Volume 14 / Issue 53 / 2017
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EDITORIAL
To Start a Relationship with Jesus Christ Admit you have sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 Believe in Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish; but have eternal life.” John 3:16b Confess and leave your sin behind. Stop sinning. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 To continue growing in your relationship with Christ, fellowship with other believers, read the Bible and pray!
(L-R) Johnson, Patrick, Evelyn, and Kim
MOMS EDITORIAL STAFF Editor, MOMS Evelyn Damian Distribution Johnson Li Cover & Layout Patrick Tan Editorial Consultant Kimberly Snider
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MOMS MAGAZINE
From My Heart Dear Readers,
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ummer, my favorite time of year besides Christmas, was always full of excitement when I was growing up. I didn’t always know ahead of time what my parents’ plans were for us, but I definitely knew we would have fun as a family! I will never forget one summer when my siblings and I went to the province wearing matching clothes! We looked like the Von Trapp Family from “The Sound of Music.” In this issue of Moms, we have articles about how parents can “maximize summer” with their kids, what kids can learn through traveling, and great advice on how to prevent summer diseases. We hope the story of a savvy mom and how she makes decisions will also inspire you.
Table of Contents EDITORIAL
From My Heart 3 CHIKA-CHIKA
Maximize Parenting 4 WISE CHOICES
When Fathers Can’t Love 6 What kids can learn from family TRIPS! 7
Enjoy your summer! Evelyn Damian, Editor
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Making Hard Decisions Well 8 FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
Preventing Summer Diseases 12 Hot and Spicy Tuna Pasta 13 ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
Internet as Babysitter 14
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CHIKA-CHIKA
Don’t miss out the chance to
Maximize Parenting by Josie Leung
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ummer break is a great opportunity for parents to get involved in their children’s lives hands-on. By this, I mean more than just taking your children for a much needed family vacation out-of-town or out-of-country. Sure, kids today get to see the world more; but be careful that they do not just see the beautiful, scenic areas of the world and miss out seeing the real events that shape the world. If that is what happens, then when they step out to the real world after college, we will see our grown-up children leaving the church and eventually leaving their faith due to disillusionment. Let the “training in reality” begin now, while you can still hold their hands. Here are a few suggestions on what you can do with your kids this summer that will be productive and meaningful: • Assign house responsibilities. At any age, a child can learn to be independent and take care of his own needs as well as those of others. a) Let him fold his own blanket. It may not be perfect, but he can do it. b) He can help prepare meals – e.g., boil an egg, toast bread, cook rice, etc. c) Do some spring cleaning and involve him in organizing his stuff, what to keep and what to give away. • Watch television together or play video games together. Coming home after work, do you go to your room to watch your own favorite TV program or to update your Facebook account? You could spend this time finding out what your child watches or what video games he plays and get involved yourself. a) You can build rapport when you do things together. b) Do not comment or criticize, but take time to know why he likes or dislikes something.
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c) And, ask God for wisdom as to how you can use certain things you do or watch together to instill right and godly values. • Plan and set aside family Bible time. It is never too early nor too late to lead your children to honor the Word of God. a) The frequency is for you to decide, however your determination and consistency are two keys to make it happen. b) Ten to fifteen minutes will do. You can always stretch or shorten it according to need, but make sure everyone enjoys it. c) Use a Bible appropriate for your child’s age and let him participate in the reading. Together, confess “Jesus is Lord of our home.” • Bring your family to worship God every Sunday. This is the Lord’s command, “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) Most parents dread summer vacation because they must personally care for their children every single day; unlike when they are in school and the house is peaceful and orderly. However, let me challenge you to look at summer vacation as a wonderful opportunity! Parents are the prime agents that mold their children’s character and faith – not the school and not the church. Remember that the Bible teaches us, “Train children to live the right way, and when they are old, they will not stray from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, NCV). Summer is the perfect time to “train up our kids!” Don’t miss this chance!
“Let the ‘training in reality’ begin now, while you can still hold their hands.” JOSIE LEUNG
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When Fathers Can’t Love by Pastor Cenen Mascardo, ThD., DD.
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grew up in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental without experiencing the love of a father. My father left my mother when I was very young. I was the eldest and we were very poor. I started to work to support my five siblings when I was only 8 years old. I engaged in different kinds of money-making schemes, both legal and illegal, so I was on the PNP’s wanted list for stealing. When I met the Lord at the age of 17 in Pagadian City, Mindanao, the pastor who took care of me in Bohol sent me to study at Bible School. I was so passionate in the ministry that in my third year I was able to plant a church in Sibonga, Cebu City. In 1983, I married a beautiful and faithful woman of God, Mrs. Esmeralda Mascardo. A new challenge in my life arose when my second son was born. He caused us headaches from the time he was born, through his wedding and on into the raising of his own children. Once we even asked the Lord why He gave this son to us. I saw myself magnified in him. I wanted to quit the
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ministry because whenever I preached in the community and in villages, people asked me, “Pastor, why doesn’t your son believe you and do what you teach?” I could not say anything. One day, I attended a seminar on INNER HEALING. I was fascinated by the testimonies of the speakers who had bad experiences in their childhood. While listening to them, I was prompted deep inside my spirit to talk personally to my son who, at that time, was 25 years old. I knew I had to ask for forgiveness for everything that I had done to him that had made him angry with me and that he could not forget. Right after the seminar I went home. I knelt before him, hugged him, and told him that I loved him. I was shocked when he suddenly burst into tears. He cried aloud and trembled, telling me the particulars of how unfair I was as a father, how violent I am when I get angry, how unloving and uncaring I was. He said, “I do not understand why people believe in you when I myself find it difficult to trust you. I even forced Continued on page 11
What kids can learn from family TRIPS! by Jeanne Ching
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e it with friends or family, travel time is something I always look forward to. I especially enjoyed it as a child. I remember how the clan would take the bus and go to the hot springs or enjoy the cool breeze in Baguio. On several occasions, we went to the beaches at the far end of Roxas Boulevard. These are the memories we cherish as a family even now. After all, these trips were bonding moments, memories to cherish, and explorations that widened our horizons. They were great learning experiences, too. Here are some things I learned from these trips: T - To follow instructions. When I was around 10 years old, we took a small raft and paddled out to the open sea. Although everyone had a lifejacket on, we were given specific instructions to stay within an arm’s length of the banca. One aunt insisted that she was too old to follow instructions and so she went beyond the boundary. A short while later, we noticed that she had drifted very far away. Thankfully, my dad and mom were good swimmers and they were able to rescue her!
R - Really know where you are going. At the age of 12, I joined my parents on their company outing. One of the supervisors insisted that that he knew the way to the beach. However, he did not. We lost half a day’s time searching for the right place. Finally, we ended up in a completely different resort because we lost our way. I - Impatience doesn’t work. Once I joined my dad at a convention. Upon reaching the hotel, we learned that it was fully booked as there was an intercity government convention and numerous guests had extended their stay, so some of our groups’ reservations were canceled. P - Pick food wisely. Sometimes we go pot luck when the clan travels. What food to bring is important. I learned that adobo can withstand the challenge of the trip without spoiling. S - Stay flexible. During my teens, we were with family friends at Liliw falls in Laguna. There was no way we could get cold drinks. A friend suggested we put a case of soft drinks in the flowing water. A few minutes later, we were all enjoying cold drinks. There’s so much to learn when we travel. Have fun! 7
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The story of Belina Gaiwen as told to Kim Snider
Belina Gaiwen was a pastor of a Kankanaey Church for 14 years; currently she is the treasurer for the South Cordillera District Assemblies of God. In this article, Belina shares how she has learned to make wise decisions when the stakes are high. After being married for 7 years, you decided to quit pastoring and devote full time to your family. Was it hard for you to make the decision to be a stay-at-home mom?
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ery hard. Actually, I really struggled to make that decision. I asked for a Sabbatical leave for six months and prayed during that time, and finally I had peace when I decided to resign. God gave me peace.” A lot of our readers are in the same situation. They are pulled between staying at home and having a career. Why do you think that it is such a hard decision to make? “I loved my career. I loved my call as a pastor, and the people loved me. They did not want me to go. So it was all a part of my struggle. I didn’t know what would happen after I resigned, what I would do. There was no concrete
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plan. But then I just prayed and on the day of my decision to resign, God gave me peace. I did it for my family.” Were there financial worries when you decided to give up your career? “Yes. You see, God really is wonderful in all His ways because that was one of my considerations before I resigned. I was thinking “God I’m well supported as a pastor and my husband is just a farmer. In the Philippines, farming does not really generate much income. But one year after I resigned, someone I didn’t even know offered to let us open a flower shop in Manila. She texted me, “If you want to come down to Manila and sell flowers, you’re welcome. The initial amount needed is around P50,000.” And I said, “Wow! P50,000! We don’t even have P20,000.” Then suddenly this person said, “You just come, everything is paid. Just come
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and sell, and if you make money, then you can pay me back.” Can you describe the process you go through when you make a decision? “Think, pray, wait for peace. Those are the three basic things I do before I make important decisions in my life.” When you are in the “thinking” part of the process, what are some considerations that go through your mind? A lot of the ladies that read our magazine are in the process of making decisions right now. The Philippines is a country that’s changing; a lot of the old ways are disappearing. “I weigh the positive and the negative side. I also ask my friends what they think, and my leaders also. Thinking and praying go together. I look at God’s guidance in the Bible.”
the Bible speak about leaving your family and going abroad to work? “I can’t say there is a Bible verse saying people should not go abroad if that is needed. But for me, family is much more important than money. “When I was a Pastor, people were leaving their families to work abroad. Honestly, I had church members whose families were broken because of that. I always told them, ‘if you have plans of going abroad, you should go while you’re single. Because once you get married, it’s really a risky decision to leave your family and go abroad.’ “If you do plan to go abroad after you are married, it must be a family decision. It has to be something husband, wife and children talk about. The problem was, most of the ladies who came to me for counsel when I was Continued on next page
How do you use the Bible when you’re making decisions? For instance, one of the big decisions people are faced with now is whether to go abroad to work. Does 9 9
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Continued from previous page
pastoring had already made decisions to go abroad before ever consulting me, or their family.” So, when you are making a decision personally, do you pray before you decide, or do you pray that God would bless you after you decide? “I would say, you pray before you ever make your decision. You pray, and talk about it before you make a decision.” Has God ever said “No” to you when you really wanted to do something? “Many times. Sometimes when God says ‘NO,’ I cry. I have a tantrum, but then as I continue to walk with the Lord, I realize it’s for my own good.” Maybe some of our readers made decisions before they knew how to get God’s guidance. What would you say, for instance, to someone who realizes they’ve made the wrong decision about the man they married? “Prayer does a lot. For example, if someone realizes they are married to the wrong man, in our culture as Filipinos, there is no way they can leave their husband (unless they are battered). I think they have to work it out together and pray.
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“They must accept that they made the wrong decision, and they have to suffer the consequences. The man they are married to is the right man for them now since they are already married. Second, they should pray for their husband that, if he’s not a Christian, he will come to know the Lord. If they are looking for a Christian family, then once he gets saved, probably the family will be fixed.” Do you think God can really change people much? “I do. Someone I knew married a non-believer. This man was a drunkard. He was irresponsible; he didn’t earn much money. When he did earn money, it wasn’t enough for the family. His wife had to work hard. She was the breadwinner for the family. Every time he got drunk, his wife would pray for him. Many times he was like that, but his wife remained with him and accepted it as the consequence of her disobedience. This lady remained faithful to the Lord, faithful to her husband. Finally, her husband was diagnosed with stomach ulcers and he almost died. After much prayer, he recovered and he gave his life to the Lord. He stopped drinking. He went to church faithfully. Because he was physically weak he couldn’t work, his wife had to go abroad to support the family. While she was gone, her husband was so responsible. He took
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care of the children. He became a leader in the church. Now, they are happy together.” You said that one way to know you are making the right decision is that there is peace. What does peace feel like? “When I had to decide whether I would keep pastoring or resign and focus on my family, I had to pray for a long period of time. When I said, ‘Ok Lord, I will resign and focus on
my family first,’ the surge of peace just came over me.” If you could tell the women of the Philippines anything, what would you tell them? “As women, we have a role that God has prepared for us. So whatever that is, we need to continue to pray and ask guidance from God. If we have made any wrong decisions, God is a forgiving God, as long as we have sincere motives.”
Fathers, continued.
myself to understand you though it is not easy. I would have killed you, if you were not truly my father ”. When he said those words, I cried and embraced him. I assured him of a new kind of father-son relationship. After talking to him, I asked the other seven children what they thought of me. They also cried and shared the same complaints. I realized then that the saying “YOU CAN’T GIVE IF YOU DON’T HAVE” is true. I was reminded of my childhood experiences. How could I love, take care and understand my children if I had not experienced a father’s love? I thank God that we have a True and Everlasting Father who loves us unconditionally. I prayed that God would fill me with fatherly love and teach me how to love and raise my children . Yes, indeed He graciously taught me. First, He changed me on the inside. Only after that did I understand what it means to be a father. He is willing to teach you as well. Nothing is too hard for Him. Now, all my children are happy and joyful serving the Lord. My eldest son, Faulkner, serves as Founding and Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Believers Church (A/G), Dumaguete City. The so-called black sheep, Joash, is my partner in most of my ministries in Bohol, supporting me with everything he has. Our third son, BJ, pastors and administrates our Bible School. The other five children are preparing themselves for the ministry. Our Heavenly Father does not only graciously forgive, but He surely generously makes ways to build every home. 11
WISE CHOICES
Preventing Summer Diseases
by Dr. Lorna Carmela A. Protasio
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ummer time is here again. School classes have ended. It’s fun time for family and friends. Plans for a vacation are marked on the calendar. Beaches, island hopping and outdoor sports are tempting. Family members coming from abroad take advantage of this season to visit tourist spots, and enjoy bonding moments with relatives and friends. Summer is also when our islands abound in delicious fruit and seafood. In addition to these blessings, hot summer weather brings potential health problems. We have to watch out for common summer diseases, which can dampen our enjoyment of a well-planned vacation. They can also put a hole in our pocket and use up precious time from our vacation for recuperation. What are these summer diseases and how do we prevent them? What should we do to manage them? The 8 common summer diseases are as follows: 1. Heat stroke - can be fatal if left untreated. It can be avoided through limited amount of time spent outdoors, be wary of the hottest time of the day which is around 11am until 3pm. 2. Sun burn – the use of a sun block when walking outdoors, during swimming parties and outings is recommended.
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3. Prickly heat or commonly known as “bungang-araw” – these itchy red rashes are borne out of hot and humid weather. Clogging of sweat glands can be another factor that induces it. It can be relieved by applying prickly powder or cornstarch. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor. 4. Food poisoning – due to the hot temperature, food can easily spoil. Place leftover viands inside the refrigerator. Foods should also be well cooked to keep it from spoilage. Inspect cooked food carefully before buying and make sure there are no bubbles on top. Bubbling most often indicates that food has turned bad. The smell can also tell if it’s still fit to be eaten. 5. Diarrhea – contaminated or unsafe drinking water and food, or too much eating, can cause indigestion and diarrhea. It is important to avoid dehydration in cases of diarrhea due to infection or indigestion. If diarrhea persists consult a doctor.
MOMS MAGAZINE
6. Sore eyes – the heat can make the eyes dry, combined with the dust and polluted smoke, lack of eye lubrication can result in a pink eye. The discharge from the eyes can infect others through hand contact. 7. Measles or “tigdas” and chicken pox or “bulutong” – are very common viral outbreaks during summer time. Make sure kids are vaccinated to prevent serious health complications. These are highly infectious diseases and can infect others too. 8. Dengue – in the Philippines, Dengue fever is an all year round disease carried by mosquitoes, and continues to rage in the metropolis and provinces. Summer disease awareness, wearing light loose clothing and drinking plenty of water are the most important things for us to remember in order to keep us and our family safe and healthy as well as to take advantage and fully enjoy the activities that summer season offer. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, isn’t it?”
Hot & Spicy Tuna Pasta
Perfect for a light summer supper or a picnic by the beach! by April Damian
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love cooking this dish when I am pressed for time. Not only is it easy and affordable, but it is healthy as well. This dish is best served with garlic toast! Ingredients: • 1 tsp. olive oil • 3-4 cloves crushed garlic
Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. In a medium hot pan, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic, onion, and tomatoes for about 5 minutes. Add the 2 cans of tuna and continue stirring until heated through. Serve warm over cooked spaghetti noodles.
• 1 cup chopped onion • 1 cup chopped tomatoes • 2 cans 14-oz Hot & Spicy Tuna, undrained • 1 box of Spaghetti noodles 13
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
Just Asking with Peter Banzon
Q:
I feel guilty that I allow the Internet to “babysit” my kids. How can I have meaningful, quality time with them this summer?
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he Internet has become an important part of modern day living. It provides a world of useful information that makes life easier. But, the Internet can be distracting and a source of all kinds of negative and harmful things! We can spend hours on the Internet with our gadgets, smart phones, and tablets and hardly notice how much time has passed.
A:
Summer is a great time to practice putting limits on our use of the Internet and all that social media offers us. Let’s take the time to really do things as a family again instead of just sitting in the same room while we all use our individual devices. Here are some things to do together: • Put a ban on gadgets (cell phones, tablets, etc.) during meal times. This is the time to talk and communicate more. • Engage in physical activities…walk, jog, run, or go biking together. • Get feedback concerning your kids’ favorite sites. Calmly discuss pros and cons of what this world of digital communication does to influence the way we think and act. • Practice having a “daily shutdown”, no surfing on the web, no games on gadgets at bedtime. You can get better sleep. Don’t allow the Internet to parent your children! Remember what the Bible says: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) 14
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