Rozanne Paxman

Burr in My Shoe

I thought it was a pebble at first. I reached inside of my hot pink clog and brushed it out. Then, after thoroughly wiping off the bottom of my foot, I put the clog back on and continued walking. After two or three steps, I realized my foot still hurt.

Something was inside of my shoe.

Again, I wiped out the inside of the shoe and the bottom of my foot. I examined my skin carefully to see if something tiny was embedded. Once I was satisfied that everything was well, I put my shoe back on and tried again.

But no... there it was again. Something was inside of my shoe.

I tried a third time. Since I was standing on the side of a road while I attempted to clean my shoe and foot, I became concerned that I was dirtying my foot as soon as I cleaned it off. But even as the thought occurred, I brushed it aside because I could clearly see that the inside of my shoe and the bottom of my foot were clean. I put the shoe on again and started walking. Immediately, I winced with pain. Something was inside of my shoe... or was it?

This time, when I pulled off my shoe, I thought to flip the shoe over and saw the culprit: A burr with spikes long enough to poke completely through the sole of my pink foam clog. I pulled out the burr and knew that my struggle to walk without pain was over.

Oh, if only it were so easy to pluck out the life-burrs as I stumble across them along the way.

Tonight, as I was praying, I thought of the burr in my life. Sometimes, we are asked to bear life-burrs that cannot be plucked out easily – or at all. Sometimes, the prayer cannot be, "Remove this from me because I cannot stand this pain one more moment," but "Help me bear the unbearable with dignity. Fill me with Thy never-ending peace. Remove from my soul all the bitterness, resentment, and anger that I have because I have been asked to bear this pain. Rid me of ill feelings. Send me Thy overwhelming love and understanding."

Some burrs will be with me for the balance of my life. They stand over me like angry schoolmasters, always demanding attention, rapping their stick on my desk when I appear drowsy. They refuse to give me praise for the magnificent efforts I am making as I work to continue in the classroom. It is easy, when I am dropped into an academic situation such as this, to long for the easiness I believe exists in other people's lives.

"She has more wealth," I say. "I wish to be like her."

"He has successful children," I sigh. "I wish they were mine."

"He has excellent health," I think. "I wish I could be like him."

But if the complete picture of these lives were shown to me, I would see that each soul has its own burr to bear. Each soul has its own hill to climb. Each soul has its own challenge, its own struggle, and its own stern schoolmaster standing over its desk, rapping it awake when it becomes drowsy.

It is upon occasions such as this that I am grateful that I am able to turn to the Master Surgeon. He is the only One Who can help me through these dark moments. It is He Who will ultimately pour balm in my burr-wound. It is He Who has the singular ability to help me achieve a measure of peace about a life that is sometimes as turbulent as a hurricane in deep waters. It is He that I look to, that I hope for, and long for.

Someday the burrs will be gone. I will be whole then, and all of the burrs will be plucked out and removed, once and for all.

- Ro

Muse: To be absorbed in one's thoughts; engage in meditation. Not intended to solve the world's problems, another person's problems, or to cover topics completely. One does not have to agree with musings to enjoy them, just as one does not have to be the same as someone else to appreciate who they are.

Would you like to earn a $20 Gift Certificate? Send your own muse to [email protected]. If it is selected for publication in the Scrap Girls newsletter, you'll get to have fun shopping!

SCRAP GIRLS CLUB

Join the Scrap Girls Monthly Club and you can have fun with the newest traditional digital and printable scrapbooking looks while saving! (A $27.94 value for $9.99 or less!)

The Scrap Girls Club contents are released on the 1st day of the month (or the closest business day to the 1st).

With the Scrap Girls Club, you will receive:

1 Collection Biggie
1 Paper Super Mini
1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art
1 Embellishment Set
1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set
1 Designer's Choice Item

Layout by Elisha Barnett using June's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Syndee Nuckles

If you prefer not to join a club, the Scrap Girls Club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The Scrap Girls Club contents are always available for sale elsewhere in the Boutique at their regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never seen before product releases for each month!

