Shine Like the Midnight Moon

Last night after falling asleep, it was a bit after midnight, 

I heard one of our dogs doing his little bark at the sliding doors,

demanding, "Let me out!"

It starts out quiet and then gets more persistent

so I've learned to just get up and deal with it right away.....

As I let him out I stepped outside and wondered if the neighbors got a new bright yard light.

I walked further out to see if that was what was making it so bright outside,

enough to create shadows from the trees on the yard. 

I looked up, and the moon was shining like a photo strobe, bright and clear!

I was mesmerized,

and was thankful I was forced to get up,

to see this beautiful and inspiring moonlit night.

And I marveled at how that moon up there, has no light of its own,

but merely reflects the light of the sun.

and so magnificently

early this morning.

After returning to my pillow, my thoughts turned to

the scriptures that define Jesus as being the light of the world,

and how believers reflect the Light of Christ

in a dark world

like that glowing moon up in the night sky.

Some days it will seem like our light is filtered as through a haze,

but there will be moments of beautiful unadulterated

P U R E bright and excellent L I G H T

that others will see ~ enthralling their hearts,

with an eternal effect,

even though many times we won't even realize it's happening.

We don't have to earn it or try to turn it on,

it's just there by His grace,

from walking with Him,

the light can't help itself from reflecting off of our hearts and lives.

I woke up desiring to capture what I saw

and came up with this little mixed media painting,

which is now in the mail and on its way

as a birthday gift for a friend who

shines the Light so beautifully.

"Midnight Moon" by Violet Skiles

Glitter-embellished prints of this painting

will soon be available on my website.

Media:  collage with various papers and a portion of a hymn,

acrylic paint, gouache, soft pastels, and of course,

G L I T T E R

This is what I began with:

the beginnings of a collage on a 5x7 canvas board.

Sometimes I will just play around

with papers and paint,

then put them away, only to discover them again

when I'm ready to go further.

It is wonderful to have little collages to get inspired by,

and this one became so much more today.

( this time that dog had to suffer, because

I was so inspired I had to finish this

before I fed the dogs or even

took a shower.

You would not want to see me at work

in my studio this morning!!!)

Note to my dogs:  even though I loved seeing the moon last night,

I'd really like to get a full nights sleep more often.