Healthy Wife, Healthy Life: Take Two

It’s been too long since I've posted! We have actually had a lot going on which we will talk about in later posts, including fun trips and answers to prayer!

So, something I really need to work on is self-discipline. In the busyness of life, craziness at work, and spending time with Austin it is difficult to be disciplined to eat well and exercise. For those of you who know me well or have been reading my blog know that I love good food and have made several attempts to get healthier that have fizzled out. See Healthy Wife, Healthy Life: 1. It’s a sad truth to face- that when the going has gotten rough, I haven’t risen to the challenge and pushed through it. I’ve bought into the lie that getting healthier and losing weight should be easy and seamlessly fit into my life. WRONG! Getting healthy and achieving weight goals takes intentionality, hard work and DISCIPLINE!

For about a month now, I've been tracking all of my food and exercise. I've cut out regular consumption of starches, bad carbs, sugary drinks and most sugar. Regarding my diet this means cutting out potatoes (soooo hard for me!), white rice, pasta, bread, baked goods/sweets and sweet tea. It has been the farthest thing from easy!  I've been eating a lot of salad (I definitely recommend Chick-fil-A’s new salads), steamed and fresh vegetables, brown rice, and lean meats. I didn't realize how much bread, pasta, rice and potatoes I have been eating! I have splurged about once a week on this, but I feel healthier overall and am eating less in general.
In addition to eating well, I have begun a Boot camp for Moms on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 6-6:45 a.m. (soooo hard to get out of bed!). My friend Katie encouraged me to try it out and I love it! It also helps that my friend Blake (who led the GO Trip to Honduras last year) is the instructor. It’s a circuit workout (which is my favorite type of exercise!) I think I have exercise ADD. I get so bored doing the same thing for more than 8 minutes. With the Boot camp, I get everything rolled up into one with the accountability of a group and jamming to awesome music the entire time! It is TOUGH, but I feel great afterwards. I've made some new friends in the process and enjoy working out with them!

In addition to Boot camp, some of the ladies in my office and I are doing workout videos after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays! It is such a blessing that we get off at 4 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m. during the summers. I’m able to exercise and get home in plenty of time to make dinner before Austin gets home.

Up until now, I haven’t actually worked out 5 days in a row. We've been traveling or I haven’t felt well due to allergies, but this week is the week! My body is so sore and I’m so tired by the end of the day, but I’m pushing through!

I’m already seeing results. I've lost about 5 pounds and a few inches total from what I've been doing this far! Can’t wait to get fit and see more results!

Greater is He!

Today is the second day that offices at Union have been open and the students have not been here. Campus truly feels like a ghost town between the end of the Spring Semester before summer classes start in June. Our coffee shop is even closed! This means a huge change of pace for me. During the year, I'm constantly working or talking with someone. Rarely do I leave with everything done. I thrive on being busy. Even though I get really tired, I love it. Summer for me means working on projects that go on the back burner during the year like cleaning out my desk, switching files, organizing the storage closet, etc. It also means I get to spend more time with my awesome co-workers! It is a welcome change of pace, but it is an adjustment nonetheless.

I see summer as my time of the year to get re-charged and get things done that I sometimes have to forgo during the school year (such as staying on top of the laundry and cooking dinner every night!). While writing notes to students about to leave on summer mission trips to closed countries, the Lord directed me to the first chapter of Colossians and has used it to speak to my heart today.

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light." (verses 9-12) 

What an awesome example of how we should pray for each other as believers! I have been challenged to pray this way for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter what they may be going through, or at what point they are in their spiritual walk. When we pray that they grow closer to the Lord, everything else falls into place! Of course, it is important to pray specifically for difficult situations, loss, jobs, etc. but I love that we can pray scripture over each other as believers!

The second half of the passage talks about who Christ is, what He has done and the hope we have in Him! What a wonderful reminder! Praise Him!

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven...." (verses 13-23)

This is the hope that we have in the midst of natural disasters, horrific human acts, political uncertainty, economic crisis, personal tragedy, disappointments and in our everyday life! This is the power of the gospel. Greater is He than he who is in the world! Today, I choose joy because of the hope I have in Christ!

Memphis Adventure

On Saturday, Austin and I went to Memphis! We attended the lovely wedding of our friends, Bri and Jonathan at the Olford Center at Union's Germantown campus. Neither of us had been there before! It was so beautiful and the weather was perfect! We were so happy to celebrate Bri and Jonathan's special day! 

The ceremony took place at 2 p.m. followed by the reception across the courtyard in the back sunroom of the big house at the Olford Center. Following the reception, we had already made plans to eat dinner at Jim N Nicks on the way back to Jackson, but it was barely 4 p.m. when the reception ended. So, we decided to head into the city!

Memphis is a historic city for both of us! Austin's grandparents lived in Memphis shortly after they were married. My grandparents met in Memphis while Granddaddy was finishing medical school and Grandmommy was a nurse. Their first date was in the Peabody Hotel for one of Granddaddy's medical fraternity dances. So, the Peabody has always held a romantic charm for me. It's easy to get lost in time when you're there.

The trademark of the Peabody Hotel since the 1930s has been the ducks that swim in the gorgeous marble fountain in the center of the lobby. In the 1940s, one of the bellmen (who was a former employee of Barnum and Bailey) decided he wanted to train the ducks to march down a red carpet from the fountain to the elevator, take them up the elevator and to their penthouse on the roof. He did just that and became the first 

Duckmaster. So, every day at 11 a.m. the ducks leave their house, come down the elevator, and march down a red carpet into the fountain to John Philip Sousa. There they remain all day until 5 p.m. when they march out of the fountain to music, get in the elevator, and return to their house for the night. The last time I saw the ducks march was when I was 10 and visited Memphis with Grandmommy and Granddaddy.

When we arrived at the Peabody at 4:40 p.m., I was so excited when I saw the crowd gathering to see the ducks! It was such a lucky coincidence! We found a great spot, right next to the red carpet! There were hundreds of people crammed in that lobby and the second floor balcony. The guy in the red coat is the current Duckmaster. 

The march of the ducks only lasted a few minutes, but it was so fun to see the ducks come up that red carpet! There were lots of little kids who were delighted, and the ducks are so well trained! They paused every once in a while so everyone could get pictures and video. I think the march of the ducks is a great reminder that people still enjoy the simple things in life :-) 

The ducks made their departure in the elevator and then the lobby returned to normal. Austin and I enjoyed exploring!

I tried to capture all of the elements of the lobby in this picture: the beautiful marble fountain (daytime home of the ducks), elegant chandelier, gorgeous woodwork and stained glass ceiling. I love how historic, elegant and timeless the lobby is. 

This fountain is just so lovely! And I love the flower arrangement! 

As we walked around the lobby and talked, an older lady adorned in a shiny gold jacket played big band era music and show tunes on the grand piano. She was so talented! We gave her a small tip in her jar, and tried to be inconspicuous, but she thanked us warmly and asked if we had a song request. At the same time, we asked for our song, "The Way You Look Tonight". It was so special. We went up onto the second floor overlooking the lobby where we could hear the music really well and danced. :-) It was so romantic! 

After our dance, we took some pictures :-) 

My handsome man! 

We stayed at The Peabody for almost two hours and then decided we were hungry, so went back to our van in the Parking Deck! We couldn't figure out how to exit the parking deck, so we ended up on the top level and decided to take more pictures. Here is the side-exterior of The Peabody. The Duck condo is on the right :-) 

A look into the sunset over the Mississippi River. It was much more beautiful in person. 

We did end up going to Jim N Nicks and ate DELICIOUS food! We were so stuffed, but it was so worth it!

We loved our date in Memphis! :-) 

Honduras 2013

It's been several weeks since we returned from the GO Trip to Honduras. In one word, the trip was AMAZING!

We were so blessed to serve with Joey and Katie Hale! Their leadership was so great, and they created an atmosphere of fun and laughter! Our team was wonderful. The Lord was so faithful to provide unity, friendship, servant attitudes and joy! We had so much fun getting to know everyone and loved having meaningful conversations, working alongside one another, and making fun memories!

Most of all, the Lord worked in the hearts and minds of everyone on the trip. Our God is at work everywhere! He is not limited to time, space, location or even our obedience. It astounds me that He is ALWAYS faithful even when I am not.

In Honduras, we lived intentionally for Christ and in community with one another. Since the children were out of school for La Semana Santa (Holy Week) our schedule was very flexible. It is amazing how much time is truly in a day when all the distractions of our busy lives are taken away. Although there was wireless internet access in the team house (except for when we lost power for a day!), we encouraged the team not to even turn on their phones and I know it brought us closer!

This mission trip to Emmanuel is not what would typically come to mind when you talk about "going to an orphanage in a third world country". Orphanage Emmanuel is definitely the exception in a broken world full of children hungry for food and starving for love and affection. God has been at work at Emmanuel for a long time!

We flew into Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, and saw people living in homes built of every material imaginable. People, dogs and trash were everywhere. It is definitely a third world country. This photo was our last glimpse of the city as our bus headed into the mountains towards the orphanage.

Emmanuel is located in the town of Guaimaca, and our bus barely fit through the narrow dirt streets. We turned into the front gate and suddenly, there were beautiful brick buildings and immaculate landscaping. The photo is of the front of the office and the chapel. 

Last year, we learned that everything at the orphanage has been given to them, whether through the labor of volunteers or through monetary gifts. David, who started Emmanuel with his wife Lydia, told us that the reason he keeps everything so clean and immaculate is to display good stewardship. He also said that as believers, we are told to look different from the world so that the world will look at us and wonder what we have that they don't. The answer, of course, is our hope that we have through our Savior Jesus Christ. The stark physical difference between the rest of Honduras and Orphanage Emmanuel is merely a representation of the difference people should see in our lives as believers. That is very convicting to me. 

The above photo is the team house we called home for that week. It was nicer than many retreat centers I've been to here in the U.S.! We had foam mattresses, three delicious meals a day, two patios, clean water, indoor plumbing and a meeting room. We were so blessed!

As we kept observing life at Emmanuel, we realized that in addition to the beautiful campus and accommodations, the 600 children all had clean clothes, shoes, three square meals a day, workers who love the Lord and teach them about Jesus, and access to a great school! As volunteers, it was difficult to imagine how we could truly serve when the children's physical needs were taken care of. This is when it became evident that simply being willing to do whatever the staff asked of us was such a huge help to them. Also, we needed to just love them like Jesus. One of our team members reported at GO Trip chapel that the children easily told us "I love you!" and we found ourselves saying it back without hesitation. How often do I tell those around me that I love them without reservation?

Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." This rang true in my heart as we painted pavilions, hiked with the toddlers (up a mountain- those kids are so intense!!), did slip n slides with the kids, fellowshipped with the staff, made puppets with the power (not paddle) toddlers, and spent time with each other. It wasn't until I had been back in the states for a few days until I realized that the Lord was showing me how I can live for him in every decision, conversation and action in my every day life as well as in Honduras. It has been such a challenge!

Every evening, we invited someone on staff and their families to join us for dinner and share their testimonies with our team. Each time we heard story after story of how God has provided for each need the workers had, many of them that they had not shared with anyone.

Austin and I walked away from those testimonies reminded of how God loves to pour out blessings on us and is not limited by worldly things such as money. We were challenged to pray more boldly, more specifically, and wait on the Lord more expectantly. We have really tried to implement this since we've been back.

