The Big Move!

Ladies, we are hoping to move to the new blog site tonight. I'm sorry that this heads up is coming so late in the day! When we move, you'll want to subscribe to the new feed so that you'll continue to get the blog updates (that is if you're using a feed reader). I'm sure that it will take a little while for the new blog to feel like home, but I'm confident that the new platform will allow us to serve you more effectively. Thanks so much for your prayers and patience as we have worked on this projects with several starts and stops.

Airport Sightings and Divine Blessings!

Siestas, I have to talk fast! I am at the Houston airport and just about to board but I have had the best airport morning and I have to let you in on it! God is so incredibly fun. Last night my poor overworked, post-op, back-injured body didn't know how it was going to make it to IAH this morning. My spirit was so excited to go to Tucson but my flesh was feeling weak. When my alarm went off way too early this morning, I was kinda like, "OK, God, You better do this! Let's go to Tucson!" and I felt that surge of supernatural energy. I felt joy in my soul and excitement over the Word I believe He's giving us this weekend. It was time to go forward in obedience and put one foot in front of the other.

THEN, Michelle and I got to the airport and, for this consummate people-watcher, it was blessings all mine and ten thousand beside! I saw a group of Wildcats from Kentucky. I saw a missions group from Honduras. (I didn't get to talk to any of these folks. I just enjoyed the heck out of seeing them.)

THEN...THEN....THEN...I was on the tram going to "C" terminal because our "B" terminal from which we are flying doesn't have a Starbucks behind security. (I know. TMI. I'm trying to hurry here.) AND, lo and behold, I looked right next to me and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I tried to contain myself but finally gave way to a Fan-Attack. "Sir," I said. "I am so sorry to bother you but are you one of the Duck Commanders?" (He had on his black glasses and camo and everything.) He took off his glasses, smiled in the cutest way a man with all that hair on his face could possible smile, and said, "Yes." As I live and breathe, it was Willie Robertson. (You'll have to Google it if you are out of the duck hunting loop which I suppose a few of you are.)

And YES I DID get off that tram and ask if I could have my picture taken with him. YES, YOU BET I DID. Then I texted it to my husband who has never loved me this much in our entire marriage.



I love Tucson already! Praise You, Lord! A deposit on what is to come!

P.S. And now this??? Too much!

So Long Insecurity Week Seven!

OK. You guys were hilarious yesterday. Honestly, I had to write a number of your quirks down so I'd remember on particularly bizarre occasions that I'm not alone in my psychoses. I have a number of other quirks that I either forgot to share or felt best to keep in the family vault. In the words of the Psalmist David (my particular obsession right now), I could have gotten much more undignified than that.

I am still amused and mystified by one of the earliest ones from a Siesta that shared, "I don't have a middle name - just an initial 'M'." With my wild imagination and hopeless romanticism, as a child I probably would have made up a story about my mother having named me after her own mother who was a famous movie star with a name starting with the letter "M," who'd had to keep the pregnancy a secret and release her for adoption or else she would have broken her MGM contract but called for her on her very death bed, confessed the truth, professed her love, and gave her jewels...OR she might have named me after a secret agent (no, a double agent is better!) with a name beginning with "M" who she discovered after efforts of trained operatives failed when she accidentally intercepted a Sears catalog with a clandestine envelope tucked carefully into the bathrobe section when she knew she must book an immediate flight to Paris to perform a citizen's arrest with a sharpened letter-opener only to throw her hand over her mouth in astonishment for there before her stood her mirror image, the twin sister she never knew she had but, alas, she was sworn to secrecy...

Uh hum. Sorry. I forgot you were there.

What are we doing here? Oh, yes! Week Seven of So Long Insecurity! Your discussions were so great last week! I'm hoping these next two chapters will also offer us a few good items to talk about. Your assignment this week is to read CHAPTERS 12 and 13 and answer the following questions. (You will NOT want to miss Chapter 12. It's what the guys on the survey had to say about women's insecurities. Don't wait too long in the week to read Chapter 13 either. It's a little lengthier.)

1. Based on Chapter 12, name one "I already knew that" moment and one "that's new to me" moment, if either applies.

2. Based on Chapter 13, how does a weak will play into our insecurity?

I am looking so forward to your answers! Let's recommit to our journey together even if you've already read the whole book. Jump in here and discuss it with us and let's see several hundred more comments this time. In the spirit of 2 Corinthians 8:11, "Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it." Translation? Let's finish strong!

You are a delight to serve. I may mess around with you but make no mistake. I take this role very seriously. May Christ Jesus, our One and Only Deliverer, reveal Himself afresh to you this week with resurrection power and relentless affection. He is so worthy. And, He, Beloved, is our security.

