Give Her God’s Word in Your Handwriting
Ever have a gift touch your heart and take your breath away?
I recently did.
My best friend from college, Kelly (who was also my co-author on my first two books) is the most creative and clever gift-giver.
Over the years she has stitched, sewed, woven and spun me many homemade treasures. But this year for my recent birthday, she out-did herself. And I just HAVE to share the idea with you because…..well it is easy enough that even I, Miss Craft-Challenged, could do it.
She gave me the gift of God’s word.
It came in a simple, brown paper, twine-wrapped gift. with a homemade tag and a hand-written note.
When I opened the package, out fell wonderful pieces of God’s heart written on cream-colored file folder scraps, framed in scrapbooking paper pieces and dangling from simple cotton strings.
She had spent HOURS choosing just the right verses for me and then copying them down in her very best handwriting on the hand-crafted tags.
I keep these gems in a jar by my kitchen sink. Each week I randomly choose a new verse to hang on my window over my sink to ponder as I wash yet another glass or scrub a pan or pot.
If you have someone you want to encourage, try this simple idea. It really has been a lasting gift as I think of her each Monday when I pull out yet another whisper from God.
(NOTE: If you want help on how to make these, I can ask Kelly to hop on and comment. I am clueless. However, if you need help searching for just the right verses for a friend, use biblegateway.com. It makes it a snap to search for verses by putting in key words.)
What a wonderful gift! That was a real labor of love. Friends are God’s gift to his children.
This is the best idea ever!!! thank you for sharing..I will definitely make these tonight,
I love having verses close at hand like this, I’m going to make this as a teachers gift!
Thank you Karen and Kelly! I have a good friend whose husband recently passed away. I can’t wait to get started on some verses for her!
I love this idea. I am thinking about having my class of 5th graders do something similar for a Mother’s Day gift and then making some myself to give to some of my favorite moms. :) Thanks for sharing, what a very special gift.
Wow, the love infused in this gift is amazing! Not only because it’s God’s words – pure love – but because your friend hand wrote each one, leaving a piece of her on each tag. I recently read an article proposing that handwriting – cursive – is obselete and should not be taught in our schools. How sad, I thought, because so much of ourselves can be seen and passed on in our personal script. While I am the first to admit I struggle physically to write long letter or for a very long time, it is still my preferred method of communication. And hand written notes to and from friends and family are precious to me. What a beautiful gift to give and receive. Thank you for sharing!
i absolutely LOVE IT!
thank you so much for sharing,
tanya
I did something similar for a friend once who was struggling with fear – I typed up a list of appropriate verses (my handwriting is wretched LOL) and cut them into slips, which I folded up into small pill shapes. Then, I put them in a large clean medicine bottle, with a handmade label that said, “Jill’s Chill Pills” and had directions to take as needed upon onset of fear or anxiety.
Betty, loved your idea using the medicine bottle.
I did something simular for my husband while we were engaged. On valentines day I had a little bottle that I wrote sayings of why I loved him and put them in the little bottle that had hearts all over it and the bottle had a cork for the top. It was my version of message in a bottle. :)
I really like the idea of when the friend is in need, all she has to do is open the medicine bottle and pull out a chill pill with Gods word on it, read it for her medicine to feel better. :) love it.
yes please! Would love to know how she did this!
Nora–
Instructions above in the comment from Kelly. :-)
This is a great gift idea for a new mom!
For a baby shower gift, I was given a small notebook with the months and days written on the top. (ex May 3) The giver told me to set it in a room where my twins were active and write down the fun things or things that I wanted to remember with the year on the correct page. I never did find the time to use it but often wish I had. I thought it was a great idea. If a person were to add this idea to the journal idea above…it would make the gift that much more meaningful.
What a special treat! Thank you for sharing and for the instructions!
That is a wonderful idea, I love it! I think I will write my verses before attaching the paper in case I mess up. lol
I would soooo need to do the same thing!
I love this idea! You could say God has gifted me in the the same way as your friend. I am currently working on a gift for a friend who has been receinty diagnosed with breast cancer.
I have made her a journal to help her through her “healing joueney”. I took a simple composition notebook and covered & embelished it with some of my beautiful scrapbooking supplies. I and a few of outr friends have writtwn scripture and encouraging words in random pages of the journal. As she writes on random days she will find what we have written. My prayer is that this will lift her up during this difficult time.
Wonderful idea, Melissa! I am sure this will lift her up.
Love this idea….and I will so be passing this gift onto several of my close friends. Perfect for your bible groups, mom’s, girlfriends…..
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful gift.
This really touched my heart; thank you, Karen, for sharing! I don’t remember how I found your blog, but it was for the hospitality study (fabulous!). I’m so thankful I’ve found you, though! You’re blog has really been a blessing to me!
And Kelly, thank you for sharing your instructions! I think I can actually do this one! And I can already think of a couple of ladies that would be very blessed by receiving them!
Blessings to you both! :)
Smiles :-)
Like Tracy I don’t remember how I found your blog, just in time for the hospitality study. This idea from kelly will be incorporated into my Hospitality gift loving. Will make up sets for on the road, general, and specific for overnight guests. Thanks for sharing and loving us so much.
Ooops! I guess if I had read all of the comments, I would have seen Kelly’s instructions! They are now cut & pasted for future use! Thanks again! Will make wonderful, thoughtful gifts for those I love!
Yes, please share with us how these were made! What a wonderful idea for my friends in my bible study group!
I love this idea. I found gift tags online that are similar in size and in lots of different designs. It would still be special, but cut down on some of the prep work, for those of us less crafty.
You are a gal after my own craft-challenged heart <3
Please ask Jeannine where she found the tags on line.
Thank you.
http://www.paper-source.com (search for hang tags) hobby lobby (search for gift tags). There were several other places, including places you could have them print the tags for you. I only searched (“gift tags” and “hang tags”) for about ten minutes and found many different styles and places they were sold. I am guessing you could might be able to find them in your local craft store too.
Thank you so much. You are my answer to prayer. I have been praying for a special gift for my special friend. Her birthday is next month. Maybe with God help I can get it done by her birthday. It will be great for Mother Day too.
I love it. I can’t wait to get started on one for my friend & I am going to make one for myself.
Send us lots of help
Love & prayers,
Shirley
I love this idea and will use it for the ladies group I lead. What an awesome way to share the Word of God!!
Any special kind of pens/ink to use to write on the tags?
Kelly, I used a plain ball-point black pen. Use whatever you feel most comfortable in writing. Your writing will have to be small, so keep this in mind when choosing a pen. Also do some practicing before hand.
Thanks, Kelly! I am definitely going to make some of these! :-)
I’d use an acid free pen/marker or even a super fine point Sharpie (permanent) marker they are in a variety of colors.
I just HAVE to comment on this! When you asked if we have ever received a gift that took our breath away, I got chills! After my Mom died, my brother and sis-in-law made me a framed window that had a poem that my Mom had written about my daughter who was then 1, along with 2 pictures; one of my Mom, and one of my daughter. It was such a pleasant surprise and I had tears just streaming down my face. I do right now writing this! It hangs in my kitchen and it will forever stay there! Those type of gifts are SO filled with love, emotion, and meaning. Thank you for this post and your ministry! Julie :-)
Love this, Julie!
What a wonderful idea!! Thank you for sharing.
~happy tears~ oh my goodness, these are just *so* beautiful and thoughtful! please give instructions for other craft-challenged ladies in the audience : ) thanks in advance ; )
The instructions were given in the comment above from Kelly :-)