Aug. 2014 The Latest Word by Downey Church

For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church

5 Gifts from God

Treasures of the Heart by Cary Fisher

o you remember a time when you really got excited over something that you purchased? It may have been a car, a T.V. or maybe it was a computer. As time had passed, did you still get the same euphoric feeling every time that you use that item? Probably not. However, that doesn’t stop us from seeking out the next new thing to get revved up about. I remember when I bought my first iPhone, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever

that I could audibly give commands to my phone while it did whatever I asked. However, Siri never seemed to understand my accent, and I had to repeat myself over and over for it to finally follow what I was saying. Also, my phone eventually just got old and I started to desire something newer. That example helps me understand Jesus when he said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on

earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” (Matthew 6:19-20). If the things of the world are what we treasure, we will eventually be left feeling empty as everything in this world will ultimately turn to dust. Our relationships with our God and his children are what is eternal. If that is the treasure of our hearts, we are cherishing in things that will never leave us empty. continued on page 1

The theme for 2014 is based on the outstanding historical Old Testament character Daniel. A prophet and leader he lived in the world, right in the epicenter of

Joy makes our hearts a little lighter. Faith makes our paths a little clearer. Hope makes our lives a little brighter. Peace brings us all a little nearer. —Author unknown

INSIDE

Pathfinder Camporee he Pathfinders will be headed to Oshkosh Wisconsin for the week of Aug 10-17. They’ve worked long and hard to attend. We will also have several new Master Guides when they get back.

Love makes our friends a little dearer.

civilization at that time and yet was not conformed by it. We believe that it was his relationship with Jesus that made him forever faithful. We also believe that Jesus is the true forever faithful One to us. Our Pathfinders will have their hearts and minds refreshed in this story for our time. Let’s remember them in prayer. =

Who Are You? page 3 Doodles and Masterpieces page 4 Taste & Inspiration on page 5 What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Our Church Family page 8 Kid’s Page on page 9

THE LATEST WORD Treasures of the Heart (cont. from page 1)

Sermon Calendar for August

“

August 2nd - Myths of Christian Education by Bill Aumack - The Seventh-day Adventist Church operates the 2nd largest private school system in the world. Our offering and part of our tithe money goes to support Christian Education, so this a topic for all of us. If you talk to enough people, you’ll hear a lot of different opinions about Christian Education not all of which are accurate.

August 9th - Who Are We #10: “Spiritual Gifts” - We believe that God’s people are to be led by the Holy Spirit. When we are

the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11,12).” We also believe in the spirit of prophecy as an important gift for our understanding of end time events, and our church was blessed If the things of the with the ministry world are what we of Ellen White as someone with that treasure, we will gift.

eventually be left feeling empty spirit led, God will give us special gifts to help us function in the manner in which God created us. Paul writes, “so Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that

August 16th Who Are We #11: “Stewardship” - While God made this world, He entrusted us to take care of his creation. The Bible says, “each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10). We also show stewardship by taking care of ourselves, by living a life of temperance, and by being faithful in giving back to God a portion of what He has given to us.

”

August 23rd - Who Are We # 12: “The Second Coming” - We believe that understanding and believing in the second coming of Jesus plays a crucial role in being a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. Paul wrote, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God...” (I Thessalonians 4:16). This text tells us that the whole

world will know when he does come, and we also believe that our lives are changed when we live with a mindset that Jesus can come at any moment. August 30th - Who Are We # 13 - “The New Earth” - This will be the final installment of our “Who Are WE” series. The book of Revelation points to us that God will renew this Earth, and We believe that God’s plan to end sin will be fulfilled, and we will spend the rest of eternity with God in our new home. See you when the church gathers. =

The Latest Word V 26 N 08 BILL AUMACK

WE DID IT

My prayer is that we can let go of our desires for the things that are finite and to value what is infinite.

responsible for this

LINDA AUMACK copy editor

LAURA LUNA

paper distribution

CARY FISHER pastor

address mail to: Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd. Downey, CA 90240 office: 562.869.6013 fax: 562.622.1691

downeychurch@gmail.com www.downeychurch.com

August 2014 The Word & You by Linda Bewley

od’s word says, “But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Have you ever taken one of the quizzes on Facebook which promise to define things about you? Their titles go like this: “Which state do you belong in?” or “Which Disney character are you?” For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been taking quizzes that interest me to see what they say about me. As far as Facebook is concerned, I am the Bible verse quoted above. And,

Who Are You? if believed, I belong in the State of California, but the perfect city for me is Washington, D.C. Hmm, that’s a long commute. I am sweet and sour, as well as quick tempered. I am Raj from the television show, Big Bang Theory. If I were something other than a human being, I’d be a pigeon, a sunflower or chocolate ice cream. The song “Don’t Stop Believin” (Journey) was written for me, and I should wear my hair in graceful braids. I am Dopey, Shakespeare and Eve, all rolled into one. That pretty much confirms what I’ve always known: I am a very complicated and

Worship Schedule August 2 Bill Aumack

Myths of Christian Education

August 9 Cary Fisher

Who Are We #10: “Spiritual Gifts”

August 16 Cary Fisher

Who Are We #11: “Stewardship”

August 23 Cary Fisher

Who Are We # 12: “The Second Coming”

August 30 Cary Fisher

Who Are We # 13: “The New Earth”

confused person! Okay, so the quizzes are for fun and not capable of truly identifying anyone’s personality. But it makes me think for a moment about the ways in which we obtain our identity in life. If we are not careful, we can

allow many things of the world to mold or shape us. Music, television, work or even hobbies, all tend to affect our lives. The Apostle Paul said, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. . . .” (Romans 12:2). So he might be telling us, among other things, that we should seek our identity from God. After all, He created us and knows us best. So what does God say about us? I encourage you to grab your Bible and find out. Here are a few verses which speak to me: • “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I

now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. • “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9. • “. . . to all who did receive [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:12 In only three verses, I am reminded of the identity God has given me in Christ and the purpose to which I have been called. It might be an uplifting exercise to memorize a verse or two each day to remind us of the things God says about us, because in so doing, we can replace conflict and confusion with the peace that passes understanding. Amen? Amen! =

THE LATEST WORD by Bill Aumack

Doodles and Master Pieces

I Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

love to doodle. If there is paper and a writing utensil nearby I will start doodling. I’ve been doing it as long as I can remember. As a child, at Christmas I almost always got a drawing notebook and pens or pencils. I got in trouble in school quite a bit for this habit. The teacher always thought I wasn’t listening. However, the contrary is true. I’m usually listening better when I am doodling. They’ve learned that at work and don’t mind if I doodle in meetings because they know it helps me concentrate. With all the doodling I’ve done in my life, it would be natural to assume that I would be a half way decent artist. Unfortunately, that isn’t true. On my very best day, I’m a pretty mediocre artist. Remember that’s my best day, so usually it’s worse than that. I don’t really understand that. How can I be so mediocre at something I spend so much time doing? It just doesn’t make sense. This reminds me of my Christian walk. I’ve spent my whole life practicing a Christian lifestyle. I work at it, much harder than I practice my doodling. I can be lackadaisical in my doodling. I don’t really work at it that hard. It’s more of a whatever happens, happens. But I’m

more serious about my Christian walk. I’ve put a lot more serious effort into that. Yet sometimes that effort seems no better than my lackluster doodling. No matter how hard I try, the picture painted by my Christian walk seems crude and ugly. Not the beautiful master piece that I would like it to be.

ugly. “The grace of God sees beyond the scribbling to the heart of the scribbler — a scribbler who is similar to two thieves who hung on crosses on either side of Jesus. One of the two asked Jesus to please accept his scribbled and sloppy life into the kingdom of God … and he did. Preposterous. And very good news for the rest of us scribblers.”

In his book Dangerous Wonder, the late youthministry pioneer Mike Yaconelli debunks the idea Are you concerned that Christianity is “all with your ability? Or with about coloring within the Jesus’ ability to accept lines and coloring well.” your scribbles? That’s He writes: “God’s grace is worth pondering about... = so outside the lines of our understanding that we can only stand in awe and wonder. Christianity is not about learning how to live within the lines; ChristianWednesday Night Fellowship ity is about Starting August 6th the joy of coloring. 7 P.M. The grace of God is Youth Room preposterous enough with Pastor Cary to accept as beautiful a colorDrive in the exit (by pastor’s ing that office) and park in the back. anyone You can enter the Youth room else would from the back. reject as

August 2014 Taste & Inspiration Broccoli & Cannelini Bean Salad

nce again, we are so amazed and excited to continue sharing with you the nutritional information we’ve learned in the last small group session, “C.R.E.A.T.I.O.N. Health: God’s 8 Principles for Living Life to the Fullest.” In that series, Dr. Winnie King poses a question that I’ve often wondered when speaking with vegetarians about their diet. ‘Is it possible to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet?’ I’m sure the answer is yes, but it’s difficult to imagine, as a meat eater, being satisfied when finished with a meal with no meat as the main source of protein. It is, however, something I’m quite conscious of in my diet and with prayer for strength and God’s guidance with this, my goal is to eliminate meat from my diet altogether. Anyway, she goes on to say that a proper vegetarian diet, (“proper” being the key word here) will supply us with all of our protein needs. With plant foods we experience a slow continuous release of energy, helping our body

maintain consistent serotonin levels. This helps control mood, appetite and food cravings throughout the day. And high-fiber foods reduce emotional distress by increasing brain functions since it’s being fueled by a steady release of glucose. We’ve become huge advocates of fast food. What??!! McDonalds, Taco Bell, Jack-In-TheBox, Pup ‘N’ Taco, you wonder?? Absolutely NOT! We’re talkin’ God’s fast food! Bananas, apples, almonds, etc.... Just a few wonderful examples of fast food the way God, our creator, intended with all the great flavors, textures, colors, aromas and even sounds. I love the first bite of a juicy, cold, sweet, crisp apple. CRUNCH!!!! Green or red. They’re both delicious. (no pun intended) Dr. King informs us of the healthy aspects of colors and rich nutrients in food. Purple, red & blue fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals called anthocyanins.

Pilar & Phillip These rid the body & brain of free radical damage. Orange, yellow and green veggies are rich in stress lowering carotenoids.

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped capers

Those of us who eat cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of prostrate, colon and lung cancer. Cruciferous veggies include kale, cabbage, spinach, turnips, broccoli, collards, cauliflower and my favorite thing to say in the kitchen, bok choy. It sounds so powerful!! BOK CHOY. These all contain compounds that signal our genes to increase enzymes that detoxify the body.

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Ingredients • 2 heads Romanesco broccoli (about 1 1/4 lbs. total), broken into small florets • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar • 5 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil • 2 teaspoons orange zest • 1 tablespoon orange juice

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Preparation 1. Put Romanesco florets in a steamer basket and set in a large pot filled with 1/2 in. water. Steam over medium-high heat until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water. 2. Whisk vinegar, oil, orange zest and juice, capers, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir to coat. 3. Serve and enjoy! Enjoy! =

Downey Adventist Church Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 7:53 pm sunset Visit www.downeychurch.org S.S. – Sabbath School C.S. – Community Service

2 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

7 pm Band Practice

8 7:46 pm sunset

9 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

7 pm Wed. Night Fellowship

7 pm Band Practice

7:39 pm sunset

16 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

7 pm Band Practice

Pathfinder Camporee - Oshkosh, Wisconsin

7:30 pm sunset

School Begins at AUS

Pathfinder Camporee

23 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship

7 pm Wed. Night Fellowship

7 pm Church Board

7 pm Band Practice

Pastor Cary 12:30pm Fellowship Luncheon

29 7:21 pm sunset

30 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Pastor Cary

7 pm Wed. Night Fellowship

7 pm Band Practice

August 2014

Upcoming Events August Birthdays Zelina Archila – 1 Gabriela Miranda – 5 Flower Munguia – 6 Gabriel Miranda – 8 Frank Duran Jr. – 8 Byron Molina, Sr. – 15 Orlando Archila – 15 Sarah Guerrero – 15 Samantha Ramirez - 27 Celene Aispuro – 31

Fridays - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice Aug. 2 - Christian Education Sabbath Aug. 10-17 - Pathfinder Camporee, Oshkosh, Wisconsin Aug. 21 - Board Meeting 7pm Aug. 23 - Fellowship Luncheon

If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in.

The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month.

Coming Soon Be sure to keep up with the latest news by signing up for the Wednesday email. You can sign up here www.downeychurch.org/Signups.html or send us an email at DowneyChurch at gmail dot com and we’ll add you.

Sept 6 - Parking Lot Party Sept 21 - Health Fair Oct 11 - Small Groups start

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About

Our Church Family Congratulations to Brian and Vanessa Luna! They were married on July 19th. Be sure to congratulate the newleyweds.

If you have any Church Family news, please contact the church office so we can get it into the newsletter. =

Ask Linda Aumack and Alex about their recent trip to Colorado. Thank you to everyone who has been saving Box Tops for Education. That is greatly appreciated. For the Box Tops for Education, please save the Box Tops coupon. Please give your labels to Linda Aumack. Thank you for your support! =

Save the Dates Thanks!

t the time of this writing, VBS hasn’t happened yet. But we’re quite sure it was a great week. There are so many people who help with VBS. From the kitchen to the classrooms, to the crafts, to the registration table, to the music, to the people who

wo big events are coming up in September.

Number 1: The Parking Lot Party is Saturday, September 6th. help decorate, to the stoThis year the theme is ries and the games; there going to be Western. So are just too many names to get ready to invite your list them all. But everyone friends to a fun evening works so hard and puts so of food, games and relaxmuch into making sure all ation. the children learn about Number 2: The Jesus. That’s awesome! Health Fair on Sunday, Thanks again! = Sept 21. There will be various booths based on

the principles from the C.R.E.A.T.I.O.N. small group series. This will be followed up with a big community outreach in January. This is also something you will want to invite your friends to. =

August 2014

Ponder This... = “Faith is to believe what we do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.” —St. Augustine = “Are you spending your time on the right things? Because time is all you have.” —Randy Pausch = “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” —Mark Twain

Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240

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