One Year Later...

Dearest Mama,

There was a slight earthquake late last night. At first, it started to sway a little and I thought it was probably a big truck trying to make its way through tiny streets. But then it kept on swaying and when I looked out the window, guess what? No truck in sight.

The good thing is it didn't get any stronger than that. A few of us got startled, but nothing broke and no one got hurt. The sad thing is we had an earthquake, the only real downfall of living in sunny California. But then again this unpredictable weather can bring with it a lot of the good and well, the not-so-good.

Rain, wind, hot, cold, dry, moody.
Floods, freezes, accidents, allergies, mood swings.
Flowers, breezes, relief, joy, rejuvenation...

You may wonder, "Why is she mentioning this to me now?"

Now that you no longer have to worry about the world acting out and leaving us roaming around waiting for it to calm down again. Now that you are at peace and freely floating about. Now that you don't have to burden yourself with silly things like little earthquakes and weather changes?

Well, I simply figured you were just trying to mess with our minds to let us know, "Hey, I'm still here!"

I got your message, Ma. Loud and clear.

Love you always,

Myrnelle

Happy Belated Mother's Day

Hello our beautiful Mama,

We just wanted to take the time to say hi and we miss you!




We celebrated Mother's Day late this year, having dinner at about 7:00pm at a little Japanese/Chinese restaurant called Wokano. We had a booth underneath a tiki-hut with lit candles and music in the background. You would of loved it!

It was nice to try something new and to celebrate Ate's (Michelle Ayau) very first mommy day. Everyone was in good spirits munching on terriyaki, udon noodles, garlic chicken and of course a boat full of sushi!

Towards the end of dinner with bowls of brown rice still 1/2 full, Boyz II Men's A Song for Mama came on. Some of us got a little teary-eyed, others worked on eating more rice because we know how you don't like us to waste food! But of course mom (Maria Dizon) said it best, "Our Mama decided to join us after all."

We love you always,


















The Dizon and Ayau Family


Lyrics:

You taught me everything
And everything you've given me
I always keep it inside
You're the driving force in my life
There isn't anything
Or anyone that I can be
And it just wouldn't feel right
If I didn't have you by my side

You were there for me to love and care for me
When skies were grey
Whenever I was down
You were always there to comfort me
And no one else can be what you have been to me
You will always be you always will be the girl
In my life for all times

Mama, mama you know I love you
Oh you know I love you
Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart
Your love is like
Tears from the stars
Mama, I just want you to know
Lovin' you is like food to my soul
Yes it is

You're always down for me
Have always been around for me even when I was bad
You showed me right from my wrong
Yes you did
And you took up for me
When everyone was downin' me
You always did understand
You gave me strength to go on

There was so many times
Looking back when I was so afraid
And then you come to me
And say to me I can face anything
And no one else can do
What you have done for me
You'll always be
You will always be the girl in my life

Mama, mama you know I love you
Oh you know I love you
Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart
Your love is like
Tears from the stars
Mama, I just want you to know
Lovin' you is like food to my soul
Yes it is

Never gonna go a day without you
Fills me up just thinking of you
I'll never go a day without my mama

Mama, mama you know I love you
Oh you know I love you
Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart
Your love is like
Tears from the stars
Mama, I just want you to know
Lovin' you is like food to my soul
Yes it is

Yes you are

http://www.lyriczz.com/lyrics/boyz-ii-men/5569-a-song-for-mama/

In Memory of Papa Gonzalo Dizon

Mama & Papa

Dedicated to Papa April 2, 1990

Hindi kita malilimutan
Hindi kita pababayaan
Nakaukit magpakailanman
Sa 'king palad ang 'yong pangalan

Malilimutan ba ng ina
Ang anak na galing sa kanya
Sanggol sa kanyang sinapupunan
Paano niyang matatalikdan
Ngunit kahit na malimutan
Ng ina ang anak niyang tangan

Chorus:
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan

Malilimutan ba ng ina
Ang anak na galing sa kanya
Sanggol sa kanyang sinapupunan
Paano niyang matatalikdan
Ngunit kahit na malimutan
Ng ina ang anak niyang tangan

Chorus:
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan

Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di pababayaan
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailanma'y di...
Kailanma'y di...
Pababayaan

God's Gift from Mama

I was told by my doctor that I was not able to have any children due to damaged and unrepairable fallopian tubes and even with that being said, I was still blessed with my beautiful miracle baby.
Remembering back, it was bitter-sweet news to hear about the death of my grandmother. She was "Mama" to everyone, but to me, was like a "second mother" to both my younger sisters and I. And with her tragic death I said goodbye to her silently and was happy to know she didn't have to suffer any longer and asked that she bless me with a child I so desperately hoped for. The following week of her passing I was pregnant! And every time I look into my baby's eyes, I see her. And as she was like a mother to me in my life, I can only hope to be just as good a mother to my daughter as she has been to me. I miss you Ma.

Congrats Pastor Joey Joe

Hi Mama,

I just wanted to let you know that I've taken a big step in my life. It was a decision I knew would be the right one to make for me and my family. Below is my speech and a picture of me as I stood behind the podium. I thought this would be important to share with you even though I knew all along that you were watching me up in Heaven.

