Merry, merry Christmas, my beloved Siestas. It’s about 1:00 PM on Christmas Eve afternoon and I’ve got a little down time for a few precious minutes. I’m out on my back porch watching the birds at the feeders and Beanie in my flowerbeds and having another cup of coffee. I finished the last of the wrapping late this morning then started the preliminary cooking for Christmas dinner tonight. We relish the leftovers on Christmas Day after opening presents and eating a big, lazy breakfast but there’s much to do before then. The cornbread (baked in bacon grease, of course) and biscuits are cooling on the kitchen counter in high hopes of transforming into my mom’s unsurpassable cornbread dressing. Sometimes I hit the mark. Sometimes I don’t. Dressing is fickle that way. But even if it’s not as good as Aletha’s, it’s plenty good enough for the Moore’s who are used to my cooking. Rachel Ray I’m not but Happy I am.
I made iced sugar cookies last night. A little while ago I finished the homemade bread and it will rise and be ready for baking by late afternoon. I’ll make brown sugar and cinnamon sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, roasted Turkey, and the best danged gravy in the South if I do say so myself. It’s my specialty. I’m not getting too fancy because it’s just six of us this year: Keith’s parents, Melissa, Colin, Keith and me. Every other year is huge because the entire extended family plans their “Moore” Christmas on the same year. That’s the way we like it so all the aunts and uncles and cousins can be together for Christmas at least once every two years. We celebrated with Amanda, Curtis and Jackson over the weekend and they headed up to Missouri to be with the Joneses. Amanda has terrific in-laws. They built a home themselves on ten gorgeous acres outside Springfield and just moved into it. Jackson will have such a blast running his legs to near nubs on that oversized yard with his best friend, Beckham. They were expecting a light snow and I so hope they get it. As I recall, Amanda and Curt first kissed in a Springfield snow about seven Christmases ago.
This morning in my quiet time I read the profound, almost inconceivable words of John 1:1-16. They were especially on my mind because of something Melissa mouthed to me yesterday during the sermon. Pastor Gregg was preaching on Anna, Simeon and the Christ Child in the temple courts and made brief mention of the infant cries of the baby Jesus. Melissa looked past Colin and one of my darling young girl friends who was sitting beside me, fixed eyes on her mother and whispered, “The Word made flesh.” Ah, yes. The Word made flesh. Who can fathom it? I’d memorized the segment of Scripture many years ago (in fact, on the airplane trip where I brushed the old man’s hair) but I wanted to read it this morning as if I’d never seen it. I picked up a different version so I wouldn’t anticipate the words and slowly read John 1:1-16, trying to ponder it. Breathe it.
The tears stung in my eyes as the thought hit me afresh: Four hundred years of silence had followed the last of Malachi’s words. According to the Prophet Amos, generation after generation of God’s covenant people had “staggered from sea to sea” and wandered “from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord” but did not find it. There was a famine in the land. “Not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.” Many leaders rose and fell in Israel. Some served the people well. Yet I am amazed – so intrigued – that the masses never mistook a single one of their great leaders for an authentic prophet speaking the inspired words of God. They knew the difference. It seems that in their desperation they would have done everything they could to conjure up some kind of word yet they didn’t. Couldn’t. What a testimony to the canon of Scripture! And to God’s determination that His words be utterly distinct yet humanly recognizable.
When any of us wants someone to hear something special, we ask everybody to be quiet so the drama of the sound will increase in its contrast to the silence. That’s what God did. He ordained 400 solid years of silence so that every willing ear would be alert and in-tune when He once again opened His mouth. The drama in the heavenlies would be at fever pitch and the robes of angels would be bursting at the seams.
And there it came. Reverberating from a crude stable and the arms of poor, inexperienced parents. The silence of God was shattered in the form of a wailing infant fresh from his mother’s womb. Absorb it again. God broke the sound barrier with a squalling baby boy. Hope was born amid the soiled sod of earth. The Logos was engraved from the inside out on a precious parchment of human skin. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Oh, that this Christmas we would behold His glory! The glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16
I love you.
