Inspiring You to Live a Fantastic Life No. 274 Vol. 23 March 2013 Three Lessons on How to Get Your Miracles FAITH WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS IS DEAD Let Your Actions Express Your Faith Sambahayan ng Diyos Community: A Prayer Group Among Neighbors How God Paved Randy Feria’s Road KERYGMA BARCODE.pdfto Full-time 11/16/06 5:43:58 PM Service with Gold Philippines P70 US $7.00 AUS $ 7.00 Euro 5.00 Kerygma received UK 4.00 a Special Citation in the CDN $7.00 SING $9.00 34th Catholic Mass HK $47.00 Media Awards for the RUPIAH Best Family-Oriented 64,000 Magazine Congratulations, Dear Graduates! Now that you’re done with school, continue learning life’s valuable lessons through K-F-A-M! K is for Kerygma — Inspiring You to Live a Fantastic Life! Get monthly inspiration from the 33rd Catholic Mass Media Awards’ Best Family Oriented Magazine, containing powerful teaching articles and life-changing stories — guaranteed to touch your heart, feed your mind, and nourish your soul! F is for FiSH — The Zany Side of Loving God! Winner of the Best Youth Magazine at the 30th, 31st and 34th Catholic Mass Media Awards, FiSH is the perfect magazine for the youth — with heaping doses of spirituality linked to music, trivia, movies, technology, fashion and so much more! A is for All Stars – A Generation That Shines for Christ! Being ‘tweens carries its own set of challenges — trust All Stars to see you through, and help you learn how to shine for Jesus! Inspiring stories and fun, fact-filled articles will surely leave the 10-to 13-year-olds more in love with God! M is for Mustard – Sowing Seeds of Fun and Faith! Kids aged 7 to 10 years (and even younger!) will love learning about their faith, family and school life with each exciting, colorful and informative issue. Teachers and parents love it, too! Mustard was recognized as Best Children’s Magazine at the 30th Catholic Mass Media Awards. Let Shepherd’s Voice Publications guide and inspire you at every stage of your life. SUBSCRIBE NOW! For orders call 725-9999 local 101 to 108 or log on to www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph KFAM Graduates Ad 2013.indd 2 1/18/13 10:41 AM We’ll deliver God’s Word right to your doorstep! Call us at (02)725-9999 and we’ll deliver SVP books and magazines to you FOR FREE within Metro Manila for a minimum purchase of P300. (For online and provincial orders, mailing fees will apply.) Visit us at www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph SVP website ad NEW.indd 1 10/16/12 4:12 PM The Boss was reading a story of a guy who was only 14 years old but already The weighed 200 pounds. His parents told him to lose weight. His teachers told him to lose weight. His friends told him to lose weight. But he never Purpose of did. Until one day, something happened. He was in a swimming class, wearing trunks, and standing on the concrete slab. Beside him were seven other young boys who were as heavy as the breakfast he had eaten that morning. Surrounding him were Pain hundreds of people, all looking in his direction. He felt so embarrassed. By Bo Sanchez Standing there, half-naked, he couldn’t hide his teenage flab anymore. All of a sudden, he realized he needed to change. And that’s what he did. He changed not only his body, but his mind, too. He has become a stronger, happier and more confident individual. IHe thanks God for that moment of pain. Without that pain, there would have been no breakthrough in his life. You may be in a lot of intense pain right now. But you have a choice. You can respond in two ways. You can have a breakdown. Or you can have a breakthrough. The choice is yours. What will it be for you? Are you waiting for a miracle? Waiting for an answered prayer? Waiting for a breakthrough? Perhaps you have been praying for a child that has gone wayward. But after many years, you’re still waiting for the answer to that prayer. Perhaps you have been hoping for a financial breakthrough. So far, nothing’s happened and you wonder if God has forgotten you. If you’re in this difficult situation right now, listen to the story of Jesus about the 10 bridesmaids. He said… Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, while the wise ones took containers full of oil for their lamps. The bridegroom was late in coming, so they began to nod and fall asleep. (Matthew 25:1-5) In the story, the 10 women fell asleep. Not just the foolish ones, but the wise ones, too. Because they got tired of waiting. Are you tired of waiting? Are you tempted to just give up? Some people have given up all expectation — so that they can avoid the pain of disappointment. And then Jesus continues the story… It was already midnight when the cry rang out, “Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!” Friend, what you have been waiting for will come. But it may come at midnight. It may come late in the night or when you thought it wouldn’t come anymore. But it will come. I don’t know how. But what you’re praying for will be given to you in its most beautiful form. The difference between the wise women and the foolish women was the amount of oil they brought. The oil represents your trust. Will you bring extra trust in God during those times when He answers your prayer at midnight? May your dreams come true. Bo’s oufit courtesy of Golden ABC/Regatta. MARCH 2013 • KERYGMA 1 Mailroom Reading about Tahanan ng Pagmamahal I am a mother of three wonderful Congratulations, Bo and the Kerygma Children’s Home in your December 2012 daughters who are all professionals. staff! I thank God for giving me the issue brought me to tears. I was reading it I thank God forever for His love and opportunity to read this wonderful at the office and I couldn’t help but shed for guiding me and my husband in magazine. This must be made by God as some tears. I was touched by the response bringing up our daughters to be God- an instrument for enlightening people’s of all the people who helped when the fearing, putting God first in their lives minds and hearts. It inspires me to strive children’s home got flooded. God is truly and in everything they do. My eldest hard in order to succeed and be a better amazing. He moves in awesome ways. gifted me with a copy of Kerygma and person for others and God. I do hope May He bless all of us always so that we how I loved reading it. All the articles that this magazine would inspire many can continue to be a blessing to the less are enlightening, bringing me closer people, especially students like me. fortunate. God bless your magazine. to God and teaching me to count my blessings. It’s now part of my life. Hannah Cecile Congratulations to Bo and all Via text Tagbilaran, Bohol the staff of Kerygma magazine! Keep bringing people to God! God smiles at you! Big thanks, Kerygma. I am just an I’ve been reading Kerygma magazine ordinary housewife who’s busy doing since I was in grade school. The articles R. dela Cruz chores in the four corners of the house. never fail to touch my heart. I am 21 years Via text I have no friend, until I started reading old now and, before I sleep at night, I pray Kerygma and learned through the with it using Bro. Bo’s Point of Contact. experiences and testimonies of other When I wake up, I make sure to read one It was my first time to read Kerygma people who have been touched by God. article. It helps me a lot especially during and it was the October 2012 issue. I I suddenly found my value as a person times of failure. I realize that God has am a nurse from a tertiary hospital in and that God really loves me amidst the better plans for me and He will give me Manila. A patient gave it to me. Maybe trials and problems I encounter. the best because I deserve it. his purpose was to inspire me — and he Every month I am excited for the Thank you, Kerygma, for inspiring succeeded. May you continue to help new issue and I even read it page by a lot of people with your magazine. My others through your magazine. Thank page. More power and more issues to passion is also writing and speaking, like you and more power! come! Bro. Bo, and I dream to join your family as a writer, too, in God’s time. Long live, Mhadz Manicat, RN Loudith Manunag Kerygma! Manila Consolacion, Cebu Marie Claire Burlat Cebu City SEND US A NOTE! 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