No, I don’t have good news on the Christmas picture I was trying to take for the blog. The camera and I have spent the weekend in two different rooms so that our relationship could have a little time to heal. Hopefully there will be a reconciliation and a victory soon. You’ll know it when you see it. And, boy, will it be a let down.
There’s something else I wanted to share with you. I’ve got to keep it short because I don’t want to take much time away from my man. He just got home last night from the deer lease. I want to write on it while it’s on my mind though. I just have to marvel from time to time over the unlikely loves God brings together in His family here on earth. The way people in Christ can become dear friends and traveling companions with individuals they’d never have thought to get to know. I love how, because the Spirit of Christ lives in us and He originated the differences, we can come to love people we might not have thought we’d like. It’s a thought I have often but I have some fresh imprints on my heart and mind today that compel me to write.
Travis Cottrell, my praise team leader on the road for ten years, has been in town this week at Champion Forest Baptist Church as the guest artist in their magnificent Christmas pageant. Our families are really great friends and Melissa and I had already gotten to see him between practices. Angela, Travis’s wife (and stunning proof of how much God loves him), and their three terrific kids, Jack, Lily Kate, and Levi, flew in yesterday afternoon to join Travis and Keith got home last night. My man was anxious to see them so we headed to Champion Forest Baptist for church this morning to worship with them and have some lunch. I watched those two men hug. So happy to see each other. Crazy about each other. Watched them sit at the end of our row together. And as different as night and day and one almost old enough to be the other’s father. Keith the consummate outdoorsman who shoots clay pigeons for fun and Travis the gifted artist who can write a musical on paper without even sitting at a keyboard. The chords are all in his head.
Both mighty men but so incredibly different. I couldn’t help but take it in again at lunch. While Ang and I were in the throes of kid-ville, Travis and Keith sat at the end of the table and gabbed like they’d hung out all their lives. Travis lets Keith talk to him about deer and Keith lets Travis talk to him about music projects. Travis could easily talk pro football because, interestingly, he’s a huge addict, but Keith, just as oddly, is not a fan. Both, however, love Jesus, love their wives, and cry over something tender faster than their wives. I don’t suppose conversation comes naturally to either one of them but they make it happen. Because they’re family. The Moores and the Cottrells have been halfway around the world together and have shared more life – joys and crises – in the last ten years than you can imagine.
Two months ago Keith sent Travis a pair of Lucchese cowboy boots with a handwritten letter about how the Tennessee Volunteers had come to the aid of the Texans at the Alamo (yes, we remember). It was priceless. Vintage Keith. And Travis loved them. They are an odd pair, Keith Moore and Travis Cottrell. One of how many odd pairs, I wonder, in the Body of Christ? This entry is a tribute to the unlikely loves Christ Jesus brings together. I’m inviting you to share yours. (Short enough for us to read them all!) One of the most marvelous things about loving Jesus is all the folks we end up unexpectedly loving, too.
I love you. I really do. And if a blog community of women who have never laid eyes on one another isn’t an unlikely love, I don’t know one.
Your committed Siesta. (P.S. I just had to hop back on and say that I LOVE YOUR TESTIMONIES OF UNLIKELY LOVES!! Siestas, be sure to read these comments! The stories of unlikely lives God brought together will bring such joy to your heart and praise to your lips. You will marvel over the one written by the young widow and laugh over the one written by the woman who has a fear of flying then married the pilot. You’ll love all of them! Also be sure to add yours. This is one of my favorite comment sections yet. Way to bring God some fun glory! And you’re right, Siesta. He and we are the most unlikely loves of all.)
I don’t want to be cliche, but my unlikely love is my husband, too. He’s New York Italian and I’m a southern belle from Louisiana. I was raised Southern Baptist; he was raised Catholic. I’m blue-eyed “blonde” and he has chocolate brown eyes and dark brown hair. When we got married it was NASCAR meets the Godfather. He could live in a tent, bathe in a river and cook over and open fire for days, and I want a Four Seasons or even a Hampton Inn. In high school his favorite band was Bon Jovi and I wanted to BE Amy Grant. We have been married for 15 years-not perfectly-but permanently. The perfect love of God brought us together and sustains us. We have four beautiful children who I know will do great things for the kingdom of God. We have said many times that only a divine appointment could have brought us together and I’m so glad He did.
I am 41. One of my best friends in the world is 91. We do lunch and have a wonderful time!
As a young woman of 16 I went to work with one of the most God like women that I would ever know in my life. I am now 51. When I lost my mother at 22 she at 62 at the time lost her mother the week before I lost mine. I know that God put that unlikely person in my life at that time to help me through one of the most difficult times on this earth. Ms Williams went home to be with God about 15 years ago. I think of her often and with much Love. Thank you God for all our unlikely Loves.
