Sociably Surviving: Surviving our first Bible Quiz Season

After 9 months, countless hours of study time, 9 state and regional tournaments, and finally JBQ Nationals, the Junior Bible Quiz (beginner division) season is over.

My Bella Samantha, who only just turned 8, accomplished more this year than many thought she could. Did she win a lot of individual trophies - no. Did that disappoint her - yes.

But she's taking away so much more than a few pieces of hardware from this season:

First, she memorized 191 verses, 13 chapters of Psalms. How many kid, let alone adults, can say that?

Probably the most important thing that came out of it all: in February, she was filled with the Spirit of God, and in March Baptized in His Name!

I could stop listing right now, and that would be enough for me.

This year, she made new friends. To many, she may seem outgoing, but she's really quite shy. It was nice to see her making friends at the National competition, knowing they'd probably compete against each other. And when it was done, they hugged and said "See you next year".

I watched her confidence grow this year. Not to say that she still didn't get shaken and made mistakes, but she's learning to just move past it.

We watcher her handle loss like a champ. Whether a horrible landslide defeat or a tight match, she made me so proud to watch her walk away with a smile and be thankful for the questions she did answer, or learn from the ones she got wrong.

We saw her become a much better student, understanding concepts quicker than before. Even testing into a 5th grade level in one area of study, while she's only in the 2nd grade.

I'm so thankful for the coaches, Gary, Rachel and Naomi, for teaching and encouraging her. To her teammates Ashlyn and LJ, the Junior Team Jadon and Caelyn and all the families: it's been a great season, and we were all truly blessed.

Only 3 months until next season starts, she already wants to get started studying. I told her to enjoy the rest of her summer! Next season Emmalee will be on her team, and new challenges will be faced. Emma is even more shy than Samantha, but boy is she a little spitfire...