Profiling Yourself (from 5 Leadership Essentials for Women by Linda Clark)

Price: P 250.00
ISBN: 978-971-0495-90-0


Description

By women and for women who lead, this book helps build fundamental skills for moving projects forward, leading others effectively, and achieving desired results. Women in leadership roles at home, at church, or at work will learn to master five key areas: group building, communication skills, relationship skills, conflict management, and time management.

Written with women’s needs specifically in mind, here is a book that will equip every woman to fully realize her leadership potential.

Includes discussion questions and learning exercises at the end of each chapter.

In the second chapter of the book which tackles Relationship Essentials, author Linda Clark emphasizes how important it is for women to look inward in defining herself so as to not be lost in the conflicting demands of the different roles a woman takes on. This is also important for women to be able to help the people in her life discover their own identities.

This is one of the exercises that she suggests, and this can be your starting point in “profiling” yourself

Fill in the blanks with the first thought that comes to mind.

1. When I was a child I always wanted to _______________________

2. My father and I _________________________

3. My mother and I ________________________

4. One thing I remember is __________________

5. If I could do anything I would ____________________________

6. One thing that makes me laugh is ___________________________

7. I get angry when  __________________________

8. I am impatient with ___________________________

9. Religion in my life is ____________________________

10. I love ________________________________

11. The thing I fear most is _____________________

12. I have fun when _______________________

13. Intimacy is _________________________

14. I hate ____________________________

15. Something that is important to me is __________________________

16. I laugh when ____________________________

17. I have the silly ability to _________________________

18. One thing I like about me is _________________________

19. One thing about me I would like to change is ___________________________

20. God is __________________________

21. My church is ________________________________

Your answers to these questions can give you a clearer picture of who you really are, if you answer it with honesty and much contemplation

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5 Leadership Essentials for Women is available at all OMF Lit Bookshops nationwide. Click here for a list of our bookshops.

Jumpstart a Kid’s Love for Reading this Summer

Kids won’t be intimidated by books if, as children’s book author, Robert Magnuson, shares,

“You start them really early. My love for reading began before I could even read. It started with the physical form of the book. Touching the cover, flipping through the pages, basically familiarizing and becoming comfortable with the book as an object for learning.”

This summer, parents can jumpstart their kids’ love for reading. For children ages 6 and below, Hiyas recommends easy-to-read books they’ll surely want to read over and over again:

 

The Great Duck and Crocodile Race (P150)

Duck and Croc want to race . . . and kids will keep guessing who wins first place. Written and illustrated by Robert Magnuson, this book was honored as One of the Best Reads in the 2012 National Children’s Book Awards.

Boom! Bang! Clang! (P150)

Written in Filipino by radio broadcaster Maloi Malibiran-Salumbides and illustrated by Robert Magnuson, two families of musical instruments clash and create loud, unbearable noise at Barrio Musika but soon learn the value of living in harmony.

Bee Polite (P150)

Buzzing with lessons on when to say “Thank you,” “Please,” and “Excuse me,” Dee the Bee shows that bee-ing polite can be fun and easy. Written by Joyce Piap-Go and illustrated by Maria Cristina Sison, Bee Polite is the second book in the Little Bee Book series.

Porcupirate Plans the Day (P150)

Porcupirate plans his days with all sorts of exciting adventures. But when things don’t go his way, he learns that the greatest adventures can be found where you least expect them. A rhyming read filled with colorful images, Porcupirate Plans the Day is written and illustrated by Robert Magnuson.

 

Parents play a vital role in helping kids enjoy reading. Robert Magnuson adds, “I buy my son all sorts of books appropriate for his age and make sure to read it with him. We read every night before bedtime. He’s three, so I read while doing a lot of word-pointing. As he becomes familiar with the book, I let him read some words . . . we literally end up reading together.”

