The Monster Moth

There are times i take a picture of something and when i look at it later i think the picture does not do justice to the subject of the shot. This is one of those times.

When i came out the backdoor of the house the other morning i immediately spotted this moth on the wall of my husband's shop. It was huge, the size of both of my hands put together! It was too good to pass up, so i ran back into the house to retrieve my camera.

The "Monster Moth", as it became affectionately known, was an easy subject. Many pictures were taken and the moth barely moved. In fact, the little it did move was due to the breeze that blew that morning. When the wind did blow the body of the moth was exposed and it was just as beautiful as the wings!

It amazes me how much love and care God put into every aspect of His creation...even something as simple as a moth. That is one reason i love taking pictures of nature. Some of the most powerful, moving lessons God teaches me come from being outside. Taking pictures helps me remember those lessons and when i share the pictures i share what i learn and hope others gain from what i share. That is the purpose of my blog and i believe part of God's purpose for me as part of His wonderful creation!

A Book, a Blog and Inspiration

The inspiration for charis-ma comes from this book, "The Creative Call", by Janice Elsheimer. Elsheimer is a creative writing and language arts teacher and her purpose in writing "The Creative Call" was to help the artist realize his or her talents and draw closer to God, who has given us the gift of creativity. The book is set up to be used individually or in a group. There are eight weeks worth of reading and writing exercises. At the end of the eight weeks the reader is treated to a guide for an artist retreat. I am presently starting my fourth week which deals with forgiveness. Trust me when i say God is working on me through this book. When i started "The Creative Call" i expected to learn more about myself and God's intended purpose for the gifts and talents He gave me. What i did not expect was how God would use the book to open conversation with so many others who say they enjoy drawing, sewing and other creative pusuits but they do not consider themselves creative or artistic. As someone who has believed this way myself for many years i have been fascinated by their stories. As God opens my eyes to the potential He has given me and as He encourages me i want to encourage others as well. Charis-ma gives me that opportunity. This is my place to share my growth as an artist with anyone interested. Here i will also share my struggles,hopes,dreams and whatever may help those who stop to read. I will also share what inspires me, whether it is music,quotes or articles-whatever the source of inspiration if it can be shared i will post it here! Of course, this would not be much of a creative blog if i did not share my own creative works as well. There may not be a whole lot of that right now but as God works on me that will change. If you have made it this far into my first post i am grateful and also hopeful that you will be back to enjoy charis-ma. Please visit often and let me know how you like your stay here!