May 2013 The Latest Word by Downey Church

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

Must-Have Traits

Mom’s Special Day by Bill Aumack

other’s Day is a natural time to slow down and tell our Moms how much we love and appreciate them. That’s well and good. But I can say with a great deal of certainty that Moms everywhere would enjoy a little appreciation at other times too. It can be difficult to be woman and mother in today’s world. Our society puts a lot pressure on women in general. Ladies can feel a great amount of pressure to be pretty, thin – but not too skinny, cute, sexy, funny,

have a successful career and a thousand other things. Then add the responsibility of being Mom. She can often feel the need to have a perfect house, a perfect marriage and perfect children. What a tall order! The Bible does give us some great advice for women and it includes a list of some desirable characteristics for women and mothers. Fortunately, neither God, husbands or children expect perfection from the women in their lives,

regardless of what the magazines at the supermarket checkout lane shout. Join us on May 11 for the message Real Moms in the Real World. Whether you are a Mom or not, or female or male, there is something in this message for each of us about being real in today’s increasingly unreal world. We will look at the example of two women on May 18 in the message God First. We don’t know a lot about Puah and Shiphrah. There’s only a few short

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. —George Washington Carver

continued on page 2

INSIDE

Pathfinder Yard Sale and Bake Sale

Honoring Mom page 3

Taste & Inspiration on page 5

here is a Pathfinder Yard Sale and Bake Sale on Sunday, May 5 at the Downey Church. Please note there is not a car wash this time. The Pathfinders are continuing to raise money to go to Oshkosh in 2014. Most of us have a few extra things laying around

the house that we can get rid of. This is the perfect time to do a little spring cleaning and help the Pathfinders at the same time. You can bring your donations early and leave them at church or bring them on the day of the sale. Thanks for your support. =

Finishing Strong page 4

What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Outside the Box Finances on page 7 Our Church Family page 10 Kid’s Page on page 11

THE LATEST WORD Mom’s Special Day (cont. from pg 1) verses about them in the Bible. But in those few words, there’s a powerful story about obedience and following God. If you’ve ever struggled with keeping God first in your life, their story will inspire you. We hope you’ll stay after the service for Fellowship Luncheon.

in the case of Memorial Day, these people are our heroes. They gave everything so we could live in freedom. We use

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family? More importantly what will God think? The message on May 25 is Hero Material. On the first Sabbath of the month Gerard Kiemeney will be with us to share the message. Gerard is no stranger to our church. He is the LA Metro Region director and he’s been working with our church in selecting a new pastor. Gerard has shared the message with us before. He always brings a thoughtful message that points us toward Jesus. Be sure to take a moment and thank him for his work in helping us select Cary Fisher as our next pastor.

Neither God, husbands or children expect perfection from the women in their lives

Memorial Day is a long weekend set aside to remember and honor those who have served and given their lives in defense of our country and way of life. Many of these people are true heroes. The word hero has lost a little meaning in recent years and it is applied to nearly everyone who does anything. But

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this weekend to remember them. But that makes me think of our lives. What will we be remembered for? When they write our obituary, what will be said about us? That’s a question that is well worth our time to consider. Will you be hero in the eyes of your

As you probably know by now, we have selected a new pastor. Cary Fisher. Cary, his wife Roschelle and their three children will be joining our church family. Their first Sabbath with us is June 8. We will have a potluck that day so that we can spend a little extra time getting to know him and his family. See you when the church gathers. =

The Latest Word V 25 N 05

WE DID IT

BILL AUMACK

responsible for this

LINDA AUMACK copy editor

HATZUKO AISPURO 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

May 2013 The Word & You by Linda Bewley

od’s word 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).

It’s the month of May—a month that is synonymous with Mother’s Day. I’m glad the world takes a day out of the year to celebrate mothers. A day when we are told that it’s okay to stop and honor moms for all they have done and continue to do to enrich our lives. But isn’t it odd that it’s only one day? I think God may have had something more in

Honoring Mom mind when he commanded us to “honor your mother.” I think he would rather have us honor our moms continuously, because we have plenty of reasons to do so. With those thoughts in mind, I attempted to make a short list of the some of the reasons we have to honor our moms. And this is what comes to mind: • Honor mothers for the love and tenderness with which they raise their children, for providing a comforting and nurturing home and for reflecting God’s love

May 11 Bill Aumack

Real Moms in the Real World

• Honor mothers, because they spend countless hours praying for their children and dedicating them to God

doing everything else that needs to get done at home while working nine to five as well • Honor mothers, because God tells us that Godfearing, faithful women should be praised, not just for a day, but continually If you ask me, being a mother has to be one of the toughest jobs in the

• Honor mothers, because they make us do things we don’t want to do which causes us to be self-disciplined when we are grown

Worship Schedule May 4 Gerard Kiemeney

• Honor mothers who, by example, teach us to serve others and who continually sacrifice for the benefit of their children and others, because it teaches us about true selflessness

May 18 Bill Aumack God First

May 25 Bill Aumack Hero Material

• Honor mothers who stand on the promise of Proverbs 22:6 by training their children to choose that which is right and good and to stay on the path that leads to God • Honor mothers who seemingly have split personalities, because sometimes they are both Mary and Martha, first sitting at Jesus’ feet to gain wisdom and then

world, and I’m sure you could add many more things to my list. Whether it’s Mother’s Day or any other day, we should take some time to recognize the many ways our moms have been a blessing and seek to be a blessing to them in return. =

THE LATEST WORD Before the Father by Linda Fernandez

Finishing Strong

I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith... 1 Timothy 4:7

A NO answer is hard, but even a WAIT answer can be trying...

hen we began our latest small group study using the book, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson, I ordered a used copy from Amazon. I often order used books to read because for the most part the books I receive have shown little if any use at all. In this case, however, I was surprised to find that almost every page had underlining, arrows, exclamation marks and stars in the columns to point out particular points of interest to the previous owner. Having been an avid reader since I was a child, (yes, I was that kid hiding under the covers with a flashlight trying to finish just one more chapter) I was pleased to find the reader had found so much in the book to be excited about. That was, I found out soon enough, until Part 3, The Third Circle – Think Long. Those who are familiar with the book will recognize that this is really where the ‘rubber meets the road” in the study. The topics in this section include: Long and Boring, Stop, Drop and Pray, Sleepless Nights and Praying through Writer’s Block. Now no more underlining, no more stars, no more excitement.

In the chapter before one line in particular stood out. It read, “Some of the hardest moments in life are when you’ve prayed hard but the answer is no and you don’t know why.” For me, a NO answer is hard, but even a WAIT answer can be trying because at the time you are

praying so hard, you don’t hear NO or WAIT. You don’t hear anything, so you can only imagine the answer is NO. As we finished the study, I began to think about the person who read the book before me. Why did he stop at this particular place? Was she faced with a situation too close to home to continue? Did he give up on his praying? She seemed to be so excited early on; what caused her turn away at this point? As I thought about this,

I began to reflect on my own life. I had a friend once who used to say he was a sprinter, not a long distance runner, because he was good at starting things, but not so good at finishing them. I’m like that. I enjoy the excitement of planning and organizing, but when it comes to the hard part of keeping the boat afloat by the mundane paddling of day to day activities, I get bored or give up long before I can expect to see results. Maybe that’s what happened in my fellow reader’s prayer life. I am praying that he finishes the good fight. I am also thankful for the heavenly reminder for me to do the same… let’s pray. Father, help me pray through when your answer doesn’t come quickly or clearly. =

May 2013 Taste & Inspiration Tomato & Potato Frittata 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own: you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” We believe just one of the ways we can honor God with our bodies is by making the most informed, healthy choices in what we fuel our bodies with to give us maximum efficiency. Physical, mental and especially spiritual efficiency. We promote informed, healthy food choices and encourage you, our church family, to do the same.

Ingredients: 6 whole lg. eggs 2 lg. egg whites 1/4 cup small diced onion 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper 4 garlic cloves, (thinly sliced) 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 lbs. small red rose potatoes (washed really well because we keep the peel) cut into 1/4’’ to 1/2” dice 2 cups grape tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes (approx. 6 oz.)

Instructions: Pre-heat broiler, whisk together eggs, egg whites, 1/4 cup Parmesan, basil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper into a large bowl. In a 10” heavy nonstick skillet (with NO rubber handle) cook garlic & onion in 1 Tbsp. olive oil over moderate heat, stirring until garlic is golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked garlic & onion to a separate bowl leaving as much oil in pan as possible.

Pilar & Phillip Add potatoes to skillet and saute over high heat until just tender, approx 6 min. Using slotted spoon, remove and add to onion mix. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and tomatoes to skillet and cook over moderate high heat stirring until tomatoes start to brown and skins split. Approx 4 min. Add remaining oil and potatoes with garlic & onion to skillet and spread evenly, then sprinkle remaining salt & pepper over ingredients. Next, pour egg mixture over vegetables and reduce heat to moderate flame. Let set for about a minute. With a wooden spoon or heat

resistant spatula, lift up cooked egg from around the pan edges allowing uncooked egg to flow underneath. Do this several times until most of the egg isn’t runny. Approx 3 min. Reduce heat a bit and cook covered 5 min. more. (center will be moist). Remove lid and broil frittata 5 to 7 inches from heat for approx 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese. Broil 2-3 more minutes until cheese melts and frittata is golden brown. Slide onto platter and cut into wedges. Enjoy! =

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

7:38 pm sunset Visit www.downeychurch.org S.S. – Sabbath School C.S. – Community Service

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

3 pm Pathfinders/ Adventurers

7 pm Band Practice

10 7:43 pm sunset

9 am Pathfinders/ Adventurers

11 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

Mother’s Day 7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

17 7:49 pm sunset

18 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

12:30 pm Potluck 7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

24 7:53 pm sunset

AUS Sports Fun Day 8a to 6p

25 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship Bill Aumack

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

3 pm Pathfinders

7 pm Band Practice

31 7:58 pm sunset

1 9:30 am S.S. 10:50 am Worship SGA Chorale

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

May 2013 Stewpot by Gordon Bottling, DrPH, CHES

number of years ago I read a delightful story about a highway traffic problem in which an 18-wheeler truck became stuck under an overpass, creating quite a problem for the city transportation department. Various approaches were attempted to disconnect and detach the truck, but to no avail. It seemed there were only two options: dismantle the vehicle or remove part of the overpass, both costly in time and money. A young boy, who had been watching and listening to the goings-on, walked over to one of the city officials and said, “Sir, why don’t you just let the air out of the tires?” Truly, a simple answer to a difficult problem can come “out of the mouth of babes” (Ps. 8:2; Matt. 11:25; 21:16 KJV). How many times have you and I found ourselves in a complicated situation, not realizing that with a different perspective or an outside the box viewpoint we could have saved ourselves an enormous amount of time, money and other resources. To assist you this year in unscrambling your financial circumstances, be it in your business, church,

Outside the Box Finances or personal life, here are some true stories to get your creative juices going.

Business Trump’s Way In his book, Time to Get Tough, Donald Trump tells about his experience when he decided to open the Trump National Golf Club at Rancho Palos Verdes in the Los Angeles area. His business managers immediately informed him that he would need to build a brand-new, expensive ballroom. The problem was that the current ballroom, although exquisite and elegant, was losing business from corporations and individuals because it only seated 200 people when most organizations and families needed a larger space for conferences and wedding events. Being a man of action, Trump had his business managers com-

plete a cost analysis and was informed that a new ballroom would cost $5 million. Upon getting the facts and figures, Trump took a trip to see the facility in person. He took one look at the room and immediately knew what needed to be done. This is what he wrote: “The problem wasn’t the size of the room, it was the size of the chairs. They were huge, heavy, and unwieldy. We didn’t need a bigger ballroom, we needed smaller chairs!”1 He had his people purchase highend, smaller chairs. They sold the outmoded, yet attractive, larger chairs, which actually brought in more money than the cost

of the 320 new chairs. Ultimately, because he thought outside the box and used a little common sense, Mr. Trump was able to provide the space his patrons needed and he saved several million dollars of construction expenses. continued on page 8

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.” — Alexander Graham Bell

“Problems are only opportunities in working clothes.” — Henry J. Kaiser

THE LATEST WORD Outside the Box Finances (cont. from page 7) Growing Church Needs Twenty-five years ago, as the lead pastor in a large downtown church, it became obvious to me that one secretary could not take care of three busy phone lines, greet numerous drop-in visitors and pay attention to the needs of over 1,200 members and four full-time pastors. My first inclination was to ask the church board for more assistance in the church office, but I knew our current budget would not cover this additional expense. As I thought about our situation, I came to an outside the box answer. I presented it to the elders’ board and the idea was approved at the next church board meeting.

Here is what I suggested: First, hire a full-time receptionist at minimum wage rate to answer the constantly ringing telephones, greet office callers and visitors, copy the weekly church bulletins, and post and distribute mail to the pastors, etc. Next, hire a second individual, a three-days-aweek professional assistant (earning a higher wage), whose job description

would include answering letters, typing the pastors’ sermon notes, performing church clerk duties, retaining the church board and business meeting agendas and minutes, etc. The persuasive element for the church board was that hiring these two individuals cost less than the salary of our current solo church secretary.

