Introduction to COVID-19 Card-a-Day Series

I believe that I first learned about a Card-a-Day series from my twin sister. For some special occasion many years ago, she gave me an envelope holding a set of cards - maybe seven altogether - along with instructions for me to read only one card per day. On each card was a number of different features such as Song for the Day, Verse for the Day, and Spirits-Lifter Idea.

I liked the idea so much that I began creating my own sets to give to my friends as a token of friendship and encouragement. I adapted the card themes according to the need - perhaps for a new mom or for someone who was grieving. I would write out the daily features by hand with a pen or marker on index cards, and they became my gift of art to someone else. I didn't do a lot of this, but the times that I did were meaningful to me and (I hope) to the recipient.

As time went on and email became a more popular method of communicating, (and, I'm sure, due to other factors as well) my creating and sending handmade card series fell by the wayside. One morning this week, I thought back to that card series gift and I wondered if I might be able to implement a similar idea online for people in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I've had such fun brainstorming this idea ever since. I plan to begin sending out a "card" a day to my friends via this blog. Here are the categories I have chosen for the cards, along with a brief description of each one:

1. Verse for the Day - this one is quite self-explanatory, but I hope to share verses that bring a message of comfort and peace in these uncertain times.

2. Song for the Day - I already know that sometimes I will have a hard time choosing which song to share because there will be so many of my favorites to choose from. Along with the song suggestion, I hope to share an idea about how or when or where to sing it in your day.

3. COVID-19 Prayer Focus - I plan to suggest different groups of people or various aspects of the crisis to pray about, as well as to suggest a characteristic of God to focus on and for which to adore Him.

4. Pic from Then - this will be a photo taken back when our family was in the stage that many of you currently are in. I keep thinking about how different my life would be in this isolation period if I were parenting young children. Viewing the photo may do a number of things for you - give you an idea for an activity your children could do, give you a glimpse of the strange styles and house decor back then, or give you a reason to laugh for the anyhow of it.

5. Pic from Now - this will be a photo taken very recently, to give you a daily snapshot of our current life.

6. Activity Idea - this one is pretty much what it sounds like, too. Hopefully the suggestions will be easy enough to implement in your own time, style and desire, and be meaningful enough to brighten your mood and day!

7. What is it? - I want to post a mystery photo each day, for people who like to figure out what objects are when they are depicted in a close-up view. (The following day, I plan to post the answer to the previous day's puzzle.)

Coming soon: The very first card in the COVID-19 Card-a-Day Series!