For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

Producing art, whether for functional use, the sheer beauty of it or some combination of the two, takes effort and skill.  In my youth I used to tool leather.  I made belts, purses, bible covers, etc.  Some projects were from kits, others were on pre-cut pieces and the remainder were those that were started with a piece of tanned hide.  Obviously the latter required the most effort in that I had to decide what I was making, its intended purpose, its shape, and its dimensions.  From there the cutting had to be precise which was not easy with a utility knife.   Once cut, the leather had to be moistened to keep it pliable to that the stamping and carving could be done properly and evenly.  After being tooled it had to be died and finished.  Each piece was unique and an investment of time, effort, and creativity.  The process was a very faint imitation of how God has created each of us.

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