The Good News; For Anyone Who Wants to Hear It!

By Michelle Louise

The Good News is about seeing the good or positive in situations we face in life. Even though sometimes we feel alone, betrayed, forgotten, scrutinized, judged, ridiculed, or used in relationships, there is always an outcome at the end of every story. How your story ends is up to you. Some trials in life are short seasons, and some seem to take forever. Regardless of the circumstances you see before you, there is an answer to everything we face. As our relationship with God prospers, things tend to be less detrimental as we lean on Him.

This is also my story and how it played out over the course of my life. I've had to make some tough decisions, and I got it wrong many times, but now I see how it molded me into what God intended all along. As I started to see things from that perspective, it was much easier to live without regret. I got up, brushed the dust off my big-girl pants, and began living my life in His joy and peace once I was able to let things go. As they say, "Let go and let God!" And I did just that!

To the single mothers who want to quit.

To the women who have deemed themselves unlovable.

To the women who do it all without a man.

To the women who think God doesn't hear their prayers.

To the women who think they aren't doing enough.

And to the men who want to understand them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886448931

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Disclaimer

Introduction

Chapter 1: My Beginning

Chapter 2: The Dating Game

Chapter 3: Creating Bonds That Bind

Chapter 4: The Treacherous Word: Lonely

Chapter 5: Intimacy, Sex, and Soul Ties

Chapter 6: Overcoming Rejection

Chapter 7: Sexting/Pornography/Fornication

Chapter 8: The Realization—What Have I Done?

Chapter 9: Identify Your Role—Narcissist vs. Codependent

Chapter 10: Loving the Wrong Mountain

Chapter 11: The Dead Zone

Chapter 12: Was That God or Just Me?

Chapter 13: What is a Safe Relationship?

Chapter 14: What's Your Holy Spirit Saying?

Chapter 15: Cast All Your Cares on Him

Chapter 16: Friend or Faux?

Chapter 17: The Beauty Within

Chapter 18: In Conclusion—Check Your Attitude

About the Author

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The Good News; For Anyone Who Wants to Hear It!

Michelle Louise

ISBN 979-8-88644-892-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88644-893-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Michelle Louise

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

To the single mothers who want to quit

To the women who have deemed themselves unlovable

To the women who do it all without a man

To the women who think God doesn't hear their prayers

To the women who think they aren't doing enough

And to the men—who want to understand them

Disclaimer

This is my story, my journey in life. I wrote it many years ago and added to it as the years passed. I hesitated to publish it, considering that raw truth may, in fact, hurt loved ones and people who were in my journey. This is in no way a blame game or even a way to try and manipulate the truth from anyone's perspective.

We all have one, right? A perspective. Interesting how you can get a variation of a story depending on who you ask to tell it. For me, I've had an interesting life with a lot of life lessons. This story is told from my view with a little guidance along the way from journals I've kept over the years.

The content isn't intended to discredit anyone or their version of the same story. As I see it, truth is truth no matter how you tell it. This is based on facts as I know them. Some words may be harsh, but it was how I felt at the time.

My objective is to reach others who may be going through the same obstacles and issues in life and to give them hope and encouragement through my own journey. I wanted to explain my situation to the best of my ability, and sometimes, that may be a little raw for some of you, but those who have actually gone through the same situations know that words sometimes need to be that way simply to understand the situation fully.

By the grace of God, I was able to put some of those words behind me, forgive, and move on to the next journey He has for me. I hope and pray that you can do the same.

Introduction

You might wonder what good news is out there these days. I have lived through some interesting things in my lifetime, and I can see the good that has come out of each situation. That is a completely new development for me.

As a single mother, I was on my own for more than ten years. I can honestly tell you that if I didn't have some good news to fall back on, I would have lost hope. I've gone through trials, tribulations, manipulation, bitter resentment, tremendous loss, rejection, jealousy, and lies. I have found the good news at the end of each trial, and I'd like to share it with you.

If you're a single mother, married, divorced, happy, unhappy, or dealing with issues you'd like to see resolved, I probably have a situation you can relate to and hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel.

When I started writing this book, I wanted to appeal to women, particularly to women who are looking for the answers to the problems they face. I thought if I could reach some of you out there, then maybe you could live in peace and victory regardless of what you see before you. I went through periods where I just wanted to give up and spent many days and nights crying on my couch.

As I got halfway through, I realized that men actually would get a tremendous amount out of this as well if they really wanted to understand women. Some of the content revolves around what men face in life and how it relates to relationships. Men might actually appreciate seeing it through a woman's point of view.

What we all need to realize is that we all have a story. There's something we can relate to in each one of us. Why not support each another instead of ridiculing and judging one another? The love of Jesus is very powerful. And that's the good news. No matter what we do, Jesus's love is always there. God will never forsake us as we seek His kingdom first. I've tried to get around that and live the good life according to my own rules, but that philosophy didn't work out so well.

So let me share with you how He changed my life!

Chapter 1

My Beginning

As a young girl, I learned to live with heartache at an early age. My father died when I was two, and over the course of my childhood, I had several daddies or stepfathers, who I also had to let go and say goodbye. Regardless of the reason, it never mattered to me. I was always in a situation I had no control over and had to deal with the reality of what it was—loss.

