My Voice, My Heart, My Life

I've been putting off writing this particular post for weeks now. I knew that once I started writing,  reality would set in and I would have to accept the fact that one of my closest friends would be moving. I can't avoid it any longer. For the past 10 years I've had the pleasure of knowing Gloria Johanna Castillo, or as I call her Joha. We met at work, she was teaching art and I was teaching kindergarten. Her daughter, Abby was in my class. Joha is one of those people that draws other people. She is vibrant, passionate and loving. I could see her passion in her art, her love in the children and her vibrancy in her personality. Throughout these past 10 years I have gotten to know a very special woman. I have seen her through good times and bad times. I have seen her grow in her faith and inspire others. I have seen her be an advocate for those without a voice. I have seen her speak her mind without apologies. I have seen her become Fearless in Christ. The fact that

As long as I can remember there have been double standards. In all areas of life double standards exist. It's unavoidable. It's the dirty little secret that no one thinks they have. I recently learned about a double standard that shocked and upset me.  A girl living in Davis, California (will call her Jane) was being harassed and at one point beat up by 2 Hispanic girls. She suffered major injuries that required surgery and had to be hospitalized for ten days. The attack was reported to the police and the girl's mother wanted to file it as a hate crime. The attackers yelled slurs and hateful words regarding her race. They hurt her because of the color of her skin. In any definition that would be a hate crime. The Davies police said that they couldn't file it as a hate crime because her daughter is white. That's right you read that correctly. It's not a hate crime if the victim is White. I can't believe it. Had the colors been turned around, 2 White

  Fifty years ago, people from far and wide marched their way to Washington D.C. to hear a preacher whose words promoted love, peace and unity. Thousands of people filled the National Mall. Hope, joy, pride and honor was in the heart of these souls. In front of the Lincoln Memorial stood the man who had brought them together; strong in his faith and purpose. He knew this movement he lead was God's purpose for his life. Little did he know that the words he would speak that day would be the most powerful and influential in the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr spoke from his heart. He had a dream. He had a vision for this great nation and he was going to do everything in his power to see it accomplished. His words evoked passion and truth. He demanded more of his country.   "We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gra

A couple of days ago we learned that Lee Thompson Young, 29, took his own life. If you're not familiar with him he was a Disney kid star in Jett Jackson and more recently played Lt. Frost on Rizzoli and Isles. He was handsome, good at his craft, got paid well, wore the designer labels and was very charismatic. In the world of Hollywood he was on track to hit it big. By the world's standard he had no reason to take his life. In the eyes of the world he seem to have it all. A month ago, one of the stars from Glee, Cory Monteith, 31, passed from an overdose. He had recognition, talent, money and an aspiring career. Outwardly he seemed to have everything, yet he felt empty. There are countless stories of these young stars dying by their own hand intentionally or not. Amy Winehouse (28), Kurt Cobain (27), Heath Ledger (29) , Gia Allemand (29) just to name a few. Each was at the height of their trade yet felt empty. Why? With everything they had why did they need an escape?

The silence has been broken. The sound of children has graced these quiet halls. The first day of school has arrived. The first day is always an exciting and stressful day for both student and teacher alike. Beginning anew is refreshing. The actions and words of the past are just that, in the past. It's a new chance to start over. The board is wiped clean and is ready to write a new story. It's exciting! A new chapter will be written. A chapter full of adventure, learning, joy, mystery, sadness, joy, laughter and all the emotions in between. Yes, a new school year brings much hope! With that hope there are dreams that one has for their students. You want them to succeed in this life. You want to provide the necessary skills and common sense to venture into this life with wisdom and discernment. You want them to take caution but not at the expense of adventure. You want them to think outside the box and yet not to abandon those things that are tried and true. Yes, as a teac

" God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge ." (Psalms 46: 1-3,5,7) Father God,    We lift up the state of Oklahoma. They've experience a tremendous disaster that has cost many their lives. They continue with rescue searches trying to find victims under the rumble. Lord, we ask that you help those rescuers locate them quickly. Give the rescuers strength and endurance to go through the rumble seeking out those missing. Point to where they should search. Make it obvious where they are. Father give those trapped, hope and comfort. Lord we ask for those parents that haven't been reunited with their c

Today I was blessed with the opportunity to celebrate with the 8th grade class and their families. It's tradition that the parents come together to throw a party for their children. It's a time of celebration, joy, a few tears and enjoying the last moments they have together. It was so wonderful to see them with their family and friends and teachers just having fun. At times it looked like the adults were having more fun. : ) The room was filled with energy and excitement. They know their days are winding down. Only 5 more days before graduation.  The day was filled with mixed emotions. Happiness, sadness, joy and bittersweet. It's hard to image that next year they won't be there. They've done so much traveling together that parting ways will be difficult. But now is not the time to dwell on that. Today was a day of celebration. The love their homeroom teachers have for them and vice versus is undeniable. You can see the great love and time that went into t

 Sometimes we need to feed our soul with music. This song is such a great reminder of what God's love is.  It never fails.  No matter what your facing His Love Never Fails! What a wonderful promise. Place that promise in your heart. Hold it tight. He'll never let you down. His Love never runs out. His Love is Perfect. God Bless You!  Jesus Culture - Your Love Never Fails Nothing can separate Even if I ran away Your love never fails I know I still make mistakes But You have new mercies for me everyday Your love never fails Chorus: You stay the same through the ages Your love never changes There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning  And when the oceans rage I don't have to be afraid Because I know that You love me Your love never fails Verse 2: The wind is strong and the water's deep But I'm not alone here in these open seas Cause Your love never fails The chasm is far too wide I never thought I'd reach the othe

I'm a Disney kid through and through. My parents took us to Disneyland practically every year. It's one of the few places where entertainment is still wholesome and full of imagination. I love this place so much that that's where I celebrated my 30th birthday. So it was heart breaking to hear Disney's plans for Merida, Pixar's Brave Princess. Merida is one of my favorite princesses. She embodies courage, bravery, confidence and adventure. She is also the most realistic looking princess to date. She is not your typical princess. No big ballgowns for this girl. She is another version of what a princess can be. A picture of Merida surfaced that sent people in an uproar. Now the image wasn't on Disney official site, but it was sighted on merchandise on other sites. It's a "sexy" version of Merida. Her features are more grown up and her figure more pronounced. They even removed her signature bow & arrow. It's very different from the origi

Every Thursday we have chapel at our school. It's a time of church with our students. The elementary and middle have their respective chapels. Today was a very special middle school chapel. One 7th grader and seven 8th graders made the decision to proclaim their faith publicly through Baptism. Baptisms are very emotional for me. They are such a personal decision. They are saying to the world, I Love Jesus. It's a big deal. My baptism is etched in my mind. It was a wonderful experience! It's a treasured Jesus and me moment. Four of the students being baptized where my kindergarteners once a upon a time. I have been able to see them grow and witness their faith. Seeing them take this step melts my heart. As I write my eyes are watering. The Holy Spirit has touched their hearts and they are being obedient. I feel so blessed to have been witness to this important moment in their Christian journey. Praise God! " Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into

There are things in life that you just wish you knew how to do. For me one of those things is learning how to sew. I don't have aspiration to audition for Project Runway or anything but I would love to know how to work a sewing machine, do hems and make some bags. Simple things. So I was so excited to hear that our local recreational center was offering classes. A dear friend of mine, Patrick, and I share this desire to sew so we are taking the class together. It's so much fun to take a class with a friend.  I wasn't able to go to the 1st class so Patrick filled me in on the details of the class. The first project will be a reversible apron. I'm over the moon about making an apron. I've been wanting an apron for the longest time. They're just so expensive and when you do find one at a decent price it's either ugly or too small. So I was jazzed to hear that an apron was our project. Patrick come over to my place to show me what we had to do. I'm not

There are so many things in this world that bring us down and take a toll. The daily grind makes us worn out and serious. You turn on the news and you're given a triple dose of serious. Our jobs are serious. Deadlines are serious. Housework is serious. There is too much serious. Seriousness is seriously sucking the fun out of life. I suggest we take a step back and really observe whats happening. Here in America we are one majorly stress out and serious people. Our lives are being swallowed up by our own inability to have fun. We refuse to left go and enjoy life. There are things that can not wait but most of the time they can keep. No one ever came to the end of their life regretting they had been more serious. No, they regret the times they didn't spend enjoying a sunset, a sunrise, an ice cream cone in the park, playing hookey so you could see your favorite band, reading a good book, having an all day Everybody Loves Raymond marathon while eating Chinese food, having a

Today was a busy day for Kindergarten. We had our end of the year/summer birthday parties today and completion ceremony. On Monday, my class has P.E. for 45 minutes. Their lunch time was extended to an hour and their award ceremony ended with 1/2 an hour left of school. Throw in recesses and nap,  they had a total of 30 minutes of academics. This is a once a year event so 30 minutes seemed sufficient.  The parents and kids had a wonderful time. We enjoyed good food and great fellowship. The awards where just as fun. After each student received their certificate we showed a picture video montage I had prepared. I love watching the kids and parents' reaction to the many many pictures. The kids where so excited. They kept shouted out the names of their classmates when they came on screen and laughed at some of the more crazy pictures. The parents smiled, laughed and shed a few tears. It was a great last hurrah! With only 10 days left, now 9 days, we slowly start closing the cl

Happy Mother's Day! "All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." -Abraham Lincoln "I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." -Abraham Lincoln "A mother's arm are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them." -Victor Hugo "Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love." - Stevie Wonder "Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved." - Erich Fromm "I got to grow up with a mother who taught me to believe in me." -Antonio Villaraigosa "There is nothing in the world of art like the songs mother used to sing." -Billy Sunday "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual a

I found the picture above while scrolling Facebook. It stopped me in my tracks. It was so convicting! Simple yet poignant. I added the question to the picture, which was the caption it was given on FB. "Have You Eaten Today?" It was a spiritual stomach punch. We live our lives knowing that we have to eat physical food. Without food our bodies will being to deteriorate and stop functioning. Without food and water we could cease to exist. It doesn't happen quickly, no it's a subtle change. We skip a meal here and there. Our body feels a little tired but nothing significant. We start skipping more meals consecutively, then our body wires down faster but still works because we're drinking lots of water. Then we stop eating all together yet still drinking water. Our body starts feasting on itself trying everything possible to stay alive. Then the water runs out and within a few days all that's left is a lifeless deformed shell. The same is true in our spiritu

Field trips are awesome. It's a great time to learn outside the classroom. The kids get to see what we teach them makes sense and is necessary. Today was the last field trip of the year for kindergarten. We spent the day at the San Francisco Zoo. We were a little concerned about the weather, because when we left school it was pretty windy and foggy. But when we got there the fog had lifted a bit and the wind became a whisper. Field trips are especially nice for us teachers, because our lovely parent volunteers take charge of the kids for the day. We don't have a group of our own and are free for any emergencies. It nice to not be "on" for a day. Whenever we have gone to the zoo two things have always been true. One, the zoo is packed. Two, the animals are lethargic or sleeping. Today that is no longer the truth. For a Friday, the zoo was pretty empty. A few school groups where there but everyone had enough space to wander around. The animals also were awake an

 Women don't need any help being body conscience. At times if not most we are overly aware and brutal with ourselves. We torture ourselves by longing to be like the airbrushed size -10 model we see in the magazines. We constantly compare ourselves with each other. Seeing what she has that I want. Thinking I'm not good enough. Not beautiful. We feel guilty when we eat. We dread putting on a bathing suit. The mental torture we put ourselves through is anguishing. We feed this vicious circle with magazine ads, Hollywood and our own insecurities.  If only I could wear this then I be happy. WRONG! The minute you put a pound back you'll feel just as miserable. The battle is NOT on the scale but in our minds. We have to first love ourselves before we can find true peace. The Bible tells us that we are " ....fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."(Psalm 139:14) We are a creation of God and everything that God has created is beau

Saul Bass was an Oscar awarding wining American graphic designer who brought to film some of the most striking, original and captivating title sequences and film posters. He was a visionary. In the time where the opening and ending credits where just as important as the film, Saul Bass stepped outside the box and created masterpieces. In his 40 year career he worked with some of Hollywood's most prominent filmmakers, including Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. His most famous visuals are the animated paper cut out of a heroin addict's arm for Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm , the credits racing up and down what eventually becomes a high angle shot of a skyscraper in Hitchcock's North by Northwest, and the disjointed text that races together and apart in Psycho.  Bass became widely known in the film industry after creating the title sequence for Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). The film

This weeks mark Teacher Appreciation Week. Today, May 7th, is National Teacher's Day. As a teacher I know how important and how great it feels for a teacher to hear, "I appreciate you." The hours, patience, materials and many other things they do, comes from the desire to teach a child well. You would be surprise what a simple thank you does to warm a teacher's soul. So I want to take the time to say thank you one of my former teachers. Through my many years in school there have been stand out teachers. They've all brought into my life something valuable and priceless. They taught me character, ethics and mutual respect. I'm thankful for each one. The one I remember first in my educational journey is my 3rd grade teacher. Mr. Perez is a lively, caring and passionate teacher. He made learning enjoyable. He is one of reasons I wanted to be a teacher. The one thing that really stood out about him is that we got to see a little about who he was. Mr. Perez l

On Saturday, May 4th,  there was a tragic car accident on the San Mateo Bridge. A limousine carrying a bachelorette party, of 9 ladies, on their way to met up with the groom-to-be and groomsmen was engulfed in flames killing five of the girls including the bride-to-be. I'm sure the day began with hope and excitement. The bridal shower on the horizon and the wedding date a mere month away. The day was a day of celebration. Showers, gifts, games and to the end the day a rendezvous with the grooms' party. No worries to ruin their festivities. The panic and desperation they must have felt when smoke entered the back of the limo. The ladies hitting the driver's window yelling "Smoke!" The driver not understanding the situation pulled over and got out. The limo then engulfed in flames. What a tragedy! A day that started in promise ended in despair. One never knows what the day will bring. No one knows what the next minute holds. We live not knowing if we will s

