What Do You Have in That Bag?!?

I have a bag that I carry, known around here as Mom's Bible Study bag.  Recently I've been asked by numerous people, "What do you carry in that bag?" So I thought I'd show you!  Here's the top view. 

 It's a Thirty-One bag, I'm not sure that they even make it any more?  But it is super sturdy!  I don't carry a purse, the red pouch is my wallet and I just throw everything else in this tote.  There several pockets on the outside, this side is where I keep my nametag for Bible Study Fellowship.

 On this side I keep my Post-It note pads and apparently my cheese sticks.

 Front view - I should call my bag June...as in June is busting out all over.  Except she isn't.  All the seams are perfectly intact.

 Big books - I've got my Beth Moore Daniel study, a borrowed copy of Dianne Craft's Brain Integration Therapy, my planner, the green folder has my Bible Study Fellowship work in it, my Sunday school teacher's guide, an old Beth Moore Living Beyond Yourself that I'm copying notes out of, and a BJUPress catalog.

 I've got some Happy Mail in there, ready to mail out.

 Small books - my Bible, "Still Alice" (highly recommend), "A Thomas Jefferson Education" (also highly recommend), notebook, True Woman Manifesto (this always gets moved to last on my priority list, unfortunately).

 I've got two spiral bound notecard books, for scriptures for memory work, my wallet, my earbuds, van key with adorable keychain made my talented good friend, Jill and pencil pouch.

My pencil pouch is a bit on the full side as well.  I'm pretty particular about my writing utensils, I like a dull pencil but I really like these mechanical pencils, the lead thickness is 1.3mm, whereas a standard mechanical pencil is 0.7mm.  Standard pencil lead always breaks on me, but not these.  They are great!  I've also got my colored pens and watercolor pencils for Bible journaling, lots of medium thickness ballpoint pens, highlighter, and pretty Sharpie.

So, now you know, when you see me schlepping my Bible study bag around, what's in there!  I enjoy having everything right in one place.  If I get a chance to head to the coffee shop to work on Bible study homework, it's all in there.  When it's time to drive to guitar lessons and sit for an hour, I'm prepared.  When I settle in to my favorite chair to study my Bible, I've got everything I need gathered together.  If I want to go to bed early, I just lug the bag upstairs. 

Do you have a special space where you always read and study or do you have a basket or bag you store all of your needful things in?

Back To School Giveaway

UPDATE: If you want to leave a comment as Anonymous please email me or let me know who you are so I can enter your name in the giveaway. Photo from http://www.allposters.com/

I love back-to-school time. Not because I don't want my children around (in fact, it's quite the opposite), but ever since I was a young girl I thought back-to-school was it's own season. What is not to love? New schedule, new clothes, new friends, new crayons.

As a teacher candidate one of my philosophies is that we need to instill a lifelong love of learning in our students. We never stop learning and experiencing life. I was so blessed to attend Beth Moore's Daniel Bible study this spring. It was simply phenomenal. I can't say enough good about it. Here's the description from the LifeWay website:

Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy by Beth Moore
shows how individuals can live with integrity in today's self-absorbed society.
Join Beth in a faith-building study of prophecy and learn how to shine for
Christ in our modern culture. Just as the prophet Daniel faced unbelievable
pressures—to compromise his faith, to live in a hostile culture, and to confront
temptations and threats—today's believers face many of the same trials.

So while we start the children on their next several months of studying, I thought it would fun to offer the women something to study of their own. So I'm giving away my copy of Beth Moore's Daniel Study Guide. It's very gently used but I did not write in it at all. The only thing I ask is that you also use it but don't write in it and then pass it on.

Here is how to enter: Leave a comment with your best back-to-school smooth transition advice, maybe a great idea for getting clothes organized, a terrific crock pot meal, a scheduling idea. Homeschool moms, jump in here. Teachers too! And if any of you have a phenomenal tip for making sure all the papers and agendas get signed on time and put back into the proper backpack, I'm ALL ears. I am bound and determined to tame the paper monster this year!

The contest will close at midnight Saturday, August 22 and one winner will be drawn at random.