A new year’s upon us.

I can’t believe that a year is about to end, and we’re facing a new one in just a few hours. Time sure flies by fast. So many things have happened personally, and just the world in general. There are so many things to be grateful for. I’m looking forward to a better and brighter 2005. If I’m not able to log on at midnight tonight, I just want to wish all of you a Blessed New Year! Let’s not forget to thank the Lord for what He has done in 2004 and let’s look forward to what He has in store for the coming year!

Pray for those who are affected by the tsunami in Asia.

A cappella pictures.

Just some pictures to share! I know it's not Rockapella, but they're still a cappella. These are pictures with 2 other groups that April and I absolutely enjoy, The Blenders and m-pact.


This was taken at the Starlight Bowl concert that The Blenders and Rockapella double-billed at. Such a good-looking lot!


Me and my favourite Blender, Ryan Lance! He's sooo cute!


April and I with Britt Quentin (next to April) and Jake Moulton (also really cute!) of m-pact! (After this show, I had to drive all the way to The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano - 1 hour drive! - to go to the Rockapella concert, which I missed, but made the meet and greet. LOL)

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

…CHRISTMAS!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

There can be no Christmas without CHRIST!

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…”
Isaiah 9:6a (ESV)

The Jane Pauley Show - NBC, New York, NY - December 23, 2004

Rockapella made an appearance on the Jane Pauley Show this morning on NBC as part of their "Holiday Harmonies" show, which also includes 2 Yale a cappella groups, The Whiffenpoofs and Out of the Blue, Key of She, and Powerplay. The guys did well, inspite of technical discrepancies. John's mic was a little too loud and Jeff's wasn't loud at all. You could barely hear him percuss. I was a little gutted at that, but overall they sounded great.

Well, technically, I wasn't there in the audience today, but I guess I could count this as a "live" performance of sorts, hence my account of the show. ;-) LOL The guys made me proud! Especially Scott (a.k.a. "Tinkerbell") handled himself pretty well during the brief interview with Jane.

Tomorrow, they will be on a CNN Morning show. Someone record this for me! I don't have cable! Ugh! LOL

Pictures, just ’cause… ;)

Katzy (a.k.a “Justice”) and Cat at Starbucks.

Conan looks like he’s twitching. I just look inebriated. Wut da hizzy?

Babie and Jesseca.

Conan looks like an anime.

The BIRTHDAY BOY! He’s lovin’ that poinsettia. LOL

Thug life in the LBC. Ya hurd!

SOOO HOTT!!! Yeahyuh!

Pella dreams?

I had a Pella dream last night. It was a bit bizarre but cool at the same time. I dreamt that I was at a meet and greet after their show at some place of which I have no idea as to where it was. Anyhow, Kevin and I were talking and he told me that he felt bad that he never got a chance to pick me as Pretty Woman. I told him that it was quite alright and that it wasn't a big deal at all. He kept insisting that he had to make it up to me somehow since I had been a very loyal fan and have supported them for a very long time. He and I kept going back and forth, and I kept telling him that he shouldn't make a big deal of it. Next scene: I was in a shopping mall, walking towards a Starbucks (surprise! LOL) and when I walked in, I saw Kevin and Elliott in line to buy something. Kevin looked over, saw me and ran towards me, grabbed my arm and dragged me back to where he was standing in line. He told El that he was going to buy me my drink to somehow make it up to me. So, Kevin paid for my drink and the 3 of us sat down to have a chat. Next scene: Same mall. I was at a store, and Jeff walked in, saw me and came over to give me a big hug. And the whole time he just walked around, looked at clothes with me, and helped me pick them out. Weird. LOL

Anyway, so that was some random dream that I had about the Guys. I remember having another one, years ago, where I was supposedly their 6th member. LOL Yup, me, the 6th member of Rockapella. Yessirree Bob! LOL Anyhow, all I remember was me sitting on Jeff's lap in the back seat of a small, white Honda Civic, with Bear driving, El in the front passenger seat, and Kevin and Scott with us in the back. LOL *cue circus music* Yeah, I had visions of 12 clowns in a VW bug...LOL We got to the club, and during rehearsals, Scott decided to have me take over VP duties for this particular show. We were all standing around the pit area of the stage, with Scott standing in the middle of this mini-circle we've created. Bear was sitting in one of the front row seats, Elliott was untangling some electrical cord right across from him. Kevin was leaning on the stage, Jeff was sitting on edge of the stage, and I was leaning on him with my back towards him. Scott looked over to me and asked me if I was ready. I told him, with confidence, that I was. And... SCENE. Bizarro dream eh?

How about you? Any Pella dreams you'd like to share?

Pella dreams

I had a Pella dream last night. It was a bit bizarre but cool at the same time. I dreamt that I was at a meet and greet after their show at some place of which I have no idea as to where it was. Anyhow, Kevin and I were talking and he told me that he felt bad that he never got a chance to pick me as Pretty Woman. I told him that it was quite alright and that it wasn't a big deal at all. He kept insisting that he had to make it up to me somehow since I had been a very loyal fan and have supported them for a very long time. He and I kept going back and forth, and I kept telling him that he shouldn't make a big deal of it. Next scene: I was in a shopping mall, walking towards a Starbucks (surprise! LOL) and when I walked in, I saw Kevin and Elliott in line to buy something. Kevin looked over, saw me and ran towards me, grabbed my arm and dragged me back to where he was standing in line. He told El that he was going to buy me my drink to somehow make it up to me. So, Kevin paid for my drink and the 3 of us sat down to have a chat. Next scene: Same mall. I was at a store, and Jeff walked in, saw me and came over to give me a big hug. And the whole time he just walked around, looked at clothes with me, and helped me pick them out. Weird. LOL Anyway, so that was some random dream that I had about the Guys. I remember having another one, years ago, where I was supposedly their 6th member. LOL Yup, me, the 6th member of Rockapella. Yessirree Bob! LOL Anyhow, all I remember was me sitting on Jeff's lap in the back seat of a small, white Honda Civic, with Bear driving, El in the front passenger seat, and Kevin and Scott with us in the back. LOL *cue circus music* Yeah, I had visions of 12 clowns in a VW bug...LOL We got to the club, and during rehearsals, Scott decided to have me take over VP duties for this particular show. We were all standing around the pit area of the stage, with Scott standing in the middle of this mini-circle we've created. Bear was sitting in one of the front row seats, Elliott was untangling some electrical cord right across from him. Kevin was leaning on the stage, Jeff was sitting on edge of the stage, and I was leaning on him with my back towards him. Scott looked over to me and asked me if I was ready. I told him, with confidence, that I was. And... SCENE. Bizarro dream eh? How about you? Any Pella dreams you'd like to share?

Merry Christmas to me?!

Someone send me to this!

Haha. j/k! But it would be nice to check it out.

It has returned!!!

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)

I’m not watching it just yet, since I haven’t purchased it but…IT COMES OUT TODAY!!! *dances the happy dance around the room*

Fast food and crime?

Man, I’m just finding out about this Subway shooting! I’m watching the news and they’re showing the surveillance footage that they got from the Subway restaurant Friday night. And just this past Sunday, the new Starbucks that just opened down the street from my flat, the one on Del Amo and Pioneer, got robbed, and this happened while I was in their bathroom!!! I got out just in time to see the perp drive off in his truck and one of the Baristas running out of the store to chase him down! Fortunately, there was a cop driving down Del Amo when the guy sped off and turned on a red light without stopping first at the intersection. He got pulled over about a block away from the Starbucks and all of us in the store were hoping that he got busted. The cop and the perp were there for a long while and I left before I even found out what the outcome was. Anyway, I went to get my coffee again this afternoon before going into work and saw the girl Barista who was at the counter when the guy grabbed the 2 tip containers in front of her last night. I asked what happened after I left last night, and if they got their money back. She said that nothing happened, and the cope probably didn’t even know that the guy had just robbed them. So, they were left without their tips from last night. Man, what’s up with that? Are people really that desperate that they would resort to a crime to get their kicks? I’m just glad that no shooting occurred. I thank God we were spared from something like that, especially after just having found out what happened at the Subway store in Whittier last Friday. Lord, thank you. Anyway, I’m just sad about what this world’s coming to. Sad world we live in now. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we gotta get a move on it and tell them about Jesus. Lord, grant us the boldness. And even so, come Lord Jesus! We can’t wait for your return!

So after about 7 years of wearing it long, I finally chopped off my hair. Yep, it is once again, short! S-H-O-R-T! Hee hee… I’m really loving it right now. It’s sooo easy to manage, I can just wash it and go. Here it is…

What do you guys think?

Here’s another one taken today with Charisse, who also got her hair cut!

My long locks are gone…

Well, I’m off to bed.

Sickie…

Guess who’s sick…AGAIN? Me, that’s who! It’s the flu this time, yes it is. It hit me hard last Sunday night, right after our company Christmas dinner. It was raining and very, VERY cold (brrr…). It seems like everytime I update this blog, I’m either sick or had just gotten back from a trip. Anyway, Christmas is fast approaching and I feel like if I blink, I’m gonna completely miss it. I haven’t finished shopping for gifts yet. Leave it to me to finish Christmas shopping at the last minute! December 24 babee! LOL Well, I know that things can get crazy during this holiday season, but let’s not forget why we’re celebrating this special holiday. The only reason we get to celebrate Christmas is because of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas won’t be Christmas without “Christ”. Let’s not forget who we’re honouring. It’s cool to have fun and give and receive gifts and such, but let’s be thankful that He came into this world to save us, and that’s why we should celebrate.

A song to share.

Visit my Xanga to hear the song…

Title: God is All Around
Artist: Annointed

Consider the kindness of a stranger
That passes by your way
For there are ties that bind us
Together, forever.

Touching a broken hearted friend
Brings healing to the soul within
There’s evidence everywhere
Of His love, sweet love.

God is all around us
Even when we feel we’re all alone
I can hear Him whispering my name
Telling me that I’m His own
God is all around us
Even when we feel all hope is gone
God is all around

God is all around

There’s so many lessons yet to learn
And I don’t know where the road will turn
He always finds a way
To guide me, remind me.

That if I should fall into the night
He will be there, a shining light
For all the world to see
With open arms for you and me

He’ll hear our prayer
And if you just reach out
He’s everywhere, God is everywhere.

Pictures from this past weekend.

Here are some pictures I took from this past weekend when Papuri sang in San Jose.

Colourful lot, weren’t we? heehee

Kuya Matt and I hanging out in the “green room” before our last church concert in San Jose on Sunday night

Cutest picture ever!!! Bethany looks sooo cute!

Ugh!

There are just some people that you can’t reason with, no matter how hard you try. And they have the nerve to yell at you, talk to you like they own the world or something. Man! Of course, I can’t really do anything about it. When you’re in the customer service business, you’ll always have to keep a level head in dealing with people no matter how unreasonable they are. As they say, “the customer is always right”. Mmhmm… sure, whatever. Not all the time, that’s for sure!Arrrghhh!!!

Anyway, I just wanted to vent. Made me think about Bible study last night. We talked about thinking as a servant of Christ. We are encourage to practice servanthood when we are treated unfairly, or treated like we’re inferior to others. I’m trying to practice having the mindset of a servant right now but, seriously, I just want to punch something! Ugh!!! Lord, help!

Thanks for letting me vent. *sigh*

One Day More!!!

I’ve just finished watching the 10th year anniversary concert of Les Miserables on DVD and I just got goosebumps! If you’re going to get only one recording of this musical, you should get this one, the one that they did at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1995 with an all-star cast. Colm Wilkinson was brilliant as Jean Valjean and is the best JVJ in the history of this musical. Of course, Lea Salonga was fantastic as Eponine (and the best Eponine, imho). Anyway, in this particular concert, they had all the artists that performed Jean Valjean from all over the world are sing “Do You Hear the People Sing?”, which was brilliant, but you know what floored me? The Japanese Jean Valjean. You know why? It’s the guy from Iron Chef! The chairman/mc! I couldn’t believe it! haha That’s why he’s always so theatrical. Now I get it. LoL

Staying up late.

Well, as usual, I’m up late, so I decided to update. It’s been awhile since I last posted, hasn’t it? “So, what’s new?” you say. The past couple of weeks ushered in new blood. A baby boy has been added to our Porras clan, Tristen Jade is his name. He’ll be a heartbreaker, I could tell already. And he already has proven that he’s a prankster, being born on the day of his momma’s baby shower. He wanted to be in on the action already! That kid is going to be a ruckus! LoL Right now, all he does is eat, sleep and poop. Such is the life, eh? haha

Yesterday, I had to play the piano for praise and worship again. I get really nervous everytime I have to play the piano for praise and worship. I just need to practice more I guess. But I noticed that whenever I play the fast, upbeat worship songs, I tend to get “bass-heavy” to keep the rhythm going. LOL I don’t know, it just happens. Usually, I’m okay with the slow songs, although I hit a sour note here-and-there. Well, I just keep thinking to myself, I’m just going to shut out everyone and just focus on singing to the Lord, which often works and I get less nervous. It’s all about what’s in your heart, right?

Much to do this weekend. I’m actually getting a day off this Saturday! Whoo-hoo! Go me! I haven’t had a day off in months! I will be spending my morning just spending some quiet time at home and maybe hang out with my mom, if she isn’t doing any errands. And in the afternoon, I’ll be going with April to check out the USC vs. WASU game. Should be fun. Also, this coming Sunday will be Charis Music’s (Yamaha’s non-profit) “Singer Showcase”. I’m a bit anxious about this, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. The kids are ready to perform. And I hope it’s not as chaotic as it was last year. I’m pretty sure it won’t be, we’ve been preparing for this thing the whole year. Unlike like last year, when everything was done last-minute! Sunday will be a long day, but it should be good.

Saw Rockapella this past weekend. Elliott’s gone, but his replacement did not disappoint. John is his name and a very experienced performer. He brings a different energy and dynamic to the group. It was like I was seeing a whole different group altogether. They seemed rejuvenated.

I seem to be enjoying work lately. I enjoy being with my co-workers and establishing relationships with them. I just pray that I continue to be good witness to them. And I pray that God would open up doors for me to be able to share the Gospel to them.

Rockapella Concert - St. Joseph's High School, Lakewood, CA - October 14, 2004

The news of Elliott leaving really saddened me. He was the last original member of the group and was a huge part of its history. I couldn’t imagine how they would sound with a new member. And I knew that we would probably never hear Elliott’s staple songs like “Don’t Do It”, “Kingdom of Shy”, and “No Doubt At All” live ever again. Will it be a totally different group altogether? Well, those questions were answered on October 15th at St. Joseph’s High School in Lakewood, CA. I was going to see for the very first time, the new member of Rockapella, Elliott’s successor, John K. Brown. I didn’t know what to expect and what was in store for all of us. Man, what I witnessed eased whatever apprehensions I may have had quickly! Before I go on, I will not even try to compare Elliott to John and vice-versa. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. They are 2 different people, 2 different performers, with different styles and different stage presence. Elliott is in a category all his own, so there is no need to compare him to anyone else. He’s a class-act all the way! Elliott’s presence was missed. But John brought something different to the table that gave the guys a different kind of vibe, a different kind of energy. What incredibly surprised me was that the boys moved…A LOT! It was such a treat to see them dancing, and doing all these fancy choreography. And the best part was, the new choreography didn’t take away anything from any of the songs, especially the familiar ones on their concert repertoire. The choreography added to the songs and gave the guys a chance to let loose, to “get funky” if you will. I really enjoyed the upbeat songs, especially “Rock the Boat”. The “Stomp” routine that John and Kevin did made my jaw drop! It hit the floor hard! John can sing. Not just “sing” but “ssaaiiinnnngg”. His voice blends really well with Scott and Kevin, as they all have pretty similar timbre in their voices, especially Kevin and John. It was a little hard to distinguish their voices apart from each other because they sound very similar at times. It was great! I did miss “Pretty Woman”, but “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” ain’t too shabby, however. They introduced a new song that was untitled at the time, about a California sad eyed girl. I took it upon myself to call the song “California Sad Eyed Girl” and I think they should just go with that as the title of the song. It’s the one line that sticks out the most anyway. Well, this song has such a beautiful melody to it, and very heart-breaking lyrics, it has the makings of another “Don’t Tell Me You Do”. I’m assuming it’s a Scott original. Mr. Leonard, I am in awe. Where did you get the inspiration? You are brilliant. I take my hat off to you for penning another beautiful masterpiece. After the show, we were able to say hello to the guys while they were signing our cds. It was very cool of Scott to remember all of our names, although he butchered mine a little bit. LOL But it’s okay, he got it right a few times before. Jeff and Kevin were very sweet as well. I was a little flustered while talking to Jeff, and he noticed. I don’t know why, maybe because I realized I was talking to Jeff. *wink* I enjoyed the show immensely! It was like seeing Rockapella again for the first time! Congratulations on snatching up John! He’s quite a find. I’m looking forward to more shows, hopefully in the spring. See you all soon!

Pictures.

Taken during our trip to San Francisco this past August. That’s Pauline, me and April at the Frisson Lounge. Do you see that huge cup of mocha right in front of me? LoL

Papuri at a concert we did in L.A. this past May.

