In correlation to today’s devotional on, NOTE TO SELF: Daily Reminders from God, I thought I would help you get started with your Family History Journal.
As some of you may already know, I started scrapbooking several weeks ago. I won’t lie, I’m not very creative when it comes to things like that, so it’s been a frustrating process. However, I did discover Smash Book, which combines scrapping with journaling, and have found that it requires less diligence, order and structure, which I love!
This is the cover of my homemade Smash Book.
My “Start Here:” page.
You can start your journal two ways: 1. buy a nice, quality journal with lots of sturdy pages (paper). (I went to Marshal’s and found gorgeous journals there for mere dollars!); or 2. create your own using cereal boxes covered in pretty paper, scrapbook paper, and lined paper.
One thing I love about Smashing is that I can cut out pictures or sayings from magazines that I already have lying around the house. What I learned is that you need a keen eye. Look at advertisements specifically. They will sometimes offer some really cool graphics, or even journal prompts. See some of my examples here:
You can also buy or use stickers and scrapbook embellishments to decorate your pages.
But most importantly, add personal photos of your grandparents, parents, pets, friends, wedding, and children.
Then…get crackin’!! Dedicate an hour or two a week (or more if you’re willing and able) to journaling. Tell YOUR story as if you’re writing it to your children. Don’t forget to tell your spouse’s story, too.
If you’re stumped about where to begin, or what to write about, here are some family history journal prompts:
My mother is from… My father is from… I was born in... Your mother/father was born in… (show photos or maps of where everyone was born)
My mother was a…and my father was…
My parents met... They were married on…
On the day I was born... (Check out dMarie Time Capsule. Here’s an example of my birthday. Be creative with it. Find photos of toys, musicians, or TV shows that were popular and paste them to that page.)
My favorite toy as a kids was… I love it so much that…
My first pet was a… His/her name was…
My best friend growing up was… Our favorite thing to do or play was…
God’s role in our family…
Some of the traditions we had in our family were…
Schools I attended. Churches I attended.
Childhood injuries and illnesses (did you have the chickenpox? have your tonsils taken out? etc.).
People who played influenced me most as a child were… People who influenced me as a young adult were… Because they taught me how to…
My relationship with my grandparents was…
My mother’s favorite saying was…. My father’s favorite saying was…. My favorite saying was…
I played this song…so much that…
I spent my spare time as a child doing…
The first time I ever cooked anything it turned out…
Why I chose my career as a… What I love most about it is… What I dislike about it…
Our political beliefs are… We believe in this things because… (Have they changed over the years? Tell that story, too, and why!)
The fist time I voted, I voted for…because…
I met your mother/father at…on…
What we did on our first date…
How your father proposed…
The day we were married it was…
The wedding was…
My favorite part of the day was…
When we found out we were pregnant with you, we were…
(As the mother) When I was pregnant with you I craved (or ate all the time)…
I knew I was in labor when…
The hospital trip was…
Why we named you…because…
Who came to see you at the hospital…
On the day you were born…(use dMarie again)
The day we took you home…
We started our own traditions of…
You get the drift. I’m sure with these prompts you’ll be able to quickly come up with your own that will tell your story more effectively.
Good luck, and please feel free to share your own ideas and stories about how you’ll tell your story to you children and children’s children!
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