WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE 2015 SIESTA SCRIPTURE MEMORY TEAM!
WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!
Allow me to introduce myself to you as your fellow sojourner for the next 12 months and your official cheerleader. It will be my pleasure to remind you often that, in Christ Jesus, you most certainly CAN be victorious in this adventure of the faith, this challenge of the mind and this discipline of the Spirit.
Nothing we’ve done on this blog since its inception has seemed to attract more outrageous favor from God. We are convinced that He loves it. God never misses a single individual going to the work of memorizing His Word but imagine His delight when a huge community of tremendously diverse women in age, background, and worship tradition band together in a pilgrimage of faith. You don’t have to stop and wonder if it’s God’s will for His words to abide in you. The Word of God alive, active, and abiding in us speaks to us, shields us, warns us, strengthens us, sanctifies us, equips us in our callings, and directs us in our decision making. It sharpens our insight and improves our discernment. It makes us wiser and, let’s be bold enough to say, even smarter. Our brains were hardwired to flourish across the board when nourished by the Scriptures. Above all else, Scripture abiding and thriving in us builds up our faith, for “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Â And, Girlfriend, we want to be women of faith. That faith erupts into works that were planned for each of us before the creation of the world. (Ephesians 2:10)
OK. I want to get right to it before I lose some of you so that no one will be unclear about the protocol.
The entry of your first verse is your official registration for SSMT (Siesta Scripture Memory Team). Everybody who joins us needs to start right here in a designated comment to this exact post. Even those who may jump in with us a couple of months late who are willing to work double-time to get it all done will start right here.
For a quick recap of our objective: Remember, we are committing to the memorization of 24 verses in 12 months. Two a month. We each get to select our own verses to align with our personal needs and challenges. Choosing a Scripture that resonates with you is immensely helpful in the memorization process. If you have trouble coming up with one of your own, you can always share mine or look through the other entries for ideas. You’ll find your SSMT posts right here on the blog at 8:00 AM on the 1st and 15th of every month in 2015. [Under the LINKS section listed on the right hand side of our blog home page, you will find all SSMT posts will store together for easy access. See “Scripture Memory Team 2015”.] If you haven’t had a chance to read all the instructions and hear about our end-of-year celebration, please go back and read the informational post then return to this spot. Questions unanswered here are answered there.
One of the most important things for you to know from the top is how to arrange your comment with the verse you’ve selected. We limit each comment to this information:Â
Your name, city, verse (written all the way out), reference, and translation.Â
SO, here goes mine! I’m obsessed with the Book of Ephesians right now so much of my memory work will probably come from those pages.
Beth Moore, Houston, Texas. “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians 2:19 ESV
We’re fellow citizens with the likes of Peter and John and James and Stephen and Paul and Timothy and Barnabas and Joanna and Susanna and Lydia and Tabitha and just try counting all the Marys. We’re fellow citizens and members of the household of Middle Eastern believers confessing Christ in hostile climates, of Chinese believers meeting in house churches, of Eastern European believers finding hope in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have brothers and sisters in Thessaloniki, in Paris, in Belfast, in Riyadh, in Copenhagen, in Calgary, and Rome. We – right here in this community – are sisters to a household of God that stretches across this globe, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ alone. By grace through faith. “It is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) That’s what makes us family. We, beloved sister, are in gorgeous company. Let’s give our time on this planet as part of this household all we’ve got. Christ is so altogether worthy.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! One last thing before I say Go! Don’t panic or jump the gun and post a second time if you don’t see your verse published soon. I will be moderating all these launch comments by myself because I don’t want my staff to have to work on the holiday so I beg your patience. I’ll be hard at work on it but it will take me a while to get them all posted. As a rule over the next 12 months, only post a second time if it’s been 48 hours since you left the comment and you still don’t see it.
****I noticed that some of you posted verses earlier than this post was published and they came up on the SSMT informational comments.  I should have doubly emphasized what time the posts will go up each round: 8:00 AM, each 1st and 15th. So sorry if I did not make that clear enough! If you submit your verse earlier than that, it unfortunately appears under the wrong post and, the way blog moderating works, there’s no way for us to transfer the comments over. If you left your 1st verse under any other post than this one, please add it here as well. This is the official registration post.  I know it’s a bit complicated at first! Hang with it! So sorry for your extra trouble!
Hey, I am so glad you’re doing this with us. So much love to you.
OK, GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 Corinthians 1:4-9 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Elizabeth Aguirre – Dickinson Tx
“But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest
and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” __ Luke 8:15 ( NASB)
Emily Douglas, Bossier,LA Ecclesiastes 11:5 NIV As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Dianne Maineville, Ohio
Philippines 3:13 niv
I’m Edie Joy Williams from Houston, Texas
Be Joyful in Hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer Romans 12:12 NIV
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 105:5 NIV
Jackie Pendleton, Fontana, CA.
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17 ESV
Rebecca Sprenger, Marana, AZ
“Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives…” Colossians 3:16a (NLT)
1Thessalonians 3:12..And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you. NKJV
Becky Schrotenboer, Zeeland, Michigan, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:1-4
This Psalm is an encouragement to believers that God will always be there. No matter the circumstances in this life, Creator God constantly watches over us, protects us and sustains us.
Beverly, Midlothian, VA
To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me [Jesus]. Acts 26:18 ESV
I often pray this for those I know who haven’t met Jesus yet, and I wanted to “officially” commit it to memory
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. NIV
Amy Jo Coltrane, Tulsa OK
Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money, come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Isaiah 55:1-2 NKJV
Psalm 119:1-8 (NLT)
Aleph
Joyful are people of integrity who follow the instructions of the Lord.
Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts.
They do not compromise with evil and they walk only in His paths.
You have charged us to obey your commandments carefully.
Oh that my actions might consistently reflect Your decrees.
Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life to Your commands.
As I learn Your righteous regulations I will thank You by living as I should.
I will obey Your decrees. Please don’t give up on me!
Bridget Buckley, Mena, Arkansas
“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ” â€Philippians‬ â€1‬:â€6‬ NKJV
Brandi Chadwick, Powderly TX: Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Col 3:2 NLT
Kimberly White, Fort Worth TX “God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.” Psalm 63:1 HCSB
Kristin, Louisville, KY
Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 HCSB)
Kathy, Middleburg Heights, Ohio “My heart has heard you say “Come and talk with me” and my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming”. Psalm 27:8 NLT
Stacy M from Camden, SC
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NIV
Tori, Winston-Salem, NC. “…the one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.” -1 John 2:6 HCSB
Susannah, Tucson, AZ
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see His just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:2-3, NAS
Becky MacDonald, Orlando,FL 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 will rejoice over you with singing.”
Kim McCool, Columbus NC “Be angry and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts, on your beds and be silent. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. Psalm 4:4-5 ESV
Two purposes for the New Year: Don’t sin and Trust God!
“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. Don’t you see it-there it is! Isa 43:16 The Message
Melissa Martin, Orlando, FL – Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. (â€Psalm‬ â€63‬:â€3-4‬ NIV)
Lindsey – Kansas City, MO
But you, O LORD, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. (â€Psalms‬ â€3‬:â€3‬ NLT)
Miriam Bevan, Singapore
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation || Colossians 1:22 NIV
Linda Wallington Spartanburg,SC
“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart”.
1 Samuel 16:7
Jackye Bowen, Pendergrass, GA “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness” Psalm 86:11a NIV
Brooke McBride -Kansas City – “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. (â€Isaiah‬ â€43‬:â€18-19‬ NKJV)
Melanie, Guntersville, Alabama “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together”
Colossians 1:17 ESV
Regina Ripamonti
Isle of Man, United Kingdom
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
Mary Richardson, Pleasanton, California. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8 NLT
WendyC Cheyenne, WY.
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
Haley Dill
Cypress, Texas
Colossians 3:16 ESV
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 NIV
Cindy Mohr, Marion, lL “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3ESV
1 Corinthians 15:52 (KJV)
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Sheri, Bangor Maine. “Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you.” Luke 10:19 Holman Christian Standard.
Looking forward to this new journey.
Jeni Smith, Winfield, TN
Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkak 3:18
Barbara from Nashville, Tn.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 NIV
Philipians 3:13 ESV Brothers, I do no consider that I have made it on my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. ESV
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Michele Powell, Nampa, ID. Philippians 4:4 (NIV) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
Glenda, Lee’s Summit, MO. “Trust in The Lord with all your heart; and do not lean on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB
Melissa P, Anzac,Alberta, Canada
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:26 (NIV)
Karen Leasure, Canyonville, OR
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 NIV
“The one who called you is faithful and he will do it” 1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV