betsy

A blanket of snow in Texas is a rare sight, so these past few days have been filled with moments of wonder….and discouragement. Among the thrills of soft white powder falling from our gloves and the squeals of young children came frozen pipes and electrical shortages. Not exactly the winter wonderland we were expecting. Yet,

Kayak is a palindrome. Just thought I’d share that fun fact. A few weeks ago, I went kayaking with my adventurous sister on a quiet lake. The water was calm, the dark clouds above us were slowly giving way to peaceful ones, and we had this part of the lake to ourselves for a short

He was kind, probably in his upper teens, but seemed wiser than his years. We were driving through the dirt roads of Guatemala, and he sat in the row behind me, staring out the window. We were part of a group, eager to be in this country to share our stories and our faith. I

These last twenty-four hours have been heartbreaking and mind-boggling. We never expected our year to start this way. We’re left feeling hurt, confused, frustrated, sad, and helpless. Can anyone relate? When we look into the Bible, Jeremiah is someone who could probably relate. As a prophet, he was called by God to denounce sin and

I can go three days without washing my hair. This is just one of my personal discoveries over the past few months while we were tucked away in our homes.  For a girl whose hair desperately needed a daily wash, this took a lot of willpower, but I realized that I’m okay, it’ll be okay,

“Are you ready?” “Yes, Dad. I’m ready.” He was moments away from walking me down the aisle and giving me away. I can’t imagine how he was feeling. It must be quite daunting to let go of your daughter, yet fulfilling, to know you’ve done everything you can to raise your little girl into the

  I was on the floor of my prayer closet this week, and it was pitch black. I was there in need of a personal breakthrough. Worship music was playing quietly, and I was reminded of God’s faithfulness. “Even when I don’t see it, You’re working, Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working, You

I am an essential worker. On the days I go in to work, my husband quietly waits by the door to pray for me as I lace up my sneakers in the garage. This has been our routine for the past few months. We both know that when I leave our safe little fortress, I

My life hasn’t turned out exactly like I imagined. I didn’t go to my dream college. I scored lower on standardized tests than I would’ve liked. I tried to get into a graduate program twice before I was accepted into one. I wasn’t accepted into my first choice of post-graduate training. I didn’t get married

I have a dishwasher… but I often forget to use it when I should. Let me explain. A sink full of dirty pots and pans is not a pleasant scene and can even affect my emotions.  Recently, after a full day of work and an evening with the kids, I came into the kitchen and