Joy of Creating

Beading, beading, and more beading! As a way for me to fill winter’s hours, Dick bought me a bracelet beading kit for Christmas one year. Over the next month and a half, I made over 50 bracelets.

What I found most addicting about this hobby was the creative development. I loved gazing over my box of beads and cords and allowing ideas for patterns, color combinations, and braiding styles to percolate in my mind. The process brought a happy smile to my face. I experience even greater joy when I see someone wearing one of my bracelets!

Crafting bracelets has given me a tiny glimpse of the wonder and joy God must feel as He creates us. He shapes and forms us before we are born. (Psalm 139:13) He instills the traits, quirks and aptitudes that make me, me and you, you. Every person is unique—no two people look exactly alike, no two people share the exact same personality, no two people possess the exact same gifts, talents, and abilities.

Revelations 4:11 tells us “God has created all things, and for His pleasure they are and were created.” Ephesians 2:10 says, we are God’s masterpiece; He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

God made you; God made me. We were created for His pleasure. The best way for us to bring God the most pleasure is to seek to do the good He planned for us to do.

Be encouraged!

Pam

©2018 Pamela D. Williams Your thoughts on my posts are always welcome. If you would like to comment, you can do so on Facebook or Google+.

On the Precipice

It looked like such fun as I seated myself on the sled at the top of the snowy hill. Fun quickly turned to fear as I careened down the steep grade, hanging on “for dear life” to the grips on the sides of the saucer. With nothing but a thin layer of plastic between me and the packed snow, my body jarred with every bump and hump along the slippery slope. I tried to control my descent by leaning first one direction and then the other, but only managed to make the ride more terrifying. As I approached the bottom, screaming at the top of my voice, the ground leveled off and the saucer gradually slowed. I rolled off, gasping my gratitude to be alive, panting with adrenaline and exertion.

Sometimes life can feel like that sled ride. As we stand at the precipice of a new year, many of us are thinking about the future. What will these 365 days hold? Some of us lean forward with anticipation; others hold back with dread.

We try our best to keep control of all the different aspects of our lives—finances, relationships, health—but some days we feel as out of control as I did that wintry afternoon, hurtling down the steep hill on a flimsy saucer.

But we don’t have to feel that way. Proverbs 16:9 says we make our plans but God directs our lives. When we submit to God, and truly believe that He is in control, we have the freedom to let go of our fears, anxieties, dread, and desperate need to be in charge. Someone Else is leading the way. Someone Else is responsible. And that powerful and loving Someone has a plan—a plan for peace and not disaster, plans to give us a future filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29: 11)

As we enter 2018, I pray that we can fully trust in God’s perfect plan for us. I pray that the Holy Spirit would enable us to sit back and enjoy the ride. And at the end, may we roll off with a loud “Whew! Thank you, Jesus!” as laughter bubbles up and spills out for all the world to see how great is our God!

Blessings!

Pam

©2018 Pamela D. Williams
Your thoughts on my posts are always welcome. If you would like to comment, you can do so by on Facebook or Google+.