And then it snowed.

Please take a moment to watch this joyful video.

Now, take a step outside, breath in the snow (and the cold) and rejoice in its sheer beauty as that penguin does oh so well.

Snow and winter bring frustrated drivers, dangerous biking, and cold. Instead of biking, I’m now trudging miles to and from classes and interviews, tripling my commute times in my busiest weeks. It’s easy at this time to get wrapped up in stress and annoyance, particularly with finals closing in. But the snow invites us to slow down and savor the beauty of God’s creation as it snuggles in for winter.

To borrow the words from a friend’s status: “Snow storms. Gods way of saying hey, slow down, breathe, look around. It is advent.” -Mark

Advent is a time of expectant waiting, of preparation. It can be difficult as students to live into this season since it is one of our busiest, but I invite you to embrace those moments when you are forced to move slowly. While waiting for a bus or walking carefully across ice to class, take a second to look up at the sky and take a few deep breaths, stepping into the wonder of Advent.

-Bryna