July 2009 MMM Progress Report #2

July 2009 Mega Memory Month is moving right along. Already we find ourselves at Progress Report #2.

How’s it going?

• Use Mr. Linky to connect your progress report to this master list. If I have time, I’ll swing back by and edit the post to make the links more prominent.

• Non-bloggers and those who don’t want to dedicate an entire post to memory work, feel free to offer your progress report in the comments.

MMM Participants’ Progress Reports

1. erin at filling my patch of sky
2. Jen at Scraps and Snippets

Ann’s Progress Report #2

Familiarity is my friend.

This month, I chose passages and a poem that were familiar, but not yet memorized.

I believe that familiarity has been key to helping me progress smoothly (that and a daily does of God’s grace).

I have incorporated the memory work into my jogs. My routes are repetitive, so I don’t need to use much brainpower to decide which way to turn. This frees up valuable brain cells to focus on memorizing.

As I mentioned last week, I clutch little scraps of paper on which the passages are printed and refer to them as needed. Something about the steady pounding of feet against asphalt provides a sense of rhythm to the rhyme and phrasing as I repeat them over and over and over.

I’m happy to report, therefore, that I think I can type out the Frost poem, the Philippians passage, and part of Psalm 121 this week. I have not yet attempted Psalm 145 and fear I may not get it down before the month is through. We shall see.

So.

Here we go…

(I’d like to disclose that while reviewing my tested typed-out text against the originals, I chose repair incorrect punctuation without showing the changes; all other word deletions are shown crossed off and additions are in red.)

“The Road Not Taken”
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I saved kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Philippians 1:1-11

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant
and being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death–
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents

I lift up my eyes to the hills–
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip–
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber not sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
He The LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will not let you be harmed. will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
He The LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Psalm 145 (Status: Not begun)

For me, this has been the smoothest Mega Memory Month yet!

I don’t know if I’ll get very far in Psalm 145, but I’m starting it this week as I try to solidify Psalm 121 and review the others.

How about you?

Is your mind holding more than you thought it could?

(much smaller alternative button)

Don’t miss a word:
Subscribe to annkroeker.com updates via email or RSS feed.

Join Mega Memory Month for the month of July!