Hey, Sweet Things! I miss being on here with you! I’ll need extra patience from you for another four weeks. But, I’ll tell you what I told some of you who are on Twitter. When it seems like I’m really quiet, it’s because I’m talking my head off to you through writing. Believe you me, you are on my mind continually as I write straight to you in every segment of this curriculum. Melissa would say the same thing. Bless her heart. She worked all weekend because she needs to be finished with her excerpts a tad before I do. It’s best not to glamorize writing because it is a very demanding assignment but, if God calls you to it, receive it with joy and with the open-mindedness of a student rather than a teacher, with much self-discipline, and with relentless prayer.
Melissa said something to me yesterday that I’ve thought about a lot. She said, “You and Daddy and [insert Amanda’s nickname] are pretty much my social life right now outside of home because I can’t be a dependable friend.” Whoa. Have I ever been there. People ask often how I’ve “balanced” (me balanced???) ministry with family and I’ve said the same thing over and over: I dumped practically everything else. If you have the updated version of David: A Heart Like His, it’s dedicated to my friend, Johnnie Haines, because she stuck with this on-again-off-again friend for 30 years. I’d drop out of communication for weeks at a time. I’m not suggesting anybody out there dump their social life. It’s not healthy. It’s just what I had to do for long stretches of time in order to fulfill my responsibilities to family and calling. These days I have my fellow sojourners at LPM and YOU and I am inexpressibly grateful. Truly, it’s one reason why I love blogging so much. It’s the way I get outside without ever leaving my home or office.
Well, that was a rabbit trail. I meant to just get on here and tell you quickly what I’ve been doing for the last few days. Friday was my wildman’s birthday (I first wrote girthday! It just so happens that his girth is not a bit bigger than it was when I met him.) I asked him several days earlier where he wanted to go eat for his celebration and he said, “I just want to get to-go food so that we can have the babies, too. It wouldn’t be as fun without them.” I agreed but I stressed about him not having something special to eat for his birthday and then it hit me that I should do what most wives might do: bite the bullet and cook. That would have been a quicker decision if I’d been able to take the day off but I didn’t have the luxury. So, what to cook?? Then it hit me: Christmas dinner.
(Side bar: I tweeted that the first person who guessed what I was making for his birthday dinner would receive the book of her choice and I purely laughed out loud as it took several hours and several hundred responses for someone to guess it. FINALLY, after about 25 shots at it – ministerially speaking – our own long-time Siesta – on Twitter as @Micheledidasko – got it. What made it so hilarious and so GOD is that she hadn’t ever done Breaking Free. Well, she took her win as a sure sign and that’s what she requested. We love you, Michele! You’re a great sport! And I hope your care package makes it there soon!)
Good heavens, you guys. You’re the worst things on earth about getting me off on a tangent. Back to Christmas dinner. It’s my man’s favorite meal on earth and, six months after the holidays, it was sure to taste so good that we’d want to slap something. So, I went to the freezer section of Kroger for a turkey, made cornbread for traditional dressing, then broccoli and rice casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy and Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls. AND, drum roll please, WHITE WEDDING CAKE!!!! I know you were expecting Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake but I’d just baked one on the 4th of July. Keith’s mother always makes him a scratch German Chocolate Cake so I had to come up with something different. The 4-Moores LOVE white wedding-type cake. My cake portion was really good but you should have tasted my homemade cream cheese frosting. Honestly, I could have fluffed it up like a pillow that night and slept on it. Oh, for the sweet dreams!
We had the whole family over, stretching from Keith’s Dad, “Big Pops,” to Annabeth Ellen Jones, who, by the way, is the potty-trained princess. We had the best time even amid the chaos that is my cooking. (I made this whole gorgeous meal then threw Chinet and plastic forks at them. When someone arrived and saw the dining table barren of dishes and asked if I needed help setting the table, I may even ever-so-slightly-recall saying something like, “I worked all day long before slaving over this meal.” Servant-fail! Blast it all!)
Even so, we had a great party and I ate Christmas dinner again the next day all by myself. Then Amanda and Melissa came over yesterday late afternoon and we four original Moores heated up the leftovers and ate it AGAIN, cranberry sauce and all. Then I threw the rest away…because, by then, we were on our way to celebrating our girthday.
