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.