I can’t remember who came up with this word, but somewhere along the way Travis Cottrell and any other (generally invisible) male blog readers acquired the name “miesta.” It is, of course, the male answer to “siesta.”

I want you all to know about a very special miesta who was used by God to bring Christian women all over this nation and even across the world together for Bible study. His name is Lee Sizemore and, to say it simply, he was the visionary and the video producer for the first 10 Bible study series my mom got to film. Had health concerns not necessitated early retirement, he would have also produced the three that followed. From A Woman’s Heart to The Patriarchs(ten years later, and dedicated to him), Lee worked tirelessly to produce discipleship materials for women like us. He also produced video-driven Bible studies for many other teachers, among them Anne Graham Lotz, Jennifer Rothschild, and Angela Thomas. I’m sure many of them felt about Lee as Mom did. She considered him one of the dearest friends she’d ever had and one of the most significant co-laborers God, in His measureless grace, had ever sent her way.

When I was sixteen, Lee hired me to be a production assistant for the To Live is Christ series. I enjoyed getting to work behind the scenes with his team so much. Lee was always there with something encouraging or amusing to say. Throughout the years it was such a joy when the LifeWay team would come to Houston or when I had the chance to be on another film set. They were a very special group of people with an exceptional, wonderful leader.

After an almost three-year battle with severe health problems, our brother Lee Sizemore went home to be with Jesus on Saturday, March 22, 2008. The next morning, as we all celebrated the Risen Christ in our man-made church sanctuaries, Lee got to see the resurrected Lamb of God with His own eyes and worship in His visible, glorious presence. Though tears fall from my eyes even now, it blesses me to know that our dear friend had this privilege.

Lee leaves behind an adoring, faithful bride of nearly 40 years named Myrna, two sons, two daughters-in-law, four grandchildren, and a slew of friends and co-workers who all loved him very much. His absence will leave a tremendous void in their lives. Myrna’s birthday is this Wednesday and her precious husband’s funeral will be held on Thursday. I know many of you have watched the Bible study videos and will want to cover Myrna and her family in prayer during this difficult week. Thank you in advance. Myrna is a siesta, so if anyone wants to share a word of love, encouragement, or thanks, we will make sure she gets to see it.

*Lee is the one next to my mom in each of these pictures.

The Patriarchs

Living Beyond Yourself

Breaking Free

When Curt and I were first married, we served in the youth ministry at Houston’s First Baptist Church. In July of 2003, we were going to help lead a youth mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This was going to be the Joneses’ first trip to Honduras and our first mission trip as a married couple. (Curt has been back three more times and is actually there right now.) Our church had strong ties with Larry and Jean Elliott, a missionary couple who had been serving in that area for decades. Every summer HFBC sent a youth team to work with them and their mission churches.

A few months before the trip, the Elliotts were going to be in our city visiting family. They had raised their son and daughter in Honduras and were now grandparents of young children who lived in Houston. We set up a time to meet with them and the other couple leading the trip with us so that we could plan our week. I had never met the Elliotts, nor any other career missionaries, and I honestly had no idea what to expect. In my ignorance and stupidity, I thought the dinner would probably be really boring. I didn’t even want to go, but I knew I should.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that this precious couple shattered any preconceived notion that I had about missionaries. Larry and Jean were some of the warmest, most joyful, most down to earth people I had ever met. We fell in love with them instantly. One thing that struck me was how much they laughed, and I have to say that it was a treat to hear Larry’s laugh. He had such a good one. Larry and Jean had tons of stories to tell about their experiences in Honduras. It was so interesting to listen to them. God had given this couple an incredible twenty-six-year ministry there. The first church they planted had grown exponentially and had gone on to plant more churches that in turn planted more churches. God had His hand on everything they did. They had a passion for disaster relief, which I believe was birthed out of the devastation that Hurricane Mitch brought to that country in 1998. Only God knows how many lives they were able to touch through evangelism, discipleship, and ministering to folks in the midst of crisis.

