If you are like me, one of the sweetest parts of the Christmas season is receiving so many beautiful Christmas cards! From family and friends, those near and some from afar. Reading the updates and family letters, remarking on the growth of children and rejoicing over new additions to families. Christmas cards become a cherished part of our Christmas season.
So, when the Christmas cards have all been sent…..what do you do with them?
I just can’t bare to take them all down and simply toss them away! You, either? Well, here are two things you can do with your Christmas cards to preserve the memories well beyond the ringing in of the new year.
{create a contact photo}
Use the camera on your phone to snap a pic of the picture cards to use for a contact photo. I’ve seen this idea used many times {nothing new here!} and started using it last Christmas. It’s great! Simply take a pic of your photo Christmas card and then assign it to that contact in your phone. Now, you will have a beautiful photo to view each time that call comes in! Perfect!
{create a photo prayer ring}
A friend of ours shared this idea with me years ago and it is something I have loved doing ever since. Use your beautiful cards to make a {photo prayer ring}.
Take the Christmas cards and punch a hole in the upper left corner then place all of the cards on a ring. (You can get a package of these rings for a few dollars at mass retailers or office supply stores.) I like to accent with some cute ribbon to finish it off. {You know me and ribbon!}
Now what?
There are a few ways you can use these beautiful prayer cards. Place the cards with your family devotion materials and incorporate them into your family prayer time. If you read the Bible together at breakfast, keep the cards with your bible or near the table. If you spend more time in prayer together at bedtime, then keep the cards handy for that place and time. Whatever is going to be more convenient for you and your family.
Each time you pray, choose one card from the ring and pray specifically for that person or family. We also add an index card with each photo card and jot down specific ways we can pray and any praises that come in as well. This has been a great way to show God’s faithfulness to our children as we have prayed for needs and seen God work in lives. We also add cards of scripture that encourage us to pray for others and point to the power of prayer. Verses like John 14:13-14, Ephesians 6:18 and Philippians 4:6-7 are a few of the many scriptures that encourage us to pray and bear the burdens of others.
So, if you are finding yourself taking down the Christmas cards and wondering what to do with those special greetings, I hope these ideas will get you thinking outside of the box.
Blessings!
linking up with:
Wow Us Wednesday, Hearts4Home, Thrive @ Home
What great ideas! Thanks for sharing this with the Thrive @ Home link-up!
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