***NOTE: If you are looking to register your verse 1, go ahead and comment with your selected Scripture on the “SSMT 2017: Verse 1!” post.***
Hey Everybody!
We are revving up around here for SSMT 2017! The Scripture memory team we host and support every other year is the most extensive thing we do around here on the LPM blog, so you can know that you are the size of an Airbus on our ministry radar right now.Ā 
We are elated about the year we have ahead and believe with all our hearts that God finds tremendous delight in this group of diverse women banding together to memorize His Word. Here is everything you need to know about how to participate in the 2017 Siesta Scripture Memory Team! Please be sure you make it all the way to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the information about our matching spirals.
First, a few things up front since many people joining us have no previous interaction here:
*For you new-comers, an explanation of the name is in order. āSiestaā is just an endearment for āSister.ā Thereās no club to join and no person you need to become. If youāve trusted Jesus as your personal Savior, youāre 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 weād 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, āIāll tell you what we are: Weāre sistahs!ā but spell-check switched it to āsiestas.ā It stuck and thatās been us ever since. We even liked the thought that its actual meaning is to take a nap. Weāll know weāve been a place of divine intervention if weāre 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 āteamā because thatās exactly what we are. We cheer each other on, hold each other accountable, and urge one another to make it to the goal – 24 verses systematically memorized in 12 months – through a process that requires significant practice.
*Very often you will see me refer to SSMT. Just so nobody’s confused from the start, that is an abbreviation for āSiesta Scripture Memory Team.ā If you’re not participating in SSMT, please know that we donāt limit the entire blog to our Scripture memory participants. It has a big presence on here because itās twice a month but we still do lots of other things. Please donāt feel left out or forgotten.
*Why 24 verses? In previous years, weāve found this to be a very doable pace: 1 verse every 2 weeks. If you do much more, youāll 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 youāre capable of doing in the power of the Spirit. Yes, it takes work but itās tremendously fulfilling and the results are nearly immeasurable. Look at it this way: weāre going to be meditating on something: unforgiveness, toxic memories, misery, lust, greed, dissatisfaction, jealousy, competition. Let’s choose Scripture instead! Christ Himself said as a man thinks, so is he. He also said His words are spirit and life. This is work worth doing, Beloved. Never ā NOT ONCE ā have I ever known anyone to get to the end of a Scripture memory commitment and say that it didnāt make any real difference. Not a single time.
OK, NOW FOR THE INSTRUCTIONS. You can cut and paste these somewhere if necessary. Hereās how it will go:
2 Options for you!
1. Print your SSMT 2017 cover from home.
(I took this picture with my phone standing on the shore of Galveston Bay, mesmerized by that sky. You can find a lot prettier beaches but I’m not sure our wide-open Texas sunsets can easily be surpassed.)
There are two sizes to choose between for your spirals.Ā Click on the size cover you would like to print for yourself then adhere it using any of the methods we suggested. You can certainly use regular printer paper but cardstock works perfectly:
2. Or, Order the spiral from LPM.
Our Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2017 Celebration will be in January 2018. 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. More information still to come.
Whew! Have I exhausted you?? Iāve worn myself out. We just want to answer as many of your questions up front as possible.
I want to say something to you before I wrap up this diatribe: this community means something to me. I love it because I love you. I think about you on an ongoing basis. So does my staff. You are a huge part of this ministry. Thank you for the privilege to serve you and to embark on another wild journey with you. May Christ find such delight here that He astonishes us with His presence, favor, and power.
So, welcome to Siestaville: women walking alongside women on our way Home, stirring up excitement toward that great day. SSMT is one way we do that. AND ITāS A WHOPPER. Letās do it, Sisters, starting this coming January 1st! Iāll talk to you again about other things before then but I donāt want the New Year to take you by surprise.
I love you.
Beth
Count me in! Did it in 2015 and it was such a blessing. Already have some verses in mind…..
So glad you are doing this again! Love it! Thank you so much!!!
Getting my Bible study women on board too! YAY and bless you allot LPM!!!!
This is my second year and I am really looking forward to it. Thank You! Thanks so much for all you do for us.
I have loved doing this the past few years, and am looking forward to doing it again. Love, Okie Murray, Edisto Island, SC
I’m ready!!!
I am so excited. I have been looking for this post for two months. I am so in!!!
I wasn’t as successful last year without the accountability from the SSMT. So I’m ready and looking forward to memorizing more of God’s Word together.
I sure am looking forward to re-joining all the Siestas for this new year! Merry Christmas to all of you at LPM and to all our Siestas as well.
Ginger
Wetumpka, AL
I’m in!!!
My friends and I have been waiting for this post. Thank you for doing it again. This is the way to meditate on scripture.
Yeah!!!! I am ready!
Been looking forward to it since 2015! š
Excited to be doing this again! š
I’ve been anxiously waiting for this announcement!! So happy to join in this again!! Love you LPM ladies!!
I am ready.
So looking forward to the SSMT. Thank you Beth and the LPM team.
So excited to be doing this again this coming year! Thank you Miss Beth!
Looking forward to it!
I am so excited that we are doing this again! I’ve loved my spiral from last year.
2015 was an incredibly difficult year where spiritual warfare was waged bigger than I have ever imagined or experienced. Thankfully it was the same year I engaged in SSMT for the first time. The scriptures alone tell a story of how the LORD himself led a husband/wife team through battle after battle, not with each other but with an enemy. The verses pointed our hearts in the direction we were to go and pray; they kept our emotions in check and taught us how to not only be recipients of grace but givers of grace as well—all the year long. I can hardly wait to begin again. What a joy, what a blessing. To God be the glory!
So excited! Did it in 2015 and it was a total game changer for me. I still know my 24 verses by heart. That’s proof that memorizing scripture sticks for a lifetime! Can’t wait for Jan. 1st. Thanks Beth, God bless you!!
I would love to do this. It will be my first time (not memorizing scripture, but joining this SSMT).
My Sunday School class is participating this year!!! But we have a question. If I order the spiral from you and believe me we’d rather what size will it be. We’re old and need the bigger size. Thanks.
Hi Anne, the spiral is 3X5!
Kimmell, IN — Excited to start this again in January!
I did this in 2015, a really incredibly rough transition year. Some posts were from a different states, but I look at it and know exactly what was happening because of the scriptures God choose for me. I am encouraging others to do this as well. As a Former Awana Commander, learning and knowing scriptures are very important to our heart, mind, soul and even our strength.
Not 100% sure if I’ll be able to make the celebration, but I’m in for the memory verses! Looking forward to it!
So excited to finally be doing this!!!!!
Looking forward to it. Merry Christmas!
So excited! Looking forward to this:)
Count me in. I have been memorizing 2 Timothy from the Entrusted Bible Study and I am part way through chapter 3. I didn’t think I would be able to memorize very well, because I forget from one room to the next what I went in there for. So, 2 Timothy was a trial run. Lesson? Let go and let God. It’s not me, it’s God. I have loved this experience of having God’s word engraved on my heart and in my mind.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Phillipians 4:13 NKJV
Well, Siestas, sign me up. I am ready to do the Scripture Memory with you in 2017. Yay!
Ready and rarin’ to go! So excited to once again to participate with others!
YAY!! I can’t wait to stretch myself!!!
Yay! Excited, thank you!
Spiral is available!! whoo hoo!!
https://store.lproof.org/2017-ssmt-spiral.html
Praise God for His Word and this wonderful community of Siestas… I have been a part of SSMT since the first one in 2009; I’m so excited for all the Lord will do in these months ahead as we all draw closer to Him planting His word in our hearts!!!
Thank you, Beth š
Eleanor MacKay, I’m all in! I participated last time and I loved it!
HOORAY!!! So excited to join the Siestas again in 2017!! My printer is behaving badly today but I’ll have my spiral built asap. So excited!
I have not stopped doing this! I can’t believe how many times a situation has come up that one of the scriptures I had memorized came into play and helped me tremendously! Looking forward to being in the group again!
I have always loved memorizing scripture and 2015 was my first year with the SSMT…and I loved it!! It truly was a blessing. I have told others and can’t wait to see what awesomeness comes from 2017!!!!
~Jessica
This is the best Christmas gift!!! I have been anxiously awaiting this news, have ordered my spiral, marked my calendar for the dates of scripture posting and the date for registration for the SSMT Celebration. I have to say the event last year was one of the best, if not THE best event I have ever attended. I CAN”T WAIT!!!
Blessings to all my fellow SIESTAS and to our Siesta Mama for a wonderful, peaceful Christmas!!
Hear a sigh of relief. I know you’ve been incredibly busy, Beth, and I was so afraid SSMT would become a thing of the past. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’re continuing with it. Thank you!!
I have participated in the Scripture memorization for two years, but have not yet made the celebration in Texas. HOPEFULLY that will change and I’ll be there in January 2018 with my daughter and two daughters-in-law!!! I’m going to give them the opportunity to participate and pray with FAITH that God will make a way for us to make this a Beasley Women Faith-filled and Fun trip!!!
One question: can we use our own spirals? I already had my eye on some cute ones at my local Bible store.
Hi Cheri! Yes, you are absolutely free to use your own spiral. Blessings to you!
I’m in! Wellington, Florida
I’m in for the new year! Thanks so much!
I am SO excited to dive deeper in memorizing God’s Word!:)
I’m in Queensland Australia – looking forward to it!
I’m in Mansfield, Texas
So looking forward to this again. God bless you!
yes, I am in! My first time was for SSMT 2015!! From San Antonio, Tx !! Super happy!
Count me in! This will be my first time. I have struggled with memorizing scripture all my life (and I’m 52!) This past year has been rather difficult and I have had to go to my bible so much to sustain me. I NEED to have scripture memorized in my head and in my heart when the hard times come. I’d been toying with the idea of scripture memorization as my new years resolution for 2017. When I saw this on Facebook, I said “OK Lord, let’s do this!” Wish me luck!