Friday, September 6, 2019

The Work of Our Hands


Psalm 90:17
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.

Man is never truly himself except when he is actively creating something. ~Dorothy L. Sayers

Our granddaughter, Virginia Rose, loves working with her hands, be it drawing or manipulating ordinary objects into extraordinary creations.  Do you recall these unique items she makes last April?



Since we are having Virginia over for the long Labor Day weekend, I decide it's time for this not so artsy-crafty Gammie to come up with an actual project for us to tackle together.  I think Christmas ornaments.  I know, I know, we're still months away from celebrating Jesus' birthday, but by starting early, I can rest assured that Virginia will have the time necessary to produce enough decorations to serve as gifts for her family.

Sure enough, I find a Christmas tree craft on line that is simple and colorful, and a trip to our local Michaels procures all the materials we need.


Virginia wastes no time in opening the packages and getting right to work.



I choose the pre-colored popsicle sticks to save us from having to paint our own.  Less mess, and more variety for our trees.



Virginia opts for the tradition green for her tree.




She is cutting out a small square for the tree trunk that I've traced on card stock paper.  In the meantime, I trace stars from a metal cookie cutter I have and save Virginia time by cutting those out myself.


Here come the pom-poms!




I let Virginia complete my rather unconventional Christmas tree.

And here are the final products!


The trees turn out just as we had hoped, and we give thanks to God for blessing the work or our hands.

Amen!

21 comments:

  1. Very artistic. They are really wonderful to hang from a Christmas tree. I hope you have made millions so we can buy them on the Internet.

    You are a wonderful grand-mother, Martha.

    God bless.

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    1. Thank you, Victor! No, not millions, just a few to decorate Virginia's family tree and ours this Christmas. So easy to make!
      Love and blessings!

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  2. More important than the crafts made are the memories being made.
    She will look back with fond recollection of the joyful times spent with her Gammie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, those wonderful memories . . . They are the most important things we make, Ryan.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete
  3. You are going to laugh. When your post first came on the screen, I read "Let the flavor of the Lord be upon us..." I did a double take and read again. But somehow that idea of the "flavor" of the Lord stuck with me. Like that verse "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Our eyes play tricks on us, but in ways that sometimes lead to insight. The flavor of the Lord is really exactly what I need to consider today. So thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Galen, that is too funny, but how wonderful that it led you to a fresh insight. God truly does flavor our lives, doesn't He? He certainly added lots of taste to the fun Virginia and I shared in this activity.
      Love and blessings!

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    2. You and I must be somewhat alike, Galen. I often read things the wrong way, and sometimes it can be very funny. But other times, like you, they do give the words a secondary and quite legitimate meaning.

      Delete
  4. Martha, the creative process is so amazing. God is the Master Creator, and it seems that He wants those He created in His image to create as well. The trees you and Virginia made look GREAT.

    Love and blessings!

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    Replies
    1. Kim, I really believe, as Ms. Sayers said above, that we are most like our Creator when we are creating something, be it art, writing, cooking, etc. God has bestowed so many unique gifts upon us, and my prayer is that we all use them well, to His honor and glory. Glad you liked the trees! I have to say, I think they turned out quite well.
      Love and blessings!

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  5. Despite the fact, Virginia has more talent in her pinky ... you've got me wanting to visit Michaels! I'm sure the 'work of your hands' will be treasured for years to come.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should visit Michaels, Mevely, if for no other reason than just to get some inspiration for creative projects. They also have some holiday things you can buy that are already done for you. What could be easier? And yes, I'm going to treasure these works of our hands.
      Love and blessings!

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  6. I love your ornaments, Martha. A great craft for Victoria Rose. And it didn't take a ton of different things to accomplish it either. Good work, both of you!

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    1. Thank you, Diane! We had a great time creating these two, and will be working on more in the future when Virginia visits.
      Love and blessings!

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  7. I love this creative side of our adult brains! More! More! Thanks for the inspiration

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    1. Me, too, Jean! I know that writing is, in and of itself, creative, but it did feel good to break out of my usual mold to try something new with Virginia. I love watching her meticulously designing things.
      Love and blessings!

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  8. Aw, what a sweet time you had together! And, she will have the finished products to always remind her!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, Cheryl, it was such a sweet time we shared. Can't wait to see Virginia again soon!
      Love and blessings!

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  9. So cool! I think I might have to do that one with my grandsons. They love to do crafts. What a wonderful way to spend time with your granddaughter.

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    Replies
    1. These are so very easy to make, Laurie, I'm sure you'd enjoy doing this with your grands. And yes, Virginia and I really had a great time doing this together.
      Love and blessings!

      Delete

. . . Good Tidings of Great Joy . . .

  . . . Good tidings of great joy . . . ~Luke 2:10 Pictured above are my daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, John, and their three girls, Virginia,...