Cards of a Different Persuasion!

Cards of a different persuasion!

Birds of a feather…flock preciously on cards!
When God hands you Lemons…make Card-em-ade!
Mother Mary may I…put you on a card!
Aging gracefully does not include a toe ring…

Card anyone?

Yes I know that is not the way it goes…and I know God does not hand us lemons, unless we need them! So I’m making lemonade…well cards!
This transitional period in our lives has caused a great swell of creativeness around here. Maybe is it just that it is easier to escape to my “sewing closet” than face the current inhabitant of my shop!
Yes, Mr. P has set up shop in my shop!
With that said, 7thJoy is now taking on a new endeavor, Handmade Cards!
Enjoy the view, the insides are the best, gives me license to be caddy!
And sometimes inspirational, but always fun!
Soon to be the newest item on our 7thJoy website and our Etsy.com shop by the same name, Check us out! We’d love to sell you something….
Enjoy the last few days of September, it’s almost Christmas….
Blessing is enough, b

Gifts too much to Blog about! PROOF

Proof
God answers if we just give him time….my daughter-in-law is perfect proof positive! When my first son was born, I was more prepared for a girl, just thought “by myself” I could do better with a girl. I didn’t know how to throw a baseball, never baited my own hook, had watched many years of football (being in the drillteam) but couldn’t tell you the difference between offense and defense. We’ll God knew better and gave me Tyler, what a blessing!
OH, I did OK, well, he did OK! He was an exceptional son and miraculously endured my emotional, overprotective, over expectant momisms. He has grown into a wonderful man, caring husband, now father and determined Engineer-to-be. Add to all those blessings, now he is married to that daughter I always wanted. She too is an exceptional wife and mother, caring and fruitful, beautiful and talented. Plus, she always makes me feel like I have something worth sharing and she too endures my emotional, overprotective…

well you get the idea; all those things that made me a better mother to boys

(they just ignore it), than girls!

I celebrate her today, her birthday. She gives me such JOY!
Happy Birthday to Michelle, God’s Daughter gift to me!

b

7th Joy At Work

7thJoy's Latest Creation

This is a Precious Resting Prayer Pillow. Each pillow is made with pieces of prayer said for friends, family and for your baby….Under one piece is a special scripture!

(Numbers 6:24-26)

May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

It is a prayer for God’s smile on your baby's life.

Don’t let yourself become raveled with worry.

Let the raveled edges of this pillow remind you of God’s promises.
God will hold her!

Attached is a small prayer pad...with each prayer, concern, worry or need for your precious baby, make a small prayer note and tuck it into the pillow,

hand it over to him who does not ravel !

And rest!

Created by 7thJoy out of control!!!

b

God's Timing - My Gifts

God’s timing - My gifts...

a sleeping boy at home on BeBe’s pillows and dreaming of our special little gift to come!
With each passing day, this little boy grabs stronger my heart.

Just the way he swings his little arms when he walks and hearing him call us by name, Spuddy (Philip), Caquae (Cameron), Ninny (Garrison), and Lyla (our dog, Skyler). I can only imagine how much fun we will have when our home is filled with the JOYofJackson and his little shadow.
We are waiting for the surprise of finding out boy or girl (something to look forward to) and just praying everyday that Mom and baby stay healthy and strong! In the times that surround our family, it is these two who again remind me of God’s wonderful plan and what is truly important in life. Not to mention, filling our home with fun and laughter, watching my boys (his uncles) share and teach, play and "boss"….It’s all just simple sweet living. I am today, so thankful for God’s timing because just when I doubt him or worry about that “timing”, he shows me the reason and I am blindsided by his love. With all the worry that comes from the current events of our life, we can be distracted to the point of giddiness just anticipating Jackson at the door and looking forward to baby to come!

Thank you God for your unfathomable timing, I will never doubt you again…I pray!

Can I get an AMEN, Yes says my family!!!!

b

Friends...

Still!!!

My friends have always been few, but forever. The best of them have traveled with me through many seasons of life, loved me through them and loved me anyway. I think that is the way God planned true friendship. And I celebrate their being in my path at the right time or my being in theirs for that matter. No matter where our paths lead us or how many miles are between us, we always find our way back to the spot where that closeness is centered, at home with each other. As time passes (don’t remind me of how much!)…I’m amazed at the twists and turns of each path, the changes they cause in our individual places and views of the world. But with each step taken in a different direction, the fewer steps it seems to take to get back to where we began. It's a fact that our stride gets shorter and slower as we age, maybe that is so we won’t have as many steps to take to get home!
Happy Birthday Carolyn Funk Floyed, hope you are slowing down JOYFULLY!b

FALL on your knees!

I love FALL for many reasons.

One is so I can say this....another being the crisp mornings that usher in the changing season, both remind me of where I need to be more often!

ON MY KNEES talking to the one who thought up this beautiful season.

I know its not really here yet, but I'm more than ready, as you can see. I'm always eager for refreshing cool air, especially after the sweltering hot days of summer! Like the seasons of our life, some almost too miserable to bear. But just when you think you can't stand the heat any longer, along comes a cool whispering breeze or a golden floating leaf. Each JOYfully reminding you of who is there to refresh and renew, letting go of the season past, making way for the new things to come. Yes, it does usher in the quiet cold of winter, a time to rest and rejoice, ahhh Christmas and then Spring, life anew! But Fall is full of the anticipation of it all! I'm on my knees just "thanking" about it!

b

The Black Madonna

Story says…The Black Madonna was painted by St. Luke The Evangelist; and it was while painting the picture, Mary told him about the life of Jesus, which he later incorporated into his gospel. The next time we hear of the painting is in 326 A.D. when St. Helen found it in Jerusalem and gave it to her son and had a shrine built for it in Constantinople. Finally, it was transferred to a church in Czestochowa, Poland. There, The Black Madonna (Matka Boska) was acclaimed Queen of Poland by King Casimir. In many places, through several owners, during battles and sieges, her presence is reported to have protected her faithful. There have been stories for centuries of miraculous events surrounding those who made the journey to see the portrait. It is known as “The Black Madonna” because of the soot residue that discolors the painting, which is the result of centuries of prayers offered with votive lights and candles burning in front of the painting….
Confirmation of the power of prayer!
In His Son’s name, our Father hears every whisper!
Please whisper loudly for Philip and Bobby this week....
I pray them blessing enough, B

HE LOVES ME HE LOVES ME NOT? OF COURSE……HE DOES! John 3:16
Remember when as little girls, we used to search for just the right flower, then with great care remove the petals and go through this silly little ritual?
How many petals does it take to understand we are loved and that it has nothing to do with searching or chance, if we really open our eyes?
Believe me; I’ve picked a few flowers in my life, looking for someone to love me.

The most life changing, but not the first, I didn’t wait to go through all the petals. I just assumed it would end with he loved me, I WAS WRONG and I had a hard time dropping that flower to the ground...It took years in fact!

Another, my very first, I found earlier in life as it was beginning to bloom and in my immaturity I threw it aside; only to pick it up again just before it had wilted, hoping to bring it back to life. Then as its last petal was about to fall at he loves me, I looked over my shoulder and let it slip through my fingers, never to find it again!

The craziest one I ever picked was so breathtakingly beautiful and full, it was almost unbelievable and when I began to drop the petals, I sadly and devastatingly realized, it wasn’t a flower at all, but a dangerous weed!

And last but not at all least, the final flower I ever picked and still hold in my hand…

I pull petals off daily and it puts on more, I forget to water it yet it never wilts; I change with the seasons but it doesn’t; I even mow over it, it grows back stronger. It is definitely a perennial….Imagine that, HE LOVES ME!
Only God knows why??? and thank goodness he loves me too, no petal pulling needed…
b