William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message
Carolina Wren near my backyard feeders; Clarke County, Georgia. January 26, 2020.
I was recently given the awesome privilge of becoming a guest author on Lee's Birdwatching Adventures, a great blog about birding from a Christian perspective. Well, on her site, Lee also has pages for kids! So the "creation kids" in my Creation Speaks class recorded an online commercial for their new favorite Bible-birding website, Lee's Birds of the Bible for Kids. Follow the link to the kids section for all kinds of great birding content from a Christian perspective... for kids! (You'll find some great stuff there for adults too!)
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Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Bird's Eye View -- Close up photo of Great Blue Heron. December 18, 2018. Walton County, Georgia. Have you ever desired to fly like a bird or soar like an eagle? To see entire, sweeping landscapes and distant horizons all from one vantage point? Who wouldn’t! And with the price of drones coming down, captivating aerial photos and video are becoming much more common. Drone footage grabs and holds our attention and imagination, and we often do not know why. Drones give us a perspective on things in ways we can never naturally see them. From high up above our normal position, drones give us that proverbial “Birds’ Eye View” on the world… and that appeals to us! We imagine having the outstretched wings and keen eyes of the hawk; an image that personifies true freedom; a freedom other creatures covet.  Bird's Eye View -- Turkey Vulture soaring over Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia, USA. July 29, 2013. A fellow Christian blogger and photographer Simon Desjardines wrote, “One of the great advantages a drone offers is that it can get where we cannot…All of a sudden we can be transmuted into a bird and cross frontiers to reach our goal.” A soaring bird has a much greater field of view than us earthbound pedestrians. And the “bird’s eye view” image speaks of something even beyond birds; it speaks of an omniscient God with a much higher vantage point than ours… outside of time and space, in fact. A recent evangelist to my congregation spoke, “God has a bird’s eye view of our lives. He knows where He is trying to take us. He knows what lies ahead.” From His perspective, God’s view sees more than the moment we are struggling in.  Bird's Eye View - Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, North American Raptor bird of prey. Close up portrailt profile of beak, feathers, eye. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia, USA. August 1, 2017. A view from higher up changes our outlook on our current trials and past failures. Instead of stopping us, we see them as teaching moments along the road to help us move forward. The evangelist concluded, “This is just a small portion of your life. But use it to move on.”
When an aerial photo shot by a drone speaks to you, be conscious of the thoughts awakened in your soul. “Oh to have the capability of a bird and see all the landscape before me!” But even if you’ll never learn to fly, Oh to have the capability of a God on your side who knows all the road ahead of you! “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). I want to thank Lee's Birdwatching Adventures for guest posting this blog! Lee's website is about birding from a Christian perspective and has years of articles and content from Lee and other creationists and birders. Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Eastern Bluebird songbird perched on a tin roof in Walton County, Georgia. Sialia sialis is the state bird of Missouri and New York. January 9, 2020. The great thing about enjoying birds is that you can experience that joy just about anywhere you go! Even if we’re shut indoors at a meeting or conference, we can simply pick the seat next to the window and find our avian friends. In his chapter in the book Good Birders Still Don’t Wear White, author and birder Noah Strycker wrote, “The beauty of birds is that they are everywhere, from the deepest wilderness to the most crowded inner cities.”  Field Sparrow; Walton County, Georgia. January 10, 2020 “The beauty of birds is that they are everywhere, from the deepest wilderness to the most crowded inner cities.” - Noah Strycker And the great thing about being a Christian is that we can engage with our Creator anywhere we are! Whether we are admiring His handiwork on a nature hike, lifting up His name in organized worship, or slipping into a closet during a stressful day at work to call upon His name, our God is ever-present. In the book of Psalms, David wrote, “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me” (Psalm 139:8-10). Just like the birds, “from the deepest wilderness, to the most crowded cities”, our God is there! Walton County, GA  Female Eastern Towhee songbird; Walton County, Georgia. January 15, 2020. Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9 I want to thank Lee's Birdwatching Adventures for guest posting this blog! Lee's website is about birding from a Christian perspective and has years of articles and content from Lee and other gifted creationists and birders.  Ring billed Gull, Larus delawarensis, flying over the Atlantic ocean beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, December 23, 2019. Lamentations 3:52 "Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause." It seems the favorite sport of every dog and child on the beach is to run wildly into a pack of gulls. I have to admit, it does look fun, and I probably did it too as a child. While visiting beach of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina this past Christmas, I marveled at the flight of the terns and gulls. Lifting off, taking to the air, circling around, diving and coming back to a landing to avoid the berserker kids and dogs. How do they do it?  Small terrier mix dog running on the beach, chasing seagulls, and flying in the air on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. December 24, 2019. From the beginning, as he marveled at the flight of birds, man began chasing the dream to fly. The first concerted efforts came as early as 1485, if not earlier, with Leonardo DaVinci’s Ornithoper blueprints. Although many efforts were made, it wasn’t until 1903 that flight was accomplished by humans. We may have large jumbo jets carrying people across the globe today, but it was a long, arduous process to get there. If it was so difficult for man to learn to fly, how did birds catch on so quickly and gracefully learn to take to the air? The answer: they didn’t learn! The birds immediately burst forth in color and flight on Day 5 of creation! They were designed, equipped and enabled to fly from their very beginning. They "got off to a flying start", so to speak! [i]  Flock of Ring-billed Gulls, Larus delawarensis, standing on the Atlantic ocean beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; December 27, 2019. Does that sound like an impossible fairy tale? Well, consider this yarn: “Flight appears to have evolved separately four times in history: in insects, bats, birds and pterosaurs. These four groups of flying animals didn’t evolve from a single, flying ancestor. Instead, they all evolved the ability to fly from separate ancestors that couldn’t fly. This makes flight a case of convergent evolution.”[ii] Did you catch that? The complexity of flight evolved separately on four different occasions? Since the probability of even a simple, 200 component, single-celled organism evolving is at least 10 to the 60th (a “one" followed by sixty "zeros")[iii], flight evolving even once is basically an impossibility. But four times? It takes less imagination and faith to marvel at the wonder of flight and know that an incredible Artist designed it in one swift stroke! “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air” (Genesis 2:19). Any other hypothesis is just chasing gulls! [i] https://creation.com/created-to-fly  Large black and white Great Dane dog with collar walking on the beach without a leash on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA.  Small terrier mix dog running on the beach playing fetch on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA. December 24, 2019. Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9 I want to thank Lee's Birdwatching Adventures at leesbirds.com for guest posting this article on her site! Lee's website is about birding from a Christian perspective and has years of articles and content from Lee and other gifted creationists and birders.  Psalm 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. January 1 is an exciting day for us birders. Our year list begins again and the hunt is on to list even those common visitors that often only get a passing glance as the year wears on. The checklist is blank and all the birds are “new”. And with the start of the New Year, many Christians begin another yearly reading plan. The Bible reading check boxes are empty and race is on! And where does that Bible reading plan typically start? At the beginning, with “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” With evolutionary theory now firmly programmed into our society, I often wonder Christians’ reactions when they open to the first chapter of the Bible. Do you believe these words? 
In this New Year, let us commit to a fresh, solid stance on the truth of creation; a doctrine so important that God placed it first in the Bible! We must hold an unwavering commitment that “His word is true from the beginning.” For if the first sentence of the Bible is incorrect, what does that mean for every sentence after that?
Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Antique 1611 King James Pulpit Folio Bible of Luke chapter 2 verse 11 and 12 Christmas Scripture. For unto you is born this day in the city of David which is Christ the Lord. Find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. On the other side of the Easel... In a rare moment, the master artist Leonardo Da Vinci stepped into his own artwork. In Portrait of a Man in Red Chalk, Da Vinci gave us a special gift: a chance to see the man behind the work. The artist had moved, so to speak, to the other side of the easel and briefly entered into the artistic works he created. The Christmas story is much the same.
Our world is a master work of art crafted by the divine Artist. From the gloriously high and bright shining star which led the magi to Bethlehem, to the low and humble donkey which carried his mother from Nazareth, the Lord Jesus Christ created all things. Design, order and beauty grace every brush stroke of creation. “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth… all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:16). And with more splendor than Da Vinci’s self-portrait, Christmas is the time when we see the great Artist step to the other side of the easel and enter the world He created. What a special Christmas gift! A rare chance to see the Word become flesh and walk among us; something not seen since God had walked in the cool of Eden. As it is with art today, so few recognize and appreciate it. Had they known the greatest Artist of all time was lying in that manger, the fields would have been filled with thousands of people hoping to get a look, rather than the few shepherds and their sheep. But that is how it is with God. He did not desire the paparazzi and fame, but appeared in the most humble of forms: a newborn baby. He did not appear amongst His creation in order to dazzle us, but to redeem us. Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  December 5, 2019 - Great Blue Heron fishing in dirty brown polluted waterway with plastic bottle trash and litter. Walton County, Georgia Genesis 2:15 "And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."  In 1956, a vandal walked into a museum in France and intentionally threw acid at the famous Mona Lisa painting. Not only was this a pointless act to devalue a work of art, but also an affront to the artwork’s creator, Leonardo Da Vinci. In addition, the vandal’s actions could have destroyed the opportunity of all future generations to appreciate the famed piece of art. We might argue whether or not this action was morally wrong, but I’m sure most of us would agree that it was senseless, disrespectful and selfish. The act of tossing trash outdoors may not seem as immediately egregious as tossing acid on the Mona Lisa, but is it any less senseless and selfish? And while littering may not be a sin, as a Christian I’d say that the intentional trashing of our planet is disrespectful to the Creator and His workmanship.  December 5, 2019 - Great Blue Heron fishing in dirty brown polluted waterway with plastic trash bag and litter. Walton County, Georgia DEVALUING THE ENVIRONMENT“What’s the big deal? It’s just one plastic bottle tossed out the car window. What is that going to hurt?” Well, as living beings on this planet that require clean air and water for life, it could potentially hurt quite a bit! There is a scientific term called Bioaccumulation. Basically, this is the gradual build of up harmful substances within an organism. Through studies, we have seen the effects of pesticides and toxins in birds and other species. We humans have even poisoned ourselves with mercury, radiation and other cancer-causing pollutants. A healthy, clean environment has value. Over time, that “one piece of trash” tossed out thousands upon thousands of times will accumulate into who-knows-what unknown disease. DESTROYING THE ENJOYMENT OF OTHERSI know I am not alone in my love of the outdoors. The United States Bureau of Economic Analysis published that “the U.S. outdoor recreation economy accounted for 2.2 percent ($427.2 billion) of current-dollar gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017.”[i] From bikers to birders, campers to climbers, fishermen to photographers, hikers to hunters, and skiers to sailors, over 140 million Americans participate in outdoor activities each year.[ii] I’m sure each one of those people would prefer a pristine, natural landscape over trash-filled lakes and parks that resemble landfills. Like our Mona Lisa vandal, littering is a selfish act which robs future generations of a healthy environment. disrespecting the artistTo disrespect a work of art is to disrespect the artist. In divine wisdom and power, God has designed a beautiful, self-sustaining home for His creatures. One of my favorite passages from The Message Bible paraphrases Psalms 104 as, “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, You made the earth overflow with Your wonderful creations.” I believe that to show no respect for this world of which we have been appointed stewards and caretakers is to equally show contempt for this world’s Creator, the divine Artist.  December 5, 2019 - Great Blue Heron fishing in dirty brown polluted waterway with plastic bottle trash and litter. Walton County, Georgia [i] https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation Genesis 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. At the command of the Almighty, He emerged... The light that had broken forth at the Creator’s word was now sending golden shafts across the landscape. The face of the waters that the Spirit of God had moved upon were now blanketed in sunrise mists and vapors. And when those words of creative power were spoken, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind,” he arose; with a crown of dignity and strength upon his brow, inaugurated as one of the kings among beasts. He walked forth in pride and confidence to be named by Adam: chief of the Roebuck kind. I want to thank Lee's Birdwatching Adventures for guest posting this blog! Lee's website is about birding from a Christian perspective and has years of articles and content from Lee and other gifted creationists and birders. Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Friday, July 19, 2019. Just leaving work, I spotted a roadside Turkey Vulture dining on an armadillo carcass in Walton County, Georgia. Cathartes aura, also known as the turkey buzzard or carrion crow. Commonly seen circling soaring or eating roadkill dead carcasses. While running a 10K race with my 69-year-old father, I laughed as he looked up and shouted at a group of circling vultures and said, “Go away! I’m not dead yet!” Although they were waiting to dine on him, he wasn’t quite ready to be their supper. The Bible tells us (and yes, I believe it) that one day in the future, God is going to host two great suppers, or feasts. The first is the party of the century… no, the party of the millennia… no, the party of the ages! It is called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. And all the followers of Jesus Christ will be given clean, white garments and enjoy the greatest wedding reception of all time. Revelation 19:17-18 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.  Authorized King James 1611 Pulpit Folio Bible, Revelation 19:17-18. But simultaneously, there is another feast. It is called the Supper of the Great God. Those who did not RSVP for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, but lived for themselves, will be attendees at this gathering. For it is a gathering of fowls; of carrion crows and vultures to feed upon the slain who turned in battle against returning Messiah. But you need not attend that feast.
