MOMS Magazine 35 - Christmas! Christmas! Fun, Family, Faith

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From My HeartDear Readers,

It’s the season of the year that never fails to excite me--Christmas! There is something special about it and it’s not the endless buffets (although I enjoy them so much) or the gift giving or seeing again relatives who live far away. The real cause for excitement is Jesus Christ Himself, whose birth I have all the reasons to celebrate! Why not? Instead of living a life full of fear, uncertainties and hopelessness, He gives me peace and courage to face tomorrow. He gives me purpose and fulfillment.

The articles in this issue will inspire us to reflect on the essence of Christmas, the “Christ” who is our concrete hope for a fulfilling 2013!

My prayer is that we’ll be able to see how God is working in us each day in this coming year. Happy holidays!

Evelyn Damian, Editor

Thank you for your financial help!• Tres Cruses Baptist Church-Cavite• UEC-Gen. Santos City• A friend from La Union• Christ the Great Shepherd Christian Mins., Intl.-

Pasig City• ICC-AG, Puerto Princesa City• Rev. Andres Kho-Quezon City• Leap of Faith Christian Center-San Leonardo, NE• The Neighborhood Church-Caloocan City• A friend from Cebu

Editor’s Page

Published quarterly by Asia Pacific Media MinistriesUnit 2608 Raffles Corporate Center, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, PhilippinesTelephone: 914-9767 E-mail: [email protected] of photos and articles is prohibited without permission.

We need a little help from our friends...MOMS has no subscription price; it is supported completely through contributions. We distribute 58,000 copies each quarter for free. To help support this publication, send cash or check made payable to: Asia Pacific Media Ministries FAO MOMS. To make a direct deposit, use our BPI, C/A #2431-0042-27. All contributions are used entirely for the outreach of this publication. Thank you!

MOMS EDITORIAL STAFFChief Editor Kimberly SniderEditor, MOMS Evelyn Damian

Editor, MIP Alvin TudDistribution Johnson Li

Cover & Layout Patrick Tan

Previous Issue: Teen Alert

Current Issue: Christmas! Christmas!: Fun, Family, Faith

Photo by Don D

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MOMS Editorial Staff (L-R): Johnson, Evelyn, Kim & Patrick

To Start a Relationship with Christ

Admit you have sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

Believe in Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish; but have eternal life.” John 3:16b

Confess and leave your sin behind. Stop sinning. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

To continue growing in your relationship with Christ, fellowship with other believers, read the Bible and pray!

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Mind & SpiritLove Has Come For Us All

by Hazel Javier

Everyone seems to be in high spirits. The “ber” months have come and we can hear these lines once more:

Ang Pasko ay sumapitTayo ay mangagsi-awitNg magagandang himigDahil sa ang Diyos ay pag-ibigThese simple and familiar lyrics from the popular

Christmas carol “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” convey the radical truth: God is Love.

A Life-Giving LoveIt has been said – you can give without loving

but you can’t love without giving. Such statement is evidently true in the life of Christ. Christ’s life and His resurrection were His gifts of love for us. That’s why in John 10:28 – Jesus promises, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” God has given us our physical life, and through Jesus we may enjoy His presence all the more in the life-after.

A Forgiving LoveThe classic nativity scenes we see at Christmastime

show the baby Jesus laid on a manger with a star so bright

it led the wise men to where they were. Jesus’ humble birth was a testament of the graciousness of God. You ask, “How so?” The Good Book has it written out from long ago – a fallen corrupt world needs a Savior. That message was clear straight from the Old Testament Genesis all throughout the Gospels up through Revelation. Our desperate world needs a perfect redeemer. As crazy as it sounds, God made a way – having forgiven our sins through the blameless life led by Jesus who was nailed on a cross in Calvary.

A Persevering LoveTayo ay magmahalanAting sundin ang gintóng aralAt magbuhát ngayónKahit hindî Paskó ay magbigayanThe story of Christ’s sacrifice continues to echo to

the next generations. It is not just because Christmas day is an annual tradition. It is because while Christ’s death was but only once, the substantiation of His love is for all time. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 summarizes His guarantee – “I am with you always to the end of age.” Because of that, we can give love freely each new day.

The Spirit of Givingby Gema Viana

Christmas is the season of giving. We can take this opportunity to touch needy people in our community or even those that we are compassionate about.

Mike and KC Salas have been holding Christmas parties for a group of children from ages 5-16 in Bajao communities in Batangas City since 2009. They have games, storytelling sessions, artistic presentations and gift giving.

“We are always excited when we do this – meeting the kids and the community, enjoying the party and sharing Christ with them. We do not expect to receive material rewards when we do this, but we do expect to learn – from the community, from ourselves and from God. It is always overwhelming how much we learn each time. The joy we experience is always so much more than we can ever imagine.” says Mike.

Initially, they hardly had enough funds to hold the Christmas party for the children, but several groups and individuals have partnered with them through the years for this activity. Mike and KC believe that there are many ways that we can do something special at Christmas or any other time of the year. We can do it individually or we can enlist the help of our friends, family, church mates or office mates and reach out to a person or community with a great need. It does not have to be extravagant but it does have to come from the heart. Mike and KC Salas

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Can you please tell us something about your background?

“I was born in a Buddhist family. My mother’s side owns a Buddhist temple in Balut, Tondo. Most of my uncles and aunties studied in a Christian school but have remained Buddhist. There are 5 children in our family and I’m the second child. Our eldest is only a year older than I am. He’s deaf and he was the first one to become a Christian in our family. I’m the second.

“I told my mom I wanted to be a Christian and attend a Christian church. But she said we were a Buddhist family and our beliefs were different from Protestant beliefs. My elder brother became a Christian when he studied at a Christian deaf school. When I asked her why she allowed him to be a Christian, she said it was the only community that he had.

“I kept on reading the Bible and I could see consistency in the way the people who shared the Gospel with me lived their lives. As I watched them, my questions vanished. One girl in particular, a classmate, shared about Jesus Christ dying on the cross. It was a direct gospel, no sugar-coating. She explained that we are all sinners. The sin of Adam and Eve was imputed to us and we are sinners from birth. That really made an impact! I’d heard of that before, but it never dawned on me how important it was.

“At first, I was afraid to come out in the open about my faith. I obeyed my parents. I did not lie about going to church because I did not go to church. What I did was just to read the Bible, and they did not stop me from doing that. Finally my mom told me that it was okay to become a Christian, but not to be too consumed by it; don’t live as if that’s your life. I began attending

church when I went to college and they did not object anymore.”

Have you been able to witness to your parents?

“It is so hard to set an example to your family especially when they know what your weaknesses are and what’s on your mind. Your parents know you well so it is hard to witness to them. Whenever I attempted to share with my parents, they rejected my words. I had to prove all their assumptions wrong first. I tried to win their trust, although sometimes I failed in their expectations. Slowly I tried, to the point that they could see the changes in my actions. Instead of dishonesty, I showed them that I had become honest. I based my decisions on principles I had learned. I stood firm in my faith, and they saw I was consistent. There is a saying that “a tree will be known by its fruit.” In other words, I had to prove my Christianity by my Christ-like behavior. Slowly I was able to bring them to church, and was able to discuss Christ with them.

“It’s really hard to get through to your parents if they do not believe that you have changed. You have to continue to persevere. This is what the Bible says, that we need to carry our own cross. This cross is the persecution of we who are believers by non-believers and in my case my non-believing family members. The Bible says, “Honor your parents...” I follow Christ, that’s why I obey my parents. I love Christ, that’s why I stay with my parents. I honor Him, that’s why I submit

Francis Ang

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by Francis Ang as told to Evelyn Damian

Especially at Christmas time, all of us long to share the joy of our faith in Christ with our loved ones.Communicating Christ with non believing family members can be a somewhat discouraging process, but we know that successful communication is possible. Francis Ang, a high school teacher at MGC New Life and the new executive director of CCOWEF Philippines, has spent many years trying to win his family to Christ. Here is his very practical advice.

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Make a Difference

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to my parents. Their question always was, if you are a Christian, why are you like that? That’s why ‘walking the talk’ is a very important part of how I can reach out to my family. “

Can you give us some tips for witnessing to our children?“My kids are 13, 11 and 5. I teach them the Word

of God. I talk to them about their problems. And I see to it that I explain to them why things are this way or that. My wife and I are partners in that.We have to recognize that sometimes the Lord allows things to happen to our children because those things serve as a lesson for them. We cannot completely shield our kids, but we can guide them and explain to them the consequences of their actions. Sometimes they will make mistakes. We should accept that if we fall into temptation and we sin, our children also do that. No one has the ability to be perfect. I know my limitations as a Christian, as a pastor. I also know that my children have limitations.

“I’ve changed in how I relate to my children. I used to be a nagger. Now I explain patiently why something is wrong and what its effect will be. I do that when teachable moments occur spontaneously, and during our family altar. When we make parenting mistakes, I also explain why we did something wrong and ask them to understand us. Those are the times when you know your children are listening, when you explain in a calm way. I also allow them to experience the consequences of their actions. In school, when they do something wrong, I tell the one in authority, ‘Do what you need to do; my child needs to be disciplined so go ahead.’ I tell them, ‘Don’t treat them as a pastor’s kid. Treat them as an ordinary student.’ And you know what? At the end of the day, our kids realize the effect of the discipline. They learn from it. For example, we taught our kids to bike and we allowed them to fall so they would know that it’s painful.

“My daughter asks me questions like, ‘Dad, why is God allowing this to happen?’ You know what? Those are the times that I really love. I remember one evening while I was hanging up the laundry, my daughter was there asking questions. Those were really precious teaching moments. She asked advice about her classmate, or this and that, and I explained it to her. I enjoy those moments.

Why do you feel the need to share the Gospel with your family?

“Our motivation for sharing Christ with our loved ones is because the gospel was given to be proclaimed.

We don’t deserve to be saved. Christ was nailed on the cross for our sins, and we were forgiven even though we did not deserve it. John MacArthur, an American Evangelical Christian pastor and author said, ‘God is our Master, we are His slaves. As slaves we need to follow and obey our Master in everything.’ God told us to share our faith and He is looking at us. Maybe that should be the motivation of every Christian. In whatever situation you are in, know that God is watching and later on at the end, He will judge us.

“Rev. Chris Chia, a pastor in Singapore says, ‘‘God is our first audience and our final judge.’ For that reason, I have fear of the Lord. I’m afraid to steal. I’m afraid to tell a lie. I’m afraid to exaggerate things. I’m afraid to preach the wrong message because God is my audience, and He always sees me and He is my Judge. Sometimes I give in to anger or tiredness and I say something, or I am tactless and I hurt someone. I am not perfect. As Christians, our lives are like glass houses. My life is what others will see and my life must accurately represent the character of Jesus. If I give into temptation, I immediately repent.”

Have you seen changes in your own life? “I believe change is a process. There is no secret

ingredient. Reading the Bible will remind us to change. Are we observing Christian discipline? Do we pray? Do we meditate on God’s word? Do we study His Word? Do we have fellowship? Do we worship? All these things help us improve. Not by what we can do alone, but by the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit through His grace.

“I believe God has a reason for everything that happens. As we look back to what has happened, that’s when we know the reason why it happened. I believe there are great changes in my life from who I was before. It seems like the Lord allowed me to experience what I have experienced so that He can use me.”

Francis with his wife and daughters.

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Preparing for the holidays can be stressful. We constantly run

errands, worry about gifts to buy and recipes to cook. All this activity can take a toll on our minds and our bodies and the fun of the season is spoiled. The Christmas holiday should always be special, but it may be unwise to spend everything we have—all our money, time and energy—just to make the most of the Christmas season. We need to keep everything in balance. How can we have the best time of the year without

getting completely stressed out? Here are some tips.

First of all it is important to keep physically healthy during the holidays so we can really enjoy them. Exercise is very important because it alerts our body to fight stress. Beneficial exercise can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking instead of riding to do errands. Exercise can help us stay healthy through the days of frenzied preparations.

It is also important to get enough sleep. Sleeping for 8 to 9 hours restores our strength and boosts our immune system. We must make sure that excitement does not cause us to lose sleep which makes us vulnerable to illness.

As tempting as it is to change our diet and indulge during the holidays we should still eat healthy. Our holiday feasting should include a balanced diet. Eating fruits and vegetables flushes toxins from high-calorie food and supplies us with nutrients that keep our bodies working well.

We need to also learn to say “no.” Let’s resist the temptation to do everything, and focus on what matters most. We must remember that our minds and bodies have limits. We should make the most of our time off from work to have quality time with our loved ones. We find support and companionship when we reach out to others.

Finally, we should spend a few minutes a day thanking God for everything that we have. Expressing appreciation puts our problems in the right perspective. By being grateful even for the smallest things, we learn that what we have is actually enough!

