March 2013 The Latest Word by Downey Church

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

Easter Joy

Running on Empty by Bill Aumack

aster is probably the most important day in the Christian calendar. Easter, as you know, is a remembrance that Jesus rose from the grave. Without Easter, there basically is no Christianity. If it had all ended with the death of a Jewish teacher named Jesus, there would be no Christianity. There would be no second chance. There would be no hope. But it didn’t end there. How can we be sure it didn’t end on that cross a

little over 2000 years ago? We know this is true by the emptiness. Typically the empty is not a positive word. An empty refrigerator or gas tank is not good. An empty bank account is not something we look forward to either. But Easter changes everything. On Easter, empty is a good thing. There’s an empty cross. There’s an empty tomb and the empty burial clothes. Empty points to hope. Our part of Easter is to make sure that we are not empty. Our hearts should not be

empty, but instead we are to be full of the love and hope of Jesus. Invite your friends and family and join us for Easter. Bill Aumack will bring us the message Running on Empty. On March 2 is Celebration Sabbath. On that day we conclude the small groups’ study, The Circle Maker. The service is a celebration of God’s goodness and how He is actively working in our lives. Each small group will invite one or two of

magine a Spring Carnival at Harvey’s. The midway with all its games and fun. And of course the great food. Our Small Group Outreach party is a Spring Carnival in the Fellowship Hall on Saturday, March 9 at 6pm.

Spring Carnival at Harvey’s Broiler

March 9, 6PM Fellowship Hall

—St. John of Damascus

continued on page 2

INSIDE

Spring Carnival

Now let the heavens be joyful! Let earth her song begin! Let the round world keep triumph, And all that is therein; Invisible and visible, Their notes let all things blend, For Christ the Lord has risen, Our joy that hath no end.

God’s Award Show page 3

Join us for a time of worship, food, games, face painting and some ol’ fashion Root Beer Floats. Invite some friends to join us for this fun event. Then prayerfully consider inviting them to Easter Sabbath. =

The Value of Milk and Meat page 4 Taste & Inspiration on page 5 What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Going Over the Fiscal Cliff on page 7 Our Church Family page 10 Kid’s Page on page 11

THE LATEST WORD Running on Empty (cont. from page 1)

“

After the worship service, make plans to stay for potluck. Everyone is bringing a dish to share. You can sign up in the foyer, or just show up with a dish to share with everyone. Invite some friends and join us for Celebration Sabbath. Evangelism. It’s a word

can do. door to door. We certainly don’t feel qualified to lead a Bible study, after all we didn’t go to Bible College – or so the reasoning goes. Yet the Bible is pretty clear, we are supposed to tell others. That puts us in a tough spot. We are supposed to tell

”

We all affect the people around us. Sometimes that’s just a simple thing, like being friendly to someone in line at the store or sharing a smile with someone. Our influence can be positive or it can be negative. We can encourage or discourage those we come in contact with. One of the biggest things we can influence people for, is Christ. If you’re reading this article, chances are someone influenced you for Jesus. It’s one of the greatest things we can do. Matthew, in chapter 5, records Jesus telling us to be the salt of the earth and a light on a hill. Basically to use our influence for Jesus. It’s important and if we aren’t careful, we can greatly damage our influence with a few careless words. On March 16 the message is The Christian Influence. Communion is March 23. All of us look forward to this healing service and the new beginnings it pro-

vides. This is the service to invite those who haven’t attended for a while and those who feel unworthy. All of us are unworthy but what keeps us coming is that we have a Savior and He is Worthy. He invites us to come boldly to his thrown with our prayers. He is the one who established the Communion service and the One who forgives. This service offers all of us a new start. See you when the church gathers. = Schedule subject to change if we get a new pastor.

The Latest Word V 25 N 03 BILL AUMACK

WE DID IT

their members to share that can strike fear into others, yet we are scared, their experiences. They our hearts. We feel like or feel unqualified, to do will share what they expe- we don’t know what to do what God has asked us to rienced over the past 4 or how to do it. We have do. Fortunately, it’s not weeks. What was new? nightmares about going that bleak. God has not What was learned? asked us to do the What prayers were impossible. There is If you’re reading this answered? What life a way, and it turns changes have been out to be not too article, chances are made? Those sharsomeone influenced you scary. The sermon ing should plan to title for March 9 is speak for around two for Jesus. It’s one of the Evangelism the Easy minutes each. Way. greatest things we

responsible for this

LINDA AUMACK copy editor

HATZUKO AISPURO paper distribution

TBD 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

March 2013 The Word & You by Linda Bewley

od’s word says, “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

If you’re a movie buff, perhaps the best thing you like about the month of March is the fact that it is time for the Academy Awards, or The Oscars. I

God’s Award Show certainly do not fit into the category. But if you watch the news or other television, it would be almost impossible for one not to be aware that it is time once again for the awards show. I became a little curious about the nomination process, so I looked it up on Wikipedia.com. Here are a few fun facts. The first academy awards show was held May 16, 1929, at a private brunch at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There were 270 people in the audience, and each ticket cost a whopping $5. I was surprised to learn that, “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a professional honorary organization, maintains a voting membership of 5,783 as of 2012.” (www.wikipedia. com) I would have never guessed so many people

Worship Schedule March 2 Bill Aumack

Celebration Sabbath

March 9 Bill Aumack

Evangelism the Easy Way

March 16 Bill Aumack

are involved in the process. After reading that, I stopped for a moment to consider this thought: What if awards were to be given to people we read about in the Bible, and if the awards were to be given, how would the nomination process work? It occurred to me that the only one capable of selecting the nominees would be God Himself. So, if God were to nominate people for awards, who would be chosen? There is not enough room for explanation, but if you’ll allow me, these are the nominees who came to my mind. • Most Humble: The Lord, Jesus Christ • Best Friend: Jonathan • Most Courageous: David (when facing Goliath) • Best Orator: Apostle Paul • Most Wise: King Solomon

The Christian Influence

• Best Prayer Team: Moses and Aaron

March 23 Bill Aumack

• Most Able to Make Lemonade When Life Gave Him Lemons: Joseph

March 30 Bill Aumack

I’m sure there could be plenty of others. I’m also sure this is worthy of only a passing thought, because we know, as Paul tells us,

Communion

Running on Empty Easter Sabbath

God does not show favoritism (Galatians 2:6). He loves each one of us equally. I find that thought most amazing. In this world where we constantly compare ourselves to others, God does not. If we fail at times to be humble, God still loves us. God does not abandon us if we are less than courageous or fail to speak on his behalf. When we haven’t devoted as much time as we should to prayer, God is still faithful. And if we sometimes grumble or complain under life’s trials, God is always there to coax us into seeing that he is always working for the good of those who love him. No wonder

Paul tell us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31.) But all that said, God’s goodness should inspire us to be more faithful, more consistent and to keep moving toward the prize that awaits us which is the crown of righteousness. =

THE LATEST WORD Before the Father by Linda Fernandez

The Value of Milk and Meat

O Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity... Hebrews 6:1a

...we must look within ourselves to become a congregation our new pastor would be excited to lead...

nce again I want to focus on our congregation as we continue to pray for a new pastor. We are fairly sure of what we want in a pastor, not too young (wet behind the ears); not too old (stuck in the ‘old ways’), a good speaker, well versed in scripture; a friendly sort. But about the pastor? What type of congregation is he looking for? Will we fit the bill when it comes to his/her wish list?

we must move on to the Fundamentals of Faith, the doctrinal beliefs to which we hold as truth. From there we venture into serious study of these truths. In all three stages, we learn the same things, but just as in school, we gain knowledge in an ever increasing and com-

I think we must look within ourselves to become a congregation our new pastor would to be excited to lead; a teachable group, yet willing to move on to deeper spiritual study when the time is right. Let’s pray…

I was thinking about this article when I heard an interesting sermon on the radio. The pastor was preaching about not staying attached to spiritual milk but moving on to the ‘meat’ of the issue as we grow in our knowledge of the gospel. Just as in our physical growth, milk and meat each have their place in our growth process. When we are infants, we are unable to chew and digest meat and must begin with milk, then move on to soft foods, then on to the heavier stuff. So it is with our spiritual lives. When we are babes in Christ, we need to be taught basic Bible truths such as I am a sinner Jesus died to save and I accept Him as my Savior. This is just the beginning, however. Soon

learning group. How sad it would be for him to see only milk drinkers, those always needing to be taught and spoon fed. On the other hand, how would he feel if none in his congregation felt the need to be taught anything new, being content with their current level of knowledge.

plex manner.

Father, we long to be a congregation who enjoys each phase of our learning process as you prepare us for a new shepherd. =

For example, in mathematics, we first must learn our numbers, then basic math, then on to advanced math. Unlike math, however, where some like myself are perfectly content to stay within the limitations of basic math, spiritually we must continue to grow and dig deeper into the beliefs we hold to better understand what they really mean to us. When our new pastor looks out upon his new ‘flock’ it is my hope that he will see people in each

March 10

March 2013 Taste & Inspiration Potato & White Bean Soup Dear Church Family,

Ingredients

Phillip and I are excited to share our findings as we embark on a meal adventure under God’s guidance. We are learning to make healthier food choices in order to have strong minds and bodies to better do God’s will. It is our hope that the recipes we share will be ones you and your family will enjoy and benefit from. Please feel free to share with us any nutritious recipes you would like to see in the church newsletter. Here’s to a tasty and inspirational 2013!

