Hey, Darling Things! I just have the quickest moment to post an update. The Moores and Joneses are six hours from Houston in our Cactusland and far from cell/internet service. We came into a nearby town to worship today and right this moment we’re in a delightful little restaurant where we – and the entire community’s Lutherans, Methodists, and Baptists – are grabbing lunch. From what we hear, our properties and those of our staff members are either fine or have sustained minimal damage, may the Lord be praised!! Keith and I learned that our fence is down and we lost a couple of trees but our home is ok. The ministry building, which is surrounded by tall trees, is untouched. We were floored and so blessed. Many, many Houstonians – friends and loved ones included – took serious hits. The home of one of my dear friends was completely flattened. Several of our big churches also sustained considerable damage. We are among several million Houstonians who still don’t have power so we’re sitting tight until we get a green flag to head home. This is a great time for control freaks to exercise surrender. Needless to say, we are hoping for a green light soon. About half of our staff members stayed in town and trust me when I tell you that Houston/Galveston is NOT where you want to be this time of year with no electricity or fresh water. Please pray for them. For Heaven’s sake, pray for everybody in this part of the country. So many lost so much. We also thank God so much for not allowing Ike to have all the power he wanted.
We don’t know about Bible study Tuesday night. Doesn’t look promising at this point but we’ll keep you posted. Things could happen fast, God willing. I will DEFINITELY head to Billings, Montana, this weekend, so no threat there.
We love y’all like crazy, care about you so much, and thank you with all of our hearts for your prayers. We will ask God to spread them lavishly all over our region.
We hope to be back in touch very soon!!
So glad your family is safe. I continue to lift up those who suffered damage from the storm. My small group leader (and friend) works for a disaster relief company and headed to Houston the day before Ike hit. We have been texting back and forth about the conditions. I know one of her big projects is for a baptist church. Take care!
As I watch the news of the aftermath of Ike,tears stream down my cheeks. The videos of the
Galveston/Houston area, reminds me so much of the days after Katina.
We would normally be gearing up to go assist in the clean-up efforts, but out plates are full back here in St. Louis so we cannot go. I guess that the Lord has other plans for us this time. My heart goes out to those who have sustained such great loss. I just pray that many will come to know the Lord through this most unfortunate disaster. I pray for the military and the relief workers. I pray for the homeless down in the colonias of Mexico that have been affected and will not have assistance. Lord be their Rock and their Strength. Comfort them all with Your measureless love!!!
So glad to hear from you!! You and your family have been in my prayers. Love you bunches!!
Hi Beth,
I'm so glad to hear that your family is safe and sound. Great news about the minimal damage to your home and L.P. office. God is so good!
I grew up in Louisiana and know all about life in the midst of hurricaines. My parents made it through Hurricaine Katrina and just moved to Spring, Texas a couple of months ago. My sister and her family live in Kingwood so my heart goes out to all of you.
My husband is an insurance claims adjuster and specializes in catastrophic diaster situations. He is on his way to Houston today. I'm praying that he will not only help Houstonians with their propoperty damamge but share the love of Christ with them during this very difficult time.
I told him "Honey, your going on a mission trip!" He just smiled and said "Ya know, your absolutely right.". Who knows, maybe he'll show up and fix that fence for you 🙂 🙂 🙂
Sweet blessing & many prayers,
Leah DiPascal
So glad you’re safe. Thank you Lord and continue to comfort those with losses.
Praying for you and everyone affected by the hurricane. Just wanted to share this excerpt from “The One Year Book of Praying through the Bible—365 Devotions—Experience the Power of the Bible Through Prayer: by Cheri Fuller: Our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.–2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Our Light Afflictions–Some people would argue that the concept Paul presents in these verses is a cop-out, an “opiate.” Indeed, if we are trying to avoid the pressures of life and secure some future pleasure, they might be right. However, if we are fixing our eyes on the eternal God and he is transforming us into his likeness, that’s another story! Our challenge is to learn to see Jesus as he is. Paul tells us to leave our worldly understanding behind and to lay hold of the true, eternal Treasure, Jesus himself. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “God is Spirit,” and therefore, spiritually discerned, and his disciples, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20, NIV). “That day” was after his resurrection, and it is now. Our present troubles are designed to turn our attention away from the temporal and toward the eternal, that we might live in God’s glory, now and forever!
LORD JESUS, focus my eyes clearly on the eternal, for that puts my present troubles into a proper perspective. Help me to see you as you are, to perceive you with my spirit, not just with my mind, and to realize that you are in me and I am in you! What glory!
“God [IS] speaking to Job out of the whirl-wind, and saying, “In the sunshine and the warmth you cannot meet me; but in the hurricane and the darkness when wave after wave has swept down and across the soul, you shall see my form and know that your Redeemer lives.”–Frederick William Robertson (1816–1853)
Dear Beth,
Praise the Lord! We continue to pray as the rebuilding begins. After Katrina, I learned a few lessons that hopefully would be helpful to you now. There is a great way to purify your water. I bought a water purification system from an outdoor/camping company. It is the Katadyn microfilter water purification. It cost about $90 and no electricity is required, you pump by hand. It is small and light weight and pumps about 2 liters per minute. Hope this helps in some small way.
