Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words?

It's a well used saying: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.
Sometimes it's true.
And often it's not.
One of the reasons I scrapbook is because a picture cannot always tell the story.  It's been seven years since a tumor was discovered in our youngest child's skull.  We were told it was aggressive bone cancer. We had people around the world praying for her and God chose to answer in a miraculous way: turns out she didn't have cancer but a very, very rare disease that mimics cancer and would still require radiation and chemo.  Again folks prayed and once again God allowed a joyful answer to the prayers: our daughter responded so well to steroids and chemo that no radiation was necessary.  Two years later she was given a clean bill of health by her oncologist.
Sure we have photos.
But it's not until I go back and read journal entries and thoughts that were scrapbooked at the time that the full picture emerges.  It's so easy to "forget" little moments and even to forget emotions and thoughts during "big" moments.
That is why I scrapbook.
So I can pass the "full story," the "stones of remembrance" as the Bible calls them, onto my children. And their children.  And their children...
(Besides, it's just plain fun!)
Really, does this photo speak a thousand words?  What about when Elizabeth's children see it....will they know what happened? They will if they read the journaling and information that was scrapbooked!




This page is entirely journaling...copied directly from a journal I was keeping at the time.

A lot of my scrapbooking is just everyday moments...kids' sports events, game nights, hiking, etc.  But I've also created a scrapbook all about me - my strengths and weaknesses - and I've also done scrapbook pages about job losses and growing faith.  Because some things a picture just can't show! (And it's not about how well a person writes, but the willingness to share the heart.  THAT is what future generations will appreciate.)

How about you?  Ready to get started on Scrapbooking?  If you live in my area, contact me!  If you are in Vermont, Contact my sister Samantha of Samies Sentiments. Anywhere else? You might want to consider becoming a Close To My Heart Consultant yourself! (And there's always Archivers...) 

Happy Scrapping!
Marie with a :)

2 comments:

Val said...

Wow! There is so often a story behind the picture that a thousand words are needed to tell! I still remember when I learned about Elizabeth's tumor...on the road in Connecticut on the way home from spending Christmas in VT. I certainly sent up some prayers!

And, I so remember heading out to CO a few weeks after the surgery - and Elizabeth's amazing resilience and happy attitude (which MAY have had something to do with the happy pills...lol)

Thanks for sharing...and scrapping...and journaling!

Unknown said...

Marie, thanks for sharing this! I'm so thankful the Lord brought your daughter and all of you through this! Amen to journaling and sharing thoughts, thanksgivings, facts, wishes, blessings, and fears with those who do and will read our memory books! My goal in 2011 is to do more faithbooking.