The Work of His Hands: A View of God's Creation from Space

An astronaut's six-month mission aboard the International Space Station, seen through breathtaking photography and the Christian confession that creation points to its Creator.

Colonel Jeffrey N. Williams traveled 17,500 miles per hour above Earth, orbiting the planet more than 2,800 times during Expedition 13--up to 16 times per day. From the ISS, he witnessed sixteen sunrises each day, storms spanning nations, glowing city lights, deserts, glaciers, rivers, volcanoes, and the fragile blue atmosphere that sustains life.

Through vivid firsthand accounts, Williams recounts launch aboard Soyuz TMA-8, life in weightlessness, Russian and U.S.-style spacewalks, shuttle visits, scientific work, and the long journey home. His remarkable NASA photography brings readers closer to the grandeur and order of Earth--from the Grand Canyon and Mount St. Helens to the Nile Delta and the biblical lands.

Yet the view from orbit does not replace God's Word. Williams reflects on Psalm 8, Job 26, Psalm 19, and Christ's sustaining work, showing how the splendor of creation remains "the outskirts of His ways." The Gospel reveals the Creator more fully than even the most spectacular view from space.

For readers drawn to astronaut memoirs, this Christian nonfiction account offers an unforgettable perspective on space exploration, vocation, providence, and the work of God's hands.

Colonel Jeffrey N. Williams grew up on a farm in the rural township of Winter, Wisconsin. He graduated from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point in 1980, served more than 27 years active in the US Army, and continues to serve as an active astronaut in the US space program. Serving in that capacity since 1996, Williams has logged a US record of 534 days in space on four flights in direct support of the assembly and operation of the International Space Station (ISS). Williams s missions include the Space Shuttle mission STS-101 in 2000, three Russian Soyuz flights, and three long-duration stays on the ISS spanning Expeditions 13, 21, 22, 47, and 48, most recently returning to Earth in September 2016. Over that time, he also logged nearly 32 hours during five space walks in both US and Russian space suits. Williams holds a bachelor s degree from USMA, master s and aerospace engineering degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a master s degree from the Naval War College. He and his wife, Anna-Marie, reside in Texas and are members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas. They have two adult sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren.