Our Story : Houston + Haley

Our moms began working together in their early twenties. My mom wore Mrs. Elkie’s wedding gloves in her wedding. Mrs. Elkie did her bridal hair. They were then both pregnant with Houston and I at the same time. My mom left the salon to stay home to be with me full time. She then continued doing hair on the side using my grandma’s salon closer to our home.

Houston and I both remember swimming together at my MaMa’s house whenever we were little kids. At the Brabble home we also had interactions as our moms and our siblings all spent time together catching up by the water.

At Mrs. Elkie’s 40th birthday, I remember riding a golf cart with Blaize (Houston’s sister) exploring their neighborhood. I was a shy child and always chose to hang out with adults rather than kids my age. I remember being standoffish with Houston thinking he was wild and busy as a child.

As we grew up, I did not see Houston often although his mom was always a present influence in my life. I would contact Mrs. Elkie whenever my family was sick or going through a crisis. She would pray and be there in support of my mom when she was sick. I remember the first phone call I had with Mrs. Elkie. I was either in eighth grade or just entering high school. She had asked me to be on her Christian broadcast to share my story. Over the years we shared in that area of ministry often. She even came and served at a girl’s conference I hosted at my home church junior year of high school.

Since Mrs. Elkie and I were close and in communication, I was often made aware of how Houston was doing and what was going on in his life.

I remember praying for him and his sister on my prayer path and around the woods behind my house. I would even have tears praying for Houston and feel the Holy Spirit working in me while praying for him powerfully.

The first time I saw Houston since childhood was at my house for a community Christmas event around 2017. I need to confirm the actual year. We were both definitely not thinking of one another in a romantic sense at all. Our eyes were both on other people. I remember Houston saying something simple like, “Hey Haley! How are you doing?” I was just shocked that he remembered my name since we had never had a true conversation although we grew up together as family friends. Before speaking and sharing the Gospel with everyone present at that Christmas event, I spent time praying in the woods behind my house. I also remember getting on my knees in my bedroom upstairs in the house and begging God to use me and empower me. My little cousin Kiah took polaroid pictures of me and others at the event and gave some to me. I did not know where else to put them at the time, so I resorted to putting them in the box of letters for my future husband. I thought he (my future husband) might want to see pictures of the event my family had hosted. I planned to tell him all about it in the future when I met him. Those are the only pictures that have ever been placed in the box of letters.

We jump a few years in the story since Houston and I both were just living our own lives unaware of the ways we would later be reconnected. In July 2021 I was home from my first year at Liberty. I was recharging after a very refining yet rewarding year of many changes and taking on many responsibilities.

A mutual family friend of Houston and I named Jentsen was having a high school graduation party. All three of our families (moms) are close so we were all there. This was the second time I saw Houston in our adult years. My mind was definitely not thinking of Houston as a “future husband option” at the party. I was happy to see him though and catch up on the things going on in his life. I will not lie. I did glance over at him a few times and did think he was cute. I just never thought there was a chance the two of us were God’s best for one another.

A vivid memory I have of the party consists of Houston sitting at the end of the Hill’s dining room table. He was asking me questions about Liberty, hall ministry, and my hopes for the future. He was telling me about his moving job and the far distance he had just traveled. I complimented his driving skills lol but that was the summary of our conversation.

One of Houston’s aunts was taking pictures of the party and snapped one of my mom and I before we left the party. I remember being aware of where Houston was at and how he made it a point to come hug me before my mom and I drove away in the minivan. It was a regular hug but struck me in the heart. I knew Houston and I had always known each other but never had a conversation longer than five minutes before that day. We were different in a lot of ways, yet he was so friendly and loving. The pang in my heart over the hug now makes sense but I was just confounded then. Do not think I freak out over random people’s hugs or situations like this haha. Houston is the only person in my life whose hug stood out. It was a nudge in my spirit. Whenever these moments happen (God has given me nudges with other sorts of things) it denotes a significance that comes in the future. I got in the car leaving the party and told my mom how “there was something to that hug.” I did not know what it was, but it meant something. I could not put my finger on the meaning, but God warned my heart that there was more to come in some way.

At that same party a kind man who loves the Lord came up to me in the kitchen a few steps from where Houston had been sitting and had a word for me about my future husband. It was encouraging and prophetic. It gave me momentum in my season of waiting. This man had read my blog posts over the years and was used by God to put new wind in my sails of persevering and waiting for all of God’s plans to be revealed.

Little did I know that my actual future husband was sitting in the same room as we were in having that conversation about my future husband!

Mrs. Elkie asked me to join her on her talk show again after we saw one another at Jentsen’s party. A man of God named Bruce was filming an episode before I walked in. He knew Houston as well. I felt the Holy Spirit so strongly and was about to start crying telling Mrs. Elkie I knew Houston was going to turn to the Lord and be used by Him mightily. It was a declaration. I am often gentle in saying things and was then, but my spirit was moved boldly inwardly.

Houston was about to play golf for a college a few hours away from home. He had a move coming up and a lot of new changes on the horizon. I was moving back to Liberty for my second year there.

I ended up moving back to campus and started to do life in Lynchburg again. I was not thinking romantically of Houston still yet had many moments of being burdened for him during my time at school that fall semester. I vividly remember one night in my dorm room texting Mrs. Elkie. I felt led to send her a message about her children and that the Lord had placed them on my heart specifically to pray for in that moment.

I had no clue what was going on in their lives. I did not talk to Houston or Blaize unless we saw one another at family friend gatherings. Being on the other side of the beginning of our story being written, I now know that the timing of that text was very significant.

Although I did not know it then, Houston had encountered the Lord in new ways at a Christian camp near our homes called the Father’s Refuge that summer. He had been praying about God’s will over his decision to move and go play college golf. He had a conversation with the Lord and prayed for one specific sign to happen if he was not meant to go. That specific sign did occur while he and his family were about thirty minutes away from the college. Houston was faced with a huge decision at that moment. He let people down to be obedient to God. The night that this decision took place included a dinner where Mrs. Elkie told Houston I had been praying for him. My text to her had taken place either that day or the day before. He was honored I was praying for him but did not think much else of it. I did not find out about this moment in his life until the summer following.

I was in my own season of transition and praying through different opportunities presented to me at Liberty as Houston was moving home and learning to work in a new way. He had worked in the same role in previous summers yet working with his hands as a carpenter full time did not seem as glamorous as playing college golf. He knew he was in God’s will being at home though.

While at Liberty my second year, I was being set up with different people and being asked out. I was honestly frustrated by the action and liked turning away all “options.” I had reached a heart posture of surrender in December. God had given me peace, joy, and contentment with being single and leveraging my moments in unique ministry positions. I had been offered a job to stay at Liberty after graduation and assumed I would just be single throughout my twenties working in different settings fulfilling whatever the Lord laid before me.

Since my heart had longed for marriage and the one person God knew I could serve Him best with for so long, I started to lose hope in Him actually fulfilling that part of His will for my life any time soon.

I reached a moment where I sat on my top bunk bed in my dorm and had an honest conversation with Jesus. I listed out my dream plan for my life and the years immediately following college. I then told God to rip up my plan that had been rehearsed and idolized. His ways and thoughts were much higher than mine. I regained confidence that God WOULD fulfill every purpose and promise He had spoken to me. I started to have hope again that there was a future husband coming my way no matter the timing of seeing him revealed.

On a Sunday around January, I received two phone calls. One was from a girl trying to set me up with a guy she knew. I thought that “opportunity” was a distraction sent from the enemy and removed any request that guy sent. The second call was from my sister Darby. She had been to the Father’s Refuge that day leading worship for a church service. She told me she had seen Houston and Jentsen there that day. Houston had shed tears being moved by the Lord and my mom had prayed for him. I took that as answers to prayer and was so excited that God was at work in Houston’s life. I did not know everything the Lord had been doing in his life the past year. I was clueless.

