WE MADE IT!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!! To the glory of God, we made it, Siestas! If I could hug your neck, I’d purely squeeze you in two! Please picture me (in a long skirt) doing copious cheerleader jumps! I cannot wait to celebrate with as many of you as possible in January. I wish with all my heart that every single one of you were coming. This girl right here is ready to party. Even one of you missing is too many but I know that it’s hard to manage the time away and the travel expenses are also just too high for many. I’d pay every one of your ways if I could.
Okay, you darling things. I didn’t even have to think twice about the verse I wanted to memorize this last time around in 2011 because it’s about you. With your understanding, I’ll use “sister” instead of “brother.” Here goes:
Beth, Houston. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my [sister], because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” Philemon 7 ESV
Oh, gracious. That is the truth.
Now, since this is a very special occasion, we’re going to break protocol. This time I’m not going to limit you to your usual 1st and 15th Scripture-only entries. As we wrap up our year, you are welcome to also write a brief paragraph about what this journey with Christ has meant to you and why. No pressure. The invitation is simply there is you want to testify.
You are so incredibly dear to me, Siestas. I am at a loss for words. What a ride.
Lord Jesus, thank You, thank You, thank You, thank You! We cannot do anything to Your good pleasure that You do not first initiate and then enable. To You be all credit, honor, and praise. Please cause us to retain “the implanted word, which is able to save [our] souls.” (James 1:21) Make us wiser and make our hearts larger. You are our delight. We want so much to be Yours, too. You are our everything.
I wrote my last scripture in my binder but I don’t think I ever posted it! Melany, Garrison, MO: I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord: be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
Sandy, Deming,NM
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1:23, 24
I just spoke at a ladies luncheon yesterday and used “Be doers of the word, not hearers only” as my platform…I showed them my siesta spiral and said this has been one of the greatest tools I have come to know! The word hidden in my heart makes all the difference in living abundantly through lives joys & tragedies. I look forward to celebrating His word together.
Thank you Beth….I love you in all my heart (Cassie’s saying)
For by him all things were created;things in heaven and on earth,visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers,or rulers, or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1: 16-17 NIV
Teresa- Austin, TX
Philippians 1:6. NIV
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Deuteronomy 20:4 (KJV)
For the Lord your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Marta
Southlake, TX
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present hlep in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NIV
Tomi, Des Moines, IA
“Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.” Psalm 111:2-4 NIV
Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Ps. 17:8
Jennifer S. Oklahoma City, OK
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:6
James 1:14
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
Mikelan Overland Park
Mark 4:26-29 The Message
Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man27 who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows-he has no idea how it happens.28 The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain.29 When the grain is fully formed, he reaps-harvest time!
I am so looking forward to attending the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration in January. Your study in James has inspired me to endeavor memorization of this book as well. I am enjoying this study so much! Do you have any tips or suggestions for extensive scripture memory? Looking forward to January!!!
Psalm 139:3-4(NIV)
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 NKJV
Karon, Kingsland, GA
II Tim 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Heather, Dadeville
” And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV
Dana – Ashland, KY
Isaiah 58:11 NLT “The Lord will guide your continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”
This season, really since June, has been one of working on “perseverance” for me and the Scripture memory has helped immensely. God’s Word is life!!!!! Thank you, Beth, for mentoring me all these years!!! Merry CHRISTmas to you and your family!!! <
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7, NIV
Cynthia – Richmond, VA
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 NIV
Happy Birthday, Jesus! 🙂
Yvonne, Riverside/Fairfield, CA
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. ~Philippians 3:13(NIV)~
I am bummed I am posting this verse so late, but I had an EXTREMELY hard time picking it! I have like 12 verses I want to memorize and couldn’t choose which one to end the year with. I picked this verse because I think it really really speaks to my present situation. A struggle of mine is not letting failure be an excuse to keep failing. I tend to give up, once I’ve messed up!!! Also, this past year has been a rough one and I am struggling to not focus on all that has happened, but instead focus on the future. Also another struggle of mine is not letting failure be an excuse to keep failing. I tend to give up, once I’ve messed up!!! I am soooooo thankful for this past year of scripture memorization. It has kept me in Gods word, even when I did not want to be!!!
SEE YOU SOON SIESTAS, CAN’T WAIT!!!!
Karen, Jefferson City, TN
John 1:14, TNIV
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only [Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I started memorizing verses with the first scripture memory team in 2009. It is wonderful how many times my verses come to mind when I need them, even those from 3 years ago. It has also been a way for me to share my commitment to Christ in unexpected ways. It is something that I want to always do.
Karen – Naples, FL
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.
