Resolution #1 is happening!

We have officaly started construction on the garage! We were hoping to save all the money by December 2010, and here we are in July starting construction. Glory to God who cares about the meaningless material posessions that humans desire for happiness and comfort.

Half Way Point

It has just occured to me that I am half way through the year and most of my resolutions are still going strong. God is so amazing. Here is a brief description of each resolution.


-We are starting construction on the garage next week !!!
-Even though I have not bible blogged in a while I just finished the book of Numbers
-I have lost 6 lbs and swiched to a semi-vegitarian/low dairy lifestyle
-I can't even remember what secular music sounds like
-T.V.? What is this "T.V." everyone is always talking about?
-Diet Coke.....no comment
-Silence I should have tried years ago. Have not had one fight with my husband.

Great-Grandma

"To be absent from the body, is to be present in the LORD"

Blanch Hanna, known to me as Great-Grandma Hanna (technically my husbands great-grandma), had been alive for almost 91 years. What I didn’t know about her was a lot, and what I did know about her were these few facts:

She survived the loss of three of her six children. She loved butterflies and hummingbirds (or at least she liked to collect figurines of them). She did not have a big wedding; She spontaneously eloped on a road trip and stayed married for over 50 years. She survived the death of her road trip partner and had been widowed for more than 20 years. She loved coffee, costume jewelry, church, books, and See's Candy. She once took in her rebellious teenage granddaughter to live with her.


It is safe to assume that she knew and loved many people throughout the 90 plus years she spent on planet earth. So when she chose the people who were to surround her on her deathbed, it was no surprise to me that she picked her formerly rebellious teenage grand-daughter, Diana, my mother-in-law. What did surprise me is that her great grand-children and their spouses, who barley knew her at all, got to share in her death as well. It could have been her three remaining children. It could have been the nurses at the hospital. But she chose us. We weren't there when she was born. We weren’t there when she got married, had her children, or celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary. But we were there for her last breath. We were there when she experienced uninterrupted peace, flew with angels, and met God face to face.

May, 2004

“I love you, you’re the ONE” he said.

“I love you too.” I lied. He kissed me and left for work. Maybe it was my own guilty conscience, but something about that phrase coming from his mouth was simply inconceivable. I had done nothing to deserve this man, I met him at my drunken divorce party just two weeks prior to this little love confession for goodness sakes!

One week later on Memorial Day weekend, he moved in. He needed a place to stay temporarily, and I needed another roommate to split the rent with. I knew he was safe enough to live in my apartment, and to be around my daughter, I could feel it. When I would come home from work every night, there he was, sitting on my couch in his pajamas. “I love you,” he’d say to me with the ease of someone who had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

“I love you too.” I’d lie as I secretly questioned his motives. I wondered how soon it would be until this Prince Charming façade wore off and he moved out.

“I don’t like that you have to work so late at night, when are you going to quit your job, and let me pay the bills?” When Hell freezes over, I thought.

One week later we go on our first official date: CALICO Ghost Town. Yes, I said CALICO. Not a typical first date, but keep in mind that he first and foremost wanted to impress my 20 month old daughter. Mission accomplished.

After CALICO, we head to his Grandparents house. I am uneasy. It is nearly summertime in the desert and I am dressed in very short shorts and a very small tank top…….not my best Grandparent introduction attire. After being warmly welcomed into their home, Grandma gives my daughter a journal and a marker to color with. When she is done coloring Grandma says, “I’ll keep this picture to show you one day when you get older.” Then she looks me in the eye, and gives me a little smile. My palms get sweaty and my heart begins to race, and then, a revelation: Grandma is going to watch my daughter grow up, and so is her grandson.

“I love you, you’re the ONE!” I say to him as we are driving home from his grandparents house.

“Ya, I know, that’s what I’ve been telling you all along. What took you so long?”






Happy (early) 6th anniversary to a man that I am more sure about everyday……And Happy Birthday Grandma Sandridge, who knew my fate even before I did.

The Prodigal Dog

I'm not sure what this blog has to do with my resolution list except for the fact that I am typing this blog instead of eating Easter candy and that applies to resolution #4. And now, on with the Michelle Show

FACT: Pets are a gift from God

In the summer of 2008, an energetic, black and brown spotted female beagle wandered into our yard, and we all quickly fell in love with her. After about ten minutes, of experiencing her strong-willed-stubborn-feminist, “personality” we decided to name her Xena, Xena, the Warrior Princess. After two weeks of a good, honest effort to find her owners to no avail, we decided to adopt her…..later that day, before we registered her, she vanished.

Fast forward to 6 weeks ago, Spring of 2010. My kids really want a dog. They keep reminiscing about Xena. John and I are not sure if we are ready for the responsibility of a pet (I can‘t even keep our house plants alive). I tell the kids to pray about it and that God will bless us with the right dog for our family in HIS time, not ours, after all He cares about the little things. One week later we are in Church and instead of doing his sermon, Pastor Phill decides to let us all have an entire service of nothing but prayer and praise. I feel foolish as I silently pray for a dog. Fifteen minutes pass and church is over. The kids and I walk home and John has a smile on his face, “Got a present for you in the back yard,” he says.

It is an energetic, black and brown spotted female beagle…..it is in fact, Xena! I say in astonishment, “I was just praying for a dog!”
John says, “About how long ago were you praying?”
“About 10 or 15 minutes ago in Church.”
“Really?” says John, “That’s about the time she wandered into the yard.”

FACT: God listens….and sometimes answers with humor

After a couple of days with Xena, the sequel, and trying to find her owner on our own, we call the pound to find out if we can keep her. They tell us that they will pick her up and hold her for 2 weeks. If no one claims her in two weeks, she is ours. When I get home from work that day she is gone and I assume the pound has picked her up-----they hadn’t, she ran away. Garrett begins to cry (he is only three years old after all) as I am putting on his little shoes at the front door so that we can pick up Isabelle from school. “Mom, I really want God to send us a dog,” he says between sobs.

“Lets just keep praying and God will find us another dog, okay? Dear Jesus, please bring us a dog to love and to take care of, Amen.” I open the front door to go out to the car and Xena literally jumps in the front door and onto Garrett.

She has been running away and returning again every time we pray, ever since.

FACT: God speaks through animals…

….and I’m not just referring to God talking through his donkey to Balaam in the book of Numbers chapter 22 (wow, that was really difficult not to replace the word “donkey“ with “ass”). I am talking about God using animals or what ever else it takes to speak to us, since humans are so thick headed.

You would think that since I am still in the Old Testament, inching my way towards finishing resolution #6, that I would be learning about God’s wrath, but what I am learning the most, is that if I want to see God, and understand Him better all I need to do is look around. We have all heard the metaphor that humans are like sheep and Jesus is the ultimate shepherd, but what I have learned is that humans are like dogs, energetic, black and brown spotted female beagle dogs to be exact.

Here is what I see when I look out my window at all of the holes Xena has dug to get out of our yard: Xena wants free will, in her mind she is smart enough to make her own decisions. I love her too much to keep her on a leash, and I don’t want to force her to stay in my presence, I want her to WANT to be here. So she goes. I am a little sad because I know that it is best for her to be in the confines of our yard where I can feed her, love on her, and protect her from danger. As time passes I go from sad to a little angry. I have given her everything and she has thrown it away! I wait. Eventually she returns-dirty, hungry, and probably defiled (knowing the other male dogs in this neighborhood), but nonetheless I am ecstatic to see her again! My little girl is back! I feed her, clean her, and enjoy the time I have with her until she leaves again….because she will. She is only a Dog and she doesn’t know better, and even though I do, I will not say “I told you so” I will just wait.

#6 Update

Even though I have yet to publish my Joseph blog, I am pleased to announce that I have officially finished the entire book of Genesis...even the footnotes! Let me clarify. Not only have I finished reading one of the most scandalis books ever published, but I also understand it. I have read Genesis before, many times actually, and I grew up knowing all the stories (although highly edited for obvious reasons)and the songs to match, but I never really retained much of what I read and I certainly never related to the stories or characters before. This time was different, I don't know if it was the praying before each read, or the fact that I had to read, re-read, and write about each chapter, but I finally got it. I know every character in the book, even the obscure ones, and I know the order of every story and more importantly, I feel I have learned the lessons from them that God intended me to.

Even though I am thrilled to accomplish this much, I can't help but look on to the next couple of books with nervousness. For the most part, Exodus will be exciting, but after the parting of the Red Sea there are a lot of rules and tabernacles. I pray that my boredom won't overtake me, and that I can make the last part of Exodus and the few "Law" books that follow interesting for my Bible study group as well.

A letter to Resolution #4

Dear Resolution #4,
I really regret the day I posted you on my blog. I can't remove you now, too many people will know that you once existed and that I failed miserably at checking you off the list legitimately. Why am I such an overachiever? Three resolutions, a job, two kids, and a husband wasn't enough, so I had to add 4 more resolutions?!? What's wrong with a size 6? I live in the fattest country in the world and I am unsatisfied with being at the ideal weight and size for my height and age....what is wrong with me? No wait-----what is wrong with YOU resolution #4?!!!!! I HATE YOU.

Sincerely,
Me