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I wouldn't call myself a "crafty" person, but boy, do I get excited about binders. A couple of years ago, my friend and I started planning a three-week road trip to New Zealand. As I began forming our itinerary, I knew it was probably smart to make physical copies, so I thought, "Finally! An excuse to fill up my new binder!" By the time the trip was reality, I was pretty proud of the plan I designed, decked out with pictures and a cover that said, "Attie and Annie's New Zealand Adventure." After the trip, I planned to convert the itinerary into a scrapbook of sorts, but that idea got lost on the sidelines. The problem is, I find it hard to spend time scrapbooking pictures of my life for a book that I'll probably open once every few years. So when I recently read an article about creating a "worship scrapbook," I thought about how I could do something similar with an action-based purpose. Follow along below for the ideas I came up with:
Visual art holds messages that can help us appreciate and remember lessons we learn through experience. But if you're someone who typically isn't a big fan of "flowery" crafts, I feel you! So for your sake and mine, I want to make this simple and open to varying levels of creative expression. You can find all the supplies you need in your home or local Walmart:
- Blank scrapbook, binder, or notebook (I'm going to use a binder, but something smaller may work better if you want to take it on the go.)
- Paper that fits the pages (Designed or blank)
- Pens, markers, or pencils of your preference
- The Bible (Preferably in digital form so you can easily look up verses)
- Access to the internet (Unless you already have a list of hikes/locations/activities you want to do)
- Scissors, glue, or whatever crafting tools you desire
- (Optional) Pictures of places where you were reminded of God's presence
Once you have your supplies ready for the project, it's time to layout an outline. Unlike most scrapbooks, this book will hold both stories and agendas. Now you might be thinking, "But you said this was going to be simple?" Well, don't worry, the extent of detail is up to you, and I'm going to keep it straight to the point. So take a piece of paper and answer these three questions:
(Sidenote: "Adventure" can be whatever action-based activity you choose. If you're not outdoorsy, it could be fitness or personal development-oriented.)
- What adventures have changed you as a person? Why? For the last part of that question, you can narrow down the answer to a central theme for each one and write that down. (Examples: Trust, confidence, praise, etc., or something unique to your spiritual growth.)
- What adventures do you want to pursue in the future? You can choose as many as you want, but keep in mind that each will need a full page. Look at the themes you identified above and match these goals to the areas you want to grow in. This is when you'll want to Google any specific activities if you want to add details. (Example: I'm going to make pages for different national parks I want to visit, with simple info like main attractions correlated with my character goals.)
- Pick out a verse that you want to keep in mind for each place/activity. The Bible app makes it easy to look up topics and find relevant verses!
Now here is the part where I'm not going to give you precise instructions.
With your chosen decorative supplies, you can design your pages however you want. You will want to leave space for at least one photo and about half the page to write on. You can make pages for past adventures or just use those reflections for reference. If you do choose to use them, feel free to add photos to those pages! Once you are happy with the artistry of your pages, you can follow my template below for the writing portion:
Date: September 13, 2021 (You can add this after the fact if it's not a set plan)
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." - 1 Timothy 6:6-7
Goals: Skyline Drive, Big Meadows unplanned hike.
Message: If I never have more than I do now, you will always be enough. (Write something you want to say to God in worship during this experience.)
Words from God: Leave this area blank to put your reflections here, after the activity. Later, you can write down something you felt God directly told you or Bible verses that came to mind.
Before you head into one of your activities, take a look at the page you made for it so you can carry an intentional attitude with you. If distancing from technology helps you focus on your mindset, you can replace photos with another creative expression. (Draw a picture, collect a leaf, buy a sticker or postcard, etc.) The possibilities are endless!
The point is that you will build a collection of memories and have encouragement to engage in activities with purpose. I hope this project is fun and inspires you to follow Jesus! And if you're anything like me, you'll want to find reasons to fill a second binder. So keep a lookout for similar projects in the future.
Written Content Coordinator at Sun Valley Community Church. An avid writer since the age of 5, who loves to explore new ideas and places. Inspired by Jesus, books, and travel.