It’s All About Taste

201 Comments
February 8th, 2008 Beth
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Posted in Beth, Marriage

I was putting on my mascara in front of the den mirror so I could watch Good Morning America when Keith looked up at me and said cheerfully, “Well, isn’t that a cute little make-up frock.” (I think he meant smock.) I looked back at him, using my mascara wand like I pointer and said, “Honey, this is a dress. It’s what I’m wearing to work.”

“Oh!” he said.

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked.

“Nothing’s wrong with it, Baby. I see exactly what you mean now. It’s not a frock for putting on make-up. It’s a dress. And you’re wearing it to work,” he replied. He quickly went back to his newspaper.

I went back to my mascara. And then, for some reason, I got tickled. Tickled enough to nearly have tattooed my hairline with L’oreal Volume Shocking Mascara: Blackest Black. “Poor man,” I thought. He meant to come up with somebody so different than me. But, then again, this entry is not about marriage. It’s about different tastes between people who, ironically, have a strong taste for one another. Keith and I did not start out with one single shared taste. Not one. Not in denominations. Not in vacations. Not in friends. Not in hobbies. Not in jobs. And most assuredly not in wardrobe. And that one, like most of them, never changed. He is all western. I am…not. I don’t know what I am. Neither does he. No big deal except that Keith likes to buy me clothes because that was his sweet daddy’s love language to his mother.

For the first 15 years of our marriage, Keith took every special occasion to dress me like a business executive. Lots of black or navy suits with white blouses. Expensive things for our tight budget. I loved him so much that I acted thrilled but my inner man was asnore. I’d imagine how many conglomerations from Weiner’s (a low-budget, high-clutter department store back in the day) I could’ve mixed and matched for that kind of money. A whole closet full of frocks! He’d interrupt my thought process with stuff like, “I got you this because I never see you in anything like it and thought you could use it.” Where? Taking the kids to MDO? But he was so precious, I couldn’t resist him. I’d think of places to wear it, especially when I had to go somewhere I didn’t want to go. That way I could offer a sacrifice of praise.

The second set of fifteen years, he gave up on the executive look for me and took a giant step upward to western wear. Between the wide open cactus-lands of West Texas and the cold mountain air of Wyoming, my well-worn boots and scruffy leather jackets testify to his celebratory success…in the casual-wear genre. The problem is, he doesn’t just have casual western wear in mind for me. I have a closet full of fancy jackets with studs and fringe on them (a few look to have been be-dazzled) as well as a multi-colored assortment of broom skirts. Though I’m tempted to stop here and make several comments, I’m going right on to the next sentence. What doesn’t help Keith’s shopping variety is his strong propensity to be in West Texas just prior to every special occasion we have: Christmas, wedding anniversary, you name it. Since he’s not one to shop in advance, he invariably panics on the way home then, thanks-be-to-God, remembers that great Texas icon, the D&D Western Store on Interstate 10 at Seguin. (Good Heavens, I just had a flash back to all Keith has taught me about Texas hero Juan Seguin and the history of that town and actually came within a dot of thinking you’d care to hear it.) Awash with relief, Keith eagle-eyes the exit in the horizon and flies so fast that Beanie’s birddog-lips nearly wrap around her head. He then, the way I picture it, commences to have the sales woman ring up everything fancy in my size. Another occasion saved.

And sometimes they’re just darling.

And other times only he is. Every time I see one of the less worn western frocks in my closet, I feel really guilty. Right then I wish I fished or something.

Keith has a small measure of mercy on my lack of good taste since it wasn’t my fault. It was my parents’. They took too long to get to Texas. Back where I come from, western was something you were for Halloween. In Keith’s estimation, tastes are developed early which is precisely why Jackson has had a wide assortment of camouflage in every size from newborn on. Keith intentionally waited to purchase the boy’s first western wear until just last weekend, however, because it’s more sacred. He believes a soul ought to be old enough to appreciate the privilege. He walked through the door from out of town with an arm full of boxes and presented Jackson his first ensemble: a snap-up western shirt, Wranglers and Justin boots. I could have sworn I saw a tear in his eye. (Not Jackson’s. Keith’s. But I’ve had tears in my eyes on my own occasions.) Keith awarded him the prize with all the pride and emotion of a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo first-place bull rider. Praise God, it wasn’t wasted on the boy. To his Bibby’s delight, he is big on enthusiasm. Though he walked a bit strange in his boots at first (kinda like he was walking in meadow of fresh cow patties), Jackson clearly knew he was a stud. He’s already worn the ensemble to church. Amanda says he loves to put the boots on but they have to make sure they’re going somewhere he can mosey since he has to stop every few steps to stomp one foot. And make sure everybody’s watching. Especially Ella or Ava. It just makes a woman swoon every time.

