An overview of 2009

It sure has been a crazy year! Earlier this year, I was shown a YouTube video of these two amazing young ladies (AJ and Reesa) by our bass player Al. Next thing you know, I find myself sitting next to Mark (guitar player) making a video asking AJ and Reesa to sing happy birthday to Al.

Next thing you know it, we're in LA meeting AJ and Reesa for the first time. And then we get two more members in our band!!!

This summer, we did a lot of gigs, went to Seattle to play at a church and met a bunch of wonderful young people who love God and share that same passion of reaching out to the world.

Then Randy and I celebrated our one year in August and then our last year of college began. During this past semester, we played big venues and ministered at churches. Randy and I became members of a church called Congregation of Zion and we're learning so much and growing as a couple there!

In September, a tsunami hit home and a lot of homes and lives were lost that day. I lost a couple of good childhood friends and relatives. It was a sad day for Samoans. It made it really hard for me because I wasn't home with my family. But I thank God that they're safe! God has been faithful to my family just as He always has been!

So here we are at the end of 2009. God has brought me a long way. I've experienced some good and bad days, but overall, God has always proven Himself time and time again. Randy got a job teaching music at a private school and we have one more semester before graduating!! This coming week our band will be in St. Louis for a missions conference, and we look forward to seeing what God has to teach us there!

I look forward to the new year and to see what God has in store for me, Randy, my family and the band!!! It's been one crazy year and it's just the beginning!!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Othello & DJ Vajra

Here's a little taster from a new project by Othello, who you may or may not known from his work as part of the seriously underrated group Lightheaded.

O has hooked up with a DJ by the name of Vajra to release a 12" featuring current Stones Thrown big shot Mayer Hawthorne (performing under his alias, Haircut) and his old group Now On, which includez Jackson Perry and IX Lives.

The cut in question, entitled 'Active Balanced', has been given the remix treatment by Terry Cole, and is the first release from Othello and Vajra's upcoming album, The Required Taste. Cole employs some Vintage Dilla-like drums ('Let's Ride', anyone?) to drive the track, with the boom bap combining nicely with some jangling guitar chords and keys to give the track a nice, organic feel.

Electric Wire Hustle

I found this new group online.. pretty tight! Peep it!

'Perception' Electric Wire Hustle from Electric Wire Hustle on Vimeo.

Q-Tip Feat. Norah Jones

Check it!

Just wanted to say...

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving everyone!!! :)

FRIENDS!!!

I really thank God for friends! Seriously!!! I don't think I would have made it through college of course without God, prayer and FRIENDS! I have made so many great friends these past two years I have been here in the US. It's been amazing meeting people from different cultures and different backgrounds. I have so many friends who are amazing musicians, engineers, artists, teachers, biologists, dentists, pre-pharms and just friends who are plain old cool to be around! The one sad thing about college is that you don't know if you'll ever see these amazing people when college is over. You're all going to go your separate ways and live life! I guess it's all part of life. BUT! I have a crazy feeling that the friends that I have right now, will be close and around no matter what. I just know it! :)

But yeah, I really am thankful for friends. Friendship is an awesome thing to have. It's part of what keeps you sane.

Being content

I Timoth 6:8 "As long as we have food and clothes, we should be satisfied."

Being content is probably one of the hardest things to do as a human. A couple of Sundays ago, my Pastor talked about being content and giving. And, I got really convicted because I always find myself wanting things I see. So yeah, I think I'm going to try my hardest at just being content with what I have. As long as I have food to get through the week and clothes in my closet, then I should be content.

Tipping Point Benefit Concert

So our band is trying to raise money to go to a missions conference called Urbana during Christmas break in St. Louis,

Missouri. But we need money to get there!! So, we'regoing to be holding a benefit concert, and you should come out and support us!!! Here's some information:

When: November 6, 2009

Time: Dinner starts at 6:30pm and the show starts at 8pm

Where: Lighthouse Gymnasium 1904 Quail Lakes Dr.

Cover fee: $15 but $10 for students

Come out and enjoy great music and really good food!

Featured Guests:

Village on Yarn who will be providing wonderful dinner music

Rhythm Inc who will be giving a special dance performance

So, come out and support us!!! :) Hope to see you there!!!

Joss Stone's new album Color Me Free GET ONE!

Are these the End Times??

Matthew 24: 7-8 says "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."

You wonder... is this really the end of the world?? I've heard so many preachers growing up say "The Lord is coming soon!" And it would always scare me, but as time went on and nothing serious really happened, it slipped my mind or I never really paid attention to it. Until now... There have been wars and even rumors of wars, there have been earthquakes in places that people never knew existed (American Samoa) until now. So, these are all the beginning of birth pains.

Honestly, I'm dead frightened. It just sucks that these earthquakes in the Bible are happening in my homeland. I never thought I would be alive to see the end times, but I guess I was wrong. God's ways are definitely higher than mine. Being so far from home doesn't really help the situation either. I really miss my family right now and wish I was with them during these crazy and hard times that my people are facing. Times like these make me wonder why I'm here... when I should be at home helping rebuild my home that was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami.

I really can't explain what's going on in the world right now, nor will I ever understand why things happen the way they do. But I just pray and hope that my faith doesn't fail me and that God will continue to protect my family and the people of the South Pacific.

Earthquake and Tsunami hits my home...

Today, an earthquake hit my home in the South Pacific. Along with that were five 10-foot tsunamis that washed almost all the coastal areas and villages. Over 100 people were reported dead from both American and Western Samoa. May God be with my people. Please keep them in your prayers and thoughts as they go through these rough times. It's so hard being away from family during times like these. You really don't know what to feel. I hate feeling helpless. However, my family is okay, but I did lose some really good friends today. May God be with those families who have lost loved ones through this tragedy. If you wanna read more... just google it. It's all over the news.

A song to think about as we go through these hard times. Samoa will always be beautiful in my eyes. Samoa la'u pele moni.

My Beautiful Samoa

La'u Samoa e matalasi,

ua siosiomia e le sami

Atumauga lanu lau'ava,

feoa'i fiafia o ou tagata

ch :

La'u Samoa la'u Samoa ea,

le Atua o lou fa'avae e moni lea

Le ao o lou Malo tali i lagi,

Samoa ea i malo aufa'atasi

Tu lata oe i le Ekueta (equator),

e mafanafana foi e le vevela

Soo se mea aua le popole,

e mamulu mai ile faamolemole

Malie toa ua malo tau,

o nai upu fa'ala'ei'au

Sema ane so ta taeao,

Samoa lo ta va'a ia sao

May God bless American Samoa. Samoa muamua le Atua! (Samoa, put God first!)

So far...

I've been sleeping a lot in class lately. No matter how much I try to get into bed before midnight, I'm always finding myself waking up feeling like I didn't get enough sleep. So far, the school year has been just crazy crazy crazy! I just hope that I could make it out alive! I don't know what to do to stay awake in class... for some odd reason, sugar isn't working! Maybe I should move to plan B: Energy drinks!!! :)

What's Your Perspective?

When you look at the world, what is the first thing that comes to your attention? Do you zero in on the problems, the heartaches, the fears and disappointments, or do you first take note of the beauty, the joys and the positive possibilities?
If you look at life through a lens of negativity, life will dutifully arrange itself to meet your expectations. When you approach life from a more positive perspective, your expectations will just as surely be met.

Is it unrealistic to look at the bright side, to remain generally positive, and to expect the best in life? No, because reality itself is neutral, and what you get from it depends upon how you view it and what you make of it.

The raw forces, circumstances and events are, for the most part, out of your control. Yet you can completely control the way you perceive, respond, adapt and yes, even prosper under their influence.

The control you exercise over your own perceptions, thoughts and actions will make all the difference in your life. Reality is what it is, and your own relationship to that reality is precisely whatever you choose for it to be.

There is goodness, there is beauty, there is love and joy and boundless opportunity when you choose to see it. Look realistically at the world, see the very best, and bring it joyfully to life in each moment.

Subscribe to My Imagination and Travelin' Girl

I hella love Dwele!!!

Keep Going...

On the other side of the challenge there is a great reward. Keep going.

When you've made the effort and cannot yet see the result, keep going. The very next step

could be the one that brings you across the finish line.

When you become weary, remind yourself why you started in the first place. Connect with

your true purpose, and feel the energy begin to flow through you again.

Smile and laugh and have a good time on the journey. Be kind and considerate, thoughtful

and helpful, and your load will feel lighter, your steps will come more quickly.

As long as you keep going, every inch of progress will make you stronger. Every moment will

bring you closer to the goal.

Consider what a joy and a privilege it is to be able to make a difference. Feel that joy, keep

going, and make your world brighter with each step you take.

-Ralph Marston

After reading this, and listening to He's Gonna Come Through by Smokie Norful, I realize that things will work out. My brother has been telling me that things will work out. It's funny how the things that you go through in the present blurs your vision of what is ahead of you. My registration got canceled yesterday and it's been stressing me out because it's my last year and if they don't let me re-register, I wont be able to graduate this year. So, I'm just trusting and believing that God will move in my favor. I gotta keep reminding myself that my God is bigger than all of this. I just got to keep going. This is a challenge, and on the other side of this challenge, is a great reward. I just gotta keep moving forward.

Strengths Finder 2.0

So, I took this strength finders test online and found my top five strengths! I thought it was close to true! ha! Anyway, here are my strengths:

1. Context

2. Intellection

3. Achiever

4. Deliberate

5. Connectedness

Context is a person who always looks back.  Finds the answers to the future by looking in the past.  Intellection is a person who likes to think a lot.  And yeah, I sure do think a lot.  And I mean A LOT!  An achiever is that you always want to achieve something at the end of the day.  You always have a list of things to do and that you have to achieve them.  Definitely what I do a lot! Deliberate is when you're very careful with the way you make decisions and how you go about almost everything involved in your life.  You plan things out and carefully think them through.  And then connectedness is when you feel like everything happens for a reason and that there's a purpose to everything.  So yeah, these are my five strengths.  You should go and purchase a book and tell me what your five strengths are!! I think mine fit me well! BUT they don't define who I am as a person!!! 

Moving Forward

Play this song before reading...

In A Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington

For life to move forward, some things must change. For life to have meaning, some things must endure.It is good to embrace change, because growth, progress and value creation are impossible without it. At the same time, it is wise to be wary and careful with change, for a solid, steady foundation contributes greatly to life. In fact, new and valuable changes are made possible by the very fact that some things do not change. When the ground beneath your feet holds steady, you can reliably build many new and useful things upon it. Make the most of the opportunities to change, to grow, to improve, and to move forward into new territory. At the same time, protect and preserve the fundamental, enabling values upon which your life is built. A successful, fulfilled life is at the same time changing and steady. Understanding what must change and what must not is a key life skill, one that is well worth the time and trouble to develop. Be ever willing to change some things in life while being reliably able to hold firm in other things. It is a powerful combination that will take you far.

Late Night Jam Sessions

So, late at night, a couple of friends and I have these late night jam 

sessions where we spend a couple of hours learning new songs and 

singing songs we already know. At first it started out  with just three people, 

but last night there was about 10 people in one little practice room in Owen Hall. 

Boy was it warm in there!! haha! But, the cool thing about these jam sessions are 

not only the music but also the people who are there. It's crazy how music can bring

people together!!! I guess this is going to be a weekly thing!! I'm excited!! :) You should 

come too!!! I'm looking forward to the next one!!! Woot woot!!!

Happy Birthday Trinity!

So this is my other sister Trinity.  This girl! Where do I begin? I've been through a lot with this monkey! We nicknamed her Baba.  So, Baba came into the world on September 4, 1994.  She recently turned 15 and she is now a sophomore in high school.  Before she came into the family, I was the baby of the family.  So, when she came into the family, like any other kid, I was a little jealous but at the same time I loved her because she was a cute bald baby! haha! But, I love this girl! I've fought with her, yelled at her, beat her up when she needed to be, and laughed with her too! So Baba, happy 15th birthday! I love you and I look forward to seeing you at my graduation!!! Happy birthday!

Reaching Out

So today, I had my first experience doing street ministry.  It was myself, Randy and my friends Joshua and Matt.  When we first got to the homeless shelter, I really didn't know what to expect.  I prayed a little prayer that God would just help me touch somebody's heart through song.  So, as we were setting up, people were in line to get some food (which was really good by the way) and then sat down to hear some worship songs.  When Randy played Because of Who You Are, I remembered why I was there.  I wasn't there to show somebody how good I was, or to just sing because I was asked to sing; I was there because I wanted to show everyone who God is in my life as a singer and how good He's been.  

This experience was such a blessing!  I've become more passionate about reaching out to the homeless.  I've always wanted to but just didn't know how to.  I know that I couldn't talk to a homeless person, because I'd suck at it.  Where would I begin?  But that's the very reason why God has blessed me with gifts and talents.  God allowed me to minister to people through music.  At the end of the service, a lady accepted Christ into her heart, a woman approached Randy and I and asked that if somebody came to pick her up from the women's shelter, she would gladly go to church; a homeless man played Lord You Are Good with us, and it inspired him to play more of the piano.  God changed lives right in front of my eyes, and all I had to do was just open my mouth and sing and just watch God move.  

I guess what I'm trying to say is that God has blessed each and every one of us with something that is suppose to be used to minister to people and touch people's lives.  All we have to do is just use those things and let God do the rest.  Today was such an awesome experience.  I really didn't know how to minister to people.  I've never been put in this kind of situation.  But by trusting God, he came through.  I look forward to doing this again next month.  Hopefully some more people will come along and help!! :)  Hopefully.

Mayer Hawthorne

My brother showed me this video! I thought it was tight and now I'm sharing it with you! 

Enjoy and have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!!!!

What it's like to be an education major....

Personally, I think being an ed major is sweet! The courses are easy, but it's a lot of work.  Your goal is: to cater to your students!  Make sure that they're learning well and understanding what you're teaching them!  When I first became an ed major, I was scared to death.  I don't really function well around too many kids because I'll eventually lose my temper and kill a kid! haha!  But, I guess it takes practice.  

The first thing I noticed when I became an ed major, was that the majority of classes consisted of the female gender.  This has to be every man's dream! haha! Every single class had about 24 - 25 women, and rarely was there ever a guy in the class!  It's cool having so many women in your class, but there are disadvantages of having only women in the classroom.  You'll hear someone talking about how they broke up with their boyfriend, another one talking about the girl across the room, another one talking about how much she hates that class you're in, another one talking about how much her fieldwork site is so rundown... I can keep going! haha! So besides having all the beautiful women in one room, you all have the same goal to become a teacher, and you learn so much from each other. AND the education department is the nicest department on your campus!! TRUST ME! LoL! At least it is in mine!

A cool thing about an education major, is that you learn so many strategies of how to teach the different subjects that are being taught in the schools. It's crazy what you learn and wish that your teacher from elementary taught you that subject that way.  I took a course on how to teach math to students effectively, and I learned so many strategies that I wish my teachers taught me when I was going to school.  I've learned a lot these past 2 years that I have been at this school, and I'm trying my best to apply it in the classroom!  

Another good thing about being an education major, is that the courses are really easy.  They are easy! Trust me! They're stinkin' easy!  These courses just require a lot of work!  It's crazy! Even though it's a lot of work, and you have to be very detailed with your lesson plans, all that work is worth it in the long run because you'll get so use to these lesson plans that you'll learn to re-write them and make them better as you experience different kinds of students! It's awesome!

