Bo Sanchez - Light of Jesus Community

December 2006

Steve Ray is a friend. Several times now, we’ve invited this brilliant American Catholic Apologist to speak here in the Philippines. His inspiring articles on the Filipinos have been circulating for some years now, but a KFAM member requested that I post it here, and I guess there might be some people who haven’t read it yet–so here goes… For more information on who Steve Ray is, you can go to his great website at www.catholic-convert.com

STEVE RAY’S LETTER TO FILIPINOS
We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark. Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front. We didn’t know what to expect here in Istanbul, Turkey. I guess we expected it to be a somber Mass but quiet and somber it was not-I thought I heard angels joyously singing behind me.

The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful. What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the world. It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises. I had seen this many times before in Rome, in Israel, in the United States and other countries. Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God.

What are the special traits which characterize these happy people? I will share a few that I have noticed personal observations as I have traveled around the world, including visits to the Philippines.

FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family. These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in different isles. They sat together, closely. They didn’t just sing quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words. No, they raised their voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of unity and communion among them. They are family even if they are not related.

SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world today. When most of the world’s citizens are worried and fretful, I have found Filipinos to have joy and peace, a deep sense of God’s love that overshadows them. They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbor.

THIRD, there is a love for God and for his Son Jesus that is almost synonymous with the word Filipino. There is also something that Filipinos are famous for around the world - their love for the Blessed Mother. Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title for Mary I always hear from their lips is “Mama Mary.” For these gentle folks Mary is not just a theological idea, a historical person, or a statue in a church.

Mary is the mother of their Lord and their mother as well, their “mama.” The Philippines is a Catholic nation - the only such nation in Asia and this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world. They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church. No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth,and everywhere they go they take the joyous gospel of Jesus with them. They make a somber Mass joyful when they burst into song. They convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the Eucharist central in their lives.

My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines sharing my conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities. I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the Eucharist. As many other religions and sects try to persuade them to leave the Church, may God give the wisdom to defend the Catholic faith. As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important than all the riches the world can offer.

May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be a light of the Gospel to the whole world!

December 2006

Hi, Preachers. And Would-Be Preachers.
I’m also a Preacher. Been one for 25 years now.
But many times, I’m also your audience.

Many times, I’m also the ordinary Mr. Guy-At-The-Pew because I too listen to Lay Preachers and Priests give their talks. So I see you, the Preacher, the way 90% of the world sees you: A figure in front some seventy feet away, three-fourths of your body covered by an old pulpit.
Competing against your talk is the humidity of the Philippines, the noisy kids around me, plus the lovely girl in front of me wearing a spaghetti strap blouse that exposes her exquisite neck and flawless shoulders.
And as if all these aren’t enough, I’m very distracted by my problems at my job and my family that keep replaying in my mind like the refrain of a hit song on radio. I’m thinking of my big and small concerns. The debt that needs to be paid on Tuesday. The electric fan that my wife asked me to fix 6 weeks ago. The DVD that my son wants me to rent after Mass…
How can you compete?
I have 8 suggestions.
I gave this talk to a group of 90 priests—and they were immensely grateful.
Here they are…

For starters, I want to see you.
Move out of the pulpit. Don’t hide.
If you have something to say, show yourself.
Remember, you’re speaking to a generation raised by television, spending 5 hours a day with it since birth. So we’re visually-wired. We need to see something moving in front of us if you want to speak to us.

Second, connect with me.
My friend complained, “When my parish priest gives his talk, I sometimes feel he’s autistic. He just babbles his words to the wind. It’s as though we’re not even there in front of him. I have this great desire to shout and wave my hand, ‘Yoohoo, Father, I’m here! Hello!’”
Yes, Preachers.
Speak to me. Look at me. Talk to me. Converse with me.
Connect.

Third, use small words.
For example, I noticed that priests love this word: Dichotomy.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard it from the pulpit.
Father, you’re no longer a seminarian taking a compre, impressing your theo prof.
Do people go to the market and say, “Isang kilo lang ang bibilhin ko sa malaking isda na yan. Paki-dichotomize mo nga…” I don’t think so.
If you know that 90% of your listeners don’t use the word dichotomy, and your goal is to communicate, then don’t you use it.
You might as well speak German if you do.

Fourth, tell stories.
Here’s what I’ve learned from sales people: Facts tell but stories sell.
I need to see it in my imagination—and then I’ll understand it.
Use analogies. Use personal experiences. Use details, and make me see, touch, taste, smell, and feel the story.
Like Jesus and his parables, be the best story-teller in the world.
Don’t say it’s impossible. Hone your craft!

Fifth, don’t forget my needs.
You may criticize Mike Velarde for his neon-colored barong, but you have to admit that he’s an incredibly effective speaker. (Proof? 300,000 people gather in front of him every week voluntarily.)
Why? He always speaks with their problems in his mind.
Your audience is a bunch of people that have debts to pay, fears about their kids, burdened by marital fights, suffer from hypertension, arthritis, migraine, and cancer.
Believe me, the Gospel of the day is very far from their minds.
So when you begin your homily by saying, “The Gospel for the day is about…” you tune out half of your audience.
Begin with where people are. And then talk about how the Gospel addresses their problems.

Sixth, speak more than fifteen only if you’re really good.
A fifteen-minute talk is purgatory if you’re boring.
But a thirty-minute talk from an excellent preacher is bitin.
So if you know you’re still growing in the skill of preaching, shorten your homilies. Some great preachers are even known for the brevity of their talks.
Many love (adore, worship) Bishop Soc Villegas’ three-minute sermons, which I compare to solid punches to one’s solar plexus. On target, every time—with the least amount of words.

Seventh, be real.
Tell me a bit of your struggles. Your sins. Your temptations.
Tell me about the problems you go through.
I need to know you’re just like me—needing God at every breath.
Open up and I’ll open up to your message.
Doing so will make you cease being another statue in church.
You’ll become a friend.

Eight, speak from your passion.
I’m not talking about bombast.
You could speak very quietly, but I know if you’re speaking from an inner passion—or if you’re speaking from your head and your hastily prepared notes.
This is probably the most important lesson in preaching.
Don’t talk about trust, or repentance, or love, or service—if you don’t feel a fire in your belly for trust, or repentance, or love, or service… It just won’t work.
People will know you’re a phony.

PREACHERS’ HABITS
I’ve been preaching for 25 years.
Here are some habits that have helped me through the years…
• Read as much as you breathe
• Listen to preaching videos and audiotapes
• Prepare your talks way in advance
• Most of all, deepen your relationship with God
The last point is decisive. I try (strive, strain, struggle, stumble) to strengthen my spiritual life. That’s where the passion comes from.
For without passion—a love for God and for others—the preacher is a noisy gong and a clanging bell.

PS. One of my dreams for next year under the Kerygma Family—A School for Catholic Leadership. One important Subject: how to preach! Pray for this. Join the Kerygma Family and be part of a growing ministry that will impact the world.

December 2006

Last year, I visited a parish church. A young woman recognized me and said, “Are you Brother Bo?”
“Yes,” I said, “do you belong to this parish?”
“Yes. I’ve been a Mass commentator here for three years now. But I won’t be serving for long…”
“How come? Too busy?”
“No, I’ll be serving now this Born Again church in Ortigas…”
I was taken aback by her response. I blinked hard and asked, “Why?”
“Oh Brother Bo, I don’t feel spiritually fed here. The homilies are lifeless. I don’t feel ministered in my soul. My spiritual thirst isn’t quenched. After Mass, I don’t feel inspired.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but…”
I couldn’t interrupt her. “But Brother Bo, six months ago, my friends invited me to this Born Again church in the Ortigas area and I’ve been so blessed. My life has changed! The preaching really feeds the spirit. And the worship is alive. I go home after the service bringing home God’s message in my heart.”
“I understand. But if you really understood the truth of the Eucharist, you’ll realize it’s the life-giving Body and Blood of Jesus Himself. How can you not be fed?”
“But where will I get fed with Gods’ Word? Don’t get me wrong Brother Bo, I’ll always remain Catholic and I’ll still go to Mass here. But right after Mass, you’ll also see me attending in that Born Again church. Because that’s where my soul is fed with God’s Word.”
“Have you ever attended our Kerygma FEAST?”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“It’s our monthly prayer meeting. Whatever you find in that Born Again church, we have it too. With beautiful worship and dynamic preaching of God’s Word. But there’s Holy Mass too. That’s why 3,000 people attend every first Sunday of the month. People from as far as Tarlac in the North and Cavite in the South travel all the way to Quezon City just to attend the FEAST.
“Wow, that’s great! Okay, count me in. But I have a question…”
“Yes?”
“Why only once a month? What will I do with the other Sundays?”
“Uh… gee….” I was stumped.
Friends, this conversation took place last year.
I now have an answer for this woman.
Starting next year, I want the FEAST to be weekly!—complete with Holy Mass, Worship, and Preaching.
Here are my reasons for making it weekly…

1. I want to draw people who are no longer attending Mass on Sundays.
Why? For some reason, they no longer find God or the Mass relevant in their lives. According to statistics, only 15% of Catholics go to Mass on Sundays. So if there are 8.5 Million Catholics in Metro Manila, that means there are 6.7M Catholics who are no longer go their parishes. These are the people I want to bring to the FEAST.

2. I want to draw the millions of Catholics who now attend Born Again churches because they find their parish Masses dead—while their protestant services life-giving.
Of course I don’t believe the Mass can ever be dead. It’s the center of our faith. But I’m just telling you the facts: millions have left the church. I want to bring some of them back through the weekly FEAST. I want to tell them that the Holy Spirit is alive in the Catholic Church.

3. Ultimately, I want to “franchise” the FEAST to the various parishes all over the Philippines—and around the world.
Through the internet, we’ll be video streaming the Manila FEAST to hundreds of similar gatherings in various parish churches, thus strengthening the parishes by giving their parishioners the option of attending the FEAST in their own local parish.

I have a little problem though. Can you help me find a venue large enough for the weekly FEAST? A place that can accommodate 3,000 people. If you know of an empty property we can lease—somewhere centrally located—we could build an air-conditioned tent over it. Temporarily, we’re willing to move to a mall or building or factory that can accommodate us in a weekly basis. If you have suggestions, call Sol Saura at 7266728 or 7263334 or 7263929.

Yes, I want to nourish more people with God’s Word on a weekly basis.

November 2006

Sorry for the long silence in my blogs.
But hey, my Reality TV show, Preacher In Blue Jeans, has a brand new, exciting episode every single day! So I wasn’t silent at all but incredibly noisy!
I couldn’t write too many blogs during my hectic preaching trip in Indonesia. I was asking God to secretly give me 26 hours a day. “Lord, slip them in my back pocket when no one’s watching, so people won’t get envious.” But He shook his head and reminded me that He has already given me 1000 hours a day. (More on this later.)
If you watched my Indonesia episodes of Preacher In Blue Jeans, you would have gotten a feel for how wonderfully busy that trip was. (I’ll swing by there again when I make a preaching trip to Perth, Australia and Singapore on February 2007. See you!)
And when I landed back on Manila, I still couldn’t write my blogs because I had to give up my old laptop for a new one. Because Joy Sosoban, one of our new Kerygma editors, needed a laptop. So Kerygma editor-in-chief Rissa Singson wanted me to get the new laptop the office was buying, while my old computer gets passed on to Joy. (Sorry Joy, my laptop is an overworked, overstressed, overused animal.)
I’m a total slave driver when it comes to computers. When it comes to my staff, I’m just somewhat of a slave driver! Haha.
Actually, let me tell you a secret.
Do you know why our ministry is doing so well?
Because our staff of 75 people in our various organizations work harder than I do.
I have a favorite daydream.
It recurs so often, I think I’m obsessed.
I see myself walking up to them and giving them money. (Actually, this is just my second favorite daydream. My first favorite daydream is to see all my single female staff—like Rissa Singson—get married soon!)
My people work so hard for the Lord yet I know they don’t receive what they deserve. From writers to artists, janitors to accountants, cameramen to drivers, Anawim caregivers to laundry women (our ministry for the abandoned elderly)—all of them are my fantastic dream team of passionate servants for God.
And that’s why I have 1000 hours a day.
They multiply what I do for God.
I love working with my dream team.
Alone, a dedicated servant can do much for the Lord.
But together, a dream team of servants can do a thousand times more.
Join a team.

PS. Not many can work full-time like these 75 people. But you can still be part of our team by joining www.kerygmafamily.com You may not be able to work full-time like these 75 people, but with your prayers and love offerings, you can be our very crucial support without which we won’t be able to do God’s work at all. You’re a very important part of our Dream Team! Thank you for saying YES to God by becoming a member of the www.kerygmafamily.com

December 2006

Yesterday, I received the TOYM award from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacanang. Gosh, I never knew how beautiful Malacanang was! The ceremony hall had the most magnificent wooden chandeliers I’ve ever seen. It also had “banig”-inspired walls that was simply exquisite. (I’ll show a video on Preacher in Blue Jeans in the next few days.)
Thankfully, I had a really nice Barong Tagalog that Adrian Panganiban made for me for our Concerts two years ago, so I wore it to fit the regal hall around me.
But believe me, the impressive physical surroundings were nothing compared to the phenomenal human beings around me that day: The other TOYM awardees.
I felt small. My companions are giants.
Through them, I regained hope for the Philippines. If there are Filipinos as great, passionate, and sacrificial as these, then wow—we as a nation can rise up from poverty.
Friends, if there’s one thing that is common in all these incredible people, it’s their passion. They love what they do—and they’ll go to the ends of the earth just so they could serve others.
Ladies and gentlemen (drumroll please), let me introduce to you the Most Outstanding Young Men and Women of the Philippines (in alphabetical order):

1. Mike Cacnio
One of the top sculptors of the country. His art pieces are owned by royal families around the world. Ang galing talaga ng Pinoy! We’re a very gifted people. Mike also has a deep faith in God and a love for God’s people, being a minister himself for the last 19 years.

2. Mariella Sugue Castillo
Dr. Yella turned her back on a very lucrative Pediatrics practice in New York, and went back home to work in PGH. Her passion in life is to save and defend abused children, having already helped 7,000 victims. She works tirelessly with policy makers, lawyers, universities, and baranggays to fight for the Filipino child.

3. Rafael Consunji
Dr. Rafael graduated from the world-renowned John Hopkins University, which named him “Most Outstanding Resident in Surgery”. But he too decided to go back and serve the poor at the PGH. He also founded Safe Kids Philippines, dedicated to keeping kids safe from accidental injuries.

4. Romi Garduce
He is the Philippines’ Most Accomplished Mountaineer. But he always climbs to raise funds for charity. When he climbed Mt. Elbrus in Russia, he raised funds for the coral reefs in Batangas. His Mt. Cho Uyo expedition in Nepal was for the Bukidnon children. Romi has climbed mountains in 6 continents of the world.

5. Benedict Hernandez
At 29 in the year 2000, Benedict led a start-up company, E-Telecare, when there were no real international call centers yet in the Philippines. Today, E-Telecare is one of the three largest and has the most international awards in the world. By 2010, this industry will give 500T jobs and earn $10B for the Philippines.

6. Rico Hizon
Rico is the first and only Filipino male news anchor to work for two of the most prestigious global news organizations—CNBC Asia and BBC World. As an international journalist, he interviews Kings and Presidents of nations. He too has a deep faith and love for God. Ang galing talaga ng Pinoy!

7. Leo Oracion
Many years ago, Leo climbed Mt. Banahaw in Quezon province and dreamed of climbing the highest peak in the world. And last May 2006, this triathlete fulfilled his dream. Leo became the first Filipino to reach the peak of Mt. Everest. (He signed my TOYM book with these words: Kaya ng Pinoy!)

8. Miro Quimbo
He is the CEO and President of the government-run corporation Pag-IBIG Fund. Under his fantastic leadership, he turned it around to become one of the Top 10 Corporations of the country—and it has helped more Filipinos own their own homes—than at any other time in its history. Yes, government can be excellent!

9. Windell Rivera
This Filipino Scientist created a diagnostic tool for ameobiasis, which has saved (and will continue to save) millions of people from being mistreated. His many accomplishments landed him in the Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare in the World from 2000 to 2006. A Filipino genius!

10. Samuel Soliven
He grew up among the poorest of the poor, selling whatever he could to study. He finished his studies with flying colors, but instead of a corporate job or going abroad, he become a teacher—and now a principal in Nueva Vizcaya. He has a Ph.d in Philosophy and named one of the Ten Oustanding Filipino Teachers.

11. Vivienne Tan
Seeing the need to push entrepreneurship as the solution to the country’s poverty, she founded the Entrepreneurs School of Asia. She wants to cause a paradigm shift among the young, to become “Job Creators” instead of “Job Seekers”. She started her own garment company at the young age of 26.

Friends, these are ordinary people, but they discovered their passion. May you find yours and make it your gift to the world.

November 2006

I Receive It In Behalf Of My Team, For Without Them I’m Nothing

Four days ago, I was named a TOYM awardee.
TOYM stands for The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines. A few days from now, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will give me the TOYM award in Malacanang.
I’m deeply, deeply thankful.
First of all, I’ve always been wondering if I’m getting too old. Now I know I’m still young, with a tangible proof, in the form of an individually-chiselled TOYM statuette by National Artist Abueva.
Seriously, it’s a fantastic honor to receive the TOYM award. To those who nominated me (Thank you Randy Manaloto) and to those who judged me worthy of this award, I’m very grateful. And I offer back this award to God. The two great women of my life—my wife and my mother—cried buckets of tears upon learning that I became a TOYM awardee.
Honestly, I wasn’t looking for it, desiring for it, praying for it, or even thinking of it. Awards don’t figure high in my priority list. (Goodness, I didn’t even attend my college graduation. I was giving a retreat somewhere.)
All these years, I just busied myself serving God and serving God’s people.
Here’s my attitude to all awards: Some days, you get recognized for your efforts. At other days, you get crucified for trying to do good.
Today, I’m being recognized.
Praise God.
But I won’t let it dull me into thinking this is how all my tomorrows would look like. No, it won’t be. I’ve been persecuted in the past for doing what I believe was right—and I know I’ll be persecuted again.
Still, this won’t stop me from celebrating. This is a wonderful gift from above.
But here’s what I’m really celebrating even more than my award: To have the honor to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the best. In a few days, you’ll be able to watch the TOYM interview in Preacher In Blue Jeans and meet the entire list of awardees.
In my next blogs, I’ll introduce them to you one by one.
In the meantime, all I can say is Thank You.
This award isn’t mine alone, but includes every person in my team. I receive this award in their behalf. I’m nothing without them. They have supported me all the way.
My family, my donors, my co-workers, my staff… You know who you are.
Thank you for being there.

November 2006

God Is Unfair: He Made The Pinoy Extra Gifted!

Ang galing talaga ng Pinoy.
One of the TOYM co-awardees with me is Benedict Hernandez, the guy behind E-telecare, one of the three largest Call Centers in the country. Under his leadership, his company grossed P8 Billion last year. (I told him, “No wonder we’re both TOYM awardees. Gosh, we’re so alike. Last year, my food business earned the same figure. Almost. My business grossed P8T…”)
From him, I learned that the Philippines is now the #1 choice for Call Centers in the entire world. Hey, we’re not only #1 in Boxing, #1 in Billiards, we’re also #1 in Call Centers. (I’m sure Benedict Hernandez won’t like my analogy, but to me, he’s like the Manny Pacquiao of Call Centers.)
Somehow, I always thought India was first, and we were second. I got that idea after reading Thomas Friedman’s humongous book, The World Is Flat.
But Benedict said that three years ago, that question on who’s the best was already settled—and the Philippines is champ. Though our Call Centers are 20% more expensive than other countries, Filipinos provide superior quality. Naks!
Because this superior quality spells repeat customers (and thus higher profits) for these giant companies, the Philippines has become their first choice.
In fact, Benedict told me that he had American companies who at first turned them down, built their Call Centers in other countries, only to return to them again after a few years. They were not satisfied and wanted the quality that our Call Centers provide.
The entire Call Center industry now gives 150,000 jobs to Filipinos. Benedict’s own company hires an additional 650 new Call Center agents per month. They actually double in size every year.
Here’s the projection: In four years, the entire Call Center industry will give 500,000 jobs to Filipinos. Half-a-million people and their families will be fed!
But here’s something that I didn’t know.
In four years, the Call Center industry will give the country $10B each year. Do you know that’s the same amount of money that OFW’s remit back to the Philippines each year? Remember how people always say that without the OFW remittances each year, our country’s economy would have gone down the dogs? Well, here’s another industry that will bless the Philippines with another $10B!
And the bonus? No one has to go out of the country.
I believe that the CALL CENTER industry is a gift to our country.
I asked Benedict, “Five hundred thousand agents is a lot of people. Can you find enough qualified Filipinos for that?” He said he’s confident they can, even if the standards are very tough.
Reality: For every one hundred applicants, only one gets hired.
But from those that they reject, they choose a few with potential to undergo free training—and even pay them to be trained! Today, 30% of their new hires come from these “once-rejected-but-now-trained” applicants.
Gosh, I felt so much hope for our country.
After talking to Benedict, I realized that all these wouldn’t have been possible if English wasn’t our second language. Both the Call Center industry and even the OFW industry wouldn’t have been possible without it.
But mind you, Call Center agents aren’t just telephone operators.
Benedict’s company even has agents that sell mutual funds and stocks for the US Stock Market. That sophisticated. Don’t be confused with the technology they use (telephone) with the high expertise they need to have.
I thank God magaling talaga ang Pinoy.