On February 14th (Valentine’s Day) my friends Mia, Micah Joy, and I began a discipleship / accountability group. At the end of our first study, we had to commit to three different things we could hold one another accountable for. My first commitment was to “pray for Houston daily and to reach out to him if/when led by God.”

I was praying for him every day but not thinking he would be my future husband. I was praying for him because God had given me extra concern and care for his soul.

On March 23rd, 2022 I woke up from a dream about me and Houston. I knew it was from the Lord and was astounded. I looked up his Instagram from my top bunk bed and was trying to see if something dramatic or traumatic was going on in his life. I did not see anything out of the ordinary.

A part of the dream I had consisted of me being annoyed with guys liking me at school and Houston being on the phone with me from his home. It was obvious in the dream that we were talking to one another from our two different locations and were discussing me sending him a package of some sort.

While getting ready for the day that morning, I could not shake the dream or feeling of needing to message Houston being led by the Lord. I did not want to message him. I did not want to get a conversation going or be perceived in any way contrary to reality of my true intentions. The Lord continued to move me though, and I obeyed.

I was shocked that Houston responded quickly and with joy. I did not expect him to respond at all or just thought he would say, “thank you.” He is a kind guy though who is friendly with everyone, so I am not quite sure why I assumed that he would not respond.

He responded in updating me about his life and we both agreed we hoped to see one another over the upcoming summer. I was beyond stressed out at school, having skin issues due to the amount of stress I was holding, and conducting interviews for ministry positions the following year.

Houston was thankful I reached out and had been expectant of the Lord to do something new in his life not knowing what that would entail.

Our Instagram conversation never stopped, and I am grateful that we will never stop communicating.

After discussing different Christian resources with Houston, I decided to send him some books and other items in the mail. It later occurred to me that the dream I had the morning of texting him was prophetic.

I started wondering what it would be like to be in a long distance relationship although I had no clue if God was putting us together in any way beyond friends. I was not holding on to any idea of us dating, but I knew God was at work. The day after my thoughts about long distance dating started, I woke up to my favorite podcast having a new episode. It was called “FOR THE GIRL IN A LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP.”

Houston received the package I sent him on April 7th and texted me saying thank you.

On April 10th I had my third dream about Houston. There was another one I had about him before initially reaching out. The dream on April 10th was the most impactful to me personally and gave my spirit an impression of God’s plans for us together before it was even a possibility in my mind. I am not sharing the details of it now but will say that I prayed over the meaning of that dream for over a month. Elements of it were confirmed with Scripture and I received insight on the meaning. That gave me confidence to continue talking to Houston and being open for whatever God was doing.

I moved home for the summer on May 7th. Houston and I were still in touch but did not see one another until May 28th. That was our third time seeing one another in our adult years. We decided to start a Bible study for our group of family friends. The following week I dog sat for the Hill family. He had stayed at their house the night before I arrived.

On June 5th Remington (my brother) and I joined Houston and Jentsen for our second Bible study gathering which was hosted by Houston and his family at their house.

There are many details in each of these events that I am just holding within and treasuring instead of disclosing.

June 9th was Houston and I’s first date! We went to Swansboro. I had made homemade cinnamon rolls the afternoon before and brought him a plate of them for his family.

It was three years prior to Houston and I’s first date in Swansboro that I had found myself there heartbroken and confused over a potential relationship ending before it even officially began. While on vacation at Emerald Isle, my family decided to go exploring one day. I needed an outing. We landed at an antique shop in Swansboro. God met me there! My dad is a witness. I was just looking around the shop whenever I began talking with the shop owner. I did not know her from Adam (as the saying goes). She began speaking straight into my situation and having words for me from the Lord regarding my future husband. She held out her hands and said that at just the right time, God would bring my future husband to me. My dad stood there observing the lady’s conversation with me in shock. I had just graduated from high school at this point. My dad told the woman she was saying exactly what I needed to hear.

