My dear Siestas, I had to fly on here as fast as I could so that I could tell you that I am using something from your input in EVERY SINGLE SESSION! I’m steadily using excerpts from your testimonies on the surveys I took months ago on bondage and freedom when I was first revising the series AND I’m using the hilarious stories you just gave me. Both kinds of input have been PRICELESS to me and to this revision. The humorous side helps lighten up very heavy subject matter and the group has gotten such a kick out of your stories. I wish I could use tons of them but I’d overdo it and it would lose its effectiveness. I just wanted you to know that all your material is right here with me in my hotel room and I’m looking at your examples every day as I prepare.
I know I’ve told you this before but one of the things I battle most these days in ministry is a personal feeling of isolation and the fear that I will lose touch with people. Life is temporarily complicated in that respect. If not for my staff at LPM, this sanguine literally could not take it. In the old days, I could hang around after events and talk with people and pray with people. For this season, that’s not possible and the loss of one-on-one with the women I serve out and about has been titanic. YOU ARE THE NUMBER ONE WAY THAT GOD HELPS ME KEEP IN TOUCH WITH WHAT’S GOING ON OUT THERE. I feel a peculiar closeness to you. A true sense of community. One of our Siestas who also attends my home church hugged me on Sunday and said, “Beth, I love the blog…and what I get the biggest kick out of, is that I think you love it, too. I think you really do.”
Oh, Girls. I really do. You have become such a big part of this ministry. I could bawl about it. But I don’t have time. Gotta get back to it. May God invest back into your sweet lives 100-fold what you pour into mine and others. He has made you a gift. I hope we’re together for a long time.
Beth – Continuing to pray for you. My time to pray for you is 11:00am, but today you were bathed in prayer around 10:30 to 11:00am. It is hard to put in words how I feel about you. One day I will be able to use all the right words. For now I will just say, Praise God!
Love and Blessings, Debbie in Tennessee
Oh Beth,
God has me in a place of isolation for different reasons right now but I have struggled with depression and lonliness. This blog has given me personalities and ladies with a love for the Lord as I have. Jackson has reminded me of my own first son (he’s now almost 20) and I have three boys now. I praise God for a love of his Word and fellow women with the same. This blog has allowed my to minister and teach in difficult places and with difficult people who need Him and His Word but still gives me the support I need as His little girl. May God continue to bless you, your family, and your ministry.
I love this blog as well! It has been inspirational to me and encouraging as I’ve been going through a lot of ups and downs and ins and outs these past few months. It just occurred to me this blog has been ministering to me for over a year and a half! Wow! Just finished Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed, and watched the Bonus section–“Turn-in-your Bibles…to-Matthew-13!” Too funny Miss Beth! Love you! God bless you! I’m a life that’s been changed because of your wholehearted obedience and love for the Lord Jesus! I’m holding my shield of faith high and remembering that it is for freedom that Christ set me free!
Beth,
I’m sitting here on the couch watching Andy “Griffin” reruns with my 3 and 5 year old girls before I go fix dinner. I read your blog and just had to tell you that I have been blessed beyond imagine by your obedience to God, even as it causes you some present pain. I’m sad that this season has a lot of isolation for you.
But the Lord just brought this thought to mind. Yesterday I read the story in Ezekiel that I’d somehow missed all these years – the one where God had Ezekiel lie on his side for over a year to bear the sin of Israel (how’s that for isolation!). But then I also re-read chapter 1 where Ezekiel sees that mind-blowing glory of God and the 4 creatures and the son of man.
You may be in an unusual circumstance right now, but you have seen / are seeing / and are leading thousands of women to see the magnificent glory of God. And to love Him with abandon. Because of you I have asked the Lord weekly for 6 years to cause me to love Jesus more than I love anything else. And He’s doing it!
Bless you. Bless your family. I love you all so much!
Thank you Beth! It has been such a priveledge to pray for you, your family, the lifeway team, the volunteers and for all of those in attendance. God used Breaking Free to change my life in so many ways. I want my brothers and sisters in Christ to experience that same freedom.
Love and Prayers,
Cady
You are such a blessing. I doubt most of us can imagine how much you sacrifice and how hard you work to fulfill the calling God has given you. I’m so grateful you are obedient. And I’m praying for you.
