mrs.teten

2012-01-20T18:09:00.001-05:00

Homemade lemonade.

Fresh-squeezed

2012-01-20T18:08:00.001-05:00

This is our 6th year in Florida, and only our second year of taking full advantage of Florida citrus. It kind of helps that we know people with fruit trees now. We have been juicing the heck out of grapfruits, satsumas and Meyer lemons. Yum.

2012-01-06T16:45:00.001-05:00

Just spent the afternoon doing something I wanted to for months. I printed out tons of pictures this summer of memories from the past two years, as an application for the lesson in thankfulness the Lord had been teaching me. I wanted to create a wall in my house where I could look back on two years that often seem filled with disappointment, uncertainty and sometimes despair. While those years have held all those things, they have also held wonder, delight and some precious memories I am so thankful I have. I hesitated to put it up because sometimes I am lazy, and also because thankfulness can be hard. Yet in an attempt to not let the Eve inside of me win, I want to see the abundant garden God has graciously given me and not get stuck on the one thing He hasn't. Thank you Lord for my garden, sometimes I only see the wilderness.

Abraham Kuyper

2012-01-03T22:16:00.001-05:00

remembering and anticipating

2011-12-31T17:09:00.000-05:00

wanting to remember 2011 . . .

we bought our first home

I was blessed by a new group of women with shared life experiences

new deepening friendships

my best summer ever

John's life spared

we welcomed to new nieces

our southern road trip

lived with Amy

speaking at STP

speaking at our women's retreat

trip to Asheville, NC

trip to Athens, GA

trip to Louisville, KY

joined Christian Family Chapel

our first Christmas tree

our first fireplace

joining a Crop Share Association

my big sis graduating from PA school

surviving and accomplishing two months of gluten and dairy free

finishing our wedding album (5 years later)

looking forward to 2012 if the Lord wills . . .

starting it off with my birthday

John turns 30!!

John leading our region's Summer Training Program

celebrating 6 years of marriage

anticipating God's work and goodness to us

Maschhoff's visiting us

speaking at the Alabama Women's Retreat

caring about physical activity for the first time ever

projects, sewing, crafting, painting, decorating

planting some things

2011-12-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

2011-12-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

On every Merry Christmas, may our love of decor not stop at a tree but let our adorning be the hidden person of the heart, may our hunger not linger only on delicious treats but feast on evey word that comes from the mouth of the Lord, may our desire for fellowship not flourish only among our family gathered, but rest in our restored relationship with God Almighty because of His Son, may our delight in gifts lead us to remember and receive the Gift of Jesus, and may our festive singing be worship of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Merry Christmas.

2011-12-23T12:22:00.001-05:00

The winter wonderland outside, in Cloquet, MN.

2011-12-02T11:33:00.001-05:00

That which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To him. To the God whom we endlessly crave.

Ann Voskamp

birthday girl

2011-12-01T17:56:00.000-05:00

my dear, dear mother was born this day. she is a model of all models of a gentle and quiet spirit. she loves well. gives grace abundantly. and has sacrificed much out of the joy in her heart for her family. what a woman. happy birthday Mom!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-28T15:49:00.001-05:00

What a special time of year. We stopped on Thursday to give thanks to God for all that He is and does. On Friday we were given so much more to be thankful for.

John fell through our attic onto our garage floor while taking down christmas ornaments. His head was bleeding, but he was conscious. We took him to the ER and CT scan revealed his back had broken in his 11th vertebrae. Our Dr. said 50% of all 10ft falls are fatal. We were sent home with various meds to help John cope.

Today we saw a Neuro surgeon for his back. With rest and a back brace John should be healed in two or three months! The surgeon said he has seen cases like this were the people don't make it. And here, by God's grace, John is walking around, pretty dizzy and stiff. But he is alive. He is well. Lord willing he will heal. So humbled that every breath is given by God. And thankful for God having more in store for John here on earth! Praises be to His name. As for me and my house, we will praise the Lord!

2011-11-24T13:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is enjoying there special familes wherever you are. Mine happens to be with me, having a Florida thanksiving.

Pre Thanksgiving Ministry Dinner

2011-11-18T17:39:00.001-05:00

We had 11 freshman students over for our regular bible study with a thanksgiving dinner twist. Between John, Amy and I we pulled off a holiday tradition a week early. And would you believe that one of our students whose family doesn't really celebrate Thanksgiving had his first traditonal meal in our home! I feel privileged to have fed him. We are not ready for the real show down next thursday. My fam is in town from Colorado and Arizona. I just cannot wait. And yes! Thats a 20 pounder.

2011-11-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

I just picked up our first organic share of vegetables. Yum. This week we have cucumbers, bok choy, arugula, lettuces, chinese spinach, radishes, zucchini, yum yum peppers, eggplant and a basil plant. Now its time to eat more salads than ever, get creative and chow down. Anyone have ways they use bok choy in everyday recipes? Bring on the vitamins and folic acid.