10 Things You Might Not Know

Hi, Siestas! I think I've got a fun one! I saw this idea in one of those complimentary airline magazines and showed it to Michelle (who was sitting right next to me) with great enthusiasm and said, "I'm going to do this with the Siestas!" to which she dryly said, "Great, Ma'am." (I adore her. To say that she has whiplash after going from Washington D.C. to Living Proof Ministries is the understatement of the year. She really doesn't want to talk a lot about mascara and would not be caught stone-cold-dead in a pair of Capri pants. And never in her entire life has she had to keep a small bottle of anointing oil in her brief case...just in case her boss calls for it. She has also never before had a boss request a photo-shopped picture of herself on a Spiderman costume. A post for another time.)

I'm sorry. I have a little ADD this morning. Back to my idea. It's not very original but I think it will be a blast. As we're getting to know one another here in Siestaville, let's hit the fast forward button. What are 10 things - right off the top of your head - that we would only know about you if we knew you really well? 10 random things ranging anywhere on your personal map that make you a tad distinctive? Or just plain weird? Think quickly. Don't go for deep. Go for quirky. Don't try to put them in any kind of order and don't make them long. Just start typing. I'll go first to give you the idea.

1. I have an addiction to Ziploc bags.
2. I hate wet socks worse than almost anything.
3. I was the only baby out of 5 born to my mother with no anesthesia. She never forgot it.
4. I wore braces for 12 years. I still often sleep in a retainer.
5. I am a read-aholic. I read over others' shoulders. I walk the aisle on airplanes to see what others are reading. I read what's laying on people's desks during meetings while they think I'm listening.
6. I love Black music.
7. I need slices of cakes and pies to be cut neatly with a sharp knife and not gouged out with a fork. (Nearly just got a shiver at the thought.)
8. My children call me "Doodle." I no longer remember why. Sometimes just "The Doods."
9. I am a very slow driver.
10. I'm a go-girl. I love the rush of taking off in an airplane. I smile almost every time.

OK, Siestas! What about you? What are 10 quirky things we might not know?

LPL Tucson 10 Ticket Giveaway

*UPDATE* All the tickets have been spoken for. Thanks, ladies!


Hey ladies! We are giving away 10 tickets to the Living Proof Live event this weekend in Tucson, Arizona. If you were hoping to attend the event but couldn't swing the ticket price, we would love to treat you to a complimentary one. Please call Kimberly Meyer at our Living Proof office at 1-888-700-1999. I will try to update the blog as soon as I hear that the tickets are gone.

Houston Siestas, we look forward to seeing you tonight for session 7 of A Heart Like His! Have a great Tuesday, everyone.

A Family Cookout on a Cold Spring Sunday

Hi, Siestas! I hope your weekend has been wonderful. I worked most of it because of the book signings. Partnering with Francine Rivers made every minute worth it though. I'd hoped we'd really get to spend some time together one-on-one but the schedule only afforded us a few minutes over lunch on Saturday. I found her fascinating, which, of course, would be no surprise to anyone familiar with her work. She's so brilliant.

And I loved meeting so many women at the bookstores in Dallas and Houston. Seeing one face at a time is my favorite part. I got to write an "A+" on a number of copies of So Long Insecurity because they belonged to some of our bloggers in our book discussion. They showed me their letters written on the inside of the front covers (no, I didn't read them) and their five Scriptures on the inside of the back cover. I really got tickled at one young woman who doesn't like to write in books but she's also a rule keeper so she carefully taped her letter to the inside cover and wrote her five Scriptures on stick notes and stuck them to the back. I loved it.

After nonstop work from last weekend in Toronto through yesterday afternoon's last signing, I was exhausted and thrilled to have a Sunday with my sweet family. Here are a few snapshots from our cookout on this mighty chilly Spring day in Texas. I wish you could smell the hamburgers on the grill in the background. They were so fabulous. I don't know why but I like mustard on a store-bought burger but mayo on a charcoal-grilled one. This was a mayo day.

Like most of you around the country, we had a sudden cold front so the first activity on the docket was a campfire. My man could build one standing on his head with a blindfold. But don't try that at home. This one is not his best. Just his quickest. A hole in the ground, a few small logs, and a match.



My man. I love him like crazy. He looks completely gray-headed in his cowboy hat because all you can see are his frosty sideburns but, actually, he's still got a lot of black hair under there.


My man and me. We're still pretty snuggly.



We are so jazzed to have Melissa and Colin home for the weekend. This is a beautiful sight to me.



Keith worked so hard on the cookout that he wore himself out. All the sudden he collapsed on the quilt for a nap. We laughed our heads off because you can tell from his boots that he just stepped right out of them to make himself comfortable. This is what the space near him will look like after the Rapture.


We are blessed to get many opportunities to be together as four generations of "Moores." This is Keith's Daddy, "Big Pops," with his great-grandson, Jackson. I am so annoyed that we didn't get a picture of Keith's mom in this series. We love the two of them very much. They live only 20 seconds from our front door. I tell Keith all the time that he's the best son I've ever seen.


Two "beths" and both with clips. This was Annabeth's first up-do. I was really happy with it. We're making so much progress.


A little closer look:



Aunt Melissa teaching Jackson how to roast a marshmallow from a wire coat-hanger. What's a cookout without it?



Paydirt:


But, if a little toasting is good, moore is better, right? Some like 'em hot. Some like 'em burned.



Colin and Big Pops visiting/Aunt Melissa and AB snuggling:


My man and his dad:


My firstborn and her second born.


3 Generations of wild women:



AB and Bibby:


My two favorite young women in the world:


Aunt Melissa soaking up the love:


AB eating a hunk of grilled hamburger like it's a chocolate chip cookie. That's a good Texas girl. Bibby could eat her up like a chocolate chip cookie, too.


For a man who originally thought he wanted two boys, he's a goner over this girl. This, of course, is my dear Curtis and his princess.


Thanks for spending some time with the family! God's blessings from all of us to all of you.

My Two Favorite Authors Together!

Ladies, I have some very cool news. My two favorite authors are joining up for a "Heart of Texas" book tour on Friday and Saturday. Would you like to guess who they are?

One is our very own Siesta Mama, who will be signing copies of So Long Insecurity. Woo hoo!



The other author is...

...Drum roll please...

Francine Rivers!

Eeeeek! Can you believe it?!?!

I screamed like a little girl when I heard the news.

Mrs. Rivers will be signing copies of Her Mother's Hope, which just released this week.



Here are the details in case you're interested in coming to one of the book signings.

Friday, March 19

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
1430 Lake Plaza Place
Southlake, TX 76092
817-442-0207
*You'll need to get a free ticket from the store to get in line.

3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Barnes & Noble
7700 West Northwest Highway
Dallas, Texas 75225
214-739-1124
*You'll need to get a free ticket from the store to get in line.

Saturday, March 20

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
12850 Memorial Drive
Houston, Texas 77024
713-465-5616
*You won't need a ticket, but the B&N employee I spoke to recommended getting there when the store opens at 9 AM.

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
The Woodlands Mall
1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, #3008
The Woodlands, Texas 77381
281-465-8744
*You can either get a wristband at the store in advance or call them and have one reserved in your name. (You can pick it up tomorrow or in the store on Saturday.) The wristbands will have a group number that will indicate when you get in line.

Melissa and I will be at one of the book signings in Houston. (Probably the early one.) We hope to get to meet some of you!

And finally, what's your favorite Francine Rivers book? Mine's the Mark of the Lion series. I wish I could read it all over again for the first time.

So Long Insecurity Week Six!

Hey Everybody! I am so proud of you guys! Your discussions have been tremendous. I am especially happy that so many of you have jumped in with us late and gone back to the very beginning, signed in, and added your answers to the previous weeks of our book discussion. Way to go! As we moderate, we give the same attention to the comments on the older posts as the ones that are up-to-date. I promise you that community and active discussion will make your journey far more meaningful and hold you infinitely more accountable.

Ok, we’re about to get to a part of the book that I found highly interesting in research. The next several chapters involve the insights from the men’s survey and I bet a few of their comments will pop your eyes open, too. In the mix of what we have ahead, we’re going to be focusing on men-related insecurities then soon after that (in coming chapters) we’ll focus specifically on women-related insecurities. Each of us has a tendency to be less secure around one gender than the other and, according to the survey of over 900 of you, we’re almost evenly divided between the two. I pray we’re going to gain insight into some gender-related insecurities and stumble upon some much needed freedom. I really want you to read the portions about the men even if you don’t have a mate or a specific man in your life. If we have resistant, resentful hearts toward men, we can’t just avoid them altogether. They comprise the other half of our population so it really is imperative in our pursuit of wholeness that we get a grip.

Your assignment for this week is to read CHAPTERS 10 AND 11 and answer the following question:
1. Based on Chapter 10, in all truthfulness, has your historical tendency been to view men (generally speaking) as gods? Or devils?

2. Based on Chapter 10 and your own day-to-day observances, what differences do you see between men’s insecurities and women’s?

