Hey, My Darling Siestas! How’s your weekend been? You guys that keep up pretty well know that I blogged last on Wednesday while we were on our way six hours northwest to our acreage in the middle of nowhere. We are now heading back to Houston so once again I’m writing you from Keith’s truck. My man of 31 years is driving next to me, singing to 60’s music and our two dogs are snoozing in the back seat. (He just stopped me and held my hand for a minute because the song was so sweet that he felt romantic.) We got to be away for four nights. The perfect amount of time! I wish I could say it was vacation but I had to take a ton of work with me. That’s ok. At least it was from a different venue and that can help a lot.
(I just got a text from Travis with a picture on it of his youngest son who just lost two teeth. Just living a little life here. Had to stop and text back and tell Levi how cool he looks.)
My heart is full where you are concerned and full with the last four days of life out in the country with Keith. And that’s why I’m going to share a little of it with you: because I love you and love how we can share so many parts of our lives with one another. This is going to be one of those posts when the girls (Amanda or Melissa) might say, “Are you sure you want to share that? You might get hit by somebody for that.” We, the girls and I, provide checks and balances for one another. If we’ve written anything at all besides your garden variety kind of post, we usually run it by one another. Sometimes we talk each other out of an entire post because we’re afraid someone will get offended or out of sorts or just take the opportunity to be ugly or critical. It happens in the blog world which many of you know from your own blogs.
Other times we just talk each other out of a few sentences or a paragraph or two. Most of you should wish you’d seen Melissa’s original Song of Songs Valentine post before I talked her out of a whole chunk. (Yes, we did have a few little words over it. Not a fuss. Just a good, healthy discussion. All four of us are strong willed and opinionated. We just speak our minds back and forth, work through our differences, and, a whole lot of the time, end up making a private family joke out of it.) Those who wouldn’t have wished to see Melissa’s original post are the reason none of you did. (Laughing and with much love.) There was nothing wrong with it. It was just extra colorful – kind of PG13 – because the Scripts happen to be extra colorful – kind of PG14 – in that particular book.
I’m not complaining one iota. To tell you the truth, we get so little ugliness from our commenters. You guys really are so loving and encouraging and patient and understanding and leave ample room for several generations to express themselves here in very different ways. We think we have the most amazing community in bloggerville but we’re not immune, of course. Sometimes we just flat out ask for it and don’t even realize it. Other times we expect somebody may take exception but we just decide it’s worth the risk.
This is one of those times. I’m about to show you guys some pictures – poor quality ones just off my i-phone – to give you a small taste of Moore life out at the acreage our family has. I know in advance that I’m setting myself up for someone to say sarcastically “Must be nice” but I’ll just sigh when I get it and, if it doesn’t get too ugly from there, post the comment anyway and wish she hadn’t misunderstood. The thing is, I love biographies. Glimpses of people’s real lives. Parts of their stories. For instance, every time I talk to Georgia Jan, I wish I could see her surroundings so I could picture her better. Know her in her own world. Every time Mom of Eleven (actually has 12 now, we learned at the SSMT celebration) comments I wish I could see a picture of all of them. It’s one way we, scattered all over the place, take a virtual stroll through a mile or two of one another’s worlds.
Actually, the world I’m about to share with you really isn’t my world. It’s my man’s. But once a couple has been married over 25 years, you really can’t know the one without knowing the other. You can no longer tell for sure where one stops and the other starts. This isn’t land I would have chosen in a thousand years but it’s what my man chose and I chose him. SO, when I talk about us heading to what I call our cactus land, this is the kind of place I’m talking about. I’ll describe it a tad first then I’ll stroll with you through some shots.
It’s a place where your cell phone won’t work and your land line is likely not to.
It’s the kind of place where Keith and I use (or misuse) English in a way we’d never do it at home. We don’t do it to make fun. We, for those few days, say it like we mean it. Like that’s who we are. Like, for instance, just this morning on an early ride with Keith in the old jeep, I heard myself say, “We ain’t seen deer one.”
It’s a place where men are not limited to inside facilities…but I’ll not elaborate on that.
It’s a place where our favorite show is “The Duck Commander.” We laugh our heads off…and, perhaps most worrisome to some of you, totally get it.
It’s the kind of place with a VERY small town nearby that I have fallen head over heels in love with. It has one real grocery story, a “Super S,” and just yesterday while I was picking up a few items, as I live and breathe and without one hint of exaggeration, the woman at check-out got on the microphone for the store and said over the loud speaker, “Mr. Brown, your wife called and wants you to pick up a bag of potatoes.” Ain’t no doubt in my mind he got some. I was so happy I nearly got some, too.
It’s a place with a LOT of these, hence the name:
It’s a place where a woman (even a non-hunter like yours truly) sometimes dresses like this on an early morning ice-cold jeep ride (with no windows in it) with no make-up on:
It’s a place where, if the temperature’s right, a woman would be wise to wear snake boots like mine:
It’s a place where your man’s taller than usual and where manliness can sometimes be gaged by how old and beat up your vehicle is: (For those of you who can’t fathom it, that’s a corn feeder on the front of the jeep for feeding wild life. You guys just have no idea what my life is like at times. Or his, because of mine.)
It’s a place where your man’s favorite hot rod looks like this:
It’s a place where the gate might latch with a horse shoe:
It’s a place where that tiny one hundred year-old German farm house that I told you about in So Long Insecurity resides. My man went to great pains to restore this thing back to its original look. Every window and door in it is a century old.
It’s a place where the sunrise this morning from my little porch looked like this and this one’s not even an especially good one:
It’s a place with, I reckon, my favorite place of all tucked right in it. I swing here and think about all sorts of things and sing hymns and pet Star:
It’s a place where a woman can take her spirals and practice them loud without a single soul hearing or caring:
It’s a place I wish all of you who wish you had one, did. Maybe one day, when you’re older like Keith and me, you will. It’s a place others of you might be bored out of your mind. Maybe your wish list would be a tiny little bay house instead. It’s just all a matter of taste. Sometimes not your own.
It’s a place where my man seems to love me a lot.
So it’s a place I love to go.
Anonymous 
Wow, Beth! I had just finished reading the chapter w/ your descriptions of your retreat and wanted so much to know what it looked like- esp. the 100 year old house restored! Wonderful! I love that you share yourself with us so openly. My hubby and I have a thing for old stuff- houses included. We live on a little stake of acreage in VA and fixed up a 1930s farm house over our first 9 years of marriage. The last 1/3 of the house remained unfinished for about 4 years- life, work, you name, it always seemed to get in the way… And people would comment on "when will you ever finish this place???" Well, two years ago when I told Doug I was pregnant with our daughter- talk about lighting a fire! The house was finished in 3 months! 🙂
Love you!
Monica
PS- Absolutely LOVED the picture of the tractor! My man is quite proud of his big machines too! Nothing makes him happier than an hour or two on the zero-turn mower… can't wait for the big thaw to finish up here so he can get out and mow!!!
I think I messed up sending this the first time… so I am trying again!
Thanks for the glimps Beth, I just love seeing other peoples places. I have lived all 30 of my years within a 50 mile radius in Ohio. Last week my man moved to Oklahoma. I will follow shortly. I am sure it is God's will and my husband is just thrilled. I was not, but now that he is there it already feels like home, and I have never stepped foot in the state. It reminds me how temporary this home is. That our real home is with God, even though we have never been there, and can't imagine what it will be. It is where God resideds and that is what makes it home. (By the way, my man made the point that we will be much closer to LPM events, and I will actually get to attend some. He knew that would be good incentive, and it was.)
Thank you so much for posting this. I was trying to picture the house and land it in my head while reading "So Long Insecurity."
I laughed out-loud at the pic of your husband's feeder attached to his vehicle and made sure my husband didn't see it. You are so refreshing. I thank God that you are who you are and that you let us get this glimpse into your life. It always makes you that much more real to me. love you bunches!!!
Wow I think it's a beautiful place-LOVE that old house! That is my husbands dream to have land like that someday! What a fun post-thanks for sharing! You are gorgeous-even with no makeup and manly clothes!!!
Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful!! Absolutely wonderful!! Thank you for sharing. My husband and I are looking forward to getting a small piece of land down south. We still have quite a bit of snow here in Wisconsin, and are chomping at the bit to have spring come, green grass, trees budding, the crocus' popping up! Just the smell of spring is so refreshing – God did all this just for us!!
Your pictures are delightful.
God's blessing to you.
Beth, I love your post. It so makes me want to head out West on I-10 to our ranch. I have been blessed with having a father and grandfather who love the outdoors and bought a ranch many years ago. Being at the ranch with them are some of my fondest childhood memories. I was lucky enough to marry a Houston boy who loves the outdoors as much as me. We love being able to get away & enjoy our time together in the middle of nowhere. It's a place where I wonder how anyone could every deny God or His beautiful creation.
Thanks again for your post! Now I have a hankerin' for the Texas Hill Country.
I live in this place, grew up here and the only thing I have ever known…..It is my man's country as well…..God is truly found out here in the boonies where Super S is a lifesaver. We speak correct English because it is not expected…. This is my world thtat evey once in a while I agree to momentarily leave behind to visit you in your bible studies and learn about the God who brought me here and made this my home for HIS purpose…….Thank you for your wisdom and character…….
How fantastic that you shared the ranch with us this way, Beth. I tried to picture it when I was reading So Long, Insecurity so this was really fun. I grew up on an Illinois farm and will always be a country girl at heart – thanks for letting us "visit" you there!
i'm a southern california gal who married an east texan (we currently living in little rock!) and i just loved this post. i don't think i would have grasped it had i not married a man from texas! OH how they love their land, tractors, boots, and wildlife! this made me smile. love old houses too…would love to have something like this one day! thanks for sharing 🙂
…now on to find the So Long Insecurity questions!
I loved this!! Thanks for putting pictures up… I've been wondering what it looks like out there 🙂 glad you had a good time!!
love you!
Dearest Beth,
My first thought as I looked at the pictures was not "Must be Nice". I was thinking I'm so glad you have a place to get away from it all and watch beautiful sunsets considering how hard you work for all of us. We reap all the rewards of all your blood, sweat & tears.
And the ripple effect just never ends…this is one grateful Siesta to her Siesta Mama and I say enjoy!! With Much Love,
Siesta Mary from MN.
P.S. That picture of you in that crazy getup is going to crack me up for days…Grin
I loved reading about and seeing your get-away, Beth…AND seeing you in camoflauge! My best buddy, Jill, and I accompanied our husbands last fall on our first hunting trip. Our husbands were almost giddy over the fact that we actually joined them and had fun!! What incredible memories were made because we were willing to check out their world for a time! God bless you!! Love in Christ, T
Hi Beth-your little country place looks like a slice of heaven to me!
I have 3 grandsons so I totally get the "outdoor plumbing"! Everything within range gets watered!
All I can say is…as I read your story I had a huge smile on my face. Thank you for sharing a glimpse into your life and thank you for loving our Lord!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your life here and in your Bible Studies. This makes them personal and help we the masses identify. God Bless You.
Love the photos! Our family has a place probably not far from yours by the looks of the cactus. In the "City Cafe", my dad's cousin has his own personalized container of Splenda that sits at "his" table. I love the country life. Wish I could be there more often:)
i like your place! i want a place someday too where i can be close with God and my husband 🙂
alisa
Thank you, Ms. Beth, for sharing your pictures on the blog!
I love seeing them! The farmhouse is precious, and I know you enjoy spending time with your man there! I have also enjoyed seeing your beautiful daughters and precious grandbabies in previous posts! To allow us a small glimpse into your private life is truly a precious gift to all of the Siestas who love you dearly! So, please don't hesitate to post pictures. I am honored to be a small part of this blog community! God Bless! Stacy
Beth,
thank you for sharing these pics of our private life. precious! the Ohio home i grew up in was built in the 1870's and still has the leaded glass pane windows. It is said that–if the "drips" get to be too great in one direction, the windows can be taken out, turned upside down and rehung to allow the lead in the glass to drip the opposite way. We've not tried that at home, but it may something to consider . . . enjoy your porch swing and the beautiful Texas sunrises and sunsets!! (I lived in Altus, OK, for 3 years and you just cannot beat the mornings and night times in your part of the country!)
Rita-Colorado
Dear Beth,
I just saw your get away post where you and your man head and absolutely loved it ! I so appreciate your transparency and ability to be so real with all of your sisters out here.
I am a table leader in the Bakersfield, CA area and we are studying the Breaking Free study. Each and every week I appreciate you so much. Thank you for your dedication to God and your ability to teach the rest of us what God shows you. You bring me to tears every week as I desire more of God as you bring the scriptures alive through your humor (you are so funny girl) and with your complete honesty and expression.
It blesses me how you can go with your man to a location that wouldn't be your ideal choice and find it lovely. Just reading this convicts me of not being as generous with my man and some of his choices. We will be married 39years in July and still loving the "us" and the journey we share.
You are a good friend to me, thank you :> Joy Stamp
I love your little place! And, Beth, you are too adorable in camo!
I know I am really late to post a comment, but I wanted to say thanks for sharing such a special part of your life with us siestas! I loved seeing your darling little house. I'm a visual person, so I'm glad I can picture your get-a-away now when you talk about it. Felt the exact same way in Houston for the SMT celebration. I've listened to SO many of your Sunday School lessons while driving from my house in Atlanta to visit my family up north (9 hour drive). I always pictured you in a lecture hall type of setting with stadium seating-strange, I know! Now I can picture the actual room on my long drive home for Easter when I'm listening to a message:)
Beth,
Thanks for sharing this part of your life with us! Really put a smile on my face–just love the old farmhouse.
Thank you for sharing this with us. It seems to be a special place, and I'm so thankful that the Lord has blessed you and Keith with it. 🙂
Jennifer
Oh Beth…I absolutely love this! Thank you for sharing. It is beautiful. I hope my love and I have a place to run to someday…we love fixing up old houses. I would love for our place to be besides a secluded beach. Though I am a country girl by heart, the beach speaks volume of God's power with each wave that crashes in. What a blessing to share this with us. Thank you.
In His Graces~Pamela
Awww. What a privilege to hear your heart about your man and your special place!
Sounds like a great place to me. My family would be happy there forever. By the way the Duck Commander is my favorite hunting show. Thanks for sharing.
Sherrie Watson
Oak Ridge NC
I LOVED this post! Our men are a lot alike. We have a little spot of land in South AL, just acreage, no house. This makes me want to go spend some time there.
Beth,
Thanks for sharing…and therefore making yourself vulnerable. It's all one and the same, isn't it?
I've just come from a place nothing-like-that and everything-like-that. And, for a displaced girl from Southern Oklahoma (who HATES Cactus, by the way, because of some SERIOUS Run-ins! lol)…that Sunset looks just like HOME!
Thanks for sharing your life with us… When YOU seem more personal to me, it makes me take what you say about God's Word more personally…and somehow makes GOD and HIS WORD seem more personal.
(Yes, yes, I KNOW that is not theologically sound…but IT IS FEMININE-LY SOUND! lol)
Love you,
Susan
Thank you Beth for being honest and letting us know and see the true life of yourself. As I am reading the Insecurity book and participating in the Bible study, one of my prayers is that I be true to myself and a "true" testimony to others-not hiding under a mask. I'm rejoicing every chapter of this book to where God intends for me to be/overcome!!
Beth, thank you so much for your very personal, beautiful post. I read it to my husband, who is from Arizona, and would love a place like yours and enjoys many of the same things as Keith. God Bless You and thank you for all you do in service of our Lord. I'm so glad you have a sanctuary to retreat to every now and then. Thank you for giving us a peek.
Beth, This is such a blessing to those of us who have grown to love you so much for your generous, lovingly open and honest ways. Your love for God is abundantly returned and flows through you to the sea of people willing to receive it. I am studying the book of John this year and I believe you are a beautiful present day example of following the command that Jesus gave in John 15 to love one another as I (Jesus) have loved you. Thank you for being willing to take risks to encourage and strengthen others. Thank you for living an abundant life and sharing it. I thank God for you and pray for you too.
Beth-
I have been away for a few days. I loved reading this post. I am laughing out loud at you in the camo outfit and then your beautiful nails holding the Scripture. God is good!
Love it! I'm so glad you shared that, because I'm just the same, I love to visualize people in their own element:-)
Hopefully I'll have something similar, far down the road, since my husband has (semi) agreed to retire to TX since he didn't get us there in time to raise our girls as Texans… much to their dismay! (Those snake boots are almost enough to make me reconsider, though!!)
