Hey Siestas! Well, I am absolutely beside myself. I just flew into Burlington, Vermont where we kick off our New England Living Proof Live Celebration Tour this very night. It’s a celebration because this week Travis, the praise team, the LifeWay event team and I finish off all fifty states with Living Proof Live events. Don’t get me wrong. We’re not finished…I hope. We’re just taking God up on a magnanimous opportunity to celebrate His faithfulness through 10 years of events together in 50 States. And then we’ll start over. He has taught us so much and changed our lives so ferociously that we’re nearly breathless with praise. I have made a lot of mistakes and misfired a whole lot of points in the last ten years – sometimes cried halfway home – but God has overruled my weaknesses with His power and faithfulness. He simply loves His own Word and doesn’t let it return to Him without effect. I love Him so.
This is the first time we’ve ever done a tour, moving from city to city without going home in between. I’ve always had babies to raise and kids to carpool and a husband that insisted on having a real wife, praise God. I still have the latter, thank goodness, but Keith couldn’t begrudge this opportunity for anything. When he dropped me off at the airport this morning he said, “Baby, this is big. 50 States. Go have a blast.” And that’s exactly what I’m planning to do.
Our first stop is here in Burlington and let me tell you, Vermont was a SPECTACLE from the air. I do mean A STINKING SPECTACLE!! I have never seen a more shameless Autumn in all my life. This from a girl who has seen some beautiful Falls. October has never been wasted on me. I was raised in the beautiful hills of Arkansas and have been to the Tetons at the peak of the Aspen-yellows countless times. And still, I’m going to tell you, I’ve never seen anything like the colors I saw from the air before we landed. I was dumbstruck. I had to talk about it obsessively to the men who handled the bags, asking what trees are what colors. They humored me. In fact, they kind of blew up like a toad about it. Proud as could be. And should’ve been. Then, my first stop after the airport was the local Starbucks, of course, and I wanted to talk to the Barista about it but he didn’t want to talk to me. Sometimes you can just tell. Dad blast. I just realized I let my cappuccino get cold. What a waste. So glad I didn’t get an extra shot.
I just got word that we’re expecting 1975 women tonight and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. I will teach four evenings out of five this week and I will try my hardest to journal something every day or most days as I go. It will have to be short because we will be on the move. We will be in New Hampshire (expecting 2977) tomorrow night, we’ll take a day off in NYC Wednesday (Lord, have mercy), be in Delaware Thursday night (expecting 3959! Way to go, Delaware!!) and end the tour in Connecticut where we’ll kick up our heels with 3000.
If I’ve heard God correctly, I am speaking out of 2 Corinthians all week. A portion of ch.3 tonight, then a portion of ch.4 tomorrow night, a portion of ch.5 Thursday night and a portion of ch.6 on the last night. So get busy and pray, why don’t you. I’m calling the theme for the week “That Ever-Increasing, All-Surpassing Thing Called Glory.” I’m hoping to form a 4-part series out of this week’s tour because I’m usually not a big fan of one-night speaking stands. I’d rather spend some longer hours with a group and see if God will take us from Point A to Point B like we get to do a bit more effectively at the regular events. Since we only have one opportunity with each of these wonderful groups, each night’s message is meant to stand by itself but then all fit together to form one cohesive series, I HOPE. God willing. Self crucified.
I’ve told you before that I deal without a lot of fear and anxiety but one thing compels me to do this way-out-there (for me, anyway) thing. I’d rather jump into Scripture and seek the face of Jesus with a group of women than take my next breath. His words are spirit and life.
Now you’ve gone and done it. You’ve let my clam chowder get cold. Oh, I don’t even care. But I do have to get off of here because I got to town much later than I usually do and I haven’t unpacked my Velcro rollers. They’re probably flat by now. I’ll gladly lay down my supper for you but I will NOT lay down my hair for you. Unless I have to. Don’t make me have to. I love you but my love does have limits.
Amanda, Melissa, and I are so honored to be your servants, Siestas. Thank you for allowing us to take this journey of faith with you. I’ll hopefully touch base with you tomorrow! If I don’t, you’ll know to pray for me all the harder because that will mean I’m in a tailspin.
I surely do love you.
Tags: New England Nights
Have a blast! I know God will speak through you and touch those women!
I just read what Kimberly wrote about your voice being like a mama’s voice, you know I have studied the Word along side of you for the past four years and as I sat before you at the taping last weekend and I was deep in writing notes and listening to your teaching from the Lord, when I realized I know your voice is is the place of comfort and peace, you know why??(there are tears in my eyes)you take me to places in Gods Word that I long to be. Places I tarry in my own time with Him but as a child loves to hear their mom read to them the sound of her voice is so familiar and brings one to a place of home, I am Home when I am in the WORD and It is so sweet sooooooooo sweet to be taken there by you mama Beth…
Bethie,
We’d never ask you to lay down your curlers for us, Head Siesta!
Praying for you and the team…
jan
I will pray for all the women and the few men (!) that will hear the word the Lord has given you this week. Also, I will pray for you to not only deliver the word, but that you will have time to enjoy where you are. It is a beautiful place and I would hate for you to not get to see some of it at a slow pace. Get some slow in your week – I pray you get to! Love you, Vicki
I am so jealous. Southern CA is beautiful but I would go outside without makeup for some fall foliage.
Michelle
I am so excited and thankful for your opportunity to speak with the women in the northeast. A “Yankee” myself I wish I could be there to hear you. May God work wonders in the hearts of the women in VT, NH(my state), DE and CT.
We can’t wait for your arrival in Connecticut! Well actually I live in Rhode Island but we are traveling to Connecticut.
God has certainly performed his acts of beauty around here this year. Isn’t it funny that during an election year, when our Government feels like it is crumbling, our financial situations are disasterous, our God puts on the most beautiful display of fall that I have ever seen. Do you think he is saying, “Here I AM, I AM still in Control!! Praise the Lord, HE IS in control.
I am praying for each and every event this week and that all Sisters attending will be touched by the word of God. I know that he will use you and Travis and the LPM team in a mighty way. Thank you for your faithfulness. Can’t wait to Praise with you all on Friday. God Bless.
Luv2Praise, Lori
After reading the title of your journey I had to share that my own AJ (13 year old male-version) … who I do believe hears from the Lord very clearly … prayed for you this evening without even knowing it … during his meal-time prayer he thanked God for His Glory and prayed that He would help us to see more of it … I even asked in my heart “where does he come up with this stuff?” turned on the computer and got my answer. Blessings to you this week!
Hi, Beth!
We’ll be praying for you over this next week…
I’ll be looking forward to that 4 part series if you ever decide to put it on video.
Lots of love and lots more prayers!
What a great time to be in the northeast! Praying for you as you speak to those women!!
Yay for a post from you 🙂 Thank you for keeping us posted. I was looking at my calendar in my room (an LPL one that I ordered from y'all) and saw that you have a busy week…have an awesome week!
Love & prayers,
Andreea
I am praying for you!!! God bless!
Thank you for doing what you are doing for the cause of Christ! I am just starting to read “To live is Christ”, and oh my goodness the Lord is doing a wonderful work in the pages and I just can’t put the book down! I had my bible in the jeep last night and I got up out of bed where I was reading and went out to get it to read what happened to Stephen. Jesus stood! May He stand this week as you lead these sweet ladies to the foot of the Throne of Grace! No other name but JESUS!!!!!!!!!! Oh how I love Him!
I wish I was at each event this week, but my inlaws are back from Uganda and they will be at our house tomorrow!!!!!!!!! They are missionaries in Arua and my husband and I can’t wait to see them tomorrow and catch up. They are staying with us for 3 nights. I have the house clean, food prepared I think, and now its time to see them. They will be in the states for 9 months on furlough traveling to see their sending churches throughout the U.S. and also seeing their 3 children and spouses plus 7 grandchildren, plus one due on the 15th of November. I know they are enjoying it already. Please pray for them as they travel around.
