Sometimes I get crazy... or at least crazier than people seem around me. There are limits that I don't cross, but sometimes I wonder if I'm annoying to those who I'm around.
It started with the bachelorette party. We dressed like we were from the 80s and I really got into it. I was the one in the car wanting everyone to sing along to our 80s mix cd as we went on a date with the bride and Justin Bieber. Then, as we were getting our nails done the following day, I was the one that picked dark, bold colors. Next, the night before the wedding, I'm the one who dyed my hair red (praying that it wouldn't turn out like a clown, which usually shouldn't be risked right before an event having tons of pictures included in it).
While dying my hair, I had Kasey and Dan help me out. They pointed out places I needed more dye (that I couldn't see). (At one point, I seriously looked like the devil because of red dye being all over me.)
I find myself asking this question when I'm around less "crazy-acting" people (which I proceeded to ask Kasey): Am I completely annoying? She replied, "no way! You're show people how to enjoy life! Everyone needs a Michelle in their life."
I began thinking about that. It was really sweet and it helped me to be more at ease with my seemingly spontaneous actions. Then I started talking to God about it and stopped in my tracks. Though its sweet to say that everyone needs someone to help people to loosen up and enjoy the life God's given them, the fact is that everyone needs God--Period. He's the beginning, middle, and into eternity of this crazy adventure that we're on. We would be lost without Him and "fun" wouldn't exist.
So loosen up, enjoy life, and praise Him for it! Hallelujah... AMEN!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Battle is God's
I was reading in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. Lately, raising funds have been heavily on my mind. God has spoken encouragement through His Word constantly through this time. Therefore, this spoke encouragement to me also. His time is perfect and His Word is living.
Jehoshaphat was a king who believed in God. When he found out a huge army was coming at him, his first response was to talk it over with God. The people fasted, all got together, and cried out to God. Their army wasn't any match to take on this huge one. In response, God said He'd take care of it.
I really love the next part. Jehoshaphat and the people have such confidence that God's going to take care of it, that they sing and praise Him before they even know what's happening to the enemy. No one (of the enemy) was left alive. It was God's battle. He fought it because the people of Judah could not. All they had to do was turn to Him and have the faith they knew to be true.
Raising support is hard and yet its not anything to worry about when compared to the account in Chronicles. Lord, "I do believe; help my unbelief"! (Mark 9:24)
Jehoshaphat was a king who believed in God. When he found out a huge army was coming at him, his first response was to talk it over with God. The people fasted, all got together, and cried out to God. Their army wasn't any match to take on this huge one. In response, God said He'd take care of it.
I really love the next part. Jehoshaphat and the people have such confidence that God's going to take care of it, that they sing and praise Him before they even know what's happening to the enemy. No one (of the enemy) was left alive. It was God's battle. He fought it because the people of Judah could not. All they had to do was turn to Him and have the faith they knew to be true.
Raising support is hard and yet its not anything to worry about when compared to the account in Chronicles. Lord, "I do believe; help my unbelief"! (Mark 9:24)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Zombie Mode
I've never really been a morning person. (My sister would disagree since I'm the one who woke up and wouldn't cease talking about dreams and anything else that might pop into my head while she proceeded to finally say, "Michelle... shut... up!") See, I become most alert (thinking best and most balanced) in the afternoon to evening (and sometimes even into the night) times. In the morning, I may seem happy and talkative, but that's usually me just trying to wake up and figure out why I'm even awake (since talking out loud usually helps me think things through: more talking out loud = I'm not quite completely alert).
Most of the time, when I first wake up, I have time to cope with where I am, what I'm doing, and the reason I need to be awake. For a few nights lately, this hasn't been so. This is my "zombie mode" time. When I get up, but am not really awake or alert.
I've been taking care of my dog as well as my cousins' dogs while the cousins were away. One of the dogs (Briley) gets up around 5 or 6am every morning wanting to go out, be fed... the whole routine he's used to. I had been told he was an early riser, but I don't think I fully could comprehend all that was before me.
To begin, Briley would make a barking/whimpering sound and I'd fling the covers off me. I would let all the dogs out first (as they stampeded around me to the back door), would let Toby and Brutus back in, feed Toby in his room, Brutus in the kitchen, and Briley and Boston outside. I would grab a drink or even breakfast (at the first of the week), wait until all of them were completely done eating, and either let them all outside for a bit while I went to lay down again or would let them all in... and go back to lay down. If I would let them outside, they'd usually start barking at something so I'd have to walk all the way back to the other side of the house in order to tell them to stop barking and would ultimately end up letting them all back inside (when they didn't get that concept).
