S4 Episode #21- Michele Holbrook
THE ONE WITH MICHELE HOLBROOK
This week we are very excited to welcome Michele Holbrook to the show! Michele Holbrook lives with a rare form of Neurofibromatosis, Schwannomatosis and will become 2023 NF National Ambassador leading their efforts to raise awareness for all those living with NF. She lost a son in 2020 to an overdose and is an advocate for raising awareness on addiction and mental health. She loves Jesus and is very involved in Sisters in Christ International and her passion is to speak with others about Jesus, forgiveness and putting the past behind you and allowing Jesus to shine in the present. In her spare time she is an active runner, athlete, wife, grandmother and real estate agent.
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God is our counselor, Father, way-maker, promise-keeper. He is our everything!
Overcoming Adversity
You must allow the past to stay behind you and not define you. The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give life.
The enemy's lies are that we are unworthy, unforgiven, unlovable, sinner, inadequate, unaccomplished, uncured, uninvited, flawed, broken, not enough and lonely. BUT God calls us worthy, forgiven, loved, enough, adequate, accomplished, pure and seen. We are always invited by God.
Being “invited” means that God will never leave or forsake us. Even if we walk away, God is still there.
In God, you are anointed, perfect, and beautiful. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! You are beautiful– scars and all. No matter what you have been through or what you have done, you are beautiful to The Lord. You are The Bride of Christ and accepted by Him.
The Promises of God
Genesis 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.”
Look from the promises of God in your daily life. He may remind you of His goodness through the kindness of others, through a song, or through something in His creation.
God can use you– no matter what you have done!
Noah was the drunk,
Abraham was the liar,
Isaac was the daydreamer,
Jacob was the deceiver,
Joseph was the bragger,
Moses was the stuttering-murderer,
Gideon the fearful,
Samson the womanizer,
Rahab the prostitute,
Jeremiah and Timothy were insecure,
David was the adulterous murderer,
Elijah was fearful,
Job was bankrupt and friendless,
Martha was the worrier,
Peter was the betrayer,
And Lazarus was the deadman.
We are ALL broken and have failed in some way, but your past doesn't define you. You must stop looking in the rearview mirror, but if you keep looking back, you will crash. Jesus wants you to look forward with your eyes on Him.
Look forward, keep your eyes on Jesus and allow HIM to bring you freedom from the lies of the past. Everything that you’ve ever done is covered by what Jesus did on the cross. The enemy is destroyed and it is finished.
Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
This life will not be easy, but we are not meant to stay in the storm, we are walking through.
Experiencing God
Happiness is from the world, joy is from the Lord. Be in the world, but not of it. We must look to The Lord for the joy to fight any adversity that we face.
Book Recommendation: Experiencing God
If you feel God is silent, go to him in prayer. We all fall short of the glory of God, but we can repent and move forward.
John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son and who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Sometimes God is silent because He wants us to be still in His presence and wait on Him.
You are filled with the Holy Spirit for a reason– to hear the still small voice of God. When Michele was walking to her son’s apartment after receiving the terrible news of his death, she heard the voice of God say, “It is my turn now.”
Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you can hear the discerning voice of Jesus. He is the only One who can fill you with peace and hope in the midst of tragedy.
Final Thoughts
Psalm 107:14, “He led them from the darkest and deepest gloom, He snapped their chains.”
On our darkest days, we need to look to the Heavens and remember that we will be reunited and renewed again one day.
You can be honest with God about your deepest, darkest thoughts. Look at the Psalms– David was honest and raw with God in every part of his journey.
Keep a prayer journal. This will allow you to see how God has answered your prayers along the way.
Trust + Light
Continue to look toward the light of Jesus and trust Him. We won’t always know the outcome, but He has a plan for it all. God is an amazing Father who listens to every single request. He cares about every detail in our lives.
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The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes Biondo and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.