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

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surrender

How To Change Your Mindset from Fear to Faith

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Do you ever feel like every thought you have is a wrestling match of good vs bad? You are afraid yet confident...excited but terrified? Anticipating yet avoiding?!? Or is it just me!?!

God is faithful and uses our tests for testimonies if we let go of fear and pride to let Him use us!! In the beginning of your personal development journey, you realize how much you don't realize about your thoughts. As much as a positive thinker I am, I have allowed fear to set up an ocean of fear that my thoughts soak in. I assumed I was just a worrier. I assumed I was just cautious. It wasn't until I began learning I could discipline and cleanse my body and my mind, renewing it day by day, in faith, with grace, through Love. 

It begins with prayer. Asking and Seeking His presence first of your day, throughout your day, as you laid down your head. In our prayers, affirming Who He is as our Father and Friend. It is confessing your fears and doubts and releasing them from your control, turning them over to His control. It's adoration, sitting in worship and gratitude. 

When we set our minds on things from above, our hearts and faith strengthen.

Since this learning, I am constantly soaking my thoughts in the deep living waters of faith. This is where I have found peace and joy.

There is no depth too deep, shoreline too far or hug of God too far from you. He hears you and sees you because He loves you so very much and nothing can separate you from His Sweet Love! 

Fear IS a lair!
Fear IS a trap!
Fear IS isolating!
Fear IS suffocating!
Fear IS weakening!
Fear IS minimizing!
Faith IS strengthening!!
Faith IS plentiful!!
Faith IS reaching!!
Faith IS embolding!!
Faith conquers Fear!
Walk by FAITH, do not fear!

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 
So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones." Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭50:20-21‬ ‭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

What's good about Good Friday when I Feel like I am Drowning?

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What a Week!!! Not only is it Easter weekend, it's also my bday week. So much LIFE to Celebrate over here!! Long story short, the Lord drew me out of drowning waters of perfection, worry, insecurity, living my life as a Check List Christian, hustling for my worth, and led me beside still waters where we sat quiet in the chaos, together. 

It didn't feel quiet really, but the waters were quiet. I didn't feel peaceful at first, I was still catching my breath from treading water and tumbling about my days nearly all my life. I was exhausted and at the end of my ability to keep up the hustle. He saw me, the sheep who had meandered to the back of the pasture, struggling to keep up and in His loving kindness walked over to me, carrying me back to nearness to Him once again.

But God. He was faithful as we sat in Holy Hushed silence.

While I had known Him nearly my whole life, it was during this time I got to know His heart. Good Friday took on a whole new meaning from this birthday on. What's so good about it?!? It's the act of Love that saved my life and yours. Good Friday taught me Love in Honor rather than expectation. Christ the King surrendered. His death wasn't "good."  He is good.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. His Love is Good.

My birthday week is especially special because it is my Celebration of Life date. It's the date I declared chains off, pit filled, valley conquered, heart mended, weakness overcome. April 2009 will forever be this Anniversary date in my life.

I can't help but live my life in a state of worship after living it in a lifetime of worry. He paid...it...all.

I am forever grateful for my very breath. I am forever grateful for His Heart for me, and for you too. The enemy knows this and continually works to make us small. The enemy wants us to live life overthinking, overwhelmed and busy. This is how we miss God's whispers. This is how we miss out on fellowing with Him.

Soul stillness...this is that season for me. Being still, allowing Him to lead me beside still waters. It's hard to find the words to describe it, hopefully this video I recorded helps. 

Happy Easter, Happy birthday to all of us. We each have the opportunity to celebrate new life in Jesus Name, our Savior and King, Father and Friend.

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

How to be Brave as a Christian

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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

Dear Tired Mom, I See You.

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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 can Hold You a Prisioner in Your Own Mind

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! 

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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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