desire of my heart: the blog of jamie delaine.

langley engagement photos: becca&austin

Jamie Delaine — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:54:29 +0000

becca and austin first met three and a half years ago at a church youth group. austin was in senior high and becca was a leader helping out at the time–they met but didn’t quite become friends. more like acquaintances. there was an age gap and the timing wasn’t right. it wasn’t until a year and a half ago [when they both became youth leaders -- becca started helping out again after some time away] that these two re-connected. as the story goes, they became friends, feelings started on both sides and boom, holding hands one night and dating since last spring.

i’ve known becca for at least five years now; she’s my friend jess’ older sister and like that entire family, just suchhhh a sweetheart. love them. [oh, realized i photographed becca a few years back! see those here.] it’s been fun watching becca fall in love [through facebook, obviously. we all stalk!] and find a guy that suits her just right. these two are huge disney movie fans, love the theatre and music, are passionate about their church. they are planning a “cheesy” wedding [with inside jokes and little touches that only these two will understand!] with lots of do-it-yourself details at the fort langley community hall.

i’m stoked to be a part of this wedding & see so many people i know on their wedding day! thanks for braving it out in the rain you two, i love how the last few images turned out. rain can be romantic, right? ;)

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weekend wrap-up

Jamie Delaine — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:27:56 +0000

this weekend was full of fun things. saturday morning i went out for breakfast with my brother & mom at one of my favourite local spots: wendell’s cafe. i was supposed to have an engagement session that afternoon but it poured rain so we cancelled. then i opted for a treadmill run at the gym instead of in the pouring rain: in preparation for sunday. [see below] saturday afternoon i went to another favourite spot: bellingham with my dear friend leah. we did a little shopping: buffalo exchange for leah, trader joe’s for me [grocery shopping is soooo much better than shopping for clothes] before heading to woods coffee for a game of scrabble by the fireplace. it was restful and wonderful.

sunday morning, i had signed up to run the fort langley 10km race. why? i don’t know. spontaneous decision. i saw on my friend tania’s facebook that she was running it and next thing i knew i was messaging her asking if i could run with her. the things i do, sometimes. i’m not a race-girl. i like running alone, on my own time. running with hundreds of other people at 8am on a sunday morning in the rain is not always my idea of a good time. in hindsight, i legitimately did have fun and i’m glad i ran. i was really proud of my time [1 hour, 2 minutes] and i even got a medal…. along with everyone else. [the last time i ran a timed 10km race was back in grade 12. i also ran a 15km once.]

a big thanks to everyone who entered the uppercase journal giveaway! wow, lots of entries. that’s fun. the random number generator said #61 — Felisha Perez! send me an email with your mailing address and i’ll get your magazine sent out as soon as i can. finally, one last thing to round off this totally random post — friday afternoon i photographed a super sweet couple named becca + austin. i love their images and can’t wait to share more soon! have a beautiful monday.

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uppercase journal: giveaway

Jamie Delaine — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:11:06 +0000

in salt lake city at alt design summit, uppercase journal was giving away a copy of their latest issue at one of the mini-parties! they also mentioned we could feel free to grab a second one for a blog giveaway and i thought, hey. that’d be fun. i like giving stuff away. i read this issue from cover to cover on the flight home and it’s fantastic. incredibly designed; so simple but crammed with great design and quirky typography — and full of stories about artists that are living out their dreams. comment on this blog post if you’d like to win! i’ll ship this copy to a random commenter. ;)

contest is open until monday morning. good luck!

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vancouver dates

Jamie Delaine — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:37:30 +0000

my mom grew up in vancouver, my dad moved to vancouver for work [from alberta], they met at a church in downtown vancouver, they got married at the vancouver hotel, i was born in vancouver general hospital. we lived in vancouver until i was a month old [i think] and then we moved to a nearby suburb. then we moved to a farther suburb. then a farther one. then a farther one. and now we’re in langley — about an hour from downtown on a no-traffic day. most kids that grow up in the ‘burbs have no concept of the city… and i would have included myself in that category until i started my business. one of the coolest things about shooting weddings/engagement sessions for the last four years has been the opportunity to work in a place i don’t live. i have never experienced city life. eleven days in downtown montreal without a car is the closest city-livin’ i have experienced. [which i adored, by the way. take me back.]

