Angel Cicero's experiences...

Getting closer

2011-10-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

It's interesting to go back and see what you've written a little while ago, especially when talking about goals. My last post was on March of this year, and I posted some goals that I was expecting to accomplish by the end of this year. I'm not so sure I will achieve those goals anymore.

Lately, I've felt a little discouraged with nutrition, partially because when I study I don't feel I'm learning that much anymore, and also because all the knowledge that I've been able to acquire, sometimes I feel is pointless. I've been offering free nutritional consultations since almost a year ago, and even though some people have come to get help, I feel most of them don't take it seriously. Also, I've encountered people that were really in need of help, and after offering mine, they've rejected it. Everybody is free to do what they please, but seeing you have the knowledge to help people with their problems, and seeing that the solutions are not that difficult to follow, one get discouraged. Maybe this is the way Heavenly Father and Jesus feel. They see we need help and they offer themselves constantly, but we reject them as well all the time, and they feel sad. How many times must they be watching us suffer just because we don't approach them in prayer, or we don't let them into our lives...

I've been learning many principles about the gospel lately, and that has been a balsam to my soul...this has kept me uplifted in times of difficulty. My family, especially my wife and my little daughter Annabelle, have been sharing their wonderful spirits with me, for which I am so grateful.

Oh Lord, if I can be of any help, wilt thou let me know?

New goals

2011-03-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

I decided I had to work on new goals, and what a better way to do it than through my blog...

Goals are the key to think about something long enough for it to happen. The more you think and desire something, the more likely it will happen. Thinking, meditating, desiring something will open new windows of energy that will work in your favor to make a reality that you've been hoping for. Your thoughts are powerful, your desires more, and your actions will help because they will be the reflection of your desires and thoughts.

Therefore, let's think, let's desire:

-On April, I will have my first degree in Nutrition as a health counselor.

-On 2011 I will have all my four degrees in Nutrition and Naturopathy completed.

-On 2011 I will have my Nutrition business set up and running, and I will be able to help hundreds of people if not thousands.

-On 2011 I will have done at least 10 seminars on Nutrition.

-Before the end of 2012 I will have finished my first book on Nutrition and health.

Being Traditional

2010-06-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is that nowadays it seems that if something is traditional, we have to change it. Not always changes are for the better...as you know there are many, many things that he wished had stayed the way they always were: traditional hamburgers...how yummy were they, and how few places are able to make them today...
Traditional housing...I'm talking about a few centuries ago, when architecture was actually something to admire...unlike today, where everything is made for profit and not for the beauty of itself.
How about books...have you ever been to a vintage bookstore? Have you seen the books they used to make just a hundred years ago? It almost didn't matter what they had inside...just the outside was piece of art...and actually Janeen and I have many of those we try to collect just for decoration...
What about furniture? even the poorest of people had pieces of furniture that today would be considered a treasure! and we are ok with the crappy pieces that are sold in stored today...where the art has been long gone!
But one of the things I've been thinking about lately, and wanna get into, is traditional shaving...my friend Teiste has a blog about traditional shaving (FORO DEL AFEITADO), and this blog has made me wanna rethink about shaving again. Up until now, shaving was an annoying thing to do, something I've always tried to postpone, something I've never really enjoyed doing. But let me tell you...after just a few videos on this blog, you will want to shave at all times!!
So I told my wife my new exciting hobby, and she suggested to get me a shaving set for fathers day (even though our daughter hasn't come yet, but she still wanted to get me something). So here it is, a Merkury Futur Razor, and a Finest Badger "Shavemac" Brush...just waiting for them to come in the mail!
Enjoy traditional!

My little sister is gone!

2010-04-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

After almost three months, my little sister Marta is back to Spain with my parents! It is amazing how her presence is so noticeable. She has done a great job: Her goal here in the US was to pass the GED test, and she did it! She has improve her English quite a lot, and I believe she has also improve a lot spiritually. The experience of living without our parents has helped her become more mature, and all I hope is for her to remember everything she has learned!

On my last post I mentioned I was gonna participate on a jiu-jitsu tournament, and I did (Utah Champion Submission Challenge XIV). I got second place, lost on the final...feel free to check the results. But I gotta say I got farther than I though I would get. My fights were really long, actually the longest fights in the history of the tournament: 40', 32', 35', and the final was 17'. Total time, over 2 hours of fighting. I literally lost about 10 pounds during the fights. I couldn't feel my muscles during the final, and gave my best...but couldn't win the whole thing!

Also, I talked on my last post about books I got and books I wanted to read...well, the one I'm reading right now I highly recommend for people interested on science and religion. It basically explains how science doesn't really have to fight religion and vice versa. The book's name is "Scientific Discoveries That Build Testimonies And Strengthen Faith" by Dan Neville. One only warning about this book is that it contains high level Physics on it!

What else? Well, since we had to take Marta to the LAX airport, we are enjoying some days of vacation here in Southern CA, visiting family, and celebrating Janeen's baby shower. Let's just hope we can go back to Utah with a nice tan!

La Jolla Beach

Carlsbad Beach

Janeen is my inspiration!

2010-03-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, since my babe Janeen has been begging me to update my post, I think is about time to do it. I remember I mentioned I was gonna write more often on my last post...well, it was July 2009, so you can see I'm not good at this...

However, there are quite a few things I believe they are worth reporting, and trying to make a memory of them, and I will share these.

The first, most important thing, is that Janeen and I are gonna be parents!! Our daughter, Annabelle will be born sometime around the first week of July, and this is great news. As many of you know, the first time Janeen got pregnant, we had complications, and it just couldn't be. It was a grieving time for us, but gave us an important experience in our lives. I know God lives, and He has a plan for each one of us. Sometimes, sad things happen to us, and the thought might come to our minds that we didn't deserve such a thing. What I learned from our experience is that the things that happen in life, are not things we deserve for our behavior, the things that happen in life, be good or be bad things, are for our own good. It's complicated, because our minds are too limited to fully understand everything, but the day will come in which we will know why every single thing happened, why each experience came, and why we had to suffer all the trials. The day will come in which we will probably laugh at our behavior like when we laugh at ourselves on childhood videos. I completely trust the Lord in whatever happens to me or my family, and I hope to be faithful enough to overcome everything, whatever comes.

Second, very important thing, is that we are definitely settle in Orem, UT. We bought a house here because we felt it was what we had to do...we felt as in the Lord told us this is what He wanted for us. It was actually a house we felt in love with a while ago, but too expensive for us. However, with the bad economy, the owners were force to go to a short sale, and hence us. Janeen and I always joke about when to use the word "hence" from a movie we once watched.

Third, even though we have our investments, the job searching on my field (renewable energies) is not giving its fruits. I need experience in the field, so if you are reading this, and know of any opportunity, let me know!

Fourth, my sister Marta, is been living with us for a couple months now...she loves it here, cause there are tons of LDS people she can hung out with, and it is really a good environment to be around. Good for her, I hope she can grow in faith and testimony!

Well, as you see I actually like writing...I think I'm just getting old and forgetting things...hehe. What else can I say about my life? After many years, I came back to practice JUDO...I love it, and I hope I can be more constant about it. On top of that, I'm doing JIU-JITSU, which complements pretty well with JUDO. Actually, in just a couple weeks I will have my first tournament...so you know, everyone invited to come a support!!

One of my passions is reading, and lately with more available time, I've been reading a lot. I'm focusing my reading on "The Pearl of Great Price", for which I found about 12 books, and also "Science and Mormonism" for which I've found another 11 books. I have quite a while until I finish all these books, but I hope to learn a lot, and share my thoughts with other people...curiously, I found a few people really interested on these subjects, and I always have a word or two at church. I am currently reading "Key to the Science of Theology" from Parley P. Pratt. I have to say I have great admiration for this beloved apostle. He was so eloquent but at the same time straightforward! His knowledge was not inferior to some of the most prominent prophets, and the beauty of his words always keep my attention. I really recommend this book.

Anyways, I really hope I can keep an eye on my blog and update it regularly, cause I always feel better after writing on it!

New 2009 inspirational moments

2009-07-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well...I think writing in the blog is gonna compare to writing on my journal...I basically get into it once a year...and how bad is that? Cause summarizing all the events and inspirational moments of a year is impossible!

However, I'll try to be better...I'll try to share some of those moments more often...
Maybe I'll start sharing our last inspirational though...living in Utah...yes, you have to be inspired to decide to end up living in Utah...hehe. My patriarcal blessing says that through my job I will be able to help other people join the gospel...but living in Utah didn't seem to fit in that definition, cause, as many of you know, Utah is and LDS (mormon) state...where aparently is hard to find somebody who is not a member of the church...However, the other day something made me think differently...My beautiful wife Janeen and I went to have dinner at an Olive Garden in Orem...there she was, Julia, a 60ish year old waitress that helped us out with dinner. She was from Madrid, Spain, and moved to Utah 47 years ago after marring a soldier from the US army, and guess what...she wasn't LDS!
47 years in Utah and you are not LDS? Well, there are tons of people like Julia, who just need the right person to touch their hearts and let them open themselves to the greatness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I had a feeling that there are people to help everywhere you go, I felt inspired!

Well, I guess this is good for now, since it's been so long since the last time, this is just like a warm up...

We'll talk later...

Going green...greening done!

2008-10-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

My pleasure to start a masters degree in Spain, at the European University of Madrid in...Renewable Energies!!
I am really excited about it, prove of that is the extensive amount of books I've read in such a short time.
One of my favorites: "Hot, Flat, and Crowded". This one, I haven't finished yet, but just about to. Why do I include this information on my blog about inspiring things...well, because since I've gotten into it, a massive amount of ideas have come into my mind...
First of all, I believe Heavenly Father formed this Earth in a way that we would be able to live with no problem if, and only if we took care of it in the right way. We haven't been doing so, specially in the last couple centuries, and we have seen, we are seeing and we will still see much more of the consequences of this behavior.
Many people think enviromentalists are trying to save the Earth...that is a naive though, the Earth will not die, but the enviroment in which we can live can die, the quality of that enviroment is dying. We are not suppose to save the Earth but ourselves, and the only way to do that is by taking care of the Earth.
It's not only the enviroment we need to take care of, but the economies...and today's economies are too much dependent on oil from middle east countries. We need to change that.
It's the common though that one person's behavior is of not consequences for humanity, nothing furthest from the truth! The consequences that influence humanity are the sum of each individual act of each individual person.
We need to save our pockets as well...oil is one of the most fluctuating products of all, and renewable energies will be stable until the end of time.
Well, my family is around, so I will continue later...RREE (Renewable Energies) will take an important part of my blog from now on...

The Story of Stuff...

2008-07-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

Please take a look at this video...and if you feel guilty, as I did, continue watching and do something about it...
One thing I decided to do, is to continue studing...and guess what my masters is going to be about...yes, you're right, RENEWABLE ENERGIES!!
Enjoy it!

The inspiration of food...

2008-07-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

Food may be an inspiration for many...different tastes might transport you to different places, for example, if you go to an italian restaurant and the food is exquisite, you might think you just floated on a boat at the peculiar Venece, or having an authentic "tortilla española" (spanish omelet) youfor sure feel like celebrating any holiday in Spain. For my wife, mexican food is the greatest invention on earth. And "Crazy Burro" (or Burro Burrito as she calls it), is the name of one of her favourite restaurants in the world. We went the other day and took a couple pictures...

One of the things that I miss the most, after my family of course, is the food from Spain. The great variety and originallity of the meals makes it unique. There are many traditional meals that have been prepared for centuries or even thousands of years. People who visit Spain fall in love with the food...of course at first, when you meet someone it's a little weird, but once you fall in love you can't live without her/him. The same thing happens with spanish food, at first it's all different, but after you fall in love, you can't live without it!!

Tortilla española, as I mentioned before, paella, croquetas, migas, embutidos, jamon serrano, quesos manchegos, all those and many more are irreplaceable foods, and the worst part of all, is that you can't find them in the US!! at least not the good quality ones...

Anyways, I hope you are able to understand why foods can be an inspiration sometimes, and I hope all of you will in the future be able to try the best food in the world, spanish food!

New Camera, new inspiration...

2008-07-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Usually, the eye is the one that perceives the images around us, but the heart captures what it's hidden to our eyes. And sometimes, a camera captures everything, what the eye and heart together capture.
That's why Janeen and I got a new camera, to be able to freeze the best moments of our lives.
It's a decent camera, after all, we are not experts (yet), but it takes pretty good pictures. It's a Canon EOS 40D, with a 28-135mm lens.
Here is a preview of what is to come...

This is the book I'm reading about revelation:

"Hearing the voice of the Lord" by Gerald N. Lund. Amazing book!

Here is our girl "Little Butt", I know the name was given before I could do anything about it... :)
She is four and she is learning how to be nice to people...after all she has a pretty good daddy.
She loves the outdoors even though she is scared of them at the same time...

Following spiritual promptings (Family blessing)

2008-07-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hey friends, hey family, how is everything going?

It's been a while since the last time I posted something on my blog; actually, I only did it once, because somebody asked me where we came from, and I just wrote the answer to that. However, Janeen, my wife, has been writing many things on her blog, and that made me think that it could be a good idea to write more often, and maybe be able to help somebody.

I wanna focus my blog on spiritual experiences that happen to me. If I learn how to recognize them, I'll be bless with more in the future, and I'll be able, hopefully, to help more people and myself.

I'm in the process of reading a wonderful book called "Hearing The Voice Of The Lord" by Gerald N. Lund. The book explains pretty much everything about revelation: How it comes, how to recognize it, how to look forward for it, how to use it to help others and yourself, etc.

Yesterday, while reading the in book, I had a strong feeling that a member of my family will benefit very much from a priesthood blessing, and so I decided to follow the prompting and suggest a blessing. While performing the blessing a strong feeling came upon me and made me know that the blessing was indeed given for a reason, and that the person receiving it would benefit enormously. I could feel a portion of the great love our Heavenly Father has for each and everyone of us, including my family and myself.

How amazing it is to know that we have a Father in Heaven watching over us; that if we let Him, He can help us and He can communicate with us! Let us be a little bit more sensitive and look for the still, small voice of the Spirit, and let's listen to it and follow those promptings!

Where do we come from?

2007-11-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

I wonder how many people in the world wonder where they, or we, I may say, come from. I do not mean what country we were born in, or what school we attended, or even where we grew up in. Since this is a blog, I guess it does not really matter if I use or not every correct rule for writing, specially cause english is not my native language, however, I will try to explain, on first person, where we really come from.

The first moment of our existence, is not really when we came out of our mother's womb, nor even when she was conceived by our father, but the eternity is that first moment. Part of us all is eternal, nor having a beginning nor an end, and that part of us is intelligence. Nor only us are formed out of intelligence, but every single particle is.

However, our intelligence part needed to be organized, in a way that it could be developed, and in a way in which we could improve, in knowledge and in principle. In that organization, a very special being took part with no interest but love. The same principle of love that a loving father or mother takes care of their baby is the one that our Heavenly Father used to organiced or as has been used incorrectly by many people "create" us. He gave us a body spirit for us to improve in capacities, principles, and knowledge.

He has been taking care of us for a long time, more than we can comprehend, and the time came when we needed something else to improve: a flesh body. Our mortal body however, is a trial we must pass to get to the place that we better can handle. This mortal body we now have, the bodies that our ancesters have had, will some day become inmortal, and together with our spirit bodies we will have a plenitud of happiness. That is, body and spirit eternally unseparated conform happiness.

Depending on how we act now, depending on what we want or desire, we will receive an specific glorified body. The more we want or desire to follow eternal principles, the more glory our soul (body and spirit together) will have.

This is just a little summary of the subject "where do we come from".
Now, it is time for questions and suggestions.

I've written this blog with the best intentions and without pretending to hurt anybody's feelings. This is what I believe is true...