Happy Thanksgiving, My Dear Siestas!
I got up early this morning and recited to our gracious Abba a long list of things I’m thankful for today. Important things like the laughter and love of family. Like lives of purpose even in pain and relief to our insufferable egos that it’s not all about us. Like fellow sojourners who make me want to love Jesus more. Like favorable prognoses for a couple of loved ones recently diagnosed with cancer. For heroic determination to bring glory to God in the lives of several others with less favorable prognoses. For the steel resolve of people I know who are determined to fight the good fight of faith even if it kills them. For four generations of Moores that will celebrate Thanksgiving together today. For our only missing loved ones, Melissa and Colin, and the joy of picturing them gathered around the table with Travis and Angela and Jack and Lily Kate and Levi Cottrell. For two six month-old puppies that bring so much life to this house and for the great relief that they’ve finally quit trying to dig up Beanie and Sunny. For a Texas Chocolate Sheetcake cooling on the counter and the heavenly scent of our very own Natalie Mikles‘ Buttermilk Pie baking in the oven. (Siesta Fiesta Cookbook, p.277!)
Oh, mercy. And for you, Siestas. And for you. I am so thankful for you. You have grown so dear to me this year. Such a blast. Such encouragement. Blessed Community. Day before yesterday I was on a walk with God at our cactus-ranch with my Scripture memory index cards in tow, reciting them to the One who wrote them. This is one of my favorite memory segments of the last year and with deep sincerity and teeming love I speak it over you this special day:
“I always thank my God for you because of the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus. For you were made rich in every way in Him, in all your speech and in every kind of knowledge (dig Paul’s inspired concept of real riches! these riches are already yours! claim them and put them to use!) – just as the testimony about Christ has been confirmed among you – so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. GOD IS FAITHFUL, by whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 NET
We are rich in every way.
Nothing makes us richer than the knowledge of Christ and the everyday-speech to share it with a hurting, wandering soul.
We do not lack a single spiritual gift we need to fulfill our destiny.
We will be strengthened by God to the very end then we will flat-out see Jesus.
He will never – not ever – be unfaithful to us.
Yep. That makes for a mighty happy Thanksgiving. Do not under any circumstance let Satan steal your joy and your gratitude today. Get down on the floor of the bathroom at your relative’s house if you have to and grab it back in Jesus’ Name. Give not one inch to your betrayer nor trust his lying tongue. Love the Truth today more than your turkey and dressing and gratitude will flood your heart.
Thank you for being such a sweet part of my life and my pursuit of Jesus. We are a mighty cloud of witnesses. Let’s cheer each other onward, Dear Ones, for the joy set before us!
I lift you to our Father with joy and gratefulness today, Siestas. Thank you for everything.
So very, very grateful for you, Beth.
Today I am thankful for so many things. Mostly I am thankful for a God that knows where I am going even when I cannot see the way and sometimes feel that I cannot see Him.
The very steps we take come from God; otherwise how would we know where we’re going? Proverbs 20:24
Today, though, I can see the blue sky and the bright sun and see my children playing outside and taste so many yummy things. He is even in these things. And by faith, I know He is there even when I cannot feel Him.
And I am thankful.
Beth and all the LMP team, I am very thankful for all the work that ya’ll do. Thank you for your teaching and insights that show me the wonder of our Lord. I have grown closer to Him because of you.
Love in Christ, Susan
I cannot speak. Thank you so for this blog and your post today.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
SherylDean
Thank you, Beth for your prayers and blessings today. I know what it's like to have one or both kiddos away from home on holidays, leaving a big void. That's when I call on Jesus to fill that hole with His love! I keep the phone REAL close so it doesn't have to ring long when they call.
With our move to College Staion and our new home, I didn't realize all of God's creatures that would graze in our backyard!! Deers, steers and wild hogs! Even a cow or two every now and then! It's amazing to watch the two doe and their fawns that come by every morning and evening! What an incredible sight-I just love watching them, they're so peaceful! We have had a couple of bucks (6 pts), but I think they know that Keith is still out there watching for them, so they don't come out very often! I've learned first hand what you mean about men & deer season!! Most of our contractors that need to come by to finish the punch list are hunters and we haven't seen hide nor hair of them since the 1st of Nov!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you Siestas!
Love & Blessings
Amen, Siesta Gal-friend!
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Thank you so much for this! My joy has been zapped today and I'm now wrestling it back! :0) There is always so much to praise & thank God for. I'm thanking Him today for the provision of a new home to live in, money to buy it, friends to help me move into it…and the list goes on. Have a great thanksgiving! With love from a true Brit :0)
Happy Thanksgiving to you Mama Beth and all the wonderful Moores! I too am grateful for this blog! Thanking God for all of you beautiful women out there!
Do not under any circumstance let Satan steal your joy and your gratitude today. Get down on the floor of the bathroom at your relative’s house if you have to and grab it back in Jesus’ Name. Give not one inch to your betrayer nor trust his lying tongue.”
Oh, he’s tried.
But I’m kneeling…
The Journey Continues !
What a blessing to read your comment on this Day of Thanksgivng!
YOu are loved, appreciated and uplifted by so many across this nation and world!! YOU ARE TRULY PRECIOUS BETH!!
Enjoy your day!
With “Heaven Bound” blessings,
Kim
http://www.kimsafinathejourneycontinues.blogspot.com
Much much love to you today Sweet Beth!
I got on here to get the haystack recipe that Amanda referenced a few days ago and low and behold, a new post from you!
I am so thankful today for my life in Christ, for his forgiveness, and for his continual work of redemption in me!
I am also thankful for you…for your ministry, and for this blog by which I’ve been so blessed!
Today might be a bit of a hard day as the family is struggling but I will not let satan steal my joy! I will be on that bathroom floor of my mom’s house and taking it back if need be!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bethany in Merced, Ca.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for this post and especially this reminder
“Do not under any circumstance let Satan steal your joy and your gratitude today.”
I needed to hear this as my hubby and one of our little ones is about to head over to celebrate with his family. I am staying home with our other little one who is sick.
I have already been capturing thoughts this morning that I know are attacks from Satan that could easily take me away from expressing my gratitude and straight into a pity party of being left at home.
I have been richly blessed and intend to let our Heavenly Father know as I celebrate with Him today.
O bless you Beth…..Yes, my heart is full of thanks today to my Lord, Abba Father….I just took a walk with my daughter (home from DC, and am heading up to the mountains with friends for Thanksgiving)….so full of gratitude for all my blessings. thank you for all you do to make us find our worth and value based on the Word..Happy Thanksgiving….love, pam in san diego
I am so thankful for you Beth! Thanks for the sheetcake idea – it will keep me busy on a Thanksgiving alone!
Remembering His faithfulness to me sure brings back the right attitude – thank you, Lord!
Thanks be to the Lord for you all sharing your lives in this blog! I consider it a blessing to be part of this community of Siestas.
With a heart of thanksgiving to the Lord for you,
Lora
Beth, THANK YOU for being you! Thank you for sharing with us today! May God continue to bless you! Our Father is amazing, let us give him THANKS today!
This puts an instant smile on my face! 🙂 I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for you. I stumbled upon the living proof site about three years ago, discovered this blog and the rest is history! I know that I can come read this blog and laugh so hard until my stomach hurts or get some real encouragement. I love that! 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving, Mama Beth! So thankful for the day I walked into a Christian bookstore ten years ago and found “A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place” on the shelves. Desperate for an organized and in-depth Bible study while raising two babies 13 months apart, my favorite time of the day was spending time with Jesus through the study of the tabernacle. The Holy Spirit met me over and over again through each day of the study. Scripture came to life. I had to stop myself from doing more than one day at a time. I was so hungry and thirsty, but so unaware of the depth of the need before I started falling in love with His Word.
Surely I feel for you what Timothy felt for the apostle Paul. I love you so much for not wanting to take any glory for yourself. But I must tell you this Thanksgiving day that whatever the Lord allows me to do in the future will be fruit of your ministry. You have been the example to so many of us of what a life with Jesus can be. You have showed us that He is the biggest blast. Your race has been observed by many witnesses and your reward will be huge. Keep pressing on, sweet Mama Beth. There are so many of us that have put on our running shoes to do this marathon of a crucified life because you bring so much glory to our Jesus. Today I am praising God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ for the impact that you have had on this single life. I love you, Shawn.
recovering from pneumonia with a 5 year old and my sweet man taking up the slack, only to have our own power outage here this morning…in all of these circumstances i am so grateful for so much including you, the LPM team, my Siestas. Such abundance takes my breath away – even without the pneumonia 🙂
Sending you much love, bug hugs and many blessings,
tammy
I want to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!
Much love,
Patty
I love God and thank Him for so many things, but somehow I had gotten the (terribly wrong) idea that I would be giving thanks at Thanksgiving for God’s blessings and all fun things on this day. But if it wasn’t something pleasant–hey! that takes Thanksgiving down a peg.
Your suggestion to get down on our knees in a relatives bathroom and grab it back really struck me. That concept was brand new and very needed.
Thank you so much, Blessed friend Beth. Thanks for the encouragement, thanks for all your hard work that helps bring us to the feet of the Father. I bless you a million times as you’ve made me realize what is really important in life.
The Lord knows how badly I needed those words of exhortation today.
