Volume 15 / Issue 59 / 2018
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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 that Jesus is the only Savior. “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6 Confess and leave your sin behind. Stop doing and thinking things that displease our Heavenly Father. “If we confess our sins ….” I John 1:9 Invite Jesus to be your Savior and the Lord of your life. “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) To continue growing in your relationship with Christ, have fellowship with other believers, read the Bible and pray.
Top L-R: Johnson & Patrick | Bottom L-R: Kim & Evelyn
MOMS EDITORIAL STAFF Editor, MOMS Evelyn Damian Distribution Johnson Li Cover & Layout Patrick Tan Editorial Consultant Kimberly Snider
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Published quarterly by Asia Pacific Media Ministries. Unit 2608 Raffles Corporate Center, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, Philippines. Telephone: 914-9767. E-mail: moms@apmedia.org. Reproduction of photos and articles is prohibited without permission. 2
MOMS MAGAZINE
LAST ISSUE
From My Heart
Dear Readers,
How time flies! It’s Christmas time again. It seems like we’ve just celebrated last year’s holiday, and now here it is again! It’s strange though that we never get tired of celebrating Christmas for one reason or another. This year, I would like to urge you to take a hold of God’s special gift, a love beyond compare, the gift of His son, Jesus Christ! I hope the articles in this issue will lead you to reflect on what that could mean to you, not just at Christmastime but everyday of the year. Merry Christmas! Evelyn Damian, editor
Table of Contents EDITORIAL
Fron My Heart 3 CHIKA-CHIKA
What Do You Need for Christmas? 4 WISE CHOICES
Reasons for the Season 6 MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Love Beyond Compare 8 FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
Christmas Get Together 12 Download the New APMedia App and read Moms Magazine from your smartphone! Just search “APMedia” and install from Google Store!
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
My pessimist relative is coming over for Christmas! 14 3
CHIKA-CHIKA
What Do You Need For Christmas? by Kimberly Snider
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will never forget it: my son screaming as doctors cut his feet open to see how far the cancer had progressed into his body. For me, those minutes were gut-wrenching. Today, the echo of my son’s screams are never far from my mind, even though this event took place two decades ago. A child’s pain hurts their parents beyond belief. Why am I writing about suffering at Christmas time? Isn’t this a season of happiness and joy and self indulgence? I am writing like this because we need to understand what Christmas cost God, our Father. Those of us who believe the basic principles of Christianity know that “In the beginning…”, we were all created by God with perfect health; we were created to live forever. To maintain this “perfect” status, obedience was all that was required. However, when Adam and Eve were presented with their first opportunity to obey God, their Heavenly Father, or not, they chose not. By disobeying, Adam and Eve lost eternal health and the ability to live forever. Death entered the world. The thought of His children suffering eternally in hell as a result of their decision to disobey, must have hurt Father God dreadfully. He immediately acted to remedy the situation. The remedy was that God would send His only Son to die for our disobedience. Although much about the birth of Christ is joyous, this is the dark side. While the
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angels sang to the shepherds, and while the wise men followed the star, the future suffering of God’s only Son was on God’s mind. God sent Jesus knowing He would have to watch His only Son suffer in ways no one has ever suffered before or since. He would have to hear Jesus cry out; He would have to watch Jesus bleed on the cross. God the Father made this sacrifice so Jesus could pay for our disobedience and restore us to eternal life again. If I suffered when only my son’s feet were cut open, imagine how God suffered when His Son was crucified! Christmas is traditionally a time for giving gifts. Thirteen years ago, Dr. Gary Chapman identified “giving” as one of 5 love languages. In sending Jesus, God demonstrated His love for us through the love-language of “giving.” God gave His Son for us. It was the most wonderful gift imaginable. Jesus is all we need to attain eternal life and have a great relationship with the Father again. This Christmas, remember how much the gift of Jesus cost God the Father. Treasure this gift; don’t take it for granted. Tell God you want to accept His gift. Ask Him to forgive you of disobedience. Turn your back on wrong doing and doubt, and determine to devote your life to the one who gave everything for you.
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WISE CHOICES
Reasons for the Season by Joshua T. Kho
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e all do things for a reason. I remember doing school assignments until really late at night when I was a student. I asked my parents for money to buy the stuff I needed. When I finally graduated from school, I no longer did homework, and because I am now employed, I no longer ask my parents for money. In the same way, we Filipinos observe many traditions during the Christmas season. Originally we did them for a reason, but are all of them still relevant to our lives?
Caroling A few days before Christmas, carolers, usually groups of children, go from house to house to sing Christmas carols hoping to receive some money. The kids do this for fun, but adults also do this to raise funds for their projects. This tradition cultivates friendship and creativity among the carolers. It also reminds us of some important Filipino values. Hazel Alviz, in her online magazine article entitled “Karoling!” writes: “Pasko na Naman” and “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” are fast, joyous songs that celebrate the coming of the Savior. “Ang Pagmamano” and “Mano Po Ninong” relive the value of respect through the kissing of the hand.”
Simbang Gabi Simbang Gabi is a nine-day series of masses from December 16 to December 24 and has varying schedules from as early as 3:00 AM to as late as 7:00 PM. The last day of the series is called Misa de Gallo, which is celebrated around midnight of Christmas Eve. According to Filipino traditions, any Juan who completes all nine masses will have one of his or her wishes granted. Even those who aren’t very religious suddenly become avid churchgoers at this time of the year.1 If our reason for keeping this tradition is to make God grant our wishes, then we can let go of this because God loves us unconditionally. He blesses us not because we consistently attend mass for 9 consecutive days, but because He is a good God. 1 6
www.skyscanner.com.ph/news/tips/10-uniquely-pinoy-christmas-traditions
MOMS MAGAZINE
Christmas Party The more friends we have, the more Christmas parties we are invited to at Christmastime. It is good to keep this tradition because it reminds us that life is not just forwork but also for enjoyment; we can enjoy our time together with friends, co-workers and families.
Santa Claus Besides encouraging children to believe a lot of things that are not real, the real danger of Santa Claus, is telling children to behave so that they will get a gift. We want our kids to be obedient and respectful all the time, not just during Christmas. This happens when they understand what Jesus has done for them. The Bible says God doesn’t keep a list. “If You, Lord, should keep an account of sins and treat us accordingly, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You...” Psalm 130:3-4. God does not bless us because we are good; He blesses us because He is good.
Noche Buena This tradition brings the whole family together. Sometimes it is a venue to restore broken relationships and it is an opportunity to show how special a person is to you.
Parol Parol, also known as the Philippine lantern is a unique Filipino decoration traditionally made from colorful papers, bamboo sticks, and shaped-like five-pointed star. In 1928, these lanterns were originally designed to help villagers find their way to chapels and churches to pray. Also, these lanterns are used to further enhance the spirit of Christmas. Putting up parols in homes, schools, establishments, offices, and schools is a common Filipino tradition.2 This is great tradition to keep for it is a sign of hope that a Light has come into the world. In conclusion, the best thing to do is to really think about what you do during the Christmas season. Choose your activities for their meaning to you, not just because tradition dictates how to celebrate. 2
www.faq.ph/10-unique-christmas-traditions-in-the-philippines 7
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
As told to Evelyn Damian
Daisy is smart, intelligent and pretty. She has been a Human Resource executive for more than 20 years. As HR Practitioner, she won labor related cases because of her skills in administrative and alternative dispute resolutions. She is the founder and President of Haven for the Uniquely Gifted and Special (HUGS) Ministries. She shares how God’s love saw her through a difficult phase of her life. You have achieved a lot for one so young. How did you do that? “My parents raised me to believe in myself, that I can do anything I set my mind to. Armed with this mindset, I viewed the world without a box, a world with endless possibilities, where excellence is a way of life and success is supposedly a given. True enough, with hard work and determination, I quickly rose up the ladder to an executive position for a very reputable company in my early thirties. It became important to me to be recognized, to receive trophies. Did your success make you happy? Despite being raised in a Christian home, the more successful I became, the more I edged Jesus out of my life. Over the years, position, the social status, influence, family, wealth and material possessions became my objects of worship and security. I expected nothing less than perfection from myself, my family and those around me.I was proud and my agenda was the only thing I listened to. I took all the credit, and found 8
MOMS MAGAZINE
Daisy in her office
someone else to blame for the mistakes. I was enjoying a life others envied until a tragedy hit my family. Tell me about that. In 2012, my husband and I brought our son Josiah to the doctor. After she examined him, without empathy, the doctor said, “Your son has a life-long dependent condition and he is on the spectrum of autism. He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) with speech delay. To set your expectations right, your son may not be able to function at all.” Siyempre, lugmok ka na with this news. My husband, on the other hand, was quiet, parang he was processing what the doctor said. Then the doctor suggested several therapies that my son needed to undergo. When we got home, we did more research about my son’s condition. I knew there was something that was not normal with my son, but to declare he would be non-functional was simply not acceptable to me. It was hard for both me and my husband to cope emotionally with Josiah’s condition. My husband was in denial.
Toxic fear caused me to not do the things I should and made me do things I should not. That time, my husband was not earning much, so I had to be the breadwinner, me anak pa kaming panganay, tapos itong bunso. Siyempre, I couldn’t afford to lose my job. Ang suweldo ko, 6 figures na but with my son’s autism, our expenses skyrocketed to pay for endless consultations, therapies and fees for special education. Kung minsan makakaipon ka tapos may mangyayaring pagkakagastusan. Hindi ka talaga dapat mawalan ng trabaho. As HR head, kung minsan, I had to blindly follow my bosses’ orders kahit hindi naman dapat. Ang masakit, despite the therapies and special education, hindi naman nagpro-progress si Josiah, tapos I lost the special connection with my eldest son, who was transitioning to teenage life. Nag-rebelde siya and his grades were falling. My efforts were focused on Josiah and meeting his special needs. On the other hand, my husband’s way of coping with Josiah’s condition, was to be away from home as much as he could, and then, kumukuha ng affirmation sa ibang babae. Eventually, he Continued to next page
L-R: John, Josiah, Daisy, and Joshua 9
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Love Beyond, continued
became physically abusive. Ako naman, mas gusto kong wala siya kasi ubos na oras ko eh. When Josiah was about 3½ years old, he was okay pa, I needed to be patient lang. Nung lumalaki na siya, he became violent because he couldn’t speak and express himself, so nananabunot siya, nananakit. Hindi ko naman siya mapalo kasi hindi nya nga alam ‘yung concept ng right or wrong. So nasasaktan ako ng asawa ko, nasasaktan din ako ni Josiah. Siguro mga three years ‘yun na hindi alam ng parents ko what was happening between me and my husband until hindi na rin namin maitago. One time, when we were at a hotel, sobrang nanakit ‘yung asawa ko kasi he got jealous of the waiter who served us. But in reality, he was blaming me about many things and needed to get his anger out on me. After that incident, my parents and I decided na maghiwalay na lang kaming mag-asawa and we did for nine months. Sobrang sakit but I know it was doubly hard for my parents to see me go through that situation. To make matters worse, I lost my job. On May 2012, dumating ‘yung boss ko from Netherlands. He was an atheist and he explained to me why he didn’t believe in God. Tapos sabi nya, “I heard you’re a Christian and because of that, we cannot work together.” He replaced me and offered to move me to another position. It was no use staying in a company where relationship was severed so I left. The successful life I worshipped had collapsed. I lost control over everything 10
and simply wanted my life to end. I didn’t thank God for the good things that happened to me and blamed Him for the bad things. I experienced a crippling fear of being unable to provide for the family’s needs and losing material possessions. I was consumed with pain, anger, fear, anxiety, exhaustion, hopelessness and bitterness. How did you handle that? I filed a complaint with National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC). Many of my lawyer friends offered to represent me as it was a sure win case. I had with me about two reams of evidences. Puno ako ng galit kasi wala naman akong ginagawang masama. Ang masakit, alam kong mananalo ako, pero sinabi ni Lord, for four weeks straight during Sunday sermon, forgiveness. Imagine, forgive the very people you hated! I was like teething and screaming in the process. Still, in my darkest hour, Jesus Christ’s love shone brightest. As a last act of desperation, I cried out to Jesus and asked, “Do you love me?” I was not expecting a response, but the Lord led me to read some verses in the Bible. My whole body trembled at this and felt God’s abounding love and presence. I humbled myself and asked for wisdom. He made me realize that my main issue was my heart. I was angry at autism because it did not serve my purpose in life. I felt sorry about myself. I felt I failed as a mother and as a wife. And yet, at that point God gave me a wonderful gift which is humility. I didn’t get the answer to my prayers that day, but I found peace and comfort in God’s promises, and I chose to put my
MOMS MAGAZINE
bilang asawa’t tatay at kung ano exactly ‘yung person that he didn’t want to be, hindi niya napansin na ganun na rin pala siya. After I withdrew my complaint and trusted Jesus, in less than a month the Lord gave me a better job, not only in pay, but flexibility of time with family. God also gave my husband a high paying job abroad. Slowly, marriage has been restored and severed relationships healed. Over the years, Jesus changed my husband and became my God’s best as He has promised. Family Fun Day
trust in Him. Binitawan ko ‘yung kaso sa NLRC. It’s funny kasi I met those people recently, and wala na akong galit sa kanila. It’s like the Lord was showing me healing. Talagang binasag ako ni Lord but He was working in me all the while. What about your situation with your husband? I prayed to God. Wala naman akong ibang kakapitan, I said, “Lord, if death is the only thing that will separate me from my husband, isa sa ‘min ang mamatay, kung puede siya na ang mauna.” That was how I coped nun, patawa-tawa, but clear naman ‘yung direction ni Lord na hindi kami dapat naghiwalay. We patched up our relationship after nine months. Actually, my husband has strong spiritual conviction but during that time he had issue of unforgiveness na hindi pa na-deal. Nung mag-asawa siya, lumabas ‘yun na marami siyang kakulangan
My eldest son got his inner healing from the damages of a bad marriage he witnessed. More importantly, he sought refuge in Jesus. The more he relied on God’s grace, the more he was recognized for his excellence both in academics and sports. At work, I got multiple awards, recognitions and global opportunities to travel. Another career opportunity came where I was able to work for a reputable global law firm where I was able to share the gospel of Jesus.Under my leadership, the company was recently awarded as one of the best companies to work for in Asia. Fast forward, on June 22, 2016, as I was praying, Jesus told me, “Josiah is healed.” As tears rolled down my eyes, I thanked Him and received and claimed for Josiah the “gift of supernatural healing in faith.” In confirmation, Josiah’s therapist said, “I don’t know what Continued to page 13
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FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
Christmas Get Together by Evelyn Damian
L
iving in a small home when you have a small family is fun, but holding a Christmas party in this space when you have many friends is a bit of a challenge. Here’s what to do. 1. List all the people you want to invite and break them into groups. Example: childhood friends, church friends, cousins only, etc. 2. N ote the food each group enjoys, their kind of music, even movies or games. 3. M ake a schedule of what groups can come together and get a headcount. I schedule different groups at different times of the day. The older ones prefer to come for lunch or merienda on a Saturday. The younger ones enjoy staying late on a Friday evening. My church friends like to come after we attend the Church service. 4. P lan what food to serve for each group. I cook for my older friends, but we do a potluck for the others. I try to make sure our food choices are combined well. 5. I n a small space it is best to opt for a “sit anywhere” set up. Exert extra effort to make the house and the buffet table look festive. I get nostalgic over red, gold, and green Christmas ornaments. Seeing them
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around my home never fails to cheer me up. 6. P repare a program; it’s good to have a mental guide of what to do. Don’t forget to include Christ in your Christmas program. Plan to include reading of the Christmas Story from a real Bible book. Identify a good reader and give him or her advance notice to do this task, or let each one take turns reading a verse, and saying a prayer of gratefulness to God afterwards. This doesn’t have to be long and when purposely delivered, the reading of the word could impact a person’s heart. 7. F inally, on the day of the party, be sure to take a quick rest before your guests arrive. Don’t forget to dress up for the occasion. (I sometimes don’t, and I look terrible in the pictures.) Play a happy Christmas carol and be ready to welcome your guests. Don’t let your small space hinder you from bonding and having fun with relatives and friends during Christmas. There is a way if you plan in advance!
MOMS MAGAZINE
Pasta with Cream of Chicken Soup by APMedia Staff
Ingredients • ½ kilo Chicken breast fillet, boiled and shredded • 500 grams pasta noodle, cooked according to package direction • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 large white onion, chopped • 1 each of small green and red bell peppers, deseeded and chopped • 1 small can button mushroom, sliced thinly • 2 cans Condensed Cream of Chicken soup (10.75 oz) • Cheddar cheese, grated • salt and pepper to taste Procedure Cook pasta noodles according to package direction. Be careful not to overcook. Put in a serving dish and set aside.
Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium fire. Add onions and cook for about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken and bell peppers and the cream soup. Do not add water. Bring to a soft boil while stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking into the pan. Add salt and freshly ground pepper according to taste. Pour just enough to the pasta and sprinkle cheese on top. Serve hot with garlic bread.
Love Beyond, continued
happened but the Josiah who sat with me today is not the same child I have been seeing for two years. He showed no trace of autism at all.” Josiah improved a lot in terms of being able to talk and communicate how he feels.
Josiah is now a gold achiever
It’s been two years since my unforgettable encounter with Jesus Christ. Personally, it was only the unconditional love of Jesus that saved me from losing my mind completely in my darkest hour. A love like no other is what I have found in Jesus! 13
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
Just Asking with Peter Banzon
Q:
This Christmas, my cousin who seems to hate everything and everyone is visiting me. What can I do to help her realize life is beautiful when all she sees is her poverty and brokenness?
A:
P
eople who are filled with hate and anger have brokenness in their lives. They are difficult to be around and are skeptical when people show them kindness. And yet the Christmas season is a time when you can show her that the child who was born 2000 years ago shared our brokenness so we can be made whole. Jesus Christ came to embrace her, share her pain and give her power to rise above her circumstances. Show her kindness without overdoing it. Listen to what she has to say, don’t be judgmental. Empathize with her feelings. Prepare a special gift for her. Overlook her faults. The Bible says: Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) Obviously, it will take a lot of work before she can work out her personal issues. But this Christmas, sow seeds of kindness into her life. Other people who will be there will take notice and hopefully do the same. Your cousin will take note of the fact that someone cares for her. And that will encourage her to open her heart to God. Jesus said: Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14) 14
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Volume 15 / Issue 59 / 2018
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