I know because I did.

But that doesn’t mean I have a mind to wear them.

My make-up smock.

The big day.

Trying to get a picture of the all-important Wrangler tag.

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Q&A Part 2

129 Comments
February 6th, 2008 Amanda
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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)

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Q&A

201 Comments
February 3rd, 2008 Beth
Tags: Posted in Beth

Hey, Siestas! So much love to you! I pray Christ is revealing Himself in unmistakable ways right now and showing up smack-dab in the middle of the most mundane tasks. Before I get to some of your questions, I’ve got to give a huge shout-out to God lest a rock cry out in my place. Can we say there ain’t no high like the Most High to Ocean Mommy’s 90 year-old grandmother praying to receive Christ on Thursday? That, you darling things, is something to celebrate!

All of your questions were terrific! Thanks so much for caring to know. I am answering a bunch of them here and hope to answer a few others in the weeks to come. If your question doesn’t show up here or in the next few weeks, it’s not because it was dumb or inappropriate. I probably felt like I couldn’t answer it well, sufficiently, or briefly in this format. If your questions were posed to AJ, watch for her to answer those in the days to come as well. These are just a number of the ones directed specifically to me. I may have paraphrased your question to make it a little shorter. OK, here goes!

*What’s the best way to show love to an “unlovable” husband? My darling sister, you be sure and get your cup filled to overflowing every single morning by Christ because the only way you’ll emotionally thrive under those conditions is to love him out of the overflow of Christ’s love for you. Something we learned in LBY is to Pour-Out/Pour-In. This is how it works: Pour out all of your concerns and hurts and confessions to Christ every single morning – don’t let them mount up or they will turn toxic and bitter on you – then, emptied before Him, ask Jesus to fill you back up with His Holy Spirit. See Psalm 62:8! You need Somebody you can tattle on your unloving person to and Someone who can also enable you to miraculously demonstrate love to him. Truly, it is the Most High Calling – see Luke 6:32-36. All of us are called to love people who “hate” us. We just may not be married to one. Also remember that love is not always a feeling. Sometimes when I’m dealing with an unloving person, I have to demonstrate the love of Christ and later my feelings tend to catch up with my actions. I am a big believer in solid godly counseling. Seek it if you need extra help. Also, I’m assuming he is not physically abusive to you. For any of you out there – married or single – who are being physically abused, GET TO SAFETY IMMEDIATELY AND GET PROFFESSIONAL HELP. If you are a mom, get your children out, too, and pray for the crisis to bring your abuser to repentance and the professional help he needs.

*Do you guys still have a relationship with Michael? On occasion and in some seasons more than others. I still have hopes that a day is coming when we can have a healthy, consistent relationship, but we’re just not there yet.

*What books are you reading? I almost always have what they call a “Christian inspirational” book of some kind and a Christian novel going at the same time. I just finished reading the novel Same Kind of Different as Me and I loved it. My favorite Christian inspirational book recently is Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson. In addition to those, needless to say, I am buried in commentaries and resources for Esther and have a tall stack for the session revision of Breaking Free, too. Since I got the question, “What are some of your favorite books?” I’ll go ahead and answer that one now, too:

I read constantly and enjoy lots of diversity in my reading. Therefore, I have to be willing to sift through doctrines or perspectives I may not share if I believe I’m going to discover treasures or even insights. I’m just giving you a heads-up that, just because I may be about to mention someone doesn’t mean I’d line up on every point of doctrine with him (nor him with me, goodness knows). It’s just that I’m old enough now (smile) and have studied long enough to not be at as high of a risk of getting tripped up as I might have been fifteen years ago. That said, if I’m researching an OT Book of the Bible, I always get works by Jewish scholars (I like to see their take on it) as well as Christian scholars. I’ve read many works of Jewish rabbis (love the late Abraham Joshua Heschel) as well as some Catholic monks. In the narrower mainstream, I love tons of authors and this, obviously, is where I spend most of my reading time. Some of my contemporary favorites are Philip Yancey, Mark Buchanan, Ravi Zacharias, Nancy Pearcey, Erwin McManus, and John Piper (I particularly love his devotional books and so loved his poetry book based on the Book of Job). I almost always read anything John or Stasi Eldredge put out there.

As far as novels are concerned, a couple of my favorite authors are Robert Whitlow (I’ve read everything he’s written) and Joel Rosenberg (I try not to read his stuff before going to bed or I’ll never sleep). I was very impressed with Joyce Meyer’s maiden voyage into novel-land. I thought The Penny was fabulous. (Jumped back on to add another author that I can’t believe I forgot to mention: JAN KARON and especially her Mitford series! One of you mentioned it in a comment and I hit my head like I shoulda had a V-8! That series is one of my all-time favorites! Floored I overlooked it!)

*What are your favorite Bible studies by other authors? I bet I don’t have to tell you how much I love and appreciate works by Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer. I have also done every Bible study Mary Kassian has published. If you haven’t done Conversation Peace, you just must. I love Jennifer Kennedy Dean’s works on prayer as well as Jennifer Rothschild’s works on ANYTHING. I devour anything by Anne Graham Lotz that I can get my hands on. I so appreciate Angela Thomas’s works. I totally dig Randy Alcorn’s Heaven.

*Who do you like to listen to on tape or CD? Actually, you didn’t ask me that. I made up the question myself. Grin. I just thought it would be fitting as an insert right here while we were on this subject. My favorite preaching to listen to on CD (besides my own pastor, of course) is Dr. James McDonald out of Chicago. I’m nuts about his style and the man knows his Scripture.

*What are some of your biggest challenges in ministry? Time, schedule, stress, NERVES, and thinking I just did a terrible job with a message and yet having to go right back out there again. Also just being scared to death I’ll blow it and hurt or offend the Body of Christ somehow.

*Two weeks left before there is one less (with the name) Moore. On the peace and calm meter, how are the four (original) Moores faring with Melissa’s wedding coming up? I loved this question and had to laugh. I don’t think you could necessarily characterize any of the Moore’s as calm at almost any time. Not one of us is laid back. We are passionate about almost anything and have lots of feelings about everything. Any peace we ever have truly is peace like a white-water river and not remotely like a pond. I have to tell you something we all howled our heads off about. Some weeks ago one of you left a comment on the blog asking – in your own fun words – if AJ and I were about to drive Melissa crazy over wedding stuff. It was about the same time another of you commented on Melissa being the quiet one of us Moores. Let me be joyfully and lovingly clear: we all dance circles around Melissa and there is nothing vaguely quiet about her. Remember, she’s the one that used to walk down the stairs when she was four years old and ask me first thing in the morning, “Are you going to boss me today?” Amanda is the closest to quiet in our family and, believe me when I tell you, she holds her own. Lis and I would both tell you that Amanda is by far the sweetest and wittiest of us. (She truly has one of the sweetest, most loving hearts of anyone I’ve ever known and is also incredibly clever.) Melissa is the wildest and funniest. Very, very affectionate, thank goodness, and disarming. She keeps all of us honest. Keith and I? We are simply certifiable. It is a very lively family. And Melissa is the boss. Just so we have that straight.

*If you could live your life all over again, what is the one thing you would do differently? The tears are stinging in my eyes and I’ll have to try hard to keep from sobbing on this one. The list of things I’d do differently is so long, I couldn’t pick one out and the worst of it so appalling that I wouldn’t share it anyway. I have been so stupid. I was so messed up and clueless that my healing took a long danged time. I am as true a testimony of the forgiveness and grace of God of anyone you could know. He has been utterly unreasonable in His love and patience for me and I will love Him forever for it. To love much after I’ve been forgiven much is my hope. I do, however, want to try to satisfy the question if I can with one thing that comes to mind: I wish so much I’d gone with my spiritual “gut” in a situation years ago where the Holy Spirit was warning me to stay back from something. Someone very godly talked me into not backing off. I just wasn’t ready to handle a situation like that and tremendous anguish resulted. Ironically, God also performed one of the biggest works of my life through it. He is such a Redeemer. His sovereignty is my only peace.

*If you could only give one piece of advice to your daughters, what would it be? To pray every day to love Jesus more than anything else in all the world and to deliberately practice abiding in His love for them. Hands down. No contest.

*How do you love someone in your extended family that passively or actively rejects Christ and mocks your walk with Him? I had this exact situation and I can’t guarantee this for everybody but, over time, God worked a miracle in our relationship. One of the things God taught me was to be low-key on the “Christianese” (religious vernacular) around him, but to be high-key on authentic love and joy – to live what I believed in front of him more than to talk about it. I have not won him to Jesus and I don’t know if he’ll ever budge from his belief system but, slowly, God allowed me to win his respect. He loves humanitarian work just like I do so we have that in common. He no longer seems to scorn Christ or believe that all Christians are hateful. I love him so, so much and would give virtually anything to spend eternity in the same place with him.

*Are you just exhausted after Tuesday night Bible study? Yes! And so is my beloved staff! We often get very little sleep when we get home that night because we’re so wound up. It’s a very long day for all of us but it’s the most important thing we do here in Houston, so literally no one complains. Thankfully, we get off on Wednesday afternoons after staff debriefing lunch. The exhaustion after Tuesday nights is nothing like after a conference, however. By the time a Living Proof Live event is over, I am – as my grandmother used to say – as limp as a dishrag. I feel almost bruised. God is so worthy though and so faithful to restore me and get me back on my size 7’s pretty quickly.

*I’m one of your BF posts that had an affair in the past. My husband and my God have forgiven and restored me. But I still have trouble with guilt around those who know about it. Any help? Yes. Trade the guilt around those people for humility. And don’t trade back. Also soak yourself in God’s Word so He can speak louder to you than anyone else. Memorize Scripture and when that condemnation comes upon you – from the inside OR the out – start rolling that Scripture around in your redeemed head for all your worth. Let the pain of every consequence lead you to deeper and deeper sanctification and knowledge of His Truth. And, as the Book of Jude says, after all you’ve learned and all you’ve suffered, if you see someone about to make the same mistake, do everything you can to snatch that stick from the fire. (VV. 22-23)

*Where was “Stepping Up” filmed? In a studio in Nashville and the audience was primarily made up of women who either worked at LifeWay (in all sorts of positions like customer service and editing) or had husbands who did. Some of the others were in ministry and just needed to be ministered to. It was a way we could give a small gift back to those who have partnered with us behind the scenes.

*I have always been taught that Jesus is the SON of God but I am so confused because I hear people referring to them as the same. This sounds dumb, but please clarify. You posed an important question! The Godhead – Father, Son, and Spirit – is three in one. All three were active even in the creation account (compare Genesis 1:1-3 that immediately distinguish between God the Father and the Holy Spirit as He hovered over the deep THEN see Colossians 1 where Christ’s activity in Creation is recorded.) That Christ is absolutely divine is clear in many Scriptures but here are a few: Colossians 1:19, “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him.” Colossians 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” In John 14:9,11 Christ explained, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” John 20:28 also tells us that after Thomas saw the resurrected Christ and touched His wounds, he called Him, “My Lord and my God!” Hebrews 1:3 is one of my favorite verses of all about Christ: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”

*Any chance you’ll do a study on Romans? My beloved editor, Dale McCleskey, needles me often about it but, no, I don’t anticipate it. I haven’t been very qualified to write any of the studies, truth be told, but I am vastly unqualified to write on Romans. I taught the entire book for a year in my last Sunday school class (only a few years ago) and those CD’s are available through LPM. I’m betting that’s as close as I’m getting to a study. Romans 9 nearly killed me. Then again, never in a million years did I picture writing a study on Daniel.

*Do you just humor us when we ask about that outfit or that pair of shoes or what kind of make-up you wear? Girlfriend, what are you smoking? Are you kidding me? I love it. I’d ask you the same kinds of questions in a heartbeat if the tables were turned. Right after Bible study. And while we’re on the subject, one of you asked about my favorite lipstick. (I just went and got my cosmetic bag. It has at least 10 lipsticks or glosses in it.) My favorite drugstore variety is Revlon’s “Moon Drops” Line in the green tube with the gold band. For those with my coloring and penchant for bright, the shade I wear most often is Peach #704. My favorite more expensive variety is “Dior Addict” that you get at Sephora. It hurts my pocketbook every time I splurge but it is gorgeous on. And, of course, I love me some lip plumper! But Sally Hansen on the drugstore counter makes about as good as any, at least in my and Melissa’s opinion. (I don’t think we’ve ever won AJ over to plumper. She thinks it stings. We think it’s worth it.)

*And, for all of those who hated that last question, this one’s for you: What do you like to do for fun? I am an avid dog lover and I could hike mountain trails until my legs were nubs. And I pump iron. Don’t even think of treating me like I’m just a set of shiny lips. Heehee.

*Beth, why do you love Siestas so much? Because they love Jesus like crazy and make me want to love Him more. And they can like their servants without putting them on pedestals. And they ask lots of good stuff and start lots of good discussions. That’s why. And I made that question up, too.

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An Off Week

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February 1st, 2008 Amanda
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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)

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Questions? You’ve Got 30 Minutes!

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February 1st, 2008 Amanda
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Comments closed! See below!

Good morning, sisters! My mom already spoke to this in a little paragraph she added to the previous post, but I want to say that I was blown away by all the amazing testimonies of freedom that we shared! We were astounded at how they ministered to the first group of Breaking Free comments. I could not keep from praising our Savior. He is so mighty! There were several comments that addressed things I was dealing with that very day and they gave me an extra measure of faith to believe God for my victory. Thank you to everyone who shared and most of all, thank You, glorious Jesus, for setting us free!

Whew! Okay! Now for a breather! Mom and I thought it would be fun to do a Question and Answer post. We are going to open up comments for thirty minutes and see what you girls come up with. So if there’s something you want to ask, bring it on! I’m sure we won’t be able to answer every one, but I think it will still give us lots to talk about. Here’s a hint: we are hoping to give lots of shorter answers rather than a few very long ones. Okay, you’ve got thirty minutes! One, two, three, go!

TIME’S UP! Can’t wait to see what we’ve got! Watch for answers over the weekend! You guys are such a blast!

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Part Two of the Bfree Inquisition

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January 27th, 2008 Beth
Tags: Posted in Beth, Bible study

*Comments now closed*

(My Dearest Siestas, I have hopped back on this entry after 411 comments to tell you that it is everything I can do to stay in my chair today. I have never wanted to do a day-long thank You dance to Jesus so much in all my life. I wish I had 2000+ Siestas to do it with: Those who have broken free and those who, by the promises of God’s Word and the testimonies of hundreds of lives, KNOW THEY CAN!! I can practically feel the blood pumping through my veins. THESE COMMENTS ARE MUST-READS!)

OK, Siestas, I’m about to invite you to share in Part Two of our inquisition for Breaking Free. First, a recap: In the last post I asked you for insight regarding the areas of bondage that most threaten you. All the comments moved us and some were nearly excruciating to read, especially considering how we’ve come to care for one another. I think we have an all-new perspective on the kind of suffering and (often secret) captivity that exists out there…and among many people who really want to do this life-thing right. (And CAN, praise God, with the power of His Spirit. We’ll talk more about that in future posts.)

Some of us may have nearly despaired and wondered, “Is anybody really living in victory out there? Is anyone really free?” The answer to that question is YES. But no one got there easily OR accidentally. We can be threatened by an area of bondage for years without ever being defeated by it then one day, to the great glory of God, we realize it doesn’t tempt us anymore. Without question, nobody’s got it completely together and those who think they do are on the brink of dropping it. But, whatever you do, don’t get cynical and give up the fight. Plenty of believers are living in titanic daily victory over old areas of bondage and have sustained it in the power of Christ for years. In Breaking Free, living victoriously is not living sinlessly. It’s living successfully. It’s the fleshed-out reality of an effective, abundant Spirit-empowered life. Now, it’s time to hear some testimonies of victory. I only have one question for you this time and, again, all answers need to be ANONYMOUS. No others can be posted on this entry. Please make your answers somewhere in length between one sentence and a brief paragraph so that we can read every single one of them.

Question: From what area of past bondage has Christ set you free? Be specific so that our sisters can see that nothing is beyond His reach. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

I love you so.

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Lending Your Priceless Insight

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January 25th, 2008 Beth
Tags: Posted in Beth, Bible study

Hey, You Darling Siestas! (*Precious Ones, comments now closed on this entry because the number got so great that I would have more than I could read. I am profoundly moved and prayerful over what has been shared and will write back to you soon about it. You have given me tremendous insight and I pray the gracious and powerful ministry of Christ Jesus all over you. I have been where many of you are. Our God reigns, Dear Sisters! Do not lose heart because you cannot lose Jesus. This is what He came for. Isaiah 61:1-4)

Before I tell you what this post is about, I want to tell you something that tendered my heart then brag on you and encourage you. I so enjoyed the Titus post and all your comments! AJ and I had talked about what a fun post it could be and it was! She and I, like many of you, also had a sharp pain go through our hearts that some of our single siestas either felt left out of it or, or worse yet, like losers because of it. When I posted their comments (AJ was on a roadtrip so I moderated many of them), I kept a very careful eye on the communication that unfolded. I watched you respond to one another and minister to one another. I saw the Body of Christ at work. I was so thankful.

You know, Siestas, we don’t always know how to say the right thing and sometimes our comments may even seem thoughtless or inconsiderate, but I am convinced that our hearts in this blog community truly are to love one another and encourage each other. We want and need the diversity and have so much to learn from one another. Now, I’m grabbing my megaphone and yelling this part really loudly: WE WANT YOU SINGLE SIESTAS IN THIS COMMUNITY! FIGHT FOR YOUR SPOT! KEEP YOUR COMMENTS COMING! KEEP REMINDING YOUR MARRIED SISTERS THAT YOU ARE THERE! WE ARE THE BETTER FOR YOUR INFLUENCE! WE NEED YOU!

Sometimes the blog posts will be blatantly family-oriented because it’s sponsored by a mother and daughter team. It’s just a way we share the personal side of our lives with you and that’s what makes the blog stream unique to everything else we do here at Living Proof Ministries. This blog is the friend, mom, and sister side of what we could offer, God willing. It’s partially meant to be a big fat celebration of Girl World. Nothing could be more appropriate in a world system so demeaning to women than to rejoice in the dignity Christ won for us. Sometimes we just want to make you laugh because we love to laugh. Other times we want to share with you what made us cry. Blatantly above all and through all, however, our highest and hottest passion is to encourage fellow sojourners of all kinds to live fully and freely the life Jesus Christ offers…and to offer a little practical help with implementing His explosive power. We love you so much and we’re so honored to be your servant. Your friend. Your sister. Your mom. Even your Mama Beth. Don’t mind a bit. As my grandmother used to say, I could mother a fence post. Love it.

NOW, on to what I’m requesting from some of you. Your input was priceless to me in the Esther series and I’m betting you could really lend some insight now. As you know, I am now working on revising the series “Breaking Free” and will be attending to it for months to come. Here are my two questions and I’d like those who feel compelled to respond to answer them ANONYMOUSLY and by including the numbers “1)” and “2)” so they’ll be easier for me to read (you don’t need to include the questions):

Please note: ALL COMMENTS NEED TO BE ANONYMOUS THIS TIME IF THEY’RE IN RESPONSE TO THESE QUESTIONS. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACH YOUR BLOGGER NAME OR PERSONAL NAME. PLEASE ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR WILLINGNESS TO COMMENT IS ALSO YOUR PERMISSION FOR ME TO QUOTE FROM IT IF IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN THE STUDY. KEEPING THEM ANONYMOUS IS CRUCIAL TO THAT FREEDOM. PLEASE KEEP YOUR ANSWERS SUCCINCT. NO LONGER THAN TWO EASY TO READ BRIEF PARAGRAPHS SO THAT I CAN READ THEM. THANK YOU!
1) What one thing threatens you most with bondage? Try to be specific. If your answer is intimate in nature, then use code language. I’ll get what you’re trying to say.

2) What is your biggest obstacle to living freely and fully in Christ? (Please don’t give the answer you think you’re supposed to give. Really share what you think holds you back.)

Thank you for your help, Siestas! Please don’t feel like you have to comment. Only comment if you really have something to share about bondage and your biggest obstacle to freedom. You’ll know if it’s not that big a deal to you or you really have to think about it that you’ll want to leave the room to another Siesta this time. I AM CRAZY ABOUT EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!

PS. No time to proofread this time! Sorry for inevitable mistakes!

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Titus Advice

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January 24th, 2008 Amanda
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I’ve got some water boiling on the stove for lunch. We’re having reduced fat Velveeta Shells and Cheese. Yes, very nutritious! It’s been years since I’ve had Shells and Cheese and I couldn’t resist the temptation when I saw the box at the grocery store. Since a watched pot never boils, I thought I would come and blog for a minute.

(Pause to cook and eat.)

Mom and I had a very interesting conversation last week in which I was telling her that Curt and I had been at each other’s throats for a couple of days. She suggested that if I would go and “tend to my ministry” (wink, wink), maybe it would help things. At that point we both busted out laughing because, in our family, Mom is known as “The Titus Woman From Heck.” She gave herself that name, actually.

Titus 2:3-5 says, “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

(Pause to wipe cheese off my child’s body and put him down for a nap.)

We got to talking about some…

(Pause to change his diaper.)

Ahem. We got to talking about some of the more unusual, humorous, or even downright good Titus advice we’d ever given. When I shared mine, my mom laughed really hard about it. It might have been a little funny, but I tell you what! It was needed!

So we thought it would be fun to share some Titus advice. Whether it’s your best, your worst, your funniest, or your most unusual, as long as it’s family friendly, let’s hear it. I’ll share mine in a comment. Let’s hear from some single sisters as well as married ones!

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Hurricane Tod

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January 23rd, 2008 Amanda
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Hi ladies! I just got an email from a siesta asking if we are okay since it had been so long since the last post. I’m so sorry! Yes, we are okay! I took a weekend road trip to my parents’ house in Houston with one of my best friends and her little girl. Needless to say, my mom is recuperating from that and so are we! We had an incredible time together at the Great Toddler Invasion of 2008. I spent three hours yesterday sorting through the pictures and preparing to make a full report. There were over 200 pictures! Janelle took most of them because my camera battery kicked the bucket upon arrival.

In case anyone is new and hasn’t heard me talk about Janelle and Ella, you should know that Janelle and I went through our entire pregnancies together and then ended up having our babies two days apart. We were right down the hall from each other in the hospital. We, along with our sweet friend Sunni and her daughter Ava, have had the craziest, most wonderful two years with our babies. They are a huge blessing in my life.

The babies, recently renamed “The Tods” by my sister, played so hard the whole weekend. I noticed that Jackson was particularly well-behaved and I think it’s because he never had one moment of boredom. He was thrilled to have a friend at his Bibby’s house. By the way, he learned to say “my” and “mine” this weekend. I can’t imagine why!

It’s been a while since I shared any pictures of Jackson and I’m going to more than make up for that here. Here you go! Hurricane Tod!

Hit the road, Jack.

We had to make a stop on the way to Houston. Can you guess where?

Amen.

When Jackson had had enough of the car ride, he took off his shoes and socks and picked fuzz out from between his toes.

At The Houston Zoo

Janelle and her Tod.

Me and my Tod.

The Goat Whisperer.

Ella enjoyed brushing the goats’ hair.

That is one intriguing animal.

The Tods looking under the fence to get the best view.

Our favorite picture of The Tods.

Amanda, Jackson, and Bibby looking at something.

Mom and Tod looking at another Mom and Tod.

Big mom, big tod.

The Tods racing up the jungle gym stairs at the zoo.

Jackson was much happier going down the slide than brushing the goats.

Jackson jumping on the bridge, catching air under his feet. Mommy holding her breath.

In the car

Guess who wanted to ride in the back every time we got in the car?

Guess who’s faking it in this picture?

Guess who’s not faking it here?

Ella’s hat hair.

A cookie liquefied in Ella’s mouth.

At the house

One Tod’s favorite thing is to put water on his hair and the other Tod’s most hated thing is to have water on her hair. This was an interesting time.

We like to do draw-rings.

Mexican food. What else?

The Tods dancing.

The Tods in a moment of sharing.

Ella and Bibby doing their floor exercises.

Ella imitating Bibby’s stretching moves.

The Tods trying to spy The Dogs in the backyard.

Ella being adorable.

Me and both Tods. I was the luckiest person in the room.

At the mall

Janelle and Ella at the Memorial City Mall playland.

Jackson relaxin’.

Ella at the playland.

Ella climbing some cute stairs.

The Tods on a carousel.

Playdate

The Tods at their friend Keegan’s house.

The Tods in a tent.

The Tods thank Bibby and Pappaw for a great weekend!

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Here You Are!

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January 18th, 2008 Beth
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*Updated to add Maryland. (So sorry, Maryland! I don’t know how that happened. I cut and pasted the names of all 50 states and only removed Delaware! We had Maryland a number of times! Wouldn’t have overlooked you for the world! – Beth) And it looks like we have a brand new Siesta from Delaware joining us! Welcome, Jill/Crew of 5 For Jesus! – Amanda. ALL FIFTY STATES! YAHOO-JAH! To God be some mighty BIG GLORY!

Well, Siestas, you did it. You left Amanda and me slack-jawed! We’d hoped for a diverse group…but never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined! In the terrific words of Luke 24:22 (ever so slightly out of context), “…our women amazed us”! I feel so many things but at the top of the list, I feel wonder. Wonder toward a God who perfectly timed an information age in the latter days of His Kingdom calendar where the testimony of His Son could be transferred and shared in seconds by people so diverse and distant, their paths wouldn’t cross in a lifetime. We are one tiny blip on the pinhead of the World Wide Web. Imagine what really might be happening out there in the Name of Christ! So many dark and deadly contacts happen on line but if we only knew what God Himself was bringing together, we’d fall to our faces with praise. I am simply astonished.

SO, with ecstatic joy, I present to you tastes of Siestaville! (Drum roll please…)

First, here’s where you live:
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont (I kept saying out loud, “Come on, Vermont! I know you can do it! Sign in!” You could have heard me shout all the way to your great State when I finally saw you!)
Virginia
Washington (The numbers of you totally blew my mind! Way to show up, Northwest! We’re so honored your aboard!)
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Can you believe your eyes??? We came within an inch of having Siestas in every single State of the US. Is there any chance Delaware answered the roll call but I missed your darling self? Let us know!

