Hey, Sweet Things! Do some of you remember me telling you that I had a little surprise for you in the works? THIS IS IT!!!!! Our very own Siesta Scripture Memory Team SPIRAL!!!! Inside are 30 blank index cards just begging to be filled with your choice of memory verses. I’m almost having to stand up to type because I am so pumped. For those of you who are new to our community, one of the things we prioritize and love to do around here is memorize Scripture. It is a huge part of calling the mind captive to Christ (2 Cor. 10:3-5) and most of us know from experience that our battles are won or lost in our MINDS. I have been actively memorizing Scripture as a primary Spiritual discipline since my early 30’s. I am thoroughly convinced that God used it to bring immeasurable healing to my mind, my memories, and my thought life. I tend toward obsessive thoughts and fears and unrelenting replays of bad memories and, when I fall away from actively hiding God’s Word in my heart, they come back with a vengeance. Anybody else? There are no words big enough to express the difference Scripture memory has made in my life. God also showed me along the way how much accountability and partnership can enhance the success of the discipline. Two years ago I was trying to decide who I should ask to be my accountability partner for that year and God brought the idea to my mind to make it the whole willing blog community and to offer accountability to them in return. The result was one of the neatest experiences we’ve ever had on this blog. I honestly have never felt the pleasure of God more fully over anything we’ve done here.
We created “The Siesta Scripture Memory Team” and each made it our goal to memorize 24 verses, two a month for that calendar year. We signed in on the first and fifteenth of each month with the present verse God was placing on our hearts. (We didn’t memorize the same one together. It works best if we each get to memorize the verses that most apply to our present lives and circumstances. However, I always offered my verse in case someone else was drawing a blank or felt that it also resonated with them. In those cases, some of us memorized the same thing.) We logged in twice a month with our first names, cities, verses, and translations and held each other accountable to get them hidden in our hearts for keeps. We worked hard and saw victory after victory over the flesh and the kingdom of darkness. We topped off the year with a free event in Houston for those who kept their commitment. The only ticket in was a well-used spiral. We had a BLAST. As long as I live, I’ll never forget what all of you looked like in pairs, saying half of your verses to one another.
Well, the SSMT (Siesta Scripture Memory Team) is BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! We will begin January 1st. Look for very specific instructions next week on how to participate. (Hold off on as many questions as possible until that time because the post will answer so many.) Everyone is welcome! Even those who have never visited our blog before. Anyone who wants some accountability in memorizing Scripture is invited. Let me also quickly say that no one is pressured to participate. You won’t be an outcast here. We still do many other things on this blog. It’s just an offer made in much love to those who would benefit from it in their walk with Christ. Living Proof Ministries exists to encourage women to love the Lord Jesus Christ and walk with Him in His Word. This is one way we hope to accomplish our ongoing goal to the great glory of God.
Again, I will get you all the details within the next week BUT I needed to let you know NOW about our brand new, you-inspired SSMT spirals! Let me tell you a couple of things about them in advance:
*You are by no means required to have one to participate! These are strictly for those of you who want one! It is very easy to go to your neighborhood Walgreen’s, CVS or Target and grab a spiral of index cards. That’s what I’ve done every year up until now. (But, admit it, aren’t these the cutest things ever?? I.LOVE.IT. I am so thankful for Sabrina who jumped on the vision the moment I expressed it to her and for Cheryl Casey who listened carefully to the concept then created this design for it and for our beloved Cathy at Copy Doctor who sped ahead and got them printed. As we always say around here, it takes a village.)
*You are welcome to order one even if you don’t wish to participate in the SSMT. Many of us may not want the added pressure of 2 verses a month but we still like to keep a Scripture memory spiral. By all means! There is no legalism where these are concerned. If you want one, you can have one. If you don’t, you’re free!
*We very much wanted to serve you with this spiral and not attempt to make any profit off of it. We are offering it to you only at our cost plus shipping and handling. This is NOT a way for the ministry to make money. You’ll see that it is $3 plus S/H. Sabrina got the cost as low as possible. I was thrilled with this outcome.
*Now, listen to this part carefully. Once you place your order, we will turn them around as quickly as humanly possible. Please keep in mind that our staff is small but very willing to serve! We also have Christmas holidays to celebrate so the ministry will be closed part of the time. Many of you who order right away may have your spirals by January 1st but if we end up with several thousand orders (we have no idea what to expect), yours may not get to you until the second week or so of the new year. Please know that we’re going to get them to you as fast as we are physically able. Just write your first couple of verses on temporary index cards until you receive your order then write them again permanently in your spiral when you receive it. Sound good?
And, because I know someone’s going to demand to know now: yes, we are going to have another SSMT celebration (in mid-January 2012) for those who keep their commitments in 2011 but no one – let me say that again – NO ONE will be scorned for not showing up with this cool spiral. I mean that. I am also laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of it. I am acting like a nine year old.
OK, if you want one, here’s what you do. Copy and paste this link into your browser and it will take you straight to the order page:
http://www.lproof.org/store/product.asp?itemid=2011SMTspiral
Listen, even if you don’t care one iota about a spiral of blank index cards, please know that we at Living Proof Ministries so desire to serve you and cheer you on in your walk with Christ Jesus. He is everything to us around here. May He be thrilled to spend 2011 with us!
I love you,
Beth
I am so excited about this and am going to purchase this as soon as I hit submit! I have been wanting to memorize but always get bogged down with needing too many scriptures that are truth for my life! Hopefully this will help me take it more step-by-step so that I can find success! Thank you!
Yes, I’m so excited to start off the year with a new spiral – and it’s soooo cute! I watched the blog last time you did the memory verses and I so want to participate and grow and watch God work! I think I’ve already got my first verse. It’s one I repeated often today. Isaiah 46:4 “I am He. I am He who will sustain you. For I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” YES
I think I’m going to start with the same verse. I had tears as I read it just now. I’ve been going through some tough times the last few years, losing both my parents in 13 months as well as having a daughter that is struggling in her first semester of college. This verse really really speaks to me. Thanks for posting!
LOVE IT!!!! Can’t wait for that package to arrive!! It’s going to be my birthday treat to myself. 🙂
I have to share that last month I had my 7th/8th grade girls make memory spirals as we talked about the power in memorizing God’s word. They LOVED decorating their little index cards. Ribbon on the spirals and everything. My oldest daughter is part of this Wed. night study.
Last week, I walked in the kitchen to find my oldest helping my youngest daughter make her own spiral. Showing her how it worked, and going over her “notes” from Bible study that night. (I used the RENEW acrostic you gave us last year.) Seeing Chloe “teach” Emma was the most humbling thing to me. It totally made me go to my room and get on my face and thank Jesus for my girls. He is so good.
Looking forward to what God is going to do this year!
Blessings and hugs,
stephanie
I am wondering if someone can email me with the RENEW acrostic. I am new to Siestaville and am 100% in!!!
LOve ya’ll! Shelley P. [email protected]
Steph, that just blessed me so much! I love you and your sweet girls!!!
I Love it!!! I ordered two…one for me and one for the young lady I am mentoring….I am going to start to save for my plane ticket too. What fun!!!
Can Houston area Siestas that want to come by the office and get the spiral?
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have already ordered for myself, my mom and my sister. The Living Proof team was absolutely AMAZING to all the Siestas at the last memory verse gathering in Houston. I will never forget the smiles that greeted us and the love and warmth from each and every staff member. I love the Living Proof ladies!!! THANK YOU for making this so special that it blesses our socks off!!!! Siesta Mama, We love you!!!!!!
Yay I am so excited about this and of course I’m going to get one of those spirals they are just too cute!! I started following the blog when ya’ll were finishing up SSMT last time. I tried to do it on my own over the past year and it has been one of the hardest things for me to do. It’s time for some things to change and what better way to start than diving in to scripture with all of these amazing ladies. I’m so excited and I just know that this next year is going to be unbelievable!!
p.s. I just want to send a thanks and love to all of the ladies at LPM for everything you gals do. This is truly an incredible, life changing ministry.
Lindsay, it’s so much easier with other people. So glad you’re in!
I haven’t done a very good job of juggling my priorities and sadly, especially over the past semester, I have let the most important one fall to the side. I am in desparate need of change and accountability. I will have the blog, but I am also going to get my mom and my sister to do this with me. I’m so excited to see what God has in store for us!!
So excited!!!! Thanks….ordering three right now!
But you’re missing one of the sisters, Lynn! Which one is NOT memorizing with us??? Laughing.
I’m going to add to my other spiral… hoping this will encourage my three companions to MEMORIZE!!!
yay Sister Lynn! I ordered two for me because I am a nerd like that! haha. That was me in session 2. Not sure if I answered that tweet. I have been sick as a dog over here!! ps. morgan really wants to come stay with y’all because she thinks where you live is so pretty!!
I may be ordering two as well, I think my daughter is going to want to come!!
So excited to have an organized and accountable way of memorizing Scripture! I did not participate in 2009 but I am gearing myself up for 2011. I ordered one for myself and another for a dear friend that way we can be accountable to each other as well. The idea of coming to Texas in January for the celebration brings warmth to a Wisconsin girl’s heart!
All I can say is Yeah God!!!
I LOVE THE SPIRAL!!!!!
I am so excited to start doing scripture memory with the girls again because I just have not been as successful this year. I have ordered my spiral and I can’t wait to see and spend time with all the girls in 2012.
Thank you to Beth and the Team for such a great idea.
Merry Christmas!
Karla
I participated in 2009 and was hugely strengthened by the verses that I memorized. From July 2009 through the middle of September 2010, my husband was unemployed and our little family of four moved in with gracious family members who were willing to help us out. I know that those scripture verses helped to prepare my heart and mind for that very difficult year.
In September, we returned to seminary for my husband to continue his education and we now have our own home again and income. But the last few months I have felt spiritually depleted and dry. And I feel very guilty for that. I want to feel praise and joy again in my heart.
So, I’m praying that God will use the 2011 scripture verses to renew praise and joy in me and to again strengthen my heart and mind.
I don’t comment very often, and I didn’t intend to confess so much, but this blog has been a great encouragement to me and I want to say thanks, and this is a little of who I am right now.
I just ordered my spiral. Yay!
Sweet Sarah, you just stay plugged in. We all go through dry seasons. God’s Word calls us to consider how we can stir each other up to love and good works so that’s what we’re here for. I’ll be here for you. You be here with me. That’s how this goes. In Jesus’ Name.
Sarah,
You have been through a rough season. I have been where you are and can testify, as you already know, that God is so faithful. He loves us the same whether we memorize 1 scripture or 100. The evil one would want you to feel inadequate. You are not inadequate because of Christ in you the hope of glory. You cling to Him with all you’ve got. He will never let you go.
Two words Beth : THANK YOU!
I need this more than you know.
I just ordered mine and several for gifts!! I totally fell off the bandwagon last year…sigh. My first grader can put me to shame with his scripture memorization! Hoping to do better this time. Totally LOVE the spiral! 🙂
I think this looks cool. I am going to be committing Romans 8:19-22 to memory over the next few weeks. Bugsy, my beloved little Shih Tzu, went Home to be with Jesus yesterday. (I have very sound, Biblical, logical reasoning for this belief, so please don’t yell at me). My heart hurts so much right now. I need the comfort of His loving words.
I’m so sorry, Marie. It’s so painful. Wouldn’t yell at you for anything, Sweet Thing.
Thank you, Siesta Mamma. Had a feeling you’d understand.
That is darling. just ordered mine. 🙂
I miss Amanda soooooo much! Any chance of her returning soooooon?
I know. We miss her, too. She’s doing the right thing for her sweeties but we feel her absence every day! (Thank goodness, she is NOT absent in our personal lives. I get lots of Jones time, praise the Lord!)
SSMT 2009, and the Houston event, CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!!
I just discovered how much Satan does NOT want me to memorize Scripture next year. I do tons of online shopping and yet I had the most frustrating time trying to order this spiral!! I couldn’t get the link to copy and paste, then after finally working that out, the site kept taking me in circles over and over…I was about to cry after 40, yes 40, minutes of trying. It dawned on me that Satan was probably doing his thang so I stopped and prayed, and let’s just say, a spiral is now on its way to me! What a learning experience for me…Satan does NOT want me to gain more weapons to use against him but prayer kicked him out of my way! Praise the Lord Almighty!
Thank you for persevering! My guess is there’s a lot at stake. Do it, Sister! Jesus is worthy!
Now, isn’t that the best gift EVER!!!…..besides reading Heaven Is For Real this past month I feel that this little spiral completes the month for my soul!! You water it well, my girl!! Thank you!!!
How excited am I!??! Hoping and praying that God will allow me to make the 2012 event! Just ordered spirals – one for me, one for Mom. Is it too early to pack our bags??
xoxo
So overjoyed at how well you’re recovered 🙂
Thank you, Audrey! God is SO good!!
Totally PUMPED!! Just ordered mine 🙂 Merry Christmas Siestas!
I am sooooooo excited – just ordered my spiral (so stinkin cute!!) and cannot wait to start. I have never been very succesful at this before, but already have some accountability siestas, so this is the time that it STARTS!
And the change jar to save up for next January has just been started!
Cannot wait!
Beth,
This is great. I am so excited that we’ll all be memorizing scripture together again. This past year my best friend and I have kept one another accountable, but we sure have missed all the Siestas. My young adult daughter will be joining this year and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Thanks so much for your service to all of us.
Ok, so I giggled!!! I Love the spirals, and I can’t wait to memorize scripture and I can’t wait to come to Houston again, I can’t wait to have my GPS take me around the city and around the city and around the city!!! So much fun!! I love you…all of you!!!
