Hey, you guys!
I can’t even put into words how you’ve flooded my mind as LifeWay and I commemorated the graciousness of our God in 20 years of Bible study partnership. Without you sitting on the other side of that page and that screen, the first study would have become a hideous purple and yellow dust collector at your neighborhood LifeWay Store and the second study wouldn’t exist. For every minute of those 20 years, God has used you to drive me to a blank word-document and type in the words Week One: Day One. Picturing us both – two women (you younger, older, married, single, Black or White, on your 1st study or 15th) trying to live this faith thing out in the harsh world – with an open Bible between us, studying, seeking, praying, page-turning, thinking, discussing, maybe not even always agreeing, laughing, and crying together with one preeminent goal: to love Jesus more when we closed the workbook than when we opened it – this is what God has used to keep me at it.
To share the Scriptures with you. To pursue Christ with you. To run the race with you. To hear Jesus speak through His Word with you. THAT has been ministry to me. I am a girl in the Scriptures who wants to see girls in the Scriptures. That’s it in a nutshell.
I have no vocabulary poetic enough, no font large enough, no volume loud enough to say thank you the way I want to convey it. My heart is nearly sore from all the emotion that I have felt in the last several days as I have glanced back over my shoulder with my beloved man, my two daughters, my son-in-law, and my ridiculously adorable grandchildren. God’s grace has been poured out in scandalous proportions to me because of the cross of Christ. God got us through. And He is getting us through. And He will continue to get us through.
I got on here to show you something else which I’ll get to in just a moment but bringing up my grandchildren makes me think of the picture that Amanda clicked of the kids and me when we were all leaving the hotel for the LifeWay Bible study team celebration dinner Tuesday night.
Come on, now. Jackson was so handsome in his suit that I could hardly stand it and don’t get me started on Annabeth and her purse that her Aunt Melissa gave her for Christmas. Y’all please forgive my hair. I’d already anticipated that the team was going to have terribly embarrassing pictures of 20 years of my huge hair at the celebration dinner and, lo and behold, if it was not as big that night as it had ever been. Poetic justice.
But here’s what I’m trying to tell you about. At the LifeWay chapel service on Wednesday morning, Dr. Thom Rainer (LifeWay president) took a drape off of a breathtakingly beautiful picture (so much prettier than it appears from a distance)…
…then told the audience and me the story behind it. The creative image is comprised of bits and pieces of all the covers of the Bible studies throughout the 20 years plus some cuttings from various pages within the workbooks. I was floored. It will hang in my home for the rest of my days as one of the dearest keepsakes I own. To this former pit-dweller, it is fluid grace stuffed into a frame.
Which brings me to the catalyst for this post. At lunch today I told my staff about the picture and showed them some photographs of it on my cell phone so that they could grasp the idea. They’ll see it in a few days when it arrives but I knew they’d love hearing the backstory Dr. Rainer told the audience. My staff here at LPM also knows that the gift was even more significant and fitting because, throughout the years, I’ve hung a picture in my office to represent each of the studies. For instance, this depiction of Moses hangs on my wall to represent the tabernacle study, A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place.
And this one depicting Peter and John running to the empty tomb represents Beloved Disciple.
This one of Daniel in the lion’s den is one of my very favorites.
You get the idea. So, nothing on earth LifeWay could have given me to represent 20 years of Bible study partnership would have thrilled me more completely than a gorgeous conglomeration of them all.
I got back from lunch and walked into my office and pushed the button on my new coffee maker. While I waited impatiently for it to fill up the cup, I checked Twitter. I could not believe it when I saw that the place of business LifeWay commissioned to create the picture had tweeted me with a link to a blog post about how they did it. I read it, slack-jawed.
Some of you are so creative that I thought you’d get a charge out of seeing how it was done. They took great pictures of the process and you’ll also see the end result. If you like this kind of thing, here is the link.
I could write for hours, telling you how much it meant to me to commemorate these 20 years with my beloved family. They’ve given so much to it. The grace God has shown me through Keith, Amanda, and Melissa for 30 years of ministry and 20 years of publishing is staggering. My heart has been wrecked with love and gratefulness to them in these days of looking back. Rich, our LPL photographer, was there this week at the celebration and, as soon as I get some pictures from him, I’ll do a picture post instead of overloading you with words. I’m trying to accept that most people don’t read long blog posts anymore.
