Things Pondered: From the Heart of a Lesser Woman

by Beth Moore

Just as Mary treasured her memories as the mother of Jesus and pondered them in her heart, this book celebrates treasured moments in the life of every woman, wife, and mother. Told from a fresh, personal perspective, these stories and poems form a warm, inspiring collection of remembrances of children,Christmas, marriage, trials, friendship, the seasons, grace, and above all, God’s love for us. Things Pondered proves Beth Moore not only to be an effective speaker and author of popular Bible studies, but also show her to be a gifted, sensitive writer and poet.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Christian Living, Poetry, Christianity, Inspirational

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Beth Moore has written many best–selling books and is a dynamic teacher and a prolific Bible–study author whose public speaking engagements take her across the United States to challenge tens of thousands. Beth is focused on teaching women all over the world and is known and respected wherever she goes. She is a dedicated wife and mother of two adult daughters and lives in Houston, Texas, where she leads Living Proof Ministries and teaches an adult Sunday school class. Beth is one of the best known women in the evangelical Christian market.

Reviews

[Heather Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a highly personal book by Beth Moore, sharing her life experiences, thoughts, and poetry. I loved reading the stories, especially those about her children. I did not care for the poetry, but that is strictly my personal preference; I don't really like poems that rhyme and virtually all of her poems do. I can't even say if the poems are good or not (because the rhyming was so distracting to me), and it doesn't really matter because they are based on her feelings and emotions and that's a beautiful way to express yourself. There were just too many peoms and not enough stories for me to love it.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is only my second Beth Moore book, so I may not be a good judge, but I have found Moore to be a surprisingly rich Christian writer. Her books aren't full of you-shoulds and you-shouldn'ts; instead she draws on her personal experiences to talk about living an authentic Christian life.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet collection of poems and memories from one woman to another

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by Beth Moore that I have read (in fact, I had never even heard of her before), and I loved every page. I found her so easy to relate to, and I loved her openness, sensitivity and sense of fun. Both her prose and her poetry are very accessible, clear and simple and yet very engaging and encouraging. I look forward to reading more of her books.

[Sandra Savell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of poetry - well, yes to the concept of it - but I don't like reading it and when I downloaded this book, I didn't realize it was a LOT of poetry. I finished it because I do love Beth Moore and find her to be quite inspirational.

[Michelle Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a poetry fan. Found myself skimming those parts of the books.

[Maggie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

I love how she forms her daily life into poems! Easy read and so full of laughter and great wisdom.

[Lynn Dickerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the essays. I’m not much for poems so I skipped most of those but loved the stories of the difficult days with her son.

[Victoria Naa Takia Nunoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading about her experiences & would have liked more of that as compared to the poetry bits. I did find some insightful words worth quoting & sharing in this book!

[Emily Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wholesome, precious little book. I’ve been reading a few pages every morning with my devotionals and I’ve just about annotated every page. As always, I love a good Beth Moore read.

[Lisa Duvall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspirational!

Beth Moore captures the emotions women go through and puts a focus on the steadfastness of God in this inspiring book. Wonderful read.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel kind of odd about rating this book since it is essentially one woman's reflections on her life. It is a series of poems and vignettes that all have to do with her relationship, either directly or indirectly, with God.

Some of the topics, such as being a woman in the workplace as well as a mother and trying to balance both those full time jobs, I could relate to. As well as when she'd talk about her overwhelming love for her family.

For the most part, though, I found the poems to be very...plain. They all rhyme and while the message is conveyed, there is no intricacies to them. Which, I think it would be better if they were more complex because, as the author even acknowledges, everyone's relationship with God is complex.

There are also several times in her poems or vignettes where she uses quotes as if God were talking. I found that to be a bit brazen. Is she really saying that God speaks to her so directly like that?

All in all, the title of the book is good because it really describes what the book is - one woman's reflections on her life and pondering what it all means. I guess it has made me ponder some of the same topics, but has not changed my mind about anything. I expect my relationship with God, such as it is or is not, to continue to evolve as I evolve and so I guess in reading this book, it has made me ponder that the process is exactly that - a process - for everyone.

[Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read anything from this author before, but it was a sweet little book. I personally enjoyed her account of her feelings toward her children, esp the one who is not biologically hers. I could relate to how she felt and it was nice to hear some of the things she said. I'm not big on poetry, so I could have done without that, but that's just a personal preference. Good uplifting book.

[Julie Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Read

This book covers so many life topics. Beautiful poems are used to help define the various trials we face in life. Also this book would be great for parents adopting a child that has been in and out of foster homes because it chronicles Moore's journey down that road. The poems at the end were my favorite and reminded us of our Lords plans being so much greater than ours.

[L8blmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book. I particularly related to and benefitted from the chapters about the author's relationship with a special needs child. It helps somehow to know that someone as "together" as Beth Moore had some of the same fears, anxieties and worries about her son as I have had, STILL have, about my own son. Very well written, easy to read, and inspiring.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of personal essays, reflections, and poetry that Beth Moore wrote out of the experiences of her own life. As always, her writing is vivid and moving. I enjoyed reading the essays and reflections, but don't care much for the poetry. It's good poetry, but I enjoy prose much more. This book is a good peek into Ms. Moore's heart.

[Leslie Fitzpatrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ordinarily I love Beth Moore books, but this one left me feeling less than impressed. The insight into her life that is portrayed in these pages was wonderful to read. The problem I had was all her poetry. I'm not a fan of poems. These were beautiful and from her heart, but it was still hard to enjoy for me.

[Nancy M Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

He knows my name!

This brought tears to my eyes as I saw myself within her words. Wondering if He would still find me worthy. Tears recalling photos in my head of the pain He was in when He called out to John to care for His mother. This man that was despised by His own, persecuted for those that would know Him generations later. He, He know my name!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book last night. I loved it! She writes to the heart of women and her poems moved me. My favorite chapter is Vulnerability. She put words to my feelings. I highly recommend this book.

[Greg /linda Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed

l would and will share this book with others.
sometimes it feels as if we all alone in life...
and then Beth Moore comes along and shares ..
thanks be to God for women who share.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and heart-felt. I was stirred with emotion and my thoughts provoked as I read through Beth Moore's musings. I felt blessed to read, learn from, and share in what seemed like such an intimate piece of work from a woman in love with Jesus Christ.

[Theresa Burkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy reading but not without meaning

Easy reading but not without meaning

I enjoyed this book tremendously. There was a lot of thoughts about everyday situations and she used a lot of poetry to reveal these thoughts.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A balm to the soul

This book was definitely written with a woman's heart in mind. Each section touches wonderfully on life events and emotions women face and often struggle with. I enjoyed reading this collection.

[Casey Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her heart and her writing

I've heard Beth speak, but never read her writing before this. Her heart and stories are so genuine and heartfelt. Love her transparency and love for Jesus.

[Catherine Hines · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a student of Beth Moore's Bible studies for a while, so I'm not sure how I missed this very personal book. I loved the prose sections; the poetry, not so much. Preferences in poetry are a matter of personal taste, obviously, but these ... well, are not my favorites.

[Jodi Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great inspirational book for mothers. Beth Moore shares some poems and short stories about her life as a wife and a mother. Some will make you smile, some will bring a tear to your eye, and all of them are good. I give this Christian non fiction 5 stars. I loved it!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a lot of Beth's poetry (which is good, but I'm not a huge poetry person), along with some insightful essays on many of the significant milestones in her life: marriage, having children, adoption and loss. A good read if you are wanting to know more about Beth's personal life.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insight

I love Beth's perspective and enjoyed her poetry. There were moments when a belly laugh would escape because her imagery is both humorous and spot-on! I appreciated hearing more about the story behind the son she raised for a few years. Once again, she is raw and real!

[Julie Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great book of short stories and poems!

[Traca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of poems, stories, & verses from the beloved Beth Moore.