A Pocket Letter

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. ~ Proverbs 25:25

Two posts ago, I told you I had found a totebag to hold all my supplies. I stashed it in between my chair and side table here in the living room, but it would fall over at the most inconvenient times and stuff would roll out, under the side table and chair, so I looked for a better solution. I found this teacher's file folder plastic box at a thrift store and it fits just perfect between the chair and table. Three gallon sized zippy bags hold most of the small stuff. So far, so good.

I realized very quickly that I was going to have to have something to hold all my scripture index cards in. I thought about an index card filebox, but wanted to put them into my planner. You know, like a one-stop shopping place, after all, it's a "Documented Faith" notebook,  so I found a solution at Pinterest for flip-up pockets. Well, I went shopping at several stores looking for those clear sleeves that go into scrapbooks and guess what? Murphy's law was at work again! So while I was at the thrift store, I found these little pocket albums for 99 cents a piece. They were a little beat-up, but I decided to buy enough so that if a few pockets were torn up, I'd have enough to store my cards in them. So I ripped the pockets out of the albums and trimmed the signatures folds, attached them with washi tape on both sides to the monthly dividers on the inside and wha-lah! Storage for my memory verses.  

See how the pocket sleeves flip up? Good time to review the scriptures too, when I open my planner to write something down.

At the same thrift store, I scanned a book about scrapbooking, written by Rebecca Sower called "Scrapbooking Life's Little Moments." She made a little scrapbook using the paraphernalia she collected for 30 days. How I could do that with my Documented Faith planner? What paraphernalia did I or could I collect that reflected my faith? Oh, I know, I stuff my church bulletins into my Bible every Sunday. So I dug those out and added them to my notebook.

And then I remembered a previous project in which I used old bulletins, thoughtfully saved by a previous pastor of our church into a little archives of sorts. A seminary professor who attended our church for many years had retired from his teaching job, was in the process of selling his home so that he and his wife could move to Michigan to be a co-pastor with his son. It had always been a dream of his to do that someday, so when he announced they were leaving, our women's group quickly got to work. They wanted  to give them something nice to remind them of their life at our church  before they left. Each family in the church, as they felt led to, was to write a letter about how they came to know this family and what they meant to them personally. Then I was asked to compile a timeline of their life at this church, so I dug into the church archives and came up with a document several pages long to be added to the scrapbook. If it hadn't been for the church bulletins, old phone directories, our Women's group photo scrapbook and church board meeting minutes, I would have not had the information I found. At their going away party, they said they had forgotten many of the things they had done and was grateful we cherished them as much as this to compile a scrapbook in their honor.   

Another thing I thought I could add to my notebook was a prayer request list with a space opposite to date when the prayers were answered, so I made up a document on Word for it. Last month I received my first pocket letter from a girlfriend I haven't heard from in awhile.





She said her scrapbooking club have been swapping these and wanted to know if I had seen them?  She said that they reminded her of the ATC's I had been making. I did my homework  and found they had been started by  Janette Lane. This is her channel at Youtube and she has several videos that explain what they are all about. So I thought if anyone wanted to swap with me, I would change it up a bit.

1. Janette has the "About Me" section. Mostly you tell about yourself on the back of a small card. I thought perhaps you could add a photo of yourself , or an artsy representation of yourself, if you wanted to, and then add in the information on the back.

2. I'm exploring my celtic heritage, so with this planner, I'm trying to keep it to theme. If you didn't notice a couple of posts ago, I found shamrock scrapbook paper for the cover of my notebook. Hobby Lobby has three or four different designs of celtic themed paper in their stacks for sale. Anything to theme would be much appreciated.

3.  Since this is a "Documented Faith" art planner, I thought about a pocket with a symbol of your faith would be nice. Since I'm a Christian, a celtic cross, or a photograph of my church or pastor would be appropriate, or a dove, praying hands, etc. A prayer card with a picture of St. Patrick or one of his prayers would be good or even a bit of scripture would be nice.

4.  Janette has a sharing of a packaged teabags.  I love tea too, so a cup of friendship would be nice. Reminds me of that scripture verse: "I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward. ~ Mark 9:41.

5. A Pocket Game -- I thought a little pocket game would be nice. I have one on my craft blog that I created. Actually it's made of  little ATC sized puzzle pieces. Click here to get directions on how to make one just like it!

6. Creation -- it is spring here and the perennial flowers are blooming. I thought Janette's idea of a packet of seeds was nice. As to the card, you could create one or use a photo of flowers or even add flower stickers to the card.  You can get as creative with this one as you wish, after all, you ARE made in the image of the Creator. *wink*

7. Gratitude -- add a gratitude of your own or a gratitude quote or some scripture that speaks of thankfulness. It's up to you.

8. In place of Janette's letter, I thought it might be appropriate to write your testimony about your faith and what it means to you.

9. And the last thing is a pocket for a piece of artwork. You are welcome to create some of your own  artwork (keep it clean), or add in a trading card of your favorite artist's artwork.  For instance, many Christian bookstores carry a wallet sized bust of Jesus painted by Warner Sallman.  

~~ <> @ <> ~~

I have one thing I'm most grateful for this week -- my sweetie went into an Office Store to get something and at the cash register, noticed a display case of washi tape on clearance. He brought me four rolls of green patterned tape, paying 50 cents a roll for it. It was so nice of him to think of me! I'm loving the tape!