Author / Bethe

by Bethe

Give me grace

I think one of the greatest lies the enemy has for us is that we’re alone. That nobody else can relate to our problem. That we’re the only one. That it makes us abnormal. That nobody will understand.
Through my years of serving in women’s ministry I’ve found that one of the greatest things we women can do for each other is to be transparent. To be willing to remove the veil of perfection and let others in on our struggles. 
I’m not a perfect wife. 
I’m not a perfect housekeeper.
I’m not Martha Stewart.
I don’t have it all together… I have junk drawers and my mascara runs and I have absolutely no idea what I want to be when I grow up. 
This year as I’ve struggled with health issues and the lingering physical and emotional scars it brings, I’ve found that several of my friends have silently been carrying the same burden. I had no idea. It was so encouraging to find out I’m not alone. 
I’ve had countless friends share with me their deepest, darkest insecurities, and I just hug them and tell them… me too.
Satan wants us to feel isolated, because that’s when we lose hope. God created us to be in community, so that when we struggle with unfixable problems, there’s a girlfriend nearby who can take us to get ice cream and pray for us and encourage us to keep on fighting.
We’re not alone. Underneath those skinny jeans, tall boots, statement necklaces, and perfect Pinterest projects are girls who, like you, need someone to reassure them that they’re not the only ones in the midst of a battle.
Let’s boast in our weaknesses, and cling to the power that comes through Christ.
PS–This month my little blog hit an all-time high of just under 2,000 hits. Thank you to my sweet friends (and family, and husband) for paying me so many visits. I am thankful for you.
by Bethe

Like a well-watered garden

God is incredibly sweet sometimes. Well, really all the time. But sometimes my eyes are more open to notice it. Lately it’s been one of those times.

I’m a words of encouragement person. It’s what I crave more than money, or prestige, or just about anything else. I need to be liked and I like to be praised. And there’s one key area in my life where this has been hugely lacking this past year. It has been a struggle that no matter what I seem to do, I can’t do enough to earn a pat on the back. It has left me feeling insecure and disheartened.

Mr. Right and both of my families have so kindly joined me in praying over that situation, that God would move and create a peaceful and encouraging atmosphere. And while God’s made some small steps in that situation, it’s funny… because while I’ve been obsessing over just a few people who are discouraging, I have gotten encouragement from the most unexpected of places. Random people that I didn’t even know a year ago have given me some of the most meaningful encouragement at times when I just didn’t see it coming. Even yesterday, I got an unexpected note in my mailbox that absolutely brightened my day. While I was so focused on something I couldn’t control, God has been answering that prayer in infinitely greater ways. There is such a richness to his blessings.

My situation has challenged me to watch for people who, like me, need encouragement. Want to join me in creating unexpected blessings to unsuspecting people? It sure is fun… 

by Bethe

English and Sunshine

From a series of notecards I designed with the theme “Things that make me happy.”

Life has been tough this year. There have been days I was so stressed I thought my head might explode. But today is not one of those days.

Mr. Right called to tell me that he and our Nigerian friend, whom he tutors in English once a week, prayed for me this morning.  I will gladly take anybody’s prayers, but there’s a sweetness to the prayers of people from far away places, whose backgrounds and life stories are vastly different from mine, and yet we share the same God who hears our prayers, regardless of our accents.

Other fun ESL moments lately:

-I taught my class all about the World Series. Which they thought was silly, since it’s not really the “world” that plays in it, just North America. How egocentric we must seem to them! Thankfully I’ve got my class fully educated on baseball, and I got to hear Go Rangers! in the most delicious array of accents.

-We have two sweet West African women who have decided that Will and I should get pregnant. Now. They lovingly told me they are praying that we would have FIVE kids (gulp) and that God would make us pregnant now. I asked them if they could kindly ask God to give us three kids instead of five, and if he could give us a little more time to enjoy the carefree newlywed life before we get pregnant… we have some trips to plan first.  And my husband is in seminary. But if we make a surprise announcement anytime soon… you can blame my students.