The Papuri girls.

Since my last entry…

Since my last entry….

…I saw the NYC Ballet at the Orange County Center for the Performing Arts;

…I watched “My Sassy Girl” with April, Cat and Babie, but never finished it; (still waiting to finish watching it, argh!)

…We had our Wednesday young adults’ Bible study at my new place for the first time since we moved;

…I went to the gym a grand total of *drum roll* 2, count ‘em, TWO times! LoL

…I finally bought boba at Guppy Tea House and didn’t like it Bummer. The taro was too sweet.

Exciting times, isn’t it? haha

Nate, why don’t you come up with a story of why I landed in jail…

Is this really me?

Take the quiz: “What does your birth month reveal about you?”

February
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent andclever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislike unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

Pretty accurate, for the most part.

Pray for this country.

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, whether you’re for Bush or for Kerry, I just ask that you continue to pray for this amazing country. And pray that God’s will would prevail in this coming election. Everyone’s afraid of war and death, but those things are imminent. It’s a prelude to what’s ahead. The end is nearing and you could tell that it is just by what’s happening with society and the world these days. Morality is on a downhill course. The subject of God and Jesus Christ is becoming “taboo”. Like Kanye West said in the song “Jesus Walks”,

So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes
But if I talk about God my record won’t get played Huh?

You can talk about anything you wish to talk about except for God. See how morality is so twisted and low now?

It’s sad that people care more about who the next president would be than their own eternal destiny. I think people should really worry about that more than anything. Everything in life is temporal. We’re not going to be in this world for long. We’re so afraid of war and of death, and I know that it’s hard not to be, but if we know that we are in Christ, we shouldn’t be afraid. Our security is in Him. Here’s a passage I’d like to share,

1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold[1] of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

2When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

3Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet[2] I will be confident.

4One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire[3] in his temple.

5For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

6And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

Psalm 27:1-6 (ESV)

I didn’t watch the debate because I just know that I would get very upset. If Bush gets re-elected I would like for him to find a way to improve his foreign policy, and continue to find a solution in this war against terrorism. And most importantly, I would like for him to continue to stand firm in his faith in God and our Lord Jesus and continue to fight the good fight. If Kerry is elected, may he find Jesus Christ, make Him Savior and Lord of his life, and may he ask the Lord for wisdom and seek His guidance in whatever decisions he would make for the country.

An “aw…shucks” moment.

I have a cool aunt. She brought me lunch to work today. Thanks Tita Pat!

Today’s events.

Well, work was quite uneventful today. Other than lifting boxes filled with Yamaha music ed materials all day and preparing them for the new group classes that we’re starting next week, it was pretty much a quiet day. Incredibly enough, the phones weren’t ringing off the hook and there weren’t a lot of walk-in inquiries as well. My back is now a little strained after much lifting, however. I think I just forced myself to do too much. Ah well, I’m starting to feel it right about now. I guess I should take some Tylenol before bed.

Last night at Bible study, we talked about our spiritual gifts (based on 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4) and how God gave them to us as His children to fulfill our purpose in life, and as a result I decided to take one of those “spiritual gifts” test and find out what my spiritual gifts are. My top 3, according to the test, were (and their description): the gift of Music (a special gift whereby the Spirit enables certain Christians to praise God through various forms of music and enhance the worship experience of the local congregation), the gift of Faith (a special gift whereby the Spirit provides Christians with extraordinary confidence in God’s promises, power, and presence so that they can take heroic stands for their future of God’s work in the church), and the gift of Serving (special gift whereby the Spirit empowers certain Christians to identify unmet needs of people and implement plans to meet those needs. Serving one another, like witnessing, is a calling of all Christians, but there are some who have a special desire to find ways to serve, and get great blessing from it. There seems to be a special desire to meet physical needs in the people who have this gift).

The gift of Music is probably the most obvious one for me out of the 3, but the other 2 were somewhat of a surprise to me. I guess I was never really aware that those are actually spiritual gifts, and even more of a surprise that I may possibly have been given those gifts. I just probably haven’t tapped into those as much. That little exercise made me more aware of these gifts and utilize them more and more as I walk daily with Christ and continue to learn from His teachings.

Each of us have been given spiritual gifts by God and we are to use them to benefit the body of believers. Gifts that are not used are of no value. Do we all know what your spiritual gifts are? Something to think and pray about.

4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11 (ESV)

What a Blessing!

I just came home from my friend Blessing’s birthday concert and I have to say that she really is a ‘blessing’, not only to me, but to everyone who has her as a part of their life. Her testimony of how God has been faithful to her and how she has dedicated her life for service to God is an inspiration. Thanks Bless for asking me to be a part of your concert. I miss singing with you! I’m privileged to call you a friend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! (on Thursday)

Sausalito

I drove all the way up to Sausalito for my Dirt Water! LoL

A picture to share with you…

Taken at Kabuki for JJ’s birthday last Saturday.

That’s Yum, Tiff and me. (That’s Earl with his finger up his nose. LoL)

Take 6!!!

I don’t even know where to begin! Tonight, I went to see Take 6 and jazz woodwinds player (soprano sax and flute) Najee’ at the Cerritos Performing Arts Centre with some of my friends from Papuri and other friends. It was incredible! Especially Take 6!!! I’ve admired this group for so long, discovered them in the late ’80s/early ’90s and tonight was the first time I’ve ever seen them perform live. They were the ones who introduced me to the genre of a cappella/vocal jazz. Before discovering them, I was oblivious to a cappella/vocal jazz music in general. I’ve seen other vocal groups, specifically those who are in the same genre as they are in (e.g. Rockapella, m-pact, etc…), but seeing Take 6 could not even compare to those other experiences. I love seeing those groups perform, but Take 6 just completely blew me away. Man… they’re in a category all their own. Every vocal group performance that I will be seeing from now on will be compared to what I saw tonight. These guys are gifted! Incredibly talented, they all have amazing stage presence, and their vocals, almost flawless! If you’re a fan of the instrument known as the voice, and if Take 6 happens to be in your area, I highly recommend that you go check them out.

OK, enough of my gushing. Btw, I’m coming to you online straight from mi casa! Whoo-hoo! I’ve finally set up my DSL connection at home. I’m movin’ on up in the cyberworld! haha

Also, Nate has started this whole thing about having people sign my chatterbox. Instead of using AIM or Yahoo! Messenger, he’s asking everyone to chat using my chatterbox. Feel free to participate if you have nothing better to do. LoL

Well, I’m going to get some zzz’s now. I have to get up for work tomorrow. Latah.

Nap time.

I meant to take a nap this afternoon, but I was trying to figure out what’s wrong with my computer, some weird virus infiltrated it and I had to figure out how to get rid of it. It’s a good thing I was able to get rid of it (I think). Some virus called ‘Sasser worm’. Anyway, by the time I got done with fixing the problem, it’s already 9pm. No point in taking that nap now, is there? LoL

As I am typing this, I am watching ‘The Wedding Planner’ on TV. Will someone tell me why I’m watching this?

Well, that’s all for now. I should go get some sleep. Sunday tomorrow, the Lord’s day. Need to get up early for Sunday school. ‘Nite.

Quickies…

A quick update.

Praise God for He has carried me through this recent trial that I was experiencing (go back a couple of entries). I clung to Him and didn’t act on impulse, which could’ve led to a major heartbreak on my part yet again, and because of that, He spared me from going through a lot of emotional pain. As hard as it was for me not to indulge myself in the situation and let my heart rule my mind, I was able to turn away from the situation and look to Jesus. Thank you, Lord!

Another praise is that my mom and I finally moved! We didn’t move far from where we used to live, it basically down the street, but in a different city. I’m excited. It’s just my mom and I now. It’s part of us moving on with our lives. God has granted us a second lease in life. It’s been over 3 years now since my dad passed away. We miss him, but I believe the Lord wants us to move on. But we will always cherish the memories we have with my dad. We also appreciate my uncle and aunt for taking my mom and I in for so long. We love them and we praise God for them. May God continue to bless them and their household a thousand-fold!

Belated birthday greetings go out to JJ and Herb. The flaya-flayas…haha Had a great time with CFBC peeps last Saturday at Kabuki for JJ’s b-day. We had so much sushi, Yum and I were in food coma. LoL Too much food! But it was grub though!

If you don’t have Jason Mraz’s ‘Tonight, Not Again’ DVD, y’all should go and get it. Have I mentioned that he’s a fave? LoL

I’m seeing Take 6 this weekend at the Cerritos Performing Arts! Whoo-hoo! Exciting!

A little dilemma…

Should I go home and start sorting my stuff out and get ready to pack everything for our move or should I go and meet up with the FSBM kids and watch Napoleon Dynamite? LoL

Oh btw, we’re moving!…not back to Canada, just to a different residence altogether.

I’m waiting for my pictures from SF to upload, it’s taking forever! I just might give up and try again tomorrow.

I’m back!!!

Well, I’m back from San Francisco. Did you guys miss me? (Yes, all 5 of you) haha. Anyway, so much to tell, I’ll just try to make it really brief.

Hearst Castle…Pier 39…17 Mile Drive…Frisson Lounge…Golden Gate Bridge…Sausalito…Fisherman’s Wharf…Neptunes…City View Restaurant for dimsum…Alcatraz…Le Chaval…Fenton’s…some waffle house for breakfast…Winchester House…some outlet on the way home…back to L.A.

Hmmm… wonder if I missed anything? Well, I’ll just add it when I remember it. But I think I covered it pretty much. It was quite fun, but exhausting. But I’m glad I went. I needed it. I’ll post some pictures up later. Haven’t had a chance to upload them yet.

Went to see m-pact last night. My ears were happy.

That’s all for now!

Pictures, just as I promised. ;)

Nina and I at Extraordinary Desserts in San Diego last Saturday.

The guys - Justin, JP and JJ at ED.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Phil. 2:12-16 ESV

See ya’ll next week!

Well, I’m off to San Francisco this weekend with April, Jeremy and Pauleen. Should be loads of fun. Looking forward to this weekend as I haven’t had a decent vacation in about 2 years. I’m glad that I’m not spending a lot, money’s tight. I just want to get away from Los Angeles for a little bit, just a change of scenery. I’ll miss my mom, I’ll miss my boo-boo Nevaeh. Anyway, just pray for safe travel on our part and that God will be glorified during this trip.

Man, I have a feeling my e-mail at work will blow up over the next 5 days! LoL

Take it easy y’all!

Counting it all joy.

God’s timing is really incredible. Things happen when you least expect it. I’m going through a trial right now, as it were, and it sort of blindsided me, took me completely by surprise, and all I have to say is “praise God!” because this trial is causing me to become a lot closer to Him. I’m a little scared but at the same time excited for what God has in store. Maybe this trial is a preparation for a bigger event. I’m trying to be more patient this time, to really listen to His voice. I’ve cried out to Him. I need to seek His wisdom in this trying time. I need to “count it all joy” when I face various trials, “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). And that’s what I’m looking forward to, becoming steadfast, immovable as I go through this trial.

That’s all for now. I’ll add more tomorrow. Have some pictures to share.

Checking in.

Haven’t updated this in a while. Not much to say for now except that God is totally convicting me of a lot of things, and teaching me a lot about serving others. I have a burden for people that I’m around with everyday.

There are quite a few things that’s been happening that I’m really excited about. And I’m really looking forward to what God has in store.

Well, I’m going to CFBC tonight for Bible study. Later.

Acoustic duo.

Went to see Ray (formerly of Dakota Moon) and his new partner-in-crime, Pete Munday (www.petemunday.com) at Genghis Cohen in L.A. last night. Pretty much missed most of the show. Got there just in time for the last song. It’s cool. I got to catch up with Ray, which was really cool, told me about his Cabo San Lucas adventures (LoL) and he gave me a rundown on what’s new with the rest of DM. Ty’s in a new musical “We Will Rock You” at the Paris Hotel in Vegas. Good to know that he’s getting back to his musical theatre roots. And Malloy and Joe have a new R&B/Soul group called Soultide. Their first gig was tonight, but I couldn’t go. Oh well, maybe some other time.

Well, that’s all for now. Don’t have much to say. Have to get up really early tomorrow. We’re having a garage sale!

Update from Babie!!!

The following is Babie’s e-mail update from the P.I.

Hello all!

I’m in the PHILIPPINES!!! Thank you so much for your prayers for a safe travel. God heard you all! I absolutely hated flying… until this flight. I got window seat, and I think that made a big difference. I really enjoyed it! It was like a BIG family party. Most of the people on the plane were Filipinos. It was an experience!

Our team has been divided among 5 ministry sites. We have been assigned to different college campuses. I’m with my teammate, Daniel, on Far Eastern University with another summer missionary, Emily from Georgia, who’s been here for 1 1/2 months, and a campus evangelist, Grace, and a journeyman, Kevin. Grace is so awesome! She truly loves God and has such a heart for the college students. Kevin is this big white guy from Arkansas who, in the 2 years he’s been in Manila, speaks TAGALOG!!! Emily’s stay here ends next Thursday. She is cool, too. In the 7 weeks that she’s been here, she’s led a Muslim woman to Christ, and just TODAY, Fari reported to her that she’d like to get baptized!

God is really doing some great things here. We’ve been on campus for 3 days now, and I have grown in boldness and sharing my faith tremendously. The students here are VERY responsive to the gospel, and our sharing to them. Since my stay here is a bit short - too short, really - I decided to focus on a few groups that I’ve met here and there. I presented the gospel message to these 2 girls. They were very responsive, and they started to share with me their personal stories and frustrations about life, and even started crying! I felt so blessed by their openness and willingness to trust a stranger like me. It’s also been really fun hanging out with students and inviting them to Bible Studies that are being formed that Grace and Kevin will be leading when I’m gone. I got a whole group of friends to commit to a Bible Study for next Tuesday. Please pray for that. It’s interesting to see how receptive they are to me because I’m American. They start asking Grace questions about me, and they crack up when I tell them that I understand what they’re saying! so cute…. I have also been so drawn to homosexuals on campus. I get a kick out of relating with them! =) The sad thing is that homosexuality has become wildly accepted here. There are students who go to class cross-dressed! I even met a student leader - in training - in ministry who described for me the “prettiest gay guy on FEU.” This really breaks my heart about the Phils. Morality has gone so low down the drain.

I am really enjoying my time here. Life and culture in a third world country are very eye-opening and humbling. We Americans often convert what we pay for into dollars. Everything is so cheap to us. We have access to almost anything. I am grateful for that, but this has caused me to really pray for the country, for the government and the corruption.

Thank you all for your prayers. I ask God everyday what He has for me, for the short time that I am here. It seems weird to me that in the ministry we’re doing, I am barely making friends, and as soon as I’ve built enough trust with them, I’m already on my way out. Still I have much to reflect on, and if anything, I am growing to love Jesus even more each day.

Here are prayer requests:
1. For Joanna and Clarisse, the 2 girls I shared with that they will get connected with the long-term missionaries here for Bible studies,
2. For continued access to campus. We come as English conversation classroom assistants to get entry into campus. For the first time, today the guards asked us questions about what we’re doing. We may actually get a chance to do the classes on Monday which I am really looking forward to.
3. Our teammate, JJ, got all these bug bites, and now has a fever. He was taken to the hospital this morning just to be sure he’s taken care of. Pray for restoration and healing.

Seek God’s Kingdom always.

In Jesus,

Norlyn/Babie

Awww…I miss my girl, my fellow A-dub! But I’m glad that God is using them over there!

Birthday coups and other things.

(This was supposedly yesterday’s entry 8/3/04)

We pulled quite a coup today. We surprised my co-worker Audrey with a “scavenger hunt” today which ultimately led to her actual birthday present. For her birthday present, we gave her 6 different options on what she wanted to do for her birthday. Audrey’s birthday was this past Sunday and throughout the whole of last week and this past weekend, we didn’t make a big fuss about it, so as not to make her suspicious at all that we’re cooking up something special. It was quite exciting to see her reaction when she found her first clue in her inbox today. I was attending to an inquiry on the phone when I heard a shriek followed by laughter. That was quite hilarious. I tried not to laugh on the phone whilst talking to a customer. Then she walked into the office and we both started laughing uncontrollably. She was genuinely surprised by it. That was great. I hope we made your day, Audrey!

Well, out of all the 6 options on what to do to celebrate her birthday, she picked a dinner and a show at Medieval Times. Excellent choice as I have not been there at all, so that would be quite interesting to see. Medieval Times it is then!

Today’s “day 1″ for the FSBM College and Career Missions team in the P.I. I wonder how they’re doing. I prayed for them last night and this morning. I hope they all made it safely. Babie should’ve arrived today in Manila. I can’t wait to hear from them. I wish I had joined them. Maybe in 2 years’ time, eh? They should be visiting the kids at the Subic Bay Children’s Home this week. I’d like to find out how that goes. Someone from the team e-mail me!

Conan, I’ll try to make it to the picnic on Saturday. I don’t get off work ’til 2pm. We’ll see. If not, save me some bbq and bring it to my house…hehe

Okay, that’s all for now folks. I hope that you’re enjoying the Lord today! Pray for me, as I will be praying for you (all 5 of my readers…LoL).

Just checking in…

It’s about 9:44 on a Saturday morning and I’ve been here at work for at least an hour. It’s quite slow this morning so I thought I’d just check in and update.

Last Thursday evening, I went to a “send-off” dinner for the FSBM College & Career mission team that’s leaving this Sunday night. We all met up at a Chinese restaurant somewhere in downtown L.A. Not everyone from the team made it however, but it was nice to spend time with those who were there and just enjoy each other’s company before they leave. I’m very excited for them, I wish I could go but due to circumstances I can’t. *sigh* Maybe in a couple of years. Anyway, please keep them in your prayers. Pray that they grow in their spiritual walk through this experience (since for most of them, it will be their first time going on a mission’s trip). Pray that God will use their testimony to reach out those who are unsaved and that the people will see the love of God through them. And last but not the least, pray for their safety.

Yesterday was my cousin Joyce’s birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATE!). We’re supposed to be having dinner tonight but I don’t have the details as to where and what time it will be. So, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it due to time constraints and distance since I’m going to be at my boss’ party in San Dimas, which is quite a drive, this afternoon after work and I’m not sure if I could just slip in and out of the party. We’ll see how it pans out. I might just have to catch up with the cousins later on tonight.

Anyway, I should get back to work. I’ll post more later when I’m awake.

Conviction.

Last night’s Bible study convicted me. God has an amazing way letting you know that there are certain things in your life that you need to face. We were talking about gossip last night and how that destroys the unity of the body of Christ. I am guilty of gossiping, whether I am aware of it at the time I’m doing it or not. I’m sure that all of us, at one point or another, have been guilty of it as well. I know that it has hurt people that I cared about and for that I am truly sorry. Although it may seem like I was doing it out of frustration at the time, what I realize now is that I was doing it from a place of selfishness, a place of pride, to make myself look better than everyone else. That’s where it all boils down to, doesn’t it? Wanting to look better than someone else. But it’s completely opposite of what the Bible teaches. One verse comes to mind and it’s Mark 10:43a-44,

“43aBut whoever would be great among you must be your servant,44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

Selflessness. It’s such a hard thing, to be selfless, not to look out for #1, and not to step on and kick everyone while they’re down in the process. Looking back, I think that I was a very horrible person. I was inconsiderate and judgmental. What did I gain from it? Nothing!!! It didn’t do me any good, and it certainly hurt people that I love.

I just pray that God would continue to change me everyday and renew my mind. I pray that He would continue to kill my selfishness, and to be loving and considerate of others, especially my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that I become more aware of my conversations and my speech, and avoid and put a stop to gossip when I am confronted with it.

Before I forget - Peej, thanks for the text message last night. Thanks for the reminder. I thank God for your friendship.

Oooh, looky here…

This is our little Wednesday Bible study group. You may be wondering why there are 2 “Buzz Lightyears” in the background. That’s supposed to be Erwin and Garnett. They both work at Disneyland™ and they both work as characters there, mostly as Buzz Lightyear.

Parties galore!

Went to Ralph’s birthday party last Saturday. Had a great time just hanging out with the kids (yes, kids). Everyone was trying to one-up the other, servin’ up laughs. Too bad I missed out on Josh and Ralph’s “cinematic” reunion complete with a roll on the grass! Where was a camcorder when you need one?! Anyway, thanks for having us at your par-tay, Ralphaeus. Oooh, I just came up with that one right now, you like? LOL You have to wear that shirt with pride and dignity! And let us know how many times you win that “rock, paper, scissors” game, k? LOL One thing I have learned from that evening, “Conan was hot in 1997 and he’s still hot in 2004!!!” And this comment came from the male contingent at the party…I think I’m going to shoot myself in the mouth now (got that from Babie). LOL

Anyway, yesterday was Nini and Lisette’s birthday party. Went over to their house in El Monte and had Magic Mic karaoke and some good grub.

Saw “The Bourne Supremacy” tonight. It was excellente’. The big car chase was insane! Karl Urban (the baddie, a.k.a. Eomer from LOTR) looked hot! LOL And yes, I still have that crush on Matt Damon.

Well, that’s all folks. I think I’m going to go get some sleep now. Nite nite.

Yesterday and today.

Recap from yesterday…

Went to work in the a.m….left early…Prel and I picked up Babie from work…met up with Jer and Jo…went to Westwood Park…Jer surprised us with a tea party for lunch at the park…fabulous!…Went to Fowler Museum at UCLA to view the photo exhibit on Filipino-American history…walked around Westwood…got my Starbucks™ …Babie, Jer & Jo got Diddy Riese’s…checked out Urban…drove out to South Pas…went to Pas for sushi at Kabuki…went home…slept.

Today’s my first Saturday back here at work. I’m wishing that I’m still in bed right now, sleepin’ away. It’s okay, Starbucks™ and loverly vocal harmonies from m-pact are keeping me awake right now.

Well, what else do I want to say? Of course, God is good and He sustains me with His grace. God bless you all today.

Lovin’ a cappella today.

Went to see I, Robot last Monday night with my cousins, aunt and uncle. Interesting movie. Weird, but interesting. Still can’t figure out what the heck happened at the end. Maybe I didn’t pay attention much. I mean, how could I? Will Smith was on screen the whole time! LOL If you’re a sci-fi buff and/or and Isaac Asimov fan, go check it out and let me know what you think.

Was browsing through this a cappella site, Mainely A Cappella and just checking out the latest in contemporary a/c music and stumbled upon mp3’s of this vocal group from Denmark (yes, Denmark, LOL) called baSix. Wonderful stuff. I love the lead singer’s voice.

I’m currently listening to When It Snows by the Blenders. *sigh* I know it’s not Christmas, but for some reason, I’m on an a cappella kick today. Oh well. Such a nerd, eh? Cheeky.

A piece of Filipino-American history.

Going to go see this photo exhibit tomorrow with Prel, Jer and Babie. It’d be interesting to find out the history of Filipino-Americans when they actually first settled in this country.

Through My Father’s Eyes:
The Filipino American Photographs of Ricardo Ocreto Alvarado
June 6, 2004 to August 1, 2004
Los Angeles showing co-presented by the UCLA Fowler Museum, the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, and the Filipino American Library, Los Angeles
Filipino Americans are one of this nation’s largest and fastest-growing Asian American ethnic groups, yet their history in this country is not well known. Through My Father’s Eyes is a rare collection of fifty-one b/w photographs taken by Ricardo Alvarado (1914-1976) in Northern California during the 1940s and 50s. Selected from more than 3,000 negatives, these affectionate images of ordinary people at work and at play— including in shops, on the farm, at birthday parties, family dinners, weddings, and community dances— provide an intimate view of Filipino life and history in the United States.

This exhibition is curated by Janet Alvarado, the photographer’s daughter, and Franklin Odo, director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific Program. Created by the Alvarado Project, it was developed by the Smithsonian Institution Asian Pacific American Project in collaboration with the National Museum of American History, Behring Center, and circulated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). Additional support has been provided by FedEx and a circle of friends. Local support provided by the Wells Fargo Foundation, the Countrywide Foundation, and the Filipino American National Historical Society, Los Angeles.

Bored.

1 NAME YOU GO BY:
Aura

1 NAME YOU GO BY ONLINE:
achau211

1 NAME YOU MOST LIKE TO BE CALLED:
Achau (pronounced “AH-chow”)

1 NAME THAT IS FOR EXCLUSIVE USE OF JUST ONE OR A FEW PEOPLE:
Bubba - only babies and little kids can call me this. (i.e. Nevaeh)

1 THING YOU’RE GOOD AT:
Singing

1 THING YOU’RE BAD AT:
Crafts

1 RANDOM PERSON YOU KNOW:
April

1 RANDOM THING YOU’D LIKE TO DO TO/WITH THAT PERSON:
See our fave a cappella groups together

1 FRIEND YOU’D LIKE TO SEE:
Neva!

1 WORD YOU CAN ASSOCIATE WITH SAID FRIEND:
Loving

1 FRIEND FROM THE OPPOSITE SEX:
PJ

1 REASON WHY THOUGHT OF HIM/HER:
Because he’s an awesome brother in Christ

1 FOOD YOU CAN EAT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE:
Sinigang!

1 THING YOU’RE AFRAID OF:
Drowning?

1 THING YOU LOVE TO DO:
Sing

1 THING YOU’RE INTERESTED IN:
Music

1 DOMESTIC ANIMAL YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE AS A PET:
Dog

1 WILD ANIMAL YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE AS A PET:
Elephant – haha!

1 GAME YOU LIKE TO PLAY:
Monopoly

1 COMPUTER, ETC. GAME YOU LIKE TO PLAY:
The Sims!

1 QUOTE YOU LIVE BY:
”The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.” – John Piper, Desiring God

1 PERSONAL MOTTO YOU LIVE BY:
”Just do it.” LOL

1 COLOR YOU LIKE YOUR THINGS TO BE COLORED WITH:
Pink

1 COLOR YOU LIKE TO WEAR:
Pink

1 RANDOM NUMBER:
7

1 BOOK YOU’D LIKE TO READ:
’War and Peace’ – one day I will conquer this beast of literature by Tolstoy

1 BOOK YOU’VE FINISHED AND LIKED:
’The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien – duh! LOL

1 BOOK YOU’VE FINISHED AND HATED:
’The Apology’ by Plato – because it’s such a hard, freakin’ read! LOL

1 MOVIE YOU LOVE:
’The Lord of the Rings’

1 MOVIE YOU HATE:
’Unbreakable’ – I didn’t exactly hate it, I just thought it was lame. LOL

1 SONG YOU LOVE:
’I Can Only Imagine’ by Mercy Me

1 SONG YOU HATE:
’I’m not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman’ by Britney Spears – make up your mind!

