I'm a horrible person

I apologize. I apologize. I apologize. Wow I was just going through some old blog posts (again facing the cold hard reality that I have BARELY blogged lately due to increase in life activity!) and realized I had blogs that SAID I would continue posting on them such as my December "Spread the Love" quest which I only posted FOUR days worth! Again: I apologize!

I really am too busy to keep up with my blog the way I really wish I could. And it's sad because man I have some incredible post ideas that never make it to pen and paper...um excuse me keyboard and computer screen. So today I just apologize. I will attempt to stop making posts that I must follow up on because let's face it I've been like Bob the Builder this last year - starting all kinds of new blog posts and adventures and not being able to finish ANY of them! well maybe a few, but most no.

But let's be serious, if you are a wife, a mother, a youth pastor, and well just a woman in general you often get overwhelmed and overextend yourself. Or maybe it's just me. But I really think not. However I did accomplish something I'm very proud of last year and that was that I completed Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Challenge to memorize 24 verses in 2011. And with increased hours at work, increased hours my kids are at school and just life I think often of the first 8 verses I memorized last year -they made up Psalm 121 in it's entirety. So if you feel overextended and under accomplished today may these verses comfort you too.

Psalm 121
"I raise my eyes toward the mountains, where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip, Your protector will not slumber. Indeed the protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. The Lord protects you, the Lord is a shelter right by your side. The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all harm, He will protect your life. The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever."

(and yes I typed it from my memory so if a couple words are off I apologize)

Psalm 122: Beth Moore Assignment

So the assignment I had yesterday was to rewrite Psalm 122 making it about my church and my town instead of Jerusalem. It was just that a homework activity to get us to think about something in a different way NOT to take anything away from the beautiful scripture itself which we had spent the last two days studying it of course as it is! With that being said here was my rewriting:


I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the Lone Star Cowboy Church." Our feet and hooves are standing in your gates, O Montgomery. Montgomery is a melting pot all its own, knit together as a single unit. This is where the cowboys, the lake-goers, blacks and whites alike go up - all the Lord's people - go up to praise the name of the Lord according to the law of the Word. There the arena stands, the fishing hole if you will, for our community. Pray for the peace and prosperity of Montgomery. May all who love this city (it's people) prosper. O Montgomery may there be peace within your town and prosperity in your government and economy. For the sake of my spiritual family and friends, I will say "peace be with you." For the sake of Lone Star Cowboy Church - the house of the LORD our God, I will seek what is best for you, O Montgomery.

I met Beth Moore...

Really what else could you put for a title besides that? She has such a ministry to women that saying that alone peeks any one's interest. I mean am I right? Yesterday was her book signing in Shenandoah which just happens to be only about 20 minutes from my house. And since my friend blessed me this Tuesday by buying me her new book, "So Long Insecurity, you've been a bad friend to us" I just had to take this opportunity to go get it signed!

Knowing what it's like on bible study night I wanted to get there plenty early since she would only be there for one hour (she had another signing that same afternoon down in Houston). So I arrived about 45 minutes before the signing would begin and was actually surprised to find a small line thus far. It did grow as time went on but I have to be honest I was surprised, I was thinking like an all out mob was going to be there! But anyways, I went ahead and started reading the second chapter while standing in line. I had knocked out the intro and chapter 1 slowly through the week.

About 10 minutes till 1 they moved 30 of us inside to begin the line at the table. And shortly after we see Beth Moore walking down the aisle of Sam's Super center to come sign her little heart away. It was funny listening to the women's reactions a lot of them saying things such as "Oh my goodness there she is!!" While some remained calm I will say some were a little star struck. I have been blessed with being able to remain eye-to-eye with people no matter how big their status is. I truly see everyone as "you're just another person" granted that they may be smarter or wiser or more talented in an area than some yet they are just a person none the less.

Now don't get me wrong I get excited and even butterflies to meet certain people I esteem highly but I do not react like the poor lady in front of me that her hands were trembling out of their bones as she went up to talk to Beth. she could barely work her phone to get it to the camera setting. I had to giggle silently and thank the Lord that I had the capability to remain calm and cool around "big shots", lol. Although our pastor always says a big shot is just a little squirt under pressure!