I do love you Beth, thanks fo rthe gift of yoru insight today!
Blessings!
Trudy M.
Can you imagine how the breath of the all the heavenlies was caught when He cried…..Jesus crying….I bet all of heaven stopped and jerked their necks even farther out to see Him cry. Thank you for the post.
It’s the day after Christmas here and my boys are still enjoying all their toys. We are excited to be heading to the Smokey Mts. for the New Year and hope so much that a little snow falls there!
I wish all my Siestas a very blessed and happy 2008. May we all walk in His light all the new year.
Love, Jill
Beth, we had “King of Kings Ranch Chicken” on Christmas Day instead of the usual “Birthday Cake” (too many sweets already!) So thankful for you and Living Proof and all of God’s blessings hidden amidst some pain this year. He is good.
Merry Christmas.
oh, I love those verses!
Merry Christmas!
My husband, who is a pastor, had me read John 1:1-16 at our Christmas Eve service. I had typed it out all nice and neat so there would be no problem reading it. I was the last person to read, and it was all I could do to get through it. Beth, I don’t think those words have ever meant so much to me before! The Word made flesh, come to dwell with us. What a glorious gift our Father gave us!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Loved “Wednesdays with Beth” on Life Today… today. Thank you so much for that alliance you have with them that enables me to have access to a broadcast of you weekly.
Our radio stations don’t carry you locally… so I have been downloading you on MP3 via lproof, itunes and oneplace… but really feel blessed when I watch you on TV each Wednesday.
Thank you so much for your ministry Beth… and for who you are IN Him. I’m fairly certain that most of the time while you are ministering… I see HIM much more than I see you…
What a blessing.
Merry Christmas, Beth! (And Melissa and Amanda!) Your comments on the silence before the Word made me think that maybe I allow so much noise in my life, that I can’t hear the Word the way I should. May my life contain enough silence so that I can truly hear!
I heard a Todd Agnew Christmas song along these same lines…something about Mary’s new baby not yet speaking was the Word of God! Amazing!
merry christmas y’all!
Dear Beth,
Thank you for letting the Father use you in such a powerful way. You made tears come to my eyes with your words about HIS HOLY WORD. May 2008 bring us ever closer to Jesus and the Word made flesh.
Merry Christmas to you all!! You cooked up quite a storm on Christmas Eve — the smell of freshly baked bread is awesome and I totally agree about the “stuffing” mixture. It works at times, then it doesn’t. Hit or miss for me. I pray you all had a blessed Christmas. I sat on Christmas Eve at my mother’s house studying a day from “when godly people do ungodly things.” As my mom finished up with some of the fixings, we discussed some of the questions in the study. It was a truly precious memory for me to share with her. Thank you Beth for providing such rich material.
Thank you also for the fresh insight into the 400 year silence. At times when I feel God is silent in my life, maybe I need to have that special “pause” for me to hear His next words to my spirit. Blessings, -JH
After finally creating my own blog a month or so ago, a friend of mine told me about yours. You may relish leftovers, but I relish reading your (and your daughters) posts. From the insanely comical to the thought provoking and encouraging. I’m thankful that you open yourself and your world up to us.
What a blessing ya’ll are!
A southern siesta
Shana (GA)
Beth and family – sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas —- thank you for sharing the “Word made flesh” with us —- looking forward to January 8th . . .
Merry Christmas Moore Family! Cornbread dressing is a must at our house during Thanksgiving and Christmas–I hope yours turned out yummy!
Merry Christmas, to all the Moores and Joneses. Thank you for blessing us with His Word again.
We added to our family a little dog from the SPCA this Christmas…a 2-year old ball of black fur who is adorable. His name is Moses!
Be at peace….and may 2008 bring you and your family abundant blessings. With much love to all of you, I remain your humble servant.
Oh Beth – thank you for that. I am just now getting to it, but thank you. I am in the process of writing out my next three messages for a retreat in January and I feel like God is silent. I need to hear Him, even a baby crying – just something. I pray I don’t miss it!! I know He will come through, He always does, but I am getting a bit frantic!! PLease pray and I ask your readers to pray as well. I need to hear Him!!
