Sigh…..

           I read all your beautiful stories.

          Thank you so much!

As of this time, you’ve written 200+ comments on my previous e-mail, sharing on “What do you do when your best plans don’t happen.” (By the way, I know that some of you are already members of my www.KerygmaFamily.com If you’re not yet one, sign up and receive a mountain load of spiritual blessings for your life.)

Actually, reading your stories made me feel terribly small. My tiny problems are no match to some of the problems you shared. Dear friends, I admire your strong faith!

Okay, so here’s my little story…

Last July 11, I celebrated my birthday in a rather unexpected way.

I had fever. 

Complete with aching muscles.

My legs felt like I had just jogged 400 miles.

Even if did no such thing.  

I was in fact lying down in the middle of my sala, feeling I was Coyote in those old Road Runner cartoons, run over by an ACME truck.

“Lord, why did you allow me to get sick on my birthday?”

I looked like a zombie too.

My hair was a knotty mess.

My shirt drenched with smelly sweat.

My Genghis Khan moustache unshaved.

Why was God doing this to me?

When My Best Plans Don’t Happen

            Before the nasty virus hit me, I had grand plans for my birthday. 

Together with our kids, we were going to visit our friends among the poor.

First, the orphans under the care of my friend Rey Ortega. Second, the slums where I first did ministry work when I was 14 years old. Third, a quick visit to Anawim, our ministry for the abandoned elderly. Finally, the streetkids with my friend Jodean Sola.

          But three days before my birthday, I started feeling weak.

“Just an allergy,” I told myself. “This will pass...”

It didn’t. The bug had just begun its villainous work to destroy my plans.

On my birthday, I wanted to visit the poor. Instead, I became the poor. I felt so helpless, so weak.

Would you believe? I felt so Low Bat, I didn’t even have the energy to write or read or even watch TV.

All I did was mope. 

And sigh. 

And mope some more.

The One Thing I Could Do

I wish I could tell you that at the middle of my misery, this Charismatic Preacher stood up, jumped up and down, and sang Don Moen’s, “God Will Make a Way Where There Seems To Be No Way!” Or that I lifted my arms and declared, “Praise the Lord I’m sick!” all the time smiling my toothy grin.

I didn’t do such a thing. 

I couldn’t!

I could only do one thing.

I sighed.

Oh yes, I was able talk to God.

I think.

Nah…

On second thought, I couldn’t even do that.

I didn’t even have the energy to talk to God.

So I sighed with God. 

And moped with Him the whole day.

          But through it all, I felt that God was sighing with me.

          And in a weird kind of way, it was absolutely phenomenal.

My Best Birthday Blessing Ever

            On hindsight, I believe that on my birthday, God wanted to commune with me in a very deep way. I didn’t know it, but my spirit was crying out for this quiet. So my body temporarily surrendered so that my spiritual birthday blessing can be received.

          By nightfall, I was feeling much better.

My in-laws visited me and brought dinner. (I’m one of those strange guys who adore his in-laws.) I was able to sit at table, munch on fish, and even smile. 

When everyone left, my wife sat beside the smelly monster. She said, “Birthday Boy, even if your smell reminds me of a rat that has died three days ago, can I spend the night watching a romantic movie with you?”

          Without waiting for a response, she stood up, dimmed the lights, plugged in a DVD, and cuddled beside me. She held my hand for the rest of the evening—all the while covering her nose with her other hand.   My birthday was complete.

          The next day, I woke up healed. 

It was as though my spirit’s thirst for quiet was quenched and therefore told my body, “Get well now. I’ve had my fill.”

So how was my birthday?

The best thing that ever happened to me.

Two Choices In Life

            Here’s my question to you: What do you do when your best plans don’t happen? You have two choices:

1. You can curse God in anger.

2. Or you can sigh with God in surrender.

And wonder what hidden blessing He is giving you through your problems.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. If you have friends in Singapore, tell them to join me! I’m giving two life-changing seminars in Singapore: “How To Be Truly Rich” Seminar on July 28 and “How To Find Your One True Love” Seminar on July 29. For more information, email Jimmy Cruz at brotherjimmycruz@gmail.com now.

PS2. Do you want to grow in financial freedom? Learn the spiritual and financial principles that changed my financial life! On August 2, I’m giving my powerful How To Be Truly Rich Seminar. To know more about it, click here.

PS3. Mentors may be your missing link to your success. (It definitely was mine.) I needed multi-millionaire mentors to teach me how money works. To learn more about my Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program on August 8 and 9, click here.

PS4. When you’re sick, you realize that health is wealth. Learn more about health and healing for yourself and your loved ones!  This October, wellness Guru Amado Samia is giving a breakthrough seminar to guide you to discover simple, effective, and life-changing ways of attaining wellness for your body, mind, and spirit.   Click here for details.

What Do You Do When Your Best Plans Don’t Happen?

That’s my hard question to you.

You see, after my Boracay Wedding email last week, one woman asked me, “Bo, it seems that all your plans always happen! You live a charmed life. But my dreams don’t happen… What’s wrong with me?”

Let me make it clear: Yes, I do get frustrated too!

But before I share with you my experiences of utter frustration (and what I do when my best plans don’t happen), can I ask you to share your thoughts to the world?

