Author / Bethe

by Bethe

Steward of your wounds

I have been thinking a lot lately about how blessed I am. I had a rough six months, and every time I start to feel good and sorry for myself, God sends in someone to encourage me. Even last night, someone gave me a nugget of information that made my whole evening. It reminds me that I need to look for opportunities to encourage others as well.

Do you ever feel like sometimes you’re just going through the motions, and other times you’re the best possible version of yourself? I feel like I’m finally hitting my stride again, doing what God has called me to do, and enjoying living in my own skin. Janine Turner told me this week (ha ha… doesn’t that sound funny? You remember her… the gal from Northern Exposure? She spoke at a luncheon I went to this week…) that we should be “stewards of our wounds.” Kind of a weird quote, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. When life deals you junk, do you dwell on it, or do you use that as a means to make yourself better? It’s kind of like the verse that says suffering produces perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope. I don’t want to be defined by my crummy moments, I want to become all the more fabulous because my character has been refined, challenged, and strengthened. That, and I want to wear fabulous shoes.

Okay, enough of the mushy talk, it’s time to review my Sunday School lesson for tomorrow (one last time) and then grab some much-needed sleep. I hosted a party at my house tonight, which was so much fun, but now I’m a bit worn out!

by Bethe

I’m back

I had been so good about posting lately… 24 posts in July. That may be a new record for me. You can tell I had a lot of time on my hands during my break from grad school…

I had every intention of writing this week, but I started reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, and I did absolutely NOTHING else the whole week. I couldn’t put that stupid thing down! I love the feeling of having a book that is so good, I literally thirst for it all day, anxiously anticipating the moment when I can pick it up after a long, hard day, curl up on my couch and escape my world for a few hours. With this one, I barely even slept… I had to force myself to put it down each night around 12:30. I blame all of my crankiness last week on Ms. Rivers!

Oh, and I feel like I should mention that I really DID do other things this week besides read, otherwise you may think I’m a bigger nerd than I really am (okay, maybe I am a nerd anyway). I played tennis with friends, went out for coffee with some of my Sunday School girls, played my last (thank you Lord!) softball game, officially booked my 2009 cruise, went to dinner with my long-lost roommate, and caught a Rangers-Yankees game at the Ballpark. It was quite a week!

And, I found the most fabulous strapless, black lace cocktail dress for a black tie event later this month. It’s one of those dresses that makes me feel like a movie star! It was way out of my budget, but my cute sister Lindsay works at the mall and is getting me a mean discount, so it’s back in my budget! I hope all my friends get married this year so I have an excuse to wear this bad boy as much as possible!

by Bethe

I’m back

I had been so good about posting lately… 24 posts in July. That may be a new record for me. You can tell I had a lot of time on my hands…

I had every intention of writing this week, but I started reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, and I did absolutely NOTHING else the whole week. I couldn’t put that stupid thing down!

by Bethe

Can’t put it down



First things first… I have the coolest family. EVER.

Okay, on to other things.

As I sit here eating a frozen banana (Have you ever had one? I swear, it’s better than ice cream), all I want to do is go finish my new book. Redeeming Love. Yes, I know, I’m the last Christian girl on earth who hasn’t read it (or anything by Francine Rivers), but I’m about to check this one off my list. I practically devoured this book. I have managed to fit in some fun activities this week (like hanging out with friends, playing tennis, going to a Rangers-Yankees game) but really, all I have wanted to do all week long is curl up on my couch and finish this darn thing. Seriously, it’s that good.

by Bethe

It’s all about the outfit

I’m still working out like a crazy person. Wanna know my secret?

I went out and bought new, cute workout clothes. Hot pink running shorts, cute tops, and even a sassy new tennis skirt. I love wearing them!

And if I’m going to wear sassy new workout clothes, I might as well stop by the gym and actually work out a little.

At this rate, that half-marathon may be the most expensive thing I do all year! But, I have run 4 miles, twice a week, for the past three weeks! That, on top of playing softball, tennis, volleyball, and ultimate frisbee. I guess I’m on my way…

by Bethe

Back on the bandwagon

My love-hate relationship with my Texas Rangers dates back to the late 1980s when I went to my first game.

Back then, as a first-grader, my parents would take us to games a few nights a week. It’s what our family did to bond. We’d take a huge thermos of Dr. Pepper, some snacks, and a couple of coloring books, and set out to the stadium to cheer on our favorite team. And our favorite player… Nolan Ryan.

