March Photo Challenge: Seven

I’ve missed some photo challenges but vow to get back into the swing of things beginning this month. PJ’s theme for March was Seven.….commemorating his seven year anniversary of hosting this photo challenge.

Seven just happens to be my all-time favorite number. Biblically, it symbolizes completeness or perfection. Whether you read Genesis literally or metaphorically, God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh. Also, the highly symbolic book of Revelation contains messages to seven churches, and mentions seven scrolls, bowls, seals, trumpets and stars. There are seven man-made wonders of the world and seven natural wonders of the world. According to Stephen Covey, there are Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.

Yes, seven is a magnificent number! So what should I do to commemorate PJ’s seventh anniversary this month? After thinking about it, I decided to choose seven items that tell you about myself….sort of a self-portrait of who I am. So here goes…..

Seven #1: Wedding ring
Of course I had a life before getting married, but I’ve been married more years than not, so this one leads the pack. And, I’m not the same doe-eyed girl today that stood at the altar and spoke vows…vows of which she had no idea of how they would test her resolve and tenacity over the years. I don’t believe young couples truly have any idea what they’re in for when they repeat wedding vows. This summer, Entrepreneur and I will celebrate our 40th anniversary. An event just a few years ago I was not so sure we would see because of his cancer.

Seven #2: Family
The topic of many of my photographic efforts, there is nothing dearer to me on this earth than family. Because of the recent guidelines limiting us being in public, I’m pulling a photo from our February family vacay to Mexico. Since I took this on a timer, I think it should count. This only shows my immediate family and doesn’t take into account our parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. And let’s not forget people who fall into the framily category that are also deeply part of our hearts.

Seven #3: Faith
If you’ve spent more than five minutes reading my posts, you understand how important my Christian faith is to the essence of my being. This cross was given to me when my father passed away in 1992. It rarely leaves my neck and is a reminder I am a child of God and he is sovereign over everything. My faith has been put to the test more than once. Sometimes I emerge victorious. Sometimes I fail epically. But God is a god of second chances (and third, fourth, fifth etc) and every morning I can start over.

Seven #4: Fur babies
In all, there have been five puppers and four kitties in my life so far. All have gone over the Rainbow Bridge except two. I honestly could not imagine living life without a fur baby as part of it. Even though their lives are much shorter than we’d like, while they are with us they offer companionship, emotional support, reduce stress and keep us socially connected. Pets are huge commitment but most successful relationships require commitment.

Seven #5: Nature
Whether it’s the ocean or mountains, forests or manicured parks, nature provides an essential connection to our existence. Nature provides the air we breath, food we eat, fabrics we wear and the water needed to survive. Harness nature and we have energy to power everything in our lives. Those are the practical applications. But, nature also connects us with a higher sense of purpose. It provides us with beauty, art, inspiration, and spiritual well-being. Who has not felt the calming presence of a higher power when looking out over the vastness of the ocean or from a mountain top? Who has never felt an unexplained connection with the earth while walking through the woods? And, who has never experienced the awe and wonder of the cosmos when looking out into the night sky? Nature is a gift from God to enjoy as well as for us to use to better our lives in every way. The photo below from my neighborhood shows someone’s labor of love to have planted daffodil bulbs all across their yard…just so we all could see them every spring and smile.

Seven #6: Camera
Most of you know I’m a (very amateur) shutterbug. It started with a college class and that passion has done nothing but grow exponentially since then. There is little I enjoy more than capturing moments in time to commemorate life events. I’ve taken photos to document almost every major life event my family has experienced. If someone asks me to commemorate an event for their family, I get all warm and fuzzy inside. Except, I won’t do weddings….entirely too much pressure!)

Seven #7: Creativity
Not so much an object as a mindset that describes me. I’ve been interested in creating as far back as I can remember. In high school, I learned how to sew to create clothes. In college I majored in fine arts/graphic arts with lots of drawing, painting and printing opportunities. I even learned how to use an airbrush. When my children were young, we did lots of arts and crafts. With the onset of digital everything, I moved to creating things on the computer. And then I discovered writing as a creative outlet. Creativity has always been a part of me and I suspect it always will be. Below is a color palette template I got from Coffee Shop a few years ago. Wouldn’t this make a fabulous color scheme for a sunroom?

Now that we’re all house-bound and running out of things to do, check out PJ’s post and see what others did this month to pass the time. And, why not join us for April? I’m also blog hopping today with Happy Tuesday over at Comedy Plus.