...bored...well, maybe not

Haha, so I'm so tired of trying to think of something to write about on my blog.  Am I honestly that BORING?  Urgh, [that interjection's pronunciation is up to the reader] sometimes I feel as if my life is going no where.  And I doubt I am alone in this.  [your interpretation of that sentence could be--my life is going no where and others feel as if my life is going no where as well or my life is going no where and others feel their lives are going no where too..your discretion there, I won't be offended].  Perhaps, I should review my life of late and determine whether or not it is as dull as I am making it out to be.  Hmmmm, I work at a daycare five days a week.  [I won't disclose too many specifics, not because of national security or anything grand like that, but rather because I know that there are some definite stalking creeps out there].  You never know what to expect there.  When I arrive for my shift, I'm always greeted with a voluminous "MISS MICHAELA" followed by crushing hugs.  It's so sweet and makes me smile.  Of course those same kids often give me trouble later on throughout the day, but I do have a sense that they do love me as their teacher, and I love them.  I try to remind them of my love and God's love everyday.  I never want them to leave wondering about either.  I enjoy the one-on-one time the most;  I love hearing about their lives and what they have done over the weekend.  Most of the stories are of your average American kid, but others make you sad and give you a twinge of guilt for not being more grateful for your own situation in life.  Which, wow, I've just realized how ungrateful my beginning sentences must have sounded.  I am incredibly blessed with a family that loves me.  I come home to a peaceful place where I know that someone cares about me.  It's a wonderful feeling, but even more wonderful than a parents' love is the Father's love.  Sometimes we blind ourselves to that fact.  God holds us in the palm of His hands, so tightly that we are engraved there [Isaiah 49:16].  That incredible truth should overwhelm us.  And just when I think that my life is boring, I get a call from a friend in the middle of this blog.  I'm really excited about the way God is working with His timing in her life.  So thank you God for your blessings in my life, for the moments when you bring joy and smiles. I think I have discovered that I rather do enjoy my life.  And, hey who doesn't like having some down time to watch BBC's Robin Hood on Netflix or Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, including special features [well, I've just given away what my evening consisted of ;) ].  Be thankful for what you have and enjoy the moment because you never know..in a split second everything could change.

A Toothbrush Moment

Don’t you just love those moments whenever something that you haven’t thought about for awhile [I suppose your subconscious mind could have been mulling it over without your knowledge], and suddenly it comes to the forefront of your mind again and clicks?  I had one of those moments last night.  I had just finished reading my Bible, and had fallen asleep praying [don’t judge…we’re all guilty of that, the disciples included] and went upstairs to brush my teeth.  As I was going to town on my teeth, I started thinking about how the Bible says for wives to submit to and respect their husbands, and for husbands to love their wives.  I had wondered for some time why it never seemed to say that wives were to love their husbands.   But then it dawned on me, respect is two-fold.   The man you respect is the man you can love.  The kind of person you respect is the kind of person you deserve.  For example, let’s say there’s a girl, who may “love” a boy who is flirtatious with other girls and all around good-for-nothing, and because her standard is low she fools herself into believing that she respects him.  But as she matures in Christ and realizes who she is in Christ and her value, her standard of what a Godly husband should look like will raise considerably.  So then she can no longer respect a man who is no good for her.  [Stay with me male readers, I am in no way assuming that all men are like that, and I know that I have many brothers in Christ who are honorable men…I am just focusing on the female perspective for right now].  So a Godly young man should strive to earn the respect of a Godly young woman.  After some researching, I found out that the respect that is referred to in Ephesians 5:33 [“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband”] is the same word used for fearing the Lord—phobeo.  So women should have a respect for their husbands that mimics their respect for the Lord.  God’s character is immaculate and deserving of phobeo, but humanity is depraved and undeserving.   A Christian man must imitate the character of Christ [i.e. Eph. 5:25-28 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself”].  If I respect someone it is because there in some way above me—an authority figure, someone older than me, someone smarter than me, or someone whose character proves to be more honorable than mine own.  [Of course, we are called to love everyone regardless, but respect is more a response to worthiness…giving respect where respect is due].  So if a women respects her husband, that implies that he is a leader worthy of it, in all areas, but most importantly spiritually, and is someone who is truly her better half.  Whenever you have respect and admiration for someone like that then you have a love deeper than those cheap worldly imitations.  It’s quite a beautiful system really, if you are a Christian striving to honor God then your standard of a mate is going to match God’s standard.  You’ll respect the kind of man that has a heart after God’s own heart.  And a man like that will value you and love you like God does, like Christ loves the Church.    

So...I'm a blogger now.

So, everyone seems to be blogging these days, and I finally decided that my life was just as important [or just as boring] to type up for a blog.  I suppose I should start by introducing myself, although I’m sure the only people who will read this will be relatives or friends who feel obligated.  My name is Michaela [pronounced Ma-kay-lah...but I like the unique spelling…and Biblical implications].  My favorite color is pink, I guess, it used to be yellow, and now I like neon orange too.  I love anything to do with Beauty and the Beast, and therefore roses.  I love that story because she falls in love with the Beast for his heart and not his appearance.  I am a Christian and pray that my actions show that.  I love reading the Bible, and I genuinely mean that.  I used to get bored with the stories that I had heard/read many times, being a private school/church kid, but recently, the last two years or so, I got a real hunger for Word of God.  The other day I was reading the last couple chapters of Acts, and I was enthralled as I read about Paul’s imprisonment and various appeals to Caesar and Agrippa and his defense of the faith.  Sometimes, we forget how real the Bible is.  All the stories it contains are actual events and happenings.  Anyway, I have found that when you take the time to sit and read the Word of God that you are drawn in by the testimonies of real life people who lived for the glory of God, and your life gains some perspective.  It’s important to remember that we aren’t the only ones out there.  Others are suffering and have their own issues and problems.  Sometimes it’s good to take a moment and truly think about all the blessings God has given you.  Understand that the trials you go through, draw you closer to Christ and allow you to speak truth from experience into others’ lives.  Discipleship is foundational to Christianity and should not be taken lightly.  Whenever you are involved in someone’s life, you can see the places where they need guidance, but you can also see the places where your heart needs to be changed.  It’s a good system that works both ways.  Well, perhaps, I have done enough rambling for now…hope you don’t feel as if you wasted your life reading this [which unless, you are a really slow reader, this shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes].