Being home for the holidays.

Hello my friends. It's been some time since I last wrote. To be honest, I'm starting to believe or at least understand the idea of writers block... but I guess the proper term should be coined bloggers block. Here are some thoughts that will hopefully break this cycle. 

The expression "Happy Holidays" rubs me in a funny way. I don't really know why or how to explain this feeling but when someone grants me this simple wish, I can't help but wonder... why not "Merry Christmas" instead? Now, I fully understand that it is politically correct to say this to someone you are not very familiar with because if this person doesn't celebrate the season of Christmas, you wouldn't want to centralize this celebration on everyone. For example, if I was Jewish... I wouldn't go around telling everyone "Happy Hanukkah" because not everyone celebrates Hanukkah. I also realize that people might be combining Christmas and New Years but part of me wants to keep them separate. 

      I think the root of my thoughts come from a somewhat conservative view. At times I worry this world is slowly starting to leave out the unique remembrance that is Christmas. To think of Christmas and New Years' both being just holidays isn't how I want to conform my thinking of this sacred piece of history. When you think about the things time can bring... happiness, unity within a family, peace, joy, celebration, reflection... and look at how the majority society has began to look this time, two thoughts come to mind. Either, society overall is either caught up in the materialism and anxiety of an annual gift exchange and reason to not work for a few days, or we live in view of the overwhelming blessing and eternal gift that a powerful God would come down in the form of a hopeful child. Is it really that black and white though? The conflict we face and will continue to face is how do we balance our cultural traditions for the season with our beliefs that a child came to rescue a world in need of a Savior. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of taking time out of our daily routine to buy a gift for people we care for but when the sacrifice spent for people overrides the sacrifice we are called to offer up as a gift before our King, the importance of this season begins to evoke emotions that are much more sacred than just another holiday.   

I hope this new year challenges you to wrestle with your faith and find truth and peace in a life that is worth living with purpose and passion. 

Grace and Peace

Common Threads, Coldplay, and the Central Coast

I have the window open to catch up on my Lost episodes so I'm ready for season 5 in January but my instinct tells me that I've almost abandoned this blog thing for quite some time. In case you were wondering since last writing... I'm still learning how to balance life. I'm so thankful for the break Thanksgiving though. I honestly couldn't ask for a better week off. I have quite a bit to share... I'll start with this: 

Small Group Communication Class :: Common Threads Advertising Campaign 

- This semester, I'm taking a class called Small Group in my Communication degree and the purpose of the class is basically teaching us what a mature small group looks like within the context of interaction among people who come together for a common goal in mind. We chose our 6 person group at the beginning of the semester and were assigned to create a product or service which would adhere to the PLNU community. We then created a business similar to that of a Buffalo Exchange where we would buy and sell clothes as a way to recycle the clothes that people don't want anymore as well as help people find clothes that seem appealing for cheap because they're usually used. My main job for the group was to advertise the business which included coming up with a themed way to visually portray our service to the public through flyers and a commercial.  Our company name was Moving Forward and our clothing exchange store was called Common Threads.  

Common Threads Flyers:

We decided to make ourselves a non-profit where the money we make after expenses for overhead would go straight to PLNU Student Ministries i.e. Bread of Life- the homeless ministry I help with on Tuesday nights at the Salvation Army Downtown.  I wanted to find a creative way to portray our two main goals as a business: 1) to offer fashionable apparel 2) to help out those in need. 

Here's my group

Some friends of mine went to OB a few weekends ago to shoot the commercial. I snapped some shots for the flyers. Here are some pictures of the day: 

Thanksgiving :: Coldplay & SLO

For the break, Allison came with me and the family to San Luis Obispo to visit my Uncle Joe, Aunt Cammi and cousins. But we decided to start the beginning of our adventure of with a bang. We saw Coldplay at the Honda Center (the Pond) in Anaheim. It was by far the best concert I have EVER been to. The best adjective I have to describe it was that it was epic. I feel like I attended he biggest and happiest party on earth. Everything that I had within me during every song wanted to dance. Thanks Coldplay. The group was Allison, Travis "sound board master" Cook, Kendle Johnson, Jordan Frye, Katrina, and friends from Vanguard.  

Here is the set list: 

1. Life In Technicolor 

2. Violet Hill 

3. Clocks 

4. In My Place 

5. Speed Of Sound 

6. Cemeteries of London 

7. Chinese Sleep Chant 

8. 42 

9. Fix You 

10. Strawberry Swing 

11. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (live remix version) 

12. Talk (live remix version) 

13. The Hardest Part 

14. Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental) 

15. Viva La Vida 

16. Lost! 

17. The Scientist (acoustic) 

18. Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will singing) 

19. Viva La Vida (remix interlude) 

------ 

20. Politik 

21. Lovers In Japan 

22. Death And All His Friends 

------- 

23. Yellow 

24. The Escapist (outro)

During...

... after.

After a night of Chris Martin serenading us with his British vocals, Allison and I jumping in the car with my brother and his girlfriend for a week in San Luis Obispo. We drove all over the central coast seeing some of the most beautiful coastal spots in California. 

- Montana de Oro -

- Big Sur -

My Dad

Daddy

aunt cammi and girlfriend

good ol' fashion rock skippin'

 - Cayucos -

(look closely)

- Elephant Seals -

- Morro Bay -

my dog, chipper.

:: Cheap Gas Prices = Drive to Disneyland :: 

$23.98 to fill the Volvo. Thanks Obama!

A-doggy

A - to-the - R

Sorry Al, but I handled you pretty good (even though she cheated by spinning our spaceship in circles so it was hard to shoot!)

I'll finish this one with a sunset from my dorm... doesn't really get much better.

Thanks for reading. I hope you're all enjoying a warm cup of apple cider right about now!

Cheers,

Garrett