Review - Creation Illustrated

Creation Illustrated

Web Site: http://www.creationillustrated.com/

Age:  6 and Up

Cost:  $19.95 - One Year, 4 Issues

Creation Illustrated is a Christian nature magazine.  I love nature.  So do my boys.  One of my favorite ways to experience God is to spend time in nature.  How can you not see design in the magnificence of the mountains or the majesty of the ocean?

Creation Illustrated has been in print for the last nineteen years.  It is the combined effort of husband and wife team – Tom and Jennifer Ish.  They wanted a way to work from home after the birth of their daughter, Melissa, using their talents to glorify God.

The magazine is beautifully illustrated as one would imagine.  Freelance photographers send in pictures that are selected based on the quality of the pictures and the story they will represent.  The stories themselves are mostly in first person - very personal and written to both show the magnificence of creation and God’s presence in it.  At first, I didn’t like the first person approach.  It seemed too informal.  After reading several articles, however, I began to see how it was easier to identify with the experience when it was personal and not formal.

The magazine is broken into three sections – In Nature, In Scripture and In Living. 

In Nature focuses on topics like Creation Up Close, seasonal aspects of creation; Re-Creation and Restoration through Outdoor Adventure, offer inspirational accounts of spiritual experiences happening in natural settings like National Parks; Creatures Near and Dear to Us, focusing on a specific type of creature and its reflection of creation; and Children’s Stories aimed at 6 to 12 year olds.

In Living focuses on topics like Gardens from Eden Around the World, encouraging readers to trying their hands at gardening and glean the spiritual lessons from working in nature; My Walk with God, personal anecdotes about spending time in nature with God; Wholesome Genesis Cuisine Recipes, vegetarian recipes; and Creative Fun for all to Enjoy which are small snippets mostly for the kids.

In Scripture focuses on specific days of creation and God’s purpose for us.

There were several articles from each section that caught my interest.  I loved the story about the hummingbird moth as we have those around here.  Its appearance as another creature (the ones here look like a hybrid between a bee and a hummingbird) allows it to survive.  What a remarkable design.  Another story was about a female park ranger and her encounter with five men in the wilderness.  Her ability to share her faith allowed her to get out of a potentially sticky situation and share inspiration with these men. 

The stories I read were a great combination of science, scripture, testimony and light-heartedness.  This is the type of magazine I enjoy grabbing when I want time to relax and read without dealing with the heaviness of the news and activity going on around me. 

One thing I appreciated was the guidelines for deeper study at the back of each magazine.  This would allow homeschooling families to use the magazine as part of their education by digging deeper into the content of each story.  Additionally, the magazine provides photography contests for youth and accepts submissions of stories that are unsolicited.  If you have a budding photographer or writer who loves nature or science, this is an opportunity for them to submit their works.  You can check out the Writer and Photographer guidelines here.

Interested?  You can receive a free issue by clicking here and checking out Creation Illustrated for yourself.

To see additional reviews by the TOS Homeschool Crew, click here.

Disclaimer:  I received this magazine free of charge in exchange for my honest review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew.