I’ve always felt God’s presence most in nature. There is a sense of grandeur, infinite peace, and creativity beyond my imagination that transports my mind away from the bustle of the world and into the quiet. Time and time again, when I wander in the forest, or by the sea, or up a mountain top, I learn a bit more about myself, and about God.

One of God’s greatest gifts to us here on earth is the earth itself: The granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley; the powerful surf crashing against cliffs on the Big Sur Coast; the giant Sequoias that stand big and strong, as alive in the 21st century as they were when Christ walked the earth. All of these declare His glory, His creativity and His power. Experiencing this beauty sets my soul at ease.

For a long time, Rich and I have sought out places of beauty, in an effort to experience this peace. Rich strove to capture the views on film; I would collect the experiences in my mind, trying to wrap words around the delight of my senses, sometimes on paper, usually just in my mind.

The Bible talks about how all of creation sings praises to God; that even the rocks and trees call out; that if no one ever heard about God, or who He was, or had any sense of “religion,” creation itself would declare who God was through its beauty, strength and majesty.

The other day, Rich took one of his photographs and laid a piece of scripture over it. It was a photograph he took on the way up to Yosemite Valley, of a group of trees we were fond of, and had become like old friends we enjoyed seeing each time we drove into the mountains.

We were intrigued by the pairing…scripture, plus his photographs. God’s word, plus a carefully composed and deeply felt view of His creation. It goes against all rules of photography…photographs are supposed to speak for themselves; a photograph says 1000 words… But those 1000 words can be different, based on each viewer…and it felt important to point the viewer not to worship the creation itself, but the Creator…

We were given words that could be meditated upon; words that coupled with the artwork in a harmonious way; words that gave a deeper meaning to something that could be construed as simply a pretty view.

The rocks cry out…

The trees clap their hands…

All of creation sings of His glory.

We wanted to share this coupling of scripture with Rich’s photographs with you. Take a look at our first few pieces, and if they inspire you, order one…it will help us continue to fuel this project. We will be adding more in the upcoming days, and I’ll post them as they are available. They are all printed as fine art prints, on fine art paper, and are ready to be matted, framed or simply tacked up on your wall.

Want to give these away as gifts, or sell them in your store? Contact me for quantity discounts, or wholesale pricing. 

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