Archive for the ‘Amanda’ Category

AJ Checking In

Hi Siestas! I’ve spent the morning catching up on what’s been going on here in Siestaville and, I must say, y’all have been busy! What an exciting time for the LPM Blog. I have at least 50 emails in my inbox asking questions about how to operate the blog and/or sign up to memorize Scripture with the Siestas this year. I’m planning to write a separate post addressing those questions at some point today. Thank you so much for your patience while I was on vacation.

My little family left for Missouri the day after Christmas to spend a week with Curtis’ family. We had a great visit and enjoyed being there so much. We have a newborn nephew who was a particular delight to all of us. Being around him reminded me of so many things I have to look forward to in my near future. By the way, Baby Girl Jones is going to be here next month. Can you believe it? I’m already 34 weeks!

So, we’re only 5 days into the New Year and I’ve already totally blown it. The parts of me that I hate the most have come out in full force. Anyone else? I hope I’m the only one, but I know there are probably others who woke up on this first Monday of 2009 feeling defeated. Jackson slept gloriously late (thanks to some new dark curtains) and I was able to take my time with my Wisdom for Mothers Bible study (by Denise Glenn of Motherwise) and my prayer journal. Before Curtis walked out the door, I asked him to sit down and pray with me because I was feeling so rotten. His words encouraged me so much. He basically reminded me that the Lord’s mercies are not new every new year, but every morning. Thank You, God! I can already start over again today. I’m choosing to look at my failures as a very keen reminder that any victory in 2009 will come from complete dependence on the Holy Spirit and not from my own strength. In his sermon last night, Curtis said that God shows us our weaknesses to move us past a place of prideful comfort and into spiritual growth. Who is like our God, who even offers us a big ole serving of hope with our humble pie?

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23, NIV)

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Gingerbread and Jughead

This was the scene in my kitchen last Friday. It was baking day. Think it looks bad? You should have seen me. I had fourth day hair. Jackson looked a little homeless too.

Pillsbury wanted to bless my little heart this year and provide my grocery store with huge tubes of refrigerated gingerbread dough. Someone give Him some praise. I’m the worst baker of all time and this was even easy enough for me to use. So Jacks and I made some little gingerbread men together. Here they are, iced and ready to be sprinkled.

Oops, Mommy didn’t realize that the Mister wouldn’t know how to shake the bottle. He just turned it upside down over the one cookie and let the sprinkles pour out. Why I was not hovering over him at that moment baffles me. I was watching from several feet away as half the bottle landed on one little cookie. Also? Those little round ball sprinkles? They roll off the table and bounce all around the kitchen. Then they stick to your feet and travel onto other surfaces. Like rugs. Bad, bad sprinkles.

Trying to redistribute them a little.

Who needs a napkin when it comes to sprinkles and icing?

Our cookies got the Jackson Jones stamp of approval.

The fruit of our labor – gingerbread men and butterscotch haystacks.

A closer look at our cookies. Not the cutest ever, but they taste so good!

This is the lovely gingerbread house I bought in early November for Jackson and me to make together. I never could get up the nerve to attempt this project with him though. Somehow I just knew it would be too much for Pregnant Girl and Toddler Boy. So I made it by myself last week.

Jackson was thrilled when he saw it. Although it was torturous for him not to be able to eat the candy. Thankfully, I had enough foresight to save him a few of the gumdrops and Spree.

This is what our gingerbread house looked like when we got home from Second Baptist’s “Kids’ Crazy Christmas” show on Friday night. Hmmm, had there been a tornado in my home?

Termites maybe?

Would anyone like a naughty golden retriever for Christmas? Come on, it will get you in the mood to see “Marley and Me” on Christmas day! I knew better than to leave that tray of cookies out on the counter, so I hid it in the oven when we left. I never would have guessed that Jughead the Big White Beast would go for the house. Seriously. Who does that?

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Christmas Tour of the Office

BooMamaChristmasTour

We’re joining BooMama’s Christmas Tour of Homes on the very last day! I think she’s closing the links down any minute. If you’d like to take a peek at tons of beautifully decorated homes, hop on over to her site and visit some of the blogs listed. You’ll find lots of Siestas on there.

Welcome to LPM! Here’s the front view of our office, which used to be a home. Hopefully that qualifies us for the tour of homes.

Front doors

Entryway

Our beautiful tree

The boardroom and our banqueting table. I love the chairs.

Fireplace

Each of us has a stocking hung on the mantle.

A little tree in Diane’s office

Another one in Evangeline’s office

The water cooler in the resource room

Did you know that our resource department is named after the wonderful Mary Helen Davis? LPM would not exist as it does today if it weren’t for this wonderful lady and her tape recorder. She used it to record Beth’s Sunday school lessons for years. We love you, Mrs. Mary Helen!

Jingle bell tree

Some little angels

This is not really a Christmas decoration, but we bought it at a Christmas market last month. I LOVE it!

We have several of these for all the fun cards we receive.

A fresh wreath

Outside on a staircase

The fireplace in our ministry director’s office

Some bling on Beth’s desk

The fireplace in her office

Merry Christmas from Beth and Starsy!

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We Converged!

I want to take a minute and thank all of you who were with us for Converge last Thursday night at the Berry Center. We’re so glad you were there! In case you have no idea what I’m talking about, we were joined by special guests CeCe Winans and Travis Cottrell and his praise team for a night of worship and the Word. It was a wonderful evening and we were so blessed by you! Curtis was our emcee and at one point he asked the people who had never been to an LPM event (like Tuesday night Bible study) to raise their hands. We were thrilled by how many there were. It looked like half to me, but I could be wrong. What a great joy to be able to serve all of you in Jesus’ name!

I’ve had so many sweet friends share with me what the Lord spoke to them that night through Beth’s message. Ladies, isn’t it awesome that we have a God who is active in our lives? Not just when we get to heaven, but NOW? We’re believing Him to work in every person’s life who attended and we’re already praising Him for those testimonies.

A lot of my friends mentioned how neat the stage, lighting and video production were. We contracted some friends from Beth’s Living Proof Live Events (which are done through LifeWay) to help us out with that. They do such an excellent job! It occurred to me that a lot of our girls in Houston have never attended a Living Proof Live event, and that’s totally understandable because we get to study the Word together all the time here at home. But if you really enjoyed the energy and the quality of production of the event – not to mention Travis Cottrell and his awesome praise team – you should look into coming to a Living Proof Live conference in 2009. The conferences are like three sessions of what we did at Converge. Here is a link to the schedule. Our Houston girls will be closest to the El Paso and New Orleans events.

I’d also like our Houston girls to know that a new song from Travis’ Christmas CD has just been added to KSBJ’s Christmas rotation. The song is “Ring the Bells.” It’s one of my favorites. So if you call in and request it, they’ll be able to play it now. If you hear it and love it (which you will!), stop by Travis’ blog and let him know!

We hope many of you will join us this Spring for our Inheritance Bible Study at Houston’s First Baptist Church. We get started on Tuesday, January 13. For more information, visit our Houston Connection page. See you then!

P.S. We’re considering producing a product from the Converge event, but if we decide to do that it will be several months before it will be available for purchase. Thanks so much for your patience!

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Christmas Questionnaire



*UPDATE*

Both Mom and Melissa’s answers are below mine!!!!

Hey Siestas! I was just thinking about doing a Christmas questionnaire on the blog when, about a minute ago, I got a request to do this one through a comment from Kim Safina. This will be perfect! Thanks, Kim!

1. Fresh Tree or Fake Tree
Fresh

2. Favorite Ornament
This horse I got in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It has little bells on its feet.

3. Favorite Christmas Song
“Jesus Born on This Day” on Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” CD.

4. Favorite Tradition
Picking out a tree. Driving around to look at lights. Seeing my family open the gifts I’ve bought them. Mom and Dad cooking a big breakfast after we’ve read the Christmas story and opened presents.

5. Favorite Gift Ever Received
Last year Mom gave me a huge box of all the clothes she had saved from when I was a baby. I had no idea she still had them, so it was a very big surprise. It’s so fun to have those now since we’re having a baby girl in just two months!

6. Favorite Christmas Meal
Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, and chocolate cake.

7. Favorite Christmas Cookie
Paulie’s beautifully decorated and equally delicious shortbread cookies!

8. Favorite Place To Be
Wherever Curtis and Jackson are! If we can celebrate Christmas with both of our families in the same year, that is very special.

9. Favorite Memory
When Melissa and I were very little girls, Santa came to visit us on Christmas Eve at our grandparents’ house. It was so magical. Then about four years ago, when we were again at my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve, Santa came to visit my two youngest cousins. It was so fun to see their faces. It also SNOWED that night. In Houston! It was truly a Christmas miracle. You cannot imagine how special it was for all of us.

This is a picture of Melissa and me and our cousins that year.
Hannah, Joe, John, Ben, Melissa, and me in front.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie
“Elf.” I really enjoy watching this with my sister because she laughs so hard!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Siesta Mama’s:

1. Fresh and the fatter the better

2. Felt ornaments with my girls’ pictures on them that were made in their classes when they were little; add to that my ornaments with Jackson’s pictures

3. 4Him – A Strange Way to Save the World; Travis – In the First Light

4. Reading the Christmas story as a family first thing that morning and holding hands and each praying; On the superficial side, taking as long as possible to open the presents then Amanda, Melissa and I, all in my bedroom putting on and taking off every single new garment and gushing, “Oh, that is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen on you!” “No, YOU!!!”

5. I’d always driven a heap. I do mean A HEAP. Most of my years it was my parents’ old yellow and black Dodge Dart. I never left the house without jumper cables and a jug of water for when – not IF – the radiator overheated. I didn’t even know to feel cheated. One Christmas at Keith’s parents, I opened my present from him and it was a set of keys. A used but totally spotless Champagne colored Cadillac (a block and a half long) was sitting in his parents’ garage for me. I couldn’t even get in it. I buried my head in Keith’s chest and sobbed my eyes out right in front of everybody.

6. Major Dad always fixed Reuben Sandwiches on Christmas Eve in my house growing up and I miss them so badly. Nobody has ever been able to make Reubens like him. My first Christmas Eve in Heaven I plan to run to his mansion and stand there and squeal while he flips them on the griddle. Then I want to hear him tell the same old jokes and we’ll laugh like we’ve never heard them. On Christmas Day, I love the traditional meal. Especially the dressing because my beloved Mom fixed it so well and loved it like nobody I’ve ever known. I never miss my parents more than on Christmas. They were simple people who never made an extra dime and threw a very modest celebration but somehow, no matter how problems had filled the rest of the year, Christmas time was magical.

7. Pillsbury Slice and Bake Sugar Cookies with colored Betty Crocker Butter Cream icing and sprinkles. I’m not kidding.

8. In my same den of 24 years, up while it’s still dark, presents all in place, and on my knees all alone in front of the fire place.

9. Christmas 1981 at my parents with my huge family of origin in a very tiny den. My little brother read the Christmas story that year with us all gathered around and no sooner than he read, “And it came to pass in those days…”, Amanda, just two and a half, crawled out of the chair and went to her knees, cupped her little hands like she was praying and kept her eyes shut through the whole reading – but changing expressions with every scene. Not a dry eye in the house. Then, to top it off, a little while later we opened presents and I got to surprise Keith with blue baby booties and announce that our second child was on the way. He’d been begging for a second child since the day our first was born. That second baby would never wear those blue booties…and not once would I ever regret that God gave me another girl. I would not trade that little wild ride for anything in this world.

10. Elf, hands down. And for exactly the same reason Amanda said. Melissa laughs so hard that we nearly…we nearly…well, you know what we nearly do.

PS. IT’S SNOWING IN HOUSTON TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER IN YOUR LIFE HAVE YOU SEEN A STAFF OF SELF-RESPECTING ADULTS ACT LIKE BIGGER FOOLS THAN WE HAVE JUST ACTED OUT ON THE FRONT LAWN OF LPM. THANK YOU, LORD! (But stick with the post theme or AJ might snatch me baldheaded for adding that little addendum. Shoot fire, it’s already stopped but, boy, was it exciting while it lasted!)

Melissa’s Christmas Favorites

1. Fresh Tree/Fake Tree? Fresh! Who doesn’t love a little pine allergy once a year?

2. Favorite Ornament- My favorite ornament is the angel tree topper (I think it counts as an ornament) that Amanda and I fought over every year. Dad usually chose who it was going to be and lifted us up to place it high up on the tree. Don’t ask me how we found a way to fight over that?!?

3. Favorite Christmas Song- Hands down, O Holy Night, preferably by Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas is seriously musically authoritative. And how cute was she in that little Santa outfit on the cover?

4. Favorite Tradition- My Mom usually procrastinates wrapping all the presents until Christmas Eve. So she bans us to come downstairs after like 8:30 pm. Well, don’t tell her, but my favorite thing to do is to sneak down around midnight and look at all the Christmas presents in the living room. I still do and I’ll do it again this year. I can never sleep on Christmas Eve.

5. Favorite Gift Ever Received- The gift I remember being most excited about was a pair of Nike Air Jordan basketball shoes in fifth or sixth grade. I shook the box for months and months and months. In those days, my Dad refused to spend over $30 for a pair of shoes and he would make a really big deal even spending that. To get a pair of Air Jordan’s was like wearing a Cartier watch in sixth grade. I was all class, tomboy class.

6. Favorite Christmas Meal- The typical meal, nobody better mess with me and try to change it up. Turkey, Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry (the fake kind from the can NOT real cranberry), Green-Bean casserole/Broccoli-Rice casserole. Then wait a few hours and do it all over again.

7. Favorite Christmas Cookie- Amanda has made these butterscotch haystacks the past few years that I think about all year long. They are so smooth and crunchy all at the same time, and for some reason they remind me of my Nanny. I think it is because she made chocolate & butterscotch Rice Krispy treats with peanut-butter when she was still alive.

8. Favorite Place to be- Houston, no matter how nasty/hot the weather, with Keith, Beth, Amanda, Curtis, Jackson, and Colin Fitzpatrick.

9. Favorite Memory- A couple of years ago on Christmas Eve Colin and I were in the beginning phase of dating. We went to the Christmas Eve candlelight service at First Baptist and then we drove around looking at Christmas lights. He kept saying, “Are you for real?” “Are you for real?” “You really like me!?!” Anyway, I knew who the joke was really on and that I was really the lucky one in the relationship, but I’ll never forget him saying that and the look on his face.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie- Well, Mom and Amanda stole my thunder. Elf is absolutely my favorite. In fact, it is on our TV as we speak…or as I type, rather. I will say though that Home Alone comes in a close second, though it is not technically a Christmas Movie. It is hilarious and it has special family significance to me that I keep pondered in my heart. Always.

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Jackson’s Nativity Scene

I was asked to send a single sock to Mother’s Day Out with Jackson yesterday. I thought y’all might like to see the outcome of that special craft.

Also, thank you so much for your participation in the survey. We will be hard at work on those comments for the next week. We do not take your willingness to be honest and vulnerable lightly! God bless each one of you!

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Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Let the giving of thanks and the feasting begin! Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone! LPM is closed for the week, so I’m not sure how much activity there will be on the blog. I definitely want to take advantage of our five days off. What a blessing! You know what is so awesome? My hubby has these five days off, too! So for the first time in our marriage, we have a whole week off of work to just spend at home. We are normally in Wyoming or Missouri for Thanksgiving, but this year we just get to have a staycation.

I feel certain that these three things will happen this week:
1) Our Christmas lights, Clark Griswold style, will go up. Curtis normally does this over a span of several days. Our little oak tree was completed last night. I’m looking forward to seeing his “vision” for our new house come into fruition.
2) I will make butterscotch haystacks with the intention of taking them to our neighbors. Hopefully I won’t get lazy and keep them all! That would not be good for Pregnant Girl’s figure.
3) We will get some work done on Jackson’s big boy room and the baby’s nursery. And by work I mean we will order some furniture, which we should have done long ago.

As for the rest of the Moore clan, my parents have been at their ranch since Friday. I spoke to my dad this morning and he said they weren’t ready to come home and, in fact, they just wanted to live there forever. (My mother later debunked this statement. They’re coming home tomorrow.) I simply cannot imagine my mom living in a place where there are no people to witness her good hair days and well accessorized outfits. She needs witnesses! And I’m not talking about deer, steer, and wild hogs.

Melissa and Colin are saving their travel days for Christmas, so they are not coming home for Thanksgiving. We’ll miss them so much, but they will be spending Thursday with some dear friends and will have a blast.

Also – this is so exciting – Curtis and I are expecting to get a phone call any day that his sister is in labor with her firstborn. We can’t wait to meet our sweet little nephew.

Have a great Monday, friends!

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Jackson’s Red Banoon

Yesterday after church, Curtis, Jackson and I had a yummy lunch at Luby’s Cafeteria with all the other church-going folks on this side of town. As we were leaving, Jackson was given a big red balloon on a string. It was his joy and his delight. Let me just say that his joy and delight are fragile things. Having seen this particular joy swept away in the wind too many times before, I tied the balloon onto his clothes to keep him from losing it. Of course he had a fit about that. My banoon, Mommy! My banoon! He wanted all the control in his sweaty little hand! To my very great surprise, the balloon actually survived the trip home. It was still intact this morning and he enjoyed several more hours with it. He loved it so much. I cringed though, seeing my son get all of this happiness from something so fragile and temporary. It would only be a matter of time before it popped or sprung a leak out of nowhere. Then I’d have a sad, sad boy on my hands.

I think God must look at me in the same way when I’m trying to get my joy and happiness out of earthly things. I wonder if He thinks, Oh, baby girl, that is so temporary. It’s already got a leak in it – you just can’t see it yet. Find your joy in me! I’m everlasting! My unfailing love it what your heart truly seeks.

So today I’ll remember that my beautiful white house, compliments I may get because of this or that, my cute new maternity clothes, the holiday atmosphere that will soon surround us – all of these things I like and love so much – are about as safe for my heart to depend on as a simple latex balloon. These things add color and festivity to my life, but they are not sturdy enough to support my soul. There’s only One who is, and He’s more than willing to do it for me! He wants to! Thank You, Lord!

What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. (Proverbs 19:22)

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption. (Psalm 130:5-7)

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:18)

In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:21-22)

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Last Day of Filming and Help With Your Questions

Woo hoo! The Moore family is celebrating today because we are getting our wife/mom/Bibby home tonight! Today is the last day of taping (intros and outros) for Breaking Free. Mom told me that the weather has been absolutely perfect for the intros and outros, which have been filmed outside. So that is a big praise. Thank you – each and every one of you – for praying for this taping. It has been a big undertaking and the Lord has shown His sufficiency and supremacy.

It helps to go over blog housekeeping guidelines periodically since (thankfully!) we have new readers joining us all the time. Your sisters at LPM are happy to help answer your questions as best as we can, but the blog is probably the least efficient way to do that. So if you have a question about anything, please use the Contact Us page on our web site instead of asking it in the comments section. There is a permanent link to it on the left side of our blog for your convenience.

I hope you all have a beautiful, peaceful, Christ-filled Monday!
Love,
Amanda

PS – I thought you might like to see the little diva boots that Aunt Melissa got Baby Girl! They’re so adorable!

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Message Preparation

Hi friends. Mom and I have been sending text messages back and forth for the last few minutes. She’s having to prepare four messages today to get ready for tonight’s and tomorrow morning’s sessions. I don’t know how she does it! Only the Lord! If you wouldn’t mind, would you lift up this preparation time to the Lord?

After these sessions, she will stay in New Orleans and film intros and outros until Monday. Looking at it that way, she is about halfway through. I’m sure she could really use a big gust of the Spirit’s wind to carry her on. Thanks for investing in this taping with your prayers, sisters!
We love you,
Amanda

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