Give Love on Christmas (extended)

Just a few days ago, I wrote in this site to encourage readers to do their share in helping our brothers in Mindanao specially those who have been heavily affected by the typhoon "Sendong."

On December 27, just two days after Christmas, I received an email from Sha Nacino of seminarphilippines.com.  In her letter, she expressed her desire to help the victims of Sendong in Mindanao particularly those in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro (CDO).  

Sha Nacino is the author of the book Think Rich Yuppies.  Think Rich Yuppies is a book about simple ways to financial freedom and success.  Sha decided to share part of the proceeds from the sale of the book to the flood victims in Iligan and CDO.  

For a very reasonable and minimal price, you could have the book and additional three (3) bonus recording of interviews with the following:

• Eireen Diokno-Bernardo, the Philippines' #1 e-bay power seller and Paypal 101 expert;
• Jomar Hilario, the Philippines' #1 internet marketing coach; and 
• Philippines' #1 Success Coach John Calub 

But, Friends, that's not just about the book and the bonuses!  This is about helping other people and helping ourselves in the process.  Portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Mindanao.  

Imagine what your little amount of investment in the book can do to other people. But combined that with those coming in from other people, that will be a lot of help especially in time like this. 

Let us help others who help those who are in need.

I said we will also help ourselves because we will also be acquiring information that could help us in our goal of financial freedom, a goal which is also part of our advocacy of Living the Good Life.  

By the way, my book is on its way and I'm too excited. In case you are interested, here's how you can help. 

Good Life in Captivity

This morning, I woke up with a text message of the night before, which I wasn't able to read until the morning,  from The Cebuana, which simply reads: 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Of course I was curious what the verse could mean.  Could it be a quote about love or something like that?  So I grabbed my Bible and to my surprise, it wasn't a love quote!

Here's what it says:


We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (NASB)


(For other translation, please visit this page.)


So I wondered what it could mean because at that moment, when you just came from a deep slumber, you would really have a hard time thinking.  Until this time I was pondering upon the meaning of that line.  


I read some commentaries about the verse and I tried as much as I can to understand. But it seems to be too profound for me.   Well, here's my opinion of the passage.

Surrender

Yes, I think it should mean surrender.  Surrender to Christ.  All throughout the ages, people are trying to seek knowledge and wisdom just about everything.  We tried to understand everything, from something as huge as the entire universe to something as small as the parts of an atom.  Until recently, man had discover the everything is just made up of energy.  We continuously seek for answers.  And in the process, we tend to think of our knowledge higher than that of the Creator.  We like to make things complicated, find answers to our complicated questions, and when we find the complicated answers, we explained it as if it is too simple and forget the source of that knowledge.

Surrender to Christ.  How long shall we think highly of ourselves?  Why don't we just submit ourselves to Christ - our thoughts FIRST?!

Why do we have to complicate things?  Here is a God who says that with His Words He created the world and everything in it.  Here is a God who says that ask and you shall received.  Here is a God who says that Jesus, His only Son, is the only Way, Truth and Life. Here is a God who says that He will never abandon us.  Here is a God who says that all we have to do is seek first His kingdom and everything will be added unto us.  

What else do we seek?  What else do we need to know?  What else do we need to prove?  Nothing.  Every lofty things and thoughts raised against the knowledge of God shall be held captive to the obedience of Christ.

Am I preaching now? No.  I know some of you will say, "Who's this guy to talk something like this?"

Well, I am just expressing my thoughts about the passage in the hope that I may help some to find a reason to Live the Good, or shall I say, Godly Life.  Afterall, I decided to quit being a people pleaser.

Happy Holidays

Have a Blessed Holiday Everyone!

May you increase in Love, Peace and Joy from the Lord. 

A Helping Hand

I would like to take this opportunity to move away from the usual content of this blog.  In fact, I want to move somewhere to the southern part of the Philippines.

It's all over the news.  Typhoon "Sendong" brought devastation to many lives in Mindanao.  So many lives have been taken away and more bodies are still missing.   Their loss is extremely painful, way beyond I can comprehend.  For us who are fortunate enough to be spared from that calamity, now is the time to offer our help.  The international community expressed its sympathy and help.  We are brothers close-by.  Let us do our part.

There are lots of organizations where we could channel our help.  Be it in money or in kind.  Discern which among these organizations will be better suited to have your help across.  I am not endorsing any organization, I am encouraging everyone who are reading this to decide for yourself.

If you are in an organization, consider leveraging your people count. Even a ten pesos per individual can go a long way.  Now is the time to open our minds to possibilities that it is not only those who are living in abundance who can share.  We can share if we want.  There's always a way.

This is just one of my ways to help.  I encourage you to do as well.  'Though many are aware, not so much are willing to care.


I also encourage you to set a minute of silence, whatever you are doing or where you are right now.  Offer that minute of silence to pray to God.  Let us all pray that our Brothers and Sisters be granted with faith and strength to face the future despite all the pain, suffering and loss that they are facing right now.  May they still see the grace of God flowing into their lives and that all of these are but temporary.

I know that it is easier for me to say these things because I wasn't there and I don't feel their pain.  BUT, we don't have to feel their pain to understand them.  We just have to believe that there is a God who can feel their pains, sees their struggles and is willing to help to Live a Good Life.  

Only One to Please

I came across a funny blog today and I want to share an article about people's common mistake of trying to please everybody.

Here is the complete text from that blog:

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said

You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said

See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other

Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.

Well, the Man didn't know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said

Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey. Making it carry both you, and your hulking son, is cruel!

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle, all three fell from the bridge into the river, and drowned.

The moral of the story is this:  Don't try to please everybody because no matter how hard you'll try, you can't.  Although it is also good that we appear pleasing to other people, in our actions and in words, let us not forget that there is only One whom we should dedicate our time, talent and effort to please - our Heavenly Father.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;11strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.  (Colossians 1:9-12 NASB)

On final note, trying to please everybody else kills.  Striving to please God qualifies us share in God's inheritance.  Free yourself from being people pleaser and Live the Good Life.  

They Do!

It's December but it feels like February for love is in the air.

Last weekend, my friends and I had a great weekend-getaway to Pangasinan to witness the union of two friends as they become one in love and in spirit before the eyes of God, family, friends and the society.  I may say it was a wonderful wedding ceremony with a nicely prepared wedding reception as well.  

On our way to the wedding on Saturday morning, I was thinking about what my message for this couple would be since they've been our friends for quite a long time.  Here's what's been going on in my mind from the time we left Makati until the wedding was over (although I wasn't given the chance to say these to them personally).  

"To our dear friends, Mon and Tin, congratulations!  It has been a carefully planned and well-prepared celebration.  From picking us up from the bus terminal, to the wedding ceremony until the point when the reception dinner ends.  It has been a year of preparation, or even more, and it paid well.  But more than the preparation for this day, is the number of years you two had prepare for the start of your journey together as husband and wife.  

"When people got married, the tendency is for them to take life more seriously.  They tend to drift away from the fun and excitement of being in the girlfriend-boyfriend status.  As if the whole world change when they change their marital status from "single" to "married".  But for me, personally, I think that shouldn't be the case.  I know I am not yet married and maybe not in the position to say these things.  But that is what I've been witnessing from family and friends who've tied the knot already. So, I don't care, I'll just say it anyway.  For me, wedding, more than anything else and any time in a couple's life, should be the most fun-filled and most exciting period in their lives.  Let each day be a new day to wake up on new opportunities to learn something new from one another.  Let marriage life be the happiest period in your life.  

"Now that you are finally together, a perfect match for each other, may you continue to love, respect and support one another, in good times and in even greater times.  Like what they've said, 'In WEddIng, the WE comes first, before the I.'  

"May your relationship be filled with God's love and blessings.  May you prosper in everything thing you need and most especially with God-fearing and wonderful children.  May your marriage life be a shining example to others who have gone to marriage before you and for those who will soon be following your footsteps.

Again, Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. de Torres, and may your life together be a God-filled and Good Life!"

A Lousy Life without Goal

Today, I was able to confirm something that I have been reading for quite a long time.  The significance of a CLEAR GOAL.  


I report for work but without a clear goal on what I should do or accomplish today.  It is just that it's Friday and that for most people like me, we are kind of "out of mood" for work.  And true enough, I haven't accomplished much.  I wasn't proud of myself.  But all excuses are equal.  There is no good excuse or bad excuse.   Those are all excuses.

Today, I learned something that I don't want to experience again.  From all the books I've read, I should have known better.

I can't get my thoughts straight and I can't work  effectively.  It was disappointing.

But then I remembered a challenge I put myself into last Tuesday.  No complaining and no negative thoughts for one week.  I've failed already but I will still try.

Most people will say that positive thinking will get you no where.  On second thought, what would I have to lose if I will replace negative thoughts with positive one?  I want to be an accomplished person Living the Good Life, hence from now on, I will be thinking that "I am an accomplished person."

"Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are." - James Allen

Addendum:  As I revisit this post, there's something that I realized which needs to be corrected.  Yes, it might seem that there's nothing to lose with positive thinking.  But thanks to Mr. Jef Menguin, now I realized that although positive thinking may not be that harmful, continuous exposure to it may lead to God fading in the background.  And instead, focusing on our own.  I stand corrected.  Now, rather than saying "I am an accomplished person," I rather say, "If God is with me, who is against me?  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. " 

What's Your FDA?

Nope, it is not US Food and Drug Administration, although it works similarly to that.   Something that is responsible for your well-being.

So what's my FDA?  It means two things for me.

1. Food for Daily Achievements
2. Faith, Decision, Attitude

Food for Daily Achievements

What are the thoughts you feed your mind everyday?  Are those healthy, happy thoughts?  You don't want to feed your self with foul and rotten foods, do you? So why feed it to your mind?  Remember this:

"For as he thinks within himself, so he is." - Proverbs 23:7

May second FDA is this:

Faith.  What is faith?  Let me share with you what The Cebuana said to me this morning.  She said, "If we are all shown the way with light, how are we gonna learn to grope our way in the dark? trusting that God is right by our side, walking in the dark with us?" I think it is a declaration of faith in itself. If you will agree with me, that declaration is somewhat embedded in this passage, I think:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of

things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1).

Having the courage to walk in the dark knowing that God is with us. Not asking how are we going to reach our destination but trusting God to show us the way.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."- Psalm 23:4

Decision.  Yes, faith is good.  But I think that it will not be enough without putting a firm decision to go along with it. Decide what you want.  Decide that you want to achieve it, whatever it is that you wanted to achieve.  Your decision should not only be a mere want.  It should be a commitment.    T. Harv Eker, author of The secrets of Millionaire Mind, said that rich people are committed to being rich while poor people simply wanted to be rich.  The same is true for people who decided to be happy or successful not only in material things but in everything in life.  Commitment.

Attitude.  How do you respond to the circumstances? How do you face challenges?  How do you accept temporary defeats?  How do you handle temporary successes?  That is your attitude.  Whether you like it or not, your attitude will dictate your success in life.  Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said,

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”

So what do you feed your self today?  Make sure that you consume Food for Daily Achievement by indulging in Faith, Decision and Attitude.

Have a great day and Live the Good Life!

The Aim for Perfection

"Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is unattainable. However, they who aim at it, and persevere, will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable."- Lord Chesterfield

Nobody's perfect. Yes, maybe that's true. Probably, at least no one here on earth.  But there is someone who is Divinely Perfect, our Father who is in Heaven and with Him, I think everything is possible.  If He wanted us to be perfect, who are we to say "No!"?

"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Matt. 5:48

Let perfection be our goal in life. It doesn't matter how many times we've tried and failed.  What matters is that we continue trying and trying until we achieve what we want.  A word of caution however, as Albert Einstein once said, in our effort to be perfect let us guard ourselves to becoming insane.  Einstein said that insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results every time.  Don't get me wrong.  I didn't mean that so as not to be called insane you should expect the same result. No! What you should be doing is changing your approach.

I remember motivational speaker Les Brown when he said, "Practice Makes Improvement."  He didn't say perfect, he just said improvement.  But I guess that if every time you try to improve on your self, the goal and eventually the end result will be perfection.  

People may say to you that perfection is like shooting for the stars.  Don't be bothered by them.  Even if we might miss the stars, we might hit the moon anyway.  So just keep on shooting at 'em. 


Let me leave you this thought for today and start Living the Good Life (just in case you haven't started yet)!

"...knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:3-5 (NASB)

How Big is Your Ego

Just a short message because I am in a hurry and I don't want to dwell too much on this topic.

Why?  Because the more I will dwell on it, the more it will consume me.  What is this that I am talking about? My ego.  Let me share with you what happened today that I believed bruised my ego.

Who's into facebook? Are you into facebook?  Well, I am. Most of the time, I make it an outlet of my thoughts and a channel to reconnect with old friends and loved ones.  It works wonderfully for me.  But not today!

As I was scanning pictures of my friends, wondering how they've been so far in life, I saw a picture of an old friend.  With his family, he looks so happy, touring the world and living the good life.  Then flashes of memories float around my head.  I remembered the days I've spent with this person, a wonderful and hard working person.  But, as far as I could remember, that person is no better than me.  My ego yelled at me saying, "it's not fair!" That's what I thought at that moment.  So it got me thinking, "how could it be?! How could he be more successful than me? Does God favoured him more than me?" My ego was deeply hurt because for me life isn't fair.

I turned off the monitor immediately.  I don't want to have those thoughts hanging around in my head.  It won't bring me any good.  So I said, maybe there's something he's done that I didn't.  Maybe, he took the courage to take charge of his life while I spent my life taking the safe and comfortable road.  I don't know.

But as I contemplate on these things, my wounded ego started to heal, slowly but surely.  A soft voice whispered into my head and said, "to everything there is a season."  God does not play favorite, afterall. My time will come.

Whatever pain, heartache, disappointment or discontent that you are facing right now, think about this,."What was the true cause?" Could it be that it's all because of your wounded ego?


Stop hurting yourself. Stop tormenting yourself.  Just take that moment of silence and listen to that voice within you and telling you how to Live the Good Life.  God and ego, two words both with three letters, choose which one would you listen to.

"Cease striving and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10 (NASB)

To Everything There Is A Season

It is December already and here in the Philippines it is supposed to be cold. Yep! Cold. Not raining!  But today, it has been raining the whole day.  I guess, time has really been changing the ways of the world.  Or maybe, because it'll gonna be the new season, "Rainy Christmas Season".  I really don't know. Better ask the scientists.

Anyway, how's your day so far?

It's Sunday today, have you done your "service"? Now that I've mentioned it, it got me thinking, should it really be called "Sunday Service"?  I mean, most of us, we call it Sunday service because we do it on Sundays, like some responsibility that we have to do on a particular day.  It's more becoming like "Clean the house Saturday," "Laundry Wednesday,"  "Go to the market Tuesday," and "Movie Friday."  I don't want to be sounding too religious now, I am just asking if there should really be a single day devoted to our spiritual needs.  Again, I guess, the Lord knows that we are too busy with our daily lives, being the good God that He is, He don't want to bother us by requiring devotion 24/7 of our lives doing the "service."  We have six days to go on with our tasks so that we can have one day to dedicate for Him.  Well, that's just my guess.  I may never know if I'm right or wrong.  But, I think, it will be better still if we could be doing "Everyday Service." What do you think?  Or you think that there is really a better day or season for everything?

That question lead me to my next question, let's talk about seasons in your life.

"What season in your life you are right now?"

Are you in the sowing season where you are planting the seeds to greatness and success?  It doesn't matter if you are planting for something spiritual and personal or something material.  What matters is that you are doing something to achieve it; as long as it is for your good, the good of other people, and for the Glory of God.  Or are you now in the season of reaping, of harvesting the fruits of your labor?  If you are, then great! But as you now have the fruits of you labor, let me tell you one thing.

My father is a farmer. He plants rice (palay). During harvest season, he would select the portion of the rice field where the yield is best.  He would make the rice from those lots as the new seedling for the next sowing season to ensure that the next crop will also yield good.  He keep on selecting the seeds that will yield the most.  How about you, if you are now harvesting the fruits of your labor, are you setting it aside to be the next seedlings for the next planting season?

Our life has different stages, different seasons.  But whatever season you may have gone through in the past, remember this, IT'S OVER.  You don't have to dwell on it forever.  Learn from it and move on.  You are not to live life backwards.   Something grand is waiting for you in the future.

If you've been bullied, hurt, persecuted, cheated, betrayed or anything bad has been done to you in the past, remember, now is the season of sowing the seeds of hope, forgiveness, joy, love and faith.  Let these seeds grow into your heart. Leave the pains behind.   In time, in God's perfect time, you will reap the fruits of these seeds and then Live the Good Life.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:He hath made every thing beautiful in his time 

...also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."  -Ecclesiastes 3:1,11

If you got something to say, write it in the comment box below. If you like this post, share it with friends.  If you want to talk about something, email me at livdgoodlyf@gmail.com.

What Morning Brings

Good morning, everyone!

May I ask you a question, just now?  What does morning bring to you? Really? Have you thought about that?!

Well, for some, it brings new hopes, new energy and excitement.  For most of us, it brings us to these:

"Oh, no, not again."  

"Morning again, I have to go through this hell called work again?" 

"Morning? What morning?! I ain't goin' out of my bed today!"

Or, are you someone who would say:

"Thank you Lord for this wonderful day. New start and a new hope.  May all the things that I will think of, say or do today be my gift of praise to you."

Mornings are supposed to recharge us from the exhaustions we've gone through the previous day. So make it a habit to start each day fresh and with vigor.  Morning is about new beginnings. Whatever happened yesterday or last night, we cannot bring back.  But we are blessed enough to be given the opportunity to make a brand new start, to continue what we haven't finished and to live another day in abundance.  Whatever your cares are, cast them upon the Lord and be relieved.  That's what mornings are all about.  A reminder for us that there is a God larger than all our problems, greater than all our fears, who always bring new hopes for us.  If you are reading this right now, that means you are blessed with a beautiful morning and that you are to share that blessing to others.  

As you go on your way today, let me share this one to you:

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul." - Psalm 143:8

Today, like all other days, strive to become more than what you are, better than what you are.  That's a promise given by each breaking dawn.  Be more! and Live the Good Life!

Sing A Song Today

It's December already!

For Catholics, Christmas is now 25 days to go! Christmas songs are now being played on radio stations and shops around the corner.  The time for merry making is on its peak.   Have you sing a song lately? A Christmas song perhaps? IF, you are non-catholic or non-christian, it's ok, you still sing songs to be happy, don't you?

Songs has been part of human civilization since time immemorial.  Feelings and emotions are expressed thru songs. Are you happy? Sing a song! Are you sad and lonely? Sing a song! Are you in love or are you broken-hearted? In either case, sing a song!

Sing a song and share happiness to the rest of the world  Sing a song and be happy.

He who is daily living in harshness, impurity, or unhappiness is day by day adding to the sum of the world’s misery; whereas he who continually lives in goodwill, and does not depart from happiness, is day by day increasing the sum of the world’s happiness, and this independently of any religious beliefs which these may or may not hold. - James Allen

I don't have a pretty voice, but when I sing, I sing with all my heart.  It is okay if you will add some dance to it.

Live a happy life today. Above all, sing a song of praise to God and Live the Good Life!

Praise the Lord, oh my soul.

I will praise the Lord, all my life.  

I will sing praise to my God

As long as I live. - Psalm 146:1