What do you do when God seems not to answer your prayer?

What do you do you when you get hurt, disappointed, and fail?

What do you do when your fondest dreams are dashed to pieces?

Share your experiences.

Share your lessons in life.

Believe me, thousands who will read your reflections will be blessed!

Next week, I’ll share with you my answer to this question.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

 

PS1. Do you want to grow in financial freedom? Learn the spiritual and financial principles that changed my financial life! Join me in my powerful How To Be Truly Rich Seminar. To know more about it, click here.

PS2. Mentors may be your missing link to your success. (It definitely was mine.) I needed multi-millionaire mentors to teach me how money works. To learn more about my Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program, click here.

PS3. If you have friends in Singapore, tell them to join me! I’m giving two life-changing seminars in Singapore: “How To Be Truly Rich” Seminar on July 28 and “How To Find Your One True Love” Seminar on July 29. For more information, email Jimmy Cruz at brotherjimmycruz@gmail.com now.

PS4. Receive Kerygma Magazine for FREE! Log on at www.kerygmafamily.com and receive a mountain load of spiritual blessings for your life—daily email reflections, digital copies of our magazines, audio talks, and more!

I Fell In Love Again

Life is About Creating Moments

I just came from Boracay.

And I fell in love with the loveliest woman on the planet.

And on the white powdery sands of this beautiful island, I got married again.

But I’m getting ahead of the story.

First of all, I had to propose a decent proposal.

I did it at our regular weekly prayer meeting called the FEAST in Manila.

As a surprise.

Marowe, who knew nothing of my plan, was sitting at the front row. At the end of my talk, I went down the stage, stood in front of her, planted one knee on the ground, and whipped out a diamond ring in a red little box.

“Marowe, will you marry me…again?”

With tears streaming down her cheeks, she said, “Of course!”

The next day, we flew to Boracay for our wedding—part two.

With us were our two boys, plus both sides of our family, plus Fr. Steve Tynan, my spiritual director. All in all, 28 people.

Before I tell you what happened, let me give you a little background…

Ten years ago, my wife wanted a small, private wedding.

But we didn’t have one. Because I wanted everyone who attended the FEAST to join us. I explained to her that my Community is my spiritual family and I couldn’t think of not celebrating this great event without them. She was convinced and we had a grand wedding attended by a thousand people.

Expensive, right? Wrong. The reception was potluck. I asked everyone to bring food and they did. When we ended, people brought home bags of food.

But that was ten years ago.

Today was going to be different, I told her.

I promised Marowe that our second wedding would be very, very private.

So private, it will only be attended by 28 people. Just parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces.

Let me describe to you that incredible event.

Early in the morning, we marched off to the beach.

I was wearing—what else—a pair of blue jeans and a white top.

I requested all the guests to do the same.

My bride, on the other hand, wore a simple, knee-high, white sundress that blew in the gentle wind. In her hand, a bouquet of pink tulips. She was a picture of loveliness.

Fr. Steve, who was also present in our wedding ten years ago, was again officiating our Renewal of Marriage Vows.

With the blue sky above us, the majestic sea in front of us, and the shiny sand on our feet, we said our “I Do’s” again.

I cannot describe the joy I felt.

I knew I created a memory.

 

 

When Should You Splurge?

When You Create Memories

I’m a preacher of the simple life.

In fact, I wrote two books on simplicity. And my third book on money, the 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich, I exhorted everyone to save and invest.

Today, I’m asking you to splurge and invest.

That’s right. Splurge!

I splurged for that diamond ring in that red little box.

I splurged for our Boracay trip.

I splurged for the pink tulips.

But it was all worth it.

I was still investing. But of a different kind.

I was investing on memories.

I now believe that life is about creating memories.

When we’ll be both happy ninety years olds, still holding hands in the sunset of our lives, we’ll look back at our tenth wedding anniversary. And we’ll cherish the fantastic moment of getting married all over again on the beach of Boracay, surrounded by the special people we love.

And we’ll say, as we do now, “It was all worth it.”

 

It’s Your Turn:

Tell The World How You’ve Created Beautiful Memories

Inspire others!

I’m sure readers will pick up ideas from your stories.

Like special expressions of love you’ve done for your spouse.

Or special moments where you honored your parents.

Or special times together you’ve had with your kids.

Or special bonding time you did with your close friends.

And who knows? Some who will read your stories will be moved to create beautiful memories in their lives as well.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

PS. Why Was I Able To Splurge? Because I’ve applied specific spiritual and financial principles that have made me Financially Free. I want to help you grow in Financial Freedom as well. Learn these same spiritual and financial principles that will change your financial life! On August 2, I’m giving my powerful How To Be Truly Rich Seminar. To know more about it, click here.

PS2. Mentors may be your missing link to your success. (It definitely was mine.) I needed multi-millionaire mentors to teach me how money works. To learn more about my Truly Rich Financial Coaching Program on August 8 and 9, click here.

PS3. Attention: Those Living in Singapore... Join me! I’m giving two life-changing seminars in Singapore: “How To Be Truly Rich” Seminar on July 28 and “How To Find Your One True Love” Seminar on July 29. For more information, email Jimmy Cruz at brotherjimmycruz@gmail.com now.