New Quizzing Season Resolution

Did you know there is only 2 days until the first quizmatch of 2008? 2 days! It's so exciting that another year is upon us. This is my 7th year of quizzing. So much has changed, and yet it's still the same quizzing. This year's material finishes up our 3-year study of Luke's book. We wrap it up with Acts 10-28. The upcoming week will just be Acts 10-12:19. I can't wait to see my old friends and make some new ones.

I am quizzing with Spring City for the 4th year. The team is fearlessly led (or God-fearing led) by Dave and Vicki Deitrick. Spring City's team this year has 6 quizzers. Our 4 returning veterans are Graham Holcomb, Tim Moss, Michael Schwager and Chelsea Mullins. We have 2 rookies: Alysssa Mullins and Bobby. We've already had 2 pratices and it looks good. Our rookies are already giving correct answers and sometimes even buzzing in! Chelsea got back into buzzing. She even quizzed out twice! Of course, I quizzed out all 7 practice matches. My earliest quizout was question 4, and my latest was question 14. That question 14 quizout scared me, but hey, a quizout is a quizout, no matter when it happens. As long as I get it. Tim and Mike are performing the same as always. So I'm hoping they'll perform this season the same the did last season. If Chelsea gets confident and believes in herself, she can be steady in getting us team bonus. Heck, if she get very confident, she can get her first quizout this season, and cover Mike's butt if he can't quizout. In a few weeks, I bet even our rookies will be able to participate in team bonus. I say it again, this is going to be our year!

As for me, of course I'm putting my best into quizzing. Quizzing out every practice match has shown me I'm back into the swing of my normal quizzing. I'm going to do my best. I plan this to be my year as well as my team's year. I have already chosen my goal for this year:

• Finish as one of the Top 5 Quizzer
• Be a perfect quizzer for the first 3 week
• Reach the 600 point mark
  

Finish as one of the Top 5 Quizzers
This is a goal I had set last year. I failed to reach because I had to quiz in a double week with 2 Petra teams. The dangerous combination led to me falling short. So here I am, trying again. For the past two years I finished 12th and 16th, the top 20, in these past 2 years. Give or take, I averaged out these past two years. Now I'm ready to move up. I want to go for something higher. Top 5 is high enough. Rumor has it that this invitational will have a 5-way fun match with the all-stars from each conference. Being on the top 5, I would make the team. It would be an honor. Even being in the fun 3-way match with all-star quizzers vs. coaches vs. staff would be an honor. I think it is a good position to aim for. Not too easy, not too hard. My second attempt at the goal should be the time to reach it.

Be a perfect quizzer for 3 weeks
This is a goal I have been aiming to earn for 3 years. Last year I came dangerously close. I tied my past record last year by being perfect two weeks. On my third week quizzing, I had 3 matches. I quizzed out the first twice, but failed to quiz out that last match! Augh! so frusterating. So here we try again. This is interesting on how I will do this. This year I have 3 matches week 2 and 3, the only two weeks I have 3 matches. So to be a perfect quizzer, I have to quiz out 8 matches! It is a challenge I am up to. If I ever want to be perfect, I must get passed the first two weeks.

Reach the 600 point mark
I waited to decide this goal until I knew I had 18 matches. Last year we only had 17 matches and couldn't score more than 595 points (that was perfect). Now with 18 matches, 630 points is perfect. I would just be satisfied with 600 points. These past 3 years I have scored in the 500s, with 585 being the highest. One more quiz out would get me up there. It was only 15 points away, and an extra quiz out would get there. Probably need at least 16 quiz outs to get it. That will beat another record. See, two records at once!

So that's it. Now you all know, you can help me reach these goals. First and foremost, pray for me. Pray that I can reach these goals, and bring God the honor in doing so. Second, help me. Help me practice. The quizzing material is Acts 10-28 for the year, starting this week with Acts 10-12:19. You don't need to be a quizzer to make sure I know the Scriptures. Third, just encourage me. Encourage me to complete it. Lift me up when I fall down. Last, if possible, come to a match. A fan in the audience is encouragement and an answer to prayer. My first match is this Sunday, January 19, at 6:30 p.m. It is located at Lancaster Mennonite High School. Come support me and the team!