Skip to main content

Faithbooking

I am not a scrapbooker. And I have to admit that often times I feel like I'm really missing out. I've attended parties and by no fault of the hostess, the spark just wasn't there. I don't take pictures very often and then if I do get around to developing the film it is doubtful that I'm going to have the time, patience or money to take all my kiddos over to Hobby Lobby to try to find the right paper, stickers and embellishments for the page. Plus, my creative skills are not so great, so finding the right embellishments for the page just seemed overwhelming. However, I did attend a card party with Stampin Up a couple of years ago and found my soul mate in the crafting world. I wanted to buy everything. I have found it great therapy for me. I can use anything I find to throw on the cards, but just the thought of adding pictures seems too daunting.

I also have privately journaled for years and I would say that I have close to 15 journals completely filled with notes, stories, thoughts, struggles and many mistakes. Writing comes much easier for me. Maybe because at this point in life, my brain is too full and tired to be much more creative.

My love language is several mixed together, but words and gifts are my top two. God has proved Himself loving to me in those ways time and again. I love that God knows exactly how to touch my soul and to touch me when I am needing him the most. Recently I was standing in the kitchen crying after someone had hurt my feelings and made me question my value to them. The phone rang and I cowgirled up to quit crying and answer sounding as happy as I could possibly fake. On the other end was a woman I know. A Godly woman that mentors in our moms group. She wasn't my mentor, we barely knew each other. Yet she called to tell me how wonderful she thought I was. ME! When I think so highly of HER. She had some really kind words of encouragement for me. God had prompted her to call me. He loved me through someone tangible. This has happened on many occasions over the years.

My second love language is gifts. Now while it would be nice if those gifts were a new house, a vacation or new excursion, our needs right now are just the basics and He says that He will provide all our needs. Allen opened his own business with no capital just over 2 years ago. We were so naive. Almost every dime still goes back in the business. The winter is slower and so the first couple of busy months we are playing catch up and the last couple of busy months we are trying to save up enough to get us through the slow times. The month of December 05 we were extremely strapped. God intervened and took care of us. We didn't lose our house, we didn't have the electricity cut off, we were well fed. A couple of the gifts we received during that month were: (only a handful of people knew the degree of our situation) a large job with enough profit to pay our house payment 4 days before it sold at the courthouse for foreclosure, one of Allen's brothers showed up expectantly with their van full of groceries and completely filled our pantry with part of his bonus, the other brother stocked our freezer with a beef that he had been given, a check for $100 and a card saying it was for gas to go home for Christmas, over $300 in misc gift checks or money came in, I had a tooth that was hurting and we had no insurance - the mailman delivered a certified letter containing a visa gift card with no name just a card stating it was valued at $250 and hoped it would cover my dentist appointment. There were gifts left on our backdoor anonymously for the kids for Christmas gifts. These are just the ones off the top of my head.

It is my goal to put these happenings and memories into a scrapbook so that when I am facing troubles, I can pull it off the shelf and see proof positive that God has taken care of all my needs in the past and I can have hope in that He will the next time also. I wish I would have started earlier on in life to start a scrapbook of all the incidents in life that God has proved faithful and good. We started a thankful journal. It's actually a recipe card holder with 365 index cards in it with the date on each one for a year. Each night after devotions we say something we are thankful for and it goes on the card. I look forward to reading them and adding to them year after year. I had done this in a journal for myself and it was a such a blessing to myself to try to find 5 different things each day to be thankful for. And after all the big things are named, it was a true joy to start seeing even the little things in life in which we have to be thankful for...ibuprofen, that parking space right in front of the door, jello for snack time, a baby's burp, and brown sugar for my coffee.

I challenge you for the next week to find 5 things a day you are thankful for and post them if you feel up to it. I am guessing you'll have so much fun that you'll continue it as a habit.

Comments

Anonymous said…
What a great post. I really like your idea of the 365 cards - using it for a "thankful journal". I think I'm going to try that. What a great way to look back through the year (and all those hard times) at the way God has blessed you!

Have a great day!
Anonymous said…
i love the challenge of thinking of 5 things a day to be thankful for...it is far too easy to get caught up in the "rough" parts of the day rather than the blessings and gifts. thanks for the challenge!
Rebecca said…
HI there! I tried this before but don't THINK it went through-so here we go again-and if you get a repeat, you will just know how REALLY grateful I am!

Thank you for stopping by my blog to wish me a Happy Birthday! It was very sweet of you and it made my day that much sweeter!

Have a wonderful day!
Full of Grace said…
I really liked your idea of writing down one thing you are thankful for and then at the end of the yr, going over them, Suzanne!

Thanks for sharing in your post- I have never seen firsthand what you wrote about (yet), so when I hear about stories/ situations like yours it really reminds me of how God truly does care for us, and provide in unbelievable ways for us! I'm so glad He did this for you and your family!!!
Anonymous said…
What a great idea. I'll try to do it but I'm horrible at follow thru! :)

Isn't God amazing with his provisions? You know that verse in Habbukuk? I'll do something in your day you would not believe even if told? Taken a little out of context but you get my idea. God is amazing!!

Take care!

Popular posts from this blog

Highway Horror

We were on our way back to college after a fun weekend trip to a friends home. The windows were down to allow at least the breeze in since it was scorching hot outside and this car had no air-conditioning, in fact, we were lucky it ran at all. And with the windows down, we actually had a nice cross breeze with the holes in the floor board.We were singing to whatever song we could find on the stations in the middle of Kansas on some little mostly unknown highway. It was the quickest route between Manhattan and Wichita. There are many things in life to fear and many things to fear in the flat lands . I had been in Wichita on two separate occasions when there were tornadoes , but this threat was even worse. On a long stretch of quiet highway we enjoyed the beautiful sights of the pastures and sky. There were several tractors working in the fields and mowing in the ditches. Up ahead of us, there was something covering the entire road for as far as we could see. As we neared, it lo

Devotion for Baby Shower

I am so sad to miss out on this opportunity to get to celebrate LeAnne and the gift of this baby boy. I was asked to share a devotional and while honored, I also know my wisdom and experience pales in comparison to many ladies that are in LeAnne's life. Especially the example of her mom Judy. I am so thankful for their close relationship and friendship and the instruction that her parents and Josh's parents give to them to seek after the Lord. The is no greater accomplishment. My own parenting has been a constant learning process and with each new child I realize how little I only thought I knew. I pray for less of me and my weaknesses so that HE can fill and lead our family. Devotional: Live Fully in the moment. While it is easy to love a sleeping, snuggling, cooing baby. Kisses on warm fuzzy heads & velvet skin. Chubby little fingers, toes and thighs. That breathtaking love so deep that our hearts hurt as they sigh and find utter fulfillment resting on our chests.

Pray without Ceasing

How can we pray without ceasing? "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV). The Greek word "without ceasing" means continuous action. Just as soldiers have radio transmissions built into their helmets to hear their commanding officer at all times, prayer is our way of hearing our leading Savior. It’s a heart attitude, expressed throughout the day in silent prayers of communication with the Lord. It’s being willing to be inline with Him so that when He prompts us we respond. It’s before our feet hit the floor, at meal times, the last words of the day, while driving, changing diapers, washing dishes and piles of laundry, weeding, picking up toys. It doesn’t replace our alone time, but adds to it. I have justified to myself that I have been too busy to be consistent with my quiet time.  But yet, it really is my own lack of self discipline a