1,oooth Blog Post Milestone
Milestones…..I remember waiting for each kid in our house to meet certain milestones. first it’s to smile, then sleep through the night , then there are first teeth, rolling, sitting, crawling, standing walking, then there is riding a bike, first day of school, driving (GULP- a milestone not too far off for our oldest). The point is that life is FULL of milestones and for the most part milestone are fun and this milestone is no different.
Things happen and sometimes milestones are delayed. Delayed milestone when we are talking about small children aren’t good at all and we have had a fair share of those as well but in the growth and maturity of this blog I have had a few seasons of waiting. BUT THIS IS IT BABY!!!
January 8, 2007 (you can check it out here)
I had two kids ages 1.5 and 5 months old YEAH I KNOW! and I was just a few months shy of getting pregnant with number 3 (he was born in November of that year). Hubby was working full time, going to school full time and was associate pastor with his dad full time. I was about to turn 27 years old and I needed to do something to get the words out that wouldn’t be understood by my you g cohorts.
I don’t even remember what I called my first blog (hosted by blogger) but I remember that my first user name was Frog Princess!!! (yes I love frogs and I am God’s princess so there ya have it). then came Happy Mama and that was my next blog….a BIG GIRL real for real HOSTED blog . There was about a years time when the blogosphere (is that even a word anymore) didn’t hear from little old me and THAT’s ok. That Blog was called Walking the Walk- and I was off again.
Fast forward just a few short years and we faced something difficult. and because of that I struggled with some major fear in my life and took a major long healing process. and with that healing process came a new blog and a different person. I wish I could tell you that fear didn’t affect my blogging anymore but RGAR WOULD BE A BOLD FACED LIE! It is a struggle to write about hard things and in the coming months and years it’s not going to get easier. See the point of this blog is all about a journey, and this journey is NOT an easy one. This journey has seen my fait waiver and I have lost hope once or twice. But t I am thankful for a GOD who chases me down and doesn’t let me go!!!!!!
SO Let’s have a pasr-tay!!! Let me introduce you to AJ.
Arabah Joy
I was introduced to AJ back a few years ago when I purchased one of the first Ultimate Homeaking Bundles. I think t was a set of cards Called WORSHIP: Celebrating the names and Attributes of God. I LOVED this resource and I used it often and over the years I have bought more bundles Like a Bible study bundle and more homemaking bundles. . And it’s kinda funny when I started preparing for this post I began to realize just how many of AJ’s resources I have collected over the years. I also enjoy her Bible study Methods PDF as well.
You can purchase this PDF Here (Note I do not own the entire PDF file just the ebook and links for videos)
I have used quite a few of these and enjoy them.
Another Of AJ’s PDF’s that I have used on and off over the last few years came in another homemaking Bundle and we are currently using them in our “morning basket” (even though there is no BASKET to speak of)
You can purchase this PDF here
Over the last few years I have collected and used many of her scripture writing sheets as well. So as I prepared to make this blog post 3 1/2 months ago I was also compiling my PDF books and was reminded of just how many of AJ’s re sources I have used and enjoyed AND THEN I saw an ad on facebook. It was for AJ’s newest resource and I had an idea. AND I had to muster some courage.
I needed to take a step of faith and get some boldness. wrote to AJ. I had shared me milestone and she was so encouraging And she kindly granted me TWO copies one for me to review and one FOR ME TO GIVE AWAY! in honor of my 1,000 blog post so a huge shout out and thank you to ARABAH JOY.
So let’s get into this awesome new resource! It’s called “LOVE THE WORD BIBLE STUDY BINDER” and it comes with 66 printable pages and it’s got a bunch of AJ’s resources in it!
Here’s what you get!
- 4 different covers to choose from
- Spines in each of the cover patterns for 1, 1 ½, 2, and 3 inch binders
- Tabs (both customized and blank)
- Monthly divider sheets (January – December)
- The Alone with God Quiet Time Journal
- Bible Color Coding System with instructions and Bookmark
- PROSPER Bible Study Method (workbook, templates, + 5 video tutorials)
- Sermon Notes sheets
- Prayer and Praise sheets
- Gratitude sheets
- Journaling Pages
- 12 Monthly Write the Word Challenges (topics include Spiritual Friendship, Money Matters, Cultivating Joy, The Power of Prayer, and more)
These printable are amazing for a number of reasons……
first the are GORGEOUS!!! Love the style and the colors AND it comes with 4 different covers and end pieces for the binder. So since I put mine together during cCOVID Quarantine My resources were limited so I ended up using a binger and clear sleeves I already had
I choose the fun Plaid cover.