in the last four years, i have come to learn vancouver. i’ve almost explored every part. i can drive without a GPS. i can tell you fun things to see and do in every area. i am far from a “local” but i feel proud of my knowledge for a little langley girl! through business connections, i’ve had the pleasure of making some really awesome friends in the city as well — which equals a lot of “let’s drive into vancouver and coffee-date three people back to back today” days. i really, truly love the city. not downtown, but the outskirts of the city. commercial drive, main street, granville island. some of my favourite spots.

yesterday, i drove into vancouver to visit my friends annie & spencer and see their brand new coffee shop that they opened. CRAZY. i’m so proud. i met annie through my friend jess — and it’s soooo cool to see a dream her and her husband spencer have had for years come to pass. they opened matchstick coffee roasters with their friend aaron, a month ago, in the mount pleasant area of vancouver. fraser and 15th avenue. i dropped by, snapped a few photos, caught up a little with annie over coffee, answered some emails and… ran into two clients. ;) this happens to me SO much in the city! i love it. i saw sophia + her lovely mom having coffee, caught up with her about her & jamie’s june wedding and then i saw laura, whose birthday party, engagement session and wedding day i shot a few years ago!

i spent the afternoon catching up with robyn for the first time in six months. her and her husband andrew have been traveling all over the world the past few months — they moved to paris and managed to find time to squeeze in a whole bunch of incredible trips. scotland and morocco, to name a few. loved hanging out in her cozy olympic village apartment. robyn makes the most incredible food. finally, i was off to meet cat watson, a friend of my friend kristen from maryland, who had just moved to vancouver with her husband matt. the four of us, cat, myself and her two cute kids, walked to whole foods for some food & coffee and chats.

after a long day in the city, i got in my little car and drove an hour and a half home on highway 1 in traffic. ever since replacing my radio last month [i can now listen to my iPhone and not just the radio!] i really don’t mind the drive. absolutely in love with hillsong united’s live in miami album. check it out. it makes every long drive better. hope you are all having a great thursday!similar posts:

favourite faith books

Jamie Delaine — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:59:28 +0000

i know there are a few of my blog readers out there who always like to know what i’m reading — i’ll get emails or comments asking for book recommendations and i’ve been wanting to compile some posts for a while. i read in sprints. on vacation i can easily jet through one book a day and i love that, but at home, i read about one book a month. the hardest challenge for me, quite honestly, is that i want my bible to be my number one source of reading material — the idea of devoting ten minutes a day to the bible but two hours a day to a novel is hard for me. when i do read, i choose christian authors or psychology/sociology/business-y type books. non-fiction. rambling aside, here are six faith-related books that have had a huge impact on my life.

1. mere christianity by c.s. lewis — hands down, favourite book about faith. c.s. lewis is my favourite writer, brilliant man. i love how he can explain potentially complicated doctrinal concepts in such a straight-forward though-provoking way. i’ve read this book at least five times and try to re-read once a year.

2. fresh wind, fresh fire by jim cymbala — the first time i read this book, i was on a plane [typical] flying somewhere to visit someone. who knows. all i remember is being in an aisle seat & having three or four tears trickle down my face as my spirit was in awe of what God wants to do in our lives if we’ll simply ask. some of the stories cymbala writes about, as their church began to seek the Lord together in a tuesday night prayer meeting weekly, can make me cry to this day. not kidding. i was telling leanne about this book a few months ago and teared up while talking. read it.

3. blue like jazz by donald miller — my beloved donald miller. i love his writing. i know he’s not a theologian, i know he’s not always spot-on in his illustrations and examples but hey, i write about faith in funny little metaphors and i’m not a theologian either. his books make me think and dream and really do give me a greater picture of the love of God. this is his best book, but i’d also recommend “searching for God knows what,” “a million miles in a thousand years,” and “fatherless fiction.”

4. the screwtape letters by c.s. lewis — second favourite book of lewis’. i love the perspective of the narrator, written from the side of “evil,” which initially, i assumed could be odd, but turns out it’s not. it’s interesting to read about all the arguments and reasons why we could choose to not believe in Christ… and ultimately, stand encouraged in my decision to believe.

5. the circle maker by mark batterson — this is a really recent book and my newest read. seems pretty new to be introduced on a “six greatest faith books everrrr!!!” list, but that’s not what this is. these are books that have made an impact on my faith and prayer life and boom, this book did. once again, challenged, stretched, my spirit was brought to a place that whispered, why am i not seeking the Lord’s face more? why am i so incredibly ignorant sometimes? God wants to hear us and i want to be the kind of woman who prays unceasingly.

6. sun stand still by steven furtick — another newer book; i read this early fall of 2011 and challenged me to write down a prayer list of “audacious goals and dreams.” steven also mentions how impactful jim cymbala’s book, fresh wind, fresh fire [book #2] was in his life — i love how the two were connected! i have been praying since october for about 10 audacious dreams. it has been incredible to see God’s faithfulness in completely fulfilling some, seeing progress in other areas and believing for answers in the “unanswered” ones.

that’s all i got! have you guys read any of these before? what were your thoughts?similar posts:

yaletown engagement session: michele&joel

Jamie Delaine — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:30:55 +0000

michele & joel first met over five years ago, in a spin class in edmonton where they both lived at the time. joel was coming to work out and michele was the instructor! they started dating and soon found out they worked in buildings right across the street from each other. i love when couples are nearby one another and have yet to meet. michele and joel both come from military backgrounds, but once again, never happened to meet in that context. michele served for nine years and joel is still enlisted having just returned back from afghanistan this christmas. michele moved to vancouver from edmonton last year for her job and this month, joel had two weeks vacation to come visit. perfect timing for their engagement session.

this beautiful couple is planning an intimate summer 2013 wedding that i hope to be a part of once all the details are confirmed. i can’t wait. when talking about their ideal wedding, joel and michele are all about a small group of close friends and family, a seven-course meal, endless wine, with gorgeous views. hello. i’m there. some of their passions are travel, food & wine [obviously] and coffee. loved incorporating a few of these things into our yaletown session. enjoy!

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revolution conference 2012

Jamie Delaine — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:54:48 +0000

we hosted almost nine hundred youth & young adults at our annual youth conference on february 3 – 5. we were blessed to have three amazing speakers for the weekend, pastor james murray from san diego [originally australia], pastor rich wilkerson jr from miami and our own youth pastor justin reimer. the conference kicked off friday evening, went all day saturday & sunday — two and a half days full of worship by our incredible team, special music guests theroyalroyal and as mentioned, awesome speakers. this was my third time attending conference and i was more involved than i had been for the previous two years. one of my jobs was incorporating social media into conference: twitter, instagram, facebook and the other was photography [shooting, of course, but also coordinating the team who helped me.]

the Lord has always spoken specific things to me at conference. i remember the “words” and direction i received the first two years during services, and this year, it was spoken through serving. the amount of volunteers, interns & leaders needed to put on this event is overwhelming. the work leading up to the weekend, the work of the weekend, the work during tear-down at midnight when everybody is running on four hours of sleep and dead-exhausted: it’s a lot. [clarification: i didn't tear down. i was in bed. whoops. but there were more servant-hearted people who did.] i had a very small part to play and i stood amazed at how God has designed the church. i believe in the church. i believe the church has faults, the church will burn people, the church will make mistakes. none of this surprises me! because the church is full of people learning to love. learning to love is messy. but it’s also beautiful.

1 corinthians 12: For the body does not consist of one member but of many... If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

the girl that was in charge of shopping for pretty smelling soaps and bobby pins and hairspray and deodorant for the ladies’ bathroom is no less important than one of the pastors. the facility person who was up at 5am every morning to open the church doors for prep work has a valuable role to play. the cafe baristas who poured espresso all day long for conference attendees are cherished. [that one is obvious...] the interns who stood at the doors smiling and greeting are vital. God has a place to serve for every person — and church isn’t something we attend, it’s something we do. we serve, we lead, we grow. proverbs 11:25 says the one who waters will himself be refreshed. what a cool promise.

there you go, just a few of my thoughts. here’s a few photos of what went down. if you’d like to see more, check out the revolution fan page. some of these photos are by josh yong + ryan tam.

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this boring post

Jamie Delaine — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:30:12 +0000

it’s been one of those weeks. everyday i have wanted to blog and everyday, i couldn’t find the energy or words. the week went by without… unless you count the sparse “hey, look at rev conference” blog on monday. after a weekend full of people at conference, i need a dumb amount of time to recover. i don’t mean sit on the couch kind of recover [boring] — but i mean time alone to think, or sit on the floor with my bible, or journal random thoughts, hey, even run 10 kilometres like i did on monday. basically be alone. alone alone.

my schedule this week: non-stop meetings, coffee dates, an engagement shoot in the city, commitments every evening, didn’t leave me with that time to recharge. my parents have been out of town for two weeks, so add in two high-maintenance dogs to co-ordinate and consequently, a house to keep clean [not an easy task, i'm finding]… i’m feeling done. my laptop hard drive failed earlier this week and the new hard drive that i had installed recently crashed as well. so all of my scheduled “in between” meeting time was anything but productive.

but this is okay, because it’s saturday & next week is a new week. i have a new laptop coming. a few days behind isn’t the end of the world. there is soooo much i want to write about [conference, friendships, engagement shoots, what God is teaching me!] — but i’ll leave that to this next week, on my new laptop. hopefully.

in the meantime, all you get is this boring post.

ps. juuuuust loving the old school alicia keys lately. anybody, anybody?
pps. also juuuuuust pumped to see “the vow” tonight.
ppps. enjoy your weekend.
pppps. i took this photo and texted it to my friend leah last night. she was blessed greatly. i trust that you will be likewise. hahaha.

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my weekend instagrams

Jamie Delaine — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:50:41 +0000

i need to let this weekend “marinate” a little more before i write but here is revolution conferencein visual form. such an incredible weekend — check out a little taste of what it was like to be there. you should come next year. that’s all i got. happy tuesday!

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six things to love.

Jamie Delaine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:45:11 +0000

browse other stuff & things i love posts.

1. the revolution movement volunteers. these people are incredible. we have 40+ interns working madly all week long on final conference prep, not to mention all the pastors and youth staff plus all the other volunteers. i was helping out at the church a little bit yesterday afternoon. to give you an idea of the kind of commitment these folks have, one of our art projects is individually gluing pictures of coloured cellophane wrap onto 7000+ communion cups. yeah. 7000. i am excited to see everything come together this weekend for UNVEILED: Revolution Conference 2012. it’s going to be incredible.

2. the loft sessions from bethel music: i bought this CD the first day it was released on iTunes. haven’t regretted the purchase for a second. it’s been my new driving music, my new working music, my new running music, my new quiet time music, we even glued cellophane to these tunes. [see paragraph above] i love this video.

3. let’s get real, i am loving anything caffeinated. always. but particularly today, because yesterday i went 24 hours without coffee. not even tea. nothing. literally no caffeine. it was alright, but i was flat out asleep by 9:15pm — i’ll stick to my one americano a day. it’s a beautiful thing… especially when it’s from the woods coffee.

4. large bobby pins. leanne, i am making a list of favourite things this week on my blog… and i need to think of one more superficial stupid item to go on my list. why? well, because i have all these awesome resources and heartfelt choices and… then, jumbo bobby pins. don’t laugh! it feels out of place but i am serious. they are revolutionizing my hair life. she tried to help me think of another superficial item but we came up short… but then i added in “caffeine” so i feel like this now fits more. i have to thank leanne for the introduction to these babies. you can pick them up at any pharmacy and it makes messy buns for super long hair like mine a breeze!

5. the circle maker by mark batterson. i had to read this book after seeing the flurry of tweets from rich wilkerson about it. there have been a few books that stand out in my faith journey and this has become one of them. [i hope to do a blog post on all of 'em someday soon] — i was encouraged and challenged by pastor mark and am excited to continuing to dream and pray, with greater intensity. mark also has some sweet podcasts from national community church in DC that i’ve been enjoying. all around phenomenal read.

6. she’s kristen! and one of my closest friends who launched a new blog this week: i’m kristen’s photo blog, full of cute videos like this one and amazing photography like this. it’s a must-read.

ps. i was interviewed by “psychology for photographers” this week.
pps. i have two new blogs sponsors for february, amanda driver and vibella jewellery. i encourage you to check out vibella’s website, especially their “about us” section.

At the heart of our mission, Vi Bella impacts the lives of at-risk women within Haiti, Mexico and the United States. These women serve as our artists and inspiration. Utilizing plastic and glass bottles collected by local boys, women in Haiti and Mexico upcycle the material and transform a littered landscape into something beautiful. Back home, women in Sioux Center, IA prepare the jewelry as you see it. We then invest all of our profit back into the artists’ communities, which brings the transformation full-circle. Vi Bella jewelry spreads love and fellowship across culture by providing a sense of purpose that rejuvenates once-tattered lives. You’re not just collecting a piece of Vi Bella, you’re helping create a beautiful life.similar posts: