Smile, Today and Tomorrow

 

I wake up everyday and I can’t believe how good God is. 

“In Catholic tradition, a smile is viewed as a powerful act of charity, a reflection of inner joy in Christ, and a simple tool for evangelization.”

I get to inspire another generation over and over again. I get to serve in the Church. I get to experience the pain of soreness from yesterday’s workout. It feels great! Everything seems so perfect. Sometimes I even get to see her smile. Who is she? 

I can’t believe that I live in the City of Angels, my beloved home. Home is where the heart is. I love everything about this city. The busyness, history, and beauty. This is the City of Champions. It lives up to all of its names.

I can’t believe that I’m alive! A man fully alive is the glory of God. To be born in a time like this. Where Saints are made. Where the status quo can be challenged, and being a believer of Christ is an act of rebellion as if history is repeating itself. 

It’s hard to believe the freedom that I have. To be living in a country where we are allowed to worship, earn an education, start a family, work in a job you enjoy, and roam around to achieve our own version of the American Dream. True freedom, is when you are able to love totally, faithfully, and fruitfully. True love, where God’s love can reign. Everything else outside of God, not as liberating as it looks, will leave you broken and empty inside. Our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. Real freedom is sweet and glorious.

The older I get the more I realize how different we are set apart from our peers. Not everybody will understand God’s will in our own lives, because different missions are assigned to select individuals. This anointing comes from the Heavens. When much is given, much is expected. When it demands everything, only a few are able surrender it all. 

I’m spoiled. God has blessed me abundantly, and for that I owe everything to the Almighty. He showers me with blessing after blessing, and it’s daily. I don’t feel like I even deserve His sanctifying grace, love, and mercy, but He is so good and generous. Sometimes I just have to let Him love me. 

Others: “Who got you smiling like that?”

Me: Am I worthy to receive Your love? 

God’s response to us:

“Thank you for letting Me love you.”

Everything I do is for the Lord and His people. All glory and honor is to Jesus Christ. I heard some relationship advice about our walk (run) with the Lord. “Run as fast as you can toward God. Every once in a while look behind you to see who’s keeping up.” That’s who I want by my side :) I’ll carry her on my back, if necessary, as long as we’re headed in the same direction. So back to our walk with God. What a great affirmation to hear the word: run! Run to God, then everything falls into place. “Oh no, I hope I don’t fall.” Oh, to be able to do things that I could only dreamed of as a kid. Everybody’s walk/run is different. My mother used to always say, “Dios es muy grande.” The things that put a smile on my face. 

“Nothing is more practical than

finding God, than

falling in Love

in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.

It will decide

what will get you out of bed in the morning,

what you do with your evenings,

how you spend your weekends,

what you read, whom you know,

what breaks your heart,

and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in Love, stay in love,

and it will decide everything.”

-Fr. Pedro Arrupe

The 8 year old me would be so proud. 

The 80 year old me will be so grateful.

There’s still sooooooo much more…

Thank You, Great King. 

And special shoutout to my Guardian Angel. 

To my younger and current self, here’s a peaceful lullaby that puts a smile on my face:

This Becky G video was going viral. Her lullaby speaks to the soul. Grande y fuerte, eres inteligente. Dios te bendiga, hoy y para siempre. Words of affirmation :)

Smile, today and tomorrow. You are so loved.

 

Hurricane Season

In the past month, I experienced the storms of two hurricanes. One in Hawaii and the other in Southern California. Storms are inevitable, although sometimes unpredictable, they are certain. We must weather the storms, as everything just passes through in their time. While in Hawaii, I couldn’t help but notice how the locals took the storm calmly, expecting the power outages, and still continuing their normal routines, daily walks, and so forth. 

During these “stormy seasons” of our lives we will get cut from the teams, face rejections in jobs, life, etc. You will experience loss and pain, but that doesn’t mean that the game is over. We are still destined to hold onto the gold by overcoming all that was thrown at us. Sound familiar? I feel like I keep repeating the same story. Is this Groundhog Day? Today is actually Labor Day! People will wonder how you’re still standing victoriously, but maybe will one day learn to never underestimate the heart of a champion. All glory to God. 

Like everything in life, relationships, sports, monopoly or poker games, I fail at everything at first. I miss the shot, fail at my follow through, fail to close the business deal, etc. Even professionals fail. I’m not sharing this for pity. This is not a victim mentality, on the contrary, it’s not poor me, it’s poor world because the next shot is going in. This is good for the world. Victory and prosperity awaits. Failing leads to more winning.

“Your work. Your suffering. Your fears. Your family. Your unanswered prayers. The sin you are fighting. The future, you cannot control. You can place all of it before God.”

In order to do the will of God, you must face resistance. Not because we’re victims, but because we’re heroic in overcoming and loving. Resistance builds strength.

Sometimes you are in your walk with the Lord, then all of a sudden you get confronted by an ugly mob. This is a good sign. There must be a hurricane going on. 

Sometimes you get ready for a fun event, vacation, celebration, or some fun plan, then you experience a setback or a curve ball is thrown at you. Surprised? Nope. There is a hurricane happening.

Sometimes you’re performing at a high level, overachieving in things that seem impossible to achieve, let alone excel in them. Then, it will feel like it is not enough, like there’s more in the tank, more to do, more winning needs to happen. More rescuing. El huracán anda suelto. The hurricane is on the loose.

Has this all ever happened?

Jesus was asleep in the boat, but then what was His response to the fishermen who woke him up. “You of little faith.”

Are you of little faith? 

This happens all the time. We have to have faith. There’s nothing wrong. Study these human behaviors, wind patterns, self reflect, and look at the fruit. In life, the fruit is evidence. That usually tells me everything I need to know. Then, I continue my journey, as if nothing ever happened. The hurricane has ran its course. The lesson is learned and I take that as armory to the next level. Pass Go and collect my $200.

The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him? Matthew 8:27

God leaves the present to us, under His guidance. In our free will we must keep breathing, sailing, executing, and loving. Love yourself first so that you can love others. Focus on yourself kings and queens. Focus on you and God. Do things that are pleasing to Him. The rest is up to Him.

Imagine a person who gets up every morning in paradise, their kingdom, says their prayers, works out, maintains a positive attitude, wins some more, takes care of finances, helps others in need, does charitable work, ministry, social time, event time, back to the prayer routine, gets a good night rest. Repeats. Then vacation, competition, more meaningful relationships. Back to the gym, back to the church. All in the middle of a hurricane. Is this all even possible? During your storm, is Jesus still asleep in the boat? Do you still think the storm is threatening?

Oh, you of big faith?! I can already feel the calmness, as Jesus commanded. 

Hurricane Season, what’s suppose to be a disastrous period, if approached well is the best time of the year. Fortes fortuna adiuvat. In Latin means: fortune favors the brave. Or like my graduate school professor used to say, “El mundo es de los valientes.” The world belongs to the brave. Jesus, wants us to be brave, trust in Him, and continue sailing in faith. He’ll wake up when he needs to. 

The best part is seeing Jesus awake in the boat. In our own boats. “Jesus is the King and He’s alive. Alleluia.” 🎶 The song below is on repeat all hurricane season long:

 

Another Day in Paradise

Another Day in Paradise

Something in me discerned this, said yes, and currently holding on for the ride. Sounds like paradise to me. 

I didn’t just come here to die, I came here to live to the fullest. Dying is part of living, but I needed to feel again. To suffer. To go through everything that it feels like to be human. 

I saw paradise, then a hurricane rushed through the scene and it was still paradise. 

I came back from vacation to corporate America, it was still paradise. 

The dawn of a new era. A chapter with a map that leads to paradise, again.

The road is wide open. The pavement is your own gym floor. Even the gym, which is known as the Iron Paradise, has become a sanctifying place. Objects seem more closer than they appear. Paradise is right here in front of us.

I will be starting swim lessons soon. Boxing too, maybe even martial arts. Why do I always feel like I’m preparing for war? Sunny from the F1 Movie said Plan C. Which means, C is for combat. Paradise and war sounds like a paradox. War is my paradise. When you’re a soldier in God’s army, your mentality always shifts to its default setting. Enduring and conquering. 

I think the Lord is up to something. He always has something up His sleeve. I’m here for it. I need more time in the adoration chapel. He won’t reveal what is ahead, but will at least give me assurance that He is already there. My guardian angel made sure the path was safe. Working overtime again. Praise the Lord!!

I love this chapter that I’m living. It’s everything I’ve been praying for and more. If you would have told me ten years ago that I was going to be doing what I’m doing now, I would have thought you were crazy, but I would have smiled because I would’ve still believed it. I am not surprised because I worship a God of surprises. Deep down I always knew the future was going to be great. The best is still yet to come though.

Paradise may seem closer than it appears. Paradise is what you currently see. I used to think it was at a far distance. It was here all along. Paradise is everywhere I go. Jesus is present in the midst. Paradise exists because Christ is present among us.  

I can hear the birds chirping; the waterfalls flowing; every day feels like Friday or Sunday morning. It feels unreal. This is my ODYSSEY filled with a myriad of adventures. If somehow our paths cross, being in the right place at the right time, every once in a while, it would make everything much better. Fun maxxing, living in paradise. It’s as good as it gets, on this side of Heaven.

Jesus, I trust in You, Great King!

Otro día en el paraíso…

The Road to a Fulfilling Life

Something big is about to happen. I don’t get this feeling too often. Maybe just at the beginning of a new chapter, when I recollect and remember, “If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life.” Every year, it happens. The best season of my life. It never stops! Not because I ignore unnecessary things, but because I spend more time and energy on what is necessary. Something feels different this time. This is about to be the most important season of my life. 

When I say something big, I’m not referring to career or business. I’m relating to my personal life. I’ve always known that as much as we pour into our jobs, we must be more excited and work harder outside of our jobs. That’s where optimal fulfillment comes from. 1. Work more on your life outside of your job than you do at your job. 

Connection is greater than purpose. Build healthy holy human connections with people. They will inspire you to be better and push you beyond your limits just by their presence and support. Positive friendships are influential. Without the right human interaction, you are depriving yourself of love. Self solitary confinement is detrimental to your development and growth. The opposite is also true. 2. Healthy holy human connections are essential to a prosperous lifestyle. 

When you live to your potential, you begin to attract beautiful things in your life. Heavenly things. You find God in those moments, if you look closely. God reveals why you’re His favorite. God blesses you suddenly, abundantly, and right on time. Then the world starts seeing what you already knew about yourself. 3. Acquire a devotion to your faith and give God the glory for everything.

Every bit of resistance, friction, or tension becomes the blessing. That’s why you never really hear me complain about circumstances or people. Even with the trials, challenges, changes, and everything else, that is when you realize everything you prepared for, led you to this moment. This is why we play the game. When someone disrespects you and you create a boundary, it’s all part of the game. This is the most exciting part of the episode. These conflicts propel you to have the best season of your life. 4. Embrace the friction. 

The fulfillment of a job well done has a cost of admission that most people never pay long enough to collect. There’s a resiliency that needs to be applied for you to push past surrendering. Most will never want to pass that threshold and persevere because it is too much work and it is too painful. In fact, if you look around in today’s society most are being steered in the wrong direction with behavior that does not bring fulfillment in the long run. The easy road of empty promises that actually leaves people more broken than before. Actions that make you take steps backward and not forward. Discipline. Boundaries. Love. 5. There’s always a price. It’s expensive, but worth everything! 

You have to make time to sit. Just you and your thoughts. It has to be a peaceful meeting. What is being said, honestly?  That’s all you need to ignite something within you to go and achieve something worthwhile. Optimal fulfillment isn’t the achievement, the final result, it is everything before, in between, and the aftermath. God is in the middle of it all. 6. Optimal fulfillment is the whole process. The good, the bad, and the messy middle. 

You don’t need applause or any validation. You will enter seasons where you want to be seen, but great things happen even when they are not noticed. Fulfilling work must derive in the silence, otherwise it is done vaguely. Some work you would expect to be congratulated and you won’t. <insert cricket noise> No one is going to tell you to run the extra mile, no one is going to applaud for you after completing a task, especially if this has become the norm. Envy may follow when you win all the time, win anyway. 7. Learn to build and be grateful for the opportunity without recognition. 

Next time someone says, you’re not good enough (rage bait), make sure you smile inside because you know how to operate your system. Not to prove anyone wrong, but to prove yourself right. AGAIN! The person who is the most calm is the one who is in control. You were winning from the start. You’re winning now! You will win at the end. Winning at life for standing and living what you believe in. Faith in motion is the road to poetic justice. It was never about anyone’s opinion, it was always about the mission, you, God, and the people you serve. God leads to victory not self destruction. Don’t believe the lies. 8. True victory is found in Christ. 

Summer of 2026: The Road to a Fulfilling Life. The Road to the Most Important Season of Your Life…

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph, pray for us!