2011-11-06T16:08:00.000-05:00

I saw on instagram the great idea of covering a foam pumpkin with paper. I finally did it while watching football with John yesterday. I used scriptures instead of any old book and picked ones that describe my great Lord or what He has done for me. It will encourage me abd my family towards gratitude for years to come.

2011-11-05T12:42:00.000-04:00

If I had a dollar for everytime someone told me how good my husband was at a game, let's just say I wouldn't be trying to win free chick-fil-a for a year.

will be eating more chikin

2011-11-03T17:43:00.000-04:00

Two new random facts about me. I have consumed chick-fil-a for breakfast lunch and dinner in one day. And I have lived in a chick-fil-a parking lot ofr 24 hrs.

Proud to know me? I thought so.

John, Amy, I and four of the UNF Navigators participated in our first "first 100" grand chick-fil-a opening. We camped out and won free chick-fil-a for a year! It was pretty memorable.

Tents, naps, balderdash, dancing, four square and chicken. This describes our last 24 hrs. We are glad to be back to real life now. :)

2011-10-31T19:59:00.001-04:00

John and I signed up for a organic crop share at a local farm. We start picking up our vegestables in two weeks, but we got to visit the farm this weekend for a tour, bean and pea picking and a potluck. So fun to see where our food will grow and taste off-the-plant goodness. Plenty of food picks along with new recipes to come!

chicken and dumplings

2011-10-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

here is the recipe for the yummy meal we had on Sunday. I used a chicken breast rather than the skinned chicken pieces it asked for. And I just used one, the recipe calls for 4 pounds of chicken. I am using much less meat in our meals these days and it was a great ratio for us.

good weekend

2011-10-24T16:28:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was so full and wonderful. Both John and I had the opportunity to speak at different retreats one for the women and one for the men of our region's ministries, 100ish at both. We got to bring carloads of our students along with us. We got to exhort our college friends with the word of God.

We also got to see an old friend. Bring a new friend to church. Found out our new friend trusted Christ for her salvation, rightousness and eternity. And lay around all day Sunday watching football. Our team won. Barely, but still. We watched in sweat pants. And I tried my hand at a chicken and dumpling recipe. Yum. Thats all. Just wonderful.

warms your mouth and belly

2011-10-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

tried this recipe for slow cooker red beans and rice, yum! Worth a shot in your crock pot this weekend!

2011-10-15T23:22:00.001-04:00

I love this man so much. This week's date night included burgers and wine on the beach. It was so refreshing to be with him. John is such an encouragement, a true joy to my heart, a delight to my eyes and still butterflies to my stomach. I am so thankful for the Lord's abundantly gracious love toward me that He would give John to me.

our weekend

2011-10-10T14:39:00.000-04:00

a few weeks ago we came up with the great idea of taking our students camping. It was a great idea until fierce winds and spotty rain showers forced us to cancel. We tried though. A few of us went out during the day and braved the winds on the beach for a whole 30 minutes before turning around. Instead we played games at our house and built a white-trash makeshift fire in our backyard complete with cinder blocks and dead branches from our yard.

the fire got us in the mood for using our fireplace. we put on shorts on our date night and enjoyed the fire for all of 5 minutes. You see, Florida doesn't start selling firewood until around christmas.

Our Jacksonville friends invited us to the Jaguars game on Sunday. It was my first pro football experience. The rain held off to give us pretty perfect weather and there was enough people watching for me to do when I wasn't game watching. Oops. You see, there was a what looked like a first date couple in front of us. Which is more interesting, really? Unfortunately, the Jags lost, even with all of my attention and cheering. But we are thankful for cooler weather, games, fires and friends.

2011-09-29T12:45:00.001-04:00

so thankful for the truth of God's Word.

a new journal

2011-09-16T13:21:00.001-04:00

Does anyone else who keeps a journal have a hard time writing on the first page? I have such hesitation staring at the first blank page that my natural instinct is to turn the page so my first words would be hidden behind the first page. Because what if my penmanship is poor the first page? I will have to see that every subsequent day. Do I begin with cursive? What if I want to switch to print? What I write in the first lines could be too telling. What if someone mistakingly claims it and reads a few words before realizing their error? I don't want the tone of the first page to set the pace for everything else, I want to wait for the right tone-setter. So I leave the first page blank, so there is room to write the perfect thing later. To make it look pretty. To not waste anything. Because a journal is a year-long comittment for me, here's to second pages.

the great indoors

2011-09-11T21:38:00.000-04:00

this weekend has been a delight. Although we have been up to our ears in paint (a LONG kitchen cabinet project that I started in May, I don't want to talk about it) we have been able to sneak in some relaxation. Leave it to football and temporary low temperatures to get this girl into the fall mode. I know, football? Me? its not the watching of the game, but the sounds of football in the background while I do something else that is so soothing.

