Thursday, December 22, 2011

Merry Christmas 2011 And Happy New Year 2012

Christmas is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.
- Dale Evans -


Lagu Natal di putar dimana-mana. Setiap orang sibuk menghias pohon Natal dengan lampu kerlap-kerlip, hiasan bola-bola kristal, gantungan santa claus, kado-kado, dan tidak lupa Bintang di atasnya, ada juga yang sibuk menyiapkan Kado Natal untuk orang-orang yg mereka kasihi. Tidak sedikit pula, orang-orang menyempatkan waktu untuk berbagi kasih dengan saudara-saudara yang kurang beruntung. Suasana menjelang Natal membuat orang senang dan selalu tersenyum. 


Christmas time, time to share our love
Come and join the tidings to the world
Christmas time, the best time of the year
Yes, it's christmas time







Tahun baru membuat orang-orang merenung dan mensyukuri atas tahun yang sudah dilewati, membuat resolusi dan mensyukuri karena memasuki tahun yang baru. 
Bagaimana anda merayakan tahun baru? Ada yang kumpul bersama keluarga dan makan-makan di restoran, di rumah, ada yang BBQ bersama teman-teman, ada yang pesta kembang api, ada yang keliling kota, ada yang ke luar kota, ke luar negeri, ada pula yang ke gereja dan melewati malam tahun baru hanya dirumah saja. 


Bukan pakaian apa yang akan kita pakai nanti, bukan makanan apa yang kita makan nanti, bukan hiasan apa yang kita punya, tetapi HATI. Sudahkah kita menyiapkan hati untuk menyambut Natal dan Tahun Baru ? Bukankah dalam perayaan Natal dan Tahun baru ini kita di ingatkan untuk Bersyukur dan Berbagi ?


Saya, Rosita, 


mengucapkan Selamat Hari Natal 2011 dan Tahun Baru 2012 ; 


Wish you Merry Christmas 2011 and Happy New Year 2012 ; 


祝你圣诞快乐, 新年快乐


so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Christmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear 
And so this is Chrïstmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun




Jakarta, 23 Desember 2011


Twitter : @rosita_lim
Facebook : http://facebook.com/rositalimrosi












From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another, 
The warmht and joy of Christmas, bring us closer to each other.
- Emily Matthews -

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Change Your Vocabulary by Bro. Bo Sanchez

You need to learn a new kind of vocabulary. 
Instead of saying, “I have some failures,” say, “I have some lessons.” 
Instead of saying, “I have some problems,” say, “I have some hidden blessings.” 
Instead of saying, “I’m going through a crisis,” say, “I’m going through a transformational experience.” 
Instead of saying, “I don’t have money,” say, “I’m temporarily broke but the blessings are on the way.”
If you want to change your life, you need to change your talk.
Everyday, a tidal wave of words flow out of your mouth.
Studies say that men speak 20,000 words a day. And women speak 30,000.   (I didn’t invent that. Just reporting the facts.  But I’m sure you know of some exceptions. There are men who speak 50,000 words a day, like Preachers like me.)
Don’t be shocked. If you live until 90, a typical person would have spoken 730 million words. If someone just recorded all that you said, and put them in book form, you would have written 14,600 books.
Pretty amazing, right?
But it’s not the quantity of words that’s important. It’s the quality of the words that’s important. The quality of your words will determine the quality of your life—including the life of the people around you.
Do your words bless or curse?
Do your words heal or cause disease?
Do your words give life or give death?
Do your words nourish or poison?
Do your words lift up or lower down?
Do your words encourage or discourage?
Be careful with your words…
3 Kinds Of Bread
You know this already—God’s Word is like bread. It always nourishes. (Matthew 4:4)
But here’s something you may not know: God designed your words to also become nourishing bread.
But in reality, our words aren’t always nourishing. 
In fact, I compare our words to three kinds of bread: wheat bread, white bread, and waste bread.
Wheat Bread has all the nourishment intact. It hasvitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, folic acid… And fiber. (That’s why it’s chewy.) Fiber prevents heart attacks and sweeps your intestines clean.
White Bread tastes nice and soft and delicious. But it doesn’t nourish. It doesn’t make you healthy. Because white bread is made of white flour, and it’s stripped from all vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Waste Bread is bread that is stale. It’s already covered with mold and bacteria. It can actually poison you and make you sick.
Our words can be like one of these three kinds of bread.
Let me explain…
1. Wheat Bread
 God wants your words to be like Wheat Bread. They nourish you and they nourish others. 
The bible says that what we say should be good and helpful and encouraging (Ephesians 4:29). If it’snot good and helpful and encourage, don’t say it. 
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24)
One day, I was going through a crisis. Correction. I was going through “a transformational experience”.
It was a time when both my ministries and businesses were going through a tough time. I felt beaten. Defeated. Worn out. I exhausted physically and emotionally.
Right after the Feast, a woman came up to me. And she said, “Bo, you don’t know how you changed my life. Spiritually. Emotionally. Financially. Thank you so much…”
I’ve heard those lines before. Many times. But at that particular time, when I felt discouraged, those words healed me.
But let’s admit it.
Many times, our words don’t encourage at all…
2. White Bread
Many of our words are like White Bread. We speak without purpose. We speak without love.   They don’t discourage, but they don’t encourage too. We speak uselessly.
Jesus says, You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. (Matthew 12:36)
What is the Bible saying? Don’t waste your words.
If you have an opportunity to encourage, to inspire, to lift up, and to coach someone—do so. Because people are hungry for nourishment, wisdom, and love. Don’t waste your time by speaking empty words.
And what’s the worst kind of bread of all?
 3. Waste Bread
Like Waste Bread, your words can poison.
Your mouth is a deadly weapon.
Your words can destroy your children and their future. Your words can destroy your families and your friendships. Your words can destroy your world.
One day, I was talking to a young man who was messed up. He didn’t finish school, he didn’t have a job, he was taking drugs…. In other words, he was really lost. 
And then we began talking about his father.
That was when his face began to grimace in pain. 
He said, “Brother Bo, I’m 23 years old. In all those years, I’ve never heard my father say nice things to me. Not once did he say he was happy with me. Everytime he talked to me, it was always to tell me I was wrong. And he kept telling me, ‘I’m ashamed that you’re my son! You’ll never amount to anything!’”
Words killed his future.
Because words can be poisonous.
Everytime you open your mouth, you can choose: You can cure or you can curse. It’s up to you. 
Let me tell you a true story.
There were two altar boys who lived in two different cities serving in two different churches, but both of them wanted to become priests. 
And both of them had the exact same experience.
One altar boy was late for Mass. Because he was in a hurry to do everything he needed to do, he accidentally hit the chalice that contained the wine.
After the Mass, the priest called the boy and shouted, “Get out of here! You’ll never serve as an altar boy!”
At another church, the other altar boy was also late for Mass. And he too hit the chalice that contained the wine, pouring it onto the red carpet. After the Mass, the priest—who happened to be a Bishop—called the altar boy and said, “Hey, everybody makes mistakes. I’m clumsy too. So you know what? Maybe you’ll become a priest too…” and he chuckled.
30 years later, that altar boys became Archbishop Fulton Sheen, one of the most loved religious leaders in America.
The other altar boy? He became Joseph Tito, the ruthless dictator of Yugoslavia, and an atheist. 
Words are powerful. They can heal. They can bless. They can encourage. Or they can also curse. They can destroy.
Let me give you four examples.
Complement Or Complain
Admit it. Every child is part monster and part angel.
What part will win?
It depends on what part you pour attention to…
Behavior is the plant. Attention is the water.
If you tell your son a thousand times, “You’re a monster! You’re so disobedient!” you’re pouring attention into the monster part. And that monster part will grow, pushing out the angel part—until your child becomes all monster.
Instead of complaining, do the opposite: Complement!
It sounds nuts. But try it out.
For many parents, their preoccupation is to catch their kids doing wrong. Change that. Be preoccupied catching your kids doing good.
If he cares for his baby brother, “Son, I love the way you take care of your younger brother; I’m so proud you’re my son…”;
If you find him happy in your family meals, then tell him, “Thanks for enjoying our time together as a family; it warms my heart that you’ve grown up to be a loving boy.”;
Words like these will change your son.
Remember, your words can bring out the best or the worst in others.
It depends on what words you choose.
Why? People will treat you the way you treat them.
If you keep complaining about their bad behavior, you’ll get more of that bad behavior. If you complement them about their good behavior, you’ll get more of that good behavior.
That’s just how life works. 
Here’s the principle: Your words create your world. 
Which brings me to my second example…
Correct Or Criticize
Don’t get me wrong. You should correct. That’s part of love. You just need to know how to do it.
You can correct to love or you can criticize to shame. Love is both the motive and manner of your correction. 
And always correct within the context of a deep relationship of trust. Don’t correct someone when the relationship isn’t strong.
But sometimes, we go to the other extreme. Even within a close relationship, we don’t correct.  Because we want to be popular instead of loving.  It’s true: Like Wheat Bread, correction is difficult to chew. It’s not as easy to eat as Wheat Bread. But that’s why you have to do it, because it’s nutritious.
Here’s a third example…
Refresh Or Ridicule
When I was a kid, I was never good in Sports.
So I dreaded Physical Education. Whenever I had P.E. class in the afternoon, I’d already be wishing I’d get sick that day. So that I’d have an excuse not to attend P.E. 
Because almost every class, kids would ridicule me.
It didn’t matter if it was basketball or volleyball or soccer.
I was a klutz.
I couldn’t seem to hit or catch the ball. I couldn’t understand why I was so uncoordinated.
When I was 9-years old, my P.E. was baseball. And I was even more terrified.
True enough, at practice, I couldn’t catch the ball—even if I had that oversized glove.
I was so bad at catching, the Teacher assigned me to the farthest spot in the field. And with his booming voice, he told everyone, “Try to hit your ball towards that kid over there,” pointing to me. “Because he won’t catch the ball, and you’ll get a home run!” He laughed loudly, slapping his knee many times. And all the kids laughed with him.
I pretended to laugh too. 
But my little heart was crying inside.
       For the next 15 years, I never joined any sport.
When my teacher ridiculed me, something broke within me. Because my Teacher was a person of authority. In my mind, I told myself, “He must know what he’s talking about. He’s my teacher. He says I’m worthless. I’m the most worthless kid in the universe.”
Be careful with ridicule. Be careful with negative humor. Here’s my realization: Nothing hurts more than words.  The Bible says, The words of the reckless pierce like swords. (Proverbs 12:18)
If you punch someone really hard on the jaw, the swelling subsides after some days. If you cut someone with a knife, the cut heals after some weeks. But if you say something deeply hurting, the damage can remain for the rest of your life.
Society values humor so much, for the sake of making people laugh, we ridicule other people. (I believe negative humor and poking fun at others has a place—between very close friends.)
But I realize that nothing can be more hurting than humiliation. I wish kids would come with a big sign that says, “Fragile—Handle With Care”. So that we won’t be careless with our words.
Don’t ridicule. Don’t shame people.
Use your words instead to refresh others.
Last example…
Gossip

When you want to gossip, bite your tongue. It will hurt you, but it won’t hurt your friends.
Someone asked me, “But I’m not spreading gossip. I’m spreading truth. She really is selfish and rude!”
       But even if you’re right, don’t do it.
People are cruelest when they know they are right. 
       There are people who enjoy pointing out the mistakes of others. It’s almost a hobby. It has become second nature. They love sitting down in judgment and telling the world about people’s weaknesses.
       “He’s a good speaker, but he’s full of air.”
       “Shay’s pretty but not very bright.”
       “My boss is a total jerk.”
       “Barry looks like a retard.”
Are you going to say something nasty?
       Just stop.
       And if someone is about to tell you something nasty about someone else, excuse yourself.
       You can say, “I don’t want to color my opinion towards that person.”
If you have no choice but to listen, tell yourself, “I’m not going to believe this one-sided story. I’ll suspend judgment and give the other the benefit of the doubt.”
Instead of gossiping about the garbage, gossip about the good. Spread the good qualities of the people around you!
Gossip Is Difficult To Undo
One day, a young woman spread gossip about an old woman living beside her house. And the old woman’s reputation was tainted forever. After a few months, the young woman had pangs of guilt for what she did.   With much courage, she knocked on the door of the old woman. 
When the old woman saw her, the young woman said, “I’ve done you wrong. I’ve come to ask for forgiveness. I’m sorry…”
The old woman said, “Come in.”
Sitting on the couch, she told her younger neighbor, “I forgive you. But can you do something for me? It’s a special ritual…” She stood up and entered the room and the kitchen. She came back, bringing with her a pillow and a knife. She handed them to the young woman and said, “Please go up to the roof of my house and stab this pillow and rip it.”
The young woman was perplexed. But she did what she was told to do. She went up the roof, plunged the knife into the pillow, and instantly, feathers flew far and wide, carried by the wind.
When she went down, she returned the torn pillow and knife to the old woman.
The old woman said, “I have one last thing I want you to do for me. Go out now into the street and collect all the feathers…”
A tear escaped the young woman’s eye.  She knew her neighbor was trying to tell her something. “I’m so sorry, but that can’t be done,” she said. “They’ve scattered into different directions.”
The old woman nodded. “I’m not angry with you. I’m just giving you a correction in love. From now on, please only speak good words. If you have nothing good to say, don’t say it anymore. Because your words will be carried by the wind in every direction—and you won’t be able to take them back.”
And the young woman softly wept.
Friend, you can still gossip. But only gossip about the good in others. Broadcast the wonderful qualities of others to the world.
Conclusion: What’s Your Order?
So far, I’ve been talking about your conversations with others.
But remember, the most important conversation you’ll ever have in your life is the conversation you have with yourself.
What you say to yourself matters, because your words are prophetic.
Because life is like a restaurant. 
And the universe is like a waiter, with pen and paper in hand, waiting for your order. What you constantly say, that waiter will deliver to you on a silver platter.
I know many people who curse themselves with their words.
I know people who put themselves down. They belittle themselves. They shame themselves.
I’ve heard people say, “I can’t do it,” and “I’m no good,” and “I’ll never be successful.” They don’t understand that they’re words are prophetic. They’re creating their world by their words.
I’ve heard poor people say, “I’m poor,” and “I have no money,” many times a day. Their words make their experience permanent.
Make a decision today to bless yourself with your words.
Complement yourself. Say good things about yourself!
Many times a day, announce to the world, “I’m blessed. I’m anointed. I’m favored. I’m a champion. I’m amazing. I’m a wonderful person. I’m rich in every possible way. I’m the beloved of God…”
This truth applies when you speak to others too.
Because you’re the first listener.
If you speak encouraging words to somebody, before you encourage that person, you’re actually encouraging yourself. But if you speak discouraging words to somebody, before you discourage that person, you’re actually discouraging yourself.
Speaking is like holding a knife without a handle. If the knife is sharp, it wounds you first before it wounds others.
Let me repeat: The quality of your words will change the quality of your life.
Speak God’s words and change your world!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez


Jakarta, 20 December 2011
@rosita_lim

The Billionaire

Film The Billionaire diangkat dari kisah nyata seorang pengusaha muda bernama Top Ittipat. Saat film ini beredar, Ittipat berusia 26 tahun. Siapa yang menyangka bahwa Ittipat adalah seorang pecandu game online saat dia berusia 16 tahun?
Saat gurunya sedang menjelaskan pelajaran, Ittipat sibuk bermain game online. Jumlah komputer di kamarnya lebih dari 3, dan semuanya dipergunakan untuk main game online. Saat ia berusia 17 tahun, ia berhenti sekolah dan menjadi penjaja kacang, dibantu oleh pamannya yang sudah separuh baya. Usahanya tidak begitu lancar, ada saja masalah yang menghampiri usaha anak muda tersebut. Orangtuanya pun khawatir dengan masa depan anak bungsunya tersebut.
Saat ia berusia 18 tahun, keluarganya bangkrut dan meninggalkan hutang sebesar 40 juta baht. Papa dan mamanya memutuskan untuk meninggalkan Thailand, tetapi Ittipat meminta untuk tetap tinggal. 
***
Saat berusia 19 tahun, Ittipat berhasil menciptakan camilan rumput laut goreng "Tao Kae Noi" (Pengusaha Muda) yang saat ini dijual di 3.000 cabang 7-Eleven (mini market) di Thailand. Tapi tidak semudah itu ia mencapai kesuksesan! Ia menghabiskan beratus-ratus ribu baht untuk menciptakan cemilan ini, hingga suatu hari pamannya terjatuh dan masuk RS, dan dari musibah itulah, ia mendapat titik cerah untuk menciptakan camilan rumput laut goreng.
 
Awalnya ia menjual produknya di counter di pusat perbelanjaan. Lalu ia mencoba untuk menawarkan produknya ke 7-Eleven. Kunjungan demi kunjungan ia ditolak karena kemasan, harga, dan lain sebagainya. Dengan tekad yang pantang menyerah, ia mengubah desain kemasan dengan bantuan seorang designer. Ia dengan semangat kembali ke 7-Eleven, tetapi penantiannya tidak mendapat respon. Lalu, ia memberikan sample produknya kepada satpam penjaga di sana. Dan ternyata produknya diambil oleh beberapa karyawan di gedung itu. 

Di saat ia merasa ingin putus asa, tiba-tiba ia di hubungi oleh pihak 7-Eleven karena produknya diterima. Tetapi, ia harus mempunyai sebuah pabrik. Selama ini ia menggoreng rumput lautnya hanya di sebuah dapur kecil bersama Pamannya. Lalu ia teringat keluarganya masih mempunyai sebuah kantor kecil. Maka ia merenovasi kantor tersebut menjadi sebuah pabrik agar ia bisa lolos kualifikasi. 

Pada akhirnya, kerja keras dan semangatnya berbuah hasil. Setelah 2 tahun, ia berhasil membayar hutang keluarganya dan berhasil mengambil kembali rumah yang selama ini mereka tinggali bersama kedua orangtuanya. 

Top Ittipat
Ittipat dan produk rumput laut goreng ciptaannya 

Kisah nyata yang sungguh memberikan inspirasi kepada saya pribadi, dan semoga juga memberikan inspirasi kepada semua pembaca. Perjalanan dia menuju sebuah kesuksesan penuh dengan masalah hinggal ia terjatuh berkali-kali, mengalami musibah bertubi-tubi, hingga ia harus berpisah dengan orangtuanya. Semua yang dialami, tidaklah mudah untuk dilewati. Tetapi, disaat ia berhasil melewati itu semua, ia menuai hasil dari kerja kerasnya, bahkan berlipat-lipat ganda. Luar biasa!
 
 
Jakarta, Desember 2011

Rosita
Twitter : @rosita_lim
Facebook : http://facebook.com/rositalimrosi


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Transform Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life

I'd like to share Bo's article to all of you ...
Hope you'll like it and enjoy my blog ^^ 

Do you want to change your life? 
It all starts with thinking God’s thoughts.  
       Transformation starts with the renewing of your mind. (See Romans 12:2)
I believe God has a great plan for your life. He wants to pour greatness in you. But God cannot put great things into a small mind.
When your mind is small, you cannot think great things. You need to enlarge your mind. Enlarge your thinking. You need to think God’s thoughts for you to experience God’s things.
       Your thinking is so important, because whoever wins in the battlefield of your mind will win in the battlefield of your life…
The Bible says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…
Thoughts Are Things

Quantum Physics says everything is energy. 
The ground that you’re standing on, the chair you’re sitting on, the sky above, even your human body—all these are really bundles of vibrating energy. A solid brick wall—in its subatomic level—isn’t solid at all, but largely empty space filled with energy. 
And here’s the shocking part. Quantum physics says thoughts are also energy. Scientists say there’s really no big difference between a thing and a thought. In one very real sense, thoughts are things.
That’s why thoughts are powerful. 
Today, I’ll talk about how your thoughts create your reality; How your thoughts create your destiny.
       Here’s the truth: You’re a product of your thoughts.  You are who you are because of the thoughts you’ve allowed to fill your mind.
If you transform your thoughts, you transform your life.
A Shocking Story
Let me tell you a true story.
       Many years ago, after giving a talk, a Filipina and an American walked up to me.   I’ll call them David and Bathsheba. (In a minute, you’ll know why I chose these fictional names.) They acted like they were a couple.  But there was something odd about them.
Not only because David was American and Bathsheba was Filipina.
It was also because David was tall, handsome, and young.  (More or less like a writer I know. Ahem.)
But Bathsheba was not so tall, not so young, and not so beautiful.   And believe me, I’m being very kind when I describe her in this way. If I wasn’t kind, then I’d describe her as really short, really old, and really ugly.  But I won’t say that. 
(Although I already did. But imagine I didn’t.)
As I looked at them, I was guessing the guy was 26, at most 28, and the woman was 42.
Bathsheba was the first to speak. She said, “Brother Bo, I love your talk on God’s Love. I can identify. Can I share our story with you?”
You can imagine I was all ears. 
We sat down and she started talking. 
Bathsheeba said, “I was a prostitute in Olongapo. I was a prostitute for 20 years. I have two kids from two different fathers. Prostitution was the only way I knew to feed my children. But I was so tired of what I was doing, one day, while I was at home, I knelt down. I prayed, ‘Lord, I’m going to ask something that seems impossible. I’m ugly. I’m a prostitute. I’ve got two kids from two different fathers. But I need you to rescue me. Please give me a husband. And if possible, give me an American…’”
I wanted to tell her, “Lady, you’ve got guts.”
“Can I continue the story, Sweetheart?” David interrupted.
“Of course, Darling,” Bathsheba smiled.
“At that exact time,” David said, “I was walking on the street when I noticed a house with an open door. I looked through the doorway, and I saw this woman kneeling down, crying. As I looked at her, I began to cry too. I didn’t know why I was crying.  I walked through the door.  And I noticed, Brother Bo, that the woman was very beautiful…”
I wanted to say, “Are we talking of… uh, her? Or did your tears, uh you know, block your vision?”
Obviously, I didn’t say that. I just nodded my head, realizing once again there are certain mysteries in the world that we cannot solve. The Bermuda Triangle. The Prophecies of Nostradamus. And why David calls this woman beautiful.
David went on. “I introduced myself. We started talking, we started dating, and 6 months later, we got married!”
“Miracles happen,” I said.
“Tomorrow,” Bathsheba said, “we’re all going to the States. He’ll be introducing me to his parents.”
I wanted to say, “God have mercy on you.” My goodness, those parents will need extra-strength grace!
Why I Tell You The Story
Even if this happened many years ago, I’ll never been able to forget this story.
I share with you this story not to teach single women to pray with their door open, in the hope that a potential husband will pass by. That’s not the point and what happened to Bathsheba was absolutely strange.
I share you this story to tell you about the power of thoughts.
Let me ask you. Was Bathsheba ugly or beautiful?
To everyone else, she was ugly.   People called her ugly. People mocked her on the street. Being a prostitute was bad enough. What was worse than a prostitute was an old prostitute selling her old body at 85% discount.
Even to herself, she was ugly.
But one day, someone walks into her life and says, “You’re beautiful.”
What is reality? Reality is essentially a product of our thoughts. 
Imagine if you think God’s thoughts?
Right now, you may be like Bathsheeba. You feel ugly. You don’t like yourself. And other people don’t like you too.
But I’m here to tell you that God thinks you’re amazing. God thinks you’re beautiful. And that “shift of thought” will transform your life forever.
When you think God’s thoughts, three huge things will happen.
The first thing that will change will be…
1. How You Think About Yourself
It reminds me of another David…
When God was looking for the next King of Israel, God asked Samuel the priest, “I’m choosing a King from the sons of Jessie of Bethlehem.” 
So Samuel visited the house of Jesse. “Where are your sons?” the priest asked Jesse. And so the old man called his sons to line up in front of the Prophet. The eldest was Eliab. The Bible describes Eliab was tall, with the body of a body-builder, and good-looking. In other words, he looked like a king.
But God told Samuel, “Not this one.”
I’m sure Jesse was a little bit disappointed. He called his next son to stand in front of Samuel.
And God told the priest, “Not this one either.”
Jesse called the next one. And the next one. And the next one. For every single one of them, Samuel heard God tell him, “Not this one.”
Samuel was confused. So he asked Jesse, “You’ve shown me your seven sons?”
“Yes,” Jesse said, “my seven sons are in front of you now.”
Samuel asked him, “Don’t you have any other sons?”
Jesse said, “I do have one more son. But he’s just a boy. He’s out with the sheep…”
In other words, David was the runt. The youngest. The gofer. The errand boy.  Uneducated. Untrained. Rough. Filthy. Smelly. With calluses on his hands, mud on his feet, and sand on his hair. And he doesn’t wear the right clothes. What Jesse really wanted to say was, “Why bother looking at him? You wouldn’t like him.”
But Samuel said, “Call him anyway.”
He was called. The boy stood in front of Samuel. And God told Samuel, “This is the guy I’m choosing to be King.”
Think about it.
David’s father didn’t admire him. His brothers thought he was a pest. But that’s because they were looking at him thinking their thoughts. They weren’t thinking God’s thoughts.
Today, people around you may overlook you. People around you may take you for granted. And if people notice you, they only notice if you’ve done wrong. How you’ve failed. How you’ve messed up. How you fell flat on your face.
But God thinks about you differently.
He doesn’t major in your mess. He majors in your magnificence. He doesn’t focus on your fumbles, He focuses on your fabulousness. 
Read the Bible and you see this exact thing happening again and again.
God called Gideon a mighty man of valor when he was a coward hiding from his enemies.  God called Peter the “Rock” at a time when Peter was a stumbling, lying, denying fisherman. And God called David “King” when he was but a boy smelling of sheep poop. 
Why? Because while you’re still wrestling with your history, God is already talking about your destiny. While your thoughts are still mired in the quicksand of your past, God’s thoughts are already constructing your future.
The Power Of Labels
When you think God’s thoughts about yourself, people won’t understand you. People want you to remain the same. People want you to be consistent with the poor image that they have of you in their minds.
 You see, people look at you, and they’ve made already a prediction of what will happen to you in your future. And they want that prediction to be fulfilled. 
People have already labeled you “loser” and “failure” and “mediocre” and “hopeless”.  And they want you to be consistent with these negative labels they have given you. They don’t want you to shake up their picture of reality.
I want you to stand up and announce to the world, “I’m not the labels you’ve given me. If God says I’m a champion, then I’m a champion.”
Your Existence Means You Won
By the mere fact that you’re alive, you’re already a champion.
Why do I say that?
Think about it. God pre-selected your sperm cell. Your sperm cell out-swam the millions of other sperm cells to connect to the egg cell. At the very moment of your conception, you already won. You’re a champion!
This ordination, this Divine pre-selection isn’t based on the good that you’ve done, on whether you’ve been faithful in your prayer time, or whether you’ve been doing your Bible reading, or whether you’ve been going to Mass, or whether you’ve been a good boy or a good girl. Because before you were in the womb of your mother, you weren’t praying yet. You weren’t doing any good yet. And yet God already saw something good in you.
The Bible says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God spoke that to Jeremiah but I believe He says the same words to you.
Today, God will re-introduce you to who you really are.
He will lift the curtain, the veil that separates you and who you really are deep in your soul.
People around you will say, “That’s not you. I’ve seen you before. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You’re a nobody. You’re a wimp. You’re a jerk. You’re a coward. You’re a liar.  You’re a hot head…”
You’ve got to tell them, “Yes, that was me. But let me introduce you to the new me. Your definition of me is based on past information. My definition of me is based on God’s thoughts about who I really am…”
And if you think God’s thoughts, something else will change…
2. How You Think Of Your Problems
One day, I was facing a huge problem. I felt so troubled, I didn’t know what to do. I was already having sleepless nights. My wife would wake up at 3am and she’d find me still awake, tossing and turning in bed.
So finally I called up one of my Mentors. I described the problem. Every detail I could remember, I shared to him
My Mentor was very patient listening to my story. 
And then he said something that I’ll never forget. He said, Is that all? Bo, that’s nothing! That problem is so small, you’re bigger than this. You’re so big, that problem is like dust in your shirt. Like lint in your clothes. Like mud on your shoes. You’re so much bigger! And Bo, you’ll have more of those tiny problems. They’re so small, just flick them…”
This wasn’t a nice friendly counseling session. He was my Mentor and he had my permission to be brutal with me.
His words changed me. That night, I slept like a babe.
Because he made me realize I was a giant! Why be bothered by tiny problems?
And soon enough, those problems that I thought were gigantic blew away like mist. I troubled myself for nothing.
Here’s what I learned. The reason why we think our problems are big is because we think we’re small. But when we change the way we think about ourselves, we change how we think about our problems too.
And remember: To God, all your problems are small.
       The Bible says, Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning…
       And finally, when you think God’s thoughts, you also change one last thing…
3. How You Think Of Your Future
I love this message because this is my story.
Who would have thought that a victim of sexual abuse would be writing this to you now?   Who would have thought a porn addict of 20 years would write 25 bestselling books, publish 8 magazines, and preach around the world? 
This can only be God’s doing.
God doesn’t define you by what you’ve done. He defines you by what He has done in you.
When God talks about you, He prophecies of things yet to come.
Friend, you’re future is out-of-this-world beautiful.
Perhaps you’re like Bathsheeba. Perhaps you feel this is a dead-end for you right now. That all hope is gone.
But believe that each day, God walks into the open door of your life and says you’re future is beautiful. He will change everything. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. Just keep that door open. Just never give up.
Think God’s thoughts.
And you’ll never be the same again.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez

Jakarta, 12  December 2011
@rosita_lim