P.S. Don’t leave New Orleans without getting some beignets at Cafe DuMonde or at least indulge yourself with one of the many deep fried foods they add to the food pyramid here. 🙂
Beth, I love you too!!! Thanks for keeping us updated, I am praying for you and the taping.
What a sweet entry, funny thing is, I feel so close to you too, and I’m sure most of the bloggers do as well….like we are old friends:)
Last evening at my small group, we began watching the “Loving Well” series and for two of the girls, it was their first introduction to you! I just loved that…been praying for you all week!
Love,
Kristin
I’ve thought about you 650 times since you shared with us at the Siesta Fiesta about feeling isolated.
It breaks my heart for you because I am such a people person, too. I love your sweet blog here and I never-ever miss a post, so I am so glad that God is sweetly using it in your life the way He is, too.
Much love…
Love you (and Amanda, too for keeping this thing going)!
You should know…I’m facilitating “Fruit of the Spirit” and have a new Christian coming. She is on fire for Jesus and is borrowing the dvds after we meet to minister to her friend who is addicted to crack. Isn’t God something?
I am praying for you. I enjoy all that LPM does.
Oh Beth, how I wish I were there! I will see you in Pittsburgh in June, though! I have been praying for you more than I signed up for! I am looking forward to being able to lead the study when it comes out. I need it more than anyone. I have a huge problem with food. I am on the last week, day 4 of “A Woman’s Heart” and I don’t want to do it. I keep looking at it, but I am afraid to face the truth about my body being a temple. I will do it,though, and I pray that God will do amazing things, He already has through the study! I hope Breaking Free will be ready by next fall! Press on sister, I, and many others are praying for you. Thank you for your sacrifice of service! Our group has been blessed beyond measure through the studies you have provided!
Love and Blessings to you!
Lisa Shuler
Oh, sweet Beth, you know what is sooo cool? You know how we are all God’s favorite and we struggle figuring how that works, right? ‘Cause we think of Him as so much like us. Welllll, maybe the fact that you have all of us Siestas as your BFF is a real-life, human example of how that can work! Another little glimpse of God you give us…this time maybe without even meaning to!!
Love ya like crazy and showering you with prayers!! Sorry, not bathing you right now…Just like I sometimes don’t have time for a long hot bath…showers work…quick, short, to the point kind of prayers! 😉 Gotta run to my sweet group of ladies to facilitate our study…Remember the one you did oh so long ago on Paul? It’s been a blast, but sometime we really need to talk about that hair…Oh, never mind. I think mine looked just like it back then!!!
Beth,
Just think how beautiful it will be when we all get to Heaven, and we can just sit around and talk, hang out, and ask God all of those awesome questions! Sometimes I think this blog is a little slice of that.
You are in my prayers,
Kim in Apex, NC
Oh Mama Siesta, your amazing love for Christ and teaching are HUGH to us! This community has been a blessing to me to connect with sisters in this world and continue learning through every vessels I can. I will be with you til the end and praying with & for you during every season that comes!
Oh Beth. Keep preaching the Word and cheering us on! I’m a marriage and family therapist, mom of 3, wife of 11 years, and this girl hasn’t begun to see Christ’s Glory. I sense He is all over me…..but there is so much more to come. I’m overwhelmed and overjoyed He’s chosen to use this life. Without your encouragements, I’m not sure I could do this “THANG”. From one young woman in TN…..thank you Sister! I look forward to our banquet feast together in the Heavenlies!
Sweet Beth – I feel so sad after reading this. I haven’t commented in such a long time, but I’m still here. I promise to comment more from now on. I didn’t realize how isolated you were feeling.
I love reading your posts. I just love you!! We’re gearing up to do the Esther study beginning in Feb. I cannot wait. You have become such a big part of my life – mentor, teacher, girlfriend. Thank you for sharing your heart in this special way.
I love that you have found the blogworld to be a blessing to your ministry! And I’m SO impressed at how tech-y you’ve become with it all. 🙂
I have loved this blog since it started… it is such a source of inspiration to everyone who is blessed to read it and be a part of it. There was a time when my family was moved from our hometown… that this and other blogs really served as “friends” to me. Now we are SO blessed to have been moved back home…. And, I had the extra blessing of attending the Louisville LPM event with my best friend. I’m so grateful to you Beth, Amanda and Melissa for the time you invest here to personally speak to us. It is such a source of encouragement!!! Thank you.
