A Walk in the Country: Michigan Post #2

Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only he can see. 

-Corrie Ten Boom

When I moved to Michigan 10 years ago, I never knew who God was going to bring into my life. 
The experiences I had there, the ones I had in moving back to Indiana a year and a half later, and the people God brought into my life he put there for a purpose. 
Now, 10 years later I am still best friends with one of the people that he placed in my life. Like the quote above says, everything he did was in perfect preparation for my future. That only HE can see! I'm thankful for it all, and for this awesome, wonderful friend he gave me. 

I finally got around to editing and posting more pictures from my trip to Northern Michigan. 
These pictures are anything great. But they are special memories of time I got to spend with one of my best friends.
One morning we got up and took a walk. Nothing hardcore. Just a nice walk through the Michigan countryside. 
This was a lazy day for us. When we got back we took our time getting ready, eating brunch, running to a the little "Kris Mart" to get Jello cheesecake, watching movies, and talking until all hours of the night. 
<3

I miss your beautiful face Andy!

(to view pictures larger just click on one and it should give you an entire slideshow of all of them.)

So pumped up! lol :)

Beautiful country road....we were literallly out in the middle of no where!


The BFF and Me

side road

The creek we walked down to.

Andrea promoting the neighbors fresh produce. LOL

Our walkin' shoes. 

Andy laying in the road....heh 

:D

Taking pictures of me. I was "walkin' the line". 

Beautiful Michigan countryside!

Us....me wearing not the most attractive "work out" clothes. LOL

Um.......awkward. lol

We're bad! (sign says "No Trespassing" ) lol

An elaborate garden in someone's yard. 

Laying in the road again, lol :)

getting the mail! :D

checking out a map of michigan so I could find a bus route home.

We went and bought cheesecake. It was raining of course. :D

Singe was my kitty 10 years ago...still living! It was kind of cool seeing him again. 

To finish off the night....
We had steaks for dinner...Andrea's dad showing her boyfriend how it's done! :D

Justify Yourself

Romans 3:4

God forbid: yea, let GOD be true, but EVERY man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in they sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 

This verse stood out to me today. 
How often we justify our sins. Or just the things we do that we probably shouldn't. 
I will be the first one to admit I've done this. Probably thousands of times. 
I told myself it was ok just because someone else was doing it.
Or I said, "Well, it's not as bad as that so it's ok."
That's where I was wrong. 

The Bible says GOD is true and every man is a liar. 
If we let God be true in our sayings, then we will overcome when we are judged. When we justify in ourselves, we ARE lying to ourselves, others and most importantly, to God!
The bible says, 
GOD FORBID! 
Wow. What an amazing eye opening thought from God.
I don't need to justify what I do.
Sin, is sin. 
Truth, is truth.
Evil, is evil.

So let's not go around justifying ourselves to people. If we know it's truth, it's truth. If we know it's wrong, don't justify it. 
Just stop doing it.
It's so freeing once you do!!

Rejoice, in this truth today!!

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Grace, for us.

Oh, can you hear, hear mercy sing She cries to bitter hearts, end your suffering Oh, please let go, give up your fight Holding back your love, it never made things right It's gonna be ok, ok tonight Grace, only grace Can roll your dead heart's stone away Grace, only grace Can move us to a rhythm that will change our ways

Oh, listen to love and let pride hit the ground If joy is the armor, it can't be broken down But if hate is the fuel, no one will win But when we love ‘til we're empty That's when life begins

Grace, grace, come and move me Oh come and move me now

-©Tenth Avenue North 2012

Michigan Love: Post #1

It rained the first few days I was in Michigan.

It was a great opportunity to get creative when taking pictures since I couldn't necessarily walk around outside with my gear in the rain!

Andy (my nickname for her) and I spent one day watching chick-flicks, doing make-up, hair, picking outfits out, and have "girl talk" conversations. :)

Let me tell you....she can do the most amazing french braid I've EVER seen!! It looks like something out of a magazine! I wish I would have taken a picture of what she did on my hair but I forgot! :(

I did get some pictures of the rainy-but-good days. Andrea said it was weird at first to have me clicking my camera at her and everything but I think she got used to it after the first few days! ha ha! What can I say...I'm a photographer! 

<3

Me and Andy

:)

ha ha being nerds; yeah we're cool. :D
<3

about to laugh, because I'm just so dang funny! ha ha :D

Andy and Tucker! :)

Rain Rain

Car rides, music blaring, laughing our heads off, good times. :)

Wet horses!

love the blonde mane. 

chocolate dairy free ice cream that we had while watching a chick flick :)
(notice the nikon cap in the corner, lol)

Tucker relaxing by the piano

Windy day! It blew a cool leaf on the car window. 

sitting in the car at the harbor

closing the door because I was getting rained on....see that cool green bokeh in the background? I was trying to capture it by getting down on the ground but that was unsuccessful. :D

At the Harbor ( Lake Huron )

Rainy day at the harbor!

I did get out one day when it was sprinkling and shoot some quick shots at a little beach spot in town. 

Um yeah this is me, not the best shot of me, lol but It was SUPER windy, and raining but I wanted a shot of myself at the lake there. I'm weird. :D (check out my hair, I appear to be eating it! ha ha!)

Beautiful Lake Huron *sigh*

Waiting on Andy while she was in the bank. 

I love this shot of the rain on the car window. 

Headlights behind us! :)

Picture post #2 coming soon! :)