Mid-Week Joy Report

NOTE: This is my second blog post of the day. If you'd like to see the Bible Journaling Post (day 16 of my personal 21-Day Bible Journaling Challenge, go HERE or keep scrolling. It is the post after this one.

* * * * *

I love Wednesdays - I don't cook dinner on Wednesdays,  my husband and I often times have a lunch date on Wednesdays, and it's time for my Mid-Week Joy Report AND my  50 Truths Challenge. Yes, I love Wednesdays!

My week was kind of low-key. Yes, I know this week was Easter. And yes, I know that many people had family gatherings, etc. We did not because we live too far away from extended family.

However, it WAS a good week. For me a highlight was the sunrise service we attended. One of our 25 churches had it at the park just 3 blocks from our house - the very park where Brock loves to go feed his ducks. (Okay, ducks and geese, but to Brock they are ALL ducks.) While we looked off across the lake and sang songs of worship and listened to the preaching, we were able to gaze upon God's beautiful scenery... and Brock's ducks. It was a great way to start our Easter.

For those who like to know, here's my card-making numbers for the week - I made 7 cards. That's fewer than usual, I think, but for good reason. I've spent a lot of time this week doing research for a conference I'm scheduled to lead at the end of the month. Plus, I did 8 Bible Journaling entries.

* * * * *

50 Truths Worth Knowing

Chapter 16

Photos Capture Memories for Eternity

Before I get into today's story from the book, I want to mention a related story of my own. My paternal grandmother passed away before I was born. (In fact, even before my dad met my mom.) But I've heard many wonderful stories about her. She and my dad were very close so it's not surprising that he talked about her a lot.

However, I've never seen a picture of her. Grandma Nelson did NOT like to have her picture taken, so  she never seemed to get in pictures. There is ONE picture of her - my parents have it but their pictures (hundreds of them!) are so disorganized that I've never seen "the" picture. I've only heard of it. It saddens me to think that some day my sister and I will inherit those hundreds of photos, but will have no idea which picture is our grandmother even if/when we stumble upon it.

That story made today's chapter of the book 50 Truths Worth Knowing much more personal for me. In this chapter, Ellen tells about a defining memory in her life - a Kodak commercial. Its theme was that parents should photograph their children "now" as soon they would be grown up and out the door and the moment for photography would be gone.

Ellen said her parents took that message seriously and as a result there are many photographs of her and her two siblings. Then as she grew older, she got a camera of her own and she became the photographer.

She loves looking at her photo albums, but the pictures that capture her the most in those albums are pictures of her mother. She was a beautiful woman, but she seemed reluctant to pose for the camera. Therefore there are not many pictures of her. Ellen has one very special photo of her mother taken the year she died. The photo is actually of Ellen and her mother - the two of them sitting on a rock wall in the front yard of her parent's home. In Ellen's words: "the looks of love in our eyes as we look at each other is so total I'd have thought it would melt the film."

The Kodak commercial offered wise advice to Ellen in her childhood and to us today. Let's not forget to take photos - because we may not have the opportunity to do so tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Image & Sentiment on Front: MFT Little Shutterbug

Sentiment Inside: Studio G

Ink: Lawn Fawn Jet Black and Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Navy and White CS and DP from the American Crafts True Stories Paper Pad

Embellishments: Recollections Rhinestones