You made it! YAY! March 27, 2009

Welcome to our page! We’re so glad you decided to visit. Let me just say that the best way to read this blog is to progress by category. Jon and I are both posting in it, so keeping up on this page could be confusing as you skip between the two of us. We each have our own categories (including Mercy). To see all Jon’s posts, click on his category. To see mine, click on my categories. And of course, to read about Mercy, click on her category.

Also, check out our other pages. Leave any prayer requests in a message on our prayer request page, and check out the updates on the missionaries we support.

And of course, thank you for visiting!

ESV Bible Giveaway!! September 2, 2009

I am becoming a big fan of the ESV. Check this link out for a chance to win a nice calfskin ESV.

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

Cinnamalicious Cake July 19, 2009

I have been wanting to try something like this for a looooooong time, and tonight I went ahead and experimented. It is a delicious, moist, cinnamony bundt cake! I’m sure you could find something similar, but I came up with this on my own. I can’t give you more exact measurements for the Cinnamon because I don’t know them myself. I just add it until it looks like enough. If you don’t have a bundt cake pan, just use a regular 13×9 or two smaller pans.

Ingredients:
1 Box moist yellow cake mix (will also need water, oil, 3 eggs)
1 small box Jello cheesecake pudding mix
1 regular sized container of cream cheese frosting (or you can make your own, if you prefer)
Cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 Degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 12-cup bundt cake pan.
2. Mix cake mix as directed. Add the Jello mix to the batter and stir until blended.
3. Separate cake batter into two parts. Mix about 2-3 tablespoons of Cinnamon into one part.
4. Poor non-Cinnamon portion into the cake pan. Then poor Cinnamon portion over it, swirling it from side to side. Take a butter knife and swirl them together, but be careful not to mix too much.
5. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. While cake is baking, separate the frosting into two equal parts. Mix a tablespoon or two of Cinnamon into one portion, so it is really cinnamony.
7. When cake is finished, let it cool completely before decorating.

Decorating: I like to drizzle the frosting over the cake. You can make it look really cool and it’s easy to do. Just get two small plastic baggies, clip a small hole in a corner and poor your frosting in. Then just drizzle each one over the whole cake.

Let me know if you have any questions! If you try it, please let me know how it goes! I hope to add pictures soon.

To My Calvinist Friends on John Calvin’s 500 Birthday July 10, 2009

I was just going to post one thing, and that was:

MICHAEL SERVETUS!!

But then I figured that would only start a fire storm since Mr. Servetus’ execution is still such a controversial issue.

Therefore, I will just leave you with some Scripture.

I Corinthians 3:4-7 (ESV)

For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Discouragement June 25, 2009

Lately I have been very discouraged concerning the whole weight loss issue. Sometimes it seems like I’m on my way and going strong, other times it’s just a mountain to big to climb. I know I can’t do it on my own, but I still try. Of course I always fail when I don’t take it to the Lord. I have already discussed my convictions over my “you-should-help-me-because-I-deserve-it!” attitude, but it keeps coming back. Today I realized, as I was reading Jacob’s prayer before his reconciliation with Esau, that I really really DON’T deserve anything. Not only because I haven’t put as much work into is as I could, but also because I am a sinful wicked creature. God has already blessed me with so much, and here I am demanding the right to more?

Like Paul, I can’t stand that I keep ending up in this same place over and over and over. The wrong attitude that I hate is still the one that I keep struggling with. And the right attitude I desire continues to allude me. Right now I hate food. Sometimes I’m even afraid to eat, fearing that I won’t be able to stop once I start.

All I can do right now is take care of today. So far so good.

January 13, 2009 May 26, 2009

Dear Mercy,
Today we brought you home from the hospital. The past two days have been a blur. I liked having people that know what they are doing around to help with you. Sometimes you cry, and I simply don’t know what to do! I thought I knew a lot about babies, but now everything seems new and strange.

As we drove home in silence, our minds racing with questions and concerns, I couldn’t stop looking at you. I am still sore from the delivery, but you are so beautiful i drives all thoughts of the pain away. Your tiny fingers, your oversized big toes, and oh, that hair!!! I keep running my fingers through it. It’s amazing that such a little head can have so much! I makes you look very doll-like.

I keep running everything over in my mind; “Do we have enough diapers? Feed 15 minutes on each side every 2-3 hours. Her poo should be yellow within 5 days. Why hasn’t my milk come in yet! Is she getting enough to eat? Do we have enough diapers? What should she wear when grandmamma comes? Man, I am soooooo tired! Do we have enough diapers?”

Now you are sleeping and we are waiting for Daddy to get back from the airport with Grandmamma. The Coleys brought supper over. Our extended family from church has been so helpful and supportive. I can’t wait for you to meet them all! Grandmammo Stewart is coming to stay with us for a few weeks, and I am looking forward to showing you off

You’re so peaceful right now, my darling. I’m still scared and nervous, and anxious, but my heart is overflowing with love. You are so dear to me.

Love,
Mommy

January 11th May 21, 2009

Dear Mercy,

Today, my dearest thing, you were born. I hardly knew what to think of you when you came out. All those months of feeling you move inside me, and then there you were! This tiny bundle of motion and a head full of dark brown hair! Immediately your eyes shot open! I think you started looking around the room almost as soon as you started breathing on your own.

Your daddy is in awe of you. He was such a trooper throughout it all and now it seems so unreal that you are actually here! I have held you in my arms, and looked into your eyes. You’re already very strong. Your eyes are dark blue. Oh my angel! You are so beautiful! I feel as though I’m going to cry at any given moment. But that may just be from lack of sleep. Your daddy and I are both very very tired. Auntie Ruth too. She stayed to welcome you into this world.

We’re still a bit overwhelmed at the moment. It’s hard to believe you are ours, and that we are going to take you home with us to be a part of our family! I’m scared to death to be at home alone with you, but I’m excited to get to know you and cuddle with you for hours and hours.

Love,
Your Mommy

Forsyth Medical Center
Winston-Salem, NC
January 11, 2009

Cry me a river May 11, 2009

I’m such a girl some times. It really isn’t a misconception that girls cry a lot. Today, during my prayer time, I was thanking God for helping me lose 2lbs this week. I know I could not do it without His blessing on my efforts, and that he deserved all the praise and glory that comes from my success. As I prayed these emotions overwhelmed me, and I started to cry.

Now, I was raised as a tom boy. I’ve always been tough. Us New England women have always had to be tough, and I come from sturdy stock. But in recent years I am learning that it’s okay to cry. As a teacher, I cried over some of my students. Sometimes right in front of them! As a mother, sometimes my love for my daughter wells up within me, and I start to cry as I’m singing or playing with her. And as a friend, I’ve wept many times over the struggles and heartaches of those close to me.

But contrary to previous thinking, tears are not a sign of weakness. Sure they blur your makeup, but that’s what waterproof mascara is for, right ladies!? Tears are God’s gift to us to wipe the pain away, deal with feelings we can’t contain, and sympathize with others.

Now, I cry when I’m sad, embarrassed, extremely happy, mad, or just filled so full with an emotion taht my mind can’t stand it, and has to release some of those emotions as tears. I’m no longer ashamed of it. I welcome it.

Self exam May 6, 2009

Healthy living observations:

I want to start putting down some of the things I am learning along the way about living healthy and being happy. This is the first, because I think it is always the first step a person has to take when they want to start eating better and living a healthy lifestyle.

In this short essay I want to answer the question; “why do I eat like I do?” No healthy diet can start until you pinpoint the reasons for your eating disorders.

For me, food is comfort. A cure for boredom. I have found myself chewing something yummy before I even realized I was putting it in my mouth! When I feel sad, food makes me feel better. When I am mad, food calms me down. I have had this destructive relationship with food for my entire life, but I have not always overeaten. In fact, while in high school and college I typically ate LESS than my much thinner peers. Because of that, I came to feel like I deserved to be allowed to eat what I wanted, because I had suffered so much unfairly.

Understanding this about myself and my relationship to food, I am able to put myself on guard against the causes of my overeating and take precautions against them. Eating 6 small meals a day helps me control cravings because I always know there is a meal coming up soon. Keeping fruit, granola, and yogurt on hand are quick and sweet alternatives to help me deal with my emotional eating. I’ve also started trying to find other activities such as gardening, reading, and blogging to use an an output when I feel upset, angry, or tired.

Knowing why you eat the way you do is crucial to adapting your eating and activity habits for healthy living. You can’t change your ways if you don’t understand why you do what you do. I encourage you to look at what prompts you to eat. Is it emotions, stress, or do you just like the taste of yummy food? Know why you can’t control it and then takes steps to learn what you can do to change it.

~Marie

Down, down, down… May 4, 2009

Weekly weigh ins! YAY! I’m not going to put my actual weight. Not quite that brave yet, but I’m going to post how much I’ve lost each week here. I’m counting this as week one, because it is the first week we’ve had a reliable scale.

Week one: -1lb
___________________
Total weight loss: 1lbs

The thin line May 4, 2009

It’s hard to be selfish enough to lose weight, but in battles like these, you have to be a little selfish initially to be unselfish in the long run. If I want to be an example to my daughter and still be alive to see her grow up, I have to make my health a priority right now. If I want to be able to overcome these limitations that hinder my ministry to my family, friends, and church, then I have to talk about myself and where I am with other people. I have to let them encourage me, if I want to be able to encourage them.

I’ve never wanted to be skinny. Bones and veins popping out all over the place. I loath the modern misconceptions that skin and bones is the most beautiful a woman can be. My daughter will not grow up hating herself because she isn’t a size 0-4! I mean, how many of us can actually attain that, anyway? And how healthy would be really be if we did? But even though I don’t buy into all the Hollywood hype about what beauty is, I’ve always dreamed of looking good. It was always about looking good, being hot, being desirable…And I think, in the end, that is why I have always failed.

Part of me felt like I shouldn’t have to work twice as hard as everyone else to be even half as pretty. The unfairness was overwhelming, and I gave up before I even started. That, coupled with an intense fear of being laughed at, scorned, ridiculed, mocked, belittled, and made to feel worse by putting myself out there, kept me from succeeding in the thing I struggle with most of all. Because if you don’t put it on the line, at least you still have your dignity. Whatever else they throw at you, if your guard is up, they can’t take that away. I was SO worried about looking good, that I didn’t have the guts to make myself look bad in order to get the support I needed to achieve what I wanted.

Now, it’s about more than just looking good (though that would be a nice bonus). I want to be healthy. I don’t want to be diabetic. I don’t want to gain another 100lbs in the next 10 years. I want to be able to go hiking, skiing, and keep up with an active and healthy daughter. I want to be strong, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I want to honor God with my lifestyle habits. And to be all those things, I have GOT to overcome this log that is in my eye. I can never be the wife, mom, and friend that I should be until I do.

But I’ve learned that to become what I want to be, I have to put it all on the line; hold nothing back. It’s not just about appearance anymore. This is my life we’re talking about! So if you get tired of hearing about, then just stop listening. Because I’m not taking this off the front burner for a LOOOOOOOng time.