Back to blogging

It has been 8 years since my last post and so much has happened since then!

1. Wilson and I remarried in 2013, and we have never, ever been happier!

2. Finn and Rowan are our grandsons who have brought joy and laughter into our lives. Juniper will be born by c-section next Tuesday, July 10th (unless she decides to arrive earlier).

3. My sweetie pie, Jazz, passed away two years ago. He was the BEST dog! Smoke, Diamond, and Gizmo miss him like crazy.

4. I was working up to four jobs 8 years ago, but now I’m down to one. :)

5. Jamil graduated from the University of Toledo in 2016 and got a job in Columbus. This spring he moved to Baltimore, Maryland, after getting a promotion.

6. I teach two women’s Bible studies that are going extremely well. One is focused on Revelations while the other one is studying spiritual warfare. Those are some heavy duty topics, but I love teaching; if I don’t know the answer to a question, then I do my best to find out.

7. Tomorrow is the 4th of July, so Wilson has already prepped the grill while I cleared to prepare for the family gathering.

Life has been wonderful! God is amazing; he is showing me how to forgive when I’m hurt, encourage others as often as I can, and to rest when I need to stop moving and listen to Him.

May you have a beautiful evening and a lovely July 4th!

Remember me?

Wow! I haven't been here since March? Guess I've been busy. Let's see:

1.) I taught summer school, and EVERY student passed! I wish the success rate was that wonderful during the school year!

2.) My son got an engaged. He and his fiancee are going to be seniors this year, and they're planning to get married right out of high school. I can't get them to change their minds. Hmph.

3.) I left First Baptist and an returning to Maranatha Church. I'm excited about this too! Pastor asked me to come back and play the piano so that the current pianist can retire, and I accepted that position officially last week.

4.) I am still teaching the women's Bible study at a local mission, and it's going extremely well.

5.) Perhaps the biggest change in my life has to deal with my diabetes diagnosis. My blood glucose level was 600, and some people go into a coma at 500! I've been taking meds to get my sugar at healthy levels, and it's working pretty well. I don't have to take insulin, though, and I'm grateful for that. I sure do miss chocolate candy! :D I don't like sugar-free choclate; it tastes ok, but it upsets my stomach. I'd rather have nothing.

I hope all is well at your house!

peace

Hello everybody!

I hope all is well in your world!

The sun came out today, and it brightened my mood considerably! ;D

I will tackle my never-ending supply of dirty laundry while Jamil is at youth group. Have a good evening.

another update

I can't seem to keep up with blogging! Here's another update of what I've been up to lately:

1. I tried to move in my mother, but that didn't work at all. I was on vacation, so I thought I'd try taking care of her. Unfortunately, she was up at 11:00 p.m., midnight, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. The realization that she needed round-the-clock care was difficult to accept, but she is now in a nursing home for a month to get some extra physical therapy.

2. My brother, Eddie, has been awesome by going to see her twice daily, making sure she walks, and cracking jokes to make her laugh until she cries!

3. My job is fantastic! My students have such a positive attitude after the Christmas break, and they're working much more diligently than at the beginning of the year.

4. I began two women's Bible studies: one at a local mission and one at my church on Sunday mornings. Both are doing well, and I'm looking forward to what God has planned for us.

5. I am a chicken as far as dating is concerned. A friend has offered to set up some blind dates, but I'm not entirely comfortable with that. The one person I would love to spend time with doesn't find me attractive that way, and I've had some creepy dudes that have actually made me more cautious than ever. Single is better than the marriage I had, so I can't complain.

I hope all is well with you in this new year. May God bless you and yours!

Getting ready for Christmas!

I finished wrapping gifts last night, and the only job left to start is the cooking.

I want to get the cookies done tomorrow (or Wednesday at the latest).

If I don't get a chance to get back on the computer, please know that I wish you a very Merry Christmas! God bless!

** update on my life **

Wow...I haven't checked in for some time, eh?

Here's a little synopsis of life at Michelle's house:

1.) Work from 7:00-3:00 (which will change to 5:00 in January).

2.) Visit mom (who has had a second stroke since October)...do her laundry...bring it back to rehab center...try to make her laugh...go home and sleep...repeat process.