My unlikely love started in 3rd grade. It was the first day in a new school and I was/am not the sharpest tack in the box but I work hard to compensate. That day I met the sharpest tack in the box and we have been friends ever since. We roomed in college and we live in the same town still so we remain close.She generously helped me when I didn’t understand a class. I am all girly and love perfume, clothes and sweet love stories. She is outdoorsy, jeans and shorts, and loves westerns. But through the years God has kept that friendship constant and it has brought a lot of joy to me.
Sheila JP
Thank you for the beautiful post. His love is so astounding. I did a word study on love a few years ago. I need to find my notes. The Scriptures I looked up were a healing balm to my heart which was broken at the time because my best friend died leaving 2 children and a parent who had the most extreme addiction problem I had ever witnessed.
Ladies, search for love verses…you will be edified beyond belief!
He loves us, He loves us, He loves us!
And for all the deer season widows out there, I must share a joke:
Two deer hunters were standing on a ridge near a highway in rural Texas on the opening day of deer season. They both saw a trophy-class buck meandering
towards them. As the one hunter raised his gun to shoot, a funeral procession came slowly by. The hunter lowered his gun, took off his hat, and stood with his head bowed until the procession was past.
Of course by then, the deer was long gone.
The other hunter exclaimed “Wow! That was the most compassionate act I’ve ever seen! You allowed this trophy buck to escape while showing such kindness and consideration toward someone’s dearly departed. You are a great humanitarian and
a shining example to sportsmen throughout the world!”
The first hunter nodded and said; “Well, we were married for 42 years!”
Annette
My precious husband is a WAY outside the box thinker and doer. People come to him to be challenged – when a new idea is needed and everyone else is stumped. I live in the exact center of the box. I don’t even veer toward the edges. I love to follow the rules. God knew I needed to be dragged out every now and then, and He also knew my husband would also need to be pulled back in! Isn’t God smart?!
I am praying for a man to enter my husband’s life who can be a Christian friend to him. Since my husband is not a Christian, I believe a Christian man would have a greater influence than I do.
God Bless you Keith and Travis.
Friends are such a blessing from God. I am so greatful for each one. God has brought several great friend into my life. We are all as different as night and day and I would not trade them for anything. We are all very close even though we live miles, many miles, many state’s apart miles away from each other. I would love to have them all live in the same town that I do. But then I think who would be where they are to minister and show Christ to those the He has placed in their lives. Then I add you all to the mix talk about eclectic. I wish I could sit down with each and everyone of my friends(yes you are included in that list) and talk for hours and hours. Praising God for friends, Kim B. In AZ
Thank you for sharing the relationship that Keith and Travis have. I believe that in times that we see our men relate like this it makes us fall in love all over again.
This post has stirred my heart to share of a wonderful time when 9 lovely ladies were brought together by one. My dear friend Linda was going through a time of crying out to the Lord to use her in whatever capacity He chose. He delivered a group of women that met once a month at her home for fellowship, prayer, laughter and love in Christ Jesus. A more unlikely group there wasn’t. We had every conceivable difference in our back grounds. Raised in the church (preachers kid), Never met Jesus (adult women), recovering alcoholic, and one woman that had been in jail for drugs, and to top it all of a wonderful unsuspecting woman that didn’t know she was invited to quote her “a bible study”. We shared our hearts, sorrows, victories, petitioned the heavenlies many times over and saw an amazing out pouring of His grace to answer our petitions.
As I am sharing this time in my life the feelings are rolling over me as if it were yesterday.
We ended our year in fine fashion as we piled into two vehicles and set a course from Southern California to Fresno to hear our mentor (yes you guessed it Beth Moore) speak. You blessed us so as you spoke a word to each and every one of us. And I will never forget that at that time you shared that you would be blessed to receive your first grandchild.
Thank you for letting me share how precious HE is to unite us all different, but the tie that binds us is HIS precious Son the Lord God Most High.
Much love to all you siestas
Celeste
Ms. Beth, I love reading this blog. I am currently (but I’ve been skipping) in the Daniel bible study. I teach at a Christian school. Our students have suddenly become intrigued with reading about end time events. Have you heard this wormwood star stuff? I don’t have answers for them when they ask. And now they all think they are going to die in 2012…
Thanks for the help
Helpless,
Jamie Moon
Unlikely loves….would be my co-worker and I. We work in seperate departments, we are different races, she is single, I am married with 3 grown children. 2 summers ago I invited some ladies to my house for “Jesus the one and only” bible study. She accepted the invite and was hooked. We then did “Daniel” and then started coming with me on tuesday nights to Beth’s class. We have built such a friendship that we even joined a gym and go together! We are counting down the weeks to start “Breaking Free” in January….
Blessings!
DeeDee
Unlikely loves? Why unlikely loves are seen to me as ones that behold the eyes of Jesus. Their actions are of love and compassion, sometimes with a mere smile as they are the stranger, merely a passerby. The love of Jesus is what bonds us together. Whether through a smile, hug or kind words we know His presence is the binding force.
My Mother passed away a year ago this Friday and I miss her so. You see while she was here on earth I missed knowing what I saw in her eyes was the love of Jesus. We never read the Bible together while I was growing up but did in her last months of her life while in the hospital. She explained that she taught me about stories from the Bible in terms that I would understand and that when I read the Bible for myself I would then recall such stories. In this last year I have had many an ah ha moment and realize that God is doing for me what I could not do for myself.
A few weeks after my Mother passed away a lady from our church asked if I would like to join the upcoming Bible Study… Breaking Free! The ladies that I grew to love during that Bible Study are indeed true friends and ones which are full of love and compassion. Knowing that there are so many other women like them out there … like you siestas … gives me hope that I can be that stranger to pass on a smile to some passerby and to shine His light throughout my day. What a blessing it is to have found LPM and the bond that is shared through His love, grace and mercy.
God bless all His children
In His Light
jaws
When I was 6, my mom had been raising my brother, sister and I by herself. We were involved in big brothers/big sisters and I met my unlikely love then. She was 19 and a true Godsend. She and I have been best friends since that first trip to the ice cream store that sealed the deal for both of us! She has 3 children, a very precious godly family and a loving godly husband of 20+ years. I went through a divorce at the age of 23 married only 2 years. Then was pregnant before my second marriage. She has loved me to the mountaintops and encouraged me through the valleys. Her love is the most unconditional I have ever experienced by a person and she is such an amazing spiritual mentor. We have been friends now for 26 years and our lives could not be more polar opposite, but tightly knit by the love of God.
To “Anonymous @ 10:16 am” there are many of us who are praying that very same prayer. And women with marriages who have seen this kind of breakthrough, please pray that we will be persistent at loving our husband’s in a godly way that will impact their love for Christ and draw them to Him.
Beth, Someday I would love to read about how God has transformed your Keith into the godly man that he is. I think many of us need to hear the same tangible hope for our own husbands is possible. It is a very narrow, sometimes lonely, road to travel.
Okay, seriously…this blogging community has to be the strangest mix of loves I have ever encountered, ever imagined! Where else do strangers come together to pray for each other, cry for each other, rejoice for each other, long to finally meet on the other side? I’ve spoken to some of you on the phone and we’ve chatted like we’ve known each other (face to face) for 20 years! Incredible!
Sandra.. thank you for acknowledging my request…. we have actually had a small breakthrough the last 2 days…. Power of prayer for sure… keep it up!!! Thank you.
Wow, this was so good, and so much fun to read!
Thanks so much for taking time to share so many neat things about your life. I think we all feel like your best friend!
I was so blessed to meet a woman online who had a son who was a patient at St. Jude. My son had just finished treatment there as well.
I can not tell you how wonderful it was to finally meet her and her amazing son Brent!
Our lives are so different, she’s a country girl and I’m a city slicker. (You would love her Beth, she hunts with her husband!)
Please keep Tonya in your prayers as it is coming up the one year anniversary of her son’s graduation to heaven.
Blessings to you and your awesome ministry!
Susan
My husband is my polar opposite. I am loud, outgoing, and completely crazy. I love to “talk about things loudly” (aka argue) and he just is the most precious thing in the world to me. He is quite, talking only when required, is kinda shy but is willing to talk to the husbands of my friends because they are my friends and will let me win almost all of our “talks”. He is an amazing man and I am so blessed to have him.
Thank you Beth for all of your words of wisdom, timely reminders of faith, love, hope, joy, peace and persistance. I will see you in January at Breaking Free
Tracie
Beth,
I think of my sister and myself. We are as different as night and day but we could talk for hours and still not get tired of each other. She would rather camp in the woods and I would rather camp at the Holliday Inn. She would rather socialize intimately and I feel “the more the merrier” is better. A good time to her is shopping at the Bass Pro and I assure you that is the last place you’ll find me. I prefer the “cutesy nick-nacky” stores. But oh, I do prefer her. She is fabulous!
You are fabulous, too!
Love,
Kristen
I’m still laughing about the camera…
The Lord amazes me. When I take a look at the relationships around me – former drug dealers and prostitutes, recovering addicts of one kind or another – sitting alongside women of faith who’ve long had the Lord in their lives… I think: Only God. He is awesome!
Hi Beth. I don’t usually write on these things as I’m the type who never has anything to say; but when I saw this I had to post.
My husband, kids and I just came back from a mission trip to Costa Rica where we experienced so much heartbreak. My kids and I fell in love with a young woman there named Gloria. She is 21, has no family, and has spent most of her life on the street. She is in the women’s center recovering from abuse, drugs and possibly prostitution. The people who work there have said that she has one of the saddes stories they’ve ever heard. However she is so full of joy and she is as sweet as she can be.
Talk about unlikely loves! She speaks spanish and I only speak english so we can’t even share conversation. But I can tell you that we somehow laughed together, cried together, hugged, took pictures and loved on my children together. Goodness we even colored together! She is my sweet friend and sister (hermana) and I am so blessed to have her in my life. My son calls her “Glorious”.
The sad part of this is that we recieved an e-mail three days ago saying that she had been taken to the hospital where they found and operated on a brain tumor. We have yet to hear about her condition. But as I cried over my e-mail I could hear God whisper into my heart that He was going to use this for her good and that He had great plans for her. I trust Him and I know that somehow He is going to strengthen her faith through all of this. Praise Him! He is wonderful and I love Him; I love His ways and His timing. What a great and beautiful God we serve.
Jacqueline
Thank you Beth for the wonderful story that brought tears to my eyes and thanksgiving in my heart as I praise Him for the unlikely love that that He has brought into my life. 26 years ago He crossed the paths of two unlikely people. She was shy, a fierce lover of God, and devoted wife. I was 16, a growing Christian and very outspoken. What God could see was how the matching of us would work for His kingdom. We sing together, we write musicals together we are family. I have a Masters degree in technology and she has a Masters degree in being a wife and mother. She is my special gift from God as I am hers. As I finished doing the Believing God biblestudy I told her that I felt God had something big for me to do. She said what will WE be doing. I laughed and then I laughed again when I found out what it was. We are adopting a daughter from Russia. Yes, WE. I’m still single and I know this is what God has planned for my life as well as my best friend and her family. What a ride He has taken us on and what journey it will be when we get to raise His princess to love Him as we do!
I know there are already a gazillion comments but I just wanted to share that my “unlikely loves” are my husband and me…in the first year of our marriage we (I) discovered that he was deeply intrenched in a pornography addiction. A year later I finally faced the fact that I had been battling some type of eating disorder most of my life–I literally had an addiction to dieting AND to food–how crazy is that? I thought for sure we were a mistake–one addicted to finding pleasure in perfect bodies, the other obssessed and imprisoned by her failure to obtain her perfect body, to please, and fearing it was all her fault.
God miraculously has healed us both in many ways, and has used my husband’s counseling on addiction to help me face my own. I have been reminded many many times that not only are we not a mistake, but that we are perfectly suited–us unlikely loves–in God’s glorious redemption and truly miraculous healing. He know has used our testimony countless times to encourage others. How amazing to me that He takes such messes and makes them even more beautiful than they could have ever been with all our human efforts!! Thanks for allowing me to share…love to you, Beth, Amanda, and Melissa!
i read the post on unlikely loves just yesterday and thought immediately of my dearest friend, deedee. this morning i awoke to an email from her telling me i needed to read your blog because she had read it and thought about me! how fun is God!! we have been the best of friends for 12 years, but have only lived in the same city for about 15 months at the start of those 12 years!! though we often go a year or more without seeing each other(we blog and email regularly!!) – she is the dearest friend i have ever had! she has been with me through infertility, my husband surrendering to the ministry, and the adoption of my two children! God has been so neat to me by allowing her to have the last 2 of her 4 girls within months of my two children!! she is truly a blessing that i thank God for!!
My unlikely love does not seem so unlikely now! But five years ago it made me tongue-tied to talk to her! She is my closest friend now; one of those that I can share anything with and she will encourage me, uplift me and spur me on in Christ. She is 45 and I am 35. Her children are grown, one in college and one in high school. Mine are small, five and two. She is wise, so very wise. And I am…not! 🙂 She is the pastor’s wife.
Five years ago I needed a long-term sub to cover my classes when I was out on maternity leave. Apparently something was in the water around here because so did everyone else! I could not find anyone. Then someone alerted me to the fact that our new pastor’s wife had a teaching degree. So with trembling hands I called her and explained my situation. She quickly said yes! As she came in to observe me with my kids and take notes on how things were done, we hit it off! She was wonderful. She even came to visit me in the hospital when I had the baby.
She subbed for me and when I had to go back to work she said, “Now call me if you have to be out.” I thought she meant to sub, but she did not. She wanted to babysit! I have no family near me, so she was an answer to prayer. She quickly took my son under her wing and filled in often when the sitter had to be out! Her husband, the pastor, even loved to watch him! They took him shopping, out to eat, even to buy their new appliances for their house!!
As the years have gone by, we have found ourselves closer than ever! My children adore her and her husband. They beg to see them both when we arrive at church and then again before we leave! She has become my forever friend who started out as an unlikely love!
Unlikely Loves…I remember when I met my husband, Stephen. I have always been known as a bit of a goody-goody and here God brought into my life a man with a “sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll” background (what a testimony of God’s grace he has been given!). I remember thinking that we had so little in common–could God seriously be bringing us into one another’s lives? Here we are 8 years later, loving Jesus, our children, and our God. And, only as the Father can, He has weaved our lives together in such a way as to use us even more together than we could have been on our own. I praise Him for an opportunity to do two things I love at one time: brag on Jesus and brag on my amazing guy!
Shelley
I have two unlikely loves. My first one is my best friend Shannon of 20+ years. We met in the second grade and are still best friends today. She has been there for me and has not judged me on my past life choices. My second unlikely love is my ex boyfriends aunt dorothy. She is such a godly, loving woman. I have not met anyone like her and wouldn’t have met her if my ex and I hadn’t dated because she lives in Marysville which is an hour and a half away from where I live. Even though that relationship did not work out we are still very close and talk as much as we can.
Oh my, you are so right. God has a wonderful sense of humor. Just looking at the “matches” He has made in my own life is evidence of that. My best friend, Melissa and I bonded over the song “Circle of Friends” and it’s been a wild ride ever since. We are so different, and people at church often comment on this. How can the two of us be friends??? By the grace (and humor) of God!!
Much love and laughter,
~Cheryl
Dear Siesta Beth,
I couldn’t think of an “unlikely love” when you first posted.
I’m not sure if this qualifies at all, but I have to share this!
The other night I was visiting a church and completely bonded with the pastor’s wife over “Beth Moore Bible Studies”. She was just introduced to the studies and she was doing the work and workbook by herself. She was totally blown away by “A Women’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place”. We made plans to talk again and to share.
Last night I went to get my “roots done” at a new salon. The guy that did my hair was an awesome Christian who had been set free from drugs, alcohol and a gay lifestyle a few years ago and he had posted on this posh salon door….”BREAKING FREE”!!! The women in his church were starting this study and we started sharing our faith and all about your Bible studies!
I dearly love that so many different people can love the LORD and bond over a Bible study!
Thank Ms. Beth!
Blessings, hugs and love,
Teri
Hi Beth,
I fell off the bloggin’-wagon for awhile dealing with the recent loss of my pecious mama, but this post REALLY hit me and I just had to respond.
I was one of seven kids (middle-child…the glue ha!ha!) Six girls and one boy. My mom and I and sisters have shared an incredible friendship and love and her loss has been felt deeply…but in the midst of this loss I have developed one of the most, (I thought anyway), unlikely friendships ever and that is with MY DAD. I shared everything with my mom, especially our deep love and passion for Jesus, often, okay if not always, to the exclusion of my Dad. Not always meaning to, just didn’t think he cared or really wanted to connect. In the past, that may have been true, but what I am discovering is a man who deeply, deeply loved his wife in spite of all the problems, who feels lost without her in his life and now desperately wants to find her again through the eyes and lives of their children. This has been such a GIFT in the midst of great grief and loss. God is so good to take a death and use it to
birth new life with a Father and his Daughter.
Pray for us as we continue on in our journey that we can “lay aside every weight that ensnares us and press-on to ALL that God has for us our future.
I am soooo….thankful for my dad, who is becoming my friend too.
Love you!
Angela
Hello! This is my first time to reply to a post although I read all the time. I have to share this GOD story..it is amazing….
My husband is a minister and we took a new job two years ago. It was a huge move away from family to another area of the country. I knew that my Jesus was calling us away but couldn’t imagine all He had His hands into. We found out that another young family had just moved and we had kids the same age. So before we moved, I prayed about 30+ times a day about the Roberson family. Once we moved, we started to spend time with them and hit it off very well. I was expecting at the time and at my baby shower, my mama and friend, Shea, were talking. They started making all these connections and then the startling news came… we realized we were SECOND cousins!!! We had played together as children and everything! Now Shea and I talk about 10 times a day and quite honestly I have never had a closer girlfriend. And our hubbies LOVE each other…and they are very unlikely mix. My Keith loves sports while Shea’s hubby loves opera!!!
I LOVE my Jesus so much for Shea. She is one of the happiest things about my life. I love that He loved us away from family to move us into one of the closest family/friendships that my hubby and I could ever have. Thank you, my sweet Jesus!!
Martha
Actually, I don’t have any really cool stories, but my husband and I are actually a very unlikely pair. Him being much like Keith, loving the outdoors. Roughing it is his idea of a good time and my worst nightmare! Shopping malls are my best friend and his worst nightmare. The bigger the better. I like the ones that you have to have a map to find anything! Haven’t been to many, but I like them. Josh is terrified of those places. Another thing when we were introduced he was a college wrestler. What the person who introduced us didn’t know was my intense prejudice against wrestlers. All the one I had known were drunks. God convicted me very strongly about assuming that about him. In fact, he was quite the opposite. He was really way to innocent to end up with me, but somehow it happened. That was another thing. Me, total rebel. He’d been a good boy (at least by his parents standards) all of his life. I was trouble no matter who you asked. In fact after hearing my stories he told me had he met me before I came to Christ he wouldn’t give me a second look. He’d have just steered clear. Smart man. And I adore him. And even more amazingly he adores me! (Oh, and it scared me to realize that Keith also is not a fan of football just like my husband. Also, shocking. Especially having been a wrestler. They are way too much alike. It kind of scares me. I hope they never meet. That could be scary!)
Beth,
I think this is my first time to post on your blog, but my “Spiritual Momma” requested that I do, so here I am. 🙂
It’s taken me a few days to think about this, but then it hit me…my “unlikely love” is a friend of mine that I met on the playground a few years ago. She was dressed from head to toe in black, and had almost a goth look going on.
I was dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and sandals…it’s AZ for goodness sake!
She was shy. I am outgoing.
She didn’t know a lot of people there. I knew everyone, simply because it bugs the FIRE out of me for people to feel ignored!
So, I strike up a conversation with her and ask her if she works outside the home. She explained that she was a writer.
Now this got me REALLY excited, as I have a dream of one day writing a REALLY GOD HONORING, SCRIPTURE FOCUSED book.
So I ask, “Really! What types of things do you write? I want to write too!”
She responded, “Um. Well. I write for Penthouse, and hope to be published in Playboy one day.”
It’s worth mentioning that pornography was the “thorn” that God used in my life, to bring me to a point of total surrender to him.
When as a new bride, I learned that it had been given an open invitation into my home, without my permission, I gave up my life in exchange for Jesus’. I knew that only God could fight that fight, not I.
Suffice it to say that when my new friend told me that she wrote for the very magazines that almost destroyed my marriage, I instantly realized I was on soldier duty!
She then asked me what I wanted to write.
“Well, I am a trained Precept Bible Study Leader, and I have a dream of writing a Precept Bible Study to help women who are married to men struggling with pornography.”
It was an interesting conversation that we had from that point on! 🙂
It’s so funny, Beth. God used that time and the years following to lace my heart to hers. I love her so much, and I see God working in her life.
We’ve had many talks since that day about God, and His love, and repentance, and of how Jesus paid her sin debt, and about how she can become a follower of Christ.
I love her so much, and pray for her salvation. She’s asking so many questions, that I’m hoping it’s not far away. 🙂
Only God could form a friendship with these two unsuspecting people!
These two unlikely loves!
Wow. I was in tears reading some of these ‘blobs’. I am jealous. I belong to an incredible Bible study group. It’s a mixed bag of ages, economic status and shoe styles. I have held back, however, and not risked much. After reading these, I’ll put myself out there. Thanks, gals!
OH Beth. I marvel at God’s handiwork in our lives to bring us together with the most unlikely people. In my generation, born in the 50’s we never ventured outside our age group. When I was 23 I moved next to women my mother’s age and being a military wife missing my family with a 3 yr old and a 3 day old they loved me for 5 years!! I now have many unlikely loves. I remember when you were in albuquerque you said if you can’t agree on anything else agree that you love Jesus Christ. I have stopped myself many times since then with unlikely loves I have in my life and say WE ARE DIFFERNT!!! but we love Jesus. I just love it!!!
Just returned from NYC for four days and catching up on the blog! I so love the body of Christ and all the personalities in it. Here is my story about unlikely pairs. I was adopted at one day old by amazing parents who taught me and showed me the love of Christ. Nine years ago at the age of the 30 my mom died. My dad had died 10 years before that so I was “orphaned” at the age of 30 as my 4 year old said at the time. I was so lost without a mother that I thought I would die and I began to ask God to send me a mother. I was like the Dr. Seuss book with the little bird asking “Are you my mother?” About a year later I met a couple who had never had children and I knew God had sent them to me. She was 20 years older than me and really could be my mother. We had so many weird connections, like her birthday being on the day my mom died. Its hard to explain but just believe me God made it clear we were to be together. Well it became clear a few months later that something was very wrong with this couples marriage and the glamour of the relationship was wearing off. To go quickly, the couple divorsed after 36 years of marriage and then reconciled their marriage a few years later. My family was involved the whole way. I asked God a hundred times to please take these people out of my life that they were “killing me” then I took the Living beyond Yourself bible study and discovered that sometimes there needs to be a good killing. I realized that it was me that had much to learn. I learned about my judgmental condemning spirit. I learned that we should never tell God certain people can’t change. I learned that all things are possible with God. I learned some of the most amazing lessons from people I didn’t think could teach me anything. It has been several years now since their remarriage and I call this mother, my mother of the “heart” God is so good to give us what we need. Its hard to write the story fast but God gave me a mother to give me birth, one to raise me to adulthood and now a mother of the heart to share life with. I’m so thankful God used them to help kill some of the areas in my life that surely needed to die. The stories are great. I love the blog.
delta
Oh Wow! I haven’t been on the blog for a week. I loved reading all of your comments. This whole Siesta thing is the best online community I’ve ever been a part of. Who knows, we may eventually have Siesta Chapters in cities all over the world!
Unlikely friends…four of us bonded together because of our love for a dear friend of ours who was called home at the age of 36. She was a wonderful mommy who had a husband and two young daughters who adored her. I didn’t know the other well, but we decided to go on a womens’ retreat together the fall after our friend died. Four very different women who at first cried a lot together. After the storm came great joy. Our tears turned to laughter and tight bonds were formed. Nope, we almost certainly wouldn’t have chosen each other but God did!
Beth, I was at Walgreens today and saw a whole row of memory cards. You and that camera need to make up, set up some boundaries and start uploading those photos!
My little family is made up of four unlikely loves. My two wonderful boys, that I had late in life (when I was 41 and 43), then, four years after a divorce, adopted my little daughter from China, when I was 49. And that be us! This unlikely foursome…in love with God and in love with each other. I was feeling sad tonight. My only brother and I are not close and at Christmas I miss it more. I miss it for my son’s too, who need a man in their life who cares about them. ANyway..was feeling the pity party coming on….then I thought, Beth feels like family to me. I am going to go read her blog, and cheer myself up.
I pray I can raise my children in such a way, that they love each other, like your children do.
Bless you and thank yo for sharing!
Love ya Sister! It’s kinda of neat how the Lord puts people you never laid eyes on in your path I guess it’s easy to Love people you have never meet before sort of like God and Jesus we love them but never have seen them. Merry Christmas Beth and Keith and Melissa and Amanda and Curt and Lil Jackson!!!!!!!!
Love ya’ll
Susan -La
God is so good!! We have been in a very difficult situation for several months and God in his GREAT GOODNESS has surrounded us with the most loving friends anyone could ever imagine. Those friends have cried with us (literally) and prayed us through several not so easy days (literally). We are all as different as night and day, yet our common bond is JESUS. We all love HIM and more than anything we want to sing HIS praises….we want to tell of HIS glory. God has showed us that even in the worst of times, HE is there and brings about friends who though different, come together to help, encourage and uplift each other in the body of Christ. God is good!!
Praise HIS GREAT NAME!!
I have one “unlikely love” in process right now. I am an early-40s mom of four boys aged 4-17 who met a late-20s mom of one boy nearly a year ago under random (GOD) circumstances when I took my two youngest to (I found out later) the WRONG playground :-). I was kinda grumpy that afternoon and wasn’t in the talking mood really, but she was the only other mom at the playground and she struck up a conversation with me. A bit into the talk, she told me where she lived…across town, right down the street from me!AND that she wasn’t having success making friendships (they had recently moved here due to her husband in the Navy..she actually told me she hated our city!). Ok, Lord, You have my attention now. Although we are very different women, in very different stages of our lives, I believe God brought us together so that this precious young woman can understand that He is a healthy, loving God and that He desires a personal relationship with her. Her whole countenance has changed as she has begun to understand His love and goodness! At this point we are beginning to grieve her leaving for 5 months (back to TEXAS ha ha)(no she’s not near y’all or I’d send her your way!) as her husband does a tour of duty. AND they have accepted our invitation to Christmas Eve service 🙂 I completely believe she is very close to beginning that personal relationship with the Lover of her soul, and so glad He brought me to the “wrong” park that day and opened HER mouth to begin this friendship!
My Bible study friends are my unlikely loves! Something about studying God’s word together brings intimacy in a way like no other. I have dear friends ages 25 to 75…and we all have that “one” thing in common–Jesus! But I love how the book of Acts says “all the believers had everything in commom.” How different are our personalities and seasons of life–but when you sit down to talk about the word of God & applying it to your life–IT MATTERS NOT how young or old your sister is! It’s as though you have EVERYTHING in common!
Dear Beth!
Unlikely loves! Our God is amazing!
I am a 25 years old girl and I live with two other christian girls! And sometimes, the tension is in the air… We are very different, but I love them very much. The only thing we have in common is our love for Jesus! (We can’t even choose one movie that will please us all! That is when I watch a movie… don’t have much time to watch tv… anyway!)
By the way, I just discover the “Life Outreach” website with your bible study that we can download and watch!! This is amazing! I live in Montréal (Canada) (and speak French, so sorry for the mistake here) and I don’t get this tv channel, so I watch it online and it is a blessing to me. Thank you very much!! Your love for Jesus is an exemple to us.
Rachel
She is short. I am tall. She is outgoing. I am reserved. She loves horses. I love ballet. We are no doubt an unlikely pair by the world’s standards; yet God knit our hearts together 12 years ago and I will be forever thankful! She has been the iron that sharpens me and a friend who loves at all times. She is truly one of the greatest blessings God has graciously given me.
Oh, how I appreciate your heart for the Lord and your willingness to serve Him no matter what the cost. You are such an encouragement to me.
My husband and I are definitely unlikely loves brought together and kept together by a God who loves us so deeply. It’s so reassuring to know that God knows what He’s doing during the times we have no idea what’s going on! Much love and blessings beyond measure, sweet Beth!
By His Grace Ministry
byhisgraceministry.blogspot.com
I love you Moore’s and LPM. I’m not much on bloggin’, but this has really come in handy since Beth is in my inner circle, and she doesn’t even know it. Happy blogversary back.
Jenny in Bama
Oh Beth! How fun! Thank you..and happy blogaversary to you. I read this blog a coupld days ago, without the video, I LOVE the video! You are so cute and so funny! I pray you get better soon….
Big hug. (I needed a laugh and smile today. I am in need of God’s fierce mercy!)
I’m new to this blog site and catching up – I feel like I came late to a party, and am desperately trying to mingle. 🙂 What a wonderful group of women!
RE: Opposites, you are so, so right, Beth…I think God knits different types of hearts together so we both develop a more pleasing “pattern.” My earliest opposite relationship was when I was 14 and my friend was an elderly widower. I knew his wife (she was my Sunday School teacher when I was 5) and I awkwardly tried to tell him how sorry I was that she died. This gracious man not only overlooked my stammering speech, he asked if my friend and I would join him for lunch. Thus began a regular time of meals and home visits over the years until he passed from earth straight into the arms of Jesus, and then his wife, Julie. What a precious gift he was to me! I do miss you, Mr. I…can’t wait to see you and catch up!
I read this when it was first posted; came back tonight to read comments.
With my husband as a minister, I’ve known to be cautious in friendships within the church… for many reasons. But I was so incredibly blessed to find a circle of safe, amazing women; we delighted in going deep in the Word and loving our Lord. We had so much fun, so many precious, rich times.
This fall I received a letter out of the blue from my closest friend, stating she was ending our friendship. This has been an incredibly hard time; nothing makes sense, I’m heartbroken and confused. And I’m finding myself withdrawing from other friendships, trying to protect myself, I suppose.
Reading through these comments gave me hope, though, that perhaps God still has a friend- even an unlikely friend– who He will bring into my life at the right time. And it gives me hope that I might be a heart friend to someone else one day; able to bless her.
Well, I am 37, the mother or two young people and just enrolled in a few years back in a Beth Moore bible study. My best friend is 74 and exactly like a party in a Chrisitan can! She is the extrovert we all wish we were or at least I do. It is so amusing to think that a dear friendship can span decades! The wonder of Jesus and of Beth Moore studies!!! Some women from the elementary school lost their jaw on the concrete when I excitedly shared that my youngest Katie would be in the same class with my best friends’ daughter teaching. Maybe it is because her daughter is a few years older than I am, either way you have to smile… God’s handprints fill our lives and His care and forethought are amazing!!!
Kimberly in CA
I know this is going to seem like a random comment. Especially since it's going back nearly two year. But I just had to tell you… I was curious to read what the blog post would be the very day I accepted Jesus to my Lord and Savior. However, there wasn't one on December 8, 2007… so I settled for Dec. 9th. What a sweet post!
Brings back memories. I was 21-years-old at this time… and to remember the very hour that I asked Christ to be Lord over my life on the phone with a wonderful woman of God who prayed with me. By myself in my college apartment. Then to feel exactly like Paul did… wanting to tell everyone he came in contact with about this Jesus that saved His soul and renewed His mind. That's me too!! To feel like the people in the pages of the Bible felt… only I didn't know they had felt the same way as me until I began to read it.
How wonderful. My 2 year re-birthday will be this Dec. 8th! WoO hOo!!!