Michelle's Shell

Originally published March 30, 2015, at http://thehaystack.tv/8-reasons-to-stop-adventist-end-time-fear-mongering/. “The end of times.” They are words that can strike fear into the heart of the best of Adventists. It’s at about that point in the conversation when you wish you could sneak out and join your pre-tribulation rapture Baptist friends! Yes, you know you might be Adventist if your childhood nightmares were about running through the woods being chased by angry Catholics. Ok, for some of you that may still happen today! When it comes to the end of times, there are a lot of ideas that may cause confusion and fear: Am I truly going to qualify for translation? What if I cave under persecution? Don’t I have to achieve a certain level of “perfection” before Jesus can come? Isn’t the church going down the drain of compromise? Am I canning enough food? Some of these questions may seem silly, but some are very serious. And all can cause a degree of fear about what’s to come. Bu...

Originally published Feb. 1, 2017, on TheHaystack.org My favorite way to solve anxiety is control.  Anxious?  Stressed?  Too much to deal with?  Just cross a few things off that list, get rid of that mess over there, cut off those people, get it under… control.  It makes perfect sense.  It seems so simple.  But it doesn’t work.  Why?  Because there will always be some new issue, demand or person to invade your control.  Oh, I’m not saying that good boundaries don’t help.  Those are very needed.  But in the grand scheme of things, if you’re relying on a smooth and controlled life in order to relax and not be anxious, you’re likely dreaming the impossible dream! In James 1:2-4 we read: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” This is not...

From Feb. 28, 2017 “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’’ ~1 Peter 4:8 This verse did not make sense to me.  Well, on one level it did: When we really love someone, we can choose to overlook their sins and shortcomings.  We can have grace with them.  But what does it really mean to “cover” someone’s sins?  This verse would make sense if it were talking about how God’s love covers sins – He has the power and right to forgive sins.  But the verse is in the context of our love for one another, not God’s love for us.  How does this make sense?  The last I checked, I don’t have the power to forgive sin! I still don’t claim to fully understand.  But I started thinking about who it is that’s writing this verse.  It’s Peter.  He’s quoting Proverbs 10:12. But Peter, if anyone, knew this verse by experience, not just head kn...

Originally published Sept. 5, 2016, on TheHaystack.org I’ve always been one with a lot of dreams in life – everything from changing the world for Jesus, to travelling the globe, to the million and one projects I’d love to do, to deeper things like being loved, secure and fulfilled.  I’d love to have it all in the idealistic world of Michelle. But maybe you, like me, have realized that not all our dreams come true in this life. Maybe it was the career you’ll never have due to an injury.  Maybe the future that’s not to be due to the death of a loved one.  Maybe it’s the romance that ended in spite of all the bright hope it seemed to hold.  Maybe you’ve made choices that you’re now paying the price for.  Maybe it’s just realizing that God’s plans for you might be different than the ones you had in mind. Whatever the case, the death of a dream isn’t easy.  It can be anywhere from slightly disappointing to earth-shatteringly devastating.  It’...

Originally published Feb. 29, 2016, on TheHaystack.org Well, Peyton Manning finally got his ring as over 111.9 million people put their best plans aside and tuned in to the Super Bowl a couple of weeks ago.  It’s the largest television event of our American year.  So large in fact that advertisers paid seemingly nonsensical amounts to have their message broadcast to that Super Bowl crowd.  How much exactly did these “prime” slots cost?  This year: up to $5 million dollars – for 30 seconds!  That’s up from the $4.5 million last year and up 75% since 2005 (according to Fortune magazine).  In fact, I know people who watched the Super Bowl just for these ads – they’re supposed to be that good!  And hey, if I was an advertiser paying $5 million for those few seconds, I’d certain as anything make sure they were good too. And now the Super Bowl is done, over, and old news.  Yet in the aftermath, a question still nags my mind:  how would I l...

From March 29, 2015 “To be honest, I really like being your friend and I think you’re great, but I don’t really expect much from you. I’m sorry….”    The statement could have offended me, but actually it didn't.  Because to tell the truth, I didn’t expect much either. I too have been disappointed a lot of times.  Call it the results of having to say goodbye too many times, difficult past experiences, or whatever, but as a result, I also find myself expecting little out of my friendships.  “Expectation is the root of all heartache,” said William Shakespeare.  And it makes so much sense.  Don’t expect much = don’t get disappointed much. Right?  But it's not really true. Whether we try to manage our expectations or not, something inside us still hopes, and something inside us is still disappointed.  Even if we say, "I knew this would happen," it still hurts.  No, just managing expe...