Do you ever look at your holiday calendar and secretly wish you could skip ahead to January 1st?

Maybe you love Christmas and Thanksgiving, but you're already feeling the weight of holiday stress, changing family traditions, complicated relationships, or the ache of missing someone you love. You want to enjoy the season, but your mind is racing ahead, anticipating conversations, managing expectations, and wondering how you're going to navigate all those big emotions.

I understand. I've been there, too.

In this episode of the Peace in His Presence podcast, I'm sharing a personal story about Christmas Eve, a pepperoni bread recipe, and the unexpected grief that surfaced as our family traditions began to change. What surprised me wasn't just the sadness I felt. It was how quickly I began criticizing myself for feeling it.

Through God's Word and practical Christian life coaching tools, I've been learning that we don't have to shame ourselves for having difficult emotions. We can approach our thoughts and feelings with compassion and curiosity, recognize what we're carrying, and find comfort in the presence of Jesus.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Why holiday anxiety and grief can surface even when we love the holidays.

• How changing family traditions can stir up unexpected sadness.

• Why criticizing ourselves for our emotions often adds to our distress.

• A simple coaching practice to help us process difficult feelings with compassion.

• How joy and sorrow can coexist as we rest in God's promises.

One of the simple questions I share is:

"Of course I feel ______ because ______."

Sometimes understanding why we feel something is the beginning of responding to ourselves with compassion instead of criticism.

And here's what I hope you'll remember as you listen:

You don't have to fix how you feel before you can rest in the peace of God's presence.

If the holidays tend to stir up anxiety, grief, family stress, or overwhelming emotions, I'd love to invite you to Holiday SOS: Less Stress. Less Drama. More Peace.

Join me for a 90-minute live Christian coaching workshop where we'll explore practical tools, biblical encouragement, and simple strategies to help you navigate the holidays with greater peace.

Monday, November 16, 2026

7:00–8:30 PM Central Time

Special Introductory Price: $7

You'll also receive a Holiday SOS Reflection & Journaling Guide and access to the teaching replay throughout the holiday season.

Because you don't have to have a perfect holiday to experience the peace of God's presence.

Save your seat here: [Holiday SOS registration link]

Psalm 34:18 — The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.

John 11:35 — Jesus wept.

Coaching Consultation

Michelle Diercks is a Master Certified Christian Life Coach, Bible teacher, speaker, author of Promised Rest and Promised Hope, and host of the Peace in His Presence podcast. She helps women understand their anxious thoughts, process difficult emotions, and find rest and hope in God's promises.

Website: https://michellediercks.com

Have you ever seen pictures of friends getting together without you and immediately wondered, Did I do something wrong? Why wasn't I invited? Do I even matter to them anymore?

Being left out hurts. Whether it's a friend group that has changed, a family relationship that has grown distant, or a season of life that ended before you were ready, rejection and exclusion can stir up surprisingly big emotions. You may feel sad, angry, jealous, resentful—or even embarrassed that it bothers you so much.

And then sometimes we make the hurt even heavier by telling ourselves we shouldn't feel that way.

In this episode of Peace in His Presence, Michelle talks about what may actually be happening underneath the pain of feeling forgotten or left out. Sometimes the deepest ache isn't simply, They didn't invite me. It's the tender question underneath it: Do I matter?

You'll learn why it's important to name what actually hurts instead of rushing yourself to "get over it," how different parts of us may respond to rejection by either hurting or trying to protect us from being hurt again, and why grief is a normal part of accepting that a friendship or season has changed.

Michelle also shares why you don't have to rush past grief to get to gratitude. Jesus Himself wept at Lazarus's tomb. Grief and hope can exist together.

You can be sad that something has changed and be grateful for the life God has given you now.

Most importantly, you don't have to clean up your emotions before bringing them to Jesus. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He meets us in the real ache—the Why didn't they reach out? Why wasn't I included? Did I ever really matter to them? kind of hurt.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why being left out or excluded by friends can hurt so deeply

• What may be underneath the thought, "Why wasn't I invited?"

• How to process friendship rejection without shaming yourself

• Why anger can sometimes be protecting a more tender emotion

• Grieving friendships and relationships that have changed

• Why you don't have to rush yourself into forgiveness or gratitude

• How faith in Jesus meets us in rejection, loneliness, grief, and hurt

• Finding peace even when the relationship itself doesn't change

You don't have to pretend it didn't hurt. You don't have to force yourself to be okay. You can name what happened, allow yourself to grieve what has changed, and bring the ache to Jesus exactly as it is.

Scripture mentioned:
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 46:10
John 11:35
Psalm 147:3

If you're tired of getting stuck in overthinking, people-pleasing, relationship hurt, or the fear that you don't matter, Christian life coaching can give you a safe place to slow down and understand what's happening underneath those patterns.

Michelle offers free coaching consultations where you can talk about what's going on, experience some of the tools she uses with her clients, and decide whether coaching might be a helpful next step for you.

Schedule your free consultation (Click here)

Learn more about Michelle and her coaching at michellediercks.com

Peace in His Presence is a Christian podcast with Michelle Diercks, Master Certified Christian Life Coach, author, speaker, and Bible teacher, helping women find rest and hope in the promises and presence of God.

Have you ever felt like it was simply safer to stay small?

Maybe you've been putting off that dream, avoiding difficult conversations, or quietly convincing yourself that "someday" will be a better time. Maybe you've learned to hide in ways that don't even look like hiding anymore.

In this episode of Peace in His Presence, Michelle shares the deeply personal story of how childhood bullying taught her that staying unseen felt safe—and how that same pattern quietly followed her into adulthood, even as she stepped into podcasting, coaching, and writing.

If you've ever struggled with the fear of being seen, procrastination rooted in fear, or believing that staying small is the safest option, this conversation will remind you that there is a better hiding place.

Drawing from Psalm 32:7, Michelle explores the difference between the hiding places we build for ourselves and the refuge God lovingly offers.

You'll leave this episode encouraged to take one faithful step toward the dream God has placed on your heart, knowing you don't have to become fearless before you begin.

• Why hiding often begins as a way to protect ourselves
• How childhood experiences can shape our adult patterns
• The connection between fear, procrastination, and staying small
• The difference between hiding from the world and finding refuge in God
• A simple practice for bringing fear to Jesus instead of letting it keep you stuck
• A calming breath prayer based on Psalm 32:7

Psalm 32:7

"You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

• Where have I been choosing the "safest seat" instead of stepping forward?
• What fear is inviting me to hide today?
• What would one faithful step with Jesus look like this week?

If you've been carrying a dream, a calling, or a project that keeps getting pushed to "someday," download my free Someday Project Companion Guide.

Inside you'll find gentle reflection prompts, Scripture, and practical encouragement to help you move from fear to faith—one faithful step at a time.

Website:
michellediercks.com