Keep the FAITH

Are You Having Burnout? Here's the Solution by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-09-23T09:12:00.001-07:00

Burnout is expensive.

I know from personal experience. I experienced one over fifteen years ago. It cost me my health, my relationships, the vibrancy of my faith and happiness of work.

Today, I try to stay clear from burnout by watching for the signs that I had during that difficult season of my life. See if you have any of them…

· I was always tired. Even after waking up in the morning after supposedly a good night’s rest, I wake up already exhausted and drained.

· I dreaded to go to the office.

· I felt depressed. Many times, I felt helpless at the difficulties and conflicts that I was facing at work.

· I doubted myself so much. I lost confidence and wondered what in the world was I doing in my job. I wanted out.

· I was more susceptible to psychosomatic illnesses, like frequent colds, stomach problems, etc.

Researchers state that there are certain professions that are prone to burnout, such as high-pressured business positions as well as the helping professions: doctors, nurses, clergy, missionaries, counselors, social workers, and teachers.

When you see these symptoms and if you’re in these professions, you know that you’re a prime candidate for burnout.

Watch Out For Causes Of Burnout

Let me share with you the causes for my burnout and find out if any of them look familiar to you. Remember that this is simply myexperience and therefore other factors may trigger another person’s burnout. But sharing these circumstances to you will give you an idea and spur you on to explore your own life for possible causes.

As I reflected on my ordeal, there were internal and externalcauses—and this is important to know because healing our burnout by changing our environment won’t solve our problems if your burnout has internal causes. You could change jobs and even go to another country and still experience burnout in your next job and company if you don’t deal with the inner attitudes that need changing.

Internal Causes:

· I had low self-worth. I used my achievements to cover up my need for affirmation and love from others, but no matter how much success I had at work, my broken self-image kept asking for more.

· I had ambition, driven by my low self-worth. I had so much drive, I could work for sixteen hours straight.

· I had an overwhelming fear of conflicts and rejection, and so avoided problems and conflicts. I needed love so much, I didn’t want anyone to get angry with me—so I tried my very best and exhausted every means to please everyone. Naturally, that goal was impossible and will always be impossible.

External Causes:

· According to psychologists, working for either extreme—an authoritarian, demanding boss, or a vacillating, wishy-washy boss—will produce burnout.

· I had chronic conflicts with co-workers. Conflicts are normal in our world but when they become prolonged and unresolved, they can cause burnout.

· Low moral in the office was pervasive.

· There was poor communication between the different parts of my organization.

If you are familiar with these causes, you have more chances of avoiding burnout.

Deal With The Two Sides Of Burnout

How did I get over my burnout?

First, I had to deal with the internal causes.

I had to change my attitudes toward my work and myself. I was depending on my work to prop up a poor self-image. So I needed to heal that poor self-image. Now note that healing low self-worth and taming fears is a life-long process, but recognizing them within you is already a first step in the right direction. Remember that any addiction is a way of escaping feeling the most painful emotions of life. In this case, a burnout victim is using his work as the escape hatch so he won’t feel the fears, the loneliness, the sadness, and the traumas in his past. By entering into these feelings of pain, acknowledging them, embracing them, accepting them, and allowing yourself to feel their fiercest storms within will shrink these monsters to their true size.

A burnout victim doesn’t genuinely love himself, and he needs to learn this virtue before he experiences healing. By allowing himself to feel his emotions as is, no matter how painful they are, he is giving a message to himself that “you’re worthy” and “you’re normal” and “I respect what you’re going through.”

Loving himself will also mean developing healthy boundaries between himself and his work and the people around him. Because the burnout victim has blurred his identity with the success or failure of his work and what other people say about him, he needs to distinguish his own worth from these two separate realities. He needs to learn that his life is more than his professional reputation and the bottom-line of his financial statements. This “more” are his values or moral code and his spirituality. From this deeper self, he should then craft a higher purpose for living that is beyond career goals or financial objectives.

Finally, loving himself means adapting practical self-care habits—developing exercise, meditation, healthy diets, engaging hobbies, and other wonderful stuff that burnout victims and workaholics neglect.

Second, I also had to deal with the external causes.

My working environment was so awash with indecisiveness (mine) and the resultant disorganization, low morale, disorganization, and chaos; it was definitely causing my burnout. So for the first time in a long, long time, I faced my fears by meeting people I had conflicts with. I made hard decisions at work, no matter how unpopular they were. I “created” a few enemies by doing what I believed was right. I removed staffers who were hindering the mission of the organization. Believe me, healing my burnout wasn’t popping a few pills into my mouth; it was major surgery!

I did this by asking help from people I could trust. Having a group of friends around you, assisting you and praying for you, was a real gift from God to me.

Don’t Burnout, Burn-up!

After a bout with burnout, some people think that the way to go is to coast along and be boring. In other words, be monotonous so that you won’t burnout again.

But that’s not true. The antidote to burnout is to burn-up! Ferdinand Foch said, The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.

Let me give you an illustration. Think of an oil lamp.

A burnout victim is simply a lighted oil lamp that didn’t have oil. The result? The flame burned and consumed the entire wick rather quickly.

The solution is not to keep the oil lamp unlighted. It will not serve its purpose.

The solution is to put oilin the oil lamp and to light it again.

You and I were created for a purpose. For a sacred mission larger than us. We need to live and be consumed by this higher vision!

But to be aflame by a vision for the long term, we need oil.

And that oil is the core values written in the fabric of our soul. We need to live by those values: love for self, for our neighbor, and for our God.

And love for self will include the virtue of balance.

Because I don’t need to borrow worth from my achievements as a crutch for my own self-value, I work in my job without the pressure. I work for love and the happiness that I feel in my work. There’s balance! My oil is constantly replenished.

And when my day of departure comes, when my body reaches its end, I shall gladly allow the fire of my sacred mission consume the last dregs of me.

Don’t burnout, Burn-up!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Do You Reject the Rejection by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-09-13T07:40:00.001-07:00

You won’t close every sale, no matter what you do.

Because some people won’t like you.

In fact, along the way, you’ll get lambasted, criticized, ridiculed.

In a word, you’ll be rejected.

Well, I have another word for you: Reject the rejection. Because somewhere near that door that just shut, you’ll find a door that is open. So keep on looking.

Eleonor Roosevelt was right when she said, No one can make you feel inferior without your consent…

Some Great Failures You May Know…

One day, a man was taking a train ride feeling dejected because he wasn’t accepted in a writing job he was applying for. The editor who evaluated his work said he “lacked creativity.” In that train ride, this man was doodling in his little note pad and a little mouse was born on that piece of paper. That mouse’s name was Mickey, and that man’s name was Walt Disney.

Do you think Albert Einstein was esteemed by all his teachers and classmates alike? Think again. As a kid, one professor said Albert’s grades were very mediocre, he was the most likely student to amount to nothing.

Thomas Edison had more than a thousand failed experiments before he invented the light bulb. A thousand! It was he who said, Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. He reaped the fruit of that principle as he has, aside from that light bulb, 1,092 inventions under his name.

I’ve failed more times than Edison. In the past twenty years, as a leader of many organizations, I’ve made many mistakes, and some people hated me for them. (I’ve also made a lot of good decisions, and some people hated me for them as well!) At any one point in my life, I simply could have given in to my fears and hung the towel and said, “That’s it. I’m quitting.” But I don’t have to follow my fears if the deepest voice in my heart says, “Go on. Do what’s right.”

In any job, whether you’re a salesman meeting hundreds of people a day or an accountant locked up in your cubicle, rejection is a given. It’s just merely a question of when it will come, from whom, and how you’re going to respond to it.

The best response is to keep on looking for the open door.

If you’ve got something that people need, and you advertise it, people will be opening their doors to you.

You don’t have to close every sale to succeed.

Have you experienced some rejection? They’ve lost a wonderful opportunity to work with you and gain your services. Keep walking. Keep searching. There’s a lucky person out there, a fortunate company out there who will receive your blessing.

Write down now a long list of other doors you can look into!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Do What You Love and Get Paid for It by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-07-30T01:53:00.002-07:00

We give 60% of our waking time to our jobs.

If we’re unhappy with our jobs, that makes us unhappy in 60% of our life! That’s why St. Thomas Aquinassaid, There can be no joy of life without joy of work.

To simplify your life, find what we love and get paid for it.

You need to find out what your passion is and connect it with your job…

As a writer, my research demands that I read hundreds of books a year. But that’s fine by me because I love reading. Even if my job was something else, I’d still read a horrendous lot because I enjoy it immensely. Don’t laugh, but years ago, my insane fantasy is being a security guard assigned to protect a Light House in an isolated island—and there was nothing else to do there but read books all day.

Many years ago, I remember calling up Jun Fontecha, our Finance Director, at ten o’clock in the evening. I asked him, “Am I disturbing you?” and he answered, “No problem. I’m just relaxing.”

“Watching the TV?” I inquired.

“Nope, just balancing the accounting books of our community.”

I almost fell from my chair. “That’s your way of relaxing?”

He said it was. He said he felt most alive and happy holding a pencil, a calculator, and reams of paper filled with numbers and nothing else. This was his passion, and it was his privilege that this was his job as well. He’d do it even if he weren’t paid for it. (I told him that we’re opposites in this regard. If I’m left with nothing else to look at but numbers for even just an hour, I’d suffer a nervous breakdown.)

I am doing work which is worth doing. It would still be worth doing if nobody paid for it. But as I have no private means, and need to be fed and housed and clothed, I must be paid while I do it.

–C.S. Lewis, GOOD WORK AND GOOD WORKS

But making your passion your job isn’t only enjoyable; it may be your best bet to earning handsomely.

According to one study of millionaires, an impressive majority eventually became wealthy not because they possessed a primary ambition to get rich, but because they found work about which they could be passionate. Their “luck” arose from their dedication to an area they enjoyed. The universe bends to those who are convinced that they are in the right place doing the right thing…

–Allan Loy Mcginnis, THE BALANCED LIFE

What is your passion? What is the one thing that you love to do, where you feel most alive?

Can you turn this passion into your profession? Can you visualize it? If yes, write down the steps that you need to take to make this dream come true.

Connect Your Job To

Your Life-Mission

A friend of mine, Jodean Sola, was working with building maintenance in our community. He spent most of his working hours with his screwdrivers, soldering irons, and hammers. But after five o’clock, before proceeding home, he’d visit his “pals” in the seedy parts of the city. Whenever he sees a group of street kids, he’d buy a loaf of bread, sit down with them in the sidewalk, and talk about life and love and God with them.

He had a passion to help street kids, a passion to see them become better human beings. It didn’t take him long to realize this was his mission in life. Could he make it his job as well?

The answer was yes. Today, Jodean and his wife feeds 300+ street kids every week,. And with his talent for making stuff with his own hands, he helps the children learn new skills. He started livelihood programs and housing projects. He writes his own fundraising letters, gets support from generous individuals, and helps the kids go to school. It is a tough life, and there are days when finances are low, but he doesn’t regret his decision one bit.

I believe that you’re created for a mission, and that mission has been prepared for you beforehand. It is waiting for you to fulfill it!

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

–Ephesians 2:10

If you can connect your mission to your occupation, you may just be one of the happiest people on this planet.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Happiness Isn't Only for Millionaires by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-06-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

As you know, I’m the crazy guy who wants everyone to be multimillionaires. I don’t only “want” it to happen, I actually created a step-by-step program for everyone to become multimillionaires. It’s called the TrulyRichClub. The Goal of the Club: To Make Good People Rich. And I’m happy to report that thousands of ordinary people are already on their way to becoming multimillionaires.

BUT with the same breath, I also teach people how to be happy apart from material wealth. Or they’ll NEVER be happy, no matter how rich they become…

Epicurusonce said, Whoever does not regard what he has as ample wealth, is unhappy, though he be the master of the world.

People think that happiness is expensive. If you look at the list below, they seem to be right!

Buffet lunch at Shangrila Hotel P1,800

Wearing a pair of Ferragamo shoes P12,000

Driving, or being driven, in a brand-new Lexus P3.5 M

Lying beside a pool in cool Polo shorts P4,000

Checking the time in a Rolex P400,000

Malling in a Lacoste shirt P4,000

Seeing the glint of a one karat diamond ring (average) P500,000

Walking in a party in an elegant Armani suit P100,000

Cuddling up in a Marks and Spencers pajamas P4,500

Daubing the scent of Estee Lauder perfume, small bottle P3,000

Travelling in ‘business class’ instead of ‘tourist’ (U.S) $3,000

There are people I know who don’t think that happiness is expensive. But what they do is awesomely enriching. For them, happiness means:

Being quiet in prayer for 10 minutes each morning P0.0

Giving a glass of water to the postmen and garbage collector P0.0

Laughing with friends P0.0

Calling up my friend and asking how he is doing P0.0

Reading a good book. (Borrow one!) P0.0

Visiting an Elderly Home and listening to the stories of a Lola P0.0

Taking a quiet walk with a loved one and holding hands P0.0

Choosing to sleep-in until 10:00 AM one Saturday morning P0.0

Cooking popcorn and holding a songfest with the kids P100.00

Giving roses to a friend (from market) with an original poem P100.00

Wrestling with an 8 year old son, and letting him win P0.0

Making love with your spouse P0.0

Know that happiness isn’t only for millionaires.

Let me ask you: What simple joys do you regularly take in your life similar to those mentioned above?

Make a list of other inexpensive pleasures you want to try. Take your calendar and schedule some of these activities in the coming week. If you don’t do this, there’s a big chance that you’d forget about these not-so-urgent but very important “celebrations of life”.

You’re More Than Your Wealth

Jonathan Pond said, Living beneath your means is the only route to take to enjoy a secure and comfortable standard of living throughout your working and retirement years. Living beneath your means isn’t a suggestion. It’s an imperative.

I’m now earning a lot through my many businesses; Yet I still own very few things today. Reason: 90% of the time, I only buy what I need, not what I want. And 10% of the time, I give myself a few luxuries and buy what I want. This financial habit makes me have much more to invest in my Stock Market investments and much more to invest in the Kingdom—through tithes and alms.

Why do I have this financial attitude? Because I am more than the brand of my watch, the logo of my shoes, or the name of my car. I believe that if in my soul, I deeply respect and value myself, people around me will sense that, and they too will value and respect me—whether I’m wearing an armani or not.

My friend told me that he bought a pair of jeans. Cost? P12,000 each.

I nearly fell to the floor.

Because last week, I just bought a really nice one for P800.

I admit it may not look as cool as my friend’s P12,000 pair. But I don’t think people will love me less than that guy. (Disclosure: My most expensive pair is P3000. So I’m no cheapskate either. I enjoy and appreciate good, durable things as blessings from God.)

Two years ago, my friend bought a brand new luxury car worth P7 Million. Practically the same time I bought my own second-hand luxury car too. I wanted bigger legroom at the backseat and smoother ride—so I could continue writing my articles on my laptop—while my driver circumnavigates Manila traffic.

Price tag? P600,000.

Again, let me clarify: I’m not saying no one should ever buy a P7M brand new luxury car. Life is too complex to pontificate general rules for simplicity. (Perhaps when I’m a billionaire, I’ll end up buying one.)

This essay isn’t about giving you rules of simplicity but attitudes of simplicity.

Before you buy anything, first think of the amount of money, energy, and time you’ll need to maintain it, dust it, insure it, clean it, protect it, and fix it.

Believe me. You are more than your wealth.

Let me ask you: Do you feel a need to impress others by what you wear? Do you feel an attachment to material things?

Search for people you know who aren’t attached to material things but are happy, loving, and free. Interview them. Get some tips from them. Be inspired by them. And pray for this grace.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Live from the Core of Your Being by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-06-17T21:50:00.003-07:00

It is not enough if you are busy.

The question is, What are you busy about?

–Henry David Thoreau

Happiness is not found outside of you. It doesn’t come from cars, clothes, cash, or Caribbean cruises. Happiness is found within.

But how can you find it if you don’t have the simplicity of time and space to discover the most important things in your life? How can you search the depths of your soul if you are too busy impressing others, acquiring wealth, protecting your properties, and paying your debts?

Simplicity is NOT about the externals either: living in a doghouse, eating in a Hepatitis joint, wearing rags…

The best definition of simplicity I ever read comes from Janet Luhrs from her book, The Simple Living Guide. There she says thatsimplicity is living from the core of your being.

