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How to Memorize Like a Boss

memorize like a boss

How to Memorize Like a Boss

Recently I posted on social media the same sort of thing most of you post on social media–the Who’s Who and What’s What of your people and the events of life. My post consisted of our happenings on New Year’s Eve which to most would be considered uneventful and not worth the hoopla of a post. But my post consisted of our tradition that involves the culmination of a year’s worth of effort. My children collectively recited 292 Bible verses that night, without assistance from their parents and one is special needs. We are not part of a club or group or association that spurs us on to make these strides. It’s just a need I recognized years ago and the results of a strategy we set in motion to memorize. What I didn’t realize was how many other people needed what I recognized I needed.

I agreed to get my thoughts together and provide my insight and notes for whatever it’s worth. I posted a podcast on the topic and here I’m just going to offer the overview with links. Today we will consider 4 questions:

Question 1: Where are the verses going to come from?

  • Personal Devotional
  • A portion of Scripture, like a chapter, set of verses, or book
  • Something you download or purchase
  • A, B, C, D, it
  • Which version of the Bible are you using?
  • Below you will find a list of verses I created that are easy and important to memorize. I set something like this up for my kids in the beginning and for my special needs daughter, this kind of approach is golden. Here is a link to the PDF version.

how to memorize

Questions 2: How are you going to organize them?

I began using something like the list above with my children. I went to the Dollar Store and purchased a small spiral notebook for each person and recorded one verse per page so they could flip between each one. They have honestly kept these books and continue to use them. It’s a cheap immediate and useful solution.

A second option is to utilize your phone. I do this in two ways.

  • YouVersion— The YouVersion app offers the verse of the day and it allows you to highlight Scripture and create a VERSE IMAGE that can be downloaded and shared. I use this feature often for memory work. First I select the option to make the image rectangular like a screen saver rather than square for social media. Then after I have downloaded the image to my photos, I create a folder within my photos on my phone to better navigate these images.
  • Fighter Verses— I love this app. You can use the verses they have selected for the year OR you can select your own. I select my own. Either way, you can listen to the verse, hear a song using the words to the verse, download a verse image or screen saver straight from the app (it’s not as pretty), read a commentary about the verse, and play games until you have it memorized. Once it’s memorized, you can click a button and it then goes into a rotation so that you practice it and you don’t forget what you have learned. The downside is that the app is not free. It costs $2.99. But it is well worth it! I use it all the time.

Question 3: How are you going to ensure they are being memorized?

Researchers suggest 4 proven strategies:

  • Food choices — Include the following in your diet to increase cognitive abilities– fish, green tea, blueberries, walnuts
  • Times of Day — Memorize in the afternoons, even if you don’t feel you are most effective this time of day
  • Utilize spaced repetition – or flashcards is their best advice, even in 2020. You can make these any way you like. Find what works for you. I have been using flashcards all my life. It works for me. That’s why in 2020 I began to design them for you. They are perfect to go along with you — fitting in the palm of your hand, with a ring and a prayer! 🙂 This first set published goes along with Unleash Your Brave, finding joy in badness. I needed it. I figured someone else might need it, too. You can check it out here or from the image below.

 

  • Chunking — memorizing a larger piece of material that goes together, like an entire Psalm or a passage. Our brains seem to work with these types of larger pieces better than if we try to helter-skelter our way down the road.

Question 4: What is the personal or collective incentive to keep going?

