CHRISTIE MICHAUD BLOG

You don’t hear much about suffering. It’s painful, not pretty, and to be avoided at all costs. And when you’re past it, you don’t want to be reminded of it for fear it will return. Somewhere along the way, we've developed a misconception that the Christian life is all roses and butterflies (devoid of suffering), and if this is not your experience, then you must be doing something wrong, or maybe, you’re not even a part of the family. Thankfully, we have Job, Paul, and Stephen

There was only delayed hope. I knew and trusted this verse, but deeper reflection revealed I was still clinging to my good being what’s good.

A good word in poem form from Max Lucado, Anxious for Nothing. Today, I will live today. Yesterday has passed. Tomorrow is not yet. I’m left with the Today.   So, Today, I will live Today. Relive yesterday? No. I will learn from it. I will seek mercy for it. I will take joy in it. But I won’t live in it. The sun has set on yesterday.   The sun has yet to rise on tomorrow. Worry about the future? To what gain? It deserves a glance, nothing more. I can’t change tomorrow until t

You don’t hear much about suffering. It’s painful, not pretty, and to be avoided at all costs. And when you’re past it, you don’t want to be reminded of it for fear it will return. Somewhere along the way, we've developed a misconception that the Christian life is all roses and butterflies (devoid of suffering), and if this is not your experience, then you must be doing something wrong, or maybe, you’re not even a part of the family. Thankfully, we have Job, Paul, and Stephen

If you're still breathing, then you've made it through hard things. Take a moment and remember what you've made it through. Maybe this hard thing seems bigger than any you've gone through before. No matter what, you have made it through hard things, therefore, you can do hard things.

What if the “get up” Jesus is speaking of is to “pick up your mat” and the faith produced from that action will lead to walking (more faith and becoming well)?

What if by dwelling on the hard, longing for the past, or wishing for or fearing the future, we are missing what he is doing in the present? 

What struggle are you facing today? What emotions are you experiencing? Are you in need of direction? Consider praying through a Psalm and personalize it for you and your situation.

Disappointment occurs when expectations (of others or of ourselves) go unmet. In other words, we believe that ourselves, another person, a group of people, or an event should do or produce something specific and if it does not, disappointment results.

As I reflect on 2023, this picture comes to mind: I’m sitting in the stands at a football game of my college alma mater and as the 4th quarter approaches, both students and players raise one hand with four fingers high in the air. A reminder to the team and our rival that the game was not over, we would not lose momentum and we would finish strong. Hebrews 12:1-2 ...let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race tha

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him , so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 [NIV] This verse continues to appear in my life bringing blessing, conviction, and ultimately restoring hope. I am so thankful for HOPE, that no matter how crazy and broken the world becomes, what troubles personally come my way, or what destructive habit of mine I just cannot shake, God will ultimately deliver me. He will

Did you know that fear and gratitude cannot coexist? These two emotions occur in the same area of our brain. Therefore, it is one or the other, either fight or flight OR rest and digest. This means emotions affect more than just our mood. they affect our whole body. If this is true, then: Thinking on joyful things, basking in and counting our many blessings, and shifting our focus to what we do have rather than what we don't, would force fear to either take a back seat or eve

Today marks the one year anniversary of my double mastectomy surgery, and, while it would take a couple of weeks to confirm, when I became cancer-free. My journey this last year has been much easier than most because I was able to avoid the treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. I don't know why I got this good fortune, but I humbly step out to spur and encourage others on in their journeys. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who lo

We all need purpose. A reason to wake up every morning. For the non-Christian, purpose is harder to find. To eat, drink, and be merry works for a while, but eventually leads to emptiness. The same is true for wealth, power, or fame. For the Christian, purpose is intentional and God lays it out for us all through scripture. Did you know... there is a direct correlation between anxiety or depression and either not knowing or losing sight of one’s purpose? I’ve seen it with se

I was reading in Job this morning and came across a message that resonated with the heaviness and inner wrestling that I’ve experienced on and off for years now – division among Christians. Job 32:2; 37:23-24 justifying himself rather than God. ...justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate. Therefore men fear him; he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit. The Fear of God. Is this what we are missing? Is this what we have lost? Again and again, the

As many of you know, my story with depression brought me into this profession. While I still have my moments, they more easily pass as I’ve learned to recognize and manage them. A few weeks ago, I started to feel that once-familiar heaviness in my chest. The feeling was what I used to describe as "depression". It was confusing because my life was good. The old bully of “You’ve got a good life, shame on you for feeling this way” tried to creep in to make things even worse but

I was listening to a podcast on how to reach the next generation for Christ and again heard the charge for parents to teach and model where their hope comes from, to not shy away from living counter-culturally, and to not have a “fear” of pushing their kids away from them by being seen as "uncool" or "irrelevant" in the world’s eyes. Fear. We all have it. Too often our fear is misguided by fears of what-ifs or a need for acceptance; Instead, there has to be a shift of focus a

I’m part of a Moms in Prayer gr oup for the area community schools. Unable to attend this year, I decided to do a prayer run around the buildings. I thought I was going to spend the time praying for the students, but I quickly became burdened to pray for parents. A few years back I was a summer camp group leader for 8th-grade girls. While I expected them to share their boyfriend troubles or the effects of not being picked by a sports team or friend group, I was dumbstruck t

` This past year, the need for self-care became increasingly evident for me. Not a modern all-about-me and my feelings self-care, but instead a Christ-centered vessel-care. The Bible says we are Christ’s ambassadors, His vessels called to glorify Him and do good work prepared in advance (2 Corinthians 5:20, 2 Timothy 2:21). If the vessel is depleted, how can it best be used as an ambassador? True self-care is good stewardship and proper maintenance. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, P

New seasons are inevitable and can be scary, rewarding, challenging, and exciting all in one. I try to see each one as an opportunity to learn. A time to ask God, “ what do you want to teach me through this?” If “ we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good ” ( Romans 8:28 ), and “ all the days ordained for me were written … before one of them cam e to be” ( Psalm 139:16 ), then we know each season is no surprise to God and He has a purpose for