Why?

Welcome to our new series!

If you have questions about your faith, you’ve made the right decision to attend today!
When I was young, I used to think it was wrong to question God.
I thought it was a form of doubt.

I thought faith meant you have to believe everything.
Later on I found out from my Theology professors that
it’s not only our right to question and challenge our faith, it’s our responsibility as Catholics.
Because it’s only when our faith is challenged that it becomes stronger.

If we don’t question our faith, someone else will.
And we may not be ready with the answers.
So we might as well ask the tough questions on our own so that we can share them with others. Makes sense?
That’s why we’re having this series.
Every week I’ll be sharing an insight in my message to kick start the discussion.

Today I’d like to talk about the birthday celebrant — Mama Mary.
A lot of people ask why we have images of her and why we worship her.

Well, the answer iswe don’t worship her. We honor her.
We honor her for being chosen by God to bear such a big responsibility in our salvation history. We honor her for the shame and inconvenience she underwent in carrying out this mission. We honor her for being a model of obedience and trust.
Do we overdo it sometimes? Yes. When we put our faith in her instead of God.
For example, we can tend to forget that God is the ultimate source of healing.
He may choose to channel this through power through someone, but we need to be aware of the source. It’s always and will always be Him.

We have statues and images of Mama Mary for the same reason we have pictures of our loved ones in our wallets.

We don’t worship them, do we?
We just want to be reminded of their presence in our life. We thank God for them each time we see their faces.

Same with our Blessed Mother.
Look forward to the answers to questions like these and more in the next four weeks. That’s more than enough reason for you not to complete the series!
Get ready to be enlightened and empowered!

In Him,
GEORGE GABRIEL

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The Power of Praise

Today we’re talking about triumph.

If you look in the Bible, most of the battles won by God’s chosen people were won through the power of prayer and praise.

King Jehosaphat won the battle against three armies by placing his singers at the front line to sing praises even before the battle began.

Joshua conquered the city of Jericho by lifting up a joyful shout unto God that made the walls come tumbling down.

Joseph the dream interpreter sang worship songs to God while he was in prison until he was finally set free.

There is power in prayer.
There is power in praise.
There is power in worship.

Are you facing an enemy in your life today?
Are you up against an army of problems?
Are you in a prison of addiction or debt?
I invite you to praise your way to victory.
I want us to sing our lungs out dry.
I want us to dance and jump until our legs give way.

I want us to raise our hands, palms up, as if we were pushing the roof off.

And together, let’s experience the miracle working power of God in this place.

In Him,
George Gabriel

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God Hears Your Every Prayer*

LUNCH BREAK. We were on a road trip. I wasn’t happy with the food I ordered. I expected it to have more veggies.

My brother-in-law, Louie, asked me in a concerned tone, “You don’t like your food, George?” I answered, “It’s all right. But I was hoping for some broccoli.”

That evening, about seven hours later, we had dinner in a Chinese restaurant. While I was having my meal, two chopsticks suddenly appeared in front of me. It was Louie, handing me a piece of broccoli. He said, “Here, George, you mentioned earlier you wanted some.”
That’s Louie. So thoughtful. He remembers everything.

So does God.

When I was a junior in college, I underwent on-the-job training at a well-established advertising agency. I became part of the creative team as a copywriter. I got to familiarize myself with everyone’s role. I discovered I didn’t want to be just a copywriter. Too monotonous. I didn’t see myself as a visualizer (artist), either. I was good at drawing but maybe not good enough. But one job did interest me — the job of the creative director. Every time he met our team, I listened and observed. I loved his job. He gave the vision and also put things together.

I found his job so exciting. And at some point, I whispered to myself, “I want to be a creative director someday.”

God heard me say that. And He remembered it.

Thirteen years later, I found myself holding that very title. But not just any creative director. I had become creative director of the Media Ministry of Bo. Sanchez, my idol. That part, I never imagined God hears your prayers, no matter how softly you whisper them. Even if you don’t ask Him directly. Even if you justsigh your prayers out, not thinking that anyone heard them.

So be careful what you pray for.

You’re bound to get it.

In Him,


GEORGE GABRIEL
*An excerpt from George Gabriel’s next book, launching this October.

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Pride or Prize

IT was right there in front of me.

A lone piece of paper in the middle of the floor.

But I didn’t pick it up.

Why?

Because I was conscious of what people might say.

I didn’t want to look like a prude.

When I look back at it, I realize, what did I have to lose?

So what if people thought I was a prude?

So what if they laughed at me?

At least that would’ve been one less piece of trash left in the open. This was small-scale situation, but the same principles are applied.

What if it was about someone dumping trash in the river and I had the chance to tell that someone off?

What if it was a matter of graft and corruption?

What if it involved saving someone’s life?

I focused on my pride instead of the prize.

The prize would have been helping others.

Pride would be only thinking of our self — our image, our reputation, the way we look in front of others and what they will say about us.

But think about it: Can what others think of us really hurt us?

So why do we get so caught up with it?

I don’t say this from a standpoint of righteousness.

Like I said, I have been and am still guilty of this many times.

But each time I’m confronted with an opportunity to make a difference, I try my best to think not about my reputation but what will come out of it.

Imagine if everyone put aside their pride for the sake of others.

This country would probably be rid of a lot of its problems.

At the end of the day, helping others is the most important thing in the world.

Because that’s what love in action is all about.

In Him,
GEORGE GABRIEL

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Tough Love

MOST of my friends know that my love language is words.

I’m very particular and sensitive about how words are chosen and spoken.

I try as much as possible to be very careful with how I tell people things.

But to be honest, sometimes the people pleaser in me can mince words. And there have been times I’ve been guilty of walking away from someone without telling that person the whole truth or at least the hard truth.

I’m not proud of those times and I try my best now to always speak the truth in love.

But there are certain people in my life (thank God for them) who don’t mince words with me.

Who don’t sugar coat their correction. Who don’t spare me the pain of the truth for the sake of caring for me with tough love.

These people, I consider to be true and genuine.

If not for them, I would still be blind to some of my faults.

This is just one aspect of pakikisama that can be ugly. When we don’t tell the whole truth because we’re being careful about the relationship we have with that person.But when we really care about someone, shouldn’t we want them on the side of the truth?

That’s what we’re talking about today.

Conviction.

As you wait for us to begin, I invite you to think about the times when you stood up for the truth despite what it would cost you.

For each of those times, I pat you on the back and say, “Good job.” The ability to stand firm on our convictions is in all of us.

Let’s ask God to bring it out even more through today’s message.

Have a great time!

In Him,

GEORGE GABRIEL

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I'm an American citizen.

My mom went to New York to undergo her pediatric residency after she graduated from her medical internship here in Manila.

My dad followed her a few months after. There, all three of us siblings were born.

I now carry a blue passport. It’s a privilege I’m very thankful for.

My wife, Dinah, went to New Zealand a few months after graduating from college to take up a second degree in fashion design.

Three years after, she was granted her citizenship.

She’s now a Kiwi.

In the future, our kids will have the precious option of choosing between U.S. or N.Z. citizenship.

What a privilege indeed. Despite our foreign citizenships, however, whenever someone asks my wife or me what’s our nationality, it’s automatic for us to say “Filipino”.

Even when I’m in the U.S., I don’t tell people I’m American. I say, “I was born in New York” and let them conclude that I’m a citizen.

But nothing will take away the fact that I’m a Filipino — no matter what my passport says.

All that said, before I am a citizen of this great country, I am first and foremost a citizen of heaven.

Born from the very heart of God, a product of His love, a masterpiece design  by His own hand.

You are, too. And even if every now and then we choose to reside in sin, travel astray or even migrate to other gods, nothing can take away the fact that we are His children. Not a few have given the term “Filipino” a negative connotation. All sorts of preconceived notions come along with this identity. But deep within, I believe the Filipino is great.

Because every Filipino is first and foremost a child of God.

We have a great Father. We just have to strive to be like Him.

I hope and pray this new series will help you do just that.

And if you attend faithfully and consistently this month, I believe you will walk away with a renewed sense of pride and desire to bring out and sing about your true magnificence.

Are you ready?

Handa… awit!

In Him,
GEORGE GABRIEL

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Be In Control

I made a simple resolution this year: TO BE IN CONTROL.

I realized that for most of my life I’ve been a blamer.
“It was traffic.”
“I woke up late.”
“He’s not doing his job right.”
“I don’t have time.”
“The car in front of me stopped abruptly.”
“She’s being difficult.” (Not about my wife, I promise!)

Yes, these are the statements that have made their home at the tip of my tongue.
Unknowingly, I’ve lived by the mantra of a victim.

A friend of mine taught me a simple principle in life: When something goes wrong, or when you get reprimanded for something, before pointing a finger, ask yourself, “What could I have done to avoid that mistake?” More often than not, there’s an answer to that question.

I decided at the start of this year that I would live deliberately. Wake up early. Get ahead. Anticipate. Plan ahead. Take action. Do what I say I will do. Make time. Point is, I call the shots. I’ve decided to no longer be a victim of circumstance.

So far I’ve been successful. And it’s been blissful. The more I taste it, the more I want this kind of life.

If any of the statements above are familiar to you, fret not — today we can begin a new way of living. And it starts one day at a time.

Be in control.
Take charge.
Live deliberately.
Ready? Set? Go

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My 2011

Just to give you an idea of how blessed I was the past year:

I ticked off dream #7 on my Novena to God’s Love — marry Dinah Chikiamco, the girl of my dreams. Almost all the people we loved were present on this
most important day of our lives. Many of them said it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. Well, for me, it was — because I spent it
holding the hand and looking the face of the most beautiful woman in the world.

We found a place to stay within our budget.

We had an awesome honeymoon in Phuket and Bangkok.

I went on several other outings to various beautiful places with my immediate family, my in-laws and close family friends.

The Feast BGC was born.

I conquered several fears and made numerous breakthroughs.

I forged new and meaningful friendships.

My book, Love Life, won the Cardinal Sin Book Award for Best Youth and Children’s Book at the 33rd Catholic Mass Media Awards. (Grab a copy. It's still available.)

I directed Kerygma Conference in Manila and Davao.

I directed my first concert for another community.

I got to perform several times with my contemporary Christian band, Zach’s Tree, at the Feast BGC and in various FiSH magazine subscriber schools.

My wife and I spent the last weekend of the year in a hotel room — just the two of us.

This is actually the short list.
I could go on and on.

You could, too, if you did the same.

Have you made your blessing list?
Write one as soon as you can.
Hold it close to your heart.
Say a prayer of thanksgiving.
And know that God has every intention to make this coming year even better.

Welcome back to the Feast BGC!
Are you ready to feed your soul again?
Happy, happy new year.

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The Word Made Flesh

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series thus far.
At the beginning, I promised you that if you
attended faithfully and put what we talk about into practice, you would find a new you by the end of the series.

I’d like to encourage you, though, that transformation is a process. We begin with the spiritual then it is seen in the natural. The change inside of us is never complete until it manifests itself in our actions.

John Maxwell once said in one of his many
seminars: “I don’t practice what I preach. I preach what I practice.” How interesting. How true. How challenging.

Our main reading for today says that in the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was made flesh. We began our series with thinking God’s thoughts. And what we think, we say. That’s the easy part. It comes naturally. Almost reflex. But do we do what we say?

If someone tells you they love you over and over again but you don’t see it in their actions, wouldn’t you be frustrated? Wouldn’t you look for some concrete proof of their words?

God didn’t stop at saying stuff.
He incarnated His Word so that we could see what He really meant.
He didn’t just give us a set of instructions.
He showed us how it’s done.
If we follow Him, His Word comes alive in us.

Welcome to a new you.
Have a great time today.

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Speak Life

Hello from Davao!

I’m spending the weekend here directing the local Kerygma Conference.
I’ll be missing all of you today, but I know you’ll be inspired by our guest preacher.
He’s a passionate brother who has been serving the Lord since his youth.
I know you’ll be blessed by God’s message through Him.

Today you’ll hear about the different kinds of words that we use and the different effects they have on our lives and in the lives of others.
My simple question to you is this: What kind of life do you want to have?
Last week we learned that the quality of our life is greatly dependent on the thoughts we think.
Today you’ll learn that it also has a lot to do with the words we speak.
You know the old saying, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all?”
I often wonder if it has Biblical origin.
Because there are over 3,000 promises found in God’s Word — all if them
declaring that you would have a wonderful life. Isn’t that great to hear?
Come to think of it, do you ever get excited for bad news? I doubt it.
Today I have good news for you: You can live a fabulous life. You can reach your
dreams. You can be an inspiration and a blessing to others.
It begins with our thoughts, then with our words.

Speak blessing.
Speak His promises.
Speak praise to others and declare the goodness God has placed in them.
God’s Word is powerful — and even more powerful when we confess it.

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Change your mind

Welcome to our brand new series, TRANSFORMATION!

Over the next four weeks we’ll be allowing God to change us from the inside out. And it all begins with the renewal of our mind. Our mind is the gateway to our being.

Studies have shown that some people actually grow different kinds of hair on their arms just because they really believe that are different people.

Imagine that power if it were harnessed for the good of your future? I believe we are a product of who we say we are to ourselves every single day.

Things I used to (and occasionally still do) call myself:
Unproductive.
Inefficient.
Bad at management.
Lazy.
Insensitive.
Jerk.
Failure.

Now, some of these things may have been true, but that’s not the point. Because our future begins now. This second.
Whatever we decide to be this moment, we can be.
It may not happen right away, but we can step on the path that leads toward it with a mere change of perspective.

Remember, what you focus on grows.
What we repeat to ourselves, we become.
Ever since I changed my mind about who I am and what I can be, I started becoming the person I wanted to be instead of the person I settle to be. I firmly believe that within us is the potential to be whatever we want to be if we believe
we can be. (To be or not to be… that’s a lot of “Be”s J)

So, have you failed?
Do you feel you’re not good enough?
Do you think you’re doomed by your weaknesses and shortcomings?
Change your mind.
Your future begins right now.
And it can be really bright… as long as you believe.

Have a great time today.

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Peace Pays Off

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series as much as I have.
This last happytude, “Be Peaceful,” has ministered to me so much.
God has revealed so many things to me over the past few weeks that we’ve beendiscussing it.

I realized that for many, many years of my life, I wasn’t a peacemaker.
I was a peacebreaker.
I sweat the small stuff.
I fought over petty matters.
I judged people harshly.
I insisted I always knew best and forced others do things my way.
I tried to control people.
And because of this, I didn’t have peace inside of me.
So I couldn’t give that peace away.

The main thing I’ve discovered: People are more important than anything.
When you focus on people — seeing God in them, understanding them, accepting them, loving them — you become happier.
It’s just the way it is.
But just like the thrill you get from a roller coaster ride, you only discover how
great it makes you feel when you actually do it.
And believe me, it really pays off to be peaceful.
I’m so, so, so much happier than I used to be.

So, I pray that God would give all of us the grace to apply what we’ve learned in
the past few weeks.
Because He wants us to be happy.
Don’t you?

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Never Changing

My late grandmother was a creature of habit.
I would drive her to her house in Quezon city and we would take the same route every single time — for about 10 years. And if ever I did deviate from the usual path, she would react vehemently. She didn’t like change.

In a manner of speaking, God is like that, too.
With all the things that happen to us, He remains constant.
No matter how your sky looks like in the morning, rest assured that God is still sitting on His throne. Even if you’re going through the worst trial right now, God hasn’t forgotten about you. He never changes.

This is why we have hope.
Because the God that rescued you from that awful, awful problem in your life some years ago — the one you thought you’d never survive — is the same God yesterday, today and forever.

So close your eyes for a moment and think about all the time that God loved you, provided for you, healed you, delivered you, embraced and comforted you.

Trust that He will do the same again and again and again. This is why even when the answers haven’t come yet, event when we haven’t been healed, even when we’re still aching and bleeding, we can choose to be happy.

Not because we’ve already received what we want — but because we know our God has only the best in store for us. When we receive it and in what shape or form is up to Him because He knows best.
In the meantime, we hold on to our hope that never ends.

Our God is a creature of habit. It’s His habit to bless you.

It’s happy time!

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Have a HAPPYTUDE

Happytude.
Happy-tude.
Happy-Attitude.

When my wife and I got married, I had one simple request – every morning before we get up from bed, I wanted us to start the day with a smile, a hug and praises to God for His goodness. Yes, even before we get into traffic, ramble off the things we need to accomplish or achieve, or even before we face our anticipated busy day - we already decide to be happy.

A lot of us think that happiness is getting what we want. “And if I just got that thing that I want… I will be happy.” Or “If only things will go as how I planned it… I will be happy.”

The problem there is, our earthly desires will never end, and another problem is that we don’t always get what we want at the exact time we want it. Therefore, if our happiness is based on this, a lot of us might as well be domed to sadness.

So, let me tell you a secret: Happiness is an attitude not a result.

Don’t wait for that promotion to be happy.
Don’t wait for that bag, or shoe, or shirt to be happy.
Don’t wait for that handsome guy or pretty girl to be happy.
Don’t wait for that new car or house and lot to be happy.

You can decide to be happy now.
And believe me, that decision really does result in an awesome life.

Over the next four weeks, we will learn the secrets of happiness: being open,
hopeful, pure and peaceful. I promise you, if you embrace these four attitudes,
you’ll be living awesomely by the end of this series.

Have a great time today!

George Tolentino Gabriel
BGC Feast Builder

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