Nick n Riss 9/23/23

 Today I give away my Firstborn Daughter.

I'm not nervous, scared, or sad...I'm more excited than anything. This is a first for me and my family as is with my soon to be in laws.

I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law, a better extended family, nor a better way to make it official. The island-style setting of Hawaii makes it all so much more warm (no pun).

Another first is my wife and other 5 children getting all dressed up and beautiful. Helping my youngest son Jaden with his tux was very meaningful. Seeing my youngest girl Miley in a formal dress was breathtaking. My 2 girls Miyah and Missy were stunning and my wife was as beautiful as she has always been. My eldest son Jeff was one of the groomsmen and he was handing details as I would have been doing.

Rissa...I had no words for...she was perfect.

As I stand here in the hotel lobby waiting for our shuttle to the venue, I pray for the Lords guidance for today and for the days to come. he is my strength and calm.

My family grows, I'm a bit wiser, and I look forward to this next chapter in our lives!!

Masks, Mandates, and Maturity

 20 years have passed since I started this blog and its been 4 years since my last entry.

Jeff29 has moved on from auto sales to real estate and Rissa27 has been at Disney Animation for 3 years with her name in credits.

Miyah22 is the most responsible child in the house taking care of her dog while working and driving her siblings when needed.

Missy20 has been given a copy of the keys to her workplace and just got her drivers permit.

Jaden18 is 18! He's still forever gaming, skinny, and has super thick long hair.

Miley8 has learned how to Heely, bike ride, and roller skate. She goes "to school" online everyday.

My super beautiful wife49 continues to prove that a fountain of youth really exists. She looks great, is very active, sews, gardens, skates, but still doesn't cook!

We have a blessed marriage.

As for "super-dad51", I'm still doing the things I love to do while getting paid at the same time. I've also helped our church ministry implement technology to deliver a clearer, more dynamic experience, while moving forth the Truth and Compassion of Jesus Christ.

Although the world has gone through a humbling reset and many have had to relearn the basics like: wash your hands and keep your distance, the best thing to come out of being locked- down was spending quality time with the ones you love the most. Thank you for that Covid19 and thank you Lord for all your blessings! Enjoy your day!!

2017 Update!

Wow, it's been years since my last entry!  Right now Jeff is passionate about selling Lexus, Rissa is in SF learning all there is to know about business management, Miyah works at Tommy, Missy is a junior in high school, Jaden is a freshman, and Miley is at home sick with strep throat.
I am about to go out and check the mail and wifey is at Ilearn working.
Despite what seems to be a routine day/week, we as a family are still as blessed as ever!  I couldn't ask for a better situation.  I am happy, my kids are in good health and spirits, my marriage is happy, and God is still a big part of our daily lives.
Thank you Lord for all you have done and for the plans you have for us.  To You be all the Glory!

Joshua 24:15

How High Is Your Mountain?

In less than 1 week we will look back on 2014.

For me, the year has been one of seemingly deep valleys and not-so-high mountain tops.  It's been a year of tests and trials that have pushed me to new limits in my faith.  There have only been a few other years in my life I could look back and specifically remember how difficult things really were.

Most of the challenges were in the paths of business and finances.  For example; contracts that were consistent in the previous years were non-existent this year.  There weren't as many "new leads" as there have been in the past.  I seem to have spent more time this year in the valley than on the mountain top.

The deep valley was my perception up until I decided to write this blog entry.  On a side note, I usually try to position myself on a "mountain-top" when I make new entries to this journal so my readers could walk away informed and uplifted.

I started to look back at all the accomplishments, comforts-of-life, and blessings throughout the year and found that my mountain top was much higher than I thought.  I guess you could call this a turning-point.  Kinda late in the game but better late than never.

Some of the things that grew my mountain were: No sickness in my family, the ability to provide jobs for my workers, and the ability to bless others at Christmas time despite a tough year.

As we usher in 2015 and literally countdown to the launch of the first fireworks to celebrate the new year, I will set my sights high and look forward and upward to a sky-high mountain top to climb and place my flag of accomplishment on for 2015.

Don't let your valleys lower your mountain tops.  Instead, rise up, wise up, and stand on the mount of gratefulness, blessings, and love for life and others.

Be a blessing in 2015.

2011 entry: Mountain Tops and Valleys

43 going on 34

This morning I started to read all the FB birthday shouts when I came across one that made me stop and reflect and even inspire me to get back on this blog after a year of abscence.  It was from my eldest daughter Rissa.
Here's what she wrote:

"Happy Birthday to my main man! How you manage to raise six amazazing kids, love my hot momma unconditionally, and pursue all your wildest dreams drive me every single day to be just like you. I love you sooooo much daddy!"

Above the number of timeline shouts, above the early morning hugs, and above the surprise presents, I think one of the best gifts one can recieve is the gift of recognition.
When one of your eldest kids reminds you of your accomplishments and says they want "to be just like you" and that you "setthebarformyfuturehusband" it is one of the most rewarding feelings you can have.
A simple (but priceless) confirmation saying You did it well goes a super long way!!

I love life, I love my friends, I love my family, I love my job, and I love God.  Nuff said.

A Material World

After about four days I recovered my missing tool box.
A week ago I bought a new rolling tool box at Home Depot that would make Bob the Builder proud.  The day I bought it I spent all night arranging my tools inside of it and making it "pretty" (kinda like how you sit in your new car all night and play with the gadgets).  It's one of those tool boxes that open on top and sideways-kinda like a transformer.
So I took this toolbox to our music room in church and left it there for two days.  Your probably thinking -"that's where the problem began".  You're right.
Well there happened to be some rearranging of the music room and someone thought they would relocate my tool box to their house.
Fortunately, the surveillance system recorded the box-napping and I was able recover it.

Before I knew the security system was working, I  had given up on looking for it.  I was actually ready to go and get another tool box with new tools.
It's not that I like buying new tools (or can easily afford to), I just maintain an attitude of "easy come-easy go".  I try not to get too attached to material things.

I believe the faster you let materials things go, the faster you get them back.  You may not always get back exactly what you lost but at least you don't add to your loss by wasting time.  I've been blessed with many toys in life but there is no other more prized possesion than life itself.  So go enjoy yours!

Still fixing things,

Jeff

The one that almost got away!

Presentation is Key

I like Dr. Chester Karass' moto: "You don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate."
I read that a long time ago and use it everytime I have a business meeting or I want to convince others to accept my ideas.
They say that life is not fair but I believe it can be.  I also believe that you can find much favor in most things depending on how you handle the situation.
Here's an example:
If you have an interview for a job, how would you prepare?  Is dressing appropriately enough?  I would make sure I knew everything there was to know about that employer and/or company and I would practice getting interviewed by a friend or in front of a mirror to make sure I look and speak confidently.  It sounds extreme but if it's a one-time-shot then I would make sure I hit a bullseye when I get that chance.
When I submit a price quotation for a project I'm bidding on, I don't just give them my price on goods, I make sure I have a nice cover letter, a page explaining the situation and my solution, I try to have diagrams when necessary, and I even do price comparisons.  I make sure all the questions are answered before they are asked.  I have won many bids this way.  The only thing it costs me when I go the extra mile is time.
In this age of information overload you can find details of how to create professional business letters, resumes, etc.

This ideology is not limited to business matters.  Wether you are asking someone on a date for the first time or asking someone to marry you, your presentation is the key to winning their heart.
I have learned to be presentable at all times because you never know when opportunity will arise and you need to be ready.
I heard from a basketball coach that "practice doesn't make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect."

Be a walking success story.  Become an impression to those around you.  When you can do it naturally without effort you'll start to hear things from others like "there's something about you" or "I know you from somewhere".  People will want to associate with you!

Have an awesome day!

Jeff

Keeping The Fire Burning

After so many years of marriage, I think I can offer qualified advice on how to keep things goin' when the goin' gets stuck.
Here are three letters to remember that will fix any problem in any relationship: UFC
If your first thought was Ultimate Fighting Championship then you're cool and in the now.
But that's not what they stand for in this context, here's where I'm goin':
Understanding is something that can only happen by looking at things from both sides-your's and their's.
Forgiving-once you do, don't go back.  To truly forgive, you gotta put it behind you. You may not forget but you can always forgive.  The Bible says to forgive seventy times seven times (not literally 490).
Compromise-let's face it, we are not perfect so we should be able to bend a little to make things work right?
Also, don't settle for just a flicker in your flame, fan the fire every now and then by doing something out of the norm but simple like taking him/her out to lunch or write a love letter to express your appreciation for what you both have.
Love is a many splendor thing and relationships should be multifaceted.  Change it up once in while and you should have an easier time making love last.  The grass isn't greener on the other side and you really don't know what you got 'til it's gone.  UFC, do it now!

A proponent of lasting relationships,

Jeff

Prom 1989

A Super Swift Weekend

Last Saturday I was in Manila to watch Taylor Swift perform live.  I took my two eldest kids and we had a blast!
I've been watching concerts since I was 15.  Some groups I've seen include:
Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Wham, Madonna (yes the Virgin tour where the opening act was Beastie Boys), Katrina & the Waves,  and many others.
In my line of work, I've done production for many concerts such as UB40, BoyzIIMen, Michelle Branch, and others.
What I'm getting at is that I've seen lots of performers/shows.
I have to say that Taylor Swift rocked the Araneta Colesium!  I only knew of a couple of her songs prior to the concert but now she's won my respect.
She sings and sounds just as good as she does on her cds (no she wasn't lip-syncing).  Her energy and musical abilities kept the arena charged.  And finally, she is one beautiful country girl!
Bundle all of that with 16,500 fans singing all her songs all night long and you had one awesome show!

I sat with my kids after the show at a restaurant and after all the hype about the concert I told them this:
"What makes this trip memorable for me is not just that we saw Taylor Swift but that I had always wondered what it would be like to hang out with my two eldest as adults".  The moment for me was a milestone.  And to put it into perspective, I told them to imagine what it'd be like to have their next youngest sister join us as an adult.
Wow, what a great father-child experience!  I wrote in one of my earlier blogs that in 2003 I had fullfilled a dream to drive my family from northern California to Disneyland in a minivan.  That was the same type of milestone and the same type of Fearless feeling I had.
The funny thing is-although I'm living out great adventures that were once ideas, I'm creating lasting impressions upon my kids that they will have and share with their own someday!
I guess you could say it's like an Enchanted Love Story that Belongs To Me...

Hope you liked this!

Jeff

Who you gonna call?

When is the last time the past came and haunted you?  I don't mean as in paranormal activity but rather past relationships, bad decisions, saying the wrong thing or a lie, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Recently, a friend of mine showed me a picture that was taken of him while he was out of town checking out a club and havin a good time.  The picture wasn't exactly of him but he was in the background.  Funny thing is, there was more than one pic.  This picture was found by his brother-in-law on Facebook.  No harm but what are the odds of that?
About 7 years ago I was teaching a class of high school seniors and one of the students started laughing and I asked him what was so funny and he said he saw a video tape (vhs) of me when I used to Dj in a nightclub in the early 90's.  He said I cussed in every thing I said, and that I seemed over happy as I drank my alcohol.
Wow! I couldn't believe it so I asked who showed him the tape and sure enough it was one of my "friends" who happen to make the recording.  I went to that friend the next day and he quickly destroyed the tape at my request.

If you've ever wronged someone or did something you still regret to this day, go and make it right.  Ask that person to forgive you or go and pay back the things you owe.  It's never too late to fix a mistake and make a good name for yourself.

Sadly, some choose to live in the past and be miserable each day.  I say be happy that you are alive today and live each day to the fullest!  Get those skeletons out of that closet today.

C'est La Vie,

Jeff

A Special Valentine

To make for a more memorable Valentines day, try doing something different or giving something other than candy and flowers.
Here are some ideas:
-create a video message and post it on Youtube then give him or her a card with the link
-buy a slide at the movie theater (you've seen the ads shown before the movies right?)
-bake some cookies or a cake
-have lunch or dinner somewhere you both have never gone before
-go to a scenic lookout and take pictures
These are just some of my practical ideas.  If you have any please share with us.

By the way, Paris is not over-rated when it comes to being a romantic city.  I was amazed at how you could feel the romance in the air there.  I have yet to take Marti there.  Now that would be different!

If you don't have anyone to share this Valentines day with then save this page cause your time will come.

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1Corinthians 13:6-7

Have a special day!

Jeff

In Manila

The Breaks

Legendary pioneer of rap music Kurtis Blow had a hit called "The Breaks".  In the song he rapped about the brakes on a bus, brakes on a car, and breaks that made you a superstar.
In the world of Djing (or what is now known as Turntablism), a break in a song is when an instrumental part happens (usually just percussion) and Djs would play this part in a loop to extend the song.
The term B-Boy is short for Break Boy and describes dancers (or Breakers) who dance to the break in the song extended by the Dj.

In life, we all need a break.

We can get so caught up in the now that we forget to "stop and smell the flowers".  What I mean is- find the time in each day to literally smell some flowers, or make a baby laugh, or take off your shoes and walk on grass.  This would be our break in the song.  These are the times to do our headspins or backspins (haha, i tried to do a backspin the other day and almost injured myself!  Kids were laughing though so it wasn't a wasted effort).

We live in an age where we get to work earlier, stay later, and put in extra hours on weekends.  In the mainland you can compute the number of hours spent in commute and find that we live a portion of our lives in our cars stuck in traffic.  Did someone say "road rage"?  Get out of the fast lane for once and take the scenic route, you'll live longer.

Take a break before you break.

Cheers!

Jeff

Giant Crocs in Korea

Big Business

I have been blessed to own two businesses.  JamzMedia is one I started in 2001 and is an event production company and Video Sonic which I started with two partners about 14 months ago.

JamzMedia does everything from promoting concerts to installing equipment into commercial buildings.  I've been doing this for years and my business has gotten huge - on the front side.
The front side is the perception.  It's what others think of your business.  Having a huge front side has allowed me to get some of the biggest contracts in my field.  You might call it confidence but whenever opportunity arises to do a large scale job, I make sure that the client believes in my company, believes in me, and believes we can work together.  The only way to do this is for me to believe in me.
I once was head organizer of a huge 10,000 attendees block party where I had government directors working with me and following my plans.

Here is my back side.  This, by the way, is info I don't share with everyone.  I guess you could call it my trade secrets.  I operate out of my home, I store half my equipment in my cargo van, and I print my own business cards.
My operating costs are very low but that doesn't mean I bid low or I charge less.  In fact I won't take projects that offer low pay, I will refer the jobs to my competitors who are happy to take them.  I do this because I'd rather do one job that makes $ 100 than four jobs to make $ 25 each.

On the front side, people see my business as growing, it's as if I'm here there and everywhere.  On the back side, I'm just a boy with a few toys.  But I love playing with my toys and people seem to want to give me money to play with my toys!

I'll share more on my business tips and tricks in upcoming blogs.

Be confident, honest, and do what you love and I'm sure you'll find some way to earn a comfortable living doing so!

Here's an interesting article: http://www.familybusinessstrategies.com/articles02/3262p.html


Jeff

Social NetWorld

Picture this:  Im on my main computer in the living room, my wife is on the computer on the breakfast nook in the kitchen, and my eldest daughter is on her laptop in between us.  We're all on Facebook.
So my daughter uploads a video, I watch it and Like it, and she gets a notice of my Like.  She looks over at me and starts laughing.  My wife also watches it from the kitchen.

Honestly, this is the first time we are all doing this at the same time (honest).  It seems kinda weird but what if this becomes a normal part of homelife in a couple of years?

Once my wife and I were chatting with each other online while only 10 feet apart.  It was short and sweet but probably more silly than anything.

Sometimes when I eat out with friends, we text or BB each other from across the table.  What is the world coming to?  Have you ever done this or are my friends and I psycho?

My 11 year old daughter keeps asking me for a FB account cause "all" her friends have one.  I told her to wait till shes 13.  I think the old-school side of me wants her to run and play (literally) like kids her age should do and not spend anymore time in front of a computer than she already does with homework and games.

Connectivity is the key to understanding today's world.  It's all about who you can add and who adds you.  It's kinda like dating backwards.  Add now, learn about each other later.  What about friendship?  Forget it, some post more on their FB accts than they tell their boyfriends or girlfriends.  On the web, all are equal.  What I mean is-the information is for all to see provided they are added.  There's no level 1 friends, or neighborhood friends, or best friends.
There's no turning back kids, lets continue to add one another and post our daily experiences in hopes that someone will accept us or read into our lives. 

So wether you're on the other side of the world, or in the next room, msg me and I'll try to reply!

Jeff

Father Knows Best

Being a family man is one of the toughest jobs you'll ever love.
On a scale of 1-10 I rate myself a 10 and I could say I'm the perfect family man.
I didn't say I was the best, I said I was perfect in that I meet all the requirements such as:
-Have wife
-Have kids
-Have pets
-Have debts
-Have income
-Have home
Ok you get the picture right?

Like most parents, I want to give my kids the things I didn't have that I knew I should've had growing up.  The first of those is two real parents (not guardians) to raise them.  My guardians were the best but I shouldn't have been their responsibility.
When it comes to material things, my kids were taught at a very young age the difference between wants and needs.  Whenever they would get toys, it would come as rewards for good behaviour.  Even then, the toys would have some educational value and would be something they could share with each other (board games, science kits, etc. no guns).
One of the most important things my family has is consistent prayer, and thanksgiving to God.  Having God in the center of your family will bring the peace and contentment in times of chaos and disunity.
The moral of today's story is:
Work hardest at the things money can't buy for your family and make sure God is part of your household.

Be blessed!

Jeff

The Rock

I believe Guam is/was called The Rock because of a war movie from the seventies.
When I lived in the mainland and whenever I would tell people I was born on Guam, they would ask questions like "where is that?" or "do people speak english there?" or even "do people there wear clothes?"
Depending on the mood I was in, I would either give them a straight answer or joke around and say stuff like "some wear clothes and some don't".
Living on an island has its limitations but for me the pros outweigh the cons.
After her second year in college, Marti and I decided we would move back to where we were both born and start our lives together there.
In as much as I loved SF and had many friends and family there, I knew that I could live comfortably on Guam.
First time visitors to Guam will notice the lush green jungles and the deep blue ocean waters that are visible from most areas.  They will also quickly feel the high humidity.  KMart, Home Depot, and ChuckECheese have brought the mainland a little closer to home.

I think my wife and I made the right decision to start our family here.  Our kids are not over-exposed to the same urban influences we were (i.e. drugs, crime, etc).  There are problems here but not as frequent and not as drastic as in the states.

Because of Guam's proximity to Asia, we are able to visit places like Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, and Manila more often than when we lived in the states.

With the impending military buildup, Guam will be dramatically different 5 years from now but I look forward to possibilities the increase in popluation will bring. Unfortunatelly, not all here share my optimism.

If you live outside of Guam, come and visit us and I will show you around!  If you live here then take a minute to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us cause it might not be here tomorrow.

Hafa Adai!!

Jeff

For Real For Reals

In High School my close friends and I used to have a code for when we were really telling the truth about something.
When we wanted to simply convince others we would use "For Real".
Amongst ourselves, we knew that the only time something was really true was when we added an "s" to the second "For Real".  The code was "For Real For Reals"Ok, now this is public and no longer secret.
What's the point right?
Well, one of the first reality shows was MTV's "Real World"
It was a huge hit but the reality couldn't be further from the truth.  The show was scripted, they used actors, and viewers were brainwashed into believing that filthy language, premarital sex, sleeping around, and hatred were completely acceptable and many welcomed this into their living rooms.
When you think about it though, these shows have been around for some time now, we used to call them soap operas.
Don't give up on the idea of a wholesome family lifestyle.  Life is less complicated when we live simple and are true to ourselves, our family, and our friends.
Take off the mask and be free!  For real for reals!

Jeff

No Scrubs

Chivalry is defined as courtesy to women as an ideal knight.
Is chivalry dead?
I started this blog in hopes of helping my brothers of this world get back down to earth and for the sisters out there to understand Martian.
Robert Kiyoaski is famous for his book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". It's a bestseller that tells how he learned from the strengths and weaknesses of his "two dads" and became a very successful business man.

I too had two dads.  One was my biological father and the other was my uncle who raised me.
From my uncle dad I learned how to be a man's man.  He wasn't perfect but he took care of business.  He raised all of us with a firm hand and a gentle smile.  He didn't let his daughters go out at night and made sure we always ate dinner together as a family.  He also kept his vow to his wife and stayed married til death parted them.

Guys, lets get back to taking care of business.  One man at a time, we can turn the tides of fathers leaving their kids and wives.  I believe we can lower that statistic that says 1 out of 2 marriages will end in divorce.  I believe if God wanted us to hit women he would've given them bigger muscles to hit back.  And finally, I highly recommend we all get in touch with our spiritual side.  Having God in my life has given me hope for my sons' and daughters' futures.  I've learned how to be strong not just on the outside but on the inside as well.
This may be a little heavy for some but it's my purpose, and my prayers are that my blogs help others to find themselves.

I named my firstborn son after my uncle dad.

Have a blessed day!

Jeff

A Hairy Situation

You know you're a child of the 80's when you still blow-dry your hair and pump it up.
My unique identifier is my hair.
Every day I have to set aside 12-15 minutes to fix my hair.
When I was 16 my cousin who was a cosmetologist taught me how to turn my otherwise limp, no-body hair, into a fashion statement that I haven't changed to this day.
Here's the process (as if I were doing an info-mercial):
1) Wash and Rinse
2) Towel dry then blow dry
3) While first blow drying use round brush to curl hair back
4) When hair is dry, rub two dabs of the strongest gel you can find into your hair
6) Blow dry again and repeat curling while doing so
7) Use the strongest hair spray and spray lightly to "reactivate dry gel"  (be careful, hair will set)
8) For dry look spray onto brush, for wet look spray directly onto hair.  Use teasing brush if necessary.
9) When desired style is achieved, spray lightly once more to lock in look.

Only people that are really close to me have seen me do this process so if you have-your special! =)

At 14, prior to all this, I use to get "rice-bowl" hair cuts.   Its called that because it looks like you take a bowl, put in on your head, and cut around it.  See attached picture for laughs.

Have a fun day!

Jeff

An Email Got Me To Europe.

Aren't Fireworks cool?
For the longest time I wondered what it would be like to be a real Pyrotechnician (someone who shoots fireworks).
In 2007 I Googled the top Pyro companies in the world and sent emails to a few of them.  I asked for information on getting started in Pyro.
One took me seriously and not only replied but also wanted to meet me.  I explained to them that the only guy that was licensed in Guam had died (of old age) and there was no one else to do it and that it would be a good business opportunity.
Before you know it, one of the owners of the company visited and I took him around to see the island.
He told me that if I really wanted to learn the art and learn it quick I should help his company on projects.
He invited me to join him on a project in Instanbul Turkey.  They covered my expenses and I was on my way!
It was the most awesome eight day job I ever had!  The whole time I kept thinking I was going to wake up and find out I was only dreaming.
We loaded firworks on 10 barges (huge no-passenger ships used for hauling stuff), 5 rooftops, and 1 bridge the size of the Golden Gate in SF.

There are many things to do still to get licensed and there are lots of investments that need to happen for me to really get into Pyro but if you have an idea or dream, anything can happen!

That one email took me through Amsterdam, Paris, and Turkey! Hmmm, where do I want go next?

Live your dreams!

Jeff

The Writing's On The Wall

I remember back when I was an elementary student, I had a fascination with drawing airplanes.  I would draw PanAm Jumbo Jets.
At middle school age I started sketching faces off of pictures and painting with water colors.
In high school art was one of my best classes.  It was the only class where even if I had 20+ absences I still got an A.  High school is also where I learned (from friends) that spray paint was another medium.
Graffiti is something most people have done at least once or twice in their lives.  If you've ever wrote a "jeff wuz here" sort of thing or scratched something on a tree (i.e. jeff love marti) then you've created graffiti.
Growing up in the big city you couldn't help but get used to seeing it everywhere.  I lived in a Hispanic populated part of town so I saw lots of "cholo" type tags everywhere.
I was fascinated with how the art (if you want to call it that) was so spontaneous and public but it wasn't until I wrote my first tag that I felt the adrenaline rush that came with every stroke.

One night in '86 I decided to go into a neighborhood school to practice painting "throwups" (small, two-color paintings) of my name and other miscellaneous words.  I did this for about two weeks.
The prinicpal of the school started telling the students that if they knew who was doing the paintings to have him come in to talk to her.  At first I thought it was a sure setup so I sent one of my friends as decoy.  She was legit, she wanted to have murals done.  Long story short, she took me to hardware stores to buy paint and gave me all the walls on the back side of the school!
I visited the school in 2003 and saw that they had left the last mural I painted.  It was a mural with the word "Respect" in big letters.

Although I don't condone vandalism, I can say I understand why it is young people do graffiti.  Whenever I can, I try to use my experience to sway taggers from being vandals to being artists.

I'm forever greatful to that principal, and to my friends Eric-Spy, Calvin-UB, and others for "getting up" with me.

Have a spontaneous week!

Jeff

The Disc Jockey

When my eldest daughter was 15 she told me that she wanted to be a Dj.  At first I though- hmm...  knowing the environments a working Dj is exposed to, I wasn't too sure that was a good career choice.  In trying to find the positive in her statement, I was first flattered that I had made an impression enough that my daughter wanted to be like me.  I also thought, man if I started teaching her at this age she would be the best!
But the over-protective super dad took over and the lessons never happened.

I remember when I first wanted to learn how to Dj.  I was 15 and a friend of mine Paul B who lived across town in SF had some real Dj turntables-Technics 1200's.  Each day after school I would take a one hour bus ride to his house and we'd practice in his garage.  I'd bring a cassette and record each session so I could listen to the tape on my walkman on the way home.  Sometimes I'd leave so late he would just ask me to lock up when I left.  I did this as much as I could.

Being a Dj has brought me to incredible places and I've met some incredible people.  The first two followers of this blog are Dj friends of mine Scholar Brad and Erich Lazy E.

Believe it or not I still Dj at parties (very select however).  Last night I played some music for my grandmother's 90th birthday.  Being a professional Dj, I decided to stick to the theme and play 90's music!  It was a Hit!

Lastly, I heard recently that there was scientific evidence that proved listening to your favorite music triggers the same stimulants in your body chemistry that cocaine triggered.  It's no wonder why real Dj's are generally happy people!

One way to get high on life and not drugs!  In the words of my good friend Richard-Dj QBert "No body tricks, straight sound".

Jeff

Just Do It!

There are so many things to do in this world but not enough time to do them all.
From everything that I've tried to do or get involved in, there is one thing that I've gained each time; a greater appreciation for how awesome life really is!

Here is a variety of my 10 best experiences (in no particular order).
  -Working with a Pyrotechnics company to set off thousands of fireworks in Istanbul Turkey (2007) 
  -Djing with turntables while over a thousand people are dancing (1991)
  -Climbing onto a freeway billboard to spray paint my tag name in 6 foot letters (1988)
  -Night-time Scuba diving and finding a 6 foot Manta ray while looking for small fish. (2009)
  -Organizing one of the biggest block parties ever on Guam. (2005)
  -Promoting and Producing a concert with two of the most popular names in the Philippines. (2005)
  -Taking my young family on a vacation in California and driving from SF to LA in a minivan (2003)
  -Painting a mural on the entire side of a school (1987)
  -Traveling to a remote island in Philippines with a youth group to minister to other youth. (2002)
  -Strapped to an open door of a helicopter to shoot arial video for a TV commercial (2006)

I probalby could've created a list of 100 out-of-the-ordinary experiences but I didn't want this to go from blog to brag.
Try new things that may be good for you.  Life is a journey!
Also, feel free to share with me your best experiences!

Life - Almost half way there,

Jeff

Mountain Tops and Valleys

Life is a series of Mountain Tops and Valleys.
Are you on a Mountain Top right now or are you in a Valley?

Some of the deepest valleys in my life were times when I thought I couldn't afford payments anymore on the house and decided to sell.  I went so far as to put a For Sale sign in my yard.  I still live in that house today.
I also remember the valley of despair; it was a time when my wife and I (unmarried at the time) were separated.  I thought surely it was the end of the world.
Today's blog is not to bring you down or to make you feel sorry for me.  Instead I share this to encourage you to look upward when you find yourself in a valley.
My mountain tops have been times of great business income and memorable family trips to places like California, Hong Kong, and Manila.
My mountian tops have been times of being able to help others that were struggling with life issues and knowing I made a difference in their situation.
My mountain tops have been times of inspiring young people to seek out their talents and dreams and use them to their fullest.

I can go on and on about my mountain tops (and valleys for that matter) but today my blog is about You and not me.

Wherever you find yourself today, know that we are only human, we all make mistakes, and there is always hope.

A statistic I heard and has proven itself correct in my life is: "90% of the things we worry about never happen the way we think they will happen".  It is also written that - worrying doesn't add to your life.  I've learned to just deal with things realistically and let life come as it may.
I hope you find today's message useful!  TGIF.

Jeff

Teacher for Life

Although I own a business that deals with concert productions and corporate events, I also teach a couple of classes at a local private school.
The teaching job has been a labour of love for over 10 years now.  I teach advanced computer design, animation, and video editing.  I also teach Bible class.
Now when you think of Bible class, you think-open your bibles to Psalms and read, read, read.
Actually, my bible class is a very interactive, relevant class where we discuss current events and how they relate to scripture and my students are given a life lesson everyday.  You'll be surprised at how much young people really want to know about what God can do to improve their lives and situations.

Teaching at the private school also allows me to watch my kids grow.  We used to have two cars but we got rid of one long ago because we have more fun riding together to and from school.

I think there is one thing in life that far exceeds money as a measure of success and that is Time; time spent purposefully.  If you have an opportunity to spend time with your family (kids, siblings, mom and dad) then do so because time is precious.

Create lasting memories because that is really the only thing that the past is good for!

Have an extraordinary day!  Carpe diem.

Jeff

It's a small world

I was born and raised on the island of Guam.
Guam is about 32 miles long and about 12 miles wide with a population of about 170,000 people.
When I was 10 years old I moved to the mainland and my family stayed with my uncle who was in the Navy.  After experiencing living in different states, we settled down in San Francisco, California.
Fast forward to high school in SF:
While walking around the football field/track because I didn't bring my PE uniform, I met this girl named Marti who asked me if she could borrow the newspaper I was reading so she could check her horoscope.
She asked me where I was from and I said something like "Guam, you probably never heard of it" she replied something like "Guam? Really? I'm from Guam too!"
I couldn't believe it so I said "If you're from Guam, what village did you live in?" and she quickly replied "Dededo".  I couldn't believe it because "I lived in Dededo too!".  She couldn't believe it either so she further asked "What part of Dededo did you stay?" and I said "Latte Heights" and yes you guessed it-she lived there too!  In a city of 4 million people, two people from Guam decided not to dress for gym-thats how we met.
We didn't talk anymore for about a year, we just knew that there were only 3 of us from Guam in the entire 3000 student high school.  The third person by the way was a young gym teacher Mrs. Castro.
After about a year, Marti called me out of the blue and wanted to talk more.  The year was 1986.

What are the odds?

Through trials and tribulations we are still married today and tell that story every now and then when the opportunity arises.

I believe in Creation and I believe in God.  I also believe that God has a sense of humor and allows for these impossiblities to happen to keep our lives interesting.

Have an incredible day!  I know I will!

Jeff

The Day After 41

I really don't feel like I've gotten older, I still feel like I'm 29...really!
Although I hardly make comments of Facebook, last night I felt like replying to everyone who sent a birthday greeting.  There were quite a few, almost a hundred and there are still people sending wishes.  I just don't get how people can do that every day.  Ok, it wasn't that hard, it just took some time.
Anyways, more about me:
I have 5 kids, the eldest is in college, the next one is graduating high school this year, and the youngest is in the second grade.
My wife is my high school sweetheart and we have one of those incredible "small world" stories of how we met which I'll talk about in my next blog.
I write these at 6:15am every morning (maybe later on weekends though) and I am a morning person.
I am going to prepare a short devotion which I share every Tuesday with teachers.  Teaching-there is the first peice of the puzzle of my life.  More on that also later.  Bye for now, gotta prep that Tuesday devotional.

By the way, smile today.  If you don't need it, someone else might.

Jeff

This Is Me...

Hello World!
If you happen to stumble on this today you are in for a ride.  Today is my birthday depending on what side of the International Dateline you live in.
In the next 365 days I'm gonna share with you my life in hopes that it may affect yours for the better.  Im a 41 year old living like I'm still 29 and I'm living a very happy and balanced life.
Follow me if you; have a family of your own, will have a child soon, are a Dad or Mom, or just someone looking for an interesting true-life story to read about.

Have an awesome day, I'll try to do the same!  See you in 24 hours.

Jeff