Faithful, Not Just Noticed

“If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” — 1 Corinthians 3:15, KJV

So... get him saved and let God judge his work.

We spend so much time measuring what other people are doing for the Lord that sometimes we forget something pretty important.

One day, we're going to stand before Him, too.

And when that day comes, I'm not going to answer for what somebody else did with what God gave them. I'm going to give an account of myself.

Romans 14:12 says, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Think about that for a minute.

Before I start measuring somebody else's service, maybe I need to take a good look at my own.

Am I being faithful with what the Lord has entrusted to me? Am I doing what I can with what He's given me? Or am I so busy watching what everybody else is doing that I'm neglecting the work right in front of me?

Because you can spend your life counting another man's steps and never notice that your own feet have stopped moving.

And here's something else we need to remember.

Not every faithful hand is seen. Not every sacrifice is announced. Not every person serving the Lord is standing in the spotlight.

Some of the most faithful work happens where nobody else sees it. People may overlook it, but the Lord doesn't.

Matthew 6:4 tells us that the Father sees what is done in secret.

So why are we so quick to measure somebody else's service by what we can see?

We don't know every burden they carry. We don't know every battle they're fighting. And we certainly don't know every quiet act of faithfulness that never makes it in front of an audience.

Heaven sees what earth overlooks.

And if we're saved by grace, that grace ought to humble us.

Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us we're saved by grace through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast.

So what exactly do I have to boast about?

I didn't save myself. I didn't earn God's grace. And I didn't become better than somebody else because the Lord saved me.

Grace didn't save me so I could stand above another believer.

It saved me so I could walk in the good works God has prepared for me.

And there's a difference between being concerned about truth and becoming consumed with criticizing everybody else.

Yes, truth matters. Yes, what we believe matters. And yes, Scripture tells us to be faithful.

But having an opinion doesn't automatically mean I have a responsibility to voice it.

First Thessalonians 4:11 says, “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.”

Notice that phrase: study to be quiet.

That means there's something I need to learn. Something I need to practice.

Sometimes I need to speak. Sometimes I need to stand for the truth. But sometimes, the wisest thing I can do is keep my mouth shut and get busy doing what the Lord has given me to do.

Some battles are not mine to fight. Some burdens are not mine to carry. And some opinions are better left unspoken.

Don't let a critical tongue become an excuse for idle hands.

Because the question isn't whether my service looks impressive beside somebody else's.

The question is whether I've been faithful with what the Lord entrusted to me.

First Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

Faithful.

Not famous. Not applauded. Not constantly comparing ourselves with everybody around us.

Faithful.

And First Corinthians 3 tells us that our work will be tried, and that a man's work can be burned up, even though he himself shall be saved.

So I'd better be concerned about what I'm building and what I'm building it with.

I'd better care more about what stands when the Lord examines my work than about what earns me the admiration of people.

Because one day, the applause of men won't be the final verdict.

The Lord knows the heart. He knows the motive. He knows what's real and what's only for show.

So this is a reminder I need just as much as anybody else does.

Guard your heart. Examine your own work. Be faithful with what God has placed in your hands. And be careful not to become so busy inspecting another servant's labor that you neglect your own.

We're not called to spend our lives being everybody else's judge.

We're called to be faithful.

And one day, we're going to stand before the Lord and give an account.

When that day comes, I don't want to have spent my time measuring somebody else's service while neglecting what God gave me to do.

I want to be found faithful.

So maybe we all need to spend a little less time measuring the labor of others and a little more time making our own labor count for eternity.

And when we don't know what to say, maybe it's time we remember Paul's words:

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:11, KJV

And remember this:

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” — Romans 14:12, KJV

Click Here if you would like to talk more about how is one saved OR just have a bible study where we let God teach us through his word what it says. 

Welcome to Ararat Imagery

Rough Roads, Wild Places, Straight Talk, and the Word of God.

**Make sure you read the very bottom if you want to inquire about a personal game hunt or pack trip photographer** 

Let me ask you something before we get started. Are you easily offended? Do your feelings get hurt when somebody tells you something you may not want to hear, even if it could help you see clearly? 

If so, you might want to put your blinker on, turn yourself around, and keep on going.

I'm not Willy Wonka, and this isn't a candy-coated factory.

Welcome to Ararat Imagery, where the roads can be rough, the days can be long, the weather doesn't always cooperate, the wildlife doesn't always show up, and mistakes are part of the journey. Sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes I get a photograph that makes me proud, and sometimes I make a mistake that teaches me exactly what NOT to do next time. But you know what? I get up, learn what I can, and keep on going.

That's life, too, isn't it?

I'm Julia, a wildlife photographer, a Southern woman, and above all, a lover of the Lord Jesus Christ. My husband and I split our time between Paducah, Kentucky, and Wyoming, which is my favorite place to photograph. Wyoming holds a special place in my heart, and it's where we plan to settle full-time when we retire.

I love getting out on the backroads, exploring different places, watching wildlife, and capturing the beauty of God's creation through my camera lens. Whether I'm photographing animals in their natural habitat, learning how to improve my lighting, figuring out a camera setting, or trying to correct a mistake I've made, there's always something to learn. I've spent 25 years photographing people, switching to animals that don't sit still or let you get near takes some skills, that I don't have mastered yet. 

But I want to share it all with you.

Here at Ararat Imagery, you'll find wildlife photographs, road trips, videos from the places I visit, photography how-to's, equipment discussions, mistakes I've made, and the things I've learned while trying to get that shot. I'm still learning myself, so you can expect honesty about what works, what doesn't, and what I'd do differently next time.

But there's another side to these journeys, and it's the reason this blog goes beyond photography.

When I'm sitting quietly in the wild, waiting for an animal to appear, my camera isn't the only thing working. My mind is working, too. ( It never stops 🤔) 

The quiet gives me time to think about my own life, the condition of the world, and the people living in it. I watch wildlife, observe the things happening around me, and find myself thinking about human nature. I think about what people pursue, what they depend on, what they believe will make them happy, and what they allow to control their lives.

And I can't help but examine those things through the eyes of Scripture.

Sometimes something I see in nature brings a Bible passage to mind. Sometimes the behavior of people gets me thinking about what God's Word says about the heart of man. Every time I see  the things happening in this world it makes me want to open my King James Bible and examine what is actually written rather than simply accept what everybody else is saying.

Those thoughts will find their way into my writings and videos because I can't separate what I see in the world from what I believe the Word of God teaches.

I'm not interested in simply repeating the world's opinions. I want to compare what we hear, what we believe, and how we live with what the Bible actually says. And when I share my personal thoughts, take it or leave it ( only 2 options I give) . But when it comes to the written Word of God, don't take my word for it. Open the Bible and read it for yourself.

That's the heart of Ararat Imagery: looking through the camera lens, observing the world around me, and thinking about it in the light of Scripture.

Now, Let's Get Something Straight About Me!

I'm Southern. I'm straightforward. I'm passionate about the things I love, and I don't always come wrapped in a soft-spoken, polished little package.

Sometimes I talk loud. Sometimes I sound rough around the edges. Sometimes people mistake my passion for anger. I'm not your typical girly girl, either. I'm not particularly concerned about whether I'm wearing makeup, whether my clothes look fashionable, or whether my outward appearance meets somebody else's expectations.

I have a camera to operate, wildlife to photograph, places to explore, and things to learn, lost souls to find. I have more important things to concern myself with than whether my appearance impresses somebody.

But there is one thing I do care about: I never want my outward appearance or the way I live to be a false advertisement for the Lord Jesus Christ.

We live in a world where people can put the right words on a shirt, display the right slogan, and talk about being redeemed and forgiven while their lives tell a very different story. We can put on a religious appearance and still cling to the very things we claim to have left behind.

Jesus Himself had some strong words for outward religious appearances that concealed what was happening within. In Matthew 23:27, He compared the scribes and Pharisees to whited sepulchres—beautiful on the outside, but full of uncleanness within.

That's something worth thinking about.

I don't want to be concerned with looking like a Christian while neglecting what God's Word says about the heart and the life. And I'm not going to pretend these things don't matter just because talking about them might make somebody uncomfortable.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not claiming to be perfect, and I'm not setting myself up as somebody who has never failed. I have plenty to learn, and I have my own life to examine. The same Word I talk about applies to me, too.

But we have danced around uncomfortable subjects long enough. Sometimes we need to stop worrying so much about whether the truth sounds pleasant and start asking whether what we're hearing is true.

I'd rather have an honest conversation that makes us examine ourselves than a comfortable conversation that leaves us exactly where we started.

I'm Passionate About the Gospel—and That's Not Going to Change

Of all the things I'll share here, the greatest thing I have to share isn't a photography trick, a beautiful landscape, or a wildlife encounter.

It's the good news of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us.

The gospel isn't something you have to purchase, earn, or work your way into. It is the good news of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

First Corinthians 15:3–4 gives us the gospel plainly in the King James Bible: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day.

That's the message I want people to understand. Our hope isn't in our own goodness, our religious appearance, or our ability to make ourselves righteous. Our hope is in what Jesus Christ did for us; not of works lest any many should boast. 

Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, and not of works, lest any man should boast.

That is a message worth being passionate about!

I don't share these things because I think I'm better than somebody else. I share them because I believe eternity matters, the truth matters, and the gospel matters. My prayer is that people will come to understand the good news of Jesus Christ and what He has freely offered.

I'm Southern, I'm raw, and I can be rough around the edges. But I pray that nobody would suffer the consequences of rejecting the truth and spend eternity in hell. As long as I've got breath in my lungs, I'm going to talk about the things I hold dear, including the gospel of grace.

You may not like my delivery. You may disagree with some of my observations. That's your choice. But I won't water down the gospel simply to make it more comfortable to hear.

So, Who Is Ararat Imagery For?

It's for the person who loves wildlife and wants to learn more about photographing it.

It's for the person who enjoys exploring backroads, discovering new places, and seeing the world through somebody else's camera lens.

It's for the photographer who wants to learn about equipment, lighting, camera settings, and the mistakes that teach us how to improve.

It's for the person who enjoys a thoughtful conversation, who isn't afraid to examine their own life, and who is willing to consider what Scripture says about the world around us.

And it's for the person who wants to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

You don't have to agree with every opinion I share. My personal thoughts are mine to explain and yours to consider. But I encourage you to open the Bible and examine the Scriptures for yourself.

One thing I won't do is argue just for the sake of arguing. I'm happy to share what I believe, explain why I believe it, and point you to the Scriptures. What you do with that is between you and God.

If this isn't your cup of tea, you don't even have to put your blinker on. Just turn around and head on down the road.

But if you enjoy wildlife, photography, honest conversation, and looking at this world through the eyes of Scripture, then pull up a seat. There's room for you here.

I'll share the beautiful places, the wildlife I encounter, the photographs that turn out well, and the ones that don't. I'll share the lessons I learn behind the camera and the thoughts that come to me while sitting quietly in God's creation. Some days we'll talk about photography. Other days we'll talk about life. And sometimes ( probably every time)  we'll open the Bible and get into subjects that aren't always comfortable, but deserve to be examined.

I can't promise every road will be smooth, every photograph will be perfect, or every conversation will be easy.

But I can promise you this: I'll strive to be honest about what I'm learning, share my thoughts openly, and keep pointing people back to the Word of God.

For senior portraits and photographs of people, you can visit Julia Crowe Photography. Here at Ararat Imagery, we're focused on wildlife, nature, the road trips, the photography, and the thoughts that come along with them.

So grab your coffee, climb into the passenger seat, and let's go see what's out there.

The roads may be rough. The weather may change. The wildlife may disappear. But we'll keep going—and along the way, we'll look at more than what's in front of the lens.We'll look beyond the surface.

Who is this perfect for?

Hunters who want to decorate their man-cave or home. Also for hunters who have never had their own person photographer along to take photos of the hunters on the hunt. 

We can all tell the stories of " this one time I was hunting." BUT what if you had the photos to back it up? 

Let’s Make It Happen

Julia Crowe Photography is ready to help you capture this season with an experience you will never forget and photographs you can show you generations to come. 

Email me for personal hunts and prices @:  Araratimagery@gmail.com