no. 289 vol. 24 june 2014 the biggest winnermedia.kerygmafamily.com/media/kmag/pdf/20140601.pdfno....

June 2014No. 289 Vol. 24

Inspiring You to Live a Fantastic Life

T h e B i g g e s T

WinnerThe enemy isn’T sickness

BuT Weakness

Discover How Pinoy Laughter Yoga

Can Heal You

CHERI ROBERTO: Conquering Grief

Over the Tragic Death of Her Teenage Son

COMMIT TO RECEIVE THE BEST NOURISHMENT

JOHN BEN RODRIGUEZ:From Plump to Pumped

EAT GOD’S FOOD AND BE HEALED

LIVE! CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS,

CHANGE YOUR BODY

By Bo Sanchez

MOVE! THE SIMPLEST SOLUTIONS ARE

THE HEALTHIEST SOLUTIONS

KERYGMA BARCODE.pdf 11/16/06 5:43:58 PM

Philippines P70 US $7.00AUS $ 7.00Euro 5.00UK 4.00CDN $7.00SING $9.00HK $47.00RUPIAH 64,000

GO DIGITAL! Buy the e-book and read it straight from your gadget! Visit www.ebook.shepherdsvoice.com.ph to download your digital copy now.

ARE YOU READY FOR YOUR “HAPPY EVER AFTER”?

Do not arouse, do not stir up love before its own time. (Song of Songs 3:5).

You spent your entire life believing that fairy tales do exist, and that somewhere out there, your prince charming is taking on the entire world (dragons, witches, and evil queens included) just to get to you. But he’s taking too long. In your quest to take matters in your own hands, you’ve gone on so many dates — some of them disastrous, some of them just “OK,” and some left you believing that maybe fairy tales only happen in Walt Disney films.

But then a miracle happens. Finally, you meet. The glass slipper fits. True love’s kiss has finally woken your heart from its eternal slumber. You’re finally having your own “happy ever after.” In your mind, you’ve cued in the festive song and dance production number, which prompts The Kiss. Curtains close, and then you live happily ever after.

But here’s the truth. Happy endings don’t just happen. Love stories are more than just sparks, love at first sight, and you-and-me-against-the-world scenarios.

Somewhere along the way, reality happens. You have a family to attend to, bills to pay, a crying infant to feed in the middle of the night, and a toddler you send to school every morning.

You realize that you have enough conflicts and challenges in your life that will always make you want to run away and disappear. Or pull your own hair. How do you survive what happens on your way to your happy ever after?

Journey with bestselling author Rissa Singson Kawpeng as she walks with faith towards “happy ever after.” Something Happened on My Way to Happy Ever After will teach you how you can discover blessings hidden amidst misfortunes, overcome hurdles in your marriage, and how to just enjoy life and love, one day at a time.

GET YOUR COPY NOW! CALL 725-9999 loc. 101 to 108.

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For more information, call 725-9999 local 101 to108 or log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph

What can we give to our father this day? Love, respect and books that inspire him to be the best man he can be.

Happy Father’s Day!

He is the Faithful provider leAder of the home

proTector of his loved ones teaches cHildren valuable lessons

gives allowancEs for mistakes and foRgives.

Get a free copy of How to Have a Great Marriage booklet by Bo Sanchez when you buy any of the above titles at the SVP sales office or at The Feast PICC. Offer good while supply lasts.

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Time to learn new things, make new friends and have fun!

As you feed your mind with new knowledge, don’t forget to feed your soul with wisdom.

Find inspiration for achieving your dreams this year and grow closer to God.Make K-F-A-M your companion in learning!

Kerygma – Inspiring you to live a fantastic life!FiSH – The zany side of loving God.All Stars – The generation that shines for Christ.Mustard – Sowing seeds of fun and faith.

Make this school year your best!

For more information, call 725-9999 local 101 to108 or log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph

Welcome back to school!

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Have you heard of GIGO?

It’s computer lingo for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.”But it applies to human beings, too. The quality of

your output is determined by the quality of your input.I’ve met many people who fill their minds with

trash — and then they wonder why they produce trash.I urge you: Make GIGO mean “Greatness In, Greatness Out.”Commit to receive only the best nourishment for your mind and

soul. I love what Charlie Jones said: “You will be the same person in

five years that you are today, except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

I believe in that statement 100 percent. People ask me, “Bo, why are you always growing? You keep

expanding.” I tell them, “I’m growing because of the wonderful mentors

that I hang out with, the great books that I read, and the powerful seminars I attend.”

Can I make a suggestion? Cut out mindless TV from your life. Minimize video games. And

you’ll be surprised at the dramatic changes that will happen in your life.

I rarely watch TV. I don’t like the idea of sitting on a couch, flipping the channel button, searching for something mildly interesting. I

deserve more than that. (If

By Bo Sanchez

COMMIT TO RECEIVE

THE BEST NOURISHMENT

you love yourself, you’ll say the same thing, too.) In fact, you and I deserve the best.

Years ago, surveys said that, on average, people spend seven hours a day watching TV. That means, in one’s lifetime, people spend 11 years watching TV.

Don’t waste 11 years of your life. Instead of mindless TV and video games, read inspiring books, or help the poor, or climb mountains, or start businesses, or create music, or have picnics, or laugh with friends, or play with your children, or go on adventures, or serve God.

Make a radical decision: Love yourself by feeding your mind with only the best possible mental and spiritual nourishment available on the planet. Start a reading habit. Get the best inspirational books. Watch inspirational material. Attend the best seminars.

Remember: You deserve the best.

May your dreams come true,

PS1. Go digital! Visit http://ebook.shepherdsvoice.com.ph to download inspirational books straight to your gadgets. Live a fantastic life!

PS2. For more soul nourishment, subscribe to my weekly Soulfood newsletter and receive my free e-book, How to Know If Your Dreams Are God’s Dreams. Visit www.bosanchez.ph.

JUNE 2014 • KERYGMA 1

TheBoss

COMING VERY SOON!

You can download Kerygma straight to your gadgets!

The #1 Catholic inspirational magazine will soon be available in Apple and Android Newsstands.

Watch out for further announcements!

KERYGMA • JUNE 2014

We Want to hear from you!

Send your message via email to [email protected], through text to 0923-378-4941, or by snail mail to The Editor at 60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 1109.

You can also reach us through Kerygma Family. Simply log on to www.kerygmafamily.com. Or like our Facebook page and post your message there.

For subscription-related concerns, text or call Sarah Discutido at 0922-814-7031 or email [email protected].

2

I came to know about Bo and Kerygma when I was experiencing hard times way back in July 2011. I accidentally listened to Bo’s recorded talk from PICC Feast played over Radio Manaoag. Then my mom’s friends lent us some old copies of Kerygma and Bo’s books the following months.

From that time on, I’ve been reading Kerygma every month and it never fails to widen my understanding, help me in overcoming my trials, and growing more in my spiritual life. Even my best friend, Reynand Manaois, is very grateful when I encouraged him to read the magazine every month as our New Year’s resolution. Then, every time we see each other, we reflect and discuss what we have learned.

Thank you so much, Bo and Kerygma staff! More power and God bless you all!

Jayson Troy CuisonSFC Pangasinan (Mapandan Chapter)

I am an Indonesian sister living now in Deparo, Caloocan City. I just want to say that I’m so much inspired by Kerygma. I long for the day when I will be able to meet the people behind Kerygma. When I was still in my home country, I used to read in Kerygma people’s experiences and special encounters of people with Jesus.

Sr. AgnesDaughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood

I want to express my deepest gratitude to Kerygma Family and Bo Sanchez for letting Jesus come into my life. Through Kerygma magazine and The Feast, I was able to overcome the difficult times of my life. I learned that no matter how hard trials are, everything is possible when you believe in God. Despite financial incapabilities, I am now in my second year in college.

God is great! More power and may God bless you more!

Karen Ann SaysonCebu City

Mailroom

Reaching New Heights: Hermie Morelos Takes the Helm

as SVP’s New President

“God chooses not those who are able, but those who are available.”

That God has chosen someone who is not just available, but also more than able, to step up as Shepherd’s Voice Publication’s new president is nothing short of another miracle. Hermie Morelos is the District Builder of the South Feasts and coach overseer of Feast Oceania.

Following Gil Ramiscal’s steady and able leadership, Hermie takes the helm and aims to bring SVP to greater heights. He looks forward to embracing innovative and fresh ideas to bring more inspirational titles and products to a broader audience.

“Expect more from SVP,” Hermie says with a smile, when asked what message he has for Kerygma magazine’s readers. There will be new products such as novels, e-books, and interactive magazines. “We’re in a different age, and we embrace these changes by keeping abreast with the latest technological innovations. We’re going to reach out to more people by making our products digital and more interactive,” he continues.

Hermie promises to embrace these changes and at the same time still hold fast to SVP’s mission — to bring people closer to heaven creatively and to inspire them to live a fantastic life — one inspirational title at a time.

It’s been on my Seven Dreams* list for a few years now. “To exercise regularly and start a new sport that I can engage in on a weekly basis. I will be at the peak of my health and fitness — great body and healthy eating habits.”

Many of my dreams have been fulfilled but this one just got carried over from year

to year. It’s been years since I’ve exercised regularly.

To be precise, I quit working out on April 18, 2009. Why do I know? Because that day was the second time I tested positive on a pregnancy kit. Eight months later, I gave birth to our second child, Erin.

Since then, my efforts at working out were sporadic at best. I tried to break a sweat by playing Wii. No luck there. I bought a mountain bike one New Year. In just a couple of months, it joined the ranks of the forgotten junk stored in our bodega. I tried googling for a sport I could get into. None of the known sports on Planet Earth appealed to me. OK, I would’ve wanted to do snow skiing but I’m geographically challenged. I started walking around the village. Not much success there either.

I later realized that my dreams that were being fulfilled were things that only God could accomplish, while those that stayed on my list were the stuff that I had to do for myself. Grrrr.

If only I could pray that God would grant my body the benefits of exercise without me having to break a sweat, then I’d be the healthiest person around. So I changed my prayer. I prayed, “Lord, please send me an exercise partner.” I figured that if I had someone to work out with, I’d be forced to exercise even if I didn’t feel like it.

Then early this year, I joined The Feast builders in their annual retreat. My big take-away from that four-day hiatus was that I needed to cultivate daily habits to achieve my big dreams. As success expert Brian Tracy said, “Successful people are simply those with successful habits.”

So the very next day after our retreat, Feast builder George Gabriel and his wife, Dinah, joined me as I hit the pool at our clubhouse early that morning. It was the first day of our habit of exercising on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Mike Viñas, another Feast builder, would join us on Mondays.

I haven’t stopped swimming since, even if I’ve never been a swimmer before. (Never took a lesson as a kid.) All that long overdue pregnancy fat hanging off my belly is finally on its way to oblivion. The pain and immobility of my right shoulder is gone, as well my perennial stiff neck.

And those are not the only things that have disappeared. Gone is my laziness to exercise as well as my lame excuses. (I can jump into a pool at 6:30

What to Expect This Month:

Thanks to everyone who bought my newest book, Something Happened on My Way to Happy Ever After. Whether you’re single or married, old or young, there’s something in this book that will speak to your heart. Here’s what people are saying about it:

“One amazing book!” – Lola Celeste Meneses Refendor“Love it. Very inspiring. Will share it to my friends!” – Gnet Ollero“Another inspiring book from the bestselling author, Rissa Singson Kawpeng.” – Gail“‘Allow God to do miracles in your life.’ A simple but wonderful sentence that I will never forget. It changed my perspective in life. Thanks for this awesome book.” – Yetski CardenasGet your copy online at shepherdsvoice.com.ph

in e-book or paperback edition. Or call (632) 725-9999. Also available in bookstores nationwide.

a.m. in 19 degrees Celsius weather.) Gone too is my need to have an exercise partner to keep me accountable.

After an energizing workout at the pool, I feel like Superman who can zoom here and there to accomplish my other dreams.

A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might. (Proverbs 24:5)

* Feast attendees use a Novena to God’s Love booklet where they write down seven dreams they pray for daily and claim in Jesus’ name. Now it’s also a free app that you can download on the Apple store or Google Play Store. Search for “Novena to God’s Love.”

Email me at [email protected], subscribe to my Facebook updates, or visit my website rissasingsonkawpeng.com.

With my swim buddies, George and Dinah Gabriel.

JUNE 2014 • KERYGMA

By Rissa Singson Kawpeng

Living by

Grace

3

WORk OUT YOUR

DREaMS

It starts with daily habits

JustBreathe

Lost copy?Changed address?

Defective copy?

For all subscription-related concerns

Call Sarah725-9999 local 105 • 411-7874 • 726-9918 • 0922-8147031

[email protected]

Hi, I’m Sarah!

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ABOUT OUR COVER MODEL

When Mayi, whose real name is Rowena Marie Aguila, was 13 years old, her parents pushed her and her siblings to attend a youth prayer meeting. Since then, she has never stopped serving the

Lord. At present, she serves through The Feast PICC Singles Ministry and its Production Team.

People think that she is an extrovert as she is often seen where the action is, especially at The Feast, but the truth is, she relishes time alone — spending it in prayer, reading, and doing arts and crafts.

Professionally, Mayi is an industrial engineer. She loves math,

THE BO

FILES

1 The BossCOMMIT TO

RECEIVE THE BEST

NOURISHMENT

DEPARTMENTS

COLUMNS

SPECIAL

SECTION

17 THE BIGGEST WINNER

3 Just Breathe Work Out Your Dreams

34 Seasons Overcoming the “Tagasalo” Syndrome35 Faith @ Work The Golden Circle37 K Preacher

Solution ModeWhat’s

INSIDEJune 2014

40 Point of Contact

18 EAT GOD’S FOOD AND BE HEALED!

18 MOVE:THE SIMPLEST SOLUTIONS ARE THE HEALTHIEST SOLUTIONS

26 LIVE: CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR BODY

2 Mailroom6 New You7 Real Stuff8 WOUNDED

FAMILY, WOUNDED HEALER

Nothing Is Wasted

a thing many people hate. She wants to spread financial literacy to all and she does this as a relationship manager at COL Financial Group, Inc. She plans to write a book on how to build millions in the stock market.

Mayi isn’t fond of exercise until she saw her flabby arms. She has been doing yoga, though not regularly, for a year now. It has helped improve her overall health.

Mayi dreams of living a long life — so she can play with her great, great, great grandkids, teach people how to invest, do charity work, open businesses that will create more jobs, and serve the Lord more.

This July, she is getting married to Dr. Didoy Lubaton, her long-time boyfriend.

10 Dear K11 KFam Insider13 Feast Snapshots14 It Happened: A Mother’s Grief,

A Mother’s Love

39 One Last Story:Savoring Life Amidst Dialysis

TESTIMONIES24 A Better Me, A Better Future30 God’s Powerful Gift of Laughter

founder and publisher BO SANCHEZ • editor-in-chief RISSA SINGSON KAWPENG • managing editor TESS V. ATIENZA • creative director MIKE CORTES • graphics director REY DE GUZMAN • staff writers MARJORIE DUTERTE, KARREN RENZ SEñA • contributing writers BELLA ESTRELLA, JUDITH CONCEPCION, KIRAE GENECIRAN • assistant layout artist LEAH KIM RECTO • photographer DANIEL A. SORIANO • columnists BISHOP TED BACANI JR., OBET CABRILLAS, ARIEL DRIZ, EARNEST TAN

chairman of the board and CEO BO SANCHEZ • president HERMIE R. MORELOS • vice-president for finance and administration WENG CEQUEñA • assistant vice-president for production RISSA SINGSON KAWPENG • sales and marketing manager JOSEPH MARTINEZ

Kerygma. A Greek word meaning “Proclamation of the Gospel.” It is a Catholic inspirational magazine. It aims to be an evangelistic tool to all nations, providing Scriptural, practical and orthodox teachings to Catholics, particularly those in the Catholic Renewal, as an alternative to present-day magazines. It is also committed to fostering the renewal and unity of the whole Christian people. Philippine copyright Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc. 2014. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. Kerygma is published monthly by Shepherd’s Voice Publications, Inc., whose editorial and business offices are located at 60 Chicago St., Cubao, 1109 Quezon City. Tel. Nos.: (632) 725-9999, 411-7874, 725-1190. Fax: 727-5615. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph.

FINANCE:

HEALTH:


Quick HealtH tip

Cherries not only serve as nice toppings on your dessert but have some pretty awesome benefits, too. One cup of cherries contains an ample supply of fiber, protein and Vitamins A and C. Eating

cherries leads to a boost in antioxidant activity in the body. Aside from its anti-inflammatory benefits, cherries are the only natural source of melatonin, helping give you a good night’s sleep.

Cherries’ antioxidant benefits have been linked to reduced levels of nitric oxide, a compound associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Studies have shown that sour cherries help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, lower the risk of heart disease and colon cancer, and help improve memory.

Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com

Being healthy does not only mean keeping your body in shape but also includes keeping your mental and emotional health

in balance. Here are some valuable tips on how you can keep your mind and emotions healthy.

1. Get enough sleep. Adults need seven to nine hours of slumber. Elderly people need an equal amount but do not sleep as deeply and may wake up early. Taking naps during the day allows them to accumulate the amount of hours needed for rest.

2. Take a walk. Walking has a lot of benefits. For one, it clears one’s head; it helps one to think things through. It’s also great to walk along places where you can reflect on what you see and hear, and find inspiration.

3. Try something new. Try a different route to work, visit a new museum, and eat new food.

4. Have a network of friends. Those with strong social support systems lead healthier lives. Spend time with people you love.

5. Relax. After focusing on something intensely or working hard, do something relaxing like a hobby or a sport. Have fun. Go on a trip.

Source: www.medicinenet.com

Illness, job loss, home and car repairs — these unexpected expenses can wreak havoc on your finances. It is best to have an emergency fund to counter life’s curveballs and remain standing.

Experts recommend to save at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses. Here’s how to do it:

1. Calculate your monthly expenses. Make a list of your monthly expenses such as food, rent, utilities, debt repayments, insurance and transportation. Your total monthly expenses multiplied by the number of months you need to survive without cash flow will be your emergency fund. Ex., P20,000 x 6 months = P120,000.

2. Place in a special account. Decide where you will keep the money. You want your emergency fund to remain fairly accessible but at the same time earn interest. Consider putting it into a savings account or short-term certificates.

3. Automate it. Make saving easy by scheduling automatic deposits to your emergency fund. Sit back and watch as the balance grows automatically. It’s going to take time to build your emergency fund. The

important thing is that you start today. Determine how much you can afford to tuck away each month. Even small amounts will do; what matters is that you set aside small amounts consistently.

Source: http://frugalliving.about.com

cherry on top

How to Be Mentally HealtHy

Build an eMergency Fund

6

Tips for

personal

development

New You

St. BarnabasBorn and Died: Unknown, Cyprus – 61 AD, Salamis, Cyprus

Barnabas was among Jesus Christ’s earliest followers and was responsible for welcoming Paul into the Church. Luke describes him as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24).When Christ’s public ministry began, Barnabas may have been among those

who heard Him preach in person. He sold the large estate he had inherited from his wealthy parents, gave the proceeds entirely to the Church, and joined the early Christian community in holding all of their possessions in common.

Saul of Tarsus, the future St. Paul, approached Barnabas after his miraculous conversion and introduced him to St. Peter. Both Paul and Barnabas received a calling from God to become the “Apostles of the Gentiles.” They traveled and preached together among the Gentiles, suffering persecution and hardship in establishing Christianity among the pagans. He was stoned to death in Salamis in the year 61. St. Barnabas is known as an encourager to those whom others feared or rejected and as a peacemaker.

Source: http://m.catholicnewsagency.com

Reflecting on the Gospel from Mark where the Pharisees questioned Jesus on divorce as they tried to trap Him with the law, Pope Francis highlighted the beauty of marriage.

The Pharisees’ argument was casuistic, which Oxford defines as the use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially in relation to moral questions, with the intention to mislead.

The Pope noted Jesus’ response to their question, how He referred back to the law prescribed by Moses, who only allowed divorce in certain cases because of the hardness of man’s heart.

When marriage fails, the Pope encouraged the Church not to abandon the hurting. “We have to feel the pain of the failure, (we must) accompany those people who have had this failure in their love. Do not condemn. Walk with them,” the Pope said.

He emphasized the beauty of “the love Christ has for His bride, the Church,” as noted by St. Paul. “Here, too, we must be careful that love should not fail.”

The Gospel teaches us about “this plan of love, this journey of love in Christian marriage,” the Pope said, and this masterpiece has “never been taken away. Not even original sin has destroyed it.”

“See how beautiful love is, how beautiful marriage is, how beautiful the family is, how beautiful this journey is, and how much love we too (must have), how close we must be to our brothers and sisters who in life have had the misfortune of a failure in love.”

Source: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com

Pope Francis named his first batch of cardinals early this year, 19 men coming from South America, Africa, Asia and elsewhere, including Filipino

Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I.Cardinal Quevedo was born in Laoag, Ilocos Norte

but finished his elementary and secondary education in Marbel, South Cotabato. He earned his Philosophy degree from San Jose Seminary in Ateneo and received his S.T.B. and MA in Religious Education from the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. He was ordained a priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate on June 5, 1964.

Pope Francis inducted Quevedo into the College of Cardinals on February 22, 2014, with the titular church of Santa Maria “Regina Mundi” a Torre Spaccata. Cardinal Quevedo is the first cardinal from Mindanao and the second Filipino cardinal-elector, along with Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Pope Francis asked the new cardinals to be “peacemakers, building peace by our hopes and our prayers.” His choice of cardinals reflects his emphasis on the pastoral side of the Church, appointing leaders engaged with problems affecting their local communities, especially the poor and marginalized sectors of society.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki, http://globalnation.inquirer.net

pope FranciS: Journey witH tHoSe wHo SuFFer Failed

MarriageS

Quevedo, FirSt cardinal FroM Mindanao

Saints-at-a-glance©

GM

AN

etw

ork


Real Stuff


NOTHINg IS WaSTED

By Yna Vanessa Culaba as told to Kirae Geneciran

O n my 14th birthday in 2003, my dad, Erick, who at that time only sidelined as a recovering drug addict consultant, came home early. He called me and my siblings so we could feast on the food he bought for us. Feeling how unusual it

was for us to gather with him for a meal, we hesitated at first. But then, we were feeling hungry already and it was my birthday anyway.

We went downstairs to the dining room, had lunch together as a family, and then he left for work.

A few hours later that night, he called and said, “I won’t go home tonight.”

When my mom, Zaydee, came back from a vacation in the US, there were no explanations needed. My dad was not coming back home anymore.

Growing up wasn’t easy for me, my brother and two younger sisters, even when our dad was still with us. It felt like he was just a father physically. We never really felt his love and care.

When he left, my siblings and I were forced to grow up on our own, with Mom as our only source of guidance and inspiration. It was as if she worked 24/7 just to send us to good schools and give us a good life. Seeing how exhausted she was every night, I started holding grudges against my dad.

A Deeper LongingAfter some time, my mom got married again to a foreigner. Since I was unfamiliar to the idea of having a stepdad, I longed for a different kind of love from a man — a romantic one.

Shortly after I began working, I met this guy who I believed was an answered prayer. We started going out and he eventually became my boyfriend.

She might have lost someone she loved dearly but she has now found the One who will never turn His back on her.

Yna and her mom, Zaydee, love Jesus — and each other — more than ever now.


One month into our relationship, I discovered a lot of his wrongdoings. He abused me physically and emotionally, but still I stayed in the relationship. I had this mindset that whoever would be my first boyfriend will be the last.

I kept coming back. I kept choosing to do the same mistakes, to be stuck in the same old, hurtful ways. I even decided to move in with him.

It took me six years to completely realize how big of a mistake it was to stay with him. One day, with the little faith I had, I pleaded to God, “Please get me out of this situation.”

After a few days later, my boyfriend broke up with me. Even if I tried to cope by going to parties, I realized later that all I needed at that time were the people who first showed me love — my family.

When I returned home, Mom welcomed me with her unconditional love. She just hugged me and said, “Rest well now, my child.” When my stepdad hugged me, I cried as he whispered to my ear, “You’re finally home.”

I wasn’t judged. I was just perfectly loved.

Perfect Love Found at The FeastIn April 2013, my mom and I were invited to attend the launch of Feast Alabang Town Center (formerly known as Feast Acacia Alabang). Soon enough, I also got an invitation to serve as part of the Warmth Ministry.

When I said yes to God, all the positivity, hope and sunshine in my life returned. One month into serving, I was already able to cross out one dream in my Novena to God’s Love, and that is to have my own house and lot before I get married.

God has also blessed my family so much. Ever since my

mom and I started attending and serving together, our relationship blossomed even more. My brother, who just got married, also attends with his wife and even plays basketball with other Feast Alabang servants. My two younger sisters are now living abroad and happily blessed in their jobs. We are now in better terms with my father, and he and his family continue to keep in touch with us.

Feast ATC is truly a blessing to me. My co-servants and leaders in Feast ATC are family to me. I am amazed that, despite my imperfections, God called me by name to serve His people. I am now enjoying service one day at a time, knowing that in God’s eyes, I am worthy and loved.

Truly, nothing in my life is ever wasted. God has worked all things for my good. And while I am still waiting for that special someone He has planned for me, I will continue to serve and worship the Man who I know will always stay in love with me.

Yna with her fellow Warmth Ministry servants of The Feast ATC.

Yna’s real treasures in life — her family.

Dear Girl Left Wondering,I remember a sticker that my eldest brother used to have in his closet.

It said, “All is fair in love and war.” I was a young kid then and I wondered what it meant. Now that I’m much older, I realize that you can’t really have universal rules on how a person will fall in love, pursue someone he desires, or even how he should exit when he realizes the girl he is dating is not for him.

That’s what the courtship stage is for. Just as it gives the woman a chance to know her suitor, it also gives the suitor the opportunity to see if what attracted him to her is enough to sustain a lifetime relationship.

If he is not yet committed to you, meaning you’re not in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, a “French exit” is the easiest way to go if he has found someone else or decided that you’re not the one for him. I don’t think there’s any easier way to do it — for both of you. I can imagine it would hurt as much — or even more! — if he told you straight his reasons why he has decided to stop pursuing you.

Here’s the one thing that women can do to protect themselves: They have to set their boundaries.

Do not give to your suitor what you would give to a boyfriend. And do not give to a boyfriend what you would give to a husband.

I know women who act and grieve like they broke up with their boyfriend when their suitor or, worse, just a guy friend, distances himself from them. The reason they’re like this is because they treated the guy as if he were already a boyfriend or allowed him to treat her as if she were a girlfriend.

So next time, protect your heart. Put imaginary concentric circles around you that say, “If you’re a guy friend, then this is the amount of time I will give you. And this is the time of day you can call me.” The amount of time, intimacy and emotional investment should be commensurate to the commitment the man is willing to give you.

Hope this helps! Rissa

DearK

I dated a guy for almost three months. I didn’t like him at first but I felt that he was a good man. Considering my friends’ advice, I gave him a chance. For the past three months, we were happy and I enjoyed his company.

Everything was fine, but all of a sudden, he became distant. He’s no longer sweet and it felt like he was just being a gentleman to accommodate my friendly greetings. I told him about my observation. He just said he’s too busy at work. I understood it very well, but even during weekends he acted the same and, worse, he ignored my greetings. I got his signal loud and clear that he was no longer interested. He was distant for almost two weeks before I decided to really cut our communication.

I’ve never been a clingy or needy person, but he rejected me. So sad that he left me when I was already falling for him.

I’ve been wondering why guys pull back. Aren’t they man enough to deal with and tell it straight that they’re no longer interested?

Girl Left Wondering

He Left Me When I Was already Falling for Him

Rissa Singson Kawpeng has been proclaiming God’s Word through radio, TV and print media for over two decades. She has served extensively in youth and singles ministries and is an inspiration to many in living godly lives.

Rissa has written four books, the latest of which is Something Happened on the Way to Happy Ever After (visit www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph for orders).

Email your questions to [email protected]. Or if you need to talk to someone, call (632) 726-4709 or 726-6728 to contact a Light of Jesus Pastoral Care Center counselor. Pastoral counseling by telephone is 24 hours from Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Face-to-face pastoral counseling is by appointment. For correspondence pastoral counseling, email [email protected] or go to www.kerygmafamily.com. Or Call (632) 725-9999

Pregnant? Confused? Abortion is not the answer. Contact Grace to Be Born at 0917-816-4700 or email [email protected]. You may also contact Pro-life Philippines at (632) 733-7027.


The Prison Ministry of the Light of Jesus Family (LOJF) has been caring for a number of inmates inside the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) by providing them spiritual nourishment through a prayer gathering every second Saturday of the month.

Year after year, the LOJF Prison Ministry, headed by Ms. Yam Reyna, treats the ladies to a post-Christmas and Pre-Valentine’s gift-giving party. On January 11, 2014, the second Saturday of the year, 497 inmates received gifts and raffle prizes donated by LOJF and Feasters whose kind hearts never stop beating for their brethren in need. Present during the event were Feasters from the Philippine International Convention Center, Makati, Sucat, Taytay and Antipolo.

The Inmates Show Compassion and LoveIn her opening remarks, Yam commended the inmates for the

warm gesture she saw in an ABS-CBN television news — how they skipped lunch and dinner to save and buy relief goods for the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the deadliest typhoon that hit the Philippines, severely damaging the Visayas and Mindanao, and killing thousands in November 2013. The inmates and employees of CIW were able to send 11 sacks of rice, sacks of canned goods, mineral water, and clothes. As Atty. Rachel Ruelo, CIW Superintendent, said in the news, “Sila ay mga

tao din, na kung ano ang nararamdaman ng mga nasa labas, yun din ang nararamdaman nila. (They are people; what other people feel outside, they also feel.)”

K Fam Insider

Hope for Their Long-Awaited FreedomPao Antonio of Feast Taytay led the praise and worship that spoke about hope and the coming of a light that is long awaited. Gaudie del Rosario, Antipolo Feast Builder, declared that this year, the hopes and dreams of the women remain very much alive — they only have to focus on these dreams, on Jesus who can lift them up, and on the love of our Father.

In her welcome remarks, Ms. Catherine Capanang, Prison Guard I, announced that a big number of inmates will regain their freedom with the implementing rules and regulations now being set in place.

Babes Zambrano of Anawim Lay Missions Foundation quoted a prayer from Lysa Terkeurst to find reason to praise God in whatever circumstance, to trust Him to bring good out of the bad, and to desire to have more of Him in one’s life.

World-Class EntertainmentAs in the past years, Sucat Feast builder Adrian Panganiban brought entertainers to liven up the affair. This year, he brought the Gollayan Sisters, declared the 2013 Senior Grand Champion Vocal Group of the World. Excited at their first performance in the Philippines after arriving from America, they rendered their winning piece, “Somewhere,” for which they bagged 20 gold medals.

In gratitude to all people behind the success of this year’s gift-giving, Yam could only say praises to the Lord. “Without Him, we all will not be here.”

At CIW, caring with integrity and willingness to serve is demonstrated not only by the officers, employees and visiting communities, but also by the inmates themselves.

CIW – Caring with Integrity and Willingness to Serve

By Bella EstrellaPhotos by Apple Chico

For donations to the LOJ Prison Ministry, you may deposit directly to the Banco de Oro account of the Light of Jesus Community Foundation (S/A 397-010-5927). Please send a photocopy of the deposit slip with your name, address and contact number to 0922-204-3183 (Yam Reyna) or 0949-930-9339 (Beth Corral) for proper acknowledgment and receipt.

Adrian Panganiban with Babes Zembrano, who pioneered the LOJ prison ministry when she was still an inmate.


If there is one public place in this city that is teeming with so many people from morning till night, it will have to be the Greenhills Shopping Center. People from all walks of life

come to Greenhills for all sorts of reasons — bargain deals, the latest gadgets, great food, movie premieres, and so much more.

It’s the perfect place to start a Feast. It’s the perfect place to reach out to the unchurched.

God smiled on builder JPaul Hernandez and his team of dedicated and exceptional servants because He orchestrated all circumstances that ultimately led to the birth of The Feast Greenhills, which launched on November 10, 2013.

It was a sleepy Sunday morning and most of the stores and stalls in Greenhills were yet to open their doors. In spite of the early hour, people gravitated to Theater Mall Cinema 2 like moths to a brilliant flame to partake in The Feast celebration. Friendly ushers and greeters handed out bulletins and flyers, welcoming the influx of Feast goers with bright smiles.

It was a great start for greater things yet to come. Rising from the Ruins For the maiden session of The Feast Greenhills, JPaul preached about rising above the different challenges that have left our hearts, souls and lives in ruin. He shared that what’s special about the servants and volunteers of FGH is that all of them

Feast Snapshots

Celebrating a Full Life at The Feast greenhills

By Karren Renz Seña

are broken people — pretty much like everyone else in the world. But God is an awesome God and restores what is broken into something even more wonderful than what it was before. “The more broken the person was, the more loving he gets,” JPaul said in his opening remarks.

The topic couldn’t have been more timely, because a few days prior, the fiercest and most powerful storm ever recorded hit the Philippines, leaving devastation and ruin in its wake. Fr. Earl Cura celebrated the Mass and encouraged the audience to find creative ways to help. He delivered a powerful message about the one permanent truth in this world — God. He will restore, rebuild and recreate what was ruined.

Fully AliveFHG’s theme is being “Fully Alive.” It envisions being a haven for broken people who long to be a part of a loving family. The Feast Greenhills happens Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Greenhills Theater Mall Cinema 2.

FGH is calling for servants! Share your time, talent and treasures to the Lord and be blessed!

E-mail JPaul at [email protected] if you wish to become part of The Feast Greenhills or call (02) 725-9999 for inquiries (look for Annie). You may also visit their Facebook page (Feast Greenhills) for important updates and information.


It Happened

a Mother’s grief, a Mother’s Love

By Cheri Roberto

I am a single mother of two boys. My eldest, Bam, is 22 and Bruce was 14. Bruce was a cool and kind kid with a big heart. He was almost six feet tall with wild curly afro-like hair. His smile and hug never failed to brighten my day. He loved skateboarding.

Tiles in our house would crack when his skateboard would come crashing onto the floor while learning new tricks. I had no second thoughts bringing him to the park or his friend’s house where he and his homies would skate all day and hang out. He found his passion. And it made me happy just to see him happy.

My Brucey also loved music, singing and rapping. Have you ever tried rapping? I never realized how hard it is but Bruce rapped to a beat so effortlessly like a modern-day poet, entertaining his friends as they watched and listened.

Every now and then, before Bruce would go to sleep, I’d tell him, “You know what? I’m so lucky. Because out of all the boys in the world, I got the best one.” He’d smile and say, “Oh, Mama.” Then I would hug him to sleep.

As my boys became teenagers, I saw less and less of them. But it was OK as long as we’d have our huggin’ lovin’ time. In the mornings when I would wake up Bruce, I’d jump onto his bed and hug him. He would then wrap his long lanky legs around me and he’d say, “Huggin’ lovin!” and I’d reply with, “Lovin’ huggin’!” and we’d cuddle. Sometimes his Kuya Bam would join us and I’d have the two most precious people in my life in each arm hugging me and giving me sandwich kisses. This, to me, was heaven on earth and I could die a happy woman right there and then.

The Call That Changed My LifeTwo years ago, on May 19, 2012 at 4 a.m., I was awakened by a phone call that would change my life forever. My friend was on the line, the mother of Bruce’s best friend. She was hysterical and sobbing. I hardly understood what she was saying. She told me to come quickly to Acacia Street in our village. I asked her what was wrong but our line got cut.

My heart was pounding fast and hard as I quickly got out of bed, dressed up and headed out


Cheri and her boys’ favorite “sandwich kiss.”

The four buddies doing what they love to do.

the door. I tried calling Bruce on his cell phone but I couldn’t connect. The previous night, he asked me if he could sleep over at a friend’s house. I reluctantly agreed.

On my way to Acacia Street, I saw a commotion by the sidewalk. I parked my car and headed to the site, which was surrounded by vehicles, a growing crowd and yellow tape that said, “Do Not Cross,” like the ones I see in the movies and TV crime scenes.

I walked towards the sidewalk and saw my Brucey lying on the pavement. It was every mother’s nightmare. He wasn’t moving and he had a big bloody gash on his forehead. His nose was also bloodied and I noticed his left wrist was bent and dislocated. I thought he was just unconscious, so I didn’t want to move him. I just caressed his arm and wondered how many days he would be confined in the hospital for this.

I looked to the left and there was another lifeless boy sprawled on the pavement. More blood. It was Brucey’s best friend. I looked to the right and there was another body — another friend of Bruce. I looked further to the left and saw a crumpled car between a wall of a house and a concrete electric post. I tried to figure out what happened.

I found out there were four boys in that car: Bruce, his best friend, and two other friends who were brothers. They were driving home after hanging out, lost control, and crashed into a wall and the post. All four boys were thrown out of the car and onto the sidewalk.

Before I knew it, we were all in the emergency room of a nearby hospital. People around me were wailing and crying, pacing the floor and hugging each other. As the doctors tried to bring the other boys back to life, I silently watched a team of doctors and nurses work to revive my Brucey. Suddenly the doctor stopped, looked at me and shook his head as the nurses stepped away. I walked towards Bruce when a lady hospital staff told me with a kind smile, “You can talk to him. He can still hear you.” I approached his lifeless body and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Bruce, I love you.”

This can’t be happening, I thought to myself. I couldn’t believe it. I’m just a regular, normal person. How could something so terrible like this happen to me? Why my Bruce, why the brothers and why were four precious lives taken away, so young and all at the same time? Bruce was the youngest at 14. His friends were 15 and 16 years old. So many things were running through my mind.

I couldn’t even cry. I was in shock. My eldest son, Bam, finally arrived. When I told him his brother was dead, he let out an angry shout and punched the floor. He broke his fist with the impact. I hugged Bam and, for one final time, we both hugged our Brucey. It was to be our last huggin’ lovin’ time together.

I believe it was only by God’s grace that I was able to keep my composure during the wake. Even I was surprised at how calm I was and how I did not lose my mind. I think I was just too numb to feel the pain.

A friend came up to me with tears in his eyes. He marveled at how calm I was and asked me, “Where do you get your strength?” I forced a smile and admitted, “I’m not always

like this. I have my moments when I’m alone.” But I knew the answer. It was God who was giving me strength. He was beside me all along, making sure I was OK.

It was time for Bruce to be cremated. I took one last look at him in his p o w d e r - b l u e coffin and I finally broke down. I realized it would be the last time I would gaze at his beautiful face and ruffle his messy, curly, adorable hair.

During the final Mass, our friend, Fr. Arnie, said in his homily, “When we are born, we fall into our mother’s arms, but when we die, we fall into the arms of Jesus.” I had to believe that on that fateful early morning of the accident, even before Bruce and the boys hit the pavement after being thrown out of the car, Jesus caught them in His arms. I want to believe they didn’t even feel any pain.

The Path to Healing How do you heal yourself after losing a child? How can you even smile again? I felt like someone had yanked my heart from my chest and crushed it. I thought I would die from a broken heart. I would sometimes wish the Lord would take me and reunite me with my Bruce. But I couldn’t do that to my family, especially to my eldest son, Bam. He needed me and I needed him, too. So I put my trust in God and opened myself to whatever help I could get to be healed and to ease the pain.

Aside from individual grief counseling, we had family counseling and attended a grief seminar, as well as a few more support groups like Grief Share and The INA Foundation (short for mga Inang Naulila sa Anak, founded by Gina de Venecia who lost her daughter in a fire). These mothers helped me process what I was going through and cope with what would be my “new normal.”

It helped me even more seeing Mama Mary as a co-mother who also lost her son through a tragedy. Our bond has become stronger throughout these last two years. She knows all too well the pain of losing a child. I admire her courage and her faith. I pray the rosary more often now and dedicate each bead to Bruce and the boys, along with our surviving families. I ask for Mary’s intercession and also request her to give Bruce a big motherly hug for me.

I’ve learned that there was no use dwelling on “what ifs.” What if I didn’t let Bruce sleep over that night? What if I was more strict in disciplining him? What if we migrated to the States as we had planned earlier? What if… what if… what if?

Bruce’s trademark afro look and naughty smile.


Suddenly, after venting out my anger and tears, I heard his voice in my head saying, “I’m sorry, Tita, I didn’t mean to do it. It was an accident. I’m sorry, please forgive me.”

I stopped my tirade and cried some more. I said, “It’s OK… it’s OK.” Then I made peace with someone I thought I could never forgive. That act made me at peace with myself.

Living AgainI read that the best way you could honor your loved one is to live the best life you can. So I decided to rejoin the world of the living.

I started taking care of myself again and looked after my deteriorating health. I tried to eat healthily and exercise more. I also signed up for the Retreat in Daily Life, a 34-week Ignatian program. It helped me develop a deeper, more personal relationship with God as I got to know Him better through His Word and meet Him in prayer. I’ve resumed going to The Feast Alabang, where I am continually being blessed as I praise and worship God. I have brought my family and friends along with me to share in God’s grace and blessings.

I also went back to work. I’ve been practicing interior design for a few years, but five months after the accident, I finally decided to take the Interior Design Board Exams. By the grace of God and with a little help from Bruce, I passed with flying colors.

I took life-giving retreats to nurture my spiritual health and joined life-changing conferences and seminars to improve and educate myself. I started making investments for my future because I realized I still have one to look forward to. I know Bruce would only want the best life and happiness for his Mama and his brother Bam.

I’m still a work in progress. I have good days and also bad ones when I don’t want to get up. I’m still grieving but I’m trying to move forward the best way I can — by just opening myself to God and the awesome plan He has for me. God is a faithful God and he will never ever stop loving me. He heals all of my brokenness gently but surely — one day at a time.

To have gratitude in time of sorrow is difficult. How can anyone be grateful for what happened to my Bruce, my family, myself? But being grateful is the first step to hope and healing, and everybody needs hope especially in times like this. And so I pray:

Thank You, Lord, for loving me and keeping me in Your warm embrace as You comfort me and heal my broken heart. You are there in good times and You never leave my side in tragic and traumatic moments. Thank You for my family, friends, community and career. I’m grateful for my only remaining son, Bam, whom I love so very much. I’m utterly grateful for the 14 years You gave me with Your Bruce. I know that the best is yet to come for me and my Bam. I love you, my Brucey. I thank you and I miss you so much. Thank You, Lord, for my life and for Your embracing, assuring, forever-lasting love. Amen.

But no matter what I did or didn’t do, it happened. I needed to accept this. I don’t believe it was God’s plan, because I hold on to His promise that He prospers us and not harms us, which was why I wasn’t mad at God. All I know is that we live in an imperfect world and God does not plan these violent tragedies to happen to such young boys.

In the last two years, I’ve spent more time in front of the Blessed Sacrament than ever before. There, I lift up to Jesus all my pains and tears. I imagine Jesus sitting beside me on the pew as He gently takes my head and leans it on His shoulder for me to cry on. He wraps me

in His embrace and I feel His tender love healing me. I also imagine hugging my Brucey as he joins Jesus and me for a group hug.

I’ve learned to surrender everything to the Lord, good or bad. And when all else fails, prayer is my refuge.

The grace of acceptance came slowly and with much difficulty. It was hard to accept that I would never see my Bruce again. He was here one day and gone the next. So I was in denial for some time. It seemed to me like he was just at his friend’s house sleeping over, and it was just taking him a really long time to come home. But it would crush me when I think that he was never coming back home.

How I miss my Brucey. I mourn the thought that I will never see him fall in love and have a girlfriend. I will never see him go off to college or get his first job. I’ll never see his wedding day.

Instead, on the 40th day of Bruce’s death, I held an urn full of his ashes in my hands. I walked from the chapel’s altar down the aisle to place him in a crypt, his final resting place. I thought, “This is the closest I’ll ever get to walking him down the aisle.”

But as the serenity prayer goes, “Teach me to accept the things I cannot change.” So I offered all my pain to God. I visualized taking the hand of Bruce, saying my proper goodbyes and giving him one last loving hug, and I surrendered and returned to the Lord the precious gift that He had lent to me — my precious youngest son Bruce. Then I let go.

Finally, ForgivenessA few months after the accident, I went to the final resting place of Bruce’s friend, the one who drove the car that led them to their deaths. I was so mad at him and I cried, “Why? Why did you have to do that?” I continued scolding him, just me alone with his spirit.

Huggin’ lovin’ time for Cheri and Bruce.


Let me ask you: Where are you weak? Where are you poor? Do you lack joy? Do you lack peace? Do you lack passion? Do you lack forgiveness? Do you lack love? Or do you lack connection

with God? Or do you lack nutrition and nourishment? Do you lack exercise? Do you lack healthy habits?

There’s a popular TV show called The Biggest Loser. It features people who have lost the most number of pounds — and the side effect is better health. For obvious

reasons, if you apply the powerful principles you’ll learn in this month’s teaching articles, you’ll end up a real champion in every area of your life. You’ll end up The Biggest Winner.

God is concerned about your body. He wants you to be healthy. He wants to sanctify your body for His purpose.

Friend, aim to be The Biggest Winner — in body, mind and soul!

By Bo Sanchez

Special SectionIntroduction

T H E B I g g E S T

WINNERTHE ENEMY ISN’T SICkNESS

BUT WEakNESS



By Bo SanchezSpecial Section H

ave you heard of the Daniel Program? Let me share with you this amazing story from Daniel

1:11-15. The king of Babylon selected young men to be trained to

serve in the palace. These men had to be healthy, handsome and bright. Among those selected were four Jewish guys:

Daniel and his three friends — Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The training would last for three years and during that entire time, these young men would be given royal food.

That means they ate the best, most expensive, prime cuts of beef, lamb, pork, turkey, chicken, snake, cat — or whatever the royalty ate.

If those young trainees were living today, they’d be eating Wagyu steaks and Kobe beef. There are special cows today that are given beer to drink, get massaged, and listen to classical music every day.

But Daniel refused to eat the royal food. Because he wanted to follow the Old Testament food laws of God — no pork, no shrimps, no crabs, no shells. He said, “Give us vegetables and water. Only.”

The guy in charge of training said, “Daniel, I understand your request, but I’ll be in trouble. Let’s say I allow you to eat your kind of food. But if the King discovers that you’re weak and scrawny compared to the young guys that are eating the royal food, he’ll cut off my head!”

So Daniel said, “Test us. For 10 days, give the other guys royal food. But don’t give the four of us anything except veggies

and water. After 10 days, compare us with the other guys.”After 10 days, the guy was so surprised: Daniel

and his three friends — Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego — were the healthiest, most handsome guys in the gang.

The Daniel Program works! Why? Because health isn’t primarily about medicine.

Bottom line, health is about food. Food is the master key to a healthy body.

3 Steps of the Daniel ProgramI’d like to share with you my version of the Daniel Program.

It consists of just three healing habits. I believe that these three powerful habits will change your life. The fantastic results

won’t happen in one week or one month or even one year. But over five years, 10 years, and 20 years, you’ll be in the pink of health.

By the way, these three health habits are just the start. I’ve identified 52 Healing Habits that will make you very healthy. (I created a life-changing program by that name — 52 HealingHabits Program. Check out www.52HealingHabits.com.)

Step 1: Fruitify Your BreakfastThe key is to eat your fruits on an empty stomach — and not to eat anything else for at least an hour after eating the fruits. (Don’t drink water for an hour, too, so you won’t dilute the digestive fluids.)

I follow the Bible when God said, “I have given you every plant with seeds on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seeds. This will be your food” (Genesis 1:29).

When I shared this to a friend, he said, “But Bo, I love bacon and eggs in the morning! And I love a hot cup of coffee. I can’t live without them.”

I laughed and said, “Thirty years ago, I loved bacon and eggs, too. I worshipped my mother every time she cooked bacon for me. Unfortunately, we probably ate bacon twice a year — because we couldn’t afford it.”

But one day, I just quit eating meat. That was 23 years ago. And like Daniel, I’m still alive and I can’t live without my fresh fruits in the morning.

“Why fresh fruits?” my friend asked.“Because fruits are miraculous natural medicines, and scientists are

EaT gOD’S FOOD aND BE HEaLED!


4. More NutrientsAre you looking for a secret antidote to aging? Women, your search is over. The most powerful youth

potion is not found on top of some Himalayan mountain or under the city of Atlantis. It’s found right under your nose. The most powerful youth potion is fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Fruits delay the aging process. It delays the wrinkling of your skin and falling hair. Fruits protect you from Alzheimer’s Disease and osteoporosis. Fruits strengthen your eyes, preventing macular degeneration of the retina. Fruits are the real anti-aging antidote.

5. More EnergyLet me shock you: It takes one to three days to digest

meat. But it only takes 30 minutes to digest a fruit.Your body consumes a lot of energy for thinking, walking,

working, breathing, talking, etc., but digestion consumes 80 percent of your total energy. Instead of digesting, you can now use all that energy for other purposes, such as detoxifying, fighting germs, and healing.

Can you imagine the amount of energy you save if you ate fruits for breakfast? You’ll have all that spare energy to think, imagine, create and do other more meaningful work.

Fruits do have sugar, but they’re natural sugar. Unlike refined sugar that is easily broken down, natural sugars are more difficult to break down. Thus, it takes its slow time to be released in your body.

Some people may have to go through a healing crisis as toxins are flushed out when you start fruitifying your breakfast. Before it gets better, it may have to get worse. Some may have diarrhea because their stomachs aren’t used to having real food, only fake food. Persevere. Don’t give up. After a while, your body will adjust. Make a commitment to do this for one year. You’ll notice the difference and you’ll never quit.

Live by this motto: Only the best for my body!

Step 2: Veggify Your Lunch and DinnerAt home, I’ve noticed something very curious. My three maids are very healthy. They rarely get sick.

One afternoon, when we were meeting for prayer and sharing, we talked about health. I asked them why they were healthy. They said they didn’t know. So I asked them what they ate as kids.

“Vegetables”, they said. “No meat?” I asked.They shook their heads. “We couldn’t afford it.” They didn’t

eat ice cream or cake because they couldn’t afford it. They lived in far-flung barrios for most of their young life. Until they transferred to Manila in their 20s, they ate vegetables every day, whatever they could harvest from the field for free.

My Goal: Be a Veggie LoverMy goal isn’t to turn you into a vegetarian but to make you a veggie lover such that it becomes your main dish for lunch and dinner. I’m not asking you to stop eating meat. All I’m asking is that you make your veggies your main dish. Everything else should be side dishes. Do this tiny adjustment and it will give you giant returns.

Generally, most Filipinos already eat veggies, but usually as a side dish. It’s 20 percent of the meal. Our main dish is rice, seafood and meat. That comprises 80 percent of the meal.

still discovering their incredible power to this day.”I believe God has packed fruits with so much healing

properties, we’re absolutely foolish not eating them.

5 Wonderful Gifts That Fruits Give UsLet me guess. Sometimes, you eat a banana after a meal.

Not enough! A side point: The best time to eat a fruit isn’t after a meal but

before you eat anything. Reason: Because fruits are easy to digest, they get stuck there somewhere in the conveyor belt of your digestive track, waiting for the other more-difficult-to-digest food to get digested.

Fruits bless your bodies in five beautiful ways.

1. More WaterI know of some close friends who drink a liter of water first

thing in the morning. That’s four to five glasses of water. They swear by it. They say it has really helped lower their cholesterol level.

If you’re doing this and it helps you, keep doing it.But personally, I believe the more natural thing to do is to eat

water-rich food, like fruits. Because fruits consist of 80 percent water. (Yes, just like the human body.) And fruits contain the best water.

2. More EnzymesFor years, you’ve been bombarded by how important vitamins

are. But very few talked about enzymes. If your body is the house, vitamins and nutrients are the raw materials to build that house: wood, steel, cement, nails... But hey, that’s not enough. So what if you have all the wood, steel and cement in the world? You need something else: workers.

Live enzymes are those workers. Without enzymes, you can’t digest your food. Without enzymes, your cells can’t absorb that food. Without enzymes, you die.

Enzymes are found only in raw food, such as fresh fruits and raw vegetables. (Heat in the cooking process kills the enzymes.)

3. More FiberFruits are a natural source of fiber. Fiber will lower your

cholesterol and protect your heart. It will control your weight, cure constipation and improve your digestion.

A friend came up to me and told me about his, uh, morning problem. He said, “Every day, I have to sit on the throne of life for a very long time just to move. It’s good for my soul because I end up praying all that time. But I don’t think it’s good for my body.”

Believe me, I couldn’t relate. At all. Because of the fruit breakfast that I eat (and the raw vegetables that I have for lunch and dinner), I don’t have problems with that morning activity. Honestly, I’m done in 10 seconds. In other words, my colon is clean. And you’ll hear this from me a lot: Your colon is your health barometer.

Hippocrates said, “Colon toxicity is the common denominator of all diseases.” All? My gosh.

Dr. Bernard Jensen, D.C., Ph.D., says, “Poor bowel management lies at the root of most people’s health problems. In treating over 300,000 patients, it is the bowel that invariably has to be cared for first before any effective healing can take place.”

Many people’s colons are filled with gunk. The toxins and parasites that live in their colon are absorbed back into their system, causing all sorts of diseases.

By eating fruits, which is rich in fiber, you scrub clean your colon every day — naturally.


Do you want to be healthy? Invert their portions. Make veggies (and unpolished rice) 80 percent of your meal and the rest of your food the other 20 percent.

If you do this system for five years, you’ll banish all diseases from your body. Your immune system will be so robust, common sicknesses can’t touch you.

Step 3: Organify Your FoodA lot of food today weren’t here 100 years ago. But there are so much more food out there that have been around for 100,000 years — simple food, good food, unprocessed food, nutrient-rich food.

So here’s a principle: “If man made it, minimize eating it.” Here’s why…

1. Almost-Zero NutritionAlmost all the nutrition has been wiped out by its “process.”

Of course the packaging says it’s enriched or fortified because — after stripping it of natural minerals, enzymes, trace elements, and fibers — they add synthetic vitamins in it. That’s crazy.

2. Harmful ChemicalsBecause food companies want to increase their products’

shelf life, they’ve loaded them with preservatives. Regular consumption of processed meats increase the risk of diabetes by 19 percent, heart disease by 42 percent, and pancreatic cancer by 67 percent. This is likely caused by large inputs of additives used to preserve processed meat and make it taste good.

3. Transfats and Partially Hydrogenated OilTransfat is manufactured fat — man-made, not God-made.

It’s chemically created by a process called partial hydrogenation. It’s used to make food taste creamier and yummier while prolonging their shelf life. You eat transfat when you eat French fries, donuts, muffins and cookies. The problem with transfat? It clogs your arteries and causes heart disease.

When buying food at the grocery, check the ingredient list. If there are words like “partially hydrogenated,” “fractionated” or “hydrogenated” oil, it has transfats. If it’s there, don’t buy it.

4. Sugar, Sweeteners and High Fructose Corn SyrupThe Bible says, “Do you like honey? Don’t eat too much, or it

will make you sick!” (Proverbs 25:16)Grocery shelves are stocked with snacks loaded with sugar.

Do you know how much sugar is in a can of softdrinks? Ten sugar cubes per can. Even diet soda is not a better choice because of artificial sweeteners, which I believe can be worse than sugar.

But the new “sugar” used by food manufacturers now is corn syrup. It’s now being mixed with other products: breads,

breakfast cereals and even ketchup. Corn syrup sounds natural — because people think it comes from corn. It’s terribly unhealthy. High-fructose corn syrup affects your metabolism, causes heart disease and diabetes. If the words, “corn sweetener,” “corn syrup,” or “corn syrup solids” or “high-fructose corn syrup” are on the label, avoid it.

5. Refined GrainsFilipinos love white rice. But white rice has been stripped of

its fiber-rich outer layer. This means it has been stripped of all B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin E, and selenium. All the white bread we like to eat has also been stripped away of nutrients. Aside from having no fiber, they have zero enzymes.

Remember our magic life force called enzymes? If you eat nothing else but processed food, your enzymes get depleted. Your kidneys and liver start to malfunction. Your chest can start to feel heavy and you feel a little jolt of pain every now and then. You have indigestion problems like bloating, gas pains or reflux.

Minimize eating anything that’s sold in a box, foil, plastic or bottle. Eat primitive foods as much as possible.

Eat the Best Food in the WorldYou can be healthy. God wants you to be. And the secrets to health are in your fingertips.

Healing is found in the food that you eat.I met a woman who drank six cans of Diet Coke a day. She told

me, “But Bo, I can’t stop myself. I can’t control myself. I need to drink Diet Coke every day.” But she’s wrong.

You can control yourself. I told her, “God put you in charge of your eating. Food doesn’t

mysteriously float towards your mouth. You can choose what to eat.” I told her the truth: You have total, complete, absolute 100 percent control over what food you put in your mouth.

What’s the key to healing? Always choose the best healing foods in the world. And the best healing foods in the world are fruits and veggies.

Friend, don’t wait for cancer to come before you change your life. When a doctor says, “Your tests show that you have cancer,” that means cancer has been growing in you for the past 20 years.

Change your health — and your life — now!

Do you want to know my “Power Morning Drink”? It’s not a vitamin or a supplement, but something that you buy from the market. I’ve been taking it for many years now. Visit www.HealerInYou.com to know more about it.

Diclaimer: No reader should make any health decision without first consulting his own personal physician and conducting his own research and due diligence.

Email me at [email protected].


MOVEThe Simplest Solutions are the

Healthiest Solutions

By Bo Sanchez

Special Section

I had the chance to visit Naples in Italy sometime ago, and in that city, I saw a huge old church that looked terrible. I can imagine how beautiful it was centuries ago. But today, the church is decaying. Graffiti is written on its walls. Pollution has covered the red roof with dirt.

I felt so sorry for this church — how could God’s house be deteriorating and no one is repairing it?

Friend, your body is God’s church. And you need to take care of it well.

In the previous article, I taught you how to take care of your body by fruitifying your breakfast, veggifying your lunch and dinner, and organifying your meals.

Aside from the above, the other secret fountain of youth is a healthy rhythm of movement.

Movement consists of three things: breathe, exercise and sleep.

Step 1: BreatheThe Bible says, “God breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (Genesis 2:7).

People like complicated solutions. It’s just more attractive to give 21-point solutions requiring someone with a PhD to explain it.

The problem with my solutions is that they’re too simple and terribly boring. People react by saying, “I know about fruits and veggies, Bo. Don’t you have anything more sophisticated than that? Do you have new, hi-tech, advanced discoveries that unlock the fountain of youth?”

“Well, I do have this other thing that can unlock health in your body.”“What’s that?” they ask with excitement.“A few times a day, breathe deliberately.”You could see disappointment written all over their faces.“That’s it?” they ask me.Oh man! If they only know how powerful breathing is! That’s why

I tell people that a great secret to your health is right under your nose. According to Genesis, God “breathed” into you — that’s why you

have life. Here’s what I believe: Proper breathing heals you.Let me surprise you. A lot of people are sick because they don’t

know how to breathe. Their breathing is lazy. Their body is starved of oxygen. Most diseases are linked to the lack of oxygen in our cells. Remember that germs can’t live in a highly oxygenated environment.

Breathing is so simple, you don’t need anything! No contraption, no gadgets, no special clothes, no pills, no treatments. How much does it cost? Zero.

So subconsciously, people think, “If it’s that simple, it may not work.”Wrong. I repeat: I’ve come to believe that the simplest solutions are

the best solutions.Like most people I know, chances are very high that you’ve

forgotten how to breathe well. I know I did. For decades, I was breathing wrongly.

What is “real” breathing?Watch a sleeping baby and you’ll see healthy breathing: When

the baby inhales, her abdomen puffs up like a balloon. Most likely, you don’t do that anymore. Constant stress has trained you to breath in the wrong way. Research says that as we get older, our breathing becomes quick and shallow. It’s called lazy breathing.

There are three types of breathing:1. Upper-chest breathing – Do you take short, quick, shallow


breaths in your upper chest area? Many smokers and very old and sickly people breathe this way.

2. Middle-chest breathing – Do your lower ribs expand with each breath? Put your fingers on your ribs and breathe. If they move, that means your breathing is middle-chest breathing.

3. Abdominal or diaphragm breathing – This is real breathing. Lie down flat on your back. Put your hand on your abdomen. Inhale and check if your abdomen rises. If it does, that’s abdominal breathing.

What “Real” Breathing Can Do for YouWhen you breathe properly, wonderful things happen:

· You increase blood and lymph circulation.· You detoxify your body. (Yes!)· You oxygenate your organs.· You release tension.· You remove stress.· You clear your mind.· You increase your vitality.All that from simple breathing done rightly? You bet.Here’s how I do it. When I inhale, I imagine breathing in God’s

love. God’s peace. God’s healing. God’s power. I let my body be overwhelmed by God’s presence.

When I exhale, I imagine breathing out my stress. My tension. My worries. My fears. I feel all that negative stuff drain out of me.

Step 2: ExerciseExercise is a modern invention. Centuries ago, people used to hunt their food, till their soil, plant their farms, harvest their produce. Today, we do nothing of that. We push our stainless steel grocery cart in airconditioned supermarkets — and call that exercise.

Face it. You sit down for long stretches of the day. Every day! Sure, you might get up to the restroom, water cooler, and canteen. But that’s it. Believe me, your muscles pay the price for this constant sitting. Your joints get stiff. Your muscles get weak. And this is not because of age. It’s because you’re not using them.

Here’s a law of the universe: What you don’t use, you lose.Haven’t you noticed? People are getting old at a young age.Here’s a fact: When you hit 50 years old, you lose 1.5

percent of your muscle mass every single year. That’s scary.This is the reason why you find two kinds of old people

in this world. There’s the 80-year-old who still walks like a 40-year-old and who can carry her 20-kilo luggage very easily. And another 80-year-old who can’t even lift up a glass of water.

Why the difference? Because the second old person doesn’t move. He simply allowed his muscles to atrophy.

I don’t want to be that old person. Here’s my goal: I still want to be strong at 100 — to walk tall, walk straight, and walk fast. I still want to be able to carry my own luggage. I still want to climb stairs on my own. I still want to carry my grandchild. I still want to preach on stage with the fire of a young person. I still want to travel with my wife around the world, without being wheeled into the plane on a wheelchair.

Do you want that, too?Choose your future!

I Love My Little 30-Minute WalkAlmost every morning, I walk. Nothing elaborate. Nothing fancy.

I just wear my old shorts, hiking shoes or sandals, go through my front door — and start walking. Just a simple 30-minute walk around my small village every morning.

Before I actually walk, I do a little tai chi.I do 10 minutes of very simple rhythmic movements

combined with stretching and conscious breathing. After my tai chi, I tell God, “Let’s take a walk…” And we walk together. Sometimes, we chat. Most of the time, we stay silent, enjoying each other’s presence. Sometimes, I bring my iPod and listen to inspirational talks. That’s wonderful, too. Sometimes, I tell God about my day. We plan together.

Other blessings of walking: I get sunshine. I get fresh outdoor air. I greet my neighbors with a friendly wave.

Oh, I love my 30-minute walk. It’s an amazing gift from God.Spiritually, I get connected. Emotionally, I get refreshed.

Physically, I get recharged. What more can I ask for my morning?Here’s the sad fact…

Most of Us Walk at 10 Percent, Minimum!Let me describe the typical walking regimen of adults today: • Morning: You walk from your bed to the toilet; from the

bedroom to the kitchen; from the bedroom to the tricycle, from the tricycle to the jeepney, from the jeepney to the bus… Total approximate number of steps: 250

• Midday: You walk from the bus to your office desk; from your desk to the toilet; from your desk to the cafeteria and back to desk… Total approximate number of steps: 500

• Evening: You walk from your desk to the bus; from the bus to the jeepney, from the jeepney to the tricycle, from the tricycle to your home; from your kitchen to bedroom… Total approximate number of steps: 250That’s 1,000 steps in one day. Only. But to be healthy, you

need at least 10,000 steps a day. If you take 10,000 steps, that means you’ve walked five miles a day. That’s the minimum required for a healthy body.

Is Your Body Complaining?Do you feel tired even after a short flight of stairs? Do you feel

lethargic? Do you feel heaviness? Do you feel headaches, stomach aches? Are you suffering from insomnia? Do you have a clogged nose that simply doesn’t go away?

That’s your body complaining to you, saying, “You’re not moving me enough.”

When your body lacks exercise, the blood has a harder time circulating in you. This means the oxygen and

nourishment (that blood delivers all around) is slow in arriving, so our cells suffer in the process.

Keep this up for a long time and complications arise. You become prone to illnesses. Your blood pressure is chronically on the high side. You start having problems with your LDL cholesterol. You have too much sugar in your blood. Your joints are stiff.

If you want to avoid any of these things, you have to do an aerobic exercise. And one of the best aerobic exercises is walking. Swimming. Even dancing.


Step 3: SleepMost people think sleep isn’t really that important. They think it’s just down time, or when their brain and body shut down. That’s why they cut down on sleep to cram more stuff in their evenings. But sleep is not just down time. Sleep is hard work!

1. Your brain and body are hard at work during sleep. Your brain is creating memories and insights. Your body is restoring, recuperating and recalibrating. Having a good night’s sleep triggers the release of growth hormones needed to boost muscle mass growth and repairs cells and tissues.

2. Getting enough sleep on a regular basis helps us avoid sicknesses like flu. The more you sleep, the more cytokines our body creates. Cytokines are cellular hormones that help strengthen our immune system so it can fight infections.

3. There are other hormones that get released during sleep. Not getting enough sleep regularly means our blood sugar levels go awry.

Warning: If you lack sleep, you put yourself at risk of diabetes, obesity, infections and heart disease.

Get recharged!People ask me all the time: “Bo, how many hours do you sleep at

night?”They think that because I do a lot of stuff, they guess that I

probably sleep three hours a day. Not true. I love my sleep. I need six to seven hours of sleep. Give me six hours each night and I’ll be brand new in the morning. I sleep seven hours when I’m extra-tired, like Sunday nights, because I preach four times at The Feast, our weekly spiritual gathering.

Meat-eaters, because meat is more difficult to digest, may need eight to nine hours for their body to recover from that heavy work of digesting. Teenagers also need more sleep because of the growth phase that their bodies are in.

When I get enough sleep, I love waking up in the morning totally refreshed. I love feeling strong in the morning. This is the special gift of sleep: a fantastic day!

How to Get a Restful SleepWhat I’m going to say is common sense. But believe me, it’s not too common anymore. Here’s how to get a good night’s sleep:1. Stick to your sleep schedule. Have a regular schedule for going to bed and waking up every day. Having different times will disrupt your body clock and rhythm.2. Try to sleep before midnight. Any sleep you get before 12 a.m. is a huge bonus for your body. For some reason, the hours before midnight give more rest compared to those hours after midight. 3. Avoid taking drinks with stimulants after lunch. Many people are affected by their caffeine intake. Coffee, tea, chocolate and soda all have a certain amount of caffeine. Taking that latte in the late afternoon can make it harder to sleep at night. 4. Don’t eat large meals late at night. Eating large meals at night can disrupt sleep. I also try to eat before 8 p.m. By doing that, I help the heavy work of digestion to end before I sleep.5. No “technology” in your room. Take out that TV, computer and cell phone from your room. These won’t help you get a good night’s sleep. 6. No lights when you sleep. Some people sleep with the lights on. But this won’t give you a full rest. Your room should be as black as possible. Because if there is still some light, the hormone melatonin doesn’t get released in your body as much as it should, which is crucial to your full rest.

I urge you: Eat right. Breathe well. Keep moving. And sleep soundly.

Simple steps, yes, but they’re the only steps to become healthy until your old age. See yourself as a 100-year-old person with the strength of a young person!

Visit www.HealerInYou.com to know more about my other healing habits.


My future made me do it.”

That’s my answer whenever people would ask what inspired me to have a sudden change in my lifestyle. I’ve been trying to lose weight for the past five years but I’ve never been able to maintain it.

Back then, my primary motivation was just to look good, and that was never enough to keep me going. After all... I already look good. (Wink!)

Last year, though, Bo Sanchez gave a series of talks at The Feast PICC (the Light of Jesus Family’s weekly prayer gathering) on health. He proudly shared how his good health allowed him to play and bond with his family, especially his kids. Being healthy also allowed him to be more productive.

Hearing that inspired me to envision my own future. I figured, if I get married by 34 and have my first kid by 35, I would be 45 years old when my first kid reaches the age of 10. I wondered, would I still have the energy to run after my child if I’m not physically fit?

It made me realize how unhealthy my eating habits were and how my weight affected my activities and productivity negatively.

I promised myself that I will be a good father, husband, and servant 10 years from now. And the first step to achieving that goal is to be healthy.

Eat: Fruitify and VeggifyIt was hard at first, but I followed Bo’s instructions. I ate fruits for breakfast and vegetables for lunch. Fruits and vegetables, according to Bo, activate the enzymes in our stomach, which help

Special Section

a Better Me, a Better Future

By author

digest the food faster. I used to eat vegetables as a side dish, but after listening to Bo’s talk, veggies became my main dish.

I also started reading more about healthy food and their benefits. I learned that making sure your food has nutritional value is more important than counting calories. For example, home-cooked meals are undoubtedly healthier than fast food. Junk food, while tastier, are exactly that — junk. I also started to eat fruits as snack.

With that new knowledge, I began to prepare my own food. I do this three to four times a week. I buy vegetables and other ingredients during weekends and cook it in big batches. I refrigerate leftovers so I can just reheat them in the following days.

Aside from this, I started to lessen my food intake. I tend to eat fast, so I used to consume a lot because I would still be hungry. Eating slowly helped me savor my food, so I was more satisfied even with smaller servings.

I stopped skipping meals, too. Research taught me that our metabolism tends to slow down when we skip meals. I made sure I ate small but frequent meals: breakfast, merienda, lunch, afternoon snacks, and dinner. I used to skip breakfast a lot, so by the time 10:30 a.m. rolled around, I’d be so hungry, I couldn’t focus on my work anymore. I’d overeat during lunch time because of hunger, but that would cause me to feel lethargic in the afternoon. When I started to eat meals on time, I became more productive. I

By John Ben Rodriguez

See the difference between the old (inset) and new (below) John Ben.


Testimony

could stretch my energy to last the entire day.

Move: Exercise and FortifyI started to jog at least once or twice a week. I monitored my performance and recorded the frequency of my run and the time and distance I traveled. This helped a lot because it gave me a perspective of how I was doing. I always tried to beat my existing record. For example, I’d try to run the same distance in a shorter time, or I’d try to run a greater distance in the same time.

After a few months, I also started going to the gym. Aside from lifting weights and doing cardio, I attended other classes, such as Zumba, cardio dance, definitions, and core classes. It helped a lot because doing these activities with a group motivated me

more. At first, I’d find my instructor doing the same sets without breaking a sweat, whereas I’d be panting and looking ready to keel over any time. I was inspired to achieve that same energy and endurance.

Attending classes also gave me mentors who motivate me and monitor my movements. They push me to exert more

effort and to perform better.

Conquering RoadblocksThe first two months were the hardest. I had already changed my eating habits and started to work out in the gym, but I didn’t see any change. I still weighed a lot and got tired easily. There I was, exhausted and hungry beyond belief, but there were no visible results.

But Bo also taught us about the law of compounding. Changing your habit and maintaining the new ones might not have effects at first, but in time, you’ll see your efforts pay off. I held on to that hope.

After two months, I started to notice the change. I felt more

energetic, I was getting closer to my ideal weight, and clothes that used to be too small started to fit again.

Most people stop and give up during the first two months because they couldn’t see any results. My advice is to just keep pushing. Undergoing this lifestyle change has taught me how to be more patient and to trust in the results even if I still couldn’t see them.

I also became more resourceful because I learned to find the best deals for the ingredients of the meals I cook. Many people think that eating healthy is expensive. I found out that there are a lot of healthy food that don’t cost a lot. I could buy baguio beans for only P10 and cook it for two meals; P10 worth of okra is also good for two meals, while P20 worth of cabbage is good for four meals. You just really have to be resourceful and creative. There are a lot of healthy recipes online.

I also learned the value of discipline. I used to feel sorry for myself whenever my friends and I would eat out. We’re all a bunch of foodies, so it was hard for me to stick to my regimen while they eat all the good stuff. When this happens, I just remember my “emotional why” — my future family, my future kids, my service.

Moving ForwardChanging my eating habits and adopting a healthy lifestyle has greatly influenced how I live and how I serve the Lord. I feel that I now have more energy when I lead worship. I could focus more on my work, knowing that I am being used by God to serve not only the people in my community but also my clients at work. I became more productive and, thus, more successful in my ventures. I also believe that this transformation will allow me to inspire others to become healthy.

Above all, I am confident that I can serve the Lord for a long time because I’ve become healthier, better and greater. All because my future made me do it.

A much slimmer John Ben in the company of his fellow Feast servants.

Pigging out is a thing of the past for John Ben.


By Bo Sanchez

LIVEChange Your Thoughts,

Change Your Body

Special Section


The real battlefield of health isn’t outside you but inside you.

The real battlefield is in your mind. If you win in the mind, you win in your

body.In this issue, you’ll learn seven powerful

healing mindsets. I need to warn you: These healing mindsets are more powerful than chemotherapy, more powerful than surgery, more powerful than the most advanced antibiotics, and more powerful than herbs, tonics, acupuncture and other healing modalities.

Why? Because much of your health depends on two major things: what you feed your mouth and what you feed your mind.

Thoughts are extremely powerful.In Proverbs 17:22, it says, “A happy heart is good

medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Thoughts can heal. But alas, thoughts can kill you, too.

Thoughts Can Heal YouWestern medicine doesn’t believe that thoughts can heal. They scoff at the idea. They believe that it’s medicine or surgery and other medical interventions that can cure a person.

But for years, Western medicine has done thousands of experiments on the Placebo phenomenon. For example, they give a pill to a cancer patient and tell him that it will cure him, but the pill is totally inert. It’s made of sugar or some other common substance.

But sometimes, as much as 40 percent of the time, the patient gets well. Why? His body produced natural anti-cancer chemicals that cured the cancer.

What made him well? His thoughts.The Bible says that happiness can heal you.

The 7 Most Powerful Healing MindsetsI’d like to share with you the most potent spiritual attitudes that can heal your body.

1. Trust MoreJesus said, “Don’t worry.” He adds, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:26-27)

Jesus doesn’t want you to worry because worry kills. According to statistics, stress is the number one killer in the world. But what is stress? A bunch of thoughts. Stress is another word for worry.

One day, the devil appeared in church. And everyone started screaming and running away — except for one little old man on the third row. The devil was shocked. He walked up to him and asked, “Don’t you know who I am?” The old man said, “Yeah, I do.” The devil asked, “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” The old man said, “I’ve been married to your sister for 48 years.”

Some of us think that the main sources of our stress are the people in our lives. We’re wrong. It’s not the nagging wife, or the lazy husband, or the screaming boss, or the coming deadline, or the mounting bills, or the crawling traffic that’s giving you stress. It’s what you think about the screaming boss, or the nagging wife, or the lazy husband, or the coming deadline, or the mounting bills, or the crawling traffic that’s giving you stress.

So here’s the solution: Change your thoughts, and change your body.Change your psychology, and change your physiology.When you allow worry to marinate your mind, the body

suffers. Physical symptoms appear, like headaches, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, heart angina, fibromyalgia and even cancer.

Let me explain why this happens.Have you heard of people who, in the midst of an accident,

display extra-human strength? I heard of a man who yanked the door of the car open so he could rescue an unconscious lady inside. Or a woman who lifted up a car by herself because her child was trapped beneath the car.

How do you explain these things? God designed your body to release natural “emergency”

chemicals that will make you stronger and faster in the face of danger. For at least a few minutes, they give you mutant powers. What are these natural chemicals? Stimulants such as adrenaline and cortisol flow through your veins.

Why did God give these emergency powers to us? Imagine you’re a caveman in a jungle, wearing nothing else but a loin cloth and carrying a big stick, hunting for your food. Imagine your life: Every so often, you had to fight or run away from a hungry bear, or a lion, or a tiger, or a snake... By golly gee, you needed mutant powers for those emergencies.

But today, we live in a different world. We don’t have bears anymore. (The only bears you see are Teddy Bear, Yogi Bear and Winnie the Pooh.) So who are our bears today? Our stresses. But here’s the big difference: The danger of a bear attacking you lasts for a few minutes. Once the bear goes away, so does your worry — and the adrenaline, sodium lactate, and cortisol get drained out of your system. But the screaming boss, or the nagging wife, or the lazy husband, or the coming deadline, or the mounting bills, or the crawling traffic may last for decades! So, these potent emergency chemicals are released again and again everytime you worry about your problem. So instead of a few minutes, your internal organs are marinated 24 hours a day with adrenaline, sodium lactate and cortisol. Your body can’t survive being in fight mode or flight mode every day.

What’s the solution?There’s only one antidote to worry: Trust.When the storm of anxiety lashes within you, surrender.

Let go. Let God. Put everything in His hands. Immediately, peace and health and healing flood your body.

Step 2: Forgive More Each week, I pray for a lot of sick people. I cannot count the number of sick people who are sick because of rage, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness…. Cancer and heart disease are only symptoms, a physical manifestation of the toxic anger poisoning their entire system.

LIVEJUNE 2014 • KERYGMA 27

Jesus said, “Happy are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7) . May I add? Happy and healthy are the merciful.

Forgiveness is the greatest cleanser. It’s the greatest toxin remover. But the moment you don’t forgive, you bottle up all that poison within you. And you die from that poison.

Please know that there are rare instances when the hurt done to you is so deep, the harm done to you is so grave (for example, you were abused or raped) — that I urge you not to forgive abruptly. Instead, let forgiveness be a journey. Don’t rush it. Because anger, for a brief moment, is an important part of the healing process. How? It’s your way of loving yourself. But remember that anger — like any medicine — has an expiry date. Beyond a certain date, anger becomes poison. And the only way to get rid of it is by forgiveness.

So if you can’t say, “I forgive you” right now, start by saying, “Lord, help me to say, ‘I forgive you,’ one day…”

Note: Forgiveness should not just be an act. Forgiveness should be a habit. You can’t just forgive, you have to be a forgiving person. Why? As long as you’re alive on Planet Earth, I can assure you that the people around you (especially those closest to you) will continue to hurt you. Your kids will hurt you. Your friends will hurt you. Even your prayer group pals will hurt you. And you need to forgive them every single day.

Strangers can’t hurt you as much because your defenses are up. But people who are closest to you can hurt you deeply

because your defenses are down. But you have no choice: Unless your defenses are down, you can’t

receive love. Thus, getting hurt will be a daily experience. So forgiveness should be a daily experience, too.

Once you make forgiveness a daily experience, your body is released from the emotional toxin of unforgiveness — and all the chemical toxins that unforgiveness releases into your blood stream.

Step 3: Love MoreOne day, I met an old man who doesn’t

have deep relationships. He stays at home with a maid taking care of

him. His siblings don’t visit him. His kids don’t call him. His

friends don’t remember him. With pain in his voice, he told

me, “Bo, I want to die. I just want to die right now…” I felt so sad for him.

The greatest hunger in the world isn’t for food but for love. And our bodies know if we’re starving for love.

God never intended us to live that way!

Medical studies have shown that we’re

more prone to sickness when we lack love in our lives.

Do you want to be healthier?

