Blog Award of the Week ~ Mich

Here it is another ending to a beautiful weekend. Did I mention Steve is home? He came home on Friday for all those that have been praying for us. What a difference his presence makes in our home. Yeah, Praise God for amazing husbands.

I wanted to highlight another amazing blogger who has blessed me both in the blogging world and in personal emails back and forth. I am hoping to encourage those of you that aren't following her to please do so after reading more about her. Her name is Mich, pronounced just like it sounds and her blog is named after her. Makes it easy. She is the wife of a pastor, mom and great friend to so many in the blogging world. The thing I love about Mich is her honesty when things in her life are not going so smoothly. She shows us that we all stumble and fall, but we also pick ourselves right back up again and keep on going.

I hope you find the same things in her blog that drew me to become part of her family and that you join her today as well. Here is some things you may not know about her.

1. Tell us how long you've been blogging and why?

I started blogging about a year now. My sister had started a blog and decided I needed one too. She thought it would be a great way for our family to keep up with each other. Neither one of us realized how much it would change our lives. We have met some fantastic new friends, all of which provide unlimited support and encouragement, as well as lots of laughs.

I also have found blogging to be a "healing" process for me. It gave me a "voice." As a minister's child and now as a minister's wife, I have always felt the limitations of what I could say, but I have always been able to write what I feel. The blog gives me an outlet to voice my feelings, celebrate my joys, vent my frustrations and keep things REAL in my life. I am amazed everyday that people actually follow my blog and read my posts.


2. What did you always dream being when you grew up and why?

I have always loved to be creative. I fell in love with art when I was in high school and was actually in the art club. My friends were all in drama, but I have horrible stage fright, so I joined the Art Club. My dad is a pretty awesome artist, so I was always encouraged to draw and create. My favorite project in school was making the car for our high school production of Grease. Great fun!

However, when I left for college, I had a reality check. I realized after a few art classes, that I wasn't as good as I thought I was and changed my major. However, still today, I love art and to be creative. I scrapbook, help my kids with school projects and come up with super fun craft projects for my kindergarten Sunday School class at church. Just the other day, my daughter told me I should have been an elementary art teacher, for I was having way too much fun decorating my door at work, for Halloween. I had made spiders out of my babies' hands which were too precious.


3. When did you become a Christian? How did your life change?

I was at church camp, as a child, when I asked Jesus into my heart for the first time. I believe it was real, but unfortunately sometimes very young children are not discipled like they need to be. I was left with a lot of questions and doubt, afraid to ask because I was the minister's daughter/missionary kid, who was expected to just know...

Anyway, when I was in college, I rededicated my life and surrendered my life to God's calling. I never desired a life in ministry, outside volunteering at church, but God changed my heart. I met a great guy, with a passion for Jesus and young people. I strive now to daily follow the Lord's will for my life. I am so thankful for His GRACE.

4. Describe the most memorable Valentine you ever received and who sent it to you?

I think it would have to be the first Valentine's Day, with my husband. We were just dating, but he sent me a teddy bear and balloons. I remember being giddy over having a guy who actually loved me, just the way I was. Since that day, for years, my hubby would give me a bear as a gift. It is kind of sappy, but when you are young and in love, you love it.(Still do.) What is funny, is that when we were first married, back when the "country" look was big, my kitchen had a country blue and teddy bear theme. I even had bear canisters. What was I thinking?! I'm laughing as I type this, although I have to admit, there is a small part of me that is sad that the teddy bears have been replaced.


5. Describe your grandparents. What did you enjoy most about them?

I am one of those lucky girls who was blessed with wonderful grandparents and many of them. My Dad's parents were divorced and remarried when he was young, so growing up, I had a step grandpa and two uncles, who may not have been blood related, but were mine nevertheless. I use to boast about having three set of grandparents, when I was a kid.

My mom grew up in the country, so there were plenty of great memories, running around the farm with the cousins. Hanging laundry on the line, mud pies, climbing peach trees, horses, being chased by turkeys, fresh honey from the hive...all great memories of farm life. My Granny was the treasure hunter of the family and taught me how to shop the flea markets and garage sales. My Grandpa could fix the best gravy...

My dad grew up in town, and his mom was the lady who liked to shop, go places and was not afraid of a little adventure. She made sure I was spoiled and never bored. She was the one that taught me how to drive when my parents didn't have the patience and she also talked my dad into letting me go on my first date, since it was two weeks before my sixteenth birthday.

Unfortunately, all of my grandparents have passed on. But I have a peace in knowing that they all knew the Lord, as well as having the blessing of some great memories of time spent with them.


6. What did you enjoy doing most as a child? Did you prefer doing it alone or with someone else?

This was a hard question for me. Simply because, while I was a child, I didn't think I really enjoyed that time in my life, but now as an adult, looking back, I'm thankful for it. I was on the mission field for a while. I remember the fear, the homesickness, the loneliness and everything else that went with it, yet looking back I am so thankful of the adventure I was blessed with. I was able to see wonderful things, be a part of some incredible experiences and live an adventure, that many kids dream of. My daughter has a passion for Asia and would love to visit. My son saw an old picture of me the other day and was jealous because I was on an elephant. So traveling around with my family would be at the top of my list for sure.

However, as for my hobbies as a child, I would have to say reading, writing and drawing. I have always loved to read. Books would let my imagination soar and I loved it. My dad often teases me, because while we were on the mission field, if I was bored and had read all my books more than once, I would grab the encyclopedias and read about places I wanted to go and royal families around the world, making up my own stories. I was a dreamer.


7. What two people have made the greatest spiritual impact on your life? What made them so significant to you?

I would have to say my parents. I have had two living examples, my whole life, of what it means to give up everything and follow Christ. Their lives have always been woven in ministry of some kind.

They also taught me at a very young age what true strength and great faith really is. I had a brother who died suddenly when I was five. He was only one and had developed bacterial meningitis's. Thirty four years ago there was little hope for that kind of thing. My mom and dad could have carried a lot of anger through the years over his medical care and God's timing, but they didn't. My dad even preached his funeral. My mom used her situation to help others. I learned at a very young age what it meant to rely totally on the Lord and to do things that one can only do with a strength that comes from God.

My parents are retired now, but are still serving. They are awesome examples and I am so thankful that my children have special relationships with each of them too.


8. What childhood memory comes to mind when you think of winter? What made it so special?

I don't have many "winter" memories, due to my travels as a child overseas, but the few I have stand out in my mind because of that. When I was real young, around second grade, I remember my dad getting out and building snowmen with me and the other kids on the street. But, my dad, being the creative man he is, wouldn't build just any snowman. He would build cartoon characters. I have a picture of my friends and I standing in front of Snoopy dressed as a cowboy. He would also get food coloring and color the characters. I remember being so proud at how "cool" he was,as I stood in front of this giant Snoopy wearing "blue" jeans.

9. Tell me 4 things that you would never leave behind on a trip and explain why?

I thought this would be an easy question and then realized I think I need more than four things, but I will try...

My contacts. I am blind and can't see without them, plus I HATE the feel of my glasses sitting on my nose. One of my greatest fears, is being blind. The Lord will have to help me when I have to give the contacts up one day.

My blow dryer. I have the kind of hair that DOES NOT air dry pretty. On the naturally curly side, it doesn't have enough curl to lay right, without help. I wear it straight these days and can only achieve that with a hairdryer first and then a touch up with the flatiron. Not pretty first thing in the morning.I try hard not to scare little children.

My pillow. Whether going to camp, my parent's house or on vacation, the pillow goes with me.

My Bible. My parents gave it to me in 1992. It is my favorite. I have notes written in the margins, verses underlined and pages marked. I had misplaced it in the house the other day and cried. I was so scared I had left it somewhere. It is one of my prize possessions.

10. What family customs or traditions would you like to pass on to your children and grandchildren. Why are they important to you?

We don't really have true traditions or customs. Never living in one spot for too long growing up, you learn to go with the flow sometimes. However, family is very important to us. We never take it for granted. That would be what I pass down to my kids. Many vacation opportunities were given up, in order to visit grandparents. Lots of miles would be driven to see family. Since my time with my grandparents and my hubby's grandparents is over, I cherish the time spent with our parents and think the time our kids spend with them is so very precious. Holidays are special. We always celebrate. We may not always get together on the actual holiday, but we always get together. I hear of people that are not close to their families and I want to cry for them. My family is my support system. We are all very close. My hubby comes from a very close family too.

Thanks for thinking I am interesting enough for an interview. I am still in awe over the friendships God has graced me with via the internet. Hope I gave you the type of answers you were looking for. If you feel I need to change anything or you would like to ask a different question just let me know.

Thanks for joining me in this beautiful intimate look at Mich and what makes her so wonderful and blessed. Won’t you join me and hope on over to her blog Mich and let her know what you thought of her interview. You will find such friendship and love there!