personality and there ya have your official Shy Girl, Holy Rolly, Goodie Two Shoes, always trying to be perfect and pure, not causing any issues, church girl.
I accepted my Less-Than-Ness, fueled in the comparison game of observing the brilliance and beauty of everyone else seemingly living the perfect life. While my mindset was completely wrong, my heart was pure, desiring to be better and live "right" before God, family and others. It would be many, many years later I learned to live a life of Grace and honor rather than perfection and perception.
You don’t have to go very far online or out in the world to discover the next newest thing you don’t have and why you (apparently) need it now!
You can't help but wonder if it could be true. Those of us who struggle with insecurity are the perfect customer for these commercials. We are willing to try any and every thing out there in the quest for becoming better.
After years of self-doubt and constant fear of judgement, I collapsed under the pressure falling prostrate into a pit. Thankfully God knew I was heading that way, and He had already lined it with grace.
Grace softened my fall. It bruised me, and scared me, but it didn't kill me.
Grace caught me.
Grace said Just be you. Grace said Life is short. Grace said Worship, not worry. Grace said Fear not! Grace said I am capable and you are in My hands. Grace said Follow Me, not them. Grace said My grace is sufficient enough for you! Grace said It’s Time! Get up and go!
This is one of the things in my life I wish I would have learned sooner. I wish I would have understood Grace and more important God’s love for me. I wish I would have learned about His heart sooner rather than in my 30’s. I am forever grateful for the season in the pit, as painful as it was, I was refined and chiseled as I tumbled about.
Friend, know God loves you so much and He is near. Be courageous and confident in His Love and live in this Gift of Grace. Take time to be still and know, asking and seeking His heart for you.
By grace, you are saved and held. By grace, you are brave. By grace, you are whole! Yo are fearfully and wonderfully made with a Divine purpose meant only for YOU!! You are YOU for this very reason! He has equipped you for such a time as this!! Rise up and Go in Grace!
"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 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
Stop Worrying about messing up your kids and worry more about messing up YOU!!!! You have probably heard the old saying, If Mama ain't happy, aint no one happy." Well, there's some truth in that. I'll say this, If Mama isn't happy, Mama needs more time with Jesus!!
As Moms, we tend to put ourselves last on the list. We allow our day to run us vs running our day. And If Mom is stressed & overwhelmed, so will the family be. If you are depleted, you are functioning and contributing from lack, not abundance and God came for us to live in abundance!
A Mom functioning on fumes from a depleted tank has nothing sustainable to share. Like a battery, in the red, it isn’t going to send a charge and in the meantime, we are hurting ourselves.
It's a fact: A depleted battery cannot charge another battery as much as we try!
We must charge our battery in order to serve the ones around us well. So how do we fill back up?
Foundations: Structure, Surrender and Sisterhood are everything.
Structure:
- Creating a routine and establishing clear intentions, boundaries not only for self, but for the Home.
- Meet with the Lord every morning (worshiping throughout the day in all the things as you serve your family and others) and seeking His plan/ goals, asking Him to lead you for the day/week.season.
Surrender:
- Grace and yielding to God's plan as you prepare yourself to follow. Grace to trust when He says No to something, or Yes to something you hadn't considered.
- Letting go of perfect control and allow God to provide the provision of energy, wisdom and purpose.
Sisterhood:
- We need to be in fellowship with other like-minded Mama Friends and choose to do life together. There's so much blessing and courage and joy that comes from our iron sharpening iron conversations and Titus 2 relationships. We need each other!
Mama, the enemy would like for you to continue to hustle in your Heart & Home and never feel worthy.or caught up. He wants you to feel exhausted and make you think you're doing a horrible job because you aren't checking off all the boxes you think you should be to be that perfect Mom.
Mama Friend, you are perfectly equipped and able to serve in the Ministry of Motherhood because He has called you to this! Guard your time with your Savior and Friend.
Starting today, let's focus on how we can best bless our family through serving our Lord with all our heart, mind and soul, asking Him to fill us, charge us and replenish us as only He can so that in the overflow of His touch, we can touch those around us that He has prepared for us to touch in His Name.
Seek First, God, and all these things shall be added unto you! Amen
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
Fear holds us prisoner inner own mind.. I didn't feel my value was higher than others so quietness looked like meekness when in reality, there were times I was screaming on the inside, smiling on the outside. Joy comes when we surrender of fears to trusting faith.
Fear sifted and sorted my thoughts until I learned how to give faith that authority!
In the next few blogs, we will talk about different fears, what it looked like in my own life and why you can’t just “Do it” or “Have Faith.” Instead of dismissing someone’s fears or anxious thoughts, let’s take time to understand and teach people how to equip themselves physically, emotionally and spiritually, empowering them to manage their fear rather than dismiss them as silly.
Read more...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.
Read more...