You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
James 3:17-18
The Message
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:11
Dawn Deare Lafayette, LA
Hebrews 10:36 NIV
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
Looking so forward to the siesta get together in Jan, but so sad that this is the last post. Thank you so much for giving us accountability this past year. I struggle with scripture memory and am so amazed how in times of trials this year the verses have just popped right into my head. I am looking forward to continuing even after this is over. See you in a few weeks.
Jenny – San Antonio/Midland, TX
“But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.” Job 36:15 NIV
wildlyblessed, Crawford, Texas: “You will go out in joy and be led for in peace…” Isaiah 55:12 NIV
Mary, Chattanooga
Daniel 9:18-19 NIV
Give ear, Oh God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name.”
Roxy, Columbia, Md.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Ps. 46:10 NIV
Rebecca
Julian, NC
“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…”
Ephesians 3:20 NIV
Would you believe I forgot to enter my last memory verse of the year!!
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Phillippians 4:4 HCSB
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
II Cor. 9:8 (NIV)
I bought a tiny binder in the Holy Land and all 24 of my Scriptures are tucked & imbricated on top of 24 pictures of Israel. Chose to memorize from Genesis to Revelation from the verses God spoke through to me in 2011 as I read the Bible-in-a-year. I end my year with a String of Pearls from the Beginning to the End in one very long sentence of a Good God Who is doing Jer 33:20, always doing me good in midst of cancer and circumstances and children and Christmas cancellations and challenges of being truly ALIVE. Love you guys so much! Merry Christmas!
Bev, Austin
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the Presence of His Glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our LORD, be Glory, Majesty, Dominion and Authority now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:24-25 ESV
Jody, Mission Viejo, CA
God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 (NKJ)
Isaiah 8:13 NIV
The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow.
Let Him be your fear,
And let Him be your dread.
Paulette
Elmer, La
Galatians 5:6b
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Beth Herring – Oak Grove, La
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there anything too hard for me” (Jeremiah 32:27)
…to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 25 (NIV)
2 kings 17:14 Those who worship worship worthless idols become worthless themselves
Merry Christmas!
Jessica, Carlsbad, CA “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)
Jeannie, Nashville, Tn.
“He has showed you, O man, 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
Happy Birthday, JESUS!
Carrie, Logan, Utah. “…your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16 NIV
Better late than never, but this is going to turn into my theme verse for 2012. What a ride this challenge has been! This is my first time participating in the SSMT, and boy am I glad I did! As I look back over my verses of 2011, I can clearly remember the place in life I was at when God laid some of those verses on my heart to meditate on. I started out the year in a dark, lonely place…several years of health problems, recurrent miscarriages, and infertility. Those verses sustained me through the ups and downs of life in 2011. And here I sit at the end of the year, in awe of God’s power. Life is in my womb again and we’re 21 weeks along. It looks like this little life may very well come home with us in 2012. I can’t believe it. My last memory verse reminds me God already knows the number of days, weeks, months, and years this baby will live, and so I trust in Him with this precious treasure! To Him be the glory- great things He hath done.
Karla, Sheboygan. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Dear Beth and fellow siestas,
I need to revamp my answer to this question. I posted a response with the last verse, and all of that is still true.
But I now need to add something.
I live in Lewiston, Idaho. My parents live in Charlotte, NC. On December 13, my mom and dad flew in to be with me, my sweet hubby and our two kids for some special events, all culminating with Christmas. On December 15 they attended my 77 yo daughter’s school musical, on December 16 attended our new church dedication (where dad took 500 pictures… he was so proud), on December 17 attended my son’s 5th birthday party, and December 18 attended our first worship services in the new building. They heard my husband preach a mighty fine sermon, and worshiped with us. We had a great week full of family time, Christmas preparation, and overall just enjoyed being together.
On Friday morning, Dec.23, my dad helped me do sound for our childrens’ music in preparation for our Christmas services. During that practice, my dad started to not feel well…. at 12:30 we took him to the ER for some chest pain, and by late afternoon, he was life-flighted out of our small town to Spokane, WA…. where he died of heart failure at 7:04pm. It was the most painful moment of my life sitting there with my mom, husband and sister being told they had done all they could do, and that God had answered our pleading in that waiting room with a different answer than we begged for… Yet I realized my father had just seen OUR JESUS… face to face.
I say all this to let you know that the last 60 hours have been the hardest of my life. To spend Christmas Eve and Day making funeral arrangements, pack his suitcase to take back to NC for him, and barely able to breathe at times was brutal. But this is what I can tell you. I was prompted throughout this year for our siesta challenge to memorize out of II Corinthians…. all about trouble and God being our COMFORT. What verses do you think I am CLINGING TO???
