Memory Work Techniques {Focus on Jesus}

The best part about a challenge like the Focus on Jesus Scripture Memory 2020 event is that it gets us digging deeper into the Word of God. Our personal devotion time is where we will discover our newest verse to study, and this quiet time with God will uplift our hearts and renew our joy. We will discover peace and comfort in the pages of our Bibles as we listen for God's direction for our daily lives.

The Focus on Jesus challenge also brings back memories of studying for spelling tests back in grade school.

Do you remember writing your spelling words ten times each day leading up to the big test? Or maybe you were one who was quizzed audibly by siblings or a parent. Perhaps you did a combination of things to learn the trickiest of words.

The repetition and focus of that study time are what helped your young mind to learn the words so that on the day of the spelling test, the correct spelling would come back to you so you could score a decent grade.

The same study techniques apply well to Scripture memory work. Writing your verse down in a notebook several times a day is a great way to practice the correct order of the words. Repeating the verse aloud can help train your ears and mind to "hear" the verse in your head as you're trying to recall it when you look away from your notes.

Slightly Unprepared But Excited

Camp NaNoWriMo starts in two days.

Two days!

Am I ready?

Not exactly. Not as prepared as I’d like to be, anyway.

See, I used to be a pantser, a writer that has a small spark of an idea and then dives into writing the story by the seat of their pants. The creativity and flow of that style is wonderful and right up my alley. However, when I used the pantser method, I inevitably ended up with slumpy middles and struggled to finish out the final chapter or two of my stories. This was a huge problem.

Therefore, I decided to read articles (and I mean dozens of articles) about plotting. There are charts and graphs and tips and many, many outline types out there. It can be overwhelming. Even as I felt myself sinking in the vast ocean of plotting advice and forms and such, I knew that I had to figure out a way to pull some details together prior to writing the first draft. I needed the guidance of a plot or outline. It would be helpful to know my characters at least a little bit before trying to tell their story (otherwise, I end up exploring and discovering who they are in draft one and then having to do heavy edits in rounds two, three, and four).

Focus on Jesus {Scripture Memory 2020} - Part 1

During these unsettling times when an illness has shut down the world for an indeterminate amount of time, there is only one place to look for peace and comfort.

Jesus Christ.

Let's focus on Jesus together by memorizing Scripture that encourages us. You may choose your own verses. You may go at your own pace.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic? Don't Panic! {DIY Hand Sanitizer}

So we're living through a pandemic right now.

Crazy, isn't it?

I must say, I never once in my entire life anticipated anything like the coronavirus, nicknamed COVID-19.

It was very strange going to the store for a regular grocery run and seeing zero packs of toilet paper on the shelves. All I needed was one pack, yet there were none. Why toilet paper? This isn't an illness that causes the runs, so I'm not quite sure why there's a run on TP, other than stocking up in case you get quarantined for weeks on end. Even that doesn't make much sense to me, though. If everyone only purchased what they need for a week or two, like we do under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be shortages now. But panic-buying is apparently a thing, and it's just as contagious as the coronavirus is presumed to be.

Even with the shortages of available sanitary items, I've remained calm through the entire thing. Why? Because if it's my time to go, I'm prepared to meet my Maker. He has taken wonderful care of me through the ups and downs of life so far, and I don't see why that should change simply because a new illness has arrived on the scene. The question through this event, for me, has been...

Do you trust God or do you not?

My answer is a resounding yes.

ReMo Wrap-Up {Giveaway Winners}

Last month was the second annual Read More "ReMo" Challenge, hosted by a few friends and myself over on Goodreads.

If you want alerts as to when the next ReMo Challenge will be, head on over to this Goodreads page to join the group. Be sure to turn on notifications for the group, so you'll be alerted to updates right when they happen. Then you'll be in the know!

ReMo By the Numbers

18 - The number of participants.

Two of these were ladies from Canada. Yes, international friends are welcome to participate each year, though the prizes might not be able to be mailed internationally. Each year's prize packs will have their own set of rules.

3 - The number of prize pack winners.

Congratulations to our grand prize winner - Beth - and our second and third prize winners - Mikayla and Selah. Their prize packs included books, and these will be mailed out as soon as I have all the books in hand. My pick-up plans got delayed, but thankfully, all the winners understand this and are exhibiting great patience.

221 - The total number of books read.

Y'all, this number blows me away! We read a TON of books in a single month. Congratulations to us all! This averages out to be over twelve books per participant. Our top-three busiest readers were Esther (33 books), Hannah (30 books), and Abigail Harris (28 books). When I was tallying up everyone's totals for the month, I was so impressed by all the books we managed to squeeze into only twenty-nine days. So proud of us!

Preparing for Camp NaNoWriMo

Camp NaNoWriMo is in one month.

One month.

I am not yet ready for this, but I will be. During March, I'll be doing prep work for the first NaNo event of the year.

Character development is a large part of my preparation. If I don't know the characters well enough, writing in their voices becomes practically impossible. So I'm learning all I can about them as I work through a couple of different questionnaires. The loooooong one is only for the two leads, whereas the short form will be for several supporting cast members. I'm diving into their personalities, emotions, and dreams as well as their fears, faults, and sorrows.

One of the neat things I've already learned through the long form is that this particular form gives me insights not only into the leads but also into their friends and relatives. Any important relationships they have get explored through this form, which should, in theory, make the short form for the supporting cast go a lot quicker as I'm already figuring out bits and pieces (and sometimes large chunks!) of who these supporting characters are and how they effect the leads' lives.

Reading List: Winter 2020

These are a few of the books in my reading list this season.

Currently Reading

Up Next

What's on your reading list as we finish up winter 2020?