Aiden, who just turned 10 years old, competes on a Junior Bible Quiz team. Junior Bible Quiz (JBQ) is a nationally recognized competition where the competitors, in teams of up to 4 in our district and up to 8 in other districts and nationally, study and memorize predetermined sets of questions in a JBQ study guide book. In the Penn-Del district only third through fifth graders are eligible to compete. Questions are valued at 10, 20, or 30 points. The questions cover all books of the Bible and range in difficulty according to points. There are a total of 576 questions but our league only plays half the book each year rotating every other year which half is played. Three quizzers from two opposing teams sit at a table with hand buzzers while a quiz master reads questions. When a question is read the quizzer buzzes in, interrupting the question. They then have to finish the question and answer it correctly. If the question is answered incorrectly the team loses half the point value of that question. If an individual quizzer answers five questions correctly during a round that quizzer "quizzes out". If a quizzer answers three questions during any round wrong that quizzer "errors out". Each round is made up of 20 questions and generally there are 7-9 round at a match. There are three matches in the regular season followed by district semi-finals then district finals in Hershey, Pa. It actually takes a whole lot of work on the quizzer's part to memorize not only the questions and answers but also the appropriate buzz-in point of the question. It's the job of the coach to figure out the best strategical method of play.
Our involvement with Junior Bible Quiz started three years ago when our daughter, Reagan, was in the third grade. She competed that first year as a ten-pointer. With what seemed to be very little effort she memorized all her questions, answers and buzz-in points. She also seemed to be gifted with quick hands for buzzing in.
The following year Brennan, who was in fifth grade, decided he wanted to quiz, also. It turned out Brennan was equally as talented at quizzing as Reagan. With Reagan learning the 30 point questions and Brennan the 10 point questions and a third equally as quick 20 pointer, their team was unstoppable. For the first time in the history of their school competing in JBQ they went to nationals. That year nationals were to be held in Orlando, Florida.
As a family we were unsure we would be able to commit to the challenge. There were many things to consider the biggest of which was how were we going to afford a week's vacation in Florida for a family of six. It seemed impossible.
After much prayer, we agreed to go and everything fell into place. We would do fundraising to offset the travel costs and one of the team members offered to have us stay in their timeshare with them at no cost. We were soon on our first family vacation and national JBQ finals in Florida. What once seemed impossible became possible.
Nationals were very eye-opening. We went from being the big fish to very tiny fish competing against the best of the best from all over the country. These kids were QUICK!! Out of 80 plus teams competing our team came in 55th.
According to Penn-Del district rules only third through fifth graders can compete, but national rules differ. To compete nationally you can be in the second grade through the sixth grade. So the next year, which was last year, Brennan was too old to compete in our district, but Aiden was entering the third grade and to my surprise he wanted to quiz. I admit I didn't think Aiden was going to do very well. And not being able to read how was he going to learn the questions? It was because of Aiden that I decided to become a coach. It was my way of protecting him in case he didn't do well.
Reagan, now in her third and final year, was our 30 pointer and Aiden was a 10 pointer. I soon realized that Aiden was just as capable as his brother and sister at excelling and soon gave him the added extra challenge of learning not only his 10 point questions but I also had him learning 20 point questions. For Aiden having dyslexia didn't stop him, it only changed how we had to study. We ordered the mp3 version of the questions and he learned through listening to them when I wasn't available to study with him.
Just like the year before,we were on the road to making it to national JBQ finals. I would have my dream team, Brennan, who now met the grade requirements to quiz nationally, Reagan, and Aiden. The only year that three McCreary's could all compete at a national level on the same team. This time our destination ---Texas!! I was so excited. I had it all planned out. We could just fundraise again to offset travel costs and that same team member said we could stay with them in their timeshare again. There was nothing to stop us....so I thought.
But it was just after semi-finals last year that I discovered a lump in my right breast. We went to district finals in Hershey, Pa and I sat through the awards ceremony knowing that when I returned to Pittsburgh I had a biopsy scheduled.
It's still so hard to believe that it was a year ago. I remember standing outside of the hotel in the cold so the kids wouldn't hear my conversation while I was on the phone with my doctor. He wanted to touch base about what had been found on the mammogram and ultrasound. At that point we still hadn't told the kids anything. Brennan later told me that he knew or at least suspected I had c***** because of the changes I made in my diet. He had remembered me talking about animal proteins and sugar feeding c*****. And that by eliminating both you could slow down or even stop its growth.
The results of the biopsy were devastating enough but then to add salt to my wounds it also meant we wouldn't be able to go to Texas. This once in a life time opportunity of my dream team would never be. I would now need to turn my focus to the battle of my life.
So here we are a year later. Last weekend Aiden's team that I coach competed in JBQ semi-finals and the top four teams in each of the two divisions would go on to the district finals in Hershey, Pa. Our team was tied with one other team for first place in our division but since it was decided by head-to-head our team would end up being in second place. We made it to Hershey, again.