3. On p.208 in Chapter 11, I suggest that women who struggle with insecurity tend to be particularly taken with 2 divine attributes: omnipotence and omniscience. Did either of these resonate with you? If so, how?

We are liable to have some LIVELY conversation this week! I can’t wait to see it happen! Just one little thing I want to throw out there: some of you may have some pretty big hang-ups with men because you have a background of abuse like I do. If it plays heavily into one of your answers, by all means, share what pertains but I’ve learned along the way that it’s best to stop short of graphic descriptions. Most people have a hard time knowing what to do with those kinds of mental images. I’ve told every graphic detail in counseling situations but, publically, I try to stay general. It’s just too much for most listeners and readers. They have compassion but they just don’t have the answers. We know Who does.

Go for it, Girls! I’m so honored to take this journey with you.

Spring Break, Anyone?

Hey, you Darling Siestas! Just a really quick post this morning. I bet a ton of you are on Spring Break this week. What are you guys doing for it?

The Houston schools are all out this week and we were supposed to have a week off from Bible study but remember that Tuesday night when I told you the whole city shut down over 17 flakes? Well, tonight's our make-up week so that we can end on schedule. That's fine with me though. I trust that God is going to bring us a neat group tonight even if it's a small group.

CJ and AJ and the kids are at a high school camp right now in East Texas where he's teaching and she's...well...trying to entertain two small children during the day and trying to get them both to sleep at night in the same small room as their parents. The first night was pretty challenging because Annabeth is old enough to stand up in the pack-n-play and scream bloody murder for her mommy - three feet away from her - to come rescue her. And, about the time she gets quiet, Jackson is big enough to blurt out with things like, "Did Annabeff finally go to sleep?" and rouse her up again. He's a party animal like his Bibby and LOVES all of them sleeping in the same room.

But, the Jones are troopers and, after all, the week is filled with so many fun things. Amanda is with one of her very best buddies from the Dallas-Fort Worth area where they served for several years. I was so happy for the Jones to move back to Houston but so sad to see AJ leave some of the best friends she'd ever made. For moms, I don't know if there's any replacing the friends you had when you all started your families. Several of those friends are still in my life and we talk about those days all the time. I will hear many good Janelle and Ella stories when the Jones get home. Janelle is one of Amanda's BFFs and her darling Ella was born within the same few days as Jackson and in the same hospital so she is really special to us. She also made us want a little girl the second time around in the worst way.

Melissa is working like a mad woman on her thesis and her other classes this semester so she can be finished with this second Masters in May. I don't even have to tell you that she's chasing her tail. She's coming in town this weekend for a wedding and I have to work over part of it but I'll still enjoy her like crazy when we get to be together.

Good grief! I've got to get off of here. My handout for tonight is not finished. I just wanted to say good morning to you guys and see who was doing something out of the ordinary for Spring Break. Finances are tight this year so many of our Siestas are probably trying to get pretty creative on Stay-cations. Give each other some great ideas!

PS. For those of you who followed the comments to the last post, did you see that the young mom who collapsed into the coma has awakened and talked some? Praise You, Lord! Raise her up a living, breathing, walking, talking MIRACLE!

Good God-times and Cancelled Flights Home

I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE EARLY FLIGHT WORKED! THANK YOU FOR PRAYING, SIESTAS! My man is so cute.



Hey, you Sweet Things!

How's your weekend going? I have checked back into a hotel in Toronto. The first leg of my flight got cancelled and it's a tad hard to catch that second leg without it. I got to the airport really early because one of the young women on the LifeWay event team had an earlier flight. It's also Spring Break here so the Nashville team felt like we'd better not take any chances in case the airport was super crowded. After wandering around a while, I finally meandered to my gate. Not very long after that, the dude at the counter announced that my flight was cancelled and, due to overcrowding, there were no more available flights today.

The Lord and I just had a long dinner at the hotel restaurant. I'm not sure what He ate but I got a New York strip. Yep, in Toronto. I was so hungry! No, I don't usually eat that way but during events, my stomach is too wonky to eat many normal meals. When it's over, I have a one-track mind: F.O.O.D.

I am full of praise to Him. He gave us such a neat group here in Canada. This was our first LPL of 2010. We were delighted to have it here. God knew in advance I'd be recovering from surgery and would need to start the travel schedule later in the year than usual. Many months ago, long before I had any kind of health scare, He led the event planners to schedule our kick-off later in the new year than we'd ever started before. He's so brilliant.

We had 3300 beautiful faces lighting up that arena this weekend and most of them were Canadian sisters. I wish you could have heard them sing. Many times Travis and the team stepped back from their microphones and let the women's voices fill the house with God's glory. We had an invitation like we always do and, though we hope they'll come let us know if they received Jesus as Savior, we don't pressure them to tell us. Today something happened that we've never experienced in 12 LPL years. In that raging sea of estrogen, A MAN actually came forward to receive Christ. Hold up. That's not all. He was one of the security guards. How about that??? Does God love that guy or what? I didn't get to talk to him but Kelly, one of our darling young event team members, did. If she hadn't been so cute about it, I might have been jealous. As it was, I couldn't take that from her for anything. What a memory that one will be! Lord, please grant him an unusual, contagious love for You and a voracious appetite for Your Word.

Well, your Siesta Mama is one tired woman. Pray me out tomorrow, you wild-praying-thangs. They are expecting the same weather tomorrow. The rest of the team got out okay this evening and I'm thankful for that. They'd had lots of problems on the inbound flight so I'm not bitter. I just miss that man of mine. I'm so homesick for him. I came in a day early so it seems so much longer than usual. Anyway, tomorrow will be here before I know it. I've got two different flights booked in hopes of getting out on one! Thank you, Michelle, my dear Hawk, for all your hard work this afternoon from Houston. You surely didn't get a Saturday afternoon off! May God give you a double portion of rest in Him tomorrow. Your boss loves you.

Ok, Sweet Things, I'll talk to you soon. Thanks for letting me chat with you for a little while. I was the teeniest bit lonesome.

I'm going to text my man. I love it when he texts me back.

Oh, and don't forget, tomorrow is time-change Sunday. Spring forward!

So Long Insecurity Group Discussion Week Five!

Hey, Girls! You are doing such a fabulous job with your group discussion. I've especially loved watching you respond to one another. You really are such a tremendous and unique community of women. I'm honored to journey with you here. Let's continue hearing from all those who have been active from the beginning but let's also hear from more of you out there who are watching and reading but haven't really jumped in here and participated. I promise you that when we wrap this thing up, you will be far more satisfied with the experience if you personally invested in it.

We are reaching the halfway point in our journey and have arrived at a place of utmost importance in our pursuit of wholeness. Your assignment this week is based on only one chapter of the book: CHAPTER 9. As you will soon discover, it is not a chapter you just read. It's a chapter you actually do. A chapter you actually pray. Please take it seriously. Everything ahead of us hinges on this experience. It is placed at this point in the journey prior to the prescriptive and practical phase of the book so that the way is cleared and our dignity restored enough to move forward. It will help place us in a posture God can bless with the rich kind of confidence He wants for His people and activate the power we have within us to think and FEEL differently. That's essentially where the remainder of the book heads.

Here are your very simple assignments this week:
1. Do (don't just read but actually do) Chapter Nine. In your comment to this post, simply reflect back on your time with God and share anything specific that you received from it.

2. Go to last Saturday's post (3/6/10) and look at all the verses in the comment section. You will find a wellspring! Pick five Scriptures that speak most powerfully to you right now - five that you feel like you need the most - and write them on the inside of the back cover of the book. (This should be a lot less intimidating than what I asked you to write inside the front cover at the beginning of our journey!)

And that's it for this week! I want the prayer journey to stand by itself and clear the way for mighty works ahead. We have some of our most eye-opening moments in the second half so stay with it, Girls!

Since we only have one chapter this week, this is a great time for many of us to play catch-up!

I am packing this very moment and about to head to Toronto for our first 2010 Living Proof Live. We can't wait to see a God-show in Canada! Come on, Canadian Sisters! We've got plenty of room for you!

I love all of you very much.

Life Before Noon

Wake up at 6:25 a.m. to my son telling me he's "scared," AKA ready to get up. Nudge his daddy to spring into action.

Alarm goes off at 6:45. Go for a run. Realize I don't feel very good. Walk home.

Make toast for the kids and me. Appreciate that Annabeth can feed herself.

Have "quiet" time. Hide in dining room for a few minutes to pray.

Kiss Curtis goodbye. Thankful that Jackson doesn't cry today.

Repeatedly send Jackson in the backyard to play. He's operating at a 10 out of 10.

Put Annabeth down for a nap. Try to keep the house quiet.

Realize I either forgot to moderate blog comments yesterday or a bunch just suddenly appeared in the moderating queue. Yikes.

Comments from last summer and fall keep showing back up. Weird.

Annabeth wakes up happy.

Get the urge for Papa John's pizza. Order the $10 large, any toppings pizza.

Twenty minutes later it shows up.

Drop the pizza and watch Canadian bacon and pineapple spill all over the entry way and splatter on the delivery man.

Despite my protests, he generously leaves to get us another one.

Sit on the couch and wonder if that really happened. Embarrassed. Frustrated.

