Scrapbooking Musings

I was thinking today while scrapbooking gifts for Christmas about a phrase that the Deputy Headmistress has used. This post is the beginning of the use of the phrase "What's in your hand?"

As I was working today, I was looking for a particular type and colour of ribbon. I didn't have what I was looking for but then realized that with a little ingenuity, some ribbon I did have would work quite nicely.

It struck me again how easy it is to get caught up in the acquisitiveness of our age, especially in regards to hobbies. Sure I could have gone and bought some ribbon that would have been more like my original thought, if I could find it in a store in town, but that would have involved a lot more work, possibly frustration, and definitely money than simply using what I already have.

In scrapbooking, as in many other hobbies, I am sure, there are trends. It becomes somewhat laughable to see what the latest and greatest is. Fibers are in; fibers are out. Buttons are in; buttons are out. Ribbon is in; ribbon is out. There's always something new that is the latest thing. Meanwhile, scrapbookers have stockpiled hundreds of dollars worth of product to be sure they have the latest and greatest, only to see the next trend on the horizon.

I am as prone to this failing as anyone else. It's so easy to think that just the right products will lead to a fantastic scrapbooking page. It's easy to lose sight of my true goal - to keep track of my family's activities and experiences. But when I remind myself of this, it helps to bring me back to earth.

I am not saying that no one should ever buy anything new. Eventually, you would run out of tools to scrapbook and then there would be no point to continuing. And as in anything, companies are constantly developing new tools that make the hobby a lot easier and more interesting. But what I am saying is that in scrapbooking, as in the rest of life, you must be careful to keep your goals and financial situation in clear sight and to not get caught up in just collecting products without ever using them.

It is also true that sometimes that one new little product will make a page go from boring to beautiful. The trick is to figure out when it's needed and when it's not.

This is my challenge to myself for the day - what's in my hand? Whether it's scrapbooking, cooking, getting dressed (!), or whatever the activity, am I consciously using the resources God has given me in a way that is glorifying to Him or am I wasting those resources through carelessness?

My sincere thanks to the Deputy Headmistress for writing about this in the first place and encouraging us all to carefully consider our choices.