Bragging might be said

For the members, family and friends of the Downey Adventist Church Bragging on the Cross by Pastor Mitch Bragging might be said to be bigheaded or proud or arrogant. However, those descriptive words, don t apply to grandparents for when they brag about their grandkids, it s all good. I think all of us grandparents feel the same way about our grandkids they re the brightest and the most talented of all. We might not characterize our feelings about our grandkids as bragging but simply stating the truth as we see it. There is the Greatest Truth we should brag about the Cross of Christ. The Apostle Paul who wrote, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14). The Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ reflects various shades of meaning. To those seeking to know the Lord, the Cross guarantees forgiveness of sins. To those uncertain about their An Evening at Harvey s Broiler Join us as we go back in time and celebrate an evening at Harvey s Broiler. Dress up in your best 1950s gear and come out and enjoy the evening on Saturday, April 30th at 5:30pm. There will be a time of worship, some great drive-in food and a talent show. Our small groups will be planning this party during our 5 Weeks of Overcoming Problems. Watch for many more future the Cross of Christ is the assurance of salvation. To the hopeless, the cross is the promise of a better life. To the struggling the Cross is the power to try again. This Easter season when someone asks you what you believe about the Cross, let your reply lift up Jesus. After all, the Lord says, But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself (John 12:32, NIV). And isn t that our message and what we re really about? continued on page 2 details there. You can start planning what you might be able to do for our talent show. Maybe you could sing a song from the 1950s or 1960s. Maybe you re a stand up comedian (clean of course) or know a few slight of hand tricks. Whatever your talent is, we d like you to share it with us that evening. Invite a friend or two to join us for this fun evening. = Because of Easter The joyful news that [Christ] is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice. Henry Knox Sherrill INSIDE What are You Thinking About? is on page 3 I Am the Man on page 4 Ginny s Kitchen on page 5 What s happening? see pages 6 & 9 Coupon Power is on page 7 Our Church Family page 10 Kid s Page on page 11

THE LATEST WORD Bragging on the Cross (cont. from page 1) 2 On April 23, the message is entitled Bragging on the Cross. The Truth is Jesus and what he has done for us. The Truth is as we partner with Jesus our lives will change for the better. The Truth is with Jesus all things are made new and we re renewed. This Easter service is an outreach opportunity to invite those you ve been praying for to give their hearts to the Lord. There will be a fellowship luncheon following the Easter service on April 23. The small groups are bringing their favorite soups and entrees. You ll have 7 food stations to choose from and the opportunity to sample each one. Loss is experienced by all of us sooner rather There is the Greatest Truth we should brag about the Cross of Christ than later. A child s kite is taken from him by an errant wind tangling the kite on the telephone lines. The teenager hears that her cat is gone through the sad confession of the driver who tried to swerved when the cat ran in front of her car. Most who are reading this article know the emptiness of loss. The message on April 2 explores a Bible narrative that shines light on how to find comfort in times of loss. The title of the message is Facing Loss. The word guilt almost always comes across as something to be strictly avoided. For example, some suffer from irrational feelings of responsibility/guilt over an unresolved mistake made many years ago. In this case, guilt is like a cruel jailer constantly recalling the incident and insisting there is no way of escape. On the other hand, guilt can shape a life for the better. For example, a 6 year old girl who comes crying to her mother confessing the missing cookies were her doing and not the playdate friend. On April 9 the title of the message is Good Guilt, Bad Guilt. If you or a friend is caught in the cycle of guilt come and hear the Bible s remedy you ll be glad you did. The final message on April 16 in our series is Faithful Fear. Some might wonder whether fear has any enduring qualities. Yes sir, it does. When my dad said, Mitch, I want you to mow the lawn believe me my motivation was not merely my weekly allowance. Even in Proverbs 9:10, we hear the voice of wisdom that the fear of the Lord is a good thing and should be embraced: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. However, unrestrained fear is a barrier when attempting something new or sharing your opinion or taking another crack at something that didn t work the first time. For some this message will initiate a blessed breakthrough and release to a new expression of life. April 30 is Celebration Sabbath. Each small group is invited to ask one or two of their members to share their experience with Jesus during the 5 Weeks of Pilgrim s Problems. continued on page 5 WE DID IT The Latest Word V 23 N 04 BILL AUMACK responsible for this LINDA AUMACK proof reading LETTY DURAN paper distribution MITCH WILLIAMS 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 distributed monthly issue date: Apr. 2011 copyright 1992-2011

