jan 10 latest word

If there was an instruction manualto life, wouldn’t you want to read it?Life’s big questions do have answersand give us a framework to under-stand the world we are living in.There’s only one place to go whenseeking answers to life’s big ques-tions. The Bible is the undisputed,best seller for life’s big questions.The Bible answers are a rock to standon during the chaos that swirls aroundour homes, careers and relationships.

On January 23rd, we launch intothe small group series Living withHope. Living with Hope will shinelight into the darkness caused by thedoubts and insecurities of these trou-bled times. The Bible is the provensource of wisdom where God has laid

out His promises of peace and protec-tion.

The message title on January 23rdis “Soul Food.” The weekly messageswill be interactive. You will learnhow to mark your Bible in a helpful,chain-reference format. That is, onehighlighted scripture will lead you tothe next scripture. In each sessionyou’ll highlight key verses in yourown Bible that will be an inspirationfor you and your family for years tocome.

In preparation for the Living withHope series, we’ve designatedJanuary 2, 2010, as a Day of Prayer.Prayer is life changing. “This is the

continued on page 2

Living With Hopeby Pastor Mitch

“Stationary Time”

We are frequently thinkingThat time’s running fast.The present seems fleetingAnd soon becomes past

But time is a measure-mentStanding quite still.It’s we who are moving —Or stopped, by our will.

—Peggy Ferrell

IINNSSIIDDEE

Whatever... is on page 3

Who Is He? is on page4

Ginny’s Kitchen onpage 5

What’s happening?see pages 6 & 9

Looking for the MoneyTree on page 7

Kid’s Page on page 8

Our Church Familypage 10

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

Join us on Friday, January15, at 7 p.m. in theFellowship Hall forour annual AgapeFeast.

The tables will beset with table cloths,candle light and theBread and the Cup

of Communion.

Bring thewhole family andinvite a friend forthis memorableservice. =

Agape Feast

air I breathe . . . Your holy presence,living, in me . . . This is the air Ibreathe . . . Your very word, spoken,to me,” are the core lyrics of thepopular praisesong entitled“Breathe.” Allof us wouldagree that“breathing”prayer is anideal. Eachbreath is but amomentaryprayer of sweet,uninterrupted communion with theLord. Let’s begin the New Year bydedicating ourselves to the Lordthrough prayer.

We’ve invited two of our leadersto continue the theme of prayer in

January. Bill Aumack will share aprayer message on January 9 entitledThe Radical Prayer Perspective.Then, on January 16, Gustavo

Ortega willpresent TheRadicalPrayerProblem. Weare blessed tohave spiritualleaders whoare willing toshare the wordof God.

The message on January 30 asksthe question Is There Hope for Me?Please excuse the pun, but the valueof Bible marking is highlighted bythe many encouraging passages thatanswer that question in the affirma-

THE LATEST WORDTHE LATEST WORD

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tive. Loss of job or fear of losingyour job can weigh heavy on theheart. Some see no way out of theircircumstances but a continued life ofuncertainty. For others hope risesand falls on their emotions. If theday is pleasant then hope springs upbut let the clouds of disappointmentform and hope begins to sink withthe sun. The question is, “Is ThereHope for Me?” Hope is neither afeeling nor merely a pleasantthought. Hope is a person. TheBible says “Christ in you, the hopeof glory” (Col 1:27). Jesus is ourhope. When we have Jesus we havethe hope to move forward no matterwhat we face in life.

See you when the church gathers. =

WEDIDIT

The Latest WordV 22 N 01

BILL AUMACKel jeffe

BILL AUMACKlayout

LINDA AUMACKproof reading

LETTY DURANdistribution

MITCH WILLIAMSpastor

address mail to: (we like letters!)Downey-Florence Seventh-dayAdventist Church9820 Lakewood Blvd.Downey, CA 90240office: 562.869.6013fax: [email protected]

distributed monthlyissue date: January 2010copyright 1992-2009

Living with Hope willshine light into the dark-ness caused by the doubtsand insecurities of these

troubled times.

““

””

Living With Hope (cont. from page 1)

January 2010January 2010

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WWebster says”whatever” means“anything and everything . . .

no matter what . . . of any kind atall” (Webster’s Ninth NewCollegiate Dictionary).

GGod says,”And whatever you do,whether in word or deed, do it

all in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks to God the Fatherthrough Him” (Colossians 3:17NIV).

Out with the old and in with thenew! That’s a saying typicallyapplied to the end of a year. Thisyear seems to have passed by inrecord speed and more quickly thanany other. I suppose that could bejust my imagination. But imagina-tion or not, we are facing a new yearvery quickly! I suppose there arelots of things to think about as theNew Year approaches. Some peoplemight be busy thinking of resolu-tions already. I’ve never been one tomake New Year’s resolutions.Perhaps it is because I don’t keep

them! But I was thinking aboutthese things when I sat down to readmy Bible this morning. I’m current-ly in the Book of Colossians. Andthere I found some guidelines forliving. Not resolutions to be madeand aban-doned quick-ly, but guide-lines that wecan applythroughoutthe wholeyear-in fact,throughoutour lives hereon earth.Let’s see ifyou agree.v Set yourhearts andminds onthings above,not on earth-ly things.Why?BecauseChrist has

been raised, and our lives are nowhidden with Him. v Put to death all things that belongto our earthly nature and rid our-selves of anger, rage, malice and

other self-destruc-tive things.v Clothe your-selves with com-passion, kindness,humility, gentle-ness and patience.Why? Because weare God’s chosenpeople, holy anddearly loved byGod, and becauseother people needto see these quali-ties in us so theycan see God’scharacter.v Forgive whatev-er grievances youmay have againstanyone. Don’t justforgive outwardly,

Jan. 2Mitch Williams

Day of Prayer

Jan. 9Bill Aumack

The Radical Prayer Perspective

Jan. 16Gustavo Ortega

The Radical Prayer Problem


Living with Hope #1Soul Food


Living with Hope #2Is There Hope for Me?

Worship Schedule

but forgive as the Lord forgave you.v Let the peace of Christ rule inyour hearts. Why? Because we aremembers of one body and we werecalled to live in peace.v Let the word of Christ dwell inyou richly so you can teach andadmonish others with wisdom.

So whether you’re someone likeme or someone who makes andkeeps resolutions or something inbetween, these words are for you.Happy New Year! =

God, Webster & You

by Linda BewleyWhatever...


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“……But who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15

I can hardly believe it is 2010!My husband and I were just talkingabout all the preparations we hadmade to be ready for the big year2000. It doesn’t seem possible thatten years has gone by so quickly.

We did not need to be as pre-pared as we thought for the bigcrash that never happened inY2K. Even so, this year wewill be busy planning ouremergency kits in case asituation of a differenttype comes our way.These days it seems wemust always be pre-pared for one crisis oranother.

As we welcome ina new year, I thought Imight share the learn-ing process I am goingthrough as our Lordteaches me aboutsomething of even more value thanmy personal safety and belongings.Who is my Ultimate EmergencyResource? How well do I knowHim. Can I trust Him to come to

my aid in time of sadness, need andillness?

While pouring out my trials andtribulations recently to a trustedfriend, I was stopped in my trackswhen he asked me, “Who is Jesus toyou?” His question took me by sur-prise and my quick answer was,“The Son of God, of course.” Buteven as I heard my answer with my

own ears, it seemedinsufficient. I knewin my heart that my

friend was lookingfor something muchdeeper in myresponse, much

more personal.

We had just finishedstudying this passage

in Matthew in oursmall group meet-ings and I thought

back on Peter’sresponse to thisquestion from

Jesus. Going back to verse 13 wefind Jesus asking his disciples whoothers were saying he was. Afterthey answered, he then asked themwho they said he was. Peter, as

usual was the first to speak up, “Youare the Christ, the son of the livingGod.” Jesus then told him that thisanswer came not by any learning orrevelation by man, but from HisFather who is in heaven.

After that Jesus began to explainto his disciples that he would soonbe going away, but must first suffermany things. He was trying to pre-pare them for the crisis ahead. As Ilook back on the many phases ofpreparation I have gone through, Ifind myself much like Peter. First, Ido not want to admit that difficulttimes may be ahead and then myfaith begins to waiver when I amfaced with the trial.

He is known by many names andas this year unfolds, I want to beready to give a confident and com-pelling answer to the question,“Who is this Jesus to you?” bystudying those references in hisWord and becoming aware of howeach one applies to me.

Father: As I begin a study of thenames of Christ, I pray each refer-ence will become real in my life. =

Before the Father

by Linda FernandezWho Is He?

Some anonymous wise personpenned the following directions forliving without bringing pain to oth-ers or oneself:

“You will never be sorry — forthinking before acting, for hearingbefore judging, for forgiving yourenemies, for being candid and frank,

for helping a fall-en brother, forbeing honest inbusiness, forthinking beforespeaking, for being loyal to God andthe church, for standing by yourprinciples, for refusing to participate

in gossip, for holding yourwords when tempted todemean another, for notentertaining impure or hate-ful thoughts, for sympathiz-

ing with the afflicted, for beingcourteous and kind to all.” =

A winning pattern for the New Year

Crockpot Split Pea Soup


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With Love From the Kitchenof Ginny Williams

2 quarts water16 oz. dried split peas (rinsed andcheck for stones)1 T. Liquid SmokeOlive oil2 medium white onions, chopped4 carrots, chopped1 cup chopped celery, including theleaves4 garlic cloves, chopped1 T. hot pepper juiceHerbs: 3 bay leaves and driedthymeSalt and pepperPam

DIRECTIONS:Spray crock-pot with panFill pot with cold water. Add driedsplit peas, turn pot on to high-heat.After 4 hours, turn to low.In a large sauce pan, add Olive oil,chopped onions, garlic and sauté forapprox. 4 minutes. Add liquid smoke, herbs, pepper andsalt and pepper juiceAdd onion mixture, carrots and cel-ery to crock pot. Stir everythingtogether and put lid on crock-pot.This soup is a slow cooking soup. Itwill take all-day or cook it the dur-ing the night. Either serves whole ortraditionally whiz to a creamy con-

sistency.PS. You may have to add more

water and it will thicken up whenput in the refrigerator and is reallybetter the next day when all flavorsmix. =

Living With HopeOur next small group series begins January

23rd. It’s called Living with Hope and we’llbe learning the fine art of Bible marking. Ifthe Bible is an instruction manual to life,shouldn’t you want to read it?

Life’s big questions do have answers, andgive us a framework to understand the worldwe are living in. These answers are a rock tostand on during the chaos that swirls aroundour homes, careers, and relationships.

This unique series will give you the tools tounderstand God’s word, as you learn proventechniques for studying the Bible effectively.In each session you’ll highlight key verses inyour own Bible that will be an inspiration foryou and your family for years to come. =

Series beginsJanuary 23rd.

Be sure to join a small group or you willmiss half of the lessons! Sign up for a smallgroup at church.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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3 5 6 8 9

11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

4:59 pm sunset

5:05 pm sunset

5:12 pm sunset

9:30 AM S.S.

9:30 AM S.S.

9:30 AM S.S.10:50 AM Worship Gustavo Ortega

9:30 AM S.S.10:50 AM Worship Mitch WilliamsLiving With Hope #1

Visit www.downeychurch.orgC.S. - Community Service

S.S. - Sabbath School

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10:50 AM WorshipMitch WilliamsDay of Prayer

10:50 AM Worship Bill Aumack

4

10 AM C.S.

6:30 pm BandPractice

7 pm AGAPEFeast

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Downey Adventist ChurDowney Adventist Chur ch ch

7 pm Women’sPrayer Group


4:53 pm sunset




7 pm ChurchBoard

31 7 pm Women’sPrayer Group

5:19 pm sunset


9:30 AM S.S.10:50 AM Worship Mitch WilliamsLiving With Hope #2

1 PM Adventurers3:30 PM ReThink

3:30 PM ReviveRally @ North Hills

Take a few minutes and imaginethat the elusive money tree suddenlysprouted in your back yard and youwere able to gather over $500,000from its branches. With this picturein your mind, what would you feelafter you had deposited all thosefresh, organic, crisp dollar bills inyour savings account? Knowing thatyour next bank statement wouldshow a balance of over half a mil-lion dollars, would you not feel saferand more secure in these recessionaltimes? Would you be calmer andmore content as you dealt with thedeadlines at work and with difficultcolleagues or upper management in

the office? Would arguments withyour spouse and other family mem-bers seem of less consequence,knowing that you had more thanadequate funds at your disposal?Whoever you are, having a safetynet of savings would enable you tobetter deal with sudden medicalcrises in your family, assist friendswho were in need, or it would placeyou in a position to give generouslyto your church, a mission project, ora favorite charity.

Using the same visualizationprocess, imagine that your moneytree only produced $50,000. Wouldyou be feeling the same as youwould if you had put $500,000 inyour savings account? Perhaps not,if you knew the other may have beenan option, but I imagine that youwould still have a feeling of wellbe-ing, and you could still be confidentthat if you were to lose your currentjob, there would be sufficient

resources to last while you foundnew employment.

Now, one more time, imaginethat your money tree was a smallshrub and only produced $5,000.Despite the fact that it’s only onepercent of the original amount, youhave it. And with certain adjust-ments in your lifestyle, you probablywould be able to get through severalunexpected financial challenges,even with the smaller amount.

Why Save?

I believe $5,000 would changethe lifestyle of individ-uals and families bothin the United Statesand in most countriesaround the globe. Also,

remember this $5,000 is cash in yoursavings account thatyou have immediateaccess to, not anadvance from yourhigh interest creditcard, or having to sellyour RV, boat, orsome other asset.

Unfortunately“savings” is not aword that takesaway your breath,nor is it a spine-tin-gling or electrifyingexperience. Noannual HollywoodOscars are given to thetop promoters of savings accountsand no medals are given to champi-on savers. Regrettably, Westerncountries’ economies are based ondebt and banks fail to promote thebenefits of saving.

As an individual, the word orconcept of savings is something youmight prefer to avoid. However, letme emphasize: Savings, or the lackof it, can and will affect what hap-pens to you as a person or as a fami-ly. So here’s the question: how doyou start that $5,000 in your savingsaccount?

What’s So HardAbout Saying NO?

The prerequisite to savings ismastering a powerful, simple, two-letter word - “NO”. It is not a nega-tive word, but rather a very positiveexpression when used in the rightcontext. Start using this word todayand in 21 days it will become ahabit. Start with:o NO! I will not keep up with the

proverbial Joneses.o NO! I will notpurchase that newappliance - my

current one has atleast two years oflife left in it.o NO! I will noteat out every day,but will pack awholesomebrown bag lunchat least twice aweek instead.o NO! I will

drink water insteadof purchasing an expen-

sive hot or cold beverage.

Remember, what you don’t pur-chase today will probably be theretomorrow and maybe at a betterprice.1


7

Looking for the Money TreeStewpot

by Gordon Botting, DrPH, CHES

continued on page 11

“Money grows on the treeof patience.” (Proverb)


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Jan. Birthdays

Janeth Cuyuch-Perez - 1 Irela Molina - 4 Virginia Hinojosa - 4 Sergio Garcia - 9 Isabel Molina - 13 Jonathan Beckmann - 15 Becky Duran - 18 Elissa Luna - 19 Alejandro Zamora - 22 Richard Orozco - 22 Jordan Chavez - 22 Yesenia Molina - 28 Zina Beckmann - 28 Lourdes Ortega - 30

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


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UpcUpcomingomingEEvvenentsts

2nd Sunday - 10 a.m. Community Service3rd Saturday - Adventurer ClubThursdays - 7 p.m. Women’s Prayer GroupFridays - 6:30 p.m. Band Practice

Jan 1 - New Year’s DayJan 15 - AGAPE Feast 7pmJan 16 - ReThink 3:30pmJan 18 - Martin Luther King DayJan 23 - Living with Hope starts

The Latest Worddeadline is the 5thof the month.

Coming Soon

March 20 - Celebration SabbathApril 3 - Easter

this month

If you are looking for a new, fun way toread The Latest Word online, be sure tocheck out the newest format athttp://issuu.com/downeychurch. Samegreat content in a richer environment. Besure to check out all the reading modes.As usual, you can still get read it at ourwebsite at www.downeychurch.org.


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The Latest About

Our Church FamilyCongratulations to Kevin

Torres. He was recently bap-tized. Be sure towelcome him tothe family.

We sorrowfullyreport the passingof Judy Beal’smother. Shepassed after a longillness on December 8. Pleaseremember the family in yourprayers.

Linda and Albert Casilla’sson, Sean, recently passed

away. Please remem-ber them and theentire Garcia family asthey mourn.

If you have any ChurchFamily news, please con-tact the church office sowe can get it into thenewsletter. =

Thank you to everyone who hasbeen saving Campbell Soup Labelsfor education and Box Tops forEducation. That is greatly appreci-ated.

On the Campbell Soup labels, allthat is really need is the UPC (thebar code). You don’t have to savethe entire label, just the UPC barcode.

For the Box Tops for Education,please save the Box Tops coupon.

Please give your labels to LindaAumack. Thank you for your sup-port! =

Economically speaking, 2009was a dreadful year for many fami-lies around the world. Some losthomes, cars and jobs. Many areunable to fund college educations fortheir children, and bank accountshave dwindled. What will 2010bring: movement toward less ofeverything or toward a more hopefulfuture?

Here’s a good resolution to make:“Our family will pay close attentionto our income, our savings and ournecessary purchases. We will keep arecord of every dollar spent andevery dollar saved.”

Money accumulated, investedand given wisely will bring peace of

mind and the ability to contributemore to the church and people inneed. Families must develop ahealthy attitude toward money.Scripture doesn’t condemn money; itsimply warns against loving it ormaking it an idol (1 Timothy 6:10).

With God as ourmentor, nearlyevery familycan avoidhavingcrushingdebt.Wisesteward-shipbrings

relief and unbridled joy to those whopractice it. As economist GeorgeHumphrey said, “I don’t think youcan spend yourself rich.” =

A New Year’s Resolution


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How to Save $5,000This Year

Following are a few suggestionsof ideas to help you reach your$5,000 goal.

1. Supermarkets.

The majority of supermarketshave a three-month sale cycle. Themajority of sale products are often20-30 percent lower than their nor-mal retail price.Smart shopperswill stock up ontheir favoriteproducts andmake them lastuntil the nextbargain cycle. Ifthe typical fami-ly of four spends$8,500 per yearon groceries,you could trimyour bill by 20percent ($1,700).If you use coupons, you couldpotentially save another 10 percent($850).

2. Eating out

An average meal at an inexpen-sive chain restaurant will normally

cost twoadultsapproxi-mately$40.Omitting one meal out per week forone year would save you nearly$2,000. If you do plan to eat out,why not skip the appetizer and thebeverages (except water). At theminimum, you would save about$10 per meal, or over $500 over thetwelve months.

3. Cell phone

The average cell or mobile phoneuser annually shells out over $700for 1,000 minutes per month. If youwere to use the prepay plan thatcharges $100 for 1,000 minutes that

don’t expire for12 months, youcould save $500if you purchased2,000 minutes

for the year. Another way to save isto lower your current plan’s cost bytaking advantage of the free eveningand weekend minutes.

4. Auto & Home Insurance

By increasing your deductiblefrom $300 to $1,000 you should beable to reduce your auto insurancepremium by about 40 percent - asavings of over $300 on an $800premium. You will save another$200 on your homeowner’s premiumif you increase that deductible to$2,000.2 =

References:

1. Ideas taken from Paul Squires,Wealthier Than You Think, SilverBird Publishing. 2007. Pg. 13-24.

2. Gregory Karp, “10 SimpleWays to Save $5,000 This Year”,Bottom Line Personal. May 1, 2008.Pg. 1-2.

Looking for the Money Tree (cont. from page 7)

“A foolish man devoursall he has.” (Proverb)

Revive is the theme of the Rally coming on January 9 at 3:30pm. The area churches are combining theirresources for a time of worship, prayer and renewal. The Rally will be at the North Hills Church inClaremont.

ReThink: On January 16, the area Adventist’s Churches combine their resources in an experience ofpreparation called ReThink. ReThink will help us as we share our faith with others. Plan to be part of theexperience here at the Downey Church on January 16, 3:30 p.m.

Upcoming Rallys

Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240

Return Service Requested

DATED MATERIAL


PPonder This...onder This...

= “In darkness there is no choice. It is light that enablesus to see the differences between things; and it is Christwho gives us light.”—Augustus Hare

= “Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble theworld knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise orencouragement — and we will make the goal.”—Jerome Fleishman

= “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others can-not keep it from themselves.”—J.M. Barrie

jan 10 latest word

Documents

bible answers

yourown bible

living withhope series

kids page

lordthrough prayer

day of prayer

lifes big questions

valueof bible marking