Yesterday both girls looked shocked when they walked in the door and saw their Daddy and me dressed alike. It was an accident. I guess I got the subliminal idea for purple in my head when I saw him dressed and ready to take me to breakfast at the BBQ place. (Yes, you read that right. You can get ribs right alongside your flapjacks.) When we were on our way in the car, he looked over at me and said, “We’re dressed alike.” (Kinda horrified. Then I was, too.) So I said, “No, we’re not! These are clearly two distinct shades of purple!” Then I kind of made that “puh” sound, like “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that.” Then we got to the BBQ restaurant where you slide your tray all the way down a cafeteria-style line and the young woman at the cash register had the gall to say, “You are dressed alike.” I said, “Well, it was an accident…” to which she said, “Oh. I thought maybe y’all were on a team of some kind.”
To which Keith said (in that slightly irritable way that Keith says things when he’s exasperated), “Well, we ARE on the same team. We’ve been married over 30 years!”
That’s the story of our lives. We never do anything simple.
After both girls made ample fun of us, Melissa clicked this picture with her cell phone. So, here we are. Team Moore.
I love you guys.
What fun catching up with you!
Bless you both, Team Moore!!
Love you, too, Beth!
Anita
Purcellville, VA
Christmas dinner in July. why not? I love it! Makes me want to do it too.
I have profound “hate-to-cook-itis” right now. In fact I’ve had it for several years now. the way I get around it and keep my family healthy is WHEN I cook, I just double the recipe and make SEVERAL… Of whatever it is I’m cooking. then I put the extra in my big freezer. My husband bought me a full freezer last year for my birthday. I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to see that freezer fill up. Only problem is, I don’t want to use any of the casseroles that are in there… Cause it will mean I have to cook again….
did I mention I’m doing “breaking free” over the summer?
PRaying for you as you finish James… Can’t wait to studybit with you and Melissa.
Heidi
You two are just so stinkin’ cute! Love Team Moore. 🙂
My hubby and me will celebrate 22 years this Friday (been wondering about what verse to memorize for such a day). We occasionally, accidentally dress alike as well. I’m so happy God put us on the same team. I wouldn’t what another!
Beth, how do you make strangers feel like your friends through a glaring computer screen? It is truly a God given gift. Your genuine love for the body of Christ shines through.
You are the best wife a husband could have! In the midst of stressing over the James material, you loved your man to completely blow him away with his favorite meal. I just think that’s the sweetest thing ever. I just love how your family loves each other. Do you think you could share the cornbread dressing recipe sometime?
Happy Birthday Siesta Dad!
Beth – you are a delight to be sure!! Love, Love reading your blog about your ministry and your life…brings a smile to my face and a giggle to my mouth most every time I read a new post (and usually the 2nd time I read it…some of us are SLOW learners and I don’t want to miss anything!!) Happy belated birthday to your sweet man and kudos for the Christmas dinner in Texas in July!
My husband would pick home cooking any day over a restaurant! If I made Christmas dinner he would , in the words of my Grandmother, ” go mad and bite himself!!”
I was crying early this morning because a dear friend is visiting from California this week and I haven’t written or spoken to her for several months. Thank you giving me permission to take a little grace on this one.
Love you.
If I had to choose only one blog to read, this would be it! I am always uplifted with what you share and it always makes me want to be closer to our precious Jesus. Thank you for sharing your heart with us.
Sweetest Couple!!! Thanks for all the sacrifices you make to minister to the Lord. You keep writing. We will keep praying! I am currently doing Esther at my church and David at home and it is unbelievable how each week the messages are designed for EXACTLY what I am going through and feeling – a time such as this. Thank YOU Lord! It is surprising how the two studies coincide along with your Toronto Live Event … for example:
“You were destined to be a warrior”.
“The time is now” ~ “Time for a new beginning”
The Lord is using you – you mighty warrior!
May the Lord fill you to overflow with His Spirit.
Love y’all!
