Winners Have A Bias For Action - Bo Sanchez

Winners Have A Bias For Action
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       Have you noticed?

       Bad things happen to good people.

All the time.

       Did you get stuck in traffic this week?

       Or have you ever lost your cellphone—with all the phone numbers lost forever? 

       Or have you ever had the terrible experience of your computer crashing—and all your files vanishing to oblivion for all eternity?  (I wonder if there’s a data heaven somewhere in this universe?)

       Or have you ever experienced your boss shouting at you for something that wasn’t your fault?

       Or have you ever experienced the pain of your boyfriend or girlfriend dumping you for another person?

       I repeat. Bad things happen to good people all the time.

       I can’t answer why they happen.

       But here’s my bigger question: What do you do when bad things happen to you?

       Do you sulk? 

       Do you complain?

       Do you just stay put and do nothing?

       Or do you have a bias for action?

       Here’s my simple yet big message for you today: Winners have a bias for action. That’s why they’re winners.

       I want you to watch this crazy short video. It’s less than one minute. It’s really funny. 

But its lesson is incredibly profound.

          watch video (click ‘back’ to return to my blog) 

         Insane, right?

But you’ll be surprised that a lot of people do the exact same thing when bad things happen to them.

They freeze.

They get stuck.

They just stay there. 

They complain.

They complain to the world.

       Friend, has a bad thing happened to you?

       Don’t get stuck.

       Don’t complain. It’s useless.

       Stand up.

       Instead of complaining, do something

       If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, limp. If you can’t limp, crawl. Stumble your way to greatness.

       Why? Because God never said that no bad thing will ever happen to you. But here’s His big promise: That every time a bad thing will happen to you, good things will come out of it. Every time! Because Romans 8:28 says that all things will work for good to those who love Him.

How Do You Respond To Fire?

One day, a young woman came to her grandfather and cried on his shoulder. She told him of her many problems. She felt so overwhelmed by them. It seemed like everything in her life was going wrong.

       After she wept many tears, the old man told her, “Let’s go to the kitchen. I have something to show you.”

       In the kitchen, the grandfather prepared three pots of water in the cooking range. On the first pot, he placed carrots.   On the second pot, he placed eggs. On the third pot, he placed coffee beans. And he lit the fire beneath each of them.

       For twenty minutes, they sat in silence as the fire heated the pots. After twenty minutes, the grandfather said, “If you notice, the fire underneath the pots are the same. Same heat. Same temperature. Yet you’ll notice how different things react to the fire.”

       He fished out the carrots and placed it in a bowl. He made his granddaughter touch it. 

“It’s soft,” she said.

       He got an egg, broke it, and gave it to her. 

“Hard boiled,” she said.

       Finally, he opened the coffee pot—its fragrance filling the room. He poured a cup for her. She took a sip.

       “That’s nice,” she said, “thanks, grandpa. But what does this all mean?”

       He said, “Child, you’re going through fire. You’re going through trials. Everybody does. But how are you reacting? Are you like the carrot who thought it was hard and strong, but when the fire came, it became weak and lost all its strength? Or are you like the egg that had a malleable spirit and a tender heart, but when trials came, hardened its heart? Or are you like the coffee bean? The fire released its flavor and aroma. Your trials can release your gifts and dreams. Your trials can set you free. So tell me, are you a carrot, an egg, or coffee beans?”

Your Trials Can Set You Free

       Did your boyfriend leave you for another girl? You’re now free to find a better man who’ll be faithful to you.

       Were you laid off at work? You’re now free to get a better job at a better company or become an entrepreneur.

       Are you sick right now? This is a wake up call. Your body is telling you, “It’s high time to care for me.” You’re now free to become the healthiest person you can become.

       Eleven years ago, my friend had cancer of the breast. But that cancer set her free. Because of that cancer, she served God more, she loved her family more, and she took care of her health more. She started eating more fruits and vegetables. Eleven years later, she’s a healthier person, she’s a more loving person, and she’s a more spiritual person. Her cancer set her free.