Another crazy thing about being an education major, is that you get to see a child grow and develop different learning skills within the four walls of your classroom.  YOU also have the privilege of showing them the world around them and the things that are happening in it! Witnessing a child learn something new is an amazing experience! So, even though I wont get much money, the experience is all the payment I need... I think! haha! Need to get that paper ya dig?? haha!

The start of my last year of college....

So my last year of college starts on Monday.  I'm excited but nervous at the same time.  I'm ready to get that degree and start teaching in the classrooms, but afraid of not being able to accomplish anything when I face the world.  Gosh!  It's really crazy how fast time flies by! It still feels like I just transferred to college out here in California.  

These past couple of days have been days of reflecting and thinking about the future.  I've reflected on how far I've come, and how thankful I am to have come this far.  I wouldn't have done it without the prayers and support of family and friends, and of course, God always having His hand over me everywhere I am.  When I graduate, I will be the first grandchild on my father's side with a bachelor's degree!  It's such a privilege and an honor to get this kind of degree because without the help and support of my immediate family, I wouldn't be receiving this degree.

I look forward to what this year has to offer, but a little sad at the same time because I know that this year is going to fly by and before I know it, I'm walking up on that stage receiving my degree.  I guess the one thing that I'm concerned about, is what I'm going to do after I graduate.  I'm thinking of teaching for a year and then aiming to enter SF State's education program to receive my Master's degree.  But we'll see.  My parents have two more kids to put through college, so after this last year, I'm pretty much on my own.  So, I'm just worried about being financially stable after college.  Yes, the Lord will provide, but that's no excuse to just lay back and do nothing.  I gotta work my butt off to enjoy the little luxuries of life... like FOOD! haha!  I'm ready to work hard and become more independent, but I'm scared at the same time.  

So here I am, a soon-to-be college graduate, trying to figure out what the next two years will look like for me.  Wherever I end up, that's where I'm suppose to be.  Life is crazy, I might end up in places I never thought I'd end up!  You know!!?? :)  Anyways, when I get it all figured out, I'll let you know what's going down with my life! :)  Good luck to everyone on the new school year!

Lauryn Hill on Def Poetry Jam

I love Lauryn Hill!!! This is a poem by Lauryn Hill that she gave on Def Poetry Jam. 

It's called Motives and Thoughts. She urges us to check our motives and thoughts.  

This poem is deep and just thought I share it with you!!! :) Enjoy!

Life at the moment...

I remember posting this on myspace.. thought it would be cool to post it on my blog page.. lemme know what you think!


I haven’t experienced anything recently that has reminded me of my mortality. This isn’t about death; it’s about me trying to learn more about life. Right now, my loved ones are probably sleeping peacefully in their beds as my eyes hurt, and my feet are a little cold; these are minor details, but it’s my life at the given time and moment. When I’m done, I may rush to make to-do lists, categorize my day in my head, decide who to write home to, tell myself I’ll use spring break to get ahead in classes, decide on whether I should get dressed now or try to cuddle, blah blah blah… or just sit still. Maybe I will engage in personal gratifying activities like counting my scars, playing in my hair, picking my nose, or in other words, I’d really like to just live my life. I don’t wish to spend all my time planning my life because anything can happen and in all reality, I can do anything at any giventime because I don’t live my life based on a schedule. I know I sound like a damn self-help book… but whatever! I am the only one capable of writing a book about how to help myself. I have to live my life, learn from my own mistakes, make my own judgments, and do what I want to do because in the end no one else is capable of living my life… just ME.

