Good grief … it took me nearly 15 minutes just to come up with the title for this little bio section.  Originally, I thought of “The Skinny on Michele,” but I’ve never been very fond of the word “skinny.”  Causes a few pangs of guilt in my gut for indulging in that Oreo ice cream just a few minutes ago.  So, after much deliberation, I’ve opted for “The 411″, which at least implies you will get a little info.  Truth is, ”The 911″ would fit better, given that I always seem to be in one crisis or another. 

Where to begin … I am a thirty-something wife and mother of three boys.  At 10, 14 and 15, they eat more than Safeway grocery store can keep in stock.  I eat chocolate like it’s going out of style, and run about 20+ miles a week so I can keep eating the chocolate.  I enjoy reading a good book in a bubble bath, which of course helps to relieve the pain from all the running (especially with a little something chocolate to nibble on while soaking).  I love to travel, especially to warm sandy beaches, where my husband & I can scuba dive.  Oh, but how I love the feel of coming home again.  I treasure family time, those moments becoming fewer as I watch my babies becoming men.  We snow-ski and snowboard in the winter, and camp and spend time on our boat in the summer.  Something about being outside in God’s creation makes my world feel more right.  

In a word, I have most often been described as a woman of passion, which is not always a good thing.  God has filled this belly of mine with more emotion than I can often contain.  Coupled with a sense of personal drive that is always on “high” and more questions then answers about life, and I can easily self-destruct.  If God has rescued me once, He’s rescued me a thousand times!  Oh, but He is so patient … helping me see that it is really not so much about the “doing”, but about knowing HIM. 

Several years ago, during a particularly difficult crisis, the Lord met with me in a very tangible way and gave me story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20.     “This is what the LORD says to you: ‘ Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s…”  Reminding me again that it is not about my strength, but His, He carried me through that crisis – and many more that followed – with a sure and steady hand. 

This is who I am today … though I make no guarantees about tomorrow.  I am a rough lump of clay in the hands of a marvelous potter.  It’s a good place to be.