I am back from Australia and have a whole week off. See?
That means I’ll take lots of walks in these country woods that I pined for while I was away. If we could walk these woods together, you and I, this is what we’d do:
We might first take one of these…
…since bright yellow flecks of smiling sun are blanketing every surface in sight. Negative people might call it pollen but let’s try to be positive. It makes it easier if you will simply agree to see sneezing as cathartic. Use it to get some stuff out of your system. Go ahead and yell out from the gutter of your soul while you sneeze and make yourself heard. Scare somebody. It will do you some good.
We’d then put on our snake boots. What basic black pumps are in the city, snake boots are in the country. A must, and you wear them with everything including shorts. Before we put them on, let’s have a quick tutorial on which snakes out here are poisonous:
This is a Coral Snake. A bad mama but she’s a pretty thing, isn’t she? Sometimes we find one curled up on our front porch, a fact that I find somewhat unsettling.
This is a Water Moccasin. That’s a bad dude right there and an ugly one at that. We’ll be most careful to watch for him when we’re near the creek.
While our black snakes are not poisonous, they tend to score high on the creepy meter. You sort of have to talk yourself out of a panic attack when you see one because they tend to be impressively large. They’re often right on the dirt road or up the side of an oak tree.
As a bonus for still agreeing to go on our walk, I’ll let you choose which pair of boots you want to wear and I’ll put on the other ones. The camos are most comfortable but let’s just say that no pair of fangs on earth is getting through that steel mesh on the other pair. Those are my rattlesnake boots for the cactus land in West Texas. You can breathe a sigh of relief that we do not have rattlers here in the country. So, which pair do you want?
The dogs have already spied us putting on our boots so they are yelping to high heaven at the iron gate in the back yard, begging to be set free. They will race down the path toward the creek like their tails are on fire but Queen Esther, my Border Collie, will come in a distant second to Geli (short for Angelina), Keith’s bird dog. She soars like a greyhound. They love the unabashed joy of the wild as long as they get to come home to the air conditioner, eat a fine supper peppered with people-food, and sleep on giant pillows. A few weeks ago I had them on a walk and nearly fainted dead-into-the-dirt when Geli ran through the brush back onto the path with a coyote right behind her. I’m not making this up. It’s almost like we live in the African bush surrounded by hyenas.
I yelled and waved my arms like a crazy woman. It might have been a good time for cursing which Keith has tried diligently to teach me to do but, as it was, the coyote sauntered off, probably out of embarrassment for me. I have yet to capture a good picture of Queen Esther and Geli romping the path so you’ll have to confine the image to your imagination. Sometimes, however, we have to wait to go outside until a rabbit finishes its breakfast. Why? Because Geli is also hungry for breakfast.
We’ll walk on down the path and talk about all sorts of things. These woods are good for that. Trees don’t tattle. If you tend to be bigger on manners than honesty, you’ll probably try to tell me it’s beautiful out here but that might be a stretch except to us. We chose not to manicure these acres so it’s mostly wild and bushy and viney right at eye level but if you’d lift your chin, you’d see oak and pine and sycamore limbs stretching out like everlasting arms over your head. This time of year, you’d also catch a tease of wild dogwoods peeking out like they don’t want anybody but you to know they’re there.
You’d have to come soon to catch this little glimpse of Texas Spring because they’ll disappear with the late April heat. We have a little meadow on our walk that sprouts a tiny patch of wild bluebonnets this time of year. Nobody but God planted these. Keith and I discover a few more every year and it delights us to no end.
If you’ll stay alert and wide-eyed, you might get to see a pileated woodpecker swoop overhead like I did yesterday, then you’ll hear all manner of hammering.
Think Woody.
We’d probably pass by Jackson and Annabeth’s swing set on our walk.
They love it so much and, when they’re on it, I’m usually somewhere on it with them. If you haven’t been on a swing set in a long time and swung as high as you could, you don’t know what you’re missing. It makes me laugh really hard which makes Annabeth laugh really hard.
While we’re on our walk, we might stroll past our neighbor’s fence and say hi to the donkey he got to keep company with his steer. Ever since this mischievous little guy wandered up in my yard a month or so ago, I’ve been in love with him. I’ve asked Keith to buy me one but he’s been as stubborn as a mule about it. He says the next thing we knew, that donkey would be up on the couch watching TV with us. This was taken the first time I met him.
Come on, now! Just try to tell me he’s not fabulous! We’d then pass around by Big Pops’ and Memmaw’s house and visit their chickens. Big Pops and Memmaw will be sorry that Annabeth and Jackson aren’t with us but the chickens won’t.
We’d circle back around to my house by way of this bridge. It is just over a gully but, when it rains a lot as it often does in Houston, it turns into a respectable creek. Jackson and his friends love to look for frogs and tadpoles under here. This bridge is my favorite man-made thing on our property. My man built it for me long before the house went up. I sit on it often just to think about things.
We’d then make our way back to my front porch, pull our boots off, and sit on this bench, just the two of us, and talk.
We’d say that the Lord is good and that His love endures forever.
And we’d be right.
I sure love you.
Good morning Beth, I hope you had a wonderful time in Australia, but I am sure you are glad to be back home. I would love to go for a walk with you sometime. I live in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and we are just waiting for Spring. I have seen Robins and Red-Winged Blackbirds(my ultimate favourite)and am sure that Spring is just around the corner. We are finally getting sun here and we are above freezing(in Celcius)so all is good. We could walk through the man made trails behind the sub division we live in and maybe catch sight of a Heron or a Red Tailed Hawk. We don’t have any poisonous snakes per se, but they still surprise you when they start moving around. My dogs, Daisy and Benny, love coming along too if that is alright, they are very noisy, but love investigating everything. I would love to finish on your porch with a nice hot tea and watch the glory of God unfold. We can take this walk maybe Saturday morning, I will get up early for the day, have my breakfast, then we can be off. Thank you ahead of time for the walk, we will have a fabulous time. Stephanie McCreight.
a much needed walk and talk w/the Lord and his representative; a tour guide w/the culture of Texas and the heritage of being a Jesus chick. thank you. i am refreshed. i long now for texas boots/bluebells and time w/the Lord and a friend. praying for that now. God is able/i am willing. exodus 20:24
Beth, You have been so understandably busy this past year but it was so nice to take a walk with you today. I’m hear in the Mid Atlantic on the shores of the Delmarva Peninsula where the winter won’t loosen it’s grip and we still have snow on the ground when we should be about ready to cut grass for the first time this season. For crying out loud the daffodils aren’t even blooming yet. Sigh. Enough about that. Thanks again for spending some one on one w/ us!!! May God Bless you and your family!!!! including the dogs …ruff ruff
This was a nice hike and I appreciate your inviting us to join you. Can I suggest a change of scenery? Next time, let’s do a walk in New Zealand!! They don’t have snakes!!!!!
Welcome back! I have missed your sweet newsy posts, your walks in the woods with us. I would love to come walk with you! We have family land in deep east Texas that I always loved to walk on, but the proliferation of wild hogs and tales of Big Foot just a few miles away, as well as the animal track that looks very like a bear all have me spooked to walk alone to my favorite spots now. Oh, and we saw a coral snake curled by a tombstone last Saturday when our family cemetery was featured on the historical society tour. I am sure I would feel safer with you and your dogs along!
Enjoy your rest, we love you.
What a beautiful way to start the day!
Thank you.
Oh what a wonderful stroll we just took together as friends; I feel rejuvenated. I enjoyed our chat and a laugh or two. I kept my eyes alert for the coyote and was so glad he didn’t make an appearance today. Enjoy your well earned vacation; I will pray that your spirit is refreshed and your body is strengthened.
I’d go just about anywhere to take a walk with you, Beth Moore, but after seeing those pictures, I wouldn’t do it without steel toes boots.
PS – I just got two new foster babies, girls — 5 years old and 9 years old.
PPS – They had never heard of Walmart.
PPPS – I blew their minds when I took them to Target’s snack bar.
PPPPS – I am now doing two loads of pink laundry each day and I cannot remember a happier chore in my life.
Dear Amy Beth,
I have no idea what these girls backgrounds are but if they have no idea what it means to be loved I am quite sure you are showing them. I pray that the tender heart of Jesus would shine so beautifully in all you do. I’ve no doubt it already does just by what you’ve shared. I would have given anything as a little girl for someone to be that for me and it tenders my heart as you talk about those girls. I will never forget meeting our sweet Siesta Mama Beth for the first time – she so lovingly took my face in her hands and looked into my eyes. I was stunned beyond words, it was the first time in my life someone touched my face that it wan’t to slap it. I will be praying for you and those precious girls. Blessings to you…
Mary, I am so sorry that was the first time someone had touched your face without slapping it. I never fully understood how hard life can be until I started fostering. I actually took a two year break from fostering because I was just worn out from seeing broken children who did nothing to deserve being broken.
I can tell you this: things that happened to me as a child are the reason behind why I foster now. Like you, I want life to be different for other children. I foster because of this scripture:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” – Genesis 50:20
So much of what was intended for harm in my life is now being used for God’s good with the children who sleep under my roof. It was a rocky, lonely path until I got to this point but let me tell you something: being able to watch God use pain to bring healing to others is one of the best therapies I’ve found.
I will be praying for you.
Amy Beth,
Your story just filled up my soul and has spilled over, the scripture you quoted from Genesis is one of my favorites. Oh to be blessed by those beautiful children and to be a blessing to them in return is God in the flesh, you are the hands and heart and feet of Jesus. Enjoy every moment with them and show them that love and kindness and joy are alive in this world. You are an inspiration and a wonderful fragrance to God. Many blessings to you and your husband and to your daughters.
Love, Peace and Joy,
Andrea Porter
How cute are you !!! Congratulations Sister. Enjoy the “Girlie Girl Times” that are awaiting you.
I would love to spend the morning taking a walk, hanging out at the bridge and talking. I would share with you that I think I found a chiastic structure in Romans 5:15-16 and I would thank you for teaching me that literary term! I would encourage you as you pursue the new pathways God has laid before you this year and let you know that I’m praying for you. I would thank you for praying for me.
What a fun post! I sure enjoyed the reprieve from my morning routine. Two of my favorite words in the English language are vacation and serendipitous. When they happen together it is joy. My vacation is scheduled for the end of April, and we have nothing planned. That in an of itself makes me smile. A long walk in the woods and drinking coffee outdoors might be in order. Love you all.
Oh, how I wish we could have that walk and talk together, but this blog post is the next best thing. 🙂 Enjoy your time off! You deserve it and I’m sure it’s much needed. You are loved…
Welcome home. Want to come wander the mountains with me tomorrow? No snakes, just bear and fox. Breathe…
Together on the journey,
Peace,
Cynthia
Massanutten, Virginia
Thank you Beth, for taking me on the walk with you today. I thoroughly enjoyed it. How peaceful. I’m sure you can feel the love of God every time you step out into your backyard and down the path. May God continue to bless you and your loved ones.
Loved the walk! You’re braver than me with those ‘critters’…we’ve had baby copperheads but the mom seems to heave stayed away, thanking God mightily for that…and a few coyotes. I’m praying our new Golden Retriever doesn’t meet any of these this year…she’s so playful I’m not sure what she would do! I really enjoyed this post, I so miss the love and humor you share with us.
I love you too Beth! I have been out enjoying our Spring weather too because before we know it we will be trapped indoors with the air conditioning here in Az. I loved hiking with you! Thank you! What a nice reprieve from the daily craziness of this life! 🙂 God IS so good to us!
Beth:
Thank you so much for the lovely and oh so wonderfully creative post! T could just imagine myself there. How nice to see a part of the county that I have never seen and to know that you get to enjoy it with your family. I’m not sure which boots they were but I liked the 2 tone ones and would certainly wear them when walking with you. Thanks so much for the breath of spring! We are still waiting for it here in Ohio—it snowed yesterday!
Blessings,
Jan S.
Thanks so much Beth, for sharing the walk through the woods. God is making everything so beautiful right now. We too live out in the country, with cows, goats, kitties and a black lab. Right now, I sit after my quite time of prayer and devotions with God, and watch the red birds as they compete for food from the five feeders I have to constantly fill.. The humming birds want the nectar that I have made for them. The bluebonnets are making their way through the rough rocks and dirt, and I am in awe of God’s beauty. I am also working on that third cup of coffee. :)I love being in God’s word and looking out at God’s beautiful world.Thank you again for sharing your walk with us today. See you and Travis in Lubbock this summer.
Sure enjoyed that walk with you Mama Beth! So happy that you get to enjoy a week of serenity. (Actually I don’t know how you do it with all those snakes around, ewwww!) My family has the privilege of owning a cabin in the NC mountains and it’s a little slice of heaven on earth.
PS-I’m a dog-lover as well, so my first question was Do dogs have snake boots? 🙂
Beth, Thanks for sharing your walk with me! I am working on living in the moment and be grateful. God must have known that when you shared! What a wonderful way to enjoy God’s creation and live in the moment. You are such a huge blessing, your gift to make us feel like you care about each one of us is so precious and appreciated? God bless you and enjoy your WELL deserved vacation.
Mama Beth, so glad to ‘see’ you. Thanks for showing us all the things on your walks. LOVED IT (minus the snakes…coulda done without them…they give me the heebie-jeebies, even over the computer! :0)
Love You! Praying for a restful, fun vacation.
Ah, what a glorious day! And what fun spending time with you. You’ve been such a blessing to me over the past several years through your studies and this blog. I feel as if I am on this glorious journey called life right beside you. Thank you for loving us as you do and praise be to the God, our Father, who loves us beyond what we can ever imagine.
Thank you very much! Especially Loved this part,….”say hi to the donkey…. Ever since this mischievous little guy wandered up in my yard a month or so ago, I’ve been in love with him. I’ve asked Keith to buy me one but he’s been as stubborn as a mule about it. He says the next thing we knew, that donkey would be up on the couch watching TV with us. This was taken the first time I met him.” Thinking Keith knows how YOU LOVE even a mule and would welcome him into the cozy places!!! GRIN! Thank you for having such a welcoming, unconditionally loving way as the Savior does. Also loved the swinging like a lil one….we are to live receiving the child…Matthew 18 and you seem to do that well and model it for us! The boots on the front welcome mat speak volumes too…like Cinderella says “a new pair of shoes can change your life”… May we be wearing His footgear in those boots….
Didn’t think I would like the post intially because of the snakes. Yet, like life we have the snakes, coyotes, and all manner of things that can cause fear then as we TRUST the LORD, His beauty, His flowers and trees…we overcome the fear the snakes…we experience the goodness of THE LORD in the land of the living.
In this walk and in your ministry, you have helped me to overcome the fears and obstacles and to enjoy JESUS and HIS Presence, His riches and blessings. Thank you!
Here at the end, I agree, We’d say that the Lord is good and that His love endures forever.
And we’d be right.
I sure love you back.
LOVE that bridge.
And for some reason, whether it was the way the sunlight was hitting my screen or the way the lighting is in the pictures or just the way my eyesight sees cursive, at first glance I thought your front door mat said “Deliverance”.
Seriously.
Enjoy your week off. 🙂
Unfortunately, I’m not sure I would join you on the walk….will wait for you on the front porch…..to say I hate snakes would be an understatement….not even with “snake boots” on!!!
While you enjoy your spring flowers, pls think of us in No MI we have 2 to 3 feet of snow in our yards……UGH!!! This has been a COLD snowy winter….and LLLLLOOOONNNNNGGGGG!!!!! So looking forward to lilacs, tulips, green grass!!!
Blessings……
I love the woods. We have a little next to our house. We often see an abundance of wildlife, such as deer, squirrels, chipmunks, foxs, rabbits, turtles, moles and – thank the Lord – a rare black snake. Thankfully, we’ve never seen one the size of the one in your picture but at I guess in this case – things are bigger in Texas. 😉 Your walk sounds so appealing except for the snakes. I enjoy admiring God’s creation but snakes are one of those major fears I have yet overcome. No matter what boots I might choose, I’d be quaking in them if I saw a glimpse of one of those snakes. If I was able to move, I’d be walking a huge semi-circle to get around it ….. make that running instead of walking. 😉 I’m just thankful I was able to take a virtual walk with you. That way I had just a slight shiver when I saw the snakes and this girl didn’t embarrass herself too much. Thanks for sharing it with us. Enjoy your vacation.
Loved taking this walk with you! I love your wild woods! They remind me of the woods around here in TN. Taking a walk is one of my favorite ways to connect with God. I also LOVE that donkey! It’s good to see you on the blog, and Lindsay also does a great job! Thanks and prayers for you both!
Sorry, that should be “Lindsee.” As someone who has had my name misspelled my whole life due to its different spelling, I should know better!
Oh thank you so much for this wonderful walk through your woods. It brought back such sweet childhood memories. My grandma lived in Prairieville, LA. That’s nestled between Baton Rouge and Gonzales. Growing up in New Orleans, I loved walking around in the country and experiencing things we just didn’t have in the city. All sorts of wildlife and trees, vines with thorns, muscadine grapes, real live mistletoe…I could go on and on. I so much appreciate this walk with you, experiencing God’s goodness to us in nature.
Thanks for sharing. My heart is smiling …
Cindy K
Greetings Beth! My eyes were a tad moist hearing from you! Loved the stroll with you too. So glad for your week break – enjoy! Your back woods look alot like mine up here in Central Saskatchewan – except for the fact that we’re still layered in a few feet of snow. The geese came, but according to my hubby – they’ve went back south! Still pretty chilly up here.
We’ve got our coyotes, the wolves, bears, an odd cougar out our back door – but no snakes like yours. My respect level for your bravery just went up tenfold when I seen those! haha
Much love to you always.
G’day Mate! 🙂
OH MY! I would LOVE time with you, But those pictures… gulp, That would test me to my Core!!! Not one of those snakes were nice! And just thinking about them, my heart is racing! I saw a grass snake last year, a baby one, and it slittered near me and my Rosie as we walked and I almost yelped… I did a jump and walked quicker! Never saw me move so fast in Years!;)
Once more reading your story is warming! Once more I fall in love with you, your words and your life. GOD is so tender in sending a love through the emotionless internet, one that speaks of GOD’s Character.
I have been asking GOD for my own donkey for years… and a place to keep it!
Hopefully once you are thoroughly rested, that we will get some pics of those grand-babies… well I guess kids… missing those toothless grins, and sweet dress up moments!
Thank you for taking your precious time to share once more! Looking forward to your next post.
I loved ‘our’ walk this morning my friend. Thanks for the guided tour of your place of rest, renewal. I appreciate so much you sharing your journey with us….with me. He has used you in ways too-numerous-to-count to encourage, nourish, correct, instruct….equip this saint-in-the-making for ministry….remind me it’s not all about me {my dear Pastor is also fond of reminding us/me of that..:)..}….to be willing/available to reach/connect with the undiscipled/underdiscipled…and yet remain faithful, diligent where He has placed me now. Blessings and His Peace in abundance my friend….and all our Siestas!!….sandyT/kc
What a marvelous walk in the woods!!
Thank you.
Dear Beth, You do not know how much I wish I could take that walk with you:) We would also say Bless the Lord, how much can He love me to give me a place like this to walk in? Love, Ma VW
Thanks for the beautiful walk. God sure is good! Blessings to you and your family. God is using you in a wonderful way. I am doing Believing God again with a new group and so excited to see what God is going to do! Thanks again.
Dear Beth: Welcome home! YOU MADE MY DAY! What a wonderful way to spend a country walk, rejoicing in the Lord, than with his most beautiful and faithful Servant. This is a real-life dream of mine . . . to REALLY do just that one of these days. That would be heavenly! You are amazing. Thank you for blessing us over and over.
Beth, I love you like no body’s business, but the snakes would kill me right there on the trail. I would certainly die of a heart attack. Then I’d be laying there dead with snakes all over me and you would have to decide to leave me there or give me CPR… And if I were you and it involved fighting off the snakes, I might just leave me there! Haha! So I think I’ll just wait for you on the porch. 🙂
Mama Beth, thank you for sharing with us apart of your world. I am so with you re: that precious donkey. 😉 I would have a whole farm if I could but live in the city. I know The Good Lord made me a farm girl at heart.♥
I pray blessings over you Beth and your time of rest.
Wow Beth it is good to have you back home! It was great to “see” you again, and saunter through your woods. Sharing your pics with us just brought tears to my eyes. You are so sweet, Beth. I live in FL, so we see our share of snakes too. Mostly they stay out of our way. They come in handy to scare away some of those Jehovah Witnesses, little old ladies that like to come calling, but hate snakes! Hee Hee that is funny! Welcome home Beth! I’ll say goodbye with a nice warm hug {} You are always in my prayers.
Amen,the Lord is good. Thank you for sharing your blessings. I am impressed by the bridge, it is very beautiful.
Beloved Siesta Mama –
Looking forward to taking a long walk with you someday down the golden streets of Heaven where,if there are any snakes, they will be of the friendly, cuddly and non-poisonous variety. Until then, I am very thankful that God has placed me in the suburbs of Pittsburgh rather than the wilds of Texas. *grin*
Have a restful, blessed vacation.
I have to laugh after reading your post. I just finished the Esther Study today and was sad to see it end. Then I got just one more reminder of it on hearing your dogs name. It is just like the Lord to say no I have other things along the line to remind you I am here and our journey is never over. I want to thank you for your hard work and your staffs. I have taken many of your studies but never felt compelled to pray just for you until this one. I can relate to you in a few small ways and felt a bit of your pain. So as you say we mean so much to you I want you to know you mean so much to us.
Thanks for the walk and the company…so lovely (except maybe the snakes, yikes)!Welcome Home…
I have to go straight to confession and say that seeing green in your pictures makes me envious. God in His divine wisdom keeps sending a day of spring and then YANKING it away. We have yet to see our daffodils, tulips or crocuses. They may perhaps be dead since the frost here was 3 ft deep in places. I’m not sure you heard but central Illinois was mistaken for the Yukon this winter and it don’t wanna go home!!
That being said, I don’t have to wear snake boots to walk in my back yard so that’s a good thing. Now that we don’t have goats and my dear dog passes, I can actually go barefoot.
I did enjoy the pictures and am so glad you made it back safely.
Hi Beth, there’s no place like home is there. I’m glad you got to enjoy a little bit of our Australia, I know that it would have been hugely busy and go, go, go! I live near Brisbane, Queensland, like just up the road haha! , and was not able to make it to Colour conference in Sydney. I will however endeavour to get copies of the sessions, in particular, yours. Enjoy your time at home, bless you and may you have a restful break.
Thanks for the walk. It was lovely and yes the Lord is good, very, very good.
Thank you Beth. Loved our walk.
Sounds like such a lovely walk. Thank you for taking me with you! I just moved to Texas (San Antonio) in September, and I have my eye open for snakes. I might scream and have an all-day panic attack the first time I see one. Your vivid pictures are not helping. 🙂
Love the bridge, especially. 🙂
I adored our walk together, Beth 🙂
Welcome home Mama Beth
Thank you for taking us along the walk it was refreshing. So peaceful. I love you too.
Thanks for sharing! I think my favorite part was the bridge. I don’t know why. Praying for rejuvenation while you are on vacation. I was at the bible study in Houston and we really will miss you so very much. Thank you for all you do. God bless many times over!