A New Year, A New Class

"Read some chapter of a devout book....It is very easy and most necessary, for just as you speak to God when at prayer, God speaks to you when you read..."

THE CIRCUS II: So these are my new clowns for this year. Yeap, I moved on up to the 3rd grade, it's a little bit easier then first. It does have its perks, however academically these kids aren't too much of a difference from my first graders. At least these ones can sort of read and write. However, my role as an IA has changed from last year. Im not having to repeat myself over and over again, which is good. Its cool cuz I get to do teaching instruction with the ELD kids for a half hour in the morning. Then work w/another small group later on during math. Where as last year I was working w/3 small groups doing the same thing 3 different times for 3 different subjects. Being the room Im suppose to use isnt quite avaiable yet, Ive been using the teacher's lounge and I get a little nervous when teachers walk in. In fact a couple of weeks ago I was doing a math lesson when the principal and the AP were in there. At any rate, I realized I dont want to become an elementary school teacher...too much. Oh yeah and I received a raise last fri too! woOo!

RECTORY WORK: Im excited cuz Ive been helping out putting together the entertainment for the festival. Well I got confirmed to perform Next Phaze, one of those up and coming filipino r & b groups. I talked to the guy last monday and he confirmed errthang for me. Its almost as exciting as when ryan came to my confirmation class! Joyce is going to be quitting(oh why?!)which means who knows if they'll get someone as cool as she was to replace. Apparently its too hard on her body working two jobs, which is understandable. Things are slowly starting to pick up again, now that them summer days are over. Spent most of my time this afternoon booking masses and such into the priests calendars. I really do enjoy working there though, I guess like I said before the sense of having my own office to decorate things and other stuff. I was looking back and how things were a bit difficult during this time last year. No job yet, struggling to make it by...yeah it was hard. Though God never seems to fail us and is always there to provide.

FALL FESTIVAL: Last fri. after work I went to go cehck out the sPv fall festival. FOr the past couple of years I havent had the chance to go cuz of other things coming up. Dang I saw errone there from old confirmation kids, to recent confirmation kids, to even holy fam kids! It seemed a little bit smaller then in the years past, then again maybe it juss seems like that since I havent gone in a while. I remember one year I went w/my cousins when I was younger and I went on that zipper ride and well yeah I yakked cuz I got motion sickness. ha I get motion sickness so easily, its sad! At work today we had this bookmobile and this little portable thing w/books and its really clasterphobic in there. Well it started to shake and I ended up having to get out cuz I wsa getting motiong sickness. ha So back to the festival, Im pretty excited for holy fams I guess being that Im helping organizing apart of it.

SEASON 3: Confirmation season 3 has started, and Im planning on this being my last season. Ive cut down this year in my time helping with the sPv religous ed. program. Instead doing tues. and thursday, I've only committeed to tues. nites. Last year was getting difficult doing both tues. and thursday, on top of that driving back and forth. Season 2 was killer, I dont know how I made out alive. Those kids were the worst in all my years teaching confirmation I never had a class like that. Hopefully season 3 the new class will be a lot better. Some of my kids who I taught in first communion a couple of years ago will be in my class this year. That's something positive to look forward to. Yeah, I know Im getting old! One of the kids came up to me after the mass tontie and said Oh yeah do you remember me you were my first communion teacher. ha I shouldve asked him wha he learned from there. We'll be using something new also this year, the compendium so well see how it all works out. Pray that I get a good class this year.

FREDS AT HB: Saturday nite I went out some of my friends from work to freds. Its this mexican restaraunt with a bar. Its was alright, it was nice juss going out, I kinda wanted to walk along the beach. I always like doing that when I go to the beach its juss relaxing. Her friends were alright, well not that I really talked to them. It was juss hard cuz they're all older then me so it was a bit different. After freds we started the whole bar hopping and went to some irish bar. It was alright it was too loud cuz they were playing music in the background then on top of that had this old man play irish jams at the same time. Oh yeah and then were a lot of older white weird people in there. Yeah, no, not my kind of place to chill. It was cool, I juss wnated to go out and support my friend haha.

SAYING HI: My last entry was dedicated to my lolo who's 100th birfday it would've been a week ago. Anyway, that day my family and I all went to 8am mass. I dont really like the way they have the chapel seating arrangements now. Its too crowded in there and they need that asile in the middle so its not like a total fire hazzard. Anyway, well the first reading talked bout faith hope and love, the three virtues that I said my lolo had. THen later on I received one of those email stories I suscribe to and well the story was titled, 'I love you grandpa.' I think mentioned how that nite before I was flipping through the chicken soup book and the story was on the joy of easter. I really believe it was my lolo's way of saying hi to me. Last nite I was listening ot that song 'my father's heart' and kinda got sad thinking of all the things that lead up to his passing, but its okay he's happy.


INSPIRED: Ive always been inspired by the lives the Saints lived. This past month we celebrate the feast days of some really cool saints. St. Padre Pio one of the mystics to receive the Stigmata I bought this book last year at congress on his reflections and I have yet to read it, but I know his works are always so spirit filled always leaving you wanting for more. Then today the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul, a saint who dedicated his life like Mother Teresa to work w/the poor. I never realized how fun coming up with service projects can be up until I became the service advisor for the youf min. Then thursday, the feast day of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first filipino saint along with the feast days of the Archangels, raphael, michael, and gabriel. May the lives of the saints continue to inspire and movitate us to live a holy life according to God's will.


Halfway through...

"When it hurts too much to love..."im done, im out God bless!

The Joy of Easter

"Eternity. It is the sea mingled with the sun..."

HAPPY CENTENNIAL: I know its not easter, but as I was looking for a quote to put up for today's blog entry, I came across this title in my chicken soup for the christian teenage soul book. Actually as I opened the book coincidently the section I had flipped to was on 'loss and grieving.'
Anyway, today would've been my lolo's 100 birfday. You know for months I had prayed and prayed for God juss to let him live to celebrate his 100th birfday. I guess it juss wasn't in God's plan this time around. It's already been 3 months, and there are times when the memories of his passing juss flashes back and begins to become difficult. However, I know he's in a happier place, where there is no more pain and suffering. He's a hero in our family, and his memories will always be cherised and celebrated. The first reading for mass today, coincidently is from 1 cor 13:1-13, the one bout wha love is. I think that reading was chosen cuz it describes perfectly the kind of person he was. A man full of faith, hope, and love. I love you lolo and I miss you!




ONE YEAR AGO: A year ago today the youf min. celebrated their first ever youf prayer rally. Wow! I cant believe how fast that year has gone and we've already celebrated our 2nd one. The fruits of that rally were juss amazing. The Spirit was truly present moving in the hearts of over hundered youf that weekend. That same spirit is still alive, continuting to motivate and inspire more and more youf at holy fam. Its crazy cuz when I started helping out I was brand new, and through errthang I was going through that month, it inspired me to want to bring more young souls closer to Christ. And look now, a year later I am an advisor on top of that working at the rectory. GOd really does work in mysterious ways, all in His time. Last weekend I think marked my one year departure since I left the city of stanton. Its all good, it gave me some time to reflect on my life and I ended up getting a job in what I really want to do. God really is good!

2 WEEKS DOWN: Work at the skool has been pretty good, I juss come home real tired sometimes. Its back to working two jobs morning and afternoons again. Good thing the traveling distance isn't bad otherwise I dont know wha I would do. I think putting up w/20 below grade level kids errday was not only mentally draining by physically cuz you hear the whole taddling and wanting to use the bathroom errminute. This year I have 30 below grade level kids who well kill me w/their low skills. There's juss one girl who juss doesn't or can't follow directions for nothing! I think she's got some time of disorder we juss have to wait to see when she gets tested. Other than that errthang seems to be going pretty cool, I really enjoy the teacher I work with, her energy and laughter makes the class fun.

BRAND NEW: Monday, I was making copies for youf min stuff in the rectory and well the toner went out. I always hated it when the toner went out cuz then I didnt know exactly how to replace it. ANway, so here I am working on trying to get in thinking I had to remove something. Well I eventually end up breaking the stupid machine, not on purpose but juss accidently. Oh crap I was scared, I call my boss and let her know wha happened. Luckily, she told me that they were getting a new one withing the next couple of days. So it didnt matter whew! Praise God! haha she didnt even get mad or anything she juss laughed. The new one came in yesterday and its hardcore nice! Its going to be networked and hooked up pretty soon to our computers so we can juss print from there. Oh yeah its a color copier also...yup its hardcore.