Love and miss you,

Pastor Joe Baldivia


A Life for God
Message on 2/22/09


When Pastor Justin asked me to become associate pastor my heart wanted to say yes right then and there but my mind pumped the breaks and I decided to go back and think about it, talk it over with my wife and decide if I’ll have the time to really do this. A few weeks past by and I was still on the fence with it. I wanted to do it but I just kept thinking: how am I gonna juggle work, family time, and being an associate pastor?

Then I think God got tired of waiting for me and said if you think you won’t have time, let me make some time for you and so I got laid off which freed up a whole bunch of time. God also tested my faith in Him because the same day I got the news that I was being laid off, my wife Erin got into a car accident and totaled her car. That morning as I was driving to the hospital to see Erin, I had a peaceful calm over me. Yeah I didn’t have a job anymore, yeah my wife was in the E.R. but I remember driving and saying to myself that everything is gonna work out. It always has for me. I’ve kept God first in my life and he’s always been there for me.

Like it says in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

and Hebrews 13:5-6: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

My family and I are living testaments to God’s faithfulness to those that put Him first in their lives and seek His will. Erin was only sore for a few days and everything is ok with the baby.

That weekend I decided to accept this position. Everything that happened only brought me closer to God and I felt Him calling me and I answered. I’m declaring to all of you today that I’m living my life for God. Its going to be a humbling experience and I thank God that Erin has been so supportive and understanding. We talked about it and we definitely are gonna have to cut back on a lot of expenses, so that means not going out to eat as much and instead of a 5 dollar footlong from Subway we stay home and make a peanut butter sandwich, a lot of good ol mac and cheese, and Tuesday nights at Denny’s cause kids eat free.

I’m ready for it though. I’m excited about this. I’m ready to be used by God to do His work.

As we read in Isaiah 6:8 in the responsive reading, "Isaiah offered himself to do the Lord’s work. When the Lord asked “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah said “Here am I, Send Me!” And that verse hits home for me because that’s exactly where my heart is.

Everything that I have and everything that I am I’m offering up to Him to use. I’m not the same person I was a year ago, a month ago or even last week. And I hope I can show you all that. I don’t know how he’s gonna use my goofy dorky personality or my dancing/bboy skills or for those that know me well my loud annoying laugh but I’m sure He’ll find a way and I can’t wait. I feel God has brought me into this position to help grow this church and spread His Gospel. Our church has been around the same size for a few years now and I think 2009 is finally gonna change for us. We used to meet in a library meeting room and now we have this beautiful sanctuary to hold our services. We have classrooms to hold meetings, bible studies, seminars etc. and we need to utilize what God has provided.

I’m laying it all out on the line for God and I need your help because I will be attacked. Satan doesn’t like this decision that I’ve made and I know he’s gonna do everything he can to make me change my mind but it won’t change and I’m ready to go through the storm and that’s why I need your help to keep encouraging me and standing beside me when I slip and fall because I will slip. I’m not perfect nobody is I sin just like everybody else. We’re human. But like Pastor Justin was talking about last Sunday as believers, living righteously is all about progression growth moving forward. It’s about learning from your mistakes and not making the same one twice. If I commit a sin I want to be able to grow stronger from it so the next time I am tempted I’ll be strong enough to resist. I have a lot of growing to do, a lot of studying because there’s a lot for me to learn, But I’m confident that with the support here in this church and my family and friends backing me up I’m gonna get through it all. I’ll be able to stay in the middle of that circle of obedience God has put around us and stay on the path that He has set for me.

In my life, I’ve gone down many different paths. There are people here that know me from all phases of my life. You may hear different people call me different names. People that know me from when I was a kid you may hear them call me Joe. People from my previous jobs you’ll hear them call me Jose. And of course the ones that know me as a bboy know me as Fugi Rok.
But however you know me…..know me now as a servant of God!

Justin and I have talked about several plans for the church and you’ll be hearing about all of them in these next couple of weeks and months. And these plans we give to God because we know that no matter what the future holds for us, with God first and by trusting in Him anything is possible.

As I close, I want to leave you with one thought, I don’t know who you’re living for…I don’t know if you’re living for yourself or another person, or for money and possessions. But I want you all to think about who or what it is that you are living for…because I’m living for God and I couldn’t be happier with how my life is.

It’s my hope and prayer that if you aren’t living for God, that you make the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior. And if you’ve already done so, that you wait and listen closely for his call and I pray that when he does call upon you that you will answer it and do His work here on earth in whatever way that may be.

God Bless

Welcome Amaya Janae Ayau!

Hello Mama,

We just want you to know that our precious baby girl, Amaya Janae came into this world at exactly 9:13am this morning, weighing 6lbs 6oz and 18.5inches. She is so attached and loves the attention she is getting from everyone so far! She is already posing for the cameras and you know how much we love to take pictures! You should have seen your son carrying her. He still can't believe he is a Lolo (grandpa), but of course like you he'd rather be called something younger so he doesn't feel older. So, Amaya will learn to call him "G-Dad!"

How we wish you could have met her, but in a way she is your blessing so you already have.

Love you always.

The Ayaus

Little Turtle Come Out of Your Shell!

Hi Mama,

We just want to tell you that we are so excited that our first baby in the family is on its way. This is your miracle, Mama. You left this Earth and your soul floated into my tummy and blessed her with a baby girl. We love you and miss you so much!
-The Ayau's





The Happy G-Parents (Michelle's Side)



The Happy G-Parents (Leonard's side)



The 4 M's Rubbing Baby-to-Be