Victory over difficult circumstances begins with coming into a position of faith. We were born to have a living faith, to have a vital touch shaking the foundation of all weaknesses. For it is in this place of faith that we will find that all our strength and all our mind are truly filled with zeal. These times of trial are, in fact, often opportunities for valuable lessons and advancement. It is out of these experiences, no matter how severe the trial, that we will have a story to tell about personal growth and overcoming. Sometimes we are in a good place when we don’t know what to do; remember to always rely upon on your faith for the answer and “count it all joy” (James 1:2)..

Welcome the joys of overcoming trials by storytelling in scrapbook form. Journaling during difficult times is a very beautiful, highly personal, yet essential part of recording the cherished moments that are moving us forward and helping us heal. Journaling is more than just laying out the words that tell the mere facts of the story. Journaling is about opening up our hearts to the feelings that our stories evoke, seeing how close we can come to making every component on our page emphasize that emotion.

Don’t avoid the hard emotions, like stories about cancer or death, just treat these stories with the tenderness you felt throughout the journey. Stories have moods and so do our designs. Selecting papers, embellishments and techniques begins with the key feeling we want to express. For tender stories, we might choose soft, delicate, gentle colors and textures. Story scrapbooking is high adventure and an amazing, relaxing activity. It can even be a healing one!