Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2013 Instructions!

Hey Siestas!  We’re two weeks out from our big launch and, based on the number of people who got Siesta spirals -not to mention those grabbing their own – we should have one titanic team!  May God get much glory! (If you’re interested in a spiral and have yet to purchase one, click here for the details.) Numbers are nothing if they don’t translate into fruit displayed in our lives but if we truly decide to live out the words that are going to live in us, remarkable things are in store for the Kingdom of Christ among us.

Here is everything you  need to know about how to participate in the 2013 Siesta Scripture Memory Team!

First, a few things up front since many people joining us have no previous interaction here:

*For you new comers, “Siesta” is just an endearment for “Sister.” There’s no club to join and no person you need to become. If you’ve trusted Jesus as your personal Savior, you’re a sister in Christ. If you don’t know Him, we’d love for you to stick around and get to know us and see if anything around here draws you. Everyone is welcome. Here’s a bit of our back-story on the weird name: When we first began the blog, it never occurred to any of us how much we’d come to love each other. As the community grew closer and closer and the participants more and more familiar with one another, one of you asked what name we should call each another. I tried to say, “I’ll tell you what we are: We’re sistahs!” but spell-check switched it to “siestas.” It stuck and that’s been us ever since. We even liked the thought that its actual meaning is to take a nap. We’ll know we’ve been a place of divine intervention if we’re a respite from the female competition and clatter out there. Only Jesus can give us that kind of relief in this exhausting culture.

*We call this a Scripture memory “team” because that’s exactly what we are. We’re a really long line of women standing shoulder to shoulder with our swords drawn. (For you newcomers, Ephesians 6 calls the Word of God the “Sword of the Spirit.”) And we don’t draw our swords to wound people, to convict our family members (God’s job) or to cut off the ears of our hearers. We draw our swords to fight the good fight of faith. While I was saw stacks and stacks of Siesta Scripture Memory Spirals being stuffed into envelopes for shipping, it hit me with fresh impact. What if thousands of women really did memorize 24 Scriptures in 2013?? What are the implications of that? What kind of repercussions might that have in our personal lives and our homes? That’s worth getting riled up over. SO, you bet this is a team. Don’t be too cool for it. Remember, God’s Spirit is a fire. If we’re too cool, we can’t help but quench it. If cheesy works around here, we’re not ashamed. Just throw in a can of jalapenos and grab a tortilla chip.

*Very often you will see me refer to SSMT. Just so nobody’s confused from the start, that is an abbreviation for “Siesta Scripture Memory Team.” If you’re not participating in SSMT, please know that we don’t limit the entire blog to our Scripture memory participants. It has a big presence on here because it’s twice a month but we still do lots of other things. Please don’t feel left out or forgotten.

OK, NOW FOR THE INSTRUCTIONS. You can cut and paste these somewhere if necessary. Here’s how it will go:

1. On the 1st and 15th of every month of 2013, you will find a post by 8:00 in the morning where I will ask for your memory verse and give you mine. This will begin New Year’s Day 2013. You are committing to 24 Scriptures in 12 months. In previous years, I’ve found this to be a very doable pace. If you do much more, you’ll tend to fall behind and not retain. If you do much less, the impact is negligible. You really can do this. So many of you will surprise yourselves with what you’re capable of doing in the power of the Spirit. Yes, it takes work but it’s tremendously fulfilling and the results are nearly immeasurable. Look at it this way: you’re going to be meditating on something: unforgiveness, toxic memories, misery, lust, greed, dissatisfaction, jealousy, competition. Choose Scripture! Christ Himself said as a man thinks, so is he. He also said His words are spirit and life. This is work worth doing, Sweet Thing. Never – NOT ONCE – have I ever known anyone to get to the end of a Scripture memory commitment and say that it didn’t make any real difference. Not a single time.

2.You are to enter the verse you’ve chosen to memorize for that two-week period within twenty-four hours of the post going up. I’ve been asked many times if it’s okay if you’re late supplying your verse and, yes, of course it is, but try to avoid doing it often. The people who make it to the very end of the year are overwhelmingly those who stay up with it month to month. Please know up front that one of the important parts of this process is the exercise of self discipline. This culture is mass producing wimpy narcissists. Year-long commitments like these that require punctuality and focused energy push back on that degenerating trend. All that to say, please don’t drop out if you get behind. I just want you to know that this will be much more successful if you treat it as a real, live commitment you are willing to work hard to keep.

3. When you clock in with your verse those two times a month, keep your comments limited to your name, city, verse and translation. Long comments on SSMT days are no-no’s. It won’t take you long to figure out why we maintain that rule. Wait till you see the powerful sight of hundreds if not thousands of verses flowing down the comment stream. It is a gorgeous sight. When you’re having a bad day, all you have to do is scroll down a few hundred of your sisters’ Scripture selections and I promise you, you’ll get a word. It’s a very powerful thing. Here is a sample comment:

Beth from Houston, Texas: “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV

Always add your translation because so many of your sisters will want to know where you found the wording for your entry. One of the great impacts of this process is how much we reap from each other’s selections. Often you’ll see a sister say, “I’m doing the one so-and-so did last time!” (Yes, you can make a comment that brief. Those can be fun. Occasionally you’ll even see someone write, “For the sake of my marriage, I’ve chosen to memorize…” That’s okay, too, but try to keep it very succinct.)

4. THIS ONE IS KEY! As often as possible, choose a verse that means something to you in your present season or circumstance. This is the reason why we don’t all memorize the same Scripture. We’re not all going through the same things. The more you let God lead you to verses that direct you or edify your soul in your present circumstances, the more He will renew your mind toward your challenges. This is a huge part of 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 where we’re told to demolish strongholds and take our thoughts captive to Christ. If you don’t have a verse on your mind or you’re drawing a blank when the 1st or 15th rolls around, you are welcome to share mine. I will always include it in the post. You might also look at a few of the comments and see if one of theirs resonates with you. I say this next part with a grin: try to refrain from memorizing Scriptures that you think your spouse or your children need to learn. Memorize what you need to learn. That means do your best to avoid jotting your verse on a stick note and planting it on your bathroom mirror where your man can see it and repent of his sins. He probably won’t because he’s got your game. I bet you can guess how I know that.

5. I strongly recommend that you stick with only one verse to memorize each time. (This is just a recommendation and not a rule. You’re free to do whatever works for you.) Keep it simple and meaningful. (If I were addressing you live, I’d have you repeat that sentence back to me so just go ahead and say it out loud in order to nail it down. That sentence could be your best friend through this process.) If you do too many verses or get too complicated, you will soon be overwhelmed and want to drop out. Better to do 24 simpler verses over a 12 month period of time than a chapter over the first month then quit. We want this to be a discipline we practice for the rest of our lives. Think marathon. Not sprint.

6. Either shortly before or after making your entry each 1st and 15th in the blog comment, write the verse by hand in your own spiral. (Again, that’s a recommendation and not a rule. I’ve discovered that there’s something about writing it with your own hand and picturing it later in your own handwriting that helps it sink into your memory bank. I’m not entirely sure why.) Take that spiral with you everywhere you go. Read it and read it and read it and read it. Do mental gymnastics with it. Flip that baby over and over. Many women have told me along the way that they’re not good at memorization and I truly understand that. I also beg to offer two responses: First, that may change. Give the Holy Spirit a chance to do something brand new with you. Second, even if you don’t get your verses down word for word, you are still meditating on them as you read and reread them. You still, thereby, accomplish one of the most important goals: captivating the mind to Christ. You just can’t lose on this one. Either way, it has a powerful effect.

OK, I think that’s enough to get us prepared for January 1st. Now, let me tell you well in advance how to qualify for our Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration on January 17-18, 2014 which is the biggest blast ever. I’m telling you about it now so that you can have it for a little extra incentive. Our main incentive is the will and good pleasure of God, of course, but He Himself authored great celebrations in His Name so feel free to be excited at the thought. Also, I want you to have plenty of time to start saving your money for your transportation and hotel. We do not charge for the event. Your entrance fee is your well-used spiral. By the way, we hope to have Travis back again to lead us in worship and Amanda, Melissa, my whole LPM staff and volunteer team will be there  to serve you.  Here’s how you qualify throughout the year:

*Clock in by first name and city at least 21 out of 24 times. (But please make your goal 24 out of 24!) Let me reiterate that you can be late with your entry on a 1st or 15th of any month but, by the end of the year, there has to be a record in the comment sections of you signing in at least 21 out of 24 times on a SSMT post. Make sense? Please give us 24 hours to post your comment before you assume it got lost. We still moderate all comments and the amount we get on SSMT days necessitates a slower pace. Thank you for your cooperation!

*Bring your spiral to the celebration. Again, that’s your ticket in.

*Be prepared to say any 12 of your 24 memory verses to another Siesta (of your choice) during the designated time at the celebration. (We get in pairs.) Some of you will be tempted to let this be a deal breaker but don’t back out! Siestas are really sweet and patient with each other and we are notorious for giving each other hints. We can even act out charades if necessary. If you’re one of those who genuinely struggles with memorization, just tell your memory buddy up front and she’ll give you all the grace you need.  Tell her the gist of the verse as accurately as you possibly can. She’ll be able to tell that you are well acquainted with it and that the goal was accomplished even if you can’t say the verse word-for-word.

*Register for the event when the time comes. (December 1, 2013)

Whew! Have I exhausted you?? I’ve worn myself to a pulp. Sorry this is so wordy! We just want to answer as many of your questions up front as possible.

I want to tell you something before I sign off. I may sound like a broken record but you have to let me say it again as we embark on this wild journey together. You have impacted my walk with Christ. This community has given me encouragement when I was nearly down for the count. I am more disciplined because you are here. You make a difference in my life. You make me think, and laugh, and study. You offer me company when I am lonely. You stir me up to love and good works. You are used of God in my life to make this hard world a better place.

That’s what Siestaville is for. Women walking alongside women on our way Home, stirring up excitement toward that great day. SSMT is just one way we do that. AND IT’S A WHOPPER. Let’s do it, Sisters, starting this coming January 1st! I’ll talk to you again about other things before then but I don’t want the New Year to take you by surprise.

Your blog mama loves you.

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1,641 Responses to “Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2013 Instructions!”

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Comments:

  1. 801
    Sandra says:

    Sandee Jasnoski, Wichita, KS.
    Colossians 3:15
    And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. NLT

  2. 802
    Linda says:

    Linda, Birmingham, AL
    “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord,’plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” – Jeremian 29:11 (NIV)

  3. 803
    MargieTyner says:

    My new verse is:
    I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
    (Ephesians 4:1-2 ESV)

  4. 804
    Miriam Waller says:

    Isaiah 64:4 NLT “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you who works for those who wait on Him”

  5. 805
    Katie says:

    Katie from Fort Collins, CO…
    “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
    1 Peter 3:18 (ESV)

  6. 806
    Nancy, Wilmington, DE says:

    Phillipians 4:13
    I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. NKJV

  7. 807
    Connie says:

    James 1:3 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience,” NKJV

  8. 808
    Heather - Humble, TX says:

    “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13 (NASB)

  9. 809
    Meaghan Spies says:

    Meaghan Spies,Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
    KJV:Ps 20:7 Some trust in chariots,and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

  10. 810
    Cindy Wilburn says:

    Cindy Wilburn Long Creek, OR Rev. 22:3,4 NIV No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

  11. 811
    Wendy says:

    When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
    Psalms 56:3 (NRSV)

  12. 812
    Melissa Gilliam says:

    Melissa Gilliam, Whitmire, SC He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. Proverbs 21:21 NIV

  13. 813
    Lindi says:

    Lindi from Meridian, MS

    For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
    Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

  14. 814
    Ruth says:

    Ruth from Hamilton, Ohio: “Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

  15. 815
    Tressa McCabe says:

    In memory of Alex……. “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

  16. 816
    Emily says:

    Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. -Proverbs 3:3 NIV

  17. 817
    Raquel says:

    Raquel – Sydney, Australia.
    May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV

  18. 818
    Michelle says:

    Michelle from Franklin, TN: “… I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:1-2 (NIV)

  19. 819
    Elena says:

    Elena from Elma, NY

    Isaiah 44:3b-4a NLT
    I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your children. They will thrive like watered grass.

  20. 820
    Taylor says:

    Taylor from Elma, NY

    Jeremiah 29: 11 (NIV)
    “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

    GOD LOVES YOU! 🙂

  21. 821
    Sherry Youngblood says:

    Sherry from Jay, OK

    Deuteronomy 30:6

    6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

  22. 822
    Terry says:

    Blessed is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors. (Proverbs 8:34 ESV)

  23. 823
    Michelle says:

    Michelle from Raleigh, NC
    Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 NKJV

  24. 824
    Kirsten says:

    Kirsten of St. James, MN:
    “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philipians 4:13
    (Late starter…for Jan 1st-15)

  25. 825
    Kirsten says:

    Kirsten of St. James, MN
    “Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, wholly and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1 NIV84
    (Late starter…for Jan 15th)

  26. 826
    Rebecca says:

    Romans 10:9 HCS
    “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

  27. 827
    Kristen Keeran says:

    For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift if God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9 ESV

  28. 828
    Lisa Gray says:

    Lisa of Odon, IN

    Psalm 7:17

    I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness. I will sing praises of the name of the Lord Most High.

  29. 829
    Anita says:

    Psalms 55:22(NIV)

    Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; HE will never let the righteous fall.

  30. 830
    Susan Kolb says:

    Susan from Durango, CO

    “I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.” Jeremiah 32:39, NIV

  31. 831
    Barbara McHale says:

    Barbara, Manahawkin, NJ
    I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest when I preach to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corthinthians 9:29 NKjV

  32. 832
    Julie says:

    Julie, Sugar Land, TX

    Psalms 147:3 NIV

    “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

  33. 833
    Debbie says:

    Debbie
    Jonesboro, AR
    Psalm 127:2 NIV
    In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves.

  34. 834
    Evee says:

    Evee from OKC:

    So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

    Phil 2:1&2 ESV

  35. 835
    Jodie says:

    Jodie Keller, TX
    When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Psalm 56:3 NIV

  36. 836
    Holly says:

    It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6 (TEV)

  37. 837
    Judy Maddox says:

    Judy from Naples, Italy
    Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
    For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

  38. 838
    Julie from CO Springs says:

    Psalm 18:2 (NIV)
    The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
    He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

  39. 839
    Gail Turpin says:

    Gail, Monroe, Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? To be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid; don’t be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

  40. 840
    Diane says:

    Diane, Houston, Psalm 139:2 “You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceived my thoughts from afar.”

  41. 841
    Teresa says:

    “Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.”
    1 Thessalonians 5:11

  42. 842
    Marla Blain says:

    Marla, Arkansas, Luke 1:74-75 (ASV) To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

  43. 843
    Sandi from Pleasant HIll says:

    In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. provers 3:6 NIV

  44. 844
    Jessica says:

    Jessica from Baltimore
    “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
    2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

  45. 845
    Janet Reap says:

    1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

  46. 846
    Dina says:

    Dina from Garden Grove, CA: “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

  47. 847
    Janet Tucker says:

    Janet from Fairhope, Alabama

    Trust in The Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

  48. 848
    Pam says:

    “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20 NLT

  49. 849
    Laura says:

    Laura from West Paducah
    “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us,” Eph 3:20

  50. 850
    Julie Senefeld says:

    Julie Senefeld from Fishers, IN
    “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 NIV

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