That's pretty much it.

Last night we had a concert at my church. I was tired and wasn't in the mood for really loud Christian hard rock, so I left and went to visit mom since I hadn't had a chance to do that after work.

When I got to the rehab center, mom was having a really hard time controlling her body. Man, it's hard to see her lose control, yet they're still sending her home on Tuesday. She can't even go to the bathroom by herself! She can't brush her teeth, get dressed, or do anything alone, so I'm worried about her.

My friend has been noticing that I'm running ragged and mentioned that I probably need to create some boundaries to avoid having a break down, so I told my mother that I would help her as much as I could but not at the expense of my own family. I'm trying not to feel guilty as I think about how impossible it would be to work my full-time teaching job in addition to two part-time jobs, keep my own home clean, cook, and give my boys the attention they deserve while committing to 4 hours of nursing my mother back to health.

That's not possible.

I'm really tired every single night that I go to bed, and I haven't even worked out in the last few days because it would have meant getting five hours instead of six hours of sleep.

Something's gotta give...

Don't worry; I don't expect solutions. I just needed to write through my thoughts and, hopefully, come up with some ways to keep my sanity while still trying to fulfill my obligations as her daughter. I'll let you know what I decide to do...

This is my niece, Lina, and my nephew, Leonard. They were in town to see my mom, who has been recovering nicely. We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, and it was so much fun! I'm still recuperating from the work of hosting such a big celebration, but it was definitely worth it!

The guy on the left is my son, Shaq, who did a magnificent job in the drama club's production of three one-act plays. That's his buddy, who was also phenomenal (and one of my students too).

My life has been crazy, but I wanted to take a minute to share a little of what has been going on lately. Best wishes for a wonderful week!

God bless!

:o(

I love animals.

I do NOT like seeing deers that have been hit, and I just saw one on the way home from the hospital.

So sad.

no more cookies

I just finished making a double batch of peanut butter and a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Thanksgiving dessert. I'm going to freeze them so they'll be soft and yummy, but we're having the dinner a week early since my niece will be here on Saturday from Tennessee.

I'm planning on roasting a turkey, making a glazed ham, serving some stuffing and making homemade mashed potatoes (no gravy though). No one will suspect that this is a Weight Watchers holiday (aside from the cookies, which will be sent home with the relatives)! Why have the fatty stuff if they like the healthy versions????

I don't want to see another cookie though...

:o)

update on mom

1.) She is feeling better and wants her hair done every day. Unfortunately, I had two boys, and I don't spend much time on my own hair. I'm doing the best I can, though!

2.) She can walk slowly with a cane now.

3.) Her appetite has improved!

4.) Mom is looking forward to visits from family and friends. (Nice switch: she initially didn't want to see anyone.)

I'm getting my mom back, slowly but surely!!!! Praise God!

update on mom

She rode the bike for two days in a row, and she can wriggle her left foot as often as she wants to!!!! Praise God!

God's Favorite

I went to see this play with my buddy, Iva. What a hoot! I was able to see some friends I haven't seen since I worked with them last December.

Then we went for coffee at Perkins, and she enjoyed some pie while I munched on a muffin (which ended up being my supper because I forgot to eat). Oh well.

We talked and talked and talked...until 2:00 a.m.!!!! It's all good though; I'm wide awake! I'll be fine while I teach Bible study this morning, but I'm not sure I'm going to make it through a meeting at 3:00. :o) I'll just grab a big 'ol cup of coffee on the way and pray that God keeps me awake! :o)

Happy Saturday everbody!

This morning I'll take my son to drama club to help paint the set for the play. (I'm the asst. director, so I'll be there the whole time. I'll probably be the one to pick up pizza too!)

Then I'll take him home before I got to church and help out in the office.

After that, I'll pick up my buddy, Iva, to visit my mom for a bit before we head to a play.

I'm guessing I'll sleep well tonight! :o)

very tired, but happy

My morning began by running into my friend, Joe, at the grocery store! He looks great! I had a little crush a while back, and he was interested in me too, but our friends pushed a little too hard - - - it made both of us really uncomfortable. He was a pastor, and it's really cool to talk to him about scripture and God. He's still as handsome as ever!

