The Heart of AzarÉl: Beyond the FAQs

Last week, we answered your most frequently asked questions about AzarÉl Greetings. This week, we’re diving into the heart of our mission.

The work of AzarÉl Greetings is guided by one central idea: John Muir’s powerful quote, “Nature is overflowing with the grandeur of God!” John Muir saw it in the grandness of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. I see it in our humble woods. For those who want to explore the magnificence of nature further, the “Awesome Wonder” video collection offers amazing short videos packed with inspiration. Our world is made with incredible purpose and beauty.  Because of that, there’s hope for your heart.

Through John Muir’s Eyes

The theme of AzarÉl photography is beautifully captured by John Muir’s famous quote, “Nature is overflowing with the grandeur of God!” The grandeur he perceived wasn’t limited to the great mountains; it was also seen in smaller wonders. He also said, “The glory of the Lord is upon all God’s works.” Keep in mind that “John Muir was not his day’s garden-variety Christian, though he likely comprehended the remnants of God’s good Garden better than most who more regularly sat in the pews.” (Murdock, John Muir’s God of Nature) However, a deep-seated belief in a Creator was a constant in Muir’s adult life.

• Wander a whole summer if you can. Thousands of God’s blessings will search you and soak you as if you were a sponge, and the big days will go by uncounted.
  
• . . . this glorious valley might well be called a church, for every lover of the great Creator who comes within the broad overwhelming influences of the place fails not to worship as they never did before.

From the immense Sierra Mountains to the flitting hummingbird, Muir soaked up God’s amazing handiwork. May the work of AzarÉl Greetings humbly serve as a celebration of God’s design and the wonders found in nature’s beauty.

Click here to shop “Nature is Overflowing”.

The Grandeur of Design

The “Awesome Wonder” video series and John Muir have similar themes. They explore the intricate beauty and design of the natural world. Of course, I especially love the videos about birds. For hummingbird lovers, there’s “Wings of Wonder” and “A Hummingbird’s Tongue.” But pause and ponder these facts on other topics;  

• The beautiful northern lights are caused by turbulence on the sun, 93 million miles away. (“Heavenly Fire”)
  
• For all of its power and global scale, it’s possible the largest and most important social media network on our planet isn’t the World Wide Web. (“Wood Wide Web”)
  
• The neurons in our brain are linked into a sprawling network of around 125,000,000,000,000  (125 trillion) connections. (“Three Pounds of Wonder”)
  

 With a selection of nearly fifty videos for inspiration, at one a day, these short videos will “keep you going” for over a month”.  In the routine of daily life, remember to feed your sense of wonder.  By the way, it might be a good time to listen to “I Hope You Dance”!

Hope for Your Heart

Our Creator wants an active, personal relationship with you. People were created in God’s image as His beloved children. God is perfect and can accept no less. Even the best people in the world cannot be good enough for God. Jesus’ death and resurrection paid the price God required of humanity. God knows each of us inside and out. He wants a whole lot more than religious practices; He wants a mended relationship with you. It all comes down to faith in Jesus’ work. Seek God with all your heart. You will find him. Brian and I would be more than happy to talk with you!

How does a personal relationship with God begin?

There are no “magical” words that result in salvation. It is only the heart-felt belief and trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection that can save us from eternal separation from God. If this belief is new, you might like to pray something like this:

“God, I know I fall short of your standard. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin.
However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe His death and resurrection provided for
my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Savior. Thank you, Lord, Amen.”

Please read Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, and Romans 10:9&10.

Ever wonder what the Bible has to say about something? Get answers by typing your question in your own words at GotQuestions.org. The site will direct you to a relevant article. The answers are in plain language with scripture references.

To Wrap Things Up

AzarÉl photography is about more than just capturing beautiful scenes. It’s about sharing a belief that our world is filled with purpose, wonder, and hope. Just as John Muir found a deep spiritual connection in the grandeur of the mountains, we invite you to find a similar sense of peace and reassurance in the beauty that surrounds us every day. We hope our images and words inspire you to look at nature not just with your eyes, but with your heart.

Warmly,

“Nature is Overflowing” is also available as a medium and large triptych here.

References:

Open Edition Journals
Christianity to Ecology: John Muir’s Walk through America, Jean-Daniel Collomb, April, 2008.

First Things
John Muir’s God of Nature, John Murdock, July 25, 2013.