Twenty years (and approximately 3,160 games) have passed, and my Rangers have never won the World Series. Or even the pennant. We had a few near-misses back in the late 90s, which was just enough of a tease to whet our appetites. But since then, it’s been a downward spiral of defeat and heartache. Of no pitching and poor coaching and bad trades.

Last year I gave up. I broke up with my Rangers. I dumped ’em like a hot potato, quit watching the games on TV, and never spent any of my hard-earned money on tickets. Granted, I get to go (for free) a lot for work, but last year it wasn’t very high on my list.

But now… my boys are back! I have forgiven them for all their past sins because they have once again become exciting to watch. My pal, Josh Hamilton, is the greatest Ranger since Pudge. I love to watch Kinsler with his tall socks and his baggy pants steal base after base. I love Saltalamacchia, not because he’s a great catcher, but because he has the longest name in the history of baseball, and that’s just cool. CJ Wilson has lot’s of attitude, Chris Young shows a ton of potential, and I was a bat-girl for Murphy back at Baylor, so of course I love him as well. My boys play with passion, with gusto, and with tons of heart.

So boys, I forgive you. If you keep scoring 10+ runs a game, and if you keep coming from behind in the bottom of the 9th for a win, I will continue to cheer you on. I don’t care that you’re not in first place. Watching you makes me feel like a kid again… like I’m back in first grade, hanging out at the ballpark. Only this time, I won’t bring my coloring book.

I went out to the Ballpark twice last week. That’s a photo of the Wednesday game (we won!). We look at bit disheveled because it was 105 degrees at the stadium.

And here’s a photo from a few weeks ago when I brought my mom and sister to the work suite.

I go back next week to see ’em beat the Yankees again. Go Rangers!

by Bethe

Off again

It’s official. I have planned my next trip to Europe. My goal of jetting across the Atlantic every other summer continues!

June 2005: My parents and I met my aunt Janis & uncle Jonathan (who live in Oxford) in England, and did Oxford, London, Stratford, and Paris.

June 2007: My entire family went on a 2-week tour of Italy (Florence, Venice, Rome, Pisa), Monaco, and France (Nice, Cannes, Paris).

May/June 2009: A friend and I are taking a cruise to Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples), Croatia, Greece (3 stops, don’t remember which ones yet) and Barcelona Spain.

Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness! I can’t wait! My next 10 months are going to be spent reading about Greece and Spain, watching movies that take place in Greece and Spain, and dreaming about good-looking guys from Greece and Spain.

I try to live my life as if it were an adventure. And this certainly makes it more interesting!

by Bethe

No smoking

Now I can add another item to my list of reasons why smoking is annoying.

I was walking to the Rangers Ballpark tonight (and running late because I stupidly left my tickets at home and didn’t realize it until I was half-way to the game!) and some stupid guy was smoking in front of me. He reached back and flicked the ashes off his cigarette, and one went up my nose! It was still hot, and it burned me! Those little ashes float in the wind, dude. Next time check behind you please.

And while you’re at it, go ahead and quit. It’s bad for you. And apparently, bad for me as well.

by Bethe

Stop it

I love this clip. You know we all feel this way at some time or another. There have been many times when someone tells me a long, sad story about a problem, under the ruse of wanting advice, but in reality they just want to belly-ache. And all I want to tell them is, “Just get over it!” Or, “You know the solution, so go do it!”

Sometimes you’ve just got to be a grown-up and face life. Put on your big girl panties and move forward.

And sometimes, I think I need to wake up and take my own advice!

by Bethe

The crash

I was half-way through my 4-mile run yesterday, when it happened.

I fell off the elliptical machine.

I was in “that” groove. You know the one, where running stops being horribly painful and starts becoming fun. I wasn’t thinking about anything, I was just rocking out to my iPod, covered in sweat and thinking about what a rock star athlete I’ve become.

It was time to hydrate. I reached for my water bottle, took a sip, and then…

Chaos. My foot slipped off the machine. My legs became tangled in the pedals. I hit my head on my way down and landed in a sad heap, half on the machine, half on the dingy gym floor. My water bottle, the cause of all my problems, exploded all over me, soaking my shirt. And my head. For a moment, everything went dark.

…

…

Okay, that’s not how it really happened. In all actuality, I was this close to doing just that, but caught my foot as it slipped off the machine, and steadied myself. Catastrophe averted.

But one more inch, and…