I cannot agree more.

I believe that simplicity is having the time and space to embrace what is most important to you. It is having the leisure to cherish them, having the freedom to glory in them, and having the power to live by them.

Along the way, you’ll discover that the most important things in life aren’t things, but the persons that have been given to our lives. But that’s something you’ll have to discover yourself.

Give up shallowness.

I repeat: Live from the core of your being.

Here’s my suggestion: Get a notebook and begin a journal for this book. Write down your discoveries, insights, reflections. What is yourcore? What are the most important things in your life right now? Do you allow your core to direct and empower your daily decisions and actions?

Live On Less & Delight In Them More

G.K. Chesterton said, There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more; The other is to desire less.

Let me clarify. I’ll be the last person to tell you to stop trying to earn more. Earn as much as you can and unleash your fullest potential, so that you can bless OTHERS.

But to protect yourself from greed, I urge you: Relish, taste, and immerse in the divine of the ordinary! Because if you develop the capacity to suck all the joy that life has to offer, you don’t need expensive entertainment.

I’m not ashamed to say that looking through an open window and seeing clouds drift by is Class A entertainment for me. Doing that for just five minutes sets the tenor of my day.

Some take their pleasure dining in classy restaurants, trips to Europe, and owning the latest home-theatre equipment. Nothing wrong with those things, by the way. Recently, I’ve been able to travel a lot with my family because God has blessed my businesses with abundance. But I don’t depend on them for my core enjoyment. For decades, I couldn’t do any of that, yet I was still very happy. Why? Because inwardly, I’ve chosen the simpler path: If I can simply be with my wife, or take a quiet stroll under a canopy of stars, or play with a child, or read a good book in my home, or laugh with friends over pizza, I consider myself richly blessed.

Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t have.

Because satisfaction doesn’t come from getting what you want, but wanting what you already have.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

–Philippians 4:12-13

Think about it.

What do you have right now that you have been taking for granted? List down in your journal fifty blessings you enjoy today. Don’t stop until you reach fifty!

Live on less and delight in them more.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Simplify and Live the Good Life by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-06-09T23:05:00.003-07:00

(I have an oldie but goodie article below. Enjoy.)

My parents breathed simplicity.

Oxygen too, but that’s pretty obvious.

Dad was an assistant vice president at a humongous company, yet I didn’t “feel” like I was a rich man’s kid. Because my parents made it a rule to live below their means.

A millionaire’s son rode a sleek Benz. I rode our sixteen-year old Toyota that sounded more like a drum and bugle band, with its cacophony of bangs, rattles, and whams. Oh yes, our neighbors had cars with a little bit of rust. But we had rust with a little bit of car. An heir of the moneyed class was chauffeured to school, but as early as Grade III, I was taking the public jeepney—sitting, standing, or swinging from its handrails like a flapping flag…

The wealthy dined on gourmet meals every day. But the culinary highlight of my whole week was when Mom bought Coke for our Sunday lunch—the only time we tasted the stuff. I’m not kidding.

Rich kids wore outfits from America, England, and Paris. I wore clothes from Avenida, Escolta, and Pasay.

The mansions of the rich and famous are veritable furniture showcases, complete with sixteen Egyptian jars from the Nephriti era. I learned that one of those monstrous flower vases was equal to the price of our entire house. But naturally, we too had our own flower vases. If my archeological knowledge serves me right, they came from the Nescafe era.

Their estates have playrooms with life-size Barbie’s and Power Rangers. But the way I played with expensive toys was admiring them from the store shelf and using my imagination to the hilt. That way, I owned all the toys in the world.

You’ll be shocked by what I’m going to tell you, but in all these, I recall never feeling deprived in anyway.

Let me tell you why.

I remember my father coming home every night and we’d go jogging together–around our old car parked in the garage. (Dad says he wasn’t vying for the Olympics anyway.) Then I’d sit on his lap and we’d talk about how to solve the problems of the universe. After dinner, we’d read the comic pages together. Tarzan was my favorite, until I reached puberty. From then on, it became Jane.

Almost every Saturday afternoon, it was father and son time. We’d walk to the shopping center and Dad would buy me a hotdog. Then we’d walk back home, bringing some small thing for Mom, usually a chocolate bar. To add sentimental value to our token gift, I forced myself to take a few bites from it.

I guess being with Dad and Mom were all that my little boy’s heart ever wanted.

And I got it, every single day.

Start Living Deliberately

I believe that God chose to write the “map of happiness” in the ordinary parchment of simplicity—like a treasure map written on recycled brown paper. Consequently, many people ignore the map, and are attracted instead to the more glossy, loud, shiny maps around. But when they follow these others maps, they end up tired as a dog chasing it’s own tail.

I have a radical suggestion.

Simplify.

Simplify because you want to discover the depths of your soul.

Simplify because you want to start living deliberately.

Simplify because you want to love from an uncluttered heart.

Remember that simplicity is only a first step of the journey. Holding the treasure map, memorizing it, photocopying it a thousand copies, and keeping it safe in a vault won’t make you claim the gold. You actually need to sail through oceans, climb the peaks, cross the valleys, and dig in caves.

Simplicity will point to you where and what and who the gold is in your life.

Once you know your gold, the game has just begun.

Will you treasure your gold?

My parents knew their gold: (1) Each other, (2) their six children, and (3) their faith. They tried to live uncluttered lives so that they could have time for what was most important.

They didn’t busy themselves buying a bigger house, because that would mean working harder to pay the monthly amortization, do overtime work, or take a second job. Who would then go jogging with little Bo every night? Who would read Tarzan for him? They didn’t burden themselves buying a BMW because that would mean laboring and worrying about installment bills. Besides, walking to the shopping center every Saturday afternoon with his son gave him exercise, and made little Bo feel special.

One of the delights of my heart was seeing Dad and Mom in their bedroom at night, after our nightly family prayer. The lights were turned off, and I’d see the silhouette of my father seated on his old chair and mom standing behind him, gently massaging his shoulders. I’d hear them talk about what transpired in their day. Even as a child, I sensed their quiet pleasure at being together. My question today: Could they have done this rich ritual each night and nourished their marriage if they were busy paying designer outfits for themselves or their kids? Or worrying about monthly bills for new hi-tech appliances?

I don’t think so.

And I’ve made the choice: I don’t want that kind of life either.

In the next few weeks, it will be my pleasure to take you through the peaks and valleys of this journey towards happy simplicity.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Do You Want Success? Stop The Blame! by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-06-03T09:11:00.001-07:00

Do you want to succeed in life?

Stop whining.

Take charge.

Make things happen.

Here’s what I realized: Addicts are expert blamers. They will never take charge. They will never say, “I’m in charge. Depending on what I choose, my life can be very beautiful or very ugly.” Because addicts believe that others are to blame for their problem.

They had a survey—what is the common denominator of all successful people in the world.

They checked family background—and they found nothing in common. Some had great families while others had broken families. They checked education—and there again, there was nothing in common. Some had Ph.D’s while others didn’t even have a high school diploma. They checked religion—and there was nothing in common. Others were Christians, some were Muslims, some were Buddhists, some were atheists.

There was only one thing that all successful people had in common: They responded to failure positively. When the going gets tough, they took charge! They took the steering wheel of their life and drove.

Let me correct a misunderstanding: Friend, you are NOT the passenger and God is the driver. I’ve heard that analogy a lot. Shucks, I’ve even taught it. But it’s wrong. Here’s a better analogy: You are a driver (because God gave you free will)—but God is the real owner of the car, the master mechanic riding with you in the car, the GPS guiding your car, and the powerful fuel in your car…

We Even Blame God!

In Genesis, you find the famous “blame” verses in the Bible.

First, Adam blamed Eve for his sin: “God, she made me do it.”

And then Eve blamed the snake for her sin: “Uh, this snake made me do it!”

This is shifting the blame.

You don’t hear the words, “I did it. I blew it. It’s my fault. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” None. Instead you hear words of blame. Pointing fingers.

Actually, if you read the exact words of Adam, He was actually blaming God for his sin. Adam said, “The woman YOU put here in the garden made me sin…”

Tsk, tsk.

That was why bestselling author Larry Crabb said that the problem of this world is really the problem of manhood. He calls it the Silence of Adam. He didn’t protect his wife Eve. He allowed her to fall into sin—and even blamed her when he sinned.

I love what Bishop Ruben Abante told me. He said the Bible does NOT say, “Wives, love your husbands”. But it says, “Husbands, love your wives”. How come? Because love should come from the husband. When the husband loves the wife and the children, the wife and the children will love him. Men must take charge for the spiritual life of the family. When they take their leadership role seriously, abundance will flow.

“It’s Your Fault, Bo…”

One day, I was talking to a man who committed adultery. He said, “Bo, if you knew my wife, you too would commit adultery. Each day, I’d come home from work tired and exhausted, and I get nothing but nagging wife upset about this and upset about that. Every single night.” I felt so sad for him. Because I knew he won’t change.

Before our conversation was over, his last words to me were, “I fell into adultery because YOU didn’t follow me up. You’re my spiritual leader. But you were too busy with other things…”

Groan. So now it was my fault he committed adultery?

Don’t Even Blame Yourself

Look, I’m not even asking you blame yourself.

Just take responsibility. (There’s a huge difference.)

God is not in the business of blaming people.

God is not in the business of condemning people.

God is in the business of loving people, forgiving people, and giving people abundance.

If you have fault, accept it.

If you have sin, admit your mistake.

But never condemn yourself!

The point is not to blame yourself for your mess. The point is taking charge for creating a new life.

Yes, accept the guilt.

But accept also the power to live a new life.

When you take responsibility, you don’t find fault—even on yourself.

Condemnation won’t heal you. Judging yourself won’t heal you. Taking a guilt trip won’t heal you. Shaming yourself won’t heal you.

Only love will.

“Learned Helplessness” Or “Learned Helpfulness”

If there’s such a thing as “Learned Helplessness”, let me introduce you to “Learned Helpfulness”. Find the power that God has given you to change your life. Learned helplessness happens one day at a time. Learned Helpfulness happens one day at a time too.

There are three kinds of people in the world:

· Those who make things happen.

· Those who watch as things happen.

· And those who wonder, “What happened?”

What kind of person are you?

Tied to The Mind

Have you ever wondered why a gigantic elephant can be held by a rope around its leg tied to a flimsy stick dug in the ground?

Here’s the secret: While the elephant was still a baby, its owner would tie it with the rope. With much pain and a lot of frustration, the elephant tried to pull away but couldn’t.

After a lot of pain and frustration, it learned that it was impossible to get away and break the rope. Years later, even if the elephant was now a huge beast, weighing six tons, it doesn’t pull away. Why? Because the rope is tied to the mind, not to the body.

Friend, have you been blaming that thin piece of rope tying you to your mess, your failure, your sin, your problem?

You’re not helpless. You can change your life! You can change your spiritual life. Family life. Financial life.

Right now.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Get Rid of Toxic Faith by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-05-28T22:03:00.001-07:00

Warning: I’m going to say something controversial today.

For some people, Religion is Toxic.

It kills. It harms. It hurts. It robs.

No, I’m not talking about the Brand of your Religion. You could be Catholic or Born-Again or Muslim or Buddhist or Hindu. And still have Toxic Faith, no matter what brand you carry.

It’s not the brand, but the way we carry out our religion.

In fact, I believe wrong religion worsens our hidden addictions.

There are a significant number of religious people I know who have sex addictions, anger addictions, food addictions, and obviously, religious addiction.

Why?

What is Toxic Faith?

How do you know if you have Toxic Faith?

Here is the main symptom…

Do You Have A Distorted Image of God?

One day, a man came up to me and said, “Bo, I’ve been feeling guilty. I feel God is angry at me today…”

“Angry at you? Why?” I asked.

“Because I missed my prayer time today. I’m afraid that He’ll punish me.”

Friends, I knew that feeling very well. Because for years—decades—I used to think this way.

Yes, I once had Toxic Faith. (And if I’ll be honest, I still feel its residue in my soul.) Toxic Faith is based on a distorted image of God. For 20 years, I worshipped a judgmental, wrathful, vindictive, vengeful, and legalistic God. Even if during that time, I was preaching on God’s Love!

Why? Because our intellectual image of God is very different from our subconscious image of God. The latter is much deeper and more difficult to change.

A person with Toxic Faith will imagine God telling him, “Aha! You missed your prayer time today. I will punish you…”

I used to pray daily because of fear.

Do you know how absurd this is?

Imagine a father calling up his son by phone and growling, “Ingrate! You don’t visit me anymore. I’m warning you. I’m going to put a curse on you if you don’t visit me right this minute. Do you understand?” What kind of father is that?

And yet we imagine God to be like that.

Today, I still pray daily, but I do so because I love to pray. He blesses me, nourishes me, and fills my heart with love. If I do miss my prayers, He doesn’t throw lightning bolts on me.

Do You Worship The Judgmental, Wrathful,

Vindictive, And Vengeful God?

According to Toxic Faith, God is a judgmental, wrathful, vindictive, vengeful, and legalistic God. If a person has a distorted image of God, your subconscious beliefs are as follows… (Check if you have any of them.)

· “God will love me only if I behave.”

· “God hates sinners and is angry with me.”

· “He wants to punish me.”

· “God is never satisfied with me.”

When you have Toxic Faith, it seems as though God ispreoccupied with your sinfulness, waiting for you to make a mistake. He’s also fickle and moody: When you don’t sin, He likes you. When you do sin, He doesn’t like you. He constantly shames you, humiliates you, so you will follow His ever-increasing demanding standards.

My Painful Past

The foundation for religious faith isn’t religious education but strong family bonds. If a child grows up WITHOUT close relationship with his or her parents, he’ll have the capacity only for learning doctrines, not a capacity to trust God.

My parents were Catholic. We went to Mass every Sunday. We prayed the rosary every night. God was important. But more than that, it was our closeness as a family that prepared me for faith.

By 1978, all of us joined the Catholic Renewal. And I was introduced to a personal God. As a 12-year old, I gave my life to live for Jesus.

Our prayer group was lovely—small, happy, simple. We did outreach work in the provinces. Our leader, Sister Aida, was a prophet who prophesied that I would preach and she raised me up to preach. She was always honest about her faults—her temper, her worries, her fears—and it made us honest about our faults too.

But something went wrong when I was 13…

That was when I joined another group. It was a tiny youth group led by a gifted leader who was a great preacher, a good singer, and a very friendly fellow. I enjoyed being with other young people. I was one of its 4 young “elders”. But one day, when I was 13 year old, he sexually abused me. When that happened, I didn’t share it with anyone. I couldn’t. I kept the dark secret to myself. How could I tell others? He was our leader. In some terribly convoluted way, I didn’t want to shake the status quo. You like the community, you like the group, you like your role in the group. I became numb to the pain, I buried whatever feelings of shame, anger, and fear that I felt.

It took a few months later when I was with another youth “elder”—and he asked me if our leader molested me. I said he did. He said that he too was molested. And that others were abused too. Our entire youth group was being molested, one by one. We heard that one of our newest members was taking a shower in our community center when our leader just came in and took a shower with him.

With all that unaddressed pain within, I became a religious addict. What better drug—a way of escape—than religion? Than reading the Bible? Than prayer? Than religious activities?

I prayed an hour a day, went to Mass daily, prayed the rosary daily, read the Bible daily, lived a life of poverty—all in an effort to numb the pain within.

And I became a religious leader. If a religious addict becomes a leader, he usually becomes spiritually abusive towards his followers—because I insisted to everyone that my spiritual regimen was the only way to please God. So I taught them my spiritual regimen. I also frowned on them when they thought their thoughts, felt their feelings, wanted their wants. I used guilt and fear to manipulate them to follow my teachings.

Today, I’ve learned NOT to use religion as my drug. I’ve learned to address my inner pain. I’ve learned to feel my feelings, think my thoughts, and want my wants. I’ve learned to love myself. I’ve learned to enjoy life and to find God in non-religious stuff, like family, like business, like just being myself.

I’m free.

And this freedom has made me love God and others more.

I pray that you receive this freedom too.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

You Act According To How You Define Yourself, Whether It’s True Or Not by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-04-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

Change the Self-Portrait you carry in your heart.

