Around mid-month of April 2010, I decided to renew my passport as it is already expired for more than two years.  I was very surprised with the new procedures.  Walk-in is no longer entertained in Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila.  Ooops there is now two DFAs in Manila.   One is the old office along Roxas Blvd., Pasay and the other is the new office in Macapagal near Mall Of Asia (MOA).

Please note I will be talking of the Manila procedures only as I understand there are other DFA offices in the provinces which may have different procedures.

All passport related transactions are entertained only in the DFA-Macapagal.  Yes, they no longer accept in old DFA-Roxas Blvd.

Here’s the steps:

Step 1:  Set Appointment (either online or call 737-1000)

Second week of April 2010,  I visited the  DFA Philippines website and at the middle-right of the page I clicked the “Make an appointment” link to set an appointment.  Before going to DFA, applicant, whether new or renewal or for updation/revision or replacement of passports, must first set an appointment either thru DFA Set Appointment site or call 737-1000.  When I was in the set-appointment web page, I filled up information in their online form then click click click buttons until I reach the end page which is the setting of date as to when will be my appointment for passport renewal.  Funny as I find it, the open date was May 4, 2010 and onwards to think I was setting appointment around week 2 of April.  Meaning, I have to wait for more than three weeks  or approximately a month. After I click the last button, I saw a successful remark on the page and a pdf file.  The instruction is to print the pdf file in three copies and bring the printed copies on the set appointment date.

Step 2:  Appear in person at the DFA-Macapagal on the date and time of your appointment

Step 2 a: Show your appointment docs to the guard on duty

Then, come May 4, 2010, I am inside the new DFA-Macapagal office.  Who are inside are only the applicants as they are the only ones allowed to enter the premises.  There’s this gate where the passport applicants should enter.  If I remember it right, they call it gate 2.  In this gate, I showed the printed copies to the guard who then directed me to the reception tables near the entrance of the main office. The DFA personnel in the reception then checked/verified if I have a set appointment in their listing for  that day.

Step 2 b:  Application/submission of required documents

After confirming my name on the list they then directed me to enter the main door and told to get a queing number and wait for the number to be called or showed up in the queing board.

When my number showed up in the queing board there also showed which processing window I should go to.  When I was in the window, the officer asks for my verified/confirmed printed copies, old passport,  xerox of front and back of old passport and two valid IDs.

I was asked about the type of processing, should it be regular or express? Regular processing is I have to wait for 20 working days while Express processing is 10 working days waiting time.  Since I am not in a hurry I opted the regular type.

In that window, I was given a receipt which shows the amount I need to pay and the date of claiming (June 2, 2010) along with the stapled requirements I submitted to them. Also, they returned my old passport with hole in it (meaning it is no longer valid).

Step 3:  Payment and interview and photo-capture

Right after, I was directed to go to the cashier for payment and to get another queing number for the last step: the interview and photo-capture sessions.

In this last step, I gave the receipt and the stapled documents to the designated officer and this officer interviewed me about my personal details I wrote/encoded in my online application (during the setting up of appointment online) and after verifying information I was told to fix myself and remove my earrings for photo-capture. I was reminded not to show my teeth and show my ears during the photo-shoot.

To add info on photo-capture, applicants should wear clothes with collar and sleeves so better to go there in your formal upper attire: collars and sleeves.

So, I spent few hours in this day of May 4, 2010 just to process renewal of my passport.  Actually, I was there 10a.m. but 10:30a.m. is my appointment time and finish 2:30p.m. for the whole process.  Accordingly, applicants should show up at their appointed time and date otherwise they need to set new appointment again.  Also, applicants can enter the building 30 minutes before their appointment time but not earlier than 30 minutes.  Better to  just arrive 30 minutes earlier than your appointed time otherwise you will wait outside the gate of DFA.

Step 4:  Claim your new passport

I was able to claim my renewed passport last June 3, 2010.   Claiming time is only from 1p.m to 4p.m.  I came there around 3p.m.

Claimants should enter a different gate this time.  Show the receipt to the guard on duty.  He/she will direct you to enter only the door for the passport releasing.  In the releasing area, there’s a box where the claimant should drop his/her receipt.  Then wait for your name to be called.  So, just sit and relax and be alert in the waiting benches there.  After a few minutes my name is called.  I then went to the designated window where my name is called and showed my two valid IDs to the officer.  Upon seeing my valid IDs, the officer then told me to sign and gave my renewed passport and my receipt.

Yehey! I now have my new passport, I can fly now anytime.

This is very surprising, I was there around 3 pm and I was out around 3:30pm the same day.  I only spent around 30 minutes.

Take note, applicants have the option to express-deliver their passport.  After, your interview and photo-capture, go to the www-express delivery area inside DFA, give your receipt to them and pay the delivery charges.  They say, just wait for a day after your claiming due date: your passport is knocking at your door.

here’s a copy of heavenly home’s letter of commendation

For my entry, I chose “In My New Home” as one of his funny topics…

Reading the post is not at all funny…actually, in this post he is telling us what he did about moving into his new home…what’s funny to me is :  after all he went thru, the busyness, the tiredness, the errands and everything…he still manages to take a photo of him…posing there while doing working around and moving here and there … he still have the time to pose for some pics…i find it very humorous…

Speaking of “New Home” … I remember my officemate … he was story-telling us in one of our lunch … He said there were a newly wed couple entering their “New Home” … once inside , the new husband is telling the new wife in an authoritarian voice that the new wife should always obey him … and just take orders without questions and complains …and that he do not want his new wife questioning him of his whereabouts especially if he is not yet home after office hour… and the  new wife being taught of submissiveness just accepted what the new husband said … she said, “sure there will no problem with that and these just bear in mind that there will be love-making in this “New Home” at 7pm everyday with or without you…”

everyone laughs  … hahaha…hahaha

For Globe/Touch Mobile (TM)

0979 – Unidentified mobile network company

Note:  Above Mobile Prefix Numbers are those being used here in the Philippines and those overseas people who have the Philippines Telecom Sims.

