You know when I sit down and when I get up.

You know my thoughts before I think them.

— Psalm 139:2

I can think of no better flower to represent love than the rose. All the images in this book come from the 201 roses that are found in my own garden. No plant seems to be as reliant upon human time, effort, and attention. As with the love in any relationship, good gardeners don't just have a few roses growing in a plot of ground, they have a working relationship with the roses. They study and learn what each rose requires and come to realize the roses are dependent on the gardener to give and then selflessly give more as if caring for a child. Every gardener has enjoyed the time spent with a rose when the rose is magnificently beautiful, but every gardener also knows that the other side of a beautiful rose is one that fails to flourish and requires much attention with little reward. Overall, however, the benefits outweigh the disappointments, and a gardener's whole life is affected by the fruits of his labor and the joy found in seeing a new blossom burst into existence.

Each book in the series features three to five different psalms carefully chosen to bring the reader closer to God through the words and the image paired with it, making this beautiful gift book a spiritual retreat for the soul.

Picture Psalms: A Season of Love will partner the finest in rose photography with moving scriptures to give readers a refreshing look at the most important emotion — love.

You know my thoughts before I think them.

— Psalm 139: 2

Eighteen years of commercial photography saw him complete over 650 weddings and hundreds of family portraits and advertising assignments. In 2000, Mal began a new photographic direction under the name of God-given works, believing God had given him new works to do. He specializes in the use of a panoramic film camera, and his work takes him deep into the Australian and New Zealand countryside to capture many isolates with untouched landscapes.

Mal also works in close-up floral images with an emphasis on color, pattern, shape, and texture. While some images used in this book are from large-format Pentax and Bronica film cameras, most are digitally captured using Nikon D70 and D80 cameras.

CONTENTS

Introduction

About the Photographer

PSALM 139 God Knows Me

PSALM 121 God Protects Me