Tiffany love it! I have a sister who lives in Houston and I live in College Station. For the past 25 plus years I go to her house, park in her driveway and she Drives Miss Daisy or I would be going around the city and around the city and around the city too! I’m sure you can park in Manya’s driveway and go with us more the merrier. Email me [email protected] if you want one GPS direction to her driveway you sound like my twin. I’m excited Beth can you tell!!!!
Yanna, I can’t wait to meet you!! Yes, we laughed our heads off when it came to the GPS…we waved to Houston First as we passed it on the freeway,and another 25 minutes later we made our way back…I think we passed one particular building twice trying to find the “right” Papasito’s and the billboard for 1-800-R U HAIRY for laser hair removal about sent our group to the loony bin…so many memories, cannot wait to make some more!!
Tiffany I can’t wait to meet you! Manya said of course she can ride with us from her driveway lol. I have this total fear of getting on one of those mix master bridges and driving on it in a clover pattern until I die of old age or am raptured which ever comes first. I also considered getting me a childs potty chair for the backseat of my suburban for traffic jams! Yes, I would use it…I’m the lady in the white suburban you can’t see. ha ha ha Where do you live?
I live in Dallas area…=) LOL, that is funny…what fun we shall have!
What a great surprise Beth! I can’t think of anything I would rather have to write God’s scripture on for 2011. It was such an honor to meet you in Spokane- I am the one who brought my spiral notecards with me to “prove” I was a Siesta! You are who you say you are- and that builds my faith that Jesus is Who He Says He Is. Thank you for pouring His word and lessons into my life. Bless you and your family this Christmas Season.
Love, Kim
Beth I am just beyond excited about this again!! Those spirals are too cute!!I know of some teen girls that are going to be getting some sprials:)
Because of being apart of the SMT last year I have met my dear friend Kelli over at http://longmeadowmama.blogspot.com We only live a few miles apart from each other. If it were not for this our paths may have never crossed. She is a blessing!!
Scripture memory has helped me through some healing times It has become breath and life to me.
Thank you so much for your obedience in doing this
Hugs
Love you, Rachel!!
I am so thrilled!!!! I can’t wait. Thank you ever so much. Whoo-hoo!!!! 🙂
Blessings,
Kim
Oh, Beth! I’m so excited about this!! I’ve been reading this blog for a couple of years (been “a siesta” since that post where you used “siesta” accidentally). I’m a young mom with 4 little ones (all 5 and under) and have had been wanting to memorize Scripture lately…He’s really put that on my heart lately. But I *need* accountability to get me started–and maybe to keep me going too. I’m going to order my spiral right now! Thank you!!!!!!!
This is my first comment on here…so I want to say thank you, Beth, for your love for Jesus Christ. You will never know how your ministry has changed my life but just trust me, it has. Thank you for your walk with God-it is amazing to see God use you. Your words on this blog have encouraged me so many times. I love this notebook idea-it is adorable. Thank you!
That is the cutest spiral ever. I cannot wait to do this again, and to have a SSMT reunion in January of 2012! The event was the highlight of my year this year. I will be saving up for the trip. Woo hoo. 🙂
Can’t wait to meet up again!! Merry Christmas!
love,
Audrey
The notebook is so cute! Can’t wait to get started!
Love ya!
Beth,
I JUST wrote on my shopping list this past weekend for my next trip to the store to get a new “spiral index card book” … in time for the Siesta scripture memorizing for 2011 … honest! But I like your siesta spiral even better! Thanks – I can’t wait!
– Michelle in Maine
(I’ve really missed doing this in 2010)
Oh Beth! Thanks so much! I will be ordering! I had been thinking about what I wanted to do in the next year to take a step closer to my God, and this was my answer to prayers!!! This year, I read the Bible through, (ok I will finish on December 31st) which is something I never had done. I am so on board for this!!!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!I! CANNOT! SCREAM! LOUD! ENOUGH!
WHOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
i was so pumped when i saw you with a spiral and i knew that meant that our new scripture memory year was starting THEN i read and saw the cutest thing ever in that SIESTA spiral. i am so dad gum excited!!!!!
love you so much!!
I picked a free children’s song CD at a mom-stuff-swap, thinking I would be tearing my hair out in seconds, but it happened to be Scripture verses set to music! WHO KNEW?! I have to say, all my little toddlers and I are much happier now that we go around singing: “Thy word have I hidden in they heart, that I might not sin against thee, Psalm 119:11” and my favorite, “Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right, Ephesians 6:1” and all of Psalm 1 set to music, which we sang to Daddy when he came home, because he is *so* Psalm 1, and I am in love with him. See what happens when you memorize Scripture?!
I LOVE IT!!!! You make me smile!!!
Hi Beth!
Your sentence, “I tend toward obsessive thoughts and fears and unrelenting replays of bad memories, and when I fall away from actively hiding God’s Word in my heart, they come back with a vengeance.”, jumped off the screen at me.
This has been a long time struggle of mine, but especially since I became a Christian 5 years ago.
This sermon by Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church changed everything…
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/spiritual-warfare/the-devil
In all your spare time, maybe you’ll be interested in checking it out! 🙂 🙂
Love the spiral!!!
Amy
Thanks, Amy! that sentence jumped out at me, too! I will listen to this. I need help in this area-thank you for sharing!
I’VE TRIED AND TRIED AND CANNOT GET MY ORDER TO GO THROUGH FOR THE SPIRAL! I’VE HAD AN ACCOUNT WITH LPM FOR YEARS SO I’M HOPING THAT IT’S JUST ON OVERLOAD RIGHT NOW. 🙂
Oh my goodness! I am sooo stinking excited! I haven’t been a very consistent blogging friend/Siesta lately but I am SO excited to get back into Scripture memory!!! On my birthday this year, I was at work (Starbucks, feel free to visit ANY time…I will make your coffee the best and even give it to you for free…we like tips though) HA…anyhow…I was there at 5am thinking I had to work and I didn’t actually start until 6:15…so I seized the opportunity before me to purchase the FABULOUS Jonathan Adler designed mug we are currently carrying along with french pressing some Christmas Blend, went to my car, grabbed my Bible and was touched by and led to memorize Proverbs 2:1-5…”If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry alound for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, THEN you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”
PRAISE the LORD for His Word…it is alive and Living in me! 🙂 Have a blessed week and thank you for your ministry!
don’t cry alound…cry aloud please…thank you…
I jumped in with two friends tonight! Yahoo!
The timing of this is so unbelievable. I know that the Lord wants me to join in. Just this Sunday in church during communion I felt like He was asking me to memorize more scripture. I am the wife of a great guy who travels nearly half the year, and the mother to three small children. I’m tired. I’m overwhelmed. And I’m in a rut. I mentioned this to the Lord, because clearly I don’t have time to memorize scripture, I barely have time to pee! And yet, it was there….that little prodding in my heart that got to my head. And then here you are, announcing that we can do it together….seriously, you have no idea how encouraging this has been before we even start. I have to do this. For me. For my girls.
WOW!!! Count me in for 2011!! SSMT 2009 was such a blessing to me! I,too wish I could say I had been faithful in 2010 without the accountability, but I can’t.
So funny 🙂 was sitting in front of my PC reading these comments on my phone when the photo screen saver came on with a picture of you, Beth, teaching Psalm 119 at the SSMT Celebration in Jan. What fun!! There is nothing that compares to sharing in God’s Word!! It’s a Blast!
Many thanks to you for the years of blessings you have given me through your ministry and His Word!! And thank you for the opportunity for community through this blog.
Love and Blessings,
Rosalye
This was simply the highlight of the day today!! Already ordered one for myself and two for sweet friends. LOVE IT. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.
thank you, thank you, thank you! this is an answer to prayer!! God is so on top of giving us what we need to get closer to Him & He is using you and your staff to help!! Can’t wait till Jan 1, 2011!! Merry Christmas to you all!
YaY! I just ordered mine. Can’t wait to start SSMT again, and to begin praying for the courage to fly to Houston by myself or find a SSMT buddy who is not as big a chicken as me :o)
What a fun idea! I LOVE IT! Can’t wait to get mine in the mail. Thank you Mama Beth, (and everyone else who helped make these)!
woot! so excited! just wish i hadnt just bought the new 2011 calendar 2 days ago 🙂 oh well… this is exciting… i bought 2!
I am so stinking excited that the SSMT is back!! I CAN’T WAIT!! I have to memorize the WHOLE book of Philippians for a class next semester so I am committing to do different verses “just for me and not for a grade” with the siestas!! I am so excited I almost can’t sit still!!
I love your Siesta Scripture Memory Team SPIRAL! It’s so sweet of you to think of us and get it made for us. I’m sorry to say that I’m not going to join in SSMT 2011 because of my past experience and felt too much pressure. Maybe someday, I will order one and do it to learn it on my own pace. Have a Merry Christmas Beth!
Just ordered notebooks for our household. Thank you for the encouragement to memorize scripture. It is living and active! Christina and I loved LPL in Spokane, WA. This will be a great way to keep our spiritual momentum.