An excerpt from "Biblical Womanhood In The Home" Nancy Leigh Demoss- Editor

(Luke 1:26-38) -The significance of Mary's life was not based on any of the things our world values so highly-background, physical beauty, intelligence, education, natural gifts and abilities. It was Mary's relationship to Jesus that gave her life significance. We would not be reading this account today if it were not for the fact that she was related to Jesus. "The Lord is with you" the angel said. That is what made all the difference in this young woman's life. And it is what makes all the difference in our lives. You don't have to have exceptional gifts, talents, abilities, or connections. God specializes in using ordinary people whose limitations and weaknesses make them ideal showcases for His greatness and glory.
(I Corinthians 1:26-29)

Regardless of how ordinary and "unqualified" we may be, all of us as children of God can walk with Him and be used by Him-not because we are inherently significant, but because of our relationship with Christ. Our true identity is not found in a job, a mate, a child, a position, or a possession. It is our connection to the Lord Jesus Christ that gives our lives value and significance and makes us usable in His Kingdom.

At least 12 couples and at least 30 kids, that was our super bowl Sunday...Lots of fun and lots of noise :)

We're home! Our one week trip actually turned into two weeks. I almost didn't even make it to NW Florida in the first place! We got up at 4:00 in the morning on the 21st because I needed to be at the Miami airport by 6:00. We drove for almost an hour and then I saw police lights flashing ahead of us. All the cars were making a u-turn and driving the same way they just came from. They had closed the only road to Miami from where we live. We ended up having to drive almost an hour out of the way to get on the turnpike and take it to Miami. We have a few fines coming from the turnpike because we did not plan on using it so we had no money to pay. I made it to the airport around 7:00 got my bag checked and sat down in the boarding area less than 10 minutes before we boarded the plane. Thankfully the plane took off on time and by 7:30 we were in the air. Jakob really liked flying during the daytime. He just looked out the window and thought it was so cool. I brought a variety of snacks and thankfully (we forgot his cup in the car) they gave me a little bottle of water so he was so proud to be drinking out of a bottle his own size :) We landed in Ft. Walton at 7:55 their time and my mom and sisters were already waiting for us. When we left Miami that morning it was about 80 degrees. When we walked off the plane in Ft. Walton it was probably 50 degrees. It was so cold!!! I hadn't even checked out the weather, but I figured it was probably mostly warm up there so I only brought short sleeved shirts for myself. I did bring Jakob a few long sleeve shirts and a couple jackets. Thank goodness Kara's clothes fit me, so I had to borrow some jackets/shirts while we visited. Jakob had a great time with his Grandma's, Grandpa's and Aunts. We went to the park, shopping quite a bit, but mostly just hung out and Jakey got to play. We got to go to Panama City and see Shelly and the kids. I was sitting at the table in PC talking to Kymberly (when my Mom and Shelly had gone somewhere) and I just couldn't believe that my best friends daughter is old enough to have a real "grown up" conversation with me. She is a sweetie. We had a lot of fun. Jeremy's mom had been sick all week, and we really hadn't seen her that much so on the 28th Me, Jakob and Jeremy went to stay with them. On the 29th we ended up in the ER and Jeremy's mom had to have emergency surgery for a ruptured bowel. Thankfully they caught it in time because it is very toxic.  She is recovering, but it is going to be a long process, please keep her in your prayers. First thing this morning I set Jakob on his new potty chair and he peed. I don't think he had a clue he did it, but it's a start. I think this week I am just going to do it every morning, then we'll think about trying it all day long. Jakob has added a couple more words to his vocabulary- one is all my mom's doing. While we were there she gave him two baths a day. He now says BAF every time he eats, when he wakes up from sleeping, he wants a bath all the time :) He kept saying BU-- for buzz lightyear. This morning we were going to the grocery store and I said BUZZ and he looked at me and said BU..ssszzz. Jeremy looked at me with this huge grin and we clapped and screamed for him. He kept on saying it. We had a really good time visiting the family, but it is good to get home too. You can only live out of a suitcase for so long. Oh! We saw Jeremy's old boss at Cracker Barrell the other night, and his wife told Jeremy that just about every day he says he misses Jeremy at work and wishes he was there. (I think she embarrassed him by saying it, but it made Jeremy feel good to hear) Anyways, that's a long trip in a short story. I didn't take that many pictures, but my mom did, so maybe you'll see them on her facebook. Hope that you all are doing well, and have a great weekend! :)

A few pictures...

We've now been on the Atkins diet for one week. The scale that we had was broken, I didn't know that so we haven't really been able to weigh all week. (which is maddening!) Jeremy thought he wasn't losing any weight, but I knew he was because I could see it. Yesterday he went and got a new scale, so we both weighed this morning. Jeremy has lost 7 pounds, and I have lost 5!!! I am very happy about that. Only seven days of eating better. I can't wait till next thursday :) The diet is not that bad. We have actually eaten a lot of really good food. My favorite meal so far was when I made portobella pizzas. They were super yummy. My favorite snack right now is a dip my mom always makes for celery, it has cream cheese, mayonaise, onion, green olives and pepper/garlic powder. Jeremy doesn't like green olives, so I made him some with jalapeno's/bacon bits. It is so yummy on celery, bell pepper, basically any veggies. Last night I found out a lady at my church has the same problem with her thyroid that I do. She goes to the same doctor I will be seeing and really likes him. It made me feel much better to know someone who has their issue under control and is doing fine. (she has 5 boys from I'm guessing about 9-10 years old and down, so she is one busy lady!!!) She did say that every time she has a baby her thyroid flares up. I noticed my heart palpitations and sleeplessness flared up after I took the provera last time. It's not good that someone else is sick, but it's always good to know you're not just imagining things, that someone else has felt what you have felt. Anyways, good news all around :)

So I went to the doctor today and he told me that I have an over active thyroid, or something like that. He's pretty sure that it can mess up my hormones but thyroids have nothing to do with fertility, so he's sending me to a new doctor. The new (medical) endocrinologist deals with things like thyroids, diabetes, etc. I have an appointment for 3 1/2 weeks from now. Waiting is very aggrivating when you just want answers, but I know waiting is the only choice I have right now. My insulin/glucose levels were perfect, so the doctor said he thinks I may have a "little bit" of pcos, but I'm guessing he thinks if the thyroid issue gets fixed I will not have trouble with irregular cycles. Everything is waiting on the appointment in February now. Blah!

So today we're starting Atkins. The first two weeks we are keeping our carbs down to somewhere close to 20 per day. The carbs we do consume will be from veggies. You have to have a monster salad with all the trimmings(as in every veggie topping you can think of) to even hit 10 carbs. Other veggies like broccoli, cauliflower etc. are a few more carbs.

This is what the menu for today looks like:

Breakfast- Eggs, sausage, cheese (Jeremy is eating boiled eggs because we're both too tired to cook when he gets up for work) -you can eat eggs any way you can think of having them

Lunch- Turkey roll ups (roast turkey, swiss cheese and a little mustard wrapped up in a lettuce leaf), a small side salad, and some pork rinds (I haven't tried them yet, so I don't know if I'll like them. They are no carb though, and satisfy the need for crunch :)

Afternoon snack- pepperoni and string cheese

Dinner- Roasted Chicken , large salad and mashed cauliflower

The more I look at it the more I think we might be sick of cheese by the time we're done with this. It's only two weeks that we have to keep our carbs down to 20 though. After the two weeks you start to add carbs back in (in the form of nuts, beans and fruit) and you're still losing weight!!! I know it sounds strange, but it makes sense when you read the book. In the end we will be able to eat bread, bagels, etc. as long as it's the low carb kind. Instead of keeping track of fat grams we will be keeping track of carbohydrate grams. The thing I really like about Atkins is you can eat if you're hungry. I cannot starve myself, and if the diet depends on restraint from food I will fail. The book, as well as my parents (who are doing the diet) says once your body gets used to not taking in as much sugar you are not as hungry and don't have to eat as much to be full and stay full. I know Amber is skeptical of this because she tried the old Atkins diet, but we'll see in two weeks what happens. I just hope I don't gain weight!!! So I've been debating whether or not I want to show my weight, but I don't think we can see a difference if I don't list my starting weight (I also took measurements of my arms, waist, hips and thighs which I will tell only if I lose some inches on them (lol). So....

My weight at this present time is: 139!

Uggghh! So I'm usually pretty happy around 124 which would be 15 pounds, so that's my goal weight right now. I will probably update on weight loss a week from today. Wish me luck!
         

Who needs toys???

Trip to the park...

Hey girls! I hope you all are having a great start to your new year. I've been reading on people's blogs about their resolutions for the new year. My goals for this new year are really just to get to know God better. God gave me the Bible and he told me all about himself in it, so I want to be more consistent reading my Bible and sincerely seeking to know God. Our new Pastor says that love for God helps us to live our Christian life in a way that is pleasing to God, and we grow in our love for God by studying our Bibles and learning more about his love for us. Jeremy and I are both very excited about our new Church and the emphasis that is placed on a personal relationship with God. On Wednesday nights the Pastor goes around (it is a small Church) and asks people what they've been reading/studying for the week and it is so encouraging to be around people who study God's word. It makes you desire to learn more and be blessed by God's word. I have also hopped on the weight loss band wagon. Before I had Jakob I always had my "problem areas" that I didn't really like about my body, but I've never had a weight problem. After I quit nursing my weight went up pretty dramatically (for me at least...about 15 pounds above pre-Jakob weight). We are gearing up for the Atkins diet...dun dun dun. I am really excited about starting. My mom sent me the book (I requested it) and I have started reading it. Since I have been diagnosed with PCOS a low carb/low sugar diet is what they recommend for me to be on anyways. Atkins is so different now than when I heard of it before. They really push for you to eat a lot of veggies, and not so much meat. We won't actually be able to start the diet full fledged till February, because the last week of January Jeremy is going for a week to St. Augustine for work and Jakob and I will be flying up to visit with our family. We will kind of be "practicing" until then. I've actually already cut out most rice and potatoes anyways trying to get us prepared for cutting out the carbs. I really want to eat at Suns (korean) while we're in Niceville though. If Jeremy makes it all the way home he'll want some Danny's fried chicken, it can be his last hurrah :) Jakob is doing good. I have to admit that I'm getting a little nervous about his speech. He just won't talk. Now, when I tell him say drink, or say juice he grunts at me and turns his head away. Things I know he can say he just won't say anymore (like please, or cracker). It is very frustrating. I'm trying not to freak out, but I really wish he would start speaking. Some things Jakob has gotten very good at are opening the doors in the house. We don't have round door knobs in the house we have the long skinny kind and he stands on his tip-toes and pulls the handle down and pushes the door open. It's cute, but it is keeping me very busy because now he cannot be out of my eyesight. He really likes to go in my bedroom and grab all my makeup brushes off my vanity and tote them all over the house. Jakob is also eating with a fork pretty good. He stabs his food with the fork, then usually puts it in his mouth then takes it out and puts it back on the tray so he can stick it again :) lol. I know he is a smart boy, I just wish he'd stop being stubborn and speak. Tomorrow I go for my blood work to test my blood sugar and to re-test my hormones. I will be happy when that is all over and the doctor puts me on whatever meds for the PCOS. Jeremy has started working 10 hour days now so he's off every Friday. It is really cool to have him home 3 days a week. The weather down here in SW Florida has been about 80 degrees every day. Pretty warm for December/January, but today it has rained cats and dogs so I think it will be cooler tomorrow. That is pretty much what's going on for now. I will keep y'all updated on my dieting progress. Hopefully I will lose those 15 pounds  fast so I can order my bridesmaids dress for Kara's wedding!