Thank you, dear Siesta!
Happy Thanksgiving!
To the only God Who is able to keep us from falling~ Amen
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Beth! This is our 7th move in 7 years (God’s perfect number, I’m thinking) and I found myself last week stressing over the house not being totally unpacked and “done” (to my satisfaction anyway). You, through the Holy Spirit, always have just the right word to speak to a pity party! My boys and my man are all here and healthy and we are going to feast in about 2 hours! And thank our God for life, and love, and each other! So, thanks for the reminder. P.S. I’m teaching Esther beginning in January and we are all so excited about it (this move brought us back to a previous place of residence, so that’s also a plus: no looking for a church or friends – they’re already here!) May God continue to bless you and your ministry in mighty ways, because when He blesses you, you bless us!
Happy Thanksgiving Beth. Thanks for giving so much to us. You are a treasure!
Jean
Just got up from the table and all my family is in the other rooms debating, discussing, talking, laughing, kids are in the backyard recreating WWII in their self-made fox holes and sticks for weapons….I’m so very thankful for them all. Happy day to all the Moores. Love, J
Dearest Beth,
I join with all the siestas to say how VERY thankful we are for you! We all feel that you are our best friend…someone who understands everything we go through and comes along side of us with a word of love and encouragement. You mean the world to us! God is SO good to give us such a servant and sister in Christ. You have walked through so much with me! I know the siestas amen that too! Be blessed dear one, this day and every day. You are bearing much fruit, and we are the blessed recipients.
Hello across Atlanta to Melissa..from an Atlanta siesta!
Love,
Jennifer
satan was already on the way of stealing my joy today..Thank you so much for the encouragement and the Word from God today. I am on my knees now taking back the joy of the Lord!! Happy Thanksgiving to all my sisters in Christ..Brandi
Dear Beth, I am so thankful this year for so many things. Mostly I am thankful for Jesus dying on the cross for my sin and that I stand righteous before Him. Been reading Chap 4 of Romans 20 times!! This year has brought so many challenges including a brain injury and the repercussions that go along with that but God is GOOD and I have peace that passes all understanding. This morning I was reading in the 46th chapter of Ezekial about the New Moon sacrifice and the East gate staying closed and the prince entering through that gate to offer the sacrifice. It brought to mind being in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives and looking across the valley seeing the East Gate sealed. The next prince to enter that gate will be the Prince of Peace, Praise God!! We are to be looking heavenward for our redemption draws nigh. Beth I am thankful for you and that you are obedient to God's call which in turn is teaching me obedience. May you and your family enjoy a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving and I will be thinking of you as you are enjoying that Texas sheet cake and I am enjoying my Mom's Red Velvet cake. Grace & Peace. Claudine Harrington, Silverton, OR
I thanks to God for you Beth.
I’m from Chile, and I have been very bless by your books and your bible study, especially Breaking Free!
And now, I found your web site, and I enjoy (and joy) your messages, they’re very, very full of treasures and freedom of Jesus to me.
I´m so grateful of you… and I hope that some day you could came to this far country…
God keep always bless you.
(And please forgive me my horrible english writing).
Amidst all the things that I am grateful for is you and your dear family. You, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, launched in me a love for the Word many years ago and it grows deeper every day. Now the Lord is allowing me the privilege of teaching the Word and speaking to ladies all over the North Georgia area. Oh, He is so good!! I love Him so.
God bless you and your family, Beth. God bless you hugely!!
Leah
Dearest Beth,
I am thankful for you, too. And this blog community – what a treasure!
I wanted to share a favorite poem with you – its fitting for this day.
Thou that hast given me so much
Grant one more thing – a grateful heart
Not thankful when it pleaseth me
As if Thy blessings have off days
But such a heart
Whose very pulse is praise.
– George Herbert
Thank you Beth and girls for all the joy, love, encouragement, laughs, tears, and teaching the last year! The best is yet to be!
ityBeth: Your sweet message and grateful heart are so refreshing to me just now. My house has been so noisy and loud most of the day from a happy and joyful group four generations deep! The newest generation includes our grandson, 3 1/2 months old!
All went well — even when my Dad came in and took over my kitchen even to the point of mashing the potatoes that I was working on! He loves to cook and is a great chef. (I shared his cornbread dressing recipe with Melissa!)
Everyone is gone now, and the house is all quiet. My man even left to go deer hunting for a couple of days. I'm going to have a piece of my homemade caramel cake and some fresh coffee and reflect once more on just how good and faithful and gloriously merciful God has been to me this past year (ACTUALLY ALL MY LIFE!)!
One of the joys of 2008 has been this blog and all my siestas and you 3 Moore women – thank you Beth, Amanda, & Melissa for being so precious and for sharing your lives with us.
Thankful,
Georgia Jan
Happy Thanksgiving to you Mama Siesta.
Everyone has departed for home or the deer lease. I can hear the hum of the dish washer as I sit here and contemplate the riches we have in Christ Jesus.
I pray we all take this Scripture to heart:
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves…
Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for your ministry and for the blessing of this blog. Thank you for allowing us to go on this journey with you and for always keeping God Almighty at the center of it all.
To Him alone be the glory . . .
Heading off for Thanksgiving Feast number 2, but had to check the blog before we left. May the desserts not be so fattening this time around.
Grafted by Grace,
Kim
Love is squeezing me to pieces today! Not the kind of love that others pour out on me…the kind of Love that gave His Only Begotten Son. Your Words are His Words and I thank you for them.
I feel the same way about you and all my siestas…
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Beth. I am very thankful for you and the LPM ministry!
Blessings
Michelle
I too have a very grateful heart today! Wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving!!
and a happy Thanksgiving to all you Siestas too!
When you wrote, "Do not under any circumstance let Satan steal your joy and your gratitude today. Get down on the floor of the bathroom at your relative's house if you have to and grab it back in Jesus' Name. Give not one inch to your betrayer nor trust his lying tongue," you wrote them on my SOUL.
My husband walked out on me & our 3 children this month. It's a blessing (help me Father) as I didn't have the courage to leave an abusive situation.
But I'll have you know I am on the floor stealing back my joy at this very moment. THANK YOU.
Thank you, God for everything-
the big things and the small,
For “every good gift comes from God”-
the giver of them all-
And all too often we accept
without any thanks or praise
The gifts God sends are blessings
each day in many ways,
And so, at this THANKSGIVING TIME
We offer up a prayer
To thank you, God, for giving us
a lot more than our share…
First, thank you for the little things
that often come our way,
The things we take for granted
but don’t mention when we pray.
The unexpected courtesy,
the thoughtful, kindly, deed,
A hand reached out to help us
in the time of sudden need….
Oh, make us more aware, dear God,
of little daily graces
That come to use with “sweet surprise”
from never-dreamed-of places-
Then, thank you for the “Miracles”
we are much too blind to see,
And give us new awareness
of our many gifts from Thee,
And help us remember
that the KEY to LIFE and LIVING
IS to make each prayer a PRAYER of THANKS
and every day THANKSGIVING.
By: Helen Seiner Rice
And our thanks to you Beth for remembering us today. We are grateful for all the way that God uses you to bless us.
Anne
Happy Thanksgiving! I love your blog, your a blessing in itself!!!
from one grateful heart to another …happy thanksgiving, beth and family!
I have been deeply nourished by having been drawn back to the Lord through this blog and everyone participating in it. I have a full and thankful heart and a renewed desire to seek God for healing of a broken,empty heart. I do, indeed, thank God for you.
Dearest Beth
Oh how I needed to hear those words from God today. Beautiful, beautiful words of God. Thank you so much, you are a delightful, grace filled woman of God, may God richly bless you and your family today. And don’t think I won’t steal back what the devil tries to steal and if I have to get on the floor of a bathroom to do it I will. Enjoy your family, we had 25peoples in my home today and now they have gone to be with their spouses families and boyfriends and the quiet has come to reflect on the goodness of our Lord. Have a Blessed, peaceful evening. Again thank you for God’s word.
Love Alexia
Hello dear Beth and family and all at Living Proof! Happy Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for YOU. I’ve never commented on the Blog before (old and not internet savy) but just loved how you reminded us in I Cor. 1 about “for you were made RICH in EVERY WAY in HIM!!!!!!!” oh, yes, amen and amen. Thank you so much. God bless.
Happy Thanksgiving to all you siestas and mama beth, I pray it was blessed and filled with love and joy and may we continue to be oh so thankful for each other and the abundance of love God pours on us.
Dear Bethie,
I am so thankful for you and that whole clan of yours even puppies or especially puppies. hmm. You make me want to be more like Jesus. Thank you. It is an awesome day with family.
Jannie
Dear Bethie,
I am so thankful for you and that whole clan of yours even puppies or especially puppies. hmm. You make me want to be more like Jesus. Thank you. It is an awesome day with family.
Jannie
Beth,
As I type this our Thanksgiving feast has just been prepared, but instead of sitting at the table together, half my family is stuffed in a yukon with my Dad on the way to the emergency room. The other half is left at home with stifled appitites.
In this moment I cannot tell you how much this post means to me. I will not let the enemy steal my thankful heart. My God is so good. Even when it’s scary. Even through the tears. Even when plans change.
You (and those who work with you!) have changed lives. Thank you.
Kristen