Between The Seasons

These are a few of my favorite things!

2010-02-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

Since I'm back to trying to regularly blog now, I thought what better way to start than wrting a post about "A few of my favorite new things" ok maybe just 10 things.

10. Tiramasu cake - Fresh and Easy.
9. Surf laundry detergent 3X.
8. Ambiance coffee - Smart and Final.
7. Redbox movies.
6. Dawn dish soap.
5. Girls Scout Thin Mint cookies.
4. Lever 2000 body wash.
3. Titleist ProV1 golf balls.
2. Borders bookstores.
1. Bridgford Monkey Bread. - Smart and Final

There are plenty of other things that I really love that didn't make the cut this time. Who knows it may all change in a week or two. As for now these are just few of my favorite things!

Bless!

Let's try this again!

2010-02-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

I dont know how long it's been since my last post. All I know is that I am probably going to be very rusty getting back into it. However you've gotta jump back in somewhere. So here we go...

Life has been a roller coaster the past several months, they've been filled with times of struggle and times of fulfillment. They've been filled with joy as well as pain. I've been learning to jump and I've learned to just wait and listen. GOD has definitely been working in our lives, sometimes the results aren't the ones we want or desire. I have my moments when I whine and complain, rebel and get pissed, only to realize after my sulking it all goes back to the simple truth that my GOD who created me and loves me knows whats best for me.

This year we've been on a cable televsion fast, well...not really we just dont have the budget for it. To be quite honest it's been nice without it. Without cable we've been able to spend a lot of quality family time together, whether its playing board games, reading kids books, or chasing each other around playing cops and robbers, it's definitely been a blessing in disguise. It has also forced me to get back into reading books and journaling. I've also used it as a great opportunity to self lead.

However the one thing I love about our cable fast is that it has opened my eyes to see how much time and investing I get to be a part of in our everyday family life. I admit that I suck at it and it's one of those things that I really want to work on this year. I dont want to be a lame parent whose kids are more influenced by what they watch on tv than teaching of their parents. Statistics show that we have lost our edge in growing our kids to be successful in whatever they decide to do, because we stop parenting. We stop caring, we've stopped listening and stopped disciplining. We lost control because we gave it up. Unfortunately I'm surrounded by too many friends who are giving up left and right. They've given up on their marriages, their church, their communities and some have even given up on GOD. I think that is the number one tragedy that we're facing today, we just give up and give in. No one wants to fight anymore.

I may not be successful in the worlds eyes but that doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is that at the end of the day I would've been successful in the Lords eyes. I would've done his bidding the best I know how. I may not have a flashy car or huge home, but what I do have is fight. Enough fight in me to keep my marriage alive and healthy, enough fight to show my kids that they are two of the greatest gifts that GOD has ever given us.

That's why I fight! How about you? We've been given a huge responsibility to lead our families well, and to lead our communities well. To lead our churches well and to lead our lives well. The longer we wait to do so, the more we lose our edge, and chances are you'll lose your fight too. So lace up the gloves and go another round, there is too much at stake not to.

Steve

That der is a John Deere...

2008-05-20T07:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to our friend Ashlee Town's softball game at Leesville High. When we got there we saw what many people in North Carolina have in there front yards... Yeah you guessed it, a John Deere lawn mower. So my boys decided that they would check it out. Here are some pics of the first Samoan Future Farmers of America:

Gotta go now and get the boys sized up for some overalls!

An All Star....

2008-04-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 months in Raleigh now and we're absolutely loving our new life. Being so far away from all that we've ever known (San Diego). God has been blessing us with new relationships. Both Lauren and I love people and both agree that life is to be done with people. As many of you know she is playing softball and having a blast doing it too.

Last week, Cameron and I went to see her first game. It's a lot different than the league we used to play with in San Diego, they're a lot more serious about their softball here. Because she's soo competitive she does whatever it takes to win even if it means scraping both knees playing defense.

Yeah she scraped her knees and they're killing her. O.K. this may sound mean but as she's hurting, I'm proud.

Let me explain.

I'm glad that I have a wife who is competitive and does whatever it takes to win. She works hard and it shows and will prove to be worthwhile in the long run. She had batting practice yesterday and as I sat there watching I could tell that her team really finds value in her being on the team. And that's what makes me proud. I honestly have to admit that I wasn't too fond of her playing on this team because they weren't Christians but she insisted that it would be O.K. and it has been AWESOME for her.

Every athlete gets sore and every once in a while needs a good massage so i think that my wife deserves one. Not only for being a great athlete, but for being an awesome mom and wife! An all star in more ways than one! I love you babe and your boys (all three of us) are cheering you on!

Celebration!

2008-04-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm one who loves to celebrate EVERYTHING! In fact one of my pastors use to say "celebrate until further notice" I think that we as Christ followers don't celebrate enough, we sell ourselves short and never fully experience the fullness of that joy that comes from GOD'S blessings. One of the phrases that I've always heard and found to be trite is the phrase "YAY GOD". Bill Hybels (whom i love and respect) one of the top leaders around and one of the most respectable people in the Christian community says it all the time. I don't disagree with Bill in celebrating and praising GOD for his goodness but "YAY GOD?" When i think of that phrase, it feels like we think GOD is a three year old and we say "YAY GOD" because we're surprised at what he's able to do. It feels like when it's said it comes with a wink and a gun almost with a sense of sarcasm. When i hear it said it feels like a cheerleader cheering GOD on. I know that i may be stirring the pot a little bit about this. But GOD is in the miracle business. He's in the business of changing and saving lives, he's perfect and pure, majestic and holy. "YAY GOD" is an understatement. Sometime the best way to celebrate is a simple Thank You. Let's not patronize him, hes the maker of all things perfect, let the way we live our lives celebrate GOD. Save the cheese and wine for Oprah..

Shalom,

Steve

What ever happened to GOOD music...

2008-04-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

I've been scouring YOUTUBE in search of videos featuring probably my favorite singer of all time, Eva Cassidy. Now I consider myself eclectic and I LOVE all types of music, but what I find myself listening to the most is folk and jazz. I know some of you probably would've guessed Tupac or 50 cent. I have moments when I listen to those guys too, but there's just something about the sulky sound of smooth jazz and the simplicity of folk that draws me to those specific genres. I stumbled upon Eva Cassidy while doing a Google search for Norah Jones. I found that they were signed by the same record label and have a similar sound and style. I also found out that in 1996 Eva Cassidy (33) lost a battle to cancer and passed. I don't know if Eva had a relationship with GOD and don't know anything about her spiritual life. What i do know is that GOD gave us Eva to grace us with pure music. In a time where the music business is more interested in your look than your talent, there's a hunger for PURE music and she has been my favorite example of that.

There are a couple of YOUTUBE videos of her singing at some of her last shows that you should really check out. I watch those videos to re-up my passion and love for music. Thanks to technology I'm just a few clicks away from listening to GOOD music.

Here's one of my favorite songs from Eva:

Peace!

Cameron for President?

2008-04-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest people I know right now is a guy we call "Homeless Kevin". HK has been attending CATT for five weeks straight now and as of two weeks ago made a commitment to jump in serve where needed. We love HK. Homeless Kevin has a unique story and a love for life that's inspiring to all of our leadership team. We first met Kevin at our first public service at the Royal Bean coffee shop. He and about three of his buddies were just hanging out and when they saw us setting up for service they came over and struck up conversation with some of our volunteers. When our Sunday Experience ended we were tearing down and Kevin comes over to help us. We loaded our vehicles and as we were leaving Kevin said "I'll see you next week" now i don't know if it was the free coffee we offered that Sunday or God working on his heart but ever since that weekend Kevin's hasn't missed an Experience.

This guy knows more people and has been more places than anybody I know. If you need information on anything and everything I'm pretty sure if you were to ask Kevin about it he's got an answer. Kevin filled out a communication card with his address and his email, all of it legit. How homeless is he? We're still trying to figure that out right now. Here's a cool thing that you should know about Kevin, his (home?) address is 8 miles away from church and he doesn't have a car, so he walks 8 miles every Sunday morning to serve at CATT. He's never late and never complains about it. We've offered to pick him and drop him off after service and he refuses every time.

Anyhow after service yesterday we were setting up for our Triangle Basics lunch when Kevin and I had this conversation:

Kev: "Hey Steve, where's Cameron?"
Me: "He's at home sick"
Kev: "Bummer, i miss not seeing him around this morning."
Me: " I know, he'll be here next week though"
Kev: " I had a dream about him this week"
Me: "Really?, what about?"
Kev: "That when he grew up, He became the President of the United States of America"
Me: (chuckling) "That's funny"
Kev: "I'm serious,(sincere look on his face) I'd vote for him"
Me: "Thanks Kevin."
Kev: "Anyhow tell him that i said Hi and that i hope he gets better."
Me: "I'll let him know."

President Cameron Lee Faiai, that sounds pretty cool. Who knows, what we do know is that he's got Kevin's vote, I guess we'll join the race for office now.

All joking aside...

Here's what i appreciate about Kevin, he's choosing to get in the game in spite of the stage of life that he's in. He desires to be there and is willing to serve where needed. God is using him as a daily reminder to me that GOD loves and cares about everyone no matter what your status is. Only GOD knows the work going on in Kevin's heart right now, and the cool thing for us as a leadership team is that we have front row seats in watching it all unfold. Through what's happening with Kevin, GOD is allowing us to live out who he has called us to be as a CHURCH as a COMMUNITY and as his BELOVED.

P.S. If you're reading this and you're involved in any kind of ministry and you've had those days where you feel like giving up, Remember Kevin. The homeless guy who walks 8 miles to church to serve. Remember Kevin who has less than you and i do, but lives life like he has everything he's ever needed. Let it serve as a reminder to us when we're having those little pity parties that WE sometimes throw for ourselves that we need to stop whining and complaining and get our asses in gear, there's much Kingdom work to be done! Sorry i just had to get that off my chest.

Shalom!

Reading List.

2008-04-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

My friend, Rod recently came out with his first quarter reading list and as always comes up with an amazing one. What I appreciate about all of my years working alongside Rod was that he always challenged his team to be readers and self leaders. So I thought that I would share with you my own reading list that I'd like to finish by the end of summer. Here they are in order:

Launch - Nelson Searcy

Stripped - Jud Wilhite

Quiet Strength - Tony Dungy

Beautiful Boy - David Sheff

UnChristian - David Kinnaman

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day - Mark Batterson

Followership - Barbara Kellerman

Strengths Finder - Tom Rath

Fired up or Burned Out - Michael Stallard

I LOVE how GOD uses great authors and thinkers like the ones listed above to challenge me in my life as a leader, husband and father. I just recently invested in a Barnes and Noble discount card and it has increased my desire to read more.

As my family and I embark upon this journey in starting a church, there is a "must" in staying sharp, fresh and inspired. Thanks Rod for the challenge in being a self leader.

What I'm diggin on as of late...

2008-03-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month since my last post so i thought that I would share a list of my top ten things that I've been excited about lately....

10- Figured out how to make Chicken Katsu. (Move over LNL's)
9- A Dulce De Leche Latte from Caribou Coffee. (See ya Starbucks)
8- March Madness. (Ooh the drama)
7- Super Wal-Mart. (One stop shop, where else can you do it?)
6- The Royal (Where our church meets)
5- MY CHURCH! (CATT)
4- Carla Towns (Superwoman!.. I told you that you'd be in my post.)
3- Our friends Kevin and Heather Spruill, Alex and Ann Centeno, Joe and Leslie Kim, Lee and Carla Towns (These are my peeps!)
2- Writing songs with my wife. (Boy am I lucky...hey get your mind out of the gutter)
1- Last but not least and what i'm excited about the most is that, I'm doing what God has called me to do, and for the last 10-12 years has been shaping me for. (No better feeling than being where you're suppose to be and doing what you're suppose to be doing.)

I LOVE that we're here in Raleigh now and what excites me even more is that we've only just begun. I'm soo excited about many other things but these were just some of the ones right of the top of my head. I honestly have to confess that every once in a while I miss my family and some close friends back in San Diego, but knowing that they share in this excitement and support the calling on our family is pretty special to me.

One of my prayer partners said something that I've seen everywhere and heard plenty of speakers share it, he said "it's about the Journey not the Destination." I've taken that to heart and it serves as a constant reminder that LIFE is to be savored not rushed. We're in this deal for the long haul and as long as GOD is pursuing us we're never going to stop pursuing him. Man I LOVE MY JOB!

For the KINGDOM!!

The Best Birthday ever!!!

2008-03-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

No other way I'd rather spend it. My Birthday that is. When i woke up this morning I knew it was going to be awesome and it was. The first person to greet me was Riley and in his own way was wishing me a happy birthday. Next came Cameron, he had a different greeting. He was crying when he came into the room. I asked him why he was crying and he said that Mommy was being mean to him. After a little research, the real reason he was crying was because he wanted to surprise me with a birthday cake when i woke up. What a sweet boy.

My wife made me some biscuits with apple butter and fresh coffee, which are my favorite things to have in the morning. After that she had me open my cards and gifts from her and the boys. Everything thing that i got was awesome. After opening gifts we got dressed and went to join some of our peeps from church to go on a prayer walk.

The prayer walk was awesome, i had a chance to partner with my friend Phil Shepard. Phil is a real GODLY dude so i knew GOD was going to bless out time together. As Phil and I were walking i received an email from my friend Becky P and a text message from my other friend Jerry Ring with birthday greetings. That really blessed me. After the neighborhood walk our prayer group drove over to our possible location of the church and prayed there, that time was AMAZING and really powerful.

After that we had lunch with Lee, Carla and Carlee. That is always fun times especially with Carlee around. She's always good for a laugh.

After Lunch, Lauren and I went to her softball practice, I'm sure she'll post about it soon. My wife is an amazing athlete. I loved watching her because i know that she enjoys it and whatever she enjoys makes me really happy.

After practice we came home and much to my surprise my nieces who are here visiting from San Diego made me dinner and a birthday cake. I told you they were awesome!

Of all the activities of the day, my favorite part was after dinner. I spent some time with my boys, jumping, wrestling and roughin each other up. Here's what got me..As i was playing with them i realized that these are the best gifts that i could ever EVER get, and if all i were to get for the rest of my life on my birthday was time with my sons, those would be the best birthdays ever. Thanks Cam and Ri for making the happiest Dad in the world. I love you!!

Steve

Because of you..(Not a Kelly Clarkson song)

2008-02-24T20:19:00.000-08:00

Every now and then when I'm driving a song comes on the radio that reminds me of certain things, places and people. "I believe i can fly" came on and i was reminded of all of my friends who helped shaped me into who i am today. So if you were to ask me who my top ten influences would be, they would look like this.

10. Rob Beatty - We have been friends for almost 13 years now and he has never failed to show me what a humble heart looks like.
9. Russ Kusumoto - If i could mirror the way he cares about others, i would be a better person.
8. Mike Burns - Talk about someone who has his ducks in a row, he is an amazing man of God and believes the best of everyone.
7. Daryl Holmes - Probably the hardest working man i know, his work ethic is crazy and yet he still makes time to be Husband, Dad, Grandpa and my father in law.
6. Nanette Ayers - She is deeply gifted and what i take away from her is her servanthood and willing to stay behind the curtain while doing it. Simply Amazing.
5. Junior Faiai - A great and example of perseverance.
4. Lauren Faiai - I'm learning everyday that my life without her would be tragic.
3. Jason Denison - He's a blonde haired, blue eyed Ghandi. The way he cares for the world is truly inspiring and something that i'm working on being a regular part of the way i live my life.
2. Rod Kaya - An AMAZING leader. One of my best friends. An inspiration of what it means to be a learner and stay a learner.
1. Suitulaga Faiai - All of the above in one person, i'm a little biased because he's my dad, but if there is anyone that i would want my life to mirror it would be his.

There are so many others and my list can go on and on. All that to say if you're reading this, you've made an impact in my life too! Thanks! We all have lists of people who have shaped us to be who we are today, take some time to honor them and pray for them.

Blessings,
Steve

Happy Birthday....

2008-02-24T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well it's not until tomorrow, however I wanted to be the first to wish my mother in law a happy birthday. It's hard for us to celebrate with her because were in Raleigh so I thought that I would list my five things that I love most about her.

1. She loves Cameron and Riley soo super much.
2. She is very thoughtful and is always thinking of ways to bless others.
3. She works super hard (sometimes too hard) I think.
4. She is an awesome scrabble player.
5. Last but not least, she loves me and Lauren.

Charlene Renee Holmes, may God richly bless you this year. May he shine down on you and show you his love more than ever before. Thanks for being who you are to us. Thanks for making the best Mandarin Orange cake in the world or like my peeps would say in Raleigh (Pig Pickin) cake. You are awesome and amazing and we who know you are blessed to know you!

Love,

Your favorite son in law!

For I Am Convinced

2008-02-18T12:51:00.000-08:00

It's Monday afternoon and I'm sitting here on our big comfy couch staring outside my window taking in the beauty of a clear blue sky. I'm reflecting on the service we had at Church At The Triangle last night. Last night was one of those huge ONLY GOD moments for us as a church. Many times in the service last night I found myself teary eyed and unworthy to be serving such an awesome GOD. Lee shared some vision stuff with us that really fired me up and as i looked around the room i saw heads nodding with agreement.

Last night was one of those nights that reminded me of GODS passion for us. It reminded of the responsibility that I have to take my calling seriously. I walked away thinking of a new song on the Passion album called "God of the city" by sung by Chris Tomlin and when I got home I journaled this prayer:

"God would you use me to do great things. Help me God, in ALL that I say and do to point people towards you. God, I am convinced now more than ever that greater things have yet to come in this city, in our nation, on this earth. I am convinced now more than ever that people that are broken need healing. I am convinced now more than ever that people that are hurting need hope, that people who are lost without purpose need to know that there is a God who loves them and wants whats best for them. I am convinced now more than ever that "Unity" happens when one experiences true "Community". God I no longer want to see this world deny that everything living and breathing is a gift from you. So GOD please use me in spite of my iniquities to further Your Kingdom"

Have you ever wondered in this next chapter of church, what will we write?, how will we be remembered? What will our children say about our church history? I don't know, just some things to ponder....

Peace

Oh by the way check out the song, I promise it'll inspire you! I found a video on youtube with the song on it. Not sure who made the video, but I wanted to use it so you could hear the song.

BBQ soo good... it make you want to slap yo' momma

2008-02-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Really it's that good. Of course, I wouldn't dare slap my momma because she'd slap me right back and her hands are a bit heavier than mine so hers would hurt more. Anyhow like in the previous post, I mentioned my nieces were here for a month. This past Saturday we went on a date night and took advantage of our free babysitting. (Thank God for Karla and Malae!) Because we don't know Raleigh very well, we invited our friends Craig and Kara to come along with us on a double date night.