On Wednesday night at church Austin preached! He did such a good job! He taught on Exodus 16. We began by reading the scripture (in Spanish and English) and Austin drew the parallel of God providing the perfect amount of manna each day for the Israelites to Jesus being our daily bread. His sermon further reinforced that God is always faithful to provide, even when we are not faithful to Him.

Austin preaching!

Then there were the children. Beautiful children. Children who had no reason to be joyful because of what they had experienced in their short lives. The way they worshipped, the love they have for Jesus and how their faces light up when they see you coming was such a picture of what it means to be a child of God!

Here are a few of the children that especially touched our hearts. For the sake of the children's privacy, I decided not to post their pictures with their stories. Some of them have very difficult custody situations. If you look at my facebook album, though, you can put faces with names :-)

Jose is 11 years old and was in a wheelchair when we were there. He had surgery on his feet, so he couldn't play with the other boys. During the morning, Amy (one of the wonderful volunteers who is in charge of Jose) would take him to the Toddler House. Some of our guys met him there when they were instructed to take apart the trampoline. Jose was such a helper! After that, Amy and Jose would find our group at the store every afternoon. Austin, Michael and Tommy really built a relationship with him and he cried and cried when we had to leave. However, the day after we left (also Easter Sunday), we found out that he accepted Jesus as his Savior! It was such a wonderful way to end the trip, knowing that even if we don't get to go back to Honduras, we will see Jose in eternity!!!

Nicole really tugged at my heart! She is probably 14 or 15 but has the mental capacity of a 4 year old. She has such joy! She was amused at the most simple things, such as blowing little pieces of cotton out of our hands and into the wind, or throwing her doll up in the air and laughing as she would scramble to catch it. She reminded me that God adores his children and wants us to delight in him. I can't imagine where Nicole would be if the Lord hadn't brought her to Emmanuel.

It has been difficult to know what to write in this post, as there is still so much more I could say. There were so many funny stories, friendships formed, inside jokes, large insects, and other things like that. I will look back on those memories years from now and smile. Ultimately, the trip belonged to the Lord and I am so thankful that Austin and I got to be a part of it. Thank you to our team! Y'all are so wonderful!

Preparing for Honduras

We are so excited that in two weeks, we will be in Guaimaca, Honduras, serving at Orphanage Emmanuel! This will be Elizabeth’s second time at the orphanage and it will be Austin’s first trip. This is the first mission trip we will do as a couple! We are co-leading a group of 18 students with our friends, the Hales, through Union University’s GO Trips. We will depart from Jackson long before the sun comes up on Saturday, March 23rd and will return on Saturday night, March 30th, just in time for Easter Sunday! We will fly out of Memphis, get a connecting flight in Atlanta and will land in Honduras’ capital, Tegucigalpa. From there, we will take the orphanage’s bus to Guaimaca, which is about 2.5 hours away from the city.

Orphanage Emmanuel is the home to about 600 children ranging in age from babies to 18 year olds. Most of them are not actually orphans, but have been taken away from their families because of abusive situations or abandonment. The orphanage is located on about 1,200 acres of rolling farm land in the country. Each age group and gender has their own house with bedrooms, a living area and dining area. There is a church, a school, a clinic, a greenhouse for vegetables, a slaughterhouse for meat, a small store, and a barn that houses dairy cows and goats for fresh milk. The children have chores and are taught good stewardship, a good work ethic, and an appreciation for education.

Most importantly, however, the children are taught about the love of Jesus! David and Lydia Martinez began the orphanage over 25 years ago in response to a call from the Lord to love and care for His children in Honduras. It is absolutely amazing to see how God has provided for their every need! The vision of Orphanage Emmanuel is to evangelize and disciple the children so that they may grow up to be living lights and good examples in the ways of God to their countrymen.

Our team has been preparing for our trip since October. Since the start of the spring semester, we have been meeting weekly, working through a Bible Study about sharing the gospel, organizing fundraisers, going over trip logistics, and learning some basic Spanish. While we’re at the orphanage, we will be assisting the full-time staff (about 25 people) with anything they need help with. Our key word is flexibility! Activities we did last year included: planting vegetables in the green house, laying concrete, sewing curtains, milking cows, and, of course, spending time with the children! We look forward to seeing what tasks we will be able to accomplish while we are there this year. Simply by being there, our team will almost double the staff.

Please pray for safety for us as we travel to and from the orphanage, and for our flights to arrive and leave on time. Pray for unity among our team, as we seek to serve the children, the workers and each other throughout the week. Pray that we will demonstrate the love of Christ in everything we do and say, and that we will proclaim the gospel boldly! Pray that the Lord will accomplish his purposes in and through us not only during the trip, but after as well.

Thank you so much for your prayers and for your encouragement! We can’t wait to share when we get back!

Birthday Celebrations

Last week, I turned 26. Somehow it just sounds more mature than 25. I am now officially closer to 30 than I am to 20, Hmmm... not sure how I feel about that yet. However, I had a wonderful birthday celebration thanks to Austin, sweet friends and precious family!

The morning of my birthday, when I went to work, this is what I saw:

Needless to say, I was surprised! The streamers in the ceiling were particularly impressive. They literally formed a canopy over my desk and extended over towards the student worker desk. I had no idea who had done it, but I marveled at the amount of time it took, as evidenced by these other pictures:

As you can see, my chair was wrapped, the computer screen was wrapped, and there were small pieces of streamers everywhere. I had to take it all in for a few minutes!

One of my favorite touches! 26! Wooo!

I started piecing together who might have done all of this when I started thinking about who had connections with Safety and Security! My suspicions proved correct when I discovered that Stephanie, Meghan, Kristen, Andey and Kensie were the awesome decorators! Here they are in action:

Thanks again, ladies!!

The morning was made even better by my co-workers giving me a scone (the benefits of having my birthday fall on a Thursday!!!) with a birthday candle and singing happy birthday! It was so happy!

Austin dropped by later in the morning and brought me a monogrammed gift basket with lavender body wash, soap, bath salts, and lotion in it with a note giving me permission to relax. He also included an awesome invitation to a birthday dinner that night!

The day was made even more special through numerous calls, texts and facebook posts to wish me a happy birthday. I truly felt so blessed!

Austin took me out to lunch at Ruby Tuesdays, and that night we had a steak at Logan's (my favorite!!!) The day ended with him giving me beautiful pale pink roses and gorgeous drop earrings that have pressed dried flowers in them to match the necklace that he gave me for my birthday last year :-) It was a wonderful day!!!

The birthday festivities continued on into the weekend with a special trip to Patti's with Dustin and Jessie! It was our first road trip in the van! I was driving so I can't vouch for everything that happened on that trip, but some hilarious 90's VHS tapes might have been played in the VHS player! Old School!

We made it to Patti's (the place where Austin and I got engaged!) and had a lovely lunch. Dustin and Jessie had never been before and they enjoyed it! Here was the view from our table, just to provide a glimpse of the atmosphere:

After we ate, we walked around the grounds at Patti's, saw some bunnies and a huge black pig in the petting zoo, and showed them our chapel. The weather was absolutely beautiful!

Then, we got back in the van and headed to Paducah! Dustin spent a lot of time in Paducah with his previous job, so we all took a walk down memory lane, so to speak. Our first stop was the Ohio River. It is so peaceful just to sit and watch the water.

Of course, the boys decided to skip rocks! They were both very good at it. Jess and I were supportive and hope to improve our rock-skipping skills in the future. Here is Austin in action!

After skipping rocks, we walked around the downtown area for a little while. We found the Chocolate Factory, a quaint chocolate store, where we sampled delicious fudge and talked with the owners! Then, Dustin and Austin went to the Outdoors store while Jessie and I checked out my favorite shop in Paducah, The Victorian Parlor. Anything girly, vintage, feminine, beautiful, lacy- it's all in there! 

We went from downtown to a mini-driving tour of Paducah, and we ended up at my grandparent's house! It was so good to see them! Grandmommy, ever the gracious hostess, had chocolate silk pie for us, which we all thoroughly enjoyed! The visit wasn't long enough, but it was so fun to fellowship together!

No trip to Paducah would be complete without stopping at Chick-fil-A (especially since Jackson's free standing unit is closed for the next month for renovations!!!), so we enjoyed a yummy dinner there before heading back to Jackson! I would say without a doubt that our road trip was a success!

On Sunday, we made an impromptu trip to Nashville! Austin's immediate family was gathering to celebrate Adam's birthday from earlier in the month, so we decided not to let the opportunity to hang out with everyone slip by! We were so glad we went!

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Newk's and enjoyed chatting and spending time together. Arica and Dylan had to leave earlier to do stuff for the play that Arica is in later this month, but we got to spend a lot of time with Adam, Leslie, the kids, and Austin's parents! We didn't do anything particularly special, we went to TJ Maxx and shopped, then went to Whole Foods and shopped and hung out some more, then ate dinner together at Tazikis, but we enjoyed every minute! We weren't ready to return to Jackson so we didn't- haha! Instead we spent the night in Dickson at Austin's parents house (who were ironically staying in Smyrna with Arica). It was good to just have a change of scenery.

Such a wonderful weekend! 26 has already been great!!!

Three Year Dating Anniversary/ Valentine's Day

Three years seems like a long time. Realizing that we were (nearly) 23 when we went on our first date on February 14, 2010 and now we're about to turn 26 seems unreal. It has honestly been the best three years! I'm so thankful that my first-ever Valentine is my one and only Valentine :-) I remember rolling my eyes when my mom would say that all the waiting wouldn't seem like any time at all once the right one came along. She was right.

This Three Year Dating Anniversary/Valentine celebration was lots of fun! I think Austin and I starting to get the hang of this! I realize that many people think that Valentine's Day is a commercial exploitation based very loosely on a semi-historical figure and I understand that opinion, but I am coming to the point in my life where I embrace the fact that I am cliche and a romantic. Valentine's Day includes both of those things, so I like it. To me, it is a happy coincidence that the anniversary of our first date falls on February 14th, because the whole point of Valentine's Day is to celebrate the blessing of love with the person you love!

Austin surprised me in the morning with a bouquet of beautiful red roses, a precious card, and a box of chocolates, which I loved looking at for the remainder of the day! Also, because it was Thursday, Beth Wilson baked scones for Barefoot's Joe, which made the morning even better! I felt the need to include it in the picture!

At lunch, Austin took me to Olive Garden, where we enjoyed the Soup, Salad and Bread sticks lunch special. Both economical and delicious!

When I came home that evening, Austin had cleaned up the entire downstairs and had the Big Band Pandora Station (my favorite!) playing on his phone. He even had on his hounds tooth blazer. I felt like we were transported back in time! So, of course, I put on my lovely apron made by my sister in law and began pulling out ingredients for dinner! We began doing this only to realize that Austin had put the chicken breasts in the freezer instead of the refrigerator, so our dinner preparations were temporarily postponed until they thawed out! Oops! I will check on that next time! 

Our menu included: Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Cream and Mushroom Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli and Sparkling Apple Cider.

It was so much better than a restaurant! Here is what our table looked like before we sat down to eat. It was so fun to pull out the china, nice flatware, tablecloth and candles! 

It's fun to think back to our first date in Paducah three years ago. We were so giddy/nervous/excited/awkward, yet we were at ease with each other and knew that God had a plan for us. We celebrate what He has accomplished in and through us since that time!

Throwback picture! Taken on February 21, 2010! Our first picture together as an "official" couple!