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.
Dawn Norman 
Thank you for sharing! These pictures help me to put things back in focus. For awhile I had shared with my close friends that I wanted to buy my retirement property at a ranch somewhere in the Big Bend region so that I could take part in exactly some of the things you and your hubby are doing. Very beautiful and a wonderful reminder for me to stay the course! Much love, aloha and warm blessings!
Beth – I LOVE YOUR PLACE!!! I am so glad to see these pictures because I DO GET IT!
An advantage and one of the extra blessings of the SMT Celebration last month was getting to see you "in your world" at First Baptist Houston. Being in your old Sunday School class, sitting in your "section" as we worshipped Sunday morning – tangible places that now come to my mind when I think of you and pray for you!
Keith and my man Gary TRULY have so much in common. I am serious. Any time we get in the car, he turns the XM Radio to 60's…and I also posted a picture of his John Deere on my blog just yesterday! And he gave me snake boots for Christmas…
If I sat in that swing with you we would sing "Blessed Assurance," "Great is Thy Faithfulness," "At Calvary," and "There is a Fountain," just to get started…
One more thing, the next time you get a hankering to see me in my "world," pick up Melissa in the ATL and head south about 90 miles, and we'll have a big time – I promise!
Bring Keith – and he and Gary can go hawg (hog) hunting and we'll find something to do…bring your snake boots…okay? I know a little old hole-in-the-wall store/gas station/restaurant where they have the best cheeseburgers on the way to our deer land.
Go visit my blog for a virtual tour in the meanwhile. Hope you had a good time with the grandbabies this evening…
Love you much,
GA Jan
Thank you. I love these pics. I feel so blessed that you would share your precious life with us girls. Harsh comments? Oh my goodness…thank you for not letting a few keep you from blessing so many. Much love.
Shelly-fl
Girlfriend! You just blessed the socks off me with this post! I just had to call my man in to see the swing pic (he'll see the rest when he is finished with the Olympics finale) so I could ask him if that is the swing he had in mind to build for me. He said yes. Call me silly but that tickles me. A song comes to mind: 'welcome to my world, won't you come on in' Thanks for letting us in, Beth,and you too, Keith.
Holy Hugs and sweet dreams!
Kathie
Shame on anyone who would say 'it must be nice" I'm glad you get your rest for all you do 🙂
I LOVE it! I love that you share it with us because I too love to picture someone in their surroundings, so much so that I've had my husband take pictures of his hotel room on business trips in the past! Your husband and mine would get along great, except for the snakes part. My hubby's favorite hot rod would be a blue Ford (we own one that he mows our lawn with…our less than 2 acres). We also have land up north here in MI. The first year we were married, I went to "deer camp" with him during hunting season. He warned me that deer camp has different rules and as such, certain bodily functions were not off limits in the presence of his new wife. I joke with him (after 5 years) that deer camp came home with us and never left! And, apparently, our land is NOT prime hunting land because in these 5 years, "he ain't got a deer one!" Too bad, I'd love me some jerky!
Hugs, Mama Beth!
To Anonymous with a struggling marriage. Stay strong sister. I too am in a huge marriage struggle. "For your Maker is your husband-the LORD Almighty is his name-the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-a wife who married young, only to be rejected says your God. For a brief moment I abandoned you but with deep compassion I will bring you back." Isa.54:5-7
We can be happy for Beth..and we can KNOW that our GOD has a place where HE loves us A LOT. Praying for you. Florida Friend
Am I the only one curious about what Melissa left out of her post on Song of Solomen?
Oh Beth!!! Thank you so much for sharing this! I enjoy our times when we camp and my man likes to ride his dirt bike and when I don't get on the 4wheeler (the kids love it more secretly) I sit in a cabin or a trailer whatever we are in for that trip and read and write. I love getting away from the noise, you know the kind, it disappears when the power is out! That kind of silence is FREE and so hard to find. Can't wait until we have our own place, I would love it to be in Fredericksburg. Or you could hold a Siesta Fiesta there!! 🙂
God Bless You two as your journey this time in your life!
Oh, and when I come to Woodstock and hear you in April my daughter says that I'll shout "Beth, take your watch off and just speak on sister!" I love my darling daughter so much! And she knows me so well!
Have a blessed week!
Chel (An Abiding Branch)
I love you to pieces Beth!
Thank you for sharing your family's special place with all of us here in Siestaville…this community is truly a special, special place and I am just so happy that you love us so to share your life with us. I am so glad that you and Keith had a nice, restful mini-vacation. Looks like a wonderful place to recharge.
Oh and about those cactus plants…have you ever eaten nopales???? It is a mexican dish that is made from the cactus plant…I don't like them but many people do (might not be a big Texas thing but has always been big here in CA.at least in my family!)
You look awfully cute in your "jeepin'" gear. =)
Loved this post. Looks like such a peaceful place and I'm so happy that you and Keith can get away there now and then. Thanks so much for sharing.
Beth,
Thanks you so much for sharing.
I know sharing your personal life makes you a little more vulnerable, but we absolutely love you for it.
Oh, and I think we should take a blog vote. I say LET MELISSA POST! The girl has worked hard for her degrees! Let her share! 🙂
That was so sweet, thank you for sharing!
thank you so much for sharing this portion of your life with us. this is the type of place (maybe not the type of location) 🙂 where i hope my husband and i have to escape to one day. you have filled me with hope on this cold february evening. thank you, mama beth. thank you!
thank you so much for sharing this portion of your life with us. this is the type of place (maybe not the type of location) 🙂 where i hope my husband and i have to escape to one day. you have filled me with hope on this cold february evening. thank you, mama beth. thank you!
I love you!
Simply put, you're just fun because we can "see" the real you all the time…on and off of a stage.
It's so sweet that you shared that glimpse into your private life with us. I really enjoyed it. And you look so darn cute in camo! 😉
Sigh…Thank you for sharing such a wonderful and beautiful place through the uniquness of your own eyes. Seeing it the way you do was what made this post special for me.
Makes me think how precious we are through our Heavenly Father's eyes.
How wonderfully made God sees us and in infinite detail too!
And yes…It must be nice to have such a sweet place to enjoy…AND THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING!!
And thanks to your post, we get to enjoy a little of it too. ;0) Very cool!
Doris-YT
Oh how I loved, I mean LOVED this blog !!! Talk about bringing the cowgirl out in me – wow! That was years ago ………. but it never seems to leave how I am made deep down in my soul. Thank you Keith and Beth for sharing a bit of heaven on earth with those of us who love you so deeply.
It looks wonderful! Love it! The house is adorable and I can see why you love it there.
My man just got home from his weekend hunt. His brother works for the division of wildlife, so they trapped a huge herd of antelope Friday morning, before they went hunting, using a helicopter to round them up and lots men to help with the relocation of them. He had a blast! I don't go on his hunts very often. We have talked about having land like you do, but we seem to always travel to different locations, so we still aren't sure where that special spot would be. He just came back from a hunt in south Texas last month and this time they hunted deer. I'm glad my husband has a hobby that he loves and it is fun to share his excitement.
Love your boots and camo. Do you have camo p.j.'s too? When I get a Cabela's catalog in the mail, I get a kick out of looking at all the camo clothing for women, and the camo linens and bedding they offer! Your whole house could be decorated in the camoflauge theme!
dearest beth!! i loved hearing about your weekend! thanks for sharing! 🙂 i'm so sad about so long!! i am dying to jump in but my stinkin' book isn't here yet 🙁 i guess PNG is a long way to come… and i don't feel very patient about it :/ i also had a weekend getaway to a special place! a tribal village on the sepik river… i didn't carry a shotgun, but a bush knife and some dead fish. i was knee-deep and barefoot in the swampiest bushiest jungle you could dream of, needles stabbing my feet, vines tying up my ankles and the weight of carrying my friends' food on my head! i can't say it was a relaxing weekend, but i'm MORE than refreshed after the time with my sweet sisters in Christ out here at the end of the earth… God's glory practically dripping from the banana leaves as they are being taught through Romans right now and their lives are beginning to reflect their hearts, that have trusted in and LOVE the Lord Jesus… do i like having bloody, blistered and torn up hands and feet, from doing life with them? a bruised bottom from the canoe? no way. but would i trade the privilege to be a part of their lives and see them growing and responding to the Spirit and the Word??? not a chance! i share this with you to… well, share it with you 🙂 to give a glimpse of my weekend. and to give you another thing to praise the Lord for!!! i was happy to see you had a weekend adventure too, since i was looking forward to telling you about mine! 🙂
I agree with Penny – first poster or it is postor?! It is so generous of you to share a piece of your life with us. Great pics and thank you for sharing. Cool.
Oh, sweet Beth,
it is posts like this that keep me coming back to this blog! I love you and your family as much as if you lived next door! it is really cool when you share things like this..it shows us you are as human as the rest of us.
wish i could say that one day i will get to see you in person, but that is probably never happening..but just these posts help make up for that.
Delilah Berryville, AR
I love it! Thank you for sharing your world! I have to say…I could completely enjoy a little get away for my man and me!
The last 2 lines made me cry. Beautiful!
I'm glad that you have a special place to go to get away from everything. I sincerely hope no one was tacky.
I love your post. For some reason it just made me cry. I'm so happy for your place for you and your man. My man (and boy) would love a place like that! Thanks for sharing – it was great to see.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Beth! I loved every bit of it. My John wants a place like that too, and I am going to dress up in the camo and drive the tractor right along side him.
PS- Have you and Keith ever thought about doing a couple's study? We'd buy it!!
Also, I wanted to send a link to the letter I wrote for you on my blog. Just a little show and tell of all our cute babies who get together with us to study the Patriarchs. 🙂
http://annasjoyblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/letter-for-beth-moore.html
Thank you for sharing your life with us :-)I love you!
Karen in beautiful Cottonwood, CA.
p.s. Can't wait until the similcast.
A sweet, sweet post. Such fun to get a glimpse into your life. So glad that your man loves you as he does. My man loves me, too. 🙂
God's creation is so beautiful no matter where it is. It is so good to know that you have a place that you and Keith can get away and have time together. Both of you give so much to others that you should have a time and place to love up on each other. No envy here, don't like snakes. It is truly a good feeling seeing my man happy to just have me all to himself. He doesn't care where it is. I'm sure Keith is just happy to have you all to himself.
How totally, absolutely, completely lovely. Yes, I wish for a place like this someday. I wish it for my man who would especially love it.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Love this post! Just precious! I moved to a small town in Louisiana after living in Little Rock, AR. my whole life. One day, my husband stayed home from work because he was sick. His work started at 8:00am. I went to the bank at 8:30 and the teller said, "Oh, I'm so sorry your husband is sick!". Word travels FAST in a small town! HA! 🙂 Also, the photo place in town delivered our pictures to our house! I loved it! Love the potato story! 🙂 So cute! So glad you had such a great time!
thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing these pictures of the Moore getaway. It gives pictures for the imagination….especially loved the sunrise! This is much like when we all were together for our Siesta celebration…..I was able to put "real" people to their blogging names. Precious time!
Ginger
Wetumpka, AL
I love it!
You look adorable in the camo outfit.
Thanks for sharing!
Love you!
Valerie
Momma Beth! What a beautiful home away from home! I also love places & buildings rich with history. Even when they are run down I can't help but wonder and daydream about how they lived, what they went through & who they may have been.
Some of the most gorgeous sunset pictures I've ever taken were at Big Bend National Park. We have land in Tucson, AR, but there isn't a house on the property yet. Loads & a variety of cool cactus though. I have to say that the need for snake boots and a gun are a wee bit intimidating for me though. :o) I'm not afraid of snakes… unless they are poisonous.
Loved the pictures, but most especially the one of you in your camouflage. Way to cute.
Thanks for including us in your trip.
Blessings,
Anna
It is so wonderful to have a haven of rest….Thanks for sharing yours!
I haven't ever posted a comment before, but am a very faithful blog reader and Siesta, always blessed beyond measure! This particular post prompted me to share. . . Our men are from the same mold. To be married to a hunter is a mixed blessing! I've watched my share of Duck Commander and Real Tree RoadTrip, etc. We, too, have 80 acres and a cabin (nice enough – and plumbed enough – I'd live there) to enjoy. Missouri doesn't make home for cactus, but, certainly "stick-tights" and cuckle burrs. I'm certain I've worn those same coveralls. We go on walks, pick flowers, play cards and enjoy one another. I feel blessed to have such a spot. I have a sincere admiration for you and appreciate your ministry so much. The impact your studies have had on me is immeasureable! You have an amazing gift and bless my socks off! Our God is so good to meet us where we are, using someone who shares our experiences. I'm currently leading 25 women through Breaking Free. To say they're crazy about it is and understatement. We'll see you at LPL in St. Louis!
"Free" in Missouri
"a place where my man loves me a lot" That line right there is the one! My favorite places are these! Thank you for sharing your life, we love you so!
Sherrie
That is so neat!
God Bless you, glad
Keith takes good care
of you. With the schedule
that you have, these moments
must be such a treasure.
Love,
Michele
Gotta love Texas! The closet place to Heaven on Earth!
Beth,
I am currently doing the Esther study and can't help but think…
"It's tough being a woman…in rattlesnake country…with only one shotgun shell!"
I prefer my snakes in wallet and handbag form…as Mr. Alan Jackson put it so well, "I'm a simple girl myself, grew up on Long Island"
I constantly struggle with perfectionism and only 3 1/2 years into my walk with Our Blessed Savior I still think I should be doing it better. Your willingness to be transparent with us forces me to cut myself a little slack.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! God Bless you and your beautiful family!
Casey Gionakis
I grew up on a place like that – only in Arkansas, so we worried about copperhead's more than rattlers! 🙂
And just yesterday I was asking the Lord if maybe someday I could have a spot like that again…
I loved, loved, loved seeing your "place!" Thanks for sharing!
thank you so much for sharing! seeing those pictures caused me to remember the light in my husband's eyes when we would go camping in AK (we lived in North Pole for 16 yrs) or when he would take off hunting or fishing. We've lived in OR now for 8 years, and both of us still miss the "Last Frontier" and God's majesty and beauty and wilderness.
And now, we are moving to VA! If I thought OR was populated, then there's Richmond. . .but we are going to help in our son's new church plant, and we are so excited for the adventure. My man of almost 31 years has that gleam in his eyes again, and I just can't imagine being anywhere else than by his side. So, I guess I will have to tweak my wardrobe again and get ready to hit the big city. Maybe I'll see you in Richmond 🙂
Beverly
Stayton, OR (but not much longer)
Oh, I just love you more Mrs. Moore! It just seems appropriate to call you that today after reading this post.
I am a mom to four boys and a manly man who would adore every bit of this type of little get-a-way you've described. I just think I would soak it up as well. I audibly sighed when I saw the pic of your swing and your Scripture verse because it's what I crave every day…a place to rock & be with my Savior.
Thank you for sharing your life with us, Beth! As risky as that may be for you, I feel honored that you gave us a special glimpse in to your special place you share with your man.
Thanks for the pictures. It brings the things you write about your ranch to life in a whole new way.
Whenever my sister has moved, the first thing I need to do is go there and see where she is living. I find it hard to talk to her on the phone if I can't picture where she's sitting. Strange, I know. But I'm sure your writing will all make much more sense now that I've seen one of the places where you write! 🙂
Thanks Beth for sharing a part of yourself and Keith at your little haven. It looks so special and maybe one day my sweet hubby and I will have a get away place too. For now we press on with the Lord here in Asia until He changes our direction. I sure miss my grandbabies and some days I struggle so much to be across the ocean away from them. His grace sustains me and I rest in His loving arms. I appreciate your ministry and have for many years. Thanks for being you. By the way I especially loved the picture of you in your "outdoor" outfit. I have many pic's of myself years ago on hunting trips with my guy and I treasure the memories. Hugs to you from Singapore 🙂
Beth, thanks for being transparent with this group! Your words are even more authentic when they come from an open heart.
God's handiwork speaks volumes to me also. My hubby and I live in the woods and are surrounded by the beauty of God's imagination everyday. Did you see that full moon??? Like the smile of God spilling all over creation. Priceless!
How fun to get a glimpse!! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!! WOW!! A place where your "man loves you a lot!!" That's the most romantic thing!!
You know, I'd take a ride on that swing, too!!! What a trip that'd be!!
Beth, you and Keith sooooo deserve to be blessed for your work as a family, and it's evident God thinks so too!!! You all do so much for me, and I think you'd all do it all even if it was JUST for me!!! Thank You, Moore family!!
Thank You, Father!!