Put love in your calendar. Fill it with dates!For example, my entire year is already booked

with dates. I’ve got it all written down: dates with my wife, dates with my two sons, family date with siblings, family date with my in-laws, one-on-ones with fellow leaders, small-group meetings (I belong to six caring groups!), and vacations with family and friends.

I feel my health is blessed because I prioritize relationships over anything else in my life.

Step 4: Expect MoreOnce upon a time, I was a person of fear.

When good things happen to me, I’d get scared. I’d think, “Oh no, too many good things are happening to me! This won’t last. I’m sure bad things will now come next…” I thought life needs to be a balance between good and bad.

I was wrong. Today, I realize that there’s more good than bad. There’s more good people than bad people. There are more blessings than burdens. Why? Because God is a good God.

Today, I’m no longer a person of fear but a person of faith.

When good things happen to me, I tell myself, “Just wait, Bo, you’ll get even more blessings! I’ll be moving from glory to glory, going to higher levels of victory and abundance and love.” Today, I expect that life will get better, become happier, and become more abundant.

Albert Einstein said, “There are two ways of living life. One is to live as though nothing is a miracle. The other is to live as though everything is a miracle.”

Each day, I’m choosing to live as though everything is a miracle.

Every morning, expect to be blessed more!

Step 5: Laugh MoreI believe in the healing power of laughter.

First of all, the Bible says so. Let me repeat Proverbs 17:22 that says, “A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bone.”

An Irish proverb says, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”

So here’s my big question for you: How often do you laugh?

I believe that one reason why many people’s immune system is weak is because they don’t have enough laughter in their lives.

Laughter as medicine has been used way back in history. As early as the 13th century, surgeons were already using laughter as their anesthesia to alleviate the pain of surgery. Imagine lying on an operation table for an appendectomy, and your doctor, carrying a scalpel, says, “We’re about to cut you up now. But first, let me tell you a joke. Knock, knock…”


In 1960, Norman Cousins got sick with a very painful illness — and doctors didn’t know how to cure him. He decided to heal himself with laughter. So he watched funny movies in his hospital room — movies like The Three Stooges. And he got healed because of laughter.

At around the same time, Dr. Patch Adams made his hospital rounds in a clown outfit, convinced that joy is more important than any other drug. And he, too, had a lot of success.

When we laugh, our endorphins (the body’s natural feel-good chemical) are released. Endorphins can temporarily relieve pain because it promotes a general sense of well-being.

Why? Because laughter and anger are not compatible. Laughter and worry are not compatible. Laughter and sadness are not compatible. When you start laughing, you can feel worry, hurt, anger and sadness drip away from your heart.

That’s why we like to laugh. When my friend, Fr. Erick Santos, celebrates Mass, everyone is happy because we know we’ll be laughing in his homily. Actually, he doesn’t even have to do anything to make us laugh. We just look at his face, and we’re already laughing. After his homily, we learned and we laughed. What a great combination.

How to Bring More Laughter into Your LifeDeliberately bring more laughter into your life — and you’ll be healthier. Below are a few suggestions to help you incorporate laughter into your daily lives.1. Smile often: I have a friend who likes to smile. People around him always ask, “Why are you smiling?” And he’ll say, “I don’t need a reason to smile. I just like to smile.” 2. Spend time with fun people: If you have small kids, have fun with them. Play games. Roll on the floor. Hula hoop. Dance! And do you have grouchies around you? Avoid them. One of my greatest blessings from God are friends who are mutants when it comes to humor. When I hang out with these funny guys and gals, they drain my stress away.3. Laugh at yourself: A few weeks ago, I was talking to a Canadian couple. They told me, “We have very close Filipino friends in Canada and we love them. Because they’re so happy. You guys know how to have fun!” That’s true. One reason? Filipinos know how to laugh at themselves. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We laugh when things don’t go as planned. We laugh when we fall, we laugh when we step on dog poop, we laugh when we make mistakes, we even laugh when there’s an armed revolt that wants to topple the government… When there’s a blackout in other countries, people get scared; when there’s a blackout in the Philippines, we go out in the streets and laugh with our neighbors.4. Watch comedy: One of the benefits of having small boys? I’m forced to watch funny movies, many of them cartoons. But many times, I end up laughing louder than them.5. Count your blessings: Every day, write a list of all the good things that happen in your life. Big things and small things! How your daughter sent an inspiring text. How a friend said hello. How you saw a beautiful sunset this afternoon.

You were made to laugh, to celebrate, to be happy!

Step 6: Vacation MoreI love vacations. Jesus did, too. The Bible says, “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray” (Luke 5:16).

I love to pray because prayer is my vacation with God. I’m able

to surrender all my worries to him and receive real rest.I love vacations so much, I take one every day, even if

it’s just for a couple of hours. I take one every week, even if it’s just half a day. I also take one every month, even if it’s just a two-day break. I also take longer vacations every two or three months.

People ask me, “How can you do that? You’re doing so many things?” It’s true. But taking a vacation isn’t an option.

After 20 years of research at the Framingham Heart Study in the US, they found out that women who don’t take vacations are 800 percent times more likely to have a heart attack compared to those who took two vacations a year.

By the way, some people come home so stressed from their vacation, they need another vacation. Insane. Give yourselves time to enjoy your vacation. Don’t cram your daily schedule with so many things to do that you end up achy, tired and cranky at the end of each day.

Relax. Don’t try to see everything or do everything. You can’t. It’s impossible. Take it easy during your vacation. Anyway, you’ll be taking a lot more vacations in your lifetime, right?

Don’t postpone your vacations with your loved ones — because you don’t know when your time will run out.

Step 7: Serve MoreIn a huge study done by Cornell University, they gathered 427 married women with children. They thought that the more kids a mother has (and thus, more stress), the earlier she dies.

They were wrong. The number of kids wasn’t a factor at all. They were shocked to discover that the determining factor of a mother’s longevity was something very simple: whether she did volunteer work in a volunteer organization or not.

After 30 years, they went back to these 427 women.Here were the results: Among the women who didn’t

do volunteer work, 52 percent had major illnesses. Among the women who did regular volunteer work, only 36 percent had major illnesses.

I urge you: Live for something bigger than yourself. Serve God and others. Serve without asking for anything in return.

When my mother passed away, I realized how short life is. When I go to her house now, a sharp pain hits my gut. She won’t be there anymore.

Even if you live for 70 or 80 or 90 years — in a blink of an eye, life is taken away from you. Yes, life is short. But what defines your life?

My mother’s life was defined by service.For 88 years, she served God on earth. (I’m serving God

today because of her example.) Now, she is serving God in heaven. I realized death was a pretty small shift for her.

Heaven is a place of service. Serve God every day, and heaven will be a comfortable place to live in.

Friends, God wants you to be happy and healthy. He wants you to be with Him in heaven someday, too!



Special Section

By Paolo TrinidadAs told to Marjorie Ann Duterte

god’s Powerful gift of Laughter


I promised myself when I entered the jail that I will never ever laugh again,” an inmate told me, his whole face still radiant from the laughing exercises.

I was then giving a laughter yoga workshop to men who were serving life sentences in the National Bilibid Prison. What the man said touched me. Laughter can really

heal — even the hardest of hearts.

The Birth of Pinoy Laughter Yoga I was taking my Masters in Guidance and Counseling at Miriam College and I was handling abused children, men and women, and young ones in conflict with the law. I was looking for a powerful intervention that would help them heal and I came across laughter yoga in my research. I became very interested in how laughter therapy can help Filipinos because it’s different.

I went to India and trained under Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of laughter yoga. After a week of intensive lessons, I became the first certified laughter yoga professor in the Philippines.

I returned home on June 12, 2010, our country’s Independence Day, and it was also the day Pinoy Laughter Yoga was born. I incorporated Filipino values and games into laughter yoga that weren’t present in the Indian practice.

I first presented laughter therapy to Mandaluyong Mayor

Benjamin Abalos, Jr. in a meeting and the former warden of the Mandaluyong City Hall was there. He invited me to conduct it to inmates detained at the city hall.

After a session, I noticed how laughter helped lower the inmates’ depression. I then conducted it to the Correctional for Women and to other prisons, including the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, and observed the same results.

At the Golden Acres Home for the Aged, laughter yoga helped the elderly in managing their moods and behavior.

Studies say that one of the causes of Alzheimer’s Disease is the absence of exercises. Ten minutes of laughter exercise is already equivalent to a 30-minute physical workout. Twenty seconds of laughter is equal to three to five minutes of swimming.

When you laugh, you double your heart rate. It’s a perfect cardiovascular workout.

Laughing from the BellyPinoys have a saying, “Sumakit ang tiyan ko katatawa” (My stomach ached from laughing).

The scientific way of laughing involves the stomach

30

Testimony

Paolo, also a counselor, uses laughter yoga to help heal his clients.

Laughter yoga works for people of all ages.


found ourselves praising God through laughter. My spiritual adviser, a Carmelite nun, told me,

“One day, laughter will unite this wounded nation.” I’ve seen it happen and it’s really possible to unite

the Filipinos through laughter. With laughter, you let go of your defenses. You let go of partisanship.

I have met two priests who encourage another way of giving the sign of peace during Mass. They encourage people to look at each other’s eyes and smile or laugh. The laughter will spread. Laughter is a very powerful force.

Where There Is Sadness, JoyIt’s my goal to help Filipinos find happiness.

I pray that this can help our countrymen. We’ve trained more than 500 Pinoy laughter yoga leaders in the Philippines who will establish laughter yoga clubs all over the country.

It’s a mission. I realize that God is answering my prayers. Even before a session, I pray a lot. I do a lot of meditation. Then when I would already facilitate the session, I would wonder why they laugh. I believe it is something spiritual. I am just facilitating the session but there is Somebody up there who is helping me do it and it is the God of joy Himself.

So many saints were joyful amidst sufferings and oppression. I read Fr. James Martin’s book, Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, where he reflects on our Lord’s sense of humor.

God is ultimate source of our joy. If you are joyful, you have good energies. When you are happy, you become resilient and very positive.

Real joy is found inside our soul. After our laughter exercises, I teach people to be silent and listen to themselves. I want to help my clients find the joy inside them through meditation. If people meditate in a very serious way, the tendency is to kill the good energies of the body. When you meditate, just smile and you will notice how your body will follow.

and the diaphragm, and this is the kind of laughter that has healing benefits. When we laugh this way, we activate our parasympathetic nervous system and it lowers our stress levels.

Norman Cousins, author of the Anatomy of an Illness, documented the power of laughter in his life. He had a rare spinal column disease and he shocked the whole world because his sickness was healed through laughter.

What he did was to laugh and laugh by watching funny television shows like Marx Brothers and Candid Camera. He used the scientific way of laughing using the stomach and diaphragm. Later, when his doctors examined him, they discovered that he was healed. He believed it was through laughter.

Studies say that when we laugh, our immune system is strengthened and we get rid of diseases.

I also work with many cancer patients and laughter therapy has been good for them. While many illnesses occur because of inflammation, laughter is anti-inflammatory.

Simple ApplicationsI manage my diabetes through laughter therapy. One of the side effects of having diabetes is depression. People with diabetes normally experience sadness because when one’s sugar level is erratic, it affects the emotions. Whenever I feel the blues, I apply laughter yoga on myself.

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is look at the mirror and try to smile. I pray to God and smile. Then I notice that my mood changes and I begin the day happily.

But you can actually fake happiness. You can try to be happy, and your body will not know if it’s fake or real happiness.

If you laugh purposely, you will start producing endorphins. What happens is, even if you start with only a fake smile, later on your neural circuits will learn. You then create a neural pattern of happiness.

Laughter also helps in stress and anger management. Call center workers are prone to mental stress, which can lead to aneurysm and stroke. Many of them become bipolar and depressive because they reverse the natural sleep pattern of the body and they lack melatonin. I teach them that one solution to mental stress is to simply smile and laugh.

A friend practices laughter yoga in her business. Every day she makes her employees laugh for 15 minutes. She said her revenues tripled because of this. If you are happy in the workplace, it will also improve your relationships and productivity. Spreading Healing LaughterIn the Philippines, we use laughter yoga to aid survivors of war such as in the Zamboanga siege. I also gave a workshop to victims of the Bohol earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda. They were able to release a lot of their stress and trauma through laughter. It was powerful and cathartic.

Two of the hostage victims who were kidnapped by the MNLF in Zamboanga told me that laughter yoga helped them in releasing their trauma and fears.

But what is most healing is when you put Jesus at the center of it all — when you ask Him for blessings, for inspiration, for healing.

One time I gave the workshop to our Muslim brothers. During the session, we prayed a lot. It didn’t matter who was Catholic or Muslim; we were all Filipinos, united and just laughing together. Later, we

31

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W hen I am not in the house, my husband becomes a better father,” my friend admits. She notices that when she’s home, she automatically takes over the parenting tasks, leaving her husband without any job to take on. That’s why she always welcomes the

chance to join us for out-of-town trainings. My own mother expressed early on in my childhood that she

had wanted me to be a girl. The eldest child in our family was a boy and she had hoped that I would turn out to be a girl, not because she wanted a child to dress up and put ribbons on. Rather, it would assure her that she’d have someone to rely on to assist her. Her belief simply reflected her own (and our culture’s) gender definition of women and their place in the family and society.

As a result, many women experience burnout at midlife. This does not come as a surprise since women have been conditioned from birth to take on the burden of responsibilities. At home, they are tasked to be the “second parent” when the mother is not around. While the boys play, the girls have to help out with the chores.

Dr. Lourdes Carandang, developmental pediatrician and clinical psychologist, describes this phenomenon as “tagasalo syndrome,” translated in English as “shouldering the burden.” It is equivalent to a caregiving lifestyle that has a tendency to have excessive “other-care” but lacks self-care.

According to Dr. Carandang’s researches, a big percentage of women feel obligated at an early age to take on the role of caring for the family. On a stereotype level, these are the ones who never marry because their priority is to help the family. They give their salaries to their parents, send their siblings to school, and so on. If ever the “tagasalos” marry, a common issue that their spouses bring up is their inability to place a boundary in helping their family of origin. Their caring never ends.

Reclaiming the SelfEarly on, I had adopted the “tagasalo” lifestyle as I learned that loving is preconditioned on meeting the expectations of my parents, especially my mom. This started a whole pattern of pleasing people and denying the self. It took midlife to remind me that my worth is not something that I have to prove and that loving is not something that I have to work hard for.

“Tagasalos” have learned to be selfless. Selflessness, however,

Seasons

Overcoming the “Tagasalo” SyndromeMidlife Pursuits: Self-Care and Self-Love

By Earnest L. Tan

is a spiritual disposition that presupposes that, first, we have a Self and, second, that we can transcend this Self in service of others. But the selflessness of “tagasalos” becomes a psychological wound in the sense that the Self has been downplayed and undervalued right from the start. It has become an unconscious compulsive need to please and gain approval of others.

In a cartoon strip of “Hi and Lois,” the father was talking to his son in the living room about helping humanity while the mother was washing a big pile of dishes. As she overhears this conversation, she shouted in the last frame: “But I am humanity, too!”

Midlife Lessons for the “Tagasalos”Midlife is a time for women to teach those they love not to treat them simply as a “role.” They want to feel that they matter, too. Here are some tips for the “tagasalos”:• Stop acting your role all the time;• Express your needs openly;• Learn to say “no,” especially if this will be of greater

help to others; • Be gracious in receiving love, especially when it is

freely given to you;• Protect your boundaries, respect your limitations, and

define how you wish to be treated by others;• Fight guilt feelings that associate self-care as being

selfish;• Enjoy “timeouts” to bond and relax with friends;• Ask and demand for hugs (hug yourself when no one

is there to hug you).Ultimately, self-love is something that we are

responsible for. To those of us who resist this whole concept of self-love, remember that Christ admonishes us “to love others as yourself!”

Earnest is a licensed guidance counselor and freelance facilitator of formation programs along the lines of psycho-spiritual integration and wellness. He conducts modular classes at the East Asian Pastoral Institute and Asian Religious Formation Institute, among others. He is a regular co-anchor in the Radio Veritas program, “God Will Make a Way.” For feedback, email Earnest at [email protected].

God in Every

Stage of

Your Life

Faith@

WorkTHE gOLDEN CIRCLEBy Ariel Driz

Steve Jobs once said, “To me, marketing is about values.”

What separates the great companies in the world from the mediocre ones are those that communicate their values in the marketplace.

Nike sells shoes and sports gear, but their public message hardly conveys, “We make fantastic shoes... buy them!”

Instead, they honor great athletes, athleticism and the value of action.

“Just do it.”In his book, Start with Why, Simon Sinek mentions that biologically,

our limbic brain, which controls our decision-making process, listens only to feelings. It has no capacity to listen to language.

Thus , we say, “It’s a good move but it doesn’t feel right!” Or, “It’s a decision from my gut; I just feel it.”Our limbic brain is powerful enough to drive behavior and

contradict our analytical and rational understanding of a situation.Many times, we make emotional decisions and rationalize it

through our brain.Our limbic brains only respond to the question, “Why?”Many times marketing campaigns always start with “what.”

The neocortex, which hardly moves you to inspired action, responds to this, not our limbic brain.

So, according to Sinek, if Apple would start with “what,” it would market this way:

“We make great computers.” (What) “They’re beautifully designed, simple to use

and user-friendly.” (How)“Wanna buy one?”Hardly moving.

But in reality, Jobs and Apple give us this:“In everything we do, we believe in

challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently.” (Why)

“The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products

beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly.” (How)

“And we happen to make great computers.” (What)

Now that’s campaign!

As for me:“I believe the Filipino is world-class, a precious

gift from God that He can use to change the world.“In spite of our checkered past, we can win for His

purpose. This belief drives me every day.”“I do this by honing my craft and talents, by

leveraging my associations to help and build world-class teams and organizations, by getting up when I fall down, by pursuing worthy goals, and by striving to humble myself before people I look up to and my Lord, by striving to master myself and pursue life with passion.”

“I happen to be in the marketing and the training-consulting businesses.”

A compelling vision, mission or marketing campaign always answers the question “why.”

An inspiring leader differentiates himself from a mediocre one by communicating “why.”

Life finds more meaning when we know why.

“Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

Email Ariel at [email protected].

Ariel has more than 25 years of corporate experience across high-technology industries, business process outsourcing, and information technology. His areas of expertise include the following: Six Sigma, Process Improvement (Lean Concepts, Value Stream Mapping, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis), Total Quality Management, Product Engineering, Test Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Quality (ISO 9000 and QS 9000), Change Management, Strategy Development and Execution, Information Technology, Logistics-Supply Chain Management and Project Management. He is a Certified Master Lean-Six Sigma Black Belt and Certified Lean-Six Sigma Master Instructor.

Ariel and his wife, Ambec, have developed a successful nationwide marketing business and speak at international conferences to share their expertise in business development.

LIMBIC BRAIN

RESPONDS TO

WHY

NEOCORTEX WHAT

HOW


K Preacher


SOLUTION MODE

By Obet Cabrillas

37

There is not a single person on Planet Earth who does not have a problem. Problems distract and destruct us. Then worry comes along. It’s always an expected visitor of problems.

I recall one anecdote titled, “There Are Two Things to Worry About.”

When you are alive, there are two things to worry about:Whether you stay healthy or unhealthy;When you stay healthy, there is nothing to worry about; But when you are unhealthy, there are two things to worry about:Whether you recover health or not recover;When you recover health, there is nothing to worry about, But when you don’t recover, there are two things to worry about:Whether you get healed or get terribly sick;When you get healed, there is nothing to worry about, But when you get terribly sick, there are two things to worry about:Whether you live or you die;When you live, there is nothing to worry about, But when you die, there are two things to worry about:Whether you go to heaven or go to hell;When you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about, But when you go to hell, you’ll worry endlessly eternally!

Indeed, we’ll never run out of problems as long as we are here on Planet Earth, living an earthly life. What we don’t realize is that we always have two options — whether to go on problem mode or on solution mode.

Problem mode brings on worry and the rest of the gang: apathy, sadness, doubt, impatience, rudeness, selfishness, dominance and waywardness. Worse, problem mode brings in sickness.

Martin Luther King says, “Heavy thoughts bring on physical maladies; when the soul is oppressed, so is the body.”

But thank God, there is solution mode! Solution mode says: “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

“What happens to you is only 10 percent; the 90 percent is what you can do with what happens to you!”

“When you look at a problem as a problem, it will remain a problem, yet if we treat it as a blessing in disguise, wonderful things happen!”

“All things work together for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28).

Let me share with you how a speck of sand, a rough ore, or a black coal can teach us how to manage irritation, trials and pressures.

A speck of sand enters into the mouth of a big clam. Once irritated and pained, it starts to cover the sand with substances around its shell. Still, the pain remains. It only diminishes when there’s a perfect circle formed at a certain size. Hence, from an irritating pain, a perfect pearl is formed.

Miners don’t mine gold bars. All they see are ores — formless, ugly, dirty ores. Yet, when these ores go through fire, the dregs and froth melt away. Through fire, gold is purified.

Some scientists say that, at this very moment, it’s raining diamonds in both Uranus and Saturn. Do you want to go there? You can’t, because you might also turn into a diamond. Before a diamond is formed, it is first a black and awkward coal. But once extreme pressure is exerted, a diamond takes its shape. Then the skilled engraver shapes it into the popular gem-shape that it is today.

You, too, can shine bright like a diamond.My dear friends, take on the solution mode and

you’ll make a pearl out of every irritation, gold out of every trial, and diamond out of every pressure.

Obet is the Feast builder of Valle Verde and Manila Feasts (check out www.lightfam.com for schedules). He has written a book titled Spell Out Your love, published by Shepherd’s Voice Publications. Available at www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph.

Email Obet at [email protected].

OneLast

Story


Marjorie’s kidney problem served as her wake-up call to take charge of her life and live it to the fullest.

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My feet and legs were numb. The numbness later spread to my waist. I could barely lift my arms and hands — they felt very weak. My jaw locked for a while and it made my breathing difficult.

At the company clinic, the doctor checked my blood pressure. It was normal. At a loss as to what’s

wrong with me, she requested for more tests. My condition improved after taking supplements that a friend

gave me. When the symptoms recurred weeks later, only then did I go to the UP Infirmary to have the tests done. When the results of my CBC and urinalysis came out, the doctor in the Infirmary already had her suspicions and referred me to the National Kidney Institute (NKI).

After a series of tests at the NKI, the doctor dropped the bomb and told me, “You have an end-stage chronic kidney disease and you need to undergo dialysis right away.”

I was only 23 and at the threshold of my career when this happened. The chronic stress in my work and the insufficient water intake took a toll on my health. Living a balanced life was alien to me. Until God jolted me and made me realize what matters most in life.

Wake-up Call My employer terminated my employment because of weeks of absences. The other company where I applied, while I was still connected with my former company, didn’t call me for the final interview. Plans for my life suddenly drifted away. I didn’t know how to start anew. My usual jolly and positive self went into hibernation. My days were spent just sleeping, eating, surfing the net about my illness, moping, taking medications, and going to the dialysis center. Life became meaningless.

One day, my grandmother visited and saw me lying in bed. Shouting at the top of her voice, she said, ““What are you doing with your life? Get up or else you’re going to die!” I suddenly came to my

By Marjorie Almenario as told to Judith Concepcion

senses and, from then on, decided to take charge of my life.

In January 2010, I prayed to God to help me rise again. A business opportunity came: an online perfume business named Pepper N Mint.

Towards the latter part of December 2011, the Lord blessed me with another business venture: Prints N More, an online T-shirt printing business and other related services. My businesses help sustain the cost of my twice-a-week dialysis and other needs. I’m also into tutoring kids.

Spiritual RenewalPrior to my kidney disease, I drifted away from God because of my busy work schedule. Instead of attending Mass, I chose to stay home on Sundays to get the much-needed rest. When my illness struck, I started to notice God again.

The year 2011 was the start of my spiritual journey. I attended the Prayer and Life Workshop (PLW) in our parish. It was through PLW that I learned to really pray. I started to have a personal relationship with Jesus. I also discovered that I had so much emotional baggage. Through PLW, I was slowly healed.

In 2012, I attended other workshops, seminars and prayer meetings in the parish, and in July, I started attending The Feast.

By January 2013, I signed up for the Warmth Ministry of The Marikina Feast, welcoming first-time attendees.

But the highlight of my journey was during the Jesus Encounter seminar I attended. With my eyes closed, I saw God standing in front of me, wearing a cream cassock. He knelt down, touched my left knee and told me in His soothing, gentle voice, “Marjorie, I forgive you.” I cried buckets of tears — God finally answered my long-time prayer for forgiveness for all the wrongs I did to my body and to Him. My life has never been the same again.

The doctor said that I needed a transplant but I decided not to have it. Despite my illness, I have this inner peace of being able to totally surrender everything to God. My prayer is for God to discipline me so I wouldn’t go back to my unhealthy ways. I feel energized whenever I share myself to others and make others happy. For me, that’s healing. The old cheerful and optimistic me has returned.

The cross that I’m carrying is heavy, but with God on my side, the load becomes bearable. My dream is to serve the Lord full-time for as long as I live.

Life is too beautiful to be ignored.I choose to live life and savor it.

Savoring Life amidst Dialysis

By Bo Sanchez

I pray that you receive your miracles in Jesus’ name!

SPECIAL INTENTION FOR THIS MONTH:Bless the readers of Kerygma, Lord. You created them all for a purpose. You designed them to have the best in life — body, mind, soul. But the harshness of life, coupled with the temptation to lead easy lives, have led them to unhealthy living. Grant them the desire, the willingness of spirit, and the courage to choose to embrace a healthier lifestyle — not just in the physical realm but in all aspects of their lives.

Praying for you,

Pointof

Contact

Email your prayer requests to me at [email protected] or write to me at Shepherd’s Voice Publications, #60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines 1109.


I pray that God lifts your trials, heals your diseases, blesses your problems, and directs you to the path He wants you to take. I pray that God removes your fears and gives you the courage to surrender your burdens to Him.

So place your hand over my hand, and let’s pray with trust, together with our prayer team of intercessors praying for you right now…

This page is our Point of Contact, our spiritual connection.Say after me…

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Lord, I surrender to You my worries and anxieties. I surrender to You my needs, my problems, my trials. I place them all in Your big hands. And I open myself to all that You want to give to me. On this day, I say yes to Your love, to Your blessings, to Your healing, to Your miracles. And Lord, specifically, I ask for the following miracles for my life...

I believe that You answer my prayer in the best way possible! And I thank You in advance for the perfect answers to my prayers. I also ask for the special intercession of Mama Mary. I pray all this in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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