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Tom, our daughter Melissa and Jennifer Ish
The tree is "only" 250 feet tall and over 25 feet in diameter six feet above the ground!
Louis Agassiz was a naturalist, geologist, and teacher.
He was a lifelong opponent of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Creation Illustrated is published quarterly (beginning in Fall 1993) as a private, nonprofit, non-denominationally owned ministry dedicated to the eternal impact of sharing Biblical truth through the blessings of God's creation.
The editors and publishers are a Christian couple, Tom and Jennifer Ish, who homeschooled their daughter, Melissa, and have dedicated their lives to serving God by providing positive choices in reading material for the whole family.
Our purpose is to share the wonders of God's creation. By revealing fresh insights of His infinite wisdom, gentle touch, undeniable justice, redeeming love, and flawless design, pure truth shall bring renewed peace. Each part of this publication is offered as a reprieve from the daily rigors of life so that all can look to the future with unbridled gratitude and hope.
In 1993 the couple wondered how they could work together out of the home, and they thought with Tom's background in journalism and Jennifer's training in health education, why not a health journal? With too much competition in that area, they asked, "What do people need most in our fast-paced society?" Stress relief was the obvious answer, and that could come only through a greater understanding of and appreciation for the loving Creator and Redeemer. And what better way to share His tender mercy than through His handiwork?
Hence, Creation Illustrated was born with its three sections on nature, Scripture, and living to provide a balance of mental, spiritual, and physical enrichment in each edition. But this would not have been possible without major advancements in desktop publishing computer technology. With color slides transferred to CD's and all of the layout, design, 4-color separations, and editing done on computer, the publication could be done for a fraction of the cost of conventional magazine publishing with only two people rather than eight or so. Now, much of the slide scanning is done on machines in houseliterally within a home office.
As progress and wide reception of the publication has taken it to all 50 states and 35 foreign countries (so far), Tom has been able to download the record keeping to an accountant as well as some of the promotions to a marketing assistant and various distributors. The circulation details have also been transferred from Jennifer's shoulders to a magazine fulfillment company in Southern California.
But there is still much planning, promotion, editing, proofing, and design work that must happen every quarter. Photos are submitted by free-lance photographers from all over the country (and even some from overseas) to accompany stories that have been assigned or have been submitted by free-lance writers. Great attention is given to every detail to see that about 1,300 items on a checklist are covered for each edition. Working as a team, even six-year-old Melissa gets involved in selecting the cover photo and color which augments her homeschooling.
Then the stories and photos are transported on disk to Sacramento, California, where final preparations are made for the press. After final proofing and printing on large 4-color presses, the publication is run through the bindery and shipped off to the mailing house where our mailing list has been sent by the fulfillment company. Within days, subscribers are reading about the wonders of Creation and sharing the blessings with others.
It is with heartfelt gratitude that the publishers recognize that none of the above (or the two Angel Awards) would be possible without the dedication and talent of writers, photographers, proof readers, record keepers, marketers, data processors, printers, and mailers. And none of these tasks would happen without the interest and support of readers and sponsors who want to see Creation Illustrated spread far and wide.
But ultimately it is the God of Creation who enables each person for a life of service, and it is to this awe inspiring God that the publishers wish to give all the glory for the things HE has done.
After five and a half years of publishing, it is a blessing to know that our attempt to provide top quality, spiritually uplifting material is meeting a standard in the media worth recognizing.
Then came the public reaction of friends and totally new contacts who congratulated us on the awards and showed a keen interest in Creation Illustrated. We confess that in the haste of various moments, we didn't always point to our God (without whom we could do nothing). We simply express