Life by Shannon: Such a lame blogger I am!

Man, it has been entirely too long, and so that's probably what this post will be...long. But then if I say everything, the posts after this one should be more frequent, and thus shorter :) I am now working with three designers. Maria, who recently changed her name from Ferg Designs to Duchess Designs, was the first, and way ROCKS. Then Tracey Gilbert Monette brought me onboard, and she has some incredible things for us to play with. And in the past few days Amie, who is Baubles and Scraps at Digital Candy, accepted me on her team too. So yay! See the side panel for all applicable blinkies and links :) Also, I've become more active over at DC and will be hosting my very own challenge starting July! I asked around to see if anyone had thought to do a "I Can't Believe You Scrapped That!" kind of challenge, and the admin suggested I do it :) Yay me! I don't really have to do much, just come up with stuff for people to scrap, and then keep track of the people that enter, and comment on all their layouts. So I'm going to call it "Oh No You Didn't!" and I've already got a pretty good idea what the first couple challenges will be. Basically I wanted to inspire people to scrap the every day moments that get us from one happy time to the next. The temper tantrums, the messes, the embarrassing pictures, even the blurry or throw-away photos that a person wouldn't normally consider using.

So here's what's going on at Digital Candy right now:

Yeah, there's a lot going on over there for the birthday celebration. And they even made me an avatar to wear that says Shannon, Challenge Host :-D And an avatar is that little picture that goes by every post I make on the forum, just fyi. This is why Charly made the cupcake:

So yeah, it's neat to be part of a community, even if these aren't people that I meet in person and actually have face to face conversations with. I'm doing that at church! Charly has Vacation Bible School this month and I volunteered to take pictures. We'll see if they need me. Plus I've been working a little in the nursery and meeting women whose husbands are also in the Services. Pastor Sean had a phenomenal sermon yesterday about finding joy in God. I had tears in my eyes more often than not, he is SO PASSIONATE! So I'm going to buy the DVD and send copies to everyone. And if you get a copy, you have to watch it, I'm making you! It's only an hour. He basically presented the gospel message, and it was the clearest presentation I have heard yet. If souls weren't stirred, then they were truly hardened.

For a Biblical gospel presentation, here is 1John 1:1 - 2:2:

1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Anyway :) It's June! And those of you close to us know what that means!! I'm so excited...we're all so excited. I'm going YIPEE on the inside, just knowing it's June. AND to celebrate, we're going to Busch Gardens at the end of the month, I made inn reservations, so it HAS to happen, lol. Yes, I know, I can't get ALL my hopes yet, but almost all of them are up. And things seem right on course :-D So I have to clean my house up, and try to have a garage sale. There's a few large items I'd like to get rid of. But man, I dunno, garage sales seem like such an undertaking, I'm still indecisive about it.

I made a blinkie for this blog, and I'm really excited to show it off, so lookie lookie over under my picture!!

So, I think that's some pretty good catching up, and I'll leave you with these new layouts (click the images for the full credits):

This was done with the Quirky Farm kit by Tracey Monette