The Family Yearbook

(This post was written by Gina McClain, Director of Children’s Ministries)

Several weeks ago I read a blog post on OrangeParents.org.  Greg Payne shares…

The speed of life is overwhelming.  I find myself looking for the brakes, wanting to slow it all down and hold on to a moment here or there.  It seems like the ‘ordinary’ things of yesterday have taken on such value simply because they reflect bits of our lives that were anything but ordinary.  Ticket stubs, photos, old tests, and a handwritten note in misspelled four-year-old English become golden with the passing of a few years.

Greg’s creative family came up with the idea to make a Family Yearbook.  A place to capture these memories.  I love the idea of capturing the random moments in our everyday life.  Those times where everyone is laughing or being silly.  The random joys of a school achievement, high scores at laser tag or finally whipping your big brother at Wii bowling. 

Generally capturing life in the pages of a book.

Scrapbooking is such a popular thing right now.  Family Albums are something my grandmother had lying all over her coffee table.  But this seems different to me.  Same materials.  Different approach.

Why?  Because this is something we all contribute to.  Everyone in the family has rights to record something in the Family Yearbook.  No matter how small. 

The task is not reserved for those with the greatest artistic skills or best handwriting.  The task belongs to each of us to record our experiences from our perspective. 

We’ve started our own Family Yearbook.  My hope is that we will remain consistent in our contributions and not allow this project to fall by the wayside.  I’ll let you know how it goes…