Before Baby Girl Comes

As the time for Baby Girl approaches, I've been feeling more and more reflective. I told AJ that a few days ago, I looked for something in an old purse and found a diaper and wipes and had that wonderful feeling come over me just how blessed I am to have babies in my life. I love it so much.

Late yesterday afternoon I asked Amanda if she and Curtis wanted to have a date because I'd so happily keep that boy of theirs. They took me up on it and by the time Jackson got to Bibby's house, I'd erected a tent in the middle of the floor (made out of chairs and a big bed spread) and had a home-made track for our Hot Wheels coming out of it like a long tongue. After we played a while, we sat, he and I, at the dinner table and ate supper (macaroni and cheese and the world's best white cake leftover from Baby Girl's LPM shower - but we didn't exactly eat them in that order. Don't tell mommy.) I took in everything about him last night. Every word he said. Every expression he made. Before we know it, there will be two to share our attentions and we can hardly wait but it's still so good to have a moment and reflect on this one little dude and the huge impact he's had on three families.

Lord have mercy. He's such a boy. Three years ago, he turned our girly Moore-lives upside down and we've been drunk on him ever since. I remember when Amanda first began entertaining that she might want to have children but one thing she knew for sure: they'd need to be girls. Only girls. She couldn't handle...that other kind. Then we found out about four and a half months into her first pregnancy that she was having a man-child. I was ecstatic! It was about time for some more Testosterone around here. She was happy about the prospect by then and Curtis was completely beside himself. I remember Amanda having a dream some days later that a nurse came to her with a baby wrapped in pink and said, "Mrs. Jones, we have your baby now. You can trade back in that baby boy." And she said what you think she said. Not on your ever loving life. She was hooked.

Tonight my full-term darling firstborn is going with her man and her nearly 3 year-old son to the Monster Truck show. (Yes, with earphones for protection and extra wraps. Please don't make her more overprotective than she already is!) This will undoubtedly be the best night thus far of Jackson Curtis Jones' entire life. He could practically say Monster Truck before he could say Mommy. Slight exaggeration but I have never seen a little boy more obsessed with vehicles in my life. I, the slowest driver in the entire Gulf Coast and the leading cause of road rage in America (per my daughters), have been known to break the sound barrier just to catch up with a truck I knew he'd want to see. "Go faster, Bibby! Faster!" So I put the pedal to at least 45 mph of metal just to make that boy squeal.

Of course, the men could go to the Monster Truck show without Amanda but she'll have nothing of the kind. To be honest, I wish I were going myself. But could you imagine my hair afterward? Don't you think the noise could do follicle damage?

Amanda, on this eve-season before Baby Girl blesses our lives with every shade of pink, I want you to know that you have been a fabulous boy's mom. I will treasure for the rest of my life seeing cars in your purse every time you open it to get out your wallet. I know all the times you've nearly gotten your hind-end stuck, crawling into the playground equipment to make sure your wild little man wasn't killing himself. And all the while your friends with girls got to actually finish their conversations. He is an incredible little boy. So full of life. And, yes, I know, such a handful. You're not imagining things. He is a whole lot of person. A whole lot of delightful person.

Curtis Jones has been one of the best dad's I've ever seen in my life, but, young lady, I want you to hear your mother say this loud and clear: YOU HAVE BEEN A TERRIFIC MOM TO THAT UNSTOPPABLE LITTLE FORCE WE CALL JACKSON JONES. Great job. G-R-E-A-T J-O-B.

Now that I've got that off my chest, let's have us a girl. Feel anything at all?? A single little cramp? Like every five minutes?

PS. Tomorrow's Scripture memory day, Siestas! Have yours ready and look for that post.

A Couple of Hard Cases

Greetings Blogworld... from the great and beautiful city of Atlanta.

I just had the most surreal moment. I was standing in a coffee shop a few minutes ago (no big surprise) when I heard the song “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart” by Shenandoah and Alison Krauss. Have you heard it? I kid you not, I was teleported back to my 8th grade dance. I had forgotten how awkward yet glorious that historical moment was. Awkward because I was still sporting my braces but glorious because a person’s first big school dance is a rite of passage. Good or bad, it remains a milestone. I mean, I spent a month in a tanning salon preparing for that dance! I still remember exactly what formal dress I was wearing and even what my corsage smelled like. My date and I were attempting to two-step to this very passionate country tune. We were very much wrapped up into the song, so much so that I think I may have even put my head on his shoulder. Who doesn’t get caught up in the moment under a disco ball? You laugh…but this was a big move for an innocent thirteen-year-old girl with very well known parents. In between our very emotional embraces I would glance to make sure my homeroom teacher wasn’t looking because I knew darn well she was going to tell my Mom. Total downside of having your homeroom teacher doing your mother’s Bible studies. Okay, I digress, but today as I listened to the lyrics now from the perspective of an adult, I about died. Please take a minute to read the first two verses of this song:

Thousand miles
Of lonesome highway
Drinking gallons of coffee in a little cafe
Brought me here, and it's so good to find there's someone who's got
The same story as mine

Just look at us, we're a couple hard cases
So how'd we end up where we are?
Somewhere in the vicinity of the heart
I feel somethin hittin me awful hard
I don't know where it's gonna lead
I just know it starts
Somewhere in the vicinity of the heart

When I heard these lyrics again today I nearly went into hysterics. To think that a couple of suburban kids who had never so much as kissed were honestly identifying with these lines is completely absurd. But there we were. We were identifying, alright. Just a couple of hard cases looking for someone else with a similar tumultuous relational past.

Okay, so it's your turn- I want to know what takes you back to the past? What was your best or funniest memory at a middle school or high school dance? To what songs did you dance?

A Great Time in the Big ATL

Hey, Siestas! I'm so glad to talk to you today! I've wanted to get on here since the moment I sat down on the plane to head home from Atlanta but I had a lesson to get ready and had to wait. However, I am so glad that my delay gave AJ the opportunity to blog because she used the word "inhairitance" and it is quite possible I have never loved her more.

OK, I had the best time. The only thing that would have made it better is getting to see every last one of you at the Siesta luncheon. The Southern Siestas (what they called themselves) were so cute! All sorts of different ages and types! I just love that. And how about Melana sending Miesta Moose with his little suit case since she couldn't join us? That right there, Girlfriends, is why your Mama loves you so. You make me laugh and you make me love Jesus more. That is the highest praise I can give a soul on this earth.

That forty-eight hours in Atlanta were so packed that I can't give you a play by play in the limited time I have. Instead, I am going to give you 10 highlights (I love that word. It reminds me of my inhairitance) in no particular order of priority. There were so many other things I'd mention if I had time. It was delightful from beginning to end.

1. Seeing Melissa and Colin in baggage claim after I arrived. It was a Saturday morning so she was just in jeans and a t-shirt. She had her bangs straight back in a barrette and looked about 15 years old. And, Lord have mercy, I love that man of hers. He is the sweetest thing ever. We had a quick lunch together then headed to the blessed madness. Melissa worked her tail off all weekend assisting her mom. I am so grateful to her. She never knew it was a weekend.