1 ACTOR YOU’D LIKE TO MEET:
Dude, must this question really be asked? LOL Well, it’s a toss-up between Orlando Bloom and Viggo Mortensen (both have to be in costume as their famous characters, however…ROFL)

1 ACTRESS YOU’D LIKE TO MEET:
Catherine Zeta-Jones - look, I ain’t gonna hate, the woman is beautiful.

‘It’s a Matter of Love’ - Benefit concert.

Man, where do I even begin?! God truly blessed our efforts! We were able to collect a little over $2500 last Saturday, and contributions are still coming! It was quite an exhausting and very long day, but it was all worth it in the end. Thank you for those of you who came and supported our vision. I hope that you were blessed.

There were a few minor glitches with the technical stuff but overall the concert went pretty smoothly. One of our monitors blew out, so we were having a hard time hearing ourselves, so I’m sure we were flat on some of the songs, but that didn’t really matter at all because I could just tell that God was going to glorify Himself despite those glitches.

A few highlights for me were: ‘Adonai’ – Christine crying and almost losing composure. She poured her heart out and I definitely knew right there and then that people were going to understand our vision. But she was a trooper and was able to sing her solo without a hitch and that just completely blessed me. I think that moment captured the spirit of the evening. My most favorite moment though was singing ‘God is All Around’ unplugged – just Erwin on the acoustic guitar and Tubie on the djembe’. It was incredible.

The band sounded great! Tubie did a great job getting the band together. I appreciate all the efforts and sacrifices that they made to rehearse and putting their hearts and souls into it. They definitely tore it up during ‘It’s a Matter of Love’. It’s such a blessing to be surrounded by talented and gifted people like them. It’s inspiring.

I can’t wait to e-mail Pastor Fulfer’s daughter at Subic Bay to let her know that God blessed our efforts and that people were more than generous to help them out.

I’d like to thank the following people:

Babie – for coordinating this event and for being able to express our vision and cause to the people so eloquently and passionately.

Karen – for getting this thing rolling for us. And for being our ‘logistics’ queen.

Cat – for assisting her patootie off and helping out in every aspect of the project.

Pastor Omer – for his spiritual leadership and for his support of and heart for the college and career group.

Jeremy, Joe and Nate – for all their technical expertise and their willingness to help us out and make us sound and look decent.

Ralph, Julio, Marlon, Anthony, Katzy and Aries – for all your help, and for your desire to serve others in whatever capacity you can.

Our parents, especially our moms!

And the band – Tubie, Bryan, Uncle David, Wally and Erwin. Thank you for blessing us with your talents and gifts! You’ve found new ‘groupies’. LOL

Nitro – our vocal coach. Man, I know we stunk up the place, we’ll do better next time, we promise. hehe

Uncle Romy and the Papuri Singers – thank you for lending your voices and for your willingness to help the cause.

My cousins, In Harmony – thank you for the sacrifice and efforts to get to rehearsals and for working through our little kinks and stuff, and for owning the vision along with the rest of the FSBM College and Career Group.

Thank you to those who came and gave. May God bless you abundantly and return the blessings a hundred-fold!

Thanks you to those who supported us through prayers. They do move mountains!

And last but not the least, we want to thank our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for exhibiting the best example of love, love that is so unselfish and unconditional, so that we too can know how to love others, especially those who are in dire need of it.

For pictures of the concert, visit Ralph’s site: www.xanga.com/djralphalpha and his In Harmony site: www.xanga.com/in_harmony

A pic with our stalker…er, I mean, “fan” LOL.

Here’s pic of my cousins and I with our friend Ralph taken from last weekend at the FSBM Family Church camp.
(Photo courtesy of Ralph a.k.a. ‘djralphalpha’)

Oh my gulay…

Shaq-fu has left the Lakers. No more P.J. (Phil Jackson) and now Shaq-daddy’s gone?! What is the world coming to? Well, I’m not much of a Laker fan anyway. Their one redemptive quality was that they had Phil Jackson as their coach. (I’m gonna get tar-and-feathered for this! LOL) Then, there was talk of getting Mike Krzyzewski (no, really, I spelled it correctly, LOL) to coach the Lakers. I got all excited and was chuffed at the possibility that Coach K might take over. But alas, that didn’t happen. The Lakers’ glory days are slowly dwindling down. Awww…poor Karl Malone, won’t he ever get that ever-elusive championship ring?

This concludes my basketball commentary for today.

Musical Sunday.

Currently Playing
Recorded Live At Java Joe's
By Jason Mraz

My Sunday was all about music for me. I got up early to meet up with the rest of Papuri and we headed up to Bakersfield to sing at a church anniversary. We hit a few glitches here and there, but overall the concert went well, glory to God! We sang about 16 songs and also led praise and worship. The people were very accommodating. We were really blessed by them because they were very patient with us, especially while we were having some technical difficulty that involved our sound system. But the concert went on and everyone’s spirits were lifted. Thank you Lord!

Right after the concert, I hitched a ride with Kuya Matt and family and they dropped me off at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City to see m-pact. I thought I wasn’t going to make it but I did, and boy it was amazing! Can I just say that they (m-pact) are freakishly talented?! I’m always in awe every time I see them! They just get better and better every time! And it seems like their ‘soprano’ Britt Quentin’s range gets higher and higher, I’m very suspicious that he’s a woman disguised as a man (okay, let’s not go there…LoL). And Jake Moulton, man alive! Sorry Jeff Thacher, but you’ve been dethroned from the top spot of my vocal percussionists list. Jake’s just too good for words. It’s okay, you come in 2nd. LOL Anyway, my musical appetite has been sufficiently satisfied yesterday. They’re just simply great. And with the addition of a 6th member (Jeff Smith), they’re even more of a force to be reckoned with, now than ever before. Their jazz songs were simply astounding and their more contemporary songs are more polished and sound fuller with the 6th guy. If you don’t know who m-pact are, you should check them out.

After seeing m-pact, I went with April and Jeremy to a church in East L.A. to see one of Jeremy’s friends, Elson, before he left for China for a short-term missions trip. They were having a send-off service for Elson and his teammates. Praise and worship time was uplifting, I just stood there and listened to and read the words of the songs, a few of which I don’t really know. The testimonies by some of the team members were very encouraging, especially by this girl named Susan. She was going through some rough periods during the past year that involved school, but God just showed to her that He was in complete control of everything and that if she kept seeking Him, kept abiding in His word and completely surrendered her worries to Him, He would take care of her, and He did! When it seemed like everything was hopeless and that there was no way to remedy the situation, God came to her rescue! And because of that she is able to go to China for the missions trip this summer. It was a incredible testimony, it really hit home with me. I’m sure that in some way that was a reminder from God that He’s not finished with me yet.

About worship. (and an update)

I’m taking a short break from working because I’m getting a little dizzy from what I’m thinking is hunger. I’m currently enjoying a cinnamon-raisin bagel with strawberry-flavoured cream cheese and a cup of coffee. Ah, such is the life, eh? LOL

Things are looking up. God has stretched me these past few weeks. I have a much better perspective on things, speaking with different people, seeking biblically-sound advice. God can still use a ministry in spite of one person. I have seen changes in such a short time, changes for the better and to speed up the healing process. God was pruning us. It was a painful process but it had to be done to make us grow and to strengthen our faith. Babie helped me put things into perspective last night.

I’m sleeping over at Audrey’s house in Chino Hills tonight. She’s asked me to drive her to the airport early tomorrow morning. She’s going to Missouri to attend a friend’s wedding (she’s one of the bridesmaids). I wish I could go. I need a vacation. I haven’t had one at all this year (not like I can afford to go anywhere anyway). Maybe I’ll just go to the beach one day and just sit there and read.

Last night, we learned about the kind of worship that pleases God. The study was based on Mark 12:30 (and taken from The Purpose Driven Life)

God is pleased when our worship is accurate – This is a worship that’s based on the truth – how God has revealed Himself in the Scriptures. This is what the phrase “worship in truth” means.

God is pleased when our worship is authentic – We often say that we should worship God in spirit. The word ‘spirit’ here doesn’t refer to the Holy Spirit, but it refers to our spirit. Our spirit is designed to communicate with God. Also, there isn’t one right way to worship. God created us with different personalities and different backgrounds, we should worship Him in the most authentic way we possibly can worship Him, and the best way we can express our worship.

God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful – Often we say “Praise the Lord!” or “hallelujah” without any particular reason but just to say it because it’s typical Christian expressions. But most of the time we never really put much thought into it when we say it. What God warrants from us is that, not only do we say things, but we must put thought into it, and if possible, be specific with what we want to say to Him.

God is pleased when our worship is practical – We must “offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Rom 12:1) We can worship in spirit, but our spirit can only be where our physical bodies are. When we say, “I can’t be at fellowship tonight, but I’ll be with you in spirit”, that really means nothing, because if your body isn’t there physically, then your spirit isn’t either. Therefore, worship shouldn’t just be learned and thought of, it should be applied. There should be an outward manifestation of what is happening inside.

All Around the World - where I want to live.

Top five places that I would love to move to and eventually settle in:

1. London – I always had a fascination with this city and all of the U.K. since high school. I think it’s the curiosity of driving on the left side of the road that appeals to me the most.
2. New York City – do I even have to explain this?!
3. Paris – I need to learn how to speak French. Then I can move there. Maybe move next door to Johnny Depp, who knows?
4. Toronto – my hometown. This is actually moving back. Now that I look back, I really think this city is one of the coolest cities in the world, and I’m not being biased, really, I’m not.
5. Tokyo – I need to learn how to speak Japanese. “Capseru hoteru” would only get me a really, really small hotel room.

Honorable mentions:

1. Sydney
2. Montreal
3. Boston
4. Vancouver
5. Milan
6. Athens
7. Switzerland
8. New Orleans

I just noticed that I listed 3 Canadian cities. I must really be homesick! LOL

I have finally made a decision so, now what? (and random things)

Well, I have finally made a decision regarding this situation that I have been in for the past 2 weeks. I have a prayed about it every day, and each day that passes, it just confirms to me even more of what I need to do. And I now know what I have to do, it’s just a matter of when I am going to do it. I don’t know that I’ll be able to stay in that kind of environment knowing that there aren’t really any changes happening with one person despite everyone else’s efforts to keep said person accountable. I have no ill feelings towards anyone else who’s involved in the same situation as I am. I love them. But I don’t need that craziness anymore in my life. It took me years to ‘exorcise my demons’ so-to-speak and I don’t want to be influenced by anyone who’s just going to bring me down. I’m not doing this because I’m spiritually perfect, it’s actually the opposite. I am NOT spiritually perfect, I am still growing, and I still have some struggles of my own. Being around a person who will not be an encouragement to me will not help me with my spiritual walk one bit, when I am trying to get up and move towards being Christ-like. If a ministry wasn’t involved, then that’s a whole different story. But we’re part of a ministry, and how can you minister to people when your partner in the ministry is inflicting chaos and pain? I don’t think you can minister effectively when someone that you minister with is seriously sick spiritually and isn’t getting any help. Am I wrong?

Moving on…

The fund-raising concert that the FSBM College and Career Group is producing is exactly a month away! I am very excited about this. The band is all set to go, IH is faithfully rehearsing every week, and Pastor Omer and Kuya Jon are going full-speed in promoting this concert. Pray that we reach our goal for the Subic Bay Children’s Home. They really need the help. We are aiming for $2,500-3,000 so that they can fix the roof of the orphanage and get started on building their school. If you want to know more about the Subic Bay Children’s Home, click here to go to their website.

So, Jason Mraz had a concert this past Tuesday and Wednesday night at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and I didn’t go. Oh well…I’m kicking myself right now…oww!

Going to the beach this weekend! I really hope that the weather will cooperate in that we’ll have perfect beach weather this Saturday! In these past couple of days, we’ve been experiencing ‘June-gloom’. The weather has been cool and it even drizzled a little bit this morning. Anyway, the FSBM College and Career group will have our monthly meeting and we’re having it at a beach in Corona Del Mar. I need some sun!

Lost – a new show on ABC in the fall. Same people that produce Alias, so I have high expectations for this show. Dom Monaghan is in it (‘Merry’ from LOTR). Read the synopsis here.

Friday and Saturday goings-on.

Yesterday, JJ and Geneyem paid us a visit down here in Cerritos. They were here for JJ’s yearly visit to his god-daughter Nevaeh (yes, yearly…just playin’ J! haha). Anyway, it was really nice to see them both again. It’s been a while since I last saw both of them (together and separately). G-pera told me that there have quite a few changes over at CFBC and God is really growing each and every member in their faith. Their passion for witnessing for Jesus Christ is growing stronger. Praise God for that! Anyway, I miss seeing them and I wish that I could visit them up at CFBC soon.

Today was my cousin Kimmie’s graduation and 18th birthday celebration. We went to this buffet restaurant out in Alhambra. Needless to say, we grubbed. LOL I can’t believe that Kimmie’s going to college this fall. I feel really old! Crazy! She was only 10 when my parents and I moved out here to California, and now she’s 18 and going to be freshman. I just pray that she would seek His guidance every day especially now that she will be practically on her own. I gave her a verse, it’s Psalm 37:4 which says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will grant the desires of your heart.” I pray that she would take that to heart especially as she starts college.

Man, it’s sooooo hot today! Argh! I just want to sit in a tub-full of ice-cold water. Ugh!

Birthday greetings!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend, Lavern (Chinggay)! Hope you had a blast!

Apprehension creeps in, but there is also good news.

If you have read my previous entry, I just wanted to point out that I have reached a crossroad with regards to the situation that I am currently in. At this point, I’m not absolutely certain which way to go. I’m constantly praying about it, and each day that goes by makes me more and more apprehensive and anxious. I know that I have to make a decision by Monday, and I don’t even know how to approach it. My daily devotions these past few days seem to pertain to my situation as of late. God knows and it seems like He’s telling me something. Lord, I wish You could just tell me in plain words what to do regarding this situation because I just don’t want to deal with it anymore. But of course, it’s not that simple. I just have to keep listening to Him as each day passes.

Well, on a much lighter note, I got an e-mail a couple of days ago from my good friend from NJ, Ken, informing me that he and his wife Grace and coming to Cali in August! I’m very excited to see them. They’re visiting Pastor Ed and are planning on going to church at CFBC so I’m planning ahead to keep that day open so that I could go up to Walnut to go see them and visit CFBC peeps while I’m there. I have not seen them in a very long time (Ken, Grace, and CFBC peeps). I’m very excited!

Yesterday would’ve been my dad’s 61st birthday. My mom and I went to visit his grave yesterday and brought some flowers. It was pretty special day as one of our really good friends from the Philippines (and from Toronto as well), Kuya Junie Genitiano, was here to visit for just one day and he came along with us to see my dad’s gravesite.
It was nice to see him again to catch up as well as reminisce about the ol’ days back in Pasay Baptist Church.

A long overdue update.

It has been a very stressful 2 weeks. Things have unraveled that sent me on a tailspin. Even though the events that have transpired within the past 2 weeks didn’t happen to me directly, I am still affected by it. To be honest, I’m really confused by the whole thing. It’s so hard because I’m getting different information from two different parties. I have tried to look at the situation objectively, and I understand both sides now. However, I don’t want to participate anymore in backbiting or blame game. There’s a bigger task at hand and I am more interested in helping the suffering party heal and move on. I understand that it will take a while, and I am willing to help as much as I can to help them cope. I understand their situation, and I just think that what has been done to them could’ve been handled differently and in a more gracious manner.

God called us to be peacemakers. That was the topic of my devotion this morning, oddly enough. But I know that it’s not coincidence that I read that particular devotion today. It’s very appropriate for the situation that I’m somewhat involved in right now. The passage was taken from 1 Samuel 25:14-25. It’s the story of Abigail, Nabal’s wife. If it weren’t for her courage, the future King David could’ve committed a terrible sin against her husband Nabal. It is a sin that should not be committed because Nabal’s actions were foolish. Realizing that Nabal’s actions were foolish, she took it upon herself to resolve the conflict between David and Nabal. She prevented Nabal from being killed and David from committing murder. And because of what she had done, David realized that she had spared him from “carrying out a vengeful decision” as it were, and he praised God.

The question that we are to ask ourselves is, are we as quick to resolve a conflict? My prayer is that we are, and not let the spirit of bitterness and revenge penetrate our hearts, which will prevent us from sinning. I know that we (and you know who you are) will be able to get pass this with God’s help and we will be able to continue the ministry that He has blessed us with.

On to other matters…

For those who know about the Papuri concert on Father’s Day, June 20th, I just want to let you know that the concert has been cancelled. We have not decided yet if we are going to reschedule, but we will keep you posted (those who knew about it of course).

NBA Finals! It’s between the Lakers and the Pistons. It’s brings me back to the early ‘90s when L.A. and Detroit’s rivalry was at its peak. Isiah (yes, that’s how he spells his name) and Magic on the court playing against each other was pure showtime! I know that the Lakers will win this, but I’m secretly rooting for the Pistons (haha, I’m gonna get a beating for this! LOL).

Oh, I finally saw Troy. I was a little bit disappointed. The cinematography wasn’t impressive as I had hoped. I was expecting breath-taking battle scenes. The only scene that I really liked was the ‘panning-out’ camera shot of the 1,000 ships on the Aegean. Brad Pitt was Brad Pitt. I can never get into the character of Achilles because I see Brad Pitt on-screen and I think “it’s Brad Pitt playing Achilles”. Sean Bean (King Odysseus) was brilliant as usual. I sighed every time I saw him on screen, LOL. Orlando’s character Paris was a major wuss, but he sort of redeemed himself at the end however. LOL So, no, I did not hate Orlando that much…haha! LOL The guy who played King Agammemnon was over the top! He was a good baddie! LOL Diane Kruger (a.k.a. ‘Helen of Troy’) was a little too stoic for me. I didn’t believe that she was madly in-love with Paris at all. I thought Saffron Burrows (Andromache) was a whole lot prettier than she is. She could’ve been ‘Helen’ (but too tall for Paris, hehe). Okay, that was my movie commentary for the day. Next movie I want to see if The Day After Tomorrow.

Well, that is all for now. Until next entry.

The wonder that is a cappella.

Have a listen HERE.

It’s a German a cappella group called OisVoice doing an a cappella rendition of Jason Mraz’s “The Remedy“. Sounds a little funny with the accents. But the arrangement is great though, they’ve achieved a full sound.

Anyway, that’s my random a cappella commentary.

“Hit me baby, one more time.”

You will never want to hear the song “Baby One More Time” sung any other way than how this guy sang it on The Sharon Osbourne Show today. An acoustic version of the Britney Spears hit? You’d think it can never be done, but he did it, quite beautifully I might add, and in the original key, no less! LOL He puts Britney to shame! LOL

Oooh, In Harmony had a recording session yesterday. hehe Well, Jeremy brought his recording equipment yesterday and we did a recording session at April’s house, just for the fun of it. Had a blast and can’t wait to hear the finished product. It sounded fine, in it’s raw form, but I can’t wait to hear it after all the mixing had been done and such.

Argh! It's so hot today!

The weather is turning schizo on us here in Cali. Yesterday, the weather was quite nice and cool and today it’s scorching hot! What gives? Oh well. It makes sense though since summer is around the corner. I wanna jump in a pool!

Oooh, Coupling marathon is on right now on BBC America. Later!

Bible study last night, a very irate phone call, and my writings.

Since we have started our Bible studies based on Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, we have been on this experimental stage in the way we conduct our studies. Praise God that we have been diligent in learning and that we really dig deep into the study of the Word based on that book. Last night was particularly challenging and yet, at the same time, very productive. We learned about God’s glory and how it is ultimately manifested in Jesus Christ. God’s glory is the essence of His goodness, and all of His intrinsic characteristics. We give God the glory and show it to others by the way we live our lives. We give Him the glory and show it to others by loving other people, especially our fellow believers. We give God the glory and show it to others by telling people about Him. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But, somehow we have a hard time doing it. We so readily give glory to people, or things, but when it comes to God, we have a hard time giving Him the glory.

Wow, can I just say ‘perfect timing’? Just as I was typing about God’s glory and how I can glorify Him through my life and in anything that I do, I get a phone call from an irate parent who’s very upset that no one informed them that the school is closed this week for Memorial Day. Needless to say, I tried to keep my composure as much as possible and be really, REALLY civil with her without getting irate myself. Well, I did apologize profusely and told her that we will do our best next time to inform everyone of our school holidays and such. I just have to say though that she was being very unreasonable and condescending, I did not enjoy speaking with her and especially apologize to her in the least. Did I pass the test? I sure hope so. LOL I felt my blood rush up to my head, I thought I was going to pass out. I thank God that I didn’t become irate as well. Boy, that was hard! *sigh*

Blessing called me this morning and asked me if I had any writings, poems or lyrics that they can use for the worship CD that they’re doing for their church. I told her that I had a couple of fairly decent ones that they may be able to use. As I was looking through my little journal, I can’t help but see how my frame of mind changed throughout the years. Some of my writings aren’t necessarily ‘worship-appropriate’. A lot of those writings came from a place of heartbreak, despair and loneliness. I praise God for growth, no matter how slow that may have been. Growth in understanding of who He is in my life and what I need to do to live a life that is purpose-driven. Anyway, I managed to find a couple of poems/lyrics for them. Hopefully it will be good enough. They can alter it to suit whatever melody they come up with. I’m very excited at the thought that someone will sing something I wrote! We shall see when the CD comes out.

Suckah!

Yeah, so I bought the ROTK DVD yesterday. Such a suckah (that’s ’sucker’), I tell you. Watched it once-through and then watched it again, but skipped to the good, exciting parts (the Battle of Pelennor Fields, Shelob’s Lair, Legolas taking down the Mumakil, etc).

Anyway, so enough of my silliness. Praise God for this week. Our school is closed for the Memorial Day holiday (or vacation for you non-Canucks out there), but the office is still open. I don’t mind coming into work this week, it’s quite relaxing and not as chaotic as when all the kids are here for their lessons. Chiz and I are able to do work without a lot of interruptions. It’s quite nice and a very relaxed atmosphere.

Well, looky here!

It’s almost July! Keep on praying peeps! We want to be able to raise enough money to help out the orphanage (Subic Bay Children’s Home) in Olongapo City, Philippines. They need the money to rebuild their roofs that were destroyed by typhoons and such in the P.I. and help them start building their school.

Another title change…

I’ve made another blog title change. I think I’ll be keeping it for a while. I kinda like it. What do you think? I still welcome suggestions though.

Saw Shrek 2 yesterday. That was quite fun. However, I still liked the first one I guess, ’cause it’s fresh and new at the time. I enjoyed it though, laughed quite a lot, especially at the parodies they did of the different movies that are quite popular right now (did anyone see their onion-carriage pass over the bridge through Rivendell on their way to the Kingdom Far-Far Away? Oh, and The Poison Apple? haha!)

The ROTK DVD comes out tomorrow! Whoo-hoo! So exciting!

Title change and other things.

Well, I changed the title of my blog. I couldn’t think of anything else, so I’m using “There and Back Again” temporarily. Who knows, I might keep it. We’ll see if I can come up with something else. Maybe some of you out there can help me. Especially those who know me well enough. Something that suits me. Leave it on the comment box.

I took a very nice, long nap today. I feel a little more rested. Actually, I should be getting some sleep already, need to get up early tomorrow for Sunday School. Oddly enough, I am feeling the zzz’s coming on right now. Well, ’til next entry then.

Before I forget, CONGRATULATIONS ANT! You finally graduated. So I guess this means you won’t be MIA as much anymore…uh.. yeah right! Just kidding!

Currenty Reading
Chronicles of Narnia
By C. S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes

Today’s a very lazy day. I woke up really late. Got up and saw my aunt and Tine cleaning out the garage so I sorta helped out a bit. Took back some of the old clothes I tossed out for the garage sale but they were never sold.

After lunch, I proceeded to clean my room up a bit, threw out some things that I absolutely did not need. I’m such a pack-rat. I collect things until everything is piled up and I’m running out of room. It’s such a disease, being a pack-rat. I need to be able to let go of things. When and where would I need to use a 20-page paper on 19th century Victorian authors? But when I think about it, I worked so hard on that paper that it would seem to be such a waste if I toss it, although, realistically, I will not be using it or even read it ever! *sigh* I’m hopeless. Anyway, I guess I’m going to have to think about it a lot more before I decide whether I should toss it or not.

Well, I guess that’s all for now. I need some caffeine. I’m off to Starbucks.