Polly
Momma Beth:
Praise our Father that you and yours are ok.
My Family’s house has a tree over the back but everyone came out fine. My son’s in laws house was ruined by the water as well as his sister in laws house is completly gone. BUT, everyone is out safe and with time and electricity and insurance they will rebuild. So for all of those who were touched by IKE.. I pray Great Grace to you and your families during this really tough time.
Love to all
Lichelle
Beth and Family,
I am so glad to hear you are OK! I was concerned and am very grateful to see your posting.
Yes, we need to pray for everyone who was affected by Ike. I hope you get to go home soon.
Prayers and Hugs,
Melissa
M
Keeping all of you TX girls in my heart. Praying!!
Hugs…
Spiritual Mom Beth!:)
That is a definite praise that your properties are minimally damaged and that your ministry building is intact! Such an answer to my prayers at least!:) I will pray for your loved ones still in Houston and Galveston. He is their Provider. He is the peace that passes all understanding. I am glad you are sitting tight till at least the power comes back:) Yes, Praise the Lord! It could have been worse. I have and will continue to pray for LIT and Billings and other events coming up for you:) All your siestas love you all like crazy too-soo glad you all are safe!:) Will continue to pray:)
katiegfromtennessee
Thank you so much for the update. I am been praying and will continue to do so, but am so relieved to have an update.
This will be a chance for the Siestas to put hands and feet to love in action. If God’s people come together to serve those who have lost so much, we can move mountains (and there will be mountains of debris, you can be sure of it). After having served in cleanup during Katrina in Gulfport, Missisipi, and seeing lives changed because of the love shown to those in need, we have the chance again. Please keep us posted of opportunities to serve.
Beth, so glad you are all safe and tucked away unharmed! Also glad your home is safe even though it sounds like you lost a few things. So minor compared to the devastation around you.
Thank you for updating us.
So many prayers for everyone in Houston/Galveston without power!! Please do keep us updated as you can – so glad you all are safe!! Much love!
thanks for the update! we’ll keep praying for everybody affected! 🙂
Thank you so much for keeping us updated. I have been wondering and praying for all of you, Beth. Thank you Lord, for keeping you and your home/ministry safe. Here in Ohio, we had horrible winds & power outages on Sunday. Most of the schools were canceled today due to no electricity. If we had such bad conditions HERE, I can't imagine what went through THERE. Oh, how the Lord teaches us to live one day at a time. 🙂 Love you & blessings to you all.
Prayers have been going out for all of you from us in north Alabama.
I grew up on the Alabama gulf coast and weathered several hurricanes. Packed for college by candlelight thanks to Hurricane Frederick in ’79.
As we go about our “normal” lives unscathed by Ike, I will lift all of you up who don’t know when things will seem “normal” again.
Karen
Praise You, LORD. We are so thankful. I will continue to be in prayer for those in the Houston area.
So glad to here your report on the storm. My family and I have been praying for you from Croatia and will continue to pray for you all there in Texas.
So glad to hear from you!
Praise the Lord for your good news! I continue to pray for those who have lost so much, like the friend you mentioned. May they have the peace that passes all understanding.
Ike hasn’t left Missouri untouched either. We had way to much rain on already soaked land. Lots of flooding up here in areas that aren’t even considered flood plains. Saturday night into Sunday morning was scary. I think it was the smallest bit of a taste of what you all experience w/hurricanes. YIKES!
Take care.
Much love.
Anna
Beth, thanks for checking in. WE have all been praying for you all and all the people affected by IKE. There is such devastation… you are right we have to give control up to the mighty one… so glad you all are alright.
So glad to hear from you as all of us are, Beth. I know I am with every single siesta that has been praying like crazy for your family, ministry and all of Houston! God is good and we know He will prevail through the hardships of all, thank you, Father!!
Thanks for touching base with all of us who have been anxious to hear from you!
much love and to those precious pups too,bunny
Good Morning,
I know this may not be the appropriate place to ask for this, so I apologize. (I’m not looking for my comment to be posted. 🙂 I was wondering if the “commissioning” that we said to each other at the end of the Deeper Still conference could be posted. It was so very moving, and touched many hearts. I know that several in my group alone would like copies, so I’m safely assuming others would like it as well.
Thank you! God bless your tender servant hearts!
Beth,
Thanks so much for your update. We were worried about you, your family and the LPM folks. Fear is a tricky and paralyzing thing but we will keep praying and give BIG thanks for Jesus for His protection of you and yours.
Good to hear you and your family are safe. I live in Ohio and have been focused on the storm and was praying for minimal damage in the days leading up to it. I am of course still praying for people down there, for the rescue teams and for the victims. I work in transportation and my region happens to be the Houston and Irving Texas areas so this tragedy is hitting closer to home. Hope there is something I will be able to do to help…we will see?! If you can’t fly down to help clean up is there a way to donate to the crews that are down there?
Take care,
Kate
Toledo, OH
Stay safe. Everyone there is in my prayers.
Beth, Way up here in northern maine we are far from the storm but you have all been in our thoughts and prayers and will continue to be. We send our Love and Blessings to all of you.
Praising God that Ike was pulled back a bit. Still praying for the aftermath.
We’re safe. We stayed for the storm in NW Houston, but left when we’d been without power for more than a day. We’re with my parents a few hours from Houston, waiting for our power to be restored.
So glad you will still be coming to Montana this weekend. Can’t wait! Hope to meet some other siestas there!
Sandy
thanks beth for taking the time to give us this update. storms come into our lives in many forms. most of which aren’t huricaines but sure can feel like one. so for your ike to my “sure feels like ike” praise Him for being our rock and anchor in our storms.
hugs to y’all. so glad things sound better than they could have been. have a safe trip home when you get the green light.
God bless you and your family, Beth. I’m so glad to hear that you all are okay.
Blessings,
Michelle in CA
Hey Moores & Jones ~ Just wanted to let you know that we are praying you into an oblivion here in PA! We have our 2nd Believing God bible study tonight… and don't know if we will be able to meet because we have no power in that part of our church. We got hit last night with a huge wind storm that sent many-a-tree into our yard. I feel lost since we have no power… I cannot even imagine what you are going through right now! I am praying hard that the LORD will use this to give me a little taste of what you Houstonians are experiencing. Be safe and keep us posted on what we can do for you!
-All my Love
Praise God for the cold front! We stayed in Friendswood and we’re slowly getting power back in this area. It was quite an experience but praise God, it could have been worse. The scariest part for me was to see how much I depend on THINGS. I have a whole new appreciation for electricity now!
Yeah!! I am so glad that you are heading to Billings Montana!!! I have been praying for you and what you have to share with those of us here in Billings!
I just wanted to say that this was very good of you to take the time to let us know, as I was wondering how everyone with LPM was making out in Houston.
God Bless,
Nicole
My pastor always says, “Sometimes God calms the storm, and sometimes he calms the child.” In any case, praying for his peace, safety and protection over all those affected by Ike, as well as those on their way to help with the cleanup. He is a BIG God and I know He will show up BIG in this situation.
LG
The whole nation seems like it’s going a lot crazy right now! I’m just glad you and your girls (LPM too) are alright. Have a great weekend in MT. Let’s keep our knees dirty, Siestas!
Praise God that it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. Lost of clean up to do now. My brother and sister-in-law (in Conroe) are driving to Tennessee to stay for a month or so and work from here. They’ve been told they won’t have power for 4-6 weeks! God is good and protected them and so many others…
So glad to hear from you Beth. Praise God for no damage to your home or your families home. Very sorry to hear about your friends house…..will pray for her. Of course I will pray for all in Houston. I have a good friend that lives in that area. Waiting to hear how she and her family made out.
Blessings,
Bible Bunny in No MI
Beth –
Just wanted to say how much I appreciate your ministry. I have learned so much for your studies. I am currently taking Stepping Up at my church and I have the CDs to A Woman’s Heart in my car. You truly make me want to know God more and I thank you for that.
So thankful to hear that your home and ministry building were spared. I pray for all of those affected.
Lifting my eyes to the hills in prayer for some help from the Lord for all of you and the people effected by Ike.
Love to you all!!
All of us in Missouri are praying for all of you in Texas!
So glad you were spared severe damage. Take care.
Was just working on one of your bible study classes and realized that you and your family could have been in Ikes way. I am more than thankfull you left the area and wish more had followed you. I pray for all the people who are suffering and worrying about their future. I pray for their confort and peace in such a terrible time. I pray that they grow stronger in Gods word and read Jeremiah 29:11-14. I Thank God for you and your work Beth, Linda Goldsberry
so glad to hear you all are ok-you have really been in my thoughts a lot as I have seen the news. The power of nature is absolutely unbelievable-amazingly though the Creator of nature’s power is far greater still!!! May His Holy Name be praised!!
Glad to hear you guys are ok. My heart is aching for those who are struggling with losses and wondering where the food, water, gas is going to come from. We evacuated for Gustav and I know tensions start to run high, but I’m praying God will be the God of peace,comfort and provision for all those affected.
I just wanted you to know that I have been praying for ya’ll during this storm. I am so glad to hear that all is ok for the most part! I will continue to pray! Thank you so much for all you pour into us! I will be forever grateful for all that God has spoke to me through you and your precious team!
i am praising the Lord with you! glad to hear y’all are safe and sound!
blessings and continued prayer ~