'Scrapbooking Your Faith; Layouts that celebrate your spiritual beliefs' By Courtney Walsh.
It's well worth worth the thumb through. Some really inspiring layouts...
I'm hoping to do a few faith-based Layouts for my 'All About Me' Album, this is the first:
This is one of the reasons I blog, when I can, it's a great resource for journaling later. Get the memories and a few 'perhaps to be forgotten' tidbits down while the thoughts are still fresh... then you can go back to them later when your ready to scrapbook the day. I was uber lazy here and just printed verbatim what I had blogged...
Journaling:
Taken from my other Blog 'Lipstick on the Coffee Cup' http://craftymom.livejournal.com/
May 28th, 2008
Sanctuary...
"Today is Wednesday, my 'ritualistic' day of cleaning... because we host Kinship here Wednesday evening. Today I was feeling the need to do a little 'more' after being sick the past few weeks. I also found a FAB new (cheap!) cleanser that is just eating through some of the built up gunk the other one wasn't quite doing-it. As I was wiping down some of the walls, and noticing that I wasn't leaning over as far as I used to to reach all the little finger print smears *sigh*, I had a very vivid recollection of helping my Paternal Grandmother ready the wee little Anglican Church in Port Carling. Whenever we went up to visit the routine was set... right after dinner on Saturday evening, once the dishes were cleared away and cleaned... We grabbed some supplies and walked the 5 blocks down to the Church, My Grandmother & I. I've not thought about this in years... maybe the new cleaner's scent triggered something, I'm not entirely sure. Right now though, it's very clear in my Mind's Eye. It was always dusk but still light when we walked down. She'd go next door and get the Pastor (priest) to unlock the big carved double wooden doors. He'd bless her (so she could approach the front?) then leave us to do what needed doing. I remember walking in and always looking up first thing because there were bats... they gave me the creeps back then. I have 4 boys now so, now not so much. ;)We'd head up the main aisle to the front and Grandma would deal with the 'front stuff'; readying the alter, laying out linens, cups, the elements, refilling candle holders, putting out the flowers we had brought and any of a number of things needed for next mornings service. All a big mystery to me because I was never permitted beyond the kneeling rail. My job was the clean the sanctuary. Starting at the front and working my way back. I'd sweep, then mop the floor (bat dung... yick), wipe down all the pews with lemon oil (tiny church so that really wasn't that big a task) and then get all the pew books & bibles that were stacked in the cupboards and lay them out in the pews. It was quiet, steady, ritualistic work. We never talked, we just did what needed doing. It took a few hours. Once we were done the Pastor would come back bless us both and lock up. Then we went back home. It was always dark by then, my Grandmother brought a flashlight for us to see our way home. Her house was off the Main St. and therefore unlit by streetlights. We always chatted on the way home, but never about what we'd just done. I've not thought of this in yeeeears, but today I realized that 'ritual' is in affect, what I'm doing on Wednesday morning in my own home. Every Wednesday I clear my morning, start by the front door, sweep then mop... wipe down what I can of tables, mirrors, toilets, sinks and counters. Lay out a fresh tablecloth on the dining room table. Ready the coffeemaker and lay out corks, mugs and other coffee/tea essentials on the dining room table. If it's Eucharist day, like today, I pop up the little portable table and lay a cloth on it to. Then raid my collection of pottery wine cups and lay them out, find a jug for water and a lighter for the candle. It's quiet, steady, ritualistic work. Though not so much as it was when I was cleaning that old Church. If I don't finish before Thomas comes home from morning program it's not so quiet, sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I don't. I try to not answer the phone... but I do prefer to do it alone. I have system. The 'church' is different; no stain glass, no musty pew books, no bats (thank goodness), no old wooden pews worn by so many years of use... This living room 'sanctuary' has a tipping pile of toys in the corner, laptops on tables, the remains of breakfast scattered in the morning rush, a computer monitor on a desk lighting the corner, some shabby but comfy much 'boy-ed' couches, and the only 'wood' is the battered wicker-worked coffee table. Plus all the other detritus of a busy household complete with 4 boys, 2 adults, a dog and a bunny in residence the rest of the week...On Wednesday night though it is a Sanctuary. Far more humble than that great old Church Sanctuary steeped with years and years of spiritual presence... but I try my very best to ready it as best my abilities. Though it's not your average Sanctuary, for not your average church service... I'm glad to be given the honour of continuing in a line of service that has long been completed by other's in my family. I feel blessed being able to do this and I hope that what little I can do to prepare this 'sanctuary' in turn blesses those that worship in it."
Sanctuary...
"Today is Wednesday, my 'ritualistic' day of cleaning... because we host Kinship here Wednesday evening. Today I was feeling the need to do a little 'more' after being sick the past few weeks. I also found a FAB new (cheap!) cleanser that is just eating through some of the built up gunk the other one wasn't quite doing-it. As I was wiping down some of the walls, and noticing that I wasn't leaning over as far as I used to to reach all the little finger print smears *sigh*, I had a very vivid recollection of helping my Paternal Grandmother ready the wee little Anglican Church in Port Carling. Whenever we went up to visit the routine was set... right after dinner on Saturday evening, once the dishes were cleared away and cleaned... We grabbed some supplies and walked the 5 blocks down to the Church, My Grandmother & I. I've not thought about this in years... maybe the new cleaner's scent triggered something, I'm not entirely sure. Right now though, it's very clear in my Mind's Eye. It was always dusk but still light when we walked down. She'd go next door and get the Pastor (priest) to unlock the big carved double wooden doors. He'd bless her (so she could approach the front?) then leave us to do what needed doing. I remember walking in and always looking up first thing because there were bats... they gave me the creeps back then. I have 4 boys now so, now not so much. ;)We'd head up the main aisle to the front and Grandma would deal with the 'front stuff'; readying the alter, laying out linens, cups, the elements, refilling candle holders, putting out the flowers we had brought and any of a number of things needed for next mornings service. All a big mystery to me because I was never permitted beyond the kneeling rail. My job was the clean the sanctuary. Starting at the front and working my way back. I'd sweep, then mop the floor (bat dung... yick), wipe down all the pews with lemon oil (tiny church so that really wasn't that big a task) and then get all the pew books & bibles that were stacked in the cupboards and lay them out in the pews. It was quiet, steady, ritualistic work. We never talked, we just did what needed doing. It took a few hours. Once we were done the Pastor would come back bless us both and lock up. Then we went back home. It was always dark by then, my Grandmother brought a flashlight for us to see our way home. Her house was off the Main St. and therefore unlit by streetlights. We always chatted on the way home, but never about what we'd just done. I've not thought of this in yeeeears, but today I realized that 'ritual' is in affect, what I'm doing on Wednesday morning in my own home. Every Wednesday I clear my morning, start by the front door, sweep then mop... wipe down what I can of tables, mirrors, toilets, sinks and counters. Lay out a fresh tablecloth on the dining room table. Ready the coffeemaker and lay out corks, mugs and other coffee/tea essentials on the dining room table. If it's Eucharist day, like today, I pop up the little portable table and lay a cloth on it to. Then raid my collection of pottery wine cups and lay them out, find a jug for water and a lighter for the candle. It's quiet, steady, ritualistic work. Though not so much as it was when I was cleaning that old Church. If I don't finish before Thomas comes home from morning program it's not so quiet, sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I don't. I try to not answer the phone... but I do prefer to do it alone. I have system. The 'church' is different; no stain glass, no musty pew books, no bats (thank goodness), no old wooden pews worn by so many years of use... This living room 'sanctuary' has a tipping pile of toys in the corner, laptops on tables, the remains of breakfast scattered in the morning rush, a computer monitor on a desk lighting the corner, some shabby but comfy much 'boy-ed' couches, and the only 'wood' is the battered wicker-worked coffee table. Plus all the other detritus of a busy household complete with 4 boys, 2 adults, a dog and a bunny in residence the rest of the week...On Wednesday night though it is a Sanctuary. Far more humble than that great old Church Sanctuary steeped with years and years of spiritual presence... but I try my very best to ready it as best my abilities. Though it's not your average Sanctuary, for not your average church service... I'm glad to be given the honour of continuing in a line of service that has long been completed by other's in my family. I feel blessed being able to do this and I hope that what little I can do to prepare this 'sanctuary' in turn blesses those that worship in it."
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