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Source:  http://bosanchez.ph/do-you-want-to-prosper/

Do You Want To Prosper?

Do you want to be free from financial worry?

Do you want to pay your debts?

Do you want to send your kids to good schools?

Do you want to buy a car that doesn’t break down every two months?

Do you want to buy your own house?

Do you want to, one day, walk up to me and give me a one million donation? (Yes!)

Friend, all this is possible.

For the next six weeks, my goal is make you prosper.

How? You’ve got to learn a new system.

The legendary business guru, W. Edwards Deming, said, Your system is perfectly designed to give you the results you’re getting.

What did he mean by that?

That if all the cars coming out of a car factory have inverted bumpers, then that factory’s system is perfectly designed to produce cars with inverted bumpers.

It’s the same with your finances. If you have a mountain of debt, if you can’t make ends meet, if you’ve got more “month than money”, it’s because your financial system is perfectly designed to give you your financial struggles.

In this next six weeks, I’ll teach you a new financial system.

This system is composed of six actions:

o   Believe

o   Serve

o   Grow

o   Duplicate

o   Invest

o   Tithe

By making changes in your financial system, you’ll be able to change the results you’re getting in your financial life.

Today, I’d like to share about the power of belief.

Prosper Your Mind, Prosper Your Money

My friend told me a funny story.

He said he was in the States, talking to a Fil-Am guy. The man was boasting about the technology in his country.

He said, “Here in the US, I have this gizmo in my car that tells me very accurate directions of where to go. When I hop in, all I have to do is type in where I want to go, and presto, that gadget will guide me. It’ll tell me whether I should turn right or to turn left, until I arrive at my destination. It’s really fantastic.”

My friend smiled and said, “I guess we’re not as lucky. In the Philippines, when I hop in the car, I say to my driver, ‘Jun, go home.’ I close my eyes and sleep. When I wake up, I’m already home…”

Oh, I know the feeling.

We just don’t know how blessed we are to have house helpers and drivers and gardeners.

But with that blessing comes a responsibility: I believe our duty is to help them prosper.

My Passion Is To Teach

The Poor To Prosper

Each week, I preach to thousands. I preach on TV too.

I also lead a small group of very big businessmen—all multi-millionaires. We pray and study the Bible together.

But each week, I lead another small group in our home, composed of my driver and three helpers. In our small group, we do the same thing. We pray together, study the Bible, and share our lives.  Last year, I taught them how to save, invest, and tithe.

In last week’s meeting, they thanked me for teaching them how to prosper. They were crying tears of joy! I was so touched by their gratitude.

My driver said, “Sir, for the first time in my life, I now have savings. I’ve never saved before. Now, I have P20,000!” He said he has P5,000 in the bank, and another P15,000 invested in a business.   My driver lives in the slum area. To him, P20,000 was like a million pesos.

My helpers? Last week, the three of them opened an account in citiseconline, an online trading platform. Yes, my helpers will be investing in the stock market under my guidance. (A year ago, one of them already invested in a Euro Mutual Fund—and earned very well.)

I shocked them. I told them, “If you’ll continue the investment program I taught you, you’ll retire as millionaires!”

You should have seen their faces.  I wish I took their picture!

Awe. Joy. Disbelief. Most of all, it was hope shining through their eyes.

In other words, I was changing their beliefs.

Once they prosper their minds, I knew their money will prosper too.

I Want To Give You Hope

Six years ago, I started preaching on how to be truly rich.

I knew it was controversial. A few people were turned off. They asked me why I kept talking about money. It’s so unbecoming of a preacher, they said.

One person even emailed me and said, “Bo, you’ve become worldly. I wish you go back to your old self and talk only about prayer, faith, and love. Stop talking about money!”

I’m sorry. I can’t do that.

Let me give you two reasons why.

First, the Bible talks about money more than any other topic. Goodness, it talks about money more than prayer and faith combined. Jesus spoke about money more than Heaven and Hell.

Second reason? I love you. (Sorry for being mushy.)  I really do. I want you to prosper. I want you to have financial freedom.

My heart breaks when I see God’s children suffer in want. And I know this pain I feel in my heart isn’t just mine. And I know that God’s heart breaks as well. I believe God wants you to prosper in all areas of your life—including your finances.

It’s possible! There’s hope. You can prosper.

And the first step of becoming financially free is by changing what you believe. Prosper in your mind, and you prosper in your money.

Is Money Evil?

Yesterday, I showed my audience a crisp P1000 bill in my hand. I asked them, “Is this evil?”

There was a split-second pause. And then some people answered, “No!”  But it wasn’t convincing.

I knew it was their subconscious at work.

Consciously, they knew money wasn’t evil. But deep within, their old programming was pulling them.

That’s our problem.

I said, “If this is evil, why does Anawim, our ministry for the abandoned elderly, need P700,000 every single month to feed and care for the poorest of the poor?”

“And if this piece of paper is evil, why do our two orphanages (Tahanan and Grace), our scholarship fund (Pagasa), and our streetkids ministry (He Cares), need another P700,000 to do God’s heavenly work on earth every month?”

I gave them my punchline: “And please tell me, how can this P1000 bill be evil if the person holding it is very good? And handsome?”

And everyone laughed. (They thought it was a joke!)

