Have you ever wanted to blog so badly because you love your blog community so much you can hardly stand it but your mind is as fried as a Louisiana catfish? Well, that’s me today. My heart is huge with affection for you right now but my brain has shrunk under the weight of my bleached blond hair and my tired tongue is tied in about ten thousand tiny knots. I had the great privilege of serving in Sioux Falls, South Dakota this weekend and used up about 500,000 words and, incidentally, got to have my picture taken with about 40 of you darling things the moment it was over. I’ve spent today researching the next lesson I’m writing for Children of the Day and serving my beloved staff at our devotional and prayer time. (We usually have it on Mondays but I got to have a day off with my handsome man yesterday.) And so, here I sit, wanting so much to say something meaningful to you and to say it well and yet girlfriend is tragically bereft of words.
Therefore, instead of staying quiet when I’m bereft of words which is the better part of wisdom, I’ll do what any good, fast-talking sanguine would do: I will just say stuff that comes to my mind. So here goes for what may be the single most pathetic post of my blogging life. And all because I love you and don’t want you to feel forgotten around here. So, actually, you’ll need to take some responsibility for the anti-profundity that is about to blow up all over you like your four year-old with a stomach bug after a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
Random stuff going through my head – or through my life – or anywhere in the vicinity of 100 noticeable miles from me that I have energy enough to say. I’ll go for 20 of them:
1. The main thing I love to get at a fried chicken drive-thru like Church’s is okra. I love fried okra like nobody’s business. No matter what size container of it Keith brings home, I eat it. And I am never glad I did. No, I don’t usually eat that way. I only eat that way if Keith makes me eat that way by bringing it home and setting it under my generous nose. And I like a lot of salt on it. I’m sorry this was first but we’ve fasted all day here at the ministry and I am starving. Well. Not really starving but a tad hungry.
2. I wish I did not use the word “tad” so much.
3. I wish I did not use the word “so” so much.
4. 80% of my travel so far this 2013 has involved drama. Delays. Cancelled flights. You name it. No, I’m not superstitious or anything but my luggage is and it will be happy when it’s 2014.
5. I love serving at Living Proof Live as much as ever and, in some ways, maybe more. I’m not sure what’s up. Well, Jesus is up.
6. My beloved “Miss America of Hair” is out for 3 months with the cutest new baby girl you have just about ever seen. And I could use a strong antidepressant and maybe even a nerve pill. I have told MAOH (Miss America of Hair but it is unfortunate that I had to tell you that) that I am particularly gifted at rocking babies and have no doubt that I could do it even while she is cutting and blow drying my hair.
7. I hate that I’m so selfish.
8. I hate even worse that my hair looks like it has been teased with egg beaters then baked to utter unbreakability.
9. Travis has written a new theme song for Living Proof Live and it is just fantastic. I love it so much. There I go again with a “so.” So, so, so. It’s always so. I’m never underwhelmed. It’s always overwhelmed for me. At some point he’ll record it. I’m talking about Travis now. Please stay with me. I hope it’s while we’re still actually doing the event but we’ll see. He does not seem to be in a hurry. If the song turns into a video, I’ll go ahead and bless you by doing an interpretive dance.
10. Keith has new really cool, chunky black glasses that Melissa gave him for Father’s Day and he is so handsome in them. I’ve been working with him on how to wear them because Keith has never made “cool” a big priority. I know. I can’t understand it either. But, that fact is, in order to pull off this new look, I’ve told him over and over that he’s got to own it. He’s getting better at it. And every time he practices it with me, we get tickled to no end.
11. Jackson and Annabeth are at the best ages ever. 7 and 4. I’m bonkers over them. Of late, Annabeth has been swiping her mother’s cell phone and taping videos of herself. They are so funny that Melissa and I push play over and over and over again and laugh as hard the 15th time as the first. Annabeth sings really loud on them and mostly in an unknown language. It’s like once she hits record, she knows she needs to sing but cannot for the life of her think of any words. Like me and today’s post.
12. Tomorrow (August 7th) my mom has been with the Lord for 15 years. I cannot fathom it. She was the axle on which my entire family of origin wheeled. We miss her so much and we are still in the process of sewing our family back together. We all love each other very much but we don’t really know what to do without her. She said jump. We said how high? It’s like we haven’t jumped in 15 years. The spring went right out of our family step. Sorry. That one came out of nowhere. And now I’ve got a lump in my throat which is going to force me to have to say something unfathomably stupid for #13 so I can pull out of it.
13. Queen Esther is going to the beauty shop tomorrow for a trim. Please do not tell me that you do not know that Queen Esther is my 5 year old Border Collie who goes by “Star” for short. I cannot take it. Not after what you put me through with #12.
14. After untold years of unwavering devotion, I have recently switched from Starbuck’s Breakfast Blend in my coffee maker at home to Gevalia Traditional Roast. I still love Starbuck’s Breakfast Blend but it was out of stock recently at Kroger and Keith grabbed us some Gevalia and, honestly, it almost makes me high. Oh, not really. Calm down. But it does make me really anxious and really nervous but in kind of an exhilarating way. I think it may have more caffeine. And goodness knows, all I need is more caffeine.
15. I struggle with insomnia.
(So tickled. It’s deplorably bad manners to admit to, on occasion, making your own self laugh. I wouldn’t do it if this were a better post. But it’s not.)
16. Pause. Pause. Thinking. Thinking. Oh! Here’s a good one! Keith had to put a rabid raccoon out of its misery 2 weeks ago. I was just glad he didn’t take it to the taxidermist.
17. Getting desperate now. And hungrier. Hmmmm. I left my phone charger in the hotel room in Sioux Falls. That’s not a very good one. Let me see if I can think of a better one. Ok. I mostly just use my spray tanner on my arms. My legs that used to be golden brown by sun and then by spray are now a very odd shade of corpse white.
18. Kind of a fun new study experience (translation: not in-depth like COTD but much more than just a listening guide) has just come out called “Sacred Secrets.” We hadn’t intended to do it but had so much fun with it at an LPL event that it turned into something. I took a couple of weeks off from writing COTD to develop it with my editor. I’ll tell you about it when I’m in a more coherent mood. Now’s not the time. It’s not that I’m not in the mood to tell a secret. It’s that I can’t be trusted with anything sacred in this frame of mind.
19. I’m so dang glad it’s August because we can’t get it over-with in Houston until it gets here. Understand what I’m saying? It has to come to go. A lot of things are like that. We dread it all year long around these parts. I now take the dogs for a romp in the country at 7:00 PM so the temperature can drop below 100 degrees. I’m embarrassed at what a terrible point that one was. I know we’ll both be relieved for me to finally get to the next one and put us all out of our misery.
20. The last of my staff just texted me and said, “We are heading out!” So, I better get my tail out of here pretty soon, too, before there’s a creepster in the parking lot. Anyway, I’m hungry.
And I want fried okra.
I apologize, y’all. It’s been humiliating, hasn’t it? Can it just be the thought that counted today? I love you guys like crazy. Stay tight with Jesus. He’s everything. I’ll talk to you soon and it will be like I’m a different person. Only, underneath my skin, this is pretty much me. And THAT’S why we can each be thankful we have Jesus. Or we’d just be plain-old-us.
I laughed out loud repeatedly – this was one of my favorite posts ever! I have been attending your Tuesday night Houston Bible study sessions since the 2nd taping of the tabernacle series – A Woman’s Heart, God’s Dwelling Place (7+ years ago?), and though we’ve never met I feel like I know you. I am so thankful my friend Lorraine invited me to that and told me about your teaching! God keep you strong and fighting the good fight, Beth! You help us see the love OF and love FOR Jesus so clearly through your teaching and your life!
Well I gotta say, I enjoyed the read 🙂 made me smile 🙂 Love ya
Love it. Honest and hilarious.
Please know that you are loved, prayed for and appreciated.
Oh, Beth..I just love you!
Thanks for sharing yourself…all of yourself, with us. I felt like i was sitting right there with you having a giggle fest!
Hope you have a great 7th! … And remembering the good things!
In Him…joy!
😉 lynn
This is one of the reasons I love you SO!
OH BETH. I needed that so badly. Thank you for giving me a belly laugh before 6:30 am. That doesn’t happen everyday. “Stay tight with Jesus. He’s everything.” — that one I take with me to pass on. Love.
Beth,
The psalmist used “so” at least twice in psalm 63…I know this because I keep leaving it off every time I repeat it to myself. Based on your description of Keith over the years, I do not think he needs to try to be cool, he sounds like my man, calm, cool and collected…he just is, with noneffort at all so he does not need to ever try to look that way
I am glad that I am not the only one who has those days. Some days I cannot even think straight!
Love you Beth! Thankful for all that you do to serve Him! I so appreciate you and living proof ministries and Travis’ praise team. Can’t wait to hear the new song. I do not like okra! sorry! I do love hush puppies though. We dont’ have those here in NH, like you do in Texas! When I go to Texas I eat them at every restaurant I go to. Why do they make them all so different?
Lyn from NH
21. And THIS is exactly why we love you and you love us…
It’s ok to just be you…enjoyed your post! Can’t wait to see you in Shreveport the 23and 24! My sister that has never been to an event may be coming and her daughter recovering from tongue cancer (41 years old). Please pray for her. Her name is Leigh Ann…thank you for feeding our souls so many times!!!! God Bless!
Bethy, thx for the very amazing post today. Be of good cheer. God has overcome and you are
an overcomer.
I really think we are Jeesus cousins sometimes.
Have fun!
God bless you
Suey
Oh Beth…just what I needed this morning, a little giggle and some “girl time” at my desk with a cup of coffee! Many prayers for you and your family today, may God grant you peace and serenity on this anniversary. And I am sure Star will look just darling after her appointment! Daughter of the King, Lynne
I gotta say I truly enjoyed the random blog. I know I am quirky but sometimes that’s all life is, is random. On Random days we are reminded of how little control we actually have. Usually random blindsides us at 2 o’clock on a normal Tuesday and we realize our lives are truly random and sometimes annoying, and sometimes boring and often we are surprisingly emotional. We can’t do the smile but we can giggle in fits for some reason. True story: one Sunday I was sitting in a relatively normal headspace working hard to stay tracking with the sermon taking the note like the O.C.D. note taker I am (I personally think it should be C.D.O. then it is in correct order…)There’s random for you, but the minister said something mildly amusing and out of no where the giggle fit hits, as I kept the visuale running through my head and the more I tried to keep the giggle monster contained and restrained, the worse I shook to the point my god fearing husband anxiously started to rub my arm then my shoulder and then his arm started creeping around my shoulder to help keep the shakes from being visible to the whole church (we are Pastoral team we sit close to the said minister). Said minister’s wife is my dearest friend and she started to vibrate and knew what was gonna happen if I didn’t squelch the fit. I had help from no where.. other dear friend two rows back gasped and later said part of her wanted the fit to explode and another part knew I would die from the embarrassment of such a display in such a serious time, but part of her wanted to see what would happen if it took hold (this is a friend remember). Anyway the point is My emotions were all over the map because of stuff you gotta keep private and in your heart and head cause that is what we ministering people do we are burden bearers whether it is family friends or acquaintances, and I was really far more pumped or tired I seldom can separate them while living in it than I realized and giggle fit just had to happen. Dear friend and brother in the Lord pastor just smile his huge wait til later smile and let me control myself…all because we need to be random and are verbal processors. So yes I really enjoyed your random blog, so thanks. Hope you get refreshed and fed again (I love Okra, it’s not available in the east coast of Canada where I live so when we are states side in the winter I order it any chance I get). Be blessed Beth be blessed.
This is so refreshing!!!! Thank you for this random blog, you do not know how much I needed a laugh tonight!! This is exactly WHY I love you so much!! We are all aware of what a gifted writer and holy spirit filled Bible Teacher you are, but sometimes we forget that you’re just like us! You have problems, you like fried food, you use spray tanner and you are just YOU at times, not “BETH MORE BIBLE TEACHER EXTRAORDINAIRE” (ha ha – I meant that respectfully of course!)
I love that you wrote these random thoughts, and I love that you love us enough to share…..It can get lonely at times out here serving the Lord and trying to always be UP and do the RIGHT THING at ALL TIMES, so it’s refreshing and uplifting and just down right a relief to get to come home and read something like this to lift my spirits! Thank you, thank you. It was so much fun to read and so therapeutic for me. God Bless you silly beautiful Godly lady – you inspire me daily to be a better version of me for God, my family and my church.
Dear Beth,
Absolutely loved this post! I have been struggling with a situation involving our church family, so it was great to just be able to enjoy a bit of light-heartedness! You have no idea how much this meant to me!
And I love the remark that without Jesus we would be just plain old us. Isn’t that the truth?!
Have a blessed day.
We love your “randomness” around here…especially numbers 14 & 15. 🙂
Oh, Beth, you make me laugh! I love that you are so transparent! Thank you for sharing all that… I had a lump in my throat when you talked about your mom, but then laughed outright with you next comments. You keep it real for all us girls! Thanks!! I’m looking forward to hearing about your next project.
Love this! Absolutely love this!!! I don’t feel so alone now with all the nonsensical, random thoughts that I have everyday! Thank you Beth for being so (there’s that word again) real!!!
Oh Beth, I love you so much! This blog made me feel normal. I don’t blog often because of my addictive personality. I’d be on here non-stop. But my mind is running in a thousand directions. I stood in front of my Kuerig & wondered what to do with it. Glad I’d put a cup there when it finally registered to push a button.
I’ve traveled non-stop for a month, but to take care of my babies, young & old. I’m overwhelmed with the events of the month. I just want to Praise The Lord with all my heart, soul & body but “thank you Jesus!” Is the only sensible words that will form out of my mouth.
My travels started with a trip west to our sons Change of Command ceremonies. He’s now a Squandron Commander & notified he made Lt Coloner. I can’t even spell & it won’t even come to me Colonel. We’ll just leave leave that alone.
I was home 1 day & flew south to babysit 2 gorgeous grandsons. The marriage in that home has been going south, the youngest baby has yet to be determined neurological issues. Just started walking at 17 months, runs into things, doesn’t form words to talk, but I swear by my very breath he said Gramma several times. He is the sweetest thing ever & happy as a lark. On my watch, he fell & fractured his tiny little ankle. Broke my heart. Then to add insult to injury my son-in-law is having an affair.
I was home less than 24hrs when we drove east to have to witness my other son being handcuffed & escorted out of a courtroom for a 3rd DUI in 10 yrs. Not all I’ve witnessed in his lifetime but if I had pages to tell his story you’d understand Jesus was present in that courtroom & my son was slapped on hands compared to what he should have gotten. God spared him now if he’ll get God in him I’d dance for Jesus, I’d embarrass myself but I’d dance. My son is in lock up but will be out in a week or less for work release for 2 months, house arrest for 4 months & 18 more months of probation. That is a Miracle!!!
Now I sit here, knowing I’m home for 2 1/2 wks till I drive west to babysit 2 more gorgeous babies but in the mean time I have my almost 16 yr old grandson asleep upstairs. Praying God to help me redirect this child. He’s heading in same direction his father, last paragraph son, did at same age. Hates school, sneaks out of house to roam streets, shady friends. Parents divorced, his mother could care less, just wants her child support & I have him so to get him out of her hair. Dear Jesus, beat these parents about the head & make them open their eyes.
Well I’m not sure that is 20 but I know you’re in overload & I need more coffee & see if my words to our dear Jesus will come!! Love ya,Beth. I’ll be seeing you in simulcast in Sept.
Beth,
I’ll take your random thoughts any day, because I know you will return to convicting me with your deeply spiritual thoughts and profound love for our Lord in another post, quite soon. I love how reading this current post made me feel like we just shared a cup of that favorite coffee (Ha! I recently switched TO Starbucks Breakfast Blend 🙂 Your randomness assures me that you “get” my transitional (woman) thinking far better than my man! (Does YOUR man ever ask you “Where is this going…?) Anyway, don’t ever hesitate to use your wandering thoughts to make us laugh, feel loved and take a much needed break from the seriousness of life. God bless you Girlfriend and many thanks!
Sometimes its fun to just be your silly self. It shows that you are a real authentic” human bean” just like the rest of us. You are willing to be vunerable and funny in front of your sisters.
Beth– my sweet teacher–and now my fellow fried okra lover. Would you please read my blog post
About my obsession with fed okra? Pretty please?? So happy to know we share this!!
Too excited about the fried okra connection that I forgot to tell you how to find me:
mallardsrunfarm.com ……Front Porch Tales.
Beth, you are just endearing to me, and love you for you. You never, ever have struck me as a big head, just an honest person, that I know would talk to anyone anywhere, like that man you combed his hair at the airport. Your small but big, you are just Beth and love that about you, still reachable, I still love to visit and see you from time to time, I’m that way, keeping in touch, remembering birthdays. Love, Allison
I love you, Beth. Even when you’re random, you’re interesting. Let’s have coffee.
Today is my 30th anniversary and we’ve been on vacation in St Augustine since Sunday at the cutest B&B ever. I completely relate to timeframe of mind and am sure I could not blog on 20 topics with any clarity. I had a good laugh and yes a lump in my throat since I just told my man yesterday as we were walking on the beach that my dad passed on to glory 50 years ago. Some lumps just remain. I realized as I read your post that l am the spoke that turns the wheel of my family SO you have inspired me to go home and get busy passing on some of that ‘turning’ to my girls now!
I appreciate how honest and real you are. Much love to you Beth Moore. 🙂
Love your blogs Beth!
Mrs. Beth, can I just say that I love every single one of your posts… whether they are filled with the Truth or filled with this lovely random rambling. You are so real. I love it. & you. Thank you!
Ohhh my goodness; you crack me up! I love this post. You had me laugh-out-loud (while sitting at my desk at work) when you described your legs being the color of “corpse white”!!! HAHAHAHA I can SO relate. (tee-hee – “so”)
Beth, you make me laugh! And I got a lump too about your Mom. I know the exact feeling as well. I lost my Mom 4 years ago. Bless you Beth!
I loved this post! It is always fun to catch up with you and what is going on in your life. Thanks for sparing the time. You had me laughing.
Ms. Beth, I absolutely LOVE your random, rambling thoughts! I am feeling a little prideful that I did exercise self-control and read today’s My Utmost for His Highest devotional BEFORE I read your post this morning! Sort of like eating vegetables before dessert. 🙂
Have a lovely day!
Terry in VA
Mama Beth ~ I. LOVE. YOU.
You made me laugh, you made me cry! So…wait…SOOOOO glad God gave you to us!!! :0)
oh…and one more thing…love fried okra, too, grew up eating it (Kentucky!) (that is, until my gall bladder had to go :0)
Seriously *hugs* and *kisses* to you today!
Thanks! I love random and real.
Praying for you and so glad you’re faithfully following the Lord. You are presently discipling my college-age daughter and a group of her friends with your “Believing God” study, (which my mom bought for me and has been shared numerous times:)
This post made me smile, thank you for sharing:)
Love It!! This was just what I needed to hear from you today – some fun and laughs. Thank you.