I love you all!
God bless,
Lori in SW MO
Praying for you as you’re probably wrapping up now. And I’m so glad you’re loving fall there.
My parents are back east seeing the fall colors in their fifth wheel–they gush and gush (just like you!) every time they call.
Hope you get a chance to walk through the leaves–sipping a HOT cappucino, of course!
With much love,
Joanne
Oh, I wish I was in Vermont with you! I am a born Vermonter that now lives in Florida and my heart aches to be back there! I emailed my family that are still there and told them they better get to see you tonight!! They will regret it if they miss it!
Enjoy the fall in Vermont, my Gram, who still lives there, says that this is the most beautiful fall she has seen in many, many years. She is 85, so she has seen many!
May God bless you this evening and may God bless the Vermonters that are coming there to seek the face of God with you!
Just love you and your ministry so much.
Hannah in Florida
I am praying that His Word will touch someone who will in turn touch my lost, hurting, bitter relative in New Hampshire. Thank you for going where He calls!
Beth — from one big-haired sister to another — I’d never ask you to lay down your hair….I love you too much to do that!
Thanks for the update and now I KNOW we have to see Vermont in the fall.
Praying for you as you begin this exciting tour.
Bethie, we would never in a million years ASK you to lay down your hair for us!!! Can I confess my jealousy of YOU for seeing that New England splendor — West Texas can’t really work up a good autumn. A dust storm? We got it goin’ on! And… one more? Can I confess my jealousy of those thousands of women diving into the Word with you.
We’re praying you through, Siesta Mama! You bring it!
What a cool thing to be teaching God’s word in the places of America that so much of our spiritual heritage got its beginning. I think of the New England preachers like Jonathan Edwards who is certainly watching from heaven as you share God’s message to that region. May they be blessed and challenged!! My ears are still ringing from the challenges last month in Billings.
P.S. Thanks so much for the Living Beyond Yourself study. Just finished the 2nd video. Challenging and encouraging all in the same breath.
Oh Beth,
I know Burlington very well because I lived in Upstate New York for 5 years and my ex-husband and I used to take the ferry over and drive around and enjoy the beautiful fall trees!!
Praying for you and your entire team. May God show you all His Glory in each city and conference!!
I would never ask you to lay down your hair girlfriend!!
Much love,
Patty
I left this comment by mistake on one of the other days, but it doesnt diminish my excitement about being in DE on Thurs nite w/my college-age daughter! I will be wearing a tshirt that says IM A SIESTA! Stop and talk to me! I want to meet my blog sisters! Is there a siesta fiesta going on in De that I missed hearing about? BTW the leaves are totally awesome aren’t they? They haven’t turned as much this far south. Be blessed Siesta Mama! See you Thurs!
Chris in PA
Ok, so we can see a little of what she is seeing…http://www.foliage-vermont.com/2008dailies.htm
These are beautiful images from the Fall in Vermont.
Take a picture Beth and get it posted here. We wanna see too! 🙂
Chel
I cannot think of a greater honor than going before the throne of God and asking for Him to shower His love, mercy and power all over these special nights He ordained before time began! Go, speak a word over them and leave them breathless and hopeful for more of Him! You know your siestas are praying earnestly on your behalf! Oh, praise Him!! Love, Amy in OK
We love you like crazy too! Sorry about your cold cappucino and clam chowder…But thanks for including us on this most unbelievable tour of the NE!
What a great God we serve who does more than we could ever think or imagine- 10 years and 50 states! Go God!!!!
Praying for you- Thank you for being obedient to His call and for sharing the Word like you do! You are a cherished blessing!
Can’t wait to hear all that God does in the next 4 days!!!
Praying for a fantasic week full of God’s blessings for all the team and participants in New England.
Hello Beth and fellow Siestas! I’ve been on a little hiatus the past few weeks. We just got my sweet hubby off on his deployment to the Middle East, so that has been all consuming as you can imagine. God has been so faithful to help all of us through the transistion so far.
I went to the simulcast this summer and God has been bringing home the theme of being a “sower” during this time of being apart again and again. We’re just finishing Breaking Free in my church group and what day did I read the weekend my hubby left- week 9, day 1 which references the sower story as well as the sentence on p.182 about God bringing us to a valley, asking us to bow to his authority and then being faithful to bring a harvest from the ground watered with our tears.
Then, the homeschool phonics program I’m using for my 5 year old has famous artists and paintings that represent each letter. We were on S and the curriculum used Van Gogh’s “The Sower” as it’s example for S. It’s a beautiful painting illustrating the sower in the Biblical story. God’s just so cool. How can I help but “get it?” I want to be a faithful sower of His word in my heart, our children and my husband’s heart during the upcmong months.
That’s the update from us, I appreciate you all praying for our family and my hubby as he’s overseas. Beth, how awesome to be in Vermont right now. It definitely has the best fall colors on earth! I’ll be praying for you this weekend- go get ’em!
Love, Rebekah
Oh Miss Beth!!! I am so excited for you…I had real tears when I saw that you were headed to New England…last year you took my breath away by going to Lewiston ME!! I am a Florida girl now but long for my home state of CT in October. Breathe all that cool air, enjoy a humidity-free hairdo, and don’t forget to eat an apple fritter! I’ll be praying for all of you….us yankees were raised to be subdued in our worship…y’all go on in and RAISE THE ROOF!! God bless your journey!
I just love that God is sending a Texas teacher to proclaim His word throughout the Northeast!!! Go get em for Jesus!
Praying for you Beth, each time you come to my mind. May the Lord’s richest blessings come to you and those who hear His words.
Love and Blessings, Debbie in Tennessee
have TONS of fun and know that I’m praying for you daily. Love you mamma beth! 🙂
Praise You God for all fifty states
How awesome You are, Holy and Great
Please give a mighty and empowering Word
Through Beth, may You, sweet Lord, be heard
That Ever-Increasing, All- Surpassing Thing Called Glory
Let Siesta Mama Beth boldly proclaim Your Story
Amen.
PS LORD, fill Mama Beth with Your heavenly fare
Since she’s not eaten and is off to do her hair!
And we love you sooo much. Thank you for sharing your heart and for being the ultimate in touchable. Praying for this trip and everything surrounding it.
Your sister siesta,
Judy
Wow, the trees sound lovely; that would be awesome to see! I am praying for you!
Beth, You are precious. We surely do love you back!! (Sorry about your cappacino (sp?) and clam chowder.:o))
Oh Beth,
What an awesome thing to say – “I’d rather jump into Scripture and seek the face of Jesus with a bunch of women than take my next breath.” (I hope I quoted you right 🙂 I pray that seeking the face of Jesus might be dearer to ALL of us every minute of every day than taking a breath. Is He not the very air we breath? Is He not ALL THINGS? I know God is doing an amazing thing this week. I am praying for you and your team. I am a little jealous of the Vermont fall you get to see – but so thankful that God is giving you the opportunity to see his glory in such a magnificent way. I hope it revives your spirit. May God RICHLY bless and anoint you this week, sister.
Love your sister in Christ, Jillian
I wanted to let you know that I have been very encouraged through your ministry! I have seen my dear Abba Father in a different way and what an awesome view it has been! Thank you Beth for letting me see God through you!
Beth – and I surely love you too. I’m so glad you mentioned about the autumn glory and even gladder that you will be teaching on His GLORY!
This girl from the South is so thankful that the girls way up there in the NORTH are going to be blessed this week. What a mighty God we serve.
And you serve Him well, sweet Beth!
Much love,
Georgia Jan
I’m with you…Vermont in the fall is AMAZING! God is so awesome! Enjoy the fall!
Dear Beth – if you are going to be in NYC on Wednesday (my stomping grounds), and you want to get a way from the hustle and bustle of the touristy areas, I would HIGHLY recommend going to the Cloisters in Upper Manhattan (near 200th Street). It is a museum that has a bunch of Christian artifacts from the medieval times, including artwork, bibles, etc. My favorite part is the section where they have taken actual parts of old old old cloisters and churches throughout Europe and set them up next to each other in separate rooms. There is also a beautiful garden that overlooks the George Washington Bridge and the Palisades in New Jersey. Hope you enjoy your time here!
We love you, Beth! I love you and that GOD brought you into my life when HE pulled me from my pit.
HE always knows what HE is doing and I spent the first year of my new life in HIS Holy Scriptures with you and every Bible Study I could order from LPM!
You go with our prayers and teach these women, all the while knowing that it’s HIS glory shining through you…HE is our only hope of glory!
Love and blessings,
Teri
love youuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!
Just came back from a week in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, and to say that area is spectacular is too great of an understatement, isn’t it? I kept on imagining how beautiful heaven is going to be if we get to see that type of beauty here on earth.
You’re in my prayers, Beth. I know He will use you mightily to proclaim His glory in that very spiritually dry land!
Blessings to you,
Gretchen in Thousand Oaks, CA
i need to know WHICH clam chowder you are letting get cold???? Is it the milk or the clear broth??? You do know us New Englanders wouldn’t even consider a hot Manhatten version!@#$#@! (RI “clamcakesandchowda” is the best!) ….anyway wanted to remind you re: “-but God has overruled my weakness with his power and faitjfulness.” HE is STRONG in your WEAK!!!!! You showed me that…you still do…HE LOVES YOU SO!!!!…Keep on giving hin the opportunity to show that!@#@! i love you too,xoxoxoxoxo
Spiritual Mom Beth! It is good to hear from you:) I can tell you are EXCITED! That’s good! I’m excited for you just reading your post! I am soo glad you love Him so!! Crying to Him is the best thing for us:) Yes, I agree with Precious Man Keith-Have a blast!:) New Hampshire tonight! I am definitely praying for you! LIT classes tonight too:) Yea, the trees in TN make me smile too. 2 Cor. 3-6, This should be fun:) No tailspins allowed! Just the Lord washing over you like nothin’ else!
Love you too Spiritual Mom Beth!:)
katiegfromtennessee
Hosea 3:19-20, 23(AMP)
It’s been over 10 years since we were in Vermont for the fall colors but it was honestly my favorite vacation ever. As you said – it is so unbelievably beautiful there.
The rainbow of colors always reminds me of how God uses all sorts of circumstances in our lives to draw out His image. We all know that plants/trees/flowers need sun, warmth and water to flourish. But the fall colors show us that a touch of some frost can bring out unbelievable beauty that was hidden beneath.
I have a hydrangea in my garden (I’m in Canada) that produces white flowers when it is warm. As the temperature cools and it starts to get frosty at night, the color changes first to a light pink, then to a dark pink and then almost maroon. The colder it gets, the deeper the color and the more beautiful it is.
Those days in our lives that have a bit of a bite – where the wind feels brisk and it’s time to put on some gloves are from God too. They may feel less pleasant than a warm summer day or Florida in January, but they can create a beauty that would not be possible in other places. My hydrangea would be white in Houston. But here in my cold little corner of the world, it’s gorgeous right now.
Same as the fall colors…the trees are hiding something spectacular underneath that green and God isn’t afraid to let them get a bit uncomfortable to draw that out. Isn’t He amazing? And don’t the heavens declare the glory of God…?
I know I should probably leave a comment about how great it is that you’re in 50 states and all, but I would just like to thank you for setting me free from some false guilt about spending time on my hair before all of our big ministry events. I always feel bad when I take that extra time for the third douse of hairspray since, after all, I could be using that time for prayer. I’m praying, while I do my hair, of course.
Praying it stays teased, that is. I’m just sayin’…
This is a bit late, but praying for you all! How awesome to have touched all 50 states…that is a great accomplishment!
Arkansas is slowly getting the glow of fall on the leaves. Its going to be absolutely stunning this year!
Yay for poofy hair!
Wow! I can’t believe I didn’t get on here all week. I had a terrible cold and wasn’t about to use a neti pot! Sounds horrible the more I hear about it!