April 2011 God, Webster & You by Linda Bewley Webster says think means to form or have in the mind... to have as an intention to reflect on... to call to mind... to center one s thoughts on... (Merriam Webster at www.m-w.com). God says... whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things (Philippians 4:8 NIV). I recently learned a new word from a friend. She said, I am perseverating about that. What?! I had no clue what she meant, so I asked her and I looked for the word in the dictionary. To perseverate means to repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance after the stimulus that prompted it has ceased. Hmm, where could we go with that? Let s see. Ever have a song stuck in your head? One small thought or memory brings it to mind and all day long the tune or lyrics keep replaying in your mind. If that has ever happened to you, you might have been perseverating. Have you ever had a negative thought that you just can t erase from your mind? Perhaps something small triggered it, but as you continued thinking about it, the thought grew. Were you perseverating? Perhaps someone spoke unkindly to you or, worse, you spoke unkind words to someone else. Does the scenario repeat itself over Worship Schedule April 2 Facing Loss April 9 Good Guilt, Bad Guilt April 16 Faithful Fear What are You Thinking About? April 23 Bragging on the Cross Easter Sabbath April 30 Celebration Sabbath and over again in your mind? Perseveration. Get the idea? I thought about the above ideas this morning when I read these words: It is a law of nature that our thoughts and feelings are encouraged and strengthened as we give them utterance. While words express thoughts, it is also true that thoughts follow words. If we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessings that we know we have the great mercy and love of God we should have more faith and greater joy. 1 So this thought occurred to me. Wouldn t it be nice if the stimulus we encountered each day caused us to dwell only on things that are good? Unfortunately, that is not the case. In fact, it is likely that many things we face each day cause us to do exactly the opposite. At that point, we are faced with a choice. Will we dwell on the circumstance or situation which causes discomfort or disruption, or will we choose to surrender our thoughts to God and ask Him for help? I am the first to admit, it is not always easy. Perhaps David s prayer can help us. May the words of my mouth and the meditation [perseveration] of my heart be pleasing in [God s] sight (Psalm 19:14). What do you think? = 1 Ministry of Healing, Ellen G. White 3

THE LATEST WORD Before the Father by Linda Fernandez I am the Man Then Jesus declared, I, the one speaking to you, I AM HE John 4:26 We can perhaps accept the reality of a Supreme Being and maybe a Guiding Spirit, but when it comes to someone else dying for the sins which we have committed we have difficulty. As we continue on our quest to rekindle our first love, we have opened our Bibles, our special guidebooks and found a loving Father and a specially appointed Guide to lead us on. In many prayers and songs, the order of the Trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but because Easter falls in late April this year, I mixed the order up a little bit. One of the reasons is because of the song I wanted to share when reminding myself of the price that was paid for my salvation. The country song I have chosen for this month s topic is by the Stanley Brothers. The title is, I Am the Man, Thomas. I chose this song for several reasons, but one was because it is often about this time when learning about God and Christ and the Plan of Salvation that many begin to doubt. We can perhaps accept the reality of a Supreme Being and maybe a Guiding Spirit, but when it comes to someone else dying for the sins which we have committed we have difficulty. about whether Jesus could have or had been resurrected. Jesus invites Thomas to touch his pierced side and hands. Oh, what a loving and patient Lord we have. Here are some of the words to this old song to remind us of that: Oh, I am the Man, Thomas, I am the Man, Look at these nail scars here in my hands. They pierced me in the side, Thomas, I am the Man. They made me bear the cross, Thomas, I am the Man. They laid me in the tomb, Thomas, I am the Man. In three days I arose, Thomas, I am the Man, They pierced me in the side, Thomas. I am the Man. During our small group series last year, part of the video showed interviewers asking people on the street and in the town square who they thought or believed Jesus to be. I was surprised and dismayed at the many alternatives people had taken for themselves regarding our Savior. As we continue down this country road of rediscovery, I want to keep the words to this humble song in mind with one change-it would be, I am the Man, Linda. Let s pray. Father, May the song in my heart ever be, What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear = 4 The song goes back to when Jesus has returned to the Upper Room and confronts Thomas who as we know, had a few doubts

From Ginny s Kitchen April 2011 Vegetarian Chili & Beans 1 T garlic powder 1 T ground cumin 1 T chili powder 1 large red onion/ diced 1 T canola oil 1 pkg. frozen Morning Star Crumbles 1 t Liquid-smoke 12 oz. canned V-8 juice 2 large cans, canned stewed tomatoes (original) or canned whole tomatoes, cut into chucks with juices. 2 lbs. canned pinto beans or prepare & cook dry pinto beans the day, before according to directions. 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese/ shredded 1. In a medium size Teflon pan, on medium heat, toast: garlic-powder, groundcumin, chili-powder for only for one minute, as to not to burn and to release flavor of spices. Set aside. 2. In a large heavy pot, add oil and sauté chopped onion and then add Griller crumbles liquid smoke and then add toasted spices and toss all-together. 3. Add pinto beans, V-8 Juice, and canned tomatoes. Stir. Bring to boil and simmer. 4. Top & serve with: 2 T. cheddar shredded cheese, hot chili peppers, chopped cilantro, chopped green onions. Also, you can add a tablespoon of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. = Easter s Meaning In a 2010 Barna Group survey, two-thirds of Americans knew that Easter is a religious holiday. But only 42 percent connected its meaning to Jesus resurrection. And only two percent of adults said they would describe Easter as the most important holiday of their faith. Not everyone who connects Easter to religion has the facts straight. Two percent of Americans said Easter is about Jesus birth. Another two percent said it s about Jesus rebirth. And one percent said it s a celebration of his second coming. Another three percent described Easter as a celebration of spring or a pagan holiday. In the same survey, 31 percent of active churchgoers said they d definitely invite an unchurched friend to worship with them on Easter weekend. This Easter, share the truth and joy of the holiday with someone who doesn t know Jesus. News of the resurrection is too good to keep to ourselves! = Bragging (continued from page 2) What chapter in Pilgrim s Problems stands out for you? What prayers were answered? What is your God-story? Are all some of the thoughts you ll hear. Also, An Evening at Harvey s Broiler is at 5:30 p.m. This is an outreach event so plan now to bring a friend. See you when the church gathers. = 5

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Visit www.downeychurch.org C.S. - Community Service S.S. - Sabbath School Downey Adventist Church 7:13 pm sunset 6:30 pm Band Practice 1 2 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship 10 AM C.S. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7:19 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship 9:00 Pathfinders 10 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 6:30 pm Band Practice 3:00 Pathfinders 11 12 13 14 15 16 7:23 pm sunset 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Pathfinder Fair @ Prado Park 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 6:30 pm Band Practice 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 7:29 pm sunset 6:30 pm Band Practice 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Easter Sabbath 12:30 Luncheon 3:00 Pathfinders 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 7 pm Church Board 7 pm Women s Prayer Group 7:34 pm sunset 6:30 pm Band Practice 9:30 AM S.S. 10:50 AM Worship Celebration Sabbath 5:30 Evening @ Harvey s Broiler

April 2011 Stewpot by Gordon Botting, DrPh, CHES The financial climate for the next two to five years may include minimal economic growth. Many of the most respected economists forecast that unemployment could remain at 9% for the foreseeable future. Some also estimate it could take up to ten years before small businesses fully recover. The construction and housing markets might take decades to regain the lost property values earned in the early 90s. Although the 1930 s Great Depression devastated about 20% of the population s incomes and lives, it was the rapid erosion of the average person s paycheck that was the chronic devastation. Today, 80% of families are finding their income on life support as inflation begins to influence budget essentials; like transportation costs, huge jumps in medical premiums, the runaway outlay on utilities, and the most critical expense of all, skyrocketing prices at the supermarket. With just a bit of preparation, transportation costs can be reduced by combining many destinations into one, well planned trip. Medical and Coupon Power healthcare expenses can be reduced by becoming less dependent on prescription medications, together with following the fundamentals of a wellness lifestyle eating nutritional meals, avoiding fatty, sugar and salty snacks, getting an average of eight hours of sleep each day, exercising at least five days a week and reducing day to day stressors. That is how one lowers hypertension, moderates blood sugars and shrinks waist lines. Smart consumers who want to save on groceries, pet foods, toiletries, cleaning supplies, beauty products and more in the local supermarket, can save by following these two simple rules. First, most supermarkets and drugstores have product sales about every three months. Example: if your favorite hairspray is on sale this week, purchase enough for the next 90 days when it comes back on sale again. Stock up on household supplies when they are on sale and you will never pay full price again! Secondly, if you purchase sale items when they coincide with manufactures coupons you will be able to save even more. My wife estimates that over the last thirty years she has saved $20 25 for every $100 spent because she took the time to clip, file and use coupons. If you go all out like the coupon queen, Susan Samtur who, on shopping sprees with CNN and NBC cameras, saved as much as 50 60% and once saved 80%. Become the next coupon queen or king in your neighborhood! Sometimes our family receives freebees or what I call the double whammy. Case in point: You notice that the 64 oz. container of apple juice is on sale for $1, (retail is $2.65). When you give the clerk your $1 OFF coupon, she, in total disbelief, watches you legally leave with your 100% off container of juice. To get you thinking more about saving with coupons, please take our annual Coupon Quiz: 1. In which year did the first coupon come on the market? A. 1878 B. 1895 C. 1930 D. 1957 2. Who was the first person or company to use coupons? continued on page 8 Change your coupon attitude from Getting what I need and getting out as soon as possible to Trying to save as much as possible. Susan Samtur Is couponing worth the trouble? Absolutely! And even more than that, I ll say that these days we cannot afford not to. Mary Hunt DPL 7

THE LATEST WORD Coupon Power (cont. from page 7) A. C.W. Post B. Caloge C. Henry Ford D. Coca Cola 3. Which cereal was the first to use a coupon? A. Wheat Bix B. Corn Flakes C. Grape Nuts D. Rolled Oats 4. How often does the average person regularly use coupons? A. 5% B. 15% C. 65% D. 80% 5. How many manufacturers coupons are issued each year? 8. What is the single best source for clipping coupons? A. Magazines B. Sunday newspaper C. Home or direct mailers D. Grocery isle dispensers ed just for coupon redemption. 2. If you answered A., you are correct. In 1895 C. W. Post s Postum Cereal Company introduced its first coupon of 1. In 1887, Asa Candler of the Coca Cola Company used paper tickets for free glasses of Coke. 3. If you answered C., you are correct. Post used a 1 coupon to start marketing Grape Nuts cereal. 4. If you answered B., you are correct. Only 15% regularly use coupons, but as many as 80% are sporadic coupon users, according to studies conducted by Scarborough Research. you are correct. According to recent studies conducted by Promotion Marketing Association, consumers who spend 20 minutes per week clipping and organizing their grocery coupons can reduce their grocery bill as much as $1,000 annually. These 20 minutes equal about 17.5 hours each year for a saving of $58 for each hour of finding, clipping, filing and using coupons. = A. 300 million B. 950 million C. 3 billion D. 300 billion 6. What is the current savings of all coupons redeemed? 9. What is the likely savings per year for a constant coupon clipper? A. $300 B. $800 C. $1,000 D. $1,800 5. If you answered D., you are correct. 6. If you answered A., you are correct. However, the potential savings would be $350 billion if all coupons were redeemed. 8 A. $2.6 billion B. $6.6 billion C. $125 billion D. $350 billion 7. What is the most common reason people do not use coupons? A. Just too much trouble or time B. Don t believe the savings are worth the effort C. Might be seen as eccentric behavior D. Too embarrassed to use coupons You may now know more about coupons than you did before, but don t just leave it there. Go ahead and trim your household budget in this current recession. Answers to the coupon quiz: 1. If you answered C., you are correct. The 1930 s Great Depression saw a rapid increase in the use of coupons and in 1957, Nielsen Coupon Clearing House was creat- 7. All of the answers are correct. So what s your excuse for not saving at least $1,000 in groceries this year? 8. If you answered B., you are correct. A total of 53% of all households that cut coupons, use the Sunday newspaper. However, the redemption rate for home mailers is as high as 25% as compared to the 1% overall redemption of all clipped coupons. 9. If you answered C.,

April 2011 THIS MONTH April Birthdays Jessica Michel 6 Veronica Lozano 7 Gabriel Gomez 7 Daniel Michel 19 Edwin Morales 20 Erik Concha 20 Miranda Gomez 21 Whitny Braun 22 If your birthday is left out in the monthly newsletter, please contact the church office so we can put it in. Upcoming Events 2nd & 4th Saturdays - 3:00 p.m. Pathfinders 1st Sunday - 10 a.m. Community Service Thursdays - 7 p.m. Women s Prayer Group Fridays - 6:30 p.m. Band Practice April 17 - Pathfinder Fair & Prado Park April 23 - Easter Service April 28 - Church Board @ 7pm April 30 - An Evening at Harvey s Broiler @ 5:30pm in the Fellowship Hall The Latest Word deadline is the 5th of the month. Coming Soon We are starting the early phases of VBS planning. If you are willing to help teach, or with food prep, or crafts or anywhere else, please let Bill know. May 7 - Mother s Day Service May 14 - AUS visits May 21 - SGA Chorale June 2 - AUS Graduation @ Downey July 18-22 - VBS 9

THE LATEST WORD The Latest About Our Church Family Congratulations to Ernesto Rojas. He s got a 4.1 GPA. Keep up the good work Ernesto! Congratulations to Elissa Luna. She was on the team that won 3rd place in History & Social Science during Academic Achievement Day Frances Menendez would like to thank everyone who came to sing at the retirement home where she used to work. We are looking for Graduates for this year. If you know someone who is graduating, please let Bill A. know or email us at downeychurch@gmail.org. 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! = Trusting the Unseen gardener planted two A peony bulbs side by side. In a few weeks, as expected, the first one poked a single stem through the ground. The other would soon follow, the gardener thought. But it didn t. Many more weeks went by with no sign of life. Then one day, to his surprise, not one but five leaf points poked through the soil at once. When the peony bloomed, its flowers were more beautiful and numerous than those of the first bulb. John Piper said, In every situation God is doing a thousand things that we cannot see and do not know. When God seems to have forgotten you and hope fails, don t despair. God is at work, and someday you will see. = Online Donations Our church website is now set up to accept online donations. You can pay your tithe and offerings online. After setting up an account, you can make donations to various accounts, much like you fill out a tithe envelope. The donation site is safe and secure. It is run by the General Conference. There are no fees. And 100% of your donations will go to the funds you select. Naturally, you can still put your tithes and offerings into a tithe envelope at church. That won t change. This is just another way that you can choose to give your offerings. The link for the donations is on the left side of our main page at www.downeychurch.org. The first time you use it you ll have to create an account, but after that the process is quite easy. If you ve been paying your bills electronically, it will even seem down right natural. = 10

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April 2011 Ponder This... = In a world of this kind, a crossless Christian is a Christless Christian. E. Stanley Jones = The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances. Robert Flatt Downey-Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church 9820 Lakewood Blvd., Downey CA 90240 DATED MATERIAL Return Service Requested 12