After the dinner, I had so much to say to Curt about this wonderful couple. I couldn’t wait for our trip. Before long, we arrived in Tegucigalpa with our youth and got to work. We were able to see first hand what God had done and was doing in that area through seeds the Elliotts, other missionaries like the Torbert family, and local believers had planted.

The Elliotts had our whole team over to their house for dinner one night and served us a great meal. Just being in their home made an impact on me. I remember saying something to Jean about the house and she was quick to say, “Thank you, Lottie Moon!” If you are Southern Baptist, you may know that the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering helps support our 5,193 IMB missionaries on the field.

That night Larry showed us a slideshow and some souvenirs from his recent trip to Iraq. His passion for anyone living in devastation was burning a hole in his heart for the Iraqi people. He wanted to enable hospitals and people to have purified water and, simply put, he could help! I wish I could convey his excitement as he showed us each picture in the slide show. He and Jean were seriously seeking God about ending their ministry in Honduras and beginning a new one in Iraq.

The trip came to an end and I got a big hug and “We love you!” from Jean in the airport. I nearly cried saying goodbye to her. She was just such a dear person.

I came home from Honduras changed in many ways. For one, I had learned that missionaries are regular people – regular people who love the Lord and are willing to serve Him outside their comfort zones. The Elliotts made me realize that being a missionary was not for the highest order of pious, perfect, solemn believers, which is what I had always imagined. Instead, a missionary could actually be someone like me! Or like you! A normal person who loves the Lord, who laughs, who loves their grandkids, and who loves being with friends. Don’t get me wrong. The Elliotts are spiritual giants, but the message of their life said, “You can do this, too. God can use you!”

Just two months later, having gained some confidence that God could use a normal person like me outside my comfort zone, Curt and I began looking into an opportunity to serve teenagers in England. It would only be for five months, but that seemed like a long time to us! We would leave March 9, 2004.

Before we left, Larry and Jean came back to Houston for a visit. Larry needed to borrow a car for a few days, so we got to take him our truck. Later they both came to Tuesday night Bible study. I was so excited to have them there. Jean had been in some of my mom’s Bible studies back in Honduras. I got to send some resources from the office back to the mission field with them and they gave us a bottle of yummy Honduran vanilla, among other things. It was such a blessing to cross paths with them again. Jean told me we might see them in England sometime since that would be sort of a home base for them while they were living in Iraq.

March 9 finally came and we boarded a British Airways flight to the UK. We were really excited, but I was also nervous and worried about being terribly homesick. Just five days later, on March 14, I was checking my email and received devastating news. Jean and Larry Elliott, along with missionaries David McDonnall and Karen Watson, had been killed in Mosul, Iraq. They had been checking out different locations for water purification projects in the city when their truck was targeted and attacked by gunmen. Only newlywed Carrie McDonnall had survived.

My world was spinning and my heart was absolutely broken to pieces. “No, Lord! This can’t be! And we are here – in part – because of them!” I wanted my mother, but she was an ocean away. I wanted to grieve with everyone else and talk about the impact this couple had had on my life, but we would not be able return to the States for their memorial service in Houston.

I don’t understand how anyone could harm, even murder, such precious people – people who had come to help them! And it hurts tremendously to think about the huge loss their families have experienced. But I do know that the Lord, in a way that is hard for my human mind to grasp, honored these servants by allowing them to not only live for Him, but to also die for Him.

Today, on the fourth anniversary of the homegoings of Larry and Jean Elliott, David McDonnall, and Karen Watson, let’s give profuse praise to God for selfless, courageous people who put their lives on the line every day as they work to build up God’s Kingdom. Let’s thank Him for the advancement of Light into darkness and for the souls who will worship before the throne from cultures that are hostile toward the Gospel of Christ. Let’s pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who are enduring persecution, especially in Iraq. Let’s praise God for their perseverance and for the glory they bring to Him. Let’s ask God to bless our sweet friend Carrie McDonnall as she continues to pour out her life for her Savior. Let’s praise Jesus for the victory He has already won and for the day He will do away with death forever!

We may not want to die like these precious saints, but we want to live like them – with courage, selflessness, faithfulness, and love.

“They overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” (Revelation 12:11)

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

*If you’d like to read more about these missionaries, check out these two resources:

Facing Terror by Carrie McDonnall and Kristen Billerbeck
Lives Given, Not Taken by Erich Bridges and Jerry Rankin

Now, from AJ.

Where do you enjoy going on vacation and what you like to do?
Our whole family loves to be in the mountains. Believe it or not, I didn’t see a real mountain until we took an unforgettable summer trip to Colorado when Melissa and I were teenagers. Most of our vacations up to that point had been to beach towns on the Texas Gulf Coast. (That’s what happens when your dad loves to fish. No complaints here though!) So there’s a very big part of me that needs to spend quality time at the beach every summer. I am not one to lay out for hours in the sand. I like to swim in the waves and catch hermit crabs. In the mountains, my mom and sister really enjoy hiking but I would prefer to be on a horse going through those trails with my dad. In the winter, Curt is the only one in the family who skiis but we all like to snowmobile.

What is your favorite place to eat out in Jackson Hole?
My favorites are The Virginian for breakfast, Billy’s Hamburgers for lunch, and The Mangy Moose restaurant for dinner. Sweetwater is another good place if you want to eat girly food. It depends on when you go because some of these restaurants close during the “off season.”

What Bible study software does Beth use that has “talking Strong’s”?
Beth constantly uses WORDsearch 7 (there is now a version 8). Another Bible study software tool with talking Strong’s is Bible Explorer Premium 4.0. If you are only looking for talking Strong’s, which will teach you how to pronounce the Greek and Hebrew words, Bible Explorer’s lower price might make it the best choice. Both of these can be found at www.wordsearchbible.com.

How do I leave a comment on the blog?
See if this helps.

Is Beth almost done writing the Esther study?
Beth’s deadline for this study is in June. She is currently finishing Week 5. This brings me to another question, which is “How can we best pray for Beth?” She covets your prayers for this project!

When Beth has her quiet time by the fire, is it a wood burning fireplace or gas logs?
It was a wood burning fireplace up until two years ago when my parents remodeled their house. Now they have gas logs. This is very good for me because my son has a deep longing to play in ashes.

Can Living Proof develop an online community for the Siestas?
This is a very good question that I have received through email a number of times. LifeWay hosted a Believing God community for us five years ago when that Bible study was published online. It was a great experience for that season and we absolutely loved having that kind of interaction with women around the world. However, it required a lot of work, training of staff and volunteers, and constant observation. LifeWay even carried the larger load for us since they took care of the technical side of things. At this point, I think it would take at least one full time worker to oversee an online community and to take care of the technical aspects. Even with a full time employee taking care of this, it would generate another handful of work for Beth. And there are only two hands! I’m not sure we could sustain a blog and an online community and still have her writing Bible studies and teaching at conferences.

Has Beth read the Mitford series by Jan Karon?
My mom was obsessed with the Mitford books. She even had an audio version of one that she lent me for a road trip.

By the way, Beth, that is one gorgeous little Tod you have! How will you EVER say “no” to those beautiful big eyes?
Recently I saw a little boy in a Spiderman suit out in public with a woman who I assumed was his grandmother. Immediately I realized that one day my son would go out in public, under the supervision of his grandmother, dressed in anything he wanted to wear. Because she could not say no to the big blue eyes. The only difference is, my mom will be dressed up with him.

In what order should the Bible studies be taken?
There really isn’t a suggested order. I think for someone in the very beginning of their walk with God, Jesus the One and Only and Living Beyond Yourself are great places to start. Believing God is an excellent follow-up to Breaking Free. Other than that, I think someone should start with whichever study seems to interest them most or however the Spirit seems to be leading at that time. If you really, really need some direction, it wouldn’t hurt to do them in the order they were written.