I love you too! Enormously grateful for Breaking Free and so glad you are keeping it current so many, many more people can be set free. Blessings, peace and rest prayed over you.
Beth,
What is so absolutely precious about you is you ain’t got a big head!! To me you are as plain as vanilla ice cream, meat and potatoes, easy, and yet you can take plain vanilla and make the most delightful, fun, tasty ice cream sundae or fancy malt that anyone has ever had! You can be in a big sophisticated crowd or just a big crowd and shine or a small group and shine, but personal I think you like the smaller crowds because of the one-on-one. In my opinion that is where you and Jesus are the most potent. You’re in your element in the smaller crowds. (My opinion) I always, love seeing you when I can!! Love you always, Allison
I love this blog, too! Thanks for your sweet words! Your teaching has drawn me closer to the Lord and has been used by Him to show me I am so loved by Him and am precious to Him. It’s nice to know I can give a little something back. Although, my friends think I’m half crazy that I talk like you and I are friends. It just seems so much like we are!
Love and prayers this week ~ Kristin
Just wanted to chime in and say “I love this blog too!” ALthough I hardly comment, I love this group! It is a source of strength to me too! With 4 kids ( a teenager and a toddler and 2 in between!), a husband in a transistioning new career that has caused me to rely on the provisions of Jehovah Jireh like never before, I also lead a study of 40+ women on Wednesdays and this blog brings me great encouragement. Our little group is kind of like this one! We come from every walk of life imaginable. But love Jesus with every ounce of our being.
Mrs. Beth: An extra special hug from the Father tonite! Isn’t it funny (as in interesting, not HAHA) that we all can feel isolated even thought in very different circumstances. I felt that yesterday emailing between some friends. They were all responding about their day with their kids and their home and I was responding about my staff and my office…it felt…”off”. HOWEVER, it wasn’t! I think the evil one loves to get in there and make us feel alone, when we really know we aren’t….ugh!
Blessings on you, and know that this blog is a “connector” for me, in ways you can’t even imagine!
Beth, I echo your entry – I am encouraged and uplifted by this blog and feel connected to my siestas in a very special way. It makes my heart smile on an otherwise ordinary day when I log on to find a new entry on the LPM blog! It is a privilege to share in prayer requests and serious issues, and a treat to laugh with you at the mundane, silly stuff. Thank you Beth, Amanda, and Melissa for this very unique ministry – may God continue to bless it!
Bless you, Beth!! Sending you a hug via email! You are making a difference in this generation!! God has raised you up “for such a time as this” to keep us strong and in God’s Word. Thank you for the sacrifice! We know the cost is great, and we pray constantly for you!
Momma Beth….FOREVER is a pretty LONG time!!! We love you and support you all the way! Thank You, Lord for this fellowship!!!
I love you, I love you, I love you!
You are absolutely transparent and I truly just love that about you. Beth, I’ve done almost all of your bible studies and I feel like I’ve gotten to know you through them but not as much as getting to know you through this blog…I am so happy that we as your “blog siestas” can bring you a sense of community…isolation is not a good place to be and I am so glad that God is keeping you covered at this time in this way!
Love you sweet friend and praying for you daily!
Bethany in California
sitting in Lindsee’s house in Houston getting ready for retreat…laughing our heads of at Jenny Hope and the backstratcher/pencil stories…because we were JUST talking about them in the car before i saw amanda’s post.
love you sweet friend. we are praying for you. 11 tapings…you are the bomb.com. (we are praying for Jenny’s coveting your clothes too 😉 hahaha)
Oh… I am so thankful for this blog. It is really a great community of women. I feel connected and a part of your life… thanks so much for sharing it with us.
Praying for you during the rest of the taping.
Lynn
We love you, too! And we’re praying for you!
J.
I wrote last week but have to do so again after watching Session 5 of Steppin Up Bible Study last night. You discussed the electronic age and keeping in touch and how emails or texts aren’t enough to love each other deeply. Honestly if a friend called me I would think something was wrong or an accident has occurred. Everytime I open my email I hope/will/pray/desire for a social email from a friend. I love your blog because it is like getting a social message from you. You are always an encouragement and always right on with God’s Word. Love your Siesta and King’s Daugher.
Becky
Beth,
God has gifted you in so many various ways. I will have to admit that sometimes I have envied the way He has used you BUT then I have to look at myself and I know that I would not be the pliable material for Him that you are! I am not good in crowds. I do not like to travel. I’m not a great Bible student. So many things that you do every day that would be absolutely impossible for me to do. And so I want to say that I very much appreciate all that you do. The things you give up to go and meet the needs of people you most likely may never see again here on this earth amaze me. I appreciate the time that you give up that you could be using to spoil your little grandson, or visit with your girls, or go on a date night with your hubby, or just wash dishes and do the laundry without such a load on your mind! Thank you for your life of sacrifice.
One of the ladies I work with found some cassette tapes in her attic from one of your Bible studies that she did many years ago…”To Live is Christ”. I am so looking forward to listening to them as I have never had the opportunity to hear you teach a study before! (Did you know there was a Baptist women alive who could say that???ha) I have been asked to lead your new Esther study for a group of women starting in January. I have never even been in a group Bible study before but they tell me that you’ll do most of the teaching via the DVDs so I am good to go on that! I’m very much looking forward to it cause you’re so right…It IS tough being a woman!
So sorry this was very long!
God bless you!
Marilyn
THANZK YOU BETH!! I had a rough afternoon and was feeling so very human and yucky. Thought I would see if you had written today while I was at work. I was so glad that you had. Thank you for being real. It’s great to be reminded that all of us are loved. 🙂
Short because the baby is crying. But Beth as I just left a phase of isolation, I understand, but know it is a Phase. And God usually does GREAT things in that time. Bless you sister in Christ.
I do wish I had known you were taking comments to re-tell in your taping. Although I have subscribed to your blog, I don’t visit everyday, so I missed the chance to contribute. Never-the-less, I have THE BEST Beth Moore story EVER.
I tell it ALL THE TIME and I sent it in to your office in the comment form before this blog came along. So, you may have read it. It never gets old to me.
Blogging does build and contribute to community. For sure. I am so happy you have found it to be true.
Praying that your time in New Orleans is both productive and successful.
Beth,
Thank you and your daughters so much for this blog. I have read it and posted on it in the past and I have enjoyed every minute. This week I can totally understand the feeling of isolation. I work from my home and I get to make trips to office doing marketing but this week has been different. Sunday during the morning worship service I blacked out and had to be taken to the emergency room. My potassium was low and my electrolytes were out of wack and dehydrated. So the doctor told me I needed to take it easy. So I have and I have become stir crazy. I have been reading the blog and catching up on things and getting to do some extra studing for class and just reading God’s Word. My friends say this maybe God’s way of slowing me down. I really hope not. I have an appointment on Tues 25th. Please keep me in your prayers about my health.
Love you
Becky
Attalla, AL
I love the blog community!
I read it almost every day!
God used the Bible Study, “Believing God” in such a mighty way in my life. I will NEVER be the same again…My relationship with the Lord has grown and changed so much…I am thankful for your passion for teaching His Word to women all over the world…His Word is Powerful!
Love ya!!!
Beth and Siestas,
I just have to tell you all about this wonderful little Bible study we just wrapped up called “Believing God”. Through the study we decided to pray for a miracle for one of our sweet sister’s daughter who suffers from a very, very severe form of epilepsy. She is 10 months old and according to all of the doctors should have absolutely no brain left from the amount of seizures she has a day. Wouldn’t you know that her latest MRI showed a healthy 10 month old brain!?!? Beth, we never would have had the courage to pray for such big things if it hadn’t been for you! Oh, the tears I could cry over seeing God’s face when we all believed and saw! You are such a part of our lives, you don’t even know!
Beth,
I just found this blog recently after completing Believing God at our church — i know we are a little behind. ha! I loved it and it was totally appropriate for my life right now! I know what you mean about being isolated. I just wanted to say THANK YOU for allowing God to use you in the way He chooses! Your lessons are SUCH A BLESSING to me and I know SO many others! God bless you!! Kimberly
Alabama
I was just thinking of your blog yesterday during our Stepping Up (session 5) study when you talked about nurturing deep and real relationships because so much of what we have is superficial. Even though I only comment on 1 out of every 10 posts, I really feel sincerity and camaraderie here. I’ve seen transparency among the Siestas and encouragement that is often lost “in real life”. I’m so glad that it’s a source of community and encouragement to you too, Beth.