I Want Good People To Prosper!

Friend, money is evil only if the person holding it is evil.

But money becomes very good if the person holding it is good.

That’s why I want you to prosper!

I know you’re a good person.

Read carefully: If good people won’t be wise investors and entrepreneurs, then all the money of the world will go to hands of selfish men. Then God can’t use that money.

Banish the idea in your mind that money is evil. Drive it away from your subconscious. This warped idea had already robbed you of so much wealth!

Remember, every object in this world triggers an emotion in you. Everything has what I call an “emotional association”.

For many people, money’s emotional association is this…

“Money = Evil”

If this emotional association is branded in your subconscious, you’ll never get rich.

Because we don’t like to be evil.

So we’ll reject money like it was the devil itself.

Unless you change your emotional beliefs about money, you’ll never become rich. It’s impossible.

Here’s the truth: You’ll gravitate towards what you subconsciously want, and avoid what you subconsciously do not want. If you believe that money is evil, you will subconsciously avoid money.

Remember the people who criticized me for teaching about money? They’re very few. So I made an informal survey. I discovered that 80% of them were financially struggling.

Why?  Because in their minds, they believe a spiritual person shouldn’t be talking about money or focusing on money. So subconsciously, they avoid it.  And inwardly, they actually feel more holy because of their financial struggles. I pitied them so much.

But the idea that “money is evil” isn’t in the Bible.

Instead, let me quote three passages for you to change your emotional association of money.

Create A New Meaning For Money

I’m a father of two fantastic boys.

That’s why I understand this next passage.

Jesus says, So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:11)

This is so true! I’m not perfect, but I love to give good gifts to my kids. Instead of “Money = Evil”, burn this new emotional association in your brain…

“Money = God’s Provision”

Next. The Bible says, It is God who gives you the power to create wealth. (Deuteronomy 8:18) Question: If God thinks that wealth is evil, why would He give us the power to create wealth in the first place? Pretty illogical, right?

Create this new emotional association in your brain…

“Money = God’s Power”

When you earn money, you’re using God’s power. When you work, God’s power is working within you.

Confess this, “I have the power to create wealth.”

Say this Faith Declaration everyday!

One final passage.  The Bible says, The Lord takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. (Psalms 35:27)  Wow.  God is happy when He sees you successful.   He claps. He sings. He hops. He does the boogie when He sees you blessed.

I think I know the feeling.

Last year, through her savings program, one of my house helpers built a small house for her family. My other helper bought a piece of property in her hometown. Despite those expenses, the two of them still had P15,000 in each of their bank accounts—now ready to be invested in the stock market.

Gosh, I was so proud for them. Yes, I felt pleasure in their prosperity!

And I believe God takes pleasure when we prosper too.

So burn this emotional association in your brain…

“Money = God’s Pleasure”

Some people think God wants us to be poor because Jesus was poor.  Yes, Jesus was poor. But I believe poverty is a special call He gives to very special people, like celibates in religious orders.

But the Bible also says that you need to provide for the needs of your relatives and immediate family, or you’re worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

If you’re like me, you’ll understand what I’ll say next: My heart is big and I have a very big family!

Oh, this topic is very close to my heart.

Let me tell why…

How I Changed My Belief About Money

Once upon a time, I was a poor missionary.

I had very little money.

Once, my hair was growing long. People were telling me, “Bo, you need a haircut.” I said, “I want to look groovy.” Actually, I didn’t have money for the barber.

One of my joys was eating in a restaurant and reading a book. But many times, before I entered a Jollibee (Yes, there was already a Jollibee then. I’m not that old!), I had to first count the coins in my pocket. Many times, I had to turn around—because I couldn’t afford even one burger.

I couldn’t even buy the things I needed for my preaching.

For example, I couldn’t afford books. I would go to a Bookstore, read a book, return it, go home, and go back the next day to continue reading it. If the sales lady or the security guard looks at me in a funny way, I’d just go to another branch.

But all that was nothing. What was most painful to me was my inability to help the people I wanted to help…

“Why Don’t I Become Rich?”

I remember a friend who called me in the middle of the night. He said, “Please pray for my baby, Bo. She can’t breathe. We’re in the emergency room of a hospital now. They’re asking for a deposit, but we don’t have money.”

I realized they weren’t just asking for prayers. They were asking for money. But I didn’t have any! So I called up a friend who I knew was rich. But no one was answering the phone. (It was 2am.) I tried another friend. As I dialed, I remembered he was abroad. I called up a third person. And a fourth person. And a fifth person. All night, I was trying to call up my rich friends.

And then it hit me, “Why don’t I become rich myself?”

And little by little, the wrong emotional link of money was replaced by new emotional links. I began to see money as God’s provision, God’s power, and God’s pleasure.

Soon, I was praying a new prayer: “Lord, prosper me so that I can prosper others.”

God Planted A Seed Of Prosperity In You

I don’t know what you’re financial condition is now.

You may be in debt.

You may be in a financial famine.

You may be without a job or stuck in a low paying job.

You may be where I was 12 years ago—wanting to help people but not having enough to help.

Friend, here’s my message to you: There’s hope. Prosper your mind and you prosper your money.

When you were born, God planted a seed of prosperity into your life.

Yesterday, I gave our Feast attendees (that’s what we call our gathering) a small potted basil plant as a symbol for the six weeks we’ll be talking about “Prosper!”  I also showed them what the plant will look like six weeks later—it was a large plant in a large pot.

I told them that if they want their plant to grow, they needed to do one thing: Transfer the plant to a bigger pot.

If they don’t, their plant won’t grow. It’ll become a bonsai.

