What does the word designs make you think of?

I think of carpet designs, kaleidoscopes, interior design, building designs and doing things by design. I think of the divine design and how it may be different from my design. There seems to be a design of some kind to everything I can think of.

Carpet designs can be beautiful. Im a big fan of Persian and Indian rugs. Those intricate multicolored designs look so good on my hardwood floors. I am not your arts-and-crafts type of person. So, I really appreciate the intricate work of artists. Im a little in awe of it. Ive watched weavers making these rugs and Im amazed that they get all the threads where they want them. To me, it looks like a lot of work.

Kaleidoscopes seem to be random designs, but they always have a pattern. My mother collects kaleidoscopes. One year my husband made her one out of glass. He soldered colored glass together to make the tube in kind of a triangular shape. Then he bought big wheels to go at the end and filled them with colored stones. Never do you see the same design twice and all of them beautiful. Just like life.

Interior design is not my forte either, but I manage. I like things simple and woodsy looking, so I just decorate with plants and baskets and dark wood bookshelves. I have a friend who is an interior designer. She artfully places scarves and bowls of marbles and dried flowers. She hand paints walls with sponges. She can put colors together that I never would and have it come out looking perfect!

Buildings have designs, too. I go for the older ones or the rustic ones. Give me a castle over a skyscraper any day! But try to get me to choose between a Victorian mansion and a nice log cabin and Id have to think about it for a very long time. I would want both. Totally different designs again, and all of them are home to someone.

Carpets, kaleidoscopes, interiors, buildings: they are all created with a design in mind. So were we. I just know there must be some kind of design behind all of this. In spite of the ugliness we often see, there is still much order and beauty in the world. This gives me faith that there is some design, a plan for me and for this world.