1 med. onion

Pilar and Phillip

salt and pepper to taste

2 med. carrots 2 ribs of celery 1 lb of kale 1 18 oz. can of stewed tomatoes 1 ½ lbs of red rose potatoes 2 15 oz. cans of white beans (sometimes called navy beans) 7 cups of vegetable stock (or water) ¼ stick butter OR ¼ cup olive oil

Pilar & Phillip Procedure 1. Rinse carrots, celery, potatoes and kale. 2. Dice the carrots, celery and onion into medium size pieces, about ¼” x ¼”. 3. Place diced vegetables with butter or olive oil in a hot soup pot on medium high heat. Cook until onion is translucent. 4. Add vegetable stock

(or water) and let come to a boil. Adjust heat to medium low. 5. Cut potatoes into 1 inch pieces and add to the pot. 6. Tear kale leafs from stem and add to the soup. 7. Add canned ingredients and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. 8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6. =

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.

Downey Adventist Church Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 5:49 pm sunset Visit www.downeychurch.org S.S. – Sabbath School C.S. – Community Service

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

Celebration Sabbath 12:30 pm Potluck 7 pm Band Practice

3 pm Pathfinders/ Adventurers

8 5:55 pm sunset

9 am Pathfinders/ Adventurers

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

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

6 pm Spring Carnival

15 7:01 pm sunset

16 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

3 pm Pathfinders

22 7:06 pm sunset

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

7 pm Church Board Meeting 7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

29 7:11 pm sunset

9:30 am S.S.

10:50 am Worship Easter Sabbath

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

March 2013 Stewpot by Gordon Bottling, DrPH, CHES

y now you have probably heard the phrase “fiscal cliff” ad nauseam. Although the political parties have decided how and when this country will or will not go over this economic precipice, maybe a more important question is: What about you and your spouse when it comes to your personal fiscal situation? Much of the infighting by the Republicans and Democrats, one demanding a reduction in spending and the other pushing for higher taxes, sounds a little like many husbands and wives as they duel over household expenses. Financial educators have always stated that when your family is in financial difficulty, there are two basic things you can do: spend less or increase your income. Unfortunately, many marriages continue to fight right up to their “fiscal cliff” and then make minor adjustments, only to come to another debt ceiling and start the bickering all over again, or as a far worse inevitability, just go over the precipice and land in the divorce abyss. The number one ingredient for financial stabil-

Are You Going Over the Fiscal Cliff? ity, or avoiding the “fiscal cliff’ in any business, government or family, is a balanced and realistic budget. Unfortunately, the members of Congress and the Senate have long forgotten this extremely important principle of economics — but we do not need to. To remind you of basic line items essential to everyone’s household budget, consider a few suggestions listed below to enhance and improve your bottom lines.

Household Supplies Decide to make only one major trip to your favorite supermarket per week, preferably with a shopping list and definitely not when you have an empty stomach. Buy produce that is in season and shop at the top of the shelf or the bottom as these items are usually more nutritious and often less expensive. Coupons from newspapers, magazines and the Internet can save you hundreds of dollar annually.

Homes With home prices

varying greatly each year, check to make sure you are not overpaying on your property taxes. They are linked to the prices of other dwellings in your neighborhood. Maintain your greatest asset by regularly checking for cracks, leaks and general defects or problems; repairing or fixing these right away will save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Perhaps investigate the possibility of refinancing at a much lower interest rate.

Saving is a very fine thing. Especiall if your parents have done it for you. - Winston Churchill

Vehicles If you are purchasing an automobile in 2013, remind yourself of these three concepts.

• A vehicle is only transportation, so purchase the basic model plus only those features that increase your driving pleasure and safety. • Buy a good used vehicle, no more than two years old and with no more than 25,000 miles on the odometer. Never acquire a new vehicle unless you can write it off as a business deduction. continued on page 8

It’s too bad the people who really know how to run the country are so busy cutting hair and driving taxis. - George Burns

THE LATEST WORD Fiscal Cliff (cont. from page 7) • Maintain your vehicle through regular tune-ups and maintenance. With the average family’s yearly mileage of 15,000 miles, it will last at least 10 to 12 years.

Clothes While nearly all financial educators give the clothing line item 10 to 15 percent of a family’s or single’s income, I have found, in conducting money management seminars in local churches and at camp meetings, that this item is the one most often left out of household budgets. When purchasing clothes ask these essential questions: will it need to be dry-cleaned or ironed; is it durable? Purchase garments at the end of a season and on sale to avoid paying full retail prices.

Savings One of the most important elements in a budget is to have an emergency account of $1,000.

This will be a huge blessing when your washing machine or dryer dies unexpectedly or you have unanticipated medical expenses. And in addition to your emergency account, these also are musts: short-term savings for items you know you will need in the next twelve months; mid-term savings of five years for larger items, such as a deposit on a home; and a long-term plan for retirement. One of the biggest mistakes individuals and families make is failing to match their employer’s 401k plan. Literally, over a lifetime, tens of thousands of dollars are lost legally to those who fail to take advantage of this program. Remember, savings is simply a plan for future happiness, be it a rainy day or sunny retirement.

Forgotten Lines In the above paragraphs, I have reminded you of some of the important line items in a household budget. However, there are other line items that many fail to include and yet over the year add up to quite a large amount of money and often are the reason that budgets take a nose-dive. Everyone should reduce their lifestyle stress and tension by going on a vacation,

but few regularly include an amount for an annual holiday. Men love their hobbies and women enjoy their crafts, yet hardly any budgets include these items. Gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and Christmas are often not included in the budget, nevertheless are purchased and proverbially become line items on the credit card.

Conclusion The story is told of a very wealthy lady who lived in a magnificent mansion overlooking a beautiful valley. To travel to the nearest town she needed to traverse a very narrow, curvy road, at times barely clinging to the side of the mountain. Her

previous driver had retired and she was now looking for his replacement. Several drivers applied for the position and as she

interviewed each candidate she asked only one question, “How close to the edge do you drive?” The first applicant replied, “Lady, about four feet.” The second contender, not to be outdone, responded, “Madam, only two feet.” The last person boldly stated, “Madam, I stay as far away as I can from the cliff’s edge.” He secured the position. In these tough and changing economic times, let’s make sure that each of us, individually or as a family, stays as far away as we can from the fiscal cliff. =

March 2013 THIS MONTH

Upcoming Events March Birthdays Tomas Aispuro – 6 Hatzuko Aispuro – 6 Angela Navarro – 10 Erlinda Garcia – 13 Doris Ramirez - 15 Linda Bewley – 20 Natalia Ramirez - 20 Darrell Stephens – 25 Humberto Michel – 25 Joel Huinquez, Jr – 26

Thursdays - 7 p.m. Women’s Prayer Group Fridays - 7:00 p.m. Band Practice Mar. Mar. Mar. Mar. Mar. Mar. Mar. Mar.

2 - Celebration Sabbath & Potluck 2 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 3pm 3 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 9am 9 - Spring Carnival @ 6pm 10 - Set Clock AHEAD one hour 16 - Pathfinders @ 3pm 23 - Communion 30 - Easter Sabbath

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 May 11 - Mother’s Day Sabbath June 1 - SGA Chorale June 15 - Father’s Day Sabbath

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About

Our Church Family Congratulations to our AUS students are doing so well. Adrian Hermosillo was on the 3.0-3.29 GPA Honor Roll. Enoch Aispuro was on the 3.3 to 3.69 GPA Honor Roll. David Chavez and Sebastian Zeggara were both

newsletter. =

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

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! =

Easter is Timeless

Keep on Believing

adopted the Gregorian calendar while the Eastern Church retained the Julian one, the timing of Easter has sometimes varied between the two.

Such computations are interesting but pale in light of the ultimate assurance that for Christians, every day is truly Easter. Christ’s tomb is empty! Jesus defeated death! Whenever we worship, we celebrate resurrection. Date-bound by earthly calendars, the Feast of the Resurrection, by heaven’s rendering, is eternal. =

The first song Camp wrote after her death was the chart-topper “I Still Believe.” In the chorus, he sings:

aster is a moveable feast, falling any time between March 22 and April 25 on the Gregorian calendar. At a meeting of bishops in 325 A.D., Easter Sunday was set as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern hemisphere’s vernal equinox. (Though the equinox can fall on March 19, 20 or 21, the church fixed March 21 as this date.)

on the 3.7 to 40 GPA Honor Roll. David and Sebastian were also had perfect attendance.

Over the years, branches of the church differed on the precise date for Easter, finally reaching agreement in the late 700s. Since 1582, however, when the Western Church

hrough major life challenges, Christian singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp has learned to walk by faith and cling to his hope in Christ. While he was growing up, Camp’s family (which includes a brother with Down syndrome) struggled with poverty. When Camp was just 23, his wife of several months died of cancer.

I still believe in Your faithfulness I still believe in Your truth I still believe in Your holy word even when I don’t see, I still believe. Camp says trusting in God during life’s valleys takes lots of courage. “You can say, ‘All right, Lord, I don’t get it, but I’m going to trust you,’ and go to the only One [who] offers life and hope and peace and joy.” =

March 2013

Ponder This... = “Dare we set our hope and hearts in the hands of a small-town Jewish carpenter? The answer rests in the Jerusalem graveyard. If Jesus’ tomb is empty, then his promise is not.” —Max Lucado, Fearless = “Faith walks simply, childlike, between the darkness of human life and the hope of what is to come.” —Catherine de Hueck Doherty = “The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing.” —Blaise Pascal

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

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