November 2006

Do You Want To Be A Champion In Life?

Kerygma Preacher Arun Gogna told me that while he and his wife Lalaine were watching The Pacman knock down El Terrible Last Sunday, Lalaine told him that were probably only two people in the entire world who wasn’t watching the fight: Pope Benedict and Bo Sanchez.
Sorry Lalaine, only one person didn’t watch.
Because last Sunday, after giving a retreat in Tagaytay, I had lunch with my family in a restaurant, and together with every breathing, living creature in that building, we watched the fight on public TV. And all of us—waiters, cooks, and customers—went berserk every time Pacquiao’s punch landed on Morales.
What a fight and what a boxer.
Obet Cabrillas, another Kerygma Preacher, was once a fierce boxer. (If you ask me, he still looks like one. Don’t let his height fool you!) We met last Sunday night and I asked him to analyze the fight and the fighter for me. He had followed Manny’s career from the start. And what he said fascinated me. Obet said that in one interview, one journalist asked Manny, “Meron ka bang agimat?” (Do you have an amulet?) And Manny said, “Wala akong agimat. Ang alam ko, Nagbibigay ng Diyos ng mga regalo sa tao. At ang binigay Niya sa akin, malakas akong sumuntok. Kaya ginagamit ko ito sa pagbigay ng kaluwalhatian sa Kanya…” (I don’t have an amulet. What I know is that God gives gifts to people. And He gave me the gift of a strong punch. I will use it to give glory to Him.”) This is a loose quotation, but it captures the essence of what Pacquiao said.
I’m reminded of another athlete who spoke about this same powerful principle. Eric Liddell, the Olympic champion sprinter, said, “God made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure…” (You can watch this inspiring story in the true-to-life movie, Chariots of Fire.)
Eric Liddell knew his core gift.
Manny Pacquiao knew his core gift.
Unless you know your core gift, you’ll never be a champion.
Kerygma Preacher Alvin Barcelona talks about his music mentor, Freddie Aguilar. He says that whenever he watched Freddie sing, he did it with 100% passion. In every concert, the audience would always ask Freddie to sing his worldwide “legendary” song, Anak. But even if he has sung this song a thousand times, he sings it with so much passion, you’d think he was singing it for the first time.
Alvin tells me a good story. He says that because Freddie helped in the EDSA Revolution, President Cory Aquino offered him a government position. (Department of Music?) His politely turned down the offer and said, “Tita Cory, gusto kong maglingkod sa bansa. Pero pagkanta lang alam ko.” (Auntie Cory, I want to serve the country. But I only know how to sing.)
I’m sure Freddie has many gifts. But he stuck to his core gift.
On November 21, I’m kicking-off the provincial tour of my Inspirational and Comedy Concert, Botoks. (Six cities for this year: Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao, Ormoc, and Bohol.) It’s entitled Botoks—not Bosings, Bocooks, or Bodances. Because my core gift is to speak. Yes I can sing too, but I’d rather let my fellow Kerygma Preachers wow the audience with their incredible singing voices.
My role is to preach God’s love to the world.
What is your core gift?
It’s the only way to be a Champion.

November 2006

They Don’t Take Vacations; They Never Complain; They Touch Lives Wherever They Go

Gosh, it was very difficult to write a blog the past few days.
Travelling is tough. (In the last 36 hours, I’ve hopped on four planes.)
I just finished giving a talk to a thousand young Indonesian Catholics in Surabaya. A thousand! With the small Christian population here, that number is awesome.
They’re led by Ibu Jane, a 57-year old woman of God who doesn’t look 57 at all. Her husband and her two adult children are all part of the ministry. She also acted as my dynamic translator during the talk.
And wow, I cannot fully describe to you what I felt when I watched these young people worship God. At one point, they all knelt down and sang a Reuben Morgan Hillsong song. (By the way, there were no chairs in the hall. Everyone sat on red carpets.) I tell you, I felt God in that room. It was so beautiful, I wanted to cry.
Because they spoke in a different language, I couldn’t understand their prayers.
And yet, in a non-rational way, I understood them.
I understood every sigh, every word, every gesture, every cry.
We really have the same heart in all of us: The heart that’s desperate to be loved. And only God can satisfy that deepest longing of the human soul–completely.
I talked to Olive, a young Indonesian kindergarten teacher here who told me that she ordered my book Your Past Does Not Define Your Future from my website (www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph) She told me how God touched her through that book. Listening to her share to me, it hit me how we are all alike—no matter what race, tongue, color, or nationality we come from. We have the same wounds that need to be healed, the same fears that need to be faced.
In this trip, I brought 200 of my books with me. Dragging them with me all through the trip is my daily weight training regimen. But alas, I don’t have to drag them anymore. In my first event in Indonesia, they were wiped out. Every single book was taken. I have four events to go, and I’m so sad I have no more books for the other people there.
You see, I consider each of those books an “Evangelist”.
Each book will strive to touch the person who reads it. Hopefully, each book will be passed from one reader to another reader, blessing more people with God’s love. My 200 books will go around Surabaya and continue to evangelize long after I’ve gone. Isn’t that wonderful? Gosh, I’d love to have a million of those “Evangelists” working for me.
Anyway, just watch my daily Realty TV show Preacher In Blue Jeans. Yes, you can see what I’m doing here in Indonesia. Join kerygmafamily.com and enjoy all the TV shows.
When I get back in Manila, I’ll write more often in my blog.
By the way, I’m thinking of a name for my blog.
Would Writer In Brown Sandals do? Haha.

PS. Speaking of books, my friend Jomar Hilario texted me from the Philippines. He said that that the #1 bestseller now in National Book Store is my latest book, How To Find Your One True Love. That means more of my “Evangelists” are spreading all over the Philippines!

Light of Jesus Community
Tel No: (02) 726-8951 / 726-3929
Email: lojc_office@yahoo.com

Counselling Center
Tel No: (02) 726-4709 / 726-0267
Email: lojcounselling@yahoo.com

Shepherd's Voice
Tel No: (02) 411-7874 to 77
Email: sales@shepherdsvoice.com.ph

Beaconlight
Tel No: (02) 722-9562
Email: beaconlightevents@gmail.com

Kerygma Family
Tel No: (02) 725-9999
Website: www.kerygmafamily.com

Anawim
Tel No: (02) 655-2219 / 0920-9084846
Website: www.anawim.com.ph

1st Session: 7:30 am
Praise and Worship
Inspirational Talk by Bo Sanchez
Holy Mass
(Healing and Counseling services are done after the Holy Mass at the right most side of the room)

2nd Session: 10:00 am
Holy Mass
Praise and Worship
Inspirational Talk by Bo Sanchez
(Healing and Counseling services are done after the Inspirational Talk at the right most side of the room)

Location: Valle Verde Country Club beside the Ultra

Simply type the following: DONATE AMOUNT 4-digit PIN KFAM
And send to 2882

Speaker: Sis Vita Monforte
November 10, 2007 (saturday) 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
5th Floor, MAB, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, P Sanchez St. Sta. Mesa Manila
Pre-registration period October 14-November 4, 2007 only
First Come, First Served. Php 100.00 fee for seminar kit. Bring your own food.

For details, please contact:
Nell 0915-8619154 / 0928-4401365
Me-Ann 0919-3796559 / 0917-4066592 / 714-0429
Luisa 0918-4404330 / 0906-3413557 / 533-3874

1. How To Become Truly Rich Seminar
November 3, 2007, 8:30 am to 12:00 noon, Quezon City
Semonar Fee: Php 475 only per person

2. How To Never Stop Growing Retreat
Expand Your Territories And Live Life To The Full
NOvember 17-18, 2007 (Sat, 7:00 am to Sun, 1 pm at Tagaytay Ciy)
Seminar Fee: Php 3,000 per person on twin sharing accommodation

Please call Beckie at (02) 722-9562 or email at beaconlightevents@gmail.com

Anawim needs Medical Doctors to serve at least once a month at Anawim Center in Montalban Rizal. For details, please contact Bro. Tim Duran at tel nos. 655-2219/ 0920-9084846.

November 2006

Will I Be Honest Today? It’s The Question That Will Save Your Soul.

I don't know if you've read the news.
But Rev. Ted Haggard is all over it.
We don't know him very well here, but he's one of the most famous evangelical leaders in America.
Before I describe the scandal, let me tell you how big he is in the US.
His credentials: Senior Pastor of the 14,000 member New Life mega-church he founded 20 years ago; and the President of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)—a 30 Million strong organization in America. He was even named by TIME Magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America. He's a 50 year old married man with five kids.
But last week, Mike Jones, a gay prostitute, accused Haggard of hiring him for sex. For the past 3 years, Jones said that Haggard would get his services "about once a month". And he said that Haggard even used shabu to heighten the experience.
At first, the pastor denied the allegations on TV, saying he didn't know Mike Jones and that he was faithful to his wife.
But when the voice recording Jones presented proved to be Haggard's, he changed his story. He said he bought shabu from Jones but never used it—and that he only got a massage from Jones. He said he bought the drugs because he was tempted but threw them away.
But finally, the truth came out.
Haggard has finally admitted to sexual immorality. In his words, "The accusations that have been leveled against me are not all true, but enough of them are true…"
His church board has dismissed him as Senior Pastor.
Ted Haggard wrote a farewell letter to his church. Let me quote a few lines…

I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life. For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach…
Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn't want to hurt or disappoint them…
When I stopped communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.

Ted is not the first to fall.
In a shocking 1983 doctoral thesis by Richard Blackmon, he reported that 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner.
On the other side of the religious fence, we've read about the sex scandals of Catholic priests accused of pedophilia and sexual abuse towards women. So far, 800 priests are undergoing trial and 232 priests have been removed from pastoral work in America.
Why do I write this blog?
Because Ted Haggard and I are alike.
(In one sense, we all are.)
No, I'm not homosexually oriented.
Nor have I had sex with anyone other than my wife.
Nor have I ever taken drugs.
But how many times have I covered-up my own sins?
How many times have I tried to polish my image and made people believe I'm holier than I really was?
Let me say something controversial: Ted fell not because he used a male prostitute. Or that he took drugs.
He finally fell because he wasn't honest.
Jones said Ted used him for three years.
That's three years of cover-up, three years of dishonesty.
In my book, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future, I told everyone that I was addicted to pornography and sexual fantasies, and to this day, I'm always tempted to go back to my old addictions. These temptations will remain until I get buried six feet under mother earth. (Okay, to be sure, wait for two minutes after the last shovel of soil is placed over me.) In the book, I shared about how I was sexually abused as a child (yes, also by a religious leader when I was 13 years old). And how this destroyed my self-worth and warped my idea of sex.
You know what?
Writing about my weakness became my salvation.
I became honest.
And honesty saves us from more sin.
No, I'm not saying that everyone should now write a book about their weaknesses.
But we should have a small group of people that know our sins.
And I've realized that it can't be a one-time honesty.
Only daily honesty can save us.
For example, I have a spiritual director. (Hi, Fr. Steve!) We're supposed to meet every other month, but when things get busy, guess what's the first activity I postpone? (Sorry, Fr. Steve!)
Thankfully, I go to confession regularly to my other friend priests.
Sometimes, it's so shameful to say the same things over and over again in confession—"Father, I've fallen again to sexual fantasies, pride, laziness…" Sometimes, I'm tempted to hand him a Xeroxed copy and say, "Same as before Father…"
But that's not totally true.
Over the years, I've seen a teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy, can't-see-with-the-naked-eye, microscopic improvement in my fight against sin. Perhaps I don't sin as much. (I sinned 3,566,929 times last year. This year, I sinned only 3,566,928 times.)
Aside from confession, I also have two groups of men that I open my life to: The elders of my community, Light of Jesus, and the Kerygma Preachers. We meet twice a month for prayer, sharing, and friendship.
But even that, it's all up to me to be bring up my inner garbage to them.
Because it's so tempting to say, "Everything is A-Ok," or to focus the conversation purely on my ministry success and not on the inconsistencies of personal life. Because I'm sure Ted Haggard had these accountability relationships. He just didn't use them.
Again, because honesty is a purely internal decision.
No matter what external structure you have—a spiritual director, monthly confessions, accountability small groups—at the end of the day, it's still all up to you: Will you be honest today?
Being honest has helped me hang-on to holiness.
Yes, I intentionally use the word "Hang-on".
Because I feel as though it's a thread that's keeping me faithful to God.
At anytime, the thread can snap—and I'll be another Ted Haggard. (The difference between Ted Haggard and myself is a thread. Just a thread.)
It's terrifying.
But that terror is good for my soul.
It reminds me to be honest today.
And the next day.
And the day after that…
Because if one morning, I face the mirror and can't say I'm an honest person, then that's it.
The thread has snapped.

For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.

October 2006

You Were Born To Do One Thing

Today was superduper busy.
Funny I say that because every single day of my life is busy!
Like today, I worked again on my reality TV show, Preacher In Blue Jeans, and boy, it’s huge work. (Remember, you’ll see the first episode on November 1 on this website. Get ready to have fun and be inspired!)
Two dedicated, passionate guys are working with me on this: Randy Borromeo, our Director, and Edwin Marcelo, my cameraman and video-editor.
Oh, I pity Edwin.
Let me tell you what he did.
Yesterday, he captured me with his Sony 3CCD camera, rushed home to edit the film, and uploaded it to the internet. He slept at 4am this morning and woke up at 6am just to finish one thirty minute episode.
By 11am today, he was at my place shooting another one.
Poor guy. But you don’t see it on his face.
Because he loves his work.
And when you do, it isn’t work.
Edwin was telling me he was doing media work years ago, but then lost his way some years back. He ventured into selling insurance. But he was never happy. Until he finally went back to what he loved doing (media work) and viola—he rediscovered his call. He found his place under the sun.
And when you discover your place under the sun, you’re a different person.
You wake up with passion.
You get out of bed ready to conquer the world.
Man, I love working with my team. They’re fantastic guys.
Guess what.
Preacher In Blue Jeans isn’t the only thing I did today.
Are you ready? (Take a deep breath.) I also wrote 3 articles for Kerygma, wrote an article for Fish, wrote 2 project plans, wrote a marketing letter, wrote 27 letters to readers, wrote a blog (this one), and worked on the book I’m currently writing, Secrets Of The Rich.
Whew!
But I love my work too.
Like Edwin, for a time, I got involved in administration and pastoral work in my Catholic Community, the Light of Jesus. I had to do that because I was the founder and presiding elder for many years. But thank God, I finally was able to pass on that work to guys better than me. And I finally returned fulltime to what I was born to do: preaching and writing. I’m still an elder of Light of Jesus (for some reason, they don’t want to kick me out) but I’m no longer the head honcho carrying all the problems of the world.
Yes, I’ve been playing all these years!
I’m having the time of my life and I can’t live any other way.
Gosh, I better end this blog.
It’s almost 1:00am and I need to sleep for another exciting day tomorrow.
In the meantime, find your place under the sun and live with passion!

For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.

October 2006

Note: Not Necessary In That Order!
I couldn’t put a blog entry the past three days.
Why?
Together with the Kerygma Preachers, we holed up ourselves on a hill called Maryhills Retreat House, Antipolo. (That place really rocks—refurbished and modernized. Would you believe? The first time I was there was 27 years ago. I was 13, and Fr. John Sherlock was my retreat master. Today, I’m still working with him, now 84 years old! Catch him giving Confession at the FEAST in Camp Aguinaldo.)
Who are the Kerygma Preachers? Let me name some of them: Mike Joseph Jr. (my mentor), Arun Gogna, Alvin Barcelona, Jon Escoto, Obet Cabrillas, Adrian Panganiban, and Rissa Singson.
We’re usually scattered all over the world, sharing God’s love to thousands of people. But twice a week (2nd and 4th Wednesday nights), we gather for prayer and sharing, visiting each others’ homes.
But this weekend was extra special. It was our once-a-year retreat, and all of us we’re looking forward to it like little boys about to open their gifts on Christmas eve.
And so for these three days, we preachers shut our mouths to listen to God.
And wow, did He speak!
Let me give you a perfect recipe for a great retreat: 1) Eat as much as you can, 2) sleep as much as you can, 3) laugh as much as you can, and 4) pray the rest of the time.
And that’s what we did.
I can list the food we ate (but that would create a scandal), how many hours we slept (yep, complete with long siestas), how much we laughed (90% of the time)…
But I cannot even begin to describe the beauty of our worship times in the retreat. As most of you know, these guys are also fantastic singers that regularly perform in concerts all over the world. So for me, it was like being in a concert every time we sang together for worship.
Here’s the thing: We’re great friends.
When I go around different communities and parishes, my heart aches for spiritual leaders that are very lonely. Even priests don’t have small communities where they can be themselves, become vulnerable, and receive spiritual support.
But support communities don’t just happen.
You’ve got to make that happen.
If you’re serving God, I strongly suggest you create your small support group. Gather friends around you, and make some new friends if you don’t have any. Select them well—people who want to grow in their spiritual life and service to God as well.
People who are humble. (I realize that’s the #1 criteria of a Kerygma Preacher.)
People who will nourish you.
People who are positive and uplifting.
Find them!

For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.

October 2006

You Need Simple Faith To Do God’s Work

I had a special blessing from God this morning.
I spent 3 beautiful, spiritually enriching hours with Bro. Mike Velarde, Founder of El Shaddai. (Thanks to my friend Chona Velasco for linking us together.)
I know. When some people think of Bro. Mike, they think of him only as that funny TV preacher with an accent wearing a red bowtie who makes his audience jump up and invert their umbrellas under the rain.
Don’t be fooled. God is using him to bless the world in a mighty way. You may not agree with his style, his accent, his wardrobe, or even his theology—but millions are drawn to God because of him.
Believe me, I can’t express how much he inspired me this morning.
Finally, I now know why millions gather at his feet every Saturday night (either physically or through his Radio and TV broadcast) to listen to him.
It was Cardinal Sin who asked Bro. Mike in one Luneta Grandstand El Shaddai prayer rally, “What do you have that I don’t have? I can’t draw this crowd, but you can.” His answer to the Cardinal: “This is pure grace from God, your Eminence.”
And I experienced that powerful grace this morning.
As he spoke to me, telling me simple stories of faith, I felt drawn to the Lord. I wanted to trust God more, to serve God more, and to love God more. That was the effect he had on me. And yes, the same effect on millions of others.
Next month, you’ll be able to watch a video of our entire conversation together—here in www.kerygmafamily.com (If you’re not yet a member of the kerygmafamily.com, just sign in, and you’ll be able to watch all these great videos. Membership is free anyway, because donations are totally optional.)
But let me summarize what I learned from Bro. Mike:

1) People need to know that God cares for us—body, soul, and spirit
Bro. Mike believes that God is interested not only with our spiritual needs, but also with our next meal. He cares for our material and physical needs as well. This comes out in his talks. I use a different approach, but I totally agree with him and preach in the same way.
2) People need rest in God’s Presence
He told me that the only time he heard God’s audible voice was when God told him, “Build a center where my people can rest.” At first, he thought it was a physical center. So he designed it, even had the Pope bless the plans, even had Cardinal Sin in the groundbreaking ceremony—but soon, he realized it wasn’t a physical center. It was El Shaddai where people would get their rest. Because the crowd would never fit any enclosed building anymore! Here’s what I picked him from him: From a very tiring week of work, people need to go to happy place with God. And that’s what happens in El Shaddai—people go home from these meetings refreshed and happy. I’ve noticed that my gatherings (The FEAST) have the same effect in people too. Church should be a place of rest and joy!
3) You need simple faith to do His work
Bro. Mike has a simple faith. I feel that it’s because of this simple faith that he can do all that he does. I need to cultivate this kind of faith in God if I want to be used more by Him. Sometimes, I get too complicated. I need to learn from him.
4) Be generous if you want to succeed in life
Bro. Mike is extremely generous. At one point in 1981, he gave his seed money (P50,000) to fund a huge charismatic gathering. He wasn’t preaching yet at that time. He just gave away his money. Until God asked him to form El Shaddai. I believe God is blessing him because of his generosity.
5) Love people—like really!
Bro. Mike loves people from the heart. I felt it. He welcomes both the poor and the rich in his office. Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Senators, and Generals seek his advice almost everyday. But in that same room, he also welcomes the poor, the sick, and terminally ill who need his prayer.

Bro. Mike Velarde is already 67 years old, but doesn’t look like it at all.
He still jogs everyday. Even when he travels, he sees to it that his hotel is beside a park for his daily exercise.
After 28 years of serving God, I asked him, “Do you ever feel tired?”
He smiled, “I feel that it’s just my first day with the Lord. I feel like I’m still 18.”
ut he also explained to me his weekly regimen, which is very sensible.
On Mondays and Wednesdays, he does his business—which is real estate. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he does his ministry work. On Fridays and Saturdays, he hides in Tagaytay to pray and prepare his weekly talk. On Saturday night, he delivers that talk to a massive crowd in El Shaddai. On Sunday, he rests at home—totally drained by the work he did the night before.
He adds, “Life is a choice. We can choose to be miserable, or we can choose to be happy in the midst of miserable circumstances.” I had to laugh. We almost use the exact words! It was as though I was hearing myself preach.
Hey, I’ve got to stop writing now. It’s 11:20pm and I’ve got sleep.
I have four meetings tomorrow. (Tell you about it.)
But watch for that video, okay?
See ya!

For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.

October 2006

Serve Him With All Your Skills & Talents

Who says serving God is boring?
Yesterday, I had a heart-pumping, adrenalin-bursting, blow-your-brains-out, 5-hour planning session with our IT head Bobby Galvez, our computer genius Paolo Abadesco, and our cameraman and video-editor Edwin Marcelo.
Let me talk about Paolo a bit.
I have never met anyone as computer-savvy as this guy. He even thinks like a computer—like I give him a problem, and snap, he spills out the answer in nanoseconds. With his wizardry, Paolo should be working at the top echelons of Google or Microsoft earning millions. But instead, he’s working for me for pennies, but using his incredible skills for the glory of God.
We talked about two huge projects:
First Project: Simultaneous Satellite FEASTs All Over The World
The FEAST is our huge gathering where we have Mass, lively worship, dynamic preaching, and prayers of blessing. Thousands of people are blessed by this live event.
But we have a problem: We were limited to one geographic place. How could we reach other cities of the world without the need for me to bi-locate like Saint Padre Pio? Even with dynamic Kerygma Preachers with me, we can’t cover even the major cities of Metro Manila—much less the Philippines or the world.
So here’s the plan: By next year, we’ll be organizing satellite FEASTs in different cities and parish churches all over the Philippines—and the world. How? Through the internet, we’ll be video-streaming the talk in the FEAST. There’ll be a little delay, but our goal is to make the broadcast as clear as possible.
So each week, in different cities and parish churches, people will gather for a FEAST. They’ll have live Mass and live Worship first—and then watch in a large screen the preaching of God’s Word.
Will it work? I have no idea. But we’ll give it all we’ve got to make it succeed.
And no, we won’t use a satellite—which is astronomically expensive. We’ll use the power of the internet. It’s mind-boggling, I tell you.
Second Project: Blog, Podcast, & Vodcast
Almost everyday, I’ll be writing my blog, uploading my audio or podcast, and uploading my video or vodcast in our websites, www.bosanchez.ph and www.kerygmafamily.com. In the blog, podcast, and vodcast, I’ll bring you with me wherever I go. You’ll meet the fantastic people I meet everyday. You’ll go to the great places I visit and see how God is moving all over the world.
Think of my podcast as my radio show and my vodcast as my TV show on the internet. Except everything is on demand when you want it, where you want it.
Cool, huh.
My blogs will be found in www.bosanchez.ph and my daily audio and video will be available in www.kerygmafamily.com (Yes, you need to be a member of KFAM or kerygmafamily.com to get the daily audios and videos, but membership is free anyway. Donations are optional.)
Okay, I’m getting too excited.
Need to rest a bit now and take deep breaths. Inhale, exhale… inhale, exhale…
I’ll be making announcements when all these things will happen very, very soon.
In the meantime, be like Paolo, like Bobby, like Edwin. Use all your skills and talents for the glory of God.

For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.

October 2006

Today, I just came from the smelly, sweaty, noisy, crazy 26th anniversary of my community, Light of Jesus.
Yep, we’re 26 years old!
Just to explain: I started Light of Jesus as a scrawny 14-year-old kid. I never thought it would grow to an international organization that would give birth to three other dynamic orgs: (1) Anawim, a ministry for the poorest of the poor, (2) Shepherds Voice, a media ministry bringing people closer to God, and (3) the Light of Jesus Counselling Center to help the wounded and broken of society. (Impossible, right? That’s what I always tell myself. But God can use the weakest, dumbest, most insignificant creatures to further His glory. Look at me!)
And so how did we celebrate our birthday today?
Not in some fancy hotel with a humongous buffet and a gigantic chandelier over our heads. Not wearing Barong Tagalogs and embroidered gowns and high-heeled shoes.
Instead, we did it Light of Jesus style: with torn jeans and crummy tee-shirts, we dirtied our hands and served the poor. We went to Anawim, our home for the abandoned elderly, and cemented their pathways, repainted their chapel, cleaned their cemetery, landscaped their gardens and did a hundred other things for those that we love.
It was a beautiful, messy, hilarious celebration.
The men held shovels, the women held brooms, the young held paint brushes, the old danced for us, and we sang like there was no tomorrow.
By the way, did you know how we celebrated last year’s anniversary?
Exactly the same way: We built our Gawad Kalinga Village (90 houses) and the He Cares Foundation Village (50 houses).
Yep, it’s becoming a tradition.
Oh, everyone went home with so much joy today!
And as I drove back, I thought about the past 26 years.
After 26 years as community, we’ve already held 24,000+ prayer meetings. (That’s true! Because we’ve got lots of chapters in different places, each of them having their own prayer meetings.) And this is the fruit of those 24,000+ prayer meetings: We serve the poor today. Because the Jesus that we worship in a prayer meeting is the same Jesus that lives in the poorest of the poor. Any prayer meeting that doesn’t make us see that reality is essentially lacking.
In Anawim, we’ve already served 1,000,000 individual meals since we began.
One million!

For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.

Many people ask me how I’m able to do all that I do.
Let me give you an idea of my responsibilities… (Warning: Some people actually feel tired just reading this list, so take a deep breath…)
I lead 4 ministry organizations. I speak in a daily Radio show, a weekly TV program, and a daily video show at www.preacherinbluejeans.com Each year, I churn out 3 books, produce 4 audio/video teaching series, and write more than 200+ articles. I publish 7 magazines, maintain 4 websites, send out my online newsletter and write my blog at this website. I lead a “virtual” community called the Kerygma Family and oversee an incredible “sales force” called the Kerygma Ambassadors. I also travel extensively, preaching 300+ times a year all over the Philippines and around the world—leading retreats, seminars, and prayer rallies. I also am proud to say that I read all my email and respond to most of them.
As if these aren’t enough, there are a “few” personal things that I do…
I run a homeschool center to help parents learn how to homeschool their kids (If you’re interested, log onto www.catholicfilipinoacademy.com) I lead a financial consultancy organization to teach Filipinos how to save for their future. I operate a tiny organic farm, a real estate business, and manage a few more small businesses. (Plus, my 7-year old boy still has his Bangus business, and he’s hired me to be his marketing consultant.)
Of course, I’m fanatical about spending time with my family. I play with my sons everyday and still bring my beautiful wife once a week in a romantic date. We also have 4 family vacations every year, and 2 of those vacations are long 2-week trips!
And each year, I read 3 books a week, listen to the same number of audio books, and each year read thousands of magazine and internet articles.
Oh, before I forget, let me mention that I hop on a stationary bike one hour a day.
How do I do all these things?
Let me share with you five principles…

Key #1:
Believe You’re Bigger

It’s common fact that we only use 10% of our brain’s capacity.
Can you believe that? We’re wasting 90% of what God has given to us!
I believe God has given us more capacities than we think we have.
The ultimate crime is that we belittle ourselves.
We think we’re insects, so we live an insect life, but actually—we’re giants!
Because of this, I believe you can earn a ten times more than whatever you’re earning right now. You can help ten times the number of people you’re helping now. You can serve ten times more than whatever service you’re doing now.
Don’t limit yourself.
You’re bigger than you think you are.

Key #2:
Be Consistent With The Fundamentals

Every morning, I enjoy time with God.
Every morning, I chew on His Word—the Bible.
Every morning, I pray, “Lord, let me love every person I meet today.”
Every morning, I read my life mission, my list of dreams, and my annual goals.
And throughout the day, instead of exposing myself to bad news, I digest good news available around me: I voraciously read inspiring books and listen to inspiring audio talks.
Every night, like a little boy, I kneel beside my bed and thank God for His blessings of that day.
In other words, the reason why I live such an exciting life is because I’m boring.
I’m monotonous.
I’m repetitive.
I do the same basic things again and again and again and again…
I now realize that the reason I can do all those thrilling, exciting, exhilarating stuff is because I do the boring basics every single day of my life. Everyday, I’m grateful. Everyday, I think positive. Everyday, I love. Everyday, I select what I watch, what I read, what I listen to—and stick to what can make me grow. Every single day.
The more I live on planet earth, the more I agree with Jim Rohn when he said that “There’s really nothing mysterious or magical about success. Success is simply the consistent application of fundamentals.”
Be boringly consistent when it comes to the basics.
And in time, you’ll find exciting success knocking at your door.

Key #3:
Focus On Your Core Gift

I have very few talents. Honest!
I don’t know how to cook, how to dance, how to write a computer program, and how to solve the Rubix cube. I don’t know how to do geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. I’m totally lost in chemistry, physics, and biology. I also can’t fix a leaking faucet or do carpentry or repair my car.
But this is what I can do very well: Communicate.
So I focus my entire life on that one thing.
I write well and I speak well. Period.
And I delegate everything to people who are better than I am.
Ask yourself now: What is my core gift?
I have a general rule I follow in my life: I don’t like complicating things just to impress you. So instead of giving you 329 psychological questions filled with scientific babble to discover your core gift (so I could impress you on how intelligent I am), let me just boil it down to 2 very simple questions. Stop reading this book until you answered both of these questions.
· What do you enjoy doing?
· What are you good at?
For some of you, it’s technology.
For some of you, it’s teaching.
For some of you, it’s selling stuff.
For some of you, it’s cooking.
For some of you, it’s music.
For some of you, it’s advanced trigonometry. (Yes, I’ve heard there are such strange creatures walking on the face of the earth.}

Key #4:
Build Your Network

My wealth isn’t my money.
My real wealth is my network of friends.
Personally, I don’t think anything great is accomplished without a team.
Even Jesus had a team around him.
A few months ago, I was reading about the interesting world of horse-pulling competitions.
That’s where huge horses the size of elephants pull massive concrete blocks behind them.
Did you know that the grand champion horse could pull the incredible weight of 4,500 pounds? If the average weight of a Filipino is 140 pounds (which happens to be my weight before I eat my breakfast), that means this super horse could carry 32 Filipinos—without wheels! That monster could pull me, my wife, my kids, my parents, my siblings, their spouses, their kids, and all my in-laws combined.
And the second placer horse can pull only slightly lower than the first placer: 4,400 pounds.
That was when the organizers got curious. If these two horses pulled together, how many pounds could they carry? Could they pull 8,900 pounds?
They harnessed both horses and were shocked with the results.
Both horses, when pulling together, carried the mind-blowing weight of 12,000 pounds. That’s 85 Filipinos.
My message? Teams are powerful.
Alone, I can do a lot of things. But with my team, I don’t add but multiply what I can do.
I keep networking. I circulate. I meet people. I build bridges.
So I surround myself with a bunch of people who have impeccable character and fantastic skills. I network with Mentors, Preachers, Administrators, Accountants, Programmers, Lawyers, Financial Wizards, Multi-millionaires, Media Experts, Businessmen, Architects, Engineers, etc…
And everyday, I constantly expand my team.

Key #5:
Create An Autopilot System

Every time I enter into a project, I always do it with a team around me. Never alone. And I choose my team well.
I have a very simple criteria: I choose men and women who are humble (teamplayers) and who are experts in their field. In other words, I search for impeccable character and fantastic skills.
And together, we create a system for the project that’s replicable and duplicable.
In other words, it’s got to run on autopilot without my direct supervision.
Here’s my ideal leader: If I appoint someone to be project head (or organization director or business manager), and after six months, I don’t want him to bother me anymore except for major directional issues. If he still bothers me for tiny matters, I’ve chosen the wrong leader—or I trained him wrongly.
If You Love, The Universe Opens Up To You
Here’s what I’ve learned: Love is limitless! It has no boundaries.
I do what I do because I want to love people.
Each morning, I wake up and ask myself, “How can I bless people today?”
And so I stretch. I go just a teensy bit beyond what I think is my limit—and my capacities expand—because I want to bless the world.

For more inspirational articles by bestselling author Bo Sanchez, visit his website at www.bosanchez.ph, practical soulfood for successful people.