Deuteronomy 31:6 - "So, be strong and Courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them, for The LORD Your God (Jehovah-Elohim) will PERSONALLY go ahead of you. He will neither fail nor abandon you. Genesis 37 - 50 is the story of Joseph, and one of the most quoted verses of that story is in the final chapter - Gen. 50:20: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Many verses of scripture tell us not to fear, not panic, and to be courageous, and yet we who are still healing are often unsure just how to do that. Fear in us is heightened; it can be overpowering! Our traumas and abuse have rubbed that edge to a fray, and the slightest breeze can send us into a panic. How, then, do we get to a place where we can confidently follow this command? The answer is in these verses as well (because God always gives us what we need to be able to follow the commands He gives us.) Because the LORD (JEHOVAH - the self-existent/eternal), your (personal) God (Elohim - supreme God), goes ahead of you and will not fail or abandon you, this is why you can live without fear. You can face hard things, even toxic people and trauma triggers, without panicking. BECAUSE God (Elohim) intends everything for good, even to the saving of many lives - you can walk through the lies told of you, the people who have abandoned you, and also the triumphs without fear. Because of who God is and the fact that He is good and does good things, He is love and loves us unconditionally, and He never changes - we know we can trust Him. When we surrender to the safety of His protection, we can rest in perfect peace, walk without fear, and no matter what we come up against, there will be no need to panic. God is our security, protection, and everything we need to break free from a life of fear. Fear causes hardened hearts; it sucks the life-giving "water" of love right out of the soil of our hearts. (see Mark 4 and the parable of the sower) However, if we continue to allow God's love in, those hard-packed, dry places break open and soften up. Soft hearts are able to receive more love and, therefore, grow and multiply that love to others. "Perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18 If we want to live a full life free from the fear we have been under, we must break down walls and replace them with gated fences. We need healthy boundaries - which leave room for love to enter, rather than fortified walls - which trap us in isolation. Knowing the difference is essential, as well as knowing who or what to enter the gate. That is why knowing God for who He is is so important - it shows us we can trust the love He offers! He is safe to open up and be vulnerable with, and He will stitch up the places that have been torn and frayed!

My prayer wall is called Beer-lahai-roi, it's the name given to the well where Hagar was met by God. "The God who sees me" she called Him - and a more accurate translation is "The God who has been seeing me." Hagar knew God had seen her in the midst of her abuse and Betrayal. She met God and knew He could be trusted to provide for her and keep her. She knew he saw tge whole story, past, present AND future! She trusted Him enough to obey even when it didn't make sense. She learned that being seen by God was enough, she didn't need to be seen by Sarah or Abraham or anyone else, because God saw, knew, understood, cared and acted on her behalf. God sees you too. Come to the well of the Living one who sees you and drink of the water of life. Learn HOW he sees you and embrace that identity and you can walk in freedom even in the midst of the tangled mess. Your tapestry will be completed, and it will be a beautiful masterpiece!

As we are on our healing journeys, let us not forget that balance in life is important. It is so easy to go from one extreme to the other when we are trying to get away from abuse, betrayal, and our own toxic responses to it. The tendancy to close myself off from everything was huge when I first started realizing the situation I was in in my marriage. I was fast on my way from people pleaser to a raging, angry, bitter person who just wanted vengance. Because I hated the swing from one extreme to the other that I had seen both in my dad and in my husband, I was thankfully more aware of it and able to allow God to help me find the balance. I have continued to learn in the following years more and more what balance looks like, and how it helps not only heal, but prevent more harm in the future. I hear so often about women who have had some of the scripture and truths we discussed on Mornings With Jesus recently, in Romans 15:1-6 about being selfless, having grace, and supporting others when they are weak, used to keep them in their abusive situations. To guilt them into believing that having boundaries, standing up for their own safety, is "not being a good Christian" or "not a good wife/partner/friend..." Understanding what scripture is actually saying is so important. It's the difference between "nice" and "kind", between "peacekeeping" and "peacemaking." Kind is what we find in the balance between Hateful and "too nice", Peacemaking is the balance in between being careless of others and people pleasing. When we are healing it is important to read scripture as it is, and in context, so we can see what God actually says. Don't let the trauma, abuse, and lies be your filter for truth. Instead, filter your responses and beliefs through the Love of Christ and the truth of scripture. This way we can start speaking truth to ourselves and embracing our identity in Christ which will bring about the full healing we desire. When we understand who God is, really know his heart, it will show us healthy ways of relating to others. Ways that are loving, balanced, and helpful, as well as boundaried and truthful. What are some of the areas you struggle in when it comes to balance? What questions do you have about healthy boundaries?

How have you seen God's love in your life? Are you able to accept and believe that He truly loves you? How does that effect how you love him? How you love others? How you receive love from others?

This February I am celebrating my freedom in Christ. The freedom I have found from the lies other people and my trauma have told me about myself is abounding! We talked this morning over in the Faith Mamas Tribe about exchanging our old ragged garments for new better ones. The illustration Jesus gave in Luke 5 about patching old cloth with new cloth and putting new wine in old wineskins was put into a clearer light for me. I never really broke it down and looked at it to understand fully. Why would you take a nice, new shirt and tear it apart to patch an old one that is falling apart!? No, you get rid of the old one and put on the better, new one! We are made new creatures when we accept the gift of Salvation Jesus offers. So, why would we take bits and pieces of Jesus Righteousness and try to patch up our broken selves with that instead of letting go of our old self - stepping out of the comfort of the known mess - and accepting the full covering of His Righteousness!? I want you to find this freedom too, so I am launching the Identity in Christ course on Valentine's Day! There will be 3 sessions, (4 if you count the intro) Knowing God for who He is, Knowing Yourself as God defines you, and Knowing Healing Through Embracing Your Identity in Christ. I am so excited to walk alongside you as we explore the path to Hope and Freedom! Here is the link to register for the course - which includes lifetime access to this course (so you can come back any time you need a reminder!) plus 1 full month of Group Mentoring and a live Q and A session with me. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at healingstarts@janicemichele.com JaniceMichele.com/courses

Trauma can mess with your mind do much, it can make you question who you even are. Here are some practical ways to recover your identity as you heal. What is something you want to remember about who you are?

Surviving trauma means we have been through some major things - there are likely several events we thought would be the end of us. Remembering where you came from, and looking at where you are today, let's celebrate the growth we have seen and the joy in knowing we were not in fact ended! I have grown into a more confident mom, woman and friend. I know my own mind and who God intended me to be with the gifts he has given me. How about you? Where have you grown since your event(s)?

What do you need to stop running to before God? What ate your hardest to deal with gaps?

Get ready, invite your friends, and let's start healing together! I am going full time mentor at the end of July. All I need is God, he will provide for me so I can help you. My call is to focus on being available and providing healing content to aid in the weaving of your stories. You are God's spun yarns too! He is weaving the beautiful tapestry of your life, and is the Hope in the tangled mess as we become the masterpieces He is creating!