Over time and as I matured, I truly believe that my dad, while not here, produced a covering that I felt my whole life. As a child, I knew my dad was watching over me. I felt it. I knew there was something there guiding and shielding me as a dad would through my life. Now I know that to be the Holy Spirit. I always liked to believe I had the most precious guardian angel—my dad.

Even though I was never able to have an earthy relationship with my father, my Heavenly Father comforted me through life. That didn't produce a father for my wedding or a grandfather for my children, but along the way, it has made me a strong independent woman. I didn't let the loss of my father dictate how my life was going to play out. Excuses weren't in my vocabulary. I did the best I could with the hand I was dealt.

I think as parents, sometimes we forget what an awesome responsibility we have for our children. God gave them to us to protect, nurture, love, and provide all the necessary things needed in life. Jesus Himself said, Let the little children come to Me. The innocent, curious, precious, and joyful children we are given by God to provide for and guide through life aren't to be taken lightly. He entrusted us with these living souls, and I think sometimes we forget we have them on loan. God says He knew us before we were knitted in our mother's womb. Wow. Let that sink in for a bit.

But Jesus called the children to him and said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:16)

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you before you were born. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Our children need our time and attention, giving them the best of us because in a blink of an eye, they will be adults. I don't know about you, but I want to produce the best kind of human this world needs.

I don't know whether to say fortunately or unfortunately, but the time and attention I got as a child were mostly from my grandparents. For me, that was fortunate! I was the center of their world. I think it was a way to keep my dad alive in their lives. I know they weren't perfect parents. No parent is, but they truly made my life awesome. I couldn't wait for the next time to see them.

After my dad died, the next man my mother married was my daddy. He took that place in my life for a short period of time. When he left, I remember throwing myself on the couch, crying for hours. It was painful, and I didn't understand why my daddy would leave. That's probably one of the lasting memories I have of my childhood. Again, the reason he left didn't matter; all I knew was that he left.

During this time, my grandparents took my father's place since he was gone. They were my rock. I stayed with them every other weekend and for several weeks during the summer. They taught me what a family was. They were a Catholic family and were always at Mass on Sundays. They ate at the table as a family. They shopped together. They did everything together with my aunt and me. They watched TV together. Everything was together. They were some of the most awesome people, and at the time, I didn't know it. I was a kid and didn't realize what a blessing they were until they were gone.

My mother remarried again, and this man would be the father I identified with over time. She met him when I was five, and he was my father throughout my young adult years. The first time I saw him, my eyes got as big as saucers as he made his way up the driveway. I ran into the house to tell my mother that the Hulk was walking toward our house, but for some reason, he wasn't green! His neck was bigger than both my thighs!

He was a very strict man. I won't lie; that produced difficulties. In the beginning, I was terrified. As I became a teenager, he and I became closer. I understood what was expected, and as long as I complied, all was good. Respect and responsibility were big with him, and that's where I learned a lot about life.

Growing up, I noticed my grandmother (my father's mother) and my mother simply tolerated each other. They got along for my benefit, and throughout my entire childhood, I never knew it. When I got older, at the age of twelve or so, my mother enlightened me about her feelings about my grandmother. They had differences since my dad died. It was a tug of war between them unbeknownst to me for the longest time.

I remember lying in bed with my grandmother when I would spend the night at her house, telling her everything going on at home. We had a lot of drama. There was always something going on, but my grandmother never said a negative word about my mother—not ever—regardless of how she felt about her. It never showed. She was a class act.

She was a direct woman. I think I got that from her! Directness is my fault and a blessing at the same time. I am often seen as hard or opinionated, but honestly, I see it as direct. So even though I knew that about her, I also appreciated it. Even before she died, she was a pistol. Her nurses certainly knew who she was!

While she was in the hospital, she would often try to pull out all the IVs and monitors hooked up to her. The nurses got tired of running to her room, so they wrapped her hands up like boxing gloves. After that, she was trying to knock all of them out. I thought it was hilarious, and even they had to laugh about it. I wholeheartedly believe that once you hit a certain age, there should be no etiquette rules. If you've made it that far in life, why worry about it?

Growing up, I had a change in scenery quite often. We finally moved to a farmhouse and stayed there till I left home. My stepfather still lives there today.

We lived behind a small country church, and I sang there at least once a month. I would get a tape and sing the lyrics coming out of my new boom box. I would practice for weeks and sing when asked. It was my passion. Singing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I knew God had given me a voice to sing, and I sang my heart out. I wanted to be Wynonna Judd one day. I had it planned out. I was determined to make it big, but living in Nashville didn't help the naysayers. Everyone is a singer. Everyone wants to make it big.

As I was searching to make the big time, I stumbled upon a lot of things that distracted my journey. The enemy does that a lot. Distractions are the number one way he gets us out of the will of God.

When I turned eighteen, I felt the chains falling off. I had a freedom that I never had before. I grew up in a strict home. I learned to maneuver through what was expected and kept secret everything I could.

On my eighteenth birthday, a friend of mine and I went to Déjà Vu just because that was the only thing we could do at eighteen. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a strip club. We just wanted to