The Butterfly Effect

Last 2018, I got hold of the book, "The One Minute Millionaire" authored by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen. Mark Victor Hansen is a co-author of the book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" while Robert G. Allen is the author of the real estate book, "Nothing Down" and "Creating Wealth".

I started to read it and brought it with me for reading. However, upon meeting a young lady working at a real estate firm I am transacting with, I decided to give it to her thinking that it will help her on her journey to life in general.

Fast forward 2020, got hold of the book again, but this time, in audio format. 😊

I was truly amazed at how listening to the book now, is just in time for the experience I am going through. From the time I purchased the audiobook, the idea of the butterfly effect phenomenon really made a mark in me.  

Whoa! Come to think of it... dear Lord... hahaha... My journey, from the time I gave away the hard copy version of the book until today, is an example of the butterfly effect.

The butterfly effect is an idea that is more commonly used in chaos theory. A small change can make much bigger changes happen; one small incident can have a big impact on the future. The term butterfly effect comes from an analogy where a butterfly flaps its wings in Tokyo and a tornado occurs in Tennessee. - Simple.wikipedia.org

Looking back now, it is as if I have planted a seed during that time. I just helped a friend to resolve their real estate problem with a large real estate company, without thinking about the monetary return. The exchanges and visits with the company lasted for more than a year. With God's grace, it ended well, and to my friend's favor.  

Consequently, this friend of mine tapped the little experience that I have with construction to build a building for their family.  

Constructing the building came with challenges of course. More than the technical aspect, which can be studied/learned with the right mentors, the real challenge is the management of relationships with the client, workers, suppliers, partners, and even with yourself.

There are many take away from the book, and one of them is the reminder that we have to have a high level of integrity in whatever we do. Yes. It is a must. 

In relation to the butterfly effect and integrity, lying, if made, no matter how small it may be, will have a lasting effect on our lives. You may not see it yet now, but eventually, it will have an effect on your future. The choice or decision to make that tiny lie has the ability to change the course of your life.

Let us be conscious of our actions, our decisions -the choices we make.  

What small actions or seeds are we planting? 

In daily life, as a wife, do I disregard the good that my husband do for me? Doing this, even if we think it is just nothing has an effect on our relationship. It may later cause the diminishing love of the spouse towards the other. And to think, it just started with neglecting to say our thank you's and appreciation.

On the other side, if we choose to do tiny acts of love, such as a sweet smile sent to your spouse, waters the seed of love and nourishes it and that seed will grow into a sturdy tree of love in the end.

Such is our relationship with God. Our tiny acts of prayer, no matter how small, will bring us closer to Him-- will water that loving relationship.

• Even just lifting your eyes towards the sky, thanking Him for the day
• Acknowledging His presence in our life
• Remembering how good he has been
• Making the sign of the cross when coming out of the house, asking for His protection 

Even these small gestures will bring us closer to Him.

Let us not neglect to do these small gestures -a show of love, of gratitude, of kindness. These tiny acts will tell the difference of the future ahead of you and those of whom you touch. 

God bless you! Gently flutter your wings, butterfly! You are making changes to the world! -- And may it be a positive one!

Give, Take and Treat Yourself Well

How great is our God that He thinks even about our pleasures and our joy.

God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our works and His blessings.  He doesn't want us to be grumpy and feeling miserable.  He has given us the tools we needed in order to be prosperous right?

It is written, in Sirach 14:14

14 Enjoy happiness and do not reject lawful pleasure when it comes your way.

From this verse, God is telling us to take time to celebrate! If a blessing came your way, celebrate!

Sometimes we neglect to do this.  We have toiled so hard but we do not rest and sit back and enjoy the fruits of our work.  If we keep on doing this, there will come a time that we will experience burn out and lack of enthusiasm with our work.  Take time to celebrate.  Your celebration doesn't have to be lavish, but if your budget allows you to, why not? :)

Enjoy and be happy.  This too comes from God. Celebrating your wins is a way for you to acknowledge the good that you have accomplished, the blessing that you have received.  God wants us to be happy and not grouchy. hahaha... or stingy at that!   

Celebrate even the small wins!

You are done cleaning your house well?  Celebrate! Sit down, sip a cup of coffee, a tea or your favorite drink and enjoy what you have accomplished.

God wants us to be happy now in this world where He placed us and where He leads us to serve Him. Treat yourself well because we are God's creation and He wants us to take care of ourselves well and He provides for these opportunities to come.

Speaking of opportunities, have you ever found yourself feeling guilty charging for a fee for your services?  I did.  There were times that I feel that I am not being a good person when I charge for fees especially when a service is done for a friend.  But would you know, even this is addressed in the Bible?

Sirach 14:16 says, "Give, take and treat yourself well, for in the netherworld, there are no pleasures to seek." 

1. Give -  whatever your service or product is
2. Take - get what is due you
3. Treat yourself well - in taking, it says that you should treat yourself well! Not treat yourself poorly!

One way to praise and thank God is to manifest that we are enjoying the blessings that He sends our way.  Rejoice for His goodness!  His provision comes from this.  How can you even celebrate if you have paid yourself short.

Give, take and treat yourself well! Celebrate! God wants you to be happy. :)

You are important to God. :)

Last week, I wanted to visit my aunt who was in the hospital and just had an operation. I had a full day of transactions to do that day and I have no personal transpo to bring me quickly to where I have to go. I was torn between going to my aunt or going straight to do my transactions. Unfortunately there were no taxi passing at Alabang-Zapote road at the time. With 3 kids in tow, we rode a bus going to Manila from Las Pinas. (No Grab app yet. hehehe... will add it). I was surprised that the bus went straight to Macapagal skipping Baclaran, then it turned right to Edsa and left to Roxas Boulevard! And coming to full view, I saw San Juan De Dios Hospital where my aunt was confined. I shouted, "Para po sa San Juan De Dios!" Praise God! To me, it was like we were chaffeured by the bus to the hospital. 😲🙏😇😍 During the visit, the kids and I prayed over my aunt. I truly felt that it was there were God wanted me to be. Do you have a problem and you think that it is not worthy of God's attention? No problem is too big or too small for our dear God. 🥰 He loves you and cares about every detail of your being. Come to Him, call upon our Father. 🙏🙏🙏 He is just waiting. 😉 ~~~~~~ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. ~Luke 12:6-7

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
~Hebrews 4:16

Want a free ticket to Holy Land?

Towards the end of 2018, I finally received the full payment for a real estate deal I closed in May.  I was thinking, did I already tithe for this transaction?  Checking my accounts, I cannot confirm it. I took the time to verify also from the organization where I usually give but they cannot confirm it too. More than a week has passed by and I still am not sure if I already did.  Until it struck me, “Ano ka ba? Nakikipagtuusan ka pa ba kay God.  Sa Kanya naman nanggaling lahat ‘yan.”

Can you guess what I did?

I just gave my tithe and more.  It was a good thing too that early on in our marriage, Bernie, my husband said that I am in charge when it comes to our family tithing.  He will not question it.  I have a hunch that I already gave my tithe, but I no longer want to keep tabs with God about how much I have already given.  And besides, everything came from Him and so I just gave even if it meant that I might be giving double. 

I decided to give through the Kerygma magazine subscription because I believe that the magazine is a window where readers can see how God works and how they can deepen their relationship with God.  It will also be a chance for them to have a glimpse about The Feast and I am hoping that they will attend too.  I prayed and asked God for guidance to whom He wanted me to reach out to and give free Kerygma magazine subscriptions.  

Just obey and God will do the rest.

Funny that after giving, it dawned on me how I already gave back earlier in May and why it did not appear in my records.  But I said, “I am happy Lord.  😊”  Kidding our God, I said, “Advanced ko na po yun for 2019 ha!” 

God is healing my limiting belief.

On the second week of January, I was assessing our family’s financial state and I saw that we do not have much.  I looked backed on my recent deals and realized that God has given me enough opportunity to earn more but instead of charging for the value of my services I just let it pass and give it for free.  There is also an instance when I could have priced a property we developed for a higher amount but I did not, only because I wanted it to be sold quickly and a friend was already interested with it.  I was afraid that it might take longer to sell it if I will increase my asking price.  But properties in the area were selling like pancakes. 

For the first time, I realized that it was not that I am generous or kind but that I opted to let go of the opportunity to earn more just so they will not think that I am only after the money and also because I do not want to be arguing about money.  It was then that I realized that I still have a limiting belief even if I know that God can give me anything and that all He wanted is to bless me.

God has it all planned.

On, January 13, I attended the first session of The Feast at the Bay Area and was intently listening to Bro. Bo Sanchez regarding having the courage to let go.  I was asking myself, was brother Bo talking to me?  He said, “Let go… What you are holding on might even be good. But God has something better for you.”

Prior to attending the session, I was troubled on what to do about a recent commitment.  Doing it will be good since I will be helping a friend, but it will also deprive me of an opportunity to financially grow for my family.  Before leaving the Feast, I already knew what I had to do. 

And so, I left PICC to act on that decision.

I called my sister in the US and asked her to watch the FEAST LIVE STREAM for me and told her jokingly, “Baka manalo ako sa paraffle ng Kerygma” to which she replied, “Kinabahan ako ate!” to us, it meant that I will most probably win it.

A few minutes later, a friend sent me a message announcing that I won the Kerygma Mission Partner HOLY LAND Pilgrimage package! God even chooses who will give me the message.  She is someone I look up to when it comes to real estate entrepreneurship and sharing God’s love.  And here I am alone at the roof deck of the property I am about to renovate, crying with joy. 😊  

Bro. Bo Sanchez announcing the winner - Me! :) 

My tithing got me a free ticket to Holy Land!

I was crying and I was thinking how near our God is.  How he had everything planned: my obedience to Him about letting go, the tithing, me realizing my limiting belief, and me winning the grand prize.  

Bro. Bo with the DTI representatives validating the
winning entry

Simultaneous with this announcement of winning, I also received wisdom on how I will still be able to help my friend without me being too tangled with it and to charge for the actual value of my services.  God is curing me from my limiting belief.  It was like literally God was just next to me watching my every step guiding me as I obey. 

Amazing isn’t? As if what has already transpired is not enough proof that He is present and is always with us, as I am writing this, someone called out in our gate, the delivery man from LBC.  And guess what?  He delivered the letter from Shepherd’s Voice Publication announcing my winning the grand prize!  Of course, it made me cry again. Hahahaha! Silly me! 😊 The arrival of the letter was like God saying to me, “Good job!”

GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US... watching over us and looking after our every need.

Thank you, Lord, for your love and your presence. 😊

OBJECTIONS are Welcome! :)

Stalled to do something that you should have done two days ago, a week ago, a month ago or even a year ago? 

Could it be because you are shy, or are scared to be laughed at or you are afraid that what you are about to deliver is not good enough?  Are you afraid of objections? 

Stop. Instead of thinking that what you will do or give is not good enough, think about WHAT BENEFIT IS THE OBJECTION GIVING YOU. :) Replace the negative thoughts of rejection with the benefit of what it will bring.

What you are giving may be liked or not liked.  But you'll only know the answer once you take action.  

Most of the time, your product or service is already good and will be pleasantly received.  It is already of great value that is why you thought of offering/giving it in the first place.  It’s just you who is delaying the action.  

If in case the result is an objection, again, think about what benefit is the objection giving you.  Learn and move on.  It can be an opportunity to improve your product or service or the objection may just be a redirection to a better deal.  Get done with it. 😊 Win-win! 😊

Here’s a quote from W. Clement Stone – the co-author of Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude

Success is achieved and maintained by those who try, and keep trying, for there is nothing to lose by trying and a great deal to gain if successful. By all means TRY!

Whether you are offering a product or a service, think about how others will benefit from it and how great it is that you will be able to help.  So, don’t be shy but be happy to deliver. Be a blessing. Take  action.

Special thanks to John R. Pagulayan of The Freelance Movement for the gist of these thoughts are my take-away from his talk today and for inspiring me to take action.  I hope it will have the same effect on you. 😊

Music Can Heal Us

Music can heal us. 

Yesterday, I was blessed to be present at The Feast Bay Area, AM Feast​ and have witnessed LaDonna Taylor play the violin.

I pray that you will receive the healing you need as you watch and listen to the sharing and music of LaDonna Taylor.  The key is to immerse in His glory. 

I believe that I was there to listen to her music yesterday so that I can share this with you today.  Be healed, in Jesus name.  Amen!

Choosing Blessing Over Misery

Just recently, a person I am dealing with broke the conditions of our agreement.  Not only once but in succession.  He did not keep his part of the agreement one condition after the other.

I kept quiet.  I reminded myself that everything is a blessing.   What good can come out of this situation?  What is God trying to teach me or show me? Surely, He has a great plan.

With that pause and thought, by God's grace, I was saved from diving into anger,  bitterness and misery. 

One by one, the blessings of the situation unfolded.  And so the saying goes, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.":

(1) I was given the opportunity to see how the other person thinks.  
 Were it not for the situation, I would have still believed that the person did not mean to do the wrong that he has previously done and was only forced to do it by the influence of the people around him; With the turn of events, I had the chance to assess that it was his preference not to honor our agreement.   Sad but true.

(2) I am thankful that I am the one who is in the position to understand and not the one to be understood.   
Seeking to understand another person opens a window for you to grow, to have a better perspective of where the person is coming from... Why they think that way?  A person may have done the wrong thing but  understanding will still make it easier for you to face the situation.

As for me, I was spared of feeling angry, bitter and miserable.  :)  Sometimes, just showing kindness to a person helps them realize their mistake without a need to go through a heated argument.

But ofcourse, it is still our responsibility to correct.  You also don't want the person to do the same thing to other people.  But at least, I hope with understanding, you'll be able to say it in a diplomatic way. :)  

(3) I was given an opportunity to exercise forgiveness.  

According to Dr. Wayne Dyer, "You practice forgiveness for two reasons:  to let others know that you no longer wish to be in a state of hostility with them and to free yourself from the self-defeating energy of resentment.  Send love in some form to those who have wronged you and notice how much better you feel."  

I did send love and I felt great and liberated! 

(4) Strengthed relationship between God, me and my husband.  

The situation only enabled me and my husband to work hand in hand in facing life's challenges and turn to God for help.  It became an opportunity for us to weigh what is more important to us.  We called on to God to enlighten us and to help us see things His way.  

At the end, you'll see that relationships are more important than money.  Money can't buy you peace.