"At Mass you become a walking manger, as Christ rests and breathes within you..."

I was checking my email and i got the weekly 'life teen' email. Well the verse Matthew 2:11. I wont put the verse down, this way it challenges you to get up and read it yourself. Anyway, I learned a couple of things through that verse. First off, i learned that St. Francis of Assisi was the first one to put the whole 'nativity scene' idea together. The cool thing bout the whole idea was that St. Francis used real people to make this nativity scene. UNlike today whurr its made out of glass, plastic, etc. The other thing i learned is the nativity scene shouldnt be used juss a 'reflection' something not to be juss admired, but something we as christians are suppose enter into. IT is also something we do enter into as catholics at each and every mass. The nativity scene is something to be experienced juss like mass. Mass isnt some christmas play or passion play, it is truly Jesus come right into the midst of our lives, calling us near to him.

So we all play a part in the natvity scene, from time to time we all are one of the different characters that make up this scene. Though which character best describes who you are? I look at my nativity set and realize that at one point or another, I’ve felt like just about every character I see there.

Sometimes I proclaim Christ’s presence with passion and authority, like the angel.
Sometimes I bow before Christ, offering Him (my) gifts, like the “Wise Guys.”
Sometimes I seek Jesus and just sit, humbly gazing at His wonder, like the shepherds.
Sometimes I feel like the star who says nothing but exists to point toward Christ.
Sometimes I feel like the hay, getting trampled and stepped on by everyone around me.
Sometimes I see Christ’s truth as something in this world that I’d do anything to protect,
just like St. Joseph.
Sometimes I am so close to Christ, I can almost feel the joy of His birth or the pain of His death, just like the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Sometimes I am so stubborn around Christ, that I look more like the ox.
And then there’s the times that I’m not only stubborn, but that I’m stupid around Christ…those are the times that I feel like a dumb…donkey.

In actuality, the character you most “relate to” can change from year to year, day to day and hour to hour, because life, like the Nativity scene and like the Mass, is meant to be experienced, not just observed. Who are you today in relation to Jesus? Who do you want to be?
Who is He calling you to be? Because the fact is, just like every person and animal in that set…He wants you close to Him. He always has and He always will.

These past couple days have been really fun and exciting. Friday, i watched love dont cost a thing w/arch and babyvee. For those who dont know, its a ghett0 version of the whole movie, 'cant buy me love.' I thought the movie was pretty cool. If youre not dying to see it for some reason like i was then wait till dvd. It teaches you the valuable lesson of juss being who you are cuz thas tehy way God created you. Then later on that nite i was at work for our annual 'Kids Night OUt.' Oh man it got way hectic later on there was 40 kids and 3 staff. I had a btoehr and sister who were battling. It was pretty fun to watch that. Then one was tryin to holler and this oteher little girl. He be trying to get the little girl's digits. Oh man kids these days...

As tired as i was and as much as i wanted to change my mind, my mother and i, did that holiday shopping spree. They didnt really need anyone thurr till a little before 8 cuz 8 was when it started. Agh, i couldve slept in a extra hour! Anyway, so all these families and volunteers met up at the bp mall. We were told to take a family and go help them pick out shoes at payless then we had a $100 to spend at sears. My mom worked together as a team and we got a whole family. A little boy and older sister and the mom. We went to payless and that didnt take too long. The part at sears took a long time, my own 'hijo' for the day went shopping.

IT was fun cuz i got to practice for hopefully when i take my own kids shopping later on. My hijo was real picky when it came to clothes. I realized after a while he likes to wear a lot of red. Anyway, we picked out a few pants, and i had him try it on to make sure they fit around the waist. Then we got a lot of long sleeve shirts and a hooded sweater. The girl got a lot too, though if we went over the $100 we as the sponsors had teh choice to pay the differnece or take some items out. Together the family we had went over $7, but my mom paid the difference. Heck, what's $7 you know?! After shopping they had pictures w/santa and some more gifts.
The sad part was leaving them, it was like awww. After the whole 2 hours of bonding. Praise God though cuz it was well worf it and im glad i was able to help out.
thu
WEnt caroling at the convalescent home that was really fun. THe seniors thurr juss totally loved it. There was this one senior who really loved it and kept talking ot us. IM sure it juss warms their heart when they see young people come over and sing to them. Especially those who dont have really anyone to go and visit them. I wish i had more tiem to go and maybe help out a convalescent home. Ah my schedule is busy as it is now. Then we went to the moyas and we had juss oodles of fun over thurr. We were add libbing coreography as we were going a long. Fun stuff! Then afterwards, tito jess, jesty, fred and i were had a moon light christmas music lounge for a while. Then it ended up becoming a secular songs. haha Fred and i can do 'One sweet day' now, haha you should hurr us its pretty tight!!!

Then afterwards we went to velasco's cousin;s house and we sang over thurr. Im always at the end of the line whurr i hardly have any space. I almost knocked over the christmas tree, and then i accidently jabbed jeanne in the chest.(oops! sorry!) THey gave us drinks over at their cousins, with soda and burr. Along w/peanuts and crackers. They totally enjoyed our company ttheir i think. Afterwards we ended the nite singing @ the soratorios for bannes birfday. WE had a audience w/tita linda, lyn lyn, jei franxis, leo and kappa girls. That was really d0pe, you start to really get into whole singing christmas carols.

IT felt really, really good being w/the communtiy and juss straight out fellowshipping together. Ahh juss like ol times, forreal! We played the one word song game and this time weve expanded our song list. Instead of limitings our songs to juss Shout to the Lord and The Nails in your hands, weve tried, heart of worship, O Magnify and Lord I lift your name on high. From there we juss went all out singing all kinds of different praise & worship songs. Then juss singing all kinds of juss random songs we know. Jei Franxis sang the hammer holds song for errone. It put me at peace as i was listening to him play and sing the song. Then el juego sang that song 'comfortable,' and that was really comfortable. hahaha Then we all sang the chorus to i'll be cuz thas all we knew. haha Good way to spend the holidays, its as if Jesus was juss getting down up in heaven. As the Lord looked down upon us from heaven he smiled and said, 'Those songs are gangsta, yall continue to keep it real!' haha

Lord provides good times, moments of juss pure laughter and comedy. Memories that well never seem to forget. The same ol jokes and stuff that juss never seem to get old. And that my friends, is the best part of being of the company of good friends. THough we use the same materials over and over again, there is juss never one dull moment. Especially when we all juss chill like we did tonite. Im glad jei franxis and leo were able to kick it w/us tonite. Theyre really coo people who love to praise the Lord juss the way we do. Praise God for blessing each of SH w/special talents, special gifts and juss wonderful personalities. With each person making SH even more special as a whole. I love it!

Pray for rain so i may not have to work tomorrow, please! ah im worn out w/all this work stuff!


Happy Birfday Banne!

"Sorry, ive never told you, assumed youd always be there...'im done, im out God bless!