Because you will act according to your Self-Portrait,whether it is true or not. It could be a total lie (“You’re evil, you’re selfish, you’re ugly, you’re poor…”), but because you believe in it, you’ll be faithful to it and manifest its reality.

That’s why when you change your Self-Portrait, you actually change your life.

Remember: God’s Portrait of you is very different from the Self-Portrait you carry about yourself. While yours is usually based on your past, His portrait of you is always based on your future.

So He paints a Portrait of you that is always beautiful and amazing and lovely.

How do you get your Self-Portrait from God?

Listen to His quiet voice within you. What does He say in your heart? And what does He say through His Word? And what does He say through the Church?

You’re More Important Than The Universe

Because You’re A Child Of God

Every Saturday night is sacred for me.

Because that’s when I go up to my “cave”, my tiny home office at the back of my house, to prepare for my weekly talk for the next day. (By the way, you’re most welcome to join us. I preach at the FEAST every Sunday at PICC. For details, call up 7259999.)

One Saturday night, I arrived from Pampangga. As I drove home, I had my plans all set up. After kissing my wife and hugging my kids, I’d make a beeline towards my cave, shut the door, and prepare for my talk.

But my plan was not to be. Because as I entered my home and hugged my kids, my 7-year old said, “Daddy, can you play with me?”

“Sure!” I found myself saying automatically, hiding any sign of reluctance from my voice. You see, through the years, I’ve had a lot of practice saying “Yes!” even if all I wanted to say was, “No! Can’t you see I’m busy?”

As a father, I’ve made it my policy to always say “Yes!” when my son asks, “Daddy, can you play with me?” Because I know that a day is coming when my son will no longer ask that question, “Daddy, can you play with me?” He’ll grow up fast and will have other things to do. So while he asks that question, my answer should always be “Yes!”

God Always Says “Yes” When You Need Him

So I sat on the floor and played Pokemon with him.

As I held the tiny Pikachu figure in my hand, I began to think of the thousands of people who would be listening to me at the FEAST the next day. I also thought of the thousands more around the world who would be listening through TV, Radio, and the internet. So what was I doing there sitting on the floor with this yellow plastic mouse-like creature in my hand?

Answer: Doing my most important ministry, loving my son.

At the end of the day, my son is more important than the thousands of people who listen to me. Simply because I’m his Daddy and he’s my son.

Why did I share this story to you?

Never forget that you’re God’s Child.

In His heart, you’re more important than the entire universe.

When you call on Him, He’s there.

When you pray, He’s listening.

When you ask, He gives you the best version of what you’re asking for. (Not necessarily what you ask for, because you sometimes ask what is second best.)

You’re His Child. Bask in His love for you!

Each morning, wake up and shout to the universe: “I’m a Child of God!”

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Accept Your Weaknesses by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-03-11T14:41:00.002-07:00

This will be short.

Let me begin with one of my favorite stories…

On her way home, a woman was walking on the sidewalk. She saw a parrot in a pet shop window. Upon seeing her, the parrot said, “Lady, you are really ugly!”

Shocked, the woman walked away in a huff.

The next day, she walked again on the same road. She saw again the parrot peering through the pet shop window. And sure enough, when the parrot saw her, it said, “Lady, you are really ugly!”

The woman couldn’t take it anymore…

She barged in the pet shop and told the owner, “Your bird outside has been telling me that I’m ugly. You better do something about that parrot. When I walk here tomorrow, and that bird says the same thing about me, I’ll sue you!” The owner was very apologetic and said, “It won’t happen again, Ma’am.”

The next day, she walked home on that same road. Once again, she sees the parrot, and the parrot sees her. She stopped and with an icy stare asked, “Yes?”

The bird, strutting back and forth, cocked, “You know.”

You Don’t Have To Be Perfect To Love Yourself

Friends, many of us have an inner parrot that tells us, “You’re ugly.”

We have an inner parrot that we carry around within us, cruel and rude. We actually don’t need the devil anymore to accuse us and damn us to Hell. Because we do it ourselves.

These feelings of shame drive us to our addictions.

Friend, fire your inner parrot. (Better yet, fry him with olive oil, a little garlic, and chilli.)

Start telling yourself the truth: That you’re God’s child and beautiful beyond imagination. And that God will use even your worst weaknesses.

Remember: You don’t have to be perfect to be loved.

Your Weakness Is A Gift

In the Bible, St. Paul boasted of his “Thorn in the Flesh”.

It was his weakness.

But whatever it was, about this weakness, he said these immortal, mind-boggling words. “At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

How can your weakness be gift?

Your Weakness Blesses You In 3 Great Ways

First, my weaknesses humble me. It makes me depend in God even more. And I see how He uses me mightily despite all my weaknesses! That is why the Bible says, God chooses what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Second, my weaknesses make me more merciful towards others. I believe that someone who easily judges others hasn’t yet accepted his own weaknesses. If he had, he wouldn’t be judgmental. But because he hasn’t, he projects his self-anger towards other people.

Third, my weaknesses bond me with others in a way that nothing else can. When I share the story of my past and my addiction to someone else, I disrobe my defences and become vulnerable to him. In this way, I also give permission to that person to disrobe his defences as well.

Friend, thank God for your weaknesses, your struggles, and your problems.

They are great gifts that will bless you and others.

Next week, I’ll share with you the third way of loving yourself.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Learn to Forgive Yourself by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-03-07T13:49:00.003-08:00

For years, I would fall into habitual sins. And when I did, I had a hard time believing that God would still forgive me. I was filled with disgust. I was so fed up with my sin, I figured He was fed up with me too. I projected onto Him my disgust and imagined that He was tired of forgiving me again and again.

Yet every time I prayed, something in me would say, “God isn’t like that.” And deeper in my heart, I would hear His voice say, “Bo, nothing you do can ever diminish my love for you.”

These words burned within me. I searched the Bible and found these words…and claimed them for myself.

For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)

I am he that blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Ultimately, it was this incredible love that healed me of my addiction.

Can You Be As Forgiving To Yourself?

In one large gathering, a young woman came up to me and asked, “Can you hear my confession?” I shook my head, “I’m sorry, I’m not a priest.” But I saw desperation in her eyes as she told me, “But can I still confess my sins to you?”

“I can listen to you, pray for you, but I can’t absolve your sins,” I said.

She said, “That’s fine. I just need someone to talk to…” We walked to a corner of the hall and she poured her heart to me, sharing her guilt to me. As she did so, I felt an urging from God to tell her, “My dear friend, God loves you more than you can ever imagine,” and she began to cry almost uncontrollably.

She said, “Bo, I know God loves me. But I don’t love myself. I know God forgives me. But I can’t forgive myself for what I’ve done.”

Through the years, I’ve met many people like her who already asked for God’s forgiveness, but can’t seem to forgive themselves. Even if the Bible says, Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,[1] funny how people aren’t merciful to themselves.

So I told her, “Then you’re very proud of your sin.”

Her eyes bulged, obviously shocked.

“What did you say again?” she asked.

Are You Proud Of Your Sin?

I told her, “You fall into pride on three counts. First, you seem to think that your sin is bigger than God’s love for you. That’s pride. Friend, God’s love is bigger than your sin…”

“And second, you seem to think that your moral standards are higher than God’s standards. That’s pride. Allow Him to love you in your brokenness. And give yourself permission to love YOU. And third…”

“Did I hear it right? Give myself permission to love me?”

I knew that those words were new to her.

“Yes! And third, all this time, you’ve been focusing on your sin. Am I right?”

She nodded.

“You think God wants you to grieve and wallow in guilt? You’re wrong. When you focus on your sin, you’re not focusing on God. Focus on God. Focus on God’s love for you. Or you fall into despair.” I began to think of Judas and how despair killed him.

The Bible says Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

How do we fall? Let me count the ways…

What Happens If You Don’t Forgive Yourself

If you don’t forgive yourself, you may have these problems…

o You’ll have unresolved guilt nagging you

o You’ll always be recalling past failures

o You’ll be pessimistic and negative, or even suffer from chronic depression

o You’ll be seeking revenge toward yourself at different times

o You’ll manifest self-destructive behaviors.

o You’ll be disrespectful towards yourself

o You’ll be indifferent toward yourself and your needs

o You’ll be defensive and exhibit distant behavior towards others

o You’ll be controlled by your fear of failure, rejection, and non-approval

o You’ll have an emotional vacuum in which little or no emotions are shown

o You’ll be suspicious about others’ motives when they’re accepting of you

o You’ll experience chronic hostility, sarcasm, and cynicism

It is a sad life!

Make a decision now to forgive yourself now.

Before Anything Else, Discern:

Are They Real Sins Or Imagined Sins?

Before we even forgive ourselves—or even ask forgiveness from God—answer one question. Have you really sinned against God? Or have you just failed someone else’s standards?

Sometimes, we can set up our selves for big-time guilt by making lots of rules that God never wanted us to make.

For example, in the 1980’s, I used to teach my community members this spiritual regimen: To pray one hour a day, read the Bible one hour a day, and read other spiritual books one hour a day—for a total of 3 hours a day. I also encouraged them to go for daily Mass, daily Rosary, and an hour before the Blessed Sacrament. I was still a young teen then, and I could certainly do all of that, but I was oblivious to the fact that my members had jobs and kids to take care of. Boy, did I set them up for a very long guilt trip! (Forgive me, Lord.) None of them could ever measure up to my standards. But those rules that I made were just mine, not God’s rules. (Leaders need to be careful not to set people up to discouragement, or we rob them of joy in their life with God.)

I also remember a woman who felt guilty for disappointing her husband again and again. She would constantly ask for forgiveness from God for being a terrible wife. But when she described her husband to me, I instantly knew that he was the problem. He wanted his clothes to be pressed in a particular way, his egg cooked in a particular way, his newspaper laid out on the table each morning in a particular way. And if his wife will not do it in this particular way, he labelled her as a disappointing wife. Not true! I told her that she has not sinned and there was nothing to ask forgiveness from God.

But if we have indeed sinned against God, then let us take these next two steps…

Forgive Yourself Now!

Pray this prayer…

Step #1: Ask God For Forgiveness

Lord, forgive me now, in Jesus name. Forgive me for all my sins and failures. I believe You love me. I believe that Your love is bigger than my sins and failures. Today, I receive your forgiveness. Thank you for loving me!

Step #2: Forgive Yourself

Today, I make a choice to forgive ME. I know that God has forgiven me. I don’t have to be perfect for me to love ME. I am a very good person because God made me very good. As God loves me, so do I love ME. I no longer need to condemn me. I am forgiven by God, and I forgive ME, in Jesus name. Amen.

Next week, I’ll share with you the second step of how to love yourself…

May your dream comes true,

Bo Sanchez

Focus on Your Ambition, Not on Your Addiction by Bro. Bo sanchez

2013-02-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

(Bo’s Note: I wrote this sometime back, and I remember people coming up to me—with tears in their eyes—telling me how these words gave them freedom from their bondages. So I decided to share it with you again. Enjoy and be very blessed… )

Focus On Your Ambition,

Not Your Addiction

Have you noticed?

We’re an illogical bunch.

At various times, we act like Esau…

Jacob and Esau were twin brothers.

But Esau was considered the eldest because he went out of the womb of his mother first.

One day, Jacob was cooking some stew.

Esau arrived from hunting and was exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved. Give me some of your red stew.”

Now Jacob said something absolutely nutty. He said, “All right, but you’ve got to do one thing first. Trade me your rights as the firstborn son.” You get an inkling on how jealous Jacob must have been towards his twin brother.

But what was nuttier was Esau’s reaction. He said, “Sure! Now give me that red stew now.”

Jacob said, “You’ve got to swear first that you’re giving me your birthright…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… whatever! I swear! Now give me that lentil soup…”.

Now why would Esau exchange his birthright for a single bowl of red stew?

Was his brain taking a vacation on that day? Was it surfing in Camsur or gone shopping in Hongkong? Didn’t Esau know what his birthright meant? Being firstborn meant a position of privilege. Being firstborn meant great honor. And yes, being firstborn meant a huge inheritance—where he can buy a swimming pool filled with red stew if he wanted.

Why was he throwing all that for a bowl of red stew today?

Friends, this is a great picture of what addiction is…

(By the way, I’m not saying Esau was addicted to red stew. I’m merely using his story as an analogy.)

The Foolish Exchanges We Make

I met a man who threw away his entire family for drugs. Years ago, he had a great job, a nice home, two kids, and a beautiful wife. Today, because of a bunch of chemicals he was snorting through his nostrils, he destroyed his life. He’s lost his job and his home. His kids hate him and his wife is seeing another man…

Why exchange all that for another whiff of shabu?

There’s no logic. It’s a foolish exchange.

One day, a woman asked for my help. She said, “My husband is a compulsive gambler. He stole money from his office and used it to gamble. His boss found out about it and is pressing charges. My husband’s going to jail!”

Why exchange a great job for another crack at the blackjack table?

Again, it’s a foolish exchange.

The list goes on.

· A chain-smoker, exchanging his health for another nicotine fix.

· A porn-addict, exchanging his dignity and mental-monogamy, for another testosterone fantasy.

· A woman who gives her body to yet another man, just so that he would love her, exchanging her self-respect for a fleeting embrace.

· A government employee taking a bribe, exchanging his honour for cash. After years of doing it, he no longer feels any guilt, his conscience virtually dead.

One Power Skill Of Mature People

On a superficial level, the problem is impatience and impulsiveness.

And boy, do I know impulsiveness.

Like Esau, I catch myself wanting it now—no matter what the cost is to my future. Like Esau, I want my red stew now, whatever my “red stew” is. For me, it could be internet porn, sexual fantasies, and the approval of people. (For my full story on how God healed my addictions, read my book, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future.)

Impulsiveness means I prioritize my short-term wants over my long-term needs.

Which takes us to that very important, essential, powerful skill that all mature people have: The ability to delay gratification. You can’t be emotionally and spiritual mature without it. It’s impossible.

Delaying gratification is the power skill of champions. In any field!

Because there’s a huge reward in front of them, champions sacrifice today so that they can get their reward tomorrow.

Do you want to become a champion?

What great reward are you aiming for?

What is your holy ambition?

Anatomy of An Addiction

Deep inside, there’s a (1) real need.

And that real need is an empty love tank. Bottom line, the addict doesn’t love himself. The addict doesn’t value himself. The addict doesn’t respect himself. Sometimes, he is conscious of this desperate need for love. Many times, he isn’t aware of it. It’s all unconscious.

My personal interpretation of the Esau-Jacob story above is that Esau didn’t value his birthright because he didn’t value himself. He didn’t value his future.

Once again, let me state my central point: I believe that every addiction is a hunger for love. That’s the real need behind every addiction. Your hunger of love produces the second part of the equation: (2) painful feelings—such as depression, anger, fear, anxiety, loneliness, etc.

To escape these painful feelings, the addict will pick a preferred anaesthesia. That anaesthesia is the third part of the equation: (3) addiction. It could be gambling, drugs, and alcohol. It could be workaholism until one’s family breaks down. Or shopping until five credit cards are maxed out. Or food until one becomes obese. Or dieting until one becomes very sick.

In order for an addiction to get healed, the real needs must be met. The love tank must be filled.

Thankfully, you can do that in many ways as we discussed in my last article.

In getting rid of their bad habits, I share to them one of the most powerful—and controversial—principles…

Don’t Focus On Your Addiction…

Bear with me. Do this exercise for me.

Say out loud “I won’t think of a Pink Elephant” for five times.

Ready? Go…

“I won’t think of a Pink Elephant.”

Let me ask you a question: What are you thinking of right now?

A Pink Elephant, of course.

People who want to overcome their addictions end up focusing on their addictions, and it simply won’t work.

When a smoker says, “I won’t smoke anymore!” 300x a day, guess what fills his mind? Smoking his favorite Marlboros, what else?

When a compulsive eater says, “I won’t eat!” 300x a day, guess what fills his mind? Eating his favorite cheeseburgers and chocolate sundaes.

When you focus on your bad habits, you enter into a vicious cycle that buries you deeper into your addiction. You end up depressed and helpless, draining your love tank even more, making you open more to your addictions.

Look. I’m not saying you deny that you have an addiction. In fact, acknowledging that you have an addiction is the first step to healing it. By admitting you’ve got a problem, you solve 50% of your problem. But you see, there’s a big difference between acknowledging it andfocusing on it 24 hours a day.