And, how about outside the US? I’ve got to begin with a HUGE SHOUT-OUT to our Siestas in Canada! I could not believe how many of you make up our blog town! And considering all our Southern figures of speech at LPM, way to persevere! We are the better for you, Canadian Siestas! You are treasured here. Keep your comments coming.

And outside the US and Canada, let’s hear it for Siestas who live in…
Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Several!)
(One wrote in to tell us that, yes, she really is a Dutch Siesta who has to work extra hard for unity amid that MUCH diversity! I loved it.)
Bosnia
Brazil
Central Asia
China
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Malaysia
Mexico
Mozambique
New Zealand
Philippines
South Africa
Taiwan
United Kingdom
(Some are missionaries or serve in the military while some are actual citizens of that nation.)

We are honored to have the spiritual feeling of being right next door to one another in real time through faith, through prayer, and the love of Scripture. Thanks go to so many who persevere many regional and cultural differences to stay connected!

Now, are you ready for where you go to church? Hold on to your chairs. This may have stunned me more than our locations. Joyfully, we had numbers of Siestas representing most of them:
Anglican
Assembly of God
Apostle’s Churches
African Methodist Episcopal
Baptist (Freewill, Southern, Independent, Missionary. You name it. I’m not saying a word. I’m just grinning. Anyway, it’s fair to make fun of your own self. I told AJ that my eyes fell on one called “Angier Baptist Church” and I thought it said, “Angrier Baptist Church.” I was taken aback. So glad my contact had just slipped a tad on my eyeball.)

Beit Yeshua Messianic
Many independent Bible churches
Calvary Chapel
Catholic
Many independent community churches – Charismatic and Non-charismatic alike
Church of God
Covenant Church
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Church of Christ
Emergent
Emergent-ish (Made me smile)
Episcopal
Evangelical Free
FCCM (Fellowship of Connected Churches and Ministries)
Foursquare
Friends Church (Quaker)
House Churches
LDS
Lutheran
Mennonite and Evangelical Mennonite (So many! What a joy!)
Messianic Jewish
Methodist
Nazarene
Presbyterian (PCA, EPC, etc.)
Missionary Alliance
Pentecostal Holiness
Reformed
Seventh-day Adventist
The Salvation Army
Vineyard
Willowcreek Association Churches
Wesleyan

(I tried so hard to fasten my eyes to each entry and include every single denomination. If I overlooked one, it was truly an accident.)

Now, for a few special accolades:

Three of my favorite church names:
2nd Runner up: Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor (Is that cool or what??)

1st Runner up: Raccoon Creek Baptist Church, Georgia (Me and Beanie could both go there! She loves dinner on the grounds after service!)

Grand Prize: Bar-None Cowboy Church (in Texas, of course) “Nluvwhim,” please contact the LPM office with your address and request your prize. Yes, I’m serious.

Here’s a titanic WAY TO GO on all those Scriptures and Scriptural concepts! WOW! According to one of our Siestas, Proverbs 3:5-6 was the one most often repeated.
My favorite unfamiliar one:

Psalm 45:1 from “The Message”: “My heart bursts its banks, spilling beauty and goodness. I pour it out in a poem to the king, shaping the river into words.” Gorgeous!

Gutsiest entry: “Worshipboy Tom,” a proud husband of a siesta! You are a real man indeed! 2000+ Siestas take off our sombreros to you! And then we’re putting them right back on because we have hat-hair. And we hate hat-hair.

Most impressive entry: “Kingschild,” mother to over 60 foster children. In unison, 2000+ Siestas and I say of our Siesta-hood, “We’re not worthy!”

A few private messages from me to a couple of you: Angela, thank you for your courage. You are welcome here! Firecracker, I am honored to be your servant. Log on any time.

TO ALL OF YOU: AMANDA, MELISSA, THE LPM MINISTRY STAFF AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE HUMBLED TO SERVE YOU OR MORE AWED BY GOD’S GRACE TO US THROUGH YOU. THANK YOU A THOUSAND TIMES OVER FOR ANSWERING THIS ROLL CALL AND FOR BEING PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT HAS LITERALLY BECOME ONE OF MY FAVORITE AVENUES OF MINISTRY EVER. (Since I gave up my aerobics class, as a matter of fact. Grin.) ALL OF YOU ARE JOYFULLY WELCOME HERE!

May the Name of Jesus wave like a banner over this community and His lavish love be our calling card.

With a whole new appreciation,
Beth

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