If the speed boats are the thunder of Boyne Thunder,
the vintage car show is the lightning, Spotlessly clean until the engines sparkle with the glint of the July sun. Drooling over the original Bronco and the Cummins diesel - this seemed an appropriate use of the first few frames of my first ever roll of black and white film. Undistracted by any color clashes, B&W allows for the true ageless beauty of these machines to shine through. It was one of those late June evenings-
warm, humid, still, birds singing and showing off in the leaves of the rich green trees. The perfect evening for spending time with old friends. old friends, who have gone through really wonderful times and milestones with me. Old friends, who have gone through really devastating and hard things with me. Walking the wooded paths that loop through the outskirts of West Traverse City. We sat and took in the sound of crickets, the late light of a summer sun, the distinct smell of the red pines around us, and of course the crackling of the fire. In the morning, it was the dawn chorus interspersed with the chatter of two women drinking coffee before I headed out on my South Dakota adventure. Old friends are good for the soul. Chris Stapleton said it well: "old friends shine like diamonds. Old friends you can always call. Old friends Lord, you can't buy 'em. You know it's old friends, after all" I don't think that I will ever stop being amazed at babies.
Full human beings, totally complete, with finger nails and eye lashes. Their individual personalities so clearly portrayed in their specific desires on the way they like to be held, swaddled and even the exact way they like the curtain pulled. The sweet smell of their skin, and the incredible softness of their hair. I love the way a fresh newborn curls up into the position he or she was in the mother's womb. I don't think that I will ever stop being amazed at babies, because babies are people too, and just like me and you - we are uniquely amazing in every way. I signed up for social media in 2016 and immediately regretted it.
I had moved away from camp - what I jokingly call real Facebook, a place where you see people once or twice a year and catch up on their lives. After two years of missing connection with old friends, and not feeling like I had solid new friends, I decided to get the famed Facebook and Instagram. I had heard people kept up on these platforms, but instead I found an unusual world where people posted cat videos, memes and the occasional epic post about their latest adventure. Other people also posted their frustrations about whatever phase of life they were in. I found it to be an unusual world, and yet I found myself drawn back time and time again to it's empty promise of connection, and the addictive quality of the likes, loves and the peanut gallery of comments - where instead of connection, I found division and arguments, people feeling free to say anything, most of it something you would never say to another person if you were face to face with them. Fast forward six years. With the world only getting crazier, the world of social media had only become more unusual, self-centered, and harsh. Except now I had found myself sucked into this unusual world as well. The dizzying amount of content, advertisements, cat videos, memes and the constant stream of what people ate for dinner, another's opinion on the latest political scheme, punctuated by the news of a nursing school acquaintance's brother's suicide, followed by an advertisement for baby diapers. What an unusual world we have made. We are made for connection. God created Adam, but there was "not found a helper fit for him." Genesis 2:20 And so God created Eve, the perfect companion for him. Human connection. And of course Adam and Eve were created to know God, to be known by God, and to commune with him. It's amazing how sin has messed up our human connection, as well as man's connection with his Creator. Cat videos, memes and all the content in the world cannot replace my need for other people, or my need for God. The last six years have been a journey of trying to connect with hundreds of people on a personal level that social media was never designed to fill. Not every element of social media is bad, and it certainly can be a tool used to communicate with people and give life updates. But what I found was that every time I clicked on a social media app, ultimately I was looking to fulfill my own selfish desire to be seen and heard, and I suspect most other people were there to fill the same need. In looking back on this six year experiment (exactly what I named it when I signed up for social media) I'm glad for what it taught me. Social media taught me the simple joy and pleasure in a walk with a friend, a cup of coffee shared with deep heartfelt conversation, or a belly laugh over a funny anecdote with a coworker. And most of all, social media taught me the preciousness of uninhibited communion with the Savior - which if I am honest, is incredibly difficult with the distraction of social media at my fingertips. So I am looking forward to the years ahead of intentional friendships with the people I care most about in the here and now, for friends far away and friends near by. I have found surprise phone calls and snail mail to be increasingly more meaningful and exactly what we were designed and created for - connection. So if you made it reading this far, you are likely one of my friends! I will end with this: If you are far away, lets talk once in a while - and if you are close, lets go on a hike or local adventure! And as always, you can find me here, sharing the joys of film photography and the occasional thoughts in my mind that come together in words when I have the will to put them one after another. Much love and hugs from Northern Michigan! NJoy Four friends, one Jeep, lots of food, seventeen hours.
We left Grand Rapids mid day Thursday, arriving in The Badlands at 4:30 AM, bleary eyed and happy. Arriving just in time for a stunning sunrise, and cool morning hike through the incredible geological formations, with no one but Cliff Swallows for company. Every once in a while, we make plans that seem impossible, packing too many things in to a short amount of time, with too many moving parts and hundreds of possible ways for the plans to go wrong. And every once in a while God says: "Absolutely. Go for it - and I'll bless it with a few extra surprises along the way that will blow your minds. All because I love to give good gifts to my children." This is very different than what we often experience in life, which is frustrations, heartache and the general affects of a sin sick world. So enjoy those mind blowing moments, and "every good gift and every perfect gift [that] is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" James 1:17 Give glory to that good Father of lights, and live life to the very fullest. Hiking Sunday Gulch trail on Saturday, its winding trail includes the iconic granite boulders of Western South Dakota and stunning views overlooking miles of the Black Hills National Forest.
Sylvan lake is one of several lakes nestled into Custer State Park, with sparkling water that reflects those same iconic Boulders. Can I just say how much I love you, South Dakota? There is something about the mountains that makes you feel your smallness, and at the same time, feel God's greatness.
I think that is why I enjoy the mountains so much. Black Elk Peak is the highest peak east of the Rockies, and includes two iconic rock formations called Devil's Tower and Cathedral Spires. The day could not have been more perfect. The combination of blue Skys, white clouds, light air, cool breeze and warm sun made for ideal hiking condition, and of course the company was first class. Boy Scouts, motorcyclist couples, college students, and families were our trail companions along with wild roses, pine and birch trees, hawks and songbirds. What a day. To end quite possibly the best day of my life, we drove up to Mt. Rushmore.
As the storm clouds gathered, and soon broke into a downpour of rain joined with loud claps of thunder and a light show - we sat under the overhang of the parking garage, eating hotdogs cooked in the back of the Jeep. When the rain slowed down, there was a double full rainbow. We cleaned up and sat under GW, Tommy, Teddy, and Abe for a patriotic and historic ceremony. It was as dark as it gets at 9:30 pm in early July, but they turned the lights on these four former Presidents of the United States of America, and I don't think I have ever felt more happy and humbled to be an American. I slept so well that night. Thank God for this country and the men who have paved the way for our freedoms. Sunday included hiking Lover's Leap with hike, a very deceptive looking lake that turned out to be well below Michigan lake standards and yet another evening thunderstorm with a double full rainbow.
The wildlife loop included hundreds of Prairie Dogs, several Pronghorn Antelope and turning the corner to find a large herd of Buffalo. Creation speaks of the Creator! |
Naomi JoyI was born a month early, and to the surprise of my parents, I was a girl! Archives
June 2023
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