What does Keith do? We know about all his caveman adventures, but what was/is his job?
Keith ran the family plumbing company from the mid-1980’s until just a few years ago when he sold his share of the company to his partner. Since then he has been extremely blessed with lots of freedom to live out his caveman adventures, manage the Moore household, and take very good care of his woman. My parents are especially grateful that my dad can be an active part of her ministry through the TV program, Life Today with James and Betty Robison. (She can be seen on the program every Wednesday teaching Bible study.) He is present for every filming and has accompanied her on both mission trips to Angola. I think it’s fair to say that their lives have had an extra measure of peace since my dad sold the company.

When are you going to have another baby?
Right now we’re only planning to have one more child, so we want to be good and ready before we expand our family. I was sick for the first trimester with Jackson, so I want to really want it before I go through that again. Aside from the morning sickness, I want to savor everything about being pregnant and having a newborn again. I look forward to being more confident the second time around and hopefully being able to enjoy it more, knowing that it goes by so quickly. Of course, God is sovereign and only He knows how the expansion of our family will go.

Do you get bombarded 100 times a day with “Can your Mom come speak to…”?
I used to get asked that a lot but not as much anymore, for which I’m thankful. It’s hard to say no to a friend, so I usually let Susan do that for me! Susan is my mom’s assistant and she has the very tough job of being the protector of Beth’s time. Every “no” she says to an extra opportunity is a “yes” to our family. “Yes, you can come down this weekend for a visit. I’m dying to see my grandson.” “Yes, Dad and I can come up this weekend and hear Curtis preach.” “Honey, there’s an opening in my schedule and Dad and I are heading to the mountains for a week.” We do not take no’s and yeses for granted.

Melissa and I used to function as Mom’s assistants when we were younger. The Lord knows how many messages we took on scraps of paper (with markers) in the kitchen for speaking engagements here and there. If any of you had to deal with our seven and ten-year-old selves on the phone, I’m so sorry! There’s no telling what we said!

As a Mom, are you able to get your quiet time in EVERY day? What is your way of doing quiet time, journaling, reading a study or just reading the Bible?
It took me a long time after Jackson was born to get back on track with my quiet times. I finally found a routine that works well for us. When we wake up, I give Jackson a cup of milk to drink while I make breakfast. Then I pull his high chair into the living room where he can eat and watch Noggin. I sit right next to him on the couch, eat my breakfast, and have my quiet time. That gives me about 20-30 minutes before he is ready to get down and run around the house. I like to journal my prayers because it helps my mind to stay focused. The last two devotional books I used were David: 90 Days With a Heart Like His and Jesus: 90 Days With the One and Only. Both of those have built-in prayer journals. I am biased because my mom wrote both of them, but I thought they were excellent. Right now Curtis and I are using Devotions for a Sacred Marriage: A Year of Devotionals for Couples by Gary Thomas and we are loving it. You’re only supposed to do one a week, but we are cheating and doing one every day. I would highly recommend it. I definitely have days when I miss my quiet time, especially if we are traveling. I struggle when I’m out of my morning routine.

How does one get on the Deeper Still blog?
The Deeper Still blog is temporarily suspended due to the gap of time
between events. LifeWay is currently looking at the possibility of restarting
it for the 2008 locations.

Can you recommend a child-raising book or author who you believe gives Biblical advice?
Someone mentioned this in a comment, but I read James Dobson’s Bringing Up Boys and I learned a lot from it. I haven’t read many parenting books yet, but I will say that I love to listen to radio programs like Family Life Today and Focus on the Family. I always learn something and feel encouraged when I get to tune in.

Why does God wait so long to let some of us ladies get married?
I do not know the answer to this question and I wish there was a good explanation. Sometimes I think we would all benefit from going back to arranged marriages and getting married around the time that teenage hormones kick in. Call me crazy, but I have a whole argument for this in my head.

How do you live a normal life? Can you go to the mall without being swarmed?
I don’t think there’s ever been a “swarm” at the mall. Usually we get to meet a couple of Bible study sisters and that’s fun. I was sorry I missed getting to meet Jen the Newlywed a couple weeks ago when she ran into my mom and sister at Willowbrook Mall.

