Announcements
February Memorization Musings
by Charlotte Stace
Recently I read what, to me, was a surprising statement – Billy Graham was quoted as saying that if he was to do his life over again, he would spend more time in the Word! This man of God who preached all around the world, introduced many people to our Savior, was an example to thousands, …….would have spent more time in God’s Word! What a statement! It calls each of us to ask of ourselves – at this point in our lives, do we spend enough time in the Word, learning to know God, learning to think as God thinks, learning to see life from God’s perspective, learning to listen to the Lord’s heart speak to us? Looking back to this time of life, will we say we had our priorities right, and spent enough time in the Word, and enough time teaching our children God’s Word? His Word is eternal; our investment in it is for eternity!
Memorizing is a very effective way to spend time in God’s Word, to know God’s heart, and to have our minds transformed. Verses we have in our memory are available to think on any time of day, and in any circumstance. As we train our children for independence, verses they have committed to memory will be with them, long after they have left our nest!
How is your family doing on your memorization goals? If you are on schedule, you are over half way by now. If your goal is starting to feel too big, don’t panic – readjust your goal – Because this process can seem tedious to our children, we need to work on making it enjoyableyou will still have memorized more than if you hadn’t set a goal. Be diligent and keep working! Don’t give up; this task is too important!
One comment I have received recently is: ‘One thing I didn’t anticipate in memorizing a large portion of scripture is …..it is hard to add more verses because one needs to hang on to what they have memorized. It is so easy to forget it.’ I agree – plan on adding more review time to your memorization. Remember that Navigators says that something must be reviewed everyday for 2 weeks (I propose that as we get older it is longer (!). Once the verse is memorized, it needs to be reviewed along with the chunk of previous verses. In the past I have used the summer to solidify the flow of the book I have memorized.
Part of the benefit of memorization is the process. Think of a young child creating a san
d castle, running eagerly down to the lake, and hauling water back for her creation. Over and over this is done, water sloshing out of her pail as she runs. When asked why she keeps doing it when not all the water makes it back to her castle, she remarked, “I know, but look at my beautiful castle ……and look at how clean the bucket is!” When we memorize, it is not only being able to say all our verses (a beautiful sand castle), but the clean bucket (the effect on our lives) that happens along the way.
Because this process can seem tedious to our children, we need to work on making it enjoyable. Here are a few ideas:
- Try using a different ‘voice’ for each verse as it is recited. Stand with a different posture for each verse – how might Paul have looked? Make faces and actions to represent what the verse is saying where possible (for example 1: 13 For he has rescued us (pull in a rope like you are rescuing someone) from the dominion of darkness (close eyes, and feel around) and brought us (act as tho you have your arm around someone) into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (hugs all around) 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (look relieved, ‘forgiven’) ….. Or in 2: 20 – 21, ‘Since you died with Christ (arms out like you are on the cross, head hanging) to the basic principles of this world, (count on your fingers, like you are listing these principles) why, as though you still belonged to it(look pious, grabbing ‘wordly things’, do you submit to its rules: (head held as though superior) 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"’ (be creative) Colossians lends itself well to actions, if we are a bit creative and dramatic!
- Have your children write verse numbers (for each verse 1:1. 1:2. 1:3, or group some randomly together 1: 1- 3, 1:4, 1:5 – 7…._)on small pieces of paper (half of a recipe card works well) Deal out the cards to all who are doing the review. Now recite the verses in order, according to the cards chosen, bouncing from one person to the next. This way each person gets different verses to say aloud each time, but they go over all the verses. This can also be done using popsicle sticks – draw the stick from the can, and that is the verse/s that you get to say. Chapter one could be one day, chapter two the next day etc. How about at breakfast to start off the day?
- Stand in a circle, with a small pillow. One person starts saying the verses that are being reviewed. They can stop at any point (mid-verse works great) and toss the pillow (gently!!!) to another family member who continues. If the pillow is purposely dropped, they have to say double the verses!
- Write a variety of postures (standing on one foot, turning in circles, patting your stomach, curled up in a ball….) on recipe cards (You could write a set of types of voices …..squeaky voice, vibrato, bass….). Draw a card, and this is how the verses must be to be said. This could be combined with the cards/popsicle sticks from #2.
Be creative! Let your children be creative…….if it is fun, they will do better, remember more and look forward to review. As parents, we want to get it done, and move on to the next thing we know needs doing, but remember to enjoy the moment!
Be encouraged – look at what you have accomplished and keep moving forward. Don’t forget to inform your teacher how your family is doing in your memorization. Keep up the good work!
‘Set your minds on things above!’