One year ago today the LPM Blog was born! On that first day I posted a welcome message and some pictures from our staff Christmas party. It was fascinating material. Were any of you reading during those early days? It has been a blast getting to fellowship with you in blogworld since then.
I mistakenly told my mom and sister that it is a tradition to post 100 things about yourself on your blog’s birthday. I think it’s actually something you do on your 100th post. Oops! I’m blaming it on my cold medicine. We had already made the list when I realized my mistake (and thank goodness we couldn’t come up with more than 30 things), so here it is!
30 Things About LPM and the Moore Family
LPM
*It was founded in 1994 with a one thousand dollar donation that Beth didn’t know what to do with.
*One donation check several years ago was made out to “Living Fruits Ministry.” We never cashed it because we loved it so much.
*A core group of the staff has been together since the days of monthly prayer breakfasts at Beth’s house twenty years ago. They have been through untold hair seasons with one another and are likely still married today because of one another’s encouragement to press on.
*Beth had to give up teaching a Christian aerobics class in order to write Bible studies, a sacrifice she often recounts and sometimes while doing a grapevine left then right, step forward, leap back. She says she’s never kicked the habit of writing aerobic routines in her head when she hears a cool Christian contemporary song.
*Beth’s personal assistant and our senior statesman, Susan Kirby, used to be a caterer, a gift she now utilizes to pick up good to-go food. Sadly, we only have about five restaurants near the ministry but, thankfully, four of them are Mexican food.
*The entire staff also considers Susan Kirby to be our resident authority on everything from recipes to home repairs to Christmas decorations to marriage restorations. Hers is the most sought-after advice in the ministry.
*Everyone on the staff is kind and sweet to each other until we play Bunko (no, we don’t bet) then everyone’s sin nature surfaces alarmingly. We had to give up playing “Spoons” because a utensil shortage once caused us to have to also use knives, to which many nearly lost appendages.
*One of us who will remain unnamed has the strangest sneezes in the free world and they always come in rapid succession of a minimum of eight. Every staff member within ear-shot observes a moment of smiling silence until they pass.
*Diane, our resource department manager, cut off all her eye lashes with an eyelash curler several years ago. As she helplessly watched them fall in the sink, she reports to having said aloud only one word: “Y’all.” Diane says that she does not know whether she was talking to all her eyelashes or to all of her good friends at Living Proof that would care that she lost them.
*Kimberly Meyer, one of our most beloved staff members, did not fully grasp the concept of preferring others when she served at Beth’s product table for the first time at Women of Faith several years ago. The irony of her shameful bias toward Beth was that it was untested. She’d not yet heard a single other speaker on the program. The first woman who walked up to the product table got the full brunt of it. With the enthusiasm of an entire cheerleading squad, Kimberly pointed both fingers at her and blurted out, “Who’s your favorite?” The unsuspecting woman, wide-eyed with surprise, blurted out with equal exuberance, “Patsy Clairmont!” A fact we still celebrate to this day.
*Every single one of the staff members who has gotten pregnant after coming to work here has had a boy. We now have five of them. Not a pink ruffle in the mix. Something suspicious is lurking in the office drinking water.
*Beth and ministry director, Sabrina, ride to Bible study together every Tuesday and worship so loud to Kirk Franklin songs that the whole car shakes.
*The whole ministry staff loves nothing better than a big, corporate praise dance. Uh, come to think of it, we haven’t let loose like that since Melissa came on board. She needs time to grow into it. A lot of time.
The Moore Family
*Most nights that we are all together, we sit on the edge of the bath-tub, fully clothed, and soak our feet in hot bath water.
*On special occasions, we put bath confetti in the water. And afterwards if there was good conversation, we talk about what a great “soaking” it was.
*While we soak our feet in the hot bath water, we drink our “comforts,” which is short for “comfort drink,” which is short for homemade hot cocoa (with real whipped cream).
*Mom and Dad have authored about fifty “sweet-Beanie” songs and can manipulate any song ever written into a “sweet-Beanie” song.
*We eat Jimmy Dean sausage almost every morning for breakfast. It is a small, dainty meal.
*Jackson’s feet often smell just like the feet of a grown man, and he thinks it is downright hilarious for anyone to smell them and gag.
*Beanie (the dog) is fed her medication in a mound of Easy Cheese (which Mom and Dad inexplicably call “cheese-meats”).
*Beth has a phobia of non-fried foods. The revelation recently came to full disclosure last week when she was shocked and awed that the fish in her fish tacos was grilled rather than fried. She even eats fried pickles. Disgusting.
*We love petit fours more than almost any other dessert creation. Wedding cake is a very close second.
*Amanda was the resident evangelist to the pets in our family, leading them to the Lord by holding their paws together in prayer.
*Melissa has the uncanny ability to order the worst and most random thing on any menu. If there is one bad entrée on an otherwise wonderful menu, she will pick it out.
*When Mom goes to work out, she says that she is going to “pump some iron” in order to “meet her fitness goals.”
*Keith has been known to entertain Beth, Amanda, and Melissa on a bad day by doing ballet across the hard-wood floor in his cowboy boots. His pirouette is fascinating.
*Melissa’s first car was a much-desired 1969 Z28 Camaro in midnight blue with white racing stripes. She got it for her 16th birthday from her daddy. He took her out on the road to teach her how to drive it, gave her a little while to practice the four-speed, then said, “Now, try again and quit driving like a girl.” They still share a great love for muscle cars.
*Melissa’s proudest moment for Amanda was the day she got a report card with a “needs improvement” in conduct.
*All Moore’s look to Melissa for fashion advice. There is still distant hope that her advice for Keith will one day be taken. She likes to remind her mother that if her father were indeed both handsome and cool, he’d be dangerous. Better for him to just be handsome.
*Dad brought a live armadillo to mom’s window the night before he proposed. We’re not sure why. Perhaps to test her commitment.
Happy blog-a-versary, Siestas!
Happy blog-a-versay, my dear Siestas. I came to this blog thinking I could learn something about women’s on-line communication. What I found has truly blown me away and transformed me in ways I just can’t put into words. Oh man, I wasn’t going cry!! Well that’s just another thing I couldn’t plan very well isn’t it?
Suffice to say, that y’all–the community that I’ve come to through this blog–have blessed me beyond measure. You have laughed and cried with me, provided support when I needed it, and most of all loved me, warts and all, as a Siesta in Christ. For all that I will forever be thankful and moreover changed.
So thanks Amanda for starting this blog ONE year ago today. All I can say is it is time to celebrate and par-tay!! And if we don’t have petit fours, then how ’bout a wedding cake??
Much love,
~Cheryl
Beth and Amanda- this post is by far my favorite post!!! Happy Happy Blogiversary. (Insert my squeaky… “joyful noise”…of a voice here!)
I have to admit up front- I thought the video of Beth was the SUCCESS I’d been waiting for. I reasoned that if she could get that camera up and running… maybe there was technological hope for me. 🙂
Love you girls. Thanks for all the insight into you, your families, and the ministry. LOVED IT ALL. (I think the Patsy Clairmont story was my absolute, laugh out loud, FAVORITE!)
I am not sure exactly when I joined Siesta-ville. I do know that it has been a pleasure and honor. . laughing, learning from and loving you all. God bless LPM for making us feel welcome/invited to share in your lives. Y’all are a constant source of entertainment and insight. . Praise HIS name.
I was here a year ago. I distinctly remember the welcome video.
(Now if we could just have a live cam in the Living “Fruits” office…. That would be entertainment.)
Your list was hysterical, as always. The story about Diane made me cry. As a fellow former aerobics instructor, I screamed at the grapevine reference.
But the line about Keith? “His pirouette is fascinating.”
Oh. That had me.
What a blessing the siesta-hood is.
Has it been a year?!!
Did she really say “y’all!” I’d be crying!!!
Thanks for a good laugh tonight. 🙂
Blessings
stephanie
Happy Blog-a-versary!
I can’t believe it has been a full year! I have been BLESSED by you all from the beginning! So I guess a “Siesta” long before we even knew we were “Siestas!” It has been one of my most favorite things ever! I so look forward to turning on my computer to see what my “Siestas” are up too! So much fun!
P.S. I love your 30 things! You all are AWESOME!
Merry Christmas! Emmy : )
Leading the pets to the Lord!! Oh, I can just see it. You guys just kill me! I’d give anything to see Keith’s dance.
I haven’t quite been here for a year, but I’ve been with Beth for a few years now. Coming to this site is not only usually my laugh for the day, but a continuation of some really good exhortation and good ol’ preachin! What a blessing and a ministry this is to me. Thank-you so much for this blog. I can hardly wait for San Antonio!!
Love the glass Beth!
Melana in Wyoming
Happy Blog-a-versary!! God Bless.
I’m so glad ya’ll started this blog (that ya’ll was very unnatural for my fingers as I have always lived in the Pacific Northwest, but I did it for ya’ll!).
I have to break the news to you that Melissa is not the only one who manages to get the one horrible thing off a menu – so do I. Don’t ever mention “meatball sub” in my presence.
Have a blessed Christmas! I love ya’ll so much!
Oh my word! I love this blog and all these wonderful siestas! I just recently came across it, and its great.
I once had to cut my eyelashes off after an unfortunate masking tape incident. I then had to cut them off again the next year after trying to explain what I had done the year before (and by explain, I mean SHOW).
Hey, I’ve been looking for my glasses everywhere! I’m glad you found them, thanks!
God bless you all!!
That is halarious! Love you ladies!
Y’all like fried pickles, too? So do we. Had some today in fact. Today’s were different though – normally they are the dill chips but today they were spears and just as wonderful. Do you like fried corn? One of my favorites – especially when mama makes it. God Bless Y’all and thanks for letting us be a part of such a wonderful ministry. Wish I could sit and visit with the whole staff a while. Merry CHRISTmas! Dana
whooo…i had a belly laugh at those, and I don’t even know any of you! But thank God for sisters and siestas! And I’m so thankful for everyone at living proof! or fruit!
I have to say that I laughed out loud and woke up my husband to share some of those. What is up with the armidillo? And the eyelash story is a favorite!!
Ya’ll…now I know why I am terrified by those eyelash curler thingies. Ok, I remember praying a prayer for baby Jackson before he was born and it was posted on the Lifeway community for Amanda’s cyber babyshower. I prayed about Jackson dancing with his granddaddy. So, has he followed his granddaddy doing pirouettes in his cowboy boots? Ya’ll are just such a blessing! May God bless your socks off and stockings, too…
Happy 1 year!! I so enjoy you fun-lovin-Jesus-ladies!
I must be related to your sneezing buddy!! My Mom, myself and my oldest daughter(since her birth!!) sneeze usually in sevens. It can be quite embarrassing especially when a guest has never been exposed to the sneeze machine!:)
Love to you all and Merry Christmas!
Happy Blog-a-versary!! I started reading in January and I have been blessed many times! Loved your 30 things about LPM and the Moores!! Y’all are too funny! I can just see Keith doing pirouettes in his cowboy boots! And hot chocolate is my “comfort” too (must try homemade though! sounds much better!). Your family sounds like so much fun.
Love you Siestas too!
I didn’t realize it had already been a whole year. I came across this blog around Christmas time last year come to think of it. So I’m pretty sure I’ve been reading it from the beginning. I didn’t start posting comments until last summer. It took me that long to figure out how. I think I wrote recently about my inability to handle technology. Anyway, this was a really great post. Thank you for all the very interesting facts about the ministry and your family. I need Melissa to help me with my wardrobe. Unfortunately I’m in Idaho and I can’t afford to get her here and buy new clothes, but I definitely need her help. She’d probably lose it if she saw my closet. I have sacrificed for my family for way too many years!
This blogsite has been such a blessing to me..there have been many nights, when I log on that the pressures of the day hae gotten to me, but almost always you guys have posted something that helps to lift me out of the things going on and re-align my focus onto God, where the focus should be..
Thank you for this site, and I ove you guys
Delilah in AR
Oh I love it! I am so thankful for each of y’all and I am a charter blogging siesta for LPM! I am so thankful for the laugh and all of the stories!
Now you got me smilin’!!
Happy Anniversary to all of us!
Hugs, hugs and more hugs,
Warm in Alaska.
First time comment here! Amanda, this blog has been such a blessing for me. Thank you for all your hard work making it so successful. I am fairly new in Bible studies and I attended Deeper Still in San Francisco. Wow. I have so enjoyed all the sharing from you, your mom, Melissa and all the siestas! Thank you.
Happy Blog-a-versary! And Merry Christmas to all of you.
From a small town in northern California
The Journey Continues ~ kimsafinathejourneycontinues.blogspot.com
I am HONORED and BLESSED to be a FIRST BORN SIESTA with this blog a year ago. Life is Precious and Time progresses quickly!
I recently found a LIVING GUIDE that my father who has passed away sent me while I was in college. I would like to add it to our Blog-a-versary celebration.
1. Compliment three people every day. ( Siesta’s included ~ I added that.)
2. Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
3. Be the first to say, “Hello.”
4. Live beneath your means.
5. Treat everyone like you want to be treated.
6. Never give up on anybody. Miracles Happen.
7. Forget the Joneses. 🙂
8. Never deprive someone of hope. It may be all he/she has.
9. Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
10. Be tough-minded but tenderhearted.
11. Be kinder than necessary.
12. Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to fee appreciated.
13. Keep your promises.
14. Learn to show cheerfulness, even when you don’t feel like it.
15. Remember that overnight success usually takes about fifteen years.
16. Leave everything better than you found it.
17. Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do.
18. When you arrive at your job in the morning, let the first thing you say brighten everyone’s day.
19. Don’t rain on other peoples parades.
20. Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.
HEY SIESTA’S ~ I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HEARTFELT COMMENTS. Beth, Amanda, Melissa THANK YOU FOR “CARRYING THE LIGHT” OF JESUS CHRIST.
With “Heaven Bound” blessings,
Kim Safina ~
Waht a great job you have done with this. I have so enjoyed it so very much.You are truley a fa,ily with the Lord frist& truley a loveing family.I can just pictire with the feet in the water & haveing hot chocolate, the dancing (all of it)I lvoe that game havent played in years.Thanks for letting us see so much of your familey & the staff.may this year be the best ever.You are all a very wounderful blessing.God Bless you all love sister in Christ Victoria from NC
Happy blog-a-versary! I have been coming here since day 1. Back then I was just learning what blogging was all about. (or should I say blobbing-remember?) I was a sista before we became siestas, which happened because of Beth’s computer. (in case some of you didn’t know that)
What a year! I now have my own blog. I also got to meet some of the siestas at Deeper Still in Nasville. Shout out to Patty and Kim! And the Lord answered one of my hearts desires when Beth and Pricilla surprised us before the conference!
I am counting the days until we get to have a siesta fiesta in San Antonio!
Thank you so much Amanda, Beth, and Melissa for giving us this gift of community!
Love to all the Moores and all my sweet siestas!
Merry Christmas ya’ll!
Kristi B.
I didn’t start reading the Blog until after I saw you in Albuquerque last May, I love it! It gets me going when I’m down.
Beth have you figured out the camera you bought at Walgreens yet?
I’m still laughing at the “Spittle” story a few weeks back. Love you.. Beth, Amanda, & Melissa
Happy Blog-a-versary to all of you. I found the blog around Christmas time last year as I was checking the LP web site. I was so excited to actually read mail from Beth and AJ. It seemed like I was getting personel email from them. I wrote my sisters and told them to check it out too. I have spend some wonderful nights reading the blog and the comments before I go to bed. You guys are so funny, real and down to earth and you share it all with us siesters. So looking forward to seeing you “LIVE” in San Diego in April. God Bless you and have a very Merry Christmas
On-Ya
A Raleigh girl in California Carolyn
I luuuuuuuuuv fried pickles! In my hometown in Oklahoma, you can get them at Sonic (called pickle-o’s!!) I don’t think every Sonic has them on the menu. A cryin’ shame, I say!! I could use some of them right now. YUMMY!!!
Y’all are a wonderful blessing to me. This blog is just awesome. I’m so grateful for all of you!
Love,
Kristen
I stumbled on your blog jsut a few short months ago and have absolutely fallen in love with ALL of you! I have been uplifted, supported, encouraged, inspired, challenged, affirmed and I could go on and on how this blog has truly blessed my life. And having an opportunity to “meet” other women and being inspired by them also is the best!
Thank you for all y’all do to reach out and minister through this blog.
I love you ALL!!
I can’t believe it has been a year! Time flies when we are having fun! What a blessing this blog has been for me. Happy Blog-a-versary!
awesome stuff, y’all!!!!!!!!! happy blog-a-versary, Siestas Beth, Amanda and Melissa!!!
maria cristina!
Happy blogaversary to you too! And thank you for the time and effort you’ve put into this blog! It’s my favorite blog of all! :o)
Beth gave up teaching Christian aerobics and still writes routines in her head to contemporary Christian songs?? Wow, would you consider asking God if there’s any possibility He’d like you to make a video? :o) :o) :o) I’ve been searching for that very thing for years… Fit For Him is the closest I’ve found and it’s great but the same routine every day for years is getting a little… old.
Thanks for all you do for us!!
Ok, see this is EXACTLY why I do not use those eyelash thingies … they laughed at me and told me that it wouldn’t happen, “impossible” they all said, “perfectly safe” … now I have a story to tell. Ya’ll!!! (She must be a better Christian than me, ’cause I would’ve gone into my “son-of-a-dog-biscuit-eatin’-mother-lovin’-SHOOT!” rage and totally lost it!!!!!)
Oh, and I INSIST that you set up a camera and have Mr. Keith dance for us – I mean come on, it IS our blog-a-versary!!!!!!!
I love laughin, livin, lovin and sharin’ life with you all, my sweet siestas! Beth, I tell everyone that you are my best friend I just don’t know ya yet!! This blog makes me feel like I do though! Thank you all of you Moore Girls (and Mr. Ballet too) for sharing your world with us!!!
Happy Blog-a-versary and I LOVE YOU SO!!!!!!
I love Hebrews 10:24-25.
I love that this is a “Living Fruits Ministry”.
I love that little Jackson has a good sense of humor about his stinky feet! I would love to hear his laugh one day!
I love Siestaville!
But… fried pickles???
Happy Blog-a-versary to you all!
HAPPY BLOG-A-VERSARY!!! I loved the video, it was too cute!
This is SO fun! I can’t believe it’s only been a year! I feel like I’ve read about, cried about, loved a lot with y’all for at least…two years!
Hugs & blessings & Happy Blog-o-versary!
What a blessing this year has been to be a part of Siesta-ville. I don’t always comment but I always read.
Looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2008.
Happy Blog-a-versary to everyone! This blog has been such a blessing. Thanks so much for everyone’s thoughts and words. Merry Christmas!!!
Three things:
1. Happy Anniversary!
2. “They have been through untold hair seasons with one another”
Several years ago I bought the video bible study series on the Tabernacle. I had just finished Breaking Free at church and wanted something to do with some of my neighbors. Some days, before the neighborhood ladies would arrive, I would pray not to be distracted with what the hair,outfits and, for some strange reason eyeglasses) would look like on the video. Not just on Beth, but also when the camera panned out to the audience as well. I used to find my self thinking about it with anticipation! Like looking through an old wedding album (which I love)! Anyway, I LOL’d when I read this item on your list!
3. Sometimes the way you gals write, or maybe it’s the things you write about, remind me so much of Texas I get homesick!
Happy blog-a-versary…I did start out with ya’ll a year ago. And it has been so much fun. This blog has brought tears of laughter to my eyes, along with some thought-provoking moments, and some times a whisper from the Father…about my “stuff”. And those sweet times when I could pray for a need, and trust that He is working.
It is a joy to be a part of this…what a BLESSING!!
I just love you! You are the funniest group- I want to work there! And your family just makes me smile… what great times!
I started reading about 6 months ago, but haven’t posted yet. I just have to let you know how much I enjoy this….both humerous and insightful. Many days I laugh right out loud (like today) and then others, I am tearing up over something so insightful and true and obviously inspired by the Holy Spirit. Thank you for all you do!
I hope that my family will have such sweet memories. Happy blog-a-versary!
A live armadillo? Really? Hey, Mr. Moore…wanna do a guest blog appearance and explain what that was about?
Sounds like a funny scene for a romance novel, I think…
Oh I laughed out loud numerous times. Thanks for all the fun insights, for honesty and laughter!
Congrats!
Joanne
Beth,
You have no idea how comforting it is that you SO can not sing. Adding a voice to your mad bible study and aerobics skillz definitely would have made you a triple threat.
I started my blog because yours looked like fun – on a total whim I might add. Much love to you and Amanda for inspiring me to do something that has impacted my life immeasurably and unexpectedly. (My blogaversary is in February!:)
Have a wonderful Christmas and may ’08 bring many blessings your way!
Lisa
that was wonderful!! I laughed so hard and felt so blessed. This blog is wonderful. thanks for making it available for us all to join in the journey together!
Morgen
You are such a NUT!!!!!!
Happy Blog-A-Versary to you too!!!
Thanks for all you guys do to make us a part of your family!!! Serving the Lord together is sooo much FUN!!!
Thanks Again for getting this day off to a great start!
Siesta Amanda in SC
Congratulations on a 1 year! I have been reading for quite some time now, but have never commented…you have so many comments! I just don’t know how you keep up with all of them! However, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that another blogger is here and reading and thanking you for your blog and the words that you all write, they are so encouraging and so FUN!
God Bless You All!
Carrie
4chicksandahunter.blogspot.com
It’s okay, Beth. I’d have been totally won over by the armadillo, too. Nothing says love like creatures in the window!
Thank you ladies for all the fruits of your bloggy labor!
I’ve been here since the beginning!! Don’t post, but read often. Been wonderfully blessed by Him thru the Moores’ love for Him!! Thank you for listening for His leadership!