mountains - KerygmaFamily

Transcription

Inspiring You to Live a Fantastic Life
No. 281 Vol. 23
October 2013
YOU
God Prunes You So You Can
Multiply Your Harvest
Don’t Focus on the Pain;
Focus on the Prize
You Are Priceless in God’s Eyes;
How Much Are You Worth in Your Eyes?
God’s Giant Shears Pruned
the Tree of Pride of an Ad Exec
A Lupus Patient’s Only Hope
My Heart’s Anchor: A Woman’s Story of
Losing All Her Family Members to Heart
Disease — One After the Other
KERYGMA BARCODE.pdf
11/16/06
5:43:58 PM
Philippines P70
US $7.00
AUS $ 7.00
Euro 5.00
UK 4.00
CDN $7.00
SING $9.00
HK $47.00
RUPIAH 64,000
CAN
MOVE
MOUNTAINS
• Identify Your Mountains
• Identify Your Authority
Over Your Mountains
• Identify Where You Want
Your Mountains to Go
•
D
o you believe that your best is yet to come?
You may not feel good about what is happening to your
life today. You may be beset by one disappointment after
another. Disappointments in your family. Disappointments in
your job. Disappointments about your health.
You’re reading my message not by some accident.
I believe God made you read this because He wants to tell you,
“Don’t give up!” He wants to tell you that you’ve got an amazing,
mindboggling, phenomenal Reward waiting for you. Words
cannot describe, minds cannot fathom, and imaginations cannot
fantasize this out-of-this-world Reward waiting for you.
Friend, God wants you to think of your rewards. When the going gets tough, think of your rewards. When you’re filled with disappointments, think of your
rewards. When you feel like you can’t take another step, think of your
rewards. Because if you want to win in life, here’s what you do: Don’t
focus on the pain; focus on the prize!
Have you noticed?
We love rewards — trophies, medals, plaques. They have this
powerful capacity to transport our minds from dwelling on the
pain of today to the prize of tomorrow.
Let me give you an example.
I have this crazy friend — let’s call him James — who runs
ultra marathons. Just in case you don’t know, an ultra marathon is
100 kilometers long. How far is that? From Manila to Tarlac. I asked James what the reward was for running an ultra
marathon. His answer shocked me. He said, “A T-shirt.”
“A what?” I said. I couldn’t believe my ears.
“A T-shirt,” James said again.
“You’re running 100 kilometers to get a T-shirt? Is it a…uh…
branded shirt? The one with a crocodile? Or the one with a guy
riding a horse and carrying a stick?”
“Nope. It’s just an ordinary shirt, but it says, ‘I’m an Ultra
Marathon Finisher…’”
I told James, “Look,
you don’t have to
run. I can make that
T-shirt for you. Tell
me what color, size
and shape. I’ll even
put your name on it…”
But James said,
“Nope, I don’t want your
T-shirt. I want the
T-shirt that they’ll
give me if I finish
the race.”
I don’t have
plans to run an
ultra marathon. But
from what I hear, at
a certain point of the
race, each of your legs
The Boss
By Bo Sanchez
will weigh like a ton. Each of your legs will feel like they’re
as heavy as tree trunks. But at least for James, that simple reward was
enough to lift his legs to take one more step. And another
step. And another step. As he placed one aching foot in
front of the other, all he thought about was, “I’ll get that
T-shirt… I’ll get that T-shirt…”
And James finished the race.
It’s amazing how our brains are wired to respond to
rewards. Rewards as stimuli are encoded in our DNA. It’s
built into our mental architecture.
And Jesus knew human psychology so well.
He said, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is
with me, and I will give to everyone according to what
he has done” (Revelation 22:12).
Life is not a sprint. Life is not a 100-meter dash. Life
is not even a 400-meter dash. Life is an ultra marathon. I urge you, don’t count in days, weeks or
months. Don’t even count in years. I urge you to start
counting in decades. Because everything worthwhile
takes time to grow.
It takes time to grow a marriage.
It takes time to grow children.
It takes time to grow a ministry.
It takes time to grow a business.
It takes time to grow a dream.
And I promise you, there will be days in your life
when your legs will feel so heavy, they’ll be like tree
trunks. There’ll be days when you don’t want to take
another step.
But God says, “There’s a reward at the end of your
journey.”
There’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There’s a T-shirt at the end of the marathon. But it’s no
ordinary T-shirt. It’s the Garment of Worship. It’s the Robe
of Heaven. It’s the Wardrobe of the Saints. It’s the Cloak
of Glory. You will
shine like the
stars in the
sky. You will
sing
with
Angels. You
will
reign
in
the
heavenlies.
Until you realize
that God is our Ultimate
Reward.
May your
come true,
dreams
OCTOBER 2013 • KERYGMA
1
Mailroom
A zillion thanks to Kerygma Family. Every time I
read Kerygma, I am inspired, restored and spiritually
nourished. For almost three years of reading Kerygma
and watching Bo Sanchez’s Preacher in Blue Jeans,
I’ve learned lessons that are really worth reflecting on
— success, the beauty of having dreams, forgiveness,
leadership, healing, habits, family relationships, and
a lot more. The teachings of Bo taught me to give my
very best to God and to deepen my relationship with
Him by helping others. Since I was in college, it has
been my dream to be part of The Feast and by God’s
grace it can true. Indeed, God’s blessings come in
mysterious ways.
God bless you more.
Jonavie Tocmo
Loay, Bohol
I just want to share my experience how Kerygma
magazine changed my spiritual life and my personal
life. I started reading Kerygma when my friend
introduced it to me. Since then, I’ve always tried my
best to buy Kerygma. It helps me to be strong as a
person. It gives me hope, courage to persevere, and
strengthens my faith as a Catholic. And because
of Kerygma, I started to attend The Feast in Biñan,
Laguna.
Grietel Tungol
Lutao Panaon, Misamis Occidental
I’m reading Kerygma magazine right now. It’s one of the
magazines our school subscribed to and I’m grateful for that.
Actually it is my first time to read the magazine and I’m
totally inspired. I feel God’s presence within me. I am starting
to realize good things. I’m sure that this magazine will help
a lot of people come closer to God as what it did to me. I feel
so blessed. Thank you to Kergyma staff and especially to Mr.
Bo Sanchez.
Aubrey Valerio
Holy Spirit Academy of Malolos
Mrs. Julie Cado Daculan
San Miguel, Calabanga, Camarines Sur
We Want to hear
from you!
I thank God for Kerygma. It gives hope and inspiration
in my daily life. I am a dentist and I share God by
allowing my patients to read this great inspirational
mag in my clinic. I’ve been serving at The Feast
since 2008 and I’m glad to have found my one true
love there. Thank God I’m happily married now and
continue to serve God with my husband.
Send your message via email to editsvp@
shepherdsvoice.com.ph, through text to 0923378-4941, or by snail mail to The Editor at 60
Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines
1109.
Jen Sevilla
Mandaluyong
I started reading Kerygma during my college years
at De La Salle University. The personal stories and
reflections inspire me a lot. This pushed me to go to
the periodicals section more often than to the other
sections in our school library. Sadly, after college, I
wasn’t able to find any and don’t know how I could
get one.
One day, I saw one of my students reading
2
Kerygma magazine. I immediately asked her how she got the
issue. Then she answered, “Bro. Manny gave this to me.” On
that same day, I asked Bro. Manny how I could get a copy or
subscribe to it. Fortunately, he told me that he will give it to
me after he has read it. Now I am reunited with Kerygma and
have read three monthly issues.
Thank you, Lord.
KERYGMA • OCTOBER 2013
You can also reach us through
Kerygma Family. Log on to
www.kerygmafamily.com.
For subscription-related concerns,
text or call Sarah Discutido at
0922-814-7031 or email subscription@
shepherdsvoice.com.ph.
Just Breathe
Living by Grace
You Are Priceless in God’s Eyes
A
But how much are you worth in your eyes?
By Rissa Singson-Kawpeng
merican preacher Joel Osteen told a story about a painting
he saw in a friend’s house. He looked at the huge frame
hanging on the wall and it didn’t impress him at all. He
thought it looked like the work of a child, with paint strewn
here and there.
Later that evening, the conversation veered to the
artwork. The host mentioned that it was a Picasso and it
cost him more than $1 million.
Instantly, Joel’s appreciation of the painting changed.
He said, “I looked at it again and thought, ‘Wow, that is
beautiful, isn’t it?’”
Has that happened to you?
You judge something as baduy (uncool) or below your standard until you learn
something you didn’t know about it that increased its worth in your eyes.
Yes, we value people and things differently when we know where they came
from, who made them, and who owned them. Did you know that Britney Spears’ used
chewing gum got a bid as high as $14,000 on eBay? It’s a proof that even trash can be
worth a fortune depending on whose garbage it is.
Now let me ask you: What are you doing with your $45 million?
Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read on.
According to Wiki Answers, our body is worth more than $45 million
if you break it down into organs, fluids, tissues and germ-fighting
capabilities.
Here’s the price tag of a human body based on a survey from
Wired magazine:
• Bone marrow: $23 million (based on 1,000 grams at $23,000 per
gram)
• DNA: $9.7 million
• Antibodies: $7.3 million.
• 1 lung: $116,400 x 2 = $232,800
• 1 kidney $91,400 x 2 = $182,800
• Heart: $57,000
• 32 egg cells over eight years for $224,000
(Women’s eggs are costlier than men’s sperm because
men would have to make 12 sperm donations per
month for 20 years to reach this amount.)
Imagine, that price tag of $45 million is just
your body alone. (I know, some of us can easily cost
Rissa’s outfit courtesy of Elite Garments/FREEWAY
more than that because we have more
fat, more bulge, more weight. So if you’re
overweight, don’t think of yourself as fat,
just say that you cost more!)
That amount doesn’t include your
talents, skills and abilities. So it’s a fact:
you’re a multimillion-dollar babe (or hunk)!
Now that you know how much you’re
worth, do you see yourself differently?
Let me make the picture even clearer
for you. Jesus loved you so much, He shed
His divinity, His life, His blood for you.
Now that makes you priceless.
I paid a huge price for you…. That’s
how much you mean to me! That’s
how much I love you! I’d sell off the
whole world to get you back, trade
the creation just for you. (Isaiah
43:4, The Message)
Email me at [email protected],
subscribe to my Facebook updates, or visit my
website www.rissasingsonkawpeng.com.
What to Expect This Month:
This is an excerpt from my newest
book, Love Handles: Get a Grip on
Finding and Dating Your Lifetime
Love. Order it now from www.
shepherdsvoice.com.ph and we’ll
deliver to you for free within
Metro Manila for a minimum
purchase of P300. Log on to www.
shepherdsvoice.com.ph now! Also
available in bookstores nationwide.
3
Hi,
I’m Sarah!
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Changed address?
Defective copy?
For all subscription-related concerns
Call
Sarah
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[email protected]
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1 The Boss
34
Don’t Focus on
the Pain; Focus
on the Prize!
40 Point of
Contact
3 Just Breathe
You Are Priceless
in God’s Eyes
34Seasons
Never Let Go
35 Kitchen Scribbles
Just Draw Near
1
15
2Mailroom
6New You
7Real Stuff
9In the News:
Plastic Ban: A Call for a
Better Tomorrow
10Dear K
12Kfam Insider
13Feast Snapshots
15 It Happened:
My Heart’s Anchor
39 One Last Story:
Promised Land
THE
BO
FILES
37 K Preacher
Take Great Care of
Your Best Asset
COLUMNS
37
TESTIMONIES
DEPART
MENTS
ABOUT OUR COVER MODEL
Miguel Luis Flores (Migz) was simply accompanying and driving for
his mom when he first attended The Feast PICC in 2010. After that
first experience, he began to look forward to Bo Sanchez’s talks the
next Sunday, and the next, and the next, until it became a regular
Sunday destination for him, too.
Soon, simply attending was not enough for him. He decided to
sign up as an usher, welcoming and assisting the attendees. He has
found a second home at The Feast. Whenever he could not attend a
session, his week seems incomplete.
Migz is currently employed as a reservation sales officer at the
Raffles and Fairmont Hotel in Makati. In his work, he encounters
different types of people — each guest has a different set of needs
and preferences — and sometimes it can be a challenge. His being
a renewed Catholic has given him patience and understanding in
dealing with this aspect of his work.
Whether at work or in his service at The Feast, Migz gives his 100
percent. He dreams of moving up the corporate ladder so he can give
back more to God and to the community.
SPECIAL
SECTION
19
20
26
24
Our Only Hope
30
The Giant Grass
Shears of God
You Can Move
Mountains
How to
Move Your
Mountains
How to
Multiply
Your Harvest
What’s
Inside
October 2013
chairman of the board and publisher BO SANCHEZ • editor-in-chief and production manager RISSA SINGSON-KAWPENG • managing editor TESS V. ATIENZA • creative director MIKE
CORTES • graphics director REY DE GUZMAN • assistant layout designer LEAH KIM RECTO • staff writer MARJORIE ANN DUTERTE • contributing writers EMS SY CHAN, JUDITH
CONCEPCION, OSY ERICA, REYLINDO ORTEGA, LELLA SANTIAGO • photographer DANIEL SORIANO • columnists BISHOP TED BACANI, JR., ROSANNE ROMERO, OBET CABRILLAS,
JAN SILAN • sales and marketing manager JOSEPH MARTINEZ • administration and finance manager WENG CEQUEÑA
KERYGMA. A Greek word meaning Proclamation of the Gospel. It is a Catholic inspirational magazine. It aims to be an evangelistic tool to all nations, providing
Scriptural, practical and orthodox teachings to Catholics, particularly those in the Catholic Renewal, as an alternative to present-day magazines. It is also committed
to fostering the renewal and unity of the whole Christian people. Philippine copyright Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc. 2013. No part of this magazine may be
reproduced without permission. KERYGMA is published monthly by Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc., whose editorial and business offices are located at 60 Chicago
St., Cubao, 1109 Quezon City. Tel. Nos.: 725-9999, 411-7874, 725-1190. Fax: 727-5615 Email: [email protected]. Website: www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph
New You
Tips for personal development
HEALTH
How to Manage PMS
Naturally
P
remenstrual Syndrome can vary but symptoms usually include
mood swings, bloating, tender breasts, nausea, and low energy
levels, and occurs a week before a woman’s period arrives. The
symptoms may become worse when coupled with stress. Here are
ways you can help yourself feel better and cope with the challenges
of hormonal changes:
1. Use aromatherapy. A few drops of essential oils such as lavender
on your skin or in a warm bath helps to relax the senses and calm
the mind. It also encourages sleep.
2. Change your diet. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables the
week before your period makes a positive difference. When you
improve your diet, the symptoms of PMS lessen.
3. Exercise. Physical activity is another way to lessen the effects
of PMS. Walking helps to improve your mood. The endorphins
released during exercise alter your perception of pain.
A
ccording to a new study by a University of
Kansas researcher, Promothesh Chatterjee,
people are more likely to save more with just one
savings account compared to having multiple
checking and savings accounts.
The research used four separate studies with
566 participants and the results were published in
the May 2013 issue of Organizational Behavior and
Human Decision Processes journal. The participants
who kept their earnings in a single account saved
more than those with multiple accounts. Chatterjee
said the issue was not their mathematical abilities
but rather their motivation.
People having more than one account are said
to have a fuzzy idea of how much they have saved
and used this unclear image to rationalize their
spending decisions. If you have different savings
accounts, it’s easy to convince yourself that you have
plenty of money but if you have it all in one place,
you can plainly see what you have or don’t have.
Those who don’t agree with consolidating
accounts can try using software programs that allow
users to see their total savings in one place.
Source: http://www.wisebread.com
Finance
Save More by
Keeping it
Simple
Take extra care of yourself during this time. Know your body and
your menstrual cycle so you can prepare and help yourself manage
the symptoms of PMS so that it does not affect your relationships with
sudden outbursts and mood swings.
Source: http://www.whattoexpect.com
N
o wonder spinach was the favorite food of Popeye — it is known for
many nutritional benefits.
It contains lutein which guards against age-related macular
degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness. Lutein can also
prevent heart attacks by keeping artery walls clear of cholesterol. It is rich
in iron, which helps deliver oxygen to cells for energy. Spinach has folate,
a B-vitamin that is important in preventing birth defects. Do cook spinach
leaves as they provide more iron when cooked than raw.
Source: http://www.prevention.com
6
KERYGMA • OCTOBER 2013
Quick Health Tip
Spinach
Real Stuff
FACTS
ABOUT
MARRIAGE
CATHOLICS CALLED TO
“DAILY MARTYRDOM”
D
r. David Popenoe, a sociologist at Rutgers University
through the National Marriage Project, a research project
based in the United States, gathered together 10 important
research findings on the subject of marriage. Here are some
valuable facts:
1. Almost 60 percent of married couples were introduced
by family, friends, coworkers or acquaintances. Evidence
suggests that social networks are important in bringing
together people of similar interests and backgrounds.
2. Couples who are similar in values, life goals and backgrounds
are more likely to have a successful marriage than people
who have very different backgrounds and networks.
3. Couples who do trial marriages or live together before
marriage are more likely to experience marital conflict,
marital unhappiness and eventual divorce than people who
do not cohabit before marriage. People who marry in their
teens are two to three times more likely to divorce than
people who marry later.
4. Married people do better economically. Men earn between
10 to 40 percent more and become more productive after
marriage. The greater wealth of married couples results from
their more efficient specialization and pooling of resources
and because they save more.
5. According to one study, the divorce risk nearly triples if
one marries someone who also comes from a home where
the parents divorced. The increased risk is much lower,
however, if the partner is someone who grew up in a happy,
intact family.
P
ope Francis reminded the Catholic faithful that they are
called to follow the example of the martyrs in losing their
lives for Christ even if they do not suffer violence for their faith.
This “daily martyrdom,” he noted, consists of people “doing
their duty with love, according to the logic of Jesus.”
“Both in the past and today, in many parts of the world there
are martyrs, both men and women, who are imprisoned or killed
for the sole reason of being Christian,” he shared. “But there is
also the daily martyrdom, which does not result in death but
is also a loss of life for Christ,” the Pope said, reflecting on the
Gospel reading where Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever wishes
to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake
will save it.”
Pope Francis gave, as an example of daily martyrdom, parents
who practice their faith concretely by devoting their lives for the
good of their families each day. There are also the religious who
give generously with their service to the Kingdom of God. There
are also young people who give up their interests in order to serve
and devote their time to children, the disabled and the elderly.
“Those who serve the truth serve Christ,” he also said, noting
the example of St. John the Baptist who gave his life for the truth.
“John was chosen by God to prepare the way before Jesus,”
Pope Francis said, explaining that the saint “devoted himself
entirely to God and His message” and ultimately died for the
truth.
He told the Catholic faithful especially the youth to “have
the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not
conform to the path of Jesus.”
Source: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com
Source: http://www.foryourmarriage.org/ten-important-research-findings-on-marriage
St. Flora
Saints at a Glance
Born: 1309, France. Died: 1347.
St. Flora showed her devotion to Jesus even as a young child. At age 23, she joined the Hospitaller
nuns of St. John of Jerusalem, where she experienced various difficulties. Amidst these challenges,
St. Flora continued to find favor with God, including mystical ones. On one occasion, on the feast
of All Saints, she fell into ecstasy and did not eat until the feast of St. Cecilia on November 22.
Another time, while meditating on the Holy Spirit, she was lifted up four feet from the ground, and
this was seen by many onlookers. There were times that blood would flow freely from her side and
from her mouth, as she seemed to be pierced with the arms of Our Lord’s Cross. Through it all,
St. Flora remained humble. People flock to her for counsel because of her holiness and spiritual
discernment. St. Flora is the patron of the abandoned, converts and single laywomen.
Source: http://www.catholic.org
7
In the News
Plastic Ban:
A Call for a Better Tomorrow
By Ems Sy Chan
W
hy are you not providing your customers with paper bags
for our groceries?” an irate customer demanded in one
of the biggest shopping malls in Metro Manila when the
plastic ban was newly implemented in the western part of Quezon
City. The poor saleslady in the customer service booth just kept on
apologizing to appease the customer’s anger as the latter wrote
down her complaint on the feedback form.
“Ignorance is not an excuse.” In front of the demanding customer
was the note encouraging customers to bring their own eco bags if
they don’t want to donate P2 for the environment for the provision
of each plastic bag. If she had only learned about the city ordinance
before she opened her mouth and raised her voice.
This is an one example of a citizen who’s resistant to change.
Being a Third World country that is visited by several tropical
storms every year, the Philippines has all the ingredients for
susceptibility to natural disasters. Among them is the long-standing
problem with flooding. When there’s rain, there are surely floods. And
when there’s continuous rain, a deluge follows.
Plastics are blamed for the flooding. But more than the
nonbiodegradable materials found on the streets and hanging
on the walls and gates after the deluge, it’s the irresponsible and
inconsiderate people who throw trash almost everywhere that are to
be blamed. This is according to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (PCCI), which is concerned about the effect of the ban
on the plastic manufacturing industry and its displaced employees.
No to Plastic
The Total Plastic Ban Act of 2011, Senate Bill 2759, is the brainchild of
Senator Loren Legarda. It is similar to House Bill 4840 or the Plastic
Bag Regulation Act of 2011. It was filed on March 29, 2011 in the 15th
Congress of the Philippines, and it took effect last December 31, 2011.
It encourages the LGUs (local government units) to prohibit the use of
plastic bags in supermarkets, restaurants and other establishments to
lessen the flooding in different areas of the country.
The plastic ban is now implemented in the following cities and
municipalities: Marikina, Muntinlupa, Pasig, Las Piñas, Quezon City,
Mandaluyong, Pasay, Taguig, Malabon, Makati; Antipolo and Tanay,
Rizal; Batangas and Lipa, Batangas; Los Baños and Biñan, Laguna;
Carmona and Imus, Cavite; Malolos, Bulacan; Lucban, Lucena City and
Infanta, Quezon; Burgos, Pangasinan; Sta. Barbara, Iloilo;
Bacolod; Davao to name a few. Los Baños is one of the first
localities which enforced the ban and developed an ecofriendly approach to waste management.
As of this writing, Navotas, Parañaque, Manila, San
Juan and Caloocan still haven’t enforced the plastic ban.
With City Ordinance 8282, Manila will start the plastic ban
on September 2013. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino
expects all the 17 local government units (Pateros included)
to strictly implement the total plastic ban by 2014.
Individuals violating the ban will have to pay P1,000
fine or render jail time for five days to a month. As for
establishments, first-time offenders will be fined up to
P10,000. Second offense is at P50,000 while third offense is
fined at P200,000 with the cancellation of business permit
for a year.
The Alternative
Garbage segregation, recycling, reducing and reusing of
plastic and other materials are seen as better alternatives
to the plastic ban, as a lot of trees (a ton of paper bags is
equivalent to 17 trees) need to be cut down to manufacture
biodegradable paper bags. Awareness and proper
education of the masses are still key.
Even with the ban on plastic bags and styrofoam
materials, straws still abound. Environmentalists claim that
straws are the number one debris found underwater.
“Whatsoever a man sows, so shall he reap.” Nature has
its way of getting back at man. The problem is, good and
bad alike, conscientious and not, rich and poor, young
and old, learned and ignorant are all affected by the longstanding flood in the metro.
What if instead of a measly fine or jail time, the offenders
just render hours of community service to clean up clogged
creeks and dirty streets as a logical consequence for their
irresponsibility?
Every Filipino needs to learn to love his or her country
and fellowmen — even through the simple act of throwing
his trash properly or adopting a lifestyle that avoids the use
of nonbiodegradable materials.
9
Dear K
My Dad Is
Cheating on
My Mom
I’m the eldest of two siblings. My father
lives with us here in the Philippines while
my mother works in the Middle East. One
day I caught my dad calling another woman
on his phone. I later confirmed that it was
his girlfriend through a text message in his
mobile phone.
I am deeply disturbed. Should I confront
my dad about this? Or should I tell my
mother about it?
Distraught Daughter
Email your questions to [email protected]. Or if you need to talk to someone,
call (632) 726-4709 or 726-6728 to contact a Light of Jesus Pastoral Care Center’s counselor.
Telephone counseling is 24 hours from Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
Face-to-face counseling is by appointment. For correspondence counseling, email
[email protected] or go to www.kerygmafamily.com.
Or Call
(632) 725-9999
Pregnant? Confused? Abortion is not the answer. Contact Grace to Be Born at 0917816-4700 or email [email protected]. You may also contact Pro-life Philippines at
(632) 733-7027.
10 KERYGMA • OCTOBER 2013
Dear Distraught Daughter,
I appreciate your concern towards your parents, particularly
in preserving their marriage. I can imagine the pain that you went
through, and probably still go through, after having discovered this
“affair” that your father may be having.
Personally, I do not suggest that you tell your mother about this
“affair” at this point in time. I think it will be best to confront your
dad about it to find out if this is true. If he admits it, you may have to
find out what caused him to start the affair and if he is committed to
quitting it.
Being alone and far from one’s spouse is difficult for both parties.
Both will struggle with the pains of loneliness and the desire and
longing for companionship. Both will go through severe tests and
temptations.
It will help if you can convince your father to join a support group,
preferably a Catholic community, where he can channel his energies
into more productive activities. He will be able to experience love and
companionship among his community members. At the same time,
this will be an opportunity for your father to receive teachings that
value the unity and sanctity of marriage.
This will be possible only if your father has a strong and genuine
desire to change. On the other hand, if you see that he has no desire
to give up his sinful ways, it may be good to inform your mother about
it before the affair eventually damages their marriage.
Lastly but most importantly, come into the presence of God and
present your struggle to Him. Pray that the Holy Spirit properly guide
you especially in confronting your father. Pray that he opens his heart
to God’s desire to transform his heart.
I believe that He will answer your prayers and will be there to
guide all of you.
I just prayed for you.
Vic
Vic Español is one of the elders of the Light of Jesus Family. At present, he
is the Feast Builder and preacher in the Ortigas Feast every Monday at
7:30 p.m. and every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Cinema 4, Robinsons Galleria,
Ortigas Center in Ortigas City. Vic and his wife, Ditas, train the counselors
of the LOJ Pastoral Care Center. Vic is a retired executive of a multinational
life insurance company.
How Do I
Love My
Homosexual
Friend?
Dear Confused BFF,
I have a friend who is struggling with his
sexuality. He had a girlfriend back in college
but when he started working at a call center
and got exposed to different people, he started
liking men. I love my friend as a brother but I
feel uncomfortable with his behavior. Lately,
he got really depressed because his boyfriend
dumped him.
How can I help my friend? How do I tell
him I’m not comfortable with his actions and
not hurt his feelings? How do I love him to
wholeness?
Confused BFF
Thank you so much for your concern for your friend and your
desire to help him. Indeed, your friend needs help.
But your friend must first realize that what he is doing is wrong.
There are several passages in the Bible that are very specific about
this. One Bible passage states that “if a man lies with a male as with
a woman, they have committed an abomination; the two of them
shall be put to death; their blood guilt is upon them” (Leviticus
20:13, NAB).
It will be difficult for a person to change if he insists that there
is nothing wrong with what he is doing. You are there to help make
him realize otherwise and to make him desire to change.
His behavior can also be deeply rooted and the change process
will be long and difficult. It may take a professional to be able to
help him, depending on how broken he is.
You may be the best person right now to be able to convince
him to seek help. This is your share in loving him — to see the
transformation in him. This involves confronting him about his
behavior. But remember to do it with a lot of love, understanding
and gentleness. Hurting his feelings may be inevitable when you
do this. This is part of facing the truth.
I also suggest that you bring him to The Feast, the weekly
gathering of the Light of Jesus Family (visit www.LightFam.com
for schedules and venues), where he can receive teachings about
leading a good Christian life. This group can also present to him
an alternative culture that can counteract what he is exposed to in
his present job.
Once your friend is ready to receive help, you may ask him to
call the Light of Jesus Pastoral Care Center (see contact info on
the opposite page).
Lastly, pray that the Holy Spirit may guide and help your
friend to be transformed according to God’s plan for him.
Ditas
Ditas Español is a cancer survivor. Twenty years ago, she fought
for her life with the sword of faith that God has given her. Now
a counselor, she still uses that sword to battle the pain of others.
She believes she was healed so she can be an instrument of our
Divine Healer. Together with her husband, Vic, Ditas trains the
counselors of the Light of Jesus Pastoral Care Center.
OCTOBER 2013 • KERYGMA 11
K Fam insider
staffed by professionals who could competently address issues of
S-A girls.
By profession, even I was incapable of caring for S-A girls. And I
had no financial means to do anything about it even if I wanted to.
After three months of brooding on the plight of S-A girls and
after much prayer on what to do, God gave His answer. In November
2012, I received the 2012 Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Award, one that
carries with it a nice sum of money. God’s message was clear that
He wanted me to reach out and care for S-A girls — but in another
way and not in the same shelter.
Specialized Ministry
That cash award paved the way for the establishment of a specialized
ministry dedicated to providing residential care, psychospiritual
counseling, open-ended therapy and rehabilitation of sexually
abused children.
It is now a ministry supported by Bo Sanchez, that attempts to
bring the love of Christ to wounded children. It is a ministry that
brings home the message that one’s past does not define one’s
future, that hope springs eternal even among seemingly hopeless
cases.
Thus came about the founding of Jeremiah 33:6-7 Foundation.
“I will hasten their recovery and their healing. I will heal them
and let them know peace and security in full measure…”
— Jeremiah 33:6-7, Jerusalem Bible
JEREMIAH 33:6-7 FOUNDATION:
Ministering to Sexually
Abused Girls
By Rey Ortega
I
t was a violent fight among girls.
One is 11 years old, the other is 14. So no big
deal? Quarrels among children are not that unusual
— rather part of growing up, right? And pretty soon,
girls make up and forget about it, and then play as
friends again. Right?
Not in this case.
Both used to be wards of an orphanage. The fight led to
one girl attempting suicide while the other tried to run away
from the shelter and live again on the streets.
The strange behavior was analyzed by a psychologist, who
told the orphanage servants that such incidents are “normal” or
could be expected from girls who are victims of sexual abuse.
The orphanage board of trustees, after much soulsearching, made a painful decision to transfer sexually abused
girls to other shelters. It was an admission that they are not
technically capable of caring for sexually abused (S-A) girls,
and that there are other shelters which are better equipped to
handle such cases.
Blessing or Curse
As one of the orphanage servants, the board’s decision gave
me lots of sleepless nights. I agonized over the decision and
action of the board while at the same time conceding that the
other trustees were correct. I admitted that the shelter was not
Located in an undisclosed house in Pasig, physically and
corporately separate from the orphanage, Jeremiah Foundation
has begun serving God’s broken children — those who, at their
young age, had experienced unspeakable horrors no child should
ever be subjected to.
Through networking with Tahanan ng Pagmamahal Children’s
Home, Grace to Be Born shelter, a psychologist, a therapy center for
victims of child abuse, two religious sisters from two congregations,
a social worker, and several kindhearted individuals, Jeremiah
Foundation quietly began serving S-A victims.
Spiritual, Material, Medical Help
At the Jeremiah shelter, the girls are provided with formal and
informal education. Caring housemothers (our term for caregivers)
give them parental care and values formation. Every Sunday, all the
girls and their housemothers attend The Feast (the weekly prayer
gathering of the Light of Jesus Family that starts with a Mass and
ends with a talk of the Feast builder).
The Foundation welcomes the services of volunteer doctors,
psychologists, counselors, priests, preachers, pastors and nuns.
However, due to the delicate nature of the Center, ordinary visitors
and outreach groups cannot be entertained in the Center. (If you
find it in your heart to help support the Jeremiah 33:6-7 Foundation,
please get in touch with me at 0917-816-4700 or 0922-859-7035, or
send me an email at [email protected].)
We journey with the children and the counselors through our
prayers. And we do our best to instill in the minds and hearts of
these children that they are loved, that there are many good people
in their world (and the evil ones are few), that a time will come
when they will get over their trauma. It will be a long, long road
to complete recovery but we believe that God’s love and healing
power will eventually prevail.
They can — and will — move on.
Feast
Snapshots
Champions
Arise at the
Oceania
Grand Feast
in Sydney,
Australia
By Trish Sapitula of LOJF-Sydney
I
t was the fourth of July, and while the Americans
were celebrating Independence Day, the
Oceania Mission Feasts of the Light of Jesus
Family gathered in the first ever Oceania Grand
Feast in Sydney, Australia.
Feasters from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth
and New Zealand, and of course from the host, the Feast
Sydney, came for a day of praise and worship. Visitors from
Manila led by LOJF and Feast founder, Bo Sanchez, and
other Feast builders added color and excitement to the
event.
The Bowman Hall of the Blacktown Arts Centre in
Sydney was filled with people from all walks of life — a
mixture of Australians, Indonesians and other nationals.
It was a multi-cultural praise and worship. Everyone
raised their hands, danced and sang at the top of their
voices, echoing to the heavens above. Feast builders from
the Philippines — namely, George Gabriel, Jan Silan and
Mike Viñas — led the worship. They were backed up by the
Oceania Grand Feast music ministry, with Gigi de Jesus
as musical director. Guest singers were Ira Sol and Didoy
Lubaton.
Arun Gogna and Bo Sanchez delivered beautiful and
inspiring talks. The audience hung on to every word they
spoke. The hall was filled with people from start to finish.
For people living in the land down under, a Grand
Feast is a great opportunity — a special gift — to nourish
their soul and whole being. It gave them new friends and
welcomed them to God’s big family. It was a beautiful and
unforgettable experience.
The Grand Feast 2013 ended so well, everyone left the
hall as “Champions of Jesus” and went home victorious!
CWC INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Tel. No.: (632) 757-0181 to 86
Fax No.: (632) 757-0191
Website: www.cwc.com.ph
Email Add: [email protected]
32/F Citibank Tower, Unit A,
Valero cor. Villar Sts.
Salcedo Village,
Makati City, Philippines
CWC - HERMAN MILLER SHOWROOM
Tel. No.: (632) 817-0864
(632) 817-0886
Fax No.: (632) 817-0497
Mezzanine, Citibank Center,
8741 Paseo de Roxas,
CITIMEX SHOWROOM
G/F Citibank Tower Unit B,
Valero cor. Villar Sts., Salcedo Village
CWC INDUSTRIES.
Trunkline.: (632) 714-1115
Fax No.: (632) 715-6331
Website: www.cwcindustries.com
G/F CWC Bldg.,
#2 Zaragosa cor. Palanza Sts.
Quezon City, Philippines
CITIMEX
Tel. No.: (632) 714-1115
Fax No.: (632) 715-9439
Website: www.citimex.com.ph
G/F CWC Bldg.,
#2 Zaragosa cor. Palanza Sts.
Quezon City, Philippines
BARRINGTON CARPETS
Tel. No.: (632) 637-0942 to 47
Fax No.: (632) 637-3196
11/F Unit 1110 West Tower
Philippine Stock Exchange Centre
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center,
Pasig City, Philippines
CG is moving on after a painful journey
of grieving.
It Happened
My Heart’s
Anchor
She kept losing her family
members — one after the other —
to heart disease, and now she is
the only one left standing.
By CG as told to Lella M. Santiago
M
y eyes blurred with
tears as I held the
National
Statistics
Office form. I was just
beginning to fill it up
when the dam broke
and tears spattered on the paper. I couldn’t go
on filling up the request for death certificates for
my whole family. It was excruciating so I stopped.
I needed to put their papers in order. But my
dad, the last remaining member of my family,
had just died. So it was an emotional struggle to
do what to others might just be a simple task.
Sole Survivor
Grief first paid me a visit when I was 10 years old.
My mom collapsed while boarding a plane and
was pronounced dead on arrival due to sudden
cardiac arrest. She was only 36, leaving behind
a grieving husband and five young children —
four girls and a boy. I was the fourth in our family.
The death of my mother changed our
lives forever. But we didn’t pay attention to
our emotional scars; it was another burden
to deal with. We were more focused on our
survival without my mom. Growing up without
a mother’s nurturing love was overwhelming.
We had to hold one another’s hands while our
father had to appear strong to embrace life with
continuity.
The next time grief paid me a visit in 1985, I
was unprepared. Sem, second in the family, died
while watching over Merge, our eldest sister, in
the hospital. When she was suddenly taken from
us, I felt as if my crutch had been wrenched from
under me.
Her death brought a multitude of emotions
while unfolding a mystery in the family. She
was found to have the same disorder my mom
and Merge had. After Sem’s funeral, we were
all asked by our cardiologist to undergo a
2D-Echocardiogram to rule out the possibility
that we were afflicted with the same illness.
The result showed that my brother,
Hardie, and youngest sister, Tummy, also had
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a disease
of the heart muscles. At present, there is no
cure for HCM. And yes, four out of five siblings
had inherited the disease. I was the only one
with a heart structure that was perfectly normal.
Indeed, God has plans for me that are yet to be
unearthed.
In 1994, Hardie, the closest to me and to
Tummy, bid his final goodbye. After five years,
Merge also took the path to heaven. Ironic as it
seemed, she was the frequent in-patient of the
hospital among those afflicted but lived the
longest.
These bears stand witness to CG’s silent cries whenever she misses her
family.
Though our family was close, Tummy and I had a special relationship —
she was the pillar of my strength, my best friend. We matured together as years
passed. I had the privilege of caring for her more than my other siblings as she
was in and out of the hospital numerous times. When she had her first mild
stroke, the doctor warned that she might not survive the next attack. Being a
protective sister, I’d automatically wake up at 2:00 a.m. to check if she was still
breathing. When she died too, I was devastated. This time I had no one to lean
on — I was the last sibling standing.
Hypertrophy usually develops after puberty. The attacks were constantly
present until they died. I had to brace myself every day and pray to God that
my siblings would not have another attack. My ordeal was not just seeing all of
them suffer from their illness but also the painful task of arranging the funeral
and interment.
It seems that all my aches are caused by the heart. My dad had a cardiac
arrest while sleeping due to enlargement of the heart — a sickness acquired
due to an unhealthy lifestyle, but nevertheless still of the heart .
With his passing, I realized that even if members of your family live miles
away, you still have a family. Their love is a security blanket that spans the
distance. When they’re all gone, the echo of love is suddenly silent.
Bear-ing the Burden
Daddy died in 2010, barely two years after my youngest sister passed on. It was
like stepping down from a mountain of struggles then having to climb up again.
What kept me together in the painful journey of grief were the self-directed
retreats, healing seminars, and guidance from my two spiritual directresses. My
heart had always been anchored on God.
myself when I need a lift. And I delight in my bears. Yes, bears
— the stuffed kind. People may find this funny or think that
I’m childish but even if they’re inanimate, I spoil them no end
especially Biggie, my favorite. My youngest sister used to dress
them up, put cologne on them, and comb their fur. Before
going to sleep we’d describe them with adjectives from A to Z
then double up in laughter. That was a bond we shared. When
she passed away, I got rid of all our family pictures but kept the
bears.
In one of my retreats, I asked my spiritual director if I was
crazy. She said, “The bears make you happy because they hold
your memories. The memories keep you alive. They attach
your sister to your heart. Start moving on but don’t forget the
memories.”
After that retreat, I was able to display our pictures again. I
knew I had begun to move on.
Even when I was in grade school, my world was
different. Other kids in school who arrived early would
either play or study. As for me, I went to church with the
nuns. After the Mass, I enjoyed talking to the priests. I
think that, even at an early age, God was grooming me
to be strong. Without that anchor, I would probably not
be where I am today.
My struggles taught me to be introspective — to
look for happiness within and listen to myself. Other
people look for happiness outside, from other people
or material things. When that is taken away from them,
their world falls apart. My world is solidly placed in
God’s hands.
I won’t deny there are times I feel my aloneness
especially on Sundays when I see families go to Mass
together or have gatherings. But I’m glad my situation
blesses others. When people hear what I’ve gone
through, they realize they have no right to complain.
Even if there are problems in their families, at least
they’re still around.
Being alone has taught me to totally surrender
everything to God. “Footprints in the Sand” resonates
in my heart because when I feel all alone, I know that’s
when God is carrying me in His arms. He also sends me
“angels” to lighten my load.
I’ve also learned to create my own joys. I pamper
Gathering My Family’s Remains
What I did last November was a defining moment for me. I
have taken another step in my personal growth toward healing
and wholeness. A new person emerged from the retreat. I told
myself, “It’s time to move forward and be a blessing to others
after the painful journey of grieving.”
Last month, I came to a decision to gather my family’s
remains in one place. My parents and youngest sister are in
Davao while the rest are buried here in Manila. In my mind I
told them, “I promise I’ll fix all the papers so that you can be
together. Let me just take care of myself first, then I’ll pick up
the pieces from there.”
Hopefully, I’ll be moving to a new place so I plan to facilitate
their transfer after I’ve settled down.
That night, I dreamt of Hardie holding a bright yellow
mango. He and Tummy were both smiling. Although it was only
a dream, I felt their happiness for me that I’ve started to fix my
life.
Like Job, I lost everything except God’s love. His love is
what’s helping me to move on.
Among all her bears, Biggie is CG’s favorite.
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Special Section
Introduction
YOU
CAN
MOVE
MOUNTAINS
And Reach the
Place Where God
Wants You to Be
H
ave you noticed?
Bad things happen
to good people.
All the time.
Did you get stuck in traffic this
week?
Or have you ever experienced
the pain of your boyfriend or girlfriend
dumping you for another person?
Or did your husband die and
leave you with a mountain of debts?
I repeat. Bad things happen to
good people all the time.
I can’t answer why they happen.
But here’s my bigger question:
What do you do when bad things
happen to you?
Do you sulk?
Do you complain?
Do you just stay put and do
nothing?
Friend, there’s a way out of
your problems. You can move your
mountains and reach the place
where God wants you to be.
Because
problems
are
temporary, but God’s love for you is
permanent.
By Bo Sanchez
By Bo Sanchez
Special Section
O
nce upon a time, I drove an old jeep. It was my first
vehicle. I had very little money — and it was the
only thing I could afford. It was a malfunctioning,
smoke-belching, about-to-disintegrate, made-in-thebackyard, owner-type jeep.
It conked out on me every other day. So much so
that I pushed it more than I drove it. It was the reason
why my thigh muscles and calf muscles became very
developed.
I was so poor, I couldn’t buy brand new tires. So I had to buy
old retreaded tires. I had a flat tire every other week. Which was
the reason why my biceps became very developed, too.
And it was so rusty, people told me to get tetanus shots. When
I drove it on the road, I was afraid that cops would charge me for
littering. It was so rusty, spare parts kept falling off my jeep.
It was so bad, I really wondered why I still kept it.
I drove it because it was my only vehicle at that time.
But let’s imagine a wild scenario. (Suspend all logic.)
Imagine that one day, a guy knocked on my door and said,
“Hi, Bo! I’d like to give you a birthday gift.” He then handed me
a key. He turned around and walked away, leaving behind him a
brand new, top-of-the-line, beautiful Ferrari.
I oohed and I aahed. I got hypnotized by its
beauty.
Some months later, I drove my old jeep on the
road — and at a busy intersection, a friend drove
up beside me. He opened his window and asked,
“Bo, where’s your Ferrari?”
I smiled and said, “It’s in the garage.”
My friend frowned. “You mean you don’t drive
it?”
I shook my head. “I’ve never tried.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve never
even started the engine and gone around the
block?”
“Never,” I smiled. “Anyway, my jeep still runs
OK. At least, when it’s not conking out.”
Wouldn’t that be insane?
But that’s exactly what we do with our life.
I believe that God has given us power. In fact,
the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:17).
Like that Ferrari in our garage, God has given
us an inner force beyond our wildest imagination.
Star Wars was one of the first movies I’ve ever watched. “May the Force
be with you,” Obi-wan said to Luke Skywalker. It’s so similar to what the
priest says at Mass, “May the Lord be with you.”
Star Wars is fiction. But the spiritual war is real. And “the Force” that
God put in our hands is very real, too.
Even Atheists Have Faith
All of us have faith. We can’t help it. Human beings are designed to believe
in something. Or else we can’t operate in this world.
If you sit on a chair, you need to have faith that it won’t fall apart. If you
eat in a restaurant, you need to have faith that the cooks are decent people
who don’t put poison in the food. If you drive on a two-way road, you must
have faith that the drivers coming in the opposite direction won’t cross
that yellow lane between you.
Living in this world requires faith.
It’s just a question of what you’ll have faith in.
Let me shock you: An atheist has faith. He has faith in his logic, his
thinking, and in his perceptions — much more than the religious traditions
of his culture.
A fearful person has faith. He has faith that the monsters that he’s
afraid of are possibly real and violent and powerful.
It’s easy to have faith in big things — like mountains.
Do You Believe in God or in the Mountain?
Mountains seem big. They’re one of the biggest
things our eyes can see.
And mountains seem immovable. You don’t
wake up each morning asking, “Hmm, I wonder
where Mount Everest traveled today…”
Some of us think of our problems as mountains
because they’re big and they’re immovable. You see
your financial problem as a mountain, your physical
sickness as a mountain, your relationship problem as
a mountain…
Many times, problems seem permanent. But
they’re not.
I believe God is permanent, and His love is
permanent, and His plan to bless you is permanent
— and you are permanent! But all problems are
temporary.
It’s really your choice.
Will you have faith in God or in your mountains?
Jesus tells us what we should choose, “Have faith
in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone
says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the
sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they
say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:22-23).
If you want to move the mountains in your life, there are three
very crucial steps that you need to take…
1. Identify Your Mountain
2. Identify Your Authority Over the Mountain
3. Identify Where You Want the Mountain to Go
First Step: Identify Your Mountain
Mountains are made of up many layers.
In one sense, mountains are built on top of each other.
Like mountains, your problems are made up of many layers.
Your problems are built on top of each other, too.
Understand that you have two kinds of problems: surface
problems and source problems. You can’t solve the surface problem
without solving the source problem.
Let me give you two examples.
Is Debt Really Your Problem?
Many people say debt is their problem. They’re buried in debt.
Actually, debt is just the surface problem. Usually, beneath that
surface problem are two source problems: materialism and
ignorance.
What is materialism? When you depend on
material things for your happiness. When you
wrap up your identity with material things.
I know of people who aren’t happy if
they don’t wear a branded shirt. I know of
guys who aren’t happy if they don’t drive a
flashy car. I repeat: Many people are in debt
because they’re materialistic. Debt is only a
part of the mountain. The real mountain is their
materialism.
Many people are in debt because they’re
financially ignorant. They think it’s normal
to borrow for what they need and want.
Hear me out: It’s not normal!
Borrowing money for clothes,
watches and appliances is sick.
Every day, I get phone calls
and text messages from banks and
credit card companies — offering
me debt. There’s a massive marketing
campaign now — funded by huge
companies, huge sales forces, and
huge budgets — for you to make
borrowing a lifestyle.
Debt is not the problem. The
problem is materialism and financial
ignorance that spawns a borrowing
lifestyle.
If you want to eradicate debt, you
have to eradicate materialism, financial
ignorance, and the borrowing lifestyle!
Let me give you another example.
Is Heart Disease Your Real Problem?
One day, a man came up to me and said
he had a heart condition. Doctors told him that
he needed a bypass operation. From the way he
looked, he was totally desperate.
On the spot, I prayed over him. And I asked
him to continue attending The Feast, our weekly
spiritual gathering.
A few weeks later, he came up to me with his
face beaming with joy. I didn’t even recognize him
from that desperate man I met some time ago. He
said that all the medical tests showed zero blockages
in his heart.
I was very happy for him.
But a few months later, I caught up with him. I
was shocked that the smile was gone. He told me
the sad news that he’s been having chest pains
again. His wife was beside him. With anger in her
voice, she said, “Bo, his problem isn’t his heart. His
problem is workaholism. He works 15 hours a day.
He travels almost every week. He’s abusing God’s
goodness.”
I looked at him, eyeball to eyeball, and said,
“Look. Your heart disease was a message from God.
If you don’t listen to the message, the message will
keep coming back. You only have two choices. You
either listen to that message or you die.”
The real problem wasn’t his heart problem. That
was just the surface problem. The source problem
was his work habits. He can’t tell his heart problem
to go away without telling his job stress to go away.
He may not need to get rid of his job, but he needs
to get rid of how he works at his job.
Second Step: Identify Your Authority Over the
Mountain
When people have a mountain of problems, they
pray. And that’s very good.
But there comes a point when you should stop
praying for your mountains and start talking to your
mountains.
Because there comes a point when you have to
switch from a victim mentality to a victor’s mentality.
If you’re sick, say, “Sickness, I command you
to go, in Jesus’ name. And in place of sickness, I
now receive health into my body. I now receive
God’s strength, vitality and power. I command all
malfunctioning organs to be restored, in Jesus’
name.”
Speak words of faith.
It may not happen overnight. But in the unseen
realm, things are changing in your favor.
In the Bible, Jesus spoke to the fig tree. He said,
“You shall not bear fruit again.” The next day, true
enough, the Bible says it was dried up all the way
from the branches to the roots.
But that was the next day.
When Jesus spoke the words, it seemed as
though nothing happened to the tree. It still looked
normal. But something happened in its root system.
Below the surface, invisible to the eye, the tree started
drying up.
In the same way, when you speak words of faith,
it seems as if nothing is happening. But below the
surface, invisible to the eye, God is starting something
in your situation.
When you say, “I claim the conversion of my
children for the Lord,” it may seem as though your kids
are still walking away from God — but believe that
God is starting to work in their hearts.
When you say, “I claim healing in my body,” it may
seem as though you’re as sick as ever — but believe
that God is starting the work of healing as you speak.
Incredible power is released when we speak to
our mountains.
Are You a Complainer or a Conqueror?
He didn’t say “beg” or “plead” or “convince.” He said,
“Tell.”
Jesus wants you to know that you have authority
over that mountain. That authority comes from God.
You see, when you have problems, you have two
choices. You can either be a complainer or you can be
a conqueror.
Complainers talk about what’s happening, but
conquerors make things happen.
Complainers are victims; conquerors are victors.
Complainers are mountain experts, mountain
observers, mountain analyzers, mountain evaluators.
But conquerors are mountain movers.
Don’t Dwell on the Mountain
Once upon a time, David faced a mountain named
Goliath.
When young David came into the scene of the
battle, all the soldiers were complainers. Every single
one! Everyone was saying, “My gosh, look at the giant!
Look at those giant legs. Look at those giant arms.
He’s so big. He’s a monster. He probably eats his own
children for breakfast! And when he’s still hungry, he
eats his nephews and nieces!”
But David wasn’t a complainer. He was a
conqueror. He didn’t dwell on the mountain. He
dwelt on the mountain mover. He said, “Who is this
uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the
armies of the Living God? You come to me with sword
and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name
of the Lord Almighty” (1 Samuel 17:26, 45).
Don’t focus on the mountain.
Focus on the mountain mover.
Third Step: Identify Where You Want the Mountain
to Go
This step is very critical.
Don’t let your thoughts dwell on the problem, let
them dwell on the solution. Don’t let your thoughts
dwell on where you are now, let them dwell on where
you want to go.
You’ve heard me say this before. What you focus on grows.
So if all you think of is your problem, your problem will grow
bigger and bigger in your mind and in your reality.
Decide today to focus on your blessing!
I’m not saying, “Deny your problem.” That’s not what I’m saying.
In fact, a while ago, I told you to identify your problem. That’s Step 1.
Unless you admit and take responsibility for your problem, you won’t
be able to solve it. You can’t go to Step 3 without going through Step
1.
But after identifying your problem, you have to start identifying
the solution to your problem.
Jesus said to tell the mountain to “Go!” somewhere.
When God created the world, He didn’t say, “Darkness disappear!”
He didn’t say, “Evening, go away…” He didn’t say, “Night time, vanish
before me!”
He said, “Let there be light…”
The focus was on light, not on darkness.
In the same way, don’t focus on the problem; focus on the blessing
that will replace the problem.
Don’t just say, “Sickness, go away…”You need to say, “I now receive
health in my body, I receive vitality and strength and restoration in all
the cells of my body...”
Why should you do this?
Because your words create your reality.
The blessings of God are out there. They are everywhere. You are
swimming in an ocean of blessings!
But when you speak words of blessing, something happens to the
speaker. Something happens to you: You open yourself to the ocean
of blessings that you are proclaiming about.
Dwell on How Big Your God Is
Let me say it again: What you focus on grows. (I will never grow tired of
reminding you of this powerful spiritual principle. This law rules this
universe.)
If you focus on the mountain, the mountain will grow. If you focus
on your God, God will “grow” in your perspective. So focus on God.
Don’t dwell on how big your mountain is. Don’t dwell on how big
your problem is. Don’t dwell on how big your difficulty is. Don’t dwell
on how big your sickness is.
Stop telling God how big your mountains are; start telling your
mountains how big your God is!
Let your thoughts dwell on the big God and say, “I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Email me at [email protected].
Bo’s Action Steps:
1. What mountains are you facing in
your life right now?
2. Practice what Bo suggested in
the article on how to exercise
authority over your mountains
and command them where you
want them to go.
Special Section
Testimony
Our Only Hope
By Leonard and Nonyx Buela
as told to Judith Concepcion
Photos by IC Cancio de Guzman
Nonyx and Leonard’s love for each other and for God grew stronger
because of the challenge brought about by Nonyx’s illness.
Y
ou have systemic
lupus erythematosus,”
the doctor told me
(Nonyx).
I was a fresh
college graduate and
being
diagnosed
with lupus was very
difficult. I cried and
asked myself, “What
grave sin have I committed for God to punish me
like this?”
My mother comforted me and told me to pray
and just trust in God.
It was hard for me to absorb what she had
just said. At that time, my faith in God was not
that strong. During college, I was exposed to
questions about God’s existence. Some of my
fellow students would ask, “If God really loves
us, why is there so much poverty and injustice?”
This kind of thinking had weakened my
faith, and my illness put whatever faith I had to
the test.
Beating the Odds
My illness led me to make adjustments in
my life through the years. I changed my line
of work to avoid exposure to the sun, stress
and contagious diseases. I avoided outdoor
activities like swimming. I learned to accept
the changes in my physical appearance —
weight gain, a hunched back, bloated face and
facial hair — caused by the medication, and
to get used to regular checkups and frequent
confinements. When I got married, I wasn’t
allowed to get pregnant because it would
stress out my kidneys. Western medicine had
no cure for my condition, so I went to Healing
Masses and tried alternative medicine but all
to no avail. I had no choice but to learn to live
with it.
I (Leonard) had accepted the fact that we
couldn’t have kids because of the risks involved.
But Nonyx didn’t lose hope. She believed that if
ever she’d get pregnant, it was God’s will and so
He’d definitely take care of her.
In 1994, against all odds, I gave birth to a
healthy baby boy using the Lamaze method.
But during my second pregnancy in August
1997, I had preeclampsia and had to deliver my
baby through an emergency caesarian section.
After a month and a half in the neonatal
intensive care unit, my daughter died. I was
only able to hold her once right before she
went home to our Creator. For me, this was the
worst and most painful trial I went through.
With my daughter’s death and my illness, I felt so hopeless and
helpless. At times, I’d just cry and would have thoughts that
God didn’t love me because He allowed all these to happen.
Eventually, I recovered emotionally. My vision, which
was impaired due to the preeclampsia, improved. My edema
lessened and I started to feel better. I was able to work again
and even gave birth to another baby boy in September 2000.
I no longer had flare-ups. I claimed and believed that God had
completely healed me of my lupus.
Life Hanging in the Balance
In 2002, I stopped going for my regular checkups because I felt I
no longer needed them. But in 2007, I consulted a cardiologist
for my palpitations. She didn’t find anything wrong with my
heart but she immediately referred me to a nephrologist for
the lupus. The kidney ultrasound I underwent showed that
both my kidneys were already damaged and I had to undergo
hemodialysis.
“Why the need for dialysis? Why us? Why does this have to
happen all at the same time?” I questioned God. During this time,
I had to let go of my well-paying job due to office politics. We
were paying for a housing loan. We had two growing boys. And
then Nonyx’s life was in danger! This was too much to bear. We
felt that God had abandoned us.
When I got another job, my salary still wasn’t enough for our
financial needs. When my boss learned about Nonyx’s dialysis, he
gave me an additional allowance. With this and some help from
relatives and friends, Nonyx was able to have her dialysis.
After almost a year of dialysis, I had a hematoma in my
“dialysis arm” which caused the procedure to stretch to six
hours instead of only four. They even had to use both arms.
I started to complain about these difficulties. That was when
we considered having a kidney transplant.
A Gift of Life
We couldn’t find a living-related donor and waiting for a
deceased donor might take too long, so the only option
left was an emotionally-related living donor, which meant
my husband. After being assured about the safety of the
procedure, we underwent a series of compatibility and
eligibility tests.
The tests showed that we were a good match and were both
eligible, but the decision as to whether or not I should donate my
kidney was a very tough one. It wasn’t just an emotional decision
but also a rational one. I was the sole breadwinner. If my health
would be compromised, what would happen to Nonyx and my
kids? There was also no guarantee that Nonyx’s body wouldn’t
reject the new kidney.
While we were at the hospital finishing other tests, we
prayed for discernment and even asked for a sign. Just then,
our nephrologist entered the room. She told us that if the donor
had the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the recipient had none, we
couldn’t proceed with the transplant. In our case, only Nonyx
had the CMV virus though it was inactive. We took this as God’s
confirmation that we should proceed with the transplant.
Still, Nonyx was overly concerned about my welfare. So I
assured her it would be an honor for me to help extend her life, and
giving her one of my kidneys would be the ultimate expression of my
love for her. I wanted to keep the promise I made to God that if He
would give Nonyx to me, I’d take good care of her.
The transplant was three weeks away, but we still had to raise
P1.5 million. I was hesitant to ask for help because of pride. But my
love for Nonyx made me swallow my pride. I wrote a letter (“A Gift of
Life”) to our friends and relatives through Facebook (FB) and email. I
was able to raise P400,000 from FB alone. My wife’s college singing
group, Patatag, held a benefit concert. We also got assistance from
the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. We were able to raise
enough money for the hospital to admit us.
We had a successful kidney transplant on April 16, 2009. Right
after the operation, Nonyx was able to expel two liters of urine. Only
two days after the transplant, her creatinine level was within the
normal range. Thank God!
Sons Niko (left, 19) and Victor (right, 13) are testimonies of
God’s love for Nonyx and Leonard despite lupus.
Life After the Transplant
I now live a healthy lifestyle. My energy level has greatly increased
and I don’t tire easily. In fact, I was able to join two fun runs already.
My lab tests are all normal and my complexion has a nice healthy
glow. Leonard’s health is also in good condition.
As our family’s way of showing our gratitude to God, we
started attending The Feast. We wanted to strengthen our faith
and feel God’s presence more in our daily lives. We knew that we
couldn’t allow our faith to waver again. We also knew that there is
no other source of hope but God.
We have nothing but gratitude to God who made all these
miracles possible through our “Angel Network” — people who pooled
in their gifts of life. We had a firsthand, intimate experience of His love
for us. It took a problem as huge as this to convince us that God is
there. This miracle is more than enough concrete proof that He is truly
alive.
God’s love never ceases. Indeed, we must always keep the
faith because God is, and always will be, faithful.
How to
Multiply
Your
Harvest
By Bo Sanchez
Special Section
F
riend, God is your gardener.
And God wants to prune you.
How do I know this?
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father
is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me
that bears no fruit, while every branch that does
bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more
fruitful” (John 15:1-2).
Why does God want to prune you?
If you want an adequate life, no need for pruning.
If you want an abundant life, then it comes with a price.
And that price is pruning.
If you’re content with living a mediocre life, receiving a
mediocre harvest, achieving mediocre dreams — go right
ahead living the way you live. Don’t submit to God’s pruning.
But if you want all that God wants for you, and if you
want to fulfill the God-sized dreams for your life, I urge you
today: Submit yourself to God’s pruning.
To have an abundant harvest in every area of your life,
some things in your life will have to go.
From my experience, there are two ways God prunes
His children.
Two Ways of Pruning
The first way is when God asks you to remove something
from your life. The second way is when God removes
something from your life without your permission.
1. When God Asks You to Remove Something
When I was a 13-year-old preacher, I gave up TV.
I just felt inspired to do it. So while all my classmates
were talking about the latest episode of Charlie’s Angels, I
felt very out of place. (I wish I could tell you that my version
of Charlie’s Angels consisted of Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu
and Cameron Diaz, but…)
Throughout my teenage life, I grew up without TV.
Looking back, I now believe that was a huge blessing.
Imagine freeing three hours a day to do other fantastic
things. I read books, played musical instruments, composed
songs and, most of all, served in ministry.
Here’s something to think about: If you live until you’re
75 and watched three hours of TV a day (and you removed
normal sleeping time), you would have wasted 14 years of
your life.
Would you give up 14 years of your life? But that’s what
many people do by watching TV.
When I was 21 years old, I gave up my girlfriend.
Reason: I felt I needed time to discern if I was called to
celibacy or marriage. And for the next 10 years, I had no
romantic relationship. (You can imagine how difficult that
was, not only for me, but for all the girls around me who
found me irresistible.) Again, I believe those 10 years were
the liberating years — I stretched my wings, expanded my
world, and grew my horizons.
Ask yourself: Is God asking you to remove something
from your life?
But there’s another kind of pruning…
2. When God Removes Something Without Your
Permission
My friend was working as an executive in a huge
company. I used to tell him, “Brother, ask God if He’s
calling you to give up your job and serve Him in
ministry.”
But he never resigned. His job was paying him
well. He told me, “When I retire at 65, I’ll serve God.”
But when he was only 53 years old, it happened. His
company was bought by a larger company. And they
eased out all their executives, including my friend. He
was now without a job.
He could have applied for another job, of course,
but he felt that this was God’s way of telling him,
“Serve Me now in ministry.”
I have a similar story. Once upon a time, I owned
a number of food stalls. I was selling hotdogs, ice
cream and squid balls. And every day, I prayed that
they’d succeed. But one by one, they began to fail. I
was losing a lot of money. I felt very sad when they
all failed.
But today, I thank God they failed.
Because if they hadn’t failed, I wouldn’t have
given them up — I’d still be chugging along. And I
wouldn’t have my present businesses, which are 20
times more profitable.
Sometimes, God allows failure, sickness,
retrenchment, separation — so that there’ll be space
in your life for new and better things.
Did your boyfriend dump you? Thank God.
Someone better is coming your way.
Did your company retrench you? Thank God. A
better job is coming your way.
Did your business fail? Thank God. A better
business is coming your way.
Did you get sick? Thank God. You’ll learn how to
live a healthier lifestyle, and better health is coming
your way.
Did a thief steal from you? Did a partner cheat
on you? Thank God. You’ll learn from this painful
experience, and God will return double what you
have lost.
Remember: God’s pruning isn’t God’s punishment.
Yes, it feels like it. When bad things happen, you want
to cry, “Lord, why? I’m a good person. Why are you
doing this to me? Have I done something wrong to
displease you?”
No, God isn’t mad at you. God is madly in love
with you. He’s doing something wonderful in your life.
At the end of your life, you’ll tell yourself, “Thank God
He pruned me!”
Let me tell you what God removes or prunes from
our life.
Two Things That God Prunes
Gardeners cut away diseased and pest-ridden
branches, so that the disease and the pests won’t
spread to the other parts of the tree. God is like that gardener.
1. What Destroys You
Gardeners cut away sick branches. God is a gardener.
And He does the same thing in your life.
God wants to cut away sin from your life — lying, greed,
selfishness, bitterness, lust, etc.
God’s focus isn’t on removing but on adding.
He doesn’t want to just remove lust. He wants to add the
joy of purity. He doesn’t want to just remove greed. He wants
to add happy generosity. He doesn’t want to just remove the
habit of lying. He wants to give you the freedom of honesty.
Let me give you an example.
As a single person, I wasn’t physically promiscuous. But
I was mentally promiscuous. Because of porn, I was sexually
active in my mind.
It took years, but I finally cut away that part of my life.
After pruning comes abundance. I’ve experienced it.
How? My married life is now so rich and deep and
beautiful — because I’m mentally and emotionally
monogamous. I’m faithful to my wife in my body and in my
mind.
Yes, there is power in focus. What you focus on grows.
My wife has grown lovelier in my eyes because I’ve decided
to focus on her.
I’ve met married people who have fallen into emotional
adultery. And then they complain about why
their marriages aren’t life-giving, why their
spouses are terrible, and why they’ve fallen out
of love.
These are diseased branches that must
be cut if you want fantastic abundance in
your life.
Are there things in your life that are
destroying you?
Alcoholism? Lying? Gambling?
Materialism? Theft? Greed?
Cut them away.
2. What Distracts You
Gardeners also cut away healthy
branches if this will make the
tree bear more fruit.
Most of the time, they do
it to increase light penetration.
If the branches and leaves
are crowded, very little light
is able to enter the thick
foliage. Thus, the pruning.
In the same way, your
life can be so crowded with
a lot of good things. You’re
so busy, very little of God’s light enters
your life. Good things can steal away your
attention from the great things that God
wants you to do.
Ask yourself: What good things distract
you from great things?
Let me give you an example from my
ministry. Each year, a lot of parishes invite me to preach.
I could fill 365 days of the year just preaching in parishes.
But most of the time, I turn down parish invitations.
Reason? I feel God has called me to speak to the unchurched,
to people who aren’t religious. (Now you know why we
hold The Feast, our weekly spiritual gatherings, in malls
and theaters.) We bring God’s love to the people who need
it the most.
So, first things first: Identify the great thing that God
wants you to do. And then prune your activities. Remove
distractions that will take your time, attention, and energy
from this great thing.
This includes recreation.
For Two Months, I Became Addicted to Games
Recreation is supposed to re-create. When you do your
recreation, it’s supposed to create a new you. It recreates
within you a new perspective, a new passion, and new
possibilities.
For many years, I never played computer games.
I just felt it was a waste of time.
People ask me, “Bo, how can you do so much —
writing, speaking, publishing, leading?” I think one reason
is that I don’t watch TV or play computer games.
I’d rather play with my kids, or write a book, or read a
book, or prepare for my talk, or play the piano, or play the
guitar, or make plans, or expand my business…
But something happened two years ago.
One day, my friend said, “I play with my sons a
computer game called Plants vs. Zombies. It’s a strategy
game and we have so much fun.”
I got intrigued, so I bought the game online. And I
invited my two sons to play together. Soon, my wife joined
us as well.
My friend was right. It was great fun. And having my
youngest son on my lap, playing the game together, was
wonderful.
But I had a problem. The game was addicting.
I noticed I was getting addicted. How did I know? I
usually write after the kids are in bed. I write my articles or
prepare for a talk. But at 10 p.m., I found myself turning on
my computer to zap zombies with pea shooters!
There were nights when I actually slept at midnight.
Or even at 1 a.m. I’d spend two to three hours zapping
zombies!
I had to make a decision: The game had to go.
I had been playing Plants vs. Zombies for two months.
If I played two hours a day, that means I spent 60 hours
playing that game. I could have written one book. I could
have read five books. I could have created a business plan.
Oh, I could have done so many things!
I decided to quit cold turkey.
Choose Real Re-Creation
Here’s a list of activities that nurture me:
• Prayer and meditation
• Exercise
• Reading great books
• Listening to inspirational talks
• Watching really great movies
• Being with people I love
• Playing a musical instrument
• Listening to uplifting music
• Hobbies
Here’s a list of activities that I believe don’t nurture but
actually drain people (this is my personal opinion; there
may be rare individuals out there who get nurtured by
these activities):
• Watching mindless TV
• Playing video games for hours
• Reading inconsequential stuff (gossip and showbiz
pages)
Note: There’s nothing wrong about watching mindless
TV. There’s nothing sinful about playing Bejeweled and
Farmville and Angry Birds. I’m not saying we can’t play games.
I think we should! But we must do so with moderation and
discipline. But if you spend so much time doing them,
they could be distractions, sapping your time and energy
dedicated to fulfill God’s dreams for your life.
Focus on the Prize
No doubt about it. Pruning is painful.
Growth usually happens through pain. There is truth
when your gym teacher says, “No pain, no gain.”
God’s Word says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the
time, but painful” (Hebrews 12:11).
But pruning doesn’t kill you; pruning heals you.
Here’s the challenge: While going through the pain of
pruning, don’t focus on the pain; focus on the prize!
St. Paul says, “I consider that our present sufferings are
not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in
us” (Romans 8:18).
My wife and I go to a Bikram Yoga class. (Note: No New
Age stuff; just exercise.) The class is done in a really hot
room. And in that oven, we try to do 26 postures that only
Plasticman can do.
The key word is try; I end up splattered on the floor,
wondering why I’m torturing myself to become a human
pretzel.
Yoga is painful for me. I’m so inflexible. When I bend, I
can’t even touch my toes.
But I don’t focus on the pain. I focus on the prize. One
day, my body will become flexible, strong and (ehem!) sexy.
To my wife!
Are you going through a pruning right now?
Don’t focus on your pain.
Focus on the prize that God has in store for you after
the pruning process is over.
Let me end with a story.
Submit to His Pruning, Submit to His Purpose
One day, Bill’s wife suddenly died.
Bill was so distraught, he turned to heavy drinking.
Every day, he stayed home and tried to drown his sorrows
with alcohol. (Have you noticed? Sorrows are good
swimmers.)
Bill’s pastor heard about it and visited Bill in his house.
Seeing the mess that his house was in, he did something
totally unexpected. He volunteered to do the laundry for him.
Every week, this pastor would visit Bill and do his laundry.
Curiously, Bill waited for his pastor to castigate him for his
drinking. But the pastor would not speak one word about it.
Instead, the pastor would talk about the great dreams that God
has for Bill and his family. “You’ll have a wonderful life. Your kids
will grow up to be wonderful adults. You’ll be playing with your
grandkids….”
One day, Bill just stopped drinking and regained his life. He
was set free from alcoholism and depression because one man
loved him.
God is like that pastor.
God visits you, not to scold you, but to do your laundry —
to wash your soul with His forgiveness.
And God wants to prune the things in your
life that destroy you or distract you. But He won’t
let you focus on the pruning. He’ll let you focus
on the purpose behind the pruning.
Friend, focus on His purpose!
Focus on your magnificent dream.
Go to God now.
Submit to His pruning.
Submit to His purpose.
Bo’s Action Steps:
1. Identify the things or people in
your life that distract or destroy
you.
2. One by one, lift them up to God
for His pruning and ask for the
grace to withstand the pain that
the process will bring.
Special Section
Testimony
THE GIANT GRASS
SHEARS OF GOD
How the Lord Pruned
My Tree of Pride
By Francis Miranda as told to Osy Erica
O
ne, two, three… Oh, there’s
another one. Four, five…”
A few more minutes had gone
by, and I had lost count. I could no
longer keep track of the branches
and leaves that fell one after
another. The giant grass shears Dad held in his hands
was the culprit. And every time he would be home
after a long stint onboard a ship that sailed overseas, I
could almost hear the trees growing in the middle of
our lawn praying for their lives.
Dad took great care of his garden. He cherished
his trees and his plants. But however he loved them,
he would still decide to cut a branch here or prune a
twig there.
“Cutting the trees makes them grow faster. When a
tree has too many branches, they consume the nutrients,
therefore making the tree bear less fruits. The branches
consume the resources of the plant,” my dad would say in
an almost-Yoda way as I watched every branch and leaf
meet the ground. “Uhm-yeah” was the only response I could
muster.
Though it confused me a lot, Dad’s special kind of
gardening was tucked into the back of my head, something
I brought with me as my life took shape.
God’s pruning transformed Francis into a
better leader.
Sprouts, Sprouts
I graduated school with honors. Good grades were a
constant during high school and college; congratulations
was a normal thing to hear. I was that good.
Even before graduating from school, I had already
kick-started my advertising career as a copywriter-student
trainee in one of the best advertising agencies in the
Philippines. As a student trainee, I achieved something that
surprised me: I won a Gold Creative Award for a television
commercial I wrote while I was still a student. While some
was asked to join a local ad agency as their head of creatives.
After only a year, I was promoted to Chief Operating Officer
(COO) at a young age of 33 — two years short of my initially
planned pit stop in my career timeline.
All this success became a constant accompaniment in
my life. I felt unstoppable. I felt like I could do anything, and I
sacrificed a lot to get what I wanted, even if it meant hurting
certain relationships. Slowly, pride took a toxic hold in my life. I
became insufferable, boastful and relentless. I felt I had nothing
else to learn. After all, I must be doing something right.
Francis has learned that he can do
great things not by himself but with God
alone.
Francis serves with other servant-leaders
at The Feast Acacia Alabang.
Francis leads
people into
singing at The
Feast.
Francis leads his team at Tagline
Communications.
creatives in the advertising industry spent the rest of their
lives trying to win an award for the work they do, there I
was accepting an award — while I was still a student.
After that year of internship, an advertising job called
me to set foot in Spain. Then for the next two marvelous
years, I was assigned in the United Kingdom, honing my
advertising craft and enjoying the best of the world. Inch
by inch, the sense of achievement transformed into a very
subtle pride that I didn’t know started to eat into my life.
After that two-year stint in UK, I went back to the
Philippines and was welcomed with open arms by the
first ad agency I worked with. I remember I was a young
copywriter then when I told myself I would become like
my boss, the head of our advertising department, before
I hit 35 years old. Why 35? Because that was the age my
boss was promoted to that position.
A few years later, a job opportunity brought me to
Kuala Lumpur. I was tasked to run our sister ad agency
there as the managing director. This meant I wouldn’t
be running just a department; I would be running an ad
agency. The age at which I achieved this? Twenty-nine
years old. Further on, I went back to the Philippines and
Nipped in the Bud
But God was like my dad — He had giant grass shears in hand,
ready to cut, nip and prune where needed.
A scant four months after I got promoted to COO, our ad
agency suffered one of the biggest work crises that we could
have encountered. A major problem in a project caused a client
to combust. The worst part was that I bore the brunt of the
client’s fury. As someone who was used to being praised and
to hearing congratulations very often, I suddenly found myself
being shouted at and cursed. Overnight, our company lost a
20-million-peso account; I, meanwhile, lost the life in me.
I couldn’t believe I had failed — and so soon after being
promoted. I lost all faith in myself and my capabilities. How
could this have happened to me? A period of utter depression
immediately followed.
But just as a building needs a good foundation, God used
this failure, I believe, to build a good foundation in me. For
true success to happen, it has to be built on the foundation
of humility. My problem was that my tower was so high, but I
did not have the right foundation. The result was a devastating
collapse.
Regrown and Ready to Flourish
At the height of my depression, I asked a friend to pray for me.
She then invited me to go with her to The Feast Alabang that
Sunday. Since I was sick and tired of just being at home, I went.
The worship hit me at the core of my being, and the talk seemed
to address my very concern at the time. Truly, there are no
coincidences. It was at The Feast that I learned that sometimes
God humbles us to bring us to where He wants us to go.
After that tragedy, I slowly got back on my feet. I learned the
importance of seeking the advice of people and realized I didn’t
know everything. I reckoned God may have suddenly taken the
reins in my life before I became out of control because of my
pride.
And much like what Dad did to the trees in our garden,
God prunes us when certain growth in our lives detract us
from fulfilling His will. In my case, God pruned my pride and
self-reliance. He made me realize that I can and should learn
something from the people around me. From an embarrassing
failure that almost caused me my life, God transformed me into
a better leader, and I constantly believe that He is continually
doing great things through me.
Before, I could only do great things by myself. Now, I can do
great things with — and only with — God who is by my side. So
when pruning comes into our lives, let us welcome it with open
arms. It’s going to be painful — all prunings normally are. But
rest assured, great fruits will follow.
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Seasons
God in Every Stage of Your Life
Never Let Go
W
hen Bo Sanchez asked me to build a Feast in Makati,
I bared to him all my weaknesses — all the reasons
why I thought I wasn’t qualified to be a Feast builder.
But after listening to my litany, he just smiled at
me and said, “Jan, you are 50 percent done.”
I was like, “What do you mean, Bro. Bo?”
He continued, “Yes, Jan, you are 50 percent done because you already know
your struggles. You are not denying you have these sins. You are 50 percent
done; the next 50 percent is acting on changing it.”
Then it made sense to me. He was right. I wasn’t denying that I had some
problems and, because of that, it was easy to find the solution.
Let me backtrack…
In 2000, I was invited to a youth prayer meeting. I gladly joined, though
my motivation was not because I wanted to know Jesus. As a 14-year-old, what
really urged me to join was my crush. Yes! The person who invited me was my
crush. So every Saturday afternoon, I would attend only because I wanted to
see her. She was the worship leader, speaker, emcee — so I made sure that I
would always sit in the third row, middle aisle, so I’d have a good view of her.
But in our community, the leaders change every three years. Later on,
even when the leader had changed, I still found myself sitting in the third row,
middle aisle.
Initially, I thought I was falling in love with a girl, but I realized later that I
was slowly falling in love with the Word of God.
That was the start of my love story with Jesus.
He loves me and knows me enough when to appear
in my life. While I was slowly becoming a permanent
fixture in our youth ministry activities, I was also being
introduced to cigarettes, pornographic materials,
gambling and other bad habits.
In high school, I had a bully for a seatmate, and for
many days, I was his victim. Not contented with pushing
and pinching me, he lured me with cigarettes and
pornographic materials. I tried the first cigarette that he
gave me, but instantly I knew I didn’t like it. I was
able to resist my classmate’s subsequent
offer.
The next thing he handed me was
porn material. And just like the day
before, I nervously placed it in my bag.
By Jan Carlo Silan
When I arrived home, I looked at it, looked at it
again, and again, and I liked what I saw. It was
my first time to see a naked woman.
This started my bad habit of looking at
diskettes with porn images in them. Then I
moved on to renting porn VHS and watching
them while I was alone at home.
It was only by God’s love and perfect
timing that while I was struggling with this sin,
I was also religiously attending our community
prayer meetings. So instead of being alone in
the house, I ended up attending and joining the
prayer meetings and youth activities. Eventually,
almost all my time was spent for God — and
slowly I was being led away from sin.
I can go on and on with all the stuff I did
wrong in my life since high school and until I
worked professionally. But during those times
of struggle, I didn’t stop serving God. Yes, I just
kept on serving and doing the best I could in a
way that there would be no room for sin.
Now that I am a preacher and head of the
singles ministry of the Makati Feast, I realize
that God is using my brokenness to understand
the brokenness of others, especially the single
people that I minister to. Bo was right, after all.
Friends, we are all broken, in one way or
another. Allow God to make you whole and
trust that, in His time, you will see that there is a
purpose for your brokenness.
And while you’re struggling with your
brokenness, don’t let go of His hand. He doesn’t
want to let you go either.
Jan Carlo Silan is the Feast builder for Makati Feast
Salcedo and Amorsolo. He also co-heads the singles
ministry of the entire Makati Feast. Email Jan at jan@
makatifeast.com.
Kitchen Scribbles
Just Draw Near
By Rosanne Romero
I
taught at an all-girls’ high school. Since I wasn’t much
older than my students, instead of being in the faculty
room, I was often at the canteen kiosk devouring the
school’s famous siomai with them. And because our
ages weren’t that far apart, if a bunch of them were
missing in class, I knew where to find them — I’d kick this
“secret” door lightly and they’d be behind it giggling and smoking
cigarettes.
I enjoyed them because I wasn’t teaching anything highly
cerebral like Geometry or Physics. I taught Asian literature and
composition. And since I was teaching something I enjoyed, it
didn’t really classify as work.
When I was in high school, we read Purple Hearts. I dug and
mined treasures from it. Then, I gained even more insight when I
took it up with this bunch of gigglers. Eventually, class recitatons
and reaction papers turned into pensive discussions outside the
classroom — at the pergola or under one of the trees or at the
benches outside the chapel.
Recently, I’ve been hearing from them again. And I’m learning
things about their lives that make me sad. Where have all my giggly,
batty girls gone? Gone to be adults carrying painful disappointment
and betrayal. Time and again, they post
lines I said in class. It’s overwhelming.
Because a number of them read
Kerygma, allow me to address them
here.
To those of you whom I
taught, tutored, mentored and
“tormentored” — I realize now
that my words stuck to you. And
now that your lives have not
turned out as you expected, I
feel a wee bit responsible for
feeding you all that idealism —
all that Little Prince stuff and the
Giving Tree and the One Day I’ll Write You a Happy
Poem. I feel your disappointment. I get it when you
say you’re half-dead trying to make things work
out. I get it when you say you’re done. I get it when
you say no one bats a thousand times.
You still remember Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”?
“In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter
by his trade… And the fighter still remains.”
That you still remember the lyrics makes me
sob a little.
It may seem to you like you’d never recover
from the blows life has dealt you with, but you can.
You can heal. In the shame, the insult, the constant
aching, just draw near to God.
Forget understanding Theology. Just draw
near.
Everything I told you about God in high school
still holds true. He makes the sun set by day and
the moon shine by night. He controls the ebb and
flow of the tide. He holds the earth in His hands. He
measures the universe with the span of His hand
(in Tagalog, isang dangkal). To Him, the universe
is that small. And that God, that huge God, cares
about you. He lives in you — there in your heart.
And that is not diminished just because someone
hurt you and messed up your life.
Isaiah 30:20-21 says, “Although the Lord gives
you the bread of adversity, He will answer you.
Whether you need to turn to the right or to the
left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying:
‘This is the way, walk in it.’”
Whatever happens, don’t move away from
Him.
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Enriching WomEn’s LivEs
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Independent Beauty Consultant
Tel. No. (632) 522-0483/957-4476
Mobile Number: (0921) 4016493/(0915) 8110004
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l Makeup lessons
K Preacher
Take Great Care of Your Best Asset
O
nce upon a time, there
was
a
farm
goose.
It was very faithful in helping
out its farmer’s produce by
consistently laying eggs.
Then poverty struck.
Farm production went from
bad to worse. The farmer
sold all the crops and animals
except the goose. It was the
only asset he kept.
One day, he was left with
no other choice but to kill the
goose so his family could have something
to eat. He got a knife and when he was
about to cut the goose’s throat, he saw
underneath it a golden egg! From that day
on, a golden egg each day would sustain
the farmer and his family.
But greed set in. The farmer thought
that if he could get all the golden eggs in
the goose’s tummy, then he’d get rich. So
he slaughtered the goose and cut its
abdomen, but to his shock, there
were no golden eggs.
Because of greed and
recklessness, he not only
neglected the blessing of the
process, he also destroyed his
one last remaining asset.
The moral of the story?
Take great care of your number
one asset — your entire
person!
The Golden Rule says,
“Do unto others as you
would have them do unto
you” (Luke 6:31).
By Obet Cabrillas
Now, do you know that your first neighbor is yourself?
My friend, Stephen Covey (forgive me for calling him
“friend”, he’s been helping me with his books), says that
each one of us has four life quotients. And I believe that if we
preserve and care for all of them, we’ll live a life of success
and significance:
1. PQ (Physical Quotient)
“Better a poor man strong and robust, than a rich man
with wasted frame; more precious than gold is health and
well being... No treasure is greater than a healthy body...”
(Sirach 30:14-16)
2. IQ (Intellectual Quotient)
“As man thinketh in his heart, so is he...”
(Proverbs 23:7, King James Version)
3. EQ (Emotional Quotient)
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do
flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)
4. SQ (Spiritual Quotient)
“All of us gazing with unveiled faces on the glory of
the Lord, are being transformed into the same image
from glory to glory, as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
(2 Corinthians 3:18)
Heed these life lessons and be likened to my life, as I
travailed —
From wastedness to wellness;
From waywardness to wisdom;
From apathy to affection; and
From sinfulness to struggling sainthood!
Live out the Golden Rule and live a golden life!
Email me at [email protected], or follow me on Facebook.
Obet Cabrillas is the Feast builder of The Pasig and Manila
Feasts. He is also the director of YMPACT and the Radical
Training Course of the Light of Jesus Family. His book, Spell
Out Your Love, is available at www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph.
What are you feeding
your soul this year?
Just as you eat fruits and vegetables to keep your body healthy and strong, you also
need to nourish your soul every day with God’s Word!
Read life-giving Scriptures through Companion and receive bite-sized
spiritual teaching and guidance on the daily readings written by a priest.
Journey with fellow Catholics through their Bible
reflections in Didache and Gabay, and learn
valuable lessons that you can apply for your own
faith walk with the Lord. Receive hope, love and encouragement
from their stories and soak in God’s faithfulness to keep His
promises for your life. Be inspired every day!
Partake of Sabbath and be nourished with
enlightening reflections from Catholic priests on the living Word of
God. Allow the Lord to speak, counsel and give wisdom for you to live
a happy, fulfilling life.
Nourish your soul daily with God’s Word and soak in His love and care.
SVP Devotionals. It’s food for your soul.
OrDer TODay!
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the
mouth of God.” – Matthew 4:4
Shepherd’S Voice publicationS, inc.
60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City
Tel. Nos. 411-7874 / 725-9999 loc. 101 to 108
www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph
Teresa and George, with their kids (Yanthy, 5, and Mateo, 2),
now enjoy God’s “Promised Land” for them in a subdivision
in Parañaque.
Promised Land
T
By Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag
here are only three units left. I suggest that
you choose the unit you like and reserve it
ASAP.”
Weeks before that, our agent showed
me a real estate property that I really liked.
I showed it to my husband, George, and he
liked it, too. We’d been searching for a house and lot these past
years but haven’t found one that we both liked. This was a first!
Our plan was to sell our two condominium units and
use the proceeds to help pay for the new house. I wanted so
much to reserve a unit, but we didn’t have enough cash for the
reservation fee. I sighed and thought, “Maybe it’s not yet time.”
I pictured the house one more time in my mind — a twostorey house with big picture windows, a modern kitchen, a
service area and a small garden at the back, four bedrooms
and three toilets and bath, one of which had a bathtub for the
master’s bedroom, and the small balcony overlooking the twocar garage. And the bonus? It’s literally a stone’s throw away
from the church.
I’ve always dreamed of having a house near a church so I
can go to daily Mass again. I was a daily communicant when
I was still single, but since I got pregnant with our eldest, I’ve
been going to Mass on Sundays only and occasionally on
weekdays.
I turned to God and bared my heart. I told Him how much
I liked the property, and how it thrilled me that I could go to
One Last Story
daily Mass again, bring my kids with me, and share with them my
love for the Holy Eucharist. But I told Him, too, that it’s alright for
me to wait until He gives what’s best for us.
God’s response to my prayer made my heart beat faster.
He led me to read a reflection in Didache 2012 (March 29
to be exact) that highlighted this verse from Genesis 17:8: “I will
give to you, and your descendants after you, the land....” It was
about a husband and wife searching for a real estate property.
The husband, who wrote the reflection, shared how God made a
way for them to purchase their dream house even when initially
they didn’t have enough money to purchase it.
“Is this what You want to do for our family as well?” I asked
the Lord. Is this really God’s answer to me? Is this the house that
He wants our family to have? But where will we get the money to
purchase it?
The prompting in my heart grew stronger. I shared this with
my husband. We decided to take God at His Word and to act in
faith. We talked to our agent and the developer and told them
that we only had P5,000 in our checking account that day but
we promised to pay the reservation fee in full within 30 days.
Amazingly, the developer agreed! God made a way for us!
They gave us six months to pay the P1M downpayment. We
were confident at first because we were selling our condo units
anyway. We even told the developer that in case we sell our units
earlier, we would settle the downpayment right away.
But things didn’t happen as we planned. Each month that
followed was a test of our faith in God’s promise and provision
because our contract says that in case we don’t pay the agreed
amount within six months, all our payments will be forfeited.
God proved His faithfulness to us month after month by
miraculously providing just enough for us to pay the minimum
amount required by the developer.
Six months passed and we still hadn’t sold our condo units.
Accompanied by fervent prayers, we requested for six more
months’ extension. God moved mountains again because the
developer granted our request!
On the seventh month, we found a buyer for one of our
condo units. We used part of the proceeds to partially pay the
downpayment. We continued to look for a buyer for the other
unit because we still needed a substantial amount. The end of
the six months’ extension was drawing near. But instead of a
buyer, God sent us a student who wanted to rent the unit.
I came before God again and asked His Will. He led me to
my old list of dreams where I found His answer to my question.
I read in my old Novena to God’s Love booklet a prayer for a
condominium unit that can be a source of passive income. I
smiled. I may have forgotten about that dream but God didn’t.
And He is now fulfilling that dream.
God provided once more the necessary funds to settle our
balance through a bank loan that was immediately approved.
So, on July 6, 2013, we finally moved in to our new house.
I’m now able to go to Mass almost daily. And each day, I
thank God for leading us to our Promised Land and for helping
us grow in faith in the process. When God gave us this piece of
property, I felt that He also gave us a piece of His heart — for
in every step towards our Promised Land, we experienced the
immensity of His love.
Point of Contact
I pray that you
receive your
miracles in
Jesus’ name!
I
by Bo Sanchez
pray that God lift your
trials, heal your diseases,
bless your problems and
direct you to the path He
wants you to take. I pray
that God remove your fears
and give you the courage to
surrender your burdens to
Him.
So place your hand over my
hand, and let’s pray with trust,
together with our prayer team of intercessors
praying for you right now…
This page is our Point of Contact, our spiritual
connection.
Say after me…
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
Lord, I surrender to You my worries and
anxieties. I surrender to You my needs, my
problems, my trials. I place them all in Your big
hands. And I open myself to all that You want to
give to me. On this day, I say yes to Your love, to
Your blessings, to Your healing, to Your miracles.
And Lord, specifically, I ask for the following
miracles for my life...
I believe that You answer my prayer in the
best way possible! And I thank You in advance
for the perfect answers to my prayers. I also
ask for the special intercession of Mama Mary.
I pray all this in the Name of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
SPECIAL INTENTION FOR THIS MONTH:
Bless the readers of Kerygma, Lord. You desire that they live full and happy lives. Help them to identify and accept the mountains in
their lives so that, with Your grace, they may act and overcome them. Grant them tenacity of spirit to undergo pruning. May they
bear more fruit and bless more people through the gifts and resources that You give them. Amen.
Praying for you, 40 KERYGMA • OCTOBER 2013
Email your prayer requests to me at [email protected] or write to me at
Shepherd’s Voice Publications, #60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 1109.

mountains - KerygmaFamily

Transcription

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