Personal Experience When our children were small, like most young couples, we desired a home of our own, but we were living in a small apartment, on one salary and with little opportunity to save for a down payment. During that time, I happened to read about a couple who house sat for a family that went overseas for two years. During that time they judiciously saved up their monthly rent and had enough for a down payment on a home of their own when the family returned from overseas. A few weeks later I was in a conversation with a couple that was going overseas on a two-year mission trip and

remembering what I had read, I asked them if they would consider having us house sit their home. They agreed with two conditions, that we pay the property taxes and allow them to store their furniture and household goods in one section of the garage. Unfortunately the couple returned in only twelve months, but by faithfully putting away the amount each month that would have been our rent payment, we were able to put down $10,000 as a deposit on a first time buyers loan for a home of our own.

What about you? When it comes to individual or family money management, it seems that the majority of people just hope and pray that there is more money than days at the end of each month. If you find yourself or your family in this haphazard financial predicament, why not try these outside the box fundamental suggestions: • Develop and stick with a budget for the next three months. • Save $1,000 in an emergency account to avoid having to use a high interest credit card for

unexpected crises. • Resolve to be out of consumer debt within the next two years. • Plan to contribute regularly to your church budget, rather than giving a $1 nod to God’s work when the offering plate comes by. • Plan and pay in advance for your next vacation, rather than just letting it happen. • Prepare for your future by matching your employer’s contribution to your retirement account.

Conclusion Too often we look for solutions to our everyday troubles, obstacles and problems of life as a direct-line approach, when looking at these situations from several viewpoints can make a big difference in finding a resolution. Remember, you can solve most situations by going around, over, under and through them, but occasionally it is the outside the box or even beyond the box perspectives that will make a big difference in our lives. = Resource: 1 Donald Trump, Time To Get Tough, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2011, p. 74.

May 2013

THIS MONTH

Upcoming Events May Birthdays

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

Chris Martin – 1 Dudley Meade – 1 Victor Zamora – 4 Linda Aumack – 6 Michael Fernandez – 6 Kaye Navarro – 10 Grace Huinquez – 10 Byron Molina Jr. – 11 Vanity Duarte – 12 Justine Amezaga – 13 Bill Aumack – 17 Ray Munguia – 18 Frank Duran – 23 Mimi Gonzalez – 26 Alex Aumack – 28 Phillip Mondragon - 28

May May May May May May May May

4 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 3pm 5 - Pathfinders / Adventurers @ 9am 12 - Mother’s Day 18 - Potluck Sabbath 18 - Pathfinders @ 3pm 19 - Sports Day at AUS - 8am to 6pm 23 - Church Board 7pm 27 - Memorial Day

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

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

Coming Soon June 1 - SGA Chorale June 8 - Pastor Cary’s First Sabbath /Potluck June 8 - Adventurer Lock-in June 15 - Father’s Day Sabbath July 29-Aug 2 - VBS

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About

Our Church Family

ongratulations to the following AUS students. Perfect attendance: Enoch A., Alberto H., Adrian H., Antonio H., David C.

other students who are getting honors, please let us know! If you know of anyone who is graduating this year, please let us know so we can celebrate with

Honor Roll: David C. Highest Honor Roll: Sebastian Z. If there are

ake me a wise mother, O Lord. Keep me calm and give me patience to bear the small, irritating things in the daily routine of life. Give me tolerance and understanding to bridge the gulf between my generation and that of my children. Let me not be too ready to guide my children’s stumbling feet, but allow me to be ever near to bind their bruises. Give me a sense of humor that I may laugh with them but never at them. Let me refrain from preaching with words; let me show by example instead.

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

A Mother’s Prayer

them. Thanks.

Keep me from forcing their confidences, but give me a sympathetic ear when my children come to me. Make me humble. Keep my children close to me, O Lord, though miles may separate us. And let Thy light so shine upon me that they, too, will perceive Thy glory. Amen. =

Ever-evolving, Ever-loved Hymn

“

Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” often known simply as “The Navy Hymn,” dates back to 1860, when William Whiting wrote it for a student of his about to travel by ship from England to America.

The following verse, intended for Memorial Day, may be used with the credit line below:

Original verses testified to the protection of God the Father, Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Trinity. In 1940, the U.S. Episcopal Church rewrote the hymn to include travel on land and in the air. Many verses have been written since: for Navy SEALs, submariners, astronauts, military families, ship dedications and more.

Who served and paid the highest price

We thank you, God, for loved ones dear Who clung to faith beyond their fear,

For freedom bought with sacrifice. May they remind us of your Son Whose death our final freedom won. —Heidi L. Mann, 2012 =

May 2013

Ponder This... = “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” —Albert Einstein = “I remember my mother’s prayers, and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” —Abraham Lincoln = “Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.” —Oprah Winfrey

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

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