My Graduating Daughter

 

It’s hard to believe that you’re graduating from high school. It feels like it was yesterday when I was holding you in my arms with your curly hair always blocking your full face and couldn’t separate you from your juice bottle. Congratulations on graduating from high school. You can’t go higher than high school, right? ;)

 

As you step into the open horizon of possibilities, I want to give you some wisdom that you may need for your journey through life.

1. You’re created in God’s image. Never doubt your value. Everything about you first class! The DNA of God is within you. You belong to the royal family. You’re God’s property. Nothing you do will separate you from the love of God. God blessed you before you were born and the blessing always overrides the curse. Therefore, you cannot fail. You’re destined for greatness. You are and always will be magnificent!

2. You’re beautiful. Beauty is an inside job. The world will define and redefine beauty. Have fun trying out the latest fads and fashions. However, remember that true beauty comes from within. You’re at your sparkling best when you have a heart after God. Your character is the true measure of your charisma. External beauty will fade but the closer you get to God, the more dazzling you’ll become.

3. Build healthy relationships. Check out the boys. Enjoy the attention but protect your heart. It’s normal to be attractive to boys. You’ve had a good looking Dad so don’t go out with an ugly boy! ;) Don’t go after duds who are going nowhere. Follow a man who pursues God first and then you.

4. Speak positive, uplifting words. Go easy on sarcasm. It’s all fun at the moment but sometimes, it can cut like a knife and last for a lifetime. The same is true of kind words. Healing words mend the soul. Think of compliment as putting ornaments on a person. Death and life are in the power of your tongue.

5. Be a generous person. I still remember the day you found a “surprise” twenty-dollar bill in your pocket while we were eating at Chili’s restaurant. When we were about to walk away from our dinner table, you slipped the twenty-dollar bill on the table for the waitress saying, “I didn’t even know I had it. She probably needs it more than me!” As long as you’re generous, you’ll never lack for bread – rice in our case.

6. Look at your glass as half full. There will be times when you may feel a lot of negatives coming your way. Gratitude in those moments will guide you out of your darkness. Fact is, you’ll always have more than most. Keep your eyes on the prize and not the problem. You can get better or you can get bitter.

7. Keep yourself happy. Only you are responsible for your own happiness. Being the middle child, you have a tendency to keep everybody else happy. If you always do that, the only person who won’t be happy is you. It’s ok to have it your way once in a while.

8. Enjoy the outdoors. You cannot beat nature in the most comfortable home. When you get out of your palace, you’ll discover God’s garden. Plant trees and decorate your home with flowers – they’re God’s jewelries for our stressful lives.

9. Travel whenever you can. This is easy for you because you’ve been travelling the world since you were born. Never stop being adventurous. When you leave your home, you discover God’s world. The people you meet and the sights you see will truly make you a rich person.

10. Be spiritual but not religious. I love to see you worship but God enjoys it much more. Worship is the doorway to miracles. The Bible is your life’s compass — showing you the way. The Holy Spirit is our Helper but He will only tell you what’s in the Book. So stay familiar with it. Your prayers are a mighty weapon for tearing down spiritual strongholds. God can do more with your prayer in a split second than you can try to change a person for a lifetime. And remember, when you share Christ with others – whether by words or deed — you become a Star!

Well, I started off giving a few life-tips but now it looks more like the Ten Commandments. Let me close by making it more personal to you. Sabrina, you’re always going to be my favorite even though I’ve said the same to your brother and sister. ;) You can always come home without expecting any condemnation from me. I love you and I always will. 

Congratulations Sabrina. I’m proud of you - my high school graduate!

With You, For You!

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A Tribute To My Dad

My Dad – A Man Who Changed the World through Prayer!

This is how I’d like to introduce and remember my father for the rest of my life. I spent a day and a half and had a wonderful visit with him on our recent mission trip to India. Even though he was getting frail, he lived a fully functional life. On April 9, 2016, I got the dreaded call from my eldest brother, Pat. Our father had taken his last breath on earth and his first in heaven! My Dad had been promoted to glory. 

