Joy News

My goodness sakes alive!

Did you see all those comments under my last post regarding Fox News?  I appreciate all the information posted.  Hopefully, we will learn some REAL truth from it.

Since this is MY blog, I feel I should let everyone know that I am:

#1:  A Christian who believes the Bible is the true Word of the Most High God, and I believe -- as the Bible says -- that it is TRUTH.  I believe -- as the Bible says -- that WISDOM can only be found by knowing God and asking God for it.

#2 and Following:  A Conservative who believes NOTHING is ever going to be right in America again until the beliefs and values which were founded on the BIBLE by our forefathers are again put into full force and our Constitution is recognized as WHAT IT REALLY SAYS -- not what people who hate God (or just don't know Him) want to turn it into.

If you totally DISagree with my beliefs, that is perfectly okay.  We can agree to disagree.

What is really AMAZING is that both kinds of people LOVE TO SEW!

Both kinds have homes and families and issues they deal with every day.  We are there for each other no matter what our beliefs because we truly care about each other.

Phylly and I -- as you can tell from her comment yesterday -- stand shoulder-to-shoulder in our Christian beliefs and our political stand.  BUT, we are very different in how we handle situations and how we raised our kids.  Hence, we AGREE and we DISAGREE, but we still love each other very much.

Good heavens!  My husband and I don't agree on a lot of things.

My kids and I don't agree on a lot of things.

God made us each UNIQUE.  If we were all exactly alike, what a boring, dismembered society we would have.  So many "parts" would be missing.  (Hope that makes sense.)

HOWEVER, I think Americans owe it to themselves to seek actual, real happenings and learn how to come together in UNITY -- one Nation under God -- to return America to its greatness earned by tears and blood of so many brave men and women.

Speaking of Fox News, there is some professor (?) who helped write Obamacare spouting off how STUPID Americans are, and how they were able to TRICK US ALL into believing that Obamacare was a good thing.  I believe him totally.  I don't think Americans are stupid.  I know they are very IGNORANT, however.

As our preacher says, IGNORANCE is curable -- STUPIDITY is not.  I pray God will open the eyes of all Americans to the real TRUTH so we can again become ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, UNITED AND INDIVISIBLE.

And come back tomorrow to visit me, and I will have some new Sure-fit Designs videos showing you how I made up some color-blocked styles all by myself.

Between now and then, BIG HUG to all of you, and have a wonderful day.

Joy

Hello on Sunday Evening

I've been working hard all day long, but I'm not sure I accomplished much.

Church, of course, was great as always.

Pastor Matthew Hagee talked about Living the Truth.  (John 8:31)  He and his father were very excited about the election and had high hopes that things would move back toward Godliness in America.  They had a lovely orchestration of all the military songs, and they asked each member of the applicable branch to stand as it was played.  Really something to see how many people were Veterans.  There was loud applause for them all.

I am working on a project for my Sure-fit Designs readers.  Hopefully, I will have it done tomorrow and can post the videos and pictures.  I am really happy with the way everything turned out.  My videos are anything but professional or complete, but they might charge your Designer battery a bit.

Phylly told me that my comment about Sgt. Tahmooressi was very upsetting to her.

I apologize to anyone who I may have upset.  I have removed it.

I have the utmost respect and admiration for our volunteer military!  My grandson is in the Army.

I didn't mean to convey that I didn't care about the Sgt. or that I thought he was a bad person.  My only thought concerning his behavior was that he probably should not have had several LOADED weapons in his vehicle -- whether here in the US or somewhere else.  I don't know.  Maybe it is common for soldiers to do that.  I find it hard to believe that a Veteran with PTSD would be given a permit to carry guns.

I have a permit to carry, and I certainly would not carry several loaded guns in my car.  I can see one loaded gun for protection, but not several.  I guess he was moving, but still.  I don't see how that justifies it.  And my real point was how Greta talks incessantly about a subject, and recently, it has been the Sgt.  I am very glad for him and his family that he is back home.  My comment was really about how the news is the same thing over and over and over, and now that the election is done, I hope it will change to something positive and uplifting.

One can hope!

And YES, thank God for Fox news and reporters like Greta who are tenacious enough to shed light on darkness.

Guess I'll call it a day.

Wishing all my readers a fabulous week ahead!

Hugs, Joy

Beading, Skirts and Frixion

I had time to make a short video for you today to show you what I have been up to.

Here is a pic of the blue bracelet I made Hollie for her birthday on October 1st that the ladies at the church liked so much:

And I did get an entire long skirt made after I finished that VLOG.  All done but the hem.

Have you seen my "review" of the funnest new product I ordered from Amazon?  I'm going to order the CORRECT kind since I can't seem to find them at the stores.  Maybe Quill carries them.  That is where I order office supplies for my store.

Here's my Frixion Pen video:

THANK GOD the election is over!

I don't know if it will make a bit of difference in the long run, but MAYBE, just MAYBE Fox will quit talking about polls and elections.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was some GOOD news once in a blue moon?

Did anyone notice that the sun came up again this morning?  The planes all stayed up in the sky once they arrived there, Water is still flowing out of our faucets, and gas is still coming out the pipes, and the air we breathe with our amazing God-designed lungs is so fresh after the rain yesterday, and my husband is cancer free!, and I have such good friends who are loyal to me, and I have fabric to sew -- food to cook -- books to read -- dogs to love and play with.

When I woke up this morning, I could still walk, talk, breathe, hear, smell, feel, laugh, eat and think!  So many people cannot do one or more of those things.

We have SO MUCH to be thankful for!

Someone (I'll call him "Steve") told me recently that I should NOT go around saying "God has blessed us so much" because people will think God doesn't love them because they aren't as blessed as we are.

I know an awful lot of people who have way more than Jerry and I have, and I have never thought for a single second that God must love them more than He loves me.

I told Jerry about it, and he was as blown away as I was.  What an INSANE thing to THINK, never mind SAY.  I don't know where Steve thinks his blessings come from, but Jerry and I give God ALL THE GLORY for every single blessing in our lives.  Yes, we have worked long and hard for many years, BUT we never, ever forget who gave us the ABILITY to do what we have done.

Actually, I can think of one person on TV who is ALWAYS happy and excited to the point of being irritating.  Can you guess who that is?

Okay, I'm shutting up now.  Time to look up new jewelry patterns.

Hugs, Joy

Good Tuesday Evening from Edmond, OK

Hey everyone!

Here we are nearly half way through another week.  They truly do fly by.  We have had some issues this week including somebody running into a pole and knocking out our electricity at the store for most of Monday.

I had an employee give notice and nearly send me into major trauma, but I was able to talk her into staying.

Jackie got sick after eating part of a turtle, and we had to take her to the vet.  I think I told you that one.  She is fine now.

We have this new black, furry, totally adorable puppy that we can't resist picking up and hugging the guts out of 20 times a day.

Our next door neighbor called and said her back yard was a flood zone due to our water sprinklers, so we had to call a guy to come service those today.

But OTHER than all of that, all is well.

I finished the binding on the two quilts I brought here.  Josie's quilt is so cute, and she is sleeping on it in front of my feet right now.

And here is Mom's lighthouse quilt.

No biggy to anyone but, hopefully, my Mother.  She LOVES lighthouses as she grew up in Boston, Massachusetts near the ocean.

We head back home to our "real" home tomorrow morning.  I am anxious to get back to work at our store now that Jerry is safe and sound and able to do all things through Christ who strengthens him!
(Phil. 4:13)

I just snapped this pic.

Must be bedtime!

Hugs, Joy

God is LOVE and Jackie Meets Josie

Today is Sunday, so church this morning.


Pastor Hagee, Sr. preached on "God is Love".  It is one of those sermons that really confuses my heart and mind.

Of course, I KNOW God IS love.  He doesn't pick and choose who He loves and who He likes just a little and who He hates.  God IS love, so He loves everyone.

Can he hate?

Oh, YES!  Definitely!

He HATES sin.  He cannot allow it in His kingdom.  There HAD to be a sacrifice for it, or none of us would ever be able to enter God's presence.  Hence, Jesus.  Jesus came to be the ultimate sacrifice for us all.  It is the saddest thing in the whole universe that a man or a woman would not understand and accept that truth.

The thing I don't understand is ME.  I have always thought that I -- as a Christian -- should stay away from people who knowingly and willingly sin.  ESPECIALLY, those that call themselves "Christians".  I'm real good at pointing out everyone's sins too.  Only problem is, people always got the idea that I was saying I was perfect, and they were horrible sinners.  I did not mean it that way at all.

Can someone sin just a little bit?  Can someone else sin a big bit?  Can someone else commit the most horrible sin that you could never be in their presence again?  Can someone sin so horrendously that God, Himself, rejects them and won't love them anymore?

And WHERE does one draw the line as to which sinner they will associate with and which one they won't????  Obviously, NONE of us is ever perfect and without sin.

The way I explained it to my children and grandchildren -- not that they ever listened -- was that YOU WILL BE LIKE THE PEOPLE YOU ASSOCIATE WITH.  Do NOT date someone who is not qualified to be a self-disciplined, loving, honorable, Christian Father or Mother, because you will marry someone you date!  It is a whole lot easier for the sinner to pull DOWN the Christian than for a Christian to pull UP the sinner.  I have seen it too -- so many, many times.  It breaks your heart.

To me there seems to be DEGREES of sin.  For instance:  Things I struggle with personally are talking about other people (gossip), driving a bit over the speed limit, exaggerating a point or an event, or over-reacting to something to the point I hurt someone's feelings (usually an employee).

A horrible sin that other people commit in MY OPINION would be abortion; marriage between two men or two women; murder; rape; selling drugs; satan worship; lying; adultery; etc.  How many people do I know personally that allow their own children to live in sin right in their own homes?  A lot!

According to all the sermons I have heard, there is no degree of sin to God.  Sin is sin.  I have a hard time sorting that out in my mind.  But God -- because of Jesus -- forgives ALL sin, no matter how awful or how seemingly UNforgivable.  Hagee says God knew everything you were going to do before you ever did it, and he loved you anyway.

I can't start to understand it all, but I understand this much.  God loves you and God loves me, and because of Jesus, we will all be right there in the same City where He lives someday, and we can ASK HIM OURSELVES to clear up all the confusion in our minds.  I really have a feeling that we will just KNOW.  How else could all of us who can't get along here on Earth, suddenly live in perfect peace when we get there?  Our minds will HAVE to be transformed.

The thing is, there are people in my family that I don't associate with because of their life style choices.  One is a constant (what is the word?) liar.  One is a serious drug user and distributor.  They use filthy language and can be violent.  Not only do I not want to be in their life, they FOR SURE don't want to be in mine.  I love them though.  I seriously love them.  I pray for them.  And after a sermon like today's, I wonder if I shouldn't be in their life ANYWAY just so they know someone loves them.  It is very confusing to me.

Hopefully, you can find today's sermon in there SOMEwhere!

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND, now!

I have a little video for you of the day Jackie met Josie.  It was just this past Monday.  We are head-over-heels in love with the little fluff ball, and so is Jackie.

And here are some stills of my first chance to hold Josie.

Jackie wasn't wanting to share Josie with any of us.  She seemed to know right away that this was HER gift and not ours, lol.

 Jackie wanted her back.  They have been inseparable except for a closed door since Josie arrived.

 I better go fix some supper for the master.

Hugs, Joy

Doggy Days!

Good Heavens!

SOMEONE should have told me that puppies have more energy than wild bulls!  It is amazing the torment Jackie will take from Josie.  Josie has the SHARPEST little teeth, and she bites Jackie's legs over and over.  Jackie jumps around like she is on hot coals.  Unbelievable patience with her SUPPOSED "friend" that Jerry insisted she have.  

Took both girls to a new vet today.  LOVED HER.  She said, "Hello, I am Dr. So-and-So, but you can call me Nicole."  She looked 18, but said she was 35.  She said people tell her how young she looks all the time.  She was lovely to our babies.  If we could live in just one town, I would go to her all the time.

Phylly and Margaret came over today, but I was so WORN OUT from being up last night with a sick Jackie, that I didn't even THINK of taking a picture today.  Jackie hasn't been feeling good for about 3 days.  We thought it was probably a little milk I had given her, but that would not last this long.  

Jerry found a dead turtle in our yard about a week ago that Jackie had gnawed on and killed.  Part of her shell was missing.  Thank goodness, I did not find that.  The vet said Jackie could have salmonella from that.  Jackie got pills and Josie got a shot.  Josie acted like she ADORES getting shots and couldn't care less.  Jackie did NOT appreciate the thermometer put you-know-where!

Here they are now.  Worn out and ready for bed!  This is as far apart as they get from each other. 

Last night, Jackie's head was ON TOP OF Josie as though she was her pillow.  So cute!

Had fun with my friends today.  We shortened Phylly's skirts.  WISH I had thought to take a pic of the new much shorter lengths.  Who knew Phylly has legs!!!

That's all for tonight my friends.  

Hugs, Joy

Great News!

Just a quick post to let you know the FABULOUS news that Jerry is completely, totally cancer free at the six-month point after the end of chemotherapy.

We give God all the glory, of course.

Jerry goes back in 3 months for a check-up and 6 months for the next PET scan.

This was a crazy day.  Too tired to talk tonight, and you know that is REALLY TIRED for me!

 And keep in mind we have a new puppy.  She keeps us jumping!

Margaret is coming over tomorrow, and Phylly is coming Saturday.

I'll be back soon!

Hugs, Joy