betsy

As a child, I didn’t understand why I had to follow so many rules. As a parent now, I get it. Keeping my room clean, picking up after myself after eating a meal, and being prompt to places seemed so strict back then. But now I realize that the role of a parent is to […]

While on our vacation in New York City, we stopped by the Rockefeller Center.  It’s an iconic place to visit and surrounded by high end stores.  We found ourselves walking into one jewelry store and were oohing and awing the entire time. One of the pieces was a ruby bracelet…gorgeous and extravagantly-priced, too! A ruby […]

Competition is in my blood. My parents were both competitive students growing up and it got passed down to their children. One of our favorite things to do in Sunday School was memory verse competition. The student who recited the most number of verses won First Place. The weeks leading to the big day were […]

My kids were waiting patiently for the alligator to roar and open its giant mouth to reveal gnarly white teeth. We were outside a jungle-themed restaurant, so fortunately it was just a replica of the reptile and not the real thing. As soon as its jaw opened, the kids giggled with delight. Trust me, had […]

“Delayed obedience is disobedience.” Dad has a lot of one-liners that are catchy, but meaningful. We heard a lot growing up. “Cleanliness is next to godliness” (Clean your room!) “Do your best and try to be the first!” (Dad’s mantra on the way to school) “Stop coming and come!” (Get in the car. We are […]

I credit my mom for teaching me a few raw and real-life lessons about the mind of a man. Mom is a godly woman who raised us using biblical principles. She is no-nonsense and tells it like it is. There’s no wondering what she means. Early on, I learned the importance of how to talk, […]

We were sitting in the back row of the church, deep in conversation. Since service had ended about an hour prior, the pews had emptied out and it was just the two of us. I was in my early 20’s and she was in her early 80’s. A sweet, beautiful woman with gray and black […]

As I made my way to work over the last several months, I came across a billboard that was borderline inappropriate. When I knew the sign was coming up, I made a conscious effort to avert my eyes to avoid looking at it. It wasn’t easy because it was a catchy ad, strategically placed near […]

We were not in agreement. And that was okay. In any relationship, there will be a difference of thoughts and opinions. We won’t align every single time. But you know what I’ve learned the hard way? The beauty of silence during a disagreement. There’s a high likelihood I’ll mess up and say something I’ll regret […]

The first time my parents dropped me off at college, it was just the three of us in the van. As the oldest of 4 children, it was a sweet and rare opportunity to have both parents to myself. In those final hours before they left me at the dorm, they were handing out last-minute […]