Love, Leigh
I love you too Beth. I truly do . Not just a nice thing to tell you , a thing to just say because it sounds good, I truly love you . I know you truly love me too, that is what is soo cool. Only the Lord could stir up this type of love between two people who have never even seen one another. I am so blessed by my Lord. Merry Christmas Beth
hey, beth! i miss you and your bible studies. after 22 years in the NC public schools, i am teaching at an american christian school in east jerusalem this year! beautiful, wonderful, palestinian children and families! i am so thankful for the blog and the website. i logged on today for the first time and listened to two messages from romans. it was GREAT to hear your voice teaching God’s word. next year i might have to bring you with me, (on cd of course.) merry christmas and happy new year from jerusalem! love, mary
Thank you, Beth for sharing that word. The past couple of weeks have been tough for me and God has been silent. I often ask him what he is speaking over me and yesterday in prayer I saw him with his mouth closed. In the silence I have seen so much of myself that I haven’t liked. But today I anticipate Him in the silence. I await words with a fresh hope. amazing how a few words from a sister can change one’s perspective. Thank you Beth and God Bless your holidays.
Oh Beth, your post made me think of the most wonderful book I received for Christmas called The Shack by William Young. Such an amazing book about the realness of God. I feel like your teaching is helping me to understand some of the concepts in this powerful book.I want to buy a case of the book and pass them out to everyone I know! Happy 2008 to you all!
Beth,
Right before Christmas, I finished your study on the tabernacle. What a blessing it was to me. It brought me to a new awareness that God is with us and a deeper understanding of Jesus that made this Christmas so tender and sweet. Blessings to you and those most dear to you.
Kathy
Siesta Beth,
Merry Christmas to you and everyone in your lovely family, close and extended!
GOD is so awesome. I just picked up my CD audio version of “Jesus, The One and Only” to listen to afresh and this is exactly what you are speaking about in the study – the 400 years of silence.
GOD bless you, Beth and everyone that works with you doing the will of The Father!
Love and Blessings,
Teri
Beth,
Broken sound barrier, wonderful words, may His word always break every barrier. Merry Christmas Shalom
Merry Christmas! That was a wonderful post. Hope y’all had a great time together. I know y’all missed Amanda, but that’s a good idea having everyone plan their every other Christmas together. Oh, and your post made me very hungry! We just do snack things at our Christmas (it’s a tradition), but all that food sure does sound good. Or it could just be that I’m hungry since I haven’t ate lunch yet after days of eating constantly. 🙂
I love you too Beth. I am praying that 2008 will be the best year ever for LPM as you reach out to women of the world, that many would hear and believe.
As always, your words of encouragement strengthen my faith. It truly never fails, no cleche here.
Many Blessings. ~janel
I just read that scripture this morning. “The Word became flesh” also stuck out in my mind. WOW, what an event! The Word dwelled among them and with us today.
My grandmother went home to be with the Lord in June. We also tried to duplicate her cornbread dressing this past holiday season. No one could ever duplicate her dressing or the love put into the dressing, when she prepared it for our family. I miss you Grandmother. Happy Holidays everyone!
Ms. Beth,
On Christmas night, as my family and I watched “The Nativity Story” (for the first time ever…wow!), your words rung so beautifully in my ears as I watched. With the first glimpse of baby Jesus, I couldn’t help but cry out…”The Word became flesh!” My kids looked at me a bit confused and after the movie I had the wonderful opporunity to share with them what you had shared with me. Your words blessed us and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for that incredible gift this Christmas.
Love and prayers,
Kelli in Ohio
I saw the picture first and was afraid Flash had made off with a Webkinz! Oh, the horror that would’ve been, at least it would be at my house! Glad it was one of his own toys…whew! My daughter got a kick out of seeing Lily Kate all set up with her laptop and new horse! They’re bonded forever!
Great pictures!
Blessings to you all!
Amen, Sweet Siesta- Enjoy the next few days and catch up on some much needed rest. God Bless You Precious Sister-
Melissa
Wow! What a wonderful year it has been loving and learning about the Lord with you. Thank you Beth, Melissa, Amanda and everyone at Living Proof for all that you do and especially your faithfulness. Because of your commitment to bible literacy, I too am Living Proof!!!
Love, Jackie
Merry Christmas!
It’s the 27th and back to work today. Did anybody find any great Christmas Bargains? I didn’t…
This is the first Christmas without our parents and I had a wonderful Christmas with my sister, nieces/nephews and great nieces/nephews. We were in Paragould, AR, I traveled there from Mtn.Home and I traveled home in the sudden unexpected snow…it took me an extra 45 minutes to get home.
I am considering Springfield this weekend…we are only two hours…it’s our big shopping spot. Hope you had a wonderful time in our neck of the woods Amanda.
I have been an active on-looker of this blog for more than a year. I have enjoyed getting to know you and your family’s heart. I am a young working mother and have not found the time to learn the blog thing. Thank you Beth for showing me that this Jesus really loves Me! I grew up in a typical southern baptist church and definately learned the law. I didn’t learn until just about six years ago how much He really loves me. My Jesus really does love me in spite of myself. That is awesome! I have two young daughters and want to give them Jesus! Thank you for your obedience and passion. You are a blessing.
To the Entire Moore Family….
We wish you the best this Christmas Season and a Happy New Year…we are awaiting a very blessed and happy new year as 2007 has been our year “in the valley of Baca”. Seven is the # of completion and 8 is a “new beginning” so I do praise God that He is still on the throne and knows the needs of His dear children..All praise, honor and glory be to His name..
I can tell you what it is like when “someone” comes and tells you that your son may only have 6 months to live…BUT I ALSO KNOW THERE IS POWER & HEALING IN THE PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS. I only know that I am holding to that “Precious nail-scarred hand”. Our son is married (has been for 15 years; has 2 lovely children; our only grandchildren). I just KNOW THAT GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE AND IS STILL IN THE “HEALING BUSINESS”. My request: please remember “the Craig family” in your prayers…I don’t really know what God is doing but just know that He is up to something BIG…..Let all praise, honor and Glory be unto the name of Jesus–Our redeemer…
Nancy
Beth, you have brought the truest meaning – the only meaning – Christmas holds for me. Thank you for that. While the foods sound wonderful and the family gatherings full of warmth and love, I have a much different memory of Christmas’s long ago – painful ones where Christmas hasn’t always been welcomed. It is this precious letter of John’s written so long ago that reminds us of what and Who this is really all about. “The Word became Flesh and dwelt (pitched His tent) among us”…those words have filled me with the joy of a Christmas I can now call “joy”. Those Words have also enabled this shattered woman’s memories to forgive. Merry Christmas, Beth. Your sister in our Lord, Carri-Houston
What a blessing Beth-the sound of His voice! I search for it daily in my own life! Your ministry has profoundly assited me into the redemptive graces of our Lord after a self-induced fall into “a pit” and I am so grateful for your work. Thank you and have a joy-filled and blessed New Year!
In His Graces~Pamela
How ironic (or is it?) that this very morning, before I read your post that I too had looked up John 1… “In the beginning was the Word…”
and I love it that in verse 14 it says “and the Word was made flesh….”
Thank you, Jesus! How He loves us so!
I hope you and your family had a great Christmas together (I too make cornbread dressing…my mama’s recipe) and hope you will have a prosperous and healthy New Year!
God Bless!
Beth
Beth: Thank you for the Christmas blessing. Your way with painting a picture with words helped me to smell that bread, hear the birds twittering around at the feeders, and feel the presence of the WORD made flesh. Glory!
I am in my quiet time place – getting my heart ready to facilitate The Psalms of the Ascents. I just watched the introduction – I cannot wait. My, my, my!!! I have a precious siesta who God laid on my heart and I cannot wait for her to go up – and I’ll go with her.
Thank YOU for going before us so that we could have this study.
I love you too – truly, like a sister should,
Jan
Your Georgia Siesta
PS: Thank you for talking about bacon grease. 🙂 You know that does my Georgia heart proud! Yes, dressing is fickle…you are something else!
It still amazes me how good God’s word is and how He makes it alive today. Can you imagine the prophet Isaiah, as he penned the words introducing our Lord. It was God who had fellowship with him as he wrote–Isa.9 Wonderful, Counselor, the Prince of Peace–I’m sure Isaiah let out a big whoo hooo! Can you only imagine the Christ child being introduced with such a ray of description–the hope of glory becoming a small baby- with the hope that one day I would be made his daughter and feel his presence daily through the Holy Spirit and live in victory–what a wonderful child—I don’t want to take another year for granted and not give this gift away to others who need to see Him.
merry christmas to you Beth!!
i am reading your 90 days with JESUS and it is so wonderful,i just read the chapter a night of nights,on marys thoughts on JESUS,
it was so awsome.it made me think of her in a totatly new way.also i wanted to know if u ever thought about writing fictional novels about the charcters in the bible,with spiritual truth woven through.i think u would be very good at it..just something to think about
Oh How I love the deafning whispers of love that He speaks to me, resonating in my heart, my soul, my mind, and my life. I could just weep with the simple but profound memories of times spent in His presence.
Thanks be unto God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corintihians 2:19
Absolutely beautiful.
And years later, that inexperienced mother, now a well seasoned matriarch would welcome eternity, with mournful wails as she watched her son hung on a cross. Mary was not divine she was ordinarily human which is what makes this story so beautiful. The night before Jesus, Himself, would weep bitterly as he anticipated the coming hours of pain and sacrifice. But, He would humbly acknowledge, “Not my will, but Your will be done.”
At Christmas, Beth, as I enjoy my children and my neices and nephews… (All the babies were at our house for a “sleepover” [as my 4 year old niece puts it] on Christmas night, well, save the baby – Ben who is barely a year old.) I usually have a bittersweet moment when I remember Mary, the precious mother chosen to bear the Christ child who would later surrender Him in death and to His Father’s will. My own heart broke as I surrendered my precious son to death in 2005 – since then I have so weighed the fact that if God did not spare His own Son’s mother the agony of grieving her own child’s death, why would He spare me such a journey. I am grateful to in some small degree understand the sacrifice God made on our behalf, that He willingly gave, and that I unwillingly surrendered to… the death of an only begotten son.
I praise Him that Isaiah 61 is ever true! My ashes are a mantle of beauty, my despair a garment of praise and I have the oil of gladness for my mourning. Bless you my dears.
Michelle
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
My plans are to have a normal 2008.
After loosing both parents and a favoirte cousin this year I am ready for the mundane.
Looking forward to San Antonio.
Delilah in Berryville, I am in Mtn Home, e-mail me [email protected] I would love to visit with you.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU BETH!
I LOVE THE WAY YOU TAKE JUST ONE VERSE OR JUST A PART OF A VERSE AND COMMUNICATE IT INTO A CAPTIVATING, HEART WRENCHING, SPIRIT LED MESSAGE…….MOVING YOUR READERS TO LOVE HIM, APPRECIATE HIM, FOLLOW HIM, AND GIVE HIM OUR BEST! THANK YOU FOR OPENING YOUR HEART AND USING YOUR GIFT TO GLORIFY OUR SAVIOR.
LOVE,
PAM IN BAMA
Wow Beth, I am kinda disappointed to hear about all your escapades in the kitchen……I thought the kitchen was quite foreign to you and I was SOOOOOOOOOO proud to have another siesta like myself who has a husband who cooks, while I watch and cheer HIM on and then do the clean-up!! The image has been shattered!! hee!hee! cuz’ you DO know your way around that ol’ kitchen don’t ya!! You ARE WOMAN AND I HEAR YOU ROAR!!!!
I for one am so greatful that “THE WORD MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMOUNG US” JESUS IS THE ‘ONE AND ONLY’!!