Earlier that day Lauren, Kara, and Diane (Kara's mother in law who I'm praying about asking to adopt me and have her become my East Coast mom) went on a short road trip. They scoped out yard sales, cool shops, and gave Lauren their own tour of Raleigh. While they were in downtown Raleigh, they decided to check out a restaurant called "The Pit". When they got there they realized that it was closed for lunch on the weekends and was only open for dinner. So that evening we called the Craig and Kara and went to "The Pit" for dinner. IT WAS FREAKIN' AMAZING!!! It was the best BBQ I've ever had in my life. The atmosphere was hip and cutting edge. The service was o.k. But the best part of the evening wasn't the food, It was meeting The famous Ed Mitchell. Ed is the Pitmaster and the owner of the restaurant. He came to our table to meet us and talk with us for a few minutes, it was like I was meeting a celebrity! As we were waiting for dessert, Lauren and I decided that we would go and hunt Ed down for a picture and he obliged us with our request.

Lauren had gone back to the table while Ed and I talked a little bit, I told him that I was from Samoa and he said "Our hogs ain't got nothing on yours". I took that as a compliment and felt a little pride because if there is one thing that my people can do.. It's cook! So we got to talking about why I was here and I told him that I was here planting a church in the triangle area with some friends. He handed me his card and cell phone number, and told me to call him because he wants to come check it out!

Before we left the pit we made reservations to go back for Valentine's Day. Except we've got special seating arrangements this time, Ed Mitchell invited us to sit with him at the counter where we'll have front row seats to watch the Legendary Pitmaster do what he does best... Make you want to slap yo momma!

Peace!

Family and Friends

2008-02-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Today my nieces arrive to stay with us for about a month. I can't explain to you how refreshing this is going to be for our family. The boys absolutely LOVE them. So this is going to be extra special for them to see familiar faces. Lauren and i haven't been on a date night in a while and we're looking forward to breaking away a few times to just BE with each other.

We've got a lot planned for the girls, we're probably going to drive out to Washington D.C. and New York city to take them site seeing. I really want them to see our new life here and how close we are to some of the coolest places in the United States. But most of all I want them to see God's blessing on our lives here in Raleigh.

Anyhow they arrive today, but a couple of days ago our REALLY good friend Becky from San Diego left to go back home after being with us for about 4 days. We had a blast with her here. We showed her a little bit of lifestyle here in Raleigh. We fed her some of our infamous southern cooking, took her to the farmer's market. We took her to see 2 of the 3 big universities here in Raleigh, and on Sunday attended church at The Summit in Durham and a Super bowl party at Lee and Carla's house with some of our church folk.

Out of all of the things that we got to do, my favorite part was just having a familiar face that we did life with in San Diego in our home. I also loved the fact she values our friendships so much that she would come out to visit us. Yesterday I was looking through some boxes and i found a Christmas card that she wrote to our family. It was one that we received the Christmas before Riley's surgery, and as I read it I was reminded of the power of "community" and why the Philippson's have a special place in my heart.

Gregg, Becky thanks for being such great friends, may God richly bless you guys for blessing others. We love you!

Peace.

My boy, CRAIG

2008-01-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

In my lifetime I've only moved a few times, but never has it ever been this involved and extensive. We are finally getting settled in with help from a few friends. It's amazing how "community" has come to life here. We've only been here for about a month and we've connected with so many new friends and met people who are just selfless and willing to go the extra mile for and with us. We've been so fortunate and blessed that GOD would cross our paths with such awesome people.

Part of getting settled into a new place especially clear across the country means starting fresh and new or used. For the past few days Lauren and I have been racking our brains trying to find cheap furniture on line and there's no better place than... Yep you guessed it Craig's List. So far we've scored on a sweet couch and an amazing looking dining table and today we just scored on a $3000.00 Sealy Posturepedic Pillowtop bed for 300.00 bucks. We've got a few more things that we need to get to kind of complete our place and for the first time call it "HOME"

As some of you may know, part of the Craig's List process is usually meeting the "seller" and checking the item out before buying it. Well, today after I landed the deal with the bed, I went to pay for it and met the owner, John. If you know me, I'm all about getting to know people and meeting new friends. When i got to John's house he showed me the bed and then we got to talking about why I left San Diego to come to Raleigh. I shared with him the vision of CATT, and he was amazed that I moved this far to be a part of something like starting a church. So then we got to talking about what he did and he shared with me that he was a film producer and frequents California a lot, mainly Hollywood. Turns out this guy is BIG TIME in the film industry. We got to talking about music and he shared that he was a musician too. So long story short, not only did we score on an amazing bed but we possibly might have landed a new invaluable friendship.

Last night we had our friends Craig and Kara over and we talked about life stuff. One of the things that we said we wish we would do more is "CELEBRATE". Celebrate anything and everything.

Tonight I celebrate the fact that GOD can use a website like Craigslist to potentially win people for the KINGDOM.

Anyhow gotta go... looking for an entertainment center now.

Peace!

I'm back!

2008-01-12T06:27:00.000-08:00

Wow... well I honestly don't know where to start. It's been a while since my last post and I'm feeling a little rusty, signing in was a little rough because i forgot my password, it's been so long. Anyhow there is so much that has happened between my last post and now, so I'm going to spare you all of the details and just take it from here...

We now live in Raleigh, North Carolina just in case you didn't know and WE absolutely LOVE IT!! For those of you who have never been to Raleigh, you must come visit it is soo BEAUTIFUL. The weather is AWESOME and the landscape of this whole state is GREEN and luscious. The people are super friendly and very hospitable. That's how they roll here in the south.

My wife and kids are diggin' it which really sets my heart at ease. In October 2007 when we made our decision to come out here one of my big prayer requests was that my family would LOVE it and they do. It's soo cool how God worked it all out. We left San Diego, family and friends and pretty much all we knew behind to follow God's calling on our lives. Yeah it was scary and a little crazy, but isn't that what living by faith is all about?!

We miss our friends and our families and our church back in San Diego soo much, but we know that this is life now for us and we must live it full and make new friends, seek a new community to do life with.

If you reading this from San Diego, I want to say THANK YOU for blessing our lives with your friendship, your love and letting us share life with you. Our family will forever be in debt to God for crossing our paths.

More to come!
Steve.

Fifty-eight....

2007-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

My friend recently posted her 100th post and in tribute to that she listed 100 of her favorite things. I on the other hand have only posted a total of 58 times. I know what you're thinking, "why would you make a list of 58 of your favorite things, that wouldn't make any sense" well my response to you would be "you're not the boss of me and this is my blog i can do whatever i want." So here is the list of 58 of my favorite things. It's not in any particular order, but everything i LOVE will be bold.

1. Mint n chip ice cream
2. Intimacy with my wife (_e_)
3. New balance shoes
4. American Samoa
5. Cooking
6. Espn
7. GOD
8. Discovery Channel
9. Community
10. Yogurt from YM
11. LnL Hawaiian BBQ
12. Chick fil a shakes
13. Country Music
14. Song writing
15. My Two Sons (No not the t.v. show)
16. San Diego Chargers
17. Steak
18. Almond cookies (from Hawaii)
19. Holding hands with my wife
20. A clean house
21. A clean car
22. Singing songs with Cameron
23. Shopping
24. Parties
25. Softball
26. Massages
27. Nutter Butter cookies
28. Spam, eggs and Rice
29. Target
30. Reading
31. The Beach
32. My wifes touch
33. Killer apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory
34. Vans shoes
35. Peace and Quiet
36. Keith Urban
37. Oprah
38. Freddy Fender
39. My Father
40. My Mother
41. Guitar
42. Music
43. Kelloggs frosted flakes
44. Etta James
45. Rubbing my wife's feet
46. My cell phone
47. Air conditioning
48. Diet Pepsi
49. Rachel Ray
50. Food Network
51. Homemade peanut butter cookies
52. Trolley stop sandwiches
53. My son's cry for breakfast @ 6:30 a.m.
54. Riley's wave good-bye
55. Haircuts
56. Trader Joe's
57. Wine spritzers
58. My Church

When i hit my 100th post i'll add 42 more of my favorite things.

RFKC.....

2007-07-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday i had the privilege of being part of the Royal family Kids Camp program. I drove to camp praying about how i was going to connect with the kids. I was wondering how accepting they were going to be of me. When i pulled up to camp, i left my thoughts and my feelings at the foot of the cross. I just wanted to be available. When i arrived there i was greeted by my friend Heather Hammond who happened to be camp nurse and a very good one at that. I then met up with Mark Long and Gayle Freeborn who so kindly showed me around camp. They took me into the cabins and explained to me that every single counselor decorates the cabins with welcome signs to make the kids feel special when they arrive. How cool is that to have these counselors give up a whole week of work and responsibility to such a great and worthy cause. I was humbled by what i saw. The time came to lead the kids through a few songs to reflect and think about God's love for us. We sang and had fun for about an hour or so and then it was time to turn in. I stuck around a little bit with the staff afterwards and talked to some of them and got to here their stories. Now i was humbled by what i heard.

I left camp refreshed, revitalized and humbled and that was just being exposed for a few hours, i can't imagine how much more GOD would've jacked me up if i were there for a whole week like the others were. I felt a connection with the counselors and a great appreciation for Mark and Gayle and for all of the effort they put into this camp. I honestly believe that this is one of the best if not the best ministry at Journey.

On Sunday morning at church i got to hear cool stories from some of the counselors about how the rest of camp went. As i was getting ready to leave Gayle came and sat by me and told me a cool story that blessed me soo much. She told me a story of how after i left that night a little girl asked her counselor about GOD and brought up some of the things i said to them during that night. That very night that little gave her life to Christ, she was just one of many others who made a commitment that week. I was soo humbled that GOD could use me to make an eternal impact in these kids lives.

When i was there that night, a friend of mine Jim Ruffer gave me this red necklace with a starfish at the end of it. He said that it was given to him last year in hopes that he would pray about coming back to get involved and he did. He said that he was going to pray that my heart would be convinced to come back and be involved with camp next year for the whole week. He told this familiar story when he handed me the starfish.