This past weekend the Bay Area has experienced a heat wave. Since we live on the coast and not inland we're use to a beautiful 68 degrees on any given day. So hitting 90 degrees was too much. I enjoy my breeze and fog. I'm a person that runs hot on a normal basis so I always seek out cooling agents, be it a piece of ice or a scoop of ice cream. Why quibble. So when the temperature rises abnormally I get very uncomfortable. The heat infiltrates my body. It works it's way to every extremity and then back again. Perspiration occurs. The area most affected is my head. Headaches and frizzy hair. Headaches you can handle with water or Advil but frizzy hair, well there's just no way to come back from that. I also feel like I'm being suffocated by my clothes. When the heat is that unbearable there's not much you can do. You can only take off so much before becoming indecent. All I want to do is sit in front of a fan drink tall glasses of ice water. Don't get

On May 4, 1965, San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays, 2 days before his 34th birthday, hits his 512th career home run to break Mel Ott’s National League record for home runs.   The San Francisco Giants centerfielder had been stuck on 511 for eight games, tied with former New York Giants first baseman Mel Ott. Mays is struck out twice by Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Claude Osteen before belting a solo homer over the right-field fence off Osteen in the fifth inning of the Giants' 6-1 victory over the Dodgers. As Mays circles the bases the crowd of 28,220 in Candlestick Park goes wild. "The homer brought bedlam," the San Francisco Chronicle reports, "and the greatest ovation in the long history of baseball on the shores of San Francisco." Mays would finish his career with 660 home runs, good for third on the all-time list at the time of his retirement. That must have been a sight to see! There is nothing better than celebrating on home ground. It

This past Monday NBA player, Jason Collins, announced that he is gay. He is the first publicly gay person in American professional sports. After his announcement there has been much talk about what this means for basketball, will his peers accept him and many other questions of that nature. Tuesday,  Chris Broussard, an ESPN analyst/commentator, was asked a question regarding a statement Jason Collins made in his Sports Illustrated interview, that has cause fireworks amongst many people.  Broussard was asked his opinion about Jason Collins stating he is a Christian. Broussard answer honestly.        " Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly premarital sex between heterosexuals, if you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, adultery, fornication, premarital sex betw

 National Day of   Prayer 2013  Pastor Greg Laurie  "Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America. How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence. Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again. Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing,

We officially have 24 days or 18 school days left, but who's counting. This will be the earliest that we have ever closed for school. Which means that I will have 2 FULL months of summer off. It's a wonderful thing. At different points in the year it felt as if time stood still and the bird stopped singing. There were days when you couldn't keep up and wished for a few hours more. The school year sense of time is certainly a consistent inconsistency. I look back at the past 9 months and I can't believe we are in our final month. It's a bittersweet moment. The end of this year also marks graduation for our 8th graders. These preteens where my first students ever as a teacher. So I had the pleasure to see them grow from cutie rugrats to beautiful/handsome young ladies and gentlemen. I'm still in awe that next year they're high school freshman. It's hard to fathom. As I see my kindergarten students now, knowing that one day I will be able to say th

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing the Jackie Robinson biopic "42." It was such an amazing story. Seeing what he and his family endured was heart breaking. Seeing the changes of most of his teammates was touching. The struggle and triumph were inspiring. It baffles my mind that this country, which I love and cherish, has such a checkered past concerning race. Yet I'm awestruck by those who stood up and did something. Ignorance is a dangerous and vicious enemy.   George Santaya once said, " Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. " Or in other words, "Those you don't learn form history are doomed to repeat it. I know well that there are still parts of this beautiful country where racism still exist, the root of anger and bitterness has grown deep and is fed daily. It is still an active war.   As the world continues to change other wars are rising up. The most personal to me is the war against my faith. The values, e

Last night I had the opportunity to participate in a Passover Seder done by Jews for Jesus. I've been wanting to attend one of these events for years but there were always a reason that I couldn't attend but now my desire finally come to fruition. To say that I was excited for my first Passover Seder is an understatement. Jewish festivals, customs and traditions have always intrigued me. I'm fascinated by their symbolism and close connection to God. I've always felt draw to the culture. After all my Savior is Jewish. The bible truths that I learn and live by are of Jewish men & women. Through the sacrifice of Jesus I am adopted into the family. I just want to learn and experience more about the Jewish culture. It was a great night. The leader was insightful, humorous and passionate. He lead us through the items of the Seder plate explaining along the way the symbolism. Karpas, the green herb dipped in salt water, the tears of life. The Matzah the bread of