Scrapbook Addict

 In my free time I am still sorting pictures of Millie. I am planning to get them all printed soon, then finish her scrapbooks. What a sobering statement! I never thought I would ‘finish’ any of my children’s memory books. I remember telling different friends of mine that I would continue to scrap my kids lives even after they were grown. Well…. I will eventually if the Lord is willing. I have some of the kids albums completed up to their teenager years. I have the three middle girls to elementary age. My three youngest are at about 18 months, 18 months, and 9 months in that order. Oh, how did I get so far behind??!??

Pictures and the corresponding memories have always been important to me. I remember in 1995 when David and I heard a radio program about a woman named Rhonda who had started a business teaching other how to preserve their memories in scrapbook albums. Within a few short months I was invited to a home party where I not only got to experience it firsthand, but left signed up as a consultant for Creative Memories. I absolutely loved it! Over the next 20 years I completed over 60 scrapbook albums, help numerous other consultants start their business, sold thousands of dollars in scrapbooks, and made so many forever friends! There is just something about the friendships forged over laying your life out on a table and telling your stories. We have laughed together, and we have cried together. We have become friend, sisters, and a support system as our families have grown older before our eyes.

I have placed so many mementos like birth certificates, newborn footprints, locks of hair, childhood handprints, piano awards, schoolwork, baptismal certificates, and state fair ribbons in the children’s albums. In our albums there are Christmas cards and letters, friend and family’s birth announcements, graduation, marriage, and even funeral programs. To flip through these books is a walk down the memory lane of our life. I have testified to the goodness of God in both the good and the hard times. I have exhorted the children with scripture right along side the many memories I wrote about them. Needless to say, these time capsules of our lives are precious to me.

In scripture God commanded the children of Israel to take time to remember their past and share that in Joshua 4:4-7

𝟒 𝐒𝐨 𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞, 𝟓 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, “𝐆𝐨 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧. 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝟔 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, ‘𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧?’ 𝟕 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.”

These times of remembering were very important to the children of Israel. They pointed to what God had done for the nation. They gave the children a reference point to their own history. Making connections and relationships are very important to sharing our faith with future generations. Without the testimony of believers, without watching others as they walk through the day-to-day struggles, people are left without knowing where to turn. They get HOPE when we share where our hope comes from. People often say to me, “I don’t know how you walk through losing Millie” or “I could not survive it”. I can truthfully say, “In my own strength, I can’t!” I am not equipped to lay my child down in death. I don’t think any parent knows how to survive without their child. The loss is too great! However, Christ gives me strength and hope to continue through each day. He doesn’t make it easy or pain free, rather he walks through it with me. He gives my heart that calm assurance that I will see Millie again in heaven because I am his child, just as she was his child.

I share this in hopes that if your heart is breaking, you too can look to Christ to be a sweet balm. I never want people to read me as “Polly Positive” who never really feels the true pain of this loss. Millie’s death was an awful, painfilled, traumatic, and devastating event that left our hearts torn and bleeding. It left our chest aching, our lungs burning, and our eyes flooded with tears. Some days it is worse than that…but some days the pain lessens, the good memories flood our minds, and a sweet smile crosses our lips as we remember how Millie forever touched us. Our loss is earthly, but not eternal--it is not a forever loss! Either David and I will meet Millie in heaven someday upon our death or Jesus will return and call all his believers. Either way, we WILL SEE HER AGAIN! In that hope, I have no doubt.

As you walk down your mind’s eye of memory lane, consider your testimony to God’s goodness… have you shared it lately? Do your children and grandchildren know where your strength comes from?

Blessings sweet friends…

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

I still believe in Millie’s Miracle

｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ Hebrews 11:1 ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

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