Tag Archives: beauty

Created to Create

Creating Like Our Creator

Whenever I see somebody doing something like this, it inspires me so much. I love it when men and women use the gifts and abilities God has given them to create something beautiful. The sky is the limit when we use what God has given us to create something beautiful or something that can help others.

I think we sometimes forget that God gave us abilities, talents, and gifts to create, in the same way our Creator creates. We forget that our God paints the sky every morning and evening in brilliant hues of color. We forget that He gave us so many different flowers, plants, trees, and views to enjoy. From the majestic Rocky Mountains, to the sands of the beach of the Jersey shore, to the cacti and red dirt of Arizona, our God has created so much beauty just for us to enjoy. Why wouldn’t He take joy in the things we create as well?

Made in His Image

God is the ultimate Creator, and He gives us the ability to follow in His footsteps and create something beautiful. He is our Creator, and He created us in His own image. That means He has given us the ability to create.

So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27 NLT

Sharing Beauty with Others

We get to partake in God’s beauty every time we create something. We get to show the goodness of our Creator when we create something and share that beauty with others. It may be a homemade meal that you labor over. You get to share it with your family and friends, and you feel so fulfilled. It may be something you create–a painting, a craft, a flower arrangement, a candle–that you share with others. Maybe it’s something you write– a book, a poem, a letter.

We all have different gifts and abilities and talents. I can barely crochet a single stitch chain without losing my mind, and yet my daughter can create and craft animals that are so adorable. MaddieKCrochet

One of my friends at church is a whiz at making flower arrangements and more importantly, keeping them alive. At our recent ladies’ event, she spent the entire time helping each lady make her flower arrangement look perfect. We all got to benefit from her skills.

Another friend of mine is an amazing baker. She makes all sorts of desserts and treats that are Pinterest worthy. She sells them out of her home and has made a business with her baked goods. And yet, almost every Sunday, she brings a treat to church. We get to partake in her talents and abilities.

Using Your Gifting to Bless Others

Sometimes, we forget that God gave us something to work with. Maybe it’s been a while since you used those abilities to create something beautiful. The talent could be buried; maybe you don’t even know you have the ability yet. For some of us, it takes a lot longer to develop a skill. It took me until I was in my thirties to realize I love writing. It’s taken me several years to hone that craft, and I’m still working at it. But now, I can see the fruit of my labors and of the gifting God has given me. I don’t know what gifting God has given you, but I know you have something. All of us have something God has gifted us with that we can use to bless others.

What’s really amazing is when the gifts God has given you can be used to make an income. That’s when it really comes together! What gifts has God given you that you can use to bless others?

More Encouragement

If you love this topic and love the idea of making an income from home, check out Crytal Paine’s book, Money Making Mom or Called to Create by Jordan Raynor. I love both of those books. You can also check out my post, Doing Something Great with God.

There’s Beauty in the Unmaking

Beauty in the Unmaking

There’s beauty in the unmaking of something. I saw this tree a few days ago when I was out walking and snapped a picture. My daughter asked me why I took the picture. To her it was just an ugly tree losing its bark. To me, it was a beautiful picture of what could be.

At first glance, the tree does look kind of ugly. In this moment, it’s a tree that doesn’t command our interest. It’s in the middle of undergoing the changing process. But when all the bark comes off, it will be beautiful in its natural form.

God’s Work of Unmaking Us

I feel at times like this tree—God is unmaking me and unraveling me, piece by piece. Sometimes I feel like by the time he’s done, I won’t have anything left. Sometimes it’s painful. The more God reveals my weaknesses and changes me, the more I feel broken and unusable. And yet there’s a beauty in the unmaking, well maybe not in the unmaking, but in the finished product. There’s beauty in seeing something in its true nature—raw, unfiltered, without makeup, no touch ups… just as it really is.

That’s what we look for in others, right? Openness, trueness, authenticity. Yet, why is it so hard to produce it in our own lives? Because it’s painful. It’s painful to be stripped bare; it’s painful to be unmade. Yet when God wants to use us, this is exactly what he does.

Real-Life Examples

Look at some of the examples from the Bible—Jonah, Peter, Elijah, and Moses. Jonah was thrown overboard a ship and forgotten. Peter denied Christ and lost his reputation and credibility. Moses was left on the backside of a desert, seemingly forgotten for 40 years. And Elijah hid and was fed from birds while trying to escape for his life for a time.

These men were stripped of their title, rank, credibility, and pride. Only then did God decide He decide could use them. Jonah was used to preach one of the greatest revivals in history. Peter preached at Pentecost and thousands came to Christ. Elijah battled against the prophets of Baal and won, and Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea on dry land. The timing was different for each of them. It was 3 days for Jonah, 50 days for Peter, an unknown time for Elijah, and 40 years for Moses. (Here’s an important side note- don’t compare your story to anybody else’s. It won’t help! God works in each of our lives differently. We can’t compare our story to anybody else’s story or experience.)

Coming to the End of Ourselves

It’s only when we come to the end of ourselves that we find God’s grace is enough. When we are at our lowest, when we are at our weakest…that’s when God can use us. His strength becomes our strength.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
I Corinthians 12:9,10 KJV

If you’re in a place today where you feel like God is unraveling you or unmaking you, I get it. I’m there myself. Don’t give up. Instead, release yourself to the process. Cling to Him during the process and trust him to get you through it.

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalm 55:22 NLT

This unmaking of you won’t be the breaking of you. Instead, it will produce something far more beautiful.

For More Encouragement

For more encouragement on this topic, check out my book, The Hidden Pain: When You Fear God is No Longer Blessing Your Life.

What Are You Looking At?

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We See What We’re Looking At

I finished reading Have More Fun: How to Be Remarkable, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Start Enjoying Life by Mandy Arioto a few weeks ago. One of the things Mandy wrote that has stuck with me is this, “We see what we’re looking for.”

I’ve thought a lot about those words. It’s made me stop and think in my own life, What am I looking at? What is catching my attention? Is it all the negativity around me? Is it the fighting of my children? Maybe the frustrations of daily life?

If I am actively looking for beauty all around me, I am going to find beauty. If I’m looking for good all around me, I’m going to find it. However, if I’m looking for faults, I’m going to find them easily both in myself and in other people. If I am focused on fear, I’m going to see life through that lens.

We Need to Focus On God’s Goodness

Our focus should be on God and His goodness. It’s impossible to focus on God’s goodness and negativity at the same time.

Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.
Philippians 4:8 TLB

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.
Psalm 145:5-7 NKJV

So how can we practically look for goodness and beauty in our lives?

Actively looking for good

1. Practice gratitude every day.

I do this each morning in my Faithfully Stepping Journal. There’s a section for gratitude where I write down at least three things I am grateful for today. It’s the very first thing I do when I start my morning time routine. It puts my heart and mind in a right framework to begin my day.

2. Spend time in God’s Word each day.

It doesn’t have to be a long time. Even just five to ten minutes can make a huge impact on your day. Choose a good devotional, a Bible-reading plan, or pick a plan on YouVersion, an app that has literally thousands of Bible plans to choose from.

3. Read inspirational books.

I try to always read an encouraging and uplifting book for at least a few minutes each day after I’ve read my Bible. Why? Because reading makes us apathetic to whatever we are reading. So if I’m reading about a woman who learned to pray more and it made a huge difference in her life, then I’m probably going to start praying more. If I read about how a mom learned to be a better mom, I can learn those principles and become a better mom too. Reading other people’s stories gives us hope, encourages our hearts to stay faithful, and pushes us to become better Christians.

4. Listen to uplifting music that gets your focus off of yourself and onto God.

Music was created by God and has an incredibly powerful impact on our lives. Have you ever found yourself singing and dancing in a store simply because you heard a song you really like come on? That’s the power of music. So when you turn on a song that praises God, you can’t keep your bad attitude. The music will bring peace, remind you of God’s faithfulness, and act as a soothing balm to your soul. That’s the power of music.

5. Get out in the sun and into nature.

I am not a nature person. Most of the time, I would rather stay home and read than go for a hike. I will say, though, that I love getting out in the sun for some fresh air and exercise. We have a park that we try to go to several days a week when the weather is nice. It’s the most perfect park for our family because there is a playground set that the kids can play on, and there’s a trail that loops around the playground that isn’t huge. I can walk or jog on the path and still watch my kids.

The great thing about this path is that it runs alongside a patch of woods. So, I can walk the path, and get a small dose of nature. We’ve seen a fox there a few times and several deer on multiple occasions. It’s our little piece of nature in the city. So many times I have been upset, frustrated, discouraged, and after just twenty or thirty minutes of peace and calm and some sunshine, quiet, and exercise, I feel like a new person.

6. Actively look for the good in others.

I’m not going to lie. This is the hardest one for me. I have wired my brain to find the faults in myself and others all the time. My kids bear the brunt of this. It’s something I really have to work on. Finding the faults in others is so easy, but finding the good in others? Not so much. If I want to find more beauty in my life and less negativity, I am going to have to start looking for the good.

7. Go for a trip to someplace that quiets your heart and helps you focus on God.

This is obviously not something you can do every day. But it is so worthwhile to take a break from the pressures of life and just get away, especially if you can get away to a place that has some aspect of nature you can enjoy. Maybe it’s a trip up into the mountains. Perhaps it’s a few days at the beach. Maybe it’s packing a lunch and taking it to a park that has a lake nearby that you can sit and enjoy. For us, sometimes it’s simply a trip upstate to Amish country where the houses are spread out, the grass is green and lush, and the pace is slower. Whatever it is, find a place you can escape to and focus on God’s creation and let its beauty soothe your soul.

Looking for the Good and the Beautiful.

I am convinced we miss so much good and beauty in our lives because we simply don’t know how to look for it. We haven’t made it an active part of our lives. It’s time for us to stop focusing so much on the negative and start looking for the beauty and the good all around us. Pick just one of the ways to actively look for the good in your life each day and see if that doesn’t make an impact on how you see the world around you.