**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 Elizabeth! You are an inspiration to me and you are the one
who made me fall in love with Jesus!
Happy birthday, Beth! Enjoy your day!
Happy Birthday to Beth, our “Jesus Girlfriend.” I have been participating in her Bible Studies since 2009, the first one being Esther. Last fall I was priviledged to begin facilitating a Bible study, and the first one we did was….Esther! We did the whole Megillah…including Purim party!! We completed The Patriarchs in May and are starting James in early October. We are so blessed by the work God has done through his servant, BETH MOORE!!! Praise Him!!
Happy Birthday Beth!!!
Happy Birthday Beth! I feel like you are one of my bestest of friends,even though we have never met! You are always encouraging me and my walk with the Lord. Thank you for all that you do. May God continue to bless you and yours.
Faithfully,
Kelly Sartor
Happy Birthday Beth!!
Happy Birthday, Beth!!! What a blessing you are to thousands and thousands of people! Thank you for everything you pour your heart and soul into! To have an amazing daughter write such sweet things about you is inspiring! Hope you had a terrific birthday! God Bless!
Happy, Happy Birthday, dear Beth!! You bring much joy to my heart! Your love for the Lord is contagious and I have learned so much about Him through your dear heart for Him.
Memorizing verses, encouraged by you and your wonderful siestas, has been a joy I could not have imagined. Thank you for reaching out to so many, but yet making us each feel as though you are talking directly to us one on one. God bless you and your precious family!
I wish you the happiest of birthdays, Beth! You are such an inspiration and your bible studies have been life changing for me. God bless you!
Happy Birthday Beth! We’ve never met but you have saved my life. The first Bible study I ever participated in was Breaking Free and I can’t begin to tell you how it changed me for the better. I have done other studies of yours since then and read several books and I feel like you know ME – so to speak. I’m sure it’s something you hear all the time! But truly this world is a MUCH BETTER place because God created you and you chose to share Him in more than personal way with all of us. Happiest day the Lord created you in and may he always anoint you and your family with his steadfast love and abundance. Thank you so much.
Thank you for your wisdom and the way you share your life experiences with us. LOVE your books and your Bible studies. Bet we would be great friends if we ever met! 🙂
Happy Birthday!!!
Happy Birthday Beth! You are an amazing, talented, gifted by God lady! I pray God’s richest blessings on you and your family.
Happy, happy birthday from this Beth to you! I pray that this day has been full of the most unexpected blessings and celebration of how perfectly He made you! The Holy Spirit, through your leadership and teaching, first showed this “there every time the church doors were open, baptized at 6” girl that there was more to it than just church attendance; that there was a beautiful, actual relationship to be had out there with our Creator. For you, your realness and your ability to ooze God’s love to make us want more and more, thank you and continued blessings! Much love from here where it’s hotter than hot, but maybe not as hot as H-town. 🙂
Happy birthday, Beth Moore. May you continue to be a blessing to many and be blessed as you walk hand in hand through this life with our Father.
Happy birthday!!!! Thank you Beth for being such an example and an inspiration for me as I choose ministry as my life’s passion! God bless you and every year to come!
Happy Birthday, Beth!!! What a blessing you have been in my life! Thank you for walking faithfully with our God and being authentic. May God bless you!
Happy happy Birthday Beth!!! Wishing you a blessed and joyful day full of love and light:) xoxo
Happy Birthday Beth!! You are such a blessing to me and I thank God for raising such a mighty warrior!! I am ready for blessings beyond measure when I get to attend the conference in just 2 short weeks when you are in Cincinnati. Melissa’s post above has really spoke to my heart….as I pray that my twin daughters, now 2, will be able to speak with the same live and admiration and that I am walking out such a love for Jesus that they just come to know it. God Bless you!
Happy Birthday!! So thankful for you and your ministry!
Happy Birthday Beth may God bless you today and through out the year.
Happy Birthday, Beth! You are truly an inspiration.
Happy Birthday Beth. Thank you for sharing the gift God has given you. Enjoy your day and may God … Show you HIS glory !!!
Happy Birthday! May God continue to bless your life for many, many years!
Happy Birthday, Beth! Wishing you a happy, healthy, blessed year!
Happy Birthday Dear Beth! I pray that you enjoy your day and then celebrate ALL year long! You, my dear, are special!
With Love,
Lisa
Happy Birthday Beth! May God bless you abundantly this year! I am so grateful for the way God is working in your life and the many bible studies that you have written. Thanks for sharing your insights and your life with all of us!
Happy Birthday Beth! May your day be blessed beyond measure. I am so thankful for you and all you have taught me and countless others about Jesus, his unfailing love, boundless mercy, and grace without measure. Love you!
Happy Birthday Beth. Congratulations you made it this far, Congratulations for everything you are And thank you for everything you have been so gracious to share and give. My prayer for you is that God’s love surround you. That God’s Love enfold you, That God’s power protect you, that God’s Presence watch over you. And remember Wherever you are God is there. You and your girls are so fortunate Our God is Good.