Any thoughts on a study on Job? I’ve been reading and re-reading Job lately, and it really just moves me. God says SO much there….
Check out Yet I Will Trust Him in our online store. It was recorded at a Living Proof Live conference in New Orleans in, I believe, 2002.

What is your very favorite worship song?
Curtis and I are currently obsessed with Savior King by Hillsong United. It really takes off halfway through, so be sure to listen to the whole thing.

How did your mom pass on her passion for Christ to you girls?
More than anything, I think we saw her abundant life and knew that it was because of her commitment to and love for Christ. We also spent lots of time talking about the Lord and worshipping Him together through contemporary Christian music. (Much of this happened while we were driving in the car. That’s one reason I can be thankful for Houston traffic.) I always had lots of spiritual questions and we had some awesome conversations about the Lord through those. One of the main things she taught me was to submit myself to Christ every single day so that I could be dead to my flesh and alive in the Spirit. In other words, have my quiet time! (See Galatians 5:16-18.)

Melissa and I both went through a time when we had to make our faith “our own” and choose for ourselves whether we would continue to follow Christ when our parents weren’t there to direct our steps. I think we both got a taste of the world and learned the hard way that abundant life was only found in Christ.

What is the best advice your mom ever gave you?
Choose joy.
“This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 188:24)

What Bible studies or books do you recommend?
Someone asked how you define ministry. I learned from C. Gene Wilkes’ book Jesus On Leadership that ministry is simply service. “Minister” is just a fancy word for servant. This is definitely a study I would recommend to anyone. Another book I absolutely love to recommend is The Prisoner in the Third Cell by Gene Edwards. If you have felt disappointed by God recently, get this book!

Has your family been attacked by the enemy because of your ministry?
Without a doubt. And so have the Gates, Hamm, Harris, Kirby, McClure, Mattingly, McMahon, Meyer, S. Moore, and Riley families. When we get to hear testimonies from women whose lives and whose families’ lives have been changed by power of God’s Word, we get a glimpse of what is at stake in the heavenly realms. Whatever we are allowed to go through for the sake of the Bride of Christ being prepared for her Groom, it will be more than worth it when we see His face. We consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:12-13)

I don’t want to sound like Queen Compalainy from the Hawhiney Islands, but this week is not one I’d like to do over! I know lots of us are leading Bible studies or ministering in tons of other ways, so I’m thinking there’s a good chance that a few of my siestas have also had an “off week” where serving the Lord is concerned.

On Wednesday night I hosted a shindig at my house to welcome our college girls back from their long winter break. I went to Central Market and bought all kinds of goodies to snack on – California rolls, chips and salsa and guacamole, and chocolate chip cookie dough. I know, it was a very weird assortment of food. I put The Tod to bed, rearranged our furniture to make room for a crowd, and waited for knocks on the door. Well, I got two knocks on the door. Thankfully, that was a total of four girls. But still. I normally have about fourteen on a Bible study night and I was expecting a comparable amount. (I guess it’s a good problem to have that your college girls would rather study the Word than hang out!) Do y’all have any idea how much sushi is in my fridge? And that’s not the kind of thing I really want to eat the next day. *Grin*

Today I drove out to Fort Worth to meet a new friend from church for lunch. This friend is in the area temporarily while a loved one is receiving treatment at a local hospital. Well, of all things, I drove out to the wrong medical center. I was supposed to have been in Dallas! Thirty minutes away! How in the world had I turned that around in my mind? We ended up having to reschedule.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, I went to meet my husband for a spontaneous lunch at The Black Eyed Pea – comfort food at its best. And I needed some comfort. I’ll spare you the details, but a toilet exploded water all over me. The bottom of my jeans are still wet. Please, someone put me to bed and let’s call it a day!

My mom shared this little tidbit with me and it looks like I might not need to go straight to bed afterall.

One thing is for certain: if we’re looking for a position with automatic and instant affirmation, we might not want to go into ministry. God always blesses but He often applies the Law of Sowing and Reaping and sometimes it takes a mighty long time for that plant to show.

Well, amen, Mama!

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)