I loved this post, I loved everything about it. I love that you love that weird beautiful place and I love that you love your husband so much and that he loves you so much. I love that little house and the sunrise and everything about it 🙂
Beth,
I so appreciate your example of sharing your husband's interests. I love the way you two respect and support each other. I'm sorry you have to be sooo careful about sharing for fear of being criticized…I too love glimpses into peoples lives…esp. when they inspire me to be a better person as you do. THANK YOU!!!! YOU GO GIRL!!!! Or as you "might could" say at your acreage "keep on keepin on" Love ya!
Hey Spiritual Mom Beth, I'm glad you shared this with us! The pics were great-I love the little house and the swing, and the corn feeder on the front of the jeep!:) Around here, guys when they hunt do the same thing for, uh, relieving themselves:) I know people who talk like that all the time her in East TN! Lovin' the camo:) I make jokes about my man when he wears his camo leggings:) Very nice:):) Yay, scripture cards!
You make me smile:) Love ya Spiritual Mom Beth:)
katiegfromtennessee
Oh what a sweet post and so timely for me. My DH and I were just having a deep conversation the other day about finding a new dream. I told him I felt I needed a new dream to help me cope with some stress we are currently under. His response…(oh I love this man!)…"How about dreaming about growing old with me and retiring to our own little patch of beach somewhere warm." We are in our late thirties so retirement is a ways off yet but oh it was just so sweet I had to share. Your post was confirmation for me that God was saying…Dream this new dream.
Thank you for sharing Beth! I saved your post to my Evernote. Then I will always have it with me for those times when satan tries to steal my new dream. I'm not letting him have it. One day I hope to inspire someone just like you did for me today.
Love to you sweet sister in Christ!
Thanks for sharing such a sweet part of your life, Beth! I too, love "seeing" into the surroundings of others, and better understanding some of the tangibles in life. Hopefully this isn't an entirely strange thing to share but I had to smile when I saw your picture of the sunrise. I haven't been in on the "So long, Insecurity" journey because I found out about it late, and knew I needed to tackle it when I could dedicate myself to it. However, I did buy my copy last night. Actually three…one for me, one for mom and one for sister. We are related by blood, and by some of the same insecurity issues! At the counter when my husband went to pay for THREE copies, he told the cashier, "I'm really insecure." I did laugh, even though at the same time I was a little insecure 🙂 Anyway, my mind hung onto the "Beth Moore" incident from the evening and turned it into quite a dream while I was asleep last night. That's right, you were in it! I won't try to explain it all as I'm sure it wouldn't make any sense, but you were leading an event at my church, and during worship you were so overcome with joy and excitement you threw open the double doors that lead to the wide open field outside and ran out jumping and praising! And then, we waited for the SUNRISE. It was beautiful, and in the way only a dream can do, the sun climbed the sky to midday height in about 1 1/2 seconds 🙂 Wanted to share with you, and this post was an open door. I do apologize for making it so long. You are such a blessing-thank you for sharing God’s love and that of your family-so encouraging!
Hi Beth! I totally know what you're talking about. My man and I have a place with a Super S grocery store nearby! I also have a pair of snake boots just like yours.We don't have a ranch vehicle yet but your man toys are the same ones on my man's wish list. We call the place El Milagro (the Miracle). God is good…all the time. Blessings Kathy Wallace
I'm a little late reading this–please know from the depths of my heart that I feel it's wonderful you have that land. It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us! 🙂
That was a beautiful post. You were so worried people would be jealous, but it was just a bunch of trees and weeds, a rickety swing and a little bitty house….I had to laugh…but the way you describe being there with your husband, you made it sound like, well, heaven. I also liked how even though it wouldn't be your first choice, you selflessly put your husband's choice before your own and are ultimately blessed by that. JOY = Jesus, Others, Yourself. Beautiful
Love, Sister in St. Louis
We just completed Session 5 in Stepping Up and it made such an impact on all of us(by the way, we have all LOVED Travis' singing in the video's).It was all about the depth of relationships and this journal entry makes me think so much of how blessed we all are that you are our sister In Christ that truly shares a deep love for us, enough so that you want to share this part of your life with us. This realtionship we all have with you is rich, Beth, it's truly Hebrews 10:24-25. How nice would it be for you to be able to share a bit of time with each of us that have followed this life journey with you for so many years. I have been one of your "girlfriends" since the days of Michael and hurt deeply along with you when you honestly wanted to run off with him but Risa would not let you.
I sent you my testimony years ago to share some of my story with you then got a chance to see you in Atlanta not long after that and when we spoke you remembered reading my testimony and told me to keep doing what I was doing by sharing my story with so many women and we got a good ol' girlfriend hug in and went our separate ways with a warmth in both our hearts.Our Bible study group made you the Daniel scrapbook and mailed it to you during your surgery this past holiday season and we shared what that study had meant to us and sent pictures. So, yes, I would say in the best way we can all manage it today, especially through this blog site, we all do have that relational connection with you and we all love you as deeply as you love us,Beth. We truly are all sisters on this life pilgrimage together and some day our mansions will all be close by and we will be sitting together under a big shade tree on a swing that holds us all,sipping on that favorite cup of coffee as we all do life together eternally. Until then we will continue to do the best we can here. Thank you so much for the images we can now hold in our minds when you share your trips with Keith to his little piece of heaven on earth. That was so fun!I love you, girlfriend!
I loved looking at your place. And, I completely understand how something you might not have chosen on your own is so very important to you because it is important to your man. I am the same way.
I might ride through swamps in a six-wheeler with my man instead of the cactus land in a Jeep but it is the same feeling, I'm sure.
But, look at those snake boots! They are too cool. Mine are just camo. I'm gonna have to do some shopping!
Oh,and the house reminds me of my grandmother's with the red tin roof and white siding. Beautiful!
Thanks for sharing! It's always fun to get a glimpse of places that are special to you.
oh beth, how i appreciate and love your place with keith. much like the small town i grew up in and both my grandparents places. i love the wide open and ability to get away from it all. praise God!
Beth…it's absolutely beautiful, peaceful and charming and I am so glad that you have a place like that here on earth to spend some much needed time away. I have "loved you like I love my own sisters" now for at least 12 years and it is so endearing to me for you to share your life with me. You and I have journeyed through some pretty dark days and come out on the other side a little bruised and scarred but PRAISE GOD…VICTORIOUS! Thank you for being a friend….although we haven't been formally introduced (we did meet years ago at an early Living Proof Live event where we could come down to the floor and meet you after the event) but a good friend none-the-less. It is because you have allowed yourself to be exposed that I am well on my way to freedom today. As I am honored to be leading the "revised" Breaking Free at my church right now, it is with much joy that I can look back to my "original" Breaking Free workbook (from 10 years ago WOW!) and see so many things that I am free from today! Thank you friend and whether we ever meet face to face again on this earth, I look forward to spending time with you in Heaven.
Blessings Abundant!
Nancy
Riceville, TN
46
married
This post makes me laugh! We go to family reunions in Nocona, Tx (where they used to make the boots) and the kids there are hilarious! Just "aint"in' and bad grammar all over the place. My three city boys just stand there dumbstruck by these crazy, independent country boys. By the end of the day, though, they are four-wheelin' and horseshoe throwin' with the rest of 'em.
You will get a kick out of this, too. I work as a Labor and Delivery nurse and one of our new nurses from up north asked "what does that say, on the board, FTD?" I laughed and said "It's Texas shorthand – fixin' to deliver!" I am sure she was appalled at our stupid ignorance but WE get it!
It's beautiful, Beth, and so are you for letting us into this part of your life. Thank you!
thanks so much for sharing yourself with us. personally i just love it, love it, love it!!!!!!
Hi Beth,
I just love it when you share your life with us! I know that it's been a little while since you wrote this blog and I can only hope that you'll see my post and chuckle…You see, I too, am a hunter's wife. My husband does taxidermy as well and I know that you'll appreciate the weekend getaway he thought would be fun for us! Now my husband doesn't get excited about things like I do (and like you do I'm sure) but with a sparkle in his eye he asked me if I'd seen the letter he got from the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club?(Uuhh, no) It appears that there is going to be an Awards Banquest that takes place over a weekend and he thought it might be a fun thing for us to go to for a weekend away. Sigh!! I looked at him and said, well I said a few silly things to him and then said, "I must tell Beth about this!"…going to this event may be very painful but it's his "love language" so what's a girl to do? Compromise! There's gotta be some shopping near the event!! I will bling-afy the weekend some how!