I got this from Tim Sanders’ book, Love Is The Killer App a few years ago so I can’t take any credit for this. I implemented this approach since then and began seeing the benefits almost immediately. Maybe this approach will help you as well. Using the last book I finished I’ll show you pictures of what works best for me.

First I jot down notes and references on the inside of the front cover (see picture below). I make sure to write the page number first and then follow it up with the main point, thought, or summation of the idea that I find interesting. Sanders recommends allowing only one line per note but that doesn’t work for me. When finished this becomes an index for all the takeaways and information that you have found helpful, insightful, or just plain interesting. It will serve you as a pretty good roadmap next time you’re tying to remember something you read. Best of all this info isn’t stored on your computer or on a some ratty piece of paper shoved between the pages. These notes will be forever with the book. Pretty handy indeed!

After I’ve taken notes on the front cover I then write down quotes and definitions in the back of the book (see pic below). I am not as diligent about writing down full quotes in the back as I am with jotting notes in the front. Typically, if there is a great quote more than likely I’ve highlighted it. Regardless, writing down full quotes helps you internalize the message and aids you in remembering what you found important or interesting.

So there you go! Maybe this method of note taking will help you become a better reader or maybe even a better leader.

What do you do to help yourself better understand or retain what you’re reading? Leave your solutions or ideas in the comment section. Let’s help each other learn and lead with greater understanding.

Check out the Accordance Software website for more information. If you have a Mac and are looking for the absolute best Bible program look no further.

Live Blog of the Seminar

9:12am: And… here… we… Go!
9:15am: Intro. from Mark Allison. Working with Accordance for 10 years.
9:17am: Latest version is 8.2.1. (I’m up-to-date!)
9:22am: In Accordance the Bible is central. Searching is also central.
9:32am: 4 seconds to search for every word in Bible (for given translation). Hit details and see a concordance for each translation.
9:37am: To amplify. Select/highlight a word in a given translation and choose a new translation or tool (Anchor/Eastons/Dictionary) to find the word in that selection. Super cool.
9:38am: This truly is Instant Access. Everything is linked to everything.
9:40am: Highlight “heavens.” Amplify it to the Hebrew dictionary to find the Hebrew word and definition
9:45am: Geek Out! Amplify “heaven” in a tagged text. Hold option key. Click search and perform an all out search for “shamayim”. Click details and see how “shamayim” is used throughout the text:heaven, sky, highest, etc.
9:50am: Just amplified search “phileo” with the NT range in my NASB. Includes love, kiss, loved. Interesting.
10:03am: Now… on to the Resource Pallette
10:10am: In Parallels you can add a Greek/Hebrew text to compare
10:20am: Each English tool has information under Browser and can be searched alphabetically… or you can just search.
10:21am: oooh… I can do this in my Greek/Hebrew dictionaries too.
10:30am: At break I updated my library to Premier 8 and added the ESV Study Bible. Sweet!
11:30am: Who would have thought I could use the search commands? I can search by Chapter, verse, sentence. I can search a word in one text and display it in another translation.
11:33am: COMPARE TEXTS!!! Wow!
11:37am: CMND Shift _____. Keyboard shortcuts for search commands.
11:45am: Fuzzy Search- you can kinda remember it but not really. Search FUZZY COMMAND and find phrase you were looking for. This will be great when I can’t remember anything but the MJFV- The Micheal J Felker Version.
11:50am: Inference Command. Look at things like similar or exact phrases found in different books. We searched for similar phrases in Micah and Isaiah. Example: compare Micah 4:2 to Isaiah 2:3.
12:15pm: That’s Lunch
1:45pm: Creating charts and graphs on the fly. Searching in 1Samuel of where Saul, David, and Jonathan overlap.
1:50pm: Creating a list of every word in a given translation. Search the entire text. Click details and then click analysis. Can display in alphabetical order or by frequency of use. Example: Inheritance is used 244 in the NASB.
1:59pm: Find all the Greek words you don’t want to memorize by searching in the Greek text by search range Count 1 to find all the words used only once in the Greek. Increase the Count # to see words that are used more frequently- those are the ones you want to memorize!
2:05pm: Ok, I don’t need to get this technical in the original languages. I set up my default windows. My TNIV and ESV are displayed with their respective notes. I have quick access to the Anchor Bible Dictionary. I also have some personal notes and commentaries opened and ready to go every time I launch.
3:20pm: Dozens of ways to search through my various resources. So much information.
3:40pm: I think I’m nearing my information saturation point for the day.
4:10pm: Alright. Great day. I got a ton of new resources and I learned how to use the ones I already had even more! Whew! I am going to be a teaching/learning machine!!! Thanks to the Accordance team for their help and insights today. I’m headed home to help my wife prepare for her dinner party tonight. Peace!

I am super excited about this. It has been a goal of mine to pursue opportunities in public speaking and teaching. This opportunity fell in my lap and I am running with it. One day I would love to travel and speak. I love inspiring people and discussing issues of ministry, leadership, and development. This is a chance to do something different and to work on my skills. This also lets me meet and interact with students who are about to set out and serve teens and their families. This is promising to be a great weekend.

Please keep me in your prayers as I am preparing to teach this class. I’ll be sure to post some content for the weekend here soon. Thanks for your prayers!

1) I have never eaten a camel or a rock badger. (11:4-5)
2) I have never eaten an eagle, vulture, sea gull, or barn owl. (11:13-19)
3) I don’t eat road kill (11:39-40)
4) I don’t make sacrifices to goat demons. (17: 7)
5) I don’t eat blood- I’m a medium well kinda guy. (17:10)
6) I have never — and will never — ever — approach a relative and “uncover their nakedness.” Ewww. (18:1-30)
7) I have never cursed the deaf or purposely tripped the blind. (19:14)
I avoid necromancers. (19:31)
9) I have just balances and measures (my tape measure and calculators are fair) (19:36)
10) I will not give my child to Molech. (20:1-5)

Of course these rules are pretty easy to keep. They seem so bizarre and antiquated that is is easy to laugh at them and pull them out as examples of the “old law.” However, let us not poke fun at these rules at the expense of the ones that can be applicable to today. Rules that speak to living holy lives full of justice and mercy dedicated only to the LORD Almighty. Laws about helping the poor, outcast and alien. Laws that make us different from the surrounding culture.

Let us never forget the laws that relate to the pursuit of holy living and honoring the God that calls us to be set apart for his purposes. He alone frees us. He alone cleanses us and makes us his own.

I can honestly say that this was the most intense reading “of the Levites” that I have ever done. I learned a ton of interesting facts and tidbits thanks to my ESV Study Bible but I was left with an overwhelming sense of relief and freedom — and not just because I was finished reading!

Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch and it details the rights and rituals of the priests during the Tabernacle period. Right off that is difficult enough to wrap our modern heads around. I found myself (almost for the first time) understanding the enormity of the sacrificial system.

Blood, livestock, fatty organs, fire, dung, water and ashes. Day in. Day out. That was the life of a priest.

Thank God that it is not this way any longer. Thank God for the sacrifice of his Son.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might dies to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds we are healed. (1Peter 2:24)

I returned home with 3 books, 13 main session recordings, 27 lab session recordings, notes in two “note-zines”, and a few notes scribbled on my legal pad. I want to be a good steward of these resources and so the last thing I want them to do is rot on a shelf somewhere. These resources are a gift so I must do everything I can to put them to the greatest use in my life and ministry.

Now obviously I won’t need to re-listen to everyone of those recordings and there are some that I’ll probably never get too. So what is my process for processing?

First, I gather together all my notes and type them out. Due to the fact that a one-armed monkey can type faster than me means that this is probably the hardest and most labor inducing step. Once I finish this, I have a better idea of what I missed, what I need to hear again, and the order of need.

Next, I begin importing the recordings into iTunes and create a playlist full of sessions to go through. If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time you know that am a believer in the iPod. I know that the iPod is the greatest tool for leadership development. Long before universities were giving out iPods and iPhones to their students I had sermons, books, and lectures loaded on my white knight making me a better student and leader. If all you have on your iPod is the latest songs from Top 40 “artists” than get on the ball and help get your lead on with a few challenging books or lessons. Need some ideas? Leave me a comment and I will personally send you some resources.

The Third step in the processing adventure is to Prioritize and Schedule. Since I have already worked through the material typing it out I know what lessons challenged me but, more importantly, I know what lessons are going to have the greatest impact on what I am currently doing. That is a big plus. I can spend an hour being wowed by a great lesson that inspires me to reach for the stars or I can spend an hour listening to a lesson that will help learn how to better turn on the rockets. Do you see the difference? I love and desire and need to be inspired to do great things but sometimes… sometimes I just need to learn to do something more effectively which will enable me to do something more excellent down the road. So I prioritize the lessons based on need. I make out a listening schedule and set aside development time in my planner. This fall I have designated Mondays and Thursdays for development days. (maybe one day I’ll post about what I do on Development days)

Step 4 begins as I listen or re-listen to lessons. I take new notes down on a legal pad and then update my typed notes when I return to my computer. What I am left with is a pretty good set of notes and usually a few actions steps on implementing what I’ve learned. Sometimes, I walk away from doing this and I may not have any action steps. That’s ok. I have the notes and I’ve activated my Reticular Activating System (Thanks Mark). So whenever I’m faced with a problem or idea that was mentioned in one of these talks, because I took good notes and invested time in making sure I understood the content, I’m able to cut my research time in half. G.I. Joe was right: Knowing IS half the battle. Bonus: Part of being a good steward of these resources is that when I know a friend could use the teaching or insight I can be quick to help them out with notes, outlines, ideas, or the recordings themselves. (This is my favorite part!!!!)

Well folks, that’s about it. I was truly blessed by Catalyst 08. I can’t wait for next year!

Speaking of Catalyst 09
Wouldn’t it be cool if me and the 2 of you who read this blog went to Catalyst next year as the Kicking at the Darkness group? I bet we’d be the only blog group there!! Sounds pretty cool to me. If you’re interested let me know. Let’s make it happen! Catalyst 09 is October 7-9, 2009. Mark your calenders!

Much like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, the Batcave serves as a place of privacy and tranquility where Batman can be himself. – Wikipedia

When I need to get away and do some focused hard-core study for a class or a lesson I pack up all my gear – my notebook, Bible(s), book(s), iPod, pens, and highlighters – and head straight for my new, secret getaway. This place serves my needs because it is away from my desk, it is always quiet, and I avoid distraction from email or phone calls. I call this place of privacy and tranquility…

The Batcave

This top-secret photo was snapped during my last visit and smuggled off the premises on my iPhone.

So where is the Batcave? I’ll never tell. However, I will spill the beans on what the Batcave is.

The Batcave is an annexed room next to my local comic book shop. The room is often used by groups of people play fantasy games like D&D, Warhammer 40K, and World of Darkness. It’s official name is The Gamers Guild.

That’s right I study at The Nerdery. But as you can see from my picture, in the middle of the afternoon no one is playing anything. The room is almost always completely empty. The people at the comic shop are so cool and so kind to let me use this area to study. I am so thankful to them. Every employee there has teated me so kindly. I love my new study-home.

It is so quiet there that I feel like my productivity quadruples. I just throw on my iPod (or don’t) whip out my pen and notebook and go to town crafting lessons. Very awesome.

Sure, there is no supercomputer or trophy room filled with the spoils of past lessons or retreats and there definitely is no Batmobile waiting in the wings (I do have a black car though) but this Batcave suits me just fine.

Until next time readers. Same Bat-channel. Same nerdy writer.