On Beauty

The goal of I Bequeath Thee is to help you discover the beauty that exists all around us, and within!

There are so many sources of loveliness and good in the world around us, just waiting for our senses to light upon them.

I hope your visit to my site will inspire you to find your own unique beauty, to bring out all the best
that you have inside, and to share
it with those around you!

This site features the handmade crocheted, beaded, and crystal jewelry that I have been creating for almost 10 years now. As my own form of self-expression, it takes on many different "personalities". From pieces that feature natural elements like gemstones and minerals, to crystal and beaded pieces that are ultra-feminine!
Some pieces are inspired by my love for history, the Medieval period, and just good, “old things” in general!
Other sources of inspiration are people I've met - like a beautiful, statuesque woman who suggested I might design some "larger" pieces- and so I did!
A lovely young woman, who I also have the privilege of calling a friend, increased my interest in the gemstone elements that I was already using when she began to tell me about their various healing powers. Although I was somewhat skeptical, I couldn’t help but find myself curious to learn more – and so I did!
(I’ve devoted several pages to the subject of these healing stones, as well as the more “scientific” facts on the various gemstones and other natural elements that I use.)

No matter what the style, each piece is inspired by some beautiful thing which I have been blessed to know over my lifetime.

And I really do feel that the beauty that surrounds us is a blessing.
I have a very strong faith in my Creator, and the more that I fix my attention on the beauty that exists in this world, the more convinced I am that it is a reflection of the beauty and glory of the One who imagined it all and then spoke it into existence.

"...whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report...think on these things."
Philippians 4:8

It feels very natural, and even spiritual, for me to find myself attracted to things that heighten my awareness of this element of beauty all around us. If you stop long enough to take notice of just how much beauty exists all around you in both nature, and in other human beings, I think you will agree it is overwhelming!
Perhaps seeing beauty is something we must train ourselves to do, especially when it would be all too easy these days to see what is wrong in our world today.

But for me, focusing on what is good and lovely increases my awareness of God; it seems to solidify my sense that He is good and loving, and has intended beautiful things for those who honor Him.
Sadly, we are the ones who have undone much of what He did.
But thankfully, it is still there to be found, for those who will turn their eyes and open their spirits to see it...and even more, to see Him in it. I do often think of the verse in the Bible which states: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee...".(Isaiah 26:3)
Hard as it may be to do at times, one of the keys to experiencing happiness is to learn to see good. That is why I placed the verse earlier, which tells us to focus our attention on those things that are lovely, and of "good report"...years ago a wise man was counseling his readers to do the same thing which we are being told by our modern-day sages and gurus to practice if we wish to find peace and harmony in our lives. This is not a new idea, but has been understood by spiritual men and women for centuries!

So, I suppose I would have to say my greatest of all sources of inspiration comes from my personal faith in a Loving and Beautiful Creator.
I am able to find beauty and love and joy in this world because He has given my heart this gift of faith, and my eyes the gift of spiritual sight - and that makes all the difference!
And it must also be, to some degree, that I feel I am able to connect to His heart and mind with my feeble attempts to create something of beauty - humble as it may be in comparison to His own work!
But I do find such pleasure in the process of designing and creating jewelry!
And I do like to think that it is a little inkling of what God must have felt when He had first created this world - still flawless, and unmarred by humankind - and stepped back and declared "It is good!"

Maybe this is the proof that we have been designed after His image - that urge in us to create something of worth and value, something beautiful...whether it is the man and woman longing for a child, or an artist struggling to capture the awesome myriad of a sunset's colors and place them on her canvas with the same impact...we seem so often to be hounded by a need to be able to point to something we have done and say "There! There is my accomplishment; there is my 'good'!"

And I do believe, as long as we keep it in it's proper perspective, this is a great thing. It is good to feel that need to add something of value to the world before we leave it... in the end, I know, my little creations are a small thing. I am quite certain I have done things that are of far greater value than even the most beautiful and valuable pieces of jewelry I've made. A kind word or a smile to a stranger who is having a bad day - that is certainly a better thing.

So, what am I saying here? I love all my sparkling crystals and getting all dressed up and shining...but I guess what our moms used to tell us is still the thing to remember:
"Beauty is only skin-deep!"

It's a lot of fun to beautify the outside, and it certainly makes us feel happy to give ourselves that little reward!
But you and I need to remember to keep that inner beauty growing, too, because that is the part of us that really shines through!

Once again, I do hope that you will enjoy perusing these pages, allowing yourself to revel just a bit in the sheer joy that beauty can bring.
It is not meant to be a thing of vanity, but an appreciation of all that is good and lovely.

If it inspires you to grow in your own unique beauty, if it helps you remember that there is still so much good to be found, and if you feel even a little more certain that you have a Creator who finds you beautiful already - then I will be content that I have served you well!

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