Author: Betty Owens

Christian writer of historical fiction and general fiction.

Happy Mother’s Day

On By Betty OwensIn Audrie, Betty, Grandmother, mother, Mother's Day, Seattle6 Comments

One of the very first to hold me after my birth, my maternal grandmother gave me my name. She named me after my mom (Betty), and herself (Audrie). I know she loved me, though I never knew her. She died two years after my birth. I grew acquainted with her through my mom’s memories and the many beautiful pictures we have of her. A few years ago, I traveled to Seattle and visited her grave. Seeing that name on a gravestone was a little bit of a shock, but I’m so glad I did it. She became real to me that day. Though I had no physical memories of her, she really had existed.

Mom grew up in Seattle, where she met my dad, a young sailor on leave. He was from Tennessee. She left her home and family to follow him, and stayed with him through sometimes extreme difficulties, until the day he died. She was with him in San Diego, living on base, when her mother died in Seattle. She still has the airplane ticket from her flight home for the funeral.

These two strong women loved me, spoke into my life, and gave me my morals and principles. They were shining examples to me of the kind of woman I wanted to become. Women who gave everything for those they loved. Women who endured hardship as if it were just another bump in the road. Women who could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Dedicated and Godly women.

I was never able to send my grandmother a Mother’s Day card, or even tell her I loved her. I never heard her voice or saw her grow old. So I’ll tell my mom, her daughter: I love you. I’ll visit her and give her a gift and a card for Mother’s Day. I’ll smile at my reflection in the mirror, the part of me that resembles my namesakes. I feel very blessed to be descended of such excellent women. Happy Mother’s Day!

The Answer is YES!

On By Betty OwensIn bless, Corinthians, positive, rhymes, silly, Smiling Dogs, stylish, Yes2 Comments

How I love the word YES. It may be my favorite word. A few things about YES: 
  • It’s short and to the point. 
  • It’s stylish and lovely to look at. 
  • It’s positive. 
  • It rhymes with bless (another word I like). 
I think YES has been good more than it’s been bad. I can think of a few times when YES was the wrong answer, but these are far outweighed by the number of times it was the right answer. I don’t want to think of the times I wish I’d said YES, but said NO (that’s another post). 
*Photo Purchased From Shutterstock*
Right now you may be thinking this is a very silly post. I agree, it is, but there’s a lot of truth buried in the silliness. I hope it makes you think, but most of all, I hope it makes you smile. 
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Labor Pains: The Death of a Business

On By Betty OwensIn Business, Death, For Sale, Property, Taxes, Unemployment

The beginning of the end: “I’ve decided to close the company.” 

The words are dry. But I know the feelings that lay behind them. Agony, fear, desperation―just to name a few. Only three short months since her husband’s passing, she’s pulling the plug on his dream. But I don’t blame her. In fact, I think she’s incredibly brave. 
Twenty-two people will walk, over the next three months. Some have worked here from the beginning, twenty-five years ago. A few of the lucky ones will leave early, accepting job offers. Others will stay until they’re told to go, and then begin the process of job hunting and filing for unemployment. 
“It was good while it lasted,” I hear them say. But the truth is, most of its years were difficult, seat-of-the-pants years. Years of barely making ends meet, interspersed with a couple of really good years when profit was high and so were the taxes. Don’t get me started on taxes. Thinking about starting a business? Be sure to plan on high taxes. Small businesses get hit hard.
In a few short weeks, the machinery in the shop will be silent. A “For Sale” sign will go up on the property. I hope it won’t be there long. There’s a history to the place. It needs to live on and prosper. The right people can make it happen. 

Comfort Food is on the Menu

On By Betty OwensIn Autumn, Facebook, Fall, hungry, leaves, momma's cooking7 Comments

It’s raining leaves. 

At least that’s how it looks. Summer has officially ended. As the weather cools, my instincts kick in. Time for comfort food. Summer’s sandwiches and salads were nice, but there is nothing like a good, hot meal to chase away autumn’s first chill. 
What is your favorite comfort food? I posted this question on my Facebook page and got a variety of answers. Chili. A big pot of pinto beans with homemade cornbread. Anything my momma cooks. Okay, that one came from one of my sons. 
Homemade chicken and dumplings, roast beef and whipped potatoes with rich, dark gravy. Potato soup and crispy cornbread. White beans and turnip greens.
Hungry yet? One thing all of these have in common, besides being high in calories? Homemade. 
Nothing beats it. Just like Mom used to make (if Mom could cook). But I’m not going there. This kind of weather makes you want to settle in with a bowl of something hot and delicious. My favorite? Homemade chicken and dumplings. Do you have a favorite that I didn’t mention? Leave me a comment to cast your vote. Happy Fall!

A Frivolous Waste of Time?

On By Betty OwensIn author, beautiful things, Cover Art, creativity, frivolous, symphony, waste of time1 Comment
        A writer friend took the summer off to devote to her family. And she had some serious soul-searching to do.

“What am I doing?” She asked herself. “Am I just wasting my time with my head in the clouds? Writing frothy fiction to entertain overstuffed saints?” When she shared this with me, she looked me in the eye. “Is this just a frivolous waste of time?”

Wow. Those words hit me hard. How often have I thought the same thing? Wondered if I was on the right track, or chasing a fancy. 

Serious soul-searching is best done in God’s presence. I presented it to Him. As soon as I spoke the words aloud, a thought occurred to me. A question, really. Actually two questions. “Is a beautiful painting a frivolous waste of time? Is a well-written symphony a frivolous waste of time?”

Creativity, art—or at least the doing of it—can sometimes seem like a shallow pursuit. What great meaning does the work have? Does it stir you? Does it speak to your inner man? It doesn’t always have to. Sometimes you just need to laugh, so you read a humorous story, or watch a funny movie. But during those times when you seek growth or spiritual renewal, you hunger for something with more depth. 

Read a great novel or watch a well-crafted movie, and it stirs your creativity. Stroll through an art gallery or listen to your favorite music. It can calm your teeming soul. 

It all comes down to a very personal decision. A call. A gifted writer crafts a story that captures readers and takes them to another place. Skillfully touches hearts and feeds hungry souls. My writer friend has that kind of gift. I hope she’ll find her way back. Maybe she’ll read this, see herself and know, God has given us the power to create beautiful things. Perhaps it’s because He loves beautiful things.