My Voice, My Heart, My Life

A few years back San Francisco lost Palace Steak House which in my opinion was one of the best steakhouses in the city. You got good food for a very reasonable price. My family had been going there for years. It was our family's steakhouse. But sadly the owners retired and they had to close their doors. Since then we(my brothers & I) have been in search of the perfect steak sandwich like the one we grew up with. But to no avail. It was quite depressing. The sandwich was so specific. It was made with a very special flat french garlic bread that is difficult to replicate even at home. The bread is them slather with mayo and in between they place a perfectly cooked steak. That's it. No fuss just simple but GOOD. Along side you would get a salad and a baked potato for $8-$10. So you can see why we were in search for a replacement. About a month ago there was a glimmer of hope. We heard that Palace Steak House was being reopened. They we're keeping the same name and it wou...

Inspired by my little rugrats : ) When the whistle blows I give out a great sigh I can't believe the time has gone by When the whistle blows All must freeze their play I rather run in the sun's ray When the whistle blows My friends run to the line I chose to stay behind When the whistle blows I take one long last look It's time to get back to the books When the whistle blows My teacher comes to take us inside Remembering it's time for lunch is the upside - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I want to take time to honor the memory of those who lost their lives 1 year ago & 10 years ago along with those who were left to feel the pain of loss and destruction. One year ago on September 9th San Bruno experienced a great tragedy. At 6:11p.m. a gas line erupted in the Glenview area. The gas turned into mile high flames. Being fed by the gas the blaze quickly grew and engulfed 35 houses and took 8 lives. I was at work at the time which is about .8 miles from the fire. I heard what sounded like a plane in distress then felt the ground shake as the pipe burst into massive flames. The heat from the fire was intense to say the least. Many of us stood in shock seeing our neighbors' home disappear. It took 60 to 90 minutes to shut off the gas after the explosion. Eleven of those homes lost belong to families of our church & school. A year later many are rebuilding. Healing has come to some however not to all. I pray that the Lord send His healing and that those in pain ...

Beauty has always been a big part of our culture. It has been an obsession for generations. Each generation having their own definition. For one to find the definition our present generation has chosen, one only look at a magazine cover. Size 0 models whose pictures have been altered to mimic perfection. These images are being ingrained into the minds of our young girls. They think that if they don't look like that then they're ugly, causing them to try to live up to a fantasy. It breaks my heart that these girls are growing with low self esteem and feel so defeated. It's hard to think that these images are not normal. Everywhere you see an advertisement it pictures someone's airbrushed body. I know what it is to feel ugly. I didn't grow up having a size 0 body, far from it. Once I became a teenager I started to skip meals and start telling myself that I wasn't worth it. There were times I would cry myself to sleep because all the other girls where thin, prett...

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John15:13 This verse has such a beautiful truth. Jesus lay down His life for us, His friends. Knowing that Jesus sees us as a friend is amazing. I feel so undeserving yet so grateful. This morning I felt very burdened. There was a sadness surrounding me. I wasn't sure where it was coming from. I felt defeated. I got to work and I felt like a zombie. I sat in a meeting but wasn't really there. I went to my classroom and tried to do some work. It was as if I was on auto pilot. This gray cloud hung over me for most of the early morning. Then we had chapel. Worshiping God is indescribably. It washes over me like nothing else. It put a pep back into my spirit. It was refreshing! We sang about trading my sorrows for the joy of the Lord. I felt that. Those sorrows that were following me I traded them in for God's great joy. After chapel I began humming: How deep the Father's love...

Today was picture day. Parents take extra care to make sure their children look more than presentable. Teachers and staff look extra beautiful or handsome. Everyone is taking note on how they appear. Putting their best face forward. These pictures will forever be part of the school's history. Years from now these pictures will be available for all to see. This morning before coming to work I took extra time to put on make-up. I typically don't wear make-up. I just never got into the routine of it. As I was standing in front of the mirror I started to chuckle. Here I am putting make-up to take a picture that when seen by strangers will think I look like this all the time. I wasn't representing my everyday appearance. I was putting up a "better" version of myself. Covering blemishes, wrinkles(I can't believe I've reached the age of wrinkles!), dark circles and anything that is imperfect. I started to think about how I can be that way in my Christian walk. ...

Boot Camp - to participate in a rigidly structured routine. That is what the first week of school tends to be. Making sure the routine is ingrained into our minds and our students. It's a new group of kids, a new schedule, new personalities and new beginnings. Each year brings a freshness. The past is left behind and the future lies ahead. The first couple of weeks is a time to laid down the foundation. You set the rules, expectations and the rhythm of the day. Just like boot camp, we as teachers have the job to prepare them so they can have a successful year. There is a lot to learn and a lot to become familiar with especially in Kindergarten. It's a whole new world for them. There is more independence. They get to go to the restroom alone instead of in groups, they bring their own lunches, they have their own lockers, responsible for their own sweaters & jackets and soon will begin doing homework. It's a world of excitement and uncertainty but it's worth the j...