Friend, the container of the plant is a symbol of your belief.

And the seed of prosperity will grow to the size of your belief.

The reason why many people don’t prosper is because their wrong beliefs prevent them from prospering.

They don’t believe that they will prosper.

They don’t believe that they deserve to prosper.

They don’t believe that God wants them to prosper.

Their container is too small!

Inside You Is A Giant

Yesterday, I also placed the tiny seed of the basil plant on my hand. I showed it to my audience. It was smaller than a mongo seed. I told them, “But inside this seed is the tree.”

I then looked at them and said, “You are a seed. And inside you is a multi-millionaire.”

I may have been imagining it, but I really felt that right at that moment, people were changing their beliefs.

I then shared a powerful story of someone who created a new wealth by creating a new belief about herself…

The Story Of A Champion

When Marion Luna Brem was thirty years old, she was diagnosed to have cervical and breast cancer.    She had her cervix removed. And then her breasts.

And then the very painful chemotherapy.

Even with the chemo, doctors gave her only two to five years to live.

That wasn’t all. She had other problems.

First, while taking her chemo, her marriage ended.  Cancer had taken its toll not only on her body but on her marriage. Her husband divorced her.

Second, she was in a financial hole. She owed $500,000 in medical bills.

Third, she had no job. She was a housewife most of her life. How could she now feed her two boys?

One day, she was having a really bad day with the chemo. She was mostly on her knees, kneeling on her bathroom tiles, hugging the toilet bowl. She was vomiting the entire day. She felt absolutely awful.

Meanwhile, she could hear her two kids making a lot of noise in the kitchen. And then she smelled something burning.

Her two kids entered the bathroom, holding a pan of macaroni and cheese. “Don’t worry Mom,” the oldest said, “only the bottom is burned. We can still eat the top part.”

Right at that moment, something clicked in Marion’s heart. She knew that dying wasn’t an option. She grabbed a powerful belief in her heart. She believed she must not die. She cannot! And she pulled herself from the floor.

That was a defining moment for her.

Though still weak, she put a cheap wig (because she was bald) and a prosthesis on her bra, and went out to apply for a job.

She knocked on a car dealership and applied to sell cars. She literally begged for a job, explaining her situation to the man.

She couldn’t even enter the dealership. She was told to go away.

After two weeks, and after 16 rejections, she was inside her car, crying. She was losing hope.

But she held on to her belief.

This wasn’t the end of her story. She wasn’t going to end it this way!

And she got out and tried one more time.

And that was when she changed her strategy. “I won’t tell them that I need a job,” she said, “I’ll tell them that they need me!”

She knocked on the door of one more car dealership and said, “I can do something for your company. I can sell your cars!”—and she was accepted on the spot.

Once upon a time, a doctor gave her only 2 to 5 years to live.

Today, she’s is strong and healthy—twenty-five years later!

Once upon a time, she was not only penniless, she was buried in a mountain of debt.

Today, Marion has built a business empire with revenues of $45 Million a year. And a part of this empire is her very own car dealership!

Nothing Is Impossible!

Marion was a 30-year old jobless housewife, stricken with cancer, divorced by her husband, and in debt. Yet today, she’s a multi-millionaire running many companies.

Friend, there is hope for you.

You don’t have to be poor.

You don’t have to be buried in debt.

You don’t have to suffer financial struggles.

You can be financially free.

How?

Change your beliefs.

Prosper your mind so you can prosper your money.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

This is me after the call…right after I was informed I won…with big smiles…

The awarding of prizes is to be given during the Century Tuna Superbods Run event.

So, in the morning of Feb 21, 2010, there I was in a station designated for the winners. All the awardees must wear blue or white tops…

…We were instructed to line up at the back of the stage and go up there in the stage when our portion is called.

This is me during the photo shoot with Derek Ramsay…

I would like to thank Grace Consolacion of PC & V Advertising for guiding and assisting us during the awarding, photo shoot and claiming of prizes.

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Source : http://bosanchez.ph/remove-the-lies-in-your-mind/

You have lies in your mind.

These lies have stolen much of your joy and blessings.

Here’s the problem: You don’t know they’re lies.

My friend priest told me this hilarious story.

One day, a priest saw a group of kids surrounding a dog.

Curious, he came over and asked, “What are you doing?”

One kid said, “Father, we’re arguing as to who would own this stray dog. We all want him. So we decided that the one who can say the biggest lie would take home the dog.”

The priest shook his head and said, “That’s wrong! Do you know that lying is bad? It’s against the commandments of God. Do you know that when I was your age, I never told a single lie?”

For a moment, there was silence. All the kids looked very sad. The priest was happy. He felt his message hit home.

Finally, the smallest boy said, “Okay, no one can beat that. Give him the dog.”

The First Lie I Ever Told

I remember the first lies I ever said.

I was in Grade 3.

One day, I opened the classroom door, not knowing my classmate was right behind it. The door hit his forehead, and blood flowed down his face, all the way to his white polo uniform. He looked like a victim in a horror movie.

That was when my teacher arrived on the scene. And she screamed, “Who did this?”

There I was, still holding the door knob, and with a shaking voice, said, “Not me!”

I remember how terrible I felt that day.

If you ever told a lie before, you know the feeling.

Suddenly, you don’t feel at peace. (Obviously, I’m disqualifying chronic liars. They’ve deadened their conscience and feel nothing.)

Let me tell you why we lose our peace.

Because God is truth. And when we speak untruth, we move away from God. You move away from the one who said, “Peace be with you.”

Lying isn’t worth it.

Inner peace leaves you.

And your relationships are affected. Because relationships are based on trust—which is based on truth. More so, you can’t even have a great relationship with yourself because you lose respect for yourself.

But let me talk about a different kind of lying.

When We Lie To Ourselves

One day, I was preaching about the power of our words.

I asked my audience to say out loud, “I’m beautiful!” We laughed and had so much fun.

After the talk, I saw a young woman waiting for me at the foot of the stage.

I noticed that physically, she was stunningly beautiful.

She had lovely eyes, but when I looked at them, I sensed deep sadness.

She asked me, “Brother Bo, if one says, ‘I’m beautiful’,but she feels ugly, isn’t she lying?”

I already knew she was talking about herself. I asked, “Why do you think you’re ugly?”

She told me her story. When she was a little child, her father would tell her, “Dorothy, you’re ugly.” And he’d laugh the meanest laugh. He’d tease her again and again. Most of the time, he was drunk when he did this. And she said, “Ever since, I’ve always felt ugly. You were telling us on stage to say, ‘I’m beautiful’! I couldn’t say it. I felt I’d be lying…”

I asked her, “Define lying.”

“When I say something that’s not true.”

“We’ve got a problem here. There are three persons involved. You, your father, and God. You say you’re ugly. Your father said you were ugly.  But today, I announce to you that God says you’re beautiful.  Who is telling the truth? You, your father, or God? Out of these three persons, only one of you claimed, ‘I Am The Truth.’”

She began to break down.

She said, “Bo, you don’t know what kind of life I’m living now. I live an ugly life. I’ve had 7 boyfriends, some of them married men. I’ve given away my body to all 7 of them and I feel so dirty. I am ugly.”

I knew what happened to Dorothy.

Words have power. And she allowed the words of her father to create ugliness in her life. She was jumping from one lover to another, searching for someone to tell her that she was beautiful.

I said, “Dorothy, God says you’re beautiful. Because He doesn’t look at your mistakes. He doesn’t look at your past. He only looks at the original beauty He created in you from the very beginning. And He also looks at the glorious beauty of your future.”

I have this habit of praying for people on the spot. I prayed for God’s healing on her life. I said, “Lord, dethrone this cruel lie in her mind.”

The next time I saw Dorothy, she was a different person.

She was free from all her bad relationships. She was serving God in her prayer group. And her eyes no longer had sadness. I saw happiness in them. And yes, she was indeed beautiful.

Stop The Lies

You may be like Dorothy today.

You feel you’ve made mistakes in the past. And you believe you’re a bad person. Or you failed in your school or job or family—and feel that you’re a failure.

But I speak words of truth to you: God says you’re not a bad person. God says you’re not a failure. Sure you’ve made mistakes. But those mistakes don’t define you. God says you’re very good, made in His image. God says there’s a champion in you.

Dethrone the lies in your mind.

Listen to what God is saying instead.

My friend George Gabriel told me that in Facebook and other social networks, there’s such a thing as “Status”. Most often, he sees people type in negative words like, “I feel lazy today,” and “I’m depressed,” and “I’m broke.” He says that these negative words are typed in the internet forever.

Hey, it’s good that we’re being emotionally honest. That’s important. Don’t deny what you feel. But I think we shouldn’t stop at emotional honesty. I think we should also proclaim the truth.

If you feel sick, don’t just say, “I don’t feel well.” Say, “I don’t feel well but this is temporary. Health and healing are flowing into my body.”

If you don’t have money today, don’t say, “I’m poor.” Say, “I’m temporarily broke. Abundance is coming my way.”

If you had a relationship that didn’t work out, don’t just say, “I have a broken heart.” Say, “I have a broken heart but I know the best is yet to come. Someone better will walk into my life and I will find my one true love.”

My friend Vic Espanol told me of Dr. Masaru Emoto. I read his fascinating work years ago, but reading it again opened my eyes to the power of our words…

The Power Of Words Over Water

Can water be affected by our words?

Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, believes so.

And he has proof.

Dr. Emoto took water droplets, exposed them to various words, music, and environments, and froze them for three hours. He then examined the crystal formations under a dark field microscope. And he took photographs.

The results were totally mind-blowing.

Here’s a photo of ordinary water without any prayer spoken over it. The molecular structure is in disarray.

The photo below is water after the prayer was said. It’s simply breathtaking.  (I now have a great respect for praying before meals! More on this later.)

Dr. Emoto also exposed water to Heavy Metal music. Here’s how it looks like. Looks sad if you ask me.

Here’s water exposed to classical music and folk dance music. Looks much better, right?

Next, Dr. Emoto stuck a piece of paper with these words: “You make me sick. I will kill you.” Here’s how the frozen water droplets looks like under the microscope…

Below is how water looked like with the words “Love” over it. The difference is amazing.

This is Polluted water…

This is water from Lourdes, France. Utterly beautiful, right?

Wait A Minute—

Aren’t You Made Up Of Water?

Yes! 72% of your body is made up of water.

Imagine how your words affect your own body.

When you say, “I’m a failure,” or “I’m hopeless,” or “I won’t get well,” imagine how these words weaken your health.

Make a choice to say the best words out there. Say often, “I’m wonderful,” and “I’m beautiful,” and “I’m God’s child,” and “God has a great plan for my life!”

It’s not only water.

Dr. Emoto also experimented with cooked rice.

He placed one cup of cooked rice in two airtight jars. On one jar, he wrote, “I love you,” and on the other, “You fool.” Everyday for 30 days, Dr. Emoto would say these words to each jar of rice.

After 30 days, the “I love you” rice was still white. But the “You fool” rice was so rotten, it was black. How can you explain this?

Just as a side note: When I was a child, my mother taught me to pray before meals. Now I realize it wasn’t just a nice thing to do. When I pray over my meal, I know a material transformation takes place in the molecular level of the food that I pray for. I say, “Be blessed,” to the water and food on the table—and I expect it to be blessed.

Can Water Read Or Listen To Words?

Yes and No.

Let me explain this in the simplest way I can.

I’m taking a deep breath now, because I can’t believe I’m going to do this: I’m going to give a mini-lecture on Physics. Me, the guy who got a D in all my science subjects!

Do you remember Albert Einstein?

My friend Albert said that everything is energy.

Remember his formula E=mc²?

Well, he believed that energy and matter are interchangeable. Because in a subatomic level, the most solid matter you can think of, like a table or a rock (or my biceps) isn’t really solid at all. Everything is a sea of vibrating energy. Ever changing, ever moving, at the speed of light. Thus, in a mind-boggling way, there’s really no difference between a thing and a thought. All is energy.

Because of this, everything is interconnected. We’re all inside this ocean of fluid energy. That means my thoughts and words can really affect the entire material universe.

Amazing? You bet.

When you start speaking like this, people automatically think this is New Age and reject it. Not necessarily. What I gave you are reflections based on the Theory of Relativity and Quantum Physics. (Note: From a scientific perspective, I probably will get an F with my explanation above. I apologize to all the scientists out there.)

Friend, use your words to create your desired destiny.

Speak Words of Faith. Believe that your words affect your universe.

The Power Of Prayer

I have a confession to make.

For many years, I’ve never understood why we needed “intercession”.

Why do I need to ask you to pray for me?

Let’s say I need money to buy food.

Doesn’t God love me enough to give me money if I ask Him? Why do I need to ask my friends to pray for me?

Is God moved if instead of one person praying, we come as a group? Is God like a politician that is moved by numbers? Is God saying, “Hmmm, you’re only one person praying. Tsk, tsk. Not enough. Come back to me if you’re a crowd, okay?”

Let’s say you’re sick and want healing.

Why ask the saints to pray for you? Doesn’t God love you enough to heal you—without the backing of saints? Palakasan ba ‘to? Is God saying, “Don’t you bring References with you?”

I also couldn’t understand “Soaking Prayer”. Someone told me, “Our mother was sick and we soaked her in prayer for two whole hours. And God healed her!”

At the back of my mind, I asked, “Why? Why two hours? Doesn’t God hear us the first time we ask for healing? Is He that type of God who will wait if we’re really insistent—and then relent to our pleading?

If so, then God is a capricious God who doles out blessings to the strongest, loudest appeals.

But as I reflected further, I began to understand.

This understanding was a giant breakthrough for me.

The Blessings Are Already Given

I believe God has already made available all the blessings that you need. Healing. Miracles. Abundance. They’re all there. The Bible says that (Ephesians 1).

He’s not hiding any of that from us.

He’s not keeping it in a giant storehouse under lock and key, and giving them out piece by piece whenever we ask for them.

I repeat: He’s made them all available to you.

Imagine yourself swimming in an ocean of blessings. That’s the picture!

But here’s the reality: One person can be a sponge. And another person can be a rock. The sponge absorbs the water, the rock cannot.

What makes you more absorbent? Your faith.

That’s why prayer has a powerful effect. It increases your faith. It makes you ready to receive blessings.

And when others pray for you, their faith increases your faith. No mater how far they are, their words travel at the speed of light and bless you. Something happens to you when others proclaim blessing to you. (And note: Love is the greatest power on the planet. When I pray for you, I’m loving you with God’s love. You receive this love. And this love heals and performs miracles.)

That’s why Intercession is powerful. That’s why soaking prayer is powerful. The problem isn’t in the giving of the blessing. The problem is in the receiving of the blessing. Many times, we’re not yet ready. Our faith isn’t ready. (Another note: Faith isn’t only the reason why we don’t receive blessings. There are other reasons that I don’t have time to talk about today.)

But being surrounded by the prayer and love of others, we increase our faith and receive His blessings.

And when you speak words of truth, you affect the universe.

Let me end with one last story.

Who Is Telling The Truth?

One day, a young guy and a young girl fell in love.

But the guy came from a poor family. The girl’s parents weren’t too happy.

So the young man decided not only to court the girl but to court her parents as well. In time, the parents saw that he was a good man and was worthy of their daughter’s hand.

But there was another problem: The man was a soldier. Soon, war broke out and he was being sent overseas for a year.

The week before he left, the man knelt on his knee and asked his lady love, “Will you marry me?” She wiped a tear, said yes, and they were engaged. They agreed that when he got back in one year, they would get married.

But tragedy struck. A few days after he left, the girl had a major vehicular accident. It was a head-on collision.

When she woke up in the hospital, she saw her father and mother crying. Immediately, she knew there was something wrong.

She later found out that she suffered brain injury. The part of her brain that controlled her face muscles was damaged. Her once lovely face was now disfigured. She cried as she saw herself in the mirror. “Yesterday, I was beautiful. Today, I’m a monster.” Her body was also covered with so many ugly wounds.

Right there and then, she decided to release her fiancé from their promise. She knew he wouldn’t want her anymore. She would forget about him and never see him again.

For one year, the soldier wrote many letters—but she wouldn’t answer. He phoned her many times but she wouldn’t return her calls.

But after one year, the mother walked into her room and announced, “He’s back from the war.”

The girl shouted, “No! Please don’t tell him about me. Don’t tell him I’m here!”

The mother said, “He’s getting married,” and handed her a wedding invitation.

The girl’s heart sank. She knew she still loved him—but she had to forget him now.

With great sadness, she opened the wedding invitation.

And then she saw her name on it!

Confused, she asked, “What is this?”

That was when the young man entered her room with a bouquet of flowers. He knelt beside her and asked, “Will you marry me?”

The girl covered her face with her hands and said, “I’m ugly!”

The man said, “Without your permission, your mother sent me your photos. When I saw your photos, I realized that nothing has changed. You’re still the person I fell in love. You’re still as beautiful as ever. Because I love you!”

This Story Is A Parable Of Your Life

Friend, the girl believed she was ugly.

The man believed she was beautiful.

Who is telling the truth?

Simple answer: The man who loved.

You may be like that woman. You feel you’re disfigured by your failures. Marred by your mistakes. You feel you live an ugly life. But God says you’re beautiful! Because He loves you.

He doesn’t look at your mistakes. He doesn’t look at your past. He looks at the original beauty He created in you—and the glorious beauty of your future.

I encourage you to speak words of truth.

Dethrone the lies in your mind.

Say, “I’m beautiful.” Say, “I’m a wonderful person.” Say, “I have a great future.” Say, “I’m anointed. I’m strong. I’m blessed.”

Use your words to create your desired reality.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Working Smart is Better than Working Hard:  We only have 24 hours per day so it is better to manage time effectively

I am a believer of working smart rather than working hard and of effective time management.   If I could shorten the time doing a process, task or activity I’ll find a way.  Time is very valuable…more important than money in a sense that money can be earned if lost while time when passed is lost and cannot be earned back.  Hence, there are needs for tools or resources which must be used for a person to accomplish something in a shorter time.

But of course, care and diligence must be implemented when we use tools and/or resources.  Say, there is a tool called “knife”.  When the knife is used to harm or kill people, the user is in bad faith or the knife is used wrongly. When the knife is used to prepare foods for cooking meals for loved ones, the user of the knife is in good faith and the knife is used for goodness.  So, the goodness or badness of the tool depends with how the user intends to use the tool. Likewise, when we are gifted with intelligence and we use that to cause damage or harm others, the intelligent person is in bad faith while the person who uses his intelligence to bring betterment or improvement, this person is in good faith or is an enlarger of people. So, the goodness or badness of the resources (in this case, the intelligence) being used depends with the intention of the doer/user.

I am an Entrecard member, the requirement of the network is to visit a site and drop on the widget in order to gain/earn EC credits.

When I was new to the EC system I did the visit and drop in a conventional way. Fulfilling the requirements this way eats so much of my precious time.  Because I prefer to work smart rather than work hard, I created various dropping tools.   I want to accomplish things in a shorter time so I can allocate more time in other whatever it is that needs to be done for the day.

Are dropper systems bad? A big NO.

Entrecard is a good blog advertising network.  As much as Entrecard desires to serve its members better, at the time being, they are still in the work in progress stage and cannot release enhancements maybe because of factors beyond their control. Yes! I believe Entrecard wants to have a perfect system but we know for a fact that there is no perfect system out there.   What is important is Entrecard serve their purpose which is to help members have visitors. And they are good at it.  By clicking on their drop boxes we have visitor/s, though a not 1:1 reciprocity but still they bring/send us visitors.

Blogging has its activities: visit or be visited…read or be read…comment or be commented on…review or be reviewed…etc…

Those in the blogging community–the blogger, the reader/visitor, the blog advertiser, etc– have their own roles to play.

Blogging mainstreams: building traffic and building readership base.

Blog Advertising companies, Entrecard included, their purpose or role to play is to bring traffic to the blog, thus, the visit or be visited—the traffic building is served/attained.

Building of readership base is the responsibility of the owner of the blog.  In other words, I think we should not pass on this building of our readership base responsibility to the blog advertising companies.  As I read posts or comments, I saw proposals for what a blog advertising company should do…it looks as if they also want the company to build the readership base for them…

Back to Entrecard. Yes! I believe Entrecard is good at building traffic to our blogs. In my opinion, they are brewing/working on for something better to their members, just that they do not want to pre-empt them.

Since we are living in the here and now and while waiting for the enhancements/improvements to come out, an interim process must be put in place.  Otherwise, we will continuously suffer from issues and constraints which may result to more complaints, more negativity, more hurt feelings…this is unhealthy!

Current constraints or issues boil down to …

…taking care of physical and mental health (conventional clicking of 300 drops requires more time infront of computer and not mind stimulating, thus a threat to health)

…damages to computers/laptops caused by infected sites (which at most are unknown to the blog owner… hey, not all are computer savvy)

…not-so productive use of time (seriously, do you want to trade off 2 to 4 hours of your time clicking/dropping than use them to spend with your loved ones or do some philanthropic activities or just do something to develop yourself more?)

…members who put the widgets to the areas which are not very visible (spice up!  let’s play hide & seek)

…of course there are many other reasons

So what are we going to do? How can we help each other? How can we help Entrecard so their minds will become relax and come out with a better solution instead of bombarding them with complaints? Negativity kills creativity.  How can we help other members? What can we contribute for the betterment of all?

The interim process that I could think of is creation of something that will mediate/remedy the current issues and constraints. In my mind, Dropper Systems are one of the solutions while waiting for the developments/enhancements of Entrecard.  However, others see them as cheats or gaming the system.

I understand there are people who thought or were taught following rules are good and when you follow them especially by the book, you are a good person and not a cheater.  We are talking of man’s rules not God’s. These man’s rules may become superseded, revised or updated anytime when the objective of its creation has already served its purpose or is no longer relevant at the current time.  These rules were created at the time when problems do not present itself. There are rules which become obsolete overtime and will not be helpful in today’s time. (And in my opinion, rules should be updated or revised when problems arose or no longer serve its purpose or becomes irrelevant.)

All of us want to follow rules because we want to be good people.  And rules should bring goodness to all.  But we have to stop sometimes and think if the rules we follow makes us a good person or bring goodness to us.   We evaluate and assess.  If the rules we follow bring us more harm than good then it is not good or worth following the rules.  I have nothing against Entrecard. I believe they wish no harm to their members just that their systems were designed the way it is now and it is not easy to change a system, it will entail a lot of work, tools, money, time, processes, infrastructure and resources.

It is a good thing there are volunteers who offered their help and resources for free to provide for an interim process.  There are people who create dropper systems or dropping tools for free. And it is good that there are many of them and in various forms and methodologies.

Again, there is no perfect system out there. Dropper Systems have its strengths and weaknesses.  What matters is the visit and drop requirements are complied (regardless how much time you spend in visiting and dropping.)

I have various dropping tools.  One of them is the quick dropper.  This dropper tool makes members drop 300 in just a matter of minutes. So for people who insist on telling quick drop pages exist, they do! Again, it is the intention of its use.

Again, I prefer to manage my time and work smart.  I systematized my way of visiting, dropping, commenting and reviewing blogs.

Quick drop page is for dropping.  Visits can be compensated in other ways and can be done thru Adgitize by clicking its ad views; or by directly visiting the site and concentrate on reading the contents of the site and when possible or appropriate leave some comments or review the blog; or use another dropper to open sites which is also equivalent to visiting—it is like you have a dropper for dropping and a dropper for site opening/visiting. Look at your recent viewers/visitors blogcatalog/mybloglog widgets so you know who visits you for real.  Whatever manner I visit and drop is my choice.  What is important is both the visit and the drop requirements are fulfilled/complied.

I choose to manage my time and I choose to work smart. I do not know how others do their visiting and dropping.  If they do their visiting and dropping the long or conventional or time-consuming ways it is their choice. And I respect that.

In my opinion, visiting and dropping should be done very quickly (and separately from reading) then go back to the sites which we think worth reading so we can grasp what the blogger wants to convey…I’m sure many bloggers have a lot to share and we can learn a lot from them.   If we combine visit and drop and at the same time read we will achieve nothing. We will be in a hurry so we can drop and run from one to the next.  And if in case a post title of a blog catch our attention, we stop for a while and read the first few sentences and do not finish reading it fully because we need to visit and drop on other blogs.

Droppers Systems are not bad.

======from here down below is meant only for one person…

To you, you know who you are…

Your apology is not enough!

When I read your defamatory post and I saw my badges there, I prayed hard that your mind be enlightened and your heart be cleansed. I prayed that HE gift me with peace, love and calmness so that I may not use my tongue and mind for revenge and  harm you back. I prayed that HE avenge me because if I will do it myself things may just become more sour and uglier. God answered my prayers.

How I wish you just emailed or contacted me so doubts in your mind are cleared and things did not turned out like this…you hurt souls…you hurt the blogging community…you cause people harm. You get what you give…you give/inflicted harm to others and you get it back, it boomerang back to you. Hope you learn from this.  You are an intelligent person.  I wish you use your intelligence on enlarging others.

Remember the time you bluntly called i-e-m club as an illusion (remember EZ 300EC dropper / i-e-m club?) and I should better use dropaholics as a dropping tool…remember my post “style of earnings management” you offended me in my post thru your insulting/negating comment… I appear as one of your top droppers but I do not comment on you… you want a comment from me? …you want a comment from a person whom you offended in her own site…you were like attacking me in my own home…and still you want a comment from me?…I should not included you in my droppers…I should not visited and dropped on you…but your blogpal gave me a big amount of EC credits as his gift/token of my review of his quality blog because you inform him of it and for that as my way of saying thank you I let what you did pass and I included you in my droppers so you will be belong to those I will be visiting and dropping on…after all people makes mistakes…but now, what you did is unforgivable. You want to catch me.  I am the one you are after and catch.  You want to nail me based on your prima facie evidences…You condemned me, slandered me, defamed me and humiliated me publicly…you offended me many times over and over again…you are hurting me…you are destroying me…you are inflicting harm on me… let’s  exchange places…and tell me, is your apology enough?

God avenged me from you. I will forgive you but I do not have to like you and befriend you. May God bless you with peace of mind and kindness in your heart.  I release you emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Stay away from me and my sites.  I end it here.

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Happy Heart’s Day and Kung Hei Fat Choi

Happy Heart’s Day and Kung Hei Fat Choi

Happy Heart’s Day and Kung Hei Fat Choi

Happy Heart’s Day and Kung Hei Fat Choi

Happy Heart’s Day and Kung Hei Fat Choi

Happy Heart’s Day and Kung Hei Fat Choi

Regular Holidays

New Year’s Day – January 1
Maundy Thursday – April 1
Good Friday – April 2
Araw ng Kagitingan – April 9 (Friday)
Labor Day – May 1
Independence Day – June 14 (Monday nearest June 12)
National Heroes Day – August 30 (Last Monday of August)
Bonifacio Day – November 29 (Monday nearest November 30)
Christmas Day – December 25 (Saturday)
Rizal Day – December 27 (Monday nearest December 30)

Special (Non-Working) Days

Ninoy Aquino Day – August 23 (Monday nearest August 21)
All Saints Day – November 1 (Monday)
Additional Special (Non-Working) Day – December 24 (Friday)
Last Day of the Year – December 31 (Friday)

Special Holiday (for all schools)

EDSA Revolution Anniversary February 22 (Monday nearest February 25)

Yipeee…plan for vacations, relaxations, and bonding moments na…