COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Scrapbooking: Been there, done that?

Not so fast. Have you put your spiritual journey in scrapbook form yet?

Sharon Sheridan says spiritual albums are a tool for exploring and celebrating faith through photos, writings and keepsakes. "It's a powerful way to see where you have gone and where you are going," said Sheridan, author of "Pages of Faith" (Morehouse Publishing, $24), a how-to guide for creating a spiritual album.

Items that might go into an album include baptismal records and photos from vacation Bible camps, mission trips and religious holidays. It's also a place to record reflections on all things sacred and on meaningful experiences.

The scrapbooking experience itself can be meditative, says Sheridan, of Flanders, N.J., and a freelance writer for Episcopal Life. "We are so busy that anything that helps us step back and reflect on faith is a good thing," she said.

Making a spiritual album doesn't have to be an individual endeavor. Congregations might want to record the history of the church, put together a gift album for their minister, or start a faith-scrapbook club at church, she says.

When scrapbookers get together, they always end up sharing their life stories as they go through their photos and work on the books. The same thing happens when religious groups hold faith scrapbooking sessions, Sheridan says.

"People are often reluctant to push their faith on others. This is a natural way to witness to the importance of faith in your life."

The faith albums can work for any religion, or for those who don't affiliate with a religious group, she says. They also make meaningful gifts for family members.

Sheridan created a baby book for her son, Carl, that tells of her spiritual journey. She had difficulty getting pregnant and was stressed about it. The book starts with photos from the week she spent at an Episcopal monastery where, she said, "I turned my reproductive worries over to God."

Also included in the book are ultrasound images labeled "miracle" and how the church played a part in her experiences, including working at a soup kitchen, her son's baptism and pictures of him posed as baby Jesus for the Christmas pageant.

— Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services