The kids competing in JBQ and me coaching it has honestly been one of the best experiences for us as a family. It combines two of the things I love best, the word of God and competition. It is absolutely amazing to see what these kids are capable of memorizing. You wouldn't believe how intense the matches can be. Ian has already decided he wants to quiz when he enters third grade next school year. He's already started learning his 10 point questions.
I honestly thought by now I would be c*****-free. I thought when it was time to consider whether we would go to national JBQ finals this year I would be past all this. But alas, here I am. Not quite there. I don't know whether it would be the right decision for us or not. Even though they don't take place till June we will need to decide within the week after returning from Hershey. I'll be praying about our decision. Ultimately, the decision isn't mine. If we are meant to be there God will make a way [where there seems to be no way].
Our involvement with Junior Bible Quiz started three years ago when our daughter, Reagan, was in the third grade. She competed that first year as a ten-pointer. With what seemed to be very little effort she memorized all her questions, answers and buzz-in points. She also seemed to be gifted with quick hands for buzzing in.
The following year Brennan, who was in fifth grade, decided he wanted to quiz, also. It turned out Brennan was equally as talented at quizzing as Reagan. With Reagan learning the 30 point questions and Brennan the 10 point questions and a third equally as quick 20 pointer, their team was unstoppable. For the first time in the history of their school competing in JBQ they went to nationals. That year nationals were to be held in Orlando, Florida.
As a family we were unsure we would be able to commit to the challenge. There were many things to consider the biggest of which was how were we going to afford a week's vacation in Florida for a family of six. It seemed impossible.
After much prayer, we agreed to go and everything fell into place. We would do fundraising to offset the travel costs and one of the team members offered to have us stay in their timeshare with them at no cost. We were soon on our first family vacation and national JBQ finals in Florida. What once seemed impossible became possible.
Nationals were very eye-opening. We went from being the big fish to very tiny fish competing against the best of the best from all over the country. These kids were QUICK!! Out of 80 plus teams competing our team came in 55th.
According to Penn-Del district rules only third through fifth graders can compete, but national rules differ. To compete nationally you can be in the second grade through the sixth grade. So the next year, which was last year, Brennan was too old to compete in our district, but Aiden was entering the third grade and to my surprise he wanted to quiz. I admit I didn't think Aiden was going to do very well. And not being able to read how was he going to learn the questions? It was because of Aiden that I decided to become a coach. It was my way of protecting him in case he didn't do well.
Reagan, now in her third and final year, was our 30 pointer and Aiden was a 10 pointer. I soon realized that Aiden was just as capable as his brother and sister at excelling and soon gave him the added extra challenge of learning not only his 10 point questions but I also had him learning 20 point questions. For Aiden having dyslexia didn't stop him, it only changed how we had to study. We ordered the mp3 version of the questions and he learned through listening to them when I wasn't available to study with him.
Just like the year before,we were on the road to making it to national JBQ finals. I would have my dream team, Brennan, who now met the grade requirements to quiz nationally, Reagan, and Aiden. The only year that three McCreary's could all compete at a national level on the same team. This time our destination ---Texas!! I was so excited. I had it all planned out. We could just fundraise again to offset travel costs and that same team member said we could stay with them in their timeshare again. There was nothing to stop us....so I thought.
But it was just after semi-finals last year that I discovered a lump in my right breast. We went to district finals in Hershey, Pa and I sat through the awards ceremony knowing that when I returned to Pittsburgh I had a biopsy scheduled.
It's still so hard to believe that it was a year ago. I remember standing outside of the hotel in the cold so the kids wouldn't hear my conversation while I was on the phone with my doctor. He wanted to touch base about what had been found on the mammogram and ultrasound. At that point we still hadn't told the kids anything. Brennan later told me that he knew or at least suspected I had c***** because of the changes I made in my diet. He had remembered me talking about animal proteins and sugar feeding c*****. And that by eliminating both you could slow down or even stop its growth.
The results of the biopsy were devastating enough but then to add salt to my wounds it also meant we wouldn't be able to go to Texas. This once in a life time opportunity of my dream team would never be. I would now need to turn my focus to the battle of my life.
So here we are a year later. Last weekend Aiden's team that I coach competed in JBQ semi-finals and the top four teams in each of the two divisions would go on to the district finals in Hershey, Pa. Our team was tied with one other team for first place in our division but since it was decided by head-to-head our team would end up being in second place. We made it to Hershey, again.
The kids competing in JBQ and me coaching it has honestly been one of the best experiences for us as a family. It combines two of the things I love best, the word of God and competition. It is absolutely amazing to see what these kids are capable of memorizing. You wouldn't believe how intense the matches can be. Ian has already decided he wants to quiz when he enters third grade next school year. He's already started learning his 10 point questions.
I honestly thought by now I would be c*****-free. I thought when it was time to consider whether we would go to national JBQ finals this year I would be past all this. But alas, here I am. Not quite there. I don't know whether it would be the right decision for us or not. Even though they don't take place till June we will need to decide within the week after returning from Hershey. I'll be praying about our decision. Ultimately, the decision isn't mine. If we are meant to be there God will make a way [where there seems to be no way].
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