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
Hi Beth, that spiral is awesome! I still use my well-worn one from the last time, lots of living in these spirals, that is for sure. I love how excited you get, thanks for loving us so well 🙂 and cannot wait to start in the new one in the brand new year. I got to hug you in Spokane, and our verse from there has really seen me through some ups and downs since……
Love you, karen:)
Yes, I’m still using my from ’09 as well, and the last verse in there is Ephesians 4:4-6! It took me three weeks to memorize that one, but I DID IT!!! yes, I was in Spokane, too!
Dear Siesta Mama,
I will never forget that New Year’s Eve when you gave a shout out to the siestas who were at home. You transformed my New Year’s Eve from an evening at home by myself to feeling a part of something large and special. I was so grateful to be a part of it and I accepted the scripture memory challenge. I could not find an accountability partner locally but took the commitment seriously and was truly blessed by the thousands of scriptures that were posted every two week by my accountability siestas. The celebration in January 2010 was one of my fondest memories.
Thank you for the opportunity to be blessed all over again. Looking forward to it and I LOVE the spiral!
elaine
new orleans
Elaine, I was one of those “at home with the Siestas” that night. It truly made my New Year start off sweeter, too!
I began the memory challenge, but didn’t follow through – wicked procrastination got me again. I have my spiral through May 15. This year, I’m going to do it!!! Hope to meet you at the celebration in ’12.
I was also one of those at home by myself siestas!
Wendy –
Looking forward to meeting you at the SMT II celebration. I found myself struggling at the 5 month mark myself but stick with it. So worth it when you recite your scriptures to another Siesta. Totally empowering. Go for it and I’ll see you in Houston. 🙂
Thank you so much for coming back and doing this. I tried memorizing Scripture this year and it was difficult not having that accountability. I’ll be a 9-year old too and order the booklet 🙂
Beth,
Can I just say that I love your sanguine heart!! Even though I have never met you, I am so thankful to be your sister-in Christ!
What a blessing, you have made my day!!!
May God richly bless you today and always!!
I am so EXCITED! I have not done well at memorizing scripture this year without the accountablility. This is the best thing since sliced bread! Haha!!!!
Warmest Greetings Siesta Mama Beth:)
That is fantastic!:) I just ordered one:) I had to pause and do that before even posting, it excites me that much!:) I am looking forward to it. I have to be honest with you about this year, though. So far, I’ve written down verses on a spiral, but sporadic if nil memorization has occured. I’ve got to improve on that. It’s already December! I accidently wrote down the same verses for two different months of this year, so maybe that should tell me how much I needed to memorize that set of verses!
Blessings much to you today,
katiegfromtennessee
This is exciting. Being a scrapbook addict….I decorated the front of my spiral, now I need to get serious about memorizing scripture!
Beth, I will be talking at a breakout session at our womens conference. I have never done anything like this in my life, but felt like I was led to do this. With this being said my topic is Negative Self Talk and how to turn this around. I am using the spiral notebook idea ( giving each lady a spiral) and memorizing scripture. I have learned you can’t think two thoughts at the same time so we need to replace our negative thinking with scripture. I am also handing out the little So Long Insecurity booklets as a tool to help get ust started.
Please everyone pray for me that God will give me the words to say and the confidence to speak before a group. This is sooooo outside my comfort zone.
Will pray for you, God will be there with you!!
What a geat idea to give out the spirals to the women you are speaking to. I made mine pretty too!!
I memorized Psalm 139 (exactly 24 verses) in 2009 & attended the event in Houston with my friend Sherry, who I met through blogging. What a blessing it was to hide that chapter in my heart. She memorized the same chapter & we hadn’t even talked about it ahead of time. It speaks so much about how we are fearfully & wonderfully made and about how all the days ordained for me were written in His book before one of them came to be.
In Feb. 2010 my daughter announced she was pregnant. It meant so much that I had memorized that passage.
I’m SO excited about another year of memorizing Scripture together!!!
I just ordered my spiral!
Can’t wait!!!
WIth much, much love,
Valerie from Oklahoma
Valerie!!!!!! I am so glad you are planning on doing this again! You are too much fun!! Get your darling sister on this!! I want to see her again!!! Love you both!!
I will tell her for sure!
Love you too Tiffany!!!
See you in Jan. of 2012. (if not before) 🙂
Yippee!!
Love it! Love it! Love it! It’ll keep me accountable! Merry Christmas all you ladies!
Ok I don’t like to be left out. I said I would make a cute one…but whoa is this chick who wants to be in the middle of everything. Can I write a check for one? I know this is so silly but I have always had this thing about not wanting to be left out. Lord help me realize it is ok to be different.
I will have the Resource Department contact you directly at your email address.
YES, YES, YES! Just ordered mine. Have been waiting for this all year.
2009 was the best having memorized over 40 verses,
effortlessly, with the Lord’s help. A true miracle!
Can’t wait for Jan.1, since we just moved again and will
need the WORD in my heart more than ever.
Mele Kalikimaka and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou to all the siestas!
Nitsa
Eugene, OR
I have ordered my spiral. I was not disciplined to memorize scripture in 2010 and am ready to get back to work. I have a list of Scriptures God has been laying on my heart. Thank you Beth for challenging me!
Women in the Word = Women of the Word! Love doing this journey with sisters in Christ!
Thank you – I’m so glad that you’ll be doing this again! (I missed the 2009 edition). Truly, so many battles are internal. I can quote scraps of verse but, as someone who is coming to God as an adult, I don’t know very many! This will be a great opportunity.
And thanks for making this a “Siesta” event. Posting will be a challenge for me. (“Who cares what you think?” my internal voice will say). But here I am, and here I’ll be.
I care what you think!
EKM I care what you think too!! Post post post!!! The ones who think and say little have lots for us overposters to hear…right Keith Moore lol
thanks to all the LP team for putting this together – I have several on the way for me and friends/family. I have been SOOOO blessed by scripture memory- quick story of blessing through it. I went to a movie a friend chose (I couldn’t walk out of this one), which was very dark and yucky and had the potential for nightmares for days – even while I was in the movie I was praying my scriptures, and all the way home I sang the scriptures to God and asked for His healing of my mind and for the yuck to be replaced by His Word and grace. By the mid-point of my 20 minute drive home, I was Cleansed by the water of the Word, my Mind was free, and the attack of the dark spirits was rebuked by the Sword of the Spirit! Praise His precious Name and the Living power of His Word.
Don’t let anyone or anything tell you that you can’t memorize, or it only works for others – it’s a joyous discipline that will pay such deep and lasting and rich rewards you can’t imagine!
Blessings to y’all for joyous Christmas Season
This is what I need to do in all the sinfulness of my parents home for Christmas! Thank you!
Ah, I am looking foward to the scripture memory in 2011! I’ve been waiting for months. 0:) While Christmas shopping I found a CUTE package of 3 booklets. 4×6 vertical; 40 lined pages each. I LOVE it. I wanted something cuter than a plain old index card spiral. I also wanted something lighter weight. Of the 3 I chose the brown one with pink flowers for this time.
I too was in need of a scripture on which to meditate today. Sunday was the 3 yr anniversary of the loss of our 2nd child due to miscarriage. This morning I was sad. And irratable. Sadly, those emotions landed on my precious daughter. I posted this on facebook and asked my friend to send me a verse on which I could stand today.
I pulled out my 2011 Scripture Memory booklet and started today Dec 14, 2010 with the following:
“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields “her” all day long, and the one the lord loves (ME) rests between His shoulders.” Deut 33:12.
Thanks Mama Beth!
Marcella 🙂
I’m relatively new to this blog and can’t wait to get started on this!!!
Hmmm….I just tried to order one (a few times, actually) and it wouldn’t let me. Am I the only one?
Give it another try tomorrow, Sarabeth. We have been overwhelmed with orders…PRAISE THE LORD! If you cannot still get through, please give the Resource Department a call at 1-888-700-1999.
Ok, I’m in! It will my first time to participate. I’ve thought about it before, but now I’m in! I’m in!
I ordered two – without asking the other if she wanted it! I’m hoping she’ll join in on the fun! I participated back in ’09 but must confess that I was not faithful to always come here and post. I’m going to try and be better this time!
Wow, I haven’t visited this blog for awhile, but Beth you are such an inspiration to me in my walk with Christ. Just recently I saw some scripture index cards at a friend’s house, and thought about scripture memorization, and reading this blog today really confirmed God telling me to step it up! ha ha. I have a lot of goals for next year, I should be adding scripture memorization to the list!
Thank you so much Beth! I look forward to details on the team! 😀
I am so excited, I just purchased one. Now my prayer is I will finish. I usually start something good, but I am not so good at finishing as well. Thank you for the encouragement to try and a tool to help and the accountability.
I can’t believe it’s been two years since the first Siesta Scripture Memory Team began. It was such a profound time for me, I’m really looking forward to doing it again! 😀
Susan
Oh! My! Goodness! I was so excited to hear about this…not only the spiral but also that we are doing the whole thing together again next year and that there will be a get together the next year. I memorized all 24 scriptures the last time and was planning to go and at the almost last minute I didn’t get to come. So, I will be hoping and praying that I will get to go this time! I can’t wait to meet as many of you as possible in just over a year! Thank you, Beth and all your family and all your staff for all you do!
Sacha
I know what I want for Christmas next year-a return trip for SMT celebration!
I love the new spirals, but even for I love the discipline and accountability this idea brings.
I’m so excited! I just ordered 3 sets. My mom, grandma and I all plan to join you in 2011!
Dear Beth and staff,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU,this is just what I needed to help me stick with my memory work and Bible verses. God Bless You All
Charlotte
Woo Hoo!! So excited to do this again! I ordered my spiral and can’t wait to begin again. I hope that this time I will be able to attend the SSMT Celebration, I missed the last one (although the audio was great)Thank you so much for the accountability and for providing such a great way to hide His Word in our hearts! I am so stinking excited I have had to retype this 3 times!!
Julie!
Okay, I am laying two things at HIS feet for 2011 — my desire to do the memory verse thing with all the Siestas ALLTHEWAYTHROUGH and (this will perhaps be an even bigger miracle) that I can find a way to get to the Houston event when we’re all done. I would so love to meet you! I continue to just pray your name to my Jesus. Anyway, Merry Christmas and here’s to seeing God’s miracles in this 2011 scripture endeavor!
Hi Mama Beth,
Just dawned on me that I probably have a good 10 years or more on you! Seems just right though calling you “mama”
Just ordered my spiral and I couldn’t be more excited. 2011 is already looking good:)
I’m so excited! This is a great idea.
Thank You Beth,
I just LOVE this and Love your generous heart in helping me. You asked “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?”
YES me. always.
Everyday.Bad memories. Obsessive thoughts over and over. I so hope this will work out my anxiety. Love this. Thank you…Rebecca
How cute! And, you sound so excited that I had to scroll back up to the top of the post just to check and see if you had a big foam finger pointing at the spiral!
Beth,
I am so excited!!!!! I tried memorizing scripture this year, but without the accountability, I failed!!! I am hoping I will also be able to attend the event in Houston. I can not tell you how much the last event meant to me, and I was there all alone. But it didn’t matter. I met some precious ladies that made me feel right at home. But more importantly, Sweet Jesus was there!!!!! What an awesome, incredible time I/we had.
Love you like crazy!!! Have a very Merry Christmas!!
Yvonne
Yay! I just bought 2 now! One for me and one for my bible study co-leader Sharon! Love you sweetie, Merry early Christmas gift to you!!!!
Thank You Tara! I just had the happy cry. {{{HUGS}}}
I will see you when I return home,Sarah will be having her baby today. Prayerfully it will be an uncomplicated delivery and Harper Johanna will be ready to meet her family. Love You!
Quick question–is it cheating if I want to memorize a whole consecutive passage? Right now, there is a particular passage that is really on my heart and I think that I’d like to really dig into it. But I honestly wasn’t sure that would be “okay” lol.
I love it! I bought one for me, my mom, my aunt and cousin. We’re waiting on a miracle from the Lord and this will be awesome to do with them.
Thanks so much!
Oh.My.Goodness.!!! Too adorable to pass up!
You’re so good to us Mama and staff.
Beth, in response to studying Esther and ready Crazy Love and Radical, I’ve been led to memorize Psalm 119, albeit slowly! My question is whether it would still be okay for me to be apart of this memorization group even though I’ll have started this before y’all do?
Deb, I read Esther, Crazy Love, and Radical, all in that order as well! I also have on my heart to memorize Psalm 119, ‘albeit slowly’. How interesting how God leads us, in unity, as His daughters in Christ. I was not a part of the group in ’09, but am really excited to be a part of it now!
In Christ Alone~
Emmie, from Athens, GA
I’m excited about this as well! How fun that God led us both to these resources in the same order!! I love His ways!
I just finished Crazy Love and am now reading Radical…two amazing books!!!!
Agreed! I love how Crazy Love dovetails right into Radical!
I am SO happy we are doing the scripture memorizing again!! As the mother of young children, I find it just about the best(and most practical) thing I can do for my spiritual life. Wahoo!! Yay!!
So I guess this means that the leather bound spiral I was gonna send you for Christmas won’t really be needed eh?
Seriously looking forward to this. I am hoping to start my baby girl on some scriptures for her age level as well. She is 2 and a half, but she already knows some scripture songs and I figure we can’t start her too early.
Deirdre
I’ve been looking forward to starting this since you talked about it during our Ruth study. I’ve been writing down my favorite verses and trying to memorize them, but being able to log on and get that accountability will be great! Also, I look forward to seeing what verses others are using in their lives. Thanks so much for this forum!
I am in for 2011!
Wanted to share an encouraging note…
After participating in the SSMT in 2009, I invited others to join me in 2010. I just posted my verses on my blog, instead. A few began memorizing scripture and have more in their heart than they did before 🙂 but one precious woman (in her late 60s to early 70s) shared with me mid-way through the year that she never thought she could memorize anymore (due to her age and mind not being quite so sharp), yet she has memorized the entire year long…sometimes having difficulty posting, but memorizing all along. I was so blessed to hear that! I know I need God’s Word in my heart, but sometimes we are timid in inviting others along (my caveat is that I want to invite EVERYBODY because I don’t want anyone to be left out~~so when I can’t invite everyone, sometimes I end up inviting no one, but that’s another story). Anyway, if you see a friend, family member, co-worker, invite them to join in and we’ll all be the better for it!
love,
Audrey
PS Thanks so much for issuing this challenge 2 years ago, Beth! I kinda feel like we’re an underground movement {with the excitement that wells up inside me}, yet we’re open to everyone 🙂
Oh, wow! So cool! I probably won’t be getting one. I have to admit I probably would if I thought there was any possible way I could get there in 2012, but since there probably isn’t any way (short of a major miracle) that that would happen, I’m sure that my husband will convince me that I can buy one at the Walgreens down the street for a lot cheaper and I don’t even have to wait for it! Why does he have to be so incrdibly practicle Waaaaaah! It’s why I didn’t go to Houston in 2010, too! But he did buy me a ticket to LPL in Spokane without telling me this year, so I really can’t complain, but I will anyway!
I ordered the spiral! I showed it to my husband and then turned around and asked him if I could order it and he asked me how much it was (this was after a long day of work, so I wasn’t optimistic), so I told him and much to my surprise (maybe he has a better idea of how much these things cost than I do since he does most of my shopping for me) he said, “Sure.” I didn’t even have to explain to him about us women sort of being like nine-year-olds when it comes to this sort of thing! He just said, “Sure. I don’t care.” I was in shock! It took me a minute to click on the link! I was in shock! The whole experience of ordering it was sort of surreal (don’t know if I spelled that right!)! I know, I know! I’m so lame! It’s just a spiral for crying out loud!
What an awesome idea! I am going to invite the ladies from the local congregation to participate in this and to find an accountability partner within our church body. I am going to let them know about this blog too so they can join in on this “renewing of the mind” in whatever way they feel most comfortable. I was not part of this blog community last year so did not hear about this today, I was so excited about this idea and the spirals are such a great tool. Thank you Siestas and Siesta Mama!
Squeeaalll!! I participated the first time around and God did amazing things. I’m so eager to dig into this Word-adventure with you again that I’m getting me and my best friend spirals for Christmas. LOVE them!! Love this opportunity again with our wonderful Siesta-ville. Blessings!
Got mine ordered! And oh how I wish I lived in Houston! I would so volunteer to help pack and ship these little beauties – this makes my heart SO HAPPY!
Looking forward to SSMT 2011! LOVED IT in 2009!
I’m so excited to memorize scripture with you all in 2011. I’m in!
Muchas Gracias, Siesta Beth!!! I just pulled my binder out from 09 and started claiming those verses again- most seem to be on “hold” in the Kingdom time table.
I love the idea that we will have the opportunity to share the same spiral format- God’s divine timing is stretching my faith during these violent storms-I must be in “tornado alley” spiritually. I am holding on to ” This is what the Soverign Lord, the Holy One of Isarel says, In returning to me and lighting down in rest is your FREEDOM and in Quietness and Trust is your “VICTORY”- it is my only hope during this season.
So glad we have been given the privilege to be in your “bundle” dear one. Lots of love and appreciation.
Ordered and ready for year 3. I am going to try and post more. I am day 14 of a new life in Christ and He moved my mountain when I only had enough faith to ask Him for faith !!!! Merry Christmas to my siestas!!