NEW CAMERA: A couple of weeks ago my old camera broke, probably from dropping it too many times. It was sad cuz it doesnt even turn on anymore. At my lolos funeral it started to trip out on me and stuff. Most likely had to do w/me dropping after I got home from charisse's wedding. Anyway, well luckily I had a warranty on it, and since they dont carry that model anymore they gave me a brand new one. Its a DSC-T10 sony cybershot, granted its a bit thicker then my old one but its okay. I was looking at the sony website and there's a camera on there that has touch screen! At least I can put old memory card in there, I bought a case for my camera too now, so I dont have to worry about dropping it. Oh yeah I learned too wha the different battery colors meant too, I have the 2nd highest one. THey're all different colors to show the battery life, the one on my old camera only goes up to 74 min. At least w/this new one I have I think an hour and a half of battery time. Thas the part that sucks is when you go to use your camera, you see that your battery is almost dead oh why?!

OKTOBERFEST: I kinda volunteered a while ago to be in charge of festival entertainment this year. IT seemed like a fun job so I took it. Well Im happy to report that the schedule is finallly a finalized and ready to go. On top of that Next Phaze confirmed w/me that they be performing for us too! woOo! So that's going to be our main headliner act that were going to be promoting. Im hoping that it'll bring it a lot of people that nite, they're really cool easy going chill guys. I was talking to del over the phone monday and he told me they were excited. It's already being promoted on their myspace too. Hopefully they do well and sell a lot of their CDS and other merchandise.


Happy 100 birfday lolo!

"You are everything and everything is you..."im done, im out God bless!

Almost Perfect

"If we possessed every virtue, but lacked humility, those virtues would be without root and would not last..."

BACK TO WORK: Wednesday started the first day of the new skool year, a new class, a new grade, and a new teacher. With one week already down, I feel good so far at least. The first day I saw all my first graders from last year, they all ran up to me hugged me, 'mr. jason! mr. jason!' aww it was too cute. Even though they were a tough bunch of kids I miss them. They kinda grew me by the time the year was over. So I made the jump from 1st to 3rd, instead of hearing, 'look mr. jason!' I'm hearing, 'look mr. fish!' haha it sounds kinda weird, Im still trying to get use to it. It sounds so professional. Since I dont have the regular lunch period like before, the teacher I worked with made a propossal that I can go to first lunch and then during 3rd/4th lunch stay in the class and stay in w/the kids who have to finish work or in rsonality. Yeah so we went to bjs and wow I was already get buzzed by the end of the nite. I asked him wha he thought of the war and talk bout passionate! Half the time I felt like I was hearing blah blah blah since I was buzzing ha! After bjs we walked around the brea promenade for a brief moment then ended up going to some billiards place across from the mall. Played a couple of games of umm I dont even remember the game highs lows and mediums I think it was? So we did that up until like 130am. Then went back to the parking lot and said goodbye, ha Hopefully we chill again soon.

CATCHING UP: Worked all day saturday, watched that movie 'the wild' ha I like disney cartoons about animals cuz its funny. I sat in my office all day hoping that he'd drop off the picture but alas nothign! Its so interesting the different personalities that you come across working at the rectory. I had to call all these registered parishoners telling them bout the postponement of the open house dinner. Half of the people didnt even know wha I was talking bout, anyway one of the guys I called was cracked me up. The conversation went a little something like this check it: Keep in mind this is an older filipino man.

me: Hello?
parishoner: hello?!
me: Hi may I speak to _____?
parishoner: whos dis?
me: Hi my name is jason and im calling from holy fam to let you know that you should be receiving in the mail in the next couple of weeks an invitation to the new open house dinner for new parishoners.
parishoner: wha?! huh?! slow down!
me: Hi im from holy family...
parishoner: Why helloooo holy family! How are you?
me: (laughing) im good how are you?
parishoner: oh im okay my leg kinda hurts right now
me: oh im sorry to hear that...
parishoner: why dont you call yer girlpren to come ober...
me: (laughing) well i wanted to let you knowb out the dinner for new parishoners well be sending out invitations blah blah blah
parishoner: what time of the day is going to be at?
me: oh it's going to be like at 7pm
parishoner: Oh i cant go i cant drive at nite but thanks aanyway
me: oh okay well thank you...bye

yeaah if you didnt think it was funny, then I guess it was one of things where you juss had to be there. I thought it was hilarious! After taking a long nap, went to starbucks w/micah. WE were talking bout how it's getting cooler at nite now. Which means fall is here and winter is on its way, its nice to have at least a small breeze during the day time. I like fall and winter cuz I can dress up and wear long sleeve shirts and jackets again! woOo! AHh yes, it's been so long since cold weather that I forget wha it feels like.

SUNDAY: Went to mass at 11am, it feels like it's been forever since I've gone to mass there. The youf choir is so small now, I wonder why. I like the jumpy our father though, they haven't done that in a while. Fr. Tino's homily was real good, focusing on listening to God, and then proclaiming it. Helped out the young adults pass out fliers after the 930am and 11am masses. Its funny cuz when Im with the young adults it feels like old times, almost like a whole other world then when Im with the youf. Abby and I went to San Perdo for the fpac, the only reason I wanted to go was to see adn talk to next phaze. We kinda got lost at the exit, had a couple of stops but we made it. Parking was crazy! Oh man there were soooooooo many freaknig people it was as if the whole country was at this thing. Anyway, I did accomplish my goal though and met next phaze. Bought a CD, took a picture w/them, and talked business. Soo I really hope they can perform at festival that would be freakin tight.

PATIENCE: That was my weekend, and it was almost perfect minus the pictures that I never got! Ahh I really pray that he calls me tomorrow at least, honestly here I'm freakin dying to get the pictures! :sigh: so hopefully, crossing my fingers that something miracle will happen and well yeaaah I can get my hands on them cool pictures. Oh yeah speaking of pictures, hwo come they still havent updated the scrc site with the pictures from taht weekend? This guy took a picture of me and adrian from liwanag that sunday and none of the pictures from the weeknd is posted yet! Ahhhhh! maybe God really is trying to teach me patience, I suck though when it comes to being patient with waiting for things. I can be patient with most people and kids but when it comes to wanting something and waiting I suck at it.

SEPTEMEBER 11: Its been 5 years since September 11 happened, I can remember that day as if it was juss yesterday. Crazy how fast time flies, micah and I were talking bout how my lolos had seen errthang. From world war II to september 11th, to the creation of the internet maan thas crazy stuff. Watching the whole world trade center movie, makes you feel like as if you were actually there witnessing the tragedy. Anyway check out some of these clips I found on youtube about september 11. Can anyone remember wha they were doing during that time?

CHOOSING HONOR: 5 years ago I found this little I dont know wha you would call it, but this thing written by Elise Wiesel and I found it inspirational. Check it...

Even when faced with
the murderous madness
of criminals, and in the
presence of the silent agony
of their victims,
it is incumbent upon us to
choose between escape and
solidarity, shame, and honor.
The terrorists have
chosen shame
WE CHOOSE HONOR




Praying for pictures!!

"If I wrote you a symphony,just to say how much you mean to me..."im done, im out God bless!

One Final Goodbye

"God, the Creator of all things, is so full of mercy and compassion that whatever may be the grace for which we stretch out our hands, we shall not fail to receive it..."

OFFICIALLY OVER: So summer is about pretty much done with. I remember the beginning of 3rd grade we had to write these poems called, 'closed.' It was bout the different things we now 'close' cuz summer is over. Now closed the bbq, close the pool, blah blah it was kinda sad cuz skool was back in session and the fun summer days were now over. Overall its been one crazy summer, 2 deaths in the family, family in and out from the midwest, 1 youf prayer rally, 1 rekindled friendship, and 1 refreshing convention to end it all. All I have to say is wow!

OLD TIMES: On monday, I had lunch with cyril, mike, and some of the sly crew at albertacos. It was nice, it felt like old times, when we would talk all the time. Having lunch w/ol friends or people whom you havent talked to in a while is the best. Juss cuz there's so much to talk bout and catch up on. Talking bout ol memories, what certain people are up to now a days, and then juss sharing your faith and journey with each other. Cy was telling me how a lot of kids in their group are so convicted to try out the religous life. In fact one parent called cy during lunch asking info. bout the place they're going to be staying at etc. Thas courage to answer the calling so young and to take it up. If it were me I'd have the most difficult time 1) adjusting to that kind of life style 2) leaving behind the people and things that I loved. Praise God though, I do give them props.

BACK TO WORK: Tuesday I went to work and juss helped out a little bit. The classroom is already put together and organized, it juss doing final things. I got the computers set up and working, ready to go. At the end of last year I asked for a desk, I didnt say it had to be real big, but you know something workable. Turns out I walk in the room and she gives me a desk, juss a regualr children's desk ha, to top it off its in this tight little space. Had lunch with veronica, jenn, and well this new teacher whos working 2nd grade. It was a little awkward cuz jenn and I didnt really know the new teacher. Apparently she use to teach at the skool 4-5 years ago and now is back. That whole primary lunch period isnt going to be the same anymore. Im excited to go back to see the kids, but hmm a bit sad cuz I know a couple teachers I was friends isnt there this year.

BACK IN BUSINESS: In other work related news, after pretty much having the whole summer off, the business manager is back. Wednesday, when I came in, I actually had to work! ha Throughout this whole summer its been chill, of course there are busy days but then are other days when there was juss nothing to do. Now that business manger is back, there's going to be plenty of work to do. Not that I dont like working and its not really difficult tasks either, I guess its the whole 'actually working' again mode I have to get into. These past couple of days Ive been either coming in late, or leaving early, I feel kinda bad for joyce since she's the one in there alone. She does a good job, its fun working w/her, I think she's gotten use to the way things run now.

THE CENTETARIAN: Friday was my lolo's funeral, and well out of the funerals Ive gone to, this one was the most joyful. There wasn't any real crying or anything, the priest was a very outgoing and very charismatic which made the mass nice. During the homily he asked people if we were to describe what would we say. He made different people shout out adjectives that described who my lolo was. At hte burial he even played the sax and did amazing grace, I wanted to record it, but my stupid camera was really trippin. It was a lot different then my lolo's but it was still nice. Afterwards there was this reception at some small little hall, and they had a really nice slideshow video tribute. At the end there was a video of my two lolos together, Ill post it below, it made me get teary eyed. The two of them are together now, along with the rest of their family. May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you. Man heaven must be nice.

SCRC: After a crazy summer, scrc was definately what I needed to rejuvnate my spiritual life. For the first time I decided to do the regular adult track, in the past couple of years Ive always juss done the young adult one. I was a loner this year, being I went to all of the talks alone, but it was cool. I missed the friday talks, which were probably good, and I was late for my first sat. talk but it was cool. That Sister nancy kellar was a really good speaker I went to two of her talks. My notes from all the different talks are a mess and I know when I look back its going to be like what the heck did I write? I want to get all the talks, but then buying them all on cd tends to add up. Probably my favorite was the talk by Fr. John Hampch if God is your co pilot then switch seats, basically talk on listening to God, and letting God's will be done in your life.

OL FACES: Didnt meet really anyone new this year, though I did run into many familiar faces. I remember when I use to work for stanton and we had those once a month commodities. There was this old lady who was always soo nice. I always saw the face of Christ through her, she helped make a bad day into good. Anyway, I ran into last year at SCRC and found out she was a religous sister! So we ran into each other again this year and she totally remembers me and errthang, juss she never asked wha my name was. After one of the talks this morning, I told her how I always saw the face of Christ through and thanked her for that. To make a long story short, she gave me a whole history bout her education and really encouraged me to look into different ways of paying for skool. She gave me her business card w/her home and cell phone # telling me if I ever needed a letter of reccomendation she would do it for me. I thought that was real nice.

ONCE A YEAR: On top the sister and some other parish community peeps, I ran into my once a year SCRC friend, will. This was the guy I met two years ago standing line at confession then ended up becoming 'once a year friends' through SCRC. Yeah so I saw him again and he told me he got called back for active duty and is leaving next week to go to camp pendleton and stay on the navy ship there. Man these wars are getting pretty crazy with the govt. calling people back for active duty. I think were going to chill sometime this week before he leaves. Its funny how he always did the regular adult track then all of a sudden since last year he got really involved with the young adult track.

SUMMER '06 REVIEW: Being that summer is now officially over, its time for my annual summer in review. Reviewing the highlights of summer, the ups and the downs. Last summer was real interesting cuz it makred the birth of a new beginning. This year was a lot different then last years. Never the less though, God always seems to find a way to make summer real interesting, wether its positive or negative. Anyway, let's check out wha went on, shall we?

JUNE: June was a hectic month, so many different events going on. Work was coming to an end, slowly, church was preparing for the 75th anniversary. It was one of those months of madness, jackie had her debut at holiday inn(cue chingy ha). Lots of people, good food, pictures, I felt old though ha its okay I wasnt the only one, at least there was older people than me. After her debut was the holy fam gala dinner/dance to kick off the 75th. It was one them hardcore dinner fundraisers, I felt like I was at a endorsement party for some potential political canidate. THen Fr. Johnny give a state of the parish address...yeah it was hardcore. Made a new friend, ha who happened to have his birfday the day before mine. As always tons of birfday celebrations, which meant I went broke. Holy Family had their 75th anniversayr weekend, with a huge multicultural mass, the cardinal came, and errthang. Then the next day was the family day, brought my parents and showed them around holy fam for the first time. Went to a taping for 'so you think you can dance' spent the day in hollywood with a few coo kids. I wish I wouldve gone to one last year. Youf min had their own little commencement ceremony, juss too bad there wasnt a lot of kids. Had plans to work in stanton for month of july, but then ended up turning it down last min. The rectory finally a new assitant who's actually my assitant ha, good choice they made in choosing the most qualified canidate. Superman returns came out, which ended up being superman sucks in the end. YOuf min core finished their first core term and made utc history.

JULY: July was one of the most difficult months of the summer. Well let's see how to start this month off, the new fiscal year started woo along with that a new core team for utc was chosen. The first week of july was packed with one birfday after the other from Gp all the way down with my cousins birfday on the 8th. Celebrated my birfday with friends and family at VIP buffet, not errone who I wanted to be there was there, but its alright. The week after that my lolo was rushed to the emergency for pnuemonia and well ends up passing away the next day. Yeah, one of the most difficult moments of the summer, but God gave me the grace to get through it. Had planned a core retreat in big bear, but it ended up being cancelled and moved to the parish due to the wildfires going on. Through the passing of my lolo is allowed my family and many of my cousins to become close again. That was pretty much the whole month of July for me.

AUGUST: PLanned a double suprise party for the two heifs, yeaah the two of them were real suprised! Jam nite came and went in a flash, the hall was jam packed that nite. Practices liek no other w/kids in preperation for the 2nd annual youf rally. Oh man were those becoming real dreadful and tiresome. At any rate we made it through and well were real gooood! Did a first ever photoshoot with the kids, which Im still waiting to get the pictures from! oh why?! Bought myself a new toy and ended up getting a new printer...a photo one which is hella tight. Had a core banquet the pike in long beach, thanking the ol core for their service and time. My parents went to minn. for almost 3 weeks maan it was crazy not seeing them around for that long. Then finally came one of the most anticipated summer events YPR '06, despite the smaller amount from last year the spirit was still there moving through each moment. I do have to admit I'm glad that it's finally over! Oh yeah went to the wedding of the century, charisse and leo plaza. Maan talk bout a hardcore celeberity wedding status! My lolo's brother passes away at the age of 102 from pnuemonia as well, there was a big party in heaven that day.

WRAPPING IT UP: SO there you have it all the summer highlights from june to august. There was joys, struggles, and sorrows, but through it all God brought me to it and through it. I dont know if that makes sense but He showed me that it really is true, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I juss do praise God for giving me some great friends to count on, to help me out in my times of need. I am most grateful for all of them who have helped me get through those mountains. Those are the ones who have inspired me to keep going and not give up. Praise God for one interesting roller coaster summer...Thanks to mike for making this piece of art work for me.



Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing


How was YOUR summer?

"I will be strength for the journey..."im done, im out GOd bless!