My goal was ultimately to get Briley to wake up later and later each day. It almost started happening... but it was only a week and with his internal clock, I would need more time.
As the week progressed, the fire alarms were beginning to need new batteries. If you've ever been around them when their batteries are running out, they make a terrible beeping sound. (In the bush, these annoying sounds are usually roosters that do NOT crow right as the sun comes up, but rather before it. You can't just take their batteries out, but that's another story.) Finding which alarms that are going off can be tricky. Most of the time its simply infuriating.
Now we come to the part where I actually start telling you what happened. (Thank you for your patience.) One night, I awoke (around 4am) to a beeping sound. I slung the covers off and started saying things like, "I'm going to find that thing and kill it!!! ...at least kill the battery since its almost dead anyway... and while I kill it, I'll try not to rip the thing out of the ceiling and end up paying lots to fix it along with crawling to the hospital because I'd have fallen off of this swaying, wooden ladder..." Yep, I mutter and do lots of run-on sentences when I'm in my "zombie mode". After getting the dogs outside, then inside to feed, and outside so I could figure out where the sound was actually coming from, I ended up disarming the alarm system (that beeps sometimes), taking three different fire alarm things down from three different rooms, and for a few times (to avoid having to use a ladder to reach the carbon monoxide beeper --just in case that's what was making the sound) found myself putting on super high heels and using another shoe to reach the button my cousins told me to push if it ended up being that beeper. (Hint: I'm not yet balanced in the morning... at all--especially while wearing high heels.)
On the night of July 4th, the dogs had barked and growled at something right before I was going to bed, so I put the alarm on. I wrote a message on my arm/hand to turn it off before putting the dogs outside in the morning. The morning of July 5th, Briley did his bark thing, I flung the covers off, went to the back door (accompanied once again by the mob of dogs around me), and opened the door. Immediately, I remembered. An alarm was sounding all throughout the house. I know the neighbors could hear it (at 5:15 in the morning). I, suddenly being more awake than in my zombie mode, ran to the box that turns off the alarm, punched in the numbers still on my hand, and still heard my heart beating outside my chest as the sirens stopped howling. (The next night that I put the alarm on, I made sure to put high heels and other shoes in my way so I'd either trip and remember or would see them and remember=TURN OFF ALARM FIRST.)
Still on another night, I had a dream. I was simply spitting (like in a sink or something). I was confused a bit as I realized that it wasn't falling straight down into the sink, but sideways. I became semi-aware that I was (in reality) spitting on my pillow! I cleaned it off immediately, and realized it was about that time that Briley would be waking me up again.
After this, I kind of decided I had just about lost it ...or that there is a problem with me being made to get up at those hours of the morning. You choose.
Most of the time, when I first wake up, I have time to cope with where I am, what I'm doing, and the reason I need to be awake. For a few nights lately, this hasn't been so. This is my "zombie mode" time. When I get up, but am not really awake or alert.
I've been taking care of my dog as well as my cousins' dogs while the cousins were away. One of the dogs (Briley) gets up around 5 or 6am every morning wanting to go out, be fed... the whole routine he's used to. I had been told he was an early riser, but I don't think I fully could comprehend all that was before me.
To begin, Briley would make a barking/whimpering sound and I'd fling the covers off me. I would let all the dogs out first (as they stampeded around me to the back door), would let Toby and Brutus back in, feed Toby in his room, Brutus in the kitchen, and Briley and Boston outside. I would grab a drink or even breakfast (at the first of the week), wait until all of them were completely done eating, and either let them all outside for a bit while I went to lay down again or would let them all in... and go back to lay down. If I would let them outside, they'd usually start barking at something so I'd have to walk all the way back to the other side of the house in order to tell them to stop barking and would ultimately end up letting them all back inside (when they didn't get that concept).
My goal was ultimately to get Briley to wake up later and later each day. It almost started happening... but it was only a week and with his internal clock, I would need more time.
As the week progressed, the fire alarms were beginning to need new batteries. If you've ever been around them when their batteries are running out, they make a terrible beeping sound. (In the bush, these annoying sounds are usually roosters that do NOT crow right as the sun comes up, but rather before it. You can't just take their batteries out, but that's another story.) Finding which alarms that are going off can be tricky. Most of the time its simply infuriating.
Now we come to the part where I actually start telling you what happened. (Thank you for your patience.) One night, I awoke (around 4am) to a beeping sound. I slung the covers off and started saying things like, "I'm going to find that thing and kill it!!! ...at least kill the battery since its almost dead anyway... and while I kill it, I'll try not to rip the thing out of the ceiling and end up paying lots to fix it along with crawling to the hospital because I'd have fallen off of this swaying, wooden ladder..." Yep, I mutter and do lots of run-on sentences when I'm in my "zombie mode". After getting the dogs outside, then inside to feed, and outside so I could figure out where the sound was actually coming from, I ended up disarming the alarm system (that beeps sometimes), taking three different fire alarm things down from three different rooms, and for a few times (to avoid having to use a ladder to reach the carbon monoxide beeper --just in case that's what was making the sound) found myself putting on super high heels and using another shoe to reach the button my cousins told me to push if it ended up being that beeper. (Hint: I'm not yet balanced in the morning... at all--especially while wearing high heels.)
On the night of July 4th, the dogs had barked and growled at something right before I was going to bed, so I put the alarm on. I wrote a message on my arm/hand to turn it off before putting the dogs outside in the morning. The morning of July 5th, Briley did his bark thing, I flung the covers off, went to the back door (accompanied once again by the mob of dogs around me), and opened the door. Immediately, I remembered. An alarm was sounding all throughout the house. I know the neighbors could hear it (at 5:15 in the morning). I, suddenly being more awake than in my zombie mode, ran to the box that turns off the alarm, punched in the numbers still on my hand, and still heard my heart beating outside my chest as the sirens stopped howling. (The next night that I put the alarm on, I made sure to put high heels and other shoes in my way so I'd either trip and remember or would see them and remember=TURN OFF ALARM FIRST.)
Still on another night, I had a dream. I was simply spitting (like in a sink or something). I was confused a bit as I realized that it wasn't falling straight down into the sink, but sideways. I became semi-aware that I was (in reality) spitting on my pillow! I cleaned it off immediately, and realized it was about that time that Briley would be waking me up again.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Outside Looking In
I'd only practiced doing IM and Sub Q injections on plastic arms. This was real life though. As I was ready to finally take my turn, the room fell silent. "No pressure, Michelle", remarked Brittany trying to easy the silence. I realized that this would be how I would do it in a village setting. Eyes on me. Watching to see what I was doing and if the person receiving the injection would cringe. I calmed myself, told my patient "big stick in one, two...", and stuck it in. (Side note: Delaina stuck me too, so its not like I was being cruel or anything.)
We were just giving normal saline so it wasn't a big deal, but it was exhilarating! It reminded me of doing IVs and I started checking out veins. (Once you look for "good veins" and do an IV, its hard not to check out people's veins.) We did different shots (IM, Sub Q, and ID) all on each other.
Later that night, after doing homework with Megan, we began to walk back to my car. We were reminded that the gates locked at night and so we started to pray while walking. "Please help the gate to be open or someone to come by that can help us get in." As we walked up to the gate, everything looked pretty sealed. I wanted to at least try, so I walked up, turned the knob, and it opened! We got in my car, drove up to the gate, and it opened too! God knew we were coming and opened a gate for us.
Sometimes it feels like we're on the outside looking in. We don't know if everything will turn out alright. We can't see past skin sometimes. We could give us and just never try from the fear of hurting someone or doing something wrong. We could just walk away and believe that the way is closed or that we're locked out. Eyes are on us. Who will you be looking to?
We were just giving normal saline so it wasn't a big deal, but it was exhilarating! It reminded me of doing IVs and I started checking out veins. (Once you look for "good veins" and do an IV, its hard not to check out people's veins.) We did different shots (IM, Sub Q, and ID) all on each other.
Later that night, after doing homework with Megan, we began to walk back to my car. We were reminded that the gates locked at night and so we started to pray while walking. "Please help the gate to be open or someone to come by that can help us get in." As we walked up to the gate, everything looked pretty sealed. I wanted to at least try, so I walked up, turned the knob, and it opened! We got in my car, drove up to the gate, and it opened too! God knew we were coming and opened a gate for us.
