Moments in nature are inspiring and uplifting. It is a pleasure to associate with so many people including family, friends, work associates, fellow servants and acquaintances from throughout planet earth including Japan, Kenya, Russia and the USA. Sometimes conversations with these folks turns to philosophical discussions concerning the existence of God and his influence in our lives. The resulting opinions and beliefs are quite varied. For some reason my life has been filled with varied experiences that have brought me in close communication with my Maker. These experiences range from having my life miraculously saved on multiple occasions to having my sincere prayers to my Father in Heaven directly answered. At other times I have felt the direct hand of Deity guide my artistic work through photography and other media.
In particular I feel a closeness to God when I walk the quiet places of his glorious creation including forests, mountain tops, beaches, deserts, fields and gardens. The night sky observable not far from my home is often filled with sparkling stars and the the colorful Milky Way galaxy. I am humbled at the sight of so many millions of stars. The order in which they orbit and interact through gravity and the consistency in which the motion of the earth, moon, sun and stars repeats itself is astonishing.
I continue to feel the hand of my Father in Heaven in my life personally, and deeply desire that all who may observe my work may know that our Maker is real. He has a deep interest in our well being and is very involved in our lives. He allows us to make decisions and commit actions that may uplift or destroy one another. He will answer if we sincerely seek him out. He is the Father of our spirits, and He knows us individually. He awaits for us to call on him, and then he answers in his own way and time. He answers most often through a still small voice, and we must calm our minds to hear. He also often answers through other people and helps to create circumstances around us that will help us in both difficult and prosperous times. We have to open our eyes and minds to see and understand. When we learn gratitude for his blessings, we grow closer to him and are able to hear his voice more easily. When we are angry and resent God, we drive ourselves away from him. He does not leave us, however, and continues to reach out to us despite what we do.
There was an ancient king named Lamoni that truly desired to know if there is a God. A humble man by the name of Ammon knew God. Not-withstanding resistance from his own people, he went among Lamoni’s people to teach them of God at risk of loosing his life. This account can be read in English at this link and in Russian at this link. This account of a humble servant of God and a King willing to humble himself are very inspiring to me. I feel that this story is a true ancient account and inspires us all to provide a better understanding of God, who he is, how he interacts with us, and how we can each individually receive answers from him.
-Travis
About the Photos
I like to call this one “Encroaching Night”. The city is off in the distant east. The city lights are just coming alive in the soft blue of dusk. On the other hand the darkness of night works its way from the west blanketing the trees and the farmland nearly threatening the city. The sparkles of the city seem to protect it from the impending gloom. Symbolically, I feel that God gives us hope when darkness threatens or is already upon us.
In the Spring this flower is prevalent in the Wellsville mountain range to the west of Northern Utah’s Cache Valley. I am amazed at how much detail pronounces itself in this little gem. Quiet observation of creations such as this remind me that there is a Great Designer.
These scrub oak grow tall and stringy in the Wellsvilles forming a canopy. Light peeps in and softly touches the forest floor.
I wanted to try stylizing this photo of a view that looks through the scrub oak forest. There is a lot of detail in a scrub oak forest and sometimes the eye cannot comprehend it. It becomes noise to us. My eyes are able to comprehend the simplified view realized through this stylizing technique.
Even flowers don’t stand alone. This shot reminds me that each of us is part of a family or support group. Often we may feel alone even among others. By reaching out and serving others, we help them to stand and often find strength from them.
This panorama of Logan, UT and its surrounding small communities is shot from the Wellsville Mountain range looking east. While the lights made by man are impressive, they seem so dim compared to the glorious light God has created for us in the sun, moon, stars and innumerable galaxies populating the cosmos.
Feel free to click on the links of these photos. They should take you to my site where the medium resolution photos are free to download for you to have and duplicate.
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