MAY 2009
No. 228 Vol. 19
PAID!
How to Achieve Financial Freedom
By Bo Sanchez
KERYGMA BARCODE.pdf 11/16/06 5:43:58 PM Philippines P60 US $7.00 AUS $ 6.00 Euro 4.00 UK 3.00 CDN $7.00 SING $8.00 HK $38.00 RUPIAH 103488Inspiring You to Live a Fantastic Life
Change Your Money Habits
and Work Your Way
to Financial Abundance
A Wayward Son Finds His Way
to God’s Embracel
Help! I’m Drowning
in Credit Card Debt
Don’t Settle for Just One —
Create Multiple Income
Streams
Are You Holding on to False Money
Myths?
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Ladies, Be Impatient
No More!
Find grace in waiting, just as
Rissa Singson-Kawpeng did.
In her first-ever book, Confessions of an Impatient
Bride, Rissa shares her funny, tear-jerking or
sometimes downright embarrassing experiences
as a woman finding her place in this world.
These originally appeared in her “Just Breathe”
column in KERYGMA, the country’s no. 1
sell-ing inspirational magazine.
Rissa’s struggles and victories as a young woman
serving the Lord and at the same time
“im-patiently” waiting for the realization of God’s
promises to her regarding marriage and family
life can be a source of grace and hope for women
still in the “waiting” stage. New moms can relate
to her stories, too.
For more information log on to
www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph
For all that she’s done for you,
Your mother deserves all the best in life.
This Mother’s Day, give her your best — YOUR LOVE.
From Shepherd’s Voice,
“Happy Mother’s Day” to all mothers!
Let Shepherd’s Voice inspire you!
The Boss,
Bo Sanchez’s column in KERYGMA, has turned into bestselling books.
Get all four and be very inspired. Give them as gifts and you’ll be doubly blessed.
For more information, log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph
KerygmaMay2009 { 1 }
the
boss
O
neday, my wife Marowe was interviewed on TV.Bishop Tagle’s show on TV5 wanted to ask her some questions. So they sent a TV crew to the house, complete with lights, cameras and a truckload of stuff.
Obviously, that doesn’t appeal to her at all. Being interviewed on TV is as appealing to her as being trapped in a steel cage with a thousand giant scorpions crawling all over her body.
She doesn’t like the spotlight. She has never given a talk in her entire life. (OK, that’s not true. Once, she was asked to give an eight-minute talk to kindergarten kids. Two weeks before that talk, she was so stressed, I couldn’t talk to her.)
In the TV interview, she was asked a question that she has heard a hundred times before. “How is it like being married to the Bo Sanchez?”
The following day, she was so relieved that the interview was over, she hugged me and giggled, “Bo, doesn’t anyone ever ask you, ‘How is it like being married
to the Marowe Sanchez?’”
“No one,” I smiled, “but if someone were to ask me, I’d say, absolutely wonderful and phenomenal and
fantastic.”
It’s really true.
Not just my family life though. My whole life is really wonderful.
Today, it’s popular to be a little angsty. “Teenage angst” is very “in” today, even among 40-year-olds who still think they’re teenagers. And you see it in how they look — black nail polish, black circles around their eyes, and a cigarette between their black lips. You’d rarely see them smile. (Don’t get me wrong. It’s not the style that
bothers me. You can wear black all you want. It’s the negative, surly, snobbish attitude that steals a lot of life from them.)
Some Christians have their own version of holy angst. These good-hearted people like to focus on their sufferings as a way of pleasing God. They like to moan and groan about how difficult life is, thinking they earn brownie points in heaven.
Sheesh.
Well, excuse me, but I don’t have any angst. I’m happy with my life.
Each day, I wake up expecting miracles to happen. I also expect the sun to rise, the day to be lovely, and my friends to be terrific. And most of the time, that’s exactly how it happens.
Sure, once in a while, it doesn’t happen that way. Hey, I can’t win all the time. That’s OK. All I have to do is wait for the next beautiful morning.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got problems. But here’s the key: I don’t focus on them.
I acknowledge that they’re there. But I move on and focus on my blessings instead. Because I believe my mind is a magnet. Thoughts attract.
If I always think of my blessings, I attract more blessings.
If I always think of my problems, I attract more problems.
Dear friends, I pray that you attract more blessings in your life today.
May your dreams come true.
bo sanchez
the
boss
Yes, You Can Make Blessings
Happen Every Day
How to Live a
Wonderful Life
room
KERYGMA serves as an inspiration every day of my life. I feel the presence of God and I look forward to reading the monthly issue. Thanks, KERYGMA, for shining through my dark nights.
Ace Polomolok, South Cotabato
Thanks to KERYGMA magazine because when I read it, it gives enlightenment to both my mind and my heart. More power and God bless!
Donna Davao
Hallelujah! I really want to thank KERYGMA for changing my life, for helping me have a close relationship with God, and helping hopeless people to realize how much they are needed in this world for God. God bless you!
Keziah Agura Dipolog City
I always make it a point to buy this super magazine. I just hope Bo and company can visit Cotabato City.
Ding Estaniel Cotabato
Thank you for your great magazine. People coming to our house, including our mission rector, can hardly leave because they read and read the accumulated issues we love to display. Do continue to inspire us.
C. Valera Kalinga Province
I consider KERYGMA a blessing to me and my family because you help us to realize that God is everywhere, even in the simple things, and to learn how to appreciate Him more! God bless you!
Galileo Gervacio Binangonan, Rizal
I love reading KERYGMA magazine. It’s so inspiring and it adds to my knowledge, especially that I give Pre-Cana seminars in our parish. More power!
Naomie R. Labalan
I am really inspired by reading KERYGMA magazine. I am blessed to be one of the KERYGMA Shepherds spreading the goodness of God.
Corazon S. Reyes
You’re such a great speaker, Bro. Bo, and I most especially like your illustrations and stories. They touch the inner core of my being. Thank you so much.
Ruben
From Members:
We
want to
hear
from
you!
email us at [email protected], text at 0917-800-5535, or write to The editor at 60 Chicago St., Cubao, Quezon City. you can also reach us by becoming members of KeryGMa Family (www.kerygmafamily.com).
Rissa’s clothes courtes
y o
f Limited Coutur
e. A
vailable at Gr
eenhills Shopping Center; HP at P
ow
er Plant Mall, Rockw
ell; F
estiv
al Mall, Alabang and SM City
, Bicut
an.
KerygmaMay2009 { 3 }
L
ong beforePatrick Dempsey landed his role in the movie, Made of Honor, I had my
very own. It was there printed on my wedding invitation for all to see. I had a matron of honor and a man of honor.
The latter was Randy Borromeo, the big guy — literally and figuratively — behind the TV shows of Shepherd’s Voice. He’s also the director of all those cameras at The Feast, our Sunday gathering
at the Valle Verde Country Club Ballroom.
I’ve known Randy since we were teenagers. I was already serving in our Catholic community when he attended one of our prayer meetings. Many years later, he would confess that the reason he was enticed to keep going back to the prayer meetings was because he saw many pretty tisays there.
But no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t remember any tisays attending the prayer meetings. Pretty girls, yes. (Ahem.)
We could only conclude that it was the Lord at work. Knowing Randy’s weakness for tisays, God tweaked his eyesight to bait him to attend the community gatherings.
While our friendship goes way back, Randy and I became close when I experienced a major life crisis. At a time when I desperately needed friends and all my closest ones severed ties with me, Randy was the only one who’d call and listen.
We’d talk through the wee hours, sometimes hanging up only because the sun was about to shine.
One Christmas, he was hired to direct a presentation at an office party. There, he saw a pretty tisay dancing with a friend. This time, God played no tricks. She was a gift from heaven named Thessa Barja.
Last January 10, the day Randy married Thessa, time stopped — literally. (To match my gown and shoes, I had to wear a gold watch and the only one I had wasn’t working. I wore it anyway.) All of creation cooperated to give the couple the most beautiful wedding possible.
The day before the wedding, it was raining. A worried Randy called me to ask for prayers. The reception was going to be in a garden and he had no more budget for a giant tent. “Lord, take over,” we prayed.
The next day, the sun was out. The newspaper also announced that the biggest and brightest moon of the year would be out that evening.
So under the canopy of stars and a large, radiant moon, we celebrated the union of my best friend and the girl of
his dreams. It was so cool that evening — it felt like the whole garden was air-conditioned.
KERYGMA preachers George Gabriel, Alvin Barcelona, Obet Cabrillas, Jon Escoto, Arun Gogna and Adrian Panganiban were there to lend good music and humor to the occasion.
It was a memorable, fun wedding.
Weeks later, Randy told me how much they had spent for their wedding and marveled at how he was able to earn all that money.
What can I say? God provides. Always.
Whether it’s a friend in time of need, a woman of your dreams, a rainless day, or money to pay for your perfect wedding.
The works of God are all of them good; every need when it comes he fills. (Sirach 39:33)
Email me your reactions/comments at [email protected]. (L-R) Rissa, Thessa Barja-Borromeo,
Randy Borromeo and Chris Kawpeng
WHAT TO EXPECT THIS MONTH:
If you can’t wait to find out what life has in store for you, grab my hot-off-the-press book, Confessions of an Impatient Bride. Yes, this is my first book ever to bepublished and it’s already a bestseller — as soon as all
KErYGMA readers buy their own copy! It’s the perfect
read for women waiting to find their one true love and
young wives starting on the family way. Laugh, cry and be inspired by life lessons from one woman’s heart to yours.
Available in bookstores nationwide or call (02)725-9999. rissa singson-kawpeng
just
breathe
living by grace
MY BEST
FRIEND’S
WEDDING
God provides. Always.
KerygmaMay2009 { 5 }
may
vol. 19 no. 228
publisher BO SANCHEZ editor-in-chief RISSA SINGSON-KAWPENG managing editor TESS ATIENZA staff writers NOVA ARIAS JOY SOSOBAN creative director STIMPY CORTES graphics director REY DE GUZMAN contributing writers ALVIN FABELLA JUDITH CONCEPCION JANE GONZALES CECILLE LIM DINA PECAñA photographers ED SANTIAGO DANIEL SORIANO columnists ROSANNE ROMERO ARUN GOGNA chairman of the boardBO SANCHEZ marketing director
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. 2009 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. Tels: 725-9999, 725-1115, 725-1190, 411-7874 Fax: 725-1230, 727-5615 Email: [email protected]. ph Website: www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph
03 Just Breathe
{My Best Friend’s Wedding}
35 Kitchen Scribbles
{Disdain Not Thy Thumb}
37 K Preacher
{One Plus One Equals Two}
the bo files 01 The Boss {How to Live a Wonderful Life} 30 Heroes of Faith {Rex Mendoza: The Good Influencer}
40 Point of Contact
17 {Paid! How to Achieve
Financial Freedom}
18 {Change Your Money
Habits} 24 {Create Multiple Income Streams} special section testimonies 22 {Victory Over My Debts} 28 {Money Myths} columns
J
osephine Anne M. Agustin isn’t immune to money problems. Recently blessed with a baby, Jopay is getting accustomed to the financial demands of raising a family. But faith and trust in God run strong in the Agustin household. Jopay and husband, Marvin, are active leaders of Bukas-Loob sa Diyos Community’s young couples’ group.{18}
02 Mailroom 06 New You 07 Anawim 08 Dear Kerygma 10 Real Stuff 11 Feast Snapshots 13 It Happened:{From a Fool’s Life
to a Full Life}
33 Gawad Kalinga 39 {I Was Prepared for
My Death, But God Had Other Plans for Me}
tips for personal development
new
you
BEING RICH AND
LOVING THE POOR
N
everworriedaboutyourskiN? Then this is not for you. Butfor those regular gals out there, here are some tips for common skin problems:
Conceal breakouts.
· Use a concealer that’s specifically formulated to cover and to treat blemishes. A treatment concealer or an oil-free foundation will stay on the trouble spot without migrating. You should concentrate the pigment right on the pimple by tapping the product on the blemish. Then follow this with a light dusting of powder over the entire face to set your makeup.
Even out skin tone.
· Apply foundation over the whole face, then treat the dark patches with a full-coverage concealer. These are usually labeled as providing medium, full or heavy coverage. Warm the concealer in the palm of your hand to make it creamier then blend it over the trouble zones using a dry sponge.
Soften fine lines and wrinkles.
· Makeup that’s too heavy can build up and cake in fine lines, so apply a light layer of a sheer foundation to prevent this. Add concealer, but only on the dark areas under the eyes. To increase the sheerness of the concealer, mix it with a pea-size amount of eye cream before gently tapping it on with either a brush or your fingers.
Source: www.realsimple.com
L
ovingthepoor is incompatible with excessivelove of riches. When we attend to the needs of the poor, we actually give them what is theirs, not what is ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice.
Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2445-2446
f
aith & Doctrineb
eautyHOW TO CUT DOWN
ON REGULAR BILLS
f
inancesTIPS FOR COMMON
SKIN PROBLEMS
new
you
W
ant to cut down on regular bills? Before you reply with, “How could you ever do that?” check out the suggestions below.Install compact fluorescent light (CFL) 1.
bulbs. They have a longer lifespan and use up
less electricity.
Do you have any electrical devices that you 2.
rarely use but have kept plugged in? Unplug
them. Most electrical devices constantly use a small amount of electricity called a phantom charge. Eliminate this by unplugging the appliances.
Look for inexpensive entertainment options. 3.
Instead of malling, why not lend your time to a local volunteer group?
Cook and pack your own meals.
4. This will
reduce the cost of your lunch. Going out has a tendency to increase your expenses.
Strongly reduce or eliminate travel.
5. This will
significantly cut down your expenses. Be open to inviting family and friends over to your place instead.
Source: www.thesimpledollar.com
QUICK HEALTH TIP:
The following foods are excellent sources of di-etary fiber, which help fight constipation: raspberries, mustard greens, cauli-flower, collard greens and broccoli.
KerygmaMay2009 { 7 }
T
akeThe keRYGMa challenge to improve your relationships: Say “hello”to strangers daily for at least one month. Set your own quota and then try to build on that. Here are some reasons why you should practice this.
It is an acknowledgment of existence.
· Saying hello is a pause, however brief, to affirm another person’s worth. In return, you become a person to them, too.
It can raise productivity.
· A study on this subject had middle school teachers greet their students
individually every month. The brief interaction raised the students’ productivity by 27 percent.
It can save your ·
m a r r i a g e .
C o m m o n courtesy isn’t that common. When did you last say hello to your spouse? And don’t forget to say hello each morning to the person who needs it most — yourself.
Source: www.rd.com
SAY “HELLO”
TO STRANGERS
SURVIVAL TIPS IN
DO-OR-DIE
EMERGENCIES (Part 2)
r
elation shipsh
ealthMOISES SU-AMAR:
Still Adventurous at 77
By Tess V. Atienza“I
gOOutalmOsteveryday — just to walk around the town properand then go home, on foot.” Lolo Moises does that not only for his regular exercise. At 77, he still loves to walk and explore places. He wants to reach whatever his eyes could see on the horizon.
Where He Came From
His mother died when he was two; his father when he was in grade two. He and his siblings grew up far from each other. Lolo Moises lived with his grandmother in Miag-ao, Iloilo City. His siblings lived with their adoptive families.
Very early in life, Lolo Moises learned to fend for himself. In the morning, he went to school; in the afternoon, he tended to the store of his aunt.
Eventually, he moved to Manila, got a college degree and then worked in Saudi Arabia for five years. Upon coming back to the Philippines, he was hired as a caretaker in the home of Mr. Gartland, general manager of US Life Insurance Company. The Gartlands treated him like family, but they had to leave the Philippines when the company closed.
The Path that Led to Anawim
After his employment with the Gartlands, he only had short-term jobs and depended on friends for help. He remained single by choice.
In his early 70s, a friend of his brought him to a home for the aged in Manila. In 2006, he was brought to Anawim.
Life at Anawim
“It’s funny,” Lolo Moises relates, “the social workers here remind me to come back whenever I go out for my morning walk. Why won’t I come back? Anawim is my home now and probably until death.”
Still, he wants to visit his hometown one last time and see his brother Samuel and sister Francisca Su-Amar-Derla.
He wishes, too, that well-meaning visitors at Anawim would invite him to spend a day or two in their houses. “For a change — and to see other places before I die,” shares Lolo Moises.
Indeed, age has not changed Lolo Moises. Adventure is still in his blood.
H
ere’sacontinuation of last month’s article on what to do whenyou’re in a do-or-die emergency. Note down these survival tips:
Cramps.
· If you’re in deep water, take a deep breath, lie on your back and float. If you have muscle cramp, float face down, grab your toes and pull them toward you, stretching your calf until the pain goes away. If it’s a stomach cramp, lie on your back, spread your arms and legs, and float until you can swim back to shore.
Poisoning.
· If you inhaled something (like bleach or ammonia), get away from the toxic area. If it’s something that got on your skin, like a cleaning product, wash it off, then call a hospital and follow the doctor’s advice.
Severe bleeding.
· Use your hand or a clean cloth, paper towels, a scarf or any fabric you can grab, and push down on the wound until the bleeding stops. Don’t use a tourniquet.
Trapped in a burning building.
· Enclose yourself in a smoke-free room and place a wet towel underneath the door to prevent any smoke from entering. Then lie low on the floor, where you can breathe and see better, until help arrives. If you’re in a house, get as low as you can and crawl outside as fast as possible. Don’t stop until you’re well away from the fire.
Source: www.rd.com
Lolo Moises is one of the 55 abandoned elderlies that Anawim cares for. To continue caring for them, we need your support. Contact Anawim at (632) 710-5273 or visit www.anawim.com. ph for your donations. You may also join the monthly pilgrimage to Anawim and make the lolos and lolas happy with your presence.
dear
K
It took Sr. Gemma Dinglasan, RGS, several years to finally face her true calling. An accountant by profession, she worked hard to help her parents send her younger siblings to school. Later, when the one next to her gradu-ated and took on the responsibility of sending the younger ones to school, she was left with a void: what to do with her life. She searched and she found what she was looking for: the Pearl of Great Price. Sr. Gemma is now the vocation directress of the Good Shepherd Community in the Philippines.
Dear Vhanie,
What you are experiencing right now was the same thing I went through when I was discerning whether to enter the religious life or to pursue a career and be with my family. Discernment brought me to a “win-win” solution. I finished college, worked for five years and helped my family before I joined the congregation. I also realized that becoming a nun is more than a childhood dream — not a career to pursue — but a call to live a different kind of life, one that is devoted to God through prayer and service.
Your case is quite unusual because you entered at a very young age and then left the congregation. It is like getting married early — the chances of broken commitment are prevalent. I can understand your situation.
You don’t have to choose between your family and the religious life; you can have both. When I entered the religious life, I never stopped becoming my parents’ daughter, although I cannot anymore give what I used to give them — material things. But they appreciate much my presence during special family gatherings and simple occasional visits. With my community’s permission, I took care of my sick mother when she was hospitalized. I am also called to facilitate dialogues among family members. And my nieces and nephews express how they look up to me as their role model. There is so much that you can do as a daughter and a sister to your family.
Vhanie, you are still young. You still have time to spend and serve your family in case they really need your assistance. There are congregations who accept candidates in their early 30s. I suggest that you get a spiritual guide to journey with you as you search for where God is calling you at this time of your life. I can be one.
Sr. Gemma Dinglasan, RGS
dear
K
I
’m 26, single, have a job and stayingwith my family. Just recently, I had a sudden feeling of wanting to pursue my vocation. The truth is, when I was 16 years old, after I graduated high school, I entered a convent to become a nun because that had been my dream since grade school. Unfortunately, I failed to continue my vocation because my homesickness ruled over me and I realized that I wasn’t totally prepared that time for the religious life.
I went out, pursued a college degree, graduated and found a job. But all the time that I was out of the convent, the lure of the religious life kept coming back. But then again, after I graduated, I felt that I had to find a job and help my parents. To leave my parents after all their hardship in sending me to college stopped me from re-entering the convent. I want to provide for them now that I have a job. But in my heart, I know and I feel that I still want to be a nun and offer my life to God.
I am confused. Shall I choose a life with my family or a life of service and being with God as a religious? I’m really weighing things out because I want to make sure that if I chose to re-enter the convent, it would be for good this time. But I have to consider my parents, too, because I want to make sure that they’re OK before I leave them.
Can you please help me to weigh things? Thank you.
Vhanie
My Vocation or
KerygmaMay2009 { 9 }
Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL, is the spir-itual director of the Light of Jesus and Elim Communities. Fun-lov-ing and ever ready for anythFun-lov-ing, this Australian cleric is presently the parish priest of St. Benedict’s Parish in Don Enrique Heights in Quezon City.
I
amhavIng a hard time dealing with atheistsin my life. I love them but they don’t believe in Christ. I also have friends who are Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Will they also be saved? How do I introduce Christ to them without offending them? I love them and so I want them to be saved, too.
Rosan
Dear Rosan,
Your situation is a common one but not necessarily easy to deal with. I think it is important for us to realize that no matter how well we might think we know and follow God as His disciple, there is still a great mystery surrounding the nature and mechanics of the work of salvation. Ultimately, it is God who will decide who is saved or not and I think
it is important that we remember that God is a God of mercy. I am sure that He will not expect people to live as though they are disciples of Jesus if no one has ever proclaimed the Gospel to them. God will judge us fairly and with mercy and love.
Secondly, I think we should first focus upon our own salvation and ask ourselves whether we are doing everything that we can to proclaim the Gospel through our lives and through what we say and witness to others. The Vatican II documents remind us of this when they talk about our duty to live and proclaim the Gospel.
Thirdly, we must be sure that we both live and proclaim the Gospel to the best of our ability while at the same time recognizing that each person is free to choose whether or not he or she will respond to the Gospel once it is heard. The critical point here is that each Christian ensure that the witness of their life is true to the Gospel and that we do not deny any truth of the Gospel for fear of offending someone. The Scriptures are very clear that it is the truth that sets us free (John 8:32-36) and thus we never do anyone a service by denying them the opportunity to know the truth about salvation.
Having said that, it is equally important that we are guided by the Holy Spirit in the work of evangelization and wait for the appropriate time to proclaim the Gospel to those who need to hear and respond to it.
In summary, I think you should live your Catholic faith to the full without any apology for doing so to your friends, while at the same time being watchful for an opportunity to share the Gospel when it arises.
I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit would use you to bring your friends into a relationship with Jesus and thus win them for the Kingdom of God.
Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
How Do I Deal
with My Atheist
Friends
Email your questions to [email protected]. Or if you need to talk to someone, call 7264709 or 7266728 to contact a Light of Jesus counselor. Telephone counseling is 24-hours from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 a. m. to 10 a. m. on Sundays. Face-to-face counseling by appointment. For correspondence counseling, email [email protected] or go to http://supportskerygmafamily. com.
Or Call
725-9999
Pregnant? Confused? Abortion is not the answer. Contact Sr. Pilar at Pro-life. Call 422-8877 or email [email protected].
real
real
stuff
staff
VATICAN
NOW ON
YOU
TUBE
w
aNttobeupdated on what’s happening in theVatican? You can be updated through video now. The Vatican has launched a new channel on YouTube.
The site, which is found at www.youtube.com/ vatican, was launched in January in time for World Communications Day.
The Pope said, “Undoubtedly, wise use of communications technology enables communities to be formed in ways that promote the search for the true, the good and the beautiful, transcending geographical boundaries and ethnic divisions. To this end, the Vatican has launched a new initiative which
will make information and news from the Holy See more readily accessible on the world wide Web.”
He added, “It is my hope that this initiative will enrich a wide range of people — including those who have yet to find a response to their spiritual yearning — through the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ whose message of Good News the Church bears to the ends of the earth.”
Source: www.zenit.org
MEDIA
AND YOUR
CHILDREN
I
fYou’ReapaRenT with young children or adolescents, bettercheck this out.
According to the conclusion of a series of 10 short papers by the journal Children and Electronic Media, media can be a positive influence in the lives
of these children. The papers, which are summaries of research carried out by The Future of Children, a collaboration of the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution that promotes policies and programs regarding children, said that the average modern child spends a total of nearly 45 hours a week using various forms of media, including the television, movies, magazines, music, Internet and video games.
According to the study, advertisers are moving to the Internet because marketing to children online is far
less regulated than television. Methods include embedding ads in games and using online chat forums to promote products.
The paper also concluded that when children view media violence, they often act aggressively, experience fear, develop unrealistic perceptions concerning the violence that exists in the real world, or develop less advanced moral strategies.
Another aspect of media usage is that between television and sexual activity. The study found that teens who watch a lot of television featuring flirting, discussion of sex and
sex scenes are much more likely than their peers to get pregnant or get a partner pregnant.
They also found strong connections between a negative health outcome and media hours or content.
“Be aware and be involved” was the paper’s recommendation to parents. Awareness includes understanding the various forms of media and types of content that their children are using. And involvement means monitoring the type of media being used by children, and also the amount of time being devoted to media use.
Source: http://www.zenit.org
SAINTS
AT A
GLANCE
WHO: St. Bernardine of Siena
BOrN & DIED: September 8, 1380, Italy – May 20, 1444, Italy
NOTABLE fACTS: Descended from a noble family, he joined the franciscans after prayer and fasting about it. He played a great part in the religious revival of the early 15th century. A tireless worker, he once preached
every day for seven weeks in Siena. He became vicar-general of the franciscan Order in Italy in 1438.
KerygmaMay2009 { 11 }
SAFE
BROWSER
FOR YOUR
LITTLE ONES
W
orried about your child wreaking havoc on yourcomputer or going to an unsafe site? Then Kidrocket is for you.
Kidrocket Kids Browser is a free stand-alone Windows application that’s both an activity center as well as a browser. It can be locked to the desktop to prevent your kids from unwittingly wreaking havoc on your computer. It includes a web browser that operates off a pre-selected white list of kid-friendly sites like Crayola, Cartoon Network, Sesame Street and others. There are also other activities that your kids can do like an interactive math flash cards and a simple paint program.
For older kids, you can enable a basic email client and create a safe list for your
child to email to.
Source: lifehacker.com
NEW UNIVERSITY
FOR
TOP MINDS
W
hat would happen if the world’s top minds came together toestablish a university? Now we have a chance to find out.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Google have teamed up with leading science and technology entrepreneurs to open Singularity University (SU). Housed on the NASA Ames campus in Silicon Valley, the university will open this June and will offer a nine-week graduate level program along with several executive level programs aimed at helping current leaders adapt their businesses to up-and-coming technologies. The university seeks to compliment existing programs in a variety of subjects including biotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, law, ethics and finance.
The university hopes to foster collaboration and innovation “in order to address humanity’s grand challenges” and to gather “the next generation of CEOs, University Deans or Presidents and government leaders” to begin networking and collaborating. SU’s founders include Pete Worden, the director of NASA Ames, Dr. Ray Kurzweil, author and futurist and Dr. Peter Diamandis, chairman of the X Prize Foundation.
Source: http://www.popsci.com
Bacoor, Cavite
Holds Local Feast
C
avite may not be that far from Pasig City,
where The Feast happens every Sunday
at the Valle Verde Country Club, but many
Caviteños (especially those from Bacoor)
choose to have their own local Feast and
enjoy a more intimate community gathering.
Every first and second Friday of the month,
from 8 to 10 p.m., the Light of Jesus Community’s
Bacoor Chapter gather at the Addas Chapel in
Addas IV Village in Mambog. Of course, they
welcome whoever might want to join the
worship, Gospel sharing and reflection and to
listen to Bo Sanchez’s video talk.
On the average, 40 people regularly attend
the Bacoor Feast. Anyone who wants to
participate may simply go to the venue on the
mentioned schedule or may contact Bro. Peter
Fariscal at 0929-722-7080.
FEAST
SNAPSHOTS
FEAST
SNAPSHOTS
Listen to Bo Sanchez’s PODCAST! Audio and Video available! www.preacherinbluejeans.com KerygmaMay2009 { 13 }
From a Fool’s Life
to a Full Life
A Wayward Son’s
Journey
By Romeo “Junjun” Ocampo, Jr. as told to Dina PecañaI
was living a double life.
During the day, I studied
while working part-time as an
appraiser in our pawnshop in
Ormoc. I earned extra money
apart from the allowance my parents
gave me. Having so much money
in my hands made it easier for me
to indulge in my vices again, which
I wanted to get rid of in the first
place.
Another most memorable day in Junjun’s journey was the day he married Vannie
{ 14 }
My health suffered because I totally gave up exercise and sports. My frequent drinking spree also affected my sleeping pattern. It came to a point when I could no longer sleep without getting drunk. I would drink beer and take shabu simultaneously and that kept me awake for two days.
Unknown to me, my parents, who were renewed Christians actively serving in the intercessory team of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) in Ormoc, were fervently praying, in union with their community, for my conversion.
Soon, the Lord answered their prayers for my conversion — but it was also to prepare us for the trials that were about to come into our lives.
The Good Life
I have to admit I was spoiled. I got everything I wanted while I was growing up — be it a TV for my room at the dorm, the latest sound system, a new tennis racket and rubber shoes, and an allowance that was more than what kids my age received. I guess that came with being the youngest child, although my parents were caring and generous to my siblings as well.
From their humble beginnings, they worked hard to establish our retail store and family’s pawnshop business in Ormoc. The business grew and prospered and enabled my parents to send us to good schools and give us a comfortable life. I should have been grateful or, at the very least, content with having a happy family life. But I was not. I chose to live a wayward life in spite of the love and support of my family.
Entangled in Vice
During my freshman year at the University of San Carlos in Cebu, I became part of a barkada (gang or
group of friends) that led me astray. Instead of focusing on my studies and getting good grades, I got entangled in a web of endless partying, alcohol and drugs. I picked up the vices merely out of curiosity and a compelling need to be accepted by my friends.
My freshman year was one of the turbulent times of my life. But even then I was sensible enough to free myself from the vices that enslaved me. I decided to go back to Ormoc after the second semester, thinking that I could start over if I stayed away from my friends.
I was wrong.
I only sunk deeper into my vices.
Life-Changing Retreat
I wasn’t expecting anything from the retreat — I only attended it as a requirement for my Theology class. But during one of the talks, I sensed the Lord telling me, “My son, I love you.” Then it dawned on me how my parents cared and prayed for me all these years, how they continued to love me even though I was a “bad” son to them. I realized how deeply the Lord loves me through my family. This realization opened my life to the powerful love of the Lord that would change my life forever.
God transformed me gradually. First, He separated me from my “vice buddies.” Next, He gave me the desire to know, love and serve Him. That inner desire moved me to become part of our parish youth ministry. I sang in the choir and helped organize retreats and other youth activities.
As I immersed myself in service, I still struggled with my vices. Through much prayer and with the help of my Theology professor, Cris Fernandez, who was our speaker and facilitator during my most unforgettable retreat and the one who invited me to serve in the parish youth ministry, my craving for alcohol and drugs diminished slowly but surely. Indeed, God’s grace is sufficient!
I finally joined my parents in BCBP during my last year in college. Soon after, our family underwent another trial.
Financial Crisis
In 1995, our country experienced a serious economic crisis that affected our family business. We were forced to close our pawnshops and the proceeds from the sale were used to pay off outstanding debts that ballooned to almost P10 million. We had to sell our car and home. It was a difficult time — so hard in fact that there were times when my mom did not know where to get our next meal. We went through a test so grueling that the strength of our family’s faith was challenged.
Junjun now works as a financial consultant for Pru-Life UK
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My dad, being the head of the family, was hit hardest by this family crisis. He sunk into depression that lasted for three years. He could not accept what happened to our family and he felt that he failed us miserably. He withdrew from everyone and confined himself at home.
This was also the lowest point in my life. It was hard to see my idol — my dad — so down, helpless and on the brink of giving up. Seeing him this way, a broken man, I felt lost. I questioned my own identity. If my dad felt he was a “nobody,” then who was I?
Simple Living
Though difficult to bear, our family crisis taught us valuable life lessons, starting with having a faithful relationship with God and living simply. In the midst of our problems, God called each one of us to a personal relationship with Him and led us to actively serve in our community.
I developed a more loving relationship with my parents and siblings. My mom committed to faithfully pray for our family and her example encouraged the rest of us to pray just as she did. Our family prayer time became our source of hope, strength and unity.
Though our once carefree and comfortable life changed drastically to one of hardship, pain and uncertainty, we gained a new life in Christ. As we surrendered our lives to the Lord, He eventually restored to us what we had lost. He allowed my parents to reopen our pawnshops; my mom was blessed to work in an insurance company that enabled us to buy a new car.
Mom and Dad humbled themselves as they went to each person to whom they owed money. They asked forgiveness for not being able to pay their debts and the same time gave their commitment to pay no matter how long it takes. The Lord must have touched the hearts of the creditors because they only collected from my parents the principal and no longer applied the interest that would have compounded significantly over the years.
Loving God More Deeply and Following Him More Closely
From my service in our parish youth ministry, to becoming part of BCBP, the Lord opened opportunities for me to serve Him and His people through Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon Community where I served as the very first and the youngest branch leader of the Ormoc branch. It did not end there, though.
My desire to serve the Lord deepened to the point that I joined the Servants of the Word based in Quezon
City, living among lay brothers who were single-hearted for the Lord.
For three years, I learned to live out the virtues of chastity, simplicity and obedience. I was happy with this life and I truly believed that to live single and dedicate my life to the Lord’s service was my highest calling.
Meant for Marriage
Little did I know that God had a different plan. During Lent 2005, on my third year at the Servants of the Word, my
heart was stirred by a desire for marriage as I prayed. I was confused. I sought the advice of my mentor and fellow brother, Ken Knoecker, who advised me to be open to it, to pray more and to investigate it.
After days of prayer, it became clear to me that God wanted me to get married. I left my brothers in Servants of the Word and joyfully anticipated the unfolding of His plan.
In due time, God revealed His plans for me. I landed a job as a supervisor in a gas station in Ormoc and later as a financial consultant in an insurance company. Then in one of Lingkod’s activities, Vannie Siloterio, my good friend and former co-worker at the Lingkod office, came to Ormoc to be with the women members of our community. Seeing her and being able to spend time with her once again reminded me of the essentials I wanted in a woman who was to be my wife: a deep relationship with the Lord, unconditional love for her family and a heart for mission. It was then that I decided to pursue her.
On December 16, 2006, Vannie and I got married. For over two years now, we have been living a serene and simple life in Ormoc while still happily and actively serving our brothers and sisters in BCBP and Lingkod.
It continues to amaze me how God has transformed a wayward son to become His faithful servant.
Finding God’s best for him was one of Junjun’s blessings in life
KerygmaMay2009 { 17 }
R
emembeR the dayswhen you were taught by your
parents to drop a coin or two every day in your
piggy bank?
Gone are those days, right?
Today, most people complain that their monthly
take-home pay is spent before they receive it.
Why?
Because they are trapped in the vicious cycle of borrowing for
every need and then working to pay for their debts.
Why are many people stuck in poverty and in never-ending
debt?
Because they spiritualize their financial difficulties — they
want God to do what they can do themselves.
And that’s what ails many people.
Now, listen: God won’t do what you can do yourself.
Because the essence of human life is growth — and we won’t
grow if we won’t take responsibility for our lives.
And that includes managing our finances, raising our financial
IQ, learning new habits and being totally free from the enslaving
power of money — or the lack of it — in our lives.
Friends, God wants you to be prosperous but you have to do
your part as well.
Start now.
PAID!
How to Achieve Financial Freedom
by bo sanchez
by bo sanchez
Change Your Money
Habits
and Work
Your Way to
Looking for NEW FRIENDS? Go to www.kerygmafamily.com KerygmaMay2009 { 19 }
by bo sanchez
A
long time ago, when I was still single, I led a retreat for a group of college students from an exclusive girls school. Before the start of the retreat, I was alone in my room preparing for my talk.Suddenly a cockroach entered my room and hovered above me. Ziinggg! Zinnggg! I looked at it and said, “In Jesus’ name, come down!” And then it hit an invisible wall and crashed to the floor, dead.
I was amazed!
Then during my talk, the granddaddy of the cockroach I killed entered the room with vengeance and it started zooming and shimmying and zapping around the room. You can just imagine the reaction of the students in front of me. They were shrieking and covering their heads as the cockroach continued to zoom up and down the ceiling, the walls and all around the room. I didn’t know what to do until I remembered what I did an hour ago. So I said, “In Jesus’ name, come down!” And again the cockroach hit an invisible wall and crashed to the floor. Bang!
All the ladies in front of me exclaimed in awe. And there I was, cool as a bee, as if it was something that happens to me every day.
After the talk, I entered my room. As I was resting, I saw the cousin of the first cockroach crawling up the wall. (By the way, I will not tell you what retreat house it was). I sat on my bed, looked at it and said, “In Jesus’ name, come down!” It continued to crawl. “In Jesus’ name, come down!” It still kept crawling. For the third time, I said, “In Jesus’ name, come down!” It didn’t.
There’s something wrong, I thought. And then I felt
God speak to my heart, “Hey, get your slippers and kill the cockroach!”
I learned an important lesson there: that there are times when God will not lift a finger because He wants us to do it ourselves.
If you want to be prosperous, He’s not going to give you wealth just because you obeyed Him, or just because you gave tithes.
Many do that. They blame God for being poor. They say, “I go to Mass, I serve God, I give tithes, I attend prayer meetings — but why am I still poor?”
It’s like asking, “Why can’t I play the violin? I serve the Lord, give tithes and attend Mass and prayer meetings.” The answer is simple: Because you didn’t study how to play the violin!
Don’t over-spiritualize your problems — your dilemma may not have a spiritual cause. It might be due to your lack of knowledge.
Will God prosper you if you obey Him and if you are faithful to Him?
The answer? It’s not yes or no.
The answer is, “It depends.” Why?
If you do not do something practical about your finances, such as living simply, nothing will happen. No matter how much you give to God, if you do not live within your means, if you do not save, you will not be prosperous.
God wants you to prosper but He won’t do for you what you can do for yourself. Because the essence of human life is growth. You need to keep on growing and the only way to do that is to take responsibility over your life, including your finances.
Many prosperity preachers have spoken and written about steps to prosperity. They’re good — they tell us to obey God, be faithful to Him, give tithes and so on — but I feel there are some things lacking. They don’t speak about the practical steps one can take on the road to financial freedom.
Six Steps to Financial Freedom
“Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take the fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine which are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.”
— Genesis 41:34-46
Step 1: Change Your Internal Money Programs
This never fails: If you want to make any improvement in your life, change your behavior. But if you want to make giant leaps in your life, change your beliefs.
If you’ve always been poor or short of money, your belief system might be the culprit.
I hear poor people say, “My parents have been poor. We’ve always been poor. I think I’ll grow old as poor, too.”
That’s your mental conditioning — and that’s what will happen because that’s how you perceive your life to be.
Change what you believe in and change will happen in your life.
Because what you believe in, you act upon.
All the other steps to financial freedom will be useless unless you change your beliefs about money. It won’t matter how much you save or whether you get into 10 businesses. You will not prosper if you do not change your internal money program or if you don’t expand your psychological wallet. You have to believe that you can earn more than you are earning right now — and that’s the key: believe that it will happen and it will!
Step No. 2: Get out of bad debt.
What is bad debt? What is good debt?
Good debt is when you borrow money to buy a thing that will put money in your pocket. For example, you borrow money to buy an apartment that will earn money for you later.
Bad debt is the opposite — instead of putting money in your pocket, it takes away money from it, like when you buy a TV set or a pair of shoes or when you use your credit card to buy those things and pay only the minimum each month. That’s bad debt.
Bad debt is detrimental to your financial health so get out of it as soon as possible. Here’s what I do to avoid it: When I want to buy something, I tell myself I will save for the next six months to be able to buy that thing. You know what happens? Before I even reach the third month, I no longer want to buy the thing.
If you train and discipline yourself, this is what will happen. The important thing is to get out of bad debt. How?
Create a strategy and a deadline.
1. For example, your
goal is to get out of bad debt within two years. Make a plan and a strategy on how to achieve that goal. Face your creditors.
2. Let them know you won’t
renege on your debt. Keep in touch with them. Don’t wait for them to call you; you call them or visit them. Negotiate for a restructuring of your debt. Be persistent. Don’t be intimidated if you are dealing with a bank. Remember, people manage banks and bank policies are made by people, too — people like you and me — so don’t be afraid to appeal to their good nature. As long as they see that you earnestly want to pay your debt, they can be flexible.
Pay high-interest loans first.
3. If you have two loans
where one charges one percent and the other 10 percent interest a month, pay off the latter first. Why? Because that equates to 120 percent a year!
Work for money instead of borrowing money.
4. Here’s
a common attitude among poor Filipinos. Let’s say there’s going to be an occasion next week, for example the graduation of one’s child. You know what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Where to borrow money to spend for the celebration. Instead of this mental circuitry, why not think of what you can do so that next week you’d have money to spend? And that means doing things you’ve never done before, like selling something or taking a part-time job. Do you know that the quickest way to earn within a few days is to sell something?
Step 3: Apply the “Save First, Spend Later” Principle.
The common Pinoy’s spending habit once he receives his salary is like this: pay bills, buy that, watch movie, eat out and then save whatever’s left.
We need to invert the whole thing. When you receive your salary, give 10 percent to the Lord, save 20 percent, and then live on the remaining 70 percent.
According to the Bible, Joseph told Egypt, you have to save the fifth part (or 20 percent) — and that’s how Egypt was spared from drought and famine. So save 20 percent of your income and you, too, will be freed from lack.
People would tell me, “Bo, how can we survive with 70 percent? We can’t!” So I tell them, “That’s why you need to increase your cash flow, your source of income.”
Step 4: Get Protection.
Tell me if this is true. When you get near an insurance agent, your first instinct is to slowly move away from him, right? We’re allergic to the word insurance. But you know, whether you like it or not, you need insurance. It’s your protection if something happens to you and you don’t have passive income. What will happen to your family if you suddenly die of a heart attack or are debilitated by cancer? And even just to protect yourself from estate taxes, you still need to get insurance.
The Bible says, “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like a high wall protecting him” (Proverbs 18:11). This means that the ultimate goal is to be self-insured. You have to work so that you can do this until you reach a point when you don’t need insurance anymore. And the way to do that is to have multiple income streams.
Step 5: Create Emergency and Retirement Funds.
From the 20 percent you save from your salary, aim to build up an emergency fund equivalent to six times your monthly salary. This will serve as your cushion if you have a sudden need for extra money, like unscheduled repairs, illness or, worse, if you suddenly lose your job (a common occurrence these days).
After the emergency fund, your next goal should be a retirement fund. Strive to save at least 20 percent of your savings from your income to form your retirement fund.
Where do you put your retirement fund? You have many options: banks, time deposit, mutual funds, money market, etc. Improve your financial literacy so that you will not only be able to help yourself but you’ll help others as well.
Step 6: Create Multiple Income Streams that Give Passive Income.
At this time of economic recession, to rely solely on one’s employment income is no longer advisable. You need multiple sources of income — sell something or put up a small business on the side; invest in a mutual fund, money market and other financial instruments.
A word of caution, though: learn all you can before getting into any of these. Get a mentor. Read up. Attend
KerygmaMay2009 { 21 }
seminars. And don’t be afraid to fail. (More on this in the next article.)
Where are you now in your financial life? Do you still carry in your mind unhealthy financial beliefs?
Are you deep in debt?
Are you on your way to building your emergency fund or retirement fund?
Or does your money work for you now through your passive income?
Whatever stage you are in now, never forget that the real purpose of money is to love.
(For comments and reactions, email me at bosanchez@ kerygmafamily.com.)
Bo’s Action Steps:
1. Assess your financial life. Based on
the steps mentioned in the article, what
do you need to do to achieve financial
freedom?
2. Set your financial goals for the rest of
the year and for the coming five years.
3. Create a strategy and define action
plans that you would pursue to achieve
your goals.
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Laughingly Yours
Question and Answer from the Bible:
Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless.
Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once. Q. Why didn’t they play cards on the Ark ?
L
ord God, I also want to proclaim your goodness to me through a financial breakthrough.”I wasn’t in a financial crisis when I said that prayer but I used to envy people in my community who testified to how God blessed and pulled them out of their financial difficulties. In my heart, I also hoped that I would be able to give such testimony. A few years later, something happened that turned my financial life upside down. Little did I know that this experience would pave the way for the Lord’s answer to my prayer.
“Debt” Sentence
I worked as a food technologist in a snack and noodle-making group of companies. My salary was enough to provide for my personal as well as my family’s needs and wants. I was just contented in having a job and receiving a reasonable amount of income every month. As long as our needs and wants were met, that was good enough for me. Savings and investments were not part of my vocabulary.
As one of the breadwinners in the family, I provided for the groceries every 15th and 30th of the month. All my
purchases were on cash basis. I didn’t have a credit card because I feared having debts. But when I transferred to a sister company where everyone had credit cards, I was somehow influenced by the culture and found myself getting not only one but two credit cards. And the delay in the receipt of our salaries justified my need to have a credit card.
I paid only the minimum amount due every billing statement, unaware of its repercussions. In 2003, our company closed down. Although I received a separation pay, I didn’t prioritize my debts.
I availed of a cash loan promo offered by the card company as a way to pay off my debts and to have extra cash when I was broke and didn’t want to borrow from people. But this only worsened my situation. My outstanding balance ballooned due to finance charges and interests.
When I defaulted on my payments, I received calls from the credit and collection agent of the card company almost daily. After each call, I felt pressured, harassed and embarrassed. I had no more peace because of the guilt, fear and humiliation I suffered for many months. But it never crossed my mind to run away from my obligation. I applied for an amnesty for both credit cards but my application was denied.
Free at Last!
On my birthday, I received a gift from my prayer partner — a Bo Sanchez book, Simplify and Live the Good Life. The
Victory Over
My Debts:
How God
Raised Me
from Debt
to Financial
Freedom
By Irma Francisco as told to Judith Concepcion
Irma, no longer enslaved by plastic money, now pursues her life’s goals peacefully
KerygmaMay2009 { 23 }
Laughingly Yours
A new pastor moved into town and went out to visit his community. He came into a closed house, but it was obvious that someone was home. He knocked several times but no one answered. He took a card and wrote at the back, “‘Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me’ (Revelation 3:20).”
The next day, he found the card on the offering plate. Written below his message was, “‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself’ (Genesis 3:10).”
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. She said that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human being because even if it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small.
The little girl said, “When I get to heaven, I will ask Jonah.” The teacher asked, What if Jonah went to hell?”
The little girl replied, “Then you ask him.”
SEND US YOUR JOKES! Text 0917-800-5535; Email: [email protected] practical tips given in this book on how to simplify
one’s life especially in the area of credit cards led me to a decision to cut my Visa card, which had a higher credit limit. It was liberating. I prayed and through my journal, God spoke to me: “Be not afraid. I have allowed this crisis in your life to teach you an important lesson. But I will help you pay your debts. Just have faith in me.”
It took me over a year before I found work. I had some tutoring jobs and through the help of a sister in Christ, I taught part-time at the Lorenzo Mission Institute (LMI). Then a big opportunity came. Through the sale of a real estate property that I brokered, I earned a huge commission that was more than enough to pay for all my debts. In October 2007, I was finally debt-free.
Financial Freedom
The experience was an eye-opener for me. I realized that I was a financial wreck and financially illiterate. Though I wasn’t a credit addict or a shopping addict, I didn’t plan my purchases. I didn’t know a thing about budgeting, managing of finances, savings and investments.
I have learned my lesson the hard (and costly) way. I am now prudent in handling my finances. Before entering into any financial transaction, I plan ahead, consult people who are knowledgeable in a particular venture and pray a lot; I make God my
partner. I am now serious in saving and investing my earnings.
I still have credit cards but I use them only for insurance premium payments and when I treat clients or hold business meetings over lunch or dinner. Other than that, all my transactions are in cash. I now pay the total amount due in my credit card so there won’t be any charges. I have made a commitment never to allow myself to be enslaved by debt again. I have not used my credit cards since the start of 2009.
I also have multiple income streams now. I still teach at LMI and work as a real estate agent-broker. I am in the process of discerning what kind of business to put up for my family.
The Lord has blessed me abundantly, more than I can ever imagine. In return, I try to manage wisely whatever He has entrusted me. I am only His steward; all that I have belongs to Him.
An Answered Prayer
It amazes me how the Lord answered the prayer I made several years back. I only wanted to witness for Him about His faithfulness and goodness to me in terms of financial blessings by sharing my experience with my community. But the Lord’s answer was more than I had ever wished for. He made it possible for my story to reach a great number of people through KERYGMA.
He, indeed, is a God of surprises — and He listens to every prayer we utter.
