I will be conducting a review on Journals from Ellie Claire who sent me Illuminate Your Story, Faith & Lettering Journal and also The Illustrated Word for this review. Before I share my review with you, I would like to let you know the thoughts in this review are mine and my families no, one else. Without further ado here is the first Journal I would like to share with you Illuminate Your Story.
The year my daughter passed away I kept a notebook where I wrote a letter to Suzzane every day telling her what was happening here on Earth. Even though I am sure Suzzie could see everything from Heaven. I just wish I had kept those Journals up because I could have given them to Charlie.
When Charlie was a baby, I kept a calendar with everything we did the first year of Charlie’s life instead of documenting our memories in a notebook or journal. Fast forward 11 years and now we have lost parts of the calendar and we can’t read what I wrote. Which means I can’t hand down these notes to Charlie to share with his family which makes me very sad.
Once I received Ellie Clair Journals, I sat down to look through the journals and I knew using the journals wouldn’t be too late to start a new Tradition with my family. I have decided to give Charlie, David and I each one of the Journals. Throughout the upcoming years we can write letters to each other. Then on Christmas each year we are together we can sit down and read through the journals to see what we wanted to share with each other.
When Charlie grows up he can share the Journals with his family and hopefully start new traditions with his family. As I let Charlie and David know my plans. David asked me if we could purchase a journal for Leslie so she could start a journal for Elijah. I let David know we could sit down as a family and look through Ellie Claire Gifts to pick out a journal for Leslie. As well as my sister Debbie so she can start journals for her grand-kids.
The first journal I would like to share with you is called Illuminate Your Story Journal which I picked out for Charlie because Charlie can learn to learn to create beautiful illuminated letters with this how-to journal. Allowing Charlie to learn to write hand written letters and mail them to the people Charlie loves. I don’t know about you but I miss getting hand written letters in the mail and with my dad living out of State I believe this will bring Charlie and my dad closer together.
All the while helping Charlie practice his handwriting. I loved how there are easy to follow instructions, practice pages, and encouragements to guide us through the creation of amazing start letters, flourishes, and more. Once Charlie masters the letters he could even start his own business and create letters or signs to sell.
I believe Illuminate Your Story Journal is the perfect addition to our Home-school classroom Language Arts class as well as Art class.
Charlie and I sat down this morning to look through Illuminate Your Story Journal. Both Charlie and I liked seeing in the back of Illuminate Your Story Journal was a page where we can put keepsakes. I asked Charlie what he wanted to put in the pocket and Charlie said letters and Cards, I give him as well as his Letter from Santa Claus.
Charlie and I sat down to thumb through the journal the journal is divided into section with each letter of the alphabet and a Bible Verse at the top of each page. Charlie and I begin to thumb through the letters looking for the Letter C and also G the first letter of our name. Charlie and I came to the Letter C and we read the quote:
Cast all your anxiety on him because (God) cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NIV
I liked how Charlie and I were able to discuss the quote. Charlie shared what this quote meant to him and then I asked Charlie why he though Ellie Claire chose this verse to share with us. Charlie said he believes it was one the Lord lead them to because after reading the quote Charlie said his anxiety of returning to school vanished. Charlie now knows no, matter what happens God will protect him and Charlie will not be hurt by the children bullying Charlie.
As we were talking I reminded Charlie he had just spent 5 minutes reading which he didn’t even realize and before we knew it Charlie’s allotted time of 30 minutes a day had gone by just by us browsing through the journal. Charlie was so excited to hear that that he couldn’t believe how easy using a journal allowed him to get his school work completed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
