Moore - Feathers from My Nest A Mothers Reflections

I wish I had words to properly express my gratitude to God for His amazing redemption and unreasonable mercy in my life. The opportunity to minister through these pages is nothing less than a grace gift of God that I never want to take for granted. He has forgiven me for so much. How I desire to love much in return. Second only to my gratitude to God, I am so thankful for the lavish love, joy, and support I constantly receive from my beloved husband and daughters. Keith, Amanda, and Melissa, God surely chose you as He chose me. Thank you for not only allowing me to speak, teach, and write, but for being a critical part of everything God has called me to do. This book wouldn't even exist without you. Thank you for sharing my conviction that transparency and vulnerability are worth the help and encouragement they lend to others. All three of you are such good sports. What other family would have let me tell so much on them? You are the best and I am nuts over you.

I am also deeply grateful for the love and support I receive on a daily basis from my staff at Living Proof Ministries. Thank you Kim, Susan, Sabrina, Diane, Kimberly, Nancy, Julie, and Mary Helen for doing your jobs so thoroughly that I am free to do mine. Thanks so much for letting me bounce some of these excerpts off of you. And for laughing and crying with me. You are my ministry family and I thank God continually for all of you. Steve Seelig, I also want to thank you, brother. You were the one God first used to ever even suggest the idea of publishing a book to me. I haven't written a single trade book without your input. Have we had a wild ride, or what? You remain a constant source of encouragement to me.

Lastly, I wish to thank the team at Broadman & Holman for being so willing to partner in creative works like this one with me. You guys are so great. Thanks for making this possible.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

EPHESIANS 3:2021 KJV

Today my husband, Curt, and I videotaped a birthday greeting for a friend who lives in another state. We're sending it to her party in place of us. At one point I tried to review what we recorded, but Curt saw the perplexed look on my face and quickly bounded over to the camera to rewind it himself. Thank goodness. We both feared I would accidentally erase everything we'd done.

I don't have a lot of experience with video cameras. The Moores weren't much of a videotaping family. Mom and Dad never were the ones in the bleachers recording our volleyball games. My parents entertainment center is not filled with carefully organized Christmas videos from 1982 to present. We don't have a library of vacation videos. To my knowledge, the only thing we have on video are Mom's Bible studies and my wedding. Don't worry, we have plenty of photosninety percent of which were taken with disposable cameras from the grocery store.

I don't blame my parents for our lack of home videos. After my high school photography class, I had one summer of being the self-appointed family photographer. My Pentax camera and I documented every glorious scene of our Colorado vacation. However, I quickly discovered that it's lonely behind the lens. I was constantly nagging my family members to look this way!; Smile!; Oh, could you do that again? Not to mention, one person is missing from every photome. Carrying the camera and the sole burden of catching those priceless moments on film were stealing my joy. From then on I resolved to throw off every camera that hindered and the camera straps that so easily entangled, and experience with joyful abandon the vacation marked out for us!

The reason the Moore family has no home videos to speak of is because Mr. and Mrs. Moore were too busy cheering and enjoying the game to worry about the video camera. In place of vacation videos we have memories like seeing a grizzly bear run like mad right across the road in front of our car. Those moments are gone with a flashin fact, before a flash can be hadand can be easily missed when one is fooling with the film.

When I read Feathers from My Nest I realized that in a way we do have a collection of family videos. All along, Mom was recording our family experiences in that wonderful creative mind of hers. Her storytelling in this book brings some dusty memories out into the open to be savored again. In these pages are some of our family's most tender momentsmoments no one would dare spoil with a video camera. Each line I read erupts into a precious memory. Not every one makes me laugh, but every one makes me know how priviledged I am to belong to the Moore family and how blessed I am to have experienced such things with Keith, Beth, Melissa, and Michael. Thanks, Mom, for telling our stories in a way that only you can.

I hope you enjoy reading our home videos. May they bring to mind some of your own family's most hilarious, most outlandish, most tender, and most triumphant memories.

Amanda Moore Jones

Mom and I just got back from a three-day road trip. Wow. We had a blast. The highlight of the entire trip was that Mom (the slowest driver of all time) got a speeding ticket. You have no idea how long I have been praying and waiting for that moment.

Our road trip was from Chicago to Houston, as I have just finished college. Mom and I (Dumb and Dummer) piled my stuff so high that we could barely see the road behind us. We simply jumped in and prayed for God's mercy.

I am looking forward to spending the next six months at home with my parents before I head off to Graduate School. Most of my friends who are going home are dreading it, while others are doing everything they can to avoid going home completely.

Now don't let me fool you; I know that things are going to be interesting these next few months. My mom is going to call me every night at 9:00 p.m. (at the latest) wondering when I am going to be home for the night. When I explain to her that I am twenty-two years old, she will remind me that she cannot sleep until I am home safe in my bed. I am also quite confident that Dad is going to wake me up accusing me of stealing the socks out of his sock drawer. This is one of our most consistent controversies.

In spite of these things, I am pumped about going home. I don't think my family is perfect nor do I think that everything will be easy over the next few months. I just can't wait to hang out with my favorite people in the world. I never laugh harder than when I am at home. I never get into more interesting conversations than when I am at home.

I think the reason I am most comfortable going home is because my parents love each other. They don't need me at home to make their marriage work. They aren't bored without me home. The greatest gift they have given my sister and I is their commitment not only to stay together but to enjoy each other.

Not too long ago, I was driving up the driveway and noticed that someone was flickering the front porch lights. When I looked closer, I realized that it was my very own parents kissing in the window. They are always trying to gross us out. I guess they don't understand that kids love to see their parents love each other. Thanks Mom and Dad not for being perfect, but for being devoted to love.