Rhonda Anderson and Husband Mac

Rhonda Anderson is the co-founder of Creative Memories and this week’s Women of Influence Interview. I was excited for the chance to reconnect with her because I knew her personally as a result of my mom’s involvement with Creative Memories.

We chatted a bit about albums, creating a legacy, and how to two intersect a life of faith.

1. Many people know you as the co-founder of Creative Memories, but I know your family is also very important to you. How were your kids a catalyst for what evolved into such a huge mission with Creative Memories worldwide?

My mother was faithful to create photo albums for me when I was a child. I knew first-hand the benefits of albums. Therefore, when I became a parent, I wanted my children to experience those same blessings. Photo albums build a child’s self-esteem; albums pass on stories of faith and history, and albums are fun and entertaining!

2. So if your family album in 2010 was “A Year of Victorious Living”, what is your 2011 family album going to be called?

“Rejoice…in all the good things the Lord has given you”. (Deut 26:11). This year has had two big events- the marriage of our son Joel and Mac and I will complete the building of a new home.

3. Your mom scrapbooked, and passed that tradition on to you. My mother also scrapbooks and passed that tradition, through Creative Memories, to me as well. Why do you think we find crafts that can create a legacy of generations so endearing?

I never ever call album making a craft. To me, that word diminishes the value. My mother did the “craft” of crocheting and I did not follow after that craft even though she made lovely afghans. To me, album making is a tradition like you mentioned in the first part of your question. When something is a tradition, it implies the importance of passing it from one generation to another.

I believe that everyone should create albums (or have some tool) to pass on their stories of faith. If you look in Exodus chapter 16, the Lord commanded the children of Israel to put manna in a jar so they would not forget. A command is a very strong word. I believe the Lord knows how forgetful we are, that is why it was necessary for Him to command that the do something to remember His faithfulness. We all must take that command seriously and create ways to remember and share the Lord’s faithfulness. Faithbooks are the method that I find the most effective at accomplishing that goal.

4. You and I had worked together on Faithbooking a long time ago and I love seeing that the Faithbooking website is still going strong and looking great. What are some of the benefits you’ve heard from people who are able to incorporate their faith into their scrapbooking and crafting projects?

I recently heard a statistic that said that only 2% of this current generation of children will be Christians when they are adults. I find that statistic shocking and sad. I know that my Faithbooks and family photo albums have helped my own four children know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

I am now using by photo albums to help my grandchildren know and love the Lord. I want to do everything I can to make sure that we can raise that very low statistic.

Here are a few comments below from women who have taught faithbooking:

Nina received this comment from her Pastor after a Faithbooking class: The Faithbooking event on Saturday was just superb. There was excellent Christian education regarding creating and leaving memorials, nice environment, good pace, pleasant socializing, introspection, inspiration from with in and with out, lots of creative seeding, length was perfect, just superb. Please think about how to sustain a Faithbooking ministry

Jodi: “This weekend I had my first opportunity to facilitate a faithbooking retreat for a local church. We used 8×8 quick kits and most of the group were NOT scrapbookers, they were balking at the idea. Friday night I introduced them to the 10 fingerprints of God and how they were to write their stories about their journey. On Sat., I could not get them to stop for singing, a walk or anything else the leaders had on the schedule. They were so into it! It was an amazing feeling.

“They were all so glad to have their journey documented now. And one of the gals did her faith book as a letter to her unborn children! How cool is that. Thanks for helping to make this a reality.”