Happy Birthday, Beth! Have a blessed day!
Happy birthday, Beth! What a sweet tribute from your daughter! May God bless you with many more healthy, fruitful years as you guide others to closeness with Him.
Happy Birthday Miss Beth! You have been a huge inspiration in my walk with our Lord. Your transparent (real!!) all for the glory of God. Thank you for stepping out and standing up and encouraging your siestas to do the same.. Love in HIM..
Happy Birthday Beth!
I love your studies. My daughter got me started with them. I remember when she first told me about you. I said “Beth who?” Now I devour your studies and tomorrow morning will begin Breath with a Wednesday morning group I attend. I could listen to you all day. You are amazing and a gift from God for many of us. I hope your birthday is the best one yet.
Thanks for all your hard work and dedication. I hope your birthday is as amazing as you are.
Carolyn Baker
Happy BD2U Beth! You are a blessing to so many! The Lord bless&keep you, the Lord be gracious unto you&give you peace!May the coming year be an amazing manifestation of the spirit @ work in you&through you to the glory of God!
Happy birthday Beth Moore. I must tell you that you are a girl’s girl. I found out about you when I did a home Bible study ten years ago, and I must say you have fascinated me. How can someone have your cheerleader spirit and good looks break down God’s precious word in a way that allows me to live in the moment. I desire to have such a love and hunger for God and his word. With you I get as excited about talking about God’s Word as I get to talk to a girlfriend about a great purse or cute shoes, a revelation of Scripture, an embarrassing moment, a humbling experience, and a good laugh. I love you, girlfriend.
Happy Birthday Beth. Your love for God’s word is inspiring. For so many years. Thank you for sharing that with us.
♥Wishing you the happiest of birthdays Beth. You are such a wonderful teacher of the Bible. I thank God for you and the you allow us to come into your life through your teachings of the Bible. You are truly blessed.
Happy Birthday Beth! I would just like to take a moment to thank you for the change you brought into my life. Your honesty, compassion & authenticity have comforted and strengthened me;
Your insight & knowledge have guided & educated me; your energy & enthusiasm for the Lord has
stirred my faith up and inspired me and your humor & wit have put a smile on my face– many times when I didn’t think it was possible.You are a blessing to so many. I appreciate your hard work, dedication & heart. Wishing you the loveliest of birthdays!
Beth – Many returns of the day and may all your wishes come true! Today is my girl’s 16th birthday. Yes, she passed the driving test. Whoop!
Such lovely words and precious sentiment. The fact that they came from a beloved daughter is not lost on me. I could say similar words about my own mother and hope I’m inspiring the same in my own daughters.
Thank you for your sweet words about a dear woman committed to her calling. She has been and will certainly continue to be a mentor, teacher and example to many.
Happy Birthday Beth! I have followed you for years and through your studies/books, I feel one word describes you, Authentic.
Blessings,
Jen Miller
Wow! What an amazing tribute to your mom…all the qualities we strive to show our children are summed up in one role model. She’s so lucky to have such fabulous, eloquent daughters, too. Happy birthday, Siesta Mama!!
Wishing you the happiest of birthdays, Beth! You’re a joy to so many.
Happy Birthday Beth! This world was so blessed the day you were born. You have been a good and faithful servant, and folks like me have reaped the benefit from your inspiration and your teachings. When I saw you in Biloxi, MS last year I just cried and cried. The Lifeway women stopped me to see if I need help, or counsel. I said “No, I am just living out my dream to see Beth Moore”. Have the best birthday ever and enjoy those grandchildren.
Happy Birthday Beth! You are a gift and a blessing to so many of us. Your books and Bible studies have kept me grounded. Thank you so much for being so real and so approachable. I pray for you often and thank our precious Lord for you and your sweet spirit that keeps on giving and giving. Have a wonderful birthday and I will say a special prayer for you as i drink my Starbucks in the morning. Love you so much!
Happy Birthday to you Mrs. Beth! You have played a huge role in my life and pushed and encouraged me to know God’s Word and His heart more and more! You are a gift! It may never happen this side of heaven, but someday I plan to sit with you while eating chips and salsa, drinking sweet tea, and discussing big hair and God’s goodness! Thank you for doing what you do! You are loved!
Happy birthday to an incredible woman who has thrown me a rope more times than in care to count. May The Lord richly bless you beautiful woman of God
Happy birthday dear Beth! You are so loved and I am so thankful for your studies. Your Esther study was used by Jesus to break me free of bondage to anxiety and fear of the future and the unknown. I often think back to that study with such gratitude for deliverance from that strong grip of fear I had lived in. Thank you for all you’ve done for others and j hope it’s a wonderful birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Beth! May God continue to shower His blessings on you and your family. Thank you for all you do for the Kingdom!
PS. My daughter shares the same b-day as you!
Happy Birthday to a dear lady. I can only hope God gives me the grace to raise my daughter in a way that allows her to one day feel about me, like your girls clearly feel about you. Such a gift!
Happy Birthday! May God continue to bless you!