Praying for you “temporary complications!” 🙂
Beth, I hope we’re together for a long time, too. And, doesn’t it just thrill and delight you to know that only a few years ago “our minds could not have conceived” that we would be blogging BFFs in the name of Jesus!! My, my …..
Beth, I just recently found your blog and I now have it linked with mine. Even though we don’t actually know each other, I just feel like you are one of my good friends. I have been one of your students since you began “A Woman’s Heart.” Thank you for your ministry.
B-A-W-L-I-N-G….pathetically!
To even think you feel for me one iota of the gratitude and connection I feel for you and your work? Impossible! You are my best friend, Beth Moore…you and this blog give me such hope that one day my loneliness will end because there is a soul sister just for me out there somewhere…(Women have hurt me so much in my past, I am so terrified of being wounded again!) This place is my healing….truly!
I am face down for you, Beth…May he continue to reward you abundantly for all your obedience, transparency, and love for His daughters!
I am positively crazy for and about you. I thank you and your daughters for sharing your lives with me.
Leslie
Beth, Sometimes we don’t realize when we are worshipping with you at events that if you had your way in the matter, you would be right in the middle of the group when it’s over hanging out with everyone getting to know everybody. We do lose sight of how lonely times can be when you pour yourself out to become the vessel for God’s word to flow through. I am praying for you epecially this week while you are taping.
One funny thing I thought of while I was reading the funnies was what my best friend heard in Wal Mart one day. She said a mother was in there and obviously exasperated with her child. She told him, “I’ve got two words for you, BE HAVE.” I love you Siesta!
Beth – You have touched my heart with this heartfelt post. You are precious precious precious. I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE MY SIESTAS.
Please rest assured that WE CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER and IT IS GENUINE. This blog is an amazing gift and we LOVE it.
Please don’t fear losing touch. Eternity will bear out how many lives you have TOUCHED!
My heart hurts if you feel isolated, but I know you are INSULATED. We cover you in prayer and with love – and the Father protects you because you would be swallered (swallowed) whole if we could hug your neck!!! (My Granny said swallered…)
You’re right, my friend. It is a peculiar closeness and we are a peculiar people. A real community – for real.
Don’t you be bawling – we ARE going to be together for a long time!
Count on it,
Georgia Jan
The number one reason I love your blog is that it feels just like calling up my girlfriend to talk. I love feeling like we share a bit of life, and laugh and cry through all your experiences. It is different than a bible study, but no less blessed by God. Thank you for sharing part of yourself and your sweet family with us and for really letting us be apart of your life in this way.’Blessings on the taping!
Love Laura
PS-just saw you are coming to Orlando next Sept. and we can’t wait!! We are already getting our group together to make plans. It has been a long time (or seems that way) since you have visited our hometown! :o)
termaxiBeth,I am doing stepping up now,it is such a Blessing!!Thanks for all your hard work as you provide us with material to help us grow, and help us fall more and more in love with our Lord!!I so look forward to the day when I can see Him, and worship Him in a way He is worthy!!My health is not good so by His grace I live each day asking Him to use me for His will each day,and longing to see Him when I am finished here!!I would love to meet you, and spend time talking about our Lord,however I can’t see that happening on this earth,but we can talk when we are in Heaven,or back on the earth when He redoes it as it was meant to be!!!I pray for you ,and so appreciate all you do to make a differance for our Lord!!I know one day you will here Him say ,my good and faithful servant!!Love you!
I love being a part of this blog too. I love your posts and your daughters’ as well, but I also so enjoy just reading all the comments. Even though I rarely comment myself, I find a kindred spirit here and often pray for people I’ll never meet this side of heaven. This is a wonderful place.
We’re praying for you, I know it must be exhausting. May the Lord be your strength!
Love, Shelley
Momma Beth….reading that felt like I was watching a "hallmark" commercial….and now I've messed up my mascara!! But, I am just so glad you like us & feel close enough to use us in your ministry 🙂 I just love you to pieces 🙂