Today, I would like introduce you to Pasquale “Pat” Mingarelli. As a long-time professional photographer, Pat approaches creation as an artist. He looks at how it connects with our intellect, but even more so how it touches our soul on a theological level and our hearts on a personal level through its majesty, mystery and beauty.
Pat’s ministry, The Creation Speaks, examines how nature reveals the glory of God and His attributes. It explores what creation declares to our heart soul and mind about God. When we see how great God is in creation we will better understand how great He is in our lives!
As part of his Creation Speaks ministry Pat produces the Visual Verse of the Day, which combines one his of thousands of nature photos with a verse of Scripture. I have embedded his Visual Verse of the Day badge in my sidebar. Please feel free to visit and be encouraged.
Today, Pat has a few devotional thoughts to share on hearing God in the quiet.
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Silence
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
I like to spend time in quiet. Whether surrounded by nature or in a quiet room, God speaks in the silence. Jesus sought the Father in the silence of the wilderness as did others in the Bible.
Often we may run from silence. We no longer like quiet. It seems our information-riddled culture has forgotten what it is like to be silent.
When I hike I often do so slowly and softly, looking and listening at the silence. I enjoy the subtleties of nature, but I still hope to find something that’s not so subtle, like an elk or moose. But all too often they hide in the stillness of the forest. All I am left with is silence. What a treasure to be left with!
It feels good to hear nothing but squirrels walking or elk feeding. The soft sounds that seep slightly above silence are soothing to my ears. More importantly, as I walk along the forest floor, I often praise God in my spirit.
Sometime it is not always possible to walk in the wilderness, but a walk in a park can also give the quietness our hearts need. We can also find peace in leaving the TV off or leaving the smartphone at home to let God speak.
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Pasquale “Pat” Mingarelli is a photographer by trade and served 11 years with Campus Crusade for Christ (now called Cru) as a photojournalist with their magazine Worldwide Challenge. He left Cru to celebrate God as Creator through photography.
In addition to ministry projects, Pat also teaches photography at Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs, Iowa), Metro Community College (Omaha) and at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. He lives in the Omaha area with His wife Patti, their two children Talitha and Pasquale and their dog Montana.
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Hi Pat, I enjoy your artistic outlook on Our lords abundant beauty. I am still one of those who long for silence. My most favorite is cool fall morning. Mostly the vast array of colors and because I grew up in Virgina, we had four seasons to appreciate. Thank you for sharing your love of nature. Sandiee Grice