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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When It's Over // It's a Fine, Fine Life 3

Today I'm thankful for the times when things come to an end, which isn't the easiest way to be.  It's taken some serious thinking to get here, because the good side of endings is one that my head can understand pretty easily but my heart struggles to feel.  I get the importance of the shifts in the people, places, and circumstances around me, but I still cringe a little when the time comes to give something up. 

I'm thankful for endings because of the space in my life that they leave vacant.  That empty space is uncomfortable at first, and it can feel purposeless, scary.  The truth is that vacancies are invaluable because they're full of potential - where there is nothing now, there can be anything.  When endings take away a part of our lives, we have the chance to put energy and talent and time into something new. Stable lives made up of everlasting habits and people and places don't have room for growing; the uncertainty of an ending does.  

As my mind tries to make the rest of me understand about things coming to conclusion, the part that my heart grasps most readily is the fact that a beginning, necessarily, is preceded by an end.  Nothing new can start without something old stepping aside, and I love beginnings.  That's something that I can get on board with, that I can go all in for and be genuinely excited about.  When things end, I can be pretty sure that I'm right on the edge of something new, and something that could be really, really good. 

This post is a part of It's a Fine, Fine Life, a link-up for sharing the good even if (and especially when) it isn't that easy.  Grab a button and join us every Tuesday! (And for more info, go here.)

Dodge Ball & Running & Friends // Weekend Recap

Hey there!  I hope you had a fantastic weekend - you think I'm just saying that, but I mean it sincerely.  Remember when I gave away free stuff that one time? Well, we have a free stuff winner!  Huge congrats to Christy Spurlock of Spurlock Sweet Adventures - I'll be right over to help you spend your Target money.   

If you're not Christy Spurlock, I'm really sorry.  I bet you wish you had $50 to spend at Target.  I know I do - I'm not her, either. 

You may have noticed that my sidebar looks a little different today, and if you didn't, I'm very offended.  Jk.  Consider the "About Me" that's over there right now to be a sneak peek at the new design that I'm working on right now, and don't be surprised if things look a little rough around here for the next few days.  It's a work in progress.

My weekend started out with an intense study session at Panera after school and track practice on Friday.  The AP Psychology exam is in just over a week, so obviously I was all business and spent way too much time taking pictures of our smoothies.  Figures. 

Once some actually studying got done, I headed home for a little Shark Tank watching with my parents and an early bedtime to make sure I was ready for Saturday's track meet!  ( Last week I stayed up until 2 the night before.  Never. Again.)

This week's meet was great because we didn't have to be there until noon, which meant sleeping in and time to relax in the morning.  We spent most of the afternoon braving the wind and relative cold, but the sun was out by the time my brother ran his 3200.  

I will never stop being amazed at the fact that people actually volunteer to run around the track 8 times.  Bravo, all of you. 

After the meet, the younger siblings and I headed home for a quick bite to eat and then to school for a dodge ball tournament.  It's an annual event, but for one reason or another I haven't been able to play until this year.  I was pretty excited about it!  Our team had really cool matching shirts that, fortunately, didn't show how intensely I was sweating.  I had no idea how hard 2 minute dodge ball games could be.  Also evidenced by: my still very sore shoulder.  

We had two wins and two losses, with one of the wins being very close and very satisfying.  So, no, we didn't win and I may have lost a bet because of it, but it was so fun! Worth it. (Hint: If you click here or if you follow me on Twitter, you can see the play of the game, courtesy of yours truly. They laughed at me and I still don't get why.)   

Post dodge ball tourney, I spent the night with some friends.  Late night brownies, Jessa Duggar's wedding, chick flicks, and all the weird stuff that happens when you're up too late - it all happened.  So good!  I told everyone that I was going to visit them every weekend when we're in college and make them have a sleepover with me, and I think they thought I was joking.  That's cute.  

Sunday morning meant waking up early to get home after too few hours of sleep in time for church and work afterwards.  The rest of the day was spent running, doing blog and school work, and eating chocolate.  I'd be a liar if I didn't list that as a major activity.  

What about you?   What fun things did you do this weekend?  

cheers! 

Allie

P.S.  Pssst . . . there's a link up right here tomorrow!  Don't forget to come hang out, and bring your It's a Fine, Fine Life post with you!