I love you guys. The honor of having served you and presently serving you is a privilege that I can hardly wrap my mind around. I do not take it for granted. You are noticed here and loved here. I’ll be in touch soon. AND, we have our SSMT post coming up in just a few days!
Hold tight to Jesus, Girls. He is everything.
LOVE IT!!! What a wonderful, and I’m am sure cherished now, tribute!
Yes, those grand babies are Adorable, I have seven Adorable ones myself:)
Thank you for sharing Jesus with us, teaching us,
Congratulations on 20’years!
And yes, He IS Everything.
So beautiful, so meaningful … thanks so much for sharing your special celebration with us!
Congratulations on 20 years! You have been a good and faithful servant. And for the record, there are still plenty of us that love to read blogs. Numbers 6:24-26 to you, Beth. Love you much!
I agree with Lucy! You just go right ahead and write as much as you want Beth! I for one will read until I drop! God speaks through you and I want to hear every work He shares through you! Congratulations and many more years of blessings to you!!
Thank you for taking us along on your journey and the things that mean so much to you! You are more than deserving; we understand it’s all God’s grace because we depend on it too. Love you to the moon and back, and to distraction!!!!! Can hardly believe you will be one of the treasures I will get to spend eternity with!!!!!!!
Thank you for taking us along on your journey and the things that mean so much to you! You are more than deserving; we understand it’s all God’s grace because we depend on it too. Love you to the moon and back, and to distraction!!!!! Can hardly believe you will be one of the treasures I will get to spend eternity with!!!!!!!
P. S. That didn’t sound just right. It’s easy to believe you will be one of heaven’s treasures!!!
Heaven’s treasure…hmmm..I love the way you put that. I pray we will all know as children of God that we are all Heaven’s treasures..
Thank you for your ministry. I was given the opportunity to be one in the crowd at TPAC. What joy! I am so grateful for you, your family, Living Proof ministry, & Lifeway. The Bible studies have been so instrumental in my walk with God through His Word. I just can not list what your partnership and obedience has done in my life & for those my life touches…it would never end.:))Thank you so much! Happy 20th Anniversary!
Stunning!
Love you Miss Beth! Your love and Jesus love comes through to my heart when I read your posts. Thank you for being brave and embarking on the journey and yes what Tara G said. Thank you!!!
Dearest Beth, faithful, enduring, wondrous, messenger, servant of God!
What a pleasure to share your special Anniversary with you.
Beth my deepest heartfelt thank you to you for sharing your life, energy, family time and mostly God given Presence of the Holy Spirit to all of us.
Tonight was Thursday night Bible study in my kitchen and livingroom; forty minutes discussing the readings from Sunday’s mass and then doing our current study “The Inheritance” in tonight’s group were two of my daughters!
Joy beyond joy! One of my daughters had the most profound breakthrough from session two Abraham and God the Father.
Beth it is no coincidence that God has placed you in our lives for such a time as this;you will never know how much your work for God has brought such healing to my family’s heart. Thank you for always having your hair dryer on low and listening for the voice of God.
With the greatest love and admiration,
Peace and joy to you always,
Gerry
I esteem you in the Lord, you write it I’ll read it, thank you for being a mentor to me and many more, much love, prayers and support, Raleigh Girl, Praise you Jesus!
What a fitting and beautiful gift! (Love your blog posts Beth!) Imagine each one of your global sisters as part of that gorgeous mosaic. We love you and are so grateful to Jesus for you! This band of sisters is stronger and more in love with our Glorious Lord and His Word because of you. And we do thank your dear family for being a vital part of your team. God sees and honours their giving hearts and sacrifice in sharing you with us. To God be the glory!! For another 20 years and beyond. Can’t wait for London Colour Conference. :):)
Girl! I am happy for you! I read every word and I liked it! 😉 Studiers are readers, right?! Bring on twenty more! Keep on keeping on! <3 ya
What an amazing and thought-filled gift!
Bless you Beth, for serving us!!
Lynne
WE READ YOUR LONG BLOG POSTS! At least those of us who have our stack of studies dating back to The Tabernacle. Shoot, that pile of books and their covers & pages may deserve a piece of artwork in my own home… And I know I’m not alone in that. All the thanks and gratitude you are feeling is how we feel ABOUT YOU!
That is so absolutely stunning. Beautiful.
By the way-I still read your long blog posts.
“Thank you” for following the Lord in obedience and allowing Him to show His glory through your deepest pains. You have been so real and transparent with us. I remember the first time I heard you in person in Columbus, Ohio many years ago. I was a Christian, and had been through Christian school and college, but hearing you pray, I thought I want that kind of a relationship with our Father.
I have done pretty much all of your studies, and have laughed and cried a lot of tears with you. Some day, when we have eternity, we can soak our feet in a pool and all share more.
Until then, much love to you!
DeLand, Florida
Pride Leads to disgrace; but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2 Life Application Study Bible
congratulations on 20 years!!! As I was reading, I thought of how your studies have meant so much to me in different stages and phases of my life and was in wonder how God used them in completely different ways for so many different women! It’s so amazing! You are truly blessed and thank you so much for stepping out in faith and trusting God when I’m sure it wasn’t easy! You’ve given people like me hope, and shown us through your studies that God is alive and watching over us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
How sweet Beth!! You are also appreciated! You will never know the impact you have had and have on the lives of all ages of women. Your Light is bright Beth, because of our Savior. You are the real deal Beth Moore. Walking this life with all the bumps and hits with a real God. You walk it with us too. That’s the most important part. We say in our Celebrate Recovery group at my church, “this walk is not meant to walk alone.” Thank you for all the prayers, encouraging words, tweets and studies. Continue on gracious woman of God. Much love and blesses dear siesta:)
I love you, Beth. I consider you a spiritual mentor because of how much I’ve been transformed by your bible studies. Your love for the Word and your exhortation to KNOW and memorize scripture have enabled me to shed a false self and find my true self in Christ. I just wanted to say that those of us on the other side of the page and screen are not only “black or white”…..we are Chinese, Korean, Mexican, Haitian, Indonesian, Puerto Rican….we are multiracial and multicultural. And we love Jesus and delight in having a deep personal relationship with Him.
Happy 20th anniversary!
Oh Beth, that is just gorgeous! What a,beautiful way to commemorate 20 wonderful years in publishing. I love your long blogposts because it lets you be you! Happy Day to you sister, what a wonderful ride it has been. May we have many more years together exploring God’s Word and searching His heart. You are a dear treasure. Thank you for your faithfuness. And I cant wait to go see you in Boise Idaho in July!!! Im so excited!
Glory to God! That is all I can think of to say! I have not had the honor of doing every Bible study, but several of them, and how it has helped my soul and my life to grow closer to Jesus. How can we thank you and your family Beth? I can only think of one thing, and that is to say it will make a difference for THIS family too, as it helped me to help them, through Jesus, guiding me as I learned the concepts of what you taught! The gift of your picture was beyond Wonderful, what a Work of Love and talent that God has given the ones who thought of it and put it together. Thanks for showing us the process, AND for your long letters. I DO read them by the way!
May God bless you Beth, and your precious family. Grandchildren are the one of the Greatest Gifts from God that is ever received here on earth beside our children, and of course Jesus and His Holy spirit. Your two are delicious! 🙂 Children and Grands!
Oh Beth, I have loved everyone of your studies! You have spoken to my heart and soul and I humbly thank you for every one you have been lead to write! I am such a broken sinner and you have a way to lift me up and I feel closer to God because of your studies. Thank you thank you! Gail
Dear Beth,
What a perfectly lovely tribute to the one who appreciates it like no one else could! Beautiful!
LOVE the pic of you and Jackson and Annabeth. He is wickedly handsome already! And her cute pose!
Love and appreciate you so much,
Lynn
Just beautiful! Congratulations on 20 years! I’ve thrown myself into a many studies of yours as I possibly could. I saw you live in Dallas. You’ve touched my life in a way you’ll never know. God is good,thank you for your faithfulness and obedience to him! Much love!
I checked out the link – that is SO cool! I wish I was creative like that as all my Bible studies (19 years worth) were recently ruined when our basement flooded. 🙁 I probably could have saved the covers for a project like that! Thanks again for sharing your heart with us all these years!
WOW!! Thanks for sharing the link on how the collage was made. It truly was a labor of love and the end result is truly beautiful. Congratulations Beth on 20 years of Bible studies in your partnership with LifeWay! Thank you for pouring your heart into Christ and into the lives of women so that we may grow in our intimacy with Christ through studying the precious Word of God! Many blessings to you!
Thank you Beth! What a treat!! We might just need a closeup of that picture…=0)
God bless you as you keep your heart tuned to His!
OH MY GOODNESS!!!! That is absolutely extraordinary and will be treasured by your family FOREVER!!!
Thank you for being such a mighty servant of God. Thank you for being raw and real and sharing your life with us for the last 20 years. Thank you for the example that you have set and the encourager that you are!
Because of your love for JESUS and your willingness to be obedient, thousands and thousands of women’s lives have been changed. I know that mine is radically different because of the messages that God has given you to share with us.
You are such a blessing to all of us and I am so thankful that God chose to let me live in a time such as this!
Congratulations and Much Love!
Congrats! I first fell in love with the Word when I did my first Beth Moore study back in college. So glad someone introduced me to it. I have loved the Word ever since. Love u Beth and consider u such a dear friend and sister in Christ!! Your grandbabies r darling!
Congratulations!!!
It’s worth the fight – it really is, isn’t it.
Thanks for putting yourself out there and continuing even when you’re tired and wounded and misunderstood and maligned. Thank you for having the courage to get on your face before the Lord and trust Him for the strength to wrestle with the blank page, over and over again.
That picture is gorgeous and meaningful, because it captures the essence of your ministry. More than an Ebenezer stone, it is a reminder that God can take the broken pieces of a life sacrificed and laid out on the altar to make something extraordinarily beautiful.
Thank you for living a life that honors our Abba and for reminding each one of us that there is joy set before us and it really is worth the fight.
Your siesta,
Jenni
Here I am … a guy. Reading this blog post. And commenting. Bold admission, I know. You may not have a lot of extra time to read these comments, but I am compelled this morning to send you an extra large, from-the-bottom-of-my heart thank you for letting God use you in our home. It was your writing many years ago, along with a deep Holy Spirit conviction, that resulted in a desire for a woman named Joanna to become a woman after God’s own heart, which resulted in in her husband desiring to become a man after His own heart. You helped her see, which helped him see, that before marriage can be all He wants, their individual faith walks must be all He wants. It so matters. When our kids were 12, 9, and 5, we followed God straight to India. And then to Thailand. And then we followed Him back to American soil. Each step of the way, my wife would receive your bible studies as they came out, lovingly shipped across the ocean by her special “Beth Moore groupies.” And each step of the way, God would continue to pour Truth into her heart. It was (and is) a beautiful picture to walk into a room, regardless of our demographic dot on the map, and see her with an open workbook, an open bible, and an open heart.
Truly, one of the things that I love most about this wife of mine is her passion to grow in Christ. When I saw your tweet yesterday about the Lifeway 20 year commemoration gift, I just couldn’t not take the time to read it and then say thanks for letting God use you as a spark, which results in a flame, in so many homes throughout the world. The hearts that are impacted through your studies often times go beyond the “woman and the workbook” … as in our case, it spills over into the entire family. And it impacts the entire family. Here’s to many more years of you doing the thing that God has called you to do!
So great to hear from you, Steve. What an encouragement! I know your kind words of testimony will mean the world to Beth. God is faithful!
Steve,
What a beautiful testimony! Thanks for sharing! Your wife is truly blessed to have a husband who loves her and his God the way that you do. God used your words to shed light on an area of my heart that I need to pray about and lay at His feet. God’s blessings to you brother!
Ingenious and beautiful. Congratulations and thank you.
Oh joy! Another post this week! What a blessing. I feel I can speak for all Siestas – we can’t wait for more pictures.
I share with you the joy of grandchildren – what a blessing they are to us.
I have grown much closer to my God through your studies, Beth. And, just want you to know…I read every word you post, no matter how long! I get excited when I see LPM blog in my email!
Congratulations! and Thank You!! How Jesus has used you, you may never understand the breadth, depth, height or width of it in this life. Blessings to you all. LJ
PLEASE keep on writing your long blog posts! They are so refreshing and lovely!
Congratulations!!
And the picture from Lifeway is SO BEAUTIFUL!! That is one of the most creative things I’ve ever seen.
Thank you LPM! Love you all so much 🙂
What a treasure–you, dear Beth, and that collage! A fitting gift! Beautiful, stunning! Amazing. I congratulate you on 20 years of this ministry. I have been SO blessed by your ministry and have not even touched half your studies yet! Can’t wait to see what the future holds. I was deeply moved why what you wrote about the blank word doc when you picture me across from you with a bible between us, digging in. Warms my heart to think. I wish I could repay you for the time and effort, blood, sweat and tears you’ve poured into the studies and to me. Your crown is loaded and will be wonderful to present to our Lord Jesus Christ. With all my love, Holly
WHat a beautiful way to commemorate 20 years of Bible Studies! It is gorgeous!
Much love,
Adrienne
Hi, Beth! Thanks for posting the link so we could see how they made your collage. It’s beautiful. And since you mentioned your big hair, I have to tell you something. A few years ago I watched a very old Bible study of yours, I can’t remember which one, but quite a few years had passed since you taped it. Your hair was long and gorgeous and flipped up and so BIG I could not concentrate on what you were saying! I just kept saying to myself, look at her hair! Well, you’re still adorable and your hair is still gorgeous! Love from one of your less spiritual siestas!
You make your blog posts as long as you want to! I guarantee you that there are lots of us who want to read everything you want to say! 🙂
Congratulations on 20 years! Praying that God continues His beautiful work in and through you for many, many more!
What a treasure for generations to come. I got teary eyed just reading about it.
Beth! Awesome! I am so glad you gave us a link to the process of creating the picture. You are right that close up, it is so much more beautiful! The scripture fits perfectly, to tell the story of your Bible studies and what you, Lifeway, and God have put into them, for all of us to ruminate on and joyfully fill up on. It is right and fitting that there are flowers coming up from the pieces of your Bible studies. Those Bible studies have been great fertilizer for growing our lives with Jesus. I for one, read your blog post all the way through. You are right that many people don’t. It is because we are too busy. For me, the words and pictures you share with us, come from a dear friend, and so my time is well spent reading them and savoring them, and enjoying the pictures, and even laughing with you about some of the pics. Beth, you have truly been such a blessing to me. Thank you for sharing your life and your wisdom with us on your blog. With love and hugs, –Janet
Just me again. I forgot to say that I enjoyed aeeing the pictures you have representing some of your Bible studies. I like the Daniel one. I would love to see the other pictures you have for each Bible study, if you are willing to share them with us. Thanks.
Oh Beth, somehow we have so much and so little in common… I love you dearly and you drive me bananas. We’ve met, but we don’t know one another. We have very similar husbands and children and stories…and hairstyles. I am the un-you; what you’d have been if you didn’t obey when He told you to write. I’m so grateful to see your success. So glad to know Your Prince.
I’m so happy to share this success with you- Go Team Us! Lifeway has been as blessed by you and you by them- win, win WIN. Thanks for putting yourself “out there”. We get ya!
Bless you, Lord, for Beth – Bless You Lord, Bless you! Bless You, Father, for Beth – BLESS YOUR HOLY NAME!
This was such an amazing gift! I read this last nite and the verse for today was Galatians 6:9, I immediately thought of you, Beth. I am so thankful that you have not grown weary in doing good! Much love and thanks to you!
Beth,
I will ALWAYS read your long blog posts, so don’t limit yourself!
Congratulations.
God Bless You,
Susan C.
Beth!
I love your long postings and I read every word. I’m so glad you write, share and inspire the rest of us. Congratulations on 20 years of teaching the WORD. Jesus was always in my heart, but I didn’t always acknowledge His presence until I did my first Bible study at m church -// Daniel! I was hooked and did homework and read commentaries. I did s few more by video, and then I saw in the Houston Chronicle that you were going to teach Esthet at FBC. I called Carolyn O’neal, women’s ministries there, to get details. That was my first time to actually see you in person. The study of Esthet was special for at the conclusion I was scheduled for a very serious surgery. Your prayer team member prayed for me and I felt as if a mountain had been lifted. God saved me! Out beautiful, gracious, merciful God saved me!
Maybe I would have studied Binle anyway; maybe I might have read footnotes and different versions. Maybe I would have had s good teacher anyway…..but God gave me YOu! You sparked a hunger in me that I didn’t know was there. You are the catalyst that God used to reach into my heart and let Him in. I have a very close and intimate relationship to God. I talk to Him every
Day. Thank you, Beth Mootr!!!
Oh! Yes, Jackson had grown into a very handsome young man….I remember when he was on the way and looking at pictures of him on the big screen at FBC! And AnnaBeth is just precious……just lke Her Bibi!! May God continue to bless them and your entire family!