There is something about tending to plants that slows you down enough to notice things you normally rush past.
The other day I was helping a friend prune some of her new plants. At first it seemed like a simple task. Just clean them up a bit, trim the dead pieces, help them grow better, but as we began working through each leaf and vine, one by one, it became something much deeper.
Pruning is such a beautiful (and necessary) process even though it may feel painful to experience.
You can’t just glance at a plant and start cutting. You have to pay attention. You look closely at each vine, each leaf, gently moving them aside to see what is really going on beneath the surface.
Some leaves were easy to identify....
They were dry and crispy, already detached from life. Those were simple. A gentle touch and they released without much effort.
Other leaves were more complicated.
They weren’t completely gone yet. Their color had faded and their vibrancy had softened, but there was still something there. They looked like they just needed a little more time… a little more light… a little more nourishment and love....
So we left those.
Then there were the strong ones with deep green leaves, standing upright and firm, reaching confidently toward the light, sturdy and full of life. Those were the ones we decided could carry the weight of the weaker vines against, intertwining them together for support for the plant that needed strength.
And somewhere in the middle of all of this quiet work, the conversation flowed deeply into our spirits of what God does with us.
Because the truth is, God prunes our lives in very much the same way.
Sometimes we get frustrated with Him when something is removed from our lives. A relationship. A dream. A season that once felt full of life but suddenly feels like it’s fading.
We wonder why.
But when you’re standing over a plant long enough, you start to understand something important.
If a dying branch stays connected, the plant will keep trying to feed it.
Energy that could nourish healthy growth is constantly being redirected to something that no longer has life in it.
Eventually, the surrounding foliage begins to weaken too.
The gardener doesn’t prune to punish the plant.
The gardener prunes to protect its life.
Sometimes the things God removes are already crispy and ready to release. When we look back later, we realize they had run their course long before we let them go.
Other things simply need time and light. They aren’t meant to be cut away yet. They’re just in a season where nourishment is still working its way through.
And then there are the strong vines in our lives....
The people, habits, and places where life is thriving.
Often those are the very things God uses to support the weaker areas until they regain strength.
Pruning is intentional work.
It requires attention, patience, and love.
And when we begin to understand that, we start to see God’s hand in a new way.
He isn’t randomly cutting pieces out of our lives.
He is tending to us...looking closely at every branch within us....
Protecting what is alive.
Removing what no longer has purpose....
And strengthening the parts of us that are still growing.
In the moment, it feels uncomfortable.
But the purpose of pruning has never been LOSS.
It has always been GROWTH.
And sometimes the most loving thing a gardener can do…is gently remove what is draining life so something beautiful can flourish.
Thanking God for His loving kindness.
"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15: 2
"And we urge you brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak" 1 Thess 5:14
Big Heart Hugs! Michele
PS. If you are looking for a community of Strong Ones, meet me at www.ButGodSisterSquad.com
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
Hey Hey! I hadn't checked in lately and wanted to have a quick encouragement for ya as we are moving swiftly through 2026....Let's talk more about Community and Friendships, especially as Introvert Sisters....
The older you get, the harder it feels….
When I was younger, making friends and being in community was easier as a Mom with littles. Playgroups and kid’s extracurriculars brought us into the community. The older the kids got, the less engaged I found myself with other Moms…
There’s a thing in the business world called a scarcity mindset…where you believe and settle for less than the best because you feel there is not the potential for more of whatever it is.
We need to be aware of this within our relationships too. I thought friendship meant loyalty at all costs.
Hold on. Work harder. Try to fix it. Try to be more understanding….and when it felt “hard” I took the blame and assumed I was the problem because it had to be kept. Insecurity works like that inside an anxious heart.
Hold on. Work harder. Try to fix it. Try to be more understanding….and when it felt “hard” I took the blame and assumed I was the problem because it had to be kept. Insecurity works like that inside an anxious heart.
But maturity (aka: wisdom) teaches you:
There is a season for everything. Healthy friendships come and go in their due season and some seasons are lifetime, others are a one and done harvest. Scarcity says make it last even in despair, even if it’s dying. However, a healthy relationship in a healthy season will not require you to shrink your heart, question your worth, or constantly explain yourself.
Healthy friendships are sustaining, not suffocating…they feel like playfulness and peace, not pettiness or pressure.
They look like:
• mutual encouragement leading each other towards Christ and not just fluffy stuff
• truth in love always with her heart in hand
• space to learn & grow
• celebrating each other’s wins without comparison
• truth in love always with her heart in hand
• space to learn & grow
• celebrating each other’s wins without comparison
You can breeeeeathe in friendships like that.
Scripture offers a beautiful image of healthy relationships when it says:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
This kind of sharpening is not selfish, harsh or destructive.
Aligned (equally yoked) friendships inspire Godly growth, just like a plant grows when nourished and cared for.
They encourage courage through the sharpening and belief in the personhood of who she is.
They hydrate us with the Living Water in dry lands, reaching out a hand when the world has kicked them down.
Instead of leaving us feeling smaller, these relationships help us become stronger and a woman who feels stronger fulfills her God given authority and calling with more zeal and fortitude.
God ALSO allows us to experience friendships that reveal what isn’t aligned. Sometimes the paths just become separate paths and over time you may notice things like:
• feeling drained after every interaction
• walking on eggshells to keep the peace
• your successes being met with silence instead of celebration
• misunderstandings where there should be clear communications
• walking on eggshells to keep the peace
• your successes being met with silence instead of celebration
• misunderstandings where there should be clear communications
Those moments are invitations for discernment, and releasing.
Abundance in healthy friendships WILL sharpen you, raise you UP and NOT feel like a weight you must carry.
The right friendships inspire you.
They challenge you in love.
They remind you who you are when life tries to make you forget.
They challenge you in love.
They remind you who you are when life tries to make you forget.
And perhaps the most beautiful kind of friendship is this:
A woman who loves God, celebrates your growth, and walks beside you as you both keep becoming….stepping into the mission and calling God has placed on your life to live out as Sisters, but ALSO in Community..
Those friendships are a precious few. God loved all but even He spent His most private moments with a small circle of 12, even 3.
This is why I wrote Introvert Rising and am now so excited to launch a new Locals Community where we gather TOGETHER…in person and do LIFE TOGETHER!!! MORE TO COME!!!!!
Big Heart Hugs, Michele
BTW: Here's the Amazon link to the book if you haven't grabbed it yet and want to, LOL
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
The Little Girl Inside Me Is Jumping for Joy
There’s a little girl inside me who can’t stop smiling right now. She’s barefoot, twirling in the grass, eyes wide open with wonder. She’s the part of me that always DREAMED this moment would come. The shy girl who used to sit in her walk in closet and write poems and doodle in her many little spirals and notebooks.
That day is here. Introvert Rising is about to take launch into the world, and I still can’t believe it.
It’s funny how time works on us, isn’t it? As the years pass, life layers on its weight...the responsibilities, expectations, disappointments, busyness. Somewhere along the way, that simple, pure joy starts to feel… complicated. We learn to measure, to doubt, to be “realistic.” And yet, there’s still that small voice inside begs you to remember how to dream, how to play, how to believe again. To have the faith of a little child, again.
Today, that little girl inside me is giddy typing out the About the Author page, FOR ME.....Michele, The Dreamer....The Author.
Because this isn’t just a book launch. It’s a becoming.
This is me choosing to live with peace, grace, and purpose, without fear of failure or perfection. No, I have not figured it all out, but I’m finally okay not having to. This is surrender and grace.
If you’ve ever felt like life’s simplicity slipped through your fingers… if you’ve forgotten how it feels to laugh just because you can… if your dreams have been sitting quietly in the background waiting for you to remember them.... this is your reminder.
We get one life.
We don’t know how many days we’ll have.
We don’t know how many days we’ll have.
But we do get to choose how we live them.
So today, I’m choosing faith, love, and joy. I’m choosing to stay and play. I’m choosing to keep my heart soft, my spirit open, and my purpose clear.
Here’s to the dreamers, the doers, and the quiet souls rising, introverts and extroverts alike!
May we never stop believing in what’s possible when we live from the inside out.
May we never stop believing in what’s possible when we live from the inside out.
Big Heart hugs,
The Introvert Rising, 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
Stop Waiting for January to do the thing…
I know what it’s like to get to October/November and want to throw in the towel…I mean, the thought crossed my mind just last week too. I knooooowwww.
Here’s the thing…quitting is easier…it is. BUT….regret and feeling like you’ve let yourself and others down…is the HEAVIEST weight you will carry.
You can be a size 6 in your closest and still feel sluggish, heavy, un motived…weak in every way.
Ask me how I know….
Overwhelm is the first step to shutting down. Let’s get some clarity so we can avoid that trap.
Listen, you don’t need a new year to start “your project,” or to start showing up for yourself. You are the only uncharge of you, so when it comes to your health (physically and emotionally) that's your call!
A few weeks ago, I hiked 5 miles through Oregon’s rocky trails. Five. Miles.
If you’d told me a few years ago I’d do that after two neck injuries, two frozen shoulders, and years of pain and therapy…I’d have laughed. I have struggled for years now to build back up to 2.4 miles...in Florida...on pavement streets. No kidding.
Last night, I submitted my first book to Amazon for publishing. Oh. My.
At 53, here’s what I’ve learned through every setback, and slow introverted comeback:
Healing happens when you stop wishing and start walking. Literally!! Strength develops endurance which develops our character; therefore when you stop making excuses and start moving your body and mind again even when it hurts, even when it’s hard, you get healthy as you move in the forward direction.
I have been talking a lot about this lately: God restores what you keep surrendering to Him. Every. Single. Time. In. Every. Single. Breath.
There are less than 70 days left in this year. That’s 70 opportunities to move with purpose, fuel your body with love, and live “lighter.”
Stop saying “someday.”
Start saying “today.”
We are introverts rising and I would love to help you rise with me.
Whether it’s body, mind or soul…
I GOT YOU.
No more excuses.
It. Is. Time.
Let’s Goooooo Sis!!!!
Meet me over at www.IntrovertRising.com for all the resources available and yes, FINALLY...THE BOOK is publishing in a few weeks!!
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
I was looking back through my archives and found a blog post I wrote in 2012 titled "Behind Closed Doors." As I reread it, I was struck by how much the message still resonates today, maybe even more so.
Back then, I wrote about the simple truth that behind every closed door, there is both joy and pain, in our seasons for everything life holds. We cannot see through doors, and know really what is happening behind them. But God does.
As Humans all sharing the same sphere of land, and as Christian Introverted Women with hearts to serve, we can find ourselves shrinking back and shy when it comes to random actions that don't make sense to our logic. Until we learn the Powerful Invitation from God to serve.
Because we cannot see through those "doors," we listen for the Holy Spirit's nudges. Have you ever felt that nudge to go here or there, to say something to someone but it doesn't make sense to you?!? To randomly pray for someone who pops into your mind, or you encounter at the store? I used to disregard them thinking it was just me being "too much." But I have learned there is nothing too much about intercession.
Sometimes it's loud and impulsive. Sometimes it's the smallest whispers in one of God's To Do this Week. He might call you to "knock" on a certain door, to send a message, or simply to pray for someone you can't stop thinking about.
There’s a lot of talk these days about not following your feelings, I get that, but we need to also hone into The Spirit’s whispers, moving us place to place.
I think a lot of us are scared to be judged as nosey, or woo-woo, too spiritual. Fear and insecurity get really loud and logical when we are called Up. The gift of intercession is the blessing of being used by God. Our prayers and The Gift of Presence can mean so much to someone in times of need. When the good stuff is happening, everyone knows. When the hard stuff happens, no one knows.
When you knock, you may find a joy to celebrate, or a heart to care for. Only God knows what is on the other side of that door. Our part is simply to be available, and trust that He will lead us. We don't need to know all the answers or the full story. We just need to be willing to be a vessel for His love and grace. Here is where we lean in, walk by faith and surrender our will to His. To be available.....
Maybe YOU are the one curled up on the couch behind that closed door, feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders. I know how hard it is when you are the Encourager, the Leader. Be encouraged knowing that the Father above sees you. You are not alone. He is your help in times of need too, and there is no one who loves you more than the Lord God. It is so important that you pray for your Inner Circle, not the ones you step into for others, but your own. You cannot do life, or ministry alone. I mean technically, you can, but you are not called to. We need each other.
Listen, God will send people to you too, just as He has sent you to them, discern their presence, and open the door accordingly, and let them in. You are not letting everyone in, it's not a block party. But for those whom He has sent to you, let them in.
You are not immune to the dry seasons, the fires and the hardship. If anything, those of us who Lead and Shepherd others are extremely threatening to the enemy. Every Believer is on the list.
No matter which side of the door you find yourself on, know that you are not alone…everyone has a door. Follow the nudge and open the door to your heart, as you also seek the hearts on the other side of theirs.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:2-3
May God find us faithful when He nudges us to go, trusting that He is in control and will provide everything we need to be His hands and feet behind closed doors.
What door is God nudging you to knock on today, or perhaps, to open?
For every heart behind every door, God Loves You, Sees you, Hears you and LOVES YOU!!!!!
Big hearts 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
