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’m in, can’t wait!
I am so excited, count me in!
So excited! Ordered one for me. Now I am going to order one for my Sister in law 🙂
I am excited to be doing this this coming year with all of you.
Cara
Dear Siesta Mama,
I can’t help but think as I read your responses that it blesses you to encourage us as much as it blesses us to hear from you…so I can’t help but ask – Do you have your favorites or are we all the teacher’s pets? Grin.
Love ya, Marylee
In 2009 I thought the spiral was outdated because I keep everything neatly organized in my phone. Or so I thought. Around October I was very confused, and very much wished I had done the spiral so I had everything in order in one place like Beth suggested. I learned my lesson. So I’ve ordered your sweet spirals for all the girls in my Bible study. We start the updated David study on January 3!!! We’re very excited about it. Thanks!!!
Karen-
I can’t believe this. I too ordered one for everyone in my bible study group and in January we are also starting the updated version of David. I’m so excited. It’s awesome to see that there is a group out there doing what we are doing and we can be connected by this site.
God is amazing!
-Christina Luther
Roseburg, Oregon
Hey Beth, I did not participate last time but have really been feeling like I should memorize more. So thank you. I have ordered my little cute spiral (which is way better than an old walmart one!) and I am ready to go. Praying that I will see this venture all the way through! Thanks so much.
I ordered mine! What is it about cute paper products that I love so much! All I want for Christmas is new office supplies. I am too weird. Thanks for this! I love it already.
Dawn 🙂
I just ordered mine, laughing because I know there is at least one or two of those things among the school supplies in my office. But having a cute one just makes it more official!! Thanks for doing that!!
I started out with ya’ll last time around but flaked out before summer. I horribly underestimated my need to be strengthened and prepared for what was around the corner, there WAS much at stake. But I’m ALL IN this time around and I think I’m gonna start saving up for the trip to Houston now too!!
Placed my order earlier today!! One for me… and 14 more for the girls in my Bible study group. I sent them an email tonight and told them that I got them a sursey because I want them on another journey with me. I cannot wait til they arrive!! AND… I will start saving now for the get together in Jan 2012!!
Thanks for being so thoughful of us… I love fru-fru!!
Lynn
You may not believe this…but then again you probably will–nothing happens by coincidence. On my TO DO LIST for this week is “Memory Verse Cards”. I was going to the store to get some but these are so much more special…Thank you to all who participated in the development of these cute cards
Back on computer – not stuck on i-phone. So Cute! I love it when darlingness and God’s Word manage to collide – and they do so in the new SSMT spiral! Hope I get the ones I’m ordering in time to wrap one of them under the tree for my VYS (Very Young Siesta) almost-12-year-old-daughter to open on Christmas Eve! It will be such a great year memorizing together!
Thanks, LPM Crew, for all the hard work ~
Oh Caroline, that is a great idea for under the tree!! My little Siesta wanted to come last year, this year we are going to work at it together!! I hope you come, I have thought of you constantly since the last trip!!! Blessings…PS, if you were going to bring you”little Siesta” maybe our girls could encourage each other to memorize!! Just a thought, email me at [email protected]..
Love you!
Oh! I love this idea!!! Yes, let’s let them support each other! Thanks for your email. We’re at [email protected]
Merry, merry ~
I’m in!! What a great thing!! God’s really been teaching me to lean on the power of His word. In fact, just today, I started putting up scripture cards all around my desk at work because things are kind of rough there right now and I often feel defeated. I want to fight back with God’s word. So I think this is the perfect thing for me for this season of my life! Thanks!! 🙂
Thank you, Beth and Sabrina, for ordering these for us!
I can hardly wait to get some “WORD in ME!!!”
Yes Ma’am!!!! Love you dear friend!
Just ordered mine – I almost ordered 2 in case I mess one of them up! I am so OCD I can’t stand it! Last year I had mine laminated after I printed them on the computer. This year I will HANDWRITE them! Breaking Free from OCD!
I have only been a ‘lurker’ on the blog for the past couple of years but am so looking forward to joining in! Beth, your ministry has truly changed my life, and I am forever grateful! I have finally gotten out of the pit, and my insecurities are decreasing! 🙂
I can’t wait to get started!
I ordered one for each of the “girls” in our Bible Study group as a New Year present. Every Wednesday, we meet at one of the teachers’ homes for study, and then our husbands join us at a local restaurant for dinner. Where we once were just friends, we have now become a large family.
This will be something else that we can do together.
Beth, I’ve used the excuse over and over that I can’t memorize scripture, but I’m going to commit to this. My mama always said “Can’t never could do anything!” Well, I’m not going to use that excuse anymore. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
Hope to see you in Houston in 2012!
Dear Beth,
This has come at such a “God Moment Time” in my life. I need to say a “HUGE Praise-Be-To-God SHOUT OUT” to you.
My favorite memory verse is:
Romans 1:12 (NIV)
That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.
I would like to think that encouraging others has been a strength of mine, most of the time. That is why I love this verse so much. I often write it on cards that I send to people. Especially, when I’m sending Thinking of You cards or Praying for You cards.
To start a spiral set of memory verse cards is great! Thank you for encouraging us to memorize Bible verses this way.
I think of myself as an encouraging person. I love interacting with others. As much as I try to be encouraging to others, I struggle in keeping myself positive some days. It is at home with my family that I let down. That is when my self-loathing pride rears its ugly head. So any encouraging way to keep a positive attitude and positive thought process is certainly welcomed.
I have been keeping spiral devotional books with sets of copied Scripture verses, since fall of 2006. At that time one of the ladies in my Bible Study group began a journal. When she couldn’t sleep at night, she would jot down her thoughts or her response to a Bible study she was doing at the time.
In my journal, I list the date and then copy Bible verses that either match my Bible study lesson or verses on a certain topic. Some of my topics have been Faith, Love, Joy, Heaven, Hope, God’s Promises, etc. I often use my Bible’s Concordance to find verses on the topic I want to read.
The blessing last week after one of my challenging days, is that my husband asked me to read a chapter in a book that he was reading.
The book title is “Wild at Heart – Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul” by John Eldredge.
Chapter 9 is entitled “A Battle To Fight:
The Strategy.” The main point addressed in the chapter was: Be aware of Satan’s lies and how Satan uses many tactics to deceive you. He attacks most fiercely the Christians. He is not really concerned about the non-believers; but he is very intense in his battle with a Christians.
Memory verses from the Bible are an amazing way to keep God’s Word in the front of our mind daily.
The last part of my rambling is that I attended my 1st Living Proof Live Conference in August 2010. Lexington, KY and the Book of Jeremiah were just what I needed that week-end. Eat, Love, Pray – sets of memory verses from Jeremiah!!!! Wow!!!
Blessings to you, Keith, Amanda & family and Melissa & family!!!
In God’s Love,
Gay Beck
I have never been able to memorize verses…is there something wrong with me? I can say the Lord’s Prayer or Psalms 23..but that’s about it..I have tried everything.
You can do it I know you can. One word at a time :)I have a hard time to but did it anyway
Patty, you CAN do it! Believe that! Beth has given tips before and I imagine they will be reposted. You have the mind of Christ. Think positively that the Holy Spirit will help you and remind you of everything Jesus taught.
When we get into it, if you want more specific help or tips, I’d be happy to help you.
It’s going to be good! There is NOTHING more powerful than the spoken Word of God!
I so needed this! Can’t wait to get started!! Thank You for starting this up again Beth! Love You!
It was a joy (and sometimes a struggle) when we worked together to memorize Scripture in 2009. My retired art teacher husband designed my spiral back then – now I am thrilled to have this new one for 2011!
Thanks, Beth and team! I look forward to receiving my spiral, as well as the extras I bought for my fellow memorizing siestas!
Have a blessed Christmas to all of you!
What a GREAT idea! You have a wonderful blog which I stumbled across via twitter. I’m going to definitely be following! I look forward to going deeper into the Lord’s word next year!
http:bowlofinspiration.blogspot.com
Fantastic, thank you for the reminder of the value of having scripture in our hearts.
On another note, thank you so much for Breaking Free. I have just completed the week on Unfailing Love and it’s breaking my heart in the best possible way. Praying daily that I might agapao (hope I spelt that right!) Him as He does me.
Thank you for blessing us all.
I am so excited! I have started doing the spiral-book thing and have one with verses on strength in my purse. My 9-month-old niece was trying her hardest to behave at a restaurant, so I handed her the book to play with and turn the pages. She turned to Proverbs 31:25 and held it up! That sweet little face with “Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future” almost made me weep. Everyone else at the table thought I was nuts. 🙂
Yeah! I cannot wait to get my spiral. I ordered extras because a few of us from church are going to do this and then attend the conference. I did this the first time around and went to the conference. I was so truly blessed. I have been going over that spiral this year and remembering the verses and meditating on them. It is good to do that. I shall keep every spiral that I make as a legacy for my children.
Thanks Beth! and the village for doing this for us.
Love you guys!
So, around 4 in the morning I wake up from total all day pregnancy sickness…and about come out of my bed when I scroll through my phone and see this set of index cards. I just imagine afresh all that it awaits in those blank pages. I am a TOTAL nerd because I love and even have an addiction to index cards. I have been writing my verses down for the last 12 years and I can’t even describe what that has meant to me…but this: Jeremiah 15:16
16 When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
O LORD God Almighty.
I need Him so much and I desperately need the power of His word. I wish I could pretend like I am so thankful to be puking my guts out 24/7 right now with this pregnancy but the truth is I would love some reprieve. My hormones are CrAzY and I am feeling nuts! I am just thankful for the fact that He never changes and that His word is so constant…even when I’m not.
Dear Jenny, I hope hope hope you can make this!! I would love to hang with you!! You are so stinking precious!! Everyone still gets a kick out of that dern youtube video…you are forever in my heart!! Love love love you!!
Love this verse….it’s one of my favorites, too. Hope the crazy settles down for you, dear.
Jenny,
Congratulations! Praying for you. 🙂
Blessings,
michelle
Wow……we just finished breaking free and I had the girls (around twenty college age girls and me um… 40ish ;)) MAKE these. We had lots of pretty wrapping paper that they used to make a personal cover (the new wallpaper of truth) and they are filling it with Truth to replace the lies they have torn down.
What fun! I love how God works.
Peace,
Cynthia
Oh! This is just what I need!!!
Sweet Sweet Beth Thank you so much I just had this conversation with a broken friend just yesterday. The Word and the Word only can heal us not wishful thinking not ungodly counsel ONLY THE WORD. I am living proof of that. I rarely get to share on this blog due to time commitments However this is so so important I am going to begin memorizing proverbs that pertain to me. All the dear Siestas please please participate. THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD, YOURSELF AND OTHERS. Remember Hebrews The word judges our attitudes. THANK YOU BETH FOR THIS. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS. I PRAY FOR YOUR OFTEN!
I just ordered four (yes four) of them. So excited to begin this journey with the other Siestas and my friend Lara. Thank you, Beth! Merry Christmas, ya’ll.
HOORAY!!!
I am beside myself with excitement…
the spiral
the 2011 Siesta Scripture Memory
the 2012 SSMTC
It’s almost too much!
Love you all…
Anne <3
Oh I am so excited to do this with you all. My husband and I were doing so well on our Scripture memory for a while. We did the Navigator system and then memorized Romans 8 earlier in the year…..then it all came to a screeching halt. I am so pumped to have the accountability. Yippppy!!!!
I am so excited for this! It changed my life in 2009 (not kidding) and I can’t wait to do it again. (I have to admit I’ve been slacking this year without the accountability of the blog!)
I have even introducted my Bible study small group to spirals, and they all LOVE them! I see changes in them too, thanks to some Scripture memory!
Thank you Beth for doing this. And I LOVE the sprials you made! Can’t wait to get mine. MUCH prettier than my Staples spiral!
You are a true blessing, Beth, to care for us and love on us, in ways only a woman would know to do! You are truly loved and cared for by so many women in all parts of this world. Thank you for all you do.
Can’t wait for 2011! (I can just picture me nursing my newborn at 2am with my sprials right next to me! Oh what fun!)
Thank you for taking us on this journey again. God richley blessed my heart the first time around. God truly demonstrates His Word is alive an active when when He brings one to mind for the need of the moment.
There’s something about accountability that spurred me on. Beth and LPM team thank you so much for your thoughtful ideas to move us to a closer walk with Christ.
Merry Christmas!
I am so happy about this! I participated last time, and the verses I memorized are still precious to me and I have used them so many times!
I must admit that I was extra motivated because of the celebration in Houston last time…but that weekend, fun though it was, cannot compare with the treasures of His word that will stay with me always.
Thanks Beth!
So very excited! New to this blog but not to you, Beth. Thoroughly enjoying it and ready to start memorizing with you in January!
Yea!! I got my Scripture spiral ordered! Looking forward to the memorization again. The coolest thing to me is that after I was done with 2009’s, re-reading the spiral was almost like reading my own diary. I KNOW what I was going through when I decided to memorize whichever verse. And it’s so awesome because the verses that I chose displayed my weakness & lack of faith during the first few months. As I continued, my verses gained strength. I can go back & read that thing now and by verse 24, I’m usually crying/shaking/praising with emotion because Christ…Christ…Christ! My spiral GAINED STRENGTH & BUILT STRENGTH in me! It’s an amazing reflection of God’s love for me. Love it, love it, love it.
I know isn’t it amazing. I was the same way. I started out the year normal, if there is a normal.Ended up have surgery for breast cancer, chemo, no hair, radation. Was that ever a trip !!! BUT today I am healed with hair 🙂 and so greatful. But my scriptures was amazing leading up to and during. God so knows the beginning and the end, And I trust Him with all my heart.
Pam, that is amazing! He was and is so faithful to us. Glad your health is better. Thank you for the reminder that He is with us through every single step of our lives. Bless you!
OK…I never post because I feel so silly…but I am so excited! I have kicked myself all year for not going to the first celebration…it was such an accomplishment for me to have 24 under my belt! I am not letting satan keep me away this time!! And I have tried to encourage my church’s women to keep it up this year…a handful have stuck it out…praise Him! We have posted the 1st and 15th all year long. I needed the accountability!
http://wmbcwomensminstry.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the constant encouragement…you will never know on this side of Glory how much you have changed my life through the years! You taught me to be real regardless of the situation and to focus on Jesus when everyone else tried to steer me away. I am a different person because of your Bible Studies and books. Maybe one day I can tell you that face to face! =)
God bless you Beth and LPM Staff!
Kristy
Princeton, NC
SO EXCITED!!! missed not having this community of accountability last year – so glad to do it again!!
thanks
I love this! I ordered 7 of them for all my little siesta’s at work in our Thursday Bible study. If they don’t get here by Christmas, I’ll give them a “gift card” for later! I’m so excited!
I just ordered mine (but didn’t feel pressured to!). I wasn’t here for last year’s memorizing, but am excited to join in one way or another this year. Thanks for ALWAYS encouraging me to be faithful and obedient:-).
I am excited. I really enjoyed doing this the first time and misssed doing it this year. I think it God ordained too, as it is the first time ever I’ve successfully copied and pasted on the first try and didn’t need a child to help me.^_^!!!!
Alright!! This is SO exciting! I’ve been memorizing on my own for a long time but doing it in tandem with women across the states is awesome! What encouragement!!
I am soooo in! Ordered mine right on up – I still refer to (and add to) my spiral from last time -things come up, and I may start out shaky and weak, but as I read & say out loud my scriptures, something deep rises up in me and I KNOW it is TRUTH. I get going and pretty soon, in my very best “mom” voice – I go from shaky and needy to authoritative and bold! Thank you Jesus for your word!
I am thrilled to have some accountability for scripture memorization. I am usually self-disciplined and I did well memorizing on my own in 2009 but once grad school got underway I used that as an excuse to “quit.” Not good because this is a time when I probably needed it the most! Who am I kidding? I always need the Word of God tucked away for easy access in my heart! It makes a world of difference when we are challenged in our faith…
God is who He says He is!
God can do what He says He can do!
I am who God says I am!
I can do all things through Christ!
God’s Word is alive and active in me!
I am challenged with at least one of those statments from Believing God on a weekly or daily basis. Excited to join in on the memorizing fun!!!
Thanks Beth!
http://morningswithjesus.wordpress.com/
I love it! I’m so excited to join this group for the first time and glad to have so much company. Thank you Beth & LPM team for being so cute and spiritual all at the same time!
I logged on this morning and was so glad to see this post. I was just praying last night about keeping God’s word in my mind and heart – and asking God for help with motivation for this. Asking Him to provide some kind of group or setting to keep me motivated. Hurray! I did this last year and really did get so much out of it. I was amazed at how often my verse encouraged me – and others – and provided such deep reassurances of God’s love for me. And… memorizing the verse(s) that were really speaking to me helped me overcome my struggles with memorizing! Thanks for heading this up again for 2011.
All the best, Heather
Yeay!!!
I’m so happy!!! So glad you are deciding to do this again. I stuill go throught my other spiral and keep those fresh in my head.
Such a great idea.
Heidi
Really NEED this right now and need the accountability, so I ordered one for each of the girls that I meet with at least once a month! I’m planning to include this as part of their Christmas present. We just returned from Deeper Still in Birmingham. I have been SO blessed by you and your team! God uses you in my life! Thanks more than you can know!
I love it!!!! I’m super excited to join the SSMT 🙂 Ordering mine today…