Dear Beth,
I didn’t think this post was “so” bad. You have your more serious posts and you have your lighter posts. Like life – you have your more serious moments and your lighter moments.
By the way, I would like to see a post from Melissa again. I find her posts hard to understand 🙂 but they challenge me & I like that.
Also, I said a prayer for you and your family on this anniversary of your Mom’s passing.
God bless you all.
You are so cute! Praying you’ll feel rested, regardless of the sleep.
Oh how I just love you Beth! Thank you for your randomness and for your love!
Hahahaha…. awesome. We love your you-ness 😉 Hope the fried (I’m assuming) okra was great! We just visited SC and actually had fried okra chips which were awesome AND portable. Can’t beat that combination!
Rest!
Peace,
Cynthia
We love you, too! I always enjoy your posts, but there’s just something about the ones like this that I really like. I think they give us a little better glimpse of the whole you. 🙂 Sometimes we all just need a little random fun.
You are a ‘Holy’ riot 🙂 , genuine, real, AND permeate God’s righteousness.
YOU ARE SO MY SIESTA MAMA!! <3
Thank You, Lord, for Beth Moore!!
Hi Beth, good to hear from you!!
#6. As a stylist myself, I’m so happy to hear about how much you love and appreciate your hair stylist. Who knows, she may need some comic relief and a break from her tiny bundle and make an exception for you…I would!
#14 & 15. I love Gevalia too! Could there be a link between 14 and 15? How many cups of coffee do you drink per day and how to you like it? I like just plain cream.
I honestly loved this post! Thanks for checking in and keeping in real.
Have a blessed day,
Stacey near Boulder, CO.
I don’t normally respond on here…I guess I’m a “lurker”? There…i said it! But I just have to say this morning that I love you and I appreciate you! I am so thankful for your genuine sillyness and for expressing many times what is going on in my own “blonder than she pays to be” mind. Thank you for your honest, open teaching and sharing your life with all of us! I might think I was completely nuts otherwise! (grin) Love ya bunches!!!
I’m all over #19! Here in Memphis, August comes to go, too! Can’t wait for it to be over.
Thanks for giving me a much-needed laugh today!
My dear sweet Beth,
I have always loved you!
You look like my younger sister Tina, but you on the inside are a lot like me. I am amazed that we have so much in common! Like… our Moms went to be with Jesus on the same date, but my Mom went a little ahead of yours (1995). I day it this way because when I read your post I thought” MY Mom went to be with Jesus 15 years ago too! ” now as i type, i realize that i have been stuck on year 15 for 3 years. Sheesh. I am not the Bible student you are. I try, but i am not disciplined enough. I am thankful that at my age, God is not finished with me yet. God bless you sis!
Oh, my goodness, I hear you about August. Although I must admit, August in humid Houston has GOT to be worse than in Dallas – poor thing. Yesterday I was amazingly out of my mind stressed about all I have to do before school starts next week and hating the heat to do it in, which made me just wanna be depressed and do NOTHING!! and my sweet Lord just put my face in His hands (not literally, but you know) and said “It’s ok. I created your emotions so I get it. But this too shall pass, so hang in there.” Sweetness – and freedom to be a HOT mess! Ok, how’s that for random craziness?!
Mama Beth: I’m responding to #14 & #15:
15: You have this issue because of #14
Seriously – my Dr. told me that at our age (I’m the same age as you – even though I look it and you don’t) anyway, our bodies no longer do ANYTHING efficiently – including breaking down caffeine. So even if you only have a couple of cups in the morning, your body is just getting rid of the caffeine from yesterday by the time this morning when you are drinking more caffinated coffee. So of course you never sleep.
I didn’t believe him either.
Until I went de-caf. (I know – it’s hard.) But I did start sleeping again.
So I guess it depends on which one is more important to you – caffeine or sleep.
🙂 Life is full of choices.