Okay total side trail, back to the story: It was finally my turn and my friend and I who go to her Tuesday night bible study are always on the front row so we were curious if she would recognize us or not. I could tell when I went up that she did not recognize me so to give her an idea of who I was I just said my friend back there in line and I are your front row girls on Tuesday nights and I'm the one you stared at this week! Emphasis on the STARED! lol, I was slightly giggling trying to tease her but as soon as I said that her eyes got real big and she said Oh my word yes I know exactly who you are now and I MEANT to stare at you! (My mind is going what? What do you mean you MEANT to stare at me?) She said sometimes people will tell me I stared at them while speaking and I will have no earthly idea and sometimes God stirs in my heart to specifically single someone out because they really need to hear something. That's how it was Tuesday - God stirred in my heart to stare right at you during that part because you needed to hear it!

Ok wow right?! But here is the sad part my next thought in my head went exactly like this: "oh my goodness what did she say to me???? If God was trying to speak to me why can't I even remember, oh no! I've screwed up! I can't remember!!" Isn't that horrible? I can't remember. Not exactly at least I DO remember what she was talking about and the general idea of what she said but not the specifics of when she stared at me. So anyways I waited on the side until my friend made it up to the line and then we took turns getting our picture with Beth. One thing I must add in here is she is so genuine about loving women. She doesn't just do a pretty pose with her arm nicely around your back - no she wraps you up with her arms and presses her face close to yours like you are taking a picture with your BFF. It was sweet to watch. Not to mention when she first arrived you saw her talking to the Sam's workers explaining something she wanted and what does she do? After they had this adorable table with flowers, nice cushy business chairs and even a padded arm rest thing for her to sign on she had to stand beside the table and sign the books off a turned grocery cart because Beth wanted to hug everyone! LOL, isn't that great?! It was so funny and not like I know Beth or anything but isn't that just SO like her?!

It was such a sweet moment for me and a memory I will hold with me for awhile that God stirred in her heart to speak specifically to me. And dwelling on it on the way home that's when it dawned on me. If God had meant to speak a direct Word to me through her I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED the stinkin' words! Because I am a diligent student of that I know, and I was listening intently and taking notes! I didn't miss anything so no I didn't do anything wrong. Do you know what God was wanting to speak to me? It was the simple fact that out of 2,000 women he loves me intimately and individually enough to single me out of that crowd and move Beth's heart to look at me and convey that message to me for Him. Isn't God sweet, he is the biggest romantic I know. If you're short on romance give God a shot - he is GOOD at wooing someone straight off their feet!

Siesta Celebration!!!

My first encounter with real live Siesta's and not just screen names was this past weekend at the Siesta SMT (Scripture Memory Team) Celebration!! This past year I have memorized 2 verses a month along with over 2,000 other ladies on the LPM blog. And it has been a ride! I'll be honest though the only way I could do this with two toddlers (boy-4 and a girl-just turned 3) was to memorize in chunks! In other words I would be super busy and not get to them as often as I wanted for a couple months then take a day off and CRAM! Thankfully God blessed me with the gift to memorize easily so I pulled it off but I commend those who faithfully added their verses in the proper timely order.

Anyways another fun fact is I think this post has the MOST pictures of any other post I have EVER done and for that reason will probably be a little lengthy but I just couldn't leave anything out! My Siesta adventure started by my mom's best friend, Sandy (Chile_Siesta) (and her and her husband have been chile farmers for YEARS, her husband even winning Top Chile Grower in NM one year which is where her name comes from, JUST in case you were wondering) Anyways she asked my mom if she wanted to do the challenge with her and of course my mom agreed but had to learn over the course of the year about blogland which she was completely unaware of before. And knowing that I loved to blog asked if I knew of Beth's blog and was going to do it as well. I had absolutely no clue of her blog so I was greatly excited and jumped right in filling in my first two verses to catch up. Now I live in Willis TX which is only bout 45 minutes north of Houston (or where First Baptist Church Houston is...since you ladies now have an idea of where that is) so my mom and Sandy flew over here, I picked them up and we actually added to the fun of our weekend by staying at one of their good friends houses who lives in Richmond (Sugarland area).


This is their good friend, Gay-Ann, then Sandy/chile_siesta is in the middle and then my mom, Denise/ mima_siesta is on the right. We had a very nice visit and I got to sleep in!!! Which if you have toddlers you understand the greatness of this small thing! The neighborhood they are in is beautiful and I got to run on their walking trail that circled around the subdivision and God just blessed me with 60 degree weather that morning, bright and sunny! Oh it was gorgeous!

Now here I stepped in the photo because this is the three of us that went to the Celebration. So yes the one on the right is me, Ivy/poison_ivy!

On Friday, after taking our time getting around that morning and enjoying good company Gay-Ann took us to a delicious and cute little restaurant called Sandy McGee's in Richmond TX. If you like "girly food" as my husband would call it you will LOVE this place and must visit it sometime! Here is what the inside looks like from the back:

and of course thinking of my blog thought I need a picture of the sign so people can identify it when looking so asked my mom, yes while I was driving to hand me my camera. I was gonna drive by and snap! lol and I just had to include this picture because my mom was trying to hurry as fast as she could to get me my camera and have it turned on and ready for me and in doing so snapped a picture! hehe...so here I am reaching for my camera:

...and I did get my picture in time though (well ok after circling the block once and coming back!)

and I was concerned for my bloggers that they couldn't read the sign so then I even stopped in the middle of the road turned around and snapped another shot so I could later zoom in on the sign for you! Lol, good thing it was a small town and this kind of thing was ok to do!

Then it was finally time to head off for the main reason we came!!! The Omni! No just kidding, the Siesta Celebration! We did head to the Omni first and even though I am roughly familiar with the Galleria area had an interesting time trying to find it and follow our GPS which was pretty much taking us to nowhere on the map it showed...long story but we found it to say the least! We hurriedly got checked in, were so tired from trying to find the hotel that we just chose valet parking over more decision making and directions and then rushed to the hotel dining room for the quickest nice dinner in our lives! We told them when we came in we had to be in and out in like 20 minutes so they kindly suggested items that wouldn't take long but sadly in the end we had to beg them for to go boxes and silverware. Which of course a fine dining place that it was didn't have plastic silverware so what did they do...gave us real silverware wrapped in a napkin! We couldn't have laughed harder as we stuck silverware in out purses and when the Hotel Town Car arrived had to ask our driver if he minded us eating in the car. The hotel restaurant did ask that we leave the silverware in our rooms when finished which of course we did but YES we had silverware in our purses the entire first night of the conference!

We did however make it there, got our name tags, all 3 of us proudly placed our names in the "Memorized all 24" verses bag and rushed in to get the best seats we could. Beth spoke on Psalm 119 which I was excited about because one of my verses was FROM that chapter! I won't go into the message much here or I will be here all day but when we got back to our hotel that night we decided we would all fill the bathtub halfway and sit and soak our feet together. During this my mom says "We should all share something that spoke to us tonight." Both Sandy and my mom shared what meant the most to them that night and then my turn came and I had to sheepishly say that actually the preaching was VERY GOOD but a song we sang that night meant the most to me! I had gone through a really hard season the year before and when I thought I had finally sorted it all out it came crashing down on me to reveal my heart had NOT truly dealt with it but stuffed it instead. Funny how we THINK we have it all together huh? So anyways without getting into it too much this past Fall I attended Beth Moore's live bible study on Revelation for the first time ever! It was such an experience and I was thankful to be going and carpooling with a good friend who had been to several of her live studies! Well I mark the beginning of a new season with her bible study. I finally was TRULY over it letting God do His full work in me in that area and so this past fall and winter has been an incredibly blessed time and a huge growth for me spiritually since I finally was alive again!

Well if you go to her Tuesday night bible study you have heard and are familiar with Lisa - their worship leader for bible study which I LOVE, LOVE LOVE listening to and had told my mom and Sandy ALL about hoping she would be singing, no offense Travis! So when she WAS singing with Travis I was SO thrilled and I think it was the last song we sang the first night was one we often sang at bible study and I immediately felt the joy swell up from within and out of me just remembering the blessed season that began last fall and hasn't ended!! That song meant so much to me and brought back so much that it's hard to explain. And goodness I'm getting carried away so let me show some pics of the first night before I go on....

Here is when we first arrived and ladies were finding their seats (above)

We HAD to get a picture of us in our pink boas and our spirals!

The night started with all three ladies up on stage to bring some fun facts, tidbits and a HUGE welcome!

Ok I know this one is fuzzy but I love how I caught Beth - cuz to tell you she was excited was an understatement! A proud teacher? -oh yes!

We HAD to take the opportunity to snap a photo with Travis Cotrell (pronounced CAUGHT-trull, NOT Ca-trell, as we learned!)

And I was UBER-excited to meet the one and only Lisa herself which brought back so much joy to me that night through her singing!! She told me to look for her on Tuesday and you better believe I will - course if we get our regular seat she can't miss me! Last study my friend and I would get there over an hour early every week to have the same front row seats each week!! SO WORTH IT!

Another goal of mine was to get a picture with all the familiar faces I knew which of course included Beth and her daughters, Melissa and Amanda - didn't quite happen but I did catch Amanda in the Meet and Greet that night! I quickly chatted with her but mainly just got a photo because I know they are being grabbed by EVERYONE and I kind of smiled the next morning when I said hello to her because I recognized the face of "OH HI (but I have no clue who you are!!) and no I'm not saying anything bad about Amanda because I love her but I SO related - my husband and I youth pastor a group of almost 300 kids a week! Even with 300 I can't remember everyone so I could never imagine being a known "face" of a ministry with 1,000's of women!!! Bless you three!!

I also quickly grabbed a shot of Chef Paul - who I had also bragged about to Sandy and my mom about his coffees and hot cocoa with the REAL DEAL whipped cream!! OOOH can't wait till study starts tonight!!

This one I was VERY happy to meet! Since I would sit front and center at bible study I recognized this man RIGHT off the bat as "the Mic guy" and I had dubbed him that name since about the 3rd week not knowing his real name. He was out and about chatting among the throngs of women everywhere not the least uncomfortable (dealing with 1,000's of women each week for her study) and when he asked where we were from I was glad to say I'm just north of here...yes I go to her Tuesday night study....yes I know you as the Mic guy!! So glad to meet you! And so we are all clear Mic guy's name is Mark. This man is a true servant and has such a warming and cheerful disposition!

I was on a roll capturing Beth's "workers" so I also went up and asked...oh no I think her name is Jen???? Again I know their faces like no body's business but names...not so much. However every week I see this lady on a walkie talkie keeping everything organized and she also gets the wonderful job of being on stage when the doors open on Tuesday nights to kindly yell at us to WALK!!!! so no one gets trampled that week. You think I'm kidding??? Sadly I'm not! This is ladies with bibles and bags flinging!

Okay FINALLY it is day two! We had no idea about the cool conference room they had given us or I WOULD have been there all night but we came back walked the hotel trying to find these swans the cab driver told us about, then got a hot tea from the Starbucks down stairs and headed upstairs to eventually go to bed. That morning started EARLY!! 4:45 AM for me to be exact. I woke a few minutes before my alarm and used it to sneak in the bathroom and get a quick devotion with the Lord (funnily enough I'm working through "Whispers of Hope" by Beth right now.) Then we all three sleepily got ourselves ready and packed and were checking out by 6:15. Why so early? Well being early for weekly bible study and because of that being spoiled with front row seats gives me motivation to always get UP FRONT and personal! So I shamelessly guilt-tripped my mom, and we found ourselves at Starbucks by 6:30! I'm on a 28-day challenge right now (which will come on another post) that involves diet, exercise and sleep so since I obviously busted the "sleep" part that night I got myself some oatmeal and the yogurt and fruit/granola cup form Starbucks to at least stick the eating part! We made it there early and didn't get front row but sat in the third row this time and were very pleased!

SINCE we got there SOOO early we used the time to of course say our verses but also to all put our shirts on and take some photos!

While trying to find someone to take our photos I walked over and saw a girl with the EXACT same camera I have, which is rare cuz we have Canon Rebels. So I of course was about to ask her to take our picture since she would know how to use mine but before I could speak the words she says to me "Cute hat! I'm such a hat person!" Oh it was instant friend! lol...must love photography and loves cute hats! I asked her to take the photos and after we were done she went to get HER hat so we could take a HAT photo!

In talking with her afterwards as my mom and Sandy said their verses again to each other we discovered we are both married, both have kids, both work with youth -I'm a youth pastor and she does small groups with teen girls, we both love photography and blogging and of course Beth Moore! And to make it even more ironic - or I should say an encounter meant by God since irony doesn't truly exist - when we decided to take the picture with our beloved spirals I flipped mine open to Romans 8:28 and she exclaims "No WAY! I have that verse too! So even though you can't see it both our spirals are reading Romans 8:28 here! I can't wait to find her on blogland after I'm done writing this ridiculously long post (which I think anyone who reads it all the way through should leave a comment just that they DID!)

I decided I should include a picture of the front entrance of the church for you blogger who never have been to the church or to Houston for that matter. Funny story in that actually too - when the Omni Town Car dropped us off they dropped us off at the back entrance and I was like wait this is the wrong church! And almost made him take us somewhere else because I didn't recognize it at all (thankfully I finally saw a sign with the familiar logo swish thing) and decided ok this is the right church but I don't know where to go! And here I was the one who was supposed to know where to go! I knew the church was big but had no idea! I'd been there over 12 times, once a week and knew nothing of the back entrance! hehe!

Here is a classic of Beth! She is so full of life and character! And that morning was nothing short of FULL BLOWN BETH! When I was telling my bible study friend about it that's the only way to explain her hyper-ness was it was full blow Beth! in FULL color! lol, love you Beth! And just so you know the three of us were laughing at what an outing with Beth Moore and Georgia Jan/Fuzzy Top would be like! YIKES! lol, love you both though!

Here she is really getting into it. Even though poor Beth was called a "nugget" by Melissa that morning! Sorry Melissa but I had to blog about you calling your mom a nugget (due to her outfit) which was very cute by the way! But I SO get the teasing your mom thing!

And here is one of my favorite singers all pumped for worship!

And I just had to take a picture of this sweet lady in front of me. I tried to get a picture when she had both her hands raised but didn't make it in time. But this lady - whoever you are - blessed me so much. We were singing an old hymn that talked about the power of God's WORD and you could tell this lady knew this song deep in her heart! She didn't need to read the words, just raised her hands and worshipped God. I do know some hymns but not like she does and never will they mean as much to me as her. It was a blessing to watch. Know ladies, that even though it seems us younger generationers just don't get it and even though we worship a little differently we DO treasure the old hymns and the traditional ways too, even if we don't know them by heart!

Travis had to Ex-nay the Ipod band for a true moment of deep worship that we all experienced that morning.

After a great opening session we all broke out to say what we had worked SO hard for - our VERSES! I couldn't help but slip out in the patio for a picture or two of all the ladies spreading out lifting up sweet voices speaking God's powerful word!

Here is my mom and Sandy deep in concentration hoping they make it through all 24 when it's the final time to say them!

Sandy couldn't be distracted when she said hers so she would close her eyes and my mom and I shared a smile because as she got into them you began to hear her just speaking to the Lord. It was no longer reciting them to us to pass a test but we were listening to her pray and love and worship her Creator. It was beautiful.

And then my mom's turn...

They opened up the next session with more door prizes to which Beth's hyperness got her in a little trouble when she asked about the Grand Prize only to discover that oops! there was no grand prize. Lol, owell!

After that blunder they made sure she finally got her Starbucks she so desperately needed and she calmed down, well a little....for Beth at least!

Above is Spicy Magnolia - winning second place in "Best Blog Name"

And this is Beth Moore argueing with Georgia Jan that that is NOT her real hair color! And proclaiming that she just can't trust anyone with their real hair color! lol, oh Beth you just crack us up!

Well that was it! And I won't go into anymore...I don't think at least :)

But to finish off my post to make my teacher proud - 176!!!

(anyone else know what I mean??? hehe)

Whispers of Hope

Bright Morning Star
God's diamond brooch
Upon the blackest night

Whispering Hope
'Neath mercy's cloak,
"The dark is almost light!"

Waken, Slumber!
Sleep not past
The painted dawn for thee.

Burst forth, O Star
One day not far
And shine Thy light on me.

-Beth Moore

My latest readings...

I know I haven't updated my blog in awhile and that the last few have been pretty political so I thought I would do a laid back post today with simply my latest reading! I am an avid reader and wish I could sit for about 4 hours every day to just cuddle up with a good book, although most days do not afford me that pleasure. Any who here is what has graced my book shelf and worn out my bookmarks lately:

1. "The Healer" by Dee Henderson

The 5th book in the O'Malley Series and takes you through the emotions of dealing with a sister that is fighting cancer and believing God for a miracle every day of her fight.

2. "The Rescuer" by Dee Henderson

The 6th and final book the the O'Malley Series. This one finds a young man who's instinct is to run from death and things that just seem overwhelming in life. Will he ever come back? Will he find the peace he is searching for? This one has an end that will leave any mother in tears and laughter at the same time!

3. "Me, Myself, and Lies" by Jennifer Rothschild

This is actually a bible study that Beth Moore is sort of leading through her online blog, LPM blog. It is the "Summer Siesta Bible Study" and yes she knows that "siesta" is the Spanish word for nap! Check out her blog - it's a hoot! Anyways about the study -it takes an up close and personal look at your own "thought closet". It makes you realize what you are speaking to your soul on a daily basis. GREAT study to align your thoughts with God's truths over your life!

4. "The Laws of Prosperity" by Kenneth Copeland

From the back of the book: "True prosperity is the ability to apply the power of God to meet any need - spiritual, mental, and physical. In this book Kenneth Copeland shares the revelation of spiritual laws that govern prosperity. The Laws of Prosperity is written to teach you how to apply these laws in your own life so that you can begin to enjoy the great abundant life that only God can provide."

So what have you been digesting in your memory bank this summer?