-I showed one of those same women a picture of me holding my niece, and she happily exclaimed “Your arms look fat in that picture!” Like it was the greatest thing in the world! I saw the look of amusement horror surprise on Mr. Right’s face as I tried to remind myself that in many cultures around the world, being fat is a sign of beauty.

If you think of it, please add my sweet students to your prayer list. They face some very real challenges as they experience culture shock, children who struggle to adjust to new schools, adults who need jobs, and the ability to communicate well so they can be taken seriously in their new home.

by Bethe

Lately

Last weekend I felt like such a grown-up.

In August we won big at a chamber of commerce fundraiser, and part of our winnings included tickets to see the Fort Worth Symphony at Bass Hall. I wore my brand-new 50% off dress from Fredericksburg and Mr. Right and I ate dinner at Taverna (where we had our first date) along with a small crowd from a local Jane Austen convention.

I should stop here and say that I wish I had known there was a Jane Austen convention in Fort Worth over the weekend. She is my very favorite author and I’ve read every word she’s ever written… several times. She’s pure bliss.

But back to the symphony. We felt so cultured, so trendy, to be going to the symphony. Even better, it was “movie theme” night, so we got to listen to the scores from Schindler’s List, The President’s Speech, Casablanca, Star Wars...

It was glorious. And while Mr. Right and I love to listen to classical music at home on the radio, hearing it live, 12-rows back (for free) at the most gorgeous venue in DFW (and also home to our wedding reception) was just fantastic. I will never forget it.

I really wish we had taken a full-length picture so you could celebrate with me the cuteness of my half-price lacy, ruffled dress, but alas, all we took was this iPhone headshot. I guess this means that I can just wear it again and no one will be the wiser.

That same weekend I played in a golf tournament with my dad. 

Crazy thing happened… we won the tournament. And I got the biggest trophy of my life. It’s sitting in my office at work right now, and every time I see it, I giggle at the ridiculousness. I haven’t gotten a trophy in 20 years.

In the meantime, when I’m not pretending to be a grown-up or winning golf tournaments, I’ve been working on my next quilt. It was my first foray into applique and it was so much easier than I had anticipated. It’s asymmetrical, partly because I wanted it to be unique, and partly because I’m bad at math and needed to add some length to the bottom to even it out. This will be a special gift to a special friend, and I’ll share the story after she receives it. In the meantime, it’s not going to get quilted until I finish a last-minute Christmas gift quilt, which I fear may be more than I should bite off, but I like to live on the edge. This is my inspiration (but mine will be black and white):
(source)
Speaking of living on the edge, last week I got to throw a very large, outdoor special event. It was the day it rained four inches. Practically a monsoon, actually. And there I was, standing outside in my sister’s red rain boots at 6:15 in the morning, sipping my coffee and trying to see the humor in the situation so I wouldn’t cry.  After all, we’re in the worst drought in our area’s history… and the one day I plan an outdoor event, we get a monsoon. 

Life as an event planner is hugely entertaining, but rarely glamorous.

by Bethe

You + Me

Mr. Right and I absolutely LOVE to ride our retro beach cruisers around town. It’s one of “our things” that makes us all mushy as a couple. Whether it’s riding it through our neighborhood at dusk, or taking them out on Trinity Trail armed with a picnic, they’re one of our favorite things.
Plus, I feel like I’m eight when I ride it, what with those big handles and banana seat. I’m still searching for the perfect basket for my handle bars.
So in honor of our blue and red bikes, I designed this card just for him.
It debuted this week in the form of a love note from me to him, and I’ve also framed an 8×10 print for my sewing room. It makes me want to sigh and then cuddle up with a quilt and a good book in front of my fire place. In other words, it gives me warm fuzzies. 
by Bethe

English class

source

My entire life I wanted to be an English teacher. As a little girl I played school with my poor, helpless, bossed-around younger sisters, and as a college student I wavered between majoring in English and journalism, changing my major five times as I tried to decide between a career as a teacher and joining the world of communications.

