God's Beauty...Captured

Hi and welcome back! haha! (that was for me.) I can't believe it's been so long since I've written. Shame on me! (not really...) I got myself a new MAC laptop and have enrolled in an online photography school...so, I've been really busy taking pictures of water droplets, and learning about the "Rule of 3rds." I love photography so much. When I was in high school, my Aunt Dottie bought me a really nice SLR camera...I believe it was an Olympus. I loved taking pictures of anything and everything. However, after moving many times and loosing items in the moves, I no longer have that camera.

About a year ago, my passion was ignited again. I bought another SLR camera...this time, a Nikon D80, enrolled in a class at AC and began taking lots of photos. Good grief, a lot can happen in a year! I just replaced a picture of "fall foliage" I'd taken last year at Wheeler with a picture I took about 2 weeks ago. Wow! Not to brag, but I have definitely improved in the course of a year. The picture I replaced was so hideous, I wouldn't even TAKE that photo today, much less, FRAME IT! Oh my, it was bad. And bless Gary's heart, he didn't say one negative thing about it...even when he saw the new picture! He has such a sweet heart.

I'm currently reading a great book, Success God's Way by Charles Stanley. I've wondered this past year what my destiny was...while not gainfully employed, I've often thought I needed to be doing something, anything, to bring in income. There have been several offers come my way, but each time I prayed about direction, I felt the Lord clearly tell me, "Dawn, you are where I want you. I want you to be Gary's healthy wife, be a blessing to him everyday." Well, I do my best with that call...some days are better than others...and truly...I've had a deep-rooted desire to be a "housewife"...to take care of my husband and our home and make it a sanctuary for us. I enjoy that more than I can even believe. I am blessed beyond belief that I am living the life I live today.

Having said that, and after reading some of this great book, I realized I also have a desire to "create" something using the gifts and talents God placed in me to glorify Him. Which, by the way, is the priority goal that Charles Stanley mentions....a goal to glorify God. So, after pondering and praying about that...I came up with this:

Lord, I want to create something beautiful of You that glorifies You. I did just that. Yesterday, I gave away my first signed print to my dear friend, Pam

Canon, for her birthday...(see picture)...

I took the picture while in Austin about a year ago while Gary and I attended a bank conference. This was in Bastrop, TX just outside of Austin. There was a small sitting area they called the "Butterfly Area" where butterflies were scattered everywhere among the bushes and shrubs. I was in awe of there beauty and the precision of their markings. Only a perfect God could make such a perfect specimen.

The scripture that seems so fitting to this image is...

2 Corinthians 5:17: Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. NLT.

Maybe that verse means so much to me because I clearly had an old life that was horrible and since Jesus, my new life is fabulous! Truly a life that went from "black and white" to "Full Color!" Even though I sometimes have days that seem very dark, I know the color is coming back. I know Jesus will not leave me and everyday, I learn just a little bit more of how much He loves me. I don't think this side of Heaven I will ever fully comprehend how much He loves me, but I'm thankful that every day, I get a glimpse of His love somewhere around me.

I would love to share my images with you and am researching the best way to do that. Eventually, Lord willing, I'd like to sell these images and send 10% of the profit to a ministry in Nicaragua....SaviorsTear.org I'll share more about Nicaragua in my next post. It warrants it's very own full page! Til then, just look around you...God's beauty is everywhere!