:: the elswick's ::

Photo updates

2005-11-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hi ya'll!

Jon and I finally uploaded most of our pictures form Hurricane Wilma (finally!) - so you can check them out now by visiting our phot website [click here].

We hope and pray that everyone is safe and well - and getting back to normal after Wilma (for those that were affected)...

Night!

Jon and Melissa "E"

After Wilma update

2005-11-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hi ya'll! Just a quick update from the Elswicks!

Wilma was certainly not what we expected but God is sovereign and we were trusting Him through it all!

Lots of trees still down and our power just came back on this Monday - so we have been hosting our family members that are STILL without power - feeding their bellies and giving them warm showers! All is well though - things are gradually getting back to normal - the church office is finally up and running - so we are still trusting God for His provision as our family and friends try to find some sort of normalcy without power & some without water still.

God has done some pretty cool things through us and through our church and we are grateful everyday to be a part of His wonderful work - even in the midst of suffering and chaos...

Back to work now...Jon will upload some pictures from the hurricane this week...stay tuned...

(Please pray for my Mom, Sister, Brother, Dad, & grandparents who are still without power.
May God sustain them and give them joy in the mean time!)

XOXO
Jon & Melissa "E"

The Elswick's are pregnant!

2005-10-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Yep that's right! Ha! Did we scare you? It's not us but - Tony & Amber Elswick are expecting their 2nd little baby! Praise the Lord for this new little miracle! Check out Amber's blog for updated info on her and the new little one (plus, you'll be able to see darling pictures of Abigail!)

Please keep Tony, Amber, Abigail and the new little one in your prayers!

XOXO

Love,
The Elswicks

Hurricane Wilma

2005-10-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

The Elswicks are ready and prepared for Huricane Wilma! Wow - what a crazy hurricane season this has been! We are hosting my dad and uncle this time around - they both live in mobile homes so evacuation was necessary...after church they helped Jon put up the shutters (for half of our home - haha) and plywood for the sliding glass doors - we enjoyed a nice dinner that consisted of lemon herb chicken breast, rice, steamed green beans, butter biscuits and homemede iced tea! Yummy!

Now, we are watching The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler and enjoying mint chocolate-chip ice cream cones...and just patiently awaiting the arrival of Wilma!

We hope and pray that all of our family & friends are safe - we'll keep you posted as long as we have power...

Night!

Love,
The Elswicks

experimenting with our new gift

2005-09-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

In celebration of our 3 year anniversary, we decided to buy a digital camera! We are almost caught up with technology...almost but not quite! But, we took a step in the right direction with going digital with our pictures! We just had to post this picture of Buddy (our beloved beagle) b/c he is just so cute!!! We can only imagine the trauma our kids will experience b/c they will probably always have a camera in their face too! Ha!

Love, J & M

3 Year Anniversary!

2005-08-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I'm not sure I can actually believe it, but it has been three years since Melissa and I have been married. I know that doesn't sound like much to some of you, but to other newly-married friends that makes us the wize sages of marriage. We went out for a dinner at a great Italian restauarant down off of Hollywood Blvd called La Piazza Pasta Cafe. The name doesn't do it justice, as it has great ambiance and the food rocks. This is our second year to eat their in celebration of our anniversary, and we are going to make it a habit to go every year. Tonight my lovely wife prepared a great spread of strawberries and we toasted with our wedding flutes (I thought the word was "goblets" but she insisted that it is "flutes"). Either way it was a beautiful time and we are trusting the Lord for many more years to love each other, serve others, and most importantly honor Him!

Serving your spouse

2005-08-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up with a stomach bug...yuck! So, here I am at 4:45pm in the afternoon - sitting on my couch, watching TV (nothing good on), and wishing this terrible feeling in my stomach would go away!

As I sit here not doing much - I was just thinking about Jon. He starts his Greek class tonight so he won't be coming home until about 11pm but he came by at lunch time to check-up on me. He came home, spent some time with me, made me some hot chicken soup and then he prayed over me :)

One of the most important biblical qualities in a marriage is serving your spouse. Jon served me today and I am so thankful for his desire to bring glory and pleasure to God through serving his wife. Serving your spouse certainly doesn't come easy sometimes...but if we prefer our spouses needs over our (most the time selfish) needs - and serve them...we are bringing glory to the Father and growing closer to our spouse (and it sure does make us feel loved!)

Married couples challenge: How can you serve your spouse this week? How can you prefer his/her needs over your needs? Just try it...serving your spouse will bring glory to God and bring your closer to your spouse...I promise!

Off to watch more bring TV...

XOXO,

Melissa E.

Marriage lesson...from vacation

2005-07-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

Can you remember back when you were a little child and you had thoughts of what marriage would be like? We remember thinking it was going to be paradise...The wife would be the princess and the husband would be the prince - who would love her and cherish her forever! Welcome to reality! We have been on vacation for a few days now and before we leave for Orlando tomorrow morning, we have been trying to do organzing & cleaning in our home...and that brings on many challenges that we never think about until we are actually confronted with them!

The Bible says that, "two shall become one" - and that's God design for the marriage relationship...in every area! We were talking about marriage yesterday and it is so incredilbe how God brings two totally different people together and unites (a process) their hearts into one :) We have to willing though to allow God to mold us, shape us and often times correct us...for the sake of unity within the marriage.

So, when Jon asks Melissa to make sure all of her shoes are picked up down stairs...and she moves them all near the door (no where near where they really belong) OR when Melissa asks Jon to clean out underneath the TV and throw away any electrical cords that are unneeded and he winds up starting a whole other project...we should strive for unity and harmony...not selfishness and pride (thinking MY way s the RIGHT way). Why is it that we always think OUR way is the RIGHT way? I guess maybe it goes back to the fact the God has brought two different human beings together, both who have been raised differently and have different ways of doing things. But the ultimate goal (even in the midst of challenges, differences, etc) is to bring glory to the Father through unity, harmony and prefering the other in the marriage relationship.

Gosh, after almost 3 years of marriage...we still have alot to learn! To all you married couples out there...prefer your spouse for the sake of unity. For all you singles out there, when God brings the right person into your life, ask Him to help you begin early to prefer your spouse and to honor Him through unity in your marriage.

Enjoying the journey...and our vacation...

Jon & Melissa "E"

Vacation...

2005-07-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Jon and I are officially on vacation...for two whole weeks! Hallelujah! It seems like for the last year our lives have been going a full-speed ahead...and we are ready for much needed rest and much needed quality time together. Although the picture to the left looks incredibly amazing...our vacation will look a little different...hehe. We will be taking a road-trip up to Orlando to visit The Holy Land Experience and maybe another theme park...then we will be heading home but stopping off in West Palm Beach to a luxurious apartment (graciuosly lent to us by a beautiful couple at church) for 3 nights...what a blessing! It's funny how we all look forward to our vacation time...I hit vacation mode 3 days before it even began! Haha... We will finish our vacation by visiting some friends churches and continuing the home improvements projects we've begun...sweet! Take care...pray for us...we love you! XOXO

The family...and the dog

2005-07-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

Ok - so Buddy IS a part of "the family". Here's a little pic for you all. We took it during Christmas. We couldn't get Buddy to "smile" at the camera, but it's cute anyway!

A New Church

2005-06-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours who was a pastor at Calvary Chapel Miami Lakes, just opened a new church all the way up in Connecticut (I'm SURE it gets cold up there!). Bill, and his wife Rebecca, are great people who are excited about bringing new spiritual life to a very spiritually dead place. Check out their website and pray for them...
http://www.westhartfordcc.org