Hey, my darling Siestas! Keith and I are on our way back from our Cactus Ranch, rolling east on I-10. I thought about you so much and took a few pictures with you in mind. I put the first two on Twitter so, if you’ve already seen these, you can skip on down to the rest. This is where I had my Sunday morning worship service all by myself but, as cool as I think it is, it’s a poor second to my home church. Church is about people. Not places. The Lord still heard my prayers and received my praise and I was able to intercede for Pastor Gregg as he delivered his sermons and Curtis as he taught his Sunday School class and, Tammie Head, one of my darling “mentees,” as she taught hers.
I got very amused after tweeting this picture because so many people were dismayed by this small piece of sausage on this big fire pit. Some even mourned how lonely it looked. The thing is, I was the only one eating it. It was jalapeno cheese, by the way. So dang good.
Now, here’s what I wrote to you late yesterday afternoon so keep in mind it’s a day old:
It’s a near perfect late afternoon. There is no sound except what nature makes. A north wind is shoving the first thoughts of winter into the Texas Hill Country even before she’s come to grips with Fall. Leaves are blowing off the trees before they’ve had time to turn colors. The crickets don’t know the time changed today and they’re waking up early for the night, chirping like we should be yawning. A fire is crackling in the big pit and the wind is keeping the flames high and the smoke heavy and oscillating. Both dogs are playing in the yard. Star’s feelings are hurt that I’ve put down the ball and picked up my laptop. She hates the sight of that silver apple rising up from my lap in the worst way.
The early evening sun is casting a shimmery gold over the field between the big red barn and me. It makes the pasture look soft and inviting, like you could take off your shoes and run through it barefooted in your long white flowing skirt with your wide brimmed hat in your hand, ribbon cascading from it. Hair extensions flowing behind you like you’re in a commercial where you’re about to meet the love of your life and be swept up into happily-ever-after. But you best think again, unless you want your feet to be cactus cushions, swollen up like honey dew melons, and the hem of your skirt to be embroidered in burs. We don’t wear skirts out here anyway. It’s harder to see if you’re about to step on a rattlesnake. Hair extensions do sound exotic though.
I’ve walked I don’t know how many miles since we got here on Friday. I suppose twelve or so and mostly by myself. My man is in his element here so he stays busy and I read and go on long walks. I pray a while, then say my memory verses, then nothing at all. I just try to see what I feel. And try to just think my thoughts before God and see what comes of them. We’re moving so fast these days that it’s hard to know how we feel about things, important or otherwise. Our feelings get all cross-wise and we end up getting mad about something we don’t even care about and not caring about something we should be mad about.
We go back home tomorrow, thankful for a three-day weekend, and ready to see Jackson and Annabeth. They’re at the age where they change overnight so I don’t like to go long without seeing them. We babysat them on Thursday night before we left town and ate Lil’ Smokeys (cocktail wieners) and anything else of equal nutritional value that they wanted. Cookies. Cheetos. Whatever. AB was in the cutest outfit ever. I held my I-phone up to take her picture and she looked up at me and said, “Cheesth!” I nearly died. Jackson is unbridled delight and, with the least prodding, tells me all the scoop from inside the Jones home without even knowing it. And it’s always good. But, boy, is it funny.
Oh, my word. I can see a whitetail deer about a hundred yards from where I sit. A doe. (A deer. A female deer…) She must have seen Keith drive off in his pickup, kicking up dust for a while. The dogs are frozen stiff. Mesmerized. They’ve learned the hard way that, if they bark, the fun is over. There’s another. And another. Too dark to take their pictures. I love this time of day, just as the sun goes down. If I could freeze any time of day and make it last a little longer, this would be it. Just to give pause for one long moment at the end of every day, turn back the covers and say, “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalm 116:7
I think of you so often, Sisters. I will touch base with you again tomorrow on Talk To Me Tuesday. By the way, I was greatly comforted by what big mouths we have here in Siestaville. Just think what could happen if God got a hold of all our tongues! I love you, Sweet Things. Fight the good fight of faith. Jesus is so worthy.
Beth ~ I went to the blog hoping you’d post something! Just seems right….our ladies retreat was this past weekend and we did Faithful, Abundant and True. God used it mightily! Praise Him!
We are also doing your Revelation study. Remember when you were talking about how the Israelites had lost their tribal identity but God knew? I had a conversation several years ago with a man in our church about that same subject and he said something so interesting. He commented that their distinctions were also in their DNA!! I just thought that was so cool.
Thanks for you post.
Love in Christ,
Leigh Ann
Hi Beth…..loved you blog!! Your ranch looks beautiful…the nature that is around is amazing. However, and that is a BIG HOWEVER….you have snakes….dangerous snakes. I guess I will stay in Michigan….yes we do have rattlesnakes, just not where I live. Only garter snakes and I dislike them. Not sure if I had been Eve that the snake thing would have worked with me…..:)
Blessings for a great week Beth…..
Beautiful pictures! Just love those rays coming through the trees.
In His great love,
michelle in VT
Your pictures make me think of peace and rest. I’m reading a book (suggested by Angie Smith) called Sabbath, so I have been thinking of ways to “rest” lately.
It was such a delight to hear from you today. I keep checking back, just in case, and to my suprise you dropped in. thank you for sharing beautiful and vivid thoughts from your place in Texas. Sounded and looked absolutely beautiful. Blessings to you and your beautiful grandkids. They are adorable. I wish my parents were more into our kiddos, we are convinced they have no idea what they are missing out on.
I hope you know how much we love you back. You are such a blessing to this community. Thank you for all you do for us.
Just such a blessing to my day to sit here and read your words of faith and renewal. The pictures are beautiful as is your writing style. Feel like I just had a little visit with you. Beth, just love you, sweet pea. You’re such a dear one. So thankful you’re a part of my life. I listen to you or read from your books or online every day. So happy to know you were born in my lifetime!! Love you, Charla
Beautifully said Charla. Beth, I too am so happy you were born in my lifetime! Yesterday morning found me kneeling on the floor with my So Long Insecurity prayers, till I came to just what I needed to pray, and my day was completely transformed!
Love you so much!
I can relate to the weekend. Here on the Dakota plains it is always quiet. I live in a rural area and my hubby is a farmer/rancher. We can tell a weather change by the way the animals act. If I see white tail deer around more than usual, and hear the coyotes howl I know there is a big weather change because they are feeding. Animals feed heavy just before a storm. Then they hunker down and do not eat till the storm passes. If animals are gona have little ones you can always guess it is when the barometric pressure drops and a storm is coming they will have their young. God provides for these creatures in ways you would never suspect if you did not live here to see it first hand. I love my dogs and horses. They ask for so little and give so much. I thank God every day for those furry friends He has given us. We feel a great responsibility to these creatures God has given us to make sure we do all we can to keep them warm and safe when winter storms come howling through.
Makes me smile…so BIG!
And I love this version of this verse! “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” Psalm 116:7
What version is it? No matter…it’s going on a notecard right this second.
Holly, this is from the NASB version. It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?
Oh Beth, friend that I know, but don’t “know”. Thank you so much for this post….I just loved it because I too love our Lord, my two precious grand babies, the quiet of evening light, the beginnings of night, going inside to home and family, and you, friend whom I feel I know….I have grown so by doing your Bible studies and know that the Lord used “Breaking Free” to help set me free. I love my husband, and my children “hung the moon”. Like you I’ve had some pretty hard knocks and things to get over, but through God’s love and grace He helped me “cross over” and keep moving on. Stronger, yet softer, if you know what I mean. I am content in Him, yet starving for more—more Jesus, more Light, more days to be livin’ so I can glorify Him! Thank you again, for all that you are, and for sharing your beautiful “end of the day” words with us…Good night and sleep tight! Your sister in Christ, Cate
Psalm 116 is my “go get saved” psalm. It is the Psalm God used to actually tell me to go to church the very next Sunday and do what it said. “How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the LORD in the presence of all His people.” and, so I did just that. It’s been 31 years since that Sunday. He has used those years to pull me out of the pit of self-focused service and, I hope, is pleased with His workmanship today. I love growing old in the LORD, knowing it’s all Him and none of me. What freedom!
Beth, thanks for sharing the wonderful pictures. The red barn is awesome. We have mule deer here but once in a blue moon we see a whitetail up in the hills. When I started to read what you wrote it was like opening up a new book and stepping in to a new adventure, hair extensions and all! We got burs here too! Well I got my gravatar to work. That’s one of my dogs Beatrice, she sticking her tongue out lol. Walking my dogs in the early morning is “one of my favorite things” (sound of music)thank goodness for open space, I love talking to God out in the country.
Dear Mrs. Moore
I have to tell you that ready your blog today really made me laugh. And those pics that you took are so pretty. So thank you so much for all of your kind words.
Sincerely Jaymee De La Rosa.
I am new to this blog, and I just read I don’t know how many old posts. I am so blessed by your words and insights, Beth, and I just love to see how God has created a community of believers through this blog. I look forward to being a part of it all!!
Welcome, Sarabeth!
Beth –
Great post and beautiful pix! Even the lone grill item – couldn’t stop looking out over the fence in the background. Visiting this blog and reading all the posts is like snitching from a secret stash of chocolate. There are so many other things I need to do but this just tastes so good!
Hair extensions… doe a dear! Cheesth! Psalm 116:7!
Yes!
Thanks for sharing the contemplative photos and for the important reminder to slow down to think about what’s really important each day. That was just what I needed to hear right before the holiday season comes….
That was beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
praying for you and Melissa as you work on James 🙂
love you
Beth,
Thanks for transporting us all to the ranch for a little getaway through this wonderful post. Praise God for Sabbath rests and the chance to just be with Him and breathe a bit! As Josh Wilson put it, we “work so hard and live so fast.” How faithful our God is to pour out everything we need. I love and appreciate you, sister.:)
Beautiful, simply beautiful. Those are great photos! Taken with your iphone? I am impressed. We did some outdoor yard work ourselves this weekend. Nothing like watching the kids fall prey to the temptation of jumping in a freshly raked pile of leaves!
Happy Fall Siestas!
Wendy
Thank you for sharing—very refreshing!
Leann (Alabama)
Oh, I love when you said we need to stop and just be so we know how we feel about things. I’m leaving for a couple of days with my man and I plan on doing just that. I sometimes need to be reminded, “what do I care about again?”
Love you Beth! Praying for the entire team in NC. I think the world of so many of you.
Hugs and blessings,
Fran
Dear Beth,
What an unexpected gift when I logged on and saw your post. Dusk is also my favorite time of day. What a beautiful gift from our Father. Asking my fellow Siestas to pray for Grayson, a newborn who is undergoing open heart surgery this morning. Love, Linda
Oh Sweet Beth-
I love these kinds of posts so much. You are absolutely right…I feel life passing us by so quickly that we are still spinning when we should be standing still. I have had such a yearning for a place in the country lately….I grew up on a farm, and the city life has never bothered me until lately….hoping and praying…God certainly knows the desires of this girls heart!
I love you back dear friend,
Andrea
Absolutely beautiful Beth. God’s beauty is amazing!
Blessings to you and your family.
Beth, thank you so much for sharing this post..for some reason it made me cry..have a blessed week.
Beth,
The pictures are just great. Just what I needed. We are moving/packing/fighting, and could use soome quite time together. As you know my husband is ill(20% of his heart)he is workind his self to dead helping me, for we have no help. Just pray there was somewhere for him to go rest. Can we come to your quite place. LOL. Thanks agaiin for all you do. I am enjoying the “Living Beyond Yourself” study, and I am almost finish with it. Blessing to you and your family. After we get settle in I am going to send you some pictures of my babies to Michelle at LMP. You will get a hoot out of them. They like candy corn.(love).
Have a wonder fall.
I’m so glad you & Keith were able to get away to one of your ‘Happy Places’! Thanks for sharing more pics, it looks so peaceful and I’m so impressed that you go on long walks w/o Keith–so brave. I hope you had your snake boots on!
We had an awesome weekend with our both our kids and their families here. I don’t think our 8 mo. old Kennedy ever left the arms of one of us! (Hope we didn’t spoil her TOO badly!) One of our grandgirls is a Jr. in HS and took her ‘official’ tour of A&M (her Mom & I shed a few tears). I’m sure she’s going to stay in California to go to school, but she loves A&M! Now we just pray that God will guide her decision making! This morning finds me in Grandma withdrawal…I miss them!
I just remembered I better check on ‘Talk to me Tuesdays’ (see I’m a day behind!)
Thanks for sharing! I am looking forward to Sat morning here in Arkansas, deer hunting. I just love the sights and sound of the outside world waking up with me and God.
Thank you for sharing this today…………”I pray a while, then say my memory verses, then nothing at all. I just try to see what I feel. And try to just think my thoughts before God and see what comes of them.”
What a wonderful reminder that sometimes we just need to “be” before the Lord 🙂
Mel
So good to hear from you!! Hope you have a blessed day. Praying all goes well at Ridgecrest. Wish I could be there, too!
Love the pictures. The sunset was amazing. So glad that you had a wonderful weekend. I have been praying for your writing of James.
Tracy
Beth,
It amazes me how feelings of love and friendship can be felt so deeply through our computers. This blog site truly does feel like a family of sisters. I have biological sisters, but I feel more love and acceptance come through this blog site than I do through
them. Beth, thank you for using your gifts to bring Glory to God our Creator and for loving us through this blog site.
Hi Mama Beth,
I, too, love the close of the day.
When the night comes and kisses the day farewell for now. When the fast pace of the day seems to slow down. It just feels like the earth herself takes a moment to pause and pay her respects to another day that has passed with beautiful splashes of purple, orange, pink, and blue. What a beautiful tribute to the Heavenly Father who, in His infinite grace, continues to give us more that we ever deserve.
Oh Beth, thank you so much for such a beautiful beginning to my day. The pictures and your writing, of course, are awesome and brings a little bit of heaven on a normal day. Such a beautiful place to take a rest, enjoy, and to be still and know that HE IS GOD! Thank you friend!
Beth,
Thanks for the encouraging word, to fight the good fight. My family is going thru some real spiritual warfare as Satan is coming in on everyside. Pray for my children who may soon not have a home, my son has suffered a knee injury and is out of work with no pay, my husband has severe demenia, my granddaughter has leukemia as does my father but Beth we are believing that God is who he says he is and God will do what he says he will do. Just bind with us against the enemy. Praise God for your ministry and your anointing words that come to serve us all. I love you sister. Annette
Standing and praying with you!
Love how you put “I just try to see what I feel. And try to just think my thoughts before God and see what comes of them. We’re moving so fast these days … Our feelings get all cross-wise and we end up getting mad about something we don’t even care about and not caring about something we should be mad about.” This is absolutely true. We get to the things we should be mad about and we have no energy left. That’s my current struggle, learning to be quiet to focus on the right things and get mad about the right things. Like I always say, if Mama is not fighting for you, then who will? (God, of course, but you understand my meaning.) We need to show up when it is right and not be so burdened and busy so as to not fight. I tend to try and let things go so others may have the opposite problem. Bless you!!
Beautiful!!! God is such a great artist!! The oranges were amazing!!!! I love the country!!!!!!!!
Wow, Psalm, 116:7, I didn’t know that was there, how soothing is that…That is so true, caring about things we shouldn’t and not caring about things we should be passionate about…It reminds me of Melissa’s post awhile back about majoring in the minors, and minoring in the majors spiritually speaking. Like simply understanding Who God is based on His revealed Word, instead of focusing on the fine distinctions between some denominations, like you say, rib issues…I love those verses about fighting the good fight, finishing the race, keeping the faith. It sounds so noble, and worthy of our diligence to finish strong, hearing His beautiful voice, saying to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” “My beloved, you glorified Me on earth.” Oh to hear that!
Blessings to you always, ((HUGS)), love in Him,
katiegfromtennessee
Man, it is so good to hear from you. I recognize your absence from the blog as a God thing. But I miss you like a true friend. Isn’t that crazy? On a blog of all things! Anyways, it was so good to hear about your weekend. Mine was wrecked with hormones. Ha! 🙂
Oh – what beautiful pictures and prose. Felt like i was there. You are a blessing in my life Beth. Feel like i could jsut rush on down to Texas and have a cup of coffee with you. Might just do that – so look out for a crazy lady with CO plates:)
This post was amazing. the pictures went so well with your words (or vice versa). I love it! Felt like I was sitting on that swing writing myself. The beauty of God’s earth is so amazing, isn’t it?!
So good to hear from you Mama Siesta. I love it that you had a relaxing three day weekend! Praise God for times of refreshing. Love you, praying for you-loved the pictures.
I’ve been cleaning house and helping my parents get ready for the Thanksgiving crowd coming in a few weeks. We’ve been digging up the flower beds, cleaning out the old flower pots, raking leaves, washing sheets and blankets to put on the beds, preparing dishes of food for the freezer so we can simply take them out and into the oven, and many other things. But on Wednesday evening I’m with a group of ladies watching your “In Heritence” CD study. I pray for you then and for my family. So thankful for you and LPM. Enjoy your blog… it helps me stop and rest a minute. 🙂
Thanks so much for the post. I lived in Helotes, just at the foothills of the Texas Hill County. It was a beautiful experience, and seeing your pics made me realized how blessed I was for those 5 years. Enjoyed John Hagee while there too! Enjoy your mentoring more than you know. Blessings!
I love it when you post pictures and I’m so thankful God made you. You make me smile and laugh out loud. Sometimes I’m tempted to call your work and say yes I need to talk to my moma. Im not kidding either. NOW
I learnt something last night during bible study. We were talking about Solomon. Did I spell his name right? Keep in mind for the first 15 minutes I thought we were talking about samson the hair man. LOL…. I do need a kids bible. I never knew the story of the women and the two babies. I honestly thought about it all night. Who would ever agree to cut a baby in half I mean for crying out loud , that about made me mad. Do you ever wonder what it would have been like to live in those days? I don’t think I could have made it.
Now you know this daughter loves you and Im glad you are having some blessed days. Will you say a prayer for me I need one.
An Apple! An Apple! A silver APPLE! Okay, I’m jealous! I would have so many fewer (and I’m writing a book!?!) problems while writing my devotional book if I had a computer with an apple on it instead of this old clunker that I don’t even know what it is! Someone who got a new PC gave it to us. We should be just grateful to have a computer with our budget! But I’m never happy unless I have the best to get me going on what I’m hoping will be a writing career. My friend says “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors iphone, ipad, itouch, Macbook,or anything else Apple thy neighbor may own.” I told her I draw the line when it comes to Apple products! I will covet them unitl the day I die! Oh, yeah, I love you! Really I do, but I want your laptop!
Your pictures are so beautiful Beth!! We get to see deer in our woodsy backyard almost every morning and evening here in NE Ohio…makes me wonder if they wouldn’t rather be down in TX in a warmer climate!! 🙂
Jen N.
It is so hard to put 49 years of pain and promise into one short blog spot. After a lifetime of feeling and believing I was unloved and unlovable, God revealed to me over time through Believing God, and currently Breaking Free that one of my closest relatives had the ultimate courage to break generational bondage. Instead of looking at the abuse and abandonment we experienced, God used information provided to me by a sibling at a family event two weekends ago to show me in a flash that I am loved and was worth this closest relative risking their own life to save us from abuse of all kinds. I never knew that before. I always felt like this person did not love me and have dealt with feeling unworthy my whole life. I have voraciously sought this affirmation and love from others and never knew why until this past year. God is breaking that yoke of slavery and is currently replacing it with His yoke of liberty as I choose to take Him up on his invitation daily (sometimes hourly or minute by minute)to “Come and I will give you rest.” It is the most excruciatingly painful and most exceedingly glorious time with the Lord I have ever had. I never allowed myself to feel anything but anger. Now, He is teaching me to feel the real things and I have been truly broken-hearted. Only at this place have I allowed Him to tend to me. I was so afraid of what I would feel if I ever let the feelings out. God knew I needed to let that go and led me to lay this before Him and ask Him to take it out by the roots. I did not even know what “it” was. Now I know it was the terrible void I have felt because I did not let Him fill me up. The Lord began working before I even uttered the prayer and has been so tender and compassionate in His chastisement and discipline. He tends to things lovingly, not harshly the way I was brought up. I have never known this compassionate, “never-leaving you” kind of love before. He is truly binding up the broken-hearted. God is using the pain to bring forth His plan and purpose. Thank you Jesus!
It was awesome for you to check in. What a delight! I enjoyed it with you.
Moma Beth–it was so good to log on and find that you had posted, you truly are a blessing to each one of us. It is a privilege to be called a Siesta!! What a great reminder–enjoy the beauty that our God has created; it truly is beautiful. This should lead us all into the Thanksgiving season and time to remember ALL things we have to be thankful for. Often times we need to just slow down and “savor” the moment. Thank you so much for sharing, it was a pleasure to hear from you.
I love Fall. It’s my favorite time of the year….and I love a good sunset. Dusk is my most favorite time of the day. Since we have just moved to San Diego – I have had the privilege of getting to see THE MOST beautiful sunsets! Thank you SO much for posting these photos. They blessed me! 🙂 I have been particularly sentimental these past few days as I have been remembering how faithful God is to do the impossible in our lives. He is more Faithful than the sun that sets. Last November, my daughter lost her beloved “Peanut”…and God did the ASTOUNDING! Through an remarkable series of events that will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, He brought Peanut back home to her. I thought if anyone out there needed a little extra encouragement, that God really CAN & is able to do the unbelievable, for a little girl & a silly stuffed elephant….how much more will He do for you in your circumstance? You may read about it on my blog @ http://www.juliewenzel.blogspot.com -Also our local newspaper, where we were living @ the time, picked up the story on it…it’s an AMAZING story -and will move you to tears. There is a link to the newspaper story on my blog as well – with a few photos. 🙂
Enjoy & Happy Fall!!! WE LOVE PEANUT! 🙂