Giving It Your All

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"Once upon a time, I asked this question: Why is God so demanding?

Just look at the greatest commandment. Why does God want you to
love Him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your
strength. (Matthew 22:37)

Shouldn’t He be satisfied if you loved Him with half your heart,
¾ of your mind, and 58% of your strength?

Why does God want you to give your all?

Helloooooow.

God doesn’t need your time.
He’s the owner of eternity. He invented time.

God doesn’t need your talents, definitely.
He can just snap his finger and ten thousand battalions of angels
kneel before him to serve.

And obviously, God doesn’t need your money.
He’s owns the universe.

So why does He want you to give your all?

Here’s why: When you give, you create a vacuum. An empty space.

When I was a kid, my Grade 6 science teacher said, “Nature abhors
a vacuum.” Nature wants to automatically fill vacuums. That’s why
vacuums are powerful magnets. That vacuum—that empty space—
attracts blessings. What blessings? The stuff that you gave away will
be returned to you, only of far better quality and greater quantity.

Listen carefully. The more you give, the bigger the vacuum you create.
The bigger the vacuum, the stronger the magnet—and the more
blessings you’ll attract into your life.

That’s why giving your all is the secret of big returns. There’s magic
when you give your All. Because you also attract All that God wants
to give to you." - Bo Sanchez

This is powerful stuff! Lately, I've been dreaming, planning, praying,
hoping, and moving to accomplish one too many stretch goals. This
is a great affirmation that all my efforts will one day bear fruit.

All in God's good time!!!

Perfect Timing

God's timing is perfect - it's never too early; it's never too late, it's always
on time.

A few weeks ago, T and I were at a function. I asked her how their recent
family trip went. The kids had loads of fun! And that was that... or so I
thought...

I found myself up and about at 3:00ish in the morning. Not unusual as
Baby M feeds at the oddest of hours. And then it hit me... Just as I was
about to crawl back into bed, I suddenly got a clarity of purpose; an
answer to a question I didn't even know I had...

Suddenly, I found myself with renewed energy and strength. Suddenly,
I had courage. Suddenly, I knew what I needed to do and why it needed
to be done.

Sometimes we ask if God is listening. Maybe we should be asking ourselves,
"Do we listen to Him?" I believe He speaks to us in many ways, sometimes
all we need to do is LISTEN.

Let's Talk About Money

"Oh, here’s another reason why I talk about money: I believe that
Christianity isn’t just about going to Heaven, but about bringing
Heaven down to earth—especially to those who are experiencing hell
in this world—the poor, the oppressed, and those far from God.

So I don’t want you to play small. Dream big. Be the best that you
can be. Reach your highest potential. Earn as much as you can so you
can give as much as you can! I believe that there’s nothing wrong
with having money—as long as money doesn’t have you."
- Bo Sanchez

Thanks Bro. Bo for the affirmation!

One of the "causes" dear to my heart is Financial Freedom / Financial
Success for everyone. I am just an average Pinay so the everyone here
is no grand audience. It is generally composed of people I encounter
in my everyday life.

I know some people don't get it. Sometimes people mistake this passion
for a "love of money". But to me, it's just a case of wanting to be blessed
more so that I can use the blessings to help others and serve others more.

It is quite sad that the Philippines, the only Christian nation in Asia,
has the majority of its population living in poverty. I'm sure there is
no easy solution to this problem. But I do believe that our God is a
generous God. With His grace and with human cooperation (I'm a
firm believer that sometimes this is the problem in one too many
circumstances... but that's another story), I'm sure things will one
day be better.

Be a Superstar!

One of the things I look forward to is my weekly newsletter from Bo Sanchez.
For those who don't know him, Bo Sanchez is a Filipino Catholic Lay Preacher.
He is a gifted writer and speaker. His approach has always been simple and
pragmatic. His articles just never fail to inspire me!

This week, Bo encourages us to BE A SUPERSTAR!

"Friends, the world needs Superstars.
You owe it to the universe to become one.
No one benefits if you play small."
Click here to read the entire article...

This week's article was a refreshing read! You see, Filipinos are usually NOT
the type to want to shine out. The average Filipino is content with just blending
in with the background. I believe this is part of the "damaged culture" we've
acquired due to hundreds of years of colonization.

But that happened ages ago! How much longer are we going to live with this
excuse?!?

No, I do not mean for us to be mayabang (boastful). What I mean is that
we, as a people, should stop settling for mediocrity. I do believe our country
would not be in the sorry state that it were in if we took a little more pride in ourselves.

We, as a people, need to improve our skills. We, as a people, need to strengthen
our spirits. We, as a people, need to be superstars. And we need to do these in
all aspects of our lives - in our homes, in our workplace, in our organizations
and in our communities.

The task at hand is not easy. We may be met with fear and criticism by those
who are not ready for change. We may be misunderstood. We may make
mistakes. I believe it is not about being perfect. I believe it is about trying
until one succeeds. I believe the Lord has many blessings in store for us WHEN
we are ready to receive them.

Let me end with this affirming quotation:
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?'
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."
~ Marianne Williamson