Yell at Jackson for climbing on me. Receive imaginary bad mom of the day award. Apologize to my boy.

New pizza arrives. Give a good tip.

Jackson says, "I want to share with my pizza. With Annabeth. That's what Jesus likes."

Wonder if that's a ploy not to have to eat. He eats all his pizza. He meant it. Sweet boy.

Encourage Annabeth to walk toward Jackson. She claps her hands, calls him "Dat dat" for the first time, and takes a few steps toward her brother.

Heart is happy.

Kids get a bath. In the chaos afterward, Annabeth dumps out the wipes. Towel falls into the water. Jackson sucks toothpaste out of tube.

Annabeth takes 9 steps toward her brother. A new record.

She hits her mouth on her rocking chair. Cries.

Naptime #2.

Try to read Where the Wild Things Are to Jackson before his rest time. He says it's too long. Not gonna argue with that. Pick a shorter book.

Bribe him with candy if he'll sleep today. Probably should be ashamed but I'm desperate for the stillness.

Quiet now.

And all is well in the Jones home.

LPL Toronto 20 Ticket Giveaway

*UPDATE* The tickets have all been spoken for. Thanks, ladies!

Good morning, Siestas! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Curtis' parents were in town from Missouri and we had the best time with them. We went to the Southern Flyer Diner at the Brenham Airport (it's 50's themed and the waitresses wear poodle skirts) and then we toured the Blue Bell Creamery. The next day we visited the Houston Zoo and did some stomping around in the country. It went way too fast but we packed a lot of fun into that short amount of time.

I kept forgetting my camera, but here are a couple of pictures I took with my phone. Jackson was so adorable in his Blue Bell hat.





The most important LPM Blog news of the day is that we're doing a 20 ticket giveaway to next weekend's Toronto Living Proof Live event. If a complimentary ticket would allow you to attend the event, please email us.

For more information about Living Proof Live events, click here. To get specific details about the Toronto event, click here.

Beth, Travis, and the LifeWay team look forward to seeing you there!

Good Saturday Morning, Sweet Things!

***It's Sunday evening and you just passed 500 comments on this post. YOU DID IT, GIRLS! Honestly, this is the most exhilarating thing I've ever seen. As you know, we've posted Scriptures many times, especially through our 2009 SSMT, but this is the first time we've had a theme like this. These verses will stand a woman to her feet and put a shout of praise on her tongue. Let's remember this spot, Siestas, so we can return to it many times. As my grandmother used to say, "It'll cure what ails ya." Memorize the date of the post - 3/6/10 - and turn back to it any time you need Christ to fill your sweet soul with an extra measure of divine strength. Thank you so, so much for your participation here.

ORIGINAL POST:

I slept until 8:30 this morning! I can't even remember the last time! I am so hyped up and happy I hardly know what to do! There ain't no estimatin' how different the world can look when we get a little sleep. Sometimes when we think we need a new man (I'm not thinking that right now, just using an example), a new job, a new set of kids, a new house, or a new friend, we may just need a nap. Maybe you can work one in today.

OK, Girls, I have a weekend assignment for you. I am so jazzed about our on-line journey through SLI and I am very happy with how it's going. Please don't misunderstand this to mean I'm not. I'm THRILLED with the honesty you guys are expressing and I hope you'll keep it up. This is a safe place. But I agree with one of our sisters who said something like, "Let's pour it out here but let's get it dealt with and get out there and be strong." All the moaning about how hard it is only makes it harder. Breaking Free will nearly kill you but then, if you stick with it, like many of us out here have, God will use it to turn around and heal you. We have to press through and not be so easily discouraged. Our attitudes will make or break us. Let me say just as quickly that so many of you have been tremendously encouraging in the journey even through the difficulty of what we've had to face. We just want to band together and reach out and pull some sisters up on their feet here.

Ladies, the devil knows that if we're too scared to even face our insecurity, we'll never get freed up from it. If we just put the book down because it's too heavy, how are we supposed to get up? (No, you didn't say you were putting it down and I'm so thankful for that. But I'm convinced it's what the enemy's trying to get some of us to do.) We can't deal with what we won't face. GIRLS, WE CAN DO THIS. Are you telling me it's harder to face it and get over it than it is to deal with it day in and day out, letting it minimize us and make fools of us and mentor the next generation to be just like us? Not to me, it's not. I'm a whole lot happier today than I was this time a year ago. Please, keep up the honesty and let's work this thing out together but, if you are in Christ, stop giving yourself so little credit. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES. We can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens us. Let's honor what He's done for us by doing what it takes to accept it to the marrow of our bones. The question will ultimately be this: Do we believe what God's Word says enough to act on it?

