Daily Manna from Heaven

The Dad Who Brought Me Out For Pizza
By: Bo Sanchez

My Dad is gone.

My hero. My mentor. Gone.

An hour before he died, I gently brushed my hand on his grey hair. I looked at his tired face, his wrinkled hands, the tubes attached to his arm—and something in me told me his time was up. He wanted to go home. I prayed a blessing on him. An hour later, he quietly died in his sleep.
Friends, this should have happened eleven years ago…

God Gave Him A Long Extension

Eleven years ago, my father was fixing a light bulb in our garage. He stood on a bench, reached for it, and lost his balance. He came crashing down, the back of his head hitting the concrete floor. We rushed him to the hospital. Soon, he lost control of his limbs. I can still vividly recall that scene when my father, a strong man, was coming down the steps with my two sisters almost carrying him down. He couldn’t move his legs anymore. Through brain scans, the doctors saw three blood clots in his brain. Soon, they said, he would die because of them. They performed two brain surgeries on him. He stayed in the ICU for three months. We almost lost him to severe pneumonia.

But miracle of miracles, he slowly recovered from the grip of death…

God granted him a second life.

To Teach Us To Love More

That was eleven years ago—And how I enjoyed those eleven years!
Yes, he could no longer work or serve the church or community. He could no longer talk clearly. Just garbled words. His eyesight became very bad. And the emotional center in his brain was also damaged, so he became erratic and sometimes acted like a child. He was a mere shadow of who he was.

But for those eleven years, it was so easy to make him smile. All I had to do was bring him out to a cheap Japanese restaurant. He loved his sashimi in wasabe sauce. During this period in his life, eating out with his family was the only thing that made him happy.

For eleven years, I embraced him everytime we met—something I didn’t do before his accident. For eleven years, I always said, “I love you, Dad”. For eleven years, I was in charge of cutting his fingernails and toenails—something I loved to do (and would miss doing.)

I believe one of the reasons why God extended his life for eleven years more was so that we could learn how to love more. That was his last assignment from above.
And then it was time to say good-bye…

His Last Breath

Two weeks, Mom noticed he was getting weaker. She said that he had a hard time climbing the stairs to the Light of Jesus Community Prayer Room right beside his home—a place he frequented twice a day, morning and evening. (For the past 20 years, the Blessed Sacrament has been exposed there, 24 hours a day, and Dad and Mom were up there communing with God each day.)

Seven days ago, because of this growing weakness, he fell on his way up his bedroom, his forehead crashing on the wooden steps. A doctor from the community came to suture his deep wound—12 stitches in all. He went through two brain scans but doctors only saw an old blood clot from eleven years ago. Still, as each day progressed, we observed he was getting weaker.

Four days ago, he could hardly get up from his bed.

When we brought him to the hospital the two days ago, he slept most of the time.

And this morning, an hour after midnight, he breathed his last.

Dad was 88 years old.

Would You Follow A 13-Year Old Boy?

Oh, there are many things that I could say of my father.
For example, for 16 years, Dad served in the Light of Jesus Community as one of the Elders, until his accident forced him to resign.

And whatever group Dad joined, whether it was the Homeowners Association or the Parish Council, he’d always be chosen as the Treasurer. Because he looked so honest. And he truly was. Because of this, he also took care of the finances of our Community. He labored that every single centavo be accounted for. (I believe the reason why we remain strong to this day was because our finances have been above reproach—a legacy he leaves behind.)

More than all this, I believe he was one of the most humble men I knew.

Who among you would follow your 13-year-old boy?

Ever since I started preaching at 13, he sat at the audience listening to me preach. And when we founded Light of Jesus Community when I was but 14, he agreed that I become its Presiding Elder and he only one of its Elders. Though Dad was still the leader in the home, he followed my leadership in community. Dad was Assistant Vice President of San Miguel Corporation and held an MBA degree from the University of the Philippines. Why would he follow his little boy? But he did so because he believed that God anointed me to lead.

All through theses years, he was content in his role as my main supporter.

I remember one day, he pulled me aside and said, “Bo, you have a gift of proclaiming God’s Word. I don’t have that gift. I wish I had it. If I had it, I would preach everyday. Bo, you have that gift. Use it. Use it everyday.”

When I was young, I had crazy ideas. One day, I told the Community to surrender their attachments to God. So in one prayer meeting, people surrendered their jewellery, clothes, and TV sets to God. Dad gave up our sala set, the most beautiful furniture we had, sold it and gave the proceeds to the Community. Yes, no matter how crazy my ideas were, he supported me.

He Brought Me Out To Pizza

But if you were to ask me what I most remember Dad for, I will say, “He brought me out for pizza.”

Dad spent enormous time with me.

Each day, when I was a young boy, we’d jog together. He wasn’t a great jogger mind you. All he did was jog around his car a few times. After the jog, he’d sit down and I’d sit on his lap—and we’d read the paper together. Not the front page, or the business section, or the sports page—but the comics page. He’d read it for me and explain why it was funny. Every single day. As a boy, I remember looking forward to spending time with him each night.

And every Saturday afternoon, he’d say, “Bo, let’s go out”. We’d go for a pizza. A hotdog-on-a-stick. A bag of peanuts. An ice cream cone. We’d also go to a toy store, play with the toys together without buying a single thing. I didn’t mind. My hands may have been empty but my heart was filled with Dad’s love.

He knew I loved pizza.

So when Shakeys opened for the first time in the Philippines, he said he’d bring me there. The problem was that it opened in faraway Angeles, Pampangga. But to him, that was no problem at all. He drove me there just so that I could eat pizza.

It’s true. At the end of one’s life, you’re not remembered by your great achievements. The house you built. The job you had. The money you earned.

At the end of your life, you’ll be remembered by how you loved in small ways. Whether you brought your son for pizza or not.

My father did.

I remain your friend,

Bo Sanchez

PS. Here’s a letter I wrote to Dad.

Dad, I’ll miss you.

I’ll miss cutting your fingernails and toenails.

I’ll miss our hugs together.

Dad, thank you for loving me in the way only you could have done.

You supported me in my work as a Preacher and Leader. No matter how crazy my ideas were, you were there behind me. Thank you for believing in me so much.

Dad, thank you for spending time with me when I was a little boy.

Thank you for letting me sit on your lap, reading the Comics page for me each night. Thank you for bringing me to the toy store. Thank you for the hotdog. The ice cream cone. The pizza.

Hey, your back. The man before the accident. This time, perfected.

You can see beautifully again. All the colors, the beauty, the brightness.

You can talk clearly again—no longer the jumbled words you spoke for 11 years.

You can work again. (Do they need your accounting skills there?)

You can jog again.

Welcome back Dad.

I love you!

Today’s Scripture

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

God has a heart to pour out His favor and goodness in your life. He longs to be your sun and shield. What does the sun do for us? It lights our way, it keeps us warm, it nourishes the plants of the earth so that we can have food. The earth is sustained by its relationship to the sun, and God wants to sustain you through your relationship with Him. He wants to be your shield of protection against all the fiery darts of the enemy. He wants to light and direct your path.

Are you ready to receive Him as your sun and shield today? Have you been relying on something or someone else to be your protection or give you direction? If you have, decide today to put down whatever you’ve been putting your trust in and choose to lean on your heavenly Father. Open your heart and receive all He has for you. Receive His favor, blessing and protection today. As you do, you’ll see your path shine brighter and brighter, and you’ll move forward in the life of victory the Lord has prepared for you!

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, today I open my heart and mind to You. I receive Your blessing and favor and ask that You direct my every step. Show me Your ways that I may walk with You today and always. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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“A Walk to Remember: An OFW’s Stance”
By: Jo-Anne A. Cuyugan

Four years ago, I was one of the angry, yellow-clad, sweaty mob shouting “Pagbabago!” “Pagbabago!” during political rallies and miting de avances for the stiffly-competed presidential elections.

From ages 16-26, I have roamed streets, joined political rallies, helped bring down thrones, burned pornographic CDs, shouted religious chants—any religious, political, or moral issue that needed to be expressed and upheld—I fought for them.

A reprieve came in the form of an overseas job in the Middle East. My last rallies were for a potential presidential candidate who had all the qualities and godly character (and not a trapo) the Philippines could have ever had in a leader, except that the Filipinos preferred ‘popularity’ over character, the “lesser evil” over the “not evil.”

And so I fled from the suffocating political atmosphere the nation is beset with. I left brokenhearted and not finding much hope in the future. Some idealistic youth like me where shattered with the surprising ‘twist’ the elections turned out to be, and the loss of many a good could-have-been president. I thought then, escape is the best resort.

Four years I lived in dumb silence. Not much caring about news or what’s going on in my native land. I lived as a bonafide OFW faithfully sending remittances (which later on I learned, apparently steered the country from a great thumping fall).

I survived in an illusion that my country is climbing happily its economic ladder of becoming a “strong republic” the present leadership is saying through its drumbeaters.

On my return, barely 30 years of age, I slowly started to poke my head from its cocoon. Scenes flashed like powerpoint slides before my eyes, paving way for the reality of what the Philippines has become after my short 4-year hiatus. It’s getting into a nightmare.

A shocking political environment raging with scandal after scandal , and corruption unimaginable, besieges the country. Shocking rates of common goods, electricity, transportation, gasoline, and water continue to oppress the people who might be lucky enough to fend for themselves a decent meal at least three times a day. Products were shrinking like bread, noodles, repacked goods, etc.

There have been news that some poor families have resorted to eating woodworms and roaches even beyond garbage! Good heavens! Sadly, the rate of families who cannot afford decent meals three times a day have doubled. There are more people living on the streets, under bridges, pavements, etc….

And so, four years after, here I am again, waving my placards and hankies, yelling at the top of my voice…stronger…harder: Pagbabago! Pagbabago! The nation has awoken again from its apathy. The torch of the youth has started to lit, the voice of the civil society has started to have a sound; the religious groups, NGOs, leftists, rightists, and other cause-oriented groups are starting to unite again for a common cause after a long, deep slumber.

There is a limit to apathy and indifference. There is a limit to moral tolerance. Somewhere, deep, deep down, God is touching those inner cords of sensibilities to put an end to oppression and raise up righteousness in our nation. I believe God has a great plan for this nation. Regardless of evil that seem to dominate our hapless society, God can turn it into good.

As a balikbayan, hardworking former OFW, I have not much to say but…

Humbly, here I stand.

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Your Name Is A Clue To Your Calling
By: Bo Sanchez

Find The Meaning Of Your Name—
And You May Find The Meaning Of Your Life.

Grace Princesa walked in through the door.

“I just came from Cairo yesterday,” she greeted me.

I looked at the people around me in the restaurant. I’m sure they had no idea that I was at that moment talking to a real-life, true-blue, big-time Diplomat.

As early as 2002, Grace was already the Charged’affaires and Consul General in Baghdad, Iraq. Her last assignment was as Minister and Consul General at the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Today, she is Executive Director of the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations (“UNIO”) for the Department of Foreign Affairs—while she waits for her next foreign assignment. She has already worked in America, UAE, Egypt, and JupiterHer next sentence blew me away.

She said, “Sorry for being late, I had to take the MRT to get here.”

“Wha…?”

The Princess Rides the MRT

I shook my head, “A Diplomat traveling by MRT?”

Honestly, I thought Grace had just stepped out of her black limousine.

She laughed. “Bo, I do take the MRT. Especially now that my car has been breaking down. And I didn’t want to miss our meeting, so I took the fastest route coming here, and that was through the train.”

This was my first exposure of how simple Grace was.

When she’s not flying to some far corner of the world, I see Grace attending the weekly FEAST without fail. [We describe it as “One of the Happiest Places on earth”.

For months, she never introduced herself to me. She was content sitting down as one among many. It was only recently that she finally came up to me and said, “Hi Bo, can I give you Swiss cheese? I just came from Geneva yesterday.” That was when she gave me her business card and I learned who she was.

Grace told me that in her office, she loved mingling with the staff. Eating with them. Talking with them. “Rank and file” others would call them. But to her, they are simply friends.

The food we ordered hadn’t arrived, so I asked my first question.

“Grace, what is your most memorable experience in your work as a Diplomat?”

“War,” she answered.

Her Graciousness Was Tested By Fire

“I was Consul General in Iraq right before the war in 2003 and I took charge of evacuating all the Filipinos out of that country. Those were terrifying days,” she said.

“Watching it on CNN was terrifying already,” I said.

“We were in the middle of it. You could feel the tension in the air. And we were all afraid for lives. Because of my diplomatic status, my house became a refuge for the international staff of CNN, BBC, and UN. But I made it into a house of prayer. Though we came from various faiths and nations, we prayed together as one…”

“That’s beautiful.”
“And because I didn’t want to be a dead Diplomat, I finally flew out of Iraq on March 17. Three days later, March 20, the invasion and bombing took place.”

“Wow.”

“But Brother Bo, do you know how I was rewarded?”

“How?”

“After all my hard work, sacrifice, even risking my life, I came home only to be accused of corruption.”

“Oh no,” I said.

“Some people who didn’t like me spread rumors that I was given 2 million barrels of oil from Saddam Hussein.”

“My gosh. If you did, I don’t think you would have come by MRT today.”

“Some people simply wanted to destroy my reputation.”

I nodded, “I guess this is the story of every hero on the planet. After you give your life, blood, sweat, and tears for others, you’ll be attacked by envious people.”

“It was painful, but God sustained me. The rumors were all proven baseless.”

“God always vindicates us in the end,” I said, “Tell me. I love your name. Who is Grace Princesa?”

Your Name Unlocks Your Calling

“I’m a Princess because I’m a child of the King. I give God’s Grace to others. I’m a servant and a handmaid for the unwanted and unloved. And now, I’m an Ambassador for Christ!”

“Haha! Spoken like a true Diplomat.”

I took her photo and we ended our lunch meeting.

Riding home, I reflected on my name.

Bo is just a nickname. My baptismal name is (I take a deep breath before I say it…) Eugenio Isabelo Tomas Reyes Sanchez Jr.

It’s true, when I was in Grade 1, my classmates were already out in the playground and I was still in the classroom trying to write my full name.

And now you know why I love my two-letter nickname!

Here’s the meaning of my name:
o Eugenio means “Born of nobility”. Man, I’m special!
o Isabelo means “My God is abundance” and believe me, I live a charmed life of blessings.
o Tomas means “Twin” and I want to strive to live my life in the image of Jesus. This name will remind me that I am a twin of every poor person I meet. We all are children of God.
o Reyes means “Kings” and that means the King of all kings is my Father!
o Sanchez probably means Sanctius which means “Holy”. That’s my call!

How about you? What is the meaning of your name?

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Today’s Scripture

“When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings” (Psalm 84:6).

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

Do you feel like you are walking through a tough place in your life today? When you walk through the “valley of weeping”, God is walking with you. He wants to strengthen and empower you to keep moving forward. He is leading you to a place of blessing and refreshing! Be encouraged today, it’s not over until God says it’s over, and He always causes us to triumph! The Bible says that weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning! It also says that the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn shining brighter until the full day.

No matter how dark your circumstance may seem, you are on a path that is shining brighter and brighter. Know today that there is a place of victory on the other side of your challenge. Keep believing and keep expecting. As you continue to meditate on the goodness of God and declare His favor in your life, you will be strengthened and refreshed in your inner man. You will rise higher and higher, and you will live the life of victory the Lord has in store for you!

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, thank You for leading me to my place of blessing. I trust that You are faithful and believe that You have a good plan for my life. Help me to always hear Your voice so I can follow You all the days of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Today’s Scripture

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

When you’ve been hurt or offended, sometimes it’s tempting to hold on to unforgiveness. But we have to remember, when people wrong us, our battle is not against flesh and blood. In other words, that person who hurt you is not the real enemy. The Bible says that your adversary is the devil, and he knows that if you don’t forgive, then your prayers won’t be effective. Unforgiveness puts up a barrier in your life to the power of God.

In fact, if we don’t forgive others, we can’t be forgiven by God. But when you choose forgiveness, you open the door for God’s healing power to flow through your life. Disarm the enemy in your life today by choosing forgiveness. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who wrong you. Look at what Jesus did—when He was betrayed, beaten, mocked, and disrespected, He chose forgiveness. As you follow His example, you will open the door for God to move in your life, and you’ll live in victory in every area of your life!

A Prayer for Today

Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving me and giving me new life. I choose today to extend the gift of forgiveness to others. I bless those who have wronged me and ask You to heal every broken place in my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Today’s Scripture

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

What are you hoping for in your life today? The Bible says that faith gives substance to the things you hope for. Notice this verse starts by saying, “Now faith…” It’s not “later” faith or “one day” faith. We have to believe that God is working behind the scenes right now.

Faith is simply believing that God is a good and faithful God—that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Can you believe that God wants to move in your life, today? Do you believe He can provide for you need, today? Do you believe He can heal your relationships, today? Do you believe He can give you that promotion, today? Whatever you are hoping for, open your heart and expect that God is working on your behalf. Stand strong and declare that victory is already yours. As you face each day with faith and expectancy, you’ll increase in strength and see God’s hand in every area of your life!

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, today I choose to believe that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. I trust that You have a good plan for me and that You are leading and guiding my every step. Help me stand strong in You, today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.