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

Merry Christmas!

This Christmas Season you can help spread the Good News of Jesus. So many people need to hear some GoodNews. Invite them to join us for a spe-cial Christmas worship service on Dec. 24th.

May God’s blessing be on you and yours this Christmas Season.

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David Johnson will be the speaker for Kids

Sabbath on December 3, 2011. Johnson has been singing since he was four and is a profes-sional musician who has performed for more than twenty years.

An alumnus of Oakwood College, now Oakwood University, in Huntsville, Alabama, Johnson established a non-profit organization called “5 Talents More, Inc.” It is a mentorship organiza-tion that helps troubled youth reach to realize their talents and abilities and to make better life choices.

David Johnson is com-ing to the Downey Church to sing and to share a posi-tive and uplifting gospel message. Plan now to invite all the youth in your family and neighborhood to hear David’s message and his music.

Johnson currently resides in Corona, Calif. And has two sons, ages 16 and 18.

Communion is on December 10. All of us look forward to this heal-ing service and the new beginnings it provides. This is the service to invite those who haven’t attend-ed 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 throne 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.

A Lasting Gift is the title of the message on December 17. This joyful month we focus on mes-sages and special services that celebrate the Prince of Peace. How many gifts have you received or given over the years that ended up in the forgetfulness of the closet? Despite past disappointments, let’s not harden our hearts toward gift giving. We must resist the “humbug” spirit by searching for just the right gift. Bring your Bibles and witness the catalog of suggestions of a lasting gift.

Begin your family’s celebration of the birth of our Lord at the Christmas Eve service on December

24. The service is entitled Discovering Christmas. A beautiful Christmas service is planned with

lots of special music and congregational singing of seasonal hymns. A drama is prepared with a cast of thousands—well, mostly the cast is our children re-enacting the journey of Joseph and Mary and the birth of our

Savior. The praise band has prepared a special piece called I Celebrate the Day. Invite neighbors and friends to join us for worship.

Where are you headed? It’s a question parents have asked their teenag-ers for years. But as we enter a new year, it’s a question that benefits all of us to consider. If you have a goal, do you know what you need to do to get there? Join us on December 31 as we review the 2011 year at Downey Church and look forward to 2012, and beyond, as Bill Aumack brings us the message Where are You Headed?

See you when the church gathers. =

WE

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ID

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The Latest Word V 23 N 12

BILL AUMACKresponsible for this

LINDA AUMACKproof reading

HATZUKO AISPUROpaper distribution

MITCH WILLIAMSpastor

address mail to: Downey Seventh-day Adventist Church9820 Lakewood Blvd.Downey, CA 90240office: 562.869.6013fax: 562.622.1691 downeychurch@gmail.comwww.downeychurch.com

distributed monthlyissue date: Dec 2011 copyright 1992-2011

The temptation of suffering is to doubt the love of God in our lives.

“

”

INSIDEWell Done! is on page 3

Home at Last is on page 4

Ginny’s Kitchen on page 5

What’s happening? see pages 6 & 9

Give Yourself a Fruit Boost on page 7

Our Church Family page 10

Kid’s Page on page 11

The Best Gifts by Pastor Mitch

December 2011

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Webster says “reward” is “something that

is given in return for good or evil done or received and esp. that is offered or given for some ser-vice or attainment. . . .” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary).

God says, anyone who comes to Him “must

believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

Everyone likes to be rewarded, don’t they? Whether for a job well done, a kindness paid or for loyalty. Grocery stores reward us these days by giving back money when we shop in their stores. Many businesses offer free gifts for using their services. Credit card com-

panies are on that band-wagon also. They give us rewards for using our cred-it cards. Free flights, gift cards, cash back and more. That can work to our per-sonal downfall if we are not careful about spending. But my point is that these companies know human nature is such that we want something in return. We want to be rewarded for our loyalty.

There are other rewards in life that are not as tan-gible. They cannot really be measured, at least in this life. At the moment I am thinking of those rewards that stem from our relationship with God. Doesn’t God promise us rewards for serving Him? Take Chapter 6 of Matthew for example. God says we should give to the needy without rec-

ognition, we should pray in secret and fast without telling anyone. In all three instances, we are promised that our Father, “who sees what is done in secret, will reward” us.

Sometimes in life we fail to receive rewards to

which we feel entitled. Even worse, sometimes we fail to recognize and reward others. We are human. But God is perfect in all His ways. He can be trusted to keep the promis-es He’s made to us, in His time and according to His will. The reward may or may not be tangible. We may not see an increase in our bank accounts. We

may still miss something longed for here on earth. But God promises that if we submit everything to Him, he will lift us up in “due time,” as Peter says (1 Peter 5:6). God is faithful. He is working to bring good out of all circumstances. We should

be encouraged to keep living for the Kingdom of Heaven instead of this world, knowing that one day we will receive the greatest reward of all. That reward will come when we hear Jesus wel-come us into His kingdom saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” =

December 3 David Johnson

Kids Sabbath

December 10 Mitch Williams

Communion

December 17Mitch Williams

A Lasting Gift

December 24Bill Aumack

Discovering Christmas

December 31Bill Aumack Where are You

Headed?

Worship Schedule

God, Webster & You

by Linda Bewley Well Done!

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Before the Father

by Linda FernandezHome at Last

My virtual journey is nearing the end and

time has passed so quickly this year. After writing these articles for many years now, I had become topic weary and had con-sidered asking our editor if another might be willing to take over this column in the newsletter. As I prayed about what to write before the year began, I thought perhaps I would search out my own core beliefs to see how strongly I still felt about them and so began this journey.

In past years, I would lock myself into our study to pray and pore over scripture and topics, but this year our gracious Lord pro-vided another source of inspiration for me. I met a wonderful little Christian lady with whom I would spend time now and then each month. Edith recently turned ninety-seven years old; she is a little hard of hearing, but her mind is as sharp as can be. During my visits with Edith, I would talk to her about my struggle each month to write the article; we would have devo-tions together and pray and every time she would share a personal story or Bible reference that would ignite my thought process.

As I prepared the final article of this series, I knew that Heaven would be my last topic to cover and talked to Edith about it. I asked if she were frightened as the time got nearer for her to see her Savior. Her peaceful response gave me such hope. She surrounds her-self with the

things and people she loves. Her Bible and devotions are always nearby. Her prayers are so personal it’s as if she is already in His presence. Edith has become more than a writing inspiration; she has become an inspi-ration on how to live as I wait for Jesus to return.

Along this year’s jour-ney, I have included a country song to highlight each topic. For this article I chose When I Get Where I’m Going by Brad Paisely

written by Dolly Parton. My favorite lines of the song go like this:

But when I get where I’m going And I see my maker’s face I’ll stand for-ever in the light Of his amazing grace Yeah when I get where I’m going There’ll only be happy tears

I may not know what the immediate future holds in store for me, but there is one thing I know

for sure….when I get to where I’m going, I’ll be looking for Edith and then

there will only be happy tears as we walk and

talk together. Let’s pray….

Father, Thank you for the faithful servants you have placed across our paths to help show us the way and to lead us home. =

But our homeland is in Heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior… Phil. 3:20 (NCV)

I may not know what the immedi-ate future holds in store for me, but there is one thing I know for sure….

December 2011

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A few years ago, my Christmas season

centered on the arrival of a baby — our second child, due December 23. Exhausted with pregnancy, I skipped out on holi-day gatherings, did less decorating and baking than usual, didn’t send cards and didn’t plan a holiday dinner, assuming — cor-rectly, it turned out — I’d be in the hospital then.

It was a strangely quiet Christmas season, with our focus on the impending arrival. But once our baby was born, in the last hour of Christmas Day, all the missed parties, caroling,

cookie-indulging and even present-opening paled in comparison. All that truly mattered was God’s gift to our family of this one very special baby.

Isn’t this how Christmas should always be? Seasonal activities are fun, but they hold mean-ing only if they deepen our focus on the coming of one very special Baby — the Christ-Child. Hold him in your heart this season, as I held my newborn that Christmas night. If the hustle and bustle distracts you from the Baby, put an end to it. If traditional activities prove more

stressful than joy-ous, con-sider what you can let go of to embrace the true meaning of Christmas — the birth of Jesus, God’s gift of love. —Heidi Mann

Black Iron Skillet Christmas Apple Pie

From Ginny’s Kitchen

6 fresh apples, I like to use Pink Ladies and tart apples combined

2 T. heaping of Agave nectar syrup

½ C. apple cider

2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 t. maple extract

2 T. cornstarch

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

2 T. butter

Your favorite single pie crust or Pillsbury frozen pie crust

In a medium size bowl, stir together: Agave nectar syrup, apple cider, lemon juice, maple extract, corn-starch, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Melt the butter in a black iron skillet on medium heat. When but-ter has melted, add all the sliced apples and cook approximately 5 minutes (no longer) to caramelize the apples. Remove from heat.

Add the Agave nectar mixture and pour over the apples and stir to coat all the apples.

Now roll out your pie dough. Either your favor-ite single crust or purchase a Pillsbury frozen pie crust. Top with the pie crust over the apple mix-ture in the black skillet. Push down inside of skil-let like cobbler. Cut slits across in crust from one side of the pie to the other side before baking. This

mixture will bubble out between the slits.

Bake in hot over for 20 minutes or until the crust turns a beautiful brown color. Cool on top of stove. =

The True Meaning of Christmas

Join us for Communion on

Dec. 10

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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4 6 8 9 10

12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

4:44 pm sunset

4:45 pm sunset

4:48pm sunset

9:30 AM S.S.

9:30 AM S.S.

9:30 AM S.S.10:50 AM Worship Mitch Williams

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

Visit www.downeychurch.orgS.S. - Sabbath School

7

10:50 AM Worship Kid’s Sabbath

10:50 AM Worship Communion

5

7 pm Band Practice

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Downey Adventist Church

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

7 pm Band Practice

4:44 pm sunset

7 pm Band Practice

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

9 AM Pathfinder/ Adventurer Meeting

9 AM Pathfinder/ Adventurer Meeting

3 PM Pathfinder/ Adventurer Meeting

3 PM Pathfinder/ Adventurer Meeting

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Women’s Prayer Group

7 pm Band Practice

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

4:52 pm sunset

7 pm AUS Christmas Program

10 AM Community Service

December 2011

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Eat fruit daily — who could reject such

good nutritional advice? Incredibly, the advocates of low– carb diets are questioning the benefits of a mouthwatering peach, a scrumptious apple or a deli-cious bowl of cherries. Some of these advocates suggest that the humble fruit is nearly as “evil” as white sugar or white bread, particularly when it comes to weight manage-ment and general health.

The reason fruit wor-ries these advocates is that fruit is a carbohydrate and the majority of these sugar carbs are identified as fructose, which is often wrongly associated with high-fructose corn sugar — the number one addi-tive to processed snacks and sodas.1 Actually, fresh or canned fruit in natural juice or water, add only a small amount of fructose eaten by the average per-son. You would have to eat a lot of fruit servings to get close to the amount of fructose in a 12-oz can of soda. Fruit is more than a just a serving of sugar (fructose), fruit is also a healthy serving of fiber, folate, magnesium, potas-sium and vitamins, such as A, C and K.2 Currently, there are no studies that show a moderate intake

of whole fruits will result in poor physical health or sudden weight gain. In fact, the opposite is shown to be true. Adults that reg-ularly eat fruit are likely to be healthier and thin-

ner. In fact, a recent analysis by research-ers from England’s University of Leicester found that

fruit consumption had no relationship to diabetes. In Danish, Dutch and Portuguese studies, eat-ing a large amount of fruit actually resulted in a diminished risk of heart attacks.1 One challenge for the younger generation is that those under 30 years-of-age consume more than 50% of their fruit -serv-ings as a juice. The major setback with fruit juice is that it lacks the necessary dietary fiber. Also, eating one fruit serving as a juice, means you will drink close to eight fruit servings. So portion size alone adds extra calories and can lead to weight gain. Consider the most popular fruit juice — orange juice. One glass contains approximately 0.5 gram (one-half a gram) of dietary fiber compared to a whole orange that contains nearly 4.5 grams of dietary fiber.2 In fairness to those who do not enjoy eating fruit, they are correct in

pointing out that fruit does contain sugar calories. If you eat an extra banana each day, you would add more than 38,000 addition-al calories in a year or the equivalent of gaining 11 extra pounds. Then again, if you consume the same amount of potato chips, by weight, you could add nearly 200,000 calories or 57 additional pounds that year, AND an increase in garment size.2

Bottom Line:Fresh fruit, along with

fresh vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes, are among the key compo-nents to a well-balanced diet. Remember, fruit is low in calories, high in fiber, rich in vitamins, minerals and contain other beneficial compounds such as carotenoids and flavonoids. They are cho-lesterol free and very low in fat and sodium. Give your children and yourself the snack that is perfectly packaged by God, contains no empty fatty or sugary calories, and because of their fiber and water con-tent, fills you up.

Fruit That’s Plum Good

Plums were used in China as a home rem-

Give Yourself a Fruit BoostStewpot

by Gordon Botting, DrPH, CHES

continued on page 8

“It would be far easier to lose weight perma-nently if replace-ment parts weren’t so handy in the refrigera-tor.”

- Hugh Allen

“A husband thinks health food is anything he eats before the expiration date.”

- Rita Rudner

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edy for reducing fevers, controlling nausea and repressing coughs. It is part of the stone fruit fam-ily and comes in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors ranging from black to green, with a yellow or red flesh. Plums are a natural source of sorbital, a sugar alcohol that responds as a laxative. Dried plums with their high concen-trate of both sorbital and fiber have greater laxative effect. Also, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture antioxidant analysis, plums were ranked near the top of 24 fresh fruits. Plums can add zing to fruit salads, as an addition on kebobs or as a prune puree for baked goods.3

Pucker Up For Lemons And Limes

Christopher Columbus is credited with bringing lemons and limes to the Americas. Limeys was the nickname of British Navel sailors in the 16th century for their use of limes in combating scurvy, an often-fatal disease, resulting from vitamin C deficiency. Researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson discovered that individuals who ate approximately one tea-spoon of grated citrus peel, once a week, were 30% less likely to develop skin cancer. Serving wedges of

fresh lemons or limes can be helpful in cutting back on your salt intake. Citrus juice can be squeezed on avocados, pears, peaches and bananas to prevent “browning” [retarding oxidation]. Frozen Ice cubes of these juices can add refreshing flavors to fresh water on hot summer days.4

Nutrition “In The Pink”

Rhubarb was first culti-vated in the United States two hundred years ago. It is actually a vegetable with ties to the buck-wheat family and is easily identified by its striking red stalks, which contain the following nutritional sources: fiber, potassium, calcium and vitamin C.

One cup provides 45% of the daily value of vitamin K, which plays a part in blood clotting. Rhubarb’s health benefits are found in its potential anticancer properties and antioxidant composites. One Scottish study identi-fied 40 different polyphe-nols of British grown rhu-barb. Next time you want to have fun with a recipe try this vegetable as a tangy sauce or in a savory stew.5

Berry Good News

Berries are super-fruits when it comes to their

potential health benefits such as their sugar-low-ering, anti-cancer and anti–inflammatory effects. Nurses’ Health Study (80,000 Participants) (lower case “p” for par-ticipants) and Health Professional Follow-up Study (49,000 participants) found that in both men and

women with the highest intake of berries were at 23% less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Recent studies of blueber-ries showed that after 12 weeks, older people with early memory loss who drank 15 to 21 ounces of blueberry juice daily, showed improvement on memory tests.6

Go Bananas!A banana is thought

to be the forbidden fruit

in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden, because apples are not native to that particular region. Bananas are grown on a large herb, not a tree and there are over 1,000 vari-eties around the globe. One medium banana will provide a great source of not only potassium, but also manganese, vitamin C and B6. Because it is a super source of vitamin B6 it aids in forming red blood cells, supports the nervous and immune sys-tems and assists in protein metabolism. According to a Swedish study of over 60,000 middle-aged women, those who ate bananas four to six times a week had half the risk of developing kidney cancer as those who did not eat this fruit.7 =Reference: 1. “Forbidden fruit?” University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, July, 2011, p. 1.

2. “Are You Eating Enough Fruit?” Tufts University Health & Nutritional Letter, September 2011, pp. 4 & 5.

3. Schepers, Anastasia, M.S., R.D, “Fruit That’s Plum Good for Health and Taste”, Environmental Health Magazine, May 2006, p. 8.

4. Schepers, Anastasia, M.S., R.D, Pucker Up for Lemons and Lime.

5. Zanteson, Lori, “Nutrition Is “In the Pink” with Rhubarb”, Environmental Health Magazine, April 2011, p. 8.

6. “Berries Linked to Lower Parkinson’s Risk”, Tufts University Health & Nutritional Letter, June 2011, p. 1.

7. Herman, Mindy G., M. B. A., R.D, “Go Bananas!” Environmental Health Magazine, February 2007, p. 8.

Give Yourseflf a Fruit Boost (cont. from page 7)

“If fruit were loaded with calo-ries, bad fat, or salt, we might feel a more intense longing for the sweetness of a ripe straw-berry or a crisp crunch of a just-picked apple.”

- Nutrition Action News-letter, June, 2011

December 2011

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December Birthdays

Brenda Guillen – 2Von Pond – 5 Yesenia Molina – 8 Ray Fernandez – 10 Johnny Macias,III – 12 Alonso Ortega – 16 Genesis Huinquez – 16 Eduardo Lozano – 17Lourdes Centeno – 17 Eddie Rivas – 18Ricky Gonzalez – 19 Claudia Aponte – 23 Jocelyn Huinquez – 20

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

Upcoming EventsThursdays - 7 p.m. Women’s Prayer GroupFridays - 7 p.m. Band Practice

Dec. 3 - Kid’s SabbathDec. 3 - Pathfinder/Adventurer Meeting - 3pm Dec. 4 - Pathfinder/Adventurer Meeting - 9amDec. 4 - Community Service - 10amDec. 10 - CommunionDec. 13 - AUS Christmas Program 7pmDec. 17 - Pathfinder/sAdventurers - 3pmDec. 18 - Pathfinders/Adventurers - 9amDec. 24 - Christmas Worship ServiceDec. 25 - Christmas

Coming Soon

Jan. 7 - Day of PrayerFeb. 4 - 6 Weeks of Growing in Jesus beginsFeb. 25 - Harvey’s Broiler PartyMar. 17 - Celebration Sabbath & LuncheonApr. 7 - Easter Sabbath

THIS MONTH

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The Latest About

Our Church FamilyCongratulations to Alex

Chavez and Sebastian Zegara. They were on Honor Roll at AUS. Kudos also go to Alex and David Chavez who had perfect attendance. Keep up the good work!

As you may already know, Hatzuko Aispuro is our new church secre-

tary. When you call the office you’ll hear her cheery voice. Welcome Hatzuko.

The fam-ily of Kenny Kauffman

thanks the church family for their caring and sup-port during his illness.

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! =

Everyone is invited to a special worship service on Dec. 24th.

Invite a friend and come worship with us on this special day.

December 2011

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December 2011

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

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DATED MATERIAL

Ponder This...

= “The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid.” —Martin Luther

= “There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.” —Bill McKibben

= “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” —Norman Vincent Peale

= “Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.” —Mary Ellen Chase