One day a man was walking along the seashore. He noticed that during the night many seashells and starfish had washed upon the beach. Thoroughly enjoying the morning sun and cool sea air, the man walked for miles.

As he strolled along, he noticed a small figure dancing in the distance. It made him chuckle to think of someone celebrating life in such an uninhibited way. As he drew closer, however, it became apparent that the figure was not dancing. Instead, she seemed to be repeatedly performing some ritual.

He drew nearer still and noticed that the small figure was a child. She was methodically picking up starfish and tossing them into the surf. He paused for a moment, puzzled, then asked, "Why are you throwing these starfish?"

"It's high tide," she replied, "If I leave them on the beach, the sun will soon dry them and they will die. I am throwing them into the ocean so they can live." The man considered her actions, impressed with the child's thoughtfulness. Then he motioned up and down the miles of the beach. "There must be thousands of starfish along here," he said, "you cannot possibly make a difference."

The young girl stopped. Her face darkened. She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, "You're probably right," she said softly. She looked down at the sand. Then she leaned over, carefully picked up another starfish, pulled back and arched it gently into the sea.

With a tone of gentle defiance, she said, "But I made a difference for that one."

I have the starfish necklace now and it's going to serve as reminder in two ways. It'll remind me of God's power to change lives like he did last week at camp. Secondly it'll remind me to be praying about my involvement with camp next year. Can't wait to see how GOD's going to move.

Champs!

2007-07-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we capped off a great softball season with two wins and claimed the right to be called the Co-Ed softball league champs. We had a great season of victory and yes defeat, but what i love the most is our "Community". In the picture you can see that it was more than just a game for us, it was a family affair. We were the only team who brought our families out to watch and cheer us on. I wish we would been able to catch the other kids in the picture but we'll get them next time.

So thanks to all of you who came out to support us this season. Thanks for the water, the jelly beans, fruit and all of the other goodies you brought out. Most of thanks for taking time out your busy days to cheer us on. Without you we wouldn't have been able to play as well as we did. This championship is yours just as much as it is ours. See you next season!!

"DH"

2007-06-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

My last post was about my father who watched me grow up and graduate. He was there when i gave my life to the Lord and we shared such great memories. I am who i am because of what he was to me and i'm FOREVER grateful. Now that he has gone to be with the Lord there has been someone else who has stepped into that role.

In baseball, the letters "DH" stand for Designated Hitter. It's a player called upon to hit in replacement of another player. In this case, at least for me anyway, they stand for Daryl Holmes. In 2003 i married into a great family and Lauren's dad has somewhat become mine too. He was there to see me marry his daughter. He was there to experience the births of his two grandsons and i'm pretty sure he'll be around to see many more defining moments happen in my life.

So as a Post Father's Day tribute, this is to you Dad. Thanks for loving the Faiai's like you do. Thanks for loving Mom the way you do and for being an example of what an unselfish husband looks like. You are one of the hardest working people i know and yet you still make time to give my boys your undivided attention and they love it. Thanks for thinking of your family before yourself. These are just a few examples of why i'm so blessed to have you as my father in law. I praise God for you and as i continue to watch and learn, i pray that i will someday be able to pass my learnings to my sons.

Way to step up to the plate!

Thanks Jean...

2007-06-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

I had such a cool father's day. I woke up this morning to the smell of Spam, Scrambled eggs and Rice. I honestly thought that i was dreaming, but i wasn't, because there stood in the kitchen my lovely wife. She made me an awesome breakfast. After that we went to church and had a great time there too. But i think that my favorite part of the day was at Greenwood Mortuary where my father is laid to rest. I've been going there every Father's Day for the last 10 years now and i've always been impacted by the many people who go to pay some sort of homage to their loved ones. Some people even go to the extent of having picnics there, it's a pretty cool site.

This time was extra special to me. After about an hour or so sitting at the foot of my father's stone, I was just about getting ready to leave when i noticed that there was an Elderly woman sitting on a bench nearby and she was whispering things to herself. I felt this prompting to ask her about her story, so i did.

For the next 20 minutes I found out that her name was Jean and that the bench that she was sitting on was her and her husband's stone. I found out that the whispering was to her love of 61 years who passed away this past January. She has 4 sons, One however died and is laid to rest very close to their bench. We exchanged stories about what we remembered about our love ones and talked about how much we missed them.

I sat at the foot of that bench and was so honored to have met a new friend. She told me about how blessed she was to have such a great husband and that he lived a great life. She also told me that her name one day would be etched on the other side of their bench.

I may never see Jean again in this lifetime, but what I learned 2 valuable take aways from our conversation.

* I learned that no matter how tough things get in life it can be worked out, they made it work for 61 years.
* She also reminded me that life is to be lived out and embraced and that i should count my blessings every day.

All this i know already, but the reminder was great and refreshing and something that i needed.

The Deadliest Catch

2007-06-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

I've been loving this show called "The Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel. If you've never seen it, let me give you quick synopsis of what it's like.

The show consists of 4 to 5 fishing boats all sort of competing to see who catches and brings back to the docks the most Crab. On the show you get an inside look from the Captains quarters and he gives a play by play of what's happening out at sea. The Captain has an underwater GPS system to guide him and give him direction of where the best place is to go looking for crab.

Outside the captains quarters on the boat deck is group of 5 to 6 guys working their tails off to set the traps to capture the Crab. Now let me mention the most intense part of this, they are fishing in the midst of REALLY stormy weather under the worst possible conditions you could ever imagine. It takes a special group of guys to do a job like this. A lot of people have lost their lives in this line of work and a lot of them know how to do nothing else.

Anyhow i tell you about this amazing show because it's served as a spiritual reminder to me of my relationship with GOD. Here you have a team of 5 people who are totally trusting in their captain to lead them to a place where they score on tons of Crab, if the captain get's the location right then they win and get paid mucho bucks, if he gets it wrong they don't get paid at all. I feel like i'm like one of these guys sometimes, i put my trust in man and where and how he's going to lead me, and i buy into it and trust him to take me to places where i can experience success and riches, only to find out that where i'm lead is empty and unfulfilling.

From falling down so many times trusting in other things, i'm realizing that the one i need to trust is GOD in EVERYTHING. I'm learning that in trusting in man, i worry and stress out wondering if things are going to work out. I get caught up in wondering if all that i'm doing is in vain. What's soo great about God is that he's forgiving and loves us no matter where we've been or what we've done. With God, i know that i can trade in my worry for FAITH IN HIM, and i can instead of stress, TRUST, and i can rest to sure that whatever his plans are for my life they're the absolute BEST for me and my family.

Watching the Deadliest Catch is reminding me that I have a captain who needs no GPS to guide me to the best spot, it's reminding that i have a leader who knows and wants what's best for me and my family. It's reminding that no matter how crappy life may get sometimes that there are always better days ahead. This show may run it's course someday and come to an end, but the learnings from it will always stay with me.

If I had three wishes.....

2007-06-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Lately the Faiai household has been going through some changes. Some of them good and some of them a bit tough. All of them however are growing us in many ways. It's been soo hard as a Father and a Husband to lead my family through this process. I wish it were easier and that we didn't have to go through all of this anymore. So anyways If i had three wishes these are the things that i would wish for:

One - I would wish for "Clarity" of what i'm suppose to do. I love to lead worship and really believe that i'm called to lead. The dream of a full time position leading worship seems soo slim nowadays and honestly the waiting has become draining. So a simple "Hang on" or "Move on" would be helpful.

Two - I would wish for my Wife to be worry free and how that happens all starts is with wish #1. I know that she is the kind of person who likes to see things laid out and I feel that i cheat her of that sometimes because of the situation that we're in. I don't want her to worry about ANYTHING but to feel the freedom that all is o.k. So that would be my second wish.

Lastly - This one I'd let the boys (Cameron and Riley) have it and let them wish for whatever the heck they wanted. I know i'm a sucker. Oh well they're my three wishes i could do whatever i want with them.

Journey Up!

2007-05-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

I've been buzzing about "Journey Up" lately and how GOD is using this campaign to stretch us spiritually, emotionally and yes even financially. Lately i've been thinking about my time here on staff at Journey, which will be 10 years in August. I can't help but think about where we've been and where we're going. I've seen people come and go, i've seen lives changed, marriages restored, people baptized, baby's dedicated, and I've been privileged to have a front row seat in all of this. Every week we get communication cards and emails from people whose lives are being impacted here at Journey.

This is a special place with special people, this a place where people feel connected and loved. Where everybody knows your name (Like the show "Cheers"...just kidding). As we campaign as a church in trying to secure our home, the spiritual temperature is heating up around here.

There is soo much at stake here, so many lives that need to be reached. I've been listening to this song inspired by Rick Warren off the Purpose Driven Life album and it was inspired by his Father's last words to Rick before he died, he said "Reach one more for Jesus". I can't seem to shake that from my everyday pondering, because it feels like my father is saying those very same words to me. So much MUCK happens in churches these days and sometimes it loses focus of what's all about. That phrase is what it's all about. PEOPLE matter to GOD, What else is of such importance to GOD. Nothing.

So anyhow as my family goes through this process, i'm praying that "Reaching one more for Jesus" would be the driving force behind all that we do. We've got to lay it all out on the line, we can't afford not to.

Proud to be her husband.

2007-04-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

Well my last post was about a month ago, i know i'm slacking. I've got like 6 or 7 in my draft folder that i'll post soon. But today i wanted to post about my lovely wife and how deeply and immensely in love with her i am.

We've been married for almost 4 years now and every time i lock eyes with her, or feel her touch i get a tingly feeling inside. Sometimes in my heart i ask myself what did i do to deserve such a beautiful woman. I am one of the luckiest brothas in the world if not the luckiest. So i decided to make a top ten list of the things that love and adore about her.

10. She loves my chicken and rice.
9. She's competitive.
8. She love's the same t.v. shows that i love.
7. She writes GREAT MUSIC.
6. She's very supportive.
5. She loves community.
4. She does everything with passion.
3. She's a GREAT mother to our two sons.
2. She loves our families
1. She LOVE'S ME with all of her heart.

The list is infinite, it can go and on. But the one thing I LOVE THE MOST! Is that she loves the LORD with all of heart. What more can i ask for!

Proud Daddy Moment

2007-03-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our family spent a few hours at a birthday party in honor of Ethan Denison who just turned three. In our household it was pretty much the buzz for a few days for my son Cameron. He said he couldn't wait to go to Ethan's birthday party and have cake and see all of his friends. If there is one thing he LOVES to do, it's hang out with his friends (like father, like son) I guess.

Our morning started off a little rough, Lauren and i had a little tiff, mostly my fault for being an insensitive husband. One of the things that i hate the most about arguing is that sometimes you're unaware that you're doing it in front of your kids.

But kids and i mean ALL KIDS believe it or not have this special gift from GOD that can change a sour situation into one of sweet memories.

Like Today....

We arrive at the park and the excitement of Cameron being with his friends is overflowing with a huge smile as i'm getting him out of his seat. We grab a couple of things, his tricycle and Ethan's present. As we get there Cameron insists on riding his tricycle down to the party with the gift in the bucket of his tricycle. We're greeted by the welcoming committee (Marissa, Maddie, Hailey and Ella).

Now here's the "Proud Daddy" moment . Cam's peddling as fast as he can and he sees Ethan in sight and shouts "ETHAN, I'VE GOT YOU A BIRTHDAY PRESENT"!!! He rides his tricycle right up to Ethan and hops off of it and grabs the gift and hands it to Ethan and says "Happy Birthday Ethan" and gives him a hug. Now how can you not LOVE that! I had to look away from everyone because tears started to well up as my heart was bursting with joy. I kept thinking to myself my son may love "Community" just as much as i do. The kid loves his friends and he loves people in general. My prayer is that i can continue to grow him and encourage him in this love.

It's so weird how GOD wires our children to do the craziest and most memorable and lovable things to refocus and redirect our attention on HIM!

I LOVE being a DAD!

A special thanks and shout out to my friends....

2007-03-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Well we're back from Vegas and some of my friends have posted about what happened there and how much we enjoyed our trip. I echo everything they've said already. So instead of repeating what's been posted i thought I'd take it a step further and blog about my friends and do a "what i love about them list."

What i love and appreciate about:

Gregg- Very easy-going and selfless, nothing really fazes him, Great Dad.
Becky- Caring, compassionate loves her family and friends.
Chad- Gentle and soft spoken, Selfless, Great Athlete, Cool Dad.
Kara- Makes the best shakes, hard-working, thoughtful, funny and a great Mom.
Rod- Smart, jokester, sports fanatic.
Tara- Great Mom, Aspiring cook in her own right, good listener.
Lauren- Lovely wife and a Super Mom, Hot, Etc...

I really wish our other friends (The Denisons, The Hammonds and The Berry's) could have been there, maybe next time.

I really loved and enjoyed watching everyone on our trip have fun. Sometimes it's worth it to break away from the hustle and bustle of life and just EXHALE.

One last thing about my friends... I'm not sure where my brother stands in his relationship with Christ, and that is something to be praying about, but what i think he saw was quality "Community". He saw people that we're passionate about life and GOD. He saw that life as a Christ follower isn't all that boring and that we're real people.

Thanks for celebrating life with me. I love you guys a bunch!!!

Happy Birthday

2007-03-02T06:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday i celebrated my 32nd birthday. Out of the 365 days of the year it's my FAVORITE day, it's like New years day but on a more personal level. I kind of treat as a "make a resolution to be a better husband,father and friend, re-map out goals and re-commit to them like i did at the beginning of the year type day." It started with an awesome breakfast that my wife whipped up. I also received b-day cards from her and Cameron, it's amazing how scribble on a card can get the best of your emotions. That was really cool!

I also started to write a song, went to the park, and the WHO concert with my friend. Ended the evening with Chic-fil-a and hanging with some friends until about 11:00 p.m. ish. Overall i had a fun day. I received some really cool gifts yesterday too! One was an awesome "special" shake from yogurt mill from my friend Kara and the other was a post on her blog from Tara. They were priceless!!

And of course the gift of all gifts, was from my wife, somethings only married people should do.

Remembering Bob

2007-02-21T16:58:00.000-08:00

A few days ago i had a chance to go to a Reggae festival where bands paid homage to the legendary pioneer of reggae music Mr.Bob Marley. I'm a HUGE Marley fan, always have been, ever since i was a little kid I was bobbing my head to his music. He's a total legend. Nowadays reggae music other than Bob's stuff is just o.k. for me. Songs these days dont seem to have the conviction and depth that Bob had and wrote about.

As some of you may know (like my wife and her ghetto KB park crew) when you're high you get the munchies and you want to snack and grub on anything that's edible. I have never experienced that but have heard a whole bunch of stories from the wife. That night i saw with my own two eyes what an impact a plant can make on one's judgment.

I was not only there for the festival though, i was there to help my friends Chad and Kara out with the apple carts that they have at the IPayone center. I had a blast! I made new friends and learned how to slice apples with the best of them. I also learned how to dip cheesecake and bananas. Anyways back to the impact of the plant, Chad was running back and forth from cart to cart and while he was gone Veronica (new friend) and I were working and a guy came up to our cart hazed eyes and all. He ordered a "KILLER" but he wanted it sliced, so we hooked him up. Here's how jacked up he was, a killer is five bucks and he gave me a hundy (slang for Hundred dollar bill) i went to get him his change and turned back around and he was walking away. Now a few thoughts ran through my head... should i just let him go and hook my friends Chad and Kara up with a huge tip or should i chase him down and give him his change. I thought about it for about 10 seconds and then ran after him. It was the right thing to do.

Thanks to my friend Chad I had a chance to be a good citizen, good employee and a good example for all of the Rastafarians to see. I also had a headache going into that evening but thanks to all of the burning bushes in the building i may be healed forever.

Long live BOB!

One of my favorite people....

2007-02-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of possibly signing off of blog-land forever and i'm still debating that. However i couldn't sign off without a blog about My mother in law. She is one of those people who has a genuine heart and love for people. You know they say that when you marry your wife you're pretty much marrying the family too. My mother in law makes me glad that i did. Anyways i decided to make a top ten list of the things that i love about my mother in law:

10. She makes the best Mandarin-Orange cake in the world.
9. She works hard at anything she does.
8. She introduced me to the Magic Eraser.
7. She likes my Soy Sauce Chicken.
6. She cooks really well, i'll eat anything she makes, except anything with raisins.
5. She's a bargain shopper at the grocery stores.
4. She loves her family.
3. She loves her Husband
2. She loves her grandkids Cameron and Riley.
1. She loves me and Lauren.

The list of the things that make her great can go and on! What can i say, i'm a pretty blessed son-in-law!

Refreshing....

2007-02-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a pretty rough one for me, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It was one of those days that i wanted to go away as soon as the morning started. I never could get myself rolling, I was kind of a grump the whole day. I felt soo yucky and for being the guy who absolutely LOVES community and people, i did not want to be seen in public or talk to anyone.

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday. Mid-afternoon I realized that i had to get out and do some soul searching. I decided to take a drive and ask God to lead me to the place where he felt i needed to go to collect my thoughts. He lead me to my Father's burial site. This past January marked the ten year anniversary since he passed, wow it honestly feels like it just yesterday. Anyways I pull up to Greenwood mortuary and there were quite a few people paying respects to there loved ones. When i arrived to his stone, i started to weep and weep for about a good half hour. I talked a little about how i missed him and how i wish he was here to play with my boys and speak his broken english to my lovely wife. I tried to catch him up on all of things that he was missing.

After being there an hour and half i realized why God lead me there. One: was to cry and to release all of the things that were causing my soul and my heart to callous. It's amazing how refreshing it is to cry, there is a sense of relief and a sweet aroma of God's grace in crying. The second reason i was there was to be reminded of the legacy he left behind. I sat there and found myself laughing and crying conversing with a man who's been dead for 10 years. Crazy huh?!

Anyhow i'm sitting here with my calendar and purposefully making dates with my "Pops" to cry and laugh more. Did i forget to mention that he's a good listener too!

Tofa.

Aunt Dani... you rock!!!

2007-02-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 1 month anniversary of Riley's surgery. He is doing soo awesome! These past few weeks I've had a front row seat to watching the hand of God move in Riley's life. Through this process i've been reminded of how important it is to surround yourself with people who love GOD and love you.

As i'm typing this out, I hear my Aunt Dani laughing in the background at my crazy son Cameron's antics. That brings a smile to my face and my heart. Thanks Aunt Dani for being an example of love to us!

Cameron crazie.....

2007-01-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

Last week today we had to take Cameron to urgent care because he was showing signs of an ear infection. We get there only to find out that both of his ears were infected. Anyhow they sent us home with some antibiotics that he has to take twice for 10 days straight. The first day was like pulling teeth giving him his medicine, but that didn't last long. He quickly realized that his medicine is bubble gum flavored. Now he loves it and wants to take it all by himself with no help from mommy and daddy. After he's done he ends his ordeal with a high five to both Lauren and I, jumping around yelling "I did it Daddy, i did it" and then i respond with "Good job son, I'm soo proud of you."

This past Sunday i lead worship in Encounter our high school ministry. Our babysitter had canceled on us that morning so we took the boys to church with us. Lauren was singing in the worship center that morning so she took Riley with her and i took Cameron.

I get Cameron situated with a donut and milk so that i can sound check with the band, Cameron macks his donut while Dad tries to warm up vocally. Twenty minutes later sound check is over and i go to sit by Cameron and he greets me with (donut crumbs on his mouth) with a huge hug and says "Good job Daddy, I'm so proud of you." That absolutely melted my heart. I felt like the best Dad in the world at that moment.

Lately I've been struggling and wrestling God for clarity with these two questions "Am i doing what I'm suppose to be doing with my life?", and "Is this worth it?" This past Sunday morning I think i got my answer. Not with a burning bush or some bright star in the sky, but a two year old handsome little messenger boy with crumbs on his mouth.

Priceless...Thanks GOD!!

We've only just begun......or I've just begun.

2007-01-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

Well, it's over. My fast has come to an end. Though the fast may be over, the lessons i learned from this week have just begun. I honestly have to say that it was hard the first few days but it turned out alright and very beneficial to my soul and to the waistline. (at least i like to think it was) My friend Tara thinks so too (but i think she's just saying that). Anyhow the fast went great, my wife was such huge support and when i felt like giving in she was there to talk me out of it. I'm not a huge vegetable or salad fan, but this week, when it's the only thing that you can really eat, you can't help but become a fan of it. We became creative with our veggies and didn't eat much salad just a whole lot of spinach. Overall it was a great experience and another great way to worship GOD.

I'm going to incorporate more of these faith building, heart checking and soul refreshing moments into my journey with him this year.

I've started to do another thing that i hate to do, yes you guessed it "exercise" Although i have to honestly say that this is another thing that i don't love but it's growing on me. I've been doing some running/walking at Lake Murray these past few weeks and it's starting to feel really good. Today i busted loose with a whopping 6 miles. I'm pretty stoked about it, i always go into "exercise" mode and get discouraged really easy. Not this time, because when i start to love it, it's all systems go from here on out. I'll keep you posted with my progress.

Before i go i want to clarify something, I'm not at the crazy point yet where my friend Becky is, but i sure hope to get there.

Fast and the furious...

2007-01-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Cool title, however I'm not referring to the movie. My wife and I are going to embark upon a one week Daniel fast inspired by our great friends Rod and Tara Kaya. I honestly have to say that i'm pretty excited about it, and if you know me, giving up opportunities to eat meat for fruits and vegetables is out of the ordinary. Fasting is one spiritual discipline I really want to increase in my journey with God.

I LOVE food and my wife knows it and my family and friends know it, but I love GOD more and i really want to rely on him to fill me. If there is anything that i want people to know me for would be my love for GOD.

Yesterday my wife and I went shopping. Lauren had success with a few things, I on the other hand struggled soo much with trying to find something to wear or something that would look good on me. It felt like everything i tried on made me feel fat and gross. I hate those feelings because they lead to other thoughts that are unhealthy.

Anyhow, I'm hoping that in this fast God would reveal more of himself to us. I'm also hoping to really grow in knowledge of eating healthier, for the sake my family and my soul.

Christmas... A season that should never end.

2007-01-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

So today Cameron and I went to my brothers house to visit some of our relatives who are visiting from American Samoa. On our way there he insisted that we listen to a song called "Inside out". He LOVES this song and he sings it almost word for word, well in the language of a two year old, pretty close though.

So we did the visit thing and said our hellos and hung out there for a little while, he was his loveable self hugging and kissing everybody, even the folks who he just met. My cousins from Samoa loved him and asked if they could take him back home with them, i thought about all of the times of my frustration with him, i thought hmmm maybe that's not a bad idea. (Just kidding)

It was time to leave and we said our good-byes and hugged everyone a billion times, at least it felt like it (Big Family). So we hop in the car and i turn on the radio to "Inside Out" thinking he might want to continue to listen to it. He said in a very nice way "Turn off Dad" let's sing "Santa Claus is coming to town" so i said "Cameron, Christmas is over" he said PLEEASE. so like the sucker i am for my son i gave in, how could you not. So in our 10 min. ride home we sang all four of the Christmas songs he knows. It's probably going to take a while for Cameron to realize that Christmas is only once a year.

Or is it?

As we pulled into our parking lot and parked I turned the car off and Cameron said "Thank you Dad" as i was unbuckling his seatbelt. I learned a valuable lesson from my son today.

It seems like everyone during Christmas season seems to treat everyone a little nicer and people are more polite, it seems like the it's easier to feel the love. Singing Christmas songs today was a great reminder for me that even though we celebrate Christmas once a year it doesn't mean that we should stop treating people like we do around Christmas season. Our love and respect for people should be year round, all the time, 24/7.

We'll probably sing Christmas songs throughout this whole year, i don't mine, it'll just be a constant reminder of what I'm suppose to do.

Good to be home...

2007-01-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

WHEW!!! We are finally home. Thank you to all who've prayed and continue to pray with us on behalf of our little boy. It truly is an honor to be part of such a loving community. I honestly don't know how a person who lacks community makes it through times like these. I don't think we would've been able to make it through this without you all. I am forever grateful.

This past week was full of crazy emotions. Having friends and family around was very comforting. Receiving emails from people to let you know that they were praying for you was refreshing.

Thanks for loving us!!

And so it begins......

2007-01-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those nights where all of your feelings and emotions could no longer be bottled up inside and the only thing left for you to do was cry and release them. Last night was one of those nights for me. After Lauren and I put our boys to sleep, we spent a little down time together, something we don't get to do very often with two crazy boys. About 9:45 ish i receive a phone call from my sister and she calls to let me know that she's praying for us and Riley, and as I'm talking to her i hear her voice crack with sincerity as she expressed her love for us. My sister is such a Godly woman and words from her are always comforting to me. As she was talking to me i was reminded of my relationship with my Dad and how her words to me last night sounded like something he would say to me if he were still around. That kind of set it all off for me last night.

A few weeks ago if you were to ask me about Riley and his surgery process i would've told you that Lauren and i are really looking forward to recovery. A good friend of mine JD always asks me "How are you feeling about Riley and his surgery" and my response every time would be the generic "We just want to start the road to recovery."

Last night as i lay in bed weeping, i could no longer hide the fact that I'M SCARED and i really wished that when we woke up the day of the surgery that GOD would heal him and that we wouldn't have to put him through soo much pain. I HATE to see people hurt and when he or she is your own son or daughter it hurts even more. I cried my self to sleep, something that i haven't done in a while.

I'd be lying to you if i said that i woke up feeling better about all of it. I was however greeted this morning by a huge smile from Riley and a big hug from Cameron.

I realized this morning the road to recovery has begun.

Happy New Year!!!

2007-01-01T00:39:00.000-08:00

YIPEE! 2007 is here! Tonight we broke in the new year with some of our dearest friends. It was such a great time of laughter and singing and dancing. Oh Yeah did i mention singing. Our friends who hosted the party (Gregg and Becky) did such an awesome job making it memorable. They had a karaoke machine and a full on dance floor with a party ball. Some folks came out of there shells tonight and i saw folks do things that i never thought that i would see them do. We'll keep it on the DL though.

Anyhow, i learned tonight that there are many common threads that bind us together, but the one that stuck out the most tonight was "laughter." I love it when people laugh and are having a good time. It honestly gives me goosebumps and a genuine warm feeling inside my soul. The bible says that a "cheerful heart is medicine to the soul." Tonight we experienced the true essence of " Community."

I really believe that it's in "Community" that we can share laughter and tears. It's a place where you can be who you are minus the facade. It's where high fives and hugs are given. It's with these people that our lives are changed and challenged. We are so blessed to have friends like these.

You give me a name of someone who can live without community and i tell you to kick yourself because no such person exists. We ALL need each other. May 2007 be a year where you increase your love for community and your love for life.

Thank you friends for allowing me and my family to share our lives with you and yours.

Adios 2006

2006-12-30T22:26:00.000-08:00

I told you my wife was awesome! She set up my new page and for a small fee she can make your page look just as good. Just kidding.

A New year is just around the corner, what's mind boggling is where did the last one go. There are so many things that happened this past year that I'm thankful for, so i decided to highlight and share a few with you.

Celebrated 3 years of marriage.
Cameron celebrated his 2nd birthday.
Built new friendships.
Started small group with a great bunch of people.
Dedicated Emersen Kate Kaya.

And the greatest thing to happen to me this year is the birth of my Beautiful son Riley James Faiai on July 24th 2006.

Box of Chocolates?!

2006-12-30T09:27:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a week... It has been one full of anticipation of my son Riley's Pre-op appointment on Friday December 29th. In the wait, there was a lot of prayer support. Thank you to all who've been praying and thinking about us. It really means a lot to us, so much so I'm going to be selfish and ask for more as we've entered the thick of it all. I believe one of the greatest things that anyone could ask for in times such as this, is support and love from their "Community"of friends and family.

I've been thinking about soo much lately, and the one thing that i can't seem to shake is the fact that "Life should be savored" Maybe my good friend Tom Hanks was right in Forrest Gump when he said "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." Whatever kind of chocolate you get or whatever life deals to you, i'm finding out, it's worth savoring. I never knew that in my box of chocolates or goodies that i would get such and amazing wife, nor did i know that i would be the father of the two greatest gifts in my life, Cameron and Riley!! How
COOL is that!

However there are somethings that come in the same box of those goodies that your not very fond of. Riley's surgery is one of those things that I've gotten. And to be totally honest with you it's a piece of life that I'm not very fond of right now. As SUCKY as it is, it's still a part of my life that i must savor. I can't control the outcome of the surgery, however what i can control is how i choose to savor every sweet moment with him.

There is a lot of life to live in every single one of us, young and old alike. So we should savor it because it comes from the Lord. Psalm 34:8 says to "Taste and see that the LORD is good." What a cool verse to live by.

So to sum it all up here some.....

Final thoughts:

"Take an inventory of your box", what have you passed up on, you know what i'm talking about. We've all opened a box of Sees candies and have gone straight for the familiar candy. What deserves a second look, or a first look.

"Find out what your missing out on" What doesn't look so good on the outside shouldn't discourage you from looking on the inside. A lot of times blessings are disguised.

Lastly...."What are you waiting for?" Don't wait any longer to love people and celebrate your kids and do something for someone other than yourself. The list is eternal you fill in the blank _____________.

Happy New Year!

2006-12-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I honestly feel a little rusty and out of sync. I haven't blogged in over a month, it's not that there was nothing worth blogging about, it's just that life has been soo busy and so fast lately, there has been really no time to sit down and talk or i mean write...wait i meant push buttons. So i decided to wake up early enough on this fine morning to blog.

Have you ever been in love with someone that you would absolutely do anything for them. Even if it was something so crazy that only you would have the guts to take on any challenge set before you to show your love. Well yesterday i felt one of those moments.

My wife I and drove up to Santa Monica for a 2:00 p.m. Doctor's appointment for our son, Riley. We got there a little early to kind of check the place out and fill out paperwork. Very soon after we turned in our paperwork we got called to the back to see the Head Surgeon for Riley's surgery, Dr. Henry Kawamoto. He sat down with us for a while and briefed us on what exactly is going to take place and what his role is going to be during the surgery. Then, we walked over to another room to snap photos of Riley. After the pictures and a breif assessment of Riley's health, we were "good to go!" and on our way home!

A little "SELF" took place yesterday as we were walking out of that building. In my mind i thought to myself " you mean I drove over 2 hours for you to ask me questions I could have asked over the phone" , "I drove 2 hours for you to take pictures of my sons head that I could have taken myself and and sent to you in an email. UGGGHH!I was a little frustrated.

As we're riding down the elevator though, my son starts to make cooing sounds and cracks one of those irresistible smiles that melts your heart. I started to well up with tears in my eyes because that was THE moment I realized that I'm sooo madly in love with this precious little boy that i would do absolutely ANYTHING for him and that i would drive a million miles to see any Doctor anywhere.

I couldn't help but compare this feeling to the way GOD feels about us.During this Christmas season we're reminded of a GOD who sent us a Savior named Jesus because he was deeply in love with you and me. CRAZY huh?!

Finish the sentence

2006-11-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know.......
I talk........to whoever wants to and likes to talk to me.
I love.........Chick-fil-a and Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies.
My best friend..........Is watching over me.
My first real kiss.........Sloppy.
I hate it when people........jump to conclusions.
Love is.......Indescribable.
Somewhere, someone is thinking.........about something.
I'll always...........love the color blue
The last time I cried was because..........I had a moment with my sons that i wish my Dad was around to see.
My cell phone............is great tool.
When I wake up in the morning..........i make my son Cameron a bowl of Cereal (Honeycomb) to be exact.
Before I go to sleep at night..........mentally recap the day and plan ahead for tomorrow.
Right now I'm thinking about.........Christmas eve services.
Babies are............are the COOLEST and life changing!
Today I .................Lead worship for Real Life.
Tonight I will............go to bed late.
Tomorrow I will.........spend the night at my in-laws.
I really want.................some really cool sweater vests, you know the dressy kind.

Whoever's reading this.....consider yourself tagged!

Alone anyone??

2006-11-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

Well we're about a month and a half away from our son Riley's surgery, and honestly have to say that i have mixed feeling about it all as we get closer to the day. A part of me is wishing that we had more time and the other part of me just kind of wants to get it over with. Everytime i hold him i pray that God would just heal him so that we don't have to go through all that stuff. I realize though that God has our best interest in mind and that he was in control of all of this.

A good friend of mine reminded me of something a few months ago, we were talking about life and the things that are dealt to us sometimes. He said that "Life is not meant to be done alone" a phrase i've always known and heard so many times. However for some reason this time when i heard it, it clicked. Maybe it was because of our circumstances that we're going through.

I'm a HUGE community guy. I LOVE people, ALL people. I think the worst thing that can ever happen to anybody is to feel joy and sorrow alone. On my wife's blog is the story of our son Riley's journey and ever since it's been up, there has been a flood of support from everywhere, people we've never seen or met, but because they've experienced some similar events in there own lives they're spreading the love and support they've felt from others.

Life is Beautiful and should be shared with everyone. Each and everyone of us has the ability to speak into each others lives and make this place we call earth a better place to live. Yeah we have differences and dislikes but through all of that is the common thread called LOVE.

So here's the walk-away of this post.... Spread LOVE, like it's a fast spreading disease!

2006-11-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Wow! I'm part of this blogging community and I honestly have to say that we are sucking right now as far as blogs go. My friend Tara was complaining one night when we were at dinner with her husband Rod and their kids Rhett and Emersen. She said that she was disappointed with me and quite honestly I was kind of disappointed with myself. Initially when I started to blog I said to myself that I was going to try to blog twice a day, not the case though. I've been so busy with LIFE lately like so many of my blogging community have been. I feel a little rusty so I think that I'm going to get back into the swing of things slowly and do a new Top Ten list of my new favorite things. This list is totally different from the my other FAVORITE's list. Here it is, you should really try these things out and I believe that some of these will make your list too : )

10. Kirkland drinking water (Absolutely refreshing and inexpensive too!)
9. Starbucks coffee beans (SUMATRA)
8. Rachel Ray knives (Don't have any yet, but if my mother in law is reading this, you can find them on foodtv.com)
7. Trader Joe's orange chicken (Enough to share with everyone...ROD)
6. Black cherry-vanilla diet Pepsi (Not Rum and Coke)
5. Rice (It honestly goes with anything especially SPAM)
4. Really good salt and pepper shakers (You know the ones you have to turn, mother in law these are great stocking stuffers)
3. Chocolate shake from Chick-Fil-A (Probably the best shake in the world)
2. Chicken fettucini from Costco (Remember everything at Costco is good)
1. LnL Hawaiian barbeque (Chicken Katsu Plate extra rice no salad)
1. Sam the cooking guy (Don't miss him he's on channel 4SD)
It's my list i can have two #1's.

Anyhow i'll get back in the swing of things!

What matters most...

2006-10-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a little scare with our little son Riley and we had to take him to the doctors. For more info on Riley check out my wife's Blog. He has a little bump on his head and it was kind of freaking us out especially because he's going to have surgery soon. So the evening went a little something like this......we get to the hospital about 6:40 p.m. and check in because our appointment is at 7.

When we get there, it's pretty busy so we're thinking that this is probably going to be a couple of hours. Not the case... after we sit in the waiting area for about 15 minutes, Riley’s name gets called and we head back to the room to wait for five more minutes. Finally the doctor comes in and greets us and washes his hands. He then asks why were here to see him and we explain to him our situation, without looking at him or touching him he says that we have nothing to worry about.

I started to get a little frustrated on the inside thinking "dude we just paid 30 freaking dollars for something that the nurse could've told us over the phone" He sad "yeah it's normal for kids in Riley’s situation to have something like that". I was bummed a little and so was my wife. But then I thought to myself as I was buckling my son back into his seat, "what am I complaining about", "what's the big deal" isn't he worth it? How can I be so dumb to let something like 30 bucks bother me about my sons visit. He's o.k. and that should be the only thing that I should be worried about. No matter what the cost, he's worth it.

It reminded me of our staff blitz that we had earlier that afternoon, we had a competition to see who could post up and put out the most flyers around our community for our Family fall festival. There were prizes for the winning teams and so being the competitors that we are, my friend and I went all out. We left our parking lot with tires screeching, cutting people off on the road I mean we were going for it and nothing was going to hold us back.

Enter GOD:

Something came over me and jacked up my emotions. I was delivering some flyers to a smoke shop of all places and as I walked out I felt God saying "Steve, is it about the prizes or is it about the lost lives and the eternities at stake". I don't if you've ever had those moments where GOD slaps you upside the head to wake you up from being so self-centered. That was one of those moments for me.

It's really not about 30 bucks or 300 bucks, it's about a GOD who wants us to love one another, reach out and love lost people. It's about us letting people know that there is something Life-Changing and eternal in LIFE found in HIM. I heard someone say once that "We have never locked eyes with someone who didn't matter to God."

Ladies night out.....

2006-10-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight my wife and some of her park friends went out to celebrate her and one of the other gals birthdays. I got to hang out with my boys which i absolutely LOVE and cherish. I really dig it when she hangs out with her friends from the "Park" they seem to have a good time everytime they're together. I really appreciate them and love them for that.

Around here, at least in our home we celebrate birthdays more than the actual day, it's more like "Happy Birthmonth" or "Happy Birthweek" It's always tough around my wifes birthday because she's not very picky and she likes all sorts of things and I never really know what to get her. This year was a "here's some money, go and get what you want" kind of year. Which was easy and effortless but really bummed me out because i always feel like a jerk afterwards because it didn't have a memorable or sentimental tie to her birthday. So i thought that the only other way that i can express my love and appreciation of her was to blog about her and the top ten things i love about her.

Let's get it started:

10. She loves my Soy sauce chicken ( I have to admit, it is pretty dang good....thanks to KIkkoman)
9. She loves music and loves to write and sing songs. (How cool is that to have a wife who serenades you, lucky me)
8. She watches sportscenter with me (yeah, you heard me SPORTSCENTER)
7. We love the same t.v. shows like "Lost" and "The nine".
6. She loves our families.
5. She writes really good blogs.
4. I love the fact that she makes me better and strives to see me be the best at what God has called me to be.
3. I love watching her with my boys, singing songs with them and singing songs about them.
2. I love our intimate times together where we hug each other and cuddle on the couch to watch her absolute favorite show "Judge Judy"
1. I love that she loves me unconditionally and in between the seasons that we go through she remains constant.