God is just too cute in the way He works. We are just comming out of one of thoes seasons where afterward you look around and go ok everyone still here.??? Good, by the grace of God we made it!! My husband’s encouragement for getting us through was in the tough moments to call us “Team Dupler”. Last night we had no kids in our house (Yeah we needed a little break)…power went out so we had to bucket out the water in the sump pump by hand. Team Dupler was at it again. Thanks for being His servant, Beth!!!! God is working through you to change our lives… Deana
Beth, I must say that this post made my morning. You have a way with words to bring laughter and tears simultaneously. I love the effort you put into your meal for Keith. He is a truly blessed man with a woman like you. And you are truly blessed with a man like him, because if my fiance saw that we were dressed alike in the car, he would have, upon the discovery, turned right around and changed. Bless you both!
What a bright spot in my morning you are!
I do love your tangents 🙂
Must travel to Texas sometime, never heard of a BBQ breakfast place! I think I need to get out more! LOL!
Thanks for taking the time to update. God bless you and your team as you take the home stretch on your project.
Loved this! Happy Birthday to King Moore! =) Christmas, I mean birthday, dinner sounded awesome!
This was also a gentle reminder for me that it is ok to put family first for extended periods of time, from time to time. I’ve recently had sadness, even sense of guilt, over my “separation” from friends at times. I guess the true sisters will stick with us through those growing periods as well.
Thanks, Momma Moore! I hope you, your family and all of you sweet Siestas have a blessed day.
Thanks for popping in on all of us Siesta ladies 🙂
You’re a gem.
Love to you,
Kate 🙂
It was so good to hear from you. I’d been missing all the info on how things are going with you. Our church is planning on doing the new Bible study on James this next January. I can’t wait to get into it. Thanks for all you do.
Hey Beth, I love you, rabbit trails and all! You make me laugh and smile! God bless you and your entire family!
Sacha
I loved the rambling of the blog. Sounds like our lives as well. With a husband who has been travelling for work for 3 years his time at home is sporadic. Time spent with family and friends is cherished because there is not much of it. But it is amazing that in the family of God you can pick up where you left off and the love is still there. Thanks Beth for being an “ordinary” woman of God that we can relate to and growth with. Your insight from God has kept this woman of God on my crooked path of life for many years and I look forward to studying James with you and my sisters in Christ. You look wonderful in purple..
I just saw the promo for the James Study on Lifeway’s website. I cannot wait. If I could have pre-ordered I would have.
🙂
I am so there with you Beth on the having to set certain things aside. I am moving to Mckinney Texas the last week of the month. I feel like I going on a sabatical. New small group leader starts and God is going to grow this group beyond their wildest imagingation. I will be starting new in all aspects of life. My Pastor preached a called Updraft Sunday. Like and eagle God will soar me to new heights as long as I dont flap my wings.
Beth, when I read your blogs I just feel you are a kindred spirit. I feel like I know you from way back when. I feel that if we saw each other in town, we’d just hug and giggle like old friends do. Just wanted to say that even though you don’t have a clue who I am, that I love you and count you as a friend! BTW, I have been reading the siesta blog for awoke, but don’t really know how or even what it takes to be a sista! Could you let me know? Love you!!
Hi Loretta! If you read and follow the Blog, that makes you a Siesta! There’ s a tab on the right-hand side bar of the blog homepage “What’s A Siesta?” that may help you. 🙂 Welcome!
Thank you for sharing, Beth your honesty and love for Jesus always encourages me. I thank God for you often, my man loves to fish and hunt and yes we are a team and have been married 30 years. Blessings..
glad you popped in for a brief chat–loved those rabbit trails!
my folks used to dress alike on accident quite often. it became a family joke between them and my sister and i. they too are still on the same team, almost 45 years later!
happy writing…keep up the good work; you’re almost done!
Sweet Friend, I think you were worth sticking with!
I don’t normally respond to your wonderful blog posts, except the memory verse…but there is so much I connect with on this one!
1) Melissa’s comment about friends – that explains my life! From time to time I wonder why I don’t have any close friends (besides my BFF from college who lives in FL while I live in OK). Occasionally I talk to God about it when it bothers me, but He gently reminds me to I have enough: 6 kids, 4 age 8 and under, a very trouble teenager who seems to fail at everything we try to teach her, and my oldest who has a baby of her own which makes me “Nana”. Next we are restaurant people…I think that is enough said! Thanks for sharing, I’m not the only one 🙂
2) I also celebrated a birthday last week, no Christmas dinner but what a great idea! Why must we only have that yummy meal once a year? You need to share the “Drum-Roll Wedding Cake” recipe. I was really excited about my birthday, I handed over your list of good books to have on hand and got back Holman’s dictionary and Grudem’s Systematic Theology! Wow!
3) My sweet husband and I try to match quite frequently – does that make us weird?!? Of course, we do work together so I guess since we look like a team, it must help us act like a power team! Only, I never thought about us as Team Shuman until I read about Team Moore! Thanks 🙂
Love you too, Beth!! All of your hard work is SO appreciated! Everything that you share from your struggles and stresses to the lovin’ you pour over your hubby and kids and sweet grandbabies inspires me! Keep up the good work! You are in my prayers!
(P.S. You and Keith are too stinkin’ cute! Great picture!)
Soooo precious – all of it & just what this Nana needed to quickly, emphasis on quickly, read as I care for my almost 2 yr old not yet, but trying, potty trained princess granddaughter!! Was that a run on or what!!! You and your sweet family are a blast and so loved! Thank you and God bless and perfect what He is so doing in you!
Blessings, Beverly
Oh, what amazing family you all are! I like the oven bird story, you see I have cooked turkey in the middle of the year also, awesome!
Happy Birthday to Fisherman Moore. All that good birthday cake sounds delicious. Our household likes my strawberry short cake or Italian cream cake the most.
My sweet Gordon has been cooking outside on the grill when it was possible, due to this dry, hot weather we are having there has not been much cooking outside. We really enjoy the beef ribs, chicken, hamburgers, potatoe salad, corn-on the cob etc. This summer has kept us indoors where it is cool.
Our church ladies will begin your Bible study “When Godly People do Ungodly Things” in August, which I need your prayers please. I am leading this study, but I also have something else I would like to share.
I am thinking of helping other churches start Bible study in their church. I would like to start helping other churches and I would like to know more about how to minister (I guess that is the word for it), and not counsel, but help those who have special needs in their lives. I need a book or something to help me so I can reach others in a nice, tactful way and show God’s love toward them. It has been on my heart for some time now.
sweet family and beautiful couple!
Give the potty trained princess a hug_tell her “Good Girl.” She is a sweetie!
That has to be the sweetest picture of y’all. And that is the BEST – TEAM MOORE!
More blessings,
More Jesus.
Moore MVP – Most valued Pair belonging to JESUS!
Just loved this whole post, tangents and all! White wedding cake is my favorite. Did you make it from scratch? If so, you must share the recipe here sometime soon 🙂
you forgot to mention about the dvd players!
hahahaha that’s right!
Thanks for posting today~I have truly missed you. I can’t wait for the James study:)
Happy Birthday to your hubby~enjoy!!!! Love, Karla:)
Each summer I pack up my life and head out to a summer mission project with CCC. I’m a grown up 40 year old woman! But I have the privilege of spending 6 weeks with a slew of 18-22 year olds and watching God mould their hearts. It is a crazy life.
One thing I am thankful for each year is my friends at home and around the US who put up with this and love me well through it. Other “grown ups” don’t disappear for months. They are home with their kids with a normal life. I’m horrible at returning calls, e-mails, texts. All three. I’m in “present mode”. Yet, again, those friends love me well and leave update voice mails. I am so thankful and blessed by that little gift from each one.
Right now I’m 4 weeks with 4 to go. I KNOW they will stick with me and their encouraging words mean more than they’ll ever know.
I LOVE that you made Christmas dinner in July. My hubby’s birthday is in February and many years ago, he requested hamburgers and strawberry shortcake. Potato salad and baked beans were added to the menu. And it my be snowing outside, but inside we are having a picnic. And it always tastes SO good! And now when he wants to change the menu, nobody wants him to. Ah, tradition.
Thanks for sharing, Beth. Christmas in July…sounds delicious. Glad to hear I am not the only one around here who doesn’t like to cook! So blessed by you and your family. You guys make a great team 🙂 Blessings to all of you.
OK I don’t do any tweeting…I need to figure that OUT! I hate missing fun things like guessing “What’s for dinner” at the Moore’s house!!!! 😉
Today of all days, my over worked hubby is home, and we needed to go out. I got myself together and dressed first, and once out – he commented hey you can’t wear that! – Fearing I had a spot or something awful! I was all panicked – nope! It was that I had a black top and jeans and black shoes and so did he!! He HATES wearing almost the same anything – He figures only people going to a “Garth Brooks” concert can wear the same (Sorry to the country folks!) – so I will point out the purple garb and laugh!!! He won’t but it made my day!!!
Thanks Beth for making this day special!!! 🙂
Now off to find that tweet button!
Prayer request!!! I need to get an MRI on my back/leg/hip! Insurance isn’t cooperating, please pray! God is Bigger than this whole thing, this I know! I love you all though I’ve never seen you, you are in my heart! Thank you my dear sweet things!
That was the longest quick hello I’ve ever read (hee hee)…and I love you right back.
Team Moore is ADORABLE!!!! What a fun post!!
I can totally relate!! My hubby and I were both wearing a red shirt and khaki shorts with flip flops when we went to the hospital Sunday to see a family friend…and yes, people were looking at us! All I can say is I was dressed first :).
that is just too funny. We do things like that too. We celebrated 39 years this May. We were high school sweethearts and are still sweethearts. You both chose a good color since purple represents Royalty.
Frankie
Beth!
You were on my heart and mind yesterday, so I was pleased to find a new blog here from you! I’ve been praying for you, Melissa, and everyone involved with your upcoming study.
Thanks for taking a break to check in, it is ALWAYS a blessing to hear from you.
FYI, our church here in Tuscaloosa, (The Church at Tuscaloosa), is doing your “Stepping Up” study on Wed. mornings. WHAT A BLESSING “for such a time as this” in our lives! Thank you for the sacrifices you do make to minister to so many, talk about “preveniant grace”.
Team Moore looks spendifirous in your purple!
Love and prayers!
Team Benjamin =)
Hello Mrs.Beth!Everytime i read something you have written,i read as if i was hearing you talk and have a blast! anywho i was just wondering why don’t you give us beauty and/or health tips,what works for you?
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3
Hi Beth- You are often mentioning how we are precious to God…is there specific verses that you know that talk of our identity in Christ. I thank God for you and your ministry. Thanks! Kristin
Ya’ll are just so precious, I love it. My hubby and I have been married 41 years and 8 months. I love hearing about ya’lls normal life in this abnormal world. We also have a normal life in an abnormal world. Have a tremendous day and THANK YOU Beth for all that you do, to remind us of our Joys.
I’m so glad that you love blogging because this blog has been such a blessing, a hoot and challenging to my spirit. I so often relate to what you are saying – it blows my mind. I’ve never met you in person – only seen you from afar and yet most of the time I can relate to what you say.
What a God thing that has been such a source of encouragement! I have been shocked at how often the topic of the post is exactly what I have been thinking about!Isn’t God amazing how he puts hearts together. Love it, Love you.
I think you guys look adorable! After so many years together I still seem to dress my husband and myself alike most of the time. It’s like you said, it’s almost automatic. Happy birthday Keith Moore and sounds like you had a wonderful day with family all around.
I’ve missed hearing from you Ms. Beth but can hardly wait too get my hands and my mind into that study. I would also like for you guys to remember my 12 year old granddaughter, Alexa, in prayer on Wednesday morning around 11:00– she will be having another surgery on her shunt, #26. God has been so faithful and we’re asking that He will prevent any bleeding, infection, or brain damage. She is such a trooper! Her faith is remarkable and God is using her so mightily. Please keep us in your prayers over the next couple of weeks–May God be praised! Carla Lee
I love the way you make everyone feel like we are talking over the phone lines; just like in the old days. You are too cool. But God is Cooler! I know you don’t mind me saying that and agree 200%.
Sisters in Christ,
Genevieve
GG