There are so many God-prints I could tell you about that I am already seeing, with the name IMMANUEL being interwoven through all of it. But at the same time, my grief is PROFOUND. As I write this I am enroute to my dad’s funeral. It is unreal. I have a very hard week ahead. I covet your prayers… for comfort, for a funeral that brings MANY to Jesus (my Dad was a godly man loved by MANY!!!), and grace for our family like never before.
I also want to remind you to hug your daddy’s if you still have them, and my mom would tell you to hug your hubby. Our last words to Dad from each one of us as they wheeled him out of the ER to put him in the helicopter was “I love you” and “see you soon.”
And we will.
“Praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who comforts us in all our troubles…” II Cor 1:8….
Heather from Lewiston
Oh, Heather! I am so sorry! What a shocking loss. May Jesus make His comfort palpable to all of you. We care so much.
Thank you so much. God is being so faithful and our strength! Please continue to lift us in prayer this week as the Lord brings us to mind. My mom did the siesta verses this year from NC while I did them from Idaho. I know the prayers from the siesta community mean so much to her as well.
Melissa, Rancho Cordova, CA
“My dear children, let’s just not talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us that we do ourselves.” I John 3:18-20 (Message)
It’s been an encouragement, a blessing and a much needed discipline in my life to memorize Scripture with a group this year. Multiple moves, multiple jobs, family calamities, upheavals, and trials made up 2011 for me. Everything has been turned upside down in my life, nearly every secure thing has been made un-secured….except for God and His beautiful word- what a gift to memorize scripture with a group of fellow valiant women, walking out our faith in a messy world.
‘Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His cours with praise; be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5
2011 has been a difficult journey in the life of our family. I have experienced separation, infidelity and the death of my husband of 17 years. Financial devistation and the failure of my business of 20+ years. Through each step, I have looked to the Lord for my strength, thanking Him each day for the blessings in my life. I have felt His peace around me each day as I have learned these verses. This experience has brought me closer in my walk with God. Through much hardship and many many tears, the Lord has carried me through this storm and has set my feet on dry ground! Praise Him!
My husband and I also have 14 year old son who has experienced so much hurt, yet he is so strong and he too gives God the glory for the trials in our lives that have brought us both closer to Him. I can truly say, without the pain of the trials we have experienced, we would not have learned to trust God completely. Thank you Beth, for providing a path, lighted by the Word of God, to help me find my way through the darkness.
Your Siesta in Christ!
On Ya
Reva
Better late than never!! Still trying to recover from shoulder/bone surgery(hence the last scripture I’ve chosen). **siestas won’t be wasting a prayer if they see this….prayers for wisdom for myself/doctor as we address some complications from sugery…and of course healing!!!**
“Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.” Psalm 51:8 NKJV
Beverly, Prosper, TX
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
Whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
That sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes,
It’s leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
And never fails to bear fruit.
Jer 17:7-8. (NIV)
Truly, this year of Siesta scripture memory has been an enormous blessing in my life. Although I at times missed posting my verses, I am ending the year with 24 incredible and personal truths engraved on my heart and mind. Thank you Mama Beth for inspiring us to implant his word in our hearts! I can’t wait for 2012!
Phil 4:4 HCSB
Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.
Beth R
Liberty Lake, Wa
Jeanne, Albuquerque “I will praise You as long as I live and in Your name I will lift up my hands.” Psalm 63:4 NIV
Well, I won’t be able to join you in Houston…I forgot to post my Scriptures for too many months…but I DID want you to know that I DID complete my 24 memory Scriptures, and more! But here is the rest of the story…Memorizing the scriptures led me to write melodies so I could sing them and help with the memorization process, which led me to sharing them with others, who joined me in playing them and singing them, which led to the formation of a worship community we call “Yadah” which led to a desire to express these Scripture songs in American Sign Language (I have a degree in ASL), which led to me studying these Scriptures in depth in Hebrew and Greek to create an accurate interpretation, which led to the Yadah community learning them in depth, which led to a desire to record the Scripture songs to share with others who also want to learn them in ASL, which led to us creating a blog to post the signs, which led to two members of the community creating a poetic rendition of one of the Scripture songs in ASL, which led to one of the members creating a photographic slide show to go with the performance of the poetry, music, scripture, etc., ….should I keep on going? 🙂 God has done AMAZING THINGS through the beginnings of memorizing these Scriptures and continues to grow this worship community in some exciting ways that I can’t even share. God is good, and I thank you, Beth, for your faithfulness to do what He tells you to do. We, the Yadah Worship Community, are praising Him on a weekly basis in pure Scripture songs and signs, a part of our journey that began with memorizing Scripture…Bless you.