Daily Manna from Heaven

By: Bo Sanchez

“Lord, help me to bless people today.”

That’s my daily morning prayer… uh, when I’m happy.

And usually, I am.

But once in awhile, I don’t wake up happy.

And usually, it’s because of a difficult person in my life.

That’s when I pray, “Lord, how can I bless this… this… this… creature?”

I’m a very patient person, so this doesn’t happen too often.

But it happens.

Friend, do you have a difficult person in your life?

And do you sometimes want to pray, “Lord, if you will allow it, let a 50,000 megawatt bolt of lightning strike (Name of Difficult Person) right now. Not to kill him, Lord. Just enough to wake him up and give him second degree burns. Just kidding Lord, but with all due respect, what were you thinking when you created this pathological human being? I don’t want to sound offensive, but were you sleeping on the job when you created this creature? He’s a mess. He’s a composite of all the villains of Spiderman put together….”

Do you sometimes wonder if this difficult person heard God in the middle of the night say, “My child, your ultimate mission in life is to be difficult. That’s the entire purpose of your existence. You shall be the thorn in someone’s flesh. Do everything in your power to annoy him. Be irresponsible. Or be demanding. Or be totally negative. Or be selfish. Or be constantly angry. Or be possessive. Or be always depressed. It doesn’t matter. Your objective is to make his life hell on earth.”

Yes, I must admit that I don’t like a few unlovable characters here and there, but generally, I think the Almighty has done a fantastic job inventing human beings.

I also believe that God allows difficult people to come into our lives to give us very special gifts. What could these gifts be?

I’m going to try something new today. Instead of writing down what these gifts are, I’m going to ask YOU to write them on the comments below. Write your thoughts and experiences and share them to the world. Thousands will be reading them. And in my next email next week, I’ll tell you what I think they are…

Cool?

Thank you!

May your dreams come true
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Today’s Scripture

“I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live…” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Today’s Word from Joel and Victoria

God desires that you live in blessing in every area of your life. He’s given promises in His Word and has established a plan for you to live in total victory. He promises to give you the answers, but you have to be the one to decide to obey His voice. You have the final choice, so choose life and blessing!

Every time you choose to obey the Word of God, you are choosing blessing. When you put God first in your life; when you walk in love towards others even when it’s difficult, you are choosing blessing. When you turn away from ungodly influences and when you give to others, God will pour out His blessing on you in return. Start today and do what you know to do. Obey His word and His blessing will overtake you! You’ll rise higher and higher and live the abundant life He has for you.

A Prayer for Today

Father in heaven, today I choose life. I choose blessing by obeying Your Word. Keep me close to You so that I can honor You in all I say and do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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By: Bo Sanchez

Your True Size Is Measured By Your Courage, Wisdom, and Love.

Even as a baby elephant, Bulig was big.

As Bulig grew up, he was taller and bigger than all his playmates.

It didn’t take long for the other elephant to be afraid of him. And Bulig knew this. So he used his size to terrify others to do what he wanted them to do.

He’d snort and growl as he’d say, “I’ll crush you!” It was his usual greeting to anyone he met on the road.

Obviously, if the other elephants were scared of Bulig, the other smaller animals would be as well. Monkeys, deers, tigers, and even lions stood in awe at the huge animal.

The elephants gave him a special home on top of a small hill. And Bulig’s throne was a gigantic bed. There he lay down and lorded it over the jungle.

Each morning, the elephants would give him a basketful of bananas. And the monkeys would give him a basketful of apples. And the deer would give him a basketful of nuts. This happened everyday.

So Bulig grew even bigger. And the more he grew, the more terrified the animals became of him.

He now became a god to all the animals there.

A group of pelicans took turns fanning him.

A group of parakeets sang to him in the morning.

A group of monkey acrobats performed for his evening entertainment.

For the longest time, Bulig never much left his home.

In fact, for years, he didn’t even stand up from his giant bed.

All he really did was snort and growl once in awhile, “I will crush you!” And every time he said it, all the animals would be terrified.

Because he didn’t move much, he became as fat as ten elephants put together!

Now, even other animals from other jungles would visit to see for themselves if the Legend of the Giant Elephant was true. And all of them would stand in terror at the sight of the great beast.

One of those animals was a tiny turtle by the name Pokito.

Pokito heard about this Elephant and wanted to see him.

Being a young and playful turtle, he thought it would be great to be friends with the giant elephant.

So one day, he walked up to Bulig who was like a mountain compared to Pokito. But Pokito wasn’t afraid.

He said, “Hi great Bulig! Can I be your friend?”

All the animals around Bulig gasped in horror. Who dared speak to Bulig in that way? Does he know what he was saying? Poor turtle!

Bulig was insulted that a little creature was not worshipping him as a god. So he snorted and growled his usual growl and said, “I will crush you!”

But Pokito was a wise turtle. He saw that behind Bulig’s size was great weakness. He felt pity for him. So he simply said, “Bulig, I just want to be your friend. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll just go on my merry way…”

As he turned around, Bulig got even angrier and snorted and growled again and said in a bigger voice, “I WILL CRUSH YOU!”

All the animals scampered behind bushes, rocks, and trees. It was the first time they heard Bulig this angry.

Pokito turned around to face the giant again and said calmly, “Bulig, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You might hurt yourself…”

Bulig’s face turned red as a fire truck.

He stood up. Or at least tried to.

Remember, it has been years since he even stood up!

“Ummph… Ummmph…. Ummmmmmmph!” Bulig struggled and struggled but couldn’t stand up!

“Bulig, please don’t do that…” Pokito said.

All the animals left their hiding places. They were totally shocked to see their god having difficulty standing up!

Finally, Bulig’s legs folded and he came crashing to the ground. Whaaam!

Bulig was now in pain, but his humiliation was even greater than any physical pain he was feeling at that moment.

First, a little monkey began to jeer.

Soon, other monkeys joined him.

And after awhile, all the animals began to ridicule Bulig. They taunted him and called him names. “Weakling!”, “Fatso!”, and “Blubberhouse!”

That was when Pokito screamed, “Stooooooooop it!”

Everyone hushed at the brave turtle in front of them.

“For years, you worshipped Bulig as a god,” Pokito said, “but now, you’re insulting him as the enemy. Why are you doing that? Bulig is just one of us, just like any other animal.”

Pokito marched to the embarrassed, whimpering Bulig and said, “Do you need help to stand up?” Sheepishly, Bulig nodded his head.

The turtle turned to the other elephants, “Help your friend stand up.”

The other elephants were astounded by the wisdom of the little turtle. All of them went beside the giant, and together, pushed him up.

With great effort, the huge elephant stood up.

With his knees still trembling, Bulig smiled at the turtle and quietly said, “Thank you. You are the real giant.”

Pokito smiled. “Thank you.”

Bulig asked, “Can you be my friend?”

The turtle said, “On one condition. You have to join me in jogging every morning.” He winked.

And all the animals broke out in laughter.

7 Lessons for Life

I wrote this little story for Mustard, our children’s magazine. (Why Mustard? From mustard seed! If you want to subscribe and get 10 fun-filled issues for your kids, log on at www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph )

But the powerful lessons in the story aren’t for children only.

In fact, I believe adults need to hear them more than kids do!

Here are the 7 life-changing lessons from the story:

Lesson #1:

Don’t look for worshippers; Look for true friends instead.

Not all friends are created equal. Some friends are just fans. They admire you. They flatter you. They fear you. They benefit from you. But when you need them, they’re not there. Choose true friends over fans anytime. When you have a problem, they’ll stick there by your side.

Lesson #2:

The best way to look for a true friend is to be one.

Are you a true friend? Do you care for people? Do you go out of your way to express your love for them? The best investment you’ll ever make will be in your relationships. There lies your true gold.

Lesson #3:

Bullies are weak. Avoid them or face up to them,

but never be afraid of them.

Do you have bullies in your life? You’ll always cross paths with bullies. Bullies intimidate people. Bullies want you to fear them. They manipulate you to follow them. Depending on the situation, you can avoid them or face up to them. But never be afraid of bullies. Because all bullies are fake. With their outward force, they cover up their weakness. But deep within, a bully is a fragile child with lots of fears.

Lesson #4:

When someone doesn’t like to be your friend,

just walk off and go on your merry way.

Life is too beautiful to be sad at one person’s rejection.

People-pleasers want to please everyone. And when one person rejects them, they die within. Because people-pleasers need to be needed. When a person rejects them, they get hurt deeply—and carry this hurt wherever they go and allow this hurt to affect their lives forever. What does a mature person do when they receive rejection? They get hurt like everyone else but they don’t carry the hurt. They shake the dust of their feet and move on. They love themselves. They love life.

Lesson #5:

When someone is angry with you in an unjust way, pity that person.

He will be hurting himself.

Don’t pity yourself when you suffer unjust anger. Remember that unjust anger destroys the person who is angry, not you. Pity him.

Lesson #6:

Always be good and kind to everyone—

whether he be a king or a beggar.

Every human being you meet in life is God’s child. Whether he sits on a throne or lies on the mud, it makes no difference. That person is your family.

Lesson #7:

Your true size is measured by your courage, wisdom, and love.

Are you a big person? Measure your courage and wisdom. By how you love, you shall know whether you have matured in life or not.

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By Bo Sanchez

From his book: You Have the Power to Create Love

ADULTERY happens when you start looking for what you don’t have.

“Bo, this girl in my office is a real looker,” many a husband will say.

“But it’s not her Wynona Rider features that got me.

I’m head over heels with her because she’s also understanding, intelligent, tender– so many things that my wife is not.” Sure.

Guys, trust me on this. Somewhere along the way, you’ll find a woman who will be more charming. More alluring. More thoughtful. Richer. Be a better cook. Have greater sex appeal. Be a more efficient housekeeper. And you will find a woman who will need you and pursue you and go loco over you more than your wife ever did. Because no wife is perfect.

Because a wife will only have 90% of what you’re looking for. So adultery takes place when a husband looks for the missing 10%.

Let’s say your wife is melancholic by nature. You may find yourself drawn to the pretty clerk who has a cherry laugh no matter what she says: “I broke my arm yesterday, Hahahaha…” Or because your wife is a homebody in slippers and pajamas, smelling of garlic and fish oil, you may fall for a fresh-smelling young sales representative that visits your office in a sharp black blazer, high heels, and a red pencil-cut skirt. Or because your wife is the quiet type (a rare find), your heart may skip a beat when you meet an old college flame who has the makings of a talk show host like Oprah.

But wait! That’s only 10% of what you don’t have.

Don’t throw away the 90% that you already have!

That’s not all. Add to your wife’s 90% the 10% that represents all the years that you have been with each other. The storms you have weathered together.The unforgettable moments of sadness and joy as a couple. The many adjustments you have made to love the other. The wealth of memories that you’ve accumulated as lovers.

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don’t have. But faithfulness happens when you start thanking God for what you already have.

But I’m not just talking about marriage. I’m talking about life!About your jobs. About your friends. About your children. About your prayer groups. About your lifestyles.

Are you like the economy airline passenger that perennially peeks through the door of the first class cabin, obsessed with what he’s missing?

“Theyhave got more leg room! Oh my, their food is served in porcelain! Wow, their seats recline at an 80% angle and they’ve got personal videos!” I guarantee you’ll be miserable for the entire trip!

Don’t live your life like that. Forget about what the world says is first class. (Do you know that there are many first class passengers who are miserable in first class — because they’re not riding in a private Lear Jet?)

My main message: If you start thanking God for what you have right now, wherever you are… is first class! (oh this is supernice!)You have wealth under your nose. Thank Him.

Let’s pray to God that we be blessed with a grateful heart and thankful attitude all the time.

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By: Bo Sanchez

By Your Words And Thoughts, You’ll Determine If You’ll Enjoy The Journey Or Not

Warning: People Who Complain

Will Get More Of What They’re Complaining About

One day, I was standing in a long line in the airport.

In front of the X-Ray machines, metal detectors, and tired security personnel.

Behind me was a balding middle-aged man who had so much anger in his face, a rock would melt under his gaze. He cursed, “F_ck, I can’t stand waiting. This is driving me nuts. Don’t you just hate long lines?”

I smiled.

My silence was enough to tell him, “You have a choice to be happy or miserable.”

Because at that moment, I felt happy.

Because I chose to be happy.

I was at peace with God and myself and the entire universe.

I ride planes a hundred times a year and I’ve long decided never to complain about the long lines.

Complaining is useless.

Instead, I appreciate the special gifts that long lines give me.

Long lines force me to chat with a friend, to read a book, to plan for the next 50 years of my life, to pray, to be totally useless, and to do absolutely nothing. Oh what peace!

Don’t complain.

I know of some people who complain before the trip begins.

By doing so, they “create” the misery that they’ll experience. Because their complaints become self-fulfilling prophecies.

That’s just how life works.

Instead of Complaining,

Imagine How You Want Your Journey To Play Out

Before each trip, I already make a deliberate decision and declare, “I will enjoy this amazing trip.”

The Bible says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” I believe that. So before leaving for a trip, I confess, “My journey will be very blessed!”

I also do something that I learned from Olympic champions: In my mind, I visualize what I want to happen.

Part of an Olympic athlete’s training is visualization. Each morning, before he even runs, a sprinter will imagine his 100-meter dash. He imagines everything. The sound of the gun. The leap from the starting block. The wind on his face. The cheer of the crowd. The finish line’s ribbon on his chest. The gold medal around his neck.

And if it’s good enough for Olympians, I guess it’s good enough for me too.

So before each trip, here’s what I imagine…

o In each talk I’ll give, I imagine how my audience will receive God’s love. People will be spiritually nourished. People will experience God as never before. They’ll feel so blessed; they’ll tell their friends about the experience. (Hint for Speakers: This is what I imagine before I give any talk. I don’t go to the stage without doing this.)

o In every human contact I’ll have, I imagine how I’ll learn from the fascinating people I’ll meet. I’ll be blessed by my friends, my hosts, and the organizers of each event. And I will bless them with my love and friendship too.

o In lull times, whether standing in line or sitting on the plane, I’ll read and write and rest and pray. I imagine myself thoroughly enjoying my lull times of quiet and peace.

o I’ll come home rested, energized, and blessed!
My imagination is my prayer.

I’m claiming that all these will happen in Jesus name.

Life Is A Journey;

It’s Up To You If You’ll Enjoy The Trip Or Not.

Remember: Experience is not what happens to you. Experience is what you do to what happens to you.

Each day, you’re moving closer to your destination.

Your destination is God.

Yet God is not only a destination, He also is your path.

So enjoy this journey called life.

At every step of the way, God is there.

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By: Bo Sanchez

Yes, If You Use Your Own Prayer Language.

Do you struggle praying daily?
I did. For years.
But no matter what I felt, I prayed anyway. That was the “teaching” and “rule” for good
Christians like me.

So each day, I went into my room and talked to God.

30 minutes, I was taught. So 30 minutes I did.
Some days, it was Ok.
Some days, it was like being root-canalled.
Or lipo-suctioned. (Just in case you’re wondering, I’ve never experienced it, but my friends tell me it’s torture.)

During those difficult days of prayer, every part of me wanted to get out of that room. I felt so dry. So empty. So distant from God.

And I didn’t know why. Why did I feel so depressed?
I simply concluded it was the spiritual dryness that saints experienced regularly (Ahem.) I read that St. Therese of Avila had spiritual dryness that lasted for 20 years. Who was I to complain?

Until I stumbled upon what I now call “Prayer Language”.
Today, I realize that perhaps many people’s spiritual dryness come from simply not loving themselves. How? By not respecting their own personality, not listening to their needs, and not using their own prayer language.

My Spiritual Arrogance

Once upon a time, I thought there was only one way of praying: My way!
My way of praying meant going to a room, sitting down or standing up, and singing, listening, and talking to God. For years, I’d teach people to do this exact same thing. I called it “Prayer Time” and it had only one definition—Mine.

I remember a woman who said, “Bo, I do my gardening every morning. And when I do, I imagine Him gardening beside me. Surrounded by the fresh air and the beauty of the flowers around me, I spend time with Him. As I dirty my hands with the soil of the earth, I’m blessed. And I feel so refreshed each morning…”

I frowned at her. I said, “That’s nice. But you still need a formal prayer time where you go into a room—and then sit down and stand up. And then use A.C.T.S.—Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and Supplication…”

Forgive me Lord for my spiritual arrogance!

Perhaps a part of me looked down on anyone who was having too much fun in their prayer life. How could she when I was suffering through my prayers?
I never saw that she was probably closer to God than I was.

Because God made her a gardener. And He was meeting her in the garden. God was talking to her with the prayer language He gave her.

What Is Your Prayer Language?

I still meet people who insist that others pray the way they pray.

“You should go to the Blessed Sacrament and kneel for an hour…”
“You should pray in tongues…”
“You should pray the Liturgy of the Hours…”
“You should pray, worship, jump, and dance like in a prayer meeting…”
“You should pray the rosary…”
“You should pray in quiet, emptying your mind…”

All of the above are prayer languages.

But never the language.

There is no such thing.

Today, I tell people to discover their own prayer language.
I did.

And boy, did I feel relieved that my prayer language wasn’t going into a room and doing the A.C.T.S. No wonder I had great difficulty! I felt disconnected.

My Prayer Language?

Here’s what I do for my daily time with God….

In the morning, I walk out of the house and pray in tongues. That’s just a few minutes of walking slowly, absorbing the sunlight, and inhaling God’s Presence and the beauty of the new day. I claim the blessings of the day. I pray the Novena to God’s Love prayer.

Why do I pray outside? Because I love nature. I feel God’s Presence much more outdoors than indoors. That’s just how God made me.

I then go into the house, fire up my laptop, and “pray” my Dreambook. This is a 15-page document that lists my ultimate mission in life. (My mission in life is composed of 4 words: “To Communicate God’s Love”.) It also lists my long-term dreams as well as my goals for the year. Why do I pray this way? Because God designed my psychology as a “futurist”.

And then, I start writing. I write my prayers, my reflections, and my insights. When I do this, I feel God’s Presence in a very palpable way. Why? Because God made me a writer, and writing is my prayer language.

I no longer struggle much when I pray.

I love praying. I have fun.
Because now, prayer can be all these activities and more.
Because I’m not stuck with one way of praying.
Because I’m using my prayer language—the language God gave me.
Because prayer is a relationship, not a fixed set of things to do imposed upon me by other people.

Hey, I’ve now come to respect the prayer languages of my friends too…

Examples of Prayer Languages

· One of my friends is a music lover. So each morning, he plays his worship CD. And he sings along for the next 8 to 10 songs, worshipping the Lord. He tells me that this prayer time really connects him to the Lord.

· My athletic uncle jogged daily. (He’s 80 now, so he’s slowed down.) But for years, he ran for miles. And he told me that each morning, he’d talk to God like the Almighty was jogging right beside him.

· A friend loves quiet. She walks to a nearby chapel and spends quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament. She loves it.

Praying Creatively In Difficult Circumstances
Some friends pray in creative ways by the force of their circumstances. In my immature days, I used to judge them, insisting that they “find” proper time for God. Today, I’ve come to admire them very much…

· A friend lives in Sta. Rosa Laguna and travels two hours to work and another two hours going home. She can sleep only 4 hours a day. But thanks to the heavy roadwork now in South Luzon Express Way, her relationship with God has been repaired too. Half of her travel time, she sleeps. And the other half, she turns the bus into her private chapel.

· A new mother can only grab snippets of prayer when she makes her baby sleep. Her “lullabies” are worship songs.

Friend, are you having difficulty praying daily?

What is your prayer language?

Tell me about it in the comments below. And share it to the world too. Someone might get encouraged by your way of praying.

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Why I Look Like Tom Cruise
By: Bo Sanchez

I get interviewed a lot.
Perhaps once a week, I get interviewed (No joke).
My problem is that I get asked the same questions over and over again.
So just to break the monotony, I give them the silliest answers.
Let me share with you one interview today.
Despite the jokes, I’m sure you’ll pick up something for your own personal growth. Here it is…

Q: Brother Bo, we’re going to ask you some very basic questions.
Bo: No problem. You wouldn’t know if my answers would be correct anyway, right?

Q: (Laughs) When and where were you born?
Bo: July 11, 1966 in Caloocan City. Or was that 1976? Let me show you my baby photo. (See below.) At least, that’s what my mother said when she gave me this photo. But because the creature in the photo looks like a miniaturized sumo wrestler, I’m wondering if it was really me. What do you think?

Q: Who are your parents?
Bo: Eugenio and Pilar Sanchez. The most fantastic human beings on the planet.

Q: We read somewhere that they have a great love story. How did they meet?
Bo: Mom was a pretty 19 year old girl when she met Dad. She was applying for work in his office. Dad, 6 years older than her, liked what he saw and, take note, secretly gave her the answers to the entrance exam—just so that she would pass! He then hired her on the spot and asked for his first date. This may scandalize you, but three months later, Mom and Dad got married. Obviously, they never told me this shocking piece of information until I was 31 years old—when I was far and safe from the impulsiveness of teenage romance.

Q: What was their religious background?
Bo: Catholic. Do you know what was their first date?

Q: What?
Bo: Morning Mass. And from that day on, they never stopped going to daily Mass for the rest of their lives. Before Dad died last year, they celebrated 63 years of wedded bliss.

Q: Where did you go to School?
Bo: I switched schools like I switched shirts. I started in Stella Maris, jumped to San Carlos Boys, hopped to St. Josephs, switched to Claret High School, and finally landed in the Ateneo. Yes, I never got a Loyalty Award.

Q: What was your course in college?
Bo: AB Philosophy.

Q: Did you take up Masters?
Bo: I took up my Masters in Theology but never did my thesis. I was just too busy with my ministry. My purpose wasn’t to get a degree. I just wanted to learn more.

Q: Where did you work?
Bo: In a normal job and normal company? Never. I’m now 41 and I’ve never had a Boss in my entire life. Ever since high school, I was already serving in ministry. And when I was in college, I was already working “full-time” in the ministry of the Lord. I founded 4 non-profit organizations and I’ve always been the leader. I guess I’m just lazy and I don’t want to work for anyone.

Q. Why did you become a preacher?
Bo: I had a spiritual conversion at age 12. I experienced God’s love in such a real and intimate way. And I wanted to do two things. First, the force of that love overwhelmed me and I wanted to love Him back. Second, I wanted to live a life of significance. I wanted my life to have eternal meaning. And so I had this desire to serve God by preaching. Would you believe, as a 13-year-old kid, I would imagine myself standing before 30,000 people in Araneta Coliseum, holding a bible and a microphone, preaching God’s Word.

Q. Did that happen?
Bo: I gave my first talk in the Araneta Coliseum at age 16. That was a miracle. Let me prove it to you: Here’s my passport photo when I was 16. Would you have listened to that… uh, alien?

Q. Was there a particular event in your life that caused you to become a preacher?
Bo: At age 13, Aida, our prayer group leader prophesied that I would receive the gift of wisdom and that I would preach. So she asked me to give a talk that following Friday prayer meeting. So at age 13, I preached my first talk and never stopped ever since. I owe my ministry to that woman, Aida. She believed in me. She saw something in me that others—even I—didn’t see in me. And all through the years, I’ve been trying to be an Aida in other people’s lives. I raise people up and release them to the world. It’s been fun.

Q. We have noticed that you talk about a broad range of topics. Do you have favorite topics now?
Bo: After almost 30 years of preaching, my favorite topics now are about building people’s self-esteem, teaching people to see themselves the way God sees them, and helping them to dream again. For me to do that, I have to change their distorted images of God and of themselves. Another favorite topic right now is helping people raise their financial literacy and teaching them the right theology and psychology towards money. Can I plug?

Q. Yes, please!
Bo: I don’t know if there are still empty seats available, but I’ll announce this anyway. I’ll be giving my life-changing How To Be Truly Rich Seminar this April 5, 2008, from 8:30am to 12noon. I love giving this seminar because it really changes the financial lives of people. How? By changing their psychology and theology towards money. I’ve always believed that money problems are mind problems. So by changing their mind towards money, their money life will change as well. To find out if there are still empty seats available, they can email beaconlightevents@gmail.com right away. (Note from Bo: You can also read my P.S. at the bottom of this blog.)

Q. Why do you use various media? You seem to use everything. You use television and radio and books and magazines and the internet…
Bo: Media is powerful. It multiplies my reach. I think if Jesus were alive today, He’d use the internet too. Can I make another shameless plug? In the internet, I’ve created an international, borderless, non-physical community of people who want to grow in their personal life. I supply them with a mountain load of spiritual nourishment—like daily Bible reflections, monthly magazines, etc… All they have to do is log on at www.kerygmafamily.com. It’s FREE.

Q. You’re both a Preacher of God and also a Motivational or Inspirational Speaker. Is there a conflict?
Bo: Truth is universal. So I give one message. But yes, I’m a preacher in our prayer meetings because I can more openly talk about my sources—the Bible and our faith tradition. And I’m an inspirational speaker in my corporate seminars where I source my message from history, secular authors, social sciences, etc. But the message remains the same because the simplest truth that changes lives is universal.

Q. Why do you think thousands of people admire you?
Bo: Because I look like Tom Cruise. You don’t believe me? Our intestines, kidneys, and spleen really look alike. Okay seriously now. Gee, I’ll be guessing here. Three things. First, perhaps because I try to be honest with my failures and weaknesses. I don’t hide them. People know my sins. So perhaps they see themselves in me. Second, perhaps because I try to speak their language. I speak simply. I don’t try to impress people with my knowledge. Finally, perhaps because I speak what matters to them, their most pressing needs. Because I want to help them where they hurt the most. Aside from those three things, I really think it’s the Tom Cruise thing.

Q. How do you attain your own goals?
Bo: I start small. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Second, I bring together a dream team around me. I don’t go into a project without a fantastic group of people who will assist me in that project. Third, I keep at it. I keep positive. I keep faith. I keep focused. I believe that when a man is focused on his dreams with passion, he becomes a blessing-magnet. He doesn’t even have to look for them. Every blessing that he needs to fulfill his dreams will come to him. He will find blessings rolling down at his feet, begging that he receives them.

Q. We heard that you don’t send your kids to school. Instead, you homeschool them. Why such a radical decision?
Bo: It was a difficult decision. But after 4 years of homeschooling our kids, we see the fruits. We’ve been able to form the values in our kids. We enjoy a very strong relationship with them. To get my complete answer, log on at www.catholicfilipinoacademy.com In that site, you’ll also know the 16 reasons why we homeschool our kids.

Q. How is your relationship with God?
Bo: Alive. Intimate. Happy. Fun. Real. Honest. Worldly. I experience Him in the most secular moments of my life.

Q. You seem to be a very different kind of Preacher. You don’t only preach. You want to help the poor. You want to change the world. Why?
Bo: I began to understand that essence of Christianity. It is love. I’ll say something that will shock the daylights out of you. I believe that Salvation isn’t about going to Heaven. I believe Salvation is about bringing Heaven down on earth, especially to those who are suffering the most—the poor, the sick, the abandoned, and the spiritually lost. My faith is meaningless—my prayer meetings, my liturgical rituals, my bible reading, my religious beliefs—if I do not love my neighbor.

Q. What are you plans for the future?
Bo: I’ll continue to preach about God’s love. I’ll continue to teach people to believe in the God that believes in them. I’ll continue to share very practical ways of living the Christian life—in their families, in their jobs… I’ll use media more extensively to share this message. As a community, we will give half of our funds for evangelism and the other half for our work for the poor. Specifically, we will do developmental work for the poorest of the poor, establishing micro-credit and livelihood facilities. We will work with other groups to eradicate world poverty.

Q. Thank you very much. You have inspired us again.
Bo: Thank you too. You gave me great questions.

Friends, I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I enjoyed answering it.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

AHBO Millionaires
www.AmazingHomeBusinessOnline.com