His life was filled with highs and lows. My father was born in the early thirties to a poor family in a village in India. In order to support his family, he had to drop out of school in seventh grade. He was around twenty-years-old when he married my mother who was about sixteen years of age. Life was a short-lived bliss and they had four boys. Suddenly, when I was one, my mother passed away. Dad loved mom and almost always had tears in his eyes while talking about her for the rest of his life.

He didn’t surrender to struggles. Shell-shocked, dad took up on an offer by a Methodist orphanage to send his four boys there. The earliest memory I have of my father is that he came to visit us on the limited days parents were allowed to meet. He couldn’t give us much but even a pack of cookies was received with great joy. Sitting on his lap and hugs were a rare treat but they were greatly appreciated and anticipated. 

He was a gentleman. After graduating from high school, my brothers and I were in search of our identity. I was fresh out of college and I had just moved to Nepal along with my two brothers, Neil and Guine. My father had made the treacherous journey to come with a village friend to meet us. We were young and dumb — who put him back on the bus the next day. We were so focused on our lives that we didn’t appreciate his visit. He obliged and traveled back to India. Dad never resented it. I never saw him getting mad at anybody.

He was a small town man with a big world view. Even in his advance years, he read the newspaper front to back. Once, we relocated him from the village to New Delhi — the big, capital city of India. He missed his social connections in the village so after about three months we moved him back to his native village. In the years to come, Dad traveled the world to spend time with us but he always went back to the village.

He loved construction. My father was a visionary. Whether it was to build our brick house (in place of the mud house), the local church (biggest building in his village), or anybody else’s building project — he loved to direct and supervise construction.

He was a leader in his community. Poorly educated but highly gifted in his talent to connect with people. When he was able, he would walk to the market every day. There he chatted with the people and enquired about their well-being while sipping on a cup of tea. Whenever he had money, he’d help those in need. He was loved and well respected by his community.

He was a man of prayer. My father didn’t say a lot but he made it up in prayers. He didn’t pray in public but often he would wake up between 3 and 5AM and pray to God to use his four boys for His purpose. Sitting in a mud house under a thatched roof, it didn’t seem possible but he didn’t consider what he saw in the natural. I say this to the glory of God, thirty years later all four of his boys are serving the Lord. Together, we’ve traveled to more than 150 countries and preached to millions of people. Over thirty of our extended family members are serving the Lord because of the answer to my Dad’s prayers. 

Friend, if you have a living parent, don’t take them for granted. Give them a call. Celebrate their lives while they’re still with you. Let them know how much you appreciate them. Put it on your schedule to spend time with them or else you’ll never find time for it. In the Ten Commandments, there’s only one that comes with a promise in return – "Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus20:12 NLT). Friends, let us love, respect, and honor our parents. They’re the reason, we’re here.

I love and miss you, Dad!

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Remember Their Sacrifice

Our love for God should be reflected through the values our country stands for. Today, as we celebrate Memorial Day in America, it is good to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live the life we now have.

In his book “I’m No Hero,” U.S. Navy jet pilot Captain Charles Plumb tells the story of his flaming plane going down in the enemy territory of the Vietnam War zone. After seventy-five combat missions, he was shot down by a surface-to-air missile in the dense jungles of Vietnam. Plumb ejected and parachuted himself out of the flaming jet only to glide himself in the enemy’s camp. He was captured as a POW. He was tortured beyond what is humane, but somehow he survived the horrific six years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

One day, Plumb and his wife were enjoying a meal together in a restaurant. A young man from another table walked up to theirs and said, “You’re Plumb. You are a fighter jet pilot. You carried out missions in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. Your jet was shot down!”

Perplexed, Plum asked, “Who are you? How did you know all this?”

The young man replied, “I packed your parachute sir. I guess it worked!”

Filled with gratitude, Plumb replied, “Yes it did! If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”

That night he could not sleep, thinking about the young sailor who saved his life. How many times Plumb walked past those sailors in navy uniform with a bib flipped backward and didn’t even bother to say, “Good morning, how are you?” or shake their hand? In his mind, he was a fighter jet pilot – a class apart from the lowly sailors. He began to imagine how the sailors who spent long hours delicately weaving the material and packing the silks of each chute; at the end of the tireless and monotonous completion, the sailor who was holding the life itself of someone whom he did not even know.

Today, Plumb lectures to thousands, crisscrossing the country asking this one question: “Who is packing your parachute?” Sometimes in the daily challenges of life, we miss what is really important. We fail to say hello, please or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, or just do something kind for no reason. Don’t let that be you.

You see, we all have people behind us who pack our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parachutes. None of us made it here on our own. When you look back at the long line of people who have helped you, it is only fitting to think about how you can help someone else. Your life today is the aggregate of God’s goodness and the kindness, sacrifices, and investment in others.

It is not enough to be grateful to them in our hearts. Let us express to them what their sacrifice means to us. We cannot do anything to those who made the ultimate sacrifice but we can honor those who are left behind.

Today, let us reach out to someone who lost a loved one. Go knock on their door and bring them something to lift their soul. Call someone who has lost a son, or a daughter, a father, or an uncle and let them know how grateful you are for their sacrifice. If you know or see a serviceman in uniform, buy them their lunch. Stop them in their tracks and take a moment to thank them for their daily service to protect our country. If you are part of a family who lost a loved one, we want you to know that we remember! Let us not take anything for granted. Let us value the freedom we have and honor those who paid the price for it.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ESV).

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God Will Pay You Back

We’ve all had unfortunate things happen to us. Someone takes advantage of us. Someone steals our just rewards. Even a lack of recognition for our hard work can hurt our feelings. We don’t have to be numb to our feelings but if we keep a good attitude when the wrong thing is happening to us, then God will pay us back in due time.

My 14-year-old son Daniel is in Royal Rangers (the Christian version of Boy Scouts); he’s been enjoying this program for several years now. Once a week, he gets to hang out with a group of boys and do boy things. He has always worked very hard for his merits therefore he is ahead of most kids his age.

Recently they had a graduation ceremony. Daniel was the youngest of the lot to get the Gold Medal Award (GMA). Unfortunately, not all of leaders were in favor of him getting the recognition even though he had met all the requirements. It was a long, drawn out drama and finally they allowed him to receive the honors he had earned. 

Maybe you’ve been done wrong. You worked hard for the commission but the sale went to another person. The house you were hoping to buy was sold under your feet. You may have gone through the training, putting in the extra hours, but you didn’t get the promotion you were praying for. You cleaned the house all day but you weren’t appreciated for it. You may have been betrayed in a relationship or a business partnership. No matter who did you wrong, God will pay you back with double the honor.

This is what happened to my son Daniel. Not only did he get his Gold Medal Award in time, he got to meet with the Mayor of our city (pictured here). His outpost had sent many requests before for previous candidates but this was the first time the city officials decided to recognize Daniel in front of the whole city council. Not only that, it was broadcasted live! Even though a few people were against my son, God honored him in front of higher authorities and a greater audience. God paid him back double for his troubles. In the same way, if you keep your peace and stay in faith, God will pay you back more than what you’ve lost.

People do unpredictable things when they’re hurt, insecure, jealous, or threatened by another person. If you try to defend yourself, God will stand back. But if you take the high road, keep calm, and stay in peace, the Lord will fight the battle for you. I’ve learned that the higher you rise the more critics will come out of the woodworks. But if you stay in faith and trust God instead of taking revenge, He will make things right for you. The world may not be fair but God is!

This is what happened to a man named Mordecai in the Bible (Book of Esther). He was a Jew and once he had saved the king’s life from a certain coup. Unfortunately, nobody remembered his contribution to saving the king’s life. One night, King Ahasuerus couldn’t sleep. He ordered his servants to bring him the book of the records from the library. Of all the thousands of books, they picked the one with Mordecai’s story in it. There it was found that Mordecai had saved the king’s life from an assassination plot. It prompted the king to ask, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” They said, “Nothing.” Long story short, it was Mordecai who was honored through the city and his enemy Haman was hung in the gallows. We should never wish evil against our enemies. But rest assured, God knows how to make it up to you. He will never allow you to go through a tough situation without honoring you for it.

Friend, no matter who has done your wrong, today it is time for you to give it up to God. He cannot fight for us as long as we take matters into our own hands. But if we trust him with our troubles, He will do what we cannot do. He will not only reward you but He will make sure that he does it in front of your enemies. Our God is a great equalizer. You’re the head and not the tail. You’re only above and not beneath. He will not cause you to shame.

Today, I challenge you to let go and let God. Like my son Daniel, He will honor you in public. Just like Mordecai, He will bring you to remembrance at the right time. Don’t seek revenge on those who have done you harm. If you release those offenses to God, He will make you soar like an eagle. You’ll go to new heights that you’ve never dreamed of before. I love you and I’m praying for you.

“Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours” (Isaiah 61:7 NLT).

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Push People Up

Most of us want to be helped. We appreciate when others help us get what we want. None of us can make it alone. It is not selfish to desire the goodwill of others. However, we’re created to help others. It is in our giving, not our receiving, that life becomes fulfilling.

Calvin Coolidge said, “No man was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.” We all know people who are constantly seeking their own. They are me-driven. Sometimes they just can’t help themselves. What they need is a mind-shift. As long as we stay focused on ourselves, we’ll never experience the joy of helping others.

In the early eighties, my two brothers and I were new to the country of Nepal. We had left our motherland to help people in the Himalayas. Nobody knew us and we were a struggling ministry. At this infancy stage, Charles Mendies, lovingly called "Chaldai" (big brother Charles) came to our assistance. He helped us call for a breakfast inviting all the Christian leaders of the country. We introduced ourselves and our purpose and, overwhelmingly, a majority of them accepted us as co-laborers in the ministry. Chaldai even paid for the breakfast in the newly built, three-star, Himalayan Hotel. 

I say this to the glory of God, and to honor Chaldai but what followed over the years is history! My brothers and I went on to minister in over 150 countries touching millions of lives. And we’re still at it. It all started with Chaldai believing in us when we weren’t credible. He had a high reputation but he put it on the line to endorse the Anderson brothers. Not only did he put us on the national stage but he was instrumental in helping to channel the millions of dollars coming into our hands to reach the world with the Gospel.  How grateful we are for Chaldai! We’ll be forever thankful to him and his family for pushing us up.

When you help someone up a mountain, you’ll find yourself close to the summit also. If you want others to improve, let them hear the good things that you think and say about them. People live up, or down, to or down to how we view them and what we say about them. Everybody needs to feel the wind beneath their wings to believe that they can fly. Anyone can find the dirt in people. It takes a genius like Chaldai to dig for the gold in others. What means the most in life is what you’ve done for others. Albert Pike said, “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

This is what happened to David in the Bible. He came from a humble background. When David was anointed to be the next King of Israel, nobody believed in him – not even his own family. Eventually David made it to the palace but King Saul was jealous of him. He spent a significant part of his life trying to exterminate David. Saul would have been successful had Jonathan not been keeping David informed about his father’s plans to kill him. Jonathan was King Saul’s son. He was next in line to become king but he sacrificed his own royalty so that David could become the next king of Israel. Eventually, David went on to become one of the greatest kings of Israel while Jonathan was killed on the battlefield. It may sound unfair but nobody can associate David’s rise to the throne without mentioning Jonathan’s role to put him there. Many of you mothers should take courage from this. You may think all you do is endless diaper changes, clean, cook, and repeat but never forget the big picture. You’re not just raising a child but a husband, wife, leader, preacher, businessman, politician, and a world changer! Your love, tears, and sacrifices are not in vain. Jonathan pushed David up and what history he made!

We all need a Chaldai or a Jonathan in our lives. At the end of his life, Alexander the Great said, “We all suffer. They all came to the end of their time and in the end, when it's over, all that matters is what you've done.” J. M. Barrie said, “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. One may read the Bible but thousands read you and me. You may be the only Bible others will ever read. It is the duty and privilege of every Christian to help others get better. Multitudes followed Jesus everywhere He went because our Lord always left people better than He found them. We should do the same. The best exercise for the heart is to reach down and to lift someone up. Today, let’s find someone to help. I love you and I believe in you!

“Knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8 ESV).

 

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Give Honor

Much of our society is disintegrating simply because of a lack of honor. Our culture was built on respect and honor. When we honor people, we add value to them. In a culture of honor, people are empowered to high thinking and living.

Everybody wants to be on the receiving end of honor but few people want to initiate it. I’ve learnt that you’ll never have what you’re not willing to give. Great men and women are those who are secure in themselves. They can recognize the greatness in others. Our own peace and prosperity are directly tied to the honor we give to others.

Recently, a friend of mine joined me on a mission trip to China. One of his sons has lived a very colorful life and he’s finally coming around to serving the Lord. Just before we left for China, his son came to him and handed him $350 and told him that he wanted to honor his labor for the Lord. This young man works for a multinational corporation and they were laying people off left and right. His own job was on the line. He asked his Dad to pray that he would not lose his job. My friend prayed for his son and reminded him that a thousand may fall at his side but it shall not come near him (Psalm 91:7). Miraculously, the son survived the final cut. Today, he has a permanent job. He gets almost a whole month of paid holiday leave. He has full insurance benefits for his family. And he even has a 401K started in his name. You may think this is no big deal but you have to understand; this young man has never had a job this good. I believe that all of this happened for the young man because he honored his Dad by sending him off to serve God in China.

The Scripture says, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12 NIV). In fact, it is one of ten commandments God gave us. When we honor people, we are honoring God.

One of the first places we should practice honor is in our own homes. Often we’re slowest in honoring those who sacrifice the most for us. One definition of honor is to respect that which is given to someone who is admired. Husbands and wives can show honor to each other by doing what their spouse prefers. Husbands, honor your wives (I Peter 3:7). Wives, as long as you hold back in honoring your husbands with your words and deeds, he will never reach his full potential. Don’t be stingy in expressing honor. Let us set an example for our children and allow them to learn from us. You don’t have to agree with everybody but honor your parents, in-laws, outlaws, and those relatives who don’t think and speak well of you. No dishonorable situation is made better by dishing dishonor. Why don’t you become the agent of change and establish a culture of honor in your home? You’ll be surprised at how fast it catches on.

We should honor people in the marketplace. Honor your neighbors by turning down the volume of your party. In church, honor the usher and sit where he tells you. Give honor to the clerk at the store by being courteous. Prefer the other person. When we give heed to people in authority with a good attitude, we’re sowing honor. I’ve found that the amount of God’s favor in my life is directly linked to the honor I bestow on others. Let’s give honor because it glorifies God.

In the Bible, King Saul tried to kill David in spite of his loyalty to the king. On multiple occasions, David had the opportunity to hurt Saul but he understood the principle of honor. Could it be that David rose to the throne because he knew how to honor those in authority? Today we live in a culture where we’re quick to criticize anyone, from the President down to our own family members. Is this an area where God is prompting you to come up higher? Instead of criticizing, let us pray for them. Let us honor the people we love. Honor people by telling them what a great job they’re doing. None of us got here on our own. Let us honor our parents by calling them regularly and visiting them whenever possible. When we cultivate a culture of honor, we will raise the bar for all, God’s blessings will pursue us, and we’ll live long on earth. Friend, you are loved, celebrated, and honored. Remember, God's favor will be upon your life to the degree you honor others. I honor you!

“Give honor to whom honor is due.” (Romans 13:7).

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