Hey Siestas!
Can you fathom that we are on our 10th memory verse??? Good grief! 2011 is almost halfway over! Amanda and Curtis just got Jackson’s preschool graduation pictures and we all nearly flipped. It is the cutest thing ever, especially with that missing front tooth. His ceremony is in a few days but the little blue cap and gown just about put all of us over the edge. We will have a kindergartener next year and a mighty fine one at that. It just sails by. And how well many of you know.
I am getting lots of questions about whether or not we’re having Siesta Summer Bible Study. I want to say yes so badly. I have tried to turn this puzzle piece every conceivable direction to see how it would fit on the table. Between SSMT every 1st and 15th, the summer Living Proof Lives, the final Deeper Still, and, probably the biggest factor of all, the complete James manuscript due date at the end of summer, I just can’t make it work and still be a wife, mom, and active Bibby. I also don’t have my faithful blog master, Amanda, here to assist me with all that summer Bible study entails right now. I am, however, presently thinking of some ways that we can hold one another accountable to stay in the Scriptures this summer and also give you the opportunity to connect with other Siestas who want to do some of the same studies. Stay tuned for that. For now, I’ll joyfully recommend to you two that I’ve done this Spring:
Duty or Delight by Tammie Head (Many of you will remember getting to know this brand new author in April through our blog video. She is dear to me and will no doubt become dear to many of you.)
Brave by Angela Thomas (Angela is a gifted teacher and writer and I try not to let anything she offers sit on the bookstore shelf for long before I bag it and read it. I’m almost finished with this study and have been tremendously blessed by it.)
Both of those women love Jesus and communicate His Word beautifully. And you know how I feel about Priscilla Shirer and everything God uses her to bring to the table. You’ll never miss on her. Man, I wish we could do one of their studies the traditional way in Siestaville this summer but sometimes we realize that even another good thing is perhaps the wrong thing for now. If the Lord is willing, we’ll definitely do a study our usual way next summer on the off year from SSMT.
OK, young ladies, how about that 10th verse?? NO DROP OUTS!!! This verse is trying to leap off the page at me this time around and not so much for my own plight right now but for some people I really love:
Beth, Houston, Texas. “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He delivers those who are discouraged.” Psalm 34:18 The NET Bible
Praise You, Lord. You are so faithful. Close in on those who are brokenhearted and hold them in Your healing grasp. Deliver the discouraged in such dramatic ways that You alone get the credit. We exist here in this blog community to give You glory, Lord. Come and get it. Our eyes are to the skies.
1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a litle while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus is revealed.
Cindy from Wapakoneta, Ohio- “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52 (NIV)
Even though they were persecuted and expelled from the region! Glory!
Christy, Summit, MS; “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18 NIV
“The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He delivers those who are discouraged.” Psalm 34:18 The NET Bible
Tami
Platte, South Dakota
“The Lord is near the brokenhearted, He delivers those who are discouraged.” Psalm 34:18 NET
Proverbs 19:11, the Message
Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.
Karen from Martinsville, NJ:
“For God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
~2 Corinthians 4: 6-7 (NIV)
Patsy, Phoenix, Arizona “We live by faith not by sight.” NIV
Gina, Atlanta: “The Lord is near the brokenhearted, He delivers those who are discouraged.” Psalm 34:18 NET
2 Timothy 1:7, NIV For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.
Paula, Las Vegas, Nevada. “Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 The NIV Bible
“The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.” PS 34:18 HCSB
-Katalla in Fairbanks, AK
Marta
Southlake, Tx
May 1
Have I not commanded you? Be stong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 NIV
May 15
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18 NIV
Vickie, Poplar Bluff, MO:
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4 NIV
Kim B. – Orlando, Florida
“May the God of peace…equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us(Me!)what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for evermore.” Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV
Tracy, Tyler, TX
Psalm 25:4-5 NIV
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Siesta OC
SOCAL
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19
BTW – I like Beth’s ’90 Days with…’ studies for summer,
they are slightly shorter homework, which is easier to do I would imagine if there are kids home, and they are roughly 3 months.
Jenny Wellington, FL. “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He delivers those who are discouraged.” Psalm 34:18 The NET Bible
Anna, Little Elm, TX
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:26 (NIV)
Shelby Ft Myers Fl
(NKJV) Luke 8:24 25
The disciples went and woke him saying Master Master, we’re goint to drown. He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters: the storm subsided and all was calm. 25 Where is your faith he asked his disciples.
Charr from Absarokee Montana
KJV Isaiah 33.6:
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure
Kaila, Springfield, MO
Exodus 15:13 (ESV)
“You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.”
Psalm 51:16, 17
“Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.”
Melissa Terry
Austin, TX
Amanda in Dover, TN
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the sains, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,”
Ephesians 3:17b-18 (NIV)
Yolanda
Ulysses, KS.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love. Eph 5:1-2a NIV
Deborah, Kennewick. “Therefore, my dear bothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you kow that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
Janice, Tulsa, OK. “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 NIV
Carolyn, Terrace BC Canada
Colossians 3:12 (NIV)
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Psalm 141:3 (New International Version)
Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
“You were taught with regard
to your former way of life
to put off your old self
which is being corrupted
by its deceitful desires…”
Ephesians 4:22
NIV
Linda, Ft. Collins, CO
NET Bible
Psalm 147:5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power;
there is no limit to his wisdom.
Julie in Alliance, Nebraska
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Erin in Euless, TX
“Send out your light and your truth, let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God, to God – the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!” Psalm 43:3-4 NLT
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
Luke 19:10 NIV
“I can do all things through Christ Jesus which strengthened me.”
Philippians 4:13 NIV
I always feel I’m late submitting to your e-mails because they keep ending up in my “trash” pile and I find them days later. Anyway, I’d like to say that I’m looking forward to the new study…
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” NIV
Deborah, New Brunswick, Canada
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Nanette R., Nashville, TN
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7, NIV
Lora
Mooresburg, TN
“He got into the boat that belonged to Simon. Jesus asked him to go out a little way from shore. Then he sat down in the boat and taught the people.”
Luke 5:3 (NIRV)
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6 NIV Bible
Gina – Kingwood, TX.
Psalm 147:3
“He (The Lord) heals the brokenhearted and binds up their
wounds”
Rebecca, Louisa, VA: Now to Him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. ~ Ephesians 3: 20-21 (NIV)
Julie, Grimsby ON Canada
Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)
“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Saviour. He will take great delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
Chrystal
Lexington, KY
Psalm 101:2
I will try to walk a blameless path, but I need your help especially in my own home where I long to act as I should.
Amen and amen…… 🙂 (that part added by me)
Jennifer, Chattanooga
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Susan Corbin KY. “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He delivers those who are discouraged. ” Psalm 34:18 NET
Mandy
China Spring, TX
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
Isaiah 64:4 NIV
Karen Milligan
Jefferson City, Tennessee
Psalms 31:7, TNIV
I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
Kels, Redding, CA “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; He delivers those who are discouraged.” Psalm 34:18 The NET Bible
Sorry I am snagging yours Beth. This kind of fits me right now. Too many things happening all at once.