Our Bible Study Basket

This year, for Mother's Day, I had the opportunity to up my game in getting physically fit.  My husband was hinting with lots of questions about getting me something I've been wanting for a while...a FitBit.  It's on my "Wish List" board on Pinterest, I've stalked their website doing all kinds of research, and I've thought long and hard about how it would/could make a difference for me in continuing my journey to getting even healthier.

The more I thought about it though, the more I knew I needed to let him know what I really wanted...a basket.  It's not glamorous, or tech savy, or even pink with sparkles. {Last years Mother's Day present was pink, sparkly, AND glamorous...}  But I can guarantee you that it is a gift I will ALWAYS remember.

I messaged Brad the "list" of what I wanted for my Bible Study basket based on some different things I'd seen on different internet sites and social media.  His response back was, "You want pens and highlighters for mother's day? LoL"  {And he'll be the first second to say I always get what I want.  Mom would probably say it first.}  So technically, I ended up convincing him to go along with it by calling it a "Shopping Trip."  I mean, what momma doesn't want to just SHOP!?  And I always love fun time with my family!

"Show me your nose, Bryleigh" ...such a little lady!

This is something that I've been working on/putting together, organizing, and reorganizing for years and I am so pleased with how it all {FINALLY} turned out.

So what's in the basket, right?  What's shown above is what we got on our shopping spree for Mother's Day, including a super cute new Rangers shirt for our next trip to the ball park {which has absolutely nothing to do with the basket and its purpose} ;)  It also includes mason jars, pens and highlighters, some craft sticks, journals, date stamp, and a few books that have been on my Wish List.

We'll be using the craft sticks and two of the mason jars for Bryleigh's prayers each night.  Each stick has a different family member's name on it, so she'll draw one out, pray for them, and then drop it in the second jar.  I love getting her involved in doing things like this, and it's NEVER to early to start prayer habits, especially praying for others!

- Our FIRST night to use the sticks -
We prayed for Uncle Steve and Aunt Renee's family.

The second two mason jars have all of the pens (including Sharpie fine point markers *FAVES*) and highlighters to use during my bible studies each day (based on the GoodMorningGirls guide to Bible Study).  I got two new composition journals, one for journaling my daily gifts (#1000gifts) and the second for taking notes during my bible studies (@amyhale's instagram is my inspiration for this part).  I also got a date stamp to use both in my journals and in our family bible.  {We'll be using a journaling bible to stamp the date and add notes to passages that mean something to our family in the future.}

I have put together a Prayer and Bible Study journal that has all of the things I've found online over the past few years to encourage a deeper prayer time and more in-depth bible study.  I've tried this a few times before, but this is my favorite way to-date, and the one I will probably stick with for a while.

Included in the notebook are 5 different sections: Self Evaluation, Preparation, Bible Study, Prayer, and BSF Notes.

Self Evaluation
This section contains the verse I have selected for 2015, and it will also have my life's Mission Statement once I've completed it.  I'm praying through that right now and will add it to the blog once I've got it finished.  I am excited to be able to pray through my Mission Statement each day and recall what the Lord has set me on this earth for.  We each have a purpose, and we must be intentional in living it out!

Prepare
I've learned that before opening your bible, it's good to prepare your heart.  Open your hands to what the Lord has for you, clear your mind, and some days you may even need to clean up your heart.  I used a post from Amy Hale's Instagram regarding how to pray before, during, and after our bible study (from "Women in the Word," which is at the top of my "To Read" list).  She also posted a template for confession from the :IFGathering she was a part of.  Both of these have a few tweaks on my part to make them a little more personal for me.

Bible Study
Under the "Bible Study" section, I have a few different tools I use to help deepen my understanding and get me involved with what I am reading.  The first tool is the Good Morning Girl's "Bible Study Highlighting Guide."  This allows you to view passages in your bible from a broader standpoint and gives you a guide to follow throughout your entire bible.  This helps you to categorize what you are reading to help with a deeper understanding of the passage.  Another way to develop a deeper understanding of the passage is to answer some different questions.  I have used both the SOAP method (also from Good Morning Girls) and the 7 Arrows method (which I love!). Both of these get you involved with the scripture, leading you to take action as opposed to just reading the verses.

Prayer
This section is one that I have been working on and refining for quite some time.  I've used various methods for prayer journals and done a few different bible studies to grow in my prayer life, and this is the culmination of what I have found to work for me personally.  The first part is just an overview with some of my favorite quotes and verses regarding prayer as well as two acronyms that I saw in a lot of my studying - ACTS and CHAT.  The second part is from Beth Moore's "Whispers of Hope" devotional book that teaches you how to pray based on the acronym PRAISE.  By the end of the study, and still to this day, my prayers are filled with "Thank your Lord..." as opposed to "Give me Lord."  It definitely challenged me and revolutionized the way I pray!  The final page expands on one of the letters in the PRAISE Guide - I, for Intercession.  I have worked and reworked my guide for daily/weekly prayer and this list is the one that I have found to be most inclusive and works best for my personal prayer life.

BSF Notes
The final section I have in my notebook is personal for me, but it is set up for all of my notes and ASKs for a weekly bible study I attend throughout the year called BSF.  This is where I will keep my weekly notes as well as the weekly prayer requests for the group of ladies I meet with each week.

**If you would like help creating your own Prayer and Bible Study Notebook, Family Bible Study Basket, or you would like PDF Files of the ones I have shown above to create your notebook, please email me at carriehammons@ymail.com or comment below with your email address.**