I did it! I ordered my 2011 Project Life kit by Becky Higgins. I've heard a lot about it, but I've never taken the plunge because I knew there was no way I could follow through with taking a picture every day for a year. But after watching the video at the link above, I was really impressed by how flexible the kit is meant to be. You can do a picture a day, or a few a week, or month, or whatever. It comes with all sorts of goodies, and it's really beautiful. And I DO want to document my family's life, and more than just the few layouts I actually get completed each year. So I am going to do it! I probably won't get in a picture every day, but I'm going to do as much as I can. I'll still do regular scrapbook pages, too, and add them into the binder. I'm going to get it all set up in advance, so it's just ready to go, as Becky suggests in this video.
But my next question was: how do I approach this big project? How do I make it meaningful?
I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can improve my own relationship with God. I get so caught up in the day-to-day craziness of life that I let that slide way more than I should. I want to see the hand of God in my life and feel it in my heart, not just know it in my head. I've also been thinking about gratitude and how it can shape our whole outlook on life. Those two ideas have merged to give me a clear focus for my Project Life challenge, and I'm sharing it with you here so that it becomes a real commitment.
I am going to use my Project Life kit record the "tender mercies" that God gives our family this year. I know there will be lots of little things and maybe some big things, too. I pray that, as I look for these moments, God will open my eyes to everything He does for me and for my family. When my family looks through this year's album, I want them to feel God's love for them as much as we feel our love for each other. What an incredible gift that will be!
I can't wait for my big white box to arrive!
P.S. Are any of you doing Project Life this year? Do you have your own strategies for this kind of everyday life scrapbooking? I would love your input!
