married life

God is so good to us, and in so many ways.

He got Austin and I together, and grew and changed each of us in huge ways in our relationship.

He provided for our dates, and later, a great date - a picnic in Hermann Park on November 19, 2010 and for the ring Austin put on my finger.

He also allowed us to plan this wedding and enjoy it with 190 of our family and friends.

He even made it rain on our wedding day, June 10th, even though Houston, Texas is in extreme drought!

He provided a completely free honeymoon, courtesy of our family and friends (Matt was a big part of it).

And now He's providing for us to move to Clarksville, and somehow - it seems - pay for everything we need.

Anyway, I just think it's amazing. Your whole life (at least mine) you wonder who you'll marry and then you find him and it all just makes sense - God's been planning this for... since.... uh, infiniti? Yes. Unimaginable.

What's funny is when I was little (not kidding) I used to dream I was marrying a blonde guy. I didn't know any blonde guys (I was probably 5) like that so I thought it was just a dream. Funny how things work out :)

I'm just grateful for Jesus. I'm thankful for Who He Is and what He has done, in the most simple terms. I'm thankful that He sees fit to mesh me with Austin - he is patient and understanding, and he is a fantastic leader, navigator, love, and provider. He jokes with me constantly, but knows when to snuggle and be sweet, and he certainly is good at taking care of me. God provided all of those things in a man for me to help keep me under control (I can be a mess).

I love this little thing called marriage, and I know it's only ten days in, but I am grateful and celebrating what we have. We're already learning and excited to see where God takes us!

I love you Austin Michael!

Love,

Elizabeth Haynes

Proverbs 31

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
_________________

I love so many things about this Proverb. The first, is that it reminds me of my mom. She provides (alongside my father), she works hard for our family - even in the midst of cancer treatments - she loves us, and she is strong.
The second, is that it is a great vision of what my future as a wife should be. A Biblical wife doesn't just sit around - she doesn't "eat the bread of idleness," - but she participates in the life of the home and works hard to provide as a partner in the marriage. A Biblical wife is one who trusts in the Lord, and leads a life of integrity. I want to honor my future husband as a godly wife who lives a life of integrity and works to provide for the family. I don't know about getting up before the sun... haha :) I'm actually pretty sure that motherhood will make me do that, in maybe 5 years!

In 30 days I will marry Austin Haynes, and I ask that you all pray for us as we prepare to be husband and wife, that we would be willing to die to ourselves, to give of ourselves, and that we would not forget the covenant we are going to make!

I love this man, and I am thankful that God is working in my heart to prepare me to be his wife!

Love,
Elizabeth

The End is Near!

No, I'm not one of those crazies who think the world is ending in less than 20 days. Matthew 24:36 proves otherwise: "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." BUT - the end of my time at the University of Houston is very, very near. It feels so weird to think all I have to do is take one more test and I'll be graduated! I actually only have to go back to the Hilton one more time. So strange. And today, as my professors asked what I'm going to do when I graduate (after I took my make-up exams from my appendecomy-week) I didn't really have an answer. I got to explain how Austin's job is strange and hasn't told us where we will be.

Every time I tell someone new that story, they look at me all bug-eyed. I know--unbelievable. God knows what He is doing, though, and my heart is finally in a place where I'll accept it wherever it is. Some of those "wherever" places may be really hard, and I know that. Wherever he goes I go, though. Last week, Austin told me that he was discussing how he didn't know where he would live with one of the higher-ups in his region and they said that's because the company doesn't know yet. That's astonishing to me, but I guess that's just how it is. And then, this higher-up mentioned that there was an opening in the Washington (state) area. When Austin told me this, I knew my heart was okay with "wherever" because I told him that would be fine. Mind you, it is probably 71 degrees in here and I have goosebumps, so saying that about a state that's so far north is quite a stretch for me and is definitely God working on me, because I sure am stubborn!

Last weekend, my cousin Sarah, her mom Barbara and my other Aunt, Linda, threw a bridal shower for me! It was so fun, and I loved getting to see family and friends - some of which I hadn't seen in years. My mom also made me this quilt-thing (she said it isn't a quilt). Which is a Double Wedding Ring pattern, but isn't finished because my parents had to halt their lives for my appendectomy last week. It is supposed to have an H in the middle ring and an A and an E on either side. I am so excited for it! She wrote this letter about it and how much she's enjoyed spending time with me in the last year and I cried and so did half the room!

the quilt.. thing :)

Sarah & I - my maid of honor


Aunt Barbara, Sarah, me, mom

Aunt Barbara, Sarah, me, Aunt Linda!

Love,

Elizabeth

i love, love, LOVE my mama.

Today has been one of those long tiring days... that actually felt more like two days (The Jerk reference for my daddy). I've been up and at it since 7:00 am; went to the dentist to get teeth whitening trays, went to my classes, worked on projects (three different projects today!) and had an all-area RA staff meeting, and I'm on call tonight. It just feels like a lot. It reminds me of being eight, and my mom and dad shuttling all three of us to baseball, softball, basketball, football, swimming, volleyball, theatre, choir... you name it, they did it. Another good reason to wait a while for babies!

Tomorrow, I'm going home to see my mom. She's having surgery Friday at 7:30 am, and I can't begin to understand what she is thinking, feeling, or going through. My prayer for my mom has been a quick miraculous recovery, and that God would be her shelter and her strength. Now, I'm praying that the chemo is done forever, and that she is no longer in danger of something so threatening. I'm excited to see my parents this weekend because I know I only have a good couple of months left here in Houston with them, and I value my time with them so much! I rarely went home as a freshman in college, but I go home almost every weekend now... Partially because my life changed and so did my attitude, and partially because my mom is sick, and I like to see my parents! They're also a haven from the storm-of-a-dorm I live in... but that isn't one of the main driving factors here.

My mom is amazing. She is on chemotherapy, she is teaching a new curriculum, she and my dad are putting me through school, they are paying for our wedding, and they are supporting Austin and I 100% in our relationship. I don't think that a person can be more blessed than I am to have a woman like her as my mom. Although she is going through some really emotionally, monetarily, and physically challenging times, my mother is still my godly role model, pushing me to get over myself and remember that God has a purpose for me, no matter how hard things are. I love you mom, through thick and thin. You are amazing, and I know that God is doing something great in all of this, even if we never fully understand it.

On a slightly happier note, here is my countdown breakdown (yes, I just sat and counted the days on my calendar. It's exciting though.. and that's just my personality!):

2 days until Mom's surgery

3-4 days until she is released

8 days until I see Austin again

16 days until I go to Las Vegas!

14 school days left (not including tomorrow, taking a personal day)

-- somewhere in here, Mom starts radiation--

32 days until my last assignment is due and all tests are done!

36 days until Dad's birthday

37 days until I graduate & Austin comes home again!

39 days until I move home

41 days until I turn 22

51 days until Austin is home for Memorial Day weekend

59 days until the bachelorette party!

64 days until Sam is 24 and the rehearsal dinner

65 days until I AM MARRIED! Whoo!

66 days until we leave for Paris (even better!!)

Just thinking of where I was 66 days ago is really exciting. I can't believe things have gone by this quickly, but at the same time, it seems as if every second is slower than the one before it.

I trust that my God is in control, and that He is taking care of it all. I'm not going to sweat the small stuff, because it's all small stuff... for Him.

Love,

Elizabeth

what is love?

I don't think I'll ever stop learning about love.. especially since God IS Love, and I'll never stop learning about Him! Anyway, I've had a very trying week at the dorms. My mom had to remind me that I'm there for a reason, and that Jesus promises us persecution. And, there were all these clear signs of spiritual warfare - something else my mom pointed out. (I have a wonderful mom, btw).

So, I have different verses from all over the Bible all over my dorm room, cut out like cartoony speech bubbles (think comic strips). To be honest, most of the time, I hardly notice them. But, there are times that one catches my eye and I read Acts 2:42 right when I need to, when God is speaking to my heart about community. Or, I'll read Luke 6:32-34 right when I need to remember to love those who seem to hate me; when I'm covered in self-pity (selfish self-pity!); when I'm sulking and thinking only of myself.

What else is going on? Well, the love of my life leaves in two days to go to Ohio for two weeks, then to po-dunk something-or-other in Arizona for four weeks, and then back to Ohio until the wedding. Luckily, he'll be back between all those destination changes, and for Memorial Day. I am NOT excited for him to be gone for ten weeks! That's twice as long as I was in Uganda, but with better communication and visits. I seriously can't comprehend how much my life is going to change without him here all the time. It's going to stink! ... but then we get married!

