Scrapbooking Musings...

All the Loves of My Life, May 1977

In July 2005 I began to scrapbook our family beginning with our wedding in July 1970. It took five months for me to finish Freddy's first 3-1/2 years, which ultimately filled two albums with 108 pages (scrappers ALWAYS count their pages) and encompasses the "Denver years" and the "Costa Mesa years." After a short break :) I began the "Isaac years," which coincides nicely with the "San Diego years." I've just finished the "Isaac years" (80 pages!) and am now busy scanning, sorting, and planning for the "Annie years, ala Sunkist years!" The last two evenings I spent working on the journaling in the Freddy years--taking a lot of time as my "little women" know so well, but brings me so much joy!

At the same time, I've been reading portions of Scripture each day in a journaling book compiled by Anne Graham Lotz. The Scripture readings are from a book published in the 1800s called "Daily Light." Anne just organized the readings and added questions to prompt one to journal how the Scriptures reach into your heart and help you apply them to your life.

The following is a prayer I wrote when I clearly had scrapbooking on my mind!

"Oh that my life will have no blank pages--

that I would be filled up with the love of God for others--

for my husband, children, grandchildren, and my parents.

That the pages of my life would be easily read,

and the journaling left behind not scribbled or difficult to understand.

That Jesus will be found on every page

and His grace will be the embossing that is not just seen,

but felt--

along, above, and below the surface,

leaving behind a visible and permanent mark!

That even the memories I leave behind that are bitter

and have no value

and are not edifying for anyone,

will be viewed as the grace and forgiveness and love of Christ.

And that every frivolous and meaningless embellishment

I add to my hectic and busy life,

will be replaced by a deep and abiding legacy of living

with eternity's values in full view,

visible to all on every page of my life.

--July 2006