Sometimes it feels like we're on the outside looking in. We don't know if everything will turn out alright. We can't see past skin sometimes. We could give us and just never try from the fear of hurting someone or doing something wrong. We could just walk away and believe that the way is closed or that we're locked out. Eyes are on us. Who will you be looking to?
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Shocking? Sow What?
What a day! As I drove back from class, my head was spinning. I had begun my Bush Mechanics and Electronics class and it is an all-day thing. We learned about ventilating a house in a hot climate (like PNG), talked about batteries/solar panels/inverters, did calculations about watts/volts/amps, and made a working circuit. From so much to soak into my head, I was a bit fried. The entire day, we'd also been sticking energy readers (little metal things) into outlets--one thing Mom always said never to do. I wasn't the only one on alert for getting shocked.
Throughout the day, I hadn't had much to eat (and had had coffee and cookies for the snack times to keep me alert), so when I got to the house, I was shaking. I ate peanut butter crackers to hold me until dinner (which I made it to). After eating, I walked Toby and he got dirty; so I gave him a bath. Right after it was done, he sniffed the electric wire and got shocked. I calmed him down (poor baby). ...and then (when I had brushed him) he did it again! You'd think he'd learn!!!!
I got cleaned up and got ready for bed as he dried the rest of the way outside. Toby was dried off after a while and came in. I kept him in my room as I watched part of "Swords" (swordfish fishing) with Josh. When I walked back into my room, I found he'd ripped one of the legs off of one of my little cousin's toys!!!! Thankfully, I knew where a sowing kit was! I was soooo mad at Toby (and he knew it too). After sowing it back up, it didn't look too bad so my anger subsided. I don't think anyone will really notice that the leg had been off.
At the end of the day, I'm super tired, but all that needs to be fixed is fixed and I've learned quite a bit too!
Throughout the day, I hadn't had much to eat (and had had coffee and cookies for the snack times to keep me alert), so when I got to the house, I was shaking. I ate peanut butter crackers to hold me until dinner (which I made it to). After eating, I walked Toby and he got dirty; so I gave him a bath. Right after it was done, he sniffed the electric wire and got shocked. I calmed him down (poor baby). ...and then (when I had brushed him) he did it again! You'd think he'd learn!!!!
I got cleaned up and got ready for bed as he dried the rest of the way outside. Toby was dried off after a while and came in. I kept him in my room as I watched part of "Swords" (swordfish fishing) with Josh. When I walked back into my room, I found he'd ripped one of the legs off of one of my little cousin's toys!!!! Thankfully, I knew where a sowing kit was! I was soooo mad at Toby (and he knew it too). After sowing it back up, it didn't look too bad so my anger subsided. I don't think anyone will really notice that the leg had been off.
At the end of the day, I'm super tired, but all that needs to be fixed is fixed and I've learned quite a bit too!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Walking Four Dogs
Almost every night, I try to find time to go on a walk with Toby. Its kinda "alone" time for me to think things through, get back with people (by phone), pray, enjoy the sunset (which is a love of mine), wind down from the day, and train my dog at the same time!
Well, tonight, after walking my one dog, I decided to walk all three of my cousin's dogs (at the same time). There's Brutus (Rottweiler), Briley (somewhat of a Retriever/Lab), and Boston (type of Cocker Spaniel). I've watched some of those dog training shows like "Dog Whisperer" along with training videos. I haven't (however) seen one person taking a group of dogs without help. For the most part it went really well!
A few problems were when we passed by the "yappy dogs" (four little toy poodle things that have to continually bark until you're past their gate) and when the dogs saw a bunny. For the first problem, they got more tangled and Briley wanted to eat the little yappy dogs because of all the noise they were making. I would've let them, but they're not my dogs (and are behind that gate). For the second problem, the first bunny was fine. The second bunny only caught Brutus' eye while a bird caught Briley and Boston's attentions.
By the time I got them back home, they were working together (much better) and way tired out! I guess its kind of like how God has to teach us, correct us, untangle us, keep us focused, and help us to work together. We're the ones who make things more difficult with distractions we choose to focus on, pulling too hard forward (without waiting on Him), stopping or turning back, and things of the sort. The only thing is that God doesn't have us on a leash. We choose. ...but He feeds, prepares, and cares for us. Why not have a relationship with Him?
Well, tonight, after walking my one dog, I decided to walk all three of my cousin's dogs (at the same time). There's Brutus (Rottweiler), Briley (somewhat of a Retriever/Lab), and Boston (type of Cocker Spaniel). I've watched some of those dog training shows like "Dog Whisperer" along with training videos. I haven't (however) seen one person taking a group of dogs without help. For the most part it went really well!
A few problems were when we passed by the "yappy dogs" (four little toy poodle things that have to continually bark until you're past their gate) and when the dogs saw a bunny. For the first problem, they got more tangled and Briley wanted to eat the little yappy dogs because of all the noise they were making. I would've let them, but they're not my dogs (and are behind that gate). For the second problem, the first bunny was fine. The second bunny only caught Brutus' eye while a bird caught Briley and Boston's attentions.
By the time I got them back home, they were working together (much better) and way tired out! I guess its kind of like how God has to teach us, correct us, untangle us, keep us focused, and help us to work together. We're the ones who make things more difficult with distractions we choose to focus on, pulling too hard forward (without waiting on Him), stopping or turning back, and things of the sort. The only thing is that God doesn't have us on a leash. We choose. ...but He feeds, prepares, and cares for us. Why not have a relationship with Him?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Can't Breathe
Have you ever tried to go without air? When I swim and have to hold my breath, I can do alright (as long as I'm not freaking out). Since I now live with my cousin's two little girls (4 and 5 years old), I've seen how they're learning to swim. One plunk under the water and they start squirming (even if I've already pulled them up). Its our nature to strive for air and a thing we don't think about too much unless its suddenly taken from us.
Right now, I'm finding it hard to breathe. Before, I've had stress that led to hyperventilation. I've also had sickness where I found it more difficult to fill my lungs and had to use an inhaler for a brief time. At this moment, it feels more like the sickness, but brought on my allergies. It started a few days ago (Monday?), but it didn't happen yesterday. Its happening again tonight. This time, I'm coughing more. There's almost a weight in my chest and I've got wheezing. It could be that a little bit of fluid got into my lungs. When I cough up anything, its clear so no infection. I just wish it would stop.
I'm so tired... like exhausted. It helps if I'm standing or at least sitting up. One thing with having this and not living alone is that I keep others up. I'm not for that, but really want to breathe and want sleep. Too bad my inhaler is nowhere to be found. I'm thinking drug stores are closed and EMT calls are a bit expensive (just for a nebulizer... though I don't know if its that severe).
There are two reasons I'm writing this. One: simply for the fact that I'm having to stay up until this passes and needed an outlet as well as something to do. Two: there are so many things we don't even think of and therefore take for granted. One thing is the Word of God. I got to see a video today where people finally got the Word in their language delivered to them. They were celebrating, singing, dancing, crying, praying, and praising God for how He can speak to them in their language now.
Lets not forget how precious every breath of life, smile, color, word, (fill in the blank), etc. is. When we do and its taken away, we'll be gasping for it and wonder why we didn't notice we were breathing.
Right now, I'm finding it hard to breathe. Before, I've had stress that led to hyperventilation. I've also had sickness where I found it more difficult to fill my lungs and had to use an inhaler for a brief time. At this moment, it feels more like the sickness, but brought on my allergies. It started a few days ago (Monday?), but it didn't happen yesterday. Its happening again tonight. This time, I'm coughing more. There's almost a weight in my chest and I've got wheezing. It could be that a little bit of fluid got into my lungs. When I cough up anything, its clear so no infection. I just wish it would stop.
I'm so tired... like exhausted. It helps if I'm standing or at least sitting up. One thing with having this and not living alone is that I keep others up. I'm not for that, but really want to breathe and want sleep. Too bad my inhaler is nowhere to be found. I'm thinking drug stores are closed and EMT calls are a bit expensive (just for a nebulizer... though I don't know if its that severe).
There are two reasons I'm writing this. One: simply for the fact that I'm having to stay up until this passes and needed an outlet as well as something to do. Two: there are so many things we don't even think of and therefore take for granted. One thing is the Word of God. I got to see a video today where people finally got the Word in their language delivered to them. They were celebrating, singing, dancing, crying, praying, and praising God for how He can speak to them in their language now.
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