I picked communications. 
But a small part of me has always dreamed of someday being an English teacher. And now I am, although in a classroom I never expected.
Mr. Right and I are working with an ESL (English as a Second Language) class at our church. Will is the organized guru who makes sure teachers have their lessons, classrooms are set up, kids are returned to their parents, and tummies are full with pizza each week.
I teach the beginner’s class with one of my best girlfriends, and I have fallen in love with my students.
In the past six weeks I’ve taught people from DR Congo, Burundi, the Ivory Coast, Jordan, Egypt, Nepal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico. In our other classes we have folks from South Korea, the Ukraine, Bangladesh, Syria, Somalia, and several other countries that I can’t seem to remember now. 
I have refugees. I have a physician. I have people who need to learn English to find work. I have the very old and the very young. One of my students has seven children. I have people who speak Swahili, French, Spanish, Arabic, Nepali, and Bangla. I have muslims and Christians, and I suspect I probably have some hindus and buddhists. I have a child who told me that in his country, if you convert to Christianity, you will be killed. My students have lived such brave lives.
I have never met a more fascinating group of people. My beginner students are passionate about learning English – many are searching out additional programs so they can get more practice. They ask questions and work hard to grasp the concepts, they help each other, and they do every last bit of the homework I assign them. They are a dream class to teach.
Even better, they’re learning English at my church. Every week as we celebrate the end of a lesson with pizza, we tell them about Jesus, and about how incredibly loved they are by Him. And by us. 
It’s rewarding to teach someone English. To open a new world of possibilities, of freedom, of independence. It’s even more rewarding to share with them the source of my hope, and my peace, and my motivation for loving them.
by Bethe

Hug

It seems like for most of our first year of marriage, one of us has been sick. And by one of us, I mean me. We were just talking this morning about how we both knew marriage would have its challenges, but we had no idea that we’d be hit head-on by such challenges immediately. Like, the day we got back from our honeymoon.

In 2011…
A total of 5 months of one of us being sick
Having two mortgages
Selling a house
A burglary
Death of a loved one

But those challenges have brought such sweet, tender moments with them.

This week has been no different. Like I mentioned before, Mr. Right came down with the stomach flu while at the ranch, so for the past four nights, we’ve stayed on opposite sides of the house. If it were anything besides that stomach bug, I wouldn’t worry about catching it, but this one has completely wiped him out for five days now. So, we’ve tried to limit the germ spreading, I’ve disinfected the house, washed every article of clothing that we took to the ranch, and washed my hands until they’re almost chapped.

It’s only been a few days, but I miss him. Maybe it’s because we’re sappy newlyweds, or maybe it’s because I have an inherent need to be hugged by my husband… but last night when I got home from work, I couldn’t take it anymore. I dropped my bag and walked straight toward my germy man and gave him a huge hug.

That moment may have been one of my very favorites of the past year.

Tonight he comes off quarantine, and I am ecstatic.

by Bethe

What I’m reading…

I have spent a lot of time with the books on these bookshelves. Here’s my latest reads since May:

Prisoners of Hope, by Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry
I picked this book up for about $0.25 at a used book sale – so glad I did. This is an autobiography about the two Baylor missionaries who were imprisoned in Afghanistan back in 2001. I was at Baylor during this time and prayed for these girls’ release, so it was very interesting to read this. I highly recommend it.

The Secrets of the FBI, by Ronald Kessler (audio book)
This may be my favorite book I’ve read in the past 5 years. No kidding. It was fascinating. I learned all the ins and outs of the FBI – how they break into peoples’ homes and businesses to plant bugs, and how sometimes these covert operations go terribly, terribly wrong in some wonderfully comedic ways. The book jumps around between the history of the agency and current secrets, but it as fast-moving and super interesting.

The Broker, by John Grisham
This followed the typical Grisham formula, but most of the book takes place in Italy, a country that I love and have traveled all over… twice. So read it simply for the great Italian experience. Better yet, stick it in your carry-on on your next European adventure.

Decision Points, by George Bush (audio book)
I loved “reading” this as an audio book, because Bush himself reads it. I read Laura’s book earlier this year on our honeymoon, and after reading both of their stories, I love them even more. While I don’t agree with all of his decisions during his presidency, I am confident that he is a faithful man of God who made decisions that he thought were right at the time.

I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 (audio book)
Mr. Right and I listened to this book on two back-to-back trips to Midland over the summer. The author kept us company as we made the five-hour trip back from West Texas in the middle of the night, stopping at Stripes gas stations for caffeine and potty breaks. The book was fascinating… the story of one of Google’s earliest employees, about how none of them really had any idea what they were doing, but somehow they produced greatness.

Hunger Games Trilogy, Suzanne Collins
Like I told my perplexed husband, “It’s about kids who have to fight to the death on national TV… but it’s not violent.” Loved these three books. Can’t wait for the movies.

Bossypants, by Tina Fey
Liked it, but it’s not as much about Tina Fey’s life as it is one giant comedy sketch. But I still laughed out loud.

Frost/Nixon: Behind the Scene of the Nixon Interviews, by Sir David Frost (audio book)
This is the story of the famous Nixon interviews after his resignation. I love history and politics, and I enjoyed listening to this as I painted Mr. Right’s house getting it ready to sell. It made the time fly by.

The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008, by Bob Woodward (audio book)
This book told the behind-the-scenes story at the White House during the Iraq War – how decisions were made, how inefficient things ran and how nobody really knew what they were doing. It was a fascinating book, although I don’t recommend purchasing it through iTunes as it came in two giant chapters, and for some reason it kept losing its place. So annoying.

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen (audio book)
I liked this story, but not the language, and I think hearing bad language is worse than reading it for some reason. I also didn’t like that this story was about infidelity – I’ve noticed a lot of books and movies center around this topic, and I just don’t like it.

So if you add these to the seven I read earlier this year, that means that as of the end of September, I have finished 19 books in 2011. Listening to audio books while I drive and quilt has helped me to almost double my reading output.

From my friends… any book recommendations? I need to add to my list.

by Bethe

Hunting and fishing and shopping… oh my!

This weekend we jaunted off to San Saba to a ranch getaway with Will’s family. This ranch was in the middle of a pecan orchard, with a spring that ran right through the middle, an adorable 60-year-old ranch house, a fire pit for roasting marshmallows…

And a dead deer hanging from a nearby tree by his hind legs.

Welcome to the country.

I’m a total city girl who doesn’t hunt and only owns pink camouflage, but it turns out that on this ranch getaway, the girls cook and shop while the boys hunt and grunt and fish, get their clothes dirty, and do extra manly things. I rather like this sort of ranch.

We girls set the boys off hunting Saturday morning with full bellies, and then jetted over to Fredericksburg for a half day of shopping and eating. I was able to snag the most adorable lace, one-of-a-kind boutique ruffled dress (for 50% off… hooray) and my sweet in-laws gifted me with some extra-sassy cowgirl boots for an early birthday present. We snagged homemade cookies at a local bakery and topped off the afternoon with a Sonic run.

It was a wonderful, relaxing weekend… until poor Mr. Right came down with the stomach flu. It made for a long night and a very long drive back. I felt horrible for him.

Now I have a sick husband on my couch and a couple bags of bloody dead birds (and part of a deer) in my freezer. Mr. Right has assured me that when he’s better, he’ll cook me dove wrapped in bacon. While I have long held the theory that anything wrapped in bacon will taste good… I may have found the one exception. We’ll find out soon.

Oh, and while we were out of town a stray pit bull (or other equally aggressive breed of dog) took up residence in our driveway. While I assume he likes us, since he brought a stray sock and tree branch to me this morning, he also growled and showed aggression toward our house sitter over the weekend, so this morning I paid a little call to animal control.

Life is never boring, is it?

Here are pics from our weekend adventure:

Will and I, while he was still feeling healthy

Will’s cousin, Will’s grandmother, and Will (it was Grammy’s 79 birthday)

Will’s cousin, grandmother, dad, and aunt

by Bethe

Blog heart attack

To my friends who use Google’s blogger… beware, I just switched to their uber chic “dynamic” version that looks more like a fancy e-magazine… and my sign-in link disappeared! After coming dangerously close to peeing in my pants, I was able to sign in with a different computer whose internet was too outdated to support the chic new look, and changed back to my tried-and-true “old” version, and all is right with the world.

In the meantime… buyer beware. I’ll let them figure out all the bugs before I make the switch a second time.