This has been a year long return in the works to this blog.

I have been praying about starting this blog up again and am finally feeling like I am being called to share this season of my life, even if it is just as a healing process for me to go through. But I know God will use this as I step out in faith.

Right now I am in a season of loss. It’s been several years now, since 2014, I have at least lost one loved one a year since 2014.  This has been a hard season for me. Not many people know how hard because I don’t always show it, share it or don’t want to show any kind of weakness.  But it's been hard.

So I will be posting about my life’s ups and downs and how God has brought me through.  This will essentially be my journal.

I want you to know that you can depend on Him to carry you through your trials just as He has done with me. So I pray that my future posts will be an encouragement to you.

In Christ,

​~Michelle

I just discovered this artist by someone I follow on Instagram.  Needless to say I have been listening to her on Spotify over and over again.      I really love this song, Come Alive (Dry Bones) and thought I would share it today.    This is my prayer for us all, our nation, our government.   Crying out to God, for Him to make these dry bones come alive.....but to come alive in obedience to Him.  This nation is just spirally down in sin and we truly must repent and turn to a nation that is One Nation Under God!!  In God we Trust!

Today's Worship Wednesday Song is:
"Come Alive (Dry Bones)"
By Lauren Daigle

Enjoy!!

This song has really been my prayer, even more so lately!   My prayer is that God would use me.  That people would see HIM in how I live my life, in the words that I speak and in my actions.  That people would see HIM!

Today's Worship Wednesday Song is:
"Let Them See You"
By JJ Weeks Band

Enjoy!!

Here are they lyrics.

Take away the melodies
Take away the songs I sing
Take away all the lights
And all the songs You let me write
Does the man I am today
Say the words You need to say?

Let them see You in me
Let them hear You when I speak
Let them feel You when I sing
Let them see You
Just let them see You in me

Who am I without Your grace?
Another smile, another face
Another breath, a grain of sand
Passing quickly through Your hand
I give my life, an offering
Take it all, take everything

Let them see You in me
Let them hear You when I speak
Let them feel You when I sing
Let them see You
Just let them see You in me

With every breath I breathe
I sing a simple melody
But I pray they'll hear more than a song
In me, in me

Let them see You in me
Let them hear You when I speak
Let them feel You when I sing
Let them see You

Let them see You in me
Let them hear You when I speak
Let them feel You when I sing
Let them see You
Just let them see You in me
Just let them see You in me

God Bless!!
~Michelle

I have been setting goals for myself lately and one of them is to get my site going again.  I have really let the busyness of life distract me.  Well no more, it's time to get focused again.

So here it is Worship Wednesday.  This was something that was being used on an Online Bible Study Group  a few months back and I just like it.  Wednesday is midweek and it is a good day to bring the focus back to worshiping the Lord.  So I decided I would post a song that has really got me worshiping and just thanking Him for all His providence in my life.

Praise God I Am Redeemed!!  He restores and makes all things new!!

Today's Worship Wednesday Song is:
"Redeemed"
By Big Daddy Weave

Enjoy!!

Here are the Lyrics:

Seems like all I could see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me "son
Stop fighting a fight it's already been won"

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, now I'm not who I used to be
I am redeemed, I'm redeemed

All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret
But when I hear You whisper, "Child lift up your head"
I remember, oh God, You're not done with me yet

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, now I'm not who I used to be

Because I don't have to be the old man inside of me
'Cause his day is long dead and gone
Because I've got a new name, a new life, I'm not the same
And a hope that will carry me home

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, 'cause I'm not who I used to be

I am redeemed, You set me free
So I'll shake off these heavy chains
Wipe away every stain, yeah, I'm not who I used to be
Oh, God, I'm not who I used to be
Jesus, I'm not who I used to be
'Cause I am redeemed
Thank God, redeemed


God Bless!
~Michelle

I think as we finish out week 3 of the online Bible studies, A Confident Heart by Renee Swope, this song is very appropriate.  

Healing is in God's hands and as we set our course out before us and begin #MovingForward let us all reminded that God is the great healer!  Power is in His hands!  When we can't, HE CAN!   

Today's Friday Feature Song is:
Healing Is In Your Hands
By Christy Nockels

Enjoy!

Here are the lyrics:

"Healing Is In Your Hands"

No mountain, no valley.  No gain or loss we know
Could keep us from Your love.

No sickness, no secret.  No chain is strong enough
To keep us from Your love.  To keep us from Your love

How high? How wide?  No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands

How deep? How strong?   Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

Our present, our future.  Our past is in Your hands
We're covered by Your blood
We're covered by Your blood

How high? How wide?  No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands

How deep? How strong?  Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

Sing this in faith.  In all things we know that
We are more than conquerors.  You keep us by Your love
Sing it out in all things

In all things we know that, We are more than conquerors
You keep us by Your love.  You keep us by Your love

How high? How wide? Oh, Lord.  No matter where I am
Healing is in Your hands

How deep? How deep is Your love?
How strong? How strong is Your love?
Now by Your grace I stand
Healing is in Your hands

God Bless!

~Michelle

Wow! Chapter 4  of A Confident Heart by Renee Swope was a tough one for me! "God Promises Hope for My Future Despite the Pain of My Past"

This chapter has brought up things in the past that I thought I had let go of long ago.

It made me think of the dreams I had growing up. Dreams of being a mom and dreams of being a homemaker, taking care of my family. This chapter had me wondering WHY? Why not me Lord? Why was I unable to be a mom? So many people having kids that don't even love the kids they have, not understanding the blessings they have received. So many people that honestly don't have any business being a parent.  It brought up the hurt and the disappointment I felt when I found out I wasn't going to be able to have kids.  There was also other circumstances going on in my life that did not allow for adoption to be considered.  Plus it is hard when my spouse and I were not on the same page about that issue.   A lot of hurt and disappointment.  Disappointed that my life was not what I had dreamed about when I was a kid growing up.

But God has other plans.......

I was asked to answer the questions...."Has the pain of your past ever made it hard for you to believe God's promises and plans for your future?  What do you sense He wants to change in your perspective?

The disappointment of a dream not becoming a reality has made it hard for me to believe God's promises at times.  Especially when I don't understand what His plans are in using that.  But I do sense that God wants to change my perspective on that hurt. I believe that it has been something I just accepted but stuffed it down. And in stuffing it down, I am not allowing God to use it for His glory. And it has brought doubt.

Wow!!  As I am typing this, I am realizing that I have been holding back. Holding back on God, not surrendering all to God.  Giving Him most of me but holding on to certain things.  I have been hurt but mostly, I am hurt with God.   It is amazing how one can just go on with life and be happy and still hold on to so much hurt.

Lord, I am hurt.  I am hurt with You that You did not bless me with a child.   I am also aware that I made decisions based on my circumstances at the time that were wrong and confess those wrong decisions to You.  You know them, each and every one.   I ask You to heal the hurt and forgive the sins.  I give all that hurt over to You today.  I will no longer carry it.  It is Yours now.  I ask that You reveal Your purpose for my life and that You would receive the glory from all of it.  I do believe what Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   From this day forward I will trust in that and believe it.  And in turn I will do as it says in Jeremiah 29:12-13.  "I will call on You and come and pray to You and You will listen to me.  I will seek You and find You when I seek You with all my heart" (personalized)  Change my perspective Lord and reveal the plans You have for me!  Use me to bring glory to You and You alone!

Today, I am #movingforward!!  Today I am changing my perspective!  Looking through the eyes of God so that He will change my perspective!

God Bless!
~Michelle

#ISaidYes.....and how glad I am that I did!   This 6 week journey of saying Yes To God has been amazing!   I am sad that this study is coming to an end tomorrow!  But I am so glad I did it!  #StickToIt   It can be hard to do an online Bible study when you don't have a place to go and no accountability person that knows you didn't attend study last night.  But I pushed through the point where the busyness tried to creep in and distract me!  That is just how satan works.....by life's distractions!  But not this time!  #ISaidYes and I meant it!  And God gave me the strength!

