I'm not getting much crafting done this week, I am getting a lot of things in the mail!  I make cards to send out, I love the card making process and the whole paper crafting  genre; but the point of  it all is to be a blessing and encourage someone.  Last summer I got to a point when I wondered if it really made any difference to anyone.  Actually because I was getting so little response from this "ministry" I wondered if it was a waste of time and resources.  I'm being real here, I was feeling discouraged.  Then  my birthday happened. I hate to admit it, but I had a little meltdown.  I received two birthday cards. Okay I know, this sounds like I am such a baby, but it gets worse....  I looked up in my book for the year and saw that I had mailed over 300 cards to people I knew and 100+ to people I didn't really know and this does not count my yahoo card swap group.   My feelings were so hurt (whaaaaa - whaaaa) that nobody remembered me.  I  hang my head here -I know- what a whinner!  But Then I felt that still small voice speaking to me so lovingly, reminding me of what a wonderful life I have been blessed with, especially with my husband who I could not hope for him to love me more.  My little meltdown made me realize how important what I was doing with the cards really was.  Many of these people I send to regularly are elderly and many with chronic health problems  - they have little fellowship and crave that company, my little cards are important to them, the bible verses are a comfort and encouragement.  To feel forgotten and unloved has to be the worst feeling a person can experience.  So it was with a renewed vigor I started making cards and mailing them out.
If you are Christian you can understand that I do this with a great deal of prayer, and that I do it 'as unto the Lord' .   Now to do this 'ministry'  I have to keep things organized, I need to have an idea of what goes where , I don't want to over load anyone or forget an important date or send the same verse to one person a dozen times, that would be a little scary!!
So I have a system to keep it hopefully under control!  Yesterday I made my system pretty!
 
 
I keep my sentiment stamps and my biblical verse stamps in two locations.  One problem I was having  was that I could not remember what I had!  I have a nice size collection of these stamps in rubber and am even larger one in digital, none of it does any good if you can't remember what you have and where it is!!
 
The first step was to round up the occasions stamps, happy birthday, thank you, thinking of you, Etc..
Then my sentiments and quotes in rubber. I wanted these right on my desk (seeing = using)  So I covered a box with paper;
 
 
Tink thought it would be more interesting if I fed him a few treats!
 

 
 
 
This is the finished box
 
Next step was to pull my scripture and encouragement stamps and bring them to the desk area
These all came out of a drawer which would have been fine if I could remember What was in the drawer! Plus I needed to index my real stamps and my digital stamps.  Some of you may think that if I can't remember what I have then I have to many.  Well if you think that, that tells me you are NOT a stamper and you are not over 50. 
 
 
I took an old file drawer we picked up some years ago and covered that with fabric ( it was an old military drawer in scratched up OD green). I then covered my large address 3 ring binder and my small book of dates ( everything matchy matchy with out spending any money, money).
 
 

 
 
 
Next step was printing an index book of sentiments and scriptures from the digital collection, that took HOURS.  I learned I have 377 digital scriptures.  Figuring out how to print this and make it expandable  was a little time consuming as my file of digi stamps is in png format and needed  to be converted or merged into word so that I could make eBook.
 
 
I simply bound it with ribbon so that I can add to it. 
 
 
 
It is not perfect and I didn't aim for perfection, I just wanted it in print. 
Steve said "why" why did I need to have this on paper when I had it on my computer, my portable drive I use for storage and on my thumb drive I keep in my purse.  Because I am all about paper and ink, The computer just helps me and expands my abilities, I still need to see it on paper!
 
This book is also just nice to pick up and read during prayer time.  I made one last year, I had about half the verses and I cut and pasted the verses (literally)  into an album.  I ended up giving that album to a friend and I know she uses it as a devotional help.  Now since I have this on file I can print another one for another gift!!
 
I keep some supplies right next to my desk also and a group of devotional and inspirational  readings that I pull from regularly:
 
 
 
 
 
 I have my verses and index and date/address books right on my desk:
 
 
My Hope is these changes help me to get more done.  Just in case I spend too much time sitting on the job, Steve brought my elliptical machine into the basement last night, yea! Now If I could only write and do the elliptical at the same time!!
 
Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it and I hope some of my organizing  might help you be a better  encourager!
 
Ginny M

Comments

Jan Castle said…
Oh Ginny...thank you for this post...I know just how you were feeling! I must say that since my total knee replacement surgery I have received many RAK and DAK (have yet to learn what DAK stands for...LOL) and thus been encouraged. When all I could do was sit in a recliner with my leg up, I would go through the cards again and again and marvel at the God given talent shown in the cards. Being a card maker myself....this was the best medicine EVER!!! Keep on doing what you are doing - even if you never hear a thank you....it DOES matter! I received one of your cards - the green and red edged oval with the deer and did say thank you on your blog yesterday (do not have your e-mail address)....hope this helps you know how much it means to me....and I'm sure others as well!
Hugs,
Jan Castle in Salem, OR
December 19, 2013 at 2:07 PM
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