Photos on the Run // Something Beautiful

I'm lucky to have a friend who lives forty-five minutes away from my house.  And not just a "oh hi, I know you" kind of friend, but a friend that I like enough to visit semi frequently, resulting in semi-frequent semi-long car rides by myself.  I love it, partly because forty-five minutes is the perfect length for a solo, vocals-only mini concert, and partly because part of the drive involves twisty roads with lakes and scenery around them.  I love me some twisty roads with lakes and scenery. 

Last Friday, I was making that drive and was in the middle of a really fantastic rendition of Rascall Flatts's "While You Loved Me" when I drove past something that made me turn the car around.  It's called: the sky was by the lake and it was so, so pretty.  So me and my very low-quality camera phone went to have a look.  

I promise that it was 34084 times more gorgeous in person. Jealous?  

It happened again on Sunday while I was running: I saw pretty things, and I had to stop and take pictures of them.  (The argument could be made that I just wanted an excuse to stop running.  I'll let you be the judge of that.) 

(There are about 30 other variations on the baby leaf / sun pictures, if you're interested.  Angles are so important.)  

As I finished my photo shoot with the leaves, I had deep, blog-worthy thoughts.  Why am I so fixated with pretty things, to the point that I can't resist parking on the side of the road or bringing my camera for a run with me?  I know that I like taking pictures, especially since I have this place to share them, but I think it's more than that.  Isn't searching for beauty kind of an all-humans thing, not just a me thing?  For years and years, cave painters and gardeners and sculptors and fashion designers have passionately worked to hone their skills in order tried to create the best beauty that they could.  In fact, artists are known for being poor; in other words, for giving up a chance to make money and live in a conventionally comfortable way in exchange for the change to create something really beautiful.  I'd even venture to guess that most people, in some way, have that same craving.  Why are we like that? 

Throughout the Bible, God and the things that He does are described in terms of their perfection and quality - their beauty.  Here, take a look. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 // He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end

Genesis 2:8 // Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it.God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. 

Psalm 104:1-3 // Praise the Lord, my soul.  Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

Is it possible that our search for beautiful things comes from a longing for God?  Maybe, we stand in awe of a sunset or spend hours redecorating because those things, in a very small way, let us experience a version of what our creator is like.  Maybe, just maybe, he made us that way on purpose, so that we'd be able to connect with him.  

I don't know about you, but I really like the idea that God created me to enjoy beautiful things just so that he could love me by showing me sky reflecting on the water and sun shining on leaves.  I think that's pretty cool. 

http://recklessinyourlove.blogspot.com/2015/04

cheers!

Allie

P.S. There's fun stuff going on here todat for Treat Yo Self Thursday! 

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The Basics // A Day in Detroit Link-Up

I've lived outside of Detroit ever since I can remember, and ever since slightly after I can remember, the city has had this draw for me.  Before I drove around Belle Isle or attended a Red Wings game or found out that the DIA is free sometimes, I'd ask to go to Detroit.  At the time, I had no idea what Detroit was other than the closest big city, but as I've gotten the chance to explore more, I've come to find that 8-year-old Allie's hunch that there was something really, really cool out there was spot on.  Here are some of my favorites.

Belle Isle | Belle Isle State Park sits in the middle of the Detroit River, right between the U.S. and Canada. It's home to an aquarium, a zoo, that monument down there, lots of woods, and a coast guard station.  The monument is pretty huge, and even though the fountain doesn't run anymore, it's pretty striking as you drive across the bridge to the island.

The Heidelberg Project | This may be my favorite Detroit thing, ever.  It's a block or two of houses in what I consider to be one of the sketchier areas of Detroit that's been designated as a place for artists to cover with art however they please.  The houses are painted with polka dots or covered with old records or stuffed animals and the vacant lots in between hold sculptures and cardboard cut outs.  Anyone can create whatever they want, and the result is eclectic and interesting and as diverse as Detroit's people.

John K. King Used and Rare Books | Old, hardcover, wall-to-wall books fill five stories of the building, which dates to the first half of the 20th century.  It sits right off of the freeway - in fact, John K. King was actually moved 600 ft to make room for road construction in 1949.  I could easily spend all day and my entire bank account forever and ever there.

Joe Louis Memorial and The Spirit of Detroit | Downtown Detroit is decked out in some cool art - a tribute to Joe Lewis (and, it's speculated, the Black Power movement) and the Spirit of Detroit, who gets dressed up when Detroit sports teams are winning.  

The Whitney | Old Detroit mansion turned fancy-shmancy restaurant.  Your meals comes with a tour of the house - pretty grounds, balcony views of the surrounding city, and old, ornate decorations.  (P.S., the food is also really good.)

                      

Joe Louis Arena | It's where you go to watch hockey, mostly, but when the Wings are elsewhere the arena hosts concerts and speakers.  (Also: special guest appearance by my lovely cohost + the brains behind this linkup, Allison!) 

Riverfront | I'd never been to the Riverfront area of Detroit until a couple of months ago, and I've been missing out!  Maybe it's just me - I've been kind of fascinated with bodies of water since I freaked out over the waterfalls at Yosemite when I was 2.  There are cruise boats docked every so often and a walkway for exploring - my kind of place.  

Speaking of Detroit, today's March 13th, aka 3.13, aka 313 Day, aka Detroit Day because 313 starts just about every phone number in Detroit.  To celebrate, Allison and I are hosting a link up for our fellow Detroit area bloggers so that we can virtually explore the city and everything it has to offer!  We're excited to have some talented writers linking up with us - check them out!

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<a href="http://www.blogsomethingbeautiful.blogspot.com" title="Something Beautiful"><img src="http://i59.tinypic.com/2yzalut.jpghttp://www.image-maps.com/m/private/0/kia94bp8l3f3tltghisvv3je17_313-link-up-button.jpg" alt="Something Beautiful" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

Did I miss anything?  What do you love about Detroit?  If you've never been, what about your own city? 

Allie

It's a Fine, Fine Life // Link-Up & Camp

Did I mention that I went to camp last weekend?  Because I did, and it was great. I'm sorry - sometimes I forget to communicate really important details like that with the people around me.  It's not that I didn't want you to know that I was going - that couldn't be further from the truth, because all I've wanted to do since arriving home on Sunday is to talk about what a great time I had.   I just forget sometimes.  Allow me to remember and bring you up to speed. 

Making the best time to camp meant rushing straight home from school on Friday, spending a frantic half hour packing as much as I could, and meeting my fellow camp goers in a church parking lot less than an hour later. We all piled into cars and vans and started the four hour drive to northwestish Michigan.  I spent the majority of the time sleeping, and it was wonderful because I needed it so badly.  School is hard.  

Making the best of our time at camp meant spending hours and hours and hours with cold, raw faces, racing down a snowy mountain on tubes made for doing just that. It meant early morning competitions and early morning hot chocolate to warm us, the spectators. 

                         

It looked like new friends and old ones to encourage us in what we're all trying really hard to do.  

It was captured in jumping just because and feeling so happy and so, so at peace. 

Making the best of our time at camp saw relationships built or rebuilt, now friends grown closer or old friends brought back.  

It resulted in tie-dye shirts (and hands - mine are still a gross shade of green) and one step closer to a challenge completed.  

Most importantly, though, a weekend full of time used in the best way focused on the important things.  It focused in so tight that room wasn't left for things that don't matter - a great reminder to me as I'm constantly crowded by things to do and voices to hear.  Less isn't bad: simplicity, unoccupied moments - that leaves time and opportunity for the people and things that need it.  Emptiness creates a space for rest and joy where before there was busy, occupying, life-draining noise.  

Psalm 62:1,5 // It is surely true that I find my rest in God. He is the God who saves me . . . Yes, I must find my rest in God. He is the one who gives me hope. 

Allie

P.S. Keep an eye out for this: