I Can Do All Things: ~ Bible Bowl~

Not this coming weekend, but the weekend following that, we'll have our last monthly Bible Bowl tournament for this year. It's definitely a mixed feeling. Sad and in a way depressed that it's already almost over for this year, yet happy relieved and can't wait for it to be over. Over all it's been a pretty good year. We've had our ups and downs but mostly ups. At the end of this year, I'll have been in for not quite 2 years. It's been some of the best 2 years of my life. Though it's a lot of work and you have to really be devoted, it's totally worth it when your able to show up at the tournaments and take first in your division and make it in to the top 20. However, that is not what it's completely about, though that's something awesome to work for and it's an amazing family when you go and excel, but, if your not applying it to your everyday life, then no amount of studying is really worth it, if it's going in one ear and out the other. We need to not only memorize the material, we need to apply it to everyday life. That is something our coach will drill into you for hours. She doesn't care the amount of ribbons we bring home, or how we did on the top brain, I mean yes she cares, but not like she does when were applying it or not applying it to everyday life. Most people think that since I'm home schooled I have endless amounts of time to study, um.. not exactly. Yes I may have more time then your average high schooler that is involved in every single sport out there and make them selves busy every min of every day, but, if they really wanted to study and do well, they'd make the time. I don't have the amount of time that they may think I do. I still have my school to get done everyday, and I have kids all day. Which leaves the evenings, and that really doesn't leave much time unless I don't spend any time with my family, or I get to bed really really late, neither one is good. it's not easy trying to juggle all that but so far it hasn't been too bad I guess. Though I am sad it's getting ready to end, I'm also kinda relived and looking forward to a little bit of a break. I wont have anything tell the end of June/first part of July, which will be really nice.

The last tournament of the year is what we call "Senior Month". All the lead ins to the questions are about the seniors, and we have the seniors verses sponsors game which is always a ton of fun and hilarious to watch. During awards at the end, they have all the seniors stand up there and they say what their future plans are, and what is their favorite bible bowl memory is. Then the coach to each seniors awards them with a "blessing" and just gives them last words of encouragement and things like that. It's really neat, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room last year. I'm really looking forward to this tournament and can't wait to hear what some of the questions are.

The way Mrs Z does it, not all teams are set, but the first 3 or 4 normally are pretty set. I play B team with 2 other girls, sometimes she'll add a 4th player just depending on the month. For the most part it's been an amazing team to play with and we've really connected and work well together. We quote amazingly well together and that's one thing that really helps us out, due to that were able to get most of our bonus points, which is were a lot of the points are.

Last month was a little rough,but not bad! Tillie ( our main, strong player out of us 3) wasn't able to make it, due to other things. It had been a crazy month for several of us and neither Hannah or I had really studied like we should of. Since Tillie wasn't able to make it, Mrs Z put Carrie and Rebekah on our team. Carrie was our life savior! She had studied more then us and knew her stuff pretty well, however, this was her first time in division 1 so it was a little over whelming for her. We only won 2 games during the whole day! We should of moved down, but due to a miracle we were able to stay up. It was a hard, exhausting day both physically and emotionally but we made the most of it and tried to just have fun! I was able to buzz in more then I have in the past which was fun. I also placed 18th in the top 20, which was super exciting! We also got most Christ like,which according to Mrs Z, the highest award we could ever receive so we were excited and that helped lift our spirits a little. though it was a rough weekend, it was also a pretty good weekend over all. Had a lot of laughs and made a lot of memories.

We're planning on making up for it this next tournament. We'll have Tillie back and it's review which is bad, but it also will be nice to not have to learn anything new this month.

Bible bowl in a way has changed my life. I have met some amazing people and grew closer to the ones I already knew. I have been able to have some great experience through it and see places and do things I wouldn't of gotten to do, had I not been in Bible bowl.It's been amazing. God has really blessed me in these last 2 years.