 

All recommended books are available at OMF LIT Bookshop, PCBS, Powerbooks and National Book Store. Hiyas is the children’s book imprint of OMF Literature, the country’s leading Christian publisher. Visit www.omflit.com, for more details.

How to Incorporate Books and Reading Into Your Summer Vacation

Unless you’re not in the Philippines right now, it’s obvious to everyone that summer is already in full swing. Students are in vacation mode, office people are filing leaves to go out of town and families are planning reunions and beach get-aways.

It’s easy to be caught up in the excitement of planning all these activities. It’s also normal to get annoyed with the weather and the traffic and even the lack of holidays and vacation time for the working people. It’s equally common to get distracted and lose focus when your mind is daydreaming about surfing or climbing a mountain or lounging by a swimming pool.

And so we’d like to remind you, whether you’re at work or school or on vacation, to take some time to Pause, Read and Reflect. Here are a few suggestions on how you can still incorporate reading in the midst of everything.

 

 

Make a hopeful but realistic reading list

It’s easy to get caught up listing all the books that you want to read while on vacation, but just prioritize those that you’ve always wanted to read or the newest book from your favorite writer. That way, you can temper your reading expectations.

Go on a “book pilgrimage”

For those who are on vacation from school, or even those who took a few weeks off from work, you can go on a “pilgrimage” to places you normally can’t go to during your busy schedule: libraries, specialty bookshops, out of the way bargain bookstores. Oh and you might want to drop by any of our 10 OMF Lit Bookshops nationwide. We’d love to have you there!

Go outside and read a book

If you’re not on vacation and will be stuck in the metro during the entire summer vacation, don’t deprive yourself of a reading holiday. Go to a park during the weekend (Ayala Triangle, Parks and Wildlife, La Mesa Ecopark, etc) and bring a picnic basket and your favorite book.

 

Storytelling Hour

Are your kids getting a bit restless, waiting for the days until your family outing? Organize a once a week storytelling hour. Invite your neighbour’s kids. Make pre and post interactive storytelling activities. Serve small, yummy refreshments. Choose books that are fun but will also teach them life-long values. Your storytelling hour might just become the “it” activity in your neighbourhood.

Take a book break

Are you stressed out at work because you can’t take a vacation? Ease your stress by taking a book break during your breaks. Instead of an hour-long lunch, take 30 minutes to sneak in a few chapters of your current read. And during your coffee/merienda break, take a book with you to keep you company.

Maybe it’s time for book spring cleaning

Another thing that people usually do during summer is spring clean. Take a look at your personal library and if there are books that you want to “liberate”, you can hold a book sale or even just give them to friends who you know will enjoy them.

Share the love

If your books are getting a little lonely there on your shelves, why don’t you let other people temporarily enjoy them by opening up your library to trusted friends. Just make sure you keep track of who borrowed which book. Or you could also leave a book to “donate” to a random stranger in a coffee shop, a bench, on the bus or anywhere you feel that a fellow book lover would be.

Start a book blog

One of your projects this summer could also be starting or reviving your book blog! It would be great to share with the world your book reviews, how books changed your way of thinking or even your life. And if you want us to take a look at your book blog, just email us back a link and we’ll include you in our ever-growing list of book bloggers!

 

If you have any other suggestions, feel free to post in the comments section!

Life Revised Conversation: It’s Not About Winning All the Time

A life revised conversation with former beauty queen and TV and movie personality, Miriam Quiambao

After being crowned as the First Runner-up in the 1999 Miss Universe pageant, Miriam Quiambao was at the top of her game, becoming a household name and an inspiration to many Filipinos. But after a string of successes came a series of events that left her shattered. In this one-on-one conversation, Miriam Quiambao reveals how brokenness molded her into the woman God wanted her to be.

Q: Describe your life before knowing Jesus Christ.

Miriam: I grew up in a religious home, attended traditional schools and actively served in the church choir.  When I joined Bb. Pilipinas in 1999, I was also an active member of a charismatic group.  But when my boyfriend and I broke up, I distanced myself from the community and eventually got involved with new age groups. I moved further from God as I became more successful in showbiz.

When I was 28 years old, I married an agnostic Italian, travelled the world and lived the life most women could only dream of: I had a lovely house with a view of the Clear Water Bay, a nice car, expensive shoes and bags. I was also on my way to starting a trading business. However, on the second year of my marriage, I fell into depression and suffered from a lack of communication and emotional intimacy with my husband. Eventually, our marriage ended. But things did not change. I fell into depression once again and entertained suicidal thoughts. I wanted to get back on my feet and be successful in my showbiz career but nothing I did worked. To make matters worse, my real estate investments, in which I spent my life savings on, turned out to be scams. I was left with neither financial nor career security.  During this time, someone shared the Gospel with me and we prayed to receive Jesus in my heart as my Lord and Savior. Back then, I had no idea that my decision would change my life forever.

Q: What was your turning point?

Miriam: A few months later, I found myself in a showbiz controversy due to a bad decision I made in my career. This left me terribly disturbed. I was deeply confused, severely heartbroken and financially insecure. As I reflected on what was going on in my life, I finally decided to go back to the basics, back to Jesus Christ. Then and there, I prayed to know Jesus more. Soon after I ended my prayer, a friend of mine invited me to a Bible study via chat on Facebook and I readily agreed.

I appreciated how my friends from the Bible study group prayed for me. The more I got into God’s word, the more I saw how rotten my heart was and how gracious God is for sending Jesus Christ for my sins. From then on, I knew that was it. I let go of all my other gods and focused on Jesus Christ.

Q: How has knowing Christ changed you?

Miriam: It wasn’t overnight but gradually, my broken heart was completely healed, my mind was renewed and I came to know my identity in Christ. God also reminded me to honor, obey and respect my parents. He humbled me to eventually restore my relationship with them. When I did not have as much jobs on TV, God gave me the opportunity to take up real estate seminars and my partners and I created a company to recover our investment in 2009. As of this date, we have fully recovered our investment and our 24-unit apartment compound in Imus, Cavite is self-liquidating. My real estate investments sustain me and now I am into the build and sell business of houses. God honored my desire to still have exposure in showbiz and I still get offers to guest on TV and get roles in movies. Now, I also serve by hosting occasionally at the 700 Club. I now know what it is like to be complete in Christ and I continue to hold on to His promises that I will have my own family one day. In the meantime, I continue to serve God through various ministries. God is great and forever I will praise His name for healing me and completely restoring my life. All glory to Him!

 

 

The Risen Lord changed history and He can also change your story. Join the life revised conversations on Facebook: omfliterature and Twitter: @omflit this Lent.

Has the Lord transformed your life? Share your life revised story with us at digital@omflit.com

A Life Revised: Saved from Suicide (guest post by Mich Mabuti)

Saved from Suicide

A life revised story

By Mich Mabuti

Mylene Delen placed all her hopes in her achievements but when she could no longer live up to people’s expectations, she thought of ending her life. Confronted with a picture of God’s love, Mhye learns a lesson that forever gives her hope. In this life revised story, Mhye shares what she has learned since the day she nearly gave up on life.

A Longing for More

Mhye grew up in a religious home. Although she went to church regularly as a young child, she struggled with a longing she could not explain.  When she was ten, she attended a Bible study in her aunt’s house. It turned out to be a memorable experience where she found joy in worshipping God and listening to His Word. She felt that God was offering her friendship and that it was the answer to what she had been longing for.  Soon after, she asked Jesus Christ to come into her life.

From Secure to Insecure

Mylene’s faith journey was tested when she entered college at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños. Overwhelmed with pressure, she thought she could not measure up to the high standards of the university. Mylene shares, “I struggled on my own. Back in elementary and high school, I was used to being loved as Mylene — the consistent valedictorian; I was afraid of failing people’s expectations. What if I failed? What if my grades were low? My mind was flooded with insecurities.”

Soon, her grade-consciousness led to depression. Haunted by her fear of failure, she thought of committing suicide. “The enemy kept on deceiving me, telling me that if I ended my life, I wouldn’t have to face failure. Instead of failing, I could give up on life,” she recalled.

Saved from Suicide

That dark moment arrived when Mhye decided to take her own life. She prepared to jump off a bridge when God suddenly touched her heart and spoke to her. “It was God and His grace that stopped me. Instead of jumping off the bridge, He allowed me to appreciate the beauty of His creation. It was so refreshing to witness the beauty of life from the top of the bridge. Seeing how deep the fall was from the bridge only seemed to remind me of the depth of God’s love. God is so good . . . . affirming me of His unchanging love, grace, forgiveness, and acceptance and turning my eyes to the beauty of life that is in Him,” Mhye recounts. The incident became a turning point for Mhye as she discovered God’s great love for her.

Later, Mhye found herself part of a spiritual family inside the university through Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC). Deeply encouraged, her desire to know God and to serve Him intensified. She was burdened for her fellow students who were also battling their own insecurities and were looking to good grades, recognition and relationships for significance. Mhye adds, “I can see all the more how the world is in need of Jesus; He who transformed me from the inside out is the only one who can change the hearts of people.”

The Transition

After graduating in 2011, Mhye found her calling, reaching out to college students as a campus missionary.  Today, she helps students know more about God and how they can have a meaningful relationship with Him.

Mhye affirms that surrendering her life to Christ was the best decision she had ever made. From being insecure, she became secure in Christ. She moved from being “grade-conscious” to grace-conscious. From hopeless to hopeful.

It is clear from Mhye’s story that the approval we search for can only be found through knowing that God accepts us wholeheartedly. Not because of our accomplishments but because He loves us beyond our abilities. Truly, He is the only source of renewed life through the riches of his mercy, grace and love.

Life Revised Conversations: It’s Not About What’s-in-it-for-me

A life revised conversation with Author, Ardy Roberto

Known as an in-demand speaker, award winning entrepreneur and best-selling author, Ardy Roberto shares how he was once a self-focused businessman until God humbled him and changed his life.

Q:  What was life like before knowing Jesus?

Ardy: Before my late wife, Tingting, led me to Christ through her prayers and her bringing me to a Bible study where the good news was shared, I was a confused, ambitious person who did not think twice about lying and deceiving people for gain. I hid under a mask of supposed gentlemanliness and kindness but I embraced the philosophy that it was okay to cheat on or have multiple relationships and affairs as long as you didn’t get caught or as long as it didn’t hurt anyone. I bought into the lifestyle that the “head deceiver” wanted me to buy into: worldliness and “what’s-in-it-for-me”?

Q:  What was your turning point?

Ardy: My wife, who was then my fiancee, told me that she was going to a Bible study. At that time, I was depressed about a major business failure. But right before she walked through the door of my flat and said that she was leaving (for the bible study), I had prayed to the Lord in desperation: “God, if you’re real–please lift up and take out this heavy burden on my chest.” And just like that — like a gust of wind lifting up a kite — the burden was lifted and gone! And then Tingting walked in, as if on cue, and “invited” me to the Bible study. I told her I would go with her and at that Bible study, God’s words and promise became alive. I prayed to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and then the miracles of change started to happen.

Q:  How has knowing Christ changed you?

Ardy: Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. A total transformation of the heart. I could not swear or cuss, or lie. That was the immediate change. Then I started having the power to obey and have faith in God’s promises. My life has been a blessed one. And even if my beloved wife, my Swato (SWeet PotaTO) passed away recently last January 5th, the grace of God has been enough to sustain me. I’ve been grieving, but I see God grieving with me as I weep. I am moving from mourning to dancing, from grief to joy, and the Lord is there with me and my Joshy Boy (now 5 yrs old) every step of the way.

 

 

The Risen Lord changed history and He can also change your story. Join the life revised conversations on Facebook: omfliterature and Twitter: @omflit this Lent.

Has the Lord transformed your life? Share your life revised story with us at digital@omflit.com

Life Revised Conversations: It’s Not About Having It All

Ru dela Torre was the cool guy who had everything – women, money, success. But one day, he lost everything. In this one-on-one interview, Ru dela Torre recalls his journey to true significance and how he found his greatest need in Jesus.

Q: What was life like before knowing Jesus?

Ru: I used to live life according to the world’s standards. I was consumed with what our culture dictated as the normal life. I used to believe that one’s goal in life was simply to:

• Excel in school. Graduate with honors. Get good grades and have a better shot at landing a job in the future.
• Have girlfriends in order to get “in” the boys’ club. The “more the merrier” meant me getting the thumbs up sign from my best buds.
• Have a car. Have a house. Get a wife. Have kids. Have grandchildren. Then die.

And I was well on my way to becoming all these.  I thought I was the luckiest guy in the world because I had the following at age 24: 23 ex girlfriends, 1 hottie girlfriend, a cum laude medal from the University of Santo Tomas and a silver medal from Ateneo de Manila for my Master’s Degree in Business Administration, 1 super black sporty car, 1 fat bank account, 1 thriving business and a good paying job. And an ego as huge as the Titanic.

But all of these were not enough. I was constantly looking for the next high. I was unsatisfied . . . unfulfilled. I was bored.

 

Q: How did things change?

Ru: In January 2004, I lost my business, my job and my girlfriend in three consecutive weeks. I was shattered. I was lost . . . depressed. I didn’t know what to do. From lucky, I became a loser. Until I found Christ. When I saw what Christ did for me at the cross, I realized His great love for me. This love made me understand that Jesus is worth my all. He gave His best first. He loved first. And I wanted to give him my life too. So that day, I surrendered and gave my life to Him.

I found a new identity. From loser, I came to know that I am loved by God.

 

Q: How has knowing Christ altered your life?

Ru: From a self-centered, egocentric life, I prayed to God for a God-centered, purpose-driven life. I wanted to use my talents, my resources, my gifts and my life to serve and glorify him. That’s why I sought for a lot of grace to obey and honor Him.

In February 2004, just a-month-old Christian, God asked me to share to some 40 young people about my decision to seek God with all I’ve got that year. I opted to abstain from having a girlfriend and I signed a contract called the Manifesto with God. That day, 90% of the crowd signed too.

In 2006 it evolved into a movement, as churches and schools started inviting us to share with them this wonderful contract. In 2007, we were able to reach (by God’s grace) some 12,000 young people. This paved the way for us to be hailed as a national finalist to the 2007 TAYO (Ten Outstanding Youth Organizations).

Today, the movement lives on. And thousands more are making the commitment to stay pure and put God first in their lives. An estimated 500,000 young people all across the nation have heard about the movement, and a good percentage of them signed up for the covenant.

I became a youth pastor in 2005 and the Lord also used me to write books. I’ve written four books: A Date with The One, Road Trip, Back on Track and Refuel.

Now, I’m living my best life. Truly, I found life when I found Christ.

 

The Risen Lord changed history and He can also change your story. Join the life revised conversations this Lent on Facebook: omfliterature and Twitter: @omflit using #liferevised.

 

Has the Lord transformed your life? Share your life revised story with us at digital@omflit.com

 

Bagged Saturday (from Refuel by Ru dela Torre)

For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now.

Today is the day of salvation.

2 Corinthians 6:2-3 [NLT]

 

One Saturday afternoon, I went to the youth service bringing two big bags. Here are the contents of the bags:

Blue bag – All my clothes for the past week due for washing. One word: laundry. Some were seven days old. It should’ve been brought to the cleaners, but I opted to carry them that day.

Black bag – This one’s my sports bag. It had my clothes for the next day’s worship church service (jeans and long-sleeved polo) plus my basketball uniform and rubber shoes that I was to use in the Sunday afternoon’s ballgame.

While I carried both of them, I felt their weight. The crowd whom I was preaching to was probably thinking I was nuts. I was an eyesore. In their heads, they’re probably asking, “Why’s he bringing his laundry bag and sports bag in preaching?”

I then made my point: What usually gives us unnecessary stress and unwanted heaviness in the NOW are the unwanted baggage of the past and excess luggage of future.

Dwell in the pains of the past, and you become a prisoner of depression. Just like my laundry bag, what’s in the painful past is usually smelly and dirty. And whenever we entrap ourselves in thinking about bad memories of offenses and bitterness, we are not able to nourish what God is doing in the present. God brings good news when He said in Isaiah 43:18-19a (GNT),

 

“Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already you can see it now!”

 

A similar principle holds true when we carry the worries of the future today. Just like the stuff in my sports bag, I did not need to bring all of it until tomorrow. And sometimes in life, what pushes us to anxiety are the worries we have about tomorrow. Lord Jesus says we have to learn to live in the NOW when He said,

 

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

Matthew 6:34 [MSG]

 

Do you know that the word now appears more than 1,200 times in one translation of the Bible? It’s actually enough to remind us three times a day for an entire year that God wants us to enjoy what He is doing in the NOWs of our lives.

 

Jesus, when He taught us to pray the Lord’s Prayer, said, “Give us today our daily bread …”# Notice that He didn’t tell us to ask for tomorrow’s bread or for yesterday’s bread. He instructed us to pray for today’s bread and needs.

There are a lot of things that God is doing in the present. Let go of the bad things of the past and the unnecessary worries of the future and focus on the NOW.

Cherish your relationships today. Seize the godly opportunities to do good that God allows for your life today. Feel at peace knowing that God has given you enough strength to overcome today’s hurdles and He will give you another bucket of strength to do the same for tomorrow’s challenges.

Get rid of the someday syndrome. Drop the laundry bag of the past. Drop the sports bag filled with tomorrows needs. Change for the better now. Start serving God today. Right now is the best time to start pleasing God.

 

ONE ON ONE WITH GOD

Dear Jesus, today I’m choosing to let go of my unwanted baggage. Help me to let go of the pains of the past. And help me, too, to free myself from worrying about what’s gonna happen tomorrow. Instead Lord, teach me to appreciate today and what You are doing now. Guide me so I won’t miss out on the beauty of the present. As I do this, I know You are relieving me from a lot of stress and anxiety. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

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First, you went on a road trip. Along the way, you got lost and had to steer your life back on track. Now your tank is running low on gas. You need a fresh infusion of wisdom and inspiration.

You need to REFUEL

In Ru dela Torre’s 3rd book with OMF Literature, he shares a mix of personal reflections and devotional entries or “reflectio-devos” to energize you while you’re spending quiet times with God

Saved to Worship (from Worship by John MacArthur)

Worship is not optional. In Matthew 4:10, in response to Satan’s temptation, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:13: “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” In saying that to Satan, He swept into the command every being ever created. All are responsible to worship God.

The foundation upon which true worship is based its redemption. The supreme objective in the salvation of sinners is an eternal display of the glory of God: “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). Worship, of course, not only magnifies God’s glory; it is our only fitting response – “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:6). So in the grand scheme of redemption, one of the principal things God is doing is transforming sinners into worshippers.

Jesus said that the Son of man came into the world “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). In John 4 He reveals the purpose for His seeking: “For such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers” (v. 23). The Father sent Christ to seek and save, for the specific purpose of producing worshipping people.

…the supreme motive in our redemption is not for us to receive anything. Rather we have been redeemed so that God may receive worship – so that our lives might glorify Him.

That certainly does not mean there is no blessing in salvation for the believer. There is much. And there is a place for holding on to the hem of His garment and refusing to let go until He blesses us. But such blessings are an additional benefit – not the ultimate purpose. We are to seek to glorify God before we seek to gain anything from Him.

…So a Christian is a worshipper of God. He is not as preoccupied with what he gets as with what he gives. He is not just seeking a blessing. He is offering to God a sacrifice – the sacrifice of sharing, of doing righteously, and of praise. The basis for worship, the key that unlocks the door and makes worship possible and transforms an unacceptable  worshipper into an acceptable worshipper, is salvation.

If you are redeemed and you aren’t now worshipping acceptably, you deny that very thing for which you were redeemed. Face the questions: Do you worship God? Is it a way of life for you? Scripture calls for worship; destiny calls for worship; eternity calls for worship; the angels call for worship. Our Lord commands it.

Are you a true worshipper?

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John McArthur leads you in a clear discovery of Bible passages on whom and how to worship. You will learn that worship is any essential expression of service rendered unto God by a soul who loves and extols Him for who He is. Therefore, real worship should be the full-time, nonstop activity of every believer.

Life Revised Conversations: It’s Not About Being Good on the Surface

A life revised conversation with Author and Missionary, Andy Smith

Although religious as a child, Andy Smith felt like there was something missing in his life during his teen years. In this one-on-one interview, he recounts his journey towards knowing God in a personal way and how it transformed him from the inside-out. Today, he serves as an OMF International missionary and plants churches in Albay.

Q: What was life like before knowing Jesus?

Andy: I grew up in a large family.  My first goal was to please my parents.  Since they stressed morality and good deeds, I tried to be moral and to help others.  We were faithful members of a certain church.  The message I heard it preach was about earning salvation.  So, it also urged me to be good.

On the surface, I appeared to be very good.  But in my heart, I knew otherwise.  I helped others for my own sake.  I did it so that others would praise me.

In my teen years, I became restless.  Two things shook my foundations.  First, science could not answer life’s biggest questions such as “Where did we come from?” and “What is the purpose of life?”  Second, although people loved me, I hungered to experience a deeper love.

Q: How did things change?

Andy: In my last year of high school, a friend invited me to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting.  Thinking I was a Christian and being an athlete, I thought I would fit well in such a group.  I was wrong.  The others knew how to worship God and gain wisdom from the Bible.

After the meeting, I mentioned my observations to my friend.  He replied, “Andy, you know a lot about Jesus, but you don’t know Him.”

I returned home and meditated on his statement.  After several hours, it struck me.  I had considered Jesus just another historical figure.  But if He really is God, then He is alive now and forevermore, and therefore He can be known.  I wept in repentance.  Then I asked God to let me get to know Him through Jesus Christ.

The next day, I went to school.  We had a classmate that everyone avoided.  When I saw her, a love for her filled my heart.  I froze in shock and processed what was happening.  Not only did God love me deeply, but He also gave me a deep love for others, including the unlovely.

Q: How has knowing Christ altered your life?

Andy: Since then, God has enabled me to serve others for their sake and in joyful obedience to Him.  Further, He has taught me much from His Word.  As a result, He has answered many of my biggest questions.  I now know that He is the Creator.  I have discovered that the purpose of life is to glorify Him, primarily by being the Church and by making disciples.  That knowledge has fixed the priorities for my life, first as a student, then as a working person, and now as a missionary.  It helps me choose the best activities from a large number of good options.

By grace, God continues to transform me.  I used to exaggerate to get attention.  Since His love for me meets my need for attention, I now tell the truth.  Much of my time used to go to playing sports.  But He disciplined me, leading to a significant injury.  Most of my energy now goes to serving others.  Meeting goals used to be my passion.  He has made me more balanced.  Although I still work towards goals, I now do so in ways that show my respect for people.

I am not the person I used to be.  I have not yet become all that God wants me to be.  But He has promised to keep making me more like Jesus.  I only hope that I remain like clay in His hand, being molded into His desire.

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