Let’s connect!

I was privileged to speak at Pastor Joey Bonifacio’s Philippine book launch at Fully Booked Bookstore.  His book The Lego Principle is published by Charisma House and has sold over 7,500 copies in just two weeks when it was launched in the United States.  The book talks about how it is important to connect to God, which enables us to connect to others.  He tackles the importance of discipleship or mentoring and pouring out one’s life to another, which Jesus used as a powerful tool in equipping His 12 disciples to spread His message all over the world.  Bonifacio talks about being able to pour out to others when we are connected to God because He becomes our source of life and therefore allows us to pour out to others.

As I speak to many parents, I have found that they have been trapped as I have been in the past into thinking that we should put our family first and ourselves last.  Though it seems like a heroic thing to do, it actually is impractical as we are more useful to our family when we are nourished and strong.  I am reminded of safety musts before flying, wherein the flight attendant emphasizes the need to put on the adult’s oxygen mask first before putting it on a child.  It makes so much sense to be equipped first to be able to rescue a child and not vice versa.

The Lego principle talks about building blocks that are vital to connecting with other people:

•  Forgiveness. The author shares a lot of his personal experiences, most especially about his family and in this case cites having made mistakes as a parent and humbly asking his children forgiveness, which enables him to connect even deeper with them.

• Trust.  At the launch, Pastor Joey publicly honored his parents and thanked them for putting up with him all these years.  I guess it is from that same foundation that he is able to also support and trust God for his own son David to do mission work in Khabul, Pakistan.  It was a difficult decision to make as he was very concerned about the safety of his son, but he knew it was the right thing to do and it turned out to be a very successful trip as well.

• Love. The author talks about love and points out that it is a person and its name is God.  His love is real because He gave what was most valuable to him for our benefit and that is through his son Jesus.

• Communication. This is a key to delivering your message and creating an impact on the person you are trying to connect to.  At one point in the launch, Pastor Joey had to hold back his tears when he started talking about his wife Marie.  They have been married for 30+ years and he has so much to be thankful for in her.  Together, they have raised three boys who have been making a significant contribution to society.  Pastor Joey shared that as a young father, he knew he needed God because he knew he would be able to sustain keeping a family together but changes were needed as his former ways were not going to cultivate a happy family.  That was when his life changed and he drank from the teaching and mentoring of Pastor Steve Murrell, founder of the Victory Christian Fellowship in the Philippines.

The book is written by a pastor but applies to all and Pastor Joey’s style is conversational it is like listening to him speak from the pulpit. I ended my speech with this prayer, which I always pray, especially when my children win in their races:

Pastor Joey, now that you are an international sensation (he hates being referred to as this, but hey, this is true), I pray that you will continue to keep your feet on the ground and keep your heart in check as we know the enemy is not pleased.  Never mind him — we are all here to support you, pray for you, and continue to cheer you on in spreading the message of Jesus and giving Him glory. Amen.