When you pass a roadside party of vultures dining on last night’s unlucky road crossing, just remind yourself, “I’d rather feast at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb than be feasted upon at the Supper of the Great God.” Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  March 13, 2019 - An American Bittern camouflaged in marsh grasses in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia; Stephen C Foster State Park. The American bittern , Botaurus lentiginosus, is a species of wading bird in the heron family.It is a well-camouflaged, solitary brown bird that unobtrusively inhabits marshes and the coarse vegetation at the edge of lakes and ponds. "Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all God made, and have known of his existence and great eternal power." Romans 1:20, The Living Bible My daughter and I were only ten minutes into a four day canoe trip through the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and already we had missed something. As we were paddling up the channel to Billy’s Lake from the Stephen C. Foster State Park boat ramp, we pulled to the side to let a tourist-laden pontoon boat pass by. As they went by, the naturalist on board pointed out an American Bittern camouflaged in the marsh grasses. We had paddled right past it, hidden in plain sight! But we can’t be blamed. Even one prominent ornithology website says, “You'll need sharp eyes to catch sight of an American Bittern. This streaky, brown and buff heron can materialize among the reeds, and disappear as quickly, especially when striking a concealment pose with neck stretched and bill pointed skyward” (i). With his bill pointed upward, he blends in perfectly with the tall brown grasses that line the water’s edge. Again, perfectly hidden in plain sight.
But why don’t we see them? In part, we are blinded by an outside force. The Bible states that, “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). And we are also blinded by our own internal biases against the Bible that cause us not to see the evidence of God in creation. When speaking of the past creation and future destruction of this world, Peter wrote, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water.” (2 Peter 3:5). Even though my daughter and I paddled right by that Bittern and didn’t recognize his presence, he was still there. He was just hidden in plain sight and merely needed to be pointed out to us. For twenty years, I paddled right through life not noticing Christ. But when someone pointed Him out on December 1, 1993, I realized He was there all along, hidden in plain sight and the overwhelming evidence became more and more obvious. i. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Bittern/overview I want to thank The Creation Club for posting this article on their website! The Creation Club was formed by David Rives Ministries to give gifted writers and contributors a place to share their content relating to Biblical Creation. Check out their website for tons of great content on Biblical creation. I want to thank Lee's Birdwatching Adventures for guest posting this blog! Lee's website is about birding from a Christian perspective and has years of articles and content from Lee and other creationists and birders. Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Field Sparrow songbird; Walton County, Georgia. February 6, 2019. The field sparrow Spizella pusilla is a small songbird. Perched on dry winter blackberry briar thorn in winter. Northern birds migrate to the southern United States and Mexico. 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." What do you do when life has you down? Pray and go birding! When your job is stretching your stamina to the breaking point? Pray and go birding! When you need to relax and shake off the nerves? Pray and go birding! When the next little thing will tip your headache to a migraine? Pray and go birding!
There is no need for a scientific study to tell me that getting outdoors is a way to reduce stress. There is no need to write a paper about how getting away from a ringing phone will calm my nerves; how unplugging from email and social media will lower my blood pressure; how fresh air will clear my lungs and refresh my mind. I don’t need a scientific study because I know first-hand! There isn’t a need for the Mayo Clinic to tell me the supernatural benefits of prayer. There is no need for them to post a blog telling me that having a purpose in life reduces depression; that prayer and meditation produces actual physical benefits to my brain; that focusing outside myself can alleviate worry and fear. I don’t need that blog because I know first-hand! Try it sometime. Stop reading this blog, close your browser, push back the chair and walk out the door. Talk to God; cast your concerns at His feet; enjoy this world that He created. You just might get addicted. I know because I go there every day. So, pray and go birding! Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9 GOD'S CREATION KNOCKS UPON OUR HEARTSRevelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him..."  On a cloudy Sunday afternoon between church services, I was able to enjoy birding next to my backyard fire pit. Along with a cup of coffee, it was a nice afternoon of journaling and photography. After several hours of the usual birds, I was delighted by the soft appearance of a dainty Hermit Thrush scraping in the leaf litter not far from my chair. As soon as that thrush appeared, there was something in my heart that lifted; a subtle spark of joy or excitement. Where does this spark come from? If we are just the products of random chance and evolution, and the other organisms on this planet are just rivals in this game called “survival of the fittest”, shouldn’t I just have stomped on him as an inferior competitor in the food chain? There must be something more to it.
 Hermit thrush, Catharus guttatus on the ground in the leaves. Hermit thrushes migrate to wintering grounds in the southern United States. They forage on the forest floor, also in trees or shrubs, mainly eating insects and berries. Athens, Clarke County, GA in January 2019. How does all this explain that spark? Well, in Revelation 4:11, John tells us that all things were created by Jesus Christ and for His "pleasure they are and were created". God finds pleasure in His creation! And being made in His image, God has placed within us a similar pleasure that we find in creation. Hence the subtle leap of joy upon seeing even a simple Hermit Thrush!
Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Great Blue Heron on landfill tire pile, Georgia As wildlife photographers, we strive to get those natural shots of wildlife in their wild surroundings. But it is a sad commentary on our lack of care for this planet when a landfill is the “natural habitat” for our wildlife. What a contrast! The Beauty? A gorgeous feathered avian in bright breeding plumage. The Beast? This perfect creature living amongst the huge mountains of trash in our landfills. Don’t believe me? Look at the bird walk schedule for your local Audubon Society. I guarantee that at least one walk per year is at the county landfill! Pollution, trash, smog, window strikes... we've created a harsher environment for wildlife than their regular "wilder" habitats! "...the land is as the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate waste; yea, and nothing shall escape them." — Joel 2:3  Great Blue Heron close up portrait, Walton County, Georgia When the Creator placed man upon this planet, God gave man the responsibility to “dress and to keep it.” As with any language, Hebrew words can have a wide range of meanings. In addition to the words dress and keep, as used by the King James Bible translators, the words are also translated in other areas as to guard, to watch, to observe, to serve, to preserve and to protect. Therefore, God has not only put man in the garden to observe it, but could we say that man was placed in the garden and has a responsibility as stewards to preserve it? Yes, it may be true that some of the biggest bird lists, prize wildlife photos and rare bird sightings come from local landfills. I am at least glad that wildlife is adapting to our mess. But what about those species that don’t adapt? We may try get a better camera angle, or crop in close to cut out that unsightly urban habitat. But why not leave it in the photo? Perhaps that shot of Beauty and the Beast will be a wakeup call to do what you can to clean up and cut back! Can we look into their eyes and do nothing?  Birds Eye View, Great Blue Heron close up Extreme close up photo of Great Blue Heron showing detail in feathers, beak, eye, crown, lore, iris.  Odd front view of a Great Blue Heron showing both eyes. Walton County, Georgia.  Great Blue Heron on landfill tire pile, Georgia. The great blue heron Ardea herodias is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America. Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9 photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Monday, 6:47 PM - two gorgeous "signs in the heavens" shown out brilliantly and simulaneously in the Athens sky just after a short thunderstorm.  First quarter moon at dusk in Athens, Georgia, USA  Bright rainbow over Athens, Georgia, USA A double arch supernumerary rainbow of ROYGBIV colors after a thunderstorm at dusk in Athens, Georgia USA. Genesis 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth... While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain" Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  American Robin, Turdus migratorius, songbird. Close up portrait face study showing details of feathers and beak. Photographed in May in Walton County, Monroe, Georgia, USA. Migratory songbird of the true thrush genus and Turdidae. Known as Robin Red Breast. Hebrews 11:3 "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." “Without faith in Christ, the natural world is a wondrous thing, of course. But with faith in Him, we perceive everything on a different level. Nature becomes a great concert of praise. The heavens declare the glory of God. The stones cry out with hosannas.” From Exceeding Gratitude for the Creator’s Plan by Dr. James P. Gills American Robin |
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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