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. 901
    Gillian Bickerstaffe says:

    Gill from Lancaster UK.
    Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4 v 23 NASB

  2. 902
    Andrea Kramer says:

    Andrea from Norman, OK; Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39, NIV

  3. 903
    Tiffany Travers says:

    Tiffany Salisbury, MD

    And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness”. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

    2 Cor 12:9 (NASB)

  4. 904
    Sandy Gannatal says:

    Ps 94:22 “But the Lord became my fortress and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.” NIV Camarillo Califoria

  5. 905
    Natalie Bennighof says:

    And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
    Ezekiel 36:26, ESV

  6. 906
    Lori says:

    Lori from Fairmount

    “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:16-17

  7. 907
    Jennifer McGuire says:

    Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
    1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT

  8. 908
    Jessica says:

    “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight (understanding).” Proverbs 9:10 ESV

  9. 909
    Michelle says:

    Michelle, Exton PA
    2 Corinthians 1:3-4a
    “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation; that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble.”

  10. 910
    Lisa from WV says:

    “I am the true vine, and my father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

    John 15:1-2 NKJV

  11. 911
    Laura says:

    Laura, Arlington, TX
    And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26 NLT

  12. 912
    Annie says:

    Annie
    Dallas
    Romans 8:3
    NIV
    For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in sinful man…

  13. 913
    Darrah says:

    Darrah from Dallas, TX

    “He shall be like a tree,
    Planted by the rivers of water,
    That brings forth its fruit in its season,
    Whose leaf does not wither;
    And whatever he does shall prosper.”
    Psalm 1:3 NKJV

  14. 914
    Miriam Becker says:

    Miriam, WV Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

  15. 915
    Karen says:

    Death and Life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

  16. 916
    Beth says:

    B from Ohio

    A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. Proverbs 29: 11

  17. 917
    Kim Owens says:

    Kim from Denver, PA
    Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! Romans 11:33

  18. 918
    Hannah says:

    Hannah From Houston
    Romans 12: 6-8 ICB
    “If a man’s gift is prophesying let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve. If it is teaching, let him teach. If it is encouraging, let him encourage. If it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously. If it is leadership, let him lead. If it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. We all have gifts according to the grace given to us.”
    Phew. Bacically it’s saying do what God wants you to do with the gifts and talents he gave you, and don’t worry about what others are doing or if their jobs seem greater than yours.

  19. 919
    Sarah says:

    Sarah, Lufkin, TX
    You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. (Psalm 139:5 NIV)

  20. 920
    Tina Brown says:

    Tina, San Diego
    Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2, NASB

  21. 921
    Lindy says:

    Lindy

    Auburn, AL

    Proverbs 27:17 NIV

    Greater Love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

  22. 922
    Kim Little says:

    Kim from Trenton, TX
    For
    “He who would love life
    And see good days,
    Let him refrain his tongue from evil,
    And his lips from speaking guile;
    Let him turn away from evil and do good;
    Let him seek peace and pursue it.
    1 Peter 3:10-11 NKJV

  23. 923
    Dianne Henderson says:

    Psalm 19:14.

    Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord my rock and my redeemer. New American Standered

  24. 924
    Sara from Haiti says:

    “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” II Cor. 3:18 NIV

  25. 925
    Amanda says:

    As iron sharpens iron,so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 nlt

  26. 926
    Kristina D. Gray says:

    So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Galatians 5:16-17 NIV

  27. 927
    Michelle Horst says:

    Michelle from Lakeland, FL

    The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 (NKJ)

  28. 928
    Jenna Suggs says:

    Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

  29. 929
    Kathleen Martin says:

    Kathleen from Knoxville

    Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
    Psalm 86:11 NIV

  30. 930
    Marion, Huntsville, AL says:

    Just getting started:
    Gen 4:7 “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” NLT

  31. 931
    Lee says:

    Lee from IN
    Isaiah 42:16 NIV
    I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

  32. 932
    Laura Wilcox says:

    Laura from Houston, TX
    But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Titus 2:1 NASB

  33. 933
    Carol Ann from Tenaha, Tx says:

    Jesus replied: Love The Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37 NIV

  34. 934
    Melina says:

    Melina, Oklahoma City
    “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

  35. 935
    Misti says:

    Misti Lubbock,Tx
    Zephaniah 3:17
    The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but wil rejoice over you with singing. (NIV)

  36. 936
    Fontaine/Lake Charles, LA says:

    James 1:19-20 (NIV)
    My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20. for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

  37. 937
    Lynne Black says:

    1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLV)

    ” However , as it is written:
    ” No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”

  38. 938
    Shana from Weston, Mo says:

    “Keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life for many years and bring you peace & prosperity.” Proverbs 3:1-2 NIV

  39. 939
    Marva says:

    Marva from Littleton,CO
    So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

  40. 940
    Susan from Southside, Alabama says:

    What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 ESV

  41. 941
    Kiersten Sinko says:

    And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her form the Lord.
    Luke 1:45

  42. 942
    Bonnie Whitaker says:

    Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 NIV

  43. 943
    Carlaharrodhampton says:

    Psalm 119:76 “May your unfailing love be my comfort according to your promise to your servant.” (NIV)

  44. 944
    Jessica Huffman says:

    Jessica, Williamsburg, IN

    “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.”

    Psalm 116:7. HCSB

  45. 945

    Karen
    Aransas Pass, Texas

    “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
    Isaiah 60:1 NIV

  46. 946
    Barbara Ammirati says:

    Barbara from Lutz, Florida

    1.Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus 2.For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

    Romans 8:1-2 NAS

  47. 947
    marirobin says:

    Mari, Zionsville,

    Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of Glory shall come in. NKJV

  48. 948

    Donna B. Harrison, AR. “O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalms 34:8

  49. 949
    Emily B says:

    Emily B, from Lawrence, KS

    “Your attitude should be the very same as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Philippians 2:5-7, NIV

  50. 950
    Cyndi says:

    Cyndi from Fairhope, AL
    Ecclesiastes 7:9
    Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

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