Then I went to work and gave candy to all of my classes. (I had to buy extra, which was a blessing cuz I ran into Joe!) They worked very hard on grammar, and I'm thrilled that they're trying to focus.

After that, I tutored until 4:30.

Then I got a call from the rehab asking me to come and fill out some paperwork for my mom. My son and I stayed until she finished her supper.

From there we went home to pick up child #2 so that I could take them to youth group.

We just walked in the door a few minutes ago. I think we're all going to fall asleep pretty easily this evening! :o)

update

Mom moved her fingers yesterday! She can't do it every time she tries, but this is improvement! :o)

PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray for my mother. She had a stroke on Saturday; I'm just getting home from the hospital at 4:51 a.m. - - - I haven't been to sleep yet.

She is in the intensive care unit, but hopefully she'll be home by Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks. Love you.

little scare on Halloween

My mom was crying when she called and said, "Michelle, I don't feel well. I'm going to the hospital."

Click.

Before I could even ask which one, she had hung up.

I had already gone to bed, so I jumped up, got dressed, and hopped in the car. On the way to hospital #1 (there are 2 near her home), the Lord said, "Just stop by her house first." So I did, and she was there!

Apparently, my mother changed her mind about the hospital. My sister called the paramedics, and they couldn't find anything wrong with mom. Her vitals were perfect, her sugar level was just a little bit high (diabetic), and her oxygen levels were great.

For some reason, she couldn't breathe. There was no pain in her chest or arms, so they don't think it was a heart attack.

I ended up chatting with her until 11:30. I was exhausted from an incredibly stressful day (work was fine, ex was difficult), but I just wanted to stick around as long as I could without the threat of falling asleep at the wheel on the way home.

I wish she had gone to the hospital for tests, but she felt better after she prayed - - - she didn't see the need.

God is soooooooo good.

what to do, what to do...

There's so much on my "to do" list that I'm almost ready to give up. Today was one of those days when it would have been lovely to come home and say, "Hon, could you come here for a sec?" I definitely could have used a hug today.

At least my dog was eager to see me. :P

My ex hasn't been shy about want to spend LOTS of time with me lately and even went to church Sunday. Nice, huh? My heart has finally healed from the divorce. Sadly, I'm not interested in starting over with him.

But I can't help but wonder what God is up to.

Maybe he's serious this time. Perhaps he didn't go to church simply to be near me; wouldn't it be cool if God blesses him with sobriety permanently? My boys would be thrilled too!

I shouldn't keep pushing him away, huh?

It might be time for me to put my own wants aside for a minute so that I can concentrate on helping somebody else. And who knows? Maybe God will heal what has been broken, eh?

That is totally a long shot, but I'm game for whatever God desires for my life. Maybe we're just supposed to be friends.

Maybe not...

Hmmm....

GOD IS GOOD!!!!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had to deal with one of my son's teachers (who happens to be a coworker as well).

All I can say is that God rocks!

My boss handled the situation better than I could have imagined, and I'm thrilled with the outcome. I give all the glory and praise to the Lord!

I'm going to color my hair and then head to a friend's church for a worship service. :o)

I hope all is well in your world!

October 24th already????

I cannot believe how quickly this school year is passing!

My students are wonderful. It's only the second month of school, and they have already learned my expectations and have also stopped challenging me. Of course I still have one or two children who push my buttons, but I'm so grateful that it's not one or two entire classes! :o)

This afternoon I'll provide the music on our baby grand for a wedding at church. I met the bride and groom last night at the rehearsal, and they are fabulous! They're so young and cute! I pray that God blesses them immensely as they begin their lives together as husband and wife!

My ex-husband has been calling a lot lately, and I'm starting to lose patience. My life is entirely too full already, and I simply do not have the time to spend hours with him on the phone. He has made it clear that he wants to come "home," but I'm not ready for that (nor do I see myself wanting that in the near future....or ever, for that matter).

Please pray that I keep clear, healthy boundaries without hurting his feelings.

I'm off to get some grocery shopping done before I come home and get dolled up for the wedding. I might even wear lipstick! :P