25 Things of Me

Sweet, sweet friends,

On Facebook a friend tagged me challenging me to write 25 things about myself. I dallied around and put it off, and then I had this morning off. Others had been writing about themselves, so I said, shoot, I'll give it a try.

When I was finished - I realized I had gone down memory lane a great deal. And I didn't really want to forget some of this like I have for quite a while now. So I'm copying it here for myself, and you can read it too. Then maybe you can see what I saw and was reminded of.

I saw through it all - God's presence and working in and around me the whole time. If you're not on facebook or don't want to be so public - maybe sit down and do your own list. At the beginning I thought I'd not be able to come up with 25 things. At the end, I realized I could keep going and going and going - like the energizer bunny. A walk down your history lane.

Here's mine . . .

1. I am not shy, but have to pray alot about this - I often don't know the right words to say in simple everyday situations, and that makes me nervous - it often comes out totally wrong and I embarrass myself, especially with people I admire but don't talk to often.
2. I speak better when I write it since I learned how to hold a pencil. It's like my hands talk better than my mouth :).
3. I have a special nickname my dad calls me just between us (until now) - I used to hate it but now I love it - when I was 20 I realized I had misunderstood where it came from and what it meant LOL! - I'm "Sore Toe Baby" - and I'll leave it at that.
4. Nearly all my very best friends growing up were dogs - real dogs - mostly not my own, borrowed from family and neighbors - Lady, Ben, Georgie Girl, Brady, and now Scooter.
5. Growing up I was very shy - but I talked, only to those I was comfortable with - I avoided everyone else.
6. Thanks to my dad, I have traveled to many states, but we didn't make all of them -yet.
7. When my dad was laid off work, he drove a gas delivery truck and I was his sidekick, and got to ride with him. Sounds boring, but it was actually very interesting and fun.
8. I have lived in Michigan and Nebraska, but I'm a native Texan and hope to be here till God calls me home!
9. When I was very small, about 5 yrs, I had my hand slammed in the car door of our 1967 Ford Galaxy two door, my dad slammed his weight the other way as soon as he caught on what was happening. Trip to the ER and xrays - and there was not a single broken bone - amazing :). Both my Daddys took care of me that day.
10. We lived very close to the schools growing up - I got to come home for lunch every day, and spend time with my mom. I loved those times.
11. My 7th grade teacher taught me compassion that I understood. One day I was treated by my mom to take my lunch in a special bag to school one day and eat with friends (money for the bags was a big treat for us). My lunch was stolen, and the bag found in the trash can. I didn't get to eat that day. I was furious when the culprit was found but not truly punished. My teacher's comment? "Willie was hungry, Michelle. That may be the only meal he's had in several days." and she left it at that. It always stuck with me. It was before free lunches.
12. My earthly heroes are my Gran, Granny and Grandad Otis. They lived through so many trials and hardships. They died with very little earthly possesions. They were rich indeed. I learned so much about faith and the Lord from 3 very different personalities - but all showed me unconditional love. That's how I feel God loves me, like they did.
13. I was a charter member of Vansickle Bapt. Church in Hunt County - we first met on a creek bank/pasture and had several animals present and participating. Then it was an old two room school house/community center, and my dad and some of the men built out door toilets for us. When the weather was very bad - we all gathered close to the space heaters instead of spread out on the pews to worship - but we did keep it short :).
14. Stephen and I met in highschool, and been together ever since. It's a God thing.
15. Stephen told me before Zachary was born that Zachary would have red hair and blue eyes - I insisted he'd have brown hair and brown eyes and argued heatedly. He won.
16. The day after I graduated high school - I was driving my parent's car to Caddo to go to the bank and see my grandmother. A 20 minute Texas down pour came, and in the process my 80+ great aunt who also lived there pulled out in front of me and we had a wreck. The rest is family history!
17. That same great aunt was also my sunday school teacher years before when I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior.
18. I enjoy watching old black and white movies, especially with Stephen, but we've nearly seen them all, even the very bad ones!
19. In high school, I won the Phoenix award for our English Honors publication - and then wished I didn't when a close friend was upset I won it.
20. Once I won a new TV when a new Cleaners opened up by TCBY Yogurt in Greenville. I had used that cleaners that one time. Never did go back - didn't use cleaners much - and they only stayed in business a couple years or so. I felt bad about that LOL! We had a decent TV, but were so broke, so we sold it for the money!
21. The wildest, dumbest thing I ever did as a teenager was probably when I did a Dukes of Hazard type jump with my dad's 1967 Ford - the same car my hand was shut in the door - only it was now 1980.Long story, just think daytime, the small city lakes at Caddo down by the cotton gin, been away too long, and they no longer had one of the dirt roads down exiting from the same corner it used to be. Miracles that day - neither me nor my firends with me were hurt, and the car didn't get a scratch or break anything. I finally told my dad a few years ago - right before he finally sold that car. I loved that car!
22. I feel I have been given extra years of life here, God met me one on one when Isaac was born. My doctor that day didn't think either of us would make it through his premature birth, my body was shutting down. God answered my prayer that day. I prayed, "Lord, I have trusted and believed in You all this time. I am so alone, no one can go through this surgery but me, and this little baby. Was it for real, are You for real, did I do the right thing?". And He spoke to me audibly, and physically where I heard a true voice and felt true arms that wrapped around me & layed down with me on that gurney, and said "Yes, and I'm here, you are not going through this alone.". There was no human in the room with me at that moment. I had not been given any drugs yet. He did many other unique things then there's not time or room to write. I have no doubts in Him, although I still have doubts in me sometimes.
23. I had a wild rabbit as a pet growing up- a big rabbit named Uncle Analdas after a crotchety old uncle rabbit character in the book "Rabbit Hill" - a favorite book growing up.
24. When I was 3, I started my career in modeling at my local school for the whole community. I walked out, looked around, and promptly turned tail and retreated back where I came from. That was the end of my modeling career. Thanks to my camera addict mother, bless her, this event is well documented in our family photos.
25. Growing up around music and a Dad that was a very gifted guitar picker - my favorites - singing "You are my Sunshine" with me every time I asked him to play and sing it with me, and him also playing/picking "Wildwood Flower" every time I asked - which was often. I'd sit on the floor, crosslegged, and looking up watching those magical fingers and strings. He can't play anymore. I can hear it when I close my eyes and remember.

Now maybe you know me better, and more importantly, you know more of God's presence with you, now, today!

Love,
Michelle