Scripture memory for the memory challenged

I'm working my way through Women Living Well by Courtney Joseph and have really enjoyed it. 

Early on there was one little sentence that she wrote that I had never thought of before:

"Count how many words there are in the verse--write it out that number of times, and you'll know it!"

Me, being my eternally optimistic self thought "ya, right."  So I had to challenge it by doing it.

And you know what?  It works!

Really.

I bought a cheap 5 subject spiral bound notebook, 

(because I like THICK notebooks)

and wrote and wrote and wrote.

Some of my favorite blogs

When I first got into the world of reading blogs, I subscribed to EVERYTHING.  My inbox was crushed, I didn't read half of them, and I needed to streamline.

I still follow too many probably, but here are a few of my current favorites in this season of my life.

Sillygrrl.com --ecclectic mix of her life, circus performance, and computer/techie, but some of the most useful, practical information on life planning, blogging, coding, etc.  Love seeing an email from her in my inbox.  I will never delete without looking it over first.  And that's saying something!

Sam's Noggin --homeschooler, exerciser, Bible loving, Jesus girl.  She has so many practical posts that really speak to where I am in life right now.  AND, right now, there's a "how to make your perfect planner" series.  Yes.  Infinity YES.

By Sun and Candlelight --very "mellow" blog, that taught me the crate file folder system that has revolutionized my homeschool planning/organizing.  Her blog always makes me feel warm and cozy and peaceful.  Plus, she's very organized and a planner.

MichaelHyatt.com --business and leadership blog, but really, this has been so useful to me as a homeschooling mom teaching boys.  I want so much for them to be leaders of their home, family, community, and he has so many ideas from his years of leadership and success that I would never know.  So thankful for his practical application and lists with bullet points.  Wealth of information here on his blog and podcasts.

Acuff.me  --Jon Acuff, of Stuff Christians Like fame, has a more personal blog that I find very inspiring.  Right now, with all the things I want to accomplish, he spurs me on to keep persevering.  Plus, I love his sense of humor and transparency.

Kissing the joy as it flies --Kira is probably the best friend I've never met, or even talked to with my voice (mostly just my fingers... on a keyboard). She has just finished an epic move, so has been absent from her blog for a while with all that chaos, but when she comes back (and word is it's SOON!) you won't regret following her.  Great info, Jesus follower, boy mom, and she hosts Fess Up Fridays, which truly crack me up.

How do you read non-fictions books?

How I approach reading books has changed drastically over the last couple of years.

One of the best things I've changed is the unwritten rules I had of never creasing the spine, never dog-earing books, and never, ever writing in them (because then if I ever want to re-sell them, I wouldn't be able to... nevermind the fact that I was saving my books for somebody else.)

Somehow, slowly, all my previous thoughts have changed.  Now, usually within the first few pages and a scan of the table of contents, I can tell if a book is going to be one I'll keep and refer back to.  If it is, then I tell myself it's okay to mark it up, because it is solely for my growth and improvement.

My favorite non -fiction book that I have been through at least three times now, and continue to get information out of is Elizabeth George's A Woman After God's Own Heart.  

(affiliate link)

This book is so marked up, dog eared, and highlighted.  It is by far the most loved books of mine, ever.
I'm such a visual and hands on learner that the more I note, highlight, doodle, or write, the more it becomes a part of my thinking.



I don't want to be a person who just accumulates information but never uses it.  

I want to grow, change, and improve myself with every day that passes.

Just reading and getting rid of or shelving the book is never going to do that for me.

I also have a composition notebook that I add additional notes, or use if I'm borrowing a book and can't write in it or mark it all up.  This notebook is so fun to go back through and look at again and again and remember what I thought was important.

(notes from The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized by Karen Ehman.)

affiliate link

(notes from Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey)
affiliate link

I have pages of notes from books, blog posts, podcasts, anything that I want to remember and am sure I will forget.  Sometimes instead of reading a book, I'll spend some time just reviewing what I've already read and taken notes on.

Another great resource for how to get the most out of your reading is this podcast by Michael Hyatt
http://michaelhyatt.com/055-how-to-read-a-non-fiction-book-podcast-2.html

I love Michael Hyatt and the way he gives real "you can do this right now" application to improving your life.  He's got a wealth of information in his podcasts, books and blog posts.
http://michaelhyatt.com/5-ways-to-make-more-time-to-read.html


I think the only way to use information and turn it into wisdom is not merely reading and accumulating, but thinking through application and how you can use it.


How do you read Non-fiction? 
Leave any tips or thoughts below, I'd love to hear them!