Letter of Appreciation

Dear SBCC Family,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this to you. I have wrestled with even writing this, but I felt moved to not just sneak away in the dark and tell you how serving you and alongside of you has been a real light in my life. I've been part of the church staff for 3 1/2 years and part of the church family for the better part of the last 17 years. These were some of the most formative years of my life both spiritually and physically. It has been a true honor and privilege to be with you and it is not by my own choice that I leave you. I believe God has set in motion another mission for me and for Shanna and we are both saddened by the departure but excited for what is arriving. Looking back at the journey, the Christmas musicals, Easter events, baptism celebrations, hearing your touching testimonies, basketball, softball, football, leading high school students and college students, all of the crazy videos, those have been some of the best moments of my life that I will cherish always. I wish I could celebrate the opening of the new building with you and I know you will be blessed by all of the hard work that has been done and is ongoing for it. I know 2013 will be an eventful year for SBCC and I pray that God will continue to show His favor for this amazing church. And just as 2013 will be a big year for you as a church, it will also be huge for me and Shanna as we will be married this September. We will continue to pray for you and I humbly ask for your prayers this year because there is no doubt we will need it. Nothing of worth will be done without our Lord. Now I know this isn't really a goodbye forever, we will see you around or here on the net. I want to leave you with some words of encouragement. Keep up the work of Jesus, to love the poor and powerless. Give grace where it is irrational to give grace. Be the voice of hope for a world that is broken. We are all broken people loved by a God who restores and makes masterpieces out of our scattered parts. Here are some lyrics to a song called "This is Amazing Grace" which I hope Joey will be able to lead you all in very soon.

This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross

You would lay down Your life
That I would be set free
Jesus I sing for
all that You've done for me

So be set free in 2013! We love you all to death!

Dale

Ten Fave Films of 2012 (3-1)

Hope everyone is having a happy new year's day! Our family is looking forward to 2013 and entering it with a sense of optimism and hope. I wish the same for you and yours. My 3 fave films of 2012 have a common theme, one of tenacity and resiliency. I hope we can all stay tenacious for 2013 and experience great things! Here are my 3 fave films of 2012:

3. Skyfall

This is the Bond film I've been waiting for since Casino Royale  so brilliantly introduced Daniel Craig's 007. Skyfall  has all the Bond elements we've come to know and love, the gadgets, cars, action sequences and exotic locales, but takes it all to another level with a tough as nails James Bond and an intriguing villain in Silva (Javier Bardem, think Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men). Bond must literally come back from the dead and prove that father time has not reaped the skills necessary to be a top field agent. Our hero is more than a pretty face in a tux and it is really showcased in a few visceral fight scenes. Whether it be up high in a skyscraper, down in a pit with a Komodo Dragon or even jumping onto a moving train, this gritty Bond does it with style. I love leaving a theater feeling like I can take on the world and this film definitely brought that out in me. And I haven't even mentioned Adele's superb theme song of the same title. Top notch production and some of the most bang for your buck action this year!

2. The Avengers

I had high expectations for this one and director Joss Whedon knocked this one out of the park. The witty banter Whedon is known for really shines in this super team movie. The orchestration of combining each character's strength and the choreography within the visually stunning action sequences are masterfully handled. And just like any good NBA coach, Whedon finds playing time fitting for each of our superheroes. And just like an NBA champion team, each of the stars accepts a role and excels at it. This movie was the most fun I had at the theater this year and ultimately, that's what going to the movies is all about. Looking forward, 2013 holds a new Iron Man film, a new Thor film and a new standard for Marvel superhero movies. I'm anticipating more fun to be had at the theater!

1. The Dark Knight Rises

As much fun as The Avengers  was, The Dark Knight Rises  was unrelenting in beating down the "World's Greatest Detective", beating down our ear drums with Hans Zimmer's score and beating down the audience with dark visuals and innovative action sequences. I may have had some residual affinity left over from director Christopher Nolan's first two Batman tales, especially The Dark Knight, but I admire his ambition in creating his vision of the graphic novels. Tom Hardy's Bane, while ridiculed for his Jimmy Stewart-esque voicing, does a marvelous job playing the menacing and calculating villain. Playing the entire movie with your mouth covered and to still be such a force on screen says a lot. One of the theories behind the pit location is that it represents the "Lazarus Pit" from the graphic novels and symbolizes resurrection. And that's what this Bruce Wayne needs, especially to come back and defeat a stronger foe. It also alludes to the resurrection of Gotham and its people and the ending leaves the city with a new guardian. I thought this was a fitting end and wrap up to Nolan's trilogy and I hope a future Justice League film would follow closely in the steps of the greatest superhero trilogy I've seen.

That's my list and I hope you had some fun reading this! In no way do I think this is the "correct" top ten, just my thoughts and I know everyone has a different ten fave films. I would love to hear from you about your faves so please share! Until next time!

Ten Fave Films of 2012 (6-4)

I had intentions of writing over the weekend but never got around to it. So, here's a an extended entry that includes numbers 4, 5 and 6 of my fave films of 2012! Without further ado...

6. Looper

My favorite Sci-Fi movie of 2012, Looper delivers a thought provoking journey of a hitman named Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). By contract, he is supposed to kill his future self, Old Joe (Bruce Willis) also known as his "loop" when Old Joe is sent back in time by a man known as the "Rainmaker". Old Joe must be killed by his former self, effectively closing Joe's loop, only Old Joe has something to live for and a few tricks up his sleeve. Set in the year 2044, Director Rian Johnson creates a future where new technology isn't the most reliable, such as a hover bike, and Joe's classic red convertible is a 2000's Mazda Miata. Not quite post-apocalyptic but it's clear that the future isn't a bright utopia. There are some philosophical tidbits to chew on such as, are our futures contained to one linear timeline or are there multiple paths, parallel futures in parallel timelines, that we can take? Are we destined to one outcome no matter what we choose? I loved the payoff to this film, and without totally spoiling it, it left me with a sense of hope.

5. Wreck-It Ralph

It might be my love for video games and the cameos of video game characters in Wreck-It Ralph, or my love of Disney story telling and the creation of a world inside Liwak's Arcade, or all of the above that just resonated with me from beginning to end. From the first time I saw the trailer with Bowser spitting fireballs with the original sound effect, I was hooked. Aside from the 8-bit goodness, the story of Ralph (John C. Reilly) overcoming his label of "the bad guy" and helping a fellow outcast, Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) realize her dream is really a story of second chances, something I'm a huge proponent of. I hope anyone who feels a label has been stuck on them and that label will never go away could maybe find some small inspiration in Ralph. Even though it's a Disney movie made for kids, I think the message is an important one for all people. It's never too late to become the person you want to be.

4. Argo

Argo is a dramatization of the exfiltration of six U.S. embassy workers in Iran who have hidden from Iranian forces that overran the embassy. Ben Affleck tells the story of heroism, innovation and courage in a suspense filled period piece set in 1979. The story sets real world covert ops and the magic world of Hollywood on the same stage and Affleck masterfully orchestrates it. Ex-fil expert CIA agent, Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) concocts the brazen plan of staging the production of a major Hollywood sci-fi movie as a cover for the six Americans, who are being hunted by the Iranian military, and himself, who must play the part of the movie crew to get out of Iran. While the real mission is set in the most treacherous of circumstances, the cover is hilarious, old school movie magic. I wish I could repeat Lester Siegel's (Alan Arkin) head-shaking tagline for the mission because it's such a golden line for the movie. (Argo ____ yourself.) As an American, that's exactly what I wanted to say to the acts of terrorism.


Out of time again! I'll attempt to post the top 3 tomorrow!

Ten Fave Films of 2012 (8-7)

In this edition, the two films have a lot in common. Both masterfully utilize stop-motion animation, touch on the horror genre and are child friendly fare. That said, both films tell stories that can connect on any age level. If you been bullied or dealt with the loss of loved one, these films can speak to you.  Before I get back into the list I have to add The Master and Cloud Atlas to the must see list. Here we go!

8. ParaNorman

ParaNorman tells the story of a misunderstood boy named Norman who has a special ability, he can see and speak to the dead. His family pleads with Norman to be "normal" and he is bullied at school and labeled a freak for his seemingly crazy outbursts. In need of companionship, Norman befriends the chubby kid of the school with whom he shares the bond of being outcasts. Just as Norman discovers this glimmer of hope, his uncle (voiced by John Goodman) that can also see and speak to the dead, warns Norman of his responsibility to keep the town safe from the curse of the witch. Seemingly cursed, Norman must use his ability to communicate with the witch who wants to inflict her wrath on the townspeople. That wrath was born from horrific pain the witch had endured as a young girl. Unimaginable suffering was brought upon her by the fearful leadership of the town. Turns out that a bedtime story is what quells the witch's wrath but only temporarily. Norman sees the need for permanent change and that it could only come about by changing the witch's personal story and to show her true empathy. That's the power of story! (Watch till the end of the credits to see a time lapse of the production of the Norman puppet.)

7. Frankenweenie

In this love letter to the horror genre, especially Mary Shelley's book Frankenstein, Tim Burton creates a world where a boy named Victor Frankenstein is able to use science to bring his recently killed dog, Sparky, back to life. Burton's stylized world exists in stop-motion, black and white and pays homage to many of the classic horror stories. If you've ever experienced the loss of a cherished family pet, Victor's loss and drive to bring Sparky back will resonate. While his intentions are noble, the theft of his method and the corruption of other experiments lead to a precarious situation for the town as monsters run rampant. In the end, bravery and nobility are rewarded. The take away for me was that the experiment only worked with the transcendent power of love. On a side note, I had the privilege of seeing the Frankenweenie exhibit at Disney's California Adventure and seeing how much detail and how much work it is to create the characters and sets is a marvel.

Frankenweenie exhibit at DCA.

See you tomorrow for films 6 & 5!

Ten Fave Films of 2012 (10-9)

Sheesh, where did 2012 go? Seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote the proposal post! Well, it's that time of the year again where I present to you my list of favorite films of the year! Before I get to the  "official" list, here are some honorable mentions.

The Secret World of Arrietty: Really difficult to leave this one off the list. The animation, soundtrack and the trademark Miyazaki inspired environment create a world full of whimsy.

Moonrise Kingdom: One of my favorite Anderson films, this eccentric tale of young, discovering love was a joy to watch.

The Cabin in the Woods: More than a slasher, freak-out horror flick, Whedon and Goddard's film is funny and entertains from beginning to end.

Lincoln: Daniel Day-Lewis gives another epic performance as the 16th president of the United States of America.

Brave: I'll always have a soft spot for Pixar and the technical animation here is ridiculous.

Paperman and La Luna were two of the best short films I've ever seen.

Also should mention that I did not get to see Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, and Life of Pi at the time of writing this.

Now, on to the list!

10. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Jiro is a documentary of the world renowned sushi chef and his calling to create art in his medium, sushi. It is an inspiring story of a man compelled to follow his dream. His passion is passed down to his sons and I couldn't help but to be influenced by his conviction as well. And I don't even like sushi! It is much more than a film about making sushi. If you have 80 minutes to spare and looking for something compelling to watch, I'd recommend to dream with Jiro.






9. Bernie

In this stranger than fiction tale, Jack Black gives a magnetic performance as Bernie Tiede, an eccentric and beloved member of the community of Carthage, Texas. In fact, he was so loved that even though he confessed to the murder of an 81 year old millionaire, Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), the District Attorney (Matthew McConaughey) had to get the trial moved outside of the city to get an unbiased jury. Director Linklater weaves interviews of the real life people of Carthage with outstanding performances by the lead actors, a technique that showcases the small town charm of the people. (Love the accents!) One of Jack Black's greatest performances, his charisma shines through, not to mention the delight of hearing him sing gospel! Looking for something a little off the wall? Give Bernie a chance!


Check back tomorrow for films 8 and 7!

s+d | the proposal story

Well, hello there, blog. I'm sorry I've neglected you. I have a perfectly sound explanation for being M.I.A. You see, I've been a bit busy. It's a long story and I haven't quite streamlined this story into a tidy narrative, but I think it's worth telling anyway. I hope it encourages you to live out a better story, even if you feel the odds are against your dream story. I know it sounds cliche but if you stay patient, stay humble and never stop believing the amazing can happen, the amazing will happen. This is about more than a proposal. It's about the people whose lives I have the privilege of being a part of. It's about how making sound decisions, choosing what is better in life, always leads to better results. It's about faith and seeing God's presence in the smallest details. I hope sharing this part of my life will bless you.

I'll start by going back a couple of years ago. Shanna and I had just past the 5 year mark in our relationship. I thought to myself, "Hey, it might be time to think about getting married." But looking at where I was financially and the seemingly zero chance of coming into more money anytime soon, I thought a proposal was way out of the question. I always thought I would like to do something grandiose for a proposal, but having no money really throws a wrench into that dream. So, I prayed. Not a prayer for money or stuff. Just a prayer that God would be with me and that I would take notice of the details in life, no matter how small. Last time I checked, Jesus didn't need a whole lot of cash to perform miracles so I figured if I just invited him into the details of my life, he could make amazing things out of this ordinary person.

Fast forward to about mid 2011. Things were still pretty down in the financial area of my life, but I didn't have doubts that there was change happening. There was something changing in me and it was my need to be right. It was an obsession really. I had to be right about everything and everything had to make sense to me. Anything otherwise would just make me angry and really, it was a driving force in a lot of the decisions I had made up to that point. But I could feel that need subside a little bit as I began to dwell on the steps I wanted to take into making the world a better place. "Be the change I want to see." And the change I really want to see is for people to default to love rather than defaulting to what makes the most sense. So I started with me. This allowed me to have better relationships with people, allowed me to see the perspective of others and not just my own.

Needless to say, this had a positive effect in my workplace relationships and really led to a remarkable financial increase that was a hope that I gave up on a while back. Couple that with a sizable tax refund (thanks, Obama!) and suddenly I had the means to make a little something happen. So I started processing the possibilities, setting up something at our home away from home, Disneyland, enlisting the help of friends to capture the moment and so on and so on. Then I had to find out what kind of ring she wanted. I was always leery of buying the ring because I knew it was going to be really modest. Like embarrassingly modest in comparison to her friends' rings. Since my prayer 2 years ago, I had resigned myself to the fact that anything I did or bought would be modest. I want to keep from getting too dramatic because I know I'm blessed to just be able to afford anything. But I knew I could make up for it in thoughtfulness.

A few months before the proposal, I knew Shanna was helping coordinate a friend's wedding in Hawaii. I had told Shanna that I wouldn't be able to afford the trip out to Hawaii, especially to just hang out and do my own thing away from the wedding. So I kicked around the idea of surprising Shanna in Hawaii with one of our friends, Trisha. She really encouraged me to look into the idea. I found out that they were planning to have breakfast at Aulani, the Disney resort in Kapolei, HI. I immediately knew that would be the perfect place and time to surprise Shanna. The fusion of two of her favorite things, Hawaii and Disney, set the perfect place to propose. So the real planning began.

I'm so grateful for the people in our lives that helped support us not only for this occasion but for the years we've been together. I know the plan wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly as it did without the help of friends and family. I have so many people to thank and hopefully I've expressed my gratitude in person already. I had help with everything from buying the ring, booking my flight, hotel and rental car, gathering info on Aulani, and coordinating schedules. And I think the most amazing part is that it was all kept under wraps even though I told more people than I should have.

So Shanna left for Hawaii with no clue what I was planning. She called me to see if I missed her and I kinda played it off like I didn't miss her because it had only been a couple of days and that I would see her in a couple more. Sunday, May 27th, the day I planned to fly in to Honolulu, was finally here. Shanna tried to call me while I was in the air and by not answering my phone, she became more and more upset with me. From the airport, I picked up my rental car and drove straight to Aulani. I pulled up to the beautiful hotel and spoke to Shane at the front desk. I asked for his advice on where to do the proposal and what I could expect the next morning. He was quite helpful and I really was comfortable there from the get go. After checking into my room, I had dinner with a few friends, all the while texting with Shanna's friends to make sure we didn't cross paths just yet. Shanna called me again that night and I probably infuriated her when I brushed her off because I told her I was playing video games with my friends. At that point I kinda knew I was in trouble but also that it would make the next day even more awesome.

I woke up Monday, May 28th to a gorgeous Hawaii morning. I was up early in the morning, awakened by anticipation. After getting ready and making sure I had the ring, I got a text from Trisha saying, "omg, tell Shanna's dad to zip it!" I didn't know what happened at first but I found out that Shanna had called home to talk to her mom but she ended up talking to her dad for a little bit. He asked her what time her flight was coming in the next day and she said like 10:30 but he didn't have to worry because I was going to pick her up. His response was, "Oh, he's back already?" He had thought I had already done it. Luckily for me, she didn't give it a second thought and just said "Back from where? He didn't go anywhere. He's playing video games with his friends." His explanation was classic. He said, "Oh, back from wherever he went." Well played.

So I got to Aulani about 45 minutes before Shanna and I let the front desk know what I was planning. The whole staff at the resort was amazingly helpful and really helped make the moment special. Len coordinated with photographers to be ready and Hi'ilani came up with the ring presentation. She thought of planting the ring inside a Plumeria which sat at the center of a bowl of flowers. She would then come over to Shanna when the time was right and ask her if she would like a flower and show her the ring. Genius! Hi'ilani also had leis prepared for us after the big moment.

So with the staff ready and waiting, I stood at the balcony overlooking the pool area and the beach. I had a clear view of the front doors of the hotel and waited what seemed like an eternity. Then I got the text from Trisha saying they had parked at the hotel. People kept walking through the lobby and every time the sliding doors opened, my heart skipped a little. Then, finally, I saw Shanna walk in. Of course she was engrossed with her phone and trying to upload the photo she just took of the exterior. She had tagged me in the photo on Facebook, letting me know what the hotel looked like from her point of view. Little did she know, I had already seen it twice in person! So after a couple of minutes of waiting for her to make it out to the balcony, she was still oblivious to my presence. I gave her a little, "Pssssst... hey!" She finally looked up at me and said, "What the heck? What are you doing here?" I told her to "come here" and that's when Hi'ilani came over with the ring presentation. As soon as Shanna saw the ring, the uncontrollable tears started to flow. (for her, not me.) I'll let the slideshow tell the rest, I was just surprised that she was so surprised. I want to thank Danny for providing direction for the photos and the always awesome job that he does. And I can't forget Derwin who showed us some of the locations that provide great photo opps. The happiness you'll see throughout the slideshow is a culmination of being surrounded by so much love. I think I can speak for Shanna when I say that we can't say it enough. We are truly grateful for the support from family and friends and we still covet your thoughts and prayers. We just hope we can offer the same back to you.

you were meant for amazing things.

Torrance is the last place I expected to host an event that included art, dance, music and social justice. Growing up in this city, we have a self given nickname of "Borrance" because nothing exciting ever happens here. Or so we think. I believe there are things happening all around us that we take for granted or these things just go unnoticed so we think we lead mundane lives. I believe there is potential in all of us to create amazing things. We all have the ability to cause whimsy and evoke emotion. I was reminded of this last night at an event called Fuze.

I'd like to thank the people at HOPE International and Mosaic for setting the bar and exemplifying how culture and awareness can be brought together to form a genuine community and spark a meaningful conversation. The event staff was friendly and helpful (shout out to Goodie!) and the art gallery featured some exquisite pieces. Hearing what HOPE International does with microfinancing was really impressive. An innovative idea about empowering people to acquire skills for trade and to create their own capital is one of the fresher takes I've heard regarding helping impoverished people. Inspiring spoken word, tap dancing and songs bookended the headline act, Sleeping At Last.

I had the privilege of meeting Ryan from Sleeping At Last and he is one of the most unassuming, genuine and easy to talk to artists I've ever met. His honesty and genuine personality really shines through his music. During a Q & A session, he said that when we writes his music, he tries to cause his audience to get goosebumps and I think he succeeds with each song and arrangement. Speaking of arrangements, I gotta give a shout out to the quartet that accompanied Ryan that included my cousins, Emi and Kumi on the violins! Excellent performance guys & girls!

I'll have a link to some video of the performance later but for now check out this performance of "Umbrellas".

you were meant for amazing things.