That’s what began this whole discourse: our family New Year’s Eve Verse-a-thon. Here is the nitty-gritty:

  • Decide and announce what the incentive will be for memorizing Bible verses? What will it be based upon? Number of verses? Age of person? You decide. Then announce the parameters.
  • On the given day, everyone must be ready and meet the requirements set up. If they do, they receive the incentive. If they do not, they do not.
    • Note – it cannot be verses they already have learned or recited before.
    • Note — it cannot be a half-hearted effort to memorize. There are no participation trophies at the Strange House! We left one kid in a pile of tears who was beside themselves last year because they thought they deserved the “prize” for mumbling through some sort of half learned jibberish. No. It was a lame effort and all of us knew it. Cry your eyes out. This is not Upward Basketball where you get kudos for just showing up. I’m not paying for poor performance when the person had AN ENTIRE YEAR!! But this year—-that same kid did an AMAZING job. So, I suggest sticking to your guns on what matters.
  • Lead. Remember it’s not just for kids. Grownups need to lead out, to show the way and model following Christ.

You CAN do this. It has eternal significance. Keep after it. Take your next step. I cannot wait to hear about it!

For His Glory,

 

 

how to memorize like a boss

Memorize Like a Boss

How to Memorize Like a Boss

Podcast #79

Memorize like a boss

Welcome to the Podcast–How to Memorize Like a Boss

Last week I was doing what most of you do on social media: sharing the headlines and pictures of the Who’s Who in my life. One particular post celebrated the 292 Bible verses our kids memorized and recited on New Year’s Eve this year, and their goals to move ahead with at least 100 more next year. We are not part of a club, team, or ministry that helps us accomplish this feat. It’s just my own system created out of a recognized need. So I offered my two cent’s worth for how we are being successful at memorizing Scripture every year. Surprised by the response, it became evident other people needed what I recognized years ago that I needed. Therefore, today I put together an episode that addresses How to Memorize Like a Boss!

Note: this is our final episode as THE SHE YEARNS PODCAST. God willing, by next week, we will be here-after recognized and known as STIRRING FAITH WITH CHERI STRANGE. But don’t worry. If you are a subscriber, unlike I originally thought, you will not need to do anything. You should automatically be updated with the changes, I am assured.

So that you know, Stirring Faith will contain the same type of quality content and messaging. We simply felt we needed clearer packaging to help people locate the podcast and recognize what it was about. Thank you for listening and being a part of the community!

There are two IMMEDIATE benefits for you with these changes I want to mention:

  • You can now listen on Spotify!
  • You can share Sound Bites like this one from the Friday episode! (Ha! It’s appearing rather LARGE in this post, but it’s PERFECT for social media sharing on Instagram or Facebook. It will help your friends try it out a few seconds to see if it’s something worth their time and your recommendation.) I will be sharing these on social media and you can share it, too.

There are more benefits to come I can’t wait to share with you. But these are all I’ll mention for today.

Don’t forget about The Show Notes!

Just fill out the form and today’s note will go straight to your inbox. Every episode after you sign up should show up on the device of your choosing. What could be better?

How Awesome is Show Notes?

If you are already a subscriber to the She Yearns Updates, you will begin receiving a link to a pdf. But this is different. By signing up here, you will ONLY RECEIVE Show Notes for the podcast. There is nothing to download unless there is some sort of bonus offered.

You can also use this resource to take with you to coffee with a friend or sit with a small group and talk about the topic together. It’s a quick low prep to no prep way to have a deep discussion about relevant Gospel-centered topics that matter to your everyday lives. So don’t wait! Sign up today!

Besides, How to Memorize Like a Boss — Your God is For Me is one of my favorite recent episodes. You can find it here if you are interested.

You can now check out the latest episodes from iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, iHeartRADIO, or BuzzSprout. Just click on the links below! As always, you can scroll down and listen right here!

soul care

soul care

And if you have not already become a subscriber to the podcast, allow me to invite you to become one for the She Yearns Podcast by going to any of the providers and signing up for the RSS feed to have it automatically updated to your device! It’s basically ONE CLICK! And it doesn’t use any extra memory and really makes life easier.

If you enjoyed this episode, How to Memorize Like a Boss, or found it helpful, please leave a comment or review in your hosting provider service! We cannot do it without you! The only way the word goes out further is with your help. Please share it as you feel the leading.

Thank you for listening,