One of the things I love our home in the country is the how much nature we can enjoy in our backyard. Schnickelfritz and I have sat on the back deck listening for coyotes howling. Our list of visitors include deer, groundhogs, foxes, skunks, snakes, turkeys, skinks and pileated woodpeckers. At night the skies are dark enough to see all the stars in the Little Dipper and the Pleiades cluster. Of course, no matter how much we search outside our door, there are some aspects of nature we'll never see--giant redwoods, painted deserts, snow-capped mountains, creatures of the deep. In these instances we have to rely on photographs by others who appreciate the wonders of God's creation. Since they've arrived we've been making plenty of "eye-tracks" in our Creation Illustrated magazines.
Sometimes referred to as the "Christian's National Geographic," this quarterly publication is filled with breathtaking photos from sweeping landscapes to close ups of insects. Just look at the beauty in this cover shot of a red-veined darter dragonfly...
The magazine is offered as "a reprieve from the daily rigors of life" Many of the articles are written in first person and seem more like reading a letter from a friend (with pictures included). We read about a volunteer park ranger and her encounter with five Iranians that ended with her opportunity to share her Christian faith. Another issue shared a couple's awe when camping out under a canopy of stars. I appreciated the fact that the editors keep advertising separate from the stories and articles. There are no ads to distract the eye from the nature photographs.
Each issue also reaches out to younger readers. Of course they can enjoy all the pictures, but there is a children's story written in a slightly larger font, a word search puzzle, and a photography contest for ages 5-15. There is an Instructor's Guide with discussion questions for each article.
Based on the letters from readers, Creation Illustrated has a world-wide audience. I found subscribers from Bolivia, Australia, Switzerland, and South Africa. (Canadians must add $5.00/yr for postage, other foreign countries add $10.00/yr).
A one year subscription is $19.95, two years is $37.95, three years is $53.95. You can save $5.00 per year per subscription by paying with a credit card . You may also request a
free sample issue of the magazine. If you want to enjoy nature but not worship it, if you don't want to have to pre-screen text for "millions of years," then Creation Illustrated may be the subscription for you.
Disclaimer: I received four free issues of Creation Illustrated magazine for the purpose of completing this review. There was no other compensation for my honest opinions.
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