HE IS ALL WE NEED…RIGHT NOW…TOMORROW….AND FOREVERMORE!
Don’t know why but earlier tonight the Lord led me to Malachi and as I read through that book I was also struck by the 400 year silence that had taken place between prophets, 400 years and them whamo!! GOD WITH US!!! I feel like we are in that stretch of time again in waiting for the fulfillment of the prophets and the return of our precious savior Jesus Christ. I want HIM to come for us so badly, I want to look at him face to face and to Behold the Glory of my Lord and to receive His warm embrace. Just worship at His feet for a while, knowing that I will never be seperated by the flesh any longer. I guess tonight I just really want to see Jesus, that deep longing is within me and I am feeling “homesick” for Him.
I pray you had the most blessed Christmas with your friends and family and that you are well again, I’ve been praying for you siesta!!!
Love to you all!
Beth, I have done so many of your studies and have been delighted as you tell of the ”delights” that God gives to you as you ask Him to delight you with His treasures. My family has just spent Christmas in the Colorado Mtns. and God delighted us by bringing approximately 18-20 deer to our cabin for 6 days. They set up camp around us and pretty much stayed, waiting to be fed. The snow was about 2 feet deep and trees covered with snow, so they were hungry. Our sons and their families fed them by hand….we even had 5 bucks that let them get really close, but wouldn’t eat from their hands. What a delight to be in the midst of them and watch what deer do for 6 days…and we had a white-out on Christmas day…couldn’t even see the 14,000 feet-ers ! Thank you for the idea to ask Him for His ”delights”. He answers !!!
This was our first Christmas alone–just my husband, myself and our three boys. Our family all lives up North and we thought this was the year to have our own Christmas. I must share of my funny experience on Christmas Eve. We went to a church for Christmas Eve service other than our own as ours did not have a service that evening. I was trying to make sure we were on our best behavior as we were guests and my children were all being very naughty–thanks to all the sugar, lack of sleep and the gifts waiting under tree for them… Anyway, when it got time for communion, it was very dark in the church–I thought “Is that Chex Mix on the communion tray? Surely not” When I picked up a piece, it was large for a communion “wafer” It was more of a communion “chunk” That was when the giggles first hit me. When I put it in my mouth, I was unpleasantly surprised, but still could not identify what it was. I kept chewing and chewing…I then looked over to one of my sons who was trying to wipe his off of his tongue. My other son leaned over to me and said, “Mom, it tastes like a fitness bar.” By then, I could no longer keep control. I was hunched over laughing and shaking. I prayed that the others around me would think I was in prayer. I was so glad my mom was not with me as we would have caused a large scene and one of us would have had to leave. Just as I thought I could re-gain control, the little boy sitting next to us took the last communion cup of juice. I wanted to stand up and holler “We have to have something to get this tast out of our mouths now!!!” Just then, a man showed up with a spare plate of communion juice. My husband had walked out with our youngest son earlier and I was so glad that I did not embarrass him. I hope I have not offended anyone with this story–I normally take communion very seriously and have explained the importance of it to my kids. This was just too much for me and in a moment of humor weakness, I crumbled. Happy New Year to you all! Thanks for sharing yourself with us Beth!
Merry Christmas LPM! It is always a blessing to be here to this mama in the midst of living and loving raising boys for Him.
Bless you and your family Beth!
Loved reading the post. Thank you for sharing with us.
I am a member of a small ladies bible study and we have done several of your studies. Right now we are right in the middle of Daniel. LOVE IT! Well, I love all of your studies and I learn SO much.
Also, I feel special because my last name is Moore. 😉
Take care and Happy New Year!
Much love,
Pam Moore
Luna Pier, Michigan
Girls, please hurry back – you don’t know what a lifeline this blog is for me. I love it that you took time off, but I’m missing you all so much. So many times in the throes of overwhelming anger or grief or laughter, I take a minute to clear my brain by checking in on your site. The Word of God is a buffer to my mind – and I need to come here and be recalibrated so many times where I know there is truth.
Much love!