       Did your business fail? You’re now free to start all over again and make it better.

       That’s what happened to me.

Three Men Went Through The Fire

       In the Bible, we read of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

They went through the fire, too. A literal one.

Because these men didn’t want to bow down before a pagan idol, the king was so angry, he threw them into the furnace—and asked his strongest soldiers to tie them up.

       But when they were in the fire, God rescued them. They were protected. Even their clothes weren’t burned. They walked out unharmed.

       But here’s the amazing part: Nothing was burned except for the ropes that bound them.

The fire made them free men.

From my experience, when I go through fire, my trials remove my chains. My fears. My limited thinking. My small dreams.

Hey, I still don’t like it.

Fire is fire. It hurts. It burns.

But when I go out of the fire, I’m a better person.

Like coffee beans, my aroma and flavor is released.

I’m free to impact the world even more.

Keep Moving Forward!

Psalm 23:4 says, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…

You don’t stay in the valley.

You don’t sulk in the valley. 

You walk through the valley.

You keep moving forward.  You put one foot in front of the other until you get out of the valley.

1 Peter 1:13 says, Therefore, prepare your minds for action.

       Have a bias for action.

From Executive To Farmer

       When I think of action, I think of my friend Rudy Mallari.

       In the 90’s, Rudy was on top of the world. My friend was one of the key figures in the exports garments industry. He was running a huge company and was very well paid. 

But in a blink of an eye, it was like someone pulled the rug from beneath this entire industry. China took over. And the entire export garments industry died (almost).

And overnight, Rudy lost his job and business.

From being on top of the world, he was now at the bottom.

       Did Rudy sulk? Did he simply give up and hang up his gloves? Did he get depressed that the hand that fed him suddenly disappeared?

       Far from it.

       Because Rudy had another love: Farming.

       He kept working, kept acting, kept making mistakes.

       From being an executive, he’s now a “farmer”.

       He doesn’t actually run a farm. But he works with lots of small independent farmers—and he teaches them organic farming. And then helps them sell their products.

       For years, he met with guys in suits, ties, and briefcases. Now, he meets guys in torn shirts, straw hats and muddy boots.

       And in dealing with small farmers and other poor people, he grew in his passion of helping the poor. Thus, he joined Alay Buhay (If you want to vote for them for your party list organization, they’re #66!) that helps small entrepreneurs across the country

       His tragedy turned into triumph—not only for him but also for many other people.

A True Story That Will Touch You Deeply

       I’m going to tell you a true story of a young woman who went through a most gruesome fire. When you read her story, you’ll realize that your trials are absolutely nothing compared to what this young girl went through.

       It was September 25, 2000.

Maricel Apatan was an 11-year old girl in Zamboanga.

On that day, this little girl went with her uncle to draw water. 

Along the way, four men met them. They were carrying long knives. They told her uncle to face down on the ground. And they hacked him on the neck and killed him.

Maricel was in total shock. Especially that the men were their neighbors. She tried to escape, but the men ran after her.

She cried, “Kuya, ‘wag po, ‘wag n’yo akong tagain! Maawa po kayo sa akin!” (“Don’t kill me! Have mercy on me!”)

But they weren’t listening. With a long knife, a man slashed her on the neck too.

Maricel fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

When she woke up, she saw a lot of blood.

She also saw the feet of the men around her, but she pretended to be dead.

When they walked away, Maricel ran back home.

Her Hands Were Hacked Too

But along the way, she saw that both her hands were falling off. Because the men hacked them too. She cried but she kept running. 

Sometimes, she’d faint and fall to the ground. But she’d regain consciousness and run again.

When she was near her home, Maricel called her mother.

Upon seeing her daughter, her mother screamed in terror. She wrapped her bloodied child in a blanket and carried her to the hospital.

