Tuesday, February 24, 2015

JOY at LOWE'S



Our JOY flags are at LOWE'S!  We just spotted the first one on a casual trip to our local Lowe's store.  Imagine our surprise. It was like seeing your child or grandchild in a school play or sports event!!!  You know that kind of moment, when you find yourself yelling, "That's my kid!  Right there, right there! Look, look, look!!!  Lowe's should appreciate us for all the enthusiasm we can bring to their store on an ordinary day. We could boost sales everyday just by seeing one of our flags there. 
Actually, we behaved ourselves quite properly at Lowe's, but our hearts were flooded with joy when we saw our little garden flag hanging in the store. Knowing that it's now available in over 1,700 Lowe's stores across the nation, just kind of brings us to our knees in gratitude.  For the first time, we actually have more than one store to direct you all to for a product with our artwork.  Hallelujah!

We always like the "rest of the story" on any piece of artwork.  What was the inspiration? What was the artwork hoping to convey? What message did it long to impart? The answer is pretty straightforward on this piece. JOY!   That wonderful gift that fills up your heart like a hot air balloon and sets you sailing over mountains, rough terrain, or dreary days,  It's real.  It's powerful. It's a gift. And it can turn your life around.
God must have known we'd need it to live the life He planned for us, so He left some pretty clear guidelines for obtaining joy.  They're simple, just like our artwork.  We thought we'd pass on a few of them, in case you need a little of that hot-air balloon joy-lift in your life today.  

"You will fill me with joy in your presence..."  Psalm 16:11
Just being with God, spending time with Him, listening to Him...fills us with joy.

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace..." Galatians 5:22
You don't have to try and produce joy...it's a gift. It's like fruit in an orchard, as we join our lives to Him.

"The deepest pains may linger through the night, but joy greets the soul with the smile of morning." Psalm 30:5
When you're in deep pain, deep hurt, deep loss... joy, the joy that comes from God, lifts you and carries you through. 


So, joy is much more than a simple three-letter word.  It's a powerful force, a gift from God that will carry us through good times as well as challenging times, growing stronger as we connect our lives with Him. 

We hope our JOY artwork reminds you to pause and spend time with God, our sure source and supply of joy.

With hot-air balloon hearts of joy,
The Velvet Lime Girls

Our JOY artwork is also available on these Divinity products. Order @ Christianbook.com