Our Version of a "Thank You Card"

We got married about four months ago. Before, during and since that day we have received SO MANY amazingly generous gifts from so many of you. It has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated and we wanted to make that clear! So if you have blessed us this year, we ask that you please watch this and know that we are so incredibly grateful!

We hope for so much love and happiness during your holiday season!

We love you,

Zach and Haley

the investment

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village.
And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.
Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

"I don't have a purpose" 

i said that sentence and it broke my heart as it was coming out of my mouth.
It was a confession of the thoughts I'd been battling for a while.
I'm Martha. 

I wake up wondering what I can do to fill my time
and how I can distract my mind
from the question that I can't seem to quit asking God. 

"What am I supposed to do with this life?" 

Of course, there are tons of ways to spend my time.
I could
look for a job
clean my house
do laundry
watch tv
cook. 
But these things leave me wanting.
bored.
And just as martha, i challenge God, asking
"Lord, do you not care..."
The question is familiar to me.
The answer is accurate, i am
anxious.
troubled.
but with the rest, comes revelation.
God does not want me to spend my time,
He wants me to invest my time.
Learning to be alone.
Understanding what exactly, Jesus stands for.
Realizing my identity.
It is not always easy and
can take a very long time.
But even when I sit at the feet and hear nothing,
Jesus is sitting on the throne, seeing everything.


-haley gay

his first gift

This first Christmas as a married couple has me thinking about our first Christmas ever, as a couple.

It was in 2010 and Zach and I had been together for seven months.

Ten days after that Christmas morning, Z was headed to basic training

to begin his journey in the United States Air Force.

It is so easy for me to recall this time in our lives

because every moment was so vivid.

Every time I looked at him or touched him, I felt grateful.

The reality was that I was nineteen, he was twenty.

He was starting on this four year journey in the military

and I wasn't even halfway through my four year journey through college.

We didn't know where he would be living

and I knew I wasn't going anywhere for three more years.

We weren't really sure of much, and 

one of our greatest strengths

would eventually turn out to be one of our harshest realities. 

We have recklessly loved each other from the moment we started dating.

This type of disregard for emotional control does lead to some pretty

intense fights and dramatic proclamations of feelings.

But it also leads to a love and determination like I have never

experienced so strongly, in my entire life.

The first Christmas gift I ever received from Zach

is something I hope to give to our grandchildren one day.

It is a journal and it is my most valued possession.

He gave me this journal that he had written in, sixteen times.

When he went to basic training, he left me with the job

of continuing to write in it.

I did.

And we have switched, back and forth writing memories, fears and promises

in it for the last three years.

I share his very first entry with you today,

in amazement, of just how much we had ahead of us at the time he wrote it.

If you are struggling to find the perfect gift for someone

that you really care about,

in my opinion, words are the most valuable.

-haley gay

"Hey Haley, Merry Christmas

This is the first of a lifetime of Christmas

presents from me to you. As you know I am going to

be gone for a while and I am going to miss you

terribly. I know these next four years are going to

be difficult for us but I do believe with all I've

got you are the ONE God made me for and if I

am right as I pray that I am we will survive

this, we will grow stronger, and our Love will only

be that much (more) everlasting. I am not blind though,

I know there will be tough times. There will be days

that I don't want to get out of bed because I miss you

so bad but we will with God's help. And I hope this

book helps a little too.

So inside these pages are some of my favorite

moments and experiences I have had with you." 

-zachary jordan gay

(december twenty fifth, two thousand and ten)

is this real

with enough courage

november was good to us

zach and i saw the leaves change, took walks, argued about driving directions, had friends and family visit and celebrated our first married thankgiving! 

this summer i invested in two pieces from an artist near dallas.

rhett butler and scarlett o'hara

they make such a statement in the living room and scarlett is actually a sound system.

you can see in the picture, there is a drawer that comes out of the side of her to plug your ipod into and play music through the speakers behind the art. 

they are stunning to anyone, but for me, they mean so much more.

my mom and i share a love for

Gone With the Wind

a very long, interesting and ultimately sad story of Katy Scarlett O'hara.

when Zach left for basic training in January of 2011 

i went into my room

turned the lights off

put on his pajamas

and watched gone with the wind

i believe there is something to be said about accepting your emotions as they come

and there is no one who does that better than scarlett.

i was sad. i wanted to cry. so i did.

i cried and cried as i watched the movie, cuddled in the smell of my man.

then, the next day, i got up.

every time we were separated i tried to find time to watch gone with the wind

it reminds me that,

our worst day together is so much sweeter than our best day apart.

Home. I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day

-Scarlett O'hara

With enough courage, you can do without a reputation. -Rhett Butler

 In the last couple of weeks my great friends, chandler and allie visited us. it was so great having them here. 

For thanksgiving, Z's parents were here! 

we had the best time, playing games, drinking wine and riding segways.

we were so blessed to spend time with family. 

they got us some early Christmas gifts and helped us make our home cozy for the holidays.

We set up our tree.

Z is very sentimental about this.

i had no idea how much pressure it was to pick out a "family" tree topper.

so glad i have a husband who can explain these things to me.

we're going back to Dallas on the 23rd and are so excited.

until then, we are being very intentional about the last month of 2013.

i am all about new years resolutions but this year is not over yet.

advent

the anticipation of King Jesus.

acknowledging, honoring and celebrating the Hope of the world, the child who

changed everything

zach leads us in giving up different things this month,

making sacrifices of time and indulgences to focus on the

birth, life and ultimate sacrifice our Father made for His children.

no guilt in life, no fear in death

our little guy tree topper

-Hay Gay