We made chicken noodle soup and chili, put out some delicious smelling candles and I even did some crafting. That might be why I love fall so much. It ushers in a season of nestling inside and eating comfort food. I love being inside. I am one of the weirdos who grew up in Colorado and somehow does not like to hike. Call me lame, call me lazy, but I call me a lover of my home, wherever that is, a temporary summer dwelling in the smoky mountains, a small apartment in the semi-ghetto or our new home.

So to marry some of my favorite things, fall and food, Amy introduced me to the most delicious cookie I have ever had. Its a family recipe. The cookie is so moist its like cake. And its not too sweet, don't let the icing fool you. Its enough to make you want a fourth.

So here it is

-----------------------------------------------------

Mom's Pumpkin Cookies

Sift together:
   2 cups sifted flour
   1 tsp. baking powder
   1 tsp. baking soda
   1 tsp. cinnamon
   1 tsp. salt

Blend in 1 cup of shortening (Amy used butter, and accidentally cut it in half and they were amazing). Add 1 cup of pumpkin, 1 egg, and 1 cup of sugar. Mix well.

Add 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup pecans, and one cup chopped dates or raisins (we were out of raisins and Amy must have not been interested in the dates)

Bake 10-12 minutes. Frost with caramel frosting

Mom's Never Fail Caramel Frosting:

   1 cup brown sugar
   5 Tbsp butter
   1/4 cup milk (as more as needed)

Boil. Take off heat and add 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat with egg beater. If its too thick, add cream.

there is a first for everything

2011-09-04T15:27:00.000-04:00

John and I were delighted to kick off the year with the very first NavNight at UNF! John set a perfect tone for our ministry. We want to glorify God, grow spiritually, share the gospel and make generations of Christ-following laborers.

Look who has joined us!

2011-09-01T00:02:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I got lucky and traveled to AZ to watxh my sis become a PA MMS.
The weekend was full of good company, good food and all that makes up my sis and her husbands fun and full life.
And I got to eat froyo with my very great friend Becca, who happens to live in small little Gilbert AZ as well. What a lucky gal I am.
And look at this line of beauty I call family. Love you. And April, I am SO proud of you. You can check my moles anytime.

2011-08-25T20:54:00.000-04:00

Has anyone else around these parts had a hard time finding a decaf worth drinking at starbucks? No? I am the only one who worries about such things? While most people are trying to get their kids to bed at night or get to bed early for tomorrows big day, I am left wondering what to drink.

Well i was honest one day with my local barista. Starbucks doesn't brew decaf past 10 in the morning? Can anyone explain? And if anyone has had a decaf americano, well he. You know its disappointment in a cup. So the friendly barista whipped up a quad decaf for me. Which is 4 shots of decaf espresso topped with a bit of hot water, add a splash of half and half and you have got a buttery smooth and rich drink. Just in time for beddy bye. Which is what i am drinking before my 4 hour flight to AZ.

Can anyone else tell that traveling without the hubs is quite boring?

2011-08-25T20:25:00.001-04:00

Purity means freedom from contamination, from anything that would spoil the taste or the pleasure, reduce he power, or in any way adulterate what the thing was meant to be.
Elisabeth Elliot.

2011-08-24T13:12:00.000-04:00

Today is a day of doc appointments so John and I treated ourselves to Angie's Subs out at Jax beach. We have survived the first days of school with both of us feeling a little under the weather. I am not sure if our bodies are just now catching up to us or if we shook too many germy hands on freshman move in day.
Hopefully I feel better because tomorrow I leave to see my big sis graduate from PA school in AZ. And hopefully John feels better because there will be no one to care for his sniffles. In critical news: John is wearing a new shirt that I find him irresistable in. :)

2011-08-22T17:17:00.000-04:00

For until men recognize that they owe everything to God, that they are nourished by His fatherly care, that He is the Author of their every good, that they should seek nothing beyond Him-- they will never yield Him willing service. Nay, unless they establish their complete happiness in Him, they will never give themselves truly and sincerely to Him.

-- John Calvin

two brand new loves

2011-08-19T18:20:00.000-04:00

Hello friends who read my blog.

I have been introduced through some friends to the wonderful site, pinterest.com. It is a virtual pinboard of all the things that inspire you, things you want to remember, ideas etc. And once I got the hang of it, I LOVE it. Who does not like to keep all the pretty things they find on the world wide web in one place? And I can see what my friends think is really pretty too. My usernames is mrsteten. shocked I am sure. But check it out if you want.

AND then, through a pinterest link, I found this site just last night, and FELL. IN. LOVE. A cute woman started her own vintage clothing and home goods store and has a blog about it called a beautiful mess. She includes oh-so-needed info, like how to pinroll your hair in the cutest way ever or how to DIY lace briefcase, pictured above. Of course!

Hope you enjoy these to time wasters as much as I have.
Love,
Melissa

2011-08-19T09:17:00.001-04:00

Freshman move in day at UNF. Can you see how pumped we are? Pray if you would!

2011-08-16T22:39:00.001-04:00

Amy and I headed to the beach today. It was a perfect combination of sun, breeze and ocean. Maybe too much sun, I am a little pink. We only listen to depressing singer songwriter types so the only semi-pumped music we had in the car was Michael Jackson, so . . .

2011-08-15T17:27:00.002-04:00

I finally caved. Here are the pics of God's home that He gave us. I have been so hesitant because I want to post it in all its glory. But any homeowner could have told me, the glory never arrives. There will always be three things I would do in any room to put our stamp on this house. But I am more than pleased with it already. And John's youngest sister, Amy, will be living with us for a year!

2011-08-15T17:24:00.003-04:00

2011-08-15T17:24:00.001-04:00

John's office/ my fav room in our house/ the lodge/ the study/ the library
In a few months you will find me by the fire with a pumpkin latte

2011-08-15T17:23:00.002-04:00

2011-08-15T17:23:00.001-04:00

2011-08-15T17:22:00.010-04:00

my office/ guest accommodations/ future nursery if God wills.
this is the house we prayed for. no pics of the kitchen yet. it truly is a disaster as we try to put our stamp on it.

2011-08-15T17:22:00.009-04:00

Amy's room.

2011-08-15T17:22:00.007-04:00

our love nest.

2011-08-15T15:10:00.001-04:00

steadfastness, that is holding on;
patience, that is holding back;
expectancy, that is holding the face up;
obedience, that is holding one's self in readiness to go or do
listening, that is holding quiet and still so as to hear

S.D. Gordon
Quiet Talks on Prayer

2011-08-09T22:29:00.001-04:00

Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes one's thoughts. It is easy to talk oneself into a decision that holds no permanence-- easier sometimes than waiting patiently.

Elizabeth Elliot

2011-08-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?

Dueteronomy 4:7

2011-07-29T09:05:00.001-04:00

The summer is coming to a close. We are preparing to say goodbye to our friends and gear up for the fall semester to start in a few weeks. It has been unbelievable to see God at work in 130 lives, including mine. I am leaving with treasures God has given me from my time with Him from His word. This was a training prgram for me too.
I have learned a lot of my experiences in ministry this summer, mostly by watching others love people well. And I am thankful for the ministry I work for. The Navigators have been a huge agent of blessing in my life. I can't wait to see what God has planned next.

2011-07-18T15:07:00.000-04:00

God was so good to give us an overnight escape to do what we LOVE to do. Eat and explore places to eat.

While in asheville we ate delicious meals and walked around until we were ready for another delicious meal. With a glass of wine or a sipping chocolate in between. We split most things, just so you don't think we are glutons, just half glutons.

And when we were tired of eating and walking we set up our double eno for a nap in the park! It was so special to experience it all with my best friend. Thanks Lord.

2011-07-15T21:35:00.001-04:00

My first sipping chocolate did not disappoint. Cayenne & Cinnamon liquid truffle. A french press was to wash it down.

2011-07-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

We have the opportunity to get away tonight. So we are headed to Asheville NC where we will eat our way through the city. And stop and take pics along the way.

2011-07-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

I took the three women I am discipling this summer on an adventure. We took pictures in fields of wild flowers, picked berries and then floated down the lazy river at the local water park. Day well used I say.

2011-07-05T09:22:00.001-04:00

The power of prayer cannot be diminished by distance, it is not limited by age, infirmity, political changes or restrictions. The power of prayer in the life of an obedient Christian can only be undermined by neglect.

David Bentley-Taylor

2011-07-01T11:09:00.000-04:00

ok, fine. I confess. The only thing I am cooking these days are Pioneer Woman recipes. Its not that I am PW snob. Its not that I go to her site to decide what to make for dinner. Its that every time I browse, I am forced to cook something because it looks so dang tasty. Its not really a choice.

And PW does not disappoint. This soup is a bit spicy and I love it. But it does call for some major simmer time that I cut in half due to lack of planning, impatience, and stomach growls. This meal we enjoyed with some friends visiting the training program, Ben and Caryn! Thanks friends for taking a chance with my cooking and for great conversation.

2011-07-01T11:03:00.001-04:00

So thankful that this summer means more time with fam while we work. With one brother and sis-in-law 40 minutes away and another sister at the training program, we have gotten some sweet, but short bonding time in. Thanks Lord.

the pioneer woman seals the deal

2011-06-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

There are few recipes that appear on The Pioneer Woman's blog that I do not drool over a little and think of an excuse to make.

This pork sandwich with cilantro jalapeno slaw was no exception. We ate it last night with our siblings, Amy, David and Pamela. Yum!

It is spicy pork that is cooked in Dr. Pepper and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. My only recommendation would be to buy the precut slaw bag. Cutting cabbage into thin slices might be impossible.

2011-06-26T10:42:00.001-04:00

We spend a good part of our week one on one with students. Sharing about life. Praying. Soaking in God's words. And of course sipping coffee. This summer just means we get to do it overlooking lush green mountains.

2011-06-24T12:51:00.001-04:00

Earlier this summer we invited all the women of the program to join us for some worship and karaoke. With a trip to the thrift store in between.
Here is one of my fav team looks: jean jumper homeschool moms. (self-titled)
So fun.

2011-06-17T22:40:00.001-04:00

I still cannot believe this was the setting for bible study this week. Shade. Breeze. Trees. Iced Coffee. Cows. What else might we need? Amazing.

2011-06-10T19:21:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day of work at Dollywood for most of the 150 students in our training program. Look at those dresses and smiling faces after long hours of work in the summer heat.

2011-06-08T08:38:00.000-04:00

Enough said!

Shepherdess

2011-06-02T17:30:00.001-04:00

This summer I have been given the gift of shepherding 17 women. They will have other older women pouring into them this summer, so they are not limited to me. But its my privilege to know them, serve them, and care for them this summer.
Each of these 17 women have teams of three to four younger college student women. They lead them for the next 8 weeks of the program. We are so thankful that older students are willing to serve he younger students. To thank them we gave them small gifts. Which meant I had an excuse to find 17 cuter than cute aprons to remind them to serve.

fireflies

2011-06-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

God is so creative and loves beautiful things. I was able to witness something I have never seen before a couple of days ago. Apparently there is a specific type of firefly species that mates for two weeks in early summer. What is special about this species is that part of the mating process is synchronizing themselves to light up all at once, then stop, then light up all at once again. Its like natures christmas tree. There are only two places where you can see this happen, about 30 minutes from where we are living this summer and somewhere in China!

So we took about 12 women to see it happen. We drove into the Smoky Mountain National Park and started walking a trail as the last bits of light were fading. We could see a few fireflies light up. But as we laid out our blankets and waited, slowly more and more started lighting up the forest. It was so unreal, one of the girls said she felt like she was in an enchanted forest. I was so excited that God had created such a treat! We spent most of our evening singing praises to our Heavenly Father and thanking Him for it all. A few other spectators even joined us in singing a few songs. :)

Pigeon Forge

2011-05-25T20:37:00.001-04:00

We just arrived in Pigeon Forge. Our home away from home for the summer. This summer we will host around 140 college students in the Smoky Mountains. They will work at Dollywood theme park, live in a hotel, and be involved in intense bible study, evangelism and discipleship training for 8 weeks.
This blog is about to become a whirlwind of random pictures, stories from PG Las Vegas and mountain adventures. Here we go!

Melissa

5 years baby!

2011-05-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

Today I celebrated the fifth year of marital bliss with Mr. Teten. We had brunch at our favorite local restaurant, went to a nursery and dreamed of future gardening, drove up the coast to a cute little town to walk around, read at a coffee shop and have dinner, and stopped on the drive home at the beach for the sun setting, more reading and watermelon for dessert. What made the day special was spending it with my best friend. I love him. He surprises me, holds my hand when I need him to, gives me butterfly kisses (don't tell him I told you so) and I even love the way his deodrant smells. The Lord gave me a great thing when He gave me John. I CANNOT wait to see what the next five years will bring.

2011-05-20T18:39:00.000-04:00

One of fav things about summers in Jax is movies at the beach. A little picnic, a little wine, a little sea breeze and a classic movie.
This time we even invited friends into our little secret.

anniversary

2011-05-20T15:37:00.001-04:00

tomorrow we celebrate the 5 year mark. This adorable card was sent to us from John's mom and I needed everyone to see it. More tomorrow about the love of my life. :)

in love

2011-05-17T17:48:00.001-04:00

I have discovered some new things to eat! I had no shortage to begin with, but I am trying a whack diet to see if I have any food intolerances. So I have been gluten, dairy, sugar and depending on the day caffeine, chocolate and alcohol-free for almost three weeks. As a friend in town put it, its basically a food-free diet. Or a convenient-free diet. So I have been making yummy smoothies with spinach, drinking almond milk and eating more corn tortillas than I ever wanted to.
BUT . . . I have discovered a new convenient friend called Larabar. They are gluten, dairy and soy free and are usually made from three ingredients, totally raw. And after all that they manage to be yummy. They have flavors like coconut creme pie and banana bread. Come on! And to my delight I learned they are as cool as I am because they originated in Colorado! Thanks Larabar, for meeting my needs right when I was crying into my only-thing-I-can-eat-on-the-menu-yet-no-nutritional-value-iceberg-salad. I think a blueberry muffin is calling my name.

here she is!

2011-05-15T17:02:00.001-04:00

Our floor is in the finishing stages. We finished the boards at 4am this morning and we could not be happier to say goodbye to the glue and trowel.

2011-05-14T10:41:00.001-04:00

men at work

2011-05-14T10:40:00.000-04:00

We are laying (glueing) a wood (bamboo) floor down in our house. Wood floors was on the bonus list for us when we were house shopping. And because the previous owners had a kitty who littered in the hall closet, we are getting our bonus wood, for free.
It is, however, costing us much labor. In order to get sweet floors withing our flooring allowance we decided to put them in ourselves. Let me rephrase that, we decided John would do it. And his brother arrived just in time to get them started.

We bought face masks and protection glasses for the sawdust, but as is common around here, we couldn't find them when we needed them. So bandanas and sunglasses it was. I call them rogue carpenters.
David was a mighty help, but I think John got used to being able to bounce ideas off of someone right next to him. I have never heard John talk to himself more than this week. Its a constant stream of "oh thats true" and " yeah, I guess you're right". He is getting a good laugh out of it too. He just told me that he has started pep talking his tools: "you're really coming through today screw."
The best is when he has fit something perfectly and says something like "whats up now?" or "yeah baby" with a whistle. But the ultimate was when, to his own surprise, after cutting and fitting a board perfectly he yelled out "There is no Santa Claus!" Why? We are just not sure.

it is the Lord's

2011-05-10T00:08:00.000-04:00

Last night we dedicated our house to God. John's brother and his sweet wife were here to help us get our house in order. Before we started we spent the evening writing verses, prayers and praises to God on the our bare concrete subfloor. We each silently asked God to fulfill His word in specific ways in this home. And then we shared some of what we wrote and why. Finally, we prayed together to give the house back to the Lord, for His purposes and glory. It was pretty emotional for all of us as we imagined what God might do the years we occupy the home, the lives changed in our living room, the meals shared, the protection needed from the enemy, and the worship of God.
May this be the foundation of our home.

Thankful Things

2011-05-07T17:58:00.000-04:00

It is hard to be away from family, especially on special days like mother's day. My mom deserves the honor and attention and pampering that come with the celebration. She has been such an example to me of a patient, honest, loving and sacrificial mom. I am so thankful for the woman she is and the relationship we have today. This photo was taken on my parent's honeymoon I believe. If you look close enough you can see the sparkle in her eye that was one day to be me. :)

On this day she had no idea she would be the mother of three. She is so young and hip in this picture. I wish she had saved all her late seventies clothes for me. And I love her wild hair, somehow my hair is neither thick nor curly. Bummer. Maybe my kids will have better luck.

Well, Mom, I hope you enjoy your picnic tomorrow. And I wish I was there with you! I would make you seven layer dip (with no beans of course) and then ask you to search our basement one last time for that yellow tank top.

wiith a lotta love,
Melissa

2011-04-28T22:54:00.001-04:00

We closed today! Let the people rejoice we did it. And we also happened move out of our apartment and into our home today! I am SO tired. And SO thankful. I will post pics of today and share more later. Hooray!

Waiting . . .

2011-04-26T14:08:00.001-04:00

We were scheduled to close last wednesday. 6 days later and we don't even have a date set to close. That is how unsure our lender is on when they will get their paperwork together. Shouldn't closing on a home be a little more seamless? This is their profession for crying out loud. We wont even mention the fact that they might have lost our paperwork three weeks ago, I say might because they haven't fessed up to it. They just wanted us to sign those 40 some papers twice?

2011-04-24T11:45:00.000-04:00

Praise be to the only God! He has provided perfect righteousness and payment for sins in His Son Jesus! Thank you Jesus for living perfectly for me, dieing for me and changing my heart of stone into a heart of flesh.

thankful things

2011-04-23T13:18:00.001-04:00

One thing we knew in Gainesville. We did not do a good iob of building close relatuonships with our friends in town. Sometimes we even wondered if we had them. We were surrounded by awesome students who did become friends. And our church and staff family were a great network of friends. But outside of work? Peers? . . . (cricket sounds).

We moved to Jacksonville knowing we wanted friends. And Jacksonville has been anything but lonely. There have been so many connections with people throughout the city. And we have made friends! Praise the Lord!
Two of those friends are pictured here. They don't know I took this picture on our last doublie-do date. Sharlie will know once she hops over here to catch up on all things Teten.
We are blessed by them. They are our peers and are not on Navigator staff, already we are off to a good start. He loves sports! She bakes bread!
Even more they share a love for Jesus, are like-hearted and can sympathize with us in our stage of life! I am thankful that Jesus has friends for us along the way of painful seasons who can cry with us, pray with us and play ticket to ride with us.

2011-04-22T19:31:00.001-04:00

What do you do when its friday and all your stuff is packed in boxes because you were supposed to move on thursday and you have found out that theres no chance you are moving until monday or tuesday or wednesday?
You spend your day at the pool. And then begrudgingly start unpacking because you need to eat, and you need pans and plates and forks and salt, which are all in different boxes. Humphfff.

a delightful surprise

2011-04-18T22:23:00.001-04:00

We had dinner reservations at the melting pot tonight because we were
taking advantage of their free cheese fondue promotion. To my
surprise, John told me once seated that he intended to order a full
four courses in celebration of our first year of ministry in
Jacksonville! What a man I married. We talked about what we will
remember about this year, about our new house (closing on Wednesday,
Lord willing), and about our last dinner together at Melting Pot,
November of 2005, after John propsed to me. That dinner five plus
years ago was also filled with excitement and anticipation as we
dreamt in our private dining room about the future. About dates,
places, guests . . . I called myself Melissa Teten out loud, and only
took my eyes off John long enough to look at the sparkling ring he had
just placed on my finger.
Memories.

flop

2011-04-16T22:42:00.001-04:00

I have never practiced labeling things I put in the refrigerator or freezer. Tonight proved why that is a good idea. Our pot pie's flaky crust turned out to be sugar cookie.

thankful things

2011-04-16T13:26:00.001-04:00

To John,
I am thankful for you! I am thankful that you love me so well. I am so very thankful for your commitment to Christ and leading our family to follow closely after Him. You have been a solid comfort to me. And you are the only one I want to live this life with, with all its blessings and afflictions. And I am thankful that I can beat you every once in a while at Words.
Love,
the wife of your youth

2011-04-10T20:55:00.000-04:00

Sitting outside at night in 80 degree weather with my husband listening to music by candlelight. Playing words with husband (an app). A delightful sunday.

2011-04-06T22:42:00.000-04:00

we just heard that the whole A/C unit is being replaced in our house. At no cost to us. Because of new requirements in Duval County the old system was not up to par. Hooray for God providing for us in a crazy weird way. Who knew how long the old system would have lasted?

2011-04-04T10:04:00.001-04:00

timeless truth

2011-04-02T16:54:00.027-04:00

Yesterday John and I had the privilege to join other Florida Navigator colleagues and listen to Jerry Bridges teach on trusting God. If you are unfamiliar with Jerry Bridges, he has been serving on Navigator staff for 50 years, he is currently 81 and still working, serving the Lord. He served in the Navy as an officer in the Korean War before joining The Navigator work. He has written 17 fabulous, time and truth-tested books. The Pursuit of Holiness, Trusting God, Respectable Sins and The Gospel for Real Life to name my favorites.

I needed to hear what he had to say yesterday. Trusting God, he said, can be harder than obeying God. Often obedience is clear because scripture is clear about commands to obey. But trusting God can be harder because we do not know what God has planned for our lives, even tomorrow is a blur.

A helpful truth that he communicated was God’s control over EVERYTHING. I want to blame. I want to blame myself, others, choices, timing and anything else I can get my hands on when my life is not written how I dreamed it would. Blame rests on someone who has done something wrong, and I cannot say God has done anything wrong. He is purely and always GOOD. Despite the circumstances or the presence of blessing, He is good. He is good because He is good, not because of the "good" He gives us.

The way certain circumstances in my life are playing out may be a disappointment to me, but to God it is pleasing. He sees the whole picture. And I am not forgotten. Details of the past few years have made me feel forgotten, by God mostly. But when everything and everyone else seem to move forward, I feel stuck, left behind, forgotten. Thankfully Jerry pointed us to verses where God states He cannot forget me.

In all of this there is purpose. And it is not for me to know or be able to explain. It is for God to carry out and fulfill.

It has been made very clear that I am weak. I have proven over and over that I am not able to do what I want, when I want it and how I want it. My heart aches with this realization. But God's power is made perfect in my weakness. Will I trust Him with this weakness?

2011-03-30T12:37:00.001-04:00

There are 101 downsides to being a one-car fam. An upside today was having a spontaneous lunch date eating Publix samples while we waited for our oil change.

Inspection

2011-03-28T14:27:00.001-04:00

We just left our house from the inspection. And most everything looks great. A few repairs to be made here and there, all things the seller will do beforehand. HOWEVER the A/C compressor was stolen since the last time we were in the house. Apparantly thievery is common in vacant houses. So it stinks for the seller, sweet for us because their insurance will cover the cost of a new one. The olderish A/C has been in the back of our minds as something we migt have to fix in the next couple of years. Now, we don't have to.
And our inspector gadget friend has become our go-to man for advice on our home as we make changes, repairs and mistakes.
Now I can't wait. Let me in. Give me the keys. I am ready.

27 days until closing.

2011-03-24T10:34:00.000-04:00

there is not much to share on the home front. We have just been signing whatever our realtor, bank and lawyer send us. Yikes!

But we have been thinking about how to use our carpet allowance. We have a certain amount of money the seller has agreed to pay in order to redo the floors. This is because they had a cat whose litter box was in a hall closet. Yucko man. Who would put urine and feces in a small, unventilated area meant for coats?
So what do we do? Carpet? Part carpet part laminate floors? Laminate floors instead of the tile in the kitchen? Can we install laminate on our own? Is it worth paying someone else to sweat and swear their way through it? Who knows. If you have any thoughts please feel free to share.

the inspection is scheduled for monday. You may join us in praying God would protect us financially!

coffeecube follow up

2011-03-22T11:55:00.001-04:00

my little effort is paying off. the cute little coffee hearts are chilling my iced coffee and not watering it down.

after church picnic along the river

2011-03-20T17:33:00.002-04:00

we had errands to run today so John packed us a lunch before church. we found a park with this charming view of the st. john's river. i am thankful for today.

spring break

2011-03-18T14:34:00.001-04:00

Its spring break for UNF students. That means time to fundraise for us. We took a mini trip back to gainesville to see some people. And I am sitting in places I used to spend hours upon hours with girls. We would read the bible together, pray for our friends and family, cry over broken relationships and build memory upon memory over cups of coffee. I miss those girls. But they are doing what we prepared them to do. Live in the world, work among peers and walk alongside people loving them and caring for them in the name of Christ. I want them to spend hours with other young women, showing them the riches that are in Christ that they have seen for themselves.

And I start fresh, with new, young, sweet girls who need to be shown the love of Christ and the freedom that comes from trusting in Him for salvation. I get four years with them, Lord willing, to stuggle our way through growing pains, asking God to make Himself known. This is a bitterSWEET calling. Some days its too much to handle, and others its too wonderful to imagine anything else.

in honor of some dear and precious friends

2011-03-17T15:57:00.001-04:00

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep, loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."

--Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

no fun

2011-03-15T17:30:00.001-04:00

What's the fun in buying a house? At first, none. All you do is sign and initial this and sign and date that. Addendum yours, addendum mine. Please scan and email your life and while your at it, fax your first child to us too, ASAP, time is of the essence.

When do we get the keys bro?

accepted

2011-03-14T12:00:00.001-04:00

Our second offer was accepted on Saturday! What? We kind of own a house if the appraisal and inspection go well. We are very excited about it all. And we are already learning how to dream but expect reality to kick in when it comes to updating the house.

Thanks for praying with us. We trust God, not our decision-making skills, not our realtor, and not the bank. The Creator of the Universe is sufficient for us.

waiting

2011-03-11T09:24:00.001-05:00

Writing up the offer went well yesterday. It was surreal to throw around huge-to-us numbers like it was no big deal. So we wait today to hear back from the seller. Oddly enough this is the easiest thing I have waited for in years. Maybe because I don't forsee all possible complications, maybe because waiting a day is nothing in my book anymore, or maybe I have learned by now that nothing is in my hands. This is completely out of our control, considering God who already owns that house.
Update sure to come soon.

tomorrow!

2011-03-09T23:09:00.000-05:00

We are putting an offer in tomorrow. Can you believe it? I can't. These two slow movers are picking up the pace.

Until then, here is what I am dreaming and scheming FOR MY VERY FIRST HOUSE

from DecorPad

from Hardwareisle

from Holly Mathis Interiors

secrets out . . . I LOVE BEADBOARD. I would put it everywhere if that were not OVERboard. We will probably play it safe and go the dining room route, but don't tempt me, or you will see it in our closets too.

where our heart might be

2011-03-08T22:24:00.002-05:00

We are ankle deep in the process of owning our very first home! We have been tossing around the idea of buying a home for years and it might be time to take this bull by the horns. We barely stepped into this house before I started mentally arranging our furniture in the rooms, painting the walls and watching, God-willing, our kids run around the corner of the hallways.
So here goes, two non-commital, easy-going, slow decision-makers are about to take the Jacksonville housing market by storm.
Melissa

Good to the last drop

2011-03-07T13:57:00.001-05:00

What did you do with the last cold drops of this mornings brew? I put mine in tiny ice cube trays to freeze and use later in my iced coffee. It will take a couple of mornings to make a glass-worth, but I am giving it a shot. No pun intended, but appreciated once I realized it.

almond butter

2011-03-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

Totally worth its $4 weight. Delicious. Sounds healthy with that flax and omega talk. And its not too hard to stir, being natural and all. All I need now is a TJ nearby.

date night

2011-02-26T12:05:00.001-05:00

John and I enjoyed an evening in San Marco Square, a quaint nook of Jacksonville. It has beautiful homes along the river and has this cute little square filled with eateries and shops.
We never pay to see movies in a theatre, but we couldn't resist the historical theatre showing the Kings Speech. The theatre was built in the 40s and serves beer and wine. Certain to be a place we take visitors! So come visit!

Sunday

2011-02-21T17:01:00.001-05:00

After a few days in a town so wonderfully hip but not our own and hours of driving around jacksonville homes we can afford but wouldn't dare buy . . . A girl needs the beach: free and in the town she lives!