I will continue to say Yes!  I am currently in prayer about a possible opportunity (not going to share what it is yet) but I am getting silence.  So here I go, saying Yes again and stepping out in faith.  Learning to walk by faith, not by site!  If it is of God and His will then it will happen.  If not, then it is a no and I will be obedient to the No.  I definitely do struggle with trusting in the silence.  I want answers now so when I don't feel God prompting me one way or the other, I begin to doubt and begin to reason both sides.  This time I am saying Yes to trust!  I will trust God in the silence!


 This study has truly given me a peace and has really strengthen me in my faith.   God is so good!  The blessings of obedience!

At the end of Chapter 9-Radically Blessed, Lysa wanted us to pick ten of the key verses listed, look them up for ourselves and discover what God wants us to know about His calling on each of our lives.  So I thought I would share the verses I picked and later I will share what God has revealed to me through those ten verses.   (after all saying Yes does not end here with the study!)

Here are the verses I chose:

1. Deuteronomy 28:1-14
2. 2 Chronicles 16:9
3. Psalm 15
4. Psalm 24
5. Isaiah 55:1-3
6. Malachi 3:16-17
7. Romans 1:5
8. Romans 8:5-6
9. 2 Corinthians 9:13
10. 1 Peter 1:13-14

God Bless and keep saying YES!

~Michelle

I meant to post this about a week ago.  I forgot I had taken pictures!  

Well  here is a little peek into my 'white space'.  This room is also our office. 

This is where I do my reading and my Bible study homework.  

God Bless!

~Michelle

This is the song I have been listening to quite a lot this week.  It is my prayer that God would consume me from the inside out.  Desiring Him to consume my thoughts this week in particular.  It is amazing how satan can use negative chatter in my mind to distract me.

Enjoy!

Today's Friday Feature Song is:
From the Inside Out
By Seventh Day Slumber
  

Here are the lyrics:

"From The Inside Out"

A thousand times I've failed, Still your mercy remains. And If I stumble again, I'm caught in our grace.
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fails. Never ending, your glory goes beyond all fame.

My heart and my soul, I give You control. Consume me from the inside out Lord. Let justice and praise,
become my embrace. To love You from the inside out.

Your will above all else, my purpose remains. The art of losing myself, in bringing You praise.
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fails. Never ending, your glory goes beyond all fame.

My heart and my soul, I give You control. Consume me from the inside out Lord. Let justice and praise,
become my embrace. To love You from the inside out.

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fails. Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame.
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise. From the inside out. Lord my soul cries out.
Source

God Bless!

~Michelle

#FreshVision!  Oh how I am desperately seeking #FreshVision.  From the Inside Out My Soul Cries Out for #FreshVision, for a #FreshStart, for a #FreshPassion and for #FreshFocus!  

Nicki's post on Wednesday just reached the depths of my heart........where it is aching.  I have to say God's timing is so perfect!   Reading her post, watching the video and then listening to the two worship songs....it just reminded me how God refreshes my soul when I am just soaking in the words from the worship music.  It brings back the Passion from Praise!   It revives me!

I loved the quote from Billy Graham, "We can't see the wind, but we can feel its effects.  In the same way, we can't see God, but we certainly see His effects."  It is so true!  The more intentional I become in my walk with God the more I see His effects on my life.   It's about being intentional.  It's about seeking a #FreshVision from God all the time!  It's about Praising Him!  It's about being Passionate about Him!  Even in the times of mundane activities.  Even more so then because we have our guard down and that is when Satan comes in and attacks!  I find it harder to be intentional during those times and looking back I am most certainly attacked then.  I get into a rut and the 'woe is me' comes on and then I feel I dip into a state of depression.  How frustrating it is to have to keep learning that same lesson over and over again!

So again I say #YestoGod!  And I am sure I will have to say it again tomorrow!    

This study has been an awesome adventure with the Lord.  I have had my ups and downs through this study and I am really sad to think that we only have a week and a half left.  But I know that my decision to say #YestoGod continues on.  It continues on a daily basis!  Moment by Moment!


My prayer today is that even after this study is over, that we all will remember to keep our eyes focused on God.  "To be too busy looking at Him to consider anything but His plan!"


God bless!


~Michelle