Here was the problem: From her house to the highway, it was a 12-kilometer walk.

It took them 4 hours just to reach the highway.

When they arrived in the hospital, the doctors thought Maricel was going to die. 

But for 5 hours, they operated on her. It took 25 stitches to stitch together the long knife wound in her neck and back. 

Maricel barely survived.

And she lost both of her hands.

Ironically, the next day was Maricel’s birthday.

She was 12 years old.

But alas, tragedy didn’t end there.

Angels To The Rescue

When they went home, they saw their home was gone. It was ransacked and burned down by the goons.

Being very poor, Maricel’s family also didn’t have P50,000 for their hospital bills.

But God sent many angels along the way to help them.

Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, a distant relative, paid for hospital bills and helped them bring the criminals to court. They were sentenced to prison.

Tahanan Ng Walang Hagdan helped her finish her studies.

Today, she’s staying with the nuns at Regina Rosarii with Sr. Eppie Brasil, O.P.

But this, I believe, is the incredible miracle.

Instead of staying down, Maricel kept running.

Instead of cursing God why she had no hands, she now uses her wrists in incredible ways that will boggle your mind.

Maricel was cited as the most industrious, best in computer, and most courteous in the School for Crippled Children. 

In 2008, she graduated from a course in Hotel and Restaurant Management. She even received a Gold medal for Arts and Crafts.

Today, at 21 years old, Maricel is studying to be a Chef.

Yes, a Chef without hands.

Nothing can stop this young lady from reaching her dream.

Real Winners Don’t Give Up!

Oh, it was a real gift.

Because last Sunday, I invited Maricel to the Feast (Note: This is our weekly prayer gathering. If you want to join us, click here for our schedules or call (02) 725-9999 and ask for the details.)

We saw Maricel in front of us.

And her joy, her smile, her radiance was amazing!

In lovely white Chef’s attire, I asked her to stand in front of the crowd. We cheered wildly

And then I led her to a table with lots of vegetables on it.

I asked her to make a salad for me.

Using only her wrists, she cut the vegetables and prepared a delicious salad. 

I couldn’t help but cry.

I looked around me and saw many crying too.

Because we were in front of an incredible winner.

   Maricel Apatan 

Don’t Lose Hope

Friend, are you a winner?

Stop focusing on your trial.

Stop focusing on your problems.

Right now, you may be undergoing fire.

Perhaps your marriage is being torn apart.

Perhaps you’re buried in a mountain of debt.

Perhaps the doctor said you’re never going to get well.

Perhaps your child is far from God.

Friend, don’t lose hope.

Don’t give up.

You will win the race.

You will win the prize!

In the fire, don’t be a carrot or an egg. Don’t weaken or harden. Rather, be a coffee bean and let the fire set you free for action!

This fire will make you better.

This fire will make you grow.

This fire will make you succeed even more!

So focus on the finish line.

Focus on your dream.

Focus on the prize before you.

Stand up and keep running!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

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Failure Isn't God's Rejection But God's Redirection - Bo Sanchez

Eagles are amazing parents.

I didn’t know how special their nest was for their babies. 

To make it, Daddy Eagle picks up sturdy twigs and sharp thorns to build this special home. But to make the nest comfortable, he’ll cover the twigs and thorns with soft grass. 

And here’s the amazing part: Mommy Eagle will pluck her own feathers from her breast! She’ll place them on the nest for added warmth and softness.

       Many times a day, Mommy Eagle will fly out to look for food. She’ll fly back to put fish and other food into the open mouths of her hungry kids.

       Because the nests are built on high rocky cliffs, winds are very strong. Whenever there’s a storm, Mommy Eagle covers them with her large wings.

       The tiny eaglets live a pampered life. 

Because every need is met by their loving parents.

       But one day, it’s time to teach them how to fly.

       And in an instant, their entire world changes.

Flight Training Is Always Cruel

       To teach their young to fly, Eagles follow four stages—all painful.

       First, Mommy stops bringing food. 

The tiny ones are crying out in hunger but she doesn’t seem to hear them. The kids are in shock. They ask, “Why is Mommy not listening to our cries?”

Second, she flaps her wings to sweep away the grass and feathers in the nest. The sharp thorns are now exposed, pricking the delicate skin of the Eaglets.

Third, she does the unthinkable: She throws them out of the nest. The little Eaglets jump back in, only to be pricked by the thorns. They’re now bleeding. They’re shrieking in pain. And they’re wondering, “Why is Mommy torturing us? Why is she cruel?”

Fourth, Mommy pushes the Eaglets off the nest again. But not just off the nest, but all the way off the cliff! 

The little Eaglets hurtle down to the ground—one thousand feet below—towards sure death.

But before they hit the ground, Daddy Eagle swoops down and catches them on his wings. He drops them back into the nest.

They cry out, “Mommy, why are you killing us? What have we done?” But they barely are able to catch their breath, when Mommy pushes them out again.

This death-defying, terrifying ordeal is repeated seven to eight times until the Eaglets get the message—and start flapping their wings.

       Soon, they’re soaring on top of the clouds with their proud parents beside them.

       Friend, this is exactly what happens to you when God teaches you how to fly.     

      

God Taught Me How To Fly

       Twelve years ago, I launched myself as an entrepreneur.

       Because I was serving God, I felt God would bless my little businesses. I mean, that was the least He could do! After all, I served Him already for almost 20 years. 

Confidently, I got my savings and poured it all into food carts.

I started with a “squid balls” cart. 

I stationed it on the sidewalk, very near a market and a municipal hall. Perfect location, I said.

But the results were pathetic. Some days, I was breaking even. Some days, I was losing money. I felt very discouraged. But I told myself, “No worries. I’ll try again.”

So I bought two more food carts. This time, it was a hotdog stand and an ice cream scooping station. I rented space in a new mall here in Ortigas Center.

But month after month, I was losing money.

Soon, I was forking out money just to pay for my rent and salaries of my workers.

Finally, before the year was over, I had to accept defeat, and close all the food stores. My entrepreneurial ambitions were now dashed to the ground. 

I lost P600,000+.

That may not be big for you, but that was my life savings as a missionary.

I felt depressed.

I asked God, “Lord, why did you not bless my businesses?”

I was confused. I told myself, “Perhaps God doesn’t want me to be an entrepreneur. Perhaps He just wants me to be a preacher.”

For many months, I didn’t know what to do. I was lost. I was like a ship trapped in a thick fog. What should I do now?

Looking back, I now know what God was doing…

What Will It Be: Thorns Or Clouds?

Like the Mommy Eagle, God stopped feeding me.

When provision stops, God isn’t saying, “I’ve decided not to love you today.” When your provision stops, God is saying, “I’ll provide for you in a greater and more abundant way.”

Like Mommy Eagle, God removed the soft cushion of my nest. My food businesses were like sharp prickly thorns beneath me. Every little move I made was painful. 

When your life becomes painful, God isn’t saying, “I don’t care for you.” When life becomes painful, it means God is saying, “I have a better place for you.”

Like Mommy Eagle, God was pushing me out of my nest. But I jumped back right in, only to be hurt again.

I have seen this happen with people in toxic relationship. They get very hurt in the relationship and cry buckets of tears. But soon, they just jump back right in—only to get hurt again. They get attached to the toxic relationship.

But pain is life’s messenger. It’s saying, “There’s a better place for you. You weren’t born to live around thorns. You were born to soar above the clouds.”

Failure isn’t God’s rejection.

Failure is God’s redirection.

Proverbs 20:30 says, Sometimes, it takes a painful situation to change your ways.

He didn’t want me in the food business. He didn’t make me a cook. He made me a communicator. He didn’t make me to feed bodies. He made me to feed minds.

Failure Isn’t God’s Rejection;

Failure Is God’s Redirection

       Like Mommy Eagle, God was teaching me how to fly.

       He wanted me to get out of the food business because it wasn’t my big thing. It wasn’t my passion. (I just had a passion for eating!) It wasn’t my core gift. 

       Totally discouraged and without much money left in my savings, I was forced to create businesses that didn’t need any capital. The only possible businesses for me were those in my turf: Communication. 

My first successful business was corporate seminars. 

I was already preaching for 20 years. Why not preach to companies and get paid?

I hit the road running. No learning curve. From Day 1, I started earning.

Today, I run 12 small businesses. All of them incredibly successful.

Today, I thank God that my food businesses failed. If they didn’t, I would have been stuck there, doing what I didn’t love.

       Friend, is God pushing you out of your nest?

       Has your provision stopped?

       Perhaps God is saying, “There’s a better life for you than this. There’s a better relationship for you than this. There’s a better job for you than this. There’s a better business for you than this…”

       Believe that God wants to teach you to fly!

Is It A Dip Or A Dead End?

       Seth Godin is one of my favorite business writers.

       He says that when we get into a difficult situation, we need to decide if it’s a dip or a dead end.

       A dip means there’s great success if you persevere through that difficult time. Dead End means there’s no great success even if you persevere for a thousand years.

       So ask yourself: When you get over this difficulty, will you be number one or number two in that niche?   If not, it may be time to bail out. And look for an area where you can be great.

       Like I’ll never be great in the food business, no matter how much I persevere with my food carts. But I knew that I’d be great if I just stick to my core gift of communication. 

Same Thing In Ministry

When something isn’t working, when something is causing pain, when something is not growing, be quiet. Listen to God’s direction in your heart. He may not be asking you to change location, or change a job, or change a business, or change a relationship.

He may be asking you to change strategy.

       Let me give you an example in my ministry. My spiritual family is Light of Jesus. For over 10 years, Light of Jesus was stuck. Like we were stranded. Our growth was stagnant. We tried various ways to make Light of Jesus grow, but we felt like we were ramming our heads on an iron ceiling.

       For years, Light of Jesus got stuck with 2000+ members.

       We tried everything. We gave Life in the Spirit seminars, built prayer meetings left and right, but nothing was working. 

Psalms 119:71 says, My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.

       Our suffering made us listen to God.

And He spoke to us. He led us to change strategy. And the results have been mind-boggling.

From “Chapters”, we created “Feasts”. 

Here’s the big difference: Chapters were traditional, religious prayer meetings for “Insiders”. Feasts were wild parties, radically obsessed to reach “Outsiders”. 

Basically, God told to us, “Forget yourself. Love your neighbor.” In the old structure, we were serving ourselves. We spoke our own language (Christianese). We designed all our events for us, locals. But God led us to give up our selfishness and love those who didn’t belong to our group. We began to design the entire event for those who felt out of place in church.

       What happened? We shattered that iron ceiling. 

Two weeks ago, we were expecting 6000 people to come to our Easter celebration. But on that day, 9000+ came—and that’s just for Metro Manila alone.

For one year, Light of Jesus has been growing explosively. 

       Friend, do you feel that you’re stuck? Do you feel that life is stagnant?   That you’re not growing?

       Listen to God’s voice. He may be asking you to change your strategy. Don’t be attached to how you did things before.

       Because what brought you to where you are now may not bring you to where you want to go.

Success Doesn’t Teach You Much;

Only Failure Teaches You

Your Most Powerful Lessons Of Victory

       This is the irony of life.

       Success doesn’t teach you much.

       It’s only Failure that teaches you your most important Lessons of Victory.

       When you’re successful, you don’t know why you’re successful. You just assume that perhaps it’s this or that thing.

       When you’re successful, you’re complacent.

       When you’re successful, you’re not teachable.

       When you’re successful, you’re proud.

       When you’re successful, you’re hard-headed.

       But when you fail, you fall on your face.

You hit the ground. 

Bang!

       You’re stunned. 

       You’ve dazed.

       You’ve got blood on your lips.

       You’ve got massive pain on your knee.

Suddenly, you’re attentive.

       Suddenly, you’re quiet.

       Suddenly, you ask hard questions. 

“Why did I fail?”

“What can I do so I won’t fail again?”

As you answer these questions, you learn lessons of victory.

And when you apply those lessons of victory, that’s when you succeed.

See Everything As A Blessing

       One day, a man who was stranded in an island.

       He decided to protect himself from the burning hot sun. For many days, he built a grass hut.

       But on the day he was to sleep in it, a lightning hit the roof, starting a fire. He hurried to put it out, but it was no use. Everything burned down.

       He was devastated. He clenched his fist towards the heavens and screamed, “God, how could you do this to me?”

When he woke up the next day, a ship was going to the island. He was being rescued! He jumped up for joy. 

When the ship landed on the shore, the man asked his rescuers, “How did you know I was here?”

The men said, “We saw your smoke signal last night.”

Friend, what is your grass hut?

What has been taken away from you?

What has been destroyed and lost forever?

Is it a relationship?

Is it a job opportunity?

Is it a dream gone bad?

Don’t fear. Don’t give up.

God is teaching you a lesson of victory.

Through your loss, your failure, your trial, God is rescuing you. God is saving you. God is bringing you to a better place.

Eagles Are Made For Storms

       Let me end with one more thing about Eagles.

       When a storm comes, other birds hide in trees and caves.

       But not the Eagle.

       Because Eagles love storms.

       Eagles sense in their bodies that a storm is coming. And they get excited.

       Because Eagles don’t really fly. Eagles soar. All they do is spread their 7-foot wings and use the wind to carry them. So the stronger the wind, the higher they go.

       Some say that Eagles can sleep in the storm.     

       Friend, your storm will lift you higher.

       Rest in God’s love.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

PS. Do you want to meet my Financial Mentors? If you want to grow in your financial abundance, my mentors and I are giving an intensive 2-day Financial Coaching Program on April 23 and 24. I’m personally inviting you to join us. There are a few seats left. For more details, click here.

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All Things Will Work Out For Your Good - Bo Sanchez

All Things Will Work Out For Your Good

 

       When my son was growing up, he loved jigsaw puzzles.

       Mind you, I’m not a jigsaw puzzle fan. It’s not just my personality. I wish jigsaw puzzles came with a push button. Press it and viola—it’s done.

       I remember this story about men and a jigsaw puzzle.

       There were these three guys in a bar.

       The bar tender asked, “What brings you here gentlemen?”

       “We’re celebrating!” the three men said.

       “What happened?” he asked.

       One of them said, “We worked on a jigsaw puzzle together and we’re able to finish it in one month. Way ahead of schedule.”

“Way ahead of schedule?” the bartender asked.

“Yes. Because the box says 3 to 6 years!”

The Odd Piece In The Puzzle

       One day, while working on a jigsaw puzzle, I remember getting frustrated. Because one piece didn’t fit. This one piece didn’t make sense. This one piece had a different color. This one piece was even ugly.

       “Perhaps the manufacturer made a mistake,” I told myself. “Perhaps it doesn’t belong to this box…”

       But sure enough, later on, I found its place in the jigsaw puzzle. It belonged to the box, after all. Without that piece, the big picture wouldn’t be complete.

Friend, there are events in your life that are so painful, they don’t make sense. These are like odd pieces in the jigsaw puzzle of your life that don’t seem to fit.

Your miscarriage, by itself, makes no sense.

       Having cancer, by itself, makes no sense.

       Being retrenched from your job, by itself, makes no sense.

       Your daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock, by itself, makes no sense.

       Your son getting into drugs, by itself, makes no sense.

       Your child dying of dengue, by itself, makes no sense.

       In your tears, you asked, “Where is God in my trial?”

Where Is God?

       Let me tell you where: He’s holding the other pieces of the puzzle. Taken in isolation, your trial makes no sense. But Romans 8:28 says that God will work all things together for your good. 

Where is God? God is working.

He’s on His knees, connecting the pieces of your life together, and making the jigsaw puzzle. 

The cross, by itself, makes no sense. 

Good Friday, by itself, makes no sense. 

The death of Jesus, by itself, makes no sense.

But if you put together the cross and the empty tomb, it makes total, complete, glorious sense.

Friend, you may be experiencing Good Friday today.

And deep in your heart, you’re crying out to God for an explanation. Why is this happening to you?

I want you to believe that your Easter Sunday is coming.

Don’t Be Anxious

       Let me tell you why you become anxious.

       Because you isolate your problem.

The reason why you don’t understand is because you’re not holding the big picture. Who is holding it?

God is holding the top of the jigsaw box.

God is holding the big picture. It’s a beautiful picture. He’s busy making the jigsaw puzzle of your life look glorious. He’s busy making all the separate, seemingly disjointed, seemingly senseless pieces work together for your good.

When We Lost Our Baby

       After a year and half of being married, my wife got pregnant.

       We went nuts. We cried. We laughed. We danced. We sang.

       And every morning, I talked to my baby. I sang to my baby. 

       But a few months later, one early morning, I woke up to the shrill cry of my wife. I ran to the bathroom and there she was, her body shaking, pointing to the toilet bowl. It was filled with fresh, red blood. Our baby was gone.

       I got water, sprinkled it on our baby, and said, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. You shall be called Angel.”

       I then cradled my weeping wife in my arms. It was a difficult to pray. But I still did. I said, “Lord, we thank you for our child. We thank you that you gave her to us even just for a short time. We believe that she’s now in Heaven. We believe she’ll be praying for us, sending her love, from Heaven. We believe we’ll see her one day when we ourselves will walk through the gates of Heaven.”

       For six months, my wife was depressed. For six months, she couldn’t eat well. The most delicious food was tasteless in her mouth.   After six months, she recovered.

       But after a couple of years, my wife lost our second baby.

       And then my wife lost our third baby.

       We’ve lost three children.

       I asked her, “Is it easier the second time? Or the third time?” And she almost screamed, “No!”

       When you lose a child, it makes no sense.

       Why? Where was God in our pain?

       He was there. He was there putting the missing pieces together. He was making all things beautiful. He was making all things work for good.

       Today, I believe that our three children in heaven are part of my ministry. I believe that they send their love from heaven to me and the people I serve. I believe they pray for you and for me everyday.

       And today, my wife has an incredible compassion for those who lose their child. She knows what to say, what not to say. She is able to hug a grieving mother and bless that person.

       Suffering’s greatest gift is compassion. You realize that everyone is suffering, just like you. And every person needs love, just like you. And so you’re moved to give love.

When I Was Abused

       Most of you know I was molested as a child.

       By whom? By my religious leader.

       A religious leader who always carried a Bible, had a huge cross hanging from his neck, and wore a white barong tagalog.

       Everyone said he was holy.

       But this man raped me.

       It destroyed my life. The way I looked at myself. The way I looked at God. I hated myself.

       I developed a pornography addiction. I couldn’t stop myself. I’d wake up at 3am just to get my fix. 

I also developed a shame-based personality. I was ashamed that I was alive. I was ashamed that I existed in the world.

       Isolate that horrible event, and it makes no sense.

       It was ugly. Terrible beyond words can describe.

       Yet today, God has connected that one horrific piece with another piece of the puzzle: His healing love. 

Friend, I’m now healed. God accepted me as I was, all my sins and failures included. And that powerful acceptance broke the bondages from my hands. It set me free.

I’m no longer ashamed of myself. 

I now love myself!

Yes, God has worked all things together for my good.

The Secret Of The Feast

       People ask me, “Bo, what’s the secret of the Feast? All the Feasts are growing!”

       Let me tell you the big secret of the Feast.

The Feast is drawing thousands of people because the Feast is not a prayer meeting for religious people. The Feast is a party of God’s Love for those who aren’t religious.

The Feast is based on Mark 2:15-17, where Jesus had party at Levi’s house, eating with tax collectors, drunkards, and prostitutes. That was when religious leaders criticized Jesus, asking how he could eat with sinners. (In that culture, eating with someone around a table meant friendship.) Instead of offering his friendship, these religious leaders wanted Jesus to condemn these sinners.

But Jesus didn’t do that. He simply loved them.

If you notice, in the Bible, the only people Jesus condemned were the self-righteous religious leaders!

The Feast is drawing thousands of people because we’re doing what Jesus did in Levi’s house. We’re throwing a party for sinners.

My Healing Has Become

Healing For Others

       In fact, I don’t think there’ll be a “Feast” if I didn’t experience my addictions—and the healing of my addictions.

       That’s the purpose of the Feast: To welcome the sinner. The lost. The searching. The doubting. Those who are far from God.

The Feast is also based on my personal experience.

I’m befriending the sinner because I experienced God’s radical love.

I’m loving them with no strings attached. 

I’m not saying, “I’ll love you if you repent of your sins, join the community, and become a card-carrying Light of Jesus member.”  

No. I’m saying to them, “I love you.” Period. 

No conditions. 

       Today, I have a great love for sinners.

       I repeat: One of the greatest gifts of suffering is compassion. I have a great compassion for sinners because I’m one of them.

Today, I don’t ask for people’s “background” before they become my friends. I don’t ask what sin they committed in the past. I don’t ask what mess they were in. I simply accept people and love them. Because I know that a day will come when God’s love will heal them too, just as it healed me.

       For everyone has a dark past. Everyone!

An Invitation

       Those who feel far from God, please come. I love you.

       Adulterers, please come. I love you.

Prostitutes, please come. I love you.

Drug addicts. Alcoholics. Please come. I love you.

Atheists and agnostics, please come. I love you.

Hindus, Buddhists, New Agers, please come. I love you.

Practicing homosexuals, please come. I love you.

Divorced. Separated. Please come. I love you.

Single parents. Please come. I love you.

From one fellow sinner to another, I speak to you.

I love you.

I want to be God’s arms for you. 

I want to embrace you. 

God Will Use Your Suffering

To Heal The World

       In the Bible, you find that God’s great men had great problems. None of them were exempted.

o   Noah had to build an ark on dry land.     

o   Abraham had no kids till he was an old man.

o   Moses killed an Egyptian and went into exile.

o   Joseph was sold as a slave and thrown into prison.

o   Samuel had rebellious sons.

o   David ran away because King Saul wanted to kill him.

o   Jeremiah was too young.

o   Peter was a coward.

o   James and John had a temper problem.

       If you look at the Catholic Saints, you find the same thing. St. Francis, St. Ignatius, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. John Bosco… All of them went through enormous suffering.

       But through their suffering, they won the victory.

       God worked all things for their good—and for the good of everyone. They became a blessing to others precisely because of their suffering.

Behind The Scenes, God Is At Work

       Friend, are you suffering right now?

       Are you sick?

       Do you have emotional pain?

       Do you have financial difficulties?

       Relationship problems with family?

       Work problems?

       Believe that God is at work, behind the scenes. He is connecting the “odd” pieces of the jigsaw of your life into a glorious bigger picture.  Believe me. He’ll make all things work for your good. Your deepest pain will be your most glorious blessing.

       Do not be anxious.

       Pray with thanksgiving instead.

       For your trial is temporary. It will come to an end.

       But his love is permanent. It will last forever.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

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