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The Green Thumbs of Jason Wood

Living in the United States is not that easy as what most people from around the world are usually thinking of. Now that the US economy is showing declining figures once again, the mindset of most Americans is to think of ways on how they could at least trim down their expenses and grab every opportunities that will give them extra income. The good thing of all is that despite of these tough times, there are really people who are working hard to achieve certain goals not only for them but also for their family, for their church and for their community. One of these guys who have exceptional dedication and passion to striving for success is Jason Wood.


On the Photo: Lake Rancho Santa Margarita, Orange County




Some miles and minutes away from downtown Los Angeles is the city of Rancho Santa Margarita. Very well known for its very lovely lake and amazing canyons and mountains scenery, this city became Jason’s home in the last couple of years. People in his community are not only enjoying the beauty of their town but are also appreciating the blessings of the climate that they have the whole year round. This is the opportunity that Jason did not just allowed to pass by.

Despite of his busy days managing his small business, he is diverting a portion of his time on planting vegetables and other green leafy plants. For him, having these living things filling his yard is a very wonderful gift from God. It does not only exercise his planting skills but it also enriches his mind towards exploring different things that will give him benefits within a few months time - once they bear fruits, flowers and edible leaves. Aside from that, attracting butterflies and other friendly insects is an added attraction as well to his home.


On the Photo: Jason and His Daughter




Cantaloupe, cucumber, eggplant, artichoke, basil, summer squash, strawberries, mint, tomatoes, and lime tree; these are the plants filling Jason’s backyard. The green surrounding is truly an added beauty to the condominium unit where Jason is living his life to the fullest

His daughter is his assistant on the watering and monitoring activities. The cocoons, slugs, snails and other insects are sometimes unavoidable since spraying insecticides is a not an option for Jason. He wants these insects to leave the natural way and he is on his way on researching the natural guards against these unwelcome visitors. At present, he manually removes the slugs and the snails.

Everything about his plants is going for good. In fact, some of his neighbors are curious about the growing seeds, climbing vines and expanding leaves on his mini-garden. This is what giving Jason the courage to take good care of them and strive for more so that they will grow healthy and then bear succulent fruits in the near future.


On the Photos: Different Variety of Plants on their Growth Period













Jason is a hard-working husband. In his early 30’s, he is very dedicated in earning income for his family’s future. His Filipina wife and their cute daughter is the fulfillment of his dreams. He used to play basketball with his friends in the neighborhood during free times.

Living a simple life is always on top of everything. As a vigorous member of his church, Foothill Family, everything about his life is a blessing from Jesus. From Him is where he gets his strength and the sharpness of his mind to face every challenge with wisdom and accepts every blessing with love. His strong relationship with Jesus is what’s keeping him on the go. His fellow church members, his basketball comrades, his friends from other countries, his neighbors in Rancho Santa Margarita, his happy family and everyone that he used to work and mingle with; they are all the fruits of this strong relationship.


On the Photos: More of Jason's Plants on His Mini Garden














Like Jason’s plants, our life as human also needs to be watered, protected from insects and taken good care of in order to become more fruitful during harvest time. Plants started from seeds, they sprouted out as soft stems and they grew healthier until their fruits were made available to give us foods.

Going deeper about planting is analogous to striving for more ideas that will enhance our lives here on the planet. Things can sometimes go wrong because of the insects or with the prolong exposure to the heat of the sun. Our life is the same. We can be exposed to challenges that can bring us down for some time. Like Jason, he experienced problems before yet he managed to survive and let his stems and branches become stronger.


On the Photo: Jason and His Family - a Simple Life




The green thumbs of Jason is helping him in many different ways. Making him as a model person who cares about the environment, somebody who is working for his food to eat in the coming days and a guy who simply expresses his enthusiasm for plants can be a good start for anyone of us. Doing different things at the same time is an opportunity for each one of us to grow more. Planting today can definitely makes a big difference in you just like what’s happening now to Jason Wood. It is one good point to change something within us for good.

What a great idea to plant for the future! This is not different from starting a simple business. Why not consult us about that. We have more ideas to give you at www.knowriel.org.



About this Blog
ProjectPilipinas is a blog campaign for good changes in the Philippines. It discusses topics that has direct or indirect impact to the Filipino people on their lives here in the country. The idea to encourage Filipinos to strive for the better in terms of their lives, career and business is also one of ProjectPilipinas' goal. You can read more interesting topics about the Philippines right here.

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