A Simple Principle of The Universe

Let me share to you a simple, powerful, universal principle that has guided me in my daily life:

What you focus on grows!

Let me sidetrack a bit and explain this principle to you.

I know some people who focus on the bad things in their day.

They wake up in the morning feeling lousy. “It’s a terrible day,” they mutter. They ride to work complaining about how hot it is. They wade through the traffic complaining about the crazy drivers on the streets. They arrive at their office complaining the workload on their desks. They complain about their boss, the low pay, the slow internet, the over-time, the terrible food at the cafeteria, and how cold the air-conditioning is.

I pity them. Because the more they complain, the more they feel miserable.

Sooner or later, they experience more problems. (Remember, what you focus on grows.)

First, they may get sick. The Bible says a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.[1] Medical studies have shown that most of our physical diseases are psychosomatic. A negative spirit may create ulcers, hypertension, and other diseases. Simply because our bodies are blueprints of our emotional life.

Second, they may lose friends. Because no one wants to talk to a whiner. About her, they’ll say, “She’s depressing and it may be contagious!”

Third, they may lose their job—or at the very least, a promotion. Someone who doesn’t have passion in his work will not be rewarded. 200 CEO’s were asked what’s the number one ability that they look for in their employee, and most of them said, “The ability to work with others.” It’s not technical skills, but relational skills that are prized in companies.

Okay, my digression is enough. How does this apply to your hidden addiction?

Focus On Your Ambition

Instead of focusing on your addiction, focus on your ambition.

“Ambition” has a negative meaning today, so let me purify this word.

By ambition, I mean your vision for your future.

By ambition, I mean the dreams that God has placed in your heart.

So instead of saying, “I’ll stop smoking” 300x a day, say instead, “I’ll be healthy and run the marathon” or “I’ll be healthy and be a Class A badminton player.”

Instead of saying, “I’ll stop eating”, say, “I’ll be healthy, weigh a healthy120 pounds, go to the gym three times a week, play badminton twice a week…”

Instead of saying, “I’ll stop shopping everyday,” say, “Starting next month, I’ll save P5,000 a month, erase all credit card debt by December 2013, and start investing in the Stock market by February 2013, and accumulate P300,000 by December 2015.”

When you focus on your addiction, it depresses you.

When you focus on your ambition, it fuels you with passion.

And what happens when you do that? As you take baby steps towards fulfilling your ambition, you value yourself more. You gain confidence. You gain self-respect. Little by little, love is being poured into your Love Tank. The cravings are still there, but they lose its urgency and intensity.

Make Your Dreams MAGIC Dreams

Each Sunday, I preach to 9000+ people in PICC (For more information, call Tel (632) 7259999). Each Sunday, I teach them how to dream. So I wrote a Novena to God’s Love Prayer Booklet and gave it to each of them. (All first timers receive it.)

In that Novena, I ask people to write 7 dreams that they will pray for everyday. Believe me, people were excited writing down their dreams!

And as they pray for them, I ask them to also take baby steps towards fulfilling them. In the Novena, I also give instructions that their dreams should be….MAGIC!

By MAGIC, I mean…

M- Measurable

Don’t just write, “Have a happy family”; Write instead, “Have a happy family by having separate weekly dates with my spouse and each child starting August 2015”; Don’t just write, “Have more money”; Write instead, “Earn an additional P15T each month through a side-line by December 2013.”

A - Ambitious

Again, I use “ambition” without its negative meaning. By “ambition”, I simply mean dreaming big dreams! Small dreams won’t excite you. But even if they’re ambitious, let your dreams also be attainable at the same time.

G - Godly

Never dream from greed or selfish ego. They will make you empty and miserable. Instead, discover the dreams that God has placed in your heart. The fulfilment of these dreams should ultimately help you love God and others more. (And don’t you notice? G is at the middle. God should be the center of our dreams.)

I - Imaginative

Put details in your dream. Make it graphic. Don’t just write, “Own a house by 2016.” Describe what kind of house you want. “Own a 2-bedroom white house with a small garden in Laguna by 2016.”

C – Complete

Have dreams that touch the most important aspects of your life: Spiritual, Family, Financial, Physical… By succeeding in all areas, you attain Life Balance.

Wise Exchange, Anyone?

Yesterday, I read a beautiful story.

One day, a little girl named Jenny was with her mother in the grocery store. She saw a toy pearl bracelet worth P20. She became giddy with excitement and asked her mother to buy it for her. “Are you sure you like it?” her mother asked.

“Yes, Mommy! Please, please, please buy it for me!”

So the mother bought the toy pearls for little Jenny.

Jenny’s father, who loved her very much, read a bedtime story to Jenny each night. One night, after reading to her, he asked her, “Jenny, do you love me?”

“Of course I love you, Daddy,” she said.

“Can you give me your pearl bracelet?” he asked.

Little Jenny pouted. “You can have my princess doll, Daddy, but not my pearl bracelet. That’s my favorite.”

Daddy smiled, “That’s okay Jenny, I love you.” He kissed her good night.

Seven days later, after another reading session, the father asked again, “Jenny, do you love me?’

“Daddy, you know that I love you,” the little girl said.

“Can you give me your pearl bracelet?” he smiled.

“No Daddy, please. You can have my brush, my violet pen, and my red hair band. But not my pearl bracelet!”

He chuckled. “That’s okay, hon. I love you,” and kissed her goodnight.

But a few days later, a teary-eyed Jenny came to her father and said, “Daddy, I love you very much,” and placed in his hand her toy pearl bracelet.

Her father gave her a big hug and said, “I have a very special gift for you, little girl.” He pulled out from his pocket a beautiful velvet case with gold lining. He opened it, showing to her a genuine pearl bracelet. “This is yours. No more toy pearl bracelet for you, my princess. You deserve the real one.”

Friends, this is the kind of wise exchange that God wants to give to us.

Not foolish exchanges that the “Jacobs” and the “Red Stews” in our lives are offering to us.

Instead, God wants to take what is cheap and fake in our lives (our addictions), so that He could give us something much, much better (our holy ambitions).

Give up your addiction.

Give up what is counterfeit.

Give up what destroys you.

Give up what pulls you away from God and life and happiness.

Like Jenny, you deserve better.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Discover What You Really Need by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-02-12T11:16:00.001-08:00

Have you heard of the great Houdini?

As a young boy, I loved reading about him. Houdini was probably the most famous escape artist in the world. I’m not sure if the story I’m about to tell you is part legend and part history, but I find it utterly fascinating.

Houdini boasted he could escape any jail cell in less than an hour. One day, a small town in the British Isles built a new jail cell and they were proud of it. “Come give us a try,” they said to Houdini, and he agreed.

He walked into the prison cell bristling with confidence. After all, he had done this hundreds of times before.

Once the jail cell was closed, Houdini took off his coat and went to work. From his belt, he got a flexible but tough ten-inch piece of steel. He knelt in front of the door and started working on the lock.

At the end of 30 minutes, his confident expression had disappeared.

At the end of an hour, he was drenched with perspiration.

After two hours and totally exhausted, Houdini literally collapsed against the door. And the force of his weight was enough to push the door open!

Because in reality, the door had never been locked.

It was locked only in one place: In his own mind.

Which meant only one thing. It was firmly locked.

Because whatever your mind says is locked—is locked.

Even if it isn’t…

You Can Be Free!

Friend, you can get rid of your bad habits.

You can be free from your addictions.

The Bible says, you have been called to live in freedom.(Galatians 5:13)

I should know. For years, I was addicted to pornography and sexual fantasies. Yes, even as I was serving God and preaching. Like Houdini, I tinkered with the “lock” of my jail cell and lost hope because I couldn’t unlock the door. (For my full story, read my book, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future.)

One day, I had a powerful realization. I discovered that the door wasn’t locked—except in my mind. I realized that at any time, I could push hard and the door would swing open—and I could simply walk out. And stay out!

And that’s what I did.

My friend, you can get rid of your addictions.

Here’s the truth: 70% of people get rid of their own addictions on their own. You see, there is no ONE singular way to get out of an addiction. There are many ways to get rid of your destructive bad habits. (We will examine all these ways in the next few weeks.)

Why Do We Have Addictions Anyway?

From a superficial perspective, addictions provide an escape so you won’t feel your painful feelings.

And what are these painful feelings?

· Hurt: “I feel rejected.”

· Depression: “I feel low”; “I feel old”; “I feel ugly”; “I feel fat”

· Despair: “I feel my life is meaningless”

· Guilt: “I feel I’m bad”; “I feel I can’t meet the needs of my husband/kids”

· Anxiety: “I feel worried that bad things will happen”

· Fear: “I feel afraid that I will get hurt”

· Hate: “I feel angry at myself”; “I feel angry at others”

· Shame: “I feel I’m not worthy to even exist”

Let me share to you my own personal experience.

For years, the predominant feeling that ruled my life was SHAME. But I didn’t know it was shame. I got so used to this feeling, I thought it was part of life. I would wake up with this “bad” feeling already. All I knew was that I felt extremely sad. And my thoughts were always about my mistakes—real and imagined. Like a guy who only played one DVD in his DVD player, and did nothing else except press the “rewind” button, I simply paraded my past mistakes before me. And then I’d imagine how this person doesn’t like me, how that person is angry with me, how this person is rejecting me. And I would feel “it” in my gut. It was my constant companion, never leaving me.

Years later, I finally identified what I felt.

I was ashamed that I existed. I was ashamed that I was alive.

Can you imagine waking up each morning with this feeling?

That was my life.

And so to escape my shame, I drowned myself in testosterone. I got into Porn. At least, these girls were smiling and disrobing to me. They must like me. My sexual fantasies were the same—these women were attracted to me.

For a moment, my shame disappeared.

But, after indulging in porn and masturbating, my shame deepened.

How could I, a servant of God, do such a thing?

But I kept doing it for years.

I threw myself into work—work that would make the world like me. My approval addiction was even more powerful than my sex addiction.

But twenty years ago, I took my first steps towards healing. It was a long journey.

What Is Your Core Need?

At the bottom of all addictions is this statement: “I don’t love myself.”

At the core of an addict’s heart is an empty Love Tank.

Every addiction is a hunger for love.

He doesn’t like himself.

He doesn’t value himself.

He doesn’t love himself.

That is why I believe that only love can heal an addiction.

Walk Towards Your Freedom Now

For the longest time, you’ve been in a prison cell.

You’re tired. You’re desperate.

You’ve been tinkering with that impossible lock on the door.

But in reality, there is no lock.

You think there’s a lock, but there’s none.

You’ve been deceived. Cheated.

The lock is in your mind, not in the door.

What is that lock in your mind?

I call it your “homing instinct”. That means an unconscious part of you would like to stay in that dirty prison because you’ve become used to it. It’s been your home for years. Something within you—the defeated you, the failed you, the unloved you—wants to go back to that dungeon. A part of you feels that’s what you deserve. This drive within you is called the “homing” instinct. Hurting people recreate their home, no matter how painful those homes were.

But as you fill up your Love Tank, as you value yourself more and as you receive love from God and others, you realize that you deserve a new home. You realize that you don’t belong there anymore. With a full Love Tank, your “homing” instinct no longer drives you to your past home. Instead, it drives you to your future home. You begin to develop a “vision” instinct.

I’ll share more about this next week…

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

3 Things That Will Happen in Heaven.... by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2013-01-21T11:46:00.001-08:00

Do you have future plans of going to Heaven?

(No rush going there, by the way.)

I’ve never been to Heaven, but from reading the Bible and the writings of Saints and spiritual authors, let me describe three important things about Heaven…

1. You’ll Be Fulfilled Perfectly

Good News: I heard there’ll be no dieting in Heaven. You can eat what you want and you won’t gain a single pound. You’ll have the perfect figure, the perfect skin, the perfect teeth, and the perfect hair. (But I doubt that there’ll be sinful food in Heaven, haha.)

Bald people will have their hair back.

People who have dentures will witness each of their 32 teeth resurrect from the dead.

Do you have pimple scars? Stretch marks? Cellulite deposits that rival the Central Bank’s deposits? They all can’t enter Heaven. You’ll have to leave them at the door.

Do you want to have six abs? You can have 12 if you want.

And do you want a Ferrari? You can have 37 of them in different colors. (Though honestly, I doubt you’ll be interested in these things in Heaven.)

But here’s what I know: Every dream you have will come true. Every desire will be fulfilled. Every need will be met. Every plan will be accomplished. Every talent will be used. Every potential will be realized.

Dreams Come True

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. In Heaven, I can make that dream come true. I can go galaxy-hopping in a blink of an eye. This morning, I can go to Jupiter. For lunch, I can go to Neptune. By afternoon, I can go to the constellation Andromeda. Tomorrow, I can go to another universe altogether.

When my friend was a kid, he wanted to be a rock star. Well, in Heaven, he can fulfill that dream too. From what I hear, Heaven is a non-stop Worship Concert—so rock stars are needed to sing to the Rock of all Ages.

This is just my guess, but I believe that in Heaven, there’ll be no difference between thinking about our dreams and turning our dreams into reality. When you think about it, you make it appear in front of you.

Wealth Is Permanent

On planet earth, the rich today may not be rich tomorrow. The billionaires of today may be the beggars of tomorrow. But in Heaven, you’ll be rich permanently. Jesus said, Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20) In other words, there is no recessions or inflation or economic collapse in Heaven. And there is zero crime in Heaven. Why? Because our treasure isn’t gold or silver or diamonds. Our treasure is God Himself.

I love saying this: The only wealth you keep is the wealth that you give away. As long as you keep your wealth to yourself, it rots on earth. But if you give it away, you “wire transfer” your wealth to your future home in Heaven.

Tears Are Wiped Away

In Heaven, the Bible says, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelations 7:14) No more sickness. No more disappointments. No more debts. No more trials. No more problems. No more conflicts. No more misunderstanding. No more hurts. No more worry. No more anxiety. No more fear.

It will only be love…

2. You’ll Be Loved Perfectly

Throughout history, tens of thousands of people have reported near-death experiences that say that death is a doorway. But scientists will never accept these as proof of the afterlife.

Dr. Eben Alexander, a highly trained neurosurgeon, was such a man. Dr. Eben is a professor who taught for 15 years at Harvard University and he did NOT believe in these near-death experiences. He believed that all these stories were fantasies, produced by brains under extreme stress.

But in 2008, he contracted a rare type of meningitis and he fell into a deep coma. That part of his brain that produced thoughts and emotions completely shut off. He was virtually brain dead. After seven days of being a “vegetable” on a hospital bed, and as the doctors were thinking of stopping treatment, his eyes opened.

The fact that he recovered was already a medical miracle. But the bigger miracle was what happened during those seven days. When it was medically impossible for him to have any kind of thought or emotion, Dr. Alexander journeyed into a beautiful place of incredible peace. In that place, he felt loved. Completely, utterly, perfectly loved. He also felt connected to everything. But an angel told him that it wasn’t yet his time, so he was sent back.

Dr. Alexander, the neurosurgeon and Harvard professor, believes that he went to Heaven. And his experience was very similar to the tens of thousands of near-death experiences all throughout history. They contain common elements: overwhelming peace, beautiful light, the presence of an angel, or heavenly being, or God himself.

But the most common description these near-death experiences give is that when they entered Heaven, they were flooded with a deep sense of being totally, completely, and perfectly loved. Dr. Eben said he heard these words again and again: You can do nothing wrong; You’re worthy of love;

It reminded me of my favorite prayer: “I’m totally, completely, and perfectly loved.” I say it many times a day. It heals my body. It heals my emotions. It heals my spirit. Why? Because perfect love is the deepest need of my entire being. And I will receive it in Heaven.

But love flows in two ways…

3. You’ll Love Perfectly

Some people ask, “But Bo, what will we do in Heaven? Won’t we be bored there, wearing pajamas, sitting on white fluffy clouds, and playing our harps all day?”

I don’t think so.

Who says we’re going to do nothing all day? I believe we’ll be fully engaged, fully occupied, fully loving humanity for all eternity.

That’s why I believe that earth is a training camp for Heaven. On earth, God trains you to love like Jesus. Because loving God and others is the only thing that you’ll be doing in Heaven!

Start loving now, and you start Heaven now.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Your Successes Come From Your Struggles by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2012-11-27T10:32:00.002-08:00

Let’s imagine a crazy scene…

Imagine a tourist who goes on a trip to the Vatican. And while walking through St. Peter’s Baslica,the church of the Pope, he oohed and aahed at everything he saw. Especially when he saw the most popular sculpture in the world—The Pieta.

As he gazed at this particular statue, he didn’t realize that it was already evening. All of a sudden, he heard the giant doors of the church close. Immediately, the lights went out. And he discovered he was the only one inside. He got afraid and was about to run towards the doors when the unthinkable happened…

The Pieta spoke up! The statue said, “Don’t worry, in ten minutes, another guard will be walking around…”

Of course, the man wanted to run away. But his curiosity was stronger than his fear. So he asked, “Who…who…who are you? Are… are… are you Mother Mary?”

The sculpture spoke, “Nah, of course not. I’m just the statue. I’m The Pieta.”

Inexplicably, the man calmed down and said, “You’re an incredible work of art. You’re so beautiful…”

The statue said, “Would you believe? Once upon a time, I wasn’t beautiful at all. Once upon a time, no one wanted to look at me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding!” the tourist asked.

“Once upon a time, I was an ugly block of stone. I was in an old warehouse, together with other ugly-looking blocks of marble. We had no shape. We had no distinctions. We were nobodies.”

“And then what happened?” the man asked.

“Well, one fateful day, a young man walked in the warehouse. And this 25-year old kid looked at me in a queer way. Like he saw something in me. While everyone else saw marble, he saw a masterpiece. He walked around me, looking at me from different angles. He kept gazing, observing, studying me, it was unnerving. Finally, he asked a few men to carry me into his house. And that’s when the torture began…”

“What do you mean?” asked the tourist.

“Well, I learned that this guy’s name was Michaelangelo. And he started drawing pencil marks on me. Thousands of pencil marks. And it was slightly painful. More importantly, I felt violated! But then he put his pencil down and he picked up a metal stick… with a sharp point at the end. I cringed. I asked myself, “What is he going to do with that thing?” Somehow, I knew this wasn’t going to be good. That was when he placed that metal thing on me—and then I saw him holding a hammer in his other hand! I froze in terror. And WHAM! The pain was horrendous. What shook me was seeing little pieces of me on the floor. This Michaelangelo was a violent lunatic! But I didn’t know he was just starting his work. I didn’t know it was the first of many, many blows…”

“How many?” the tourist asked.

The Pieta said, “Tens of thousands of blows. Probably more. I lost count. All I knew was that those blows lasted for 8 long years.”

“My goodness!”

“But finally, the chiseling stopped in 1499. And lo and behold, I was beautiful. And I’ve been beautiful these past 500 years….”

The tourist said, “And the most wanted, most valuable, most famous sculpture in the entire history of the world.”

Suddenly, the security guard opened the massive doors of the church and saw him. “Oh, you’re still inside? Sorry about that…”

“Not at all. I was able to spend quality time withThe Pieta…”

The guard nodded. “Yep, it’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“More than I ever imagined,” the tourist smiled.

You’re God’s Masterpiece

Michaelangelo said that when he makes a marble statue, his role is to simply “liberate” the masterpiece that is trapped inside the marble.

Friend, you are that marble, God is the Sculptor, and He is creating a masterpiece out of you.

When God sees you, He just doesn’t see you as you are now. Like a sculptor that gazes upon a block of marble, He already sees your beauty and glory and wonder trapped inside you. God’s role is to liberate the masterpiece in you!

God’s Chisel

And do you know what is the chosen chisel of God?

Pain.

I do not know what your pain is right now.

Perhaps your pain comes from your family. Or from a lingering sickness. Or from a strained relationship. Or from a mountain of debt. Or from difficult people in your life.

God says, “The beautiful YOU is already inside you. And I allow pain in your life to bring that beauty out of you.”

Think about it. Aren’t these two things very different?

Yet they’re essentially the same thing.

In my life, God has done MORE through my struggles than through my successes. If you study my successes, you’ll see that it’s made up of raw ingredients coming from my struggles.

My struggles became the pathway to my successes.

Are you in pain? Are you struggling now?

Don’t EVER give up.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

We Need Tension to be Happy by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2012-11-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

ou need tension in your life.

Because there’s such a thing as good tension and bad tension.

Warning: Don’t dream of having zero tension in your life.

The reason why you can stand up is because there’s tension in your feet, in your ankles, in your knees, in your hips, and in your spine. If there was no tension in your body, you’d be a mound of jello on the floor.

Some people dream of sitting on the beach, lying on a recliner, their feet propped up, sipping a tall glass of orange juice, and playing on their iPads. Do that for one day and you’ll be happy. Do that for one week and there’s an off chance that you’ll still be happy. Do that for one month and I’m sure you’re bored to death. Do that for one year and I bet you’re going crazy.

If you want to be happy, you need tension in your life.

And do you know where good tension comes from?

Tension comes from Vision…

This Tension Will Keep You Alive

During World War II, in a Nazi concentration camp, cruel doctors experimented on the most effective way of crushing the human spirit. They thought that what would do that was to remove every remaining shred of physical comfort. So they removed chairs, beds, and extra clothes in the prison cells. Prisoners suffered… But somehow, they survived.

Next, the prison guards cut the food ration to half. Again, the prisoners suffered, became exceedingly thin… But they survived. Next, they increased their work hours from 12 hours to 16 hours a day. Again, the prisoners suffered tremendously, became sickly and fainted at different times… But they survived.

It seemed as though nothing could break the human spirit.

Finally, the Nazis tried one last experiment. One morning, the prison guards asked the prisoners to dig a hole in the ground. So the entire day, with shovels and pickax and wheelbarrow, they made a gigantic hole.

The next day, when they woke up, the prison guards asked the prisoners to cover the hole again. The prisoners were perplexed and didn’t understand, but they obeyed.

The next morning, the prison guards asked them to dig the hole again. Everyday, they asked them to do the very opposite of what they did the previous day. On and on it went.

Result? Two weeks later, the prisoners began to die one by one.

Why? More than our need for food, or comfort, or sleep—we need purpose. We need the tension of purpose. When what I do has no more purpose, something in me dies.

When there is no purpose, there is no pull.

Where there is no target, there is no tension.

Is Your Heart Big?

God gave us a big heart.

But many people’s hearts are small.

Why? Because they are not stretched. Because stretch comes from vision.

Your heart was designed by God to be so big, it can stretch from your present location to your future vision. Jesus said, your heart will be where your treasure is. If your vision is very important to you, even if your vision is far away, your heart is already there with your vision. Your heart is here in your present location and there in your future vision. And there lies the beautiful tension that will keep you alive!

Is Your Vision Big Enough To Pull You?

Here’s what I realized about life: The bigger the purpose, the bigger the pull; The farther the target, the stronger the tension.

If you talk to kids and ask them, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” some of them will tell you of their wild, crazy dreams. “I want to be a Pilot!” or “I want to be a preacher!” or “I want to be a billionaire!” Kids say it with so much confidence and certainty.

Sadly, after just a few years later, all that childlike confidence flies out the window. Why? One reason: Because well-meaning adults take it away from them. Adults say, “Be realistic. You’re poor. Your parents are poor. You’re not very bright. You look ugly. You’re not very special. You’re setting up yourself for big disappointments. If I were you, you should lower your dreams.” Soon, harsh reality sets in. Negativity sets in. Discouragement sets in. Frustration sets in. And all those big dreams fly out of the window as well.

When that happens, the heart becomes small. Tension disappears. And people begin to live small lives.

Today, I’m here to help you recapture this fantastic childlike ability to dream. Start dreaming big dreams again. Cast a big vision in front of you. A big vision is better than a small vision, because a big purpose has bigger pull. But big visions are necessary to create enough tension to draw us out of our reality.

Big Vision Is Better Than Small Vision

Four years ago, I declared on stage, “We dream of building 1000 Feasts” around the world. At that time, there were some well-meaning friends who told me, “Bo, be more realistic. Perhaps 100 Feasts is a more doable figure. You might just be setting yourself for failure.”

Today, after four years, there are 110 Feasts around the world. Despite the fact that I’m telling all the leaders of the Light of Jesus, “We’re not in a hurry. Don’t go fast. Enjoy everyday of the journey.” But our leaders are saying, “We’re not going fast. Bo, this is slow!”

We’re experiencing a pull because we have a big vision.

Let me ask you, “What’s your vision?”

Focus On Your Vision-Giver

Remember this story? As long as Peter fixed His eyes on the Vision—Jesus—He was able to walk on water. But the moment he looked at the winds and the waves, he started sinking.

Do you feel like you’re sinking right now in your problems?

Focus on your Vision. Forget everything else. More importantly, focus on the Vision-Giver. God is giving you a Vision. And He is telling you that this is what your future will be.

Don’t pay attention to your problems.

Don’t pay attention to those who criticize you.

Don’t pay attention to those who tell you that you can’t do it.

Pay attention to only two things: (1) Your Big Vision and (2) your Big Vision-Giver. The Bible says,Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)

Ultimately, your Vision is to “be like Him”. When does it happen? It happens when “Christ appears”. When you see Jesus, you become like Him.

Do you know why worship is important? Worship isn’t singing a bunch of songs. Worship is seeing God.

Don’t just see your Vision; see your Vision-Giver.

At the end of the day, you’ll realize that your Vision and your Vision-Giver are one!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Why I Had To Go Through My Pain by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2012-10-30T12:41:00.001-07:00

You probably know my story. My past was bad: I got abused as a child and I fell into all sorts of addictions. I fell into sin and couldn’t get out. For many long years, I got really broken. I was ruled by shame and insecurities. I was so messed up.

But I thank God I went through that, because I understand the sinner who is seeking God. I feel that because of what I went through, my life and my mission is completely fixated on welcoming every kind of sinner in this world.

Here’s what I noticed: Religious leaders who have been broken accept broken people. This is one of the reasons why we accept anyone in the Light of Jesus Family—adulterers, thieves, prostitutes, drug addicts, alcoholics, gamblers, perverts… (They’re all sinners like me!)

Let me declare this from the housetops. My little communityis 100% for the unchurched.

Here’s an insight from another preacher named Steven Furtick. If you found Jesus just last week at the Feast(that’s what we call our prayer meeting), then that was the last time this community was for you. After you found Jesus, the Feast is no longer for you anymore. You’re no longer my target. You’re no longer my market. You’re no longer my audience. You’re no longer my customer. You should now be my co-worker!

You shouldn’t be in front of me; You should be beside me. You shouldn’t be the person I’m serving; you should be serving WITH me, shoulder to shoulder, hand to hand, blessing the world together. Because thisFeast is no longer for you.

Let me share with you a powerful story…

The Story of Joyce Meyer

I was in Sydney last month and I heard Joyce Meyer share the very moving story of her life.

As a child, Joyce was sexually abused by her own father. Because it was a pattern and would happen at specific days of the week, Joyce knows how many times he abused her—her father molested her for more than 200 times.

And sadly, her mother let him.

Joyce grew up from that horrible past, gave her life to Jesus, and went on to preach the Gospel. And God asked her to forgive her father—which she did.

Twice in her life, she mustered courage and told her father that she forgave him—but in both times, he denied ever doing anything wrong.

But one day, God didn’t only ask that she forgive him. God asked her to follow the Bible when it says, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” (Romans 12:20)

Her parents lived far from the city and they were growing old. That was when God spoke to her heart, “Buy a house for them in the city near you, so you can take care of them.”

She couldn’t believe what she heard. But she obeyed. At first, she wanted to buy a small ugly house and fill it with second hand furniture. But ultimately, she bought them a nice house for them and cared for them.

For 30 years, her father never said, “I’m sorry” to Joyce.

One day, 3 years after they moved into their new house, her mother called up and said, “Can you visit your Dad? He has been crying non-stop everyday for 3 weeks.” So Joyce visits him. And this is what her father said, “For the past 3 years, I’ve been wanting to say this to you. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what I did to you when you were a child. I didn’t know it was going to do so much harm.”

Joyce learned that her father’s family was incestuous. It’s true that hurting people hurt people.

The next Sunday, Joyce brought him to church and he gave his life to Jesus. Joyce said she thought she was buying a house. Actually, she was buying a soul.

Growing up, Joyce went through horrific pain—a pain that God never intended her to have. But it was a pain that shaped her in a way that made her stronger, better, and wiser.

Today, Joyce Meyer is being used by God to heal thousands of broken women who have also been abused.

What pain have you gone through? I believe that your purpose is connected to your pain.

Remember…

“Nothing just happens.”

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Do You Know What You Really Want? by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2012-10-26T12:04:00.001-07:00

People ask me all the time, “Bo, I don’t know God’s purpose for my life.” But it’s really easy.

Let me help you.

I tell them, “The easiest way for you to know God’s purpose is to look for the intersection between your passion and your potential.” In other words, find alignment.

Fulfilling your purpose may or may not to earn you money. And that’s okay. Life is not about earning money. This was my experience. For 20 years, I didn’t earn from the intersection of my passion and potential—which was speaking. It was pure ministry. I would speak anywhere and everywhere for free. I was very happy but very poor. With my finances, I could never raise my family or give more to the ministry.

So one day, I decided to go into business. To earn money, I sold hotdogs, squid balls, ice cream, memorial plans, and even engine oil. All those businesses failed. Why? Because I went out of my two circles of passion and potential…

To earn money, I had to go back to my core—the intersection of my passion and potential. But I had to do something else. If I wanted to prosper financially, I had to add one more circle. (I borrowed this idea from Jim Collins’ book, Good To Great—just changed the terms). The “Peso” circle consists of the various ways I could earn. I asked myself, “Where can I earn the most?”

I realized that I could earn the most at that sweet spot where these three circles intersect. That sweet spot for me was still communication, but this time, I needed to find a way to monetize it. Obviously, even to this day, MOST of my speaking is still for free. I speak at the Feast each week without pay. But once a month, I’m invited by companies to speak and they pay me more than what I used to earn in a year.

Let me end with one last story…

Know What You Want

There’s this one very special restaurant in Singapore that my friends loved. In fact, its Hainanese chicken is so over-the-top and out-of-this-world, the restaurant has become a minor tourist attraction. If you visit Singapore, you have to visit this simple restaurant.

And my two friends loved this restaurant so much, they had this crazy idea. They wanted to be the franchisee of this restaurant here in the Philippines.

So they flew to Singapore to talk to the owner. And that was when they learned that they weren’t the first people to think of the crazy idea. They were last in a long line of people. The owner mentioned some very wealthy Filipinos who already visited him, wanting to buy the franchise. These Filipinos were huge institutions in the restaurant industry, the best of the best.

But for some reason, the owner turned all of them down.

Obviously, my friends were shaken. “If he turned down these gigantic Philippine restaurants, he’s going to turn us down too!”

But that’s when they received the shock of their life. After their long conversation with the owner, he looked at my two friends and announced, “I’ll give you the franchise for the Philippines.”

Later on, they learned why.

The owner used one big question to decide. He asked every applicant, “If I give you the franchise, who will come here to Singapore—to get trained in my kitchen—for 4 straight months?”

The other applicants—very wealthy business people—said, “We will send our best chefs for your training program.”

KBZZZZZZT! Wrong answer.

But when my friends were asked the same question, they raised their hands and said, “We’ll go!” In other words, they said, “We’ll forget whatever we’re doing in the Philippines and focus only on one thing—your restaurant.”

Are You Willing To Give Up Everything?

The restaurant owner was a very wise man. He was looking for people who know what they wanted.

I believe God is like that restaurant owner. He wants you to franchise his love in this world. He’s looking for His representatives. And He too is looking for an alignment between passion, potential, and purpose!

Passion means knowing what you want and giving everything you’ve got to get it. Passion is saying to yourself and to the universe, “This is what I want, and I’m betting my entire life on this. I’m putting my time, my future, and my comfort at stake here. I’m unloading all my guns. I’m holding nothing back. I’m sacrificing everything on the altar!”

That restaurant is now in the Philippines—and they’re full every single day. They’re so full, you can’t get in without a reservation. It’s a smashing success. Why?

Because there was alignment.

Let me ask you today…

Do you know what you want?

Do you want it bad enough?

God waits for your answer.

I love saying this: When you want something bad enough, nothing much can stop you. As the Bible says,If you are unable to make up your mind and are undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:7-8)

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Nothing just Happens by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2012-10-23T10:50:00.001-07:00

I heard this message from T.D. Jakes, and I loved it so much, I’d like to share it with you.

Let me start with a beautiful Bible story.

One day, a married couple named Elimelech and Naomi were living in Bethlehem. And they were blessed with two sons.

But when famine struck the land, they had to migrate. Just like Filipinos today, Naomi and Elimelech went abroad to look for a better life.

But in that land, tragedy happened. First, Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. Her two sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. And just in case you’re asking, no, Orpah didn’t have an ancient TV show…

And then tragedy struck again because Naomi’s two sons also died. So Naomi was left with her two daughter-in-laws, Ruth and Orpah. In ancient times, a widow doesn’t inherit a single cent from her dead husband. So Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah became dirt poor. What can be worse than three widows living together in poverty?

That was when Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem and become a Balikbayan. But a very poor, destitute, impoverished Balikbayan. And she told Ruth and Orpah to leave her and go back to their families—because they had no hope with her.

The three of them cried together—and after much tears, Orpah decided to walk away. But Ruth decided to stay with Naomi. And she said, “Wherever you go, I shall go; Where you die, I shall die; Your people will be my people; And your God will be my God too.” She commits herself to care for her mother-in-law. And so both of them went back to Bethlehem.

In Bethlehem, Ruth looks for food. Out of the many lands there, she chooses to “glean” from the land of a certain Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s husband. (Gleaning was a charitable practice in ancient Israel where landowners didn’t harvest everything from their land, but left some leftovers, so that the poor people can gather these leftovers for themselves.)

And this is where the miracle happens…

And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?” (Ruth 2:3, 5)

It says that Ruth “just happened” to be gleaning on the land of Boaz. Like it was a stroke of luck. A happy coincidence. A random chance. An unplanned accident.

But did this really “just happen”? If you read until the end of the story, it says that the Boaz marries Ruth! And Ruth the Beggar becomes Ruth the Owner.

Here’s the truth: Nothing Just Happens. Because God had something to do with it. This was Divine Orchestration. The Heavenly Conductor arranged, maneuvered, and engineered various circumstances to position Ruth to harvest in this specific plot of land, which was her place of destiny.

I believe God is doing the exact same thing in your life.

Say it after me, “Nothing just happens.”

When you feel discouraged by your current situation, when you feel that things aren’t going your way, when you find yourself caught in a quagmire of opposition, and people reject you, declare that “Nothing Just Happens!”

God Determines Your Steps

The Bible says, We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9).

She was begging in the land of Boaz. This was her place of poverty. But God saw the future and knew that this place of poverty was actually her place of destiny. Ruth the Beggar became Ruth the Owner! Ruth, the mendicant, became Ruth, the millionaire.

Right now, you may be in a place of poverty. I declare it now to be your place of prosperity. You may be in a place of anguish. I declare it now to be your place of abundance. You may be in a place of defeat. I now declare it as your place of destiny. Your physical surroundings may be ordinary to your eyes, but behind the curtains of the physical realm, God is doing something extraordinary in your favor. Declare that God is bringing you to your place of destiny because “Nothing Just Happens”.

Think of the most painful experience in your life and shout, Nothing just happens! Think of the people that have abandoned you and shout, Nothing just happens! Think of the anguish that you went through and shout, Nothing just happens!”

When the winds are strong, the clouds are dark, the waves are high, shout, Nothing just happens! When there’s no food on your table, no money in your pocket, no friends on your side, shout, nothing just happens! When your prayers aren’t answered, when your dreams aren’t happening, and when your miracles aren’t flowing—Nothing just happens!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

What is your Special Gift by bro. bo sanchez

2012-10-13T09:35:00.001-07:00

Last week, I said that in order to hit your mission in life, you need to align 3 things: your passion, your potential, and your purpose.

Today, I’d like to talk about potential.

You see, passion isn’t enough to discover your purpose.

I know some people who love singing but singing doesn’t love them. One day, a woman come up to me and told me, “Brother Bo, I heard God tell me, ‘I’m calling you to sing to the world.” She proceeded to give me a sample of her singing. And as I listened to her, I wondered if she heard wrongly. Perhaps God told her, ‘I’m calling you to sting the world.’” Because that was what I was experiencing at that moment. She wasn’t a singing sensation, she was a stinging sensation.

You need to identify your potential, your special gift. God has given you one. And it’s very simple to find out what it is. Ask yourself, “Where do I excel? What one thing do I do that when I do it, people are blessed?”

This is your core gift. And this is how you become a superstar.

Face it. People love superstars. People like to deal with superstars. People will buy from superstars. People will listen to the music of superstars, watch the sports of superstars, eat in restaurants with superstar chefs, wear the clothes of superstar brands, and read the books of superstar authors.

Here’s my belief: God has given you a unique gift that will make you a superstar in your world. God is telling you today, Do not neglect your gift. (1 Timothy 4:14)

If you find your unique gift, develop your unique gift, and resist the temptation to divert away from your gift—you’ll be Number One.

80% Of Your Life Should Be About Your Special Gift

I’m not saying, “Abandon everything else you’re doing.” My gift is in speaking and writing, but I still do other stuff like running my businesses, leading a lot of meetings, and pioneering new projects. Those things are still necessary, and I have to do them. But I focus at least 80% of my productive time in what I do best—speaking and writing.

And when I say superstar, I’m not suggesting that you be superstar of the entire world.

Just the superstar of your niche.

Be A Niche Superstar

Let me give you an example.

I’m not the best preacher in the world.

Again, my mother will disagree, but please be quiet about it and don’t burst her bubble. She’s 87 years old and I want her to live the remaining 23 years of her life on earth (yes, she’ll live until 110) with the belief that I’m the best preacher in the world. So Shhhhhhh…

But this I can accept. I think I’m one of the best (1) Lay, (2) Catholic, (3) Filipinopreachers who preach on (4) practical topics, (5) especially in the area of personal finance, personal health, and personal relationships, (6) that speak in a very simple and down-to-earth way, (7) who always gives it from a spiritual perspective, (8) whose audience is primarily the English-speaking crowd, (9) funny in a corny way, and (10) who has a huge black mole on BOTH of his ears. In that tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny niche, I’m a superstar.

Question: How can you be a superstar in your niche?

Define yourself.

Mark your boundaries and call it your property.

Let me give you a very simple example about my property…

Focus On Your Strength—Forget Your Weakness

Here’s my niche: I preach mainly in English.

Which is a problem. Because I can’t reach the majority of the Philippine population. And believe me, I want to! I still feel a pinch of envy when I hear my fellow Feast preachers preach in fluent, spontaneous, powerful Tagalog—and they connect to all sorts of crowds—something I can never do.

Regularly, I get comments from Facebook and my blog, telling me, “Brother Bo, please preach in Tagalog so we can understand you more.”

But today, I realize that this is what God wants me to do—to preach and write in English.

Yes, I can keep on working on my Tagalog preaching. But no matter how much I try doing that, I’m ashamed to say that I can’t preach in Tagalog in the same level that I preach in English. If you heard me preach in Tagalog and were impressed, don’t be. I was probably giving one of my memorized Tagalog talks. (I have 3 of them!)

Yes, I can preach in Tagalog adequately, but I always sound… uh, queer. Let me give you an analogy. When I preach in English, I feel like I’m driving the fastest motorbike in the world. My thoughts and words flow like the wind.

But when I preach in Tagalog, I feel like I’m riding this rusty bicycle overloaded with stuff in my mind that I can’t express…

Again, I’m not proud of this.

I don’t even have a Filipino accent. Years ago, when I preached in the US, Americans think I live there. Some of them asked me, “What State were you born? California?” I told them, “No, I was born in the State of Caloocan.” They get surprised why I speak the way I do. “Did you grow up here perhaps?” they asked.

I told them, “Well, I lived in Chicago for 20+ years.”

“I knew it, ” they smiled.

“Every morning, from Chicago, I turn right to New York, turn left to Aurora Boulevard until I reach Araneta Coliseum.”

This conversation happened years ago. That doesn’t happen anymore today. When you speak without a Filipino accent in America, they now ask, “Do you work in a Call Center?”

Why do I preach in English? I see two twists of fate that made me speak this way…

First reason: I was born to parents who spoke only two languages—English and Spanish. Since I felt that Spanish wasn’t very useful for me, I grew up speaking only English.

Second reason: When I was one year old, Dad’s company transferred him to Cebu. We lived there for 8 years. As a kid, I learned Cebuano, not Tagalog. But when I transferred back to Manila at 9 years old, I forgot my Cebuano and wasn’t great in Tagalog.

It’s Divine Orchestration. Through my history, God prepared me to preach in English.

But here’s a fact. When you have a strength, you also have a weakness. And that’s okay. Let me give you my controversial point: Focus on your strength and forget your weakness. Often, our school system aims to produce well-rounded students who are jack-of-all-trades, but masters of none. Believe me, that’s the recipe for mediocrity. Successful people aren’t well-rounded people—they’re extremely fantastic in one specific field and a total nincompoop in other fields.

I can write a book in five days with ease. But I can’t dance.

I can give a whole day seminar in my sleep. But I can’t memorize the multiplication table. (I keep forgetting what’s 8 x 7 and 9 x 6…)

Goodness, I can’t even replace a light bulbdecently. Believe me, I tried. Three weeks ago, my wife asked me to change the light bulb above our bed. So I stood on the bed and reached up. The light fixture slipped off my hands and it shattered to a thousand pieces. My wife looked at me and said, “Bo, go back to preaching.”

Do you want to be successful in life? Focus, focus, focus. Be good in one thing. Be a master of one skill and make that your special gift to the world.

Next week, I’ll give you my final installment of this message on passion, potential, and purpose…

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Are you aligned with your Passion by bro. bo sanchez

2012-10-02T10:11:00.002-07:00

Today, I’d like to talk about Alignment.

Success is all about Alignment.

Imagine an archer…

Okay, the movie scene above may not be very familiar with older people. So let me show another one… (If you’re my age, you’ll shout “Yeah!”)

For an archer to hit his target, he needs alignment. An archer’s most important skill is the ability to align 3 things: his bow, his arrow, and his target. Without alignment, he can’t hit his target. That’s why my wife and I are aligned—I am Bo and she is Marowe. (Sorry for being corny today.)

I believe we’re all archers. Why? Because God has created you with a target: Your purpose in life. The Bible says, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

In order to hit your mission in life, you need to align 3 things: your passion, your potential, and your purpose.

· The bow symbolizes your passion

This is where your power comes from. You can have a very excellent arrow—sharp and straight and strong—but if you don’t have a powerful bow, it won’t go anywhere. In the same way, you can be as intelligent as Einstein, but if you don’t have passion for your purpose, you won’t be successful.

· The arrow symbolizes your potential

The arrow symbolizes your CORE GIFT; Your bow could be very powerful, but if you picked the wrong arrow—if you picked an arrow that is bent, or brittle, or blunt —you won’t hit your target. If you want to be successful, you have to stick to your game. You have to be faithful to your core gift.

· The target symbolizes your purpose

Success is a simple pattern. If you really think about it, there’s nothing complicated about success. If you have the right bow—passion—and if you chose the right arrow—potential—through practice—in due time, you’ll be able to hit your purpose in life.

When you align your passion, potential, and purpose, that is when you achieve true prosperity. This is what I call Divine Alignment. The reason why you lack peace, fulfillment, joy, success, and true prosperity is because something is still not aligned in your life.

Let me share with you today, the first of these three elements that need to be aligned in your life…

1. Passion

What’s your passion?

Without passion, you won’t go anywhere in life.

Let me rephrase my question: What one thing do you love to do, you’ll do it even if you don’t get paid?

Here’s another scenario: Imagine if you went back to your home province and you were cleaning the backyard of your ancestral home. And as you were walking around, your big toe hit something and you almost fell. After shouting Aray! you looked down and saw something protruding from the ground. You dig around it and realize it was the edge of a box. You dig some more and you realize it was no ordinary box but a treasure chest. You pull it out, open its lid—and discover it was the Yamashita Treasure!

Later on, you measure its worth—it’s 400 million dollars.

Here’s my big question: If you had owned that money, what will you do?

That question will uncover your passion. For example, if I had all the money in the world, I’ll still preach and write. Much of my preaching and writing, I don’t get paid. For example, I donate my book royalties to the ministry. It’s not about the money. I just love to write! I bet even if I’m 110 years old—if I can still type in a laptop—I’m certain I’ll still be writing my books.

Friend, don’t look around for the Yamashita treasure. Because the Yamashita treasure is within you. It’s your passion, potential, and purpose..... (to be continued)

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

LOVE IS SPELLED A-L-L by bro. bo sanchez

2012-09-01T09:56:00.003-07:00

“For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich.” – Matthew 25:29

Nothing is too small for God. Look at the Bible and see for yourself. Moses used a simple walking stick to part the Red Sea and save an entire nation. Gideon used a little trumpet to defeat the Midianite army. Samson used a donkey’s jawbone to slay a thousand Philistines. David used a stone from a river to knock down Goliath and win back the honor of Israel. Elisha used a piece of cloth to divide the Jordan River. Peter used his shadow to heal the sick. And Jesus used five pieces of bread to feed the multitudes.

The lesson? Small is not small when you give it to a big God.

Perhaps you feel that you don’t amount to anything. You feel like you’re that walking stick. Or that little trumpet. Or that jawbone.

Or that small stone. Or that piece of cloth. But I have good news for you. No matter how small you think you are, God has big plans for your life. He doesn’t measure the size of what you give. Instead, He measures the size of what is left after you give.

I invite you to make a decision to give your all to God today.

When you do this, I assure you: You’ll receive big returns in every area of your life. Bo Sanchez (bosanchez@kerygmafamily.com)

How to Encourage Yourself by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2012-07-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

Do you want to be successful?

You’ve got to learn how to encourage yourself.

Because there are days when you won’t receive any encouragement from anyone else, you’ve got to do it yourself.

There’s this one passage in the Bible that I love so much. It says, David encouraged himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6)

Let me tell you the Bible story behind this verse.

David and his men—600 of them—went away to work and left their wives and children in their camp called Ziklag. Three days later, tragedy struck. The Amalekites, sworn enemies of Israel, attacked and burned the entire village to the ground—and taking all the women and children with them as slaves.

When David and his men arrived, the Bible says his men “wept until they could weep no more.” Can you imagine 600 men crying at the loss of their wives and children? Can you imagine 600 men weeping over a pile of burning rubble that was once their home?

You think that was bad? It got worse. The Bible says that these men—once upon a time fiercely loyal to David—wanted now to stone David to death.

I’ve noticed that when things go wrong, human beings want to look for someone to blame. We always want to look for a scapegoat to vent our rage.

Imagine you were David.

You just lost your family. Your kids were taken away from you. Your home is now but ashes under your feet. You now own nothing except the clothes that you’re wearing. And the friends that you thought were friends now want to kill you.

This is what you call an Impossible situation.

In other words, it’s a Ziklag…

Are You Going Through A Ziklag?

Are you going through an Impossible situation?

Then you’re going through Ziklag right now.

Perhaps you lost your job. Perhaps you lost your possessions. Perhaps you lost your friends. Perhaps you lost a loved one.

In Ziklag, you have a choice: You can do what the 600 soldiers of David did or you can do what David did.

The 600 men wept and found someone to blame. (Because hurt people hurt people.)

But I love what David did. In the midst of an impossible situation, he did the impossible. What was that? The Bible said, “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

Let me explain what that meant…

Getting Encouragement From Within

Normally, we get encouragement from people around us.

And rightly so. Because we’re the Body of Christ.

When I feel burdened, the first person I go to is my best friend—who happens to be my wife Marowe. She’s not a preacher. If given a choice not to shop for a year—or to speak in public—she’d choose not to shop for a year. (Okay, maybe one week…) But she’s my encourager. She’s the builder of my faith. When I tell her my burdens, she doesn’t even say anything. She just listens—and I feel my burdens are lifted up from my shoulders.

And I’m spoiled. God gave me the most fantastic friends on planet earth. They’re my Super Friends, my Avengers Team. When I’m going through my struggles, I share it with them—and when I do—I don’t feel alone anymore.

But I believe there are times when we go through Ziklag. Ziklag is a place where even the family and friends that we depend on aren’t there. Perhaps because they’re busy. Or because they’re faraway. Or because they themselves are going through some struggle—and they’re not there for us.

And that’s where you have to learn how to go to God directly.

Ziklag is the place where your relationship with God goes to a whole new level.

Ziklag Is A Furnace…

Let me warn you…

Ziklag is a burial place and a birthplace. It’s where boys are buried and kings are born.

Ziklag is a furnace. If you are made of wood, you will be pulverized. If you are made of gold, you will be purified.

Ziklag is a rock. You can be crushed under the weight of the rock or you can stand on top of the height of the rock—and see the world in a whole new perspective.

Ziklag is a sword. It can kill or it can cut. It can kill your soul or it can cut the cancer in your soul.

In Ziklag, David had to learn a very important life skill, a life skill you need to win permanent victory: You need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord. Do not wait for others to encourage you. Do not wait for your spouse to encourage you. Do not wait for your friends to encourage you. Do not wait for your leaders to encourage you. You need to learn how to encourage yourself in the Lord.

How To Encourage Yourself

I don’t know what David did specifically. The Bible doesn’t say what he did.

But I have a guess.

Because I’ve been through Ziklag many times. And I know how I encouraged myself.

I believe David went back into his own history to remember those special times when he saw God intervene in his life. Like when God rescued him from the bear and the lion. Or when God rescued him from Goliath with a stone and a slingshot.

I have those special stories too. I dig deep and remember them….

Like the day God called me to preach when I was twelve…

Or the day God rescued me from my addictions…

I even remember the small miracles in my life.

Let me tell you one of them…

Recall God’s Interventions

Twenty-five years ago, I attended a graduation ceremony in PICC. Not as a preacher but as a photographer. My cousin was graduating and I volunteered to take his pictures. To do that, I borrowed a friend’s expensive camera, complete with a long lens that the paparazzi use. I went up in the balcony and took lots of photos.

It was a long graduation ceremony.

By the time it was over, it was evening.

After the ceremony, I congratulated my cousin and walked back to my borrowed car. (Borrowed camera, borrowed car… You get the picture how poor I was then?) But when I rode the car, I noticed that my bag was light. I looked inside it. To my horror, I saw that the long lens was gone!

I knew that long lens was expensive—more expensive than the camera itself. And I was a poor missionary. I stepped out of the car and looked back at gigantic PICC. Where will I look?

I remember praying, “Oh God, you’ve got to help me!” Immediately, I felt peace. I knew God was in charge.

I walked back to the building, taking a shortcut through the grass. Picture this: I was walking on grass in the dark. And that was when I felt an inner nudge to stop walking.

And I did. At that exact spot, I felt the same nudge to bend over and reach down. In that darkness, I stooped down and held something round. I lifted it up—it was the camera lens!

The grounds of PICC are massive and covered with darkness. It was literally like finding a pin in a haystack.

I remember that day and tell myself, “If God guides me for a something as small as a camera lens, I believe God will guide me for the bigger things in my life.”

God allows Mt. Tabor experiences in our lives to ready us for Mt. Calvary experiences. In Mt. Tabor, Jesus showed Himself with brilliant light beside Moses and Elijah to Peter, James, and John—because he knew that in a few days, they’ll experience the horrific sight of him hanging on a criminal’s cross. When they start doubting, “Did I follow the wrong guy?” they can look back that once upon a time, they saw a glorious Jesus.

Which reminds me of a very important point in the story of David and Ziklag…

God Will Return What Was Stolen From You

David wasn’t only seeking for Encouragement. He was also seeking for Enlightenment. He asked God, “Can I pursue the Amalekites? Can I overtake them?”

God told David, “Pursue the Amalekites. You shall be able to overtake them.” So David rallied his men and they chased after the Amalekites. They found them in the middle of a party, drunk and distracted. They attacked them, defeated them, and took back their wives and children. They also brought home the spoils of war—the wealth of their enemy.

When you experience loss, I believe that if you “encourage yourself in the Lord”, you’ll experience what David experienced: God returned to him what was stolen—plus interest!

What kind of interest? The Old Testament says that the thief, once caught, should return seven times what he has stolen. (Proverbs 6:30-31)

Have you lost anything?

Whenever I lose money in business, I ask God to return it to me sevenfold. It happens.

If you go to the courthouse of men, they may punish the thief and ask him to return what he has stolen. But if you go to the courthouse of God, claim in faith that God Himself will see to it that what was stolen from you shall be returned sevenfold.

Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one. Perhaps a parent just passed away. Perhaps you experienced a miscarriage. And there’s a deep wound in your heart. Believe me, God will not only return this person to you sevenfold, but eternal-fold. Be patient. In Heaven, you’ll be reunited with your loved one forever and ever and ever…

Learn to encourage yourself in the Lord.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Your Failures are Temporary by Bro. Bo Sanchez

2012-07-23T06:48:00.002-07:00

Failure can be devastating.

Just recall your most painful failures.

Have you failed in school? Have you experienced waiting outside the registrar’s office, your body sweating, your knees shaking, your stomach churning, praying that your grade isn’t a 72% but 75%–or you get kicked out of school? (Been there, done that.)

Have you failed in your job? In your business? Did you lose money in your investments? Have you plunked in hard-earned money in a business—only to have the money disappear? (I’ve experienced this ten times in my life…)

Have you failed in your diets? My friend tried the Atkins Diet and he failed. He tried the Mediterranean Diet and he failed. He tried the After Six Diet, and he failed. He tried the South Beach Diet, the North Beach, The East Beach, and the West Beach—and failed all of them too. Finally, he’s doing the Seafood Diet and its been working. What he sees, he eats.

Have you failed in your exercise programs? Have you decided to run each morning—and lasted only for two weeks? Have you bought a treadmill and now use it as a clothes hanger? Skywalker? Abroller? Abflex? ThighMaster? StepMaster? Used them for three weeks max, and are now symbols of your undisciplined life?

Have you failed in your love-life? Have you ever experienced a broken heart? Have you loved someone with all your heart, but that someone didn’t love you back but just wanted you to be a friend? (“But I don’t want to be just your friend! Grrrr!”) Or have YOU broken someone’s heart? Is your theme song, To all the girls I’ve loved before. Who travelled in and out my door Have you failed in your family life? As husband, wife, father, mother, sibling, child, grandchild?

Have you failed God?

Have you failed yourself?

People ask me how could I have written 27 books, so far. The answer is easy. It’s not because I have more brilliance. It’s because I have more blunders. Because every time I fail, I try to learn from my failures—and share this wisdom in my books.

Here’s God’s big message for you today. Failure is Temporary, but Victory is Permanent—because God cannot fail…

3 Lessons I Will Never Forget

A few years ago, I wanted to learn how to play badminton. I asked my friend Mike Joseph to teach me how to play. Mike was phenomenal in badminton. He has been playing the sport for 30+ years. Before badminton became fashionable, he was already playing it as a kid. I bet when he was still in his diapers, he wasn’t holding a rattle, he was holding a badminton racket.

After two training sessions with him, something unforgettable happened. While we were dressing up to train, two guys invited us to a doubles game.

I was about to tell them, “Oh sorry guys, I don’t know how to play yet. Just in kindergarten…” But Mike blurted out, “Sure!”

My jaw dropped. Was he out of his mind? I told the two men, “Excuse me for a moment while I confer with my friend…”

I walked near Mike and whispered, “Are you insane? I don’t know how to play! These guys look like star players. We’re going to be massacred.”

He said, “It’s okay, Bo. Here’s what you do. Just stand in front of the net. If the shuttlecock goes near you, raise your racket and swat it down. Remember these two things: Give it your best shot. And I’ll take care of the rest.”

So I did the unbelievable.

With trembling knees, I took my place near the net. I looked at the two opponents on the other side and froze. They looked like pros. Because they had expensive badminton rackets. And matching outfits!

In the entire game, I did what Mike told me to do—stand near the net and swat whenever the ball came near me. And Mike would do everything else. Believe me, he was like The Flash. When I turned to my right, he was there. When I turned to my left, he was there. When I looked behind me, he was there!

What happened? That day, Mike and I crushed those guys. They didn’t know what hit them.

I felt great winning the game. Honestly, I didn’t do much. Goodness, I think I didn’t even perspire. In the entire 45 minutes of playing, I probably hit the ball twice. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I did more than that.

Let me share with you three key lessons I learned that day…

1. Always Play Doubles

Today, you’re fighting different battles in your life. Perhaps you’re fighting health problems. Or you’re fighting financial difficulties. Or you’re fighting relationship conflicts. Sometimes, you feel these opponents are huge and strong and powerful.

Here’s my word for you: Don’t try to fight alone.

Because God designed your life to be lived NOT as a Singles Game, but as a Doubles Game. You need a Partner.

There are people I know who fight their fights alone—and sooner or later, they lose. People think they lose because of a lack of proficiency. Or a lack of power. Or a lack of perseverance. Or a lack of provision. But actually, they lack a Partner. They lack a Champion Partner. Because if they had a Champion Partner, that Partner will give them the proficiency and power and perseverance or provision they need.

In our first game, the score was 15-9. We got 15 and they got 9. Do you know why the opponent had 9 points? Because I made 9 mistakes.

Here’s what I learned: If you Partner with a Champion, you can make all sorts of mistakes—and still win.

I Shouldn’t Be Here!

This is the story of my life. I have made so many mistakes in my life, I’m wondering what in the world am I doing here, experiencing great blessing and success?

As I told you, I failed in school.

I think it all started when I was in Kindergarten. My teacher asked the class to write our names. Simple, right? Not if your name was Eugenio Isabelo Tomas Reyes Sanchez Jr. At that time, I couldn’t even memorize my name, much less write it down.

So I probably felt bobo (dumb)because by recess time, all my classmates were already playing outside—but I was still on my seat writing my name.

Seriously, I probably was mildly dyslexic because I couldn’t spell my words right. In Grade school, my teacher gave us 20 words to spell—and I only spelled 2 words right. The two words were “cat” and “dog”. But I couldn’t spell words with two syllables.

I was also bullied. Note: Not just by my classmates but by my teacher. Not only was I small and thin, but I was terrible at sports. I remember playing baseball. My teacher assigned me to be right outfielder. But I was so uncoordinated, I couldn’t catch the ball. My Teacher told all my classmates, “Try to hit the ball towards Eugenio because he won’t be able to catch it…” and then he’d laugh really loud and all my classmates would laugh with him.

For our yearbook, they couldn’t write anything under my photo. There was nothing to write about. So they wrote something like, “Eugenio existed… sometimes.”

As I grew up, I failed God. I sinned against God many times.

And that’s why God’s big message for you today is very close to my heart: Failure is Temporary, but Victory is Permanent—because God cannot fail.

Despite all those failures, I’m living a dream life today. I’m blessed beyond my wildest imagination. Everyday, I’m surrounded by love. I have a wonderful family. I have phenomenal friends. I have the most amazing work in the universe. There are days when I pinch myself. How can someone who has failed so much be so blessed?

Here’s how: God’s specializes in transforming your failures into your fortunes, your defeats into your doorways, your disasters into your destinies, your messes into your magnificence.

Have you failed in your life? Have you made so many mistakes that you can’t count them? I’ve got good news for you. If you make God your Partner, no matter how many mistakes you‘ve made in your life, you can still win!

I repeat, Failure is Temporary, but Victory is Permanent—because God cannot fail.

Here’s my second key lesson…

2. Always Give Your Best

Mike told me only two things. He said, “Give it your best shot. I’ll take care of the rest.”

As I said, in our first game, the opponent had 9 points because I made 9 mistakes. Think about it: If I stood there like a flagpole, and did absolutely nothing, we would have won the game with the score 15-0. It would have been a more impressive win for Mike.

But Mike’s goal wasn’t to win. Mike’s goal was to teach how to win. He wanted me to learn, to grow, to develop, to be better. So before playing, he told me, “Give it your best shot.” Even if my best wasn’t good enough. Even if my best meant making all sorts of mistakes.

Friend, that’s exactly what God is telling you to do now.

God wants you to give life your best shot.

The world is your stage! And everyday, God wants you to go out there, stand on that stage, and give your best performance.

So if you’re a teacher, then teach your students so well that they’ll be wiser and better and kinder and nobler than their parents. If you’re an Entrepreneur, sell us products that will elevate the human spirit. If you’re a janitor, hold your mop like a king holds his scepter and make that floor shine so that when people look at it, they’ll say that life is getting brighter everyday. If you’re a nurse, then love your patients so well that they’ll think angels are walking in our midst. It doesn’t matter what you do. The world is your stage and your audience is begging you to give your best performance every time. Soon, people will travel for miles, line up for a chance to sit at your feet to watch you give your best.

Here’s my final lesson…

3. Always Trust Your Partner

We actually played three badminton games that day.

In the first game, we won. But in the second game, we lost. The score was 13-15. Yes, I made more mistakes.

We took a water break after that. I walked up to Mike and said, “I’m such a lousy player. I think we should give up.”

“Nonsense!” he said, “You’re getting better!”

“Huh?” I looked behind me, wondering if he was talking to someone else. Nobody was there. “Gosh Mike, we lost! All because of me.”

He shook his head, “We just lost one game. We’re now going to win the next game.”

That’s when I remembered that Mike gave me only two instructions. First, he said, “Give it your best shot.” Second, he said, “I’ll take care of the rest.”

I realized I needed to trust my Mentor. If he said, “We’re going to win this next game,” then we’re going to win the next game. If he said, “Bo, you’re getting better,” then I’m really getting better!

True enough, we won that third game. The score was 15-7. They made 7 points because I only made 7 mistakes. I was getting better because I was committing lesser mistakes.

Friend, perhaps you’ve made a lot of mistakes and you feel disappointed with yourself today. But God is telling you, “You’re getting better! You’ll win in the next game.”

When you turn to the right, God will be there. When you turn to the left, God will be there too. When you look behind you, God’s got you covered. He’ll back you up. He’ll make you win.

Live by this Law: Do your best and let your Partner do the rest. Friend, remove worry from your life. Trust in your Partner! Even when your situation is impossible. Especially when your situation is impossible!

Do Your Best And Let Your Partner Do The Rest

Let me tell you a true story of my friends, James and Diana, a married couple who have been members of Light of Jesus for 30+ years now. (I’ve changed their names.)

30+ years ago, James and Diana had 3 friends who wanted to work abroad. Luckily, Diana had another friend who was in charge of hiring staff for luxury ships—and asked for her help for their friends. In no time, the three men got jobs as waiters in restaurants in the ship. The men happily worked as seamen, sending precious dollars to their family.

That same friend offered James a job as well. “James, we still need waiters. Why don’t you apply?” she asked.

Diana and James talked about the offer – which was really tempting, because at the time, they were in their 20s and were minimum wagers. Diana worked in a printing press and James in a food chain. They already had three kids, and their eldest, already six years old, would soon start school.

At that time, they were already part of the Light of Jesus Family. After praying together with their friends in community, James didn’t feel peace about working abroad. He decided he should turn it down, stick it out here, and believe that God will prosper them.

“In the beginning, it was difficult to stand by our decision,” Diana told me. “I saw the families of my 3 friends happy with the money the men were sending them. They had big TV sets and nice ovens. The ladies also showed me their branded imported bags. Their kids played remote-controlled big toy cars—and my sons just watched them, their mouths salivating. When the men came home for a vacation—they gave us chocolates and imported canned goods. Through those early years, we wondered if we made the right decision or not. It felt like we were failures and they were winners.”

Fast forward 30+ years later. Here’s what happened to them…

Friend #1 fell in love with a chambermaid in the luxury ship. His wife threatened to leave him. James advised his friend to quit working at sea. He listened. He found a job as waiter in a local restaurant—and saved his marriage.

Friend #2, lonely at sea, found comfort in shabuhe found in ports where his ship docked. He became a drug addict and was fired. Because of his addiction, he couldn’t find work in the Philippines, so his family went bankrupt. To save her kids from poverty, his wife left him and lived with another man who provided for her. Friend #2 is now living on the streets, begging for food from his neighbors.

Friend #3 did not have a mistress, neither did he become a drug addict. He provided for his family so well that his kids were able to go to exclusive schools. Happy ending? Not quite. His wife, unable to sleep during the long nights that her husband was gone, took downers—sleeping pills that eventually affected her brain. She is now mentally ill and he had to quit working abroad so he could take care of her and their kids.

Meanwhile, James and Diana, gave their best. And God did the rest. Their home now also has the large TV set. James rose through the ranks until he became a top supervisor. But most importantly, they had their family intact.

By the way, I’m not telling you this story to tell you NOT to become an OFW. It’s still possible, but I urge you that if you’ll be separated from your spouse, it can’t be for too long. If at all possible, find a way to be together. Because that’s how God designed families.

But that’s the main reason why I tell you this story.

Here’s my main point: Early on, Diana and James thought they failed in life. But God vindicated them. 30 years later, they realized that failure is temporary, and victory is permanent, because God cannot fail.

God Doesn’t Do The Easy Things Only

Nothing is more impossible than death.

In the Bible, Jesus raised 3 dead people to life. They were the daughter of Jairus, the son of the Widow of Nain, and Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha.

The daughter of Jairus had just died a few minutes ago. Her body was still warm. Because when Jairus asked Jesus to pray for his daughter, she was still alive. But when they arrived at the house, someone told Jairus, “Don’t bother the Master. Your daughter is dead.” But Jesus still entered the room, and said to her, “Rise!” and the daughter of Jairus rose up from her deathbed.

The son of the widow of Nain died possibly for more than 12 hours. When Jesus met the funeral procession on the road, the guy was already in a coffin about to be buried. So his body was stiff and cold. They didn’t embalm people then, so they bury people in the same day they died. But Jesus stopped the funeral procession, touched the coffin, and said, “Rise!” and the man rose up from his coffin and started talking.

But among the three, no one was deader than Lazarus. Lazarus has been buried for four days. In fact, when Jesus came, Mary said, “Jesus, his body smells by now. His body has been rotting for 4 days.” But Jesus still said, “Lazarus, come out!” and Lazarus walked out of the grave.

What do these three miracles say to you?

Perhaps your dreams have died—and they’re dead in varying degrees.

Perhaps your dream just died yesterday and it’s lifeless now on its deathbed. Perhaps your dream died some time back, and it’s now lying stiff and cold in a coffin. Or perhaps your dream died many years ago and it’s rotting in a grave.

All that doesn’t matter. Because God is in the business of resurrecting dead dreams.

God isn’t here to do the easy things only. God is here to do the impossible things.

God is telling you now, “Nothing is too hard for me.”

All your failures are temporary. All your difficulties are temporary. All your disappointments are temporary. All your heartbreaks are temporary. All your bankruptcies are temporary. Even the pain of death is temporary! But your Victory is permanent. Because God cannot fail.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

3 lessons on how to get your Miracles by bro. bo sanchez

2012-07-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Would you be willing to be married to a pathological liar?

I don’t think so.

Would you want to do business with someone who can’t keep his promises?

No, thank you.

Would you want to work with a boss who isn’t a man of his word? (Imagine if at payday, he says, “I know I promised to pay you a salary but I’ve changed my mind. I don’t feel like paying you a salary today.”)

Here’s the deal. Life on planet earth would totally breakdown if everyone starts lying. The only reason why society can still function is because there are enough people who don’t lie.

And that’s why despite all your big problems, your life can be beautiful and happy and glorious and successful. Because your God cannot lie When He says something, you can be sure that it will happen.

The Difference Between You And God

The Bible says that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).

When you speak, you’re describing reality. But when God speaks, He’s not describing reality… He’s creating reality.

When I say, “I’m handsome,” I’m describing reality. (Sorry for my hallucinatory example.) But when God tells me, “Bo, you’re handsome,” He’s not describing, He’s creating reality. He’s imparting handsomeness into me. (I apologize. I don’t have delusions of grandeur, I have delusions of gorgeousness.)

Why? Because God isn’t just telling the truth.

He IS the Truth.

Let me tell you the story of the prophet Elisha…

Success Goes To The Bold

You may be more familiar with the prophet Elijah, the guy who brought down fire from heaven. The guy who stood with Moses and Jesus in the Transfiguration. The guy rode up to Heaven in a fiery chariot. Well, Elisha was the disciple of Elijah. The sidekick, the understudy, the successor, the heir-apparent. (Forgive me for my crude and juvenile analogy, but if Elijah was Batman, Elisha was Robin—minus the briefs worn outside the pants.)

One day, Elijah knew that he was in the pre-departure area to Heaven. Before he boarded Chariot Airways, he asked Elisha, “What do you want?” (See 2 Kings 2:9ff)

I love Elisha’s answer. Elisha said, “Give me a double portion of your anointing.”

I love the spunk. The guts. The audacity. If Elisha were Filipino, he would have played small. He would have been embarrassed. The Filipino Elisha would have said, “Naku, huwag na lang, nakakahiya naman…” (Never mind, I’m embarrassed.) Elijah has to insist three or four times before the Filipino Elisha would say, “O sige na nga, mabahiran mo lang ako ng maski isang patak ng iyong anointing, masaya na ako…” (Just give me a drop of your anointing and I’ll be happy…)

But Elisha had the nerve, the gall, the boldness to ask for double. He asked for big things because he believed in a big God who blesses us in a big way.

And guess what? He got it.

God didn’t say, “Ang kapal mo!” (You’re thick-faced.)

God actually gave Elisha what he asked for. Because Elisha wasn’t asking for himself. He wanted double anointing because he wanted to doubly serve God’s people.

I’ve noticed that in life, success goes to the bold, the daring, the courageous. Success goes to people who ask big things from God.

Let me ask you… When was the last time you were bold? When was the last time you became ambitious for God? When was the last time you asked something big from God?

Let me tell you what happened next to Elisha…

He Almost Got Double

Elijah, in his lifetime, performed 7 miracles.

Elisha, in his lifetime, performed 13 miracles.

It was almost double.

Good enough, right?

Well to God, almost isn’t enough. If God says you get double, then you should get double. Because God cannot lie.

Soon after Elisha’s death, a group of Israelites were burying a man. Because they were in a hurry, they threw the dead body of their friend in a cave. But that was the cave where Elisha was buried. When the dead body touched the bones of Elisha, it came to life and the man walked out of the cave (see 2 Kings 13:21).

Can you imagine how crazy that scene was? The ex-dead guy runs after his friends. “Hey, wait for me!”

When his friends turn around and see him running towards them, they probably screamed and ran away! I bet the record for the 100-meter dash was broken that day.

That was miracle 14.

Why? Because God cannot lie. If he said double, then it’s going to be double.

Here are three lessons I’d like to share with you…

Lesson #1:

Be Firm With Your Dream

When it comes to pursuing your dreams, there’ll be times in your life when you’ll have to choose between your faith and your feelings.

Your feelings are your friends. But they’re not your masters. Your feelings are the windows to your soul. But they’re not your soul.

There are days when your faith and your feelings will conflict with each other. When you feel discouraged, disappointed, and depressed… Acknowledge your feelings, but don’t follow your feelings! Follow your faith.

Your faith that says, “God cannot lie. You can trust Him.”

Listen To Your Feelings But Follow Your Faith

If you’re facing gigantic problems right now, your feelings may be telling you, “It’s all over for me. All is lost. Throw in the towel. Give up! There is no more hope for me…” But today, your faith is telling you, “I’ve already won the victory. I can’t just see it yet. But it’s already a done deal. I’m a conqueror. I’m a champion.”

Right now, your feelings may be telling you, “My body is sick. My doctor says I’m sick. The results of my medical exam say you’re sick. So I might as well die right now…” But today, your faith is telling you, “God is healing me. And I’ll grow old to a ripe old age. I have many more years of service to the Lord.”

Right now, your feelings might be telling you, “I’ll always be poor. I’ll always have debts. I’ll always be asking for money from friends and family.” But today, your faith is telling you, “A day will come when I’ll have no more debts. A day will come when I’ll have a river of money flowing into my life. A day will come when I’ll have another problem—the problem of having too much money.”

Did God Really Call Me To Preach?

When I was 13 years old, my prayer group leader prophesied to me, “Bo, God will anoint you with Wisdom. You will preach the Gospel all over the world.”

I held onto this word. And I began preaching in our small prayer group of 20 to 30 people. And I seemed to be doing okay. People were telling me that they were blessed by my simple words.

But one day, for the first time in my life, I was invited to give a talk in a Bible Seminar. My audience was still 20 to 30 people. But I was intimidated by the word “Seminar”. It felt so official. So formal. So serious. What was I, a 14-year old kid doing there, giving a talk in a Seminar?

Because of my fears, my talk bombed. For fifteen minutes, I mumbled through my talk. I meandered my way from one confusing point to another. I was perspiring cold sweat. My tongue was twisting, my voice was squeaking, my knees were shaking. At that point, I wanted to be an ostrich—I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury my head.

When I finally sat down, the Seminar Organizer had to stand up on stage and say, “What Brother Bo was trying to say was…” He had to give the entire talk all over again.

After the event was over, the Seminar Organizer took me to one corner and said, “Bo, it’ll be better if you just limit yourself to speaking to kids only…” Ouch. I felt crushed. In other words, he was telling me that I was a terrible. In my heart, I felt God’s call to preach was over.

My feelings said, “Perhaps God made a mistake. Perhaps I made a mistake and heard God wrongly. Perhaps I’m not really called to be a Speaker but to set up the Audio Speakers for the prayer meeting.”

But my faith said, “God chose me to be a Preacher. God anointed me. God appointed me. Sure, I failed today. But I’ll learn from this failure. The best is yet to come!” The next time there was an opportunity, I gave another talk. And another. And another.

So far, I’ve been preaching for 34 years.

God’s promise came true. God cannot lie.

Friend, let me warn you: There will be days when you’ll doubt God’s promise for you. Feelings of despair will cloud your thinking. You’ll hear yourself say, “Maybe I heard wrong. Maybe this isn’t what God wants me to do…”

When your feelings and your faith contradict with each other, listen to your feelings, acknowledge them, accept them, but follow your faith alone.

God cannot lie. You can trust God. Because God’s promise will come true.

Did God Really Call Me To Write?

When I was 20 years old, I felt God calling me to write.

So I wrote my first ever book, When My Brook Runs Dry.

People who read that book told me how blessed they were.

So I kept writing more magazines, more books,…

Not long after that, a priest came up to me and asked, “Brother Bo, when will you finally write the real Word of God?” Disturbed by his question, I asked him, “Father, what do you mean?”

He said, “So far, you’ve been writing about stories, jokes, and other petty things. You’re giving people candy. When will you give your people real meat?”

This was early in my writing career, and again, I felt very discouraged. This priest was telling me that I was a terrible writer. That I wasn’t really giving God’s Word.

My feelings were telling me, “Give up your writing. You’re only entertaining people. Not really giving God’s Word.”

But my faith was telling me, “Don’t stop. This priest doesn’t like your writing. But how many people have written to you, telling you that they’re blessed by your books? This priest is a scholar who wants you to write like a priest. But you’re not a priest. God has called you to write in a particular way!”

Thank God, I followed my faith. Today, I’m writing my 28^th book.

Here’s my second lesson from Elisha’s story…

Lesson #2:

Be Flexible With Your Deadline

Elisha’s 14^th miracle didn’t happen until after his death.

When your dreams don’t come true, perhaps there’s nothing wrong with your dreams. Perhaps there’s something wrong with your deadlines.

Dreams should have deadlines, but they should be flexible.

It’s important to have deadlines. It’s important to say, “I’ll launch my business by January 2013” or “I’ll lose 20 pounds by December 2012” or “I’ll be debt-free by July 2014” or “I’ll own my house by January 2015.”

Deadlines are good because they push you to action.

But I believe that your biggest dreams should have flexible deadlines. Precisely because they’re bigger than you are, you don’t rush these things. You wait—with profound reverence—for a confluence of blessings to happen, for a tipping point of miracles to take place.

Why doesn’t He rush? Because God’s priority isn’t your destination but your development. God’s priority isn’t the dream but the dreamer.

Be flexible with your Deadlines because God is very flexible with time. The Bible says With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (2 Peter 3:8)

My biggest dream is to build 1000 Feasts around the world. People always ask me, “When will that happen?”

People are shocked when I tell them, “I don’t know when that will happen. I just know it will. I don’t have a strict deadline for this dream. Who knows? Perhaps it will happen in 2020. Perhaps in 2025. Or even later. All I know is I’m enjoying everyday that we’re making it happen. I’m positive that it will happen in my lifetime, because I plan to live a long and happy life. But I won’t get depressed if it happens after I die. Because the dream is bigger than me.”

Lesson #3:

Be Free With Your Details

Your dreams must also have details—just don’t be attached to them. You need details because details fuel your imagination—and imagination is more powerful than your intellect. You need details to make your dream visible and palpable.

For example, if you’re praying for a car, tell God what brand, what model, what color, and what features you want in your car—if you want a back sensor, leather seats, a DVD player.

But at the end of the day, if you really trust God, give Him freedom to alter your details to give you the best possible car that you need for your life.

Always be open to God’s best.

Why Didn’t God Give Them A Child?

I was talking to Rolly and Donna Espana, leaders here in Feast PICC. They’ve been serving God for decades. But no matter how much they prayed for a child, the child never came.

It’s easy for his feelings to tell them, “You’re incomplete. You’re inadequate. Because you don’t have a child.”

I had lunch with them last week. With deep emotion, Rolly was telling me what his faith was telling him. He said, “Brother Bo, God has made me complete and lacking nothing. Why? I may not have any biological children, but by God’s grace, I have so many sons today! Many young men from our community visit me, talk to me, ask for my fatherly counsel, and seek for my fatherly blessing.”

I felt so blessed talking to Rolly and Donna.

They dreamt of becoming biological parents to two or three children. But God wanted them to be spiritual parents to thousands.

Be free with the details.

Our Most Common Mistake

I love telling the story of how I was fixated on a 500 square meter property for our Community Center. It was a foreclosed property that the bank was selling. I wanted it so much, I’d visit it many times—and when no one was looking—I’d raise my hand towards it and “claim” it to be ours. (If I saw someone walking on the street, I’d pretend I was just checking out the fence.)

I was tenacious. I told the tiny Light of Jesuscommunity then to pray and fast. I even scheduled a 3-night vigil to pray for the place. We also went into massive fundraising. We went Christmas Caroling in August.

But one day, we received the news: Someone else bought the property from the bank. We were devastated.

I remember our prayer meeting the week we found out. It was as if I was attending a funeral. Some people were even crying.

But ten years later, something happened.

Read to that line again. Ten years later—God made our dream come true. We finally acquired a property.

But the details were very far from our details.

It wasn’t 500 square meters. It wasn’t 1000, or 2000, or 5000, or even 10,000 square meters.

God gave us 50,000 square meters. (On that land, we built Anawim, our ministry for the abandoned elderly.)

This taught me that God’s measurements aren’t my measurement. We think too small for God.

I was asking for 500 square meters, and God must have been laughing at me, saying, “You won’t be able to do what I want you to do. Just wait.”

You know what our most common mistake is when it comes to making our dreams come true? We think too small and think too fast. But I’ve noticed that God does the very opposite: In our minds, God thinks too big and too slow (at least compared to our busy, frenzied lives)!

We think too small. Learn to think big. Enlarge your vision. Because we worship a big God who wants to bless us in a big way.

We think too fast. But God is never in a hurry. He loves taking His sweet time. He enjoys the journey. I repeat: He doesn’t prioritize the dream, he prioritizes the dreamer. He prioritizes you—what you become in the process of making your dreams come true.

God cannot lie.

You can trust Him all the way.

Receive His Promises Today

Let me end with a prayer of blessing.

Remember what I said above—that God doesn’t describe reality but create it?

Read this prayerfully and receive this blessing…

When Jesus says in John 10:10, “I have come that you may have life and have in abundance,” He’s not only describing that reality, He’s making it that abundance a reality in your life right now.

When He says in Philippians 4:19, “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you,” He’s not just saying nice words, He’s imputing divine strength into you.

When He says in Romans 8:28, “all things work for good to those who love God,” He’s not just saying a pretty slogan, He’s actually re-engineering and maneuvering circumstances to transform your problems to become your potentials, your trials to become your treasures, and your burdens to become your blessings.

When He says in Philippians 4:13, “all your needs will be met according to the glorious riches of Christ,” that means He already has sent the miracle to you and its on its way! (From what I hear, God uses DHL to send our packages of miracles to us. DHL for Delivering Heaven’s Love.)

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez