Hey, Darling Siestas! I hope you are well and sensing the Presence of Christ in your every day tasks. I have two quick and very different things to share with you:
First, I want to make sure you know that the last day to register for the Siesta Fiesta gathering is July 22nd, so it’s coming up really quickly. Mind you, this is not the last day to register for the Living Proof Live event in San Antonio. I’m only referring to our Siesta get-together.
*If you want to come but haven’t registered, please do! You can get more info and register by following this link.
*If you’re already registered but have realized you’re not going to be able to come after all, please let us know to cancel you for the Siesta gathering. We really need an accurate head-count to make the proper arrangements. Please email us at [email protected].
*My last request concerning the Siesta Fiesta is hard for me to say but it really needs to be said. Please help us keep the Siesta gathering strictly for the blog community. Please don’t sign up groups of women to come with you that don’t participate in our blog. Those are the people we want so much to come to the actual Living Proof Live event and can hardly wait to have them! Bring them on! Unbelievers and believers alike! Anybody and everybody! The Siesta Fiesta get-together, however, is meant to give you bloggers a chance to get to know one another face-to-face. It is being sponsored only for this blog community. Our purest intention is community and not exclusivity. We just want to have a little family reunion of sorts for the women that have gotten to know each other here. Thank you so much for understanding! Let’s keep our hearts pure about this from every side.
The second thing I want to share with you is pounding in my heart. I don’t have time to write it with my deadline coming up (by the way, your prayers are working! keep them up!) but it’s going to consume me if I don’t. I’m just going to take a very general, short stab at it and hope to feel the relief of getting it out there. My prompting for this word is not coming from the blog community. It’s coming from requests that have swamped our ministry office recently and that we have gladly and compassionately received. The common denominator has been the same: women just totally out of control and doing some really foolish things. I’ve been one of them so I recognize some of the symptoms. And the cries for help. And the misguided desires for the kind of empathy that pats them on the head and says, “Who could blame you? Go right ahead.” Because I love you so much, I want to share what the Holy Spirit is impressing on me in case it resonates. Listen here, Girls. If this shoe doesn’t fit, don’t wear it! Shake it off and know that it’s not for you. But, if it does, be courageous and respond in obedience to God. Let me remind you before I dive into this that God pulled me from the deepest possible pit of sin and no one has been more tightly clutched by strongholds than me. Not one bit of this comes to you from a proud or condemning heart. It comes strictly from love and concern and as one who could have used this word along the way. So here it goes.
Sometimes we just need to STOP IT. Just plain stop it. We don’t need to keep praying over it. We don’t need to keep deliberating it. We don’t need one last shot at it. We don’t need five more years of counseling over it. We flat need to stop it. Like, for instance,
*If we’re married and we’re flirting with somebody at work (calling it harmless), we need to stop it.
*And, Lord have mercy, if any of us are having affairs, we need to stop it NOW. With every second that goes by, the consequences are mounting. Please do not let the enemy trick you into thinking you’re getting away with it. You’re not. Don’t rationalize it. Don’t tell me what a jerk your husband is and how you’re finally in love for the first time. Get some fear of God and stop it.
*If we’re being a brat about something, we need to stop it.
*If we’re still punishing somebody for what they did to us, we need to stop it. Enough is enough. Let God deal with them.
*If we’re trying to do God’s job with somebody, we need to stop it.
No Scripture says it more succinctly and exactly than Isaiah 1:16b: “Stop doing wrong.” Hear the voice of God say, “I’ve warned you and warned you and warned you. STOP IT.”
I say this as a woman to whom sometimes a brief, “STOP IT NOW!” works better than anything. I love you so much and I want all of us to live in the full blessing of God that only obedience can invite. His will is for us, Siestas. Go with God on this or things are going to get really ugly. Take the warning and stop.
thank you for once again allowing God to pour thru you into us…the world is a more blessed place to have the gift of you and your ministry. i was one that needed this word tonite. Thank You Father….and thank you Mama Beth!
*HUG*
Thank you, Beth, for this timely, love-filled message. I am taking it to heart!
Love y’all like crazy!
Kristen
http://charleston.net/news/2008/jul/09/ramey_reeves_hanahan_mom_unshakable_faith_dies_33_/
Wanted to let you know that our sweet Ramey went to be with her Lord today.
Please continue to pray for her family.
Wow. I really needed that kick in the pants. Sometimes you just need someone to be direct – and sometimes, God gets his message across to a pair of pathetic, pathologically rationalizing ears through your blog. He is good!!!
Praise him for community!!!
Whew Beth. Well said. I actually had a conversation with someone today along similar lines. Even saying it with all the love in my heart was – well uncomfortable to say the least. All I can do now is pray that she heeds the warning. I needed to read this tonight. I was beginning to doubt my motives and my ability to discern.
I love the way you always hit the nail right on the head. You are always speaking right to me. I need to put big STOP IT notes all over my house….
To ‘I didn’t stop it”- you can’t undo the past but Jesus said that our sin is as far as the east is from the west- He remembers it no more. You will have ramifications to deal with, no doubt, but if you have confessed to Jesus, He has forgiven you and in fairness to Him, you must forgive yourself. Satan will use the guilt and shame to render you ineffective for Christ- don’t let him do that!!! If you have not done Beth’s Breaking Free, I highly recommend it! It will help your healing to begin. You are forgiven- hold your head up and be ready to minister to others with what you have learned. Bless you!
Your Boston Siesta.
Thank God for hearing and stating so clearly what must be said from an understanding heart I’m 61 and I’m going to Stop It! Consistent obedience and awareness there will be traps already lurking as I close this email. In His
Strength I choose to diligently seek Him and believe that He is. susan
As I am sitting here reading these blogs, I can hardly control the tears. You Siestas are absolutely precious. What fellowship!!!
Beth, thank you for having the courage and the compassion to say what needs to be said.
To “iamblessed”, your words just broke my heart. I am right there with you, sister. I know the consequences of wandering off the path (or in my case, barging headlong off the path deliberately) but I also know the love, mercy and unimaginable grace that our Savior offers. Even years after its all over, you wonder if you’ll ever see the end of the after-effects of such sin, and yet HE is right there with you through it. After a lifetime of MESS, He can still make something beautiful from it. Thank you for your honesty.
I am new to this blogging thing, and new to the Siesta group, but I know in my heart that I am in good company with you all.
May you all be blessed beyond measure today!!
Love you all! Thank you, Beth.
have recently struggled with one of those very issues, and have had trouble “stopping it”, but i am more determined than ever. thanks for the tough words.
Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow.
Thank you, Father, for your forgiveness and grace. Help me to see all of the Stop Its that I continually overlook and help me to repent, turn, and run as fast as I can.
Dear Beth,
Oh how I can relate!!! Along with a good loud STOP IT, I used to get a necessary little “smack” from my momma and have had one or two from my wonderful loving Lord as well.
You are ‘RIGHT ON’ on this! Keep up the loving and truthful counsel.
Just stop it is my favorite self talk! Thanks for loving us enough to speak the truth! Telling myself and others to stop it when we are being bratty is just what we need. Being a brat ALWAYS brings heartache!
Thank you Beth for your honesty and love for all of us. I needed this message today. It touched my heart and caused me to call a friend and apologize for not being REAL with her and not calling her out on somethings.
God Bless
I’ve been reading this blog for quite a while and only recently began posting. However, since there are mulitple Kims and even multiple Kim W.s (which is how I post), I decided to begin posting under my blog name (coffeeclatch).
I have already commented on this post, but my heart is filled after reading many of these comments and I wanted to post again–to all the darling, hurting siestas–I will be lifting you and your situations up in prayer.
Kim W.
Beth,
Bless you for being obedient to say what the Lord puts on your heart. I know it’s not easy; however, it’s what we all need to hear. Being a former pit dweller (lowest level)I learned this the hard way.
Blessings dear friend!
Kimberly
Thank you, Beth! I will be honest here – not all the blogs really push me back in my chair – most just make me agree and smile and say oohhh.
This one hurt. A LOT. I sat back for a moment in time I could feel the Lord’s presence and it was heavy and I forgot that you were even the one that wrote the words.
I needed to hear this and it is so hard – after tears and acceptance I am mustering up the strength – His strength.
Sincerly.
I have been a reader of your blog for a very long time, but I don’t think I have ever left a comment. THIS deserves a comment.
Thank you for TRUTH and for not being concerned if you are being politically correct, or if you are steppin on someone’s toes. I sometimes think alot of us have gotten too “soft” trying to be sensitive – there is a place for sensitivity, but sin is not one of them!!
My biggest problem is trying to be the “Holy Spirit” – you know….I just know what this person needs to do or that person needs to hear..God just looks at me and shakes His head – there she goes again trying to play “dress-up” and be ME!!!!
It’s a full time job just trying to stay out of my own way!!!
I am reading Jesus, the One and Only right now – and it is blessing my socks off.
Thanks for all you do!!!!
Bless….
Thank you Beth for following the Spirit’s urging and telling us to “Just Stop It” as opposed to “Just Do It”. I got divorced 11 years ago because I didn’t heed this warning. My marriage was bad but instead of getting on my face before the Lord I started reading and got addicted to romance novels. Before long I had an affair. I had been a Christian since I was a child but I did it anyway. For five years I wandered in the desert before I repented.
Today my grown children, who became Christians at a young age, see nothing wrong with sex outside of marriage. So I echo your plea to just stop it.
Okay, maybe it’s just my weird sense of humor but… did anyone else think of the song, “Stop! In The Name Of Love” when reading this? I know I know, totally inappropriate but it hit my mind and I had to share. 🙂 God’s love can stop us from doing a number of things, but His love can also pull us OUT of a # of things. Thanks for this post Beth. You made me smile, think, and sing! 🙂
Thanks for this! I definitely needed to hear it. I’ve been struggling with my ‘diet’ for a really long time and I need to just “stop it” and get on track. No more soda-pop for me! 😀
To Perky, Boston Siesta, Staceystace: Thanks for commenting on my anonymous posts. I will STOP IT. I will stop beating myself up about my past mistakes. Boston Siesta: I will check out Beth’s “Breaking Free.” Thank you for the prayers!
Signed,
I didn’t stop it
After I read this post I went to start my homework from Psalms of the Ascent, week 2-day 5, where we are praising the Lord for our healing and deliverance. You wrote about how glad you are that God delivered you from Satan and from yourself and repeated sin and I got an acronym…S.I.N….Stop It Now! Cool, huh? I pray I will remember that when I am repeating a self-destructive behavior, negative talk, or attitude. God is so good. Bless you Miss Beth, Heather G, Charlotte NC
Amen & Amen!
It seems to be the time to be bold in Him and speak forth. thankyou for following what God has laid on your heart and speaking it out.
Thank you. I needed to hear this message. Only a true friend would be honest enough to say “stop It”.
Blessings on your day.
Beth, I am sure you have seen the Bob Newhart skit on YOUTUBE called Stop IT. Its so funny!! We sure would save alot of counseling sessions if only everyone would heed those two words!
Thanks for boldly proclaiming the word of God!!
Under His wings,
Jeannie
Thank you for this powerful message. I have been a blog reader for awhile. I am excited to finally join the conversation with my fellow siestas.
Blessings on your day
sorry for the repeat. I am not sure I am signing on correctly.
I had to laugh when I read this. I know the subject matter was not funny. But, it reminded me of the Veggie Tales Jonah movie (I am a mom to 3 little ones). In the Veggie version, when Jonah finally gets to Ninevah, his message from the Lord was simply, STOP IT!
Somewhere in CA
My heart aches for so many of you – as it does for myself. I just feel depressed after reading so many of these comments. This word from Beth comes on the heels of an admonishment that I received from a Godly friend last week. She told me that she did not feel comfortable with some of the things I would say to her – questionable topics, off-colored jokes (OK -1 and it wasn’t that bad). Nothing you wouldn’t hear in the world — but unacceptable in the life of a Christian.
Now, I’m not some over-sexed-floozy-bimbo. I’m just a middle-aged mom who has allowed things into her mind that shouldn’t be – maybe watched a TV show or movie that I shouldn’t, listened too eagerly to stories of illicit affairs, became dissatisfied with my 20+ years of marriage, never thinking of actually stepping out on my husband……but I would go places in my mind!…..and thoroughly enjoy them! As my straightforward Godly friend put it, “When we put junk in our minds, it does affect us.â€
And there, of course, is where it all starts. For the last several months, God has been changing my heart and mind. (He just isn’t finished!) I had recently gone through a time of a “Spiritual Renewal,†ridding my mind of negative thinking and depression – only to come to the realization that I have “other†mind issues – thinking unholy, unwholesome thoughts. Will it ever end? I must die to self and renew my mind daily. It’s a never-ending process! “Lord, I want to ‘Stop it’ and live victoriously. I need your help. I need you!â€
Beth,
Thank you for your humility and boldness. I was just doing “Wising Up” and you are a wise friend to us Siestas- giving us “faithful wounds” that are good for us! I pray that God would reveal in me any “Stop it now” behaviors…
My husband is a Pastor and he just had to do this from the pulpit a couple of weeks ago. Sometimes, as humans, we just need to be told to stop it. That our actions hurt. That it is ungodly. And let me tell you- it was one of the best things that God has ever done for our church! Satan has been silenced and God has been glorified. Praying that it stays that way:)
Thanks again for all you do!
I love you,
Tara
I just have to share this amazing story with you, but it will be lengthy (although very worth it). We have a close family member visiting us this
week. It’s been an emotional week for her….an emotional year actually. She made some poor choices over a year ago and lost everything (family, home, friends) from it. Now, she’s just a shell of a person barely existing every day and continuing in the same sin that brought her so much pain.
Still, she sits in our home this week saying that she knows it’s wrong, but she just can’t, or isn’t ready to, quit yet. About seven months ago the guilt over what she’s done and continues to do became more guilt and mess than she could bare to carry and she made a serious attempt to end her life. This attempt came only 7 months after her uncle committed suicide. It’s been an unreal and trying year to say the least for this family. My husband says he just feels like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. Satan has just had a field day with this family and their lack of faith and lack of a relationship with God.
Her visit to come see us was a last minute attempt to just get away from things and figure out what she should do. In church and Sunday school last Sunday she sat with us and cried on and off throughout the entire service. She says she feels like she needs to get her life in order before she goes to church because she’s too bad to go in there. My husband and I have tried to explain that that is the one place she would be able to dump her junk and be changed. She wasn’t raised in church and really has no understanding of anything dealing with what the Bible says so it’s hard to get her to believe in what we’re saying.
Fast forward to last Tuesday. I have been praying all week that God would give me the words or an idea of what to say to her that would just lay it all on the line for her. Challenge her, but not overwhelm her fragile emotional state. I feel like we’ve said everything we know to say already and it’s just not working. I had even been on here researching about your book, Get Out of That Pit, to see if it’s written in such a way that a non-Christian could read it and understand it. Then, in God’s dramatic style, I read your post. I just welled up as everything you wrote was exactly worded to fit her situation. I sat her in front of the computer and told her to read it. When she was done she looked at me with tear-filled eyes and asked me if I had written you and told you about her situation. That’s how precisely it hit her situation. I laughed and said, “no, that’s just proof how much God cares about what’s going on with you. That was written just for you to read.” I printed it out and she’s going to be taking it home with her.
I think we have managed to convince her to make a move (geographical and emotional move) to end this and start over. She leaves tomorrow and while I know God is working it’s still so scary to send her back.
I wanted to say thank you for being obedient to God when you heard those words he spoke to your heart. It touched us so deeply. You will never know how timely it was and how desperately it was needed.
Thank you Lord for your unfailing love. Lamentations 3:22-24 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
-Rachel
Beth and girls,
Just wanted to ask you to pray for my sweet sister. She came to Deeper Still with me and it was the first time she’d seen you, Beth. Just this week her hubbie was laid off and she’s facing a child with back surgery within 6 months and the same child needing 8 teeth pulled (insurance will not pay the 2000 for the teeth). The back surgery is MAJOR and a rod will be inserted in her back permanently. Recovery is one month and my sister is a working mom so the stress of caring for her daughter will also be there. Beth, as you say, it’s the perfect spot for a miracle. Please, please pray for one.
IN HIM always,
julie
Amen! Thank you. Direct and honest I can respect.
Looking forward to San Antonio!!
Blessings in Christ–
Beth, I totally agree with what you said. It’s kind of funny, though. When I hear the phrase “STOP IT!”, it makes me think of the times my children ‘test and try’ my patience. And we, as God’s children, tend to do that by holding onto things we KNOW we shouldn’t (I’m guilty). We all need to hear someone say just STOP IT!, including me. God bless you, Beth
Beth, thank you for this post. I was in the middle of a giant pity-party when I read this. I need to stop, amen?! Thank you for sharing what God put on your heart.
Beth, I really needed to hear this word today. I have been struggling recently with being single and the Lord had reminded me to stop flirting so much. I just need to STOP. Thank you so much. Thank you for just saying it. There is not harm in me flirting with a single guy but just to get attention is wrong. In fact it is sin because the truth is God is the only person who can truly meet me this place of being a single woman. Thanks again for this word.
Beth,
Thank you for being so blunt, er, that is bold , no really, thank you. I needed that. I’m fed up with some things about myself! I need to simply stop, and obey His word.
Bless you!
That’s exactly what I have had to tell myself! Sometimes as disciples of Christ….STOP! It’s that simple. We want to make it super spiritual…and maybe it is, but as far as our flesh goes….JUST STOP! God is calling us to Holiness and I thank you for speaking the truth. We all need it..now LET’S DO IT! Love ya’ll!
Alabama
Amen! Just started reading your blog and I have to say I admire you. I will pray for the ladies that needed to hear the words you have written… AMEN!
Right now at my church this is the exact message that the Lord has layed on my heart. My women’s ministry group will be attending San Antonio Living Proof Live…we are very excited. I am praying for you and your staff specifically for August 22-23. Thank you for your encouragement and your teachings of TRUTH.
I am planning on going to the blog event but I have not yet recived my braclet to allow me in the setting part for bloggers? I am getting worried its almost Aug.
Thank you so much Beth for coming to san antonio,tx I had been praying that the Lord would place it in your heart to caome hear and he did. :),marina
Bethy, cool, i told my old sis in FLa i would help her move next weekend.
i need to tell her not to leave her
3rd hubby and i changed my mind about helping her. thnkx for prayer
Suey
Wise, wise words.
Thank you so much!!!! I’m overcoming pride and and sometimes I’m a brat about things… I made the promise to myself last week that I was going to STOP IT!! WOO HOO!! It’s all for Him… not me. It’s His life.
Wow – this morning I laid on my bedroom floor face up asking God to give me a big ol’ sign about this one guy I feel strongly about even though I’m married. I can justify it in all sorts of ridiculous ways, but I know it’s not right. So I lay on my floor just throwing it all out there telling God I know it’s not right and I needed a little straigtening up! I specifically asked Him to give me a sign so I couldn’t miss it! Then I stumbled across this blog and here’s this word! Well, I cannot miss this! I love how God meets us right where we are! If only we will be honest with Him and ourselves!! Thank you for this GREAT word! I love you, Lord!
WOW! I think this is GREAT! Too bad I am a brother in Christ (blogger) and not a Siesta! And Mrs. LZ is not A BLOGGER! But bless you all in this effort! You’ll all be in my prayers! I hope it is a GREAT event! ~ jb///
You are right, Beth! I have a “Stop it” issue I am dealing with. I am grateful for your response to the Holy Spirit in getting this message out.
Shelly from Colorado Springs
I need to know where we are to get the arm bands? I signed up for 2 and I never heard anything. My husband has been in the hospital for 24 days with lung cancer and just got out today. Please tell me where to pick up the arm bands. Thanks! jan floyd
Please let me know where to get the arm bands. I signed up for 2 and never heard anything. I didn’t know if we were to pick them up when we got there. I have had my tickets since August 2007! Thanks! jan