Scrapbooking: A 2009 Project
Last Friday night I did something I haven't done in a while--scrapbook. Four years ago I was a Creative Memories consultant holding monthly crops and loving every moment of it. Since that time I have worked very little on my family albums.

My goal last year was to complete five albums: 4 family albums and our youngest son's baby album. I completed maybe 15 pages in 2008. This project is renewed for 2009. While the goal of having a neat row of albums on a bookshelf is good, the real reason I want this project complete is to clean out a closet. Ten large boxes represent ten years of photos and memorabilia longing to find its home in an album. When those boxes are gone I'll be able to see the carpet.

Another reason--all the scrapbooking supplies. No need for a consultant -- I have more stickers and die cuts than one person needs to own. I need to use all those supplies up.

While I enjoy scrapbooking, it is not exactly a hobby. It's a project to encourage my family. While some scrapbook for the fun of it--creating beautiful elaborate pages,mine are much different. My albums are much simpler than most.

Most of us do not have time to sit down and start a project that cannot be finished in a few hours. Instead, we have to plan it--and pray over it. Pray over it? Yes, of course. We take what we consider big things to God and often leave off things we feel are too simple as a matter of not wanting to bother Him.

I would like to encourage you to take those projects that you seem to never have time for to the Lord. Ask Him if they are of any importance to Him. You may be surprised that He can give you strategies and opportunities to complete them. Or, He may let you know that it is something to not concern yourself with for this season of life. Last year was not the season for scrapbooking in my life. This year it looks like there will be a monthly opportunity for me to scrapbook.

What are your 2009 projects? I'd love to hear about what you're working on this year.