Hey Siestas,

My name is Mary, and I do all things accounting at Living Proof Ministries.  I haven’t had an opportunity to meet many of you, but I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you through Facebook and the blog.

But the verse in Colossians I keep camping on is a verse of encouragement.  Encouragement in the tough times.  Who can’t use some of that?

Colossians 1:11 in the Message says,

“We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.”

God promises to help us through the hard times.  Too often I exhaust myself trying to push through in my own strength.  In those times when I make it through the storm on my own – it’s without joy and often without thanksgiving!  This verse reminds me to catch myself in the act of gritting my teeth – to stop and instead draw from the “glory-strength God gives.”  It is here in this posture I can rest in His promises.  It is here where He is truly glorified, and it here where I give Him all the thanks He deserves – right in the midst of the storm!

Hey Siestas!

I’m Kimberly, the Prayer Chaplain for Living Proof Ministries! I pray you are all having MUCH success with your memorization!

I have chosen to memorize my life verse in a different version:

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 MSG

God has used this verse in my life to teach me to pray, and not to worry. Worry does NOTHING for the glory of God! Worry just makes us sick and tired…doesn’t bring the change we are hoping for, and will affect our health in a negative way. If we continue in worry, I’ve noticed, it makes things harder and more intense. It’s an energy drainer and joy stealer.

When life happens, and it does, don’t worry! PRAY. Let our praises and petitions shape our worries into prayers. Pray with thanksgiving, letting God have our concerns in exchange for His peace.  Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle us down, as Christ displaces worry at the center of our lives.

As I add this version of this verse into my memory bank, it’s clear in the actions for the ending reward! I challenge you to try it, the next time worry pops it’s head up in your sweet life!

Blessings in abundance to you all!

Hi SSMT partners! I’m Bailie – the newest and youngest member of the LPM staff.

A few weeks into my time here at LPM, I kept hearing the term “SSMT” being thrown around by my coworkers, and I wondered what on earth are they talking about? And when one of them explained, “Oh, it’s stands for Siesta Scripture Memory Team,” I was even more confused. What’s a Siesta? I thought. Doesn’t that mean “nap” in Spanish? Smile.

So if any of you are new to SSMT, I’m right there with you! Now I couldn’t be more on board with this simple, achievable way to sear God’s Word into our hearts and minds.

Do you have a section of Scripture that you find yourself referring back to all the time? Maybe you leave your little Bible bookmark there or the Lord keeps proving its relevance to you season after season. For me, it’s Hebrews 4:14-16:

 ¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

These verses have ministered to me for years. They encouraged me through months of living in a foreign country. They motivated me to get back up and fight when temptation overcame me. They showed me how Jesus is so fully human, truly, He can relate to everything I feel. And they reminded me of my God-given dignity and confidence to approach His throne of grace (thank you JESUS!). I’ve read them so many times, I could give you a great paraphrasing, but I decided it was time to commit them to memory.

Stay strong, Siestas!

Beth, Houston, TX
“For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” Philemon 7 (ESV)

Hi! I am K-Mac, the 2nd Kimberly M. in the office, hence the nickname. I couldn’t be happier to finally at least sound like I was cool with this name.

I have had the privilege of being a part of Living Proof Ministries in either a volunteer or staff role for about 13 years.  [Every time I have to calculate the years, I think, “How can that be?!” Grin.]

When trying to focus in on what my next memory verse would be, a single verse kept coming to mind: the familiar Matthew 6:33,  Seek first the kingdom of God…  It kept showing up in sermons, in devotionals, on Instagram, at church, etc. so I figured I had better start there, even though it seemed a bit of a cop-out because I already knew the verse. So I started looking up different translations and finally landed on including the little section of 9 verses in Matthew 6 that ends with verse 33.  Having done a fair amount of “casting my cares” (1 Peter 5:7) to God last year regarding anxiety, I was blown away to find this section also addresses anxiety. I guess Jesus and I still have some ground to take in this area. [If you also struggle with areas of anxiety, I highly recommend you watch Beth’s TV teaching called “The Basket Case” on our LPM App, and especially take the time to do the Action Guide once you get to Part 4!] And how fun is this: I just learned that this teaching will re-air on TBN beginning tonight!

I love knowing that what I felt might have been a random selection of Scripture, He has a strategic purpose. And, wow, have I found choosing a portion of Scripture is much easier for my mind to remember than scattered verses!

Keep keeping at it, my SSMT partners!

Matthew 6:25-33 (ESV) – Do Not Be Anxious

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.