Hey y'all! Today I'm going to be sharing with you my top ten, results-focused studying hacks, that I've been using, and that help me use my study time effectively. But before that, how are you doing today? I want you to know how incredibly loved you are, and how fondly the Father thinks of you, and especially how much He cares for you and your well-being - in every aspect, and in every part of your life. He cares a whole lot! And real quickly, I wanted to tell you about this revelation I got the other day, when I was studying through the second chapter of 1 John... You can skip over this and go ahead and go to the next section, if you want to get to the hacks - but this is pretty cool ;) I was really kind of confused when I first started to read that chapter, because it sounds an awful like John is telling us to keep the Law, or at the very least, obey all of Christ's teachings (both of which, of course, are impossible for us to accomplish in the natural). Verses 3-6 say, "And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, 'I know Him', and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby do we know that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." (sorry for the -eth's, I use KJV :P) Kind of confusing, to the New Covenant believer, at face value, right? Right! But I wasn't taking into account the truth about reflection, and producing fruit. That might not make a lot of sense, but let me explain... In the Kingdom of God, there's this law about effortless change on the outside, when change happens on the inside. This is demonstrated in a few different places, but one of the ones I was looking at was Mark 4:26-28, which describes the effortless growth of a seed: "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." I've said this before, but any kind of plant that produces fruit doesn't have to try to produce fruit - it just kind of happens, and that's how it is. Of course, it has to be healthy, and being fed and watered, and looked after. But if those things are happening, it's just a matter of time before you can start seeing the results. That's the law of producing fruit. But what's the law about reflection? It's that, in the way that people think of, or perceive God, that's what they're going to involuntarily reflect. It doesn't matter if how they think of/percieve God is accurate or not. Christians under the bondage of the Law, who are trying to fulfill it in of themselves, will typically see God as demanding, condemnatory, hard to please, and even mean. And unfortunately, that's what they're going to eventually reflect (to some extent or another) - and they'll probably experience a lot of frustration, whether or not it's visible to other people. Basically, what these two laws mean, is that our relationships with God greatly effect how we act, and who we become. Pretty simple, right? So when we read these verses in that light, and in the light of the previous chapter (when it's talking about walking in the light with Jesus), it becomes more clear, and easy to understand. Through fellowship with our God - which we now have access to, because of Jesus cleansing us and making us pure and holy before Him - we begin to change from carnal, to who He originally intended us to be, which is pretty much like Him. But what even is that? It's full of love, for God, ourselves, and other people; full of truth about who He is, and who we are; compassionate; all of the other fruits of the spirit; etc.. Becoming like God comes from having a relationship with Him, and getting to really know Him. So you see, "keeping His commandments/word" really just means becoming like God, because we'll start to operate how He operates, as a reflection of seeing Him for who He really is. Under the Law, and the Old Covenant, we were really dirty, stinky, and unholy - we couldn't be in God's presence, because of how much holier He was. So we had to try to keep the Law, and offer sacrifices to clean ourselves up a little, in order to be saved and have the hope of eventual relationship and fellowship with God. We had to do things, try to be like God in our natural state, in order to have relationship with Him. However, under the New Covenant and Jesus' blood and sacrifice for us, we are completely holy - Jesus gave us His holiness. Now, being holy and clean, we can be with God and have relationship and fellowship with Him. And through that relationship, we can effortlessly become like Him. And it does a full loop, because becoming like Him will cause us to walk like He walks, which is what the people under the Law had to try to do, all in of themselves. We have gone, through Jesus, from "doing the right things in order to have relationship" to "having relationship and becoming someone who does the right things". That's pretty awesome!! But anyways, sorry that was so long... I get excited :P. But let's get into these cool study hacks now! 1. Learn the material as an overview, before learning the details, or memorizing it This is what makes memorizing the material so much easier for me, a lot of the time. I usually read the material more than anything else (especially at the beginning/middle of the season), because I want to get a good understanding of everything that's going on. I want to be able to see in my mind, all of the chapters laid out, and what's in each chapter. After I know it pretty well, I start learning the details (like lists, or the genealogy), and going full throttle in memorizing whatever I'm memorizing that year. It's a lot easier, because these things have been floating around in your head for a while already, and now you're just perfecting your knowledge! This is one of my very favorite hacks, for sure, because it saves me not only a lot of effort, but a lot of time, and it also is a great way to really solidify these things in your memory. 2. Block out your study time, and do other things between sessions This is a simple thing that a lot of quizzers do, but it's so beneficial, and it really enhances your over-all results. It's pretty much taking the studying that you plan to do, and then dividing it up into a couple of pieces, that you'll work on one at a time. These divisions could be in regard to study techniques (i.e. memorizing, reviewing, reading, etc.), or in regard to time. But however you decide to do it, the most important this is to remember to give your brain a good break between these blocks of studying. This is especially helpful when we're trying to cram in as much study as possible before a big or important quiz, because it's a way to get a lot done, but not overwhelm yourself (or your memory) with too much information, too quickly. Plus, it's a great way to be a good steward of your energy, because you're allowing time for intense work, and a good amount of time for necessary rest. 3. Pace, exercise, or move around while studying This is helpful, not only to get two things done at once, but also because it helps keep you focused. It might be just me, but when I really need to learn something, I have to get up and move around. Sometimes, but not always, sitting still can be like letting your body distracting your mind (to some extent). If you really want to learn something, one of the best ways to help your brain do that, is to give your body something to do while your brain works - i.e. exercise, pacing, or going on a walk with the audio in your ears. 4. If you're in a slump, and discouraged about studying, put on a smile and a playlist of your favorite songs while you do some simple, light studying (i.e. reading) Music is a great way to snap you out of slump, frustration, or a bad mood. Purposefully associating studying with some of your favorite songs, will kind of trick your brain into thinking about studying in a different way - in a better, happier, more fun way. Also, music can be really motivating and encouraging. Picking some really good songs can not only get you out of a slump, but also propel you into an awesome sprint of hard work, and accomplishing a lot of things! 5. Repetition over long periods of time As admittedly boring repetition can be, it's really the only way to move something from short-term to long-term memory. This hack has to do mostly with memorizing and review, but it can probably go with any kind of studying you apply it to, anyway. When you're reviewing what you learned (probably the most important part of learning it), it's important to regularly revisit what you committed to memory, or else you'll eventually lose it entirely (which is really frustrating, as I'm sure most of us know :P). When you're learning new material, just try and remember to review the material that's older, and that you may have had down cold in the first few months of the season. The most common occurrence of failing to apply repetition, was called "chapter one syndrome" by my team back in South Texas as a joke :P. It's when a quizzer knows the first chapter forwards, backwards, and upside down, so they study the new stuff, and leave the first chapter (or first few) un-studied for months on end, until they begin to forget it entirely. In the end, the quizzer will get a really easy question/bonus from chapter one, but will miss it entirely, and we'll say that they've come down with "chapter one syndrome". Don't do that! Remember to review. 6. Recall at the beginning of your study sessions, to stretch your memory muscles Honestly, this sucks almost as much as doing cardio before breakfast in the morning - but just like that, it is very effective. Typically, from what I've experienced and seen in other quizzers, a quizzer will start off by quoting what they've memorized by chapter, or by listening to or reading the material. Then, later, they'll follow up with doing flashcards or the reference tool on QuizMaster, to practice their recall. However, the recall practice is a lot easier when the material is already fresh on your mind from that same day - it's a lot harder when you haven't thought of the material in 24 hours or so. This stretches your recall/memory muscles, and will really benefit you (especially if you're doing memory or according to's) in a quiz. 7. Drawing/writing pieces of the material out (for visual people) Learning best from visual/audible aids, I benefit a lot from things like writing the genealogy out on a poster, or looking at a map of Paul's journey's (for Acts), or even writing out lists, verses, and references by hand. Being able to see what you need to learn, especially if it's pretty and color-coordinated (:P), is an awesome and fun way to get it stuck in your brain. 8. Listen to the dramatized audio of the material (for light-studying) This is an awesome way to learn the material when you're doing other things (like cleaning, in the car, or playing a video game), and it made up about half of my total studying my second year, when I made first in the quiz off at the regional qualifying tournament. Especially during the gospel/Acts years, the dramatized audio CD's are definitely worth getting. 9. Look up different versions of confusing verses/passages, to better understand them Especially in 1-2 Corinthians, but in other materials too, some parts can be really confusing, and even hurtful or offensive, if we jump to conclusions about the meanings of these verses too quickly (guilty!). But there are a lot of ways that we can go about easily understanding our quiz material, and looking them up in different versions is probably the quickest, simplest way possible. 10. Study in different place, when you study sections for the first time This is also for visual people, because when I study different sections for the first time, in different rooms/places, I remember the place matched with the section, and it's just another easy alleyway to remembering things in a quiz. Well that's it for today, fam - I hope you enjoyed this post, and got something out of it that will make your studying more fun and effective! Until next time my friends, keep quizzing and living victoriously, because you're not only blessed, not only favored, but abundantly blessed, and highly favored. Love you guys! Keep calm and quiz on (and out)! Your fellow quizzer, Mallory
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Hey Quiz-Journeyers! I'm super sorry this post is a day late, I had a crazy day yesterday :P. But anyways, I've got some pretty cool content planned for you, so let's hop right in to the introduction! In this post, as you can see by the title, I'll be talking a little about having a "knack for bouncing back". And what I mean by that, is building and perfecting (through quizzing, mostly) the skill of bouncing back from set backs. Now, you may be thinking that I'm just going to repeat everything I said in my "Pulling Off a Killer Comeback" post back in September. Wrong! The difference between that post and this post, is that I was mostly talking about the benefits to "coming back", while in this post, I'll be sharing with you the Biblical view on it, and I hope it blesses you! (By the way, I also have a detailed, interactive, and entertaining workbook to walk you through the entire process; You can check that out right here, or through the link in the post I just mentioned!) So first off, why is bouncing back important? Why is it an imperative skill to learn? Bouncing back is a necessary thing to be able to do (and do well), because it's what separates mistakes from failure. You only really fail when you don't get back up. I've failed (and still fail) a lot - pretty much every other hour - so you can see why I've had to start learning this lesson for myself. I guess I've always had a problem with failure, just like most people... But the key to not letting failure discourage you, is remembering that it doesn't define who you are, who you will be, or what you will be able to accomplish in the future. It's separating your identity from your ability. You may think that what we do is the only way to know who someone is, but that's not how our Heavenly Father sees it at all. He doesn't change how He sees us, or how He acts towards us based on anything we do, or based on His obligation - He only acts out of love for His kids. Out of His love for us. Bouncing back is a very Biblical skill. Take Philippians 3:13-14 for example. Paul says to "forget what is behind," (what we've done in the past) "and strain towards what is ahead", so that we can keep focused on getting better and better every single day, and not waste any more time looking backwards. You can't move forward very well if you're all turned around like that. I've never met anyone who can run better backwards than forwards - if you try to do that, you'll trip and fall down a lot more. God knows this, so He tells us, "It's okay, My grace is sufficient for you! Don't worry about anything that you've done badly, or haven't done. Focus - set your thoughts and energy and passion - towards what I've set before you, right now, to accomplish. I haven't given you a spirit of fear, so don't fear failure. Rather, look to your marvelous future with an expectation, and imagination, of the good success that I have already promised you, and given you the ability to achieve." Thank you God, thank you Daddy, for blessing us with this! How is bouncing back a skill? And how can I learn it? Obviously (I hope :P), bouncing back is definitely a skill that has to be learned; we don't have this ability programed into us right when, or before, we're born. Bouncing back has a lot to do with diligence and persistence, because it takes guts - courage - to get back up right after you've fallen down to try again; to risk falling down again. Persistence is a highly valued trait by God, because it's only when we're persistent that we will achieve real (and sweet) success: "nothing worth while ever comes easy, and nothing that comes easy is ever worth while" (that's just a quote, not a verse :P). Let me ask you this: how did you learn how to read? Someone probably taught you, for starters. You began with easy things, right? And then as you got better at it, you advanced on to harder things. You went from reading little board books to novels. But you see, it never got easier - you just got better. And this is true with everything in the Kingdom. You get better at believing for things, at casting down thoughts that don't align with the guidelines in Philippians 4, at talking with the Lord, at speaking out what you're believing, and the list goes on, and on, and on. But the difficulty of the things themselves never changed; you did. It's the same with bouncing back from set backs. When you make a mistake, you have to learn how to catch yourself right there, not let yourself get discouraged, and choose to strain towards what is ahead - with an expectation of good success. It takes a little while to change your habits. Apparently, from what I've read, it takes 30 days to make a habit, and 90 days to make a lifestyle. 30-90 days to change your behavior for the rest of your life. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me. However, those 30-90 days are the hardest you'll ever have to work! Changing something about yourself isn't usually an easy thing to do. BUT, it's a lot easier when you have God right there by your side, holding your hand, helping you along, and giving you pep talks and incredible love EVERY STEP of the way. He wants you to live life to the absolute fullest. That means that He is going to mentor you, help you along, answer your questions, be insanely gracious and patient, and give you the strength you need (and even more)! Whenever I'm feeling discouraged, or feeling like I don't know how to "do life", God always reminds me of this verse: Psalms 16:11, "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Do you want to learn how to make bouncing back from set backs a habit, and learn how to not get discouraged from any mistakes you may make? God is on board to help you with it, and He will not ever put a time limit on you, or run out of patience, or pressure you in any way. Because He's got you, you've got this. Don't forget: I have a totally free, fun, interactive, and entertaining (with stories of my personal experience in quizzing) workbook that will take you step by step through the process of bouncing back (or pulling off a killer comeback).
So go ahead and do yourself a favor and download yourself a copy ;D. Haha I'm just kidding. But seriously, I think it'll really help you out if you're struggling with anything like this. BUT ANYWAY guys, I hope that you enjoyed this post, and that you will join me again on Sunday for our biweekly newsletter, and again next Monday, as we continue our wonderful quizzing journey together. Remember, Quiz-Journeyers, WE quiz, and we live, VICTORIOUSLY! Have an incredible week! I love you guys! Keep calm and quiz on (and out)! Your fellow quizzer, Mallory Hey guys! Brand new vlog: "Singleness VS. Marriage", over 1 Corinthians chapter 7... enjoy! Again, sorry about the lighting in this video. I promise it's better than it looks :P. Remember, you're blessed and highly favored. You're the head and not the tail. You're above and not beneath. The Lord has lifted up His countenance upon you, He dances and sings over you, and He has given you unexplainable peace! Have an incredible weekend, Quiz-Journeyers, and I'll see you on Monday! Keep calm and quiz on (and out)! Your fellow quizzer, Mallory Hey guys! First off, I want to congratulate everyone on how they did at the Olathe Invitational this past weekend! There was some awesome competition, and as always, awesome sportsmanship. I'm super proud of my team and how they did at the tournament (it was all of their first times in the experienced division at this quiz)! I think we ended up in sixth-fourth place as a team, after the afternoon rounds. But anyways, congrats again to everyone! I think this season is gonna be absolutely phenomenal. One of the really cool things about quizzing that I've noticed over my five years of experience, is the ascension of the NEW BEST quizzers, after the previous ones have graduated. It's interesting to see who will step up to the plate, and take up the mantle. But you know, this wouldn't even be a thing, if quizzers before us wouldn't have taken the time to sow into us, mentor us, and be the people we look up to. In turn, it's only right that we should do the same thing to the quizzers who are coming up after us. If you're an experienced quizzer (or even semi-experienced), and you've seen the highest level of quizzing competition, then it's your responsibility to the quiz community, to be aware of the next generation. You might have a place in the top ten quizzers world-wide, but who's going to fill your spot when you graduate and are gone? Make it your priority to build up the next generation of quizzers. It not only helps them become better competitors, but it also enhances your own quizzing experience - you can take my word on that. BUT ANYWAY Enough about that, let's go ahead and get into the topic for today, which is the second part of "Understanding 1 & 2 Corinthians! In this part of the series, I'm going to be hitting on one of the most important things we can do, to really go about understanding one of the most controversial things in the Word of God - Paul and women in the church. Let's do it! (Oh and after this, I'm going to have a quick list - cheatsheet, if you like - of practical ways that you can go about understanding any passage you're confused about).
A lot of what Paul said is kind of confusing, right? Because of that, it is very important to remember the context in which he wrote it - the context in which God spoke these things through Paul. It is so important I think, especially for my ladies here, because if we take some verses in the Bible just at face value, it can really do some deep damage to how we see ourselves, and what we think we're worth to God. It can cause a LOT of hurt and heartache. But we have to remember who we know our God is. So keep reading - I promise you there is a perfectly good, fair, explanation. As an example, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 says (in the NIV, 2011)... "Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church." Like, what in the world is this? I'm sure you're probably asking the same question. How can this be the will of a good, loving Father, who is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11)? Being "no respecter of persons" means that He shows no difference of will, character, love, kindness, or favoritism to either gender - women or men. It's the Word of God, so there has to be a way to reconcile it with who I know my God to be. Throughout this whole chapter (and book, really) Paul is trying to bring some order into the Corinthian Church. Like it says in 1 Corinthians 11:17, their meetings were doing "more harm than good". And in chapter 14, Paul is really hitting on that the gathering of the Lord's people must be done in a way that is actually beneficial. That includes stuff like...
You have to realize that their meetings (just by reading this passage) were totally out of control, and no one was learning anything about God, or about how we should live. There were all kinds of people trying to yell over each other what they thought were words from God - and a lot of them probably were words from God, but they had to be given in an orderly manner. These verses aren't saying that women can't say anything in church. Why? Because women hear from God, and are very strong in the faith and in relationship with God, just like men. But rather, (if you seek it out all the way, you'll find that...) what Paul is addressing is a problem that originated from men and women sitting on opposite sides of the church. Women were yelling things over to the other side (their husbands, most likely), and no one was able to focus on anything being said. By laying a rule in place that takes out this variable, I'm sure the Corinthians were able to instantly see improvement in the orderliness their meetings. So all Paul was saying, was that women shouldn't disrupt the sermons that were being given, by talking to their husbands about something that was being said, so that they both could actually learn. ALSO, as we see a few chapters earlier in 1 Corinthians 11:5, and in several other places, God is not at all against women prophesying or otherwise speaking in church - or even teaching or pastoring. I know, crazy right? (I'M JOKING. Seriously, I fully believe that women have this right, and anointing to teach and pastor). Instead, Jesus always interacted with women in a very respectful, loving, kind way. He did not say that they couldn't follow Him, or talk to him, or learn directly from Him. He recognized their giftings, their potential, their worth and value, and the extreme oppression that they had to live with - and He showed grace and respect towards them. Women have a very special place in God's heart, and a very important place in the ministry and in the church. Jesus raised the value of women substantially from what it was prior to His ministry, and He has only continued to do so. So real quick, here are some things that you can do to better understand any confusing passage that you come across:
And of course, don't ever just skip over a section you don't get, just because you don't immediately understand it. Take the time to seek it out a little; "seek and you will find"! Don't ever forget that. That's all I have for you guys today - I hope that you all had an awesome time at the tournament on Saturday, and I'm looking forward to (maybe) seeing everyone again at the Top Ten tournament in St. Louis next month!
Keep quizzing and living victoriously, holy, sacred, and favored children of God! I love you guys so much, and I'll see you later, fam! Keep calm and quiz on (and out)! Your fellow quizzer, Mallory Hello! How are you guys doing? It's been a pretty cool season so far. We've got the Olathe Invitational this weekend, and then the St. Louis Top Ten tournament is coming up here in about a month. The 2017-2018, 1-2 Corinthians quiz season is moving fast - but we don't have to get nervous or discouraged if we're not where we would like to be. There is still a lot of time to figure out, and then implement how we're going to get there. Today, I'm just going to talk a little bit about the matter of understanding our quiz material this season. So here's how we can practically go about understanding what Paul writes...
He gave us the Holy Spirit as a comforter, and as a teacher - to explain the Word to us, as we're seeking God. We have to go into it (studying for quizzing and in general) with an attitude of "I'm going to understand this", and not, "I probably won't have any idea what this is talking about, but I'm just going to have to study it anyway". As awesome as 1-2 Corinthians is, and as much truth is in it, it won't profit us anything if we don't really know what it means - and a lot of it is confusing to begin with. PLUS, if we really understand the material, we will be able to challenge, rebut, appeal, and answer questions from that firm foundation.
I didn't realize that I needed to do this my first one or two years of Bible quizzing, and because of that, it didn't really do anything for me. But when I started to try and see it as the Bible (imagine that :P), it began adding to my motivation to study and do well in quizzing. There's this verse in Psalms, that says "the Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory". I don't know about you, but the Lord being "my strength and my song" makes me think of two things: 1) marching into battle with the singers up front, and totally demolishing the enemy, and 2) singing, and as you do, being filled with so much confidence, and inspiration, and passion, and love, and awe for God. Whoo. That's such an awesome verse. BUT ANYWAY The Word of God has a life that no other book in existence has ever had, or will will have. That life is what causes the change in our hearts (and thereby our lives) as we learn from it, and meditate in it. That life is the only way that we're going to start living the kind of life that God wants for us - a life full of joy, prosperity, love, and healthy friendships and relationships. Of course, how can I say all of this without John 1:1 and John 14:16, where Jesus is described as "The Word", and, "the Way, the Truth, and the Life". I would invite you to go back a reread the last paragraph with this in mind, before reading the next one, because I'm making an illustration. The Word, being Jesus, has a life that no other person in existence has ever, or will ever have. That Life, "THE Life" (Jesus), is what causes the change in our hearts and lives, as we learn from Him, and spend time with Him. That Life, Jesus, is the only WAY that we're going to start living the kind of life that God wants for us. Bible quizzing, as fun as it is, is an instrument of God in our lives that He wants to use to lead us deeper into His love - not just while we're kids, but in a way that will carry over into the rest of our lives. If you're struggling to find motivation to quiz, try looking at it as the Word instead of quiz material. Because God's Word is the most perfect, most EPIC source for long-lasting, and deeply-rooted motivation.
This is probably one of the TOP ways that I've been able to start to understand some of what is in 1-2 Corinthians this season. One of the hardest things for me so far, has been what (if taken just at face value) sounds like misogyny (dictionary definition: hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women, or prejudice against women). But I know my God - that's the important thing. I know that my loving Father and Friend would never oppress me, or cause me hurt, or force a way of life on me that is anything less than beautiful and happy. Why? Because I'm His baby, not His vessel. He loves me so much, His favorite shirt has a picture of my face on the front of it! :P Remembering who I've grown to know my God to be, reading these tough verses and passages is less crushing. On the contrary, I'm learning to not react with anger when I come across a verse like 1 Corinthians 11:7, but rather take a breath and smile, and know that God has PERFECT reasoning in what His Word says. We just can't take the Word at face value. We have to dig in and seek God's heart, before jumping to any conclusions, and causing ourselves unnecessary hurt that God never intended. In the next part of this series, I'm going to give you some practical steps to take to understand 1-2 Corinthians, when you come across a weird verse/passage. But until then, I love you guys so much, and our Father loves you so much too. He calls you blessed coming in and going out, He calls you the head and not the tail, He calls you highly favored in His sight. He has lifted up His countenance upon you - He has smiled on you - He is singing and dancing over you right now, and He has given you incredible, in-explainable peace. Because of that, you have the right, you have the capability, you have the blessings, to quiz and live victoriously. And through you grabbing on to that victory, God is going to explode through you with insane, blackout love for His people, and send tidal waves of change through the world. Have an awesome week, guys, and I will see you at Olathe on Saturday! Keep calm and quiz on (and out)! Your fellow quizzer, Mallory |
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