Family

So, I'm like thousands of miles away from home and immediate family and I get homesick very often. I guess it's cool that you have friends around you to comfort you and listen to what you have to say, but in my opinion, nobody understands you as well as family. It's true.. nobody knows you the way family does. They've been around you since you came into the world and have seen you grow into the person you are today. When sh** hits the fan, who's always there? Family. I remember coming home after a rough day at school, and I tried hiding it... I was doing great. Everyone didn't notice.. but my dad! I don't know, my mom use to always say "the things that you don't tell us, the Holy Spirit does." So, in other words, you can't hide anything from family. Because they're the ones who are always going to support you. This Christmas, I'm not going to be home. It's pretty sad to think about. I wrote a blog earlier about my baby sister, and she's usually the reason why I wanna come home. I'm missing a lot of her growing up. All my friends around, have family within traveling distance... and I don't mean relatives... I mean parents and siblings and pets! But me? I gotta wait for months to go back home. But not this year... I have to wait til graduation in May to see my family again. I gotta admit, it's gonna be hella hard, because going back home makes me feel refreshed in a way, and also reminds me of who I am and where I come from. So yeah, I know the year is going to go by fast, but there will be those days where it'll feel like the year aint going anywhere. Hopefully I'll be okay. I guess I'm just gonna have to call home EVERY DAY! :) I love my family and like my brother always says "Family is your backbone". So, although I wont be able to see my parents and siblings this Christmas, I know that they're praying for me and supporting me! I love you guys!!!

I fell in love with dwele...

LOL! On the weekend of my birthday, me and some of my best friends went to go see Dwele live at Yoshis in Oakland. At first, I was all like, this is going to be a good concert, but probably not as good as Ledisi's when I went this past winter. BUT... when the man started singing, I was like... I think I'm in love!! lol! He was a good host. BUT... I can honestly say, that I still haven't seen anyone as tyte as Ledisi. It was cool how Dwele came into the crowd and started dancing with all the beautiful women that were there! Was hoping he came to the back where we were! hahaha! Jus' bein' honest is all!

It's just crazy seeing so many cool singers and the musicians behind them. It inspires me to make more music and get better at singing! The horns that night were on point... when they started playing the first notes to Flap Jacks, the crowd went crazy! I went crazy too! haha! The guitar player was the same person who played for the gospel artist Marvin Sapp when he came to Stockton too! The drummer! OMG the drummer... where the heck do I begin?? The drummer was off the chain. Making runs that were blowin' my mind away! Gosh, there's nothing like listening to GOOD live music. Makes you wonder how much time and effort these people put into making such good music. I have friends who practice for hours and are so good at what they play! The bass player was tyte too! Gosh he was tyte! The sound system kinda sucked, but it was cool. As long as I can hear Dwele. :)

So yeah, I'm in love with Dwele... well, just his voice! :) I'm in love with his voice. So stay tuned for more about concerts I go to. If I have the money to go to them! haha! :)

So I got a macbook...

So my HP laptop died on me the other day. I would turn it on, and before it could even start up the whole way, it would turn off and then turn itself back on and do this over and over again. I grew up on PC, and no matter how gay they are sometimes, I still purchase them. But this past week, I guess I got fed up, and I called my dad and we tried everything to fix the darn computer, but it still wouldn't work. So, I asked my dad for a macbook, and he bought me one!!! I know I know, I'm a spoiled brat! Hahaha!

So yeah, here I am, writing this blog on my aunt's computer, excited to see my macbook when I get back home. I'm somewhat familiar with macbooks, but hey, if you got any pointers for me, just comment! But yeah, I look forward to the adventures that I'll be having with my new macbook! :)

Yosemite

So, this past Thursday Randy and I along with two other friends went to Yosemite. It was a spontaneous trip and so when we got there, we had the hardest time looking for a camp site. I never had a camping experience before, and so when we finally found a camp site, we set up our tents, made smores and went to bed. I woke up to a woodpecker pecking a tree and making the weirdest noises. I was paranoid throughout the whole night because last time I came to Yosemite, a stinkin' bear ate all my food. But, thankfully, there was no bear! :) Anyway, the next day, we had noodles for breakfast and packed up our stuff.... Keep in mind that we didn't find our camp site til like 1 or 2 in the morning, so we didn't pay anything. So, when we had the car packed, we saw a ranger walking around making sure that everyone was at their camp site and paid for. So, we all rushed into the car and Randy just took off! Just a bunch of rebels I know! haha! But yeah, we hiked to the top of Vernal Falls, which was so beautiful!!! It was a really hard hike, but I made it! I conquered that mountain!!! Hopefully next time when we go to Yosemite, we'll do half dome or whatever one is next on the list!!!

What was also cool about Yosemite, was looking at God's creation. Everything looked so majestic in Yosemite. Despite the pestering of squirrels and blue jays, just seeing the beauties that God has placed on this Earth for us to enjoy is just so breath taking. Walking into Yosemite was like walking into a different world. I live on an island, and the islands have their own beauty, and Yosemite definitely has its own beauty. I look forward to returning there and seeing more of God's wonderful creation!!!

Brighter Day by Kirk Franklin

Here's a song to get you through your day! :) No matter what you're going through, just know that it's gonna be a brighter day because God loves you!!! I'll be postin' up new stuff this coming week!!!! Woot woot!

My baby sister...

So this is my baby sister Vaiala Lealofi.  She turns 3 in December. She is the funniest sister that I ever had!  When she first came home, it was during my last year of junior college back home.  So I spent my whole Christmas break taking care of her before I left for college here in California.  So basically, I'm missing her grow up.  Every time I talk with my family back home, I hear stories of how she's growing up so fast and how smart she is.  She started talking at 1 and knew both the ABCs and the Samoan alphabet by the age of 2.  And now, she speaks fluent Samoan and is such a joy to my family.  

I miss her so much.  My mom told me this one story that when she was getting in trouble for beating up another kid, my dad told her to come into the room so he can talk to her and so she says to my dad in Samoan "hold on dad, let me go caca!" minutes later she comes out of the bathroom and says in Samoan "hold on dad, let me wash my hands!"... after that, she comes out and says to my dad "what is it dad? what do you want? i'm coloring.. hurry up!" 

It's crazy how fast kids grow up.  It felt like last year I was only 20 and now I'm 23!  But, I'm grateful that God has blessed me and my family with this little one.  I just pray that she grows up to be a woman of God and that God uses her in a mighty way.  I can only say so much... you have to meet her to know what I'm talking about! :) Overall, she's a bundle of joy! I love you Vaiala! 

My best friends...

are amazing!!! So these are my best friends! The girls from left to right: Reesa, me, AJ, Alysha and Nicole. The guys from left to right: Mark, Randy and Alex. It's crazy how we all came to be best friends. We all met randomly and were brought together by God and music. Each one of them is unique in their own way and are all sooooo stinkin talented! It's ridiculously amazing! :) These people saved my life! Yes they did!

Before I met them, I was this person who was very reserved and held so much in. I felt like I was suppose to just come to school and go back and help out my family which isn't bad at all. I don't know, I was bound by culture and what the norms had for me. I had my script written out for me: go to school, get a degree and then come home and put your sisters through college. I thought the plan was cool, but was that it? Is that all life has to offer me? So, as those questions were sitting in the back burner of my mind, Mark introduced me to the band. And there, I met all these great people. I met AJ and Reesa a little later, but they too have made an impact on my life as well. These people showed me that God has great plans for all of us... and in order for those plans to unfold, we gotta trust in God and let him take over.

I remember hearing this one sermon about the plans that we have for ourselves. The preacher encouraged and challenged us to instead of laying down our agenda to God and seeing what He thinks about it, why not just give God a blank sheet of paper and see what He has in store for us? So right now, I made the decision to just wait and see what God has for me. My best friends helped me realize that there is so much out there that God has for us... we shouldn't just settle because God only offers the best... He's GOD! So, right now, I'm just trusting and believing that God will come through not only for me, but for my best friends as well. Every day I thank God for these 7 people... I've learned so much from each of them!

I learned how to look more like a girl from my amazing sisters Cole and Lysha! haha! :) I learned how to be more laid back like Mark.. I learned to keep trying til you get it from Randy... I learned to try to stay on top of things from Alex and I was reminded to do everything not for myself but for God from my sisters AJ and Reesa. I've learned much more from each of them, but these are the first things I learned from them when I first gotten to know them :) Bottom line: I love these guys so much! They're my family away from family.. the sugar in my cool-aid! kidding.. :) There's so much more to say... but I'll save that for later!!!!

Mic Check....

So I love to sing. Ever since I was a kid I always wanted to be a famous singer. Never really worked out because my parents said there was no money in music, and so I decided to become a teacher; another profession where there is no money! haha! Pretty funny huh? Anyways, I joined a band and it's been awesome. We do lead worship at church and do outside gigs as well, and it's been a crazy ride so far.

I think the only thing I'm worried about is my voice. I'm originally an alto, but in the band I sing soprano. It's been an awesome summer and it's really drained my vocal chords. I don't think my voice has gotten to rest in three or four weeks. It's a little crazy and it worries me too. Hopefully as the semester starts, I'll be able to rest. But despite the straining of my "pipes", I still think singing is awesome. I just hope I don't lose my voice permanently in the process! haha!

So tonight, my band Tipping Point will be singing at Harvest Church. Come out and support if you want! Also, this Saturday is Open Mic Night at the Congregation of Zion at 7:30pm I believe. If you didn't come to the first one, you should definitely come to the second one! It will be awesome!!!

Pause by Lisa McClendon

When life gets crazy, sometimes you just gotta step back and think about things... This is a song by one of my favorite singers Lisa McClendon. Hopefully it'll help you relax throughout your day! :)

I'm getting FAT!

This past weekend, I found out that I weigh 125 pounds. Last year, I was 105... and a couple of months ago, I was 115. Hahaha! It's pretty crazy what American fast food can do to you in so little time! Weighing myself was like a really big eye opener for me! So I decided to do something about it. I have a wonderful boyfriend who goes jogging everyday and so I decided to go jogging with him. Boy did I suck! I couldn't even make it around the corner of the street! But I did feel the burn, and it did feel good!

After running, I realized that my diet was bad too. I hung out with my two sisters this past weekend and one of them (Alysha) was telling me that she started on a diet. It seemed like a reasonable diet, and so I started thinking and being cautious about what I was eating during the day. So yesterday, I ate a bagel and some yogurt, then had chicken fetuccini (made by my awesome boyfriend Randy) for lunch and had some brussell sprouts with rice for dinner. I think that's a pretty good start right?? I do not know!! I'll have to ask somebody!

So yeah, it's a new day and here I am sitting in front of my computer with a bagel on my lap, a yogurt on my desk next to a small bowl of strawberries and a big glass of cranberry juice. Hopefully this will all get me back on the right track of staying healthy. And if that doesn't work... I don't know what will!!

Me and My Life So Far...

Hey what's up to all my followers! :) My name is Della. I'm 23 years old and I am currently situated in Stockton, CA. Just thought I share a little bit about me, since this is my first blog. I was born in Seattle, but raised in American Samoa. I'm a pretty chill person and yeah... I'm normal! I came to Stockton in January of 2007, and had the biggest cultural shock of my life! I hated my first year out here but as time went on, I got use to it. I made friends and got along with people around me. Then, last year, I made the ultimate decision to join a band!

Where do I even start?... The band that I'm in is called Tipping Point, and we are about a year and four months old. There are 8 of us altogether and the cool thing about us is that we're all best friends! I met everyone in April of last year. We all met randomly at church and became a worship team. Weeks later... we became a band. Yes.. WEEKS! Over the months, our lead singer and worship leader left.. and yeah.. we were pretty much devastated. But, we learned from it. Then we met these two awesome young ladies on YOUTUBE (AJ and Reesa) and we all fell in love! LOL! So, we lost a member but gained two. I tell you, only God can do that! :) And now, we're going places we never dreamed of or thought of and it's just an awesome experience.

As for me, I'm learning something new everyday by being in a band and all the other things that I'm involved in. There are times where things really drain me, but honestly, it's all worth it! It's hard trying NOT to do things on your own... but you learn to do it more and more as you keep making them mistakes. This aint the end.. so stay tuned for more things.. thanks for reading! Sorry it's so long!!