"Resurrection Day" songs

I personally don't like to call Easter to Resurrection Day, but if you want to know why we can talk about it, or you can google the real story of easter and then you could have so many answers there. This past Sunday (Resurrection Day) our church had an awesome program where we celebrated our Lords resurrection. Man that was beautiful!!! I had the opportunity to sing some songs and specially I loved to sing with MJ Kochen, she is a great singer and every time I sing with her or I listen to her she blesses my heart and I'm sure to many more. If you want to listen to the song we sang here you have it.



Here you have another duet, Lisa Pierre is one of my favorite Singers too (And I had the opportunity to sing with her too in Jan 6th 2008) The Prayer.



By the way, I'm working in a new production (CD) and the 2 songs are going to be part of it.

Unusual things in Mexico!!

After the first night of our vacations in Mexico everything was much better. We´ve had fun!! After several years of not living in Mexico (Since 2000) I forgot about several things. For example

You can drive at over 90 m/h on the freeway without any problem...well watch out with the holes on the road, ha, ha

Gas is also expensive here in Mexico. How long we have to wait before we do this in the US!!

We took our kids to the elementary school where I went as a boy. We arrived to one of the classrooms and as soon as I said ¨Buenos dias¨all kids stood up and answer back in one voice ¨Buenos dias¨, I talked to them for a little while until I remembered they would stayed in that way until I gave them permission to sit. In this town there is only one elementary school and a kinder garden (that´s all) but because there are not many kids they have mixed groups. 1st, 2nd in one room 3rd and 4rd grade in other and 5th and 6th in other.

We didn't bring toys to Mexico for our kids, but do you think they missed them???

Ok, I have to admit I´m not a good fisherman, 99 % of the times that I go fishing I dont catch anything, but this time was different. I even caught 2 fish at a time!!! And my mom who always brags about her ability to fish she did a great job too, but instead of catching fish she got 2 snakes (and that was after our son Daniel said he prayed for her to catch a snake) ha, ha, ha

Perhaps you have heard the story of Moses crossing the red sea with the Israelites, but have you heard about ¨Mooses and the rest the cows crossing the sea??? his happens as we were fishing, a cowboy sent his cows to cross the sea... and they did it.

Vacations!!!!!

Vacations???????

Right now it's 2am Guasave, Sinaloa Mexico time (4am Houston Time). We woke up 24 hours ago (actually 23 1/2); we left Rosenberg at 6am (...Kids playing and crying). I drove for over 8 hours to Monterrey, Mexico (...Kids still playing and crying). We left the van in Monterrey (after some...let´s say... restrooms accidents (poop and vomit) in the car by 2 of our precious kids) and got in a taxi for 40 more minutes to get to the airport and catch our flight Monterrey-Culiacan... In Culiacan Vicente (my step-father), Carmen (my only sister) and Fernando (one my 2 brothers) were waiting for us. Finally, I drove Vicente´s truck 2 more hours to get to Guasave (...Kids still playing and crying)!! My mom was waiting for us with one of my favorite meals, mmmmhh. That was delicious! Our kids were tired, or at least 2 of them were... because David ( our 3 year old) was not!!! He decided to continue with his night life... awake. After Carla fought (almost literally) for almost two hours with him trying to get him to go to sleep, I had to take him to the kitchen, where we had some snacks, played cowboys, had a nice 3 year old level conversation for a while, laughed together for about an hour and a half, and now I'm in my mom's home office unable to sleep and (finally) with a sleeping beauty boy on my side, snoring as a pig, ha, ha.

It is so good our heavenly father never sleeps. He's there whenever we need Him and he is actually just waiting for that moment when we want to be awake for Him only!!! ¨He is our sheperd, we shall not be in want¨ I often thought about Psalm 23:1 as a verse to remember He will provide...money, food, shelter, etc. But today I learned the best He can provide is His presence in our lives. No matter what, I will never be in want of Him!!!!

Ok, now I'll try to take David back to bed. Good night everyone, or actually Good morning everyone since it's almost 5am in Houston!!!

Words of Encouragement...are U used to that???

I really love to encourage others, and motivate them. I still remember encouraging my litle brother Alvaro to have better grades in school (Highschool) He was not doing good... no, it was not a brain problem... He was a smart young man fighting with... Laziness? or maybe self esteem? or girls? I can't remember. I don't remember how long we talked but MAN!!! I felt so good when after our conversation he decided to go for it, he finished his Highschool, finished college, he finished an intensive English as a Second Language course, and I can't remember what else, and now he has a good job in a good company, as well as his wife (sorry ladies!!) he is one of the smartest man I know, and I'm very proud of him. I'm not saying all that happened because of that conversation we had, but Alvaro and I still remember that day...right Alvaro?? Why am I saying all this????

In Joshua chapter 1 you will find God giving amazing words of encouragement to Joshua. After Moses died Joshua would be the next leader of a couple of millions of stubern and rebelious people. Moses was a GREAT leader!!, so imagine the pressure for Joshua. But it is so good to read the words from God himself repeating several times ..."Be strong and courageous", "I will be with you", "be strong", "you will be succesful". When God gives you the opportunity to encourage others, take it and make a difference in their life. I love to encourage others...and it is very special for me whenever somebody encourage me. We are what we are because people encouraged us. When was the last time someone encouraged you?? When was the last time you encouraged somebody??

Now after I read what I wrote, it looks like "My daily bread" devotional, ha, ha, ha. Blessings,

Julio

10000 BC...Date night

Since Carla and I started dating (more than 10 years ago) we were so glad that we were together all the time...let's say we saw each other every day for many hours. I was at college in the mornings and working with her Dad in the afternoons, so she went to "work" with me. My in laws loved me (I think they still do...) so every place they went as a family...Julio was included in the family!!! Then we got married and left for Argentina (6 months after we got married) to a Bible Institute (Palabra de Vida). That was so cool!! We were there getting prepared for the mission field (never thought it would be the USA) We were together all the time in classes, ministry (Carla and I were part of the ensemble and traveled together throughout all Argentina and other countries in South America), etc. It was an internship (we were not working to make money). And our house was like a little dog house ("Peanuts" house).





I remember that at times Carla and I would have just two friends visiting us at our home and suddenly somebody else would knock at the door. We would open the door and after they looked in and saw that we had "people" in our house they would say, "Full house, we'll come later"!! I'm not kidding you, it was that small. But we were very happy. There was no way we could get upset and not see each other :-), it was our nest.



Then after a few years, we moved to our mission field... the USA (at the beggining not knowing it was that), where we had our first baby, Daniel. And now I had to work to make money after 3 years of not doing it ha, ha!!!!! Because of this, we found ourselves not having time for each other...so we established...OUR OFICIAL DATE NIGHT!!! Friday night. So after having 3 children, working in Church ministry, and singing in some gigs (Beauty and the Beast included), Fridays we have our babysitter come to our home at around 6:30pm and we go out on a date.




Last night (Friday) we planned on going to the movie theater to watch "10000 BC" (great movie, by the way) and when we were about to leave, our son Daniel (5 years old) had a conversation with us, and it went something like this:


Daniel: "Where are you going?"


Me: "Son, we are going to watch a movie"


Daniel: "Am I going with you?"


Me: "No, you are staying"


Daniel: "Why?"


Me: "Because it is our Date night, and you're not supposed to come with us, it's a time for Daddy and Mommy only"


Daniel: "Well, that doesn't make me happy, so next time you plan on doing this again just think about that!!"





Ha, ha, ha. Carla and I just laughted about it. See you!

My aunt Angela Arriola

I have talked to some of you about my aunt Angela, who introduced me to Music when I was a litle boy (just a few years ago, ha, ha). I love all my family but I have a special love for this aunt. She has been in the Hospital in Guadalajara, Mexico for about 3 weeks now. She is having a cervical problem (neck) which is affecting her whole body, causing her to be under a lot of pain. Yesterday she was going to be in surgery but because the Hospital didn't have all the necesary instruments to work (!!!!!) they had to reschedule it for next week. Please pray for her. I will keep you updated.

The end of "Beauty and the Beast"

Well, yesterday was our last presentation of the show "Beauty and the Beast", and we had a full house, everybody enjoyed it. I didn't take Dramamine (for the transformation scene, he, he). By the way, Dramamine's formula is: (Taken from Wikipedia)
"Dimenhydrinate is mainly abused recreationally because of its hallucinogenic effects. A person wishing to use dimenhydrinate recreationally usually takes several times the recommended dosage. This results in an intense, long-lasting state of anti-cholinergic delirium with physiological and psychological effects, including hallucinations. The dosage to experience these effects varies, but is generally far in excess of the recommended therapeutic amount.
Users report that in fifteen minutes to an hour, the drug begins to have an effect, which includes hallucinations and a confusing "high". The psychological effects are often described as "dreaming while awake", involving visual and auditory hallucinations that are distinctly different from those experienced with other psychedelic drugs. These hallucinations most often cannot be readily distinguished from reality"

When I read this it made me think that maybe several times during the week of rehearsals I had some kind of hallucinations (and I just took 1 a day!). Somebody introduced me to the Mayor of the city of Stafford right before the show on Saturday and I told him that I heard and saw angels on the stage. But Sunday with no "Drugs" in my body I realized it was not a hallucination...you know what I'm talking about...It was awesome! little girls and boys (and older people too, ha, ha, ha) were like angels bringing joy to people with their talents. It was like "dreaming while awake". Carla and our kids are VERY glad I'm back to my regular life schedule, and I'm happy too but I will miss all, I will keep many people in my heart. The question that many asked me is "are you going to continue doing this?"...my answer:
"I don't know... but if my life was diferent I would not even doubt about it. Right now my main audience my children and my wife (he, he right Carla?) will have a free show every day with me as the monster, beast, prince, superhero...and I get to make them laugh and have fun"