Recently I have been working on a photography project exploring spiritual places.  My questions for people are, “where is it that you feel most strongly connected with God or how is it that God uses your gifts to His glory?”

At first this may be something that a person really has to contemplate.  We all have a place or an activity that we do where we feel most spiritually connected.  For me that is photography.  Sometimes I go on “photo shoots for God” where I take my camera and let God lead me to what to shoot.  Most often it is something in nature that catches my eye and reflects God’s beauty.  Recently He has been using my photography to help others discover things about themselves.

Here is one of the photos from this series of a friend of mine.  His spiritual place is in nature.  He also tells a little bit as to why:

“There is something transcendent about being in the wild. It is more than merely scaling over rock and stone or plunging through rivers and streams. There is a sentiment in mankind that longs to be free of the artificial self, this false person-hood that has usurped and dethroned the natural, free soul that God created within mankind. Though it is indeed wild, this natural self is one of innocence and natural beauty. It is the essence of what life was truly meant to be. And yet we build our own constructs, forsaking that for which we were created and designed. In these ways, we forget our ancient bonds to the deeper life. One of struggle and danger contrasted with insurmountable wonder, beauty and excitement. We long to regain that connection and yet, are terrified by the thought of it. Towering mountains, rolling waterfalls, fragrant pines and spacious skies all speak of this wildness. They remind me of who I am. They remind me that this innocence was never truly lost, only misplaced. It waits patiently at the foot of every hill, in the mist of every cascade and in the quiet splendor of every forest… waiting to be found again.” -Matt