2. Walking into the sanctuary at the beautiful FBC Woodstock for dress rehearsal late Saturday afternoon. The 300-voice choir was already in the loft and the stage was all set and the lighting perfected and I just kinda had a moment. I knew we were about to be part of something BIG. And I was overwhelmed by God's gracious goodness to my buddy Travis. We make so much fun of each other and are rarely serious about one another but it hit me between the eyes that moment how really special the dude is. I mean, I've known it for 10 years but sometimes you just have a surreal moment where you're stricken by the extraordinary. I also thought to myself, it's too bad the boy doesn't have any friends. When I tell you that his friends rallied, I am not kidding. He honestly has more BFFs than any person in the universe besides Jesus...and sometimes, like when he gets to tape in a place like Abbey Road studios in London, I think he may be Jesus's BFF.

3. Seeing my whole praise team and many of my other LPL team members who I love so dearly like Paige (she runs women's events at LifeWay), Rich and Gretchen (she had the cutest new hair cut!), Stephen (the world's greatest graphics guy) and Nate and Shelly (she's one of our young and very gifted Siestas. I love her and her man like crazy. They get married in two and a half weeks. Not a moment too soon based on the way they look at each other. That's all I'm saying). Seeing my beloved Angela Cottrell and also Boomama (Sophie) AND HER MAN and Bigmama (Melanie, whose man is always hunting like mine). I LOVE THEM!

4. Working with Max Lucado. He is such a great guy. Delightful to be around. Very approachable. You'd like him just as much as you think you would. He and I did these little vignettes at various times in the worship experience. You're going to love what he shared. (For those of you who were there and are totally confused at this point, Max could only be there on Saturday night so his vignettes were taped at dress rehearsal. Two of my segments at the actual event were fill-ins for his. He will be a big part of the DVD.)

5. OK, brace yourself because this one is a huge one: Heading over to the Governor's Mansion after dress rehearsal where Melissa and I had been invited to have dinner and...are you still with me here?...SPEND THE NIGHT. Yes. A slumber party at the Governor's Mansion. (Not one word of this has a danged thing to do with politics. I want you to know something about a brother and sister in Christ who happen to hold political office.) Our time in that home was something I will never forget as long as I live. I knew Governor Perdue and Georgia's First Lady, Mary, really loved Jesus because...

a) I'd heard that, particularly in reference to the prayers over Georgia for the drought a year or so ago, and
b) Mrs. Perdue had come to our Deeper Still event in Atlanta and I could clearly see she was a real, live follower of Jesus and not a nominal Christian looking to make political points with constituents.

You'll find this little bit of Siesta trivia interesting: Mrs. Perdue and our very own Georgia Jan are very, very good friends. Family friends for decades. Georgia Jan is simply one of the most delightful people you will ever meet in your entire life. She is laugh-your-head-off hilarious. So witty. Digs Jesus like crazy. She was our big connection there and, of course, was at dinner and also spent the night (and the next) there at the mansion. By the way, Georgia Jan's husband can't remember the name "Siesta" for us for anything. He calls us the "Salsas." It made me so happy. We're a pretty salsy group of God-loving Siestas if you ask me.

We had the most marvelous dinner. Mrs. Perdue (I did call her by her first name face-to-face but I can't bring myself to do it in print) asked her two beautiful daughters, Lee and Laura, to join us and Lee's twin 9-year-old daughters, Mary Kate and Sunni, were our extra delights at the table. If you know me well, you know I love little girls! Especially pre-adolescents! They were the cutest things ever. They later took us on a tour of the mansion and, oh, if you could have seen the historical place through their eyes, you would have loved it! The Governor was so gracious to us that he won me forever. He helped clear plates and all sorts of things but where he had me was in his attentiveness to his bride of 36 years. The whole time we sat and chatted after dinner, he had his left arm propped on the back of her chair and he played with the back of her hair. They are flat out in love. It did a heart good.

Would you believe I got to sleep in the president's suite??? That morning I woke up and said out loud with my head still on the pillow, "Good morning, Lord. It's me. I'm here in the Governor's Mansion in Atlanta and I'm in the president's suite in case you're having trouble finding me. I know I seem a bit out of place..." And the Lord and I laughed.

PS. Georgia Jan, I've nearly hurt myself on that Gevalia Coffee. Ordered 4 pounds when I got home.

6. Church with Melissa and Colin. We went to Buckhead Church where they attend and the whole experience left me bug-eyed. Melissa is friends with their worship leader, Carlos, and his darling wife, Heather, and I loved meeting them so much. They have been so gracious to make her and her man feel welcome so far from home. Carlos is a fabulous worship leader. The congregation was fabulous, too, but, all in all, they stayed remarkably calm while I, on the other hand, was just about ready to run a lap. I had Melissa on my right (blocking the aisle. Actually I don't really take laps but sometimes I wish I could) and one of my other favorite people on earth, Janet Reeves, on my left. (She's one of the best things that God has ever done in Jesse Reeves' life. He's a big part of the Chris Tomlin Band - bass player, vocals, co-writer - and I love him like crazy, too.) I do not have words big enough for my reaction to Andy Stanley. He is simply one of the most extraordinarily gifted communicators I have ever seen in my life. I was nearly slack-jawed. And, yes, I've heard him before but it hits me every time. His message on giving is still rolling around in my head and making me itch to get the checkbook and give some money away. Haven't had a chance to talk to my man about it but I will.

Dang, I'm running out of time! Meeting at 12:00! Speeding up!

7. Surprising the Southern Siestas at the end of their lunch on Sunday afternoon. They were so much fun! I know I already mentioned it but it was too good not to make part of my ten!

8. Meeting Shaun Groves. Good grief. He's just so cool and so passionate about the work of Jesus that it's stupid. (I mean stupid in that really wonderful way.) Meeting Cindy Morgan. She is the tiniest thing you've ever seen with one of the biggest gifts God has entrusted to a song writer/vocalist in our generation. Trav had been on the Christmas tour with both of them this year and loves them so much. I certainly could see why.

9. The worship experience itself. It is TREMENDOUS. I can't wait for it to come out on CD and DVD. You will love the music and it will most definitely do it's job. Girlfriends, you will be led to worship.

10. Angela Cruz leading out on the Mercy Seat song (can't remember but I think it may officially be called "Running". I don't know. I'm so dumb). The whole sanctuary was nearly overwrought with the Spirit. I'm not kidding. It was so powerful, it was nearly painful. Travis transitioned the song into "Lord Have Mercy" and I nearly had to hit the floor. I felt like God was literally pouring out mercy upon us like a torrent. It was a moment in corporate worship that I may never forget.

Well, that's my run down and I left so much out! I also don't have time to edit. I'm just gonna have to pitch it out there as it is! I love you guys so much and wished every one of you were with us. This is my way of hoping you'll feel just a tad like you were.

Siesta Group Picture

If she didn't have a Bible study class to teach tonight, I know Bethie would be on here right now talking about how much fun she had meeting so many Siestas in Atlanta. (You almost got a post from her last night but she decided to cook dinner for us instead. Sorry, but it was really good!) She told me she had a blast and that all of you were hilarious. Thanks to Lisa/The Preacher's Wife and my co-worker KMac for supplying pictures.



Miesta Moose made an appearance!


I'm now 17 days away from my due date, but who's counting? It's not like I'm getting impatient or anything! I had an ultrasound yesterday and Baby Girl looks great. Today I got my highlights done, so we are one step closer to being ready. Y'all, I went into the salon as prepared as possible. I didn't take a pickle jar or a bottle of Sprite, but on this very spring-like day I did take a big jacket to tie around my waist if necessary. Thank you for that tip! The princess got a little excited while my hair was getting foiled and I was just praying she wouldn't knock anything loose! I cannot think of worse timing than to have chemicals and aluminum in one's hair when labor begins. I don't want to scare my daughter when she sees me for the first time. I'd rather her first thought be that, indeed, she has a beautiful inhairitance. (Ps. 16:6, ESV) (That was for my mom, whose love language is speaking in puns.)

I need to get ready to pick up my boy from mother's day out, but I have to share this real quick. Last night Curt was getting Jackson ready for bed and I overheard him ask if he'd ever seen an angel. Jackson said, "Yes." Then Curt said, "Well, what did the angel look like?" Jackson said, "Mommy." Is that not so precious? Don't think VVPG didn't almost start crying! Y'all have a great Tuesday!

Almost Baby Time!

Hey Siestas! It seems like everyone is in Woodstock, Georgia, this weekend for the live recording of Travis' new album. Very Very Pregnant Girl (that's me, AKA VVPG) is unable to travel and join in on the fun. I feel like I'm just waiting around for something exciting to happen at this point. The countdown to my due date is just nineteen days. I'm considered full term now at 37 weeks and am definitely feeling it! I believe all Baby Girl is really doing at this point is gaining weight. I always think about how wise God was when He planned it this way. How much would it stink to carry around a seven pounder for several months? It's proof of God's mercy that they don't get this big until the very end.

We're almost completely ready for Baby Girl to get here. The nursery has been transformed from blue and brown to pink, yellow, green, and blue. Her closet is perfectly organized and filled with all kinds of wonderful things. I've got a package of newborn Pampers Swaddlers ready to do what they were created to do. I have an appointment for fresh highlights on Tuesday. Oh, and a friend gave me a gift certificate for a pedicure so I'll have pretty toes in the hospital. How sweet of her!

I've been packing in every opportunity to do this or that with friends since I will be home bound for a while once she comes. Curtis and I are having a date night tonight since we never know when it will be our last chance! I'm sure we truly do have 19 days to go, but we feel like we're in any-minute-mode.

So I'm having the common fear of every VVPG. What if my water breaks in public? Y'all, I'm terrified of this. I really wasn't afraid of it when I was expecting Jackson because I'd never experienced that phenomenon before. Ignorance was bliss. When it happened to me in my hospital bed I was horrified. I will refrain from describing it in detail, but it was much more dramatic than I was prepared for. I actually cried, y'all. It was the beginning of the end of my modesty and dignity, which were basically decimated during the next few days. Is anyone with me on this? And look at the result - three years later I'm writing about my water breaking on a blog!

I was telling a friend that I'm preparing to sequester myself late next week so that I can avoid my water breaking in public. (It remains to be seen if I will actually stick to this.) Then she asked me if I've ever actually known anyone who this happened to. Nope. Can't think of anyone.

Since we women love to tell our birth stories, I thought some of you who have experienced your water breaking in public might want to share. Was it awful or were you too excited to care?

I'm not sure my mom and sister won't be horrified by this blog post. I have no way of knowing since they're at Travis' concert. Maybe my acid reflux, swollen ankles, inability to breathe well, crowded rib cage, and frequent trips to the powder room are clouding my judgment. If this post disappears, you'll know why. In the meantime, I'm claiming that it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission!

Fruit Dipped in Dark Chocolate

Yesterday a really nice dude delivered the most beautiful red box to my door (looked like new shoes, was hoping it was new shoes) with the words "Edible Arrangements" on the outside of the card. The inside had a fun note from Travis and Angela saying how happy they were that I was coming to the taping of his new worship CD this weekend. I can hardly wait. I am so anxious to get back with my team and I also get to see my baby girl - and, by the way, Georgia Jan! I opened the box to behold the most beautiful array of big, fat strawberries and quarters of green apples you've ever seen and each dipped (maybe even double-dipped) in dark chocolate.

It's sort of a joke between us. You see, I hate fruit. I don't know why. I just never developed a taste for it. For one thing, it was expensive to buy for a family of eight and my family growing up not only didn't have an extra dime. We could have used somebody else's. We mostly ate Twinkies and Ding Dongs because they came in a family pack. I think I started the chocolate-covered fruit thing with the Cottrells several years ago when I sent a package for Travis's birthday. I thought it kinda cleverly described our two families. They love fruit. We love chocolate.

Anyway, the only reason Travis Cottrell eats remotely healthy is because of his wife. I have long said that the greatest proof of God's love for Travis beyond his salvation is Angela Cottrell. She is Wonder Woman. Years ago when she may have been at the summit of her culinary health-consciousness, I got to stay in their very sanguine home. Jackson, their oldest (middle schooler now, and, yes, where we came to love that name), was really young. Maybe five. Levi wasn't even a twinkle in his parents' eye yet. Jack and I were sitting in our pj's at their breakfast table and Angela announced, "Beth, since we have company this morning, I'll fix pancakes!" I was elated. I adore Angela Cottrell and would eat anything just to sit at the same table with her. She is one of my favorite women in the world to muse over God's Word with. But, we weren't having Bible study that morning. We were having breakfast. And, to be honest, I'd anticipated that we might have something like granola and soy milk and we'd chug it down with barley green. (I've witnessed this very phenomenon at their house a number of times.) I think I've told you somewhere along the way that I was raised on Jimmy Dean sausage, burned to a crisp, and cheap canned biscuits for breakfast. (Still love it. Had that very fare within last 48 hours.) Pancakes. I couldn't have been happier. Then out came the whole wheat flour from the cupboard. Hope deferred.

Oh, but the company was good. Jack and I talked a million miles an hour. When he was little, he thought my first name was "Bethmoore." He called me the whole thing like it was just one word. It was terribly endearing and made me smile every time he said it. (I still love Jack. He was my handsome, very polite and engaging date to a wedding in Nashville not very long ago.) We talked it up while Angela flipped whole wheat pancakes and I got hungrier and hungrier. Finally, she put a plate down right in front of me, stacked three-high. They looked a little odd. Kinda like someone had spilled the Quaker Oats in the frying pan and she forgot to wash it before she poured the batter. I was raised with too many manners not to eat what my host set in front of me and, anyway, my stomach was growling so loud that their wiener dog was practically growling back. I took my first bite.

And they were incredible. I couldn't believe it. Listen, this is a woman who feels pious when she eats wheat bread and if I drink a bottle of water, I tell everyone all day long that I did. They don't care but I tell them anyway. I mean, stinking incredible. My plate was empty long before Jack's pancakes were even on the table. I looked at him while I was eating them and said, "Jack, these pancakes will change your life."

"No, they won't."

"Yes, Jack, they really will. I've never tasted a pancake this good. Your mother is the best cook in the whole wide world. I'm serious. These pancakes will change your life."

"No, they won't, Bethmoore."

"Yes, Jack Cottrell, they really will. They will change your life."

About the time I swallowed my last bite, Travis hollered at me from the other room and told me that if I didn't get with it, we were going to be late. (Don't even remember now where we were going. I think I had a flight home.) I hopped up, thanked Angela, probably kissed Jackson on the head and shot upstairs before he even got his pancakes. Angela said the kitchen was silent for a couple of seconds. Then that precocious boy said, "Bethmoore makes me hungry." We've howled about it ever since.

I know that's random. I don't even know why I wrote it. I think because I have HONESTLY eaten more fruit in the last 12 hours than I have ever eaten in my life. And I feel high. Do you think it was the fruit?

Or the chocolate?

Gotta go. Sausage and biscuits almost done.

I love y'all today.

Drive Thru the Bible

Hey Ladies,
This is Curtis. I wanted to take an opportunity to let you know about a new resource for men at Living Proof. We have created an audio daily devotional called Drive Thru the Bible. It consists of fifteen 7-10 minute messages you can listen to on the way to work, dropping the kids off at school, or running your daily errands. This 2-CD set on the life of Elijah was designed with men in mind, but would make a nice resource for anyone who might have trouble finding daily time in God’s Word or who just wanted an extra helping during the day.

Since it can be difficult giving a loved one a spiritual gift they weren’t asking for, here are a few helpful hints.


How to Give a Bible Resource to Your Husband

1) Picture how you would want to receive a gift and do the opposite.

2) Don’t hold him accountable if he hasn’t asked you to hold him accountable.
-To a man this is like calling an offsides penalty in the middle of a baseball game. He won’t want to play by your rules if he hasn’t agreed to play your game. *If you did not understand the sports reference above, just see rule 1 again.

3) Try not to create a universal standard for godliness.
-His approach to God will probably look different because men are not wired the same as women. You can find a calculator and an alarm clock in the electronics department, but they won’t output the same information. I’m the only one in our family who has done all of Beth’s Bible studies (I’m on the last week of Esther right now), but sometimes I have to split one day into two because I can’t focus for that long. So, don’t expect your husband to join you in a 45 minute in-depth Bible study session right away. Jesus may be more than happy with 8 minutes with your husband.

4) Tape the gift to a Sears, Lowes, or Home Depot gift card.
-It may also help to tell him that for every day he does his daily devotional the amount increases by $5. I understand this is a bribe, but how do you think I’m training my son to go to the bathroom on the potty?

5) Do not nag! REPEAT: Do not nag!
-If you want to see if he's using it, look in these 3 places:
a) Where you gave it to him.
b) Wherever he keeps the cash he's been saving, but doesn’t want you to know
about (but you already know about and help yourself to while he’s at work). *Amanda would like to add that she didn't know it was his birthday cash!
c) Check his car. He might surprise you.

6) Don’t give up.
-"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).


*You can find Drive Thru the Bible: Elijah in the "new products" section of our LPM online store. You'll see it if you click here and scroll down a little.

A New President

My Dear Siestas, I can't think of anything more appropriate and more Biblical than reserving this day on our blog for heart-felt prayers for our new president and his family. You are welcome to write your genuine words of intercession as a comment to this post just as you'd lift them before the Throne of Grace for President and Mrs. Obama and their two precious daughters. Today it makes no difference how anyone voted. God in His sovereignty has appointed this day and our new president needs our prayers. "This is good, and pleases God our Savior." 1 Timothy 2:1-3.

Cheers to the Doer!

         Hey Ladies, It's Melissa! Have I mentioned how amazing you all were in giving so many tips for my budget? I will report more about this soon!  For now, I came across this lengthy quote by Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-sixth American President, and for some reason it brought tears to my eyes.  There is a good chance you have already heard it or read it but I think it is worth reading multiple times.  It goes like this:

          “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without effort or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with these cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” (1910)

      In truth I know very little about the life of Theodore Roosevelt and actually am not even sure of the precise context of this quote but I think the gist of what he is saying is pretty clear.  And I think it has a general message that could apply to many situations.  Now, I realize I am a little boyish in the sense that I love battle imagery. If you’re an all pink lady, this quote may not be for you. For those of you who are still with me here, the reason I love this quote is because it reminds me a lot of the criticism that sometimes fills our pews.  You see, I spent a lot of my time in college and graduate school critiquing the methods of various bible teachers, pastors, and writers.  Criticism is the name of the game in most academic institutions and rightly so.  It is quite appropriate in those contexts.  The difficult thing about studying the Bible in an academic institution is that it invades your entire life…I mean you can’t even escape your field of study when you are sitting at church trying to get a breath of fresh air.  This makes for an interesting dilemma.  As I would sit through various sermons I would think to myself, “Oh no! Gasp, a topical sermon, but wait, I only approve of expository preaching.”…“Did he/she teach that text appropriately?” “Was that even in the right context?” “Well, he/she obviously has never read this passage”… “Is this worship song really fit to be sung in these hallowed corridors?” 

Now I am not saying that these are bad questions to be asking per se, but simply explaining my personal situation.  Well, interestingly, it was about that time that I got so fearful to even lead a small group Bible Study in fear that I would pronounce something wrong or spread heresy.  And God forbid, that someone would say I just wasn’t a very good teacher/leader. I had apparently sat with my arms crossed during one too many sermons.  You see, the more I sat under teachers, pastors, and worship leaders with the goal of sizing them up, the more fearful/timid I was becoming to even serve in a very small ministry capacity. 

The Lord has done a great work to change my heart over the years.  He has done it through His Word. Frankly, I think I was becoming a modern-day Pharisee.  The first time I became fearful of who I was going to become was when I was at a church in Grad school and immediately after the sermon a man (who apparently took great pride in having been to Seminary) rushed up to the Pastor and “proved” to him that he preached one of his points wrongly. The dude didn’t even thank the Pastor for his wonderful message. Nothing. Just criticized him for something so trivial and silly.  I was for sure “dumber”. Yet wiser. Because I saw a vision of whom I could become. I mean, easy for this dude to sit back and wait for the Pastor to slip while this faithful man had to get up and preach in front of thousands of people.  He had prepared all week for a man to immediately rush up to him with a pointed finger in the biblical text. Sounds like something you would hear Jesus condemning in the Gospels, doesn’t it?

I have come to realize what a miracle it is for the Lord to use us in spite of our weaknesses.  We are going to make mistakes and dangit, we may even teach a passage of Scripture a tiny tiny little bit out of context at some point. Not because we want to or because we are maliciously trying to lead people astray, but because we are simply human. I am all for being trained to study the Bible. It’s the biggest passion in my life, but the truth is, we still just see through a mirror dimly. We don’t see fully yet.  The truth is we may study and study and study, and then get something slightly wrong.  Or think about this- maybe we are teaching a Sunday school class and we got all the doctrine/theology down perfectly, but our delivery wasn’t smooth.  In fact, it sounded terrible.  Well, the glorious thing is that the Lord uses the truth we taught anyway.  And maybe we’ll improve the eloquence of our delivery the next time.  I love it.  I really do.  Our fears of not getting it all right should never keep us from serving faithfully.

I just want to give a shout out- a toast of sorts- to all of you women who will serve tomorrow morning in your various congregations in spite of your fear of not being perfect and polished.  You are putting yourself out there for the sake of the body of Christ- you may be bloody and bruised, but you’re in the ring, right?  Sorry about the sports metaphor, pink ladies…lucky for you- I am done ranting.

      CHEERS to “the doer, not the mere critic- the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done” (Roosevelt, 1891). For, “Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it.  The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness.  It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger.” (Roosevelt, 1894)

 

 

A Group Hug

Hey, Darling Things! You guys just equipped me with some of the most profound material and insight I have ever seen in that previous post about "Acting a Fool." Lord have mercy, I can't tell you how many of those entries made me nod and say out loud, I've been THERE. Thank you so much for helping me out. I just closed the comments because the numbers can get so overwhelming that people tend not to read them anymore. I'm cutting and pasting them on a document and printing them out for a notebook I've already begun on the subject. You have helped me immensely. Pray that God will use this material to bring forth much fruit.

The thing that made me laugh out loud was the comment that I just brought in a few minutes ago on that post that said (in all caps like this), "Beth, WE WOMEN NEED A GROUP HUG!" Yes, we do! And I know a huge God who has everlasting arms and is up for the task! In fact, I'll just quote the whole passage: (BTW, this was a memory segment I wrote in a spiral two years ago and still think about all the time)

"There is no one like the God of [you and me], who rides on the heavens to help [us] and on the clouds in His majesty. The eternal God is [our] refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out [our] enemy before [us] saying, 'Destroy him!' So [we] will live in safety alone; in a land of grain and new wine (new Welch's for the Baptists), where the heavens drop dew. Blessed are you, O [Child of God]! WHO IS LIKE [US], A PEOPLE SAVED BY THE LORD? He is [our] shield and helper and [our] glorious sword. [Our] enemies will cower before [us] and [we] will trample down their high places." Deuteronomy 33:26-29 NIV

Girlfriends, we may have some sad and embarrassing stories back there but we are not a sad, pathetic people. Who is like us, a people saved by the Lord? We have a Healer! A God who grants "incomparable power" to those of us who keep believing Him. It is the same power that He exerted when He raised Jesus from the dead. (Ephesians 1:19-20) Lord have mercy, if He can raise the dead, He can heal our insecurities. Now, here's what I want from you in response to this post. Write ONE PHRASE or ONE SHORT SENTENCE (no longer than that or they won't be able to be posted here) that testifies who we are or what we possess in Christ. Let's balance off the previous post with some mighty confessions that can help demolish strongholds of defeated thoughts that make us feel and act insecure WHEN WE'RE NOT. This is a defeated frame of mind, not a defeated state of life. If we're believers in Christ, the truth is, we're NOT insecure. But we do indeed feel that way. And too often behave that way. We need an overhaul, Girls. Let's shake a little ground by confessing some Truth! These do not need to be anonymous. When you read these comments, say them out loud, personalizing every single one of them for yourself. You'll feel the power of confession. Keep in mind, Girls, we most believe what our souls and mouths most often confess.

PS. As for our Siesta who is doubting her salvation even though she truly accepted Christ several years ago because somebody with authority told her he doubted it, please read Romans 10:8-10. If you've done or will do TODAY what those Scriptures say, you are as saved as Billy Graham. None of us lives consistently every moment but we press on toward singlemindedness.

It may take me a while to bring these in today so be patient if you don't see your comment right away. The Mister and I had a slumber party last night and in a little while Mommy (who calls herself VVPG - Very, Very Pregnant Girl) will be over here and we'll spend the day doing all sorts of things out and about. Curtis is speaking this weekend so Bibby is jumping with glee into her official role as family party animal. 2 Girls and A Boy just wanna have fun.

I love you guys!

Acting a Fool

You guys on our Scripture memory team were ON IT yesterday and I am so proud of you! I tried to wait up last night until I'd brought in 2000 comments but I was about 45 short when I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. In fact, picture your Siesta Mama in bed, head propped up on a pillow, dozing off over and over again with her fingers on the key board of her laptop. (I'd have never gotten away with that if my man had been home but, alas, he was not.) I finally shut it down and gave way to my dreams. Those of you on our Scripture memory team who didn't get a chance to sign in and record your verses, be sure to return to yesterday's first post and do so.

As for the rest of us, I hope we will have a very interesting topic today. Most of you will remember that I did a survey on insecurity several months ago. You responded by the droves and brought insight no amount of book research (beyond the Word) could have rivaled. God has stayed on me about the topic and I have a pretty good idea that He's got something up His holy sleeve but I don't want to make forecasts. I just want to keep taking the next step with His lead. This is the next step. I told you at that time that I'd probably look to you for more insight on the topic down the road and we're officially down the road. I'm pretty sure this won't be the last you'll hear on this blog about it either.

So here's the premise followed by the question. I believe insecurity has the capacity to make a fool out of a woman like maybe nothing else on the planet (except the devil, of course). This is especially true in relationships but it also rears its head in our work lives and our serving lives. My bottom line is that we better deal with this issue or these are the kinds of things it makes us do. If insecurity has never made a fool of you, then please don't comment on this post, but if it has, let us know in a paragraph exactly HOW. Some ground rules:

*Make all comments ANONYMOUS so that I can freely use the information and quote it. If you don't want to take the chance of being quoted or your story being told (on video or in print or at a speaking engagement), please kindly refrain from commenting. Keep in mind that I am blatantly asking for your examples for the expressed purpose of sharing them to help others.

*Think back all the way to middle school or high school or college or maybe think back only to yesterday. The more varied the examples, the better.

*I'm hoping for everything from serious examples of how insecurity can make a fool of a person to hilarious ones so don't feel like, if your best story is silly, that it doesn't fit the post. You know me! I love silly!

Somewhere along the way I'm probably going to do a post for men only so we can get their insight on insecurity, so keep an eye out on that. I'll need your help enlisting them at the time. We've done that before on a different topic and it was so intriguing. For now though, it's women only on this topic.

OK, Siestas, fess up! Has insecurity ever made a fool of you?

Nipping Something Quickly!

Hey, Sweet Ones! Would you mind helping me nip something really quickly please? We've got calls and emails hitting the ministry with concerns that I am supposedly having anxiety attacks. The rumor is an honest mistake. They're just not reading the earlier post carefully. I was quoting someone else who left an anonymous comment on the mini-tutorial post about the power of Scripture memory. For those of you who misunderstood it, thank you so much for being concerned but it's not your Siesta Mama. You know me. If it were me, I'd have told you so! Sorry I didn't make it clearer. I sure do love you! We won't bother opening this up for comments. Let's stay focused on our Scripture memory post!

Comments closed

Siesta Scripture Memory Team: Verse 2!

OK, my fellow Scripture-memory Siestas! It’s the 15th and you know what that means! It’s time to sign in (name and location) and record our second Scriptures. Remember, this process is a vital part of the accountability that leads to victory so I hope so much to see several thousand Scriptures come in over the next 36 hours. For those of you who are new to our accountability group, we welcome you! Jump in here with us and get some Scripture as your life-elixir. Here’s a little extra motivation! AN EXCERPT FROM AN ANONYMOUS COMMENT left on the mini-tutorial in reference to our first memory verse: 

“Last night I had THE WORST anxiety attack that I have EVER had in my life. My sweet husband prayed over me and as I climbed in under the covers just quivering with fear, my verse that I am memorizing just came to me and I started to say it over and over out loud and such a peace and calm washed over me. Never has an anxiety attack stopped dead in its tracks as this one did-I am just in awe that in this short time I am already learning my scripture and realizing just how powerful this thing it! This works! Satan has NO authority over MY MIND to cause that kind of fear! I will wield my sword his way!”


Doesn’t our sister's testimony get your blood pumping? No, we don’t all have a husband who will pray over us at times of mental torment but, Girlfriend, every single one of us can do exactly what our Siesta did! Wield that Holy Thing!!


Now for a few reminders:
1. Choose a Scripture you yourself really need. If you don’t have one picked out and you feel like you could really use the one I’m memorizing, please feel free to join me and don’t feel lame. That’s what mentors in Christ are for.

2. Limit your comment to your Scripture (entirely written out even if you’re joining me with mine) and your name and city. Remember to add your translation abbreviation because many of your sisters may want to look up your verse and won’t know where to find it otherwise. I know it’s hard not to leave further comments but it’s so much cooler to read one Scripture after another as we go through the post. You did such a great job following this instruction last time. Truly it was one of the most powerful things I’ve ever seen on the blog.

3. Add your verse to your spiral index cards as your second Scripture then begin the same process of memorization/meditation that you did with the first one. Once you get a bit of a handle on the second one, you will then begin doing them BOTH over and over in succession. Don’t get intimidated by this! You can do it. In fact, you’re going to thrive on it! To me, this is when it really starts getting fun and POWERFUL. I love the process of saying a number of Scriptures in a row. You’ll find that the victory is not only won in the spiritual war around us. It’s also won in that very personal war raging within us. Even if you read your two Scriptures over and over and don’t memorize them word for word, remember the primary goal is still accomplished: You are getting the Truth in your brain and holding your thoughts captive to Christ!

A quick word of caution: I am a little concerned for some of you who chose long passages the first time around. You really might consider repeating a portion of it as your second set so you can retain what you’re memorizing. In fact, if you chose a chapter, I’d suggest doing it in as many as four or five segments. I just don’t want you to get discouraged and drop out. Unless you’re pretty experienced at memorization, it’s probably best to stick to shorter segments and see it all the way through to our goal: 24 verses in 12 months!


OK, here’s my 2nd Scripture. Like last time, it’s a verse I really love but have never put to memory. It won’t take you long to figure out what the theme of the Scripture is! And, yes, it’s one I really need for a challenge I’m going through personally. I love it in the NIV:


“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV


Here are a few ways I will (“E”) EXAMINE it:
1. It’s 2nd person. (In other words, me saying it to you about God. As I pray it, on the other hand, I’ll say it like this, “You (God) are able to make all grace abound to me…”)


2. The theme is grace and the Scripture expresses that beautiful theme by repeating two key words: “all” (4X) and “abound” (2X). I can already tell that I’ll be emphasizing the word “ALL” as I repeat it aloud because clearly that was Paul’s inspired intention.

3. I notice that the word “every” is used at the very end of the verse instead of “all.” A little twist that I’ll want to keep in mind.


These are little clues that will help me memorize. I hope they help you see the process of “Examine” in our RENEW acrostic at work!

Incidentally, some of you who gave us the privilege to pray for you yesterday about financial needs might take a look at the verses that appear soon after the one I’ve chosen. If God has not led you otherwise, perhaps you might consider memorizing 2 Corinthians 9:10 or 11. When we have a pure and needy heart before God, these kinds of Scriptures are perfectly appropriate to pray, memorize and believe our faithful Father for. Philippians 4:19 is another terrific Scripture for this occasion.


OK, you sweet things! Get busy! Let me see some Scriptures!

I love you like crazy. May Christ Himself, the Living Logos, empower and inspire you!

Anybody Feeling the Crunch?

Hey, My Darling Ones!

Thank you so much for praying for our Bible study launch last night. God brought us such a great group! Lots of new faces and lots of familiar ones, too. I love a marvelous blend of both! It was my first time to teach in our newly renovated sanctuary. It was so beautiful and the quality of sound was the difference between night and day. I am profoundly humbled and blessed this morning that God would allow me, such a former pit-dweller, to serve a plate of His Word to a hungry soul. The way I see it, I'm a waitress.

Let me also give you a quick reminder that tomorrow is the 15th and you that are part of our Siesta Scripture-memory Team will need to be ready to sign in and give your 2nd Scriptures on that (not this) post. If God hasn't pointed out a specific verse, you are also very welcome to share mine. I'll give it to you tomorrow. You'll know if you should share mine by whether or not it resonates with you as something you personally ("N" in our RENEW acrostic) NEED. Also, Siestas, thank you so much for your encouragement over the mini-tutorial! It built up my spirit more than you could know. You made me laugh over your comments about liking the rough videos because you could see the professional ones any old time. It was refreshing. YOU are refreshing. One last thing about the mini-tutorial. It meant the world to me to see you give so many shout-outs to Sabrina. She and the rest of this happy band of women (and one-lone man) at LPM work so hard. Thank you for always recognizing them. They are family to me. I could not esteem them more highly.

OK, now for how I'd like to hear from you today. I am very concerned about those of you who are suffering ramifications from our nation's current financial crisis. Our unemployment rate is skyrocketing and the threat of further layoffs can be terrifying and demoralizing. I've already begun praying for servants of God who are suffering financial blows but my prayers feel more effective AND DIRECTED if I have some names and stories feeding them. If you are feeling the crunch and could use some powerful Siest-ercession (I just made that up. I made my own self laugh.), please post a comment so we can pray for you! Keep your comment limited to a reasonable one-paragraph length so we can read every single one of them and pray. It will really help if you'll tell us your name and what part of the country (or world!) you are in, but if you prefer to remain anonymous, feel free! I know that we'll all be tempted to write comments back to our Siestas who describe a need but it will be so much easier to use the comments to this post for prayer if we limit them only to the ones making specific requests. Thank you for your cooperation!

You are so loved and welcome here. You have become an extremely important branch of this ministry and all of us here at LPM are honored to be your servants. Keep fighting the good fight of faith, Sisters! Jesus is worthy!

PS. Girls, I've already been reading a number of your needs (over 200 at this point) and praying while nearly bawling. I have become so fond of you that your needs feel like my needs. The Apostle Paul told us that when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts. I guess you could consider me the nose on this body. And it is really stinging. And running. I was nearly overcome by the one who is having to lay off 7 people today and is almost physically ill over it. Take heart, all of you! God never prompts us to pray with no intention of responding. It's just not His style. He initiates prayer to initiate action...often first on Earth so that He can view love and obedience at work...then in Heaven where wonders reside then powerfuly descend in Divine timing. He loves you so much. ABIDE in that love. (Which reminds me, I totally loved the comment from the mom that ended with what her three year-old daughter says at the conclusion of her prayers: "Jesus love me, Amen." HE DOES.)

The Inheritance

What an exciting day! We start our new Bible study - The Inheritance - tonight at Houston's First Baptist Church. We would love for any of our Houston Siestas to join us. And needless to say, we covet your prayers as we kick off a new semester of Bible study. Please pray for God's presence to be with us, for Beth to be anointed to teach, for the praise team to lead us before the throne, for our LPM staff and volunteers to serve in excellence and love, for our prayer team to be filled with the Spirit, for our attendees to arrive safely and park easily, and for God to be glorified all semester long. Our Bible study coordinator's name is Jennifer Hamm in case you'd like to lift her up by name.

Those of you who attended the Siesta Fiesta in San Antonio might be interested to know that that weekend was the springboard for this semester's study. Beth really wanted to expound on the theme of inheritance in Scripture. I know I'm going to be asked what kind of product might come out of this study and right now my only answer is that I have no idea! I'm confident that God will have His way though.

Here's some info for anyone who would like to join us tonight.



Reminders about Bible Study...

-Homework is not available for this study.
-Please try to carpool in order to free up more parking spots for our sisters arriving late.
-Avoid traffic by coming early to eat dinner at the Garden Café on-site. The café opens at 4:45pm and serves everything from a boxed dinner, soup, or salad to a hot plate.
-Doors to the Worship Center open at 6 p.m. You may save two seats!
-The resource table is available in the main foyer before and after Bible study. Specialty coffee drinks are also available in the main foyer.
-Need to miss a week of Bible study? The previous week’s lesson is available to view in the chapel at 5 p.m. each Tuesday.
-Click here for directions to Houston’s First Baptist Church and additional approved parking locations near the church. The on-site lots typically fill by 6:15pm. Plan to park at one of these garages if you are arriving after this time.

See you soon!

Scripture Memory Mini-tutorial

Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

Meanwhile...Melissa needs a Mentor

Happy 2009 my fellow blog sisters… I know this is probably an anticlimactic salutation since it is already January 7th and all of us are back in the hectic swing of life. I don’t know about you, but I love a new year and all of the hope that it represents. It’s sort of like a new binder or a new journal. I love blank pages. I even love the smell of blank pages. Well, on our drive from Houston to Atlanta I was full on in my dreamy state thinking of all the lofty things that I want to get right this year…like, I am going to pray WAY more often or I am going to call people rather than text them (already buried that one in the grave). And then it happened…GASP. Colin said to me, “Darling, we need to talk about the budget I have planned for us for 2009.” Budget? And then I opted for the semantic argument which I hoped would stop him dead in his tracks by saying, “What exactly do you mean by that word, budget? Can you exegete that for me?" He ignored my question entirely and later handed me twelve envelopes with labels for January- December 2009. Yep, folks, Mr. Fitzpatrick wants me to gather each of my receipts, no matter how mundane (like a pack of gum from the convenience store), and place them in the month-appropriate envelope. And he is going to review them. Can you imagine? I haven’t been this terrified since I took my SAT’s. Now, don’t get me wrong the two of us don’t spend heaps of money (we simply don’t have heaps of money) but Colin’s point is that we can do better. Apparently a new year is about living more skillfully, more wisely. And so, in light of me being the very submissive wife that I am, I have gotten my heart in gear and I am really trying to jump on my husband’s bandwagon. I even ran out of Nordstrom right after I met my friend for lunch at Nordstrom Café…I kid you not, I was like Joseph fleeing from Potiphar’s wife in Genesis 39. One more minute in Nordstrom and I would have been a very fashionable sheep fattened for the slaughter. Sigh. You really should have seen that jacket I passed up. It was oh so fine.


Okay so this is my specific question for you: How can I save money at the grocery store? Obviously I know how to avoid the Mall (though at times it appears to draw near to me) but I am downright lost as to how I can save serious bucks at the grocery store. What do YOU do to save money on groceries? How do you make your food last the longest? Do you have any tips or any secrets to offer me? If your resolution for 2009 was to mentor a fellow-sojourning woman this year, now is your chance. Mentor me. Please? I would have asked my Mom who is normally the ultimate mentor but as it is she avoids the grocery store at all costs.


Are we almost to 2010 yet? I’m exhausted.

Scripture Memory Mini-tutorial

Sorry you guys! We had technical difficulty! Will post it tomorrow! In the mean time, don't build up too much anticipation! It's a rough one-shot cut but it's with a ton of love. We'll get it up here as soon as we can. I love you!

Recent Blog FAQ's

A) How do I join the blog?

There is no way to officially "join" the blog. If you're a reader, you are a part! If you'd like to join in on the conversation by commenting, see the next question.

B) How do I leave a comment?

Step 1) Look at the bottom of whatever post you'd like to comment on. It will say something like this:
Posted by Amanda/Beth/Melissa at 7:00 p.m. 77 comments

Sometimes it will not say that. In that case, you'll see all the comments from that one post listed beneath it. Scroll to the bottom and look for it to say this:
Post a comment

Step 2) Now click on the word "comment(s)" and it will take you to the comments page.

Step 3) Look for the text box on the right side of the page under the words "Leave your comment." Type out your comment. (If it's really long or contains a question, then please go to our contact page and send us an email.)

Step 4) Choose an identity. If you have an account with "Google/Blogger," then click on that option. ("Blogger" is the free blogging service we use. Blogger.com is part of the "Google" network.) If you have an account with another blog service like Live Journal, Wordpress, TypePad, or AIM, click on the "Open ID" option. If you want to type your name and a web site that is not in one of those categories, choose "Name/URL." Just want to type your name and no web site? Simply leave the URL part blank. If you want to be "Anonymous," choose that option.

*To set up a profile or your own blog with Blogger, go to www.blogger.com and follow the directions on their home page.

Step 5) Click "Publish your comment." Or you can click "Preview" if you'd like to see what your comment will look like when it's published. If you don't like it, then you can click "Edit." If you're ready, click "Publish."

Step 6) Wait for your comment to be moderated by me or Beth. Comment moderation protects us all from unwanted spam and other tacky comments. We do reserve the right not to read every single comment (for instance, when we have 500 of them waiting to be moderated at one time). Please be aware that anything you do send us could possibly be published in that case, even if you say "Please do not publish this comment." We may not see it. If you have something to share that you do not want the public to read under any circumstance, please go to our contact page and send us an email.

Step 7) If you have a Blogger/Google account and you later decide you want to delete your comment, you will see a little trash can icon next to what you wrote. Click on the trash can and it will let you delete it. If you don't have a Blogger/Google account, you won't have that option. Please know that we are not able to edit your comments - only approve or delete them.

C) Why are all the comments from one of your blog posts being emailed to me?

Oops! When you were leaving a comment with your Google/Blogger account, you must have checked the box that said "Email follow up comments to ______" or clicked on "Subscribe to comments." Please do yourself a favor and don't ever click this box unless you are prepared to possibly receive a ton of emails. If you need to unsubscribe (and who would blame you?) click here for instructions.

D) Is it too late to sign up for the 1st and 15 Siesta Scripture Memory Team?

No way! Just go to this post and follow the directions given to sign up. Then go to this post to submit your first memory verse. The sooner you do it, the better, but there's no cutoff date.

*If you're reading this after January 15, 2009, you'll want to submit your verse in the most recent Scripture memory post. Look at the archives for whatever month it currently is and go to the post on either the 1st or the 15th of the month.

E) I forgot my username and password to my Google/Blogger account. Can you help me?

I'm sorry, but we don't have access to that information. You'll need to go through Blogger to recover your username and password. Next to the boxes where you enter that info, it says "Forgot?". Click on it and follow the directions from there.

*You can find a ton of helpful info in Blogger's Help Center.

*I've put a permanent link to this post on our left sidebar so it can be found easily in the future.

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)

One Reason Why

Happy Lord's Day, You Delightful Siestas! The only reason I'm getting to be on here at this hour on a Sunday morning is because Curtis is preaching at the 6:30 PM "Ascend" service at our church this evening so, needless to say, I'm going then. I've had you on my mind, praying for you and cheering for you so much over the last week. At this point, do you realize we have about 3000 of us memorizing Scripture together? Unbelievable. This morning while I was working out in my garage, I had on one of my Nicole C. Mullen CD's. (You know, she and I are really tight. I'm her personal trainer. Which, of course, is a lie and some of you are too new to the blog to recognize when I'm making something up. Have you seen that woman's arms? That's why I pump iron.) Anyway, I was getting my praise on to her song "Brainwash" and as I listened to the lyrics, I thought how my Scripture-memorizing Siestas would be pumped up in their commitment by it. Here are the words but if you love her kind of music like I do, google it and listen to it. Here, Darling Things, is one great reason why we memorize Scripture. In a few days I'm planning to do a little mini-tutorial but this is perfect until then. Sure love you!

Chorus: I need a brainwash from my head to my soul ~
I need a brainwash, bring it down to my toes ~
I need a brainwash in and out 'cause you know ~
I need a B-R-A-I-N double wash*

Overwhelmed by the stuff on TV ~
Overloaded from the pressure fallin' on me ~
light head! Oxygen! I've gotta breath *
Email, Myspace, backin' up all the time ~
Voicemail, press one if you're on the line ~
Transformer, can you renew my mind?

Smack dab in the front of my mind ~
All that I've done wrong ~ Re-play and rewind ~
How can I erase it forever this time *
Smack dab in the pit of my soul ~
This guilty feeling's diggin' a hole ~
And my thoughts are spinnin' out of control

The world is straight typical to rock the traditional ~
Kinda keep it real life livin' mind simple though ~
My past is in remission ~ Thrivin' on my conditions ~
I need a turn around ~ A fresh way to get down ~
Comin' straight from Jersey roamin' in the land of the dirty south, free ~
Escapin' misery ~ With a Christ mentality ~ The only way to have it ~
Living word habits ~ Feels nice dippin' me twice ~
Yo, ah I need a Brainwash... (Chorus)

Be not conformed to this world ~ But be transformed by the renewing of your mind

Just Taking A Little Walk

OK, so yesterday Melissa and I didn't get to take our traditional daily long-walk when she's home that always includes all manner of theological banter until way late in the afternoon. Big mistake. Border Collie's can't wait to get their daily exercise until 5:00 PM. By that time their obsessive compulsive disorder has overrun their people-pleasing demeanors and they are like walking a forty-pound squirrel on a leash while it's raining acorns. Star does just fine on a walk...unless there is one iota of external stimuli. Like a person walking by. Or a car passing. Or a bird tweeting. At which point, she begins her raw rendition of the canine spastic zigzag. I have never once said, "Heel!" to Star without prefacing it with, "Oh, no."

Just about the time the theological pot thickened and Melissa and I were perhaps taking ourselves a tad too seriously, Star needed to...well...you know. Not number one. "Hold up," I said to Melissa while I waited until Star made a deposit in at least four different spots including the sidewalk. So, I held tight to the leash while pulling the black plastic bag out of my back pocket with one hand. Yes, I am a rule keeper. Keith always has all sorts of ideas what to do with it besides bag it but I refuse to act like I'm listening to whose porch he wants to put it on and only on rarest occasion fail to stifle a grin. He's awful.

"OK, Honey, go ahead." So Melissa picked up the doctrinal treatment where she'd left off and we got back in step. Only it was admittedly a bit more awkward with the heavy black bag dangling in my right hand. And it was an eternity to the next trash bin. Then she saw it. Star, that is. A bald dude with kind of a paunchy stomach (I'm visual. I need you to picture it) who looked to be in his late thirties and like he may not have had a girlfriend since '73, walking some variety of a bull dog. No, not just walking. Training. He'd take about four steps then halt the dog and give it a treat. For crying out loud, man! Get on with it!

Then they got about five feet from us. It was more than Star could take. Off she went. Me behind her. Legs flying. Not hers. Bag now swinging. Jostling. Smacking me on right shoulder. Left shoulder. Upper arm. Lower arm. Trying to hit Star with bag. Miss dog. Spill part of bag.

By the time we recovered, Melissa could no longer remember what she was talking about. All she knew was that "something stinks."

I think it was me.