Back to Houston and I’s first date in Swansboro 3 years later on June 9th, 2022…we were at a location directly across the road from where the woman had held out her hands in prophetically speaking about my future husband coming into my life at God’s perfect timing.

Houston did not know any of the background information of why Swansboro and that location specifically meant a lot to me. God tied every detail together and brought the connections to my mind after every event took place.

On the day of Houston and I’s first date (which was my true first date ever) I opened my Bible on the porch that morning to “wherever you want me to read, Lord.” Isaiah 41 was the chapter of the Bible I found myself in.

Verse thirteen stood out to me. The CSB version says, “For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.”

I went into my bathroom upstairs and the verse of the day on a printed calendar was Isaiah 41:13. The same verse!

I took a picture of all of those moments documenting the repetition and told my family.

It also was very significant that the verse I have prayed over my future marriage for years is also found in Isaiah 41.

Verse 20 (CSB) declares, “so that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

Two days after Houston and I’s first date to the beach, my family left again for vacation there. Houston came down to visit after a full day golf tournament on the 17th. He joined my family for dinner for the first time. That was the first time a boy I liked had ever eaten dinner with my family in public. We spent hours together alone talking after my family and us played putt putt. That was the night Houston clearly told me, “I like you.” The exact words I had been waiting for in my years of singleness. I was tired of being led on without guys putting commitment or clarity behind their charisma. I had told all of my friends while single that unless a guy clearly told me in the words “I LIKE YOU” I was not going to believe or assume that they liked me.

It stunned me that Houston said those exact few words along with the many more that we both remember.

My family returned home on June 18th. Darby and I joined Houston and Jentsen at the Father’s Refuge that night for a special event.

While the founder Scott Murphy was talking, he mentioned his own love story with his wife. Something he said stood out to me. Whenever he was single, his wife was often in the rooms where people prophesied about her. They were in the same rooms longing for one another not realizing they were the ones for each other.

I thought that aligned in similar ways for Houston and I’s story.

On June 23rd I was supposed to join our friend group for a boating afternoon but became really sick feeling on the way home from visiting a friend that morning. I had a sinus infection and double ear infection. I had to cancel on Houston. Some of our first phone calls continued that week and I knew he wanted to see me again. I missed him.

He came and picked me up on June 30th. It was the first time in a week that I left my house. We had a movie night with his family at their house.

July 2nd was another friend hangout where we played tennis and got ice cream.

The best fourth of July was obviously on July 4th haha. We first held hands that night on the water under fireworks.

We officially became a couple July 6th. The verse on my little calendar for the day then was Ezekiel 34:26. It shares (CSB),

“I will make them and the area around my hill a blessing: I

will send down showers in their season; they will be showers of blessing.”

Many dates and significant moments continued to take place.

I will make them and the area around my hill a blessing: I

will send down showers in their season; they will be showers of blessing.”

As Houston left in the night, a huge thunderstorm was at work. I did not even realize the verse of the day until I went upstairs. I also snapped a photo of that for documentation.

In August I moved back to school and the Lord directed my steps for upcoming change. My plans continued to conform to His will as He led me in peace over making future decisions. I no longer had peace about staying in Lynchburg for a master’s program or job. I was relieved that the Lord was giving me peace and provision to move home after graduation.

The fall semester of this past year contained many conversations, prayers, and tears as Houston and I sought the Lord for engagement and the perfect timing of it. On February 11th of this year, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He proposed in the same woods behind my house where I spent the past ten years praying for him.

We are now preparing to get married in October in that same location and can truly say our story is a result of God’s hand creating every moment that has occurred and has been documented. I am forever and immensely grateful to have a love not only allowed by God, but one given and authored by Him. Having Houston as my partner in life helps me daily see the Gospel more clearly.

I pray our story (although there is more to share and more still being written) moves countless hearts to the throne of God as His Presence is near.