**UPDATE**
Congratulations to the winners of the birthday drawing! Your names are posted below. Watch your inbox for an email from Living Proof later today so that we can get you your gift!
BONUS: The wonderful people at AMG Publishers have extended a 50% discount to any of you who would like to order a Key Word Study Bible! Click here to get more information, or to order your Bible. AMG Publishers
Winners:
#523 – Carole Germain #4348 – Karen Quinn
#2282 – Merissa G. #4399 – Anna Bunch
#2321 – Marilyn Riley #4430 – Nancy Beeey
#2756 – Merissa Ury #4813 – Myrlene Darnell
#2876 – Beth Longar #5648 – Nan Smith
#3937 – Dani Turner #5798 – Rachel C.
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A few nights ago I walked my buck wild new puppy around my neighborhood, watched the sun sink deep down into the horizon, and then settled in back at home. I flipped on my favorite season of the West Wing and I ate an entire bag of tortilla chips and ¾ a jar of my favorite salsa for dinner. What is it they say again? The apple does not fall far from the tree. Or something like that?
You see when we were growing up Mom would throw us kids in the back of Brontosaurus the station wagon and haul us halfway across the city to her old favorite Tex-Mex joint. She ordered a pint of salsa and a gigantic grease-stained brown paper bag of tortilla chips for take-out and she would eat all of this and only this for her dinner. Her own dinner. I can’t remember what we kids even ate, or if she fed us at all. I’m only kidding about that last part.
My mom was born at high noon in a fierce thunderstorm, my grandfather said. Her presence still shifts the atmosphere. A few weeks ago Mom left for a week in the hill country for a time of writing and solitude. The second she got back home, I loaded up my stuff and headed out to spend a night with she and my Dad. You see, for me, going to hang out with my parents isn’t really like going to hang out with the parents. Far from duty, it’s one of my favorite things to do. We caught up on all the life stuff that night. And then in the morning we drank our coffee in our pajamas and by 8:30 a.m. at the latest we had already covered topics such as the theology in Ephesians, the New Testament canon, the Holy Spirit’s role in the interpretation of Scripture, and the Festal Letter of Athanasius.
I have to say, this woman utterly dazzles me. She is the sweetest in the land. She is gracious and sanguine and loving and kind, no doubt, but she is serious and intense and focused and courageous. She has opinions and perspective and boldness and wisdom from the ground like no other. For all her awesomeness she is not self-righteous or squeamish, and God knows I have pushed her limits.
Mom is deeply committed to our family and I’ve always known that full well but I’ve also seen that she’s preoccupied with something a whole lot bigger than us. Probably the most important thing I have learned from her is that being caught up in Jesus and what He is doing in the world is everything. It is the ultimate priority and a family committed to His work in the world will get the privilege of making sacrifices together.
Over the past few years in my own journey I found myself in an unknown place, a place where a heart could break deeper and wider and in more directions than I could have imagined possible. Mom has walked alongside me on this road further than any human could be expected to walk with another. She would have had good reasons to just sit out a while and catch her breath. But she never left my side. The road has been bumpy but also tedious and repetitive. When the landscape didn’t seem to change for a long, long time, she kept plodding along with me, carrying my burdens and helping me shoulder the grief that felt too much to bear.
Mom is tender and she is strong and she is not afraid to look pain and grief and loss dead in the eye. Even more, she is daring enough to hope against hope. To see in others, even me, the beginnings of life and growth and health and wholeness where others might only see brokenness and death. She has shined the light of Jesus on me more times than I can count.
She can fry a chicken and whip up mashed potatoes and gravy with the best of the Southern cooks. Her pleasures are simple: the reading of books, sitting on the front porch, walking her dogs in the woods, eating dinner with my Dad, playing games on the floor with her grandkids, and drinking tea with Amanda and me. But make no mistake she is wicked smart and complex and multifaceted. She is so much more than even the best caricature of her could ever hope to be.
I love her.
Yes, I love her. If one photo could capture the light and color she brings to my world, this is it:
It is my joy and honor to be her daughter and also to work for her at Living Proof. This blog giveaway is just one of many ways I celebrate her beautiful life today. The first three gifts are from Living Proof and the last two gifts are personal gifts from me.
First and foremost, we are giving away eight Key Word Study Bibles. My mom gave me one of these Bibles many years ago. It was one of the first Bibles I ever really remember being excited about. It helped me become familiar with various Greek and Hebrew words before I ever took a Greek or Hebrew reading class. Every time I read it I was reminded that the Scriptures we hold in our hands in English are a translation. Remembering this often is a good thing and will take a person a long way in the study of the Bible, I think.
![IMG_2993[4]](https://blog.lproof.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_29934.jpg)
Second, we are giving away an assortment of several pounds of favorite Houston coffee beans. My mom is a serious coffee drinker, so this is just an obvious addition. This package will include but not be limited to one of my current favorites:
Third, we are giving away an arrangement of fresh flowers Mom loves. And, really, who wouldn’t like these?
Fourth, we are giving away a crossbody saddlebag. Mom and I both carry versions of this crossbody bag over and over again until one breaks and we have to buy another one.
Fifth and finally, we are giving away a small bottle of Flowerbomb. Mom wears lots of different perfumes, but she most often travels with this one.
So, if you’re interested in our giveaway please do pop on and say “Happy Birthday” and show Mom some love. Your comment becomes your entry into our random drawing. Comments will officially close 24 hours after the post is published, and please only one comment per person. The names of our winners will be posted at the top of this post at some point on Thursday.
I hope you all are happy and well.
And, Mom, I love you!
The best is yet to come,
Melissa
Happy Birthday!
Thank you for saying yes to God and doing all that He asks of you!
Happy Birthday Beth.
This was beautifully written Melissa. It says so much about your mom that her daughters love and honor the Lord the way you and Amanda do.
I have long talked to my sister Peggy who lives in Houston about coming to your church when I come to visit her. On Easter this year I got to do that. You were not there but we still had a wonderful time worshipping together.
Peggy was diagnosed in February this year with stage 4 lung cancer. I drove all the way to Houston not only to spend some time with her, but my second biggest prayer request was that I would be able to take her to church on Easter Sunday. God sat us behind a beautiful lady who also is stage 4 lung. Peggy and her had a wonderful visit.
While I went to get the car, Peggy got to meet your Amanda and Amanda was so very kind to her. Peggy left Bayou that day so full of joy. I was so thankful that I had been able to get her back into a church for what may well be her last Easter.
I will be back on July 12th, and Lord willing and Peggy feeling strong enough, I am going to bring her back to Bayou for another great Sunday service.
In the meantime, I get to zip down to Cincinnati and sit under your teaching June 26th and 27th.
Words cannot express the impact your teaching has on the rest of us. You keep it real. You keep it biblical. That equips us so that we understand God’s way and how loved we are. Thank you for all you do for Christ …and everyone else.
Much love and prayer,
Dodi Timbrook
Happy Birthday, Beth! Praying God’s hand on you in the coming year. You’ve touched so many lives with your teachings including my own. Thank you! 🙂
Wishing you a beautiful, blessed birthday!
A very happy birthday to the most passionate bible teacher I’ve ever learned from. May blessings pour out on you & your family. Thanks for all the time & energy spent so others (ME) can grow with our Lord!
Darenda
Happy Birthday Beth! We raised two daughters too. I pray my girls think about me how your sweet daughter thinks about you! What a tribute! What a blessing!
Dear Beth –
Happy Birthday! I have enjoyed doing all of your Bible studies, listening to you at events, and reading your posts. You are an encourager. Your love of God is fierce. You make others want what you have. Not in a bad way, but in a God way.
I am thankful God placed you on this planet to lead women to Him and for women to be led deeper into the study of His Word through your writing – definitely inspired by Him.
May God grant you the best birthday ever and may you keep serving Him on this earth until you step into Heaven and meet Jesus face to face.
In His Love –
Tam
Happy Birthday Beth. I hope you have a great day and many more. May your family just spoil you rotten today.
Happy happy birthday, and many more!! May our matchless Lord just keep using you mightily to His glory! I am so thankful for l your books and studies have taught me.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH!
I have loved every one of the many studies you have written that I have taken. You have blessed so many..I pray that God returns just a portion of those blessings back to you!
Yay! It’s your birthday! A time to reflect, a time for new beginnings and a time to say thank you! May your new year be the best one yet! Thank you for giving so much of yourself to others! Your inspiration to so many, everywhere!