Anyway, here's some Good News for all of you this morning. I've loved this passage since God showed it to me in Uganda to show me how much of a stupid sheep I can be, and what Love is all about.


Luke 6
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.





Love,

Elizabeth

the end is near!

I keep having to remind myself that these next few weeks will fly by.. especially in the face of exams, projects, and papers... It feels crazy! I go to class for only 23 more days (if you include my possible make-up class from the "snow day" we had..) and then I take one final, and then I walk. There were so many times in these last four years that I thought I wouldn't make it! My second-choice career path would have been a hair stylist - no lie. But here I am, at the end of March in my senior year. Finally.

And... everything is planned for the wedding! That feels good. We finally figured everything out, and it all just gets to wait 79 days until it all comes to fruition. The downside is that Austin will be gone the majority of the time.

He'll spend two weeks in Ohio starting on April 3, and come back for a visit the weekend of April 16th, and then he goes to po-dunk Paulden, Arizona for four weeks of on-the-job training,. After that, he goes off to Ohio again.. for a long time. He's home for Memorial Day and then the wedding is here, and then we go to Paris! When we get back, he has to go back to Ohio for a week, while I sit in Houston and sort out my/our life... and then we'll be relocated. C-r-a-z-y.

While all this madness happens, God is constantly reminding me that there is a time for everything, that He makes everything beautiful it it's time, and His timing is perfect. Patience is a lesson He always seems to be teaching/reminding me of!

Mom's surgery is in about two weeks - please keep her in your prayers. We're hoping she can recover quickly and start radiation three weeks afterward so she will be done with radiation before the wedding. Keep that in your prayers!

Love you all,
Elizabeth

I feel like I should be on Paris overload by now

I am so sick today, it's ridiculous. Although I worked 6 hours, something about the rain and my sick stomach has kept me from much of anything. That said, I have been sitting on my tush researching Paris attractions, shopping and food like mad!

One of my wonderful brothers, Matt, bought Austin and I airfare and 6 room nights in a cutesy boutique hotel in the heart of Paris, France for our honeymoon! We'll be there for six full days. There is so much to do in Paris. I keep reading through webpage after webpage of maps, blogs, tips, tricks, background information.. the list goes on. You want to know the crazy part? I'm such a "planner" that I won't stop looking at this stuff until I feel like I've got it all figured out! Good thing we have 3 months (89 days until we depart!) so we'll have time to revise it...

God is funny. He made me this crazy-organized type-A person who loves to plan things. It's a blessing in a lot of ways: I rarely miss assignments, I never procrastinate, and I can prepare my week well because I know what's ahead. I think this is one of the first things my mother-in-law-to-be learned about me-- that, and how crazy Austin makes me when he isn't the same way! But he knew I needed a guy that would smooth off the edginess, and remind me that things will be okay even when they don't go as planned. Poor Austin is still learning how to deal with how grumpy I get when we miss a turn or get lost. I have to admit, that is probably when my fuse is the shortest - all because I feel like I'm losing control - and I'm usually even not the one driving!

More importantly, Austin points to my heart when I am doing these stupid things. When my flesh goes nuts, at the end of the conversation he tells me the words that convict me so much - that I should pray about where my heart is - and in a very loving way. God made me that way, but He wants me to trust that He has the best in mind for me. (Another good example is how we have no idea where we will live in 3 months when Austin finishes his training. Talk about trusting in God's will with this one! Please pray with us!)

One of the lessons I think I will perpetually be learning and re-learning and reminded of by God is that these things aren't meant to be in my control. When I start taking things into my own hands, often I'm ignoring what God wants for me. I start planning out my life, and I stop asking God what He wants for me and where He wants me to go. He says He provides even for the flowers of the field, so why I am so worried about my tomorrows? I think it's healthy and Godly to be prepared for tomorrow; otherwise, how would we go on job interviews or know when bills are due and etc, but I think it's easy for me to try to make my tomorrows without seeking Him, and following His will, rather than asking Him to join on mine. How silly am I?! That is so worthless.

So I am going to go back to my Paris researching, because I know my time won't be as free in a few weeks as it will be now, on Spring Break. It's my last one, after all! But amongst all this planning, I'll be seeking God's will. I'm glad He reminded me that He has plans for me... even when I am on vacation!

Love,

Elizabeth