So, that brings us to our weekend assignment: (And this is not only for the ones going through SLI. All of us could use this.) Look up Scriptures that have to do with strength and power and victory and write some out in a comment to this post. Be sure to put the reference and the translation because your sisters will want to know where they can find many of them. Try to limit your comment to the actual Scripture so that we can read one after another and claim them for ourselves through the power of Christ in our inner man.

THEN, ladies, get on here and read some of them OUT LOUD. Restate them in first person between You and your God.

I'll get us started with one I'm saying almost every morning right now. Isaiah 52:1 NIV says...

"Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength."

I say it out loud and picture myself right then putting on the power and might of Christ like a coat. Sometimes I might even stretch my arms like I'm pulling them through sleeves. Go ahead and think I'm such a weirdo. It's a well established fact but I have loved it and it's working and, anyway, I think that kind of stuff makes God grin. I've used it in my journey to be physically restored after my surgery and through the pain of a badly herniated disk but it is just as pertinent to our present journey toward soul-deep security.

Your Siesta Mama loves you. This is how I would talk to my own daughters when they were growing up. They could well tell you that I only put up with "This is sooooooo haaaarrrrrddddd" so long. "It won't be near as hard when you get your tail up and do it."

Go for it, Girls! Get your tail up and do it. Let's clothe ourselves with these:

So Long Insecurity Week Four!

So Long Insecurity Discussion from LPV on Vimeo.

Hey, Girls! How are you sweet things? You newbies well surpassed the 100 mark on our last post. Way to go! Now, keep it up! God willing, we're walking another week closer to waving a happy good-bye to insecurity. "KB" posted a comment last night saying, "Did anybody see Jessica Simpson on Oprah and could you believe how much it sounded like what we're studying??" Yes, I saw it and I thought exactly the same thing. (She was talking about how she was chastised in Hollywood and the tabloids for being a full size 4.) It was this whole beauty around the world thing and it occurred to me that our female insecurity epidemic obviously isn't limited to the West.

I read countless responses to the questions raised in Week Three and held a number of your stories close to my heart. Some of you may have been shocked by what others in our community have endured but I've been in women's ministry way too long to anticipate less. The common ground does not, however, diminish our compassion. We can't let it. It still hurts to tell. And hurts to read. Epidemic insecurity needs to lose its mystery for us to find our liberty. As you can see, many of us earned the right to this battle but those of us who know Christ possess an infinitely greater right. In Him, we have the right to be free and whole.

We have the God-given right to be secure.

In many ways, we qualify as a microcosm of almost any community of women you could find in this culture. You just can't make it into adulthood on Planet Earth without getting pretty beat up somewhere along the way. Look at it like this: the enemy of our souls wanted more out of those hits than he got or we wouldn't be here trudging this path toward wholeness together. Many of you are marvels. Others are pure miracles. Praise God, there is healing for all of us. AND, praise God, there is also meaning.

If you're able, please watch the video greeting I included in this post. It's a rough cut if you'll ever see one and very impromptu (I decided to do it that morning while I was putting on my mascara, thinking about you). But it comes to you with much love and desire to see you free in Christ. I want you to get the best possible benefit out of this journey. God is so able and so willing. Hang with it here. We are taking the turn toward solutions in a very short time. We've got one whopper of a chapter to read before then, however. Your reading assignment this week will be CHAPTERS SEVEN AND EIGHT. Chapter Eight will be a welcome relief and will introduce one of the major components in the acquisition of soul-deep security. But let's talk about Chapter Seven first.

You've heard of the house that Jack built. Chapter Seven is the chapter that YOU built. This blog community (that we regulars around here call Siestaville) makes its mark in multiple places over the course of the book but this chapter is entirely your input. Those of you who were with us a little over a year ago will perhaps remember it well. I threw out a question - Has insecurity ever made a fool of you? - and, boy, did I get some answers. Some of you more tenderhearted sisters will be sorely tempted to skip or skim over this chapter because it's hard to read at times but, unless you're hyper-sensitive or feeling too pathetic already (we've got to break out of that), try to read the whole thing. Get started post haste because it's the lengthiest chapter in the book. It's meant to hammer a point till you're practically screaming:

THAT'S IT! I AM SICK TO DEATH OF THE TOLL INSECURITY TAKES. I'M WILLING TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO DUMP IT.

As long as you come to that conclusion, you don't have to read the whole chapter if it's above your threshold. I hope most of you will read every page of it but, if you're having a really rough week, you can have a hall pass on the long version. Just flip through various section headings and read the ones that resonate most. And always read the wrap-up of any chapter. In an ideal world, all we'd ever need is positive motivation. The truth is, sometimes a little negative motivation mixed into the positive is exactly what it takes to shake us up enough to deal. In Chapter Seven, you're going to get a glimpse of what happens when insecurity deals with us instead of us dealing with our insecurity. Hopefully the point will be made and we can move on. Then we can dive our scalded souls into some healing waters in the coming chapters. I promise relief is coming. We will still have plenty of issues to grapple with in future chapters but new responses will begin to shape up shortly and fresh God-given strength is on its way. We are not wimps, Girls. Let's rise up.

OK, here are your questions for this week. Since I'm giving you four this time around you're welcome, if you prefer, to pick two of them to answer in your comment:
1. What part of Chapter 7 hit home with you most and why?

2. (If you're choosing only two, please include this one.) Based on your journey so far in chapters 1-8, list your own personal top three reasons why it's time to deal with your insecurity. (We're not looking for right answers. We're looking for YOUR answers. Don't copy off your fellow sojourners' papers on this one. Grin.) So that you don't get your numbers confused here, list your 3 reasons under A.B.&C.

3. Based on Chapter 8, briefly describe a recent trigger of insecurity and whether or not it got a rise out of you.

4. Also based on Chapter 8, what does dignity mean to you?


You guys are doing a fabulous job with this. I am so proud of you for sticking with it! Your extra effort will not be in vain. May God meet you in these pages.

You are loved here!

Drive Thru the Bible Vol. 2

Good morning, Siestas! I hope everyone is doing well today. We are often asked about Bible study materials for men, so I thought I would take a minute to let you know about a new one available from Curtis Jones, AKA my husband. Most of you know that Curtis' role at LPM is to create resources with your men in mind (whether your husbands, sons, fathers, grandfathers, or friends). This new resource is called Drive Thru the Bible Volume Two: The Holy Spirit and the Acts of the Apostles. It's a CD set consisting of twenty-five 7-10 minute messages that your guy can listen to on the way to work or school or wherever he may go. This is basically a 25-day supply of on-the-road devotionals.

You can also find Curtis' Drive Thru the Bible Volume One: The Life of Elijah and his Turbulent Times 3-CD set in our online store. The Turbulent Times CD set would be great for the young adult in your life.

Just scroll through the CD Studies section of our online store and you'll see them there.

Tomorrow we'll have our fourth So Long Insecurity discussion post. I'm really excited about this one because Beth made a video for us. It's been a while since we've done one of those! Be sure to come back tomorrow for a word from your Siesta Mama. Have a great day!

Back to Bible Study, Home Girls! And, How About Some Newbies?

It's a gorgeous, cold morning in Houston, Texas and not a cloud in the sky. Let's put last week's severe weather fiasco behind us, Houston-area girls, and have us some Bible study tonight! (Some of you may know that we had 17 flakes of snow and it shut the city down. Exciting times at the Gulf Coast!)

We loved hearing from you northern Siestas who said that, all winter long, you basically schedule and cancel, schedule and cancel, schedule and cancel. And we think we've got Bible study problems!

One of my favorite things that has happened on the blog in the last week is hearing from at least 100 new commenters through last Thursday's post. I did a shout-out to people who'd never posted and you immediately came out of the wood work, as my grandmother would say, and totally made my week! All the regulars on here loved it, too. You are a delight to us. Completely refreshing. Stay with it!

That delight got me in the spirit! Let's have another shout-out today to a different set of newbies. How about some Houston area women who have never been with us at Tuesday night LPM Bible study heading our way this evening? It's a completely interdenominational women's gathering at Houston's First Baptist Church at 7401 Katy Freeway. We start praise and worship at 6:30.

We would be jazzed out of our minds to have you! By this time in our series, we always have plenty of seats for visitors so why don't you make the trip, brave the traffic, persevere to find a parking place, and come have Bible study with us? (This invitation is not meant to take anyone from an already existing Bible study group on Tuesday night. Stay with your own! But, it you're not participating in another one, come get a Word with us!) Look for a LPM staff member or volunteer and tell them you are new with us and that you took today's challenge. She'll make you so glad you came.

Now, let's open it up for your own shout-outs. If you have a Bible study (any day of the week) open to the public that you want to let your Siestas in your area know about, give the invitation as a comment to this post. I was so blessed that one of you wrote in a comment this week that you went to a new church last Sunday and met a Siesta and God caused you to feel welcome from the very start. Now, THAT'S what this community should be all about.

I am so honored to journey with all of you. Jesus is life, Girlfriends. Jesus is life. Let's run after Him with every ounce of energy we have.