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!!!!