blessed.

do you ever have that moment when you stop and realize how much you simply love certain things, places or people? or when you realize how great it is to be alive?

well, i had a few of those moments today. i love that i get to live in santa barbara. today (and yesterday) was one of the most beautiful days of the year. i couldn't get over it. my friends, Lariss and Janelle, and I went to church this morning at Reality Carp. we had the sunroof down as we drove along the coast. the sun was out and brightly shining (as it tends to do). the ocean was well, blue. and the sky...blue. and the aloha burger at padaro beach grill was as delicious as ever. and I was simply a Happy-Jeff. the world was as it should be. i am so blessed to be in such a place as this, to be part of such an incredible body of believers at Reality, and to have such amazing and wonderful friends. i often take it for granted. or don't fully appreciate it. which is so lame.

so often we focus on the difficulties in our lives. the challenges, frustrations, worries. the people we don't like and person who cut us off on the freeway. and we cloud our minds and hearts with all this stuff so much that we can't see how blessed we truly are. so we need to stop. breathe. and simply look around. we need to slow ourselves from the everydayness of life and marinate in the good thing, lest we forget all that the Lord has done. we need to make time for people in our lives. all too often, i find myself so centered on myself and i forget about those around me. we need to become more other-center and practice self-forgetfulness. and sometimes we simply need to be still and know that HE is God.

liane & clark m.

what a wonderful night. i got to hang out with my bestie liane. we went downtown for dinner and then meet up with the women from her section from Clark M. (she is a resident assistant for 22 first-year women). we had such a fun time and they were making me laugh the whole time. then i got the chance to take a few shots of liane which was a privilege isn't she beautiful? click here for a slideshow of all my favorites.






p.s. two years ago i did a section shoot for my friend allie trowbridge who was then the RA of Clark M. haha. click here to see those photos.

tangerine.

so this weekend, a few guys from my hall and i went on a hike up to tangerine falls right here in montecito. it was a beautiful day and it was wonderful to just get out and enjoy good company and the beauty of nature.

water. it fascinates us. there is something about it that draws us to it. we love to play in it. look at it. we bathe ourselves with it. we drink it. Water is live-giving and life-sustaining. when there is a huge swell, we paddle out if we are brave enough or we stand perched on the sand in awe of the massive waves on the horizon. if it rains, we like to frolick through the drops and savor the feeling of the droplets beading on our faces. there is nothing more refreshing than a glass of cold, iced water after a long day in the sun or a hot shower after a run.

we as a people love and need water. and yet it is something that we take for granted, something we don't stop to think about, something we have simply gotten used to. all the while, there are nations without the luxury of clean water. their water supplies are ridden with filth and disease, unable to be consumed or used without grave consequences. access to clean water is essential for human life and survival. we must commit ourselves to not only rationing this precious resource in the States, but also, to ensuring the the peoples of the world have access to water. water is life. please visit lifewater for more information about the world's water crisis.