On the fifth day of Christmas...

... There was snow! There’s something about a blanket of snow that can make even the drab grey of winter look picturesque. I feel like I’m living in a Norman Rockwell painting right now. Yay for snowflakes that are all unique! Yay for the crunch of snow under my boots! Yay for winter hats, and mittens, and my puffy jacket that makes me look like a marshmallow!

I think I hear sleigh bells. Glistening snow- check. Beautiful sight- check. Happy tonight- check. 

Yep- I went walking in a winter wonderland! 

This is my favorite version of Winter Wonderland. Do enjoy!

~Jazzy

On the fourth day of Christmas...

... Starbucks brought back their holiday drinks! Oh the joy of Christmas flavored coffees! Peppermint mochas, toffee Frappuccinos, gingerbread and eggnog lattes... The phrase "comfort and joy" comes to mind... There's something ridiculously comforting about sitting in a cozy corner at Starbucks, slowly sipping my drink, and taking time to daydream a bit. When I'm here, at one of my favorite places in the world, time stands still for half a second. And there's almost nothing that brings joy to my day faster than a trip to Starbucks. I love everything about this place! I love the smell of the coffee. I love the decor, and the lighting in my favorite corner. I love it when I come in and the barista knows my name! I love that something as small as serving somebody coffee can bring a smile to their face and joy to their day.

The holiday season can be so rushed sometimes that it's easy to look past people. Today what's something you can do to bring a moment of comfort and joy to someone around you?

With a sigh of contentment,
~Jasmine

On the third day of Christmas...

... There was an amazing Christmas song!

So, one of my favorite things in the world is the ocean. I love the vastness of it, and the way the waves never look the same. I also love warm weather and country music. Where is this train of thought going you may wonder? Well here it is. One of my new favorite modern Christmas songs as of last year is Kenny Chesney's "All I Want For Christmas Is A Real Good Tan." Now, I realize that we're all supposed to be singing about snow, and ice skating, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but sometimes the cold weather gets to me, and I find myself wishing I was the one roasting- somewhere on a beach!

Dreaming of warmer weather tonight...

~Jasmine

On the 2nd day of Christmas...

... There were luminaries! It's one of the traditions at my house every year to get together with friends, get all bundled up and go to our local college to walk through the thousands of luminaries they have spread out all over the campus. I'm not sure how widespread the practice of putting up luminaries is, but explaining what they are to someone who's never seen one usually results in a perplexed look. What are luminaries you ask? They're paper lunch bags filled with dirt with a candle inside. Yep. That's all they are. And one may wonder just what it is that's so wonderful about them. Honestly, I don't know. I think it's one of those things that's special because it's attached to so many good memories- not because it's necessarily spectacular. For me, there's something peaceful about getting all wrapped up in my coat and scarf and wandering around the college at night amongst the flickering lights of a thousand New Mexican paper lanterns. The dark of the winter night is contrasted by the glow of the candles, and somewhere in the distance, Christmas carols can be heard. Sometimes there's so much comfort in the simplest of traditions. Sometimes, the things we love don't have to make sense to anyone else.

Take time to enjoy the simple things that are special just to you.

~Jazzy

On the first day of Christmas...

... There was a Christmas tree hunt! My family has a tradition of "hunting down" our Christmas tree. As in we wander around in the sticks for a couple of hours and hope to find a tree that 1. is some sort of pine and 2. generally resembles the shape of a Christmas tree. (I say 'generally' in the broadest sense possible) Many a year has our tree looked more like a bush than an evergreen meant for decoration. This year however, we decided to "branch out" from our normal routine of tromping through the desert and venture instead to the nearest Home Depot. Oh my gosh! The trees look like Christmas trees! There's no two-trunkers, and they all have branches all the way around, not just on one side! It's difficult for me to explain the amount of excitement we all felt at selecting our tree. Oh how we loved our tree! Oh the excitement of a Christmas tree full enough to hold all of our ornaments! At that moment the joy of Christmas was overflowing in our hearts and we just wanted to share it with everyone including the random couple in the aisle next to us.

It's the little things... hope your holiday season is full of little things that make your heart sing.

~Jasmine

12 Days of Christmas!

Oh my gosh! It's Christmas time again! I've had a little bit of trouble adjusting after coming home from the heat and humidity of Fiji- to cold weather and Christmas preparations! I'm so excited though, because I have new inspiration for my photography and writing! It's the 12 days of my Christmas! Now while I'm fairly certain my 12 days won't include such exciting things as 5 golden rings, swimming swans, or multiple ladies dancing, I'm extremely excited to document and share 12 special parts of this year's Christmas.