SCRAPSIMPLE CLUB

Join the ScrapSimple Monthly Club and you can enjoy the newest ScrapSimple looks while saving! (A $13.95 value for $6.99 or less!)

The new ScrapSimple Club contents are released on the 15th day of the month (or the closest business day to the 15th).

With the ScrapSimple Club, you will receive:

1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set
1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template
1 Brush Set
2 Designer's Choice Item

A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple Club is also available here.

Layout by Melissa Renfro using June's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Melissa Renfro and Valerie Randall

If you prefer not to join a club, the ScrapSimple Club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The ScrapSimple Club contents are always available for sale in the Boutique at regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never-seen-before product releases for each month!

Recitals and Music

Listening to music is part of our lives. Since I was a little girl, I've been listening to music in the car, bedroom, while biking, and so on. In my home, I have a lot of photos related to music. In my family, each person plays a different instrument. I play piano, my husband plays bass, my brother plays guitar, and my brother-in-law plays the drums. Because of this, I have so many photos with a music theme to use in my layouts.

If you are a person with music in your life in some way, you surely have photos about music to scrap. I'll show you some digital scrapbooking supplies to use with your "musical pictures."

Below are some great collections and overlays to scrap photos of piano recitals or violin recitals.

Appassionata Collection Biggie
Musica Collection Mini
Life Goes On Collection Biggie
Appassionata Transparency Overlays
Julie White's Fab 5
Interlude Paper Mini
ScrapSimple Transparency Overlays: Urban Living
Classical Music Collection Biggie

If you have photos about rock music or if you have photos of you playing with a band:

Rock and Roll Collection Biggie
Digital Stickers: Music - Percussion
Inked Collection Mini
Pink Ink Collection Mini
Brush Set: Inked
Playlist Collection

Layout by Gisele Queiroz
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Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Extra - Masking Tape Biggie and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Mega Lift I-Squared Biggie are also available.

There are some excellent brushes and Word Art Templates to give a special touch to the layout:

ScrapSimple Word Art Templates: Chore Labels
Brush Set: Musical Instruments
Brush Set: Music Quotes
Dynamic Brush Set: Musical Notes 5701 Biggie
Brush Set: Musical
Brush Set: Things I Love

If you are part of the worship ministry at your church, here are some great products for those photos:

Brush Set: Always and Forever Scripture Word Art
Always and Forever Scripture Word Art Stickers
Easter Day Word Art Stickers

And now, I'll show you some great collections and products with a music theme to use if you have photos with your instrument, if you took photos of your instrument, or if you have photos of you dancing, and so on.

Victorian Garden Collection Biggie
Urban Living Collection
Eternal Collection Mini
Diner Days Collection
Luck of the Irish Collection Mini
Wild West Embellishments
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Urban Living
ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Appassionata
Assorted Solids Paper Biggie

Layout by Gisele Queiroz
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Music Quotes, ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Altered Photos PS 8201, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgy, THIN and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Antique Paper 5101 Super Biggie are also available.

Article written by Gisele Queiroz

FREE STARTER KIT

Free eBook "starter kit" turns your dreams of digital scrapbooking into reality today!

This dynamite eBook is 65 pages - packed full of the information, ideas, and help people need when they are about to dive into this great hobby. It answers all of the important questions new digital scrapbookers have. They are all here for you - in one easy to use eBook!

Bonus! Download the free "Warning" Label, too. It was created for you by Valerie Randall as a little bit of extra fun!

Would you like a chance to try digital scrapbooking yourself?

Scrap Girls' Refresh Collection Biggie offers you free samples of some of our most popular product types. Try making a layout, your own paper with a ScrapSimple Paper Template, a fast layout with a ScrapSimple Digital Layout Template, or experiment with a brush.

We know you'll love digital scrapbooking as much as we do, and we have thousands of products to feed your new addiction!

Ready to Take Off? In-depth Tutorials Help You Become a Great Digital Scrapbooker

Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop
NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro X (XI)

Find out what tens of thousands of people have already learned: Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed is the fastest way to learn how to create digital scrapbooking layouts. And because this series covers so many topics with one purchase, it is a bargain!

In the tutorials, you'll see Ro working on her computer and hear her talking about why she is doing what she is doing. It's like having Ro come to your home and give you private scrapbooking lessons. You can create digital scrapbooking layouts today!

Download and CD versions available.

Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users receive:

30-31 movie tutorials
Companion eBook(s)
Collections
Other supplies

Paint Shop Pro users receive 31 movie tutorials.

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop
MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop Elements

Now that you've learned the basics of digital scrapbooking with Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, you are ready to learn advanced skills for having even more fun while you create digital scrapbooking layouts!

Get a big boost learning how to use ScrapSimple products to make your own backgrounds, embellishments, and alphas with the MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements movie tutorial series. You'll learn so much that your digital scrapbooking layouts will never be the same!

eBooks

Scrap Girls offers a large catalog of eBooks covering topics that will expand your digital scrapbooking abilities to new heights. Here are just a few samples:

Scrap Girls 2009 Digital Scrap Link Class: Combining ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates

Learn how you can combine ScrapSimple Digital Layout Templates to create your own unique layout template written by Angie Briggs. You will get step by step instructions, with screen shots to follow and several sample layouts giving you even more ideas. You'll also receive ScrapSimple Digital Layout Album Templates: 12x12 Album Series 7, so that you may easily follow along with the instructions.

Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking eBook

Are your creative juices drained? Need help finding ideas? Want a great starting place? Scrapbooking 911 - 20 Sketches to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking is the answer to all of these questions. With twenty original sketches to work from, you'll be creating exciting, dynamic, and creative layouts in no time.

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set
2009 - 4th Quarter

Subscribers to the Scrap Girls Newsletter have one thing in common: they love to learn new techniques! Each issue shares ideas, tutorials, and new ways to use Scrap Girls quality digital scrapbooking products. Now you can have all those past tutorials and Way Cool Stuff articles of the 4th Quarter of 2009 in one convenient PDF format.

Start to Finish eBooklets

Step by Step Movie Tutorial: How to Create An Old Wall Mural

Nothing could be simpler than learning to scrapbook digitally with Scrap Girls Start to Finish eBooklets. Step by step written guidelines and detailed screenshots will help you learn new digital scrapbooking skills. Included with the eBooklet are the actual digital files you need to create a finished project!

See more titles

Layout by Caroline Kaiser
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Designer Freebie by Caroline Kaiser coordinates with her Australia Collection

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Maps of the World, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Packaging and AMC_Chalk Talk Font are also available.

* There is a "free download" button on the details page for each gift. You don't need to put them in your shopping cart unless you are shopping for other items. Also note that if you are slow reading your newsletter, you may find this freebie has already been retired, as the freebies are only available as gifts for about two newsletter cycles.

CROPS AND CHATS

New Member Chat - Early Edition
Tuesday, June 15th - 1:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) at 1pm MT for a fun chat to get to know our newest members. We will discuss the message board, gallery, chocolate and so much more! Everyone is welcome, new or not so new! Not sure how to get there? Just click the "chat room" button at the top of this newsletter; you will need Javascript enabled to access the chat room.

Faith Journey Chat
Tuesday, June 15th - 5:00PM MT

Join Elisha (elibar) and Sherry Lynn for a Faith Journey Chat on Tuesday, June 15 at 5pm MT. All faiths are welcome! We'll be chatting and scrapping about our individual faith walk and how we also walk together. Watch the message board for this month's topic of discussion, and if you like - create a layout based on the topic!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, June 16th - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) on Wednesday at 10am MT for the East Coast High Noon Crop. All coasts and time zones are welcome! These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes simply giving participants a one hour goal and a fun, new challenge each week. On June 16th, we'll do a white space challenge! Create a layout using white space. This "negative" or blank space guides the eye to the important areas of your page. Remember, it certainly doesn't have to be the color white! Create your layout and upload it to the special High Noon Crop Gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour, but there is no High Noon Sheriff timing you!

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Thursday, June 17th - 2:00PM MT

What is NSBR? It's a non-scrapbooking related chat! We talk about everything, including some scrapbooking and usually chocolate. It's a great chance to meet new friends, catch up on what everyone is up to, and just relax! If you have a problem, we'll lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on. Have some great news to share? We'd love to celebrate with you. So join Michelle (Shelbi) and Pat (PBarnes) at 2pm MT in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Heritage Crop
Thursday, June 17th - 6:00PM MT

Do you have boxes of heritage photos just waiting to be restored and scrapped? Are there family stories just waiting for you to write down and preserve? Then this is the crop for you! Join April (April Showers) and Carla (CRS) at 6pm MT for the Heritage Crop and Chat! We'll help you get motivated to scrap those heritage photos and record your family stories for future generations to enjoy.

What's New Chat
Friday, June 18th - 9:00AM MT

Join Michelle (Shelbi) and Sherry Lynn at 9am MT on Friday mornings to chat about all the cool new things in the boutique. You never know who else is going to show up! What are you getting? What did you kaboodle? And most importantly show us the layouts or other projects you made with your new goodies! There's a thread every Thursday and now there's a chat, too!

Recipe Swap Chat
Friday, June 18th - 7:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) at 7pm MT in the chat room for our Monthly Recipe Swap Chat. Please check the message board on Thursday, June 17th for this month's theme and the swap details!

Back-Up Party and Chat
Friday, June 18th - 8:00PM MT

Need a little extra motivation to back-up your layouts and stash? Join April (April Showers) in the chat room on Friday, June 18th at 8pm MT for a Back-Up Party and Chat. We'll also go over several different ways to safeguard your files. You won't want to miss this one!

Coffee Break Chat
Tuesday, June 22nd - 5:00AM MT

If reading the Scrap Girls Newsletter and having a cup of coffee, cocoa, or tea first thing in the morning is a part of your daily routine, join Sherry Lynn on Tuesday, June 22nd at 5am MT for this month's Coffee Break Chat. We'll chat over the latest issue of the Newsletter AND create a challenge based on it! Hope to see you there!

New Member Chat
Tuesday, June 22nd - 7:00PM MT

Join Pat (PBarnes) and Carol Ann (Zaz) for the New Member Chat at 7pm MT in the Live Chat room lobby. This is a great place to ask questions about getting around the Scrap Girls site or about digital scrapbooking in general - and a great place to make some new friends. All are welcome, new and long time members included. You do need to have Java installed on your computer to access the Live Chat.

JUNE EVENTS

June Message Board Game: Quotable Quotes

The object of the game is to correctly guess the layout (created by either a product designer or layout artist) that contains a quote or journaling. Each day, you will be given a word found in the clue. We will keep giving words to the clues until a correct guess is made.

Be the first to answer it correctly and win a $5.00 Gift Certificate to the Boutique! You are only allowed ONE guess per daily clue, and you are only allowed ONE win per month. When you make your guess, you must link it to the correct layout in the Boutique. We will play the game daily during the entire month of June. When a correct answer is given, the new puzzle will start the following day.

For complete details and examples of game play, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls message board.

Layout Contests:

June Monthly Layout Contest: June is National Candy Month and who doesn't like candy!? For this month's layout contest, use the wrapper of your favorite candy for inspiration. Does your favorite candy have a great color combination, cool fonts or a fun striped pattern? Use whatever inspires you about it to create your layout. You don't have to include the candy's wrapper in your layout but you might mention it in your description. Create your layout and post it in the June Layout Contest Gallery by Midnight MT on June 30th. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. If your layout is one of the two chosen, you will win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Club Concepts Layout Contest: Post your new layout using the current club selection (either the Scrap Girls Club or the ScrapSimple Club) in our Scrap Girls Club Members Gallery or the ScrapSimple Club Members' Gallery. Be sure to list all of the Scrap Girls products you used. If your layout is chosen, it will be showcased as a Club Concepts layout winner, and you will win a $5 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Check our message board calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in Mountain Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-Utah-Salt Lake City' as the location for the Mountain time zone.)

Haven't received your prize as a contest winner? Please send an email to [email protected] and we'll get it out to you right away!