St Andrew’s photo exhibition

In theEye ofTheBeholderA photographic reflection

• Cemetery Park

• It was fascinating wandering through this London park in the cold December sunshine. Row upon row of old gravestones alongside the more imposing family vaults, all equal now in their near dereliction. It’s a favourite place for the locals; a place of greenery, of nature running wild in the midst of concrete London

• Who was Elijah Chatterton I wondered; dead less than ninety years and yet seemingly quite forgotten now. It set me to thinking how short life is, how quickly each of us passes by and is lost to memory. Is there anything beyond the grave?

• Mother and Baby

• O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

• I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

• Psalm 139

• How amazing to think that God has created us, from tiny little cells in our mother’s womb, into humans that are able to do so much. He knows us and is always there for us, yet we live our lives as if we are in control, when actually God has been guiding us from the very beginning.

Poppy

• What a gorgeous late summertime flower! I saw this by a field and captured the long slender stalk and flower next to the crop.

• What a comparison! The poppy will last a couple of days maybe, once the wind and rain goes over it. The crop in the field will grow to maturity and be harvested for food yet:

• Which is the most beautiful?

Two Doors

• Wandering down a street in Yorkshire I saw these identical doors. Lovely colours I thought, and so similar.

• When I had a closer look at the photo later it was obvious how different they really were!

• Are we all alike? No!

• We are all created to be different yet are all equally loved by God because that's the way He made us:

• “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

• We are put together individually, even though we seem similar. Surely God has a plan for each of us as well...?

As I look at this picture I’mreminded of the masks we all wear; my subject seemingly hiding behind his mirrored sunglasses and me behind my camera. None of us ever fully let down our masks, maybe not even to ourselves.

What dark secrets lie buried deep that I would be ashamed to reveal? But God knows them and will one day be my judge; how can I stand except by His mercy?

Nepalese boy

• The Nepalese shepherd boy lives high in the Himalayas. His task night and day is to look after the pigs and sheep on this farmer’s farm apart from 1 day a week when he attends school.

• The village is so remote that there is no telephone and just enough electricity to power a few light bulbs

• The running water supplies are further down the mountain about an hours walk away.

• Unlike us he has no chance of hearing the good news about the love of Jesus Christ.

Nepalese prayer flags

• Prayer flags are one of the many symbols of the Buddhist religion. They are usually hung along mountain ridges

• Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags do not carry prayers to 'gods,' a common misconception; rather, the Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread good will and compassion into all pervading space.

• As wind passes over the surface of the flags, which are sensitive to the slightest movement of the wind, the air is purified and sanctified by the Mantras.

• * Blue (symbolizing sky/space)• * White (symbolizing air/wind)• * Red (symbolizing fire)• * Green (symbolizing water)

• * Yellow (symbolizing earth)

• Thankfully as a Christian I am assured of being able to talk with my God and know that he cares about me personally.

• Studying monk - Nepal

• These young children enter into Buddhist monasteries at the age of 8 or 9. Their parents often encourage it as it provides a better and cheaper education than the public system.

• They spend up to 16 hours a day studying ancient manuscripts, chanting and carrying out rituals with various spices – I think a living relationship is better than ritual

• Pohutu Geyser, New Zealand

• Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley, Te Puia, Rotorua

• This photo shows the Pohutu Geyser exploding in an area of high geothermal activity – an area where the unexpected is normal as you can never be sure what will happen next, and this seemed so strange as a visitor. But why? We know what can happen when geothermal forces break the surface of our planet, and yet we are forever shocked by its power. How often do we do this to God – put the all powerful Creator in a nice neat box where we think we know what to expect? Why are we so surprised when things happen that don’t fit our little box?

• A Celtic Cross

• A Celtic cross in an Irish cemetery, on the Hill of Slane, where St Patrick lit a fire to show to others his belief and devotion to God.

• The stone cross in the image has stood there for many years. A spiritual symbol and a meaning which may cause strong emotions within us and which may cause disagreements. Is it or has it been helpful in our spiritual search or is it something that hinders us or repels us?

• Perhaps there are difficulties about the cross that we hide from: the death of a good and innocent man - the Son of God, A sacrifice for us - unconditional love?

• Perhaps the cross reminds us of other issues:of hurts or wounds caused by the church, or by the weaknesses and flaws of people who profess a faith.

• Can we look beyond those things and consider a power greater than ourselves?

• Can I believe?'

• Ragged Edge Tulip

• Every year in Skajit Valley, Washington State USA they have a tulip festival. They grow more tulips in this area than in Holland but produce the plants for bulbs rather than cut flowers. It was amazing to see so many different varieties. This was one of the most unusual ones that we saw and I was amazed by the intricate features of the petals. Its shape reminded of a heart and the jagged pattern reminded me of how fragile the love we are used to can be. Does our experience of love always have to be so fragile?  

New Growth

• Isn't it stunning that all around us the natural world comes bursting through the dead ground – but we simply trample on it – too busy to notice.

• I sometimes think our lives can be like that. So often we fail and feel hopeless, people trampling us down when we try to break out of our broken down existence.

• Is there anything we can do to 'rebuild the ruins'?

• Is there any better way for us to get 'new growth'?

• How can we get new life – within us?

• Margerie Glacier, Glacier Bay, Alaska

• Margerie is huge – 1 mile wide, with about 250 feet of ice showing above water level. But even this enormous, seemingly immovable feature can be permanently changed by the most ordinary and mundane – gravity. The air would ripple with huge cracking sounds as the ice moved, and all of a sudden huge chunks of the glacier would calve, as it collapsed into the water. It made me think – how often do we think that our lives are sorted, solid? But it takes so little for our world to be permanently changed by the most ordinary and normal events. If we don’t have someone to hold onto, someone who is above it all, how do we cope when our world is changed forever?

• Alpine Gorge

• A gorge in the French Alps with towering cliffs keeping us in deep gloom.

• Many people believe that being a Christian means a life restricted by rules, like going along a darkened gorge – denying yourself and never allowing yourself to enjoy life. But that is a religion created by man and not the Christian life that Jesus offers us.

• Jesus said “I am come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Unlike every other religion, we are saved not by the good deeds we do in this life, but by what God has done for us through Jesus – it is a free gift!

Winter’s morning at cemetery

• Even though the gravestones look uninviting and cold, symbolising the end of life, the burst of sun allows some ray of hope. The hope that Christians believe - that there is life after death through Jesus

Life Ring

• There is only one true rescuer

who is always there for us, God

• Lioness And Cub, Kenya

• Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

• In this photo we see a lioness and cub resting on a rock in the afternoon. They were part of a much bigger group, all resting and content in the late afternoon sun. They had eaten, they had found somewhere comfortable to rest, and the group was ensuring their safety. So they were completely content and at ease. How often do we allow ourselves to be that content, rather than permanently striving for something to improve our lives? It reminds me that God continually meets all my needs, and I can be content in Him. What about you?

• Two Boys

• Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.

• Psalm 128

• When I look at this photo, what strikes me is that these two little boys have been given to both their families by God. How amazing to think that our families, who are there for us through our lives, have been given to us by God to help us grow in love and understanding of the world that we have been given to live in.

Morecambe Bay Sunset

• As I watch in wonder as the sun goes down in my immediate world, I know that it’s rising in someone else’s.  Marvel at God’s amazing creation and remember, Jesus is the light of the world – our ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’

• Beyond the sunset’s radiant glow

There is a brighter world, I know;

Beyond the sunset I may spend

Delightful days that never end.

(Josephine Pollard)

Lost for Ever?

• I went on a visit to see “ehind the scenes” at the East Lancashire Railway. This is an old steam locomotive, abandoned, rusting away and being covered in creepers and brambles.

• It was intended that it should be restored to good order, fired up, ready to pull trains and give enjoyment to people, recalling “The good old days of steam” But, it has never been rescued. People just do not have the money, the time, the strength, to rescue it.

• So it will be lost, and maybe the scrap man will come and take it away in a few years time. Meanwhile it’s very picturesque, but sad.

• I’m glad someone had the time and strength to rescue me, someone who was able to pay the price.

Golf in a Mist. Coppull

• I went to “help out” with the St Andrew’s Golf Society match at Coppull. I do not play myself, but enjoy watching on the TV!

• On this autumn morning (it was 9:23 am) there was thick mist, and the players were teeing off.

• My task was to be a spotter – deciding whose shot was nearest the first hole (there was a prize for the nearest).

• How do you know where to aim in this sort of mist? Do you follow the people in front of you? No, you are the first to go!

• There is a little board which points the way and tells you how far away the hole is! It would be wise to give it some consideration.

• Life is like that, but God has given us a ‘board’ to guide us through the mists. It would be wise to give it some consideration.

• Secret garden

• Looking through the archway into this mysterious secret garden I’m struck by the beauty and peace. A haven of tranquillity and safety, protected from the world, where nothing can hurt or harm.

• But that is just a fantasy, a romantic dream with no basis in reality. There’s nowhere on earth that is safe like that. No amount of wealth or power can keep you from hurt or harm. Nothing on earth can guarantee peace.

• Yet I know a place where I can find peace, unbelievable peace even in the face of pain and hardship. A true place of safety and security. That place is in a living relationship with my God and Saviour.

• Humpback Whales Bubble Feeding, Alaska

• This photo shows a group of whales bubble feeding, spotted while on a whale watching trip. These huge creatures are completely dependant on the efforts made to preserve and protect them, as humans have through the years used and abused nature for their own selfish purposes. We were created to care for the world around us, and yet so often we fail to look outside of our own selfishness. We need to look outside of our own narrow life and consider the world in which we live. Are we living up to the responsibility given to us by the Creator?

The WEEE Man

• The WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) man represents the amount of electrical waste the average UK person consumes in their lifetime. It made me think of the transitory nature of all that we have.

• All our possessions will wear out eventually & the things we strive for seem only to last for a short time.

• So will everything we achieve come to an end? Is there nothing that will last forever?

• And if this is so, what is the point of living our lives as we do – striving to achieve & to gain more & better possessions – if it's all going to come to nothing?

• Kirkham Priory

• What an amazing place. This front entrance alone is massive, and marked the way in to an enormous complex, built in 1120, abandoned by 1539.

• It is recorded that by 20 years later the monks were already contracted to another order!

• Having seen some of the work they put in (what's left of it) I can't help but wonder at the reasons they built such a grand palatial complex, only to move away such a short time later.

• They gave themselves to a huge venture – with an unknown future.

• Do we still strive to give of our best without knowing what the future holds?

From cradle to grave…

From cradle to grave…

From cradle to grave…

From cradle to grave…

From Cradle to Grave

From cradle to grave and then what?

Think about it before it’s too late

Because then it is too late…

• Dragonfly

• Dragonflies are fascinating insects and there are many different groups. This dragonfly is the Goldenring, one of the largest in Britain and it belongs to the group called Hawkers.

• It is said that the observation of these insects prompted the design of helicopters, yet they are elephants in the sky in comparison to the dragonfly. The dragonfly can move forwards, backwards, up and down at speeds too fast for the eye to follow, and stop in a split second. It has huge compound eyes with 20,000 facets.

• When I consider the possible thousands of hours that were necessary for the design of the inferior helicopter I have to think who designed the dragonfly. 

• Lake Sunset

• I had been enjoying the snow in Ambleside over Christmas and walked home via Borrens Park near Waterhead. It had been a really clear day and as the sun started to set the mist over the lake started to form, perfectly matching the wispy clouds in the sky. A beautiful end to a wonderful day.

• Mountain Dawn

• Golden in Yoho National Park isn't actually part of the Rocky Mountains but it was the first of our major stops on a two-week tour of the Rocky Mountains in Canada. We awoke to this sunrise, the depth of the colours and the break in the clouds allowed me to capture this glorious sunrise, it sums up a wonderful trip which just got better and better.

• Dawn over Pinantan Lake in Canada

• I love clouds and the patterns on this particular morning were great. Isn't it amazing how water vapour in the sky can be so beautiful!

• I am constantly amazed by the beauty of the natural world. Is it by chance, or did someone design it that way?

Sunset Over Peel Harbour

Peel, Isle of Man

• I took this photo lying full length on the grass watching the sun going down and trying to capture the true beauty as the sun sank and gave way to night. Sunset is a time of such incredible beauty, and yet it happens every single day. The sun rises and sets each day, and yet it is a gift of God that we have each day to enjoy. As I look at this photo I wonder whether I truly appreciate each new day and the gift it brings, and whether I use it to live for the God who has given it to me.