I was doing a little cleaning around the house today and came across letters that we used to write each other. Two shoe boxes full of cards and letters. There were moments in reading some of them, i found myself getting teary eyed because of the dreams of being together and sharing our life and love forever, was no longer just in those letters, but a dream that we're living out now. I can't believe that God has blessed me with such beautiful and passionate wife and mom to grow old with. I would write a song about growing old with her but my buddy Adam beat me to the punch!

Oute alofa ia te oe!

"What's love got to do with it"

2006-10-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

There is a show on Channel 4 called "Sam, the cooking guy" It's become one of my favorite shows. I love this guy for a bunch of reasons. First off he's a great cook, second he's different from all of the other cooking shows (he's real), and last but not least the number one reason i dig this guy, he's SIMPLE. He uses frozen chicken (which we have a lot of) and all sorts of basic things that majority of us have in our refridgerator and creates kick-ass meals (oops can i say that in blog land?) Oh well, i'm just calling it like it is.

My good buddy JT loves Everday Italian on FOODTV, i think he likes the host more than the show though. Anyhow my boy loves to cook and he kind of reminds me of Sam. There is this special sauce that he has sent to him every once in a while from his homeland that'll make an ordinary ham and turkey sandwich into one the most desirable things ever. BTW thanks for the sauce.

O.k. O.k. here is my point, growing up I remembered my famaily not having a lot of money. My Father back in the days made 4.55 an hour and that was good. Hold up..... isn't it crazy that our parents worked harder than we do and made less, we work less but make more now. CRAZY huh! Back to my point, we never knew what our meals would look like for supper or what they would taste like. All we knew is that everytime we bit into whatever we were having for dinner we tasted LOVE. My parents figured out a way to create great and tasty meals out of close to nothing. We never knew nor felt any of their frustration for not having enough food or being tight on money. The only thing we knew is that every meal was made with LOVE, the best ingredient of all.

I'm learning that it's not really that important what you put on the table to eat, but what kind of love created that meal. You see, Jack in the box and places like that bail us out and rob us too many times of the experience and creativity that we have in your own kitchens to create meals made with love. I can't wait unitl my boys are able to help me cook. What's better than 1 Faiai in the kitchen, 3 Faiai's in the Kitchen. My son Cameron makes me feel like i'm the best cook in the world because he eats anything and everything i give him. (Almost anything)

Take a night out of your busy week and look deep into those pantrys and set it all out. You'll be amazed at what you can create, cook and make taste good with all of the junk you've had in there for years. Your kids don't have to know what you're making all they need to really know is that you're making it with Love.

Bon Appetit!

ESPN, it's more than just sports.

2006-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered that a couple somewhere just had a baby and that they named their baby ESPN, but that's not it, there are a total of 3 other couples who share that honor of naming their kid after one the greatest gifts from GOD to man. A friend of mine has a kid who was in the habit of calling everyone he came in contact with names like "chicken", "apple sauce" how cool is that. What if you did really name your kid "Apple sauce" Gwyneth Paltrow did. Well her daughter's name is "Apple", close enough.

I have two awesome sons who have pretty cool names or at least i think they are. I sometimes wonder if we were to have another baby what cool name we would give to him/her. I think i'm going to have my friends son name our kid, i mean come on "chicken", "apple sauce" the kid is brilliant. Anyways enough of that talk it's too early to be thinking about that.

I gotta go now and flip through some channels and see what kind of cool names i can store in my memory bank, but after an hour of ESPN of course.

Slow snail......

2006-10-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while my wife likes to walk to church from our apartment. It's become one of things that she loves to do on a weekly basis. So i woke yesterday morning and said to her " I think i'm going to walk to work today" and she looked at me with surprise in her eyes and said to me "You should, it's really fun" So being pumped up from my wifes pep talk, i went for it. As i was leaving the parking lot of our complex i wanted to listen to some tunes so i scrolled down my ipod nano to find some songs to listen to on my walk. The first song i came across was the song "Indescribable" by Chris Tomlin (one of my favorites of all time) the gals that i sing with would say that i say that about every song. Anyways, i started my journey to work and found myself breathing hard and sweating after the first block, with no extra clothes to change to when i got to work i slowed down and paced myself. It's funny when you slow down how much more you're able to soak in things. After convincing myself that it wasn't a race. I started to enjoy the song i was listening to. I was able to really take in the lyrics of the song and all of creation that was around me. I put the song on repeat and it played like 6 times on my way to work. My walk became more than a walk, it became a time to pray and reflect on the greatness of GOD and how there is so much more around us that we miss because we don't slow down. I was reminded of those "slow down, it's our neighborhood" signs. but more personal like "slow down, it's your life" take time to enjoy it! I think i'm going to trade in the "Lamborghini" way of doing life, for more of a "Toyota Corolla" way. Whatever kind of car, I learned that morning that God has created so much more for me to enjoy. ENJOY IT!

Here is a extra bonus for reading my blog- One of Camerons first books ever is a book called "Slow Snail". His grandma bought it for him about a year ago and it's still his favorite. It's about the hurry of life and how we should slow down and enjoy it.

Slow Snail

Slow snail was in no hurry,
Though all around him bugs would scurry
"You're soo slow- your in the way!"
all the busy bugs would say.
Slow snail stopped, and with a smile said
"Take it easy for a while."
"Why, i could sit here for an hour,
enjoing the beauty of the flower!"
"And anyway," said Slow tapping on his shell....
"If you had your house on you back,you'd be slow as well!"

See you later.......

2006-10-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

Riley my other favorite son has just turned 10 weeks old. He doesn't quite know his ABC's yet but i'm sure when he's ready his older brother will be able to walk him through it. He is however starting to coo and smile alot, only after a full tummy though, like father like son. I'm so blessed that he's ours and that GOD would entrust jacked up people like us with such a precious gift. I think he and I already have a special bond going, like when he's tired he likes his daddy to rock him to sleep in mommy's chair. I guess he likes the sound of my heart beating or just the comfort and warmth of being nestled in my arms, whatever it is, it's pretty special to me. Every once in a while i wonder if i was like that with my dad. If he and i had a special bond together when i was a baby, I wonder if he sang songs to me to put me to sleep, or if he made those funny little faces and those weird sounds with his mouth that i make to Riley now. Every now and then i ask my mom questions about my dad and about the years when we were babies. She would always tell me that i was his favorite out of the 8 of us kids. As cool as that may be I find myself struggling with that statement sometimes. Because if that were true, he would of stuck around to Meet and embrace my beautiful wife. He would been there when both of my precious sons were born. He would've been here to guide me as the father figure that i still need and so earnestly long for. AUGH!!.........SOO frustrating!!....... But then there's a gentle knock at the door of my heart. Something comes over me and serves as a reminder after i experience these feelings. It's the voice of A GOD who loves me more than anything. He gently whispers to me "I'm here for you" He reminds me "I was there when you married your lovely wife", "i was there when your sons were born" and "i've taken over the role of being that father figure that you need". Oh yeah Steve and by the way.... Don't forget that your Father was there too. Had he not been there you wouldn't have known me. Though you may not remember your days as a baby, be reminded that He was there when "you experienced your first broken heart", "He was there at your football games cheering you on winning or losing", and most importantly "He was there when you gave your heart to me and accepted me as your Lord and Savior"... He was there!...and so was I. I guess GOD has me feel this way sometimes to remind me of powerful and sovereign he really is. It just sucks somtimes because I MISS HIM soooo much. There is not a day that goes by that i don't think of him and how life would be so much easier with him around. However i know that he's in a better place now and that it's not good-bye but i'll see you later.

Oh yeah... Dad if you're listening or checking out this blog.... Thank you for showing me what a life fully surrendered to GOD looks like. I Love and miss you!

In memory of Suitulaga L. Faiai (1932-1997)

ABCDEFG.........QRSTUVWXYZ

2006-10-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

Cameron, the first of my favorite sons just turned 2 on September 10th and he's on this hot streak of speaking full sentences and singing songs. One of the songs is the classic "ABC's" hence the title of this blog. However in the midst of singing he forgets 9 letters "H through P". So as a parent i encourage him to sing it again and with a little help he gets it right. It's truly one of the coolest things i've ever heard in my life. I swear i could listen to him recite his ABC's all day, o.k. maybe not all day but a good part of it. So i thought in tribute to my son that i would use the letters "H-P" to describe my feelings about him.

H- Heroic
I- Intelligent
J- Joy
K- Keeper
L- Loving
M- Masterpiece
N- Non-refundable
O- Outstanding
P- Perfection

To KPBS and the Makers of "Sesame Street" I'm available!

Top Ten favorite things

2006-10-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it was like a crap shoot because you know when you buy something that you think is going to work and it doesn't, you kind of feel liked you've been cheated and lied to. This is not the case for the Magic Eraser. This sponge like cleaning thing is AWESOME, it literally cleans everything, EVERYTHING!!. So much so it has inspired me to create a Top Ten list of my favorite things.

10. Chik-fil-A Chicken Sandwiches (Even the cows love them)
9. Cuisinart Grind and Brew (Can you smell it)
8. Lever 2000 body wash with vaseline (Fresh feeling every time)
7. Caffiene Free Diet Pepsi (Simply Refreshing)
6. Costco (Everything in that place is awesome)
5. DVR (Better than Tivo)
4. Oster rice cooker (Trusted by all Sushi joints)
3. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (It's better than David Blaine)
2. Angel soft double roll toilet paper (Feel the comfort)

Drum roll Please!!!!!!!!

1. T5 taylor guitar (Sounds of Heaven on Earth)

Step off OPRAH!