My older sister gave me two torn and battered 1950's photo albums last year after Mom's funeral and pleaded with me to fix them for her. I said 'Yes' and took them home.

The photo albums themselves were beyond repair.  I had to take everything out of them and redo everything in a new album.  I've been working on it from time to time. But it's turned into more of an expense than I thought originally. Thankfully I've been able to use Michael's 40, 50 and 60% off coupons bit by bit to acquire supplies. But yesterday I didn't feel like going to Micheal's. Instead I went to a local scrapbooking store. It was great to find everything 30% off. They are going out of business. I picked up a few extras for under $10.

I thought I'd show you what this is.

The photo album itself was a Pioneer album I picked up for $16...originally priced at $24. The extra pages in it were 50% off. The sheet protectors I picked up at Staples for a substantial discount from Micheal's. They were half the price as Micheal's. Most of the page embellishments are ones I already had, ones Mom passed down to me, or ones I picked up at dollar stores across the country this past year. The biggest expense has been the photo corners! Micheal's sells 280 of them for over $6!!! I picked up the last package of adhesive ones at a local scrapbooking store for $3.64 (30% off) yesterday.

Here's a sample page.

I was thinking of trying faith scrapbooking.  A friend of mine introduced me to it last fall, and I was quite excited to try it.  I looked at books in the library.  Browsed the bookstore shelves for books.  I even collected materials as I found them.  And my friend gave me some supplies too.  But nothing got done.    Every time I picked up something related to it and thought about doing it, I just got a strong feeling this is not my ministry, it's hers.  So I just sat on it...thinking "Some day - The timing is just wrong".

So I trip over a YouTube video on prayer scrapbooking.  I am enamoured with the idea.  One of the problems I have with my illness is poor concentration and memory -- side effects of the medication.  Right now I have prayer lists all over my computer desk (it's a mess!).  I read through them periodically and pray for the people on the lists.  It gives me something constructive to do at the computer desk!

Anyway, I go away thinking I want a prayer scrapbook, where I have photos and notes of people and places I want to pray over.  Where I can't forget what and who to pray for.  I already have a prayer journal, but I'm thinking the visuals would keep me focused.  And the prayer journals I have are very broad, including notes on books I've read, and prayers relating to them.

I turned the idea over and decided I'd try a combination faith/prayer scrapbook.  Yesterday I pulled out all the supplies and materials.  I searched and searched but couldn't find what I wanted to open the book.  I found a perfect close for the book.  So I searched hymnals and the Bible looking for quotes.  You know, it was just so hard, like pulling teeth, finally I just put everything down.  If God wanted me to do this, surely it would be a lot easier?  I don't know.  Again I felt like I was stepping on someone else's mission.  I went to help Paul get started de-cluttering his computer desk.  Then came down to make an apron.  Then, having avoided it all day, came back to it this morning.

I decided I had the beginning and the end.  The beginning is Psalm 148, a song of praise to the Lord.  It seemed a fitting way to open a prayer scrapbook.  The final closing quote is Romans 11:33, 36.  I pasted them in, with pictures, and then prayed to God that if He wanted the book filled, He was going to have to show me what to fill it with!  Who knows if this will have been wasted effort.  I need some way to keep me from forgetting to pray for people and events, and this seems like a good way.  It makes sense logically, but I'm just not sure...

I guess part of me loves the creative aspect of a project like this, but the spiritual side of me is concerned it will make my prayer life too rigid and structured.  I don't think that will happen, because I simply can't stay focused long enough for much rigidity or structure!  The Lord and I wander off on tangents a lot.  I learn a lot from those tangents.  But having something to center me or bring me back to the task at hand could be helpful. 

So there it sits...a lovely 8 1/2" x 11" x 1" hardcover sketchbook (I inherited it folks -- I'd never pay for it!), with Psalm 148 and Romans 11:33,36, waiting for the Lord to prompt me to do something with it...or not...

Update (Feb. 6, 2008)
Okay, so sometimes God is really quick answering prayer.  I went to my very first Women Aglow meeting yesterday.  It was quite an experience for me.  On the table were brochures on how to pray for Jews, Muslims and First Nations people.  I grabbed one of each. 

Then later that evening, at our church's Shrove Tuesday supper, a friend mentioned her brother, who was in need of prayer.  Somehow I don't think God intends me to run out of people to pray for! 

And, to top it off, my older sister phoned last night.  I've been thinking about her daughter for about a week now, praying for her and generally wondering what was up in her life.  I told my sister I'd been praying for her daughter this week, and she seemed relieved and opened right up.  Her mom told me all the trials my niece was going through right now, and the issues she has.  I made sure I pasted a photo of her in my prayer scrapbook last night.  Today I will add things to pray about specifically for her.

In fact, I was so excited about all the prayer possibilities, before bed I quickly glued everything in the scrapbook...in the wrong places...sigh...oh well.  LOL  Better to be excited about the potential of prayer than not.  So I am glad this has all come about.  Sometimes I get a glimpse of the wonderful symphony God orchestrates!  Yesterday was one of those days.

And, to make things more interesting, God answered a couple more prayers at that Women Aglow meeting.  I had been wondering how to pray for my niece.  They have prayer requests you can submit anonymously.  I put her name in and listened as an entire group prayed for her.  It is always interesting to hear how other people phrase things and see things. 

And then there was my prayer awhile ago about finding something cheap/free related to scriptures to put in my purse and carry around with me.  I have had key scriptures typed on paper and shoved in there, but they don't last long.  My purse is packed pretty tight and the papers would get wrecked.  Plus I wanted something that was long enough it could center me when I traveled.   I find a a lot of change stressful.  Well, the newcomers package at Women Aglow includes a small paperback copy of the book of John!!!  I couldn't believe it!  I whisked it into my purse right away! 

So I think, considering all the prayers already answered at Women Aglow, I will be going back next month...just to see what's happening there.  I gather it was a rather rowdy meeting compared to usual.  They had interesting speakers - a husband/wife team.  I really enjoyed the wife's talk.  Sigh...can't remember her name now...sigh...