The there REALLY great thing about this binder is YU can make it fit YOU!!! Since I received my files I have changed and rearranged my binder to make it fit my needs. And sometimes my needs need to fit seasonally.
Here are some of my other images from my binder….
As you can see in some of these images I laminated the monthly tabs and I made the dividers for some sections and I added some tabs in the back to hold the extra printables I am currently not using. You can purchase this Binder printable pack for $27.00 HERE
THEN LIFE HAPPENED
No joke! At the beginning of quarantine 3 1/2 months ago here in NY I had 3 or 4 blog posts to write and at the rate I was going it would have been posted the next week. I literally wrote to AJ the weekend before life hot the fan. On Friday the NY governor said he wasn’t going to close schools BUT by Tuesday all NYS schools were closed indefinitely. first one month, then two months then til the end of the school year and we lost our spring break. . And even though just a week or two prior to the new normal we all found ourselves in Hubby and I had decided to homeschool 3 out of the 4 kiddos next school year we joked that “apparently we were going to get to test run the idea”. HA. 4 kids 3 schools all handling school differently. NOT A BLESSED thing like homeschooling and before long I realized that my goal of 1,000 blog posts was going to have to wait!
So here we are…..
3 /12 months later. we are currently in stage four of re-opening here is New York State. We had our first in person church service in 3 1/2 months. People are wearing masks and elbow bumping each other. I wish I could tell you that our family had walked away unscathed from this virus but we have friends who have lost loved ones and we waited and prayed for good news. and were saddened by the loss of their loved ones. And then for me specifically it weighed so heavily on my heart that so many of our friends who were losing friends and family all while watching people call the illness a hoax and whatever. They had zero regard for those who were going through so much. It broke me. I had no words. And I disappeared and threw myself headlong into my family
My review
At this point I have had ampersand’s time to use a good majority of my binder and It is extremely helpful to me. I am currently working through the PROSPER Study Method while I work thru the book of Philippians. Each time I use a new study method I am stretched and this is no different. I love it that you spend so much time in the same passage and that you examine it through many different angles. I printed off all the pages I needed to go though the book of Philippians and bound it along with a printed off copy of Philippians so I could make my notes and highlights all in one place and at the end of each section I take the color coding bookmark and mark up the printed off copy of Philippians as well.
I have also used the sermon notes pages…those of you who know me know I had to go back to a regular notebook just because of the amount of notes I take.
I have also used the gratitude journal pages and the scripture writing pages.
As you can see I love the binder and I will put it to good use for a very long time. I just want to make something clear though. JUST because You get this tool, doesn’t’t mean that you will automatically start growing You have to actually use it. You have to WANT to grow. So many times we put stock in people or tools to help us grow but then aren’t willing to put the work in and make the commitment to the one who saved our souls
This is a great way to organize your prayer life which as a pastors wife can m=be down right daunting and overwhelming sometime times (ok all the time). BUT THIS HELPS A LOT! Especially in the overwhelm.
Just one more Note about AJ and her website.
I have included a bunch of links in this blog post but NONE of them are affiliate links. I want to share these resources with you. They have helped me and they have encouraged my heart. And I want that for you as well. Another thing I NEVER EVER do is encourage you to sign up for an email subscription list. BUT if ever there was one that you should AJ’s is it.
It seems like when I am in the middle of something hard an email will come through and either she will have words of encouragement of a free tool that meets me RIGHT where I am at…..
So What’s Next?\
The long and the short of it is I don’t know I have a laundry list of blog posts to be written. I hope to have a design update and some tweaks that need to be done so stay on the lookout but also hope to start adding in more art and reviewing some products of the art nature and I also would love to bring back book reviews but so much has changed with the closing of BookLook Bloggers.
So here’s the deal (I mean giveaway)
I have one set of printables to give away. I will pick the winner on July 13th and all you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me two things
- What is one way God changed you through quarantine or showed you about yourself?
- What is an area you struggle with in spending time withGod?
AND THANK YOU……
I couldn’t have done this without you my readers!!! It’s been a journey of growth and excitement.I can’t believe I have hot this milestone WITH YOU!!! Thanks so much for sticking with me! I can’t WAIT for the NEXT 1,000 posts (and hopefully it won’t take almost 13 years LOL)
Blessings, Mary
