Hey guys! How are you guys? I'm super sorry about the post delay! But congratulations to everybody on how the St. Louis Tournament went! I was disappointed I didn't get to go this year, but I had a good weekend anyway; got to invest in some younger people, and I had a few brownies, so you know... it was good :P I know from experience it can be really easy to get discouraged, if your performance wasn't what you would have hoped. But if you want to dodge a wave of sadness, just remember that we all have off days, even the best of us. One quiz or tournament doesn't define the rest of the season; make it your business to make the best comeback ever! Bounce back from that set back, and kill it like only you can. You are more than capable, and you are going to acheive your goal! We're coming into the Christmas season now, and everyone's watching all those old movies, putting up decorations, and getting some shopping done whilst making travel plans. It is, admittedly, probably one of the busiest times of the year. And it is about this time, that new and old quizzers have less motivation than any other time of the season. That doesn't mean that we can feel good about ourselves slacking off during these few weeks (:P); it means that we have to make it a priority to keep ourselves on fire throughout all of the festivities whilst still enjoying the holiday. There's lots of different ways to do this of course, and I'm sure that as quizzers, you've begun to really discover what works best for you in that area. But one thing, I'm becoming more and more won over to, is that when we choose to rest in God's presence, and keep our focus on His love and goodness, everything we need simply comes as a byproduct - you know? I mean, last year in Galatians, we quizzed over the fuits of the Spirit. And as we all know, fruit is the byproduct of a tree, that is growing in health, maturing, and thriving in what it was origionally created to do - its same thing with us. How many of us know, that real and long-lasting inspiration has to come from joy, peace, and patience having a permanant place in our hearts? Now, I want you to know that I'm a long way from where I want to be. I've had a rough week or two battling to keep myself working at these things, and I've had lots of failures. But I can say, that I've learned a really hard lesson about trying to find a reason to do my best, and looking no farther than myself. And even though I haven't arrived, I think I've finally realized what God's been trying to tell me - where I need to be heading; and that's just towards Him. This time of year is all about family, Christmas carols, hot chocolate, celebrating Jesus' birth, and loving eachother - its reaslly easy to get inspired! I look forward to this all year round! But, there's only so much that this can do for us in life as a whole. Getting into our Father's word, and being washed, renewed each morning, and transformed by it, is the single greatest thing that we can do, to be continually inspired and motivated, and to prepare for our futures - and it lasts all year, not just in December. Oh hey, that kinda sounds like what we're doing each year! Quizzers commit to really digging into a different part of the Bible each season, and that's amazing when you think about it, considering the world today. So you see, getting inspired or motivated, or whatever you call it, to get into quizzing and do some preparing for the competitions, can come from what we're quizzing over - the Word. It makes me laugh; only God could design something so simple. A lot of people, including myself, have missed this vital aspect of being a quizzer. These are some of the things I've learned so far, about being inspired by the Bible - inside and outside of quizzing.
I guess it all just comes back to purpose. Why are we working so hard? Why do we go through all of the trouble to practice, travel, and spend free time studying rather than playing video games, or reading novels? It's because we teens, are choosing to set our focus, no matter what amount, on God and His word; His kingdom rather than on this world. He says to seek Him, and no better way to do that, than reading His love letter to us. If we're seeking our Father, and trying to keep our minds on Him and His words, inspiration can and will come as a byproduct - that's not me, saying that this is what I've done and what you should do, that would make me the world's biggest hypocrite ever. This is me repeating and applying what God's promised us, and I encourage you to study out this subject for yourselves, it'll bring you a lot of joy. So, to wrap up, as quizzers and teens we should feel proud of this "hobby" that we've taken on, no matter how frustrating, or discouraging it might feel sometimes. As friends, I wish you all a very happy holiday season, and I hope that you all have an awesome time, surrounded by your friends and family. And finaly, as siblings in God's household, keep running your race! Thanks for reading, y'all! Keep calm, and quiz on (and out)! Your fellow quizzer, Mallory P.S. The picture for this post, if you can't tell, is at Garden of The Gods, here in Colorado Springs! It was my second time going hiking there, when this was taken, and man, it is breathtaking! Super, super cool stuff up here, that are just a little different from Texas scenery :P
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Trending Posts:Author:Mallory is a graduated Teen Bible Quizzer originally from the Southern region, moved to the Northwest, coaching quizzing over the book of Matthew. Check out our
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