Happy birthday sweet Beth. Our Bible study is called the Beth Moore groupies bibe stidy. We have completed all but one of your studies. We are praying you’re working on some new ones!! God bless you and know that we are praying for you every week. We love you in Raleigh NC.
Love love your writing! Was such a blessing to be in the Living Proof conference in Lubbock,Tx. Last year! My precious middle daughter gave me Portraits of Devotion for Christmas. It is the best devotional book I have ever had! Thanks so much for what you do in Jesus name! And hope your special day is fabulous! God bless you always!
Happy Birthday!! I am a pastor’s wife in the tiny town of Skykomish, WA and so appreciate your speaking to my life through your Bible studies. I share them with the ladies of our church and we laugh, cry, and grow in grace together.
God bless!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday Beth! Your studies always inspire me!
Happy Birthday to a very special lady. I hope you have the best day ever. I love you like no other lady on earth. You have helped changed my life through your bible studies.
Happy Birthday Beth!! May you be blessed with another year experiencing the grace gift of loved ones, laughter, growth, and ultimately, time with THE One bringing glory to His name! 🙂
What a great tribute to a great lady of God! Happiest of birthdays to Beth!
Happy Birthday Beth! Have an amazing day celebrating. Sending love from KY! Your ministry has been a blessing to me!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Beth! It was such a joy to actually get to sing Happy Birthday to you in Tampa, FL at LPL a few days early thanks to Travis! Even as a little bitty girl I just loved Jesus so much and as I grew older I was so consumed with wanting to know HIM more! You see I knew what He had gone through for me on that Cross and He captured my heart forever! So my constant prayer, every day, sometimes through tears of desperation, was that I just wanted so badly to know Him more! I wanted to know Him personally – and tenderly – and well, just MORE! I loved Him so much and I needed Him even more! Raised in the Catholic faith, in my quest to know him more, my husband and I came to Olive Baptist because we had heard the Pastor preach and I just started to cry – I didn’t even really know why at the time (it was the Word of God) so we joined and the Minister of Music’s wife invited me to my first Bible Study class – she said it taught by Beth Moore on video and she said she thought I would really like it. She told me I would need to get a NIV Study Bible and so I did! I was so excited to have my very first Bible of my very own and to my utter delight – I found through your Bible Study – that God had gloriously answered my life long prayer and given me my most ferverent desire – to know more of JESUS! That was 13 years ago and I have never met anyone with a heart to know Jesus more than you – and I found that this living, jump off the page in living color, wonderful, exciting Word of God was all about Jesus from Genesis to Revelation! It was the answer to my prayer and you instantly became my very best friend!! I was excited to find out all about how much God loves and teaches Himself from His Word! You know how wonderful and personal and sweet HE Is! So I celebrate you today and the way you love and share Jesus and your family and your life! I love to have His Word abide in me and I am still hungrier than ever to know Him more and you encourage and love like no other! Happy Happy Birthday sweet sister!! I love you dearly Beth!
Denise Smith
Wimington, NC
Happy Birthday Beth! I feel like you are a friend because you are in my family room every Saturday morning and Monday evening, as my two small groups study God’s Word under your leadership. currently we are deep into Breaking Free and it blesses us daily as we wallow in the scriptures, instead of our sin and self-pity. You are such a blessing to us, that I hope God gives to you a hundred-fold.
sincerely,
Your sister in Christ
Denise
Beth Moore you will never know what your influence and presence in my life has meant.- even if only through books, studies and videos. Thank you for standing on the front lines and battling on our behalf- thank you for being a fighter and not allowing Satan to take you out of the game so many years ago.
Words just don’t seem like enough sometimes. I wish I could see you face to face and I wish I could wrap my arms around you and just hug you to show you from this once very broken girl’s heart my gratitude and appreciation for you and all that you have sacrificed to see people set free!
So today I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday- I pray you would know how truly loved and celebrated you are!
What beautiful words. Happy birthday, Beth!
Happy birthday, Beth!!! As I was doing my Bible study, a question was asked about who spurred my desire to learn more about God. Beth, it was you as you made God come alive to me in your Bible studies that you did on James Robinson’s Wednesday’s with Beth. Keep sharing God’s Word with boldness and clarity.
Dear Beth,
Oh how I feel that you are an old friend. I have been doing your studies for sixteen years. I have introduced many friends to you. I have grown in my love for God’s word. He has taught me and blessed me through your ministry. I have seen you in Loyisville, Lexington, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Daytona Beach. My life is better because of the way God has used you. Thank you for pouring yourself into your ministry. Happy Happy Birthday to you! God bless you and keep you.
I continue to be blessed by your Bible studies, Anniversary CDs and so much of what you teach is so down to earth and applicable to my daily needs. I praise God for you and your ability to teach and reach others. Happy Birthday Beth Moore and may you continue to be an example to your family and the world we share!!
I am grateful for you living your life so open to the world, revealing your love of Jesus and encouraging us to love Him too!
Happy Birthday Beth. Loved the event in Tampa. A lot of lives were changed by you sharing parts of yours.
Happy birthday, sweet Beth. I might have known you’d have a cheerful June birthday. Thank you for your commitment to the infallible word of God and your commitment to helping us all dig in to its fullness.
Happy birthday, Beth! Hope your day is full of blessings!
Hi Beth, hope your having a wonderful Birthday. May the Lird shower you with joy and fun today and always!
Love Vickie
Happy Birthday, Beth! Words cannot express how much good your studies have brought to the women of this world! Thank you! I look forward to seeing you receive the rewards Christ has stored up for you. I will be in the cheering sections as He makes the presentation!
Happy birthday Beth! I hope you have a wonderful birthday. May God bless you today and every day.
Happy Birthday, Beth! What a blessing you have been to me and so many others. Thank you for sharing your love for God and His Word,
Happy birthday Miss Beth. Sorry we always called our respected southern teachers Miss. May you continue to grow in the glory and presence of Jesus. Thank you for your willingness to b real and honest and share that what God has given you. You have a way of teaching that makes me feel like I just want to call you up and share my heart. Thank you for braving to share when the enemy tries to say you are not worthy of sharing, it blesses and encourages me to do the hard things. Looking forward to more of your studies!
Happy Birthday, Beth.
I am blessed to have you a part of my life – Thank you for all that you do.
I’m so glad you were born Mrs. Beth!
Think about it…The Lird had mighty plans right from the get go for you! I know from your testimony that life has been bumpy, smooth, hilly, rough and then rinse lather repeat 😉 I for one have been changed by the words you pen. And, in turn my family has been changed.
I hope this is a fantastic year for you.
Thank you for being authentic!!
You are loved!
Emily
Sweet Beth … what a treasure you are. You have brought joy and healing to so many through your teachings and testimonies. WOW! I am so thrilled to see how God has used and IS USING you still in the lives of women (and men) all across the world. I still remember not being able to watch you when you would sign during my solos at the First Place Conferences years ago. You made it so special! Thank you. You have always been and will always be very dear to me. I’m proud to call you friend and am so blessed by your ministry. May this be your happiest birthday EVER! God’s very best to you, dear Beth. I love you! Jana
Beth have a wonderful birthday, you have been such an inspiration and a blessing to me and my small group. Thank you for showing us all the love of Christ and deepening our faith beyond measure!
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday Beth! Love you and love your Bible Studies! Thank you for all you do!
Happy Birthday, Beth!
Hope your day is amazing.
It was fun getting to sing happy birthday to you this weekend in Tampa, along with 7000 other ladies 🙂
Happy, happy birthday sweet Beth;
God bless you each and every day. Your words have blessed me many times, thank you.
Happy Birthday! I was just looking at the Keyword Bible yesterday at the local Lifeway store. I love doing your Bible studies and watching the videos. Lately I felt I was in the Pit and I’m working my way out or trying to. I wish I could see you in Cincinnati on the 26-27, but my daughter is in the YMCA gymnastic nationals so we will be in Wichita at that time.
Happy birthday, Mrs. Beth! Myself and a friend went to our first Beth Moore, Living Proof Live in Tampa this past weekend. We were both so BLESSED by the music and the teaching.
I hope you have a wonderful birthday full of God’s blessings for another year, should He tarry.
Happy Birthday Sister in Christ!
Happy Birthday to a very special lady!! May God bless you the way that you have blessed so many others!
In Christ, Debby
Happy Birthday Beth your bible studies have brought me such inspiration & encouragement for many years. I hope you have a wonderful day. God Bless You!!