11/7/10

Oh my goodness I’m in New Zealand! Every morning I wake up and I’m amazed all over again! We’ve only been here a week and in a way I feel like I’ve been here for months. Every day is a new adventure and the landscapes keep getting more breathtaking! Today is our last day on the north island. After church we spent the day driving south from Hastings and we’re staying tonight in a hostel in the capital city of Wellington.

So far I’ve been completely amazed at the way that God has brought our team together. I can’t believe how open and close we already feel, and the relationships that are already forming after so short a time. I’m not really a fan of long car rides, but that was the best part of today because of all the great conversations we had along the way. The fellowship has been so sweet and refreshing. I feel like a sponge and I’m just drinking in the companionship! It amazes me that 18 people from completely different backgrounds can have such deep and meaningful conversations. We were shooting penetrating questions back and forth today and the honesty and openness has been so refreshing! It’s this type of interaction that excites and scares me at the same time. Exciting because it’s so sweet to be in the safety of the family of Christ. Scary because honesty is such a vulnerable position to be in. God is so good to me though- I asked Him to grow me in this area, and He has provided me with the opportunities to be vulnerable and open, and shown me that this is a group that will love and accept me exactly where I am at. As lovely as the scenery here is, that aspect of God’s love takes my breath away even more! If He can do that in a week, I eagerly anticipate what He will do in the next 3!

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sorry no pics- internet here is strange

Exhaustion. Excitement. We’ve been running, running, running since we got here, but I’m loving every minute of it! We’ve done a quick tour of Auckland, shot some promo material for Lifeway College, (by the way, if you haven’t heard of them {and actually even if you have,} you should definitely check this college out- they’ve worked on Avatar, and Veggie Tales, and lots of other amazing movies and the talent at their campus made my heart race!) and today we were working at Taradale High School in the Hawks Bay area. I think every time we get in the car, at least one someone is settling in for a nap! We’re all so tired! The staff members said today if we got all our assignments turned in they would let us have the key for the internet so- after staring at my computer screen for several hours editing pictures- I finally am online! As an example of how tired I am: I just misspelled “screen” four times.

The other day before we left Lifeway College, some of us got up early and went down to the beach to shoot the sunrise. *Big sigh… It was so beautiful. Sometimes I feel like I can actually breathe in the presence of God, and that was one of those mornings. The air was soft and quiet. Over here all the colors seem like they’re on super-saturated mode, so the green of the grass is a rich, heavy green, and the blue skies are so soaked with color it almost seems like you could taste them. It almost feels like one sense isn’t enough to take it in- you can’t just see the color you have to touch it or taste it. That’s how it felt that morning- very still, but very rich with life. It made me think that I’m so glad that knowing Jesus is a such rich way to experience life- so textured and full! I’m so thankful for the ability to experience color, and the feel fresh morning air on my face, and thankful to be able know His love for me. A love that is so rich and vast in it depths! I hope you experience life in a more textured, rich way today!

~Jasmine

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Crazy quick post! I haven't had internet for the past few days and it's been delightful! I'm running aroung Auckland today with another student doing a scavenger hunt. Fortunately, post a picture was one of the requirements. This is one of One Tree Hill which we visited yesterday. More soon!

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NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCE: Day 1

Aaah! Here I am embarking on the first day of my New Zealand adventure! It’s 10:26 Los Angeles time, and I’ve already been up for 11 hours. So far, the airport experience has been uneventful, but I still have 13 more hours in LAX, so perhaps that assessment is premature.

I believe the word for the day is going to be “small”. I feel quite tiny right now. The enormous, unbending backpack I’m using contributes to this feeling as it dwarfs my already small shoulders and causes my body to curl forward. The huge, sky-lighted ceiling in this departure terminal also enhances my impression of insignificance, and there’s definitely something about being 30,000 plus feet in the air that makes one feel slightly minute. Looking at all the people around me who are plugged into the world with every imaginable electronic device makes me feel a little tiny and alone. It’s funny how in airports humanity’s “connectedness” looks so disconnected. The couple next to me are totally enthralled- with their phones. They may as well be traveling alone! Everywhere you look, no one is looking at each other. Sometimes I feel like I’m out of the loop of something that every other traveler is in on. What exactly are people talking about so frantically, or sternly, or importantly as they walk through airports? Why the rush to turn on the phone as soon as the pilot gives us the ok? Am I missing something? Hmmm. The man to my right just mentioned 9 million dollars in one breath and “broke” in the next. Yes, I’m eavesdropping. Sometimes I really just want to ask- what are you talking about? Can I get in on the action? There’s so much going on with every individual, and sitting back, watching, and taking in the chaos makes me feel small. It’s nice in a way though. This airport is abuzz with life, and sitting here, feeling small and unobtrusive, I’m taking it all in.