Great Commission Churches

August 2003

 Dear Sisters,

Now that we have all spent the summer “making memories,” what do we do with all the pictures we’ve had developed from those wonderful times with friends and family? Linda Charlton is an expert in the area of scrapbooking. Let her inspire you, through her article this month, to preserve and share the fun in albums. Enjoy!

Love,

Sandy

Preserving the Memories

by Linda Charlton, Darby Creek Community Church

Sandy Hopler knows I like to scrapbook. I can't tell you how excited I was when she asked if I would be interested in sharing some thoughts about preserving memories. Would I ever!

Today was my 40th birthday, and the day has been well documented with photographs. Of course, any photo will not be treasured as much, or as long, if I forget why I took it--like the one of my kids on a bench outside of Bob Evans (because they looked so cute), or if our zoo photos aren't all together with a date and a note, or if I don't write down how I really felt about having a sign in my yard announcing, "Lordy, Lordy, Linda's 40!" (I thought it was great!). Recording each moment is fun, but if we preserve it, then the memory will last even longer.

We all love to get our pictures developed, and then share them with others, but too often these wonderful memories end up in a box and forgotten! But if we take the time to put our photos into an album, where there's room to write about them, then not only can we share our memories, but they're preserved to enjoy over and over again!

As a Creative Memories Consultant (I teach classes and sell supplies), I know photographs are best safeguarded in a well-made album, with an appropriate adhesive, and a pen created to be waterproof, fade proof, and not harmful to your photos. That's really all you need! You can keep an album as simple as you like, or you can spend time decorating with colored papers, pens, and stickers. What's important is that your pictures are safe in an album, someone has written down a few facts about the photos, and perhaps shared their feelings about them. I've heard so many positive things from women whose families have benefited from their scrapbooks.

Getting started seems overwhelming, but try starting with a small project like a vacation, a mission trip, or some current pictures where you remember the details (plus, they're the ones you’re most excited about right now). Then, you can go back and sort through the backlog as you become more comfortable with how easy and fun it is. When I pick up my photos, I file the ones I want to keep in a little photo-file Creative Memories offers. There's a section for each one of my kids. I sort out the ones that pertain just to them (like a sport or class they did), and the rest go in the family category. Each one of the kids has their own album for their own activities too. I add a group family photo occasionally. I try—although it’s hard—to throw away the bad or blurry photos. If I have several shots of the same moment, like someone blowing out the candles on a cake, I pick the best one to go into an album. All of my leftovers or extra doubles are stored in a photo box that I got at Wal-Mart. They are used for school projects or gift albums later.

We all know how quickly we forget the details of an event (I can't even remember the names of two people in a picture I ate dinner with on Mother's Day!). Many of us have seen old photos of relatives discarded because no one remembers the names of the people or any stories about their lives. Who were they and what was important to them? Our photographs will share that same fate, but not if we label them now and write the stories that our loved ones will treasure in the future.

I enjoyed all the fun ideas from last month's newsletter and hope to try them with our kids-- I'd also like my kids to remember we did them! And scrapbooking is a great way to remind my family how important they are to me. It's also a super way to get the most for your money by reliving the fun times over and over!

We can also leave a legacy in a scrapbook. I hope my children will see God's faithfulness and mercy as I document how He's blessed us. One of my scrapbooks holds photos of myself with no hair. The caption says, "Bad Hair Day," but I go on to tell about my chemotherapy for breast cancer. I was eight months pregnant when I was diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 breast cancer. I was able to record the many "Blessings in the Storm" that occurred at that time. Our son, Alex turns nine next month, and he can read about how he is one of those blessings.

But I think my favorite thing about scrapbooking, (besides getting together with friends to work on albums) is capturing the fun times our family shares. It helps keep my eyes on what's true, lovely, and pure. I can promote what I value. I don't take pictures of dirty laundry, sibling rivalry, or disrespectfulness. Carol Young mentioned how looking at old photos can soften her heart on a trying day with the kids.

So, I encourage you to find some friends, new or old, (this has been a great way for me to meet, and get to know, unbelievers) and get started placing your treasured memories into an album. Write down your stories to share with your family and friends, and enjoy them for years to come!