A Beauty Filled Woman

Today at church, our pastor's message was how women can be Beauty Full. The theme of his message was that true beauty comes from within - when a woman knows who she is in Jesus Christ.

By that definition, Betty is the most beautiful woman in the world!

She has been a great mother to our two sons - Wade Daniel and Chris; a great mother-in-law to our two beauty-filled daughters-in-law, Marie and Tracy; and now a great grandmother to our grandchildren - Juliet Elizabeth and Javier.

We have been married for almost 41 years and we went together for 6 years before that. I have seen her strength in the way she took care of her mother when she was dying of cancer. She also had to be strong during my four years in the Navy during the Vietnam War when I was gone a total of two years at sea. Both boys were born during that period and she kept our home together, got the boys off to a great start, and faithfully wrote me every day during my deployments (and this was before e-mail - long before). I have seen her tenderness with our children, our animals, our family, our friends, and, most of all, with me. She truly has a tender heart.

Most recently I have seen her courage as she battled her way through a serious injury and in getting back into the saddle again primarily because she loves her horse, Gletta, and she loves to ride.

She exemplifies the truth of the vows we said almost 41 years ago. We have been in health and in sickness, we have been richer and poorer, we have seen our marriage better and worse, and she has stayed true to me, true to herself, true to her children, true to her friends, and true to her God.

Betty, you truly are a beauty-filled woman. Happy Mother's Day!

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her..." (Proverbs 31:28)