Beating Christmas Stressby Nathan Maliwat

Body & Soul

Healthy and Festive Chicken-Vegetable Saladby APMM Staff

Ingredients2-3 chicken breasts, boiled with a little salt and shredded 1 cup carrots, julienne cut1 cup singkamas, julienne cut3 salad tomatoes, quartered1 head lettuce, shredded1 cup broccoli, cut into bite-size chunks¼ c cilantro leaves or wansoy, shredded (optional)½ cup cashew nuts or peanuts, toasted and crushed1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional), toastedVinaigrette dressing

Put all the ingredients in a big salad bowl except the nuts, sesame seeds and the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for a few hours. Just before serving, add the nuts and sesame seeds. Toss well while adding the vinaigrette dressing.

By being grateful even for the smallest things, we learn that what we have is actually enough!

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Note: You may also add boiled tofu, cut into chunks and half cooked vegetables like Baguio beans, potatoes, sweet peas, mushrooms or other raw vegetables like onion, bell pepper, etc. Just remember if you put too much of one thing, it will dominate the taste of your salad.

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Love & MoneyFinancial Resolutions

for 2013by Kendrick Chua

Let’s focus on how we can be great stewards of God’s resources this year.

1.) Review your 2012 finances. To kick off your finances for 2013, it is imperative

you review what you have accomplished the previous year. How much did you earn for the year? How much of that did you save? How much did you allot for debt repayment, if you had any? And most of all, how much did you offer to God? These figures will serve as the yardstick to determine how you’re going to set your goals this year. 2.) Automate your savings.

Most of us are guilty of failed resolutions. That healthy diet and workout plan that we plotted last year is nowhere near completion because quite frankly, it was very easy to find an excuse not to push through with it. That’s why with regards to your savings, you can’t rely on willpower alone. It is easy to justify an excuse after all.

What is the best way then? Automate it! Banks can deduct a certain amount from your payroll account every payday, and automatically transfer that to another account, which often times has a higher interest rate. If you can’t see it, then you can’t spend it.3.) Learn one new investment and dabble in it.

Search the market for an investment that suits your goals and risk appetite. Money stashed in banks is losing value year after year because of inflation. We need to find alternatives that can make our money grow. Our financial markets offer a wide array of investment vehicles. It would prove wise to take advantage of these. If you are unsure of what investments suit you best, consult financial advisers of reputable financial institutions. Engaging in business is another thing, but before you plunk in your money into it, or any investment at all, remember this wisdom: “invest only the money you can afford to lose.”4.) Create an offering fund.

This 2013, establish an offering fund where you can set aside funds to help fellow Christians. I call it the benevolent fund. This money is separate from and in addition to your church tithe. If we can set aside an amount regularly just like our savings, then we are in a better position to help others when the need arises. And since you have already earmarked the money to give away, there are fewer struggles to give it.

The Lord has always wanted to prosper us when He revealed the great plans He has for us in the Book of Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11. I’m holding on to that promise. 2013 will be a banner year for us!

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Potluck: A Solution to Stressful & Expensive

Christmas Partyby Evelyn Damian

Come September, Filipinos start the countdown to Christmas. Christmas is always fun in

the Philippines but it is also expensive! Having a Christmas potluck will strengthen the bond between family members and enable us to save money and time.

If your family is not used to potlucks you will need to sell them on the idea first. Call and invite and excite your relatives about doing a Christmas potluck. Tell them about your goal of bonding with family members, saving money and time and having fun! Meet with them and discuss the date, time, venue, menu and other expenses.

Decide on the theme of your party. For example if you want Filipiniana, make the required attire, decorations, music and menu to be Filipiniana. You can decide what food to serve, who will bring what, and the quantity needed.

Assign a committee who will decorate the venue, take care of the sound system and welcome the guests. Music can be easily downloaded from the internet. The younger members of the family enjoy doing this.

Another committee should decorate the Christmas table, arrange the dishes, and serve the food and drinks. Some mothers and cooks in the family should enjoy this assignment. They will also make sure there are enough plates, spoons and forks and drinking glasses for all the guests, and that there are containers for leftover food to be taken home later.

Assign a person or two to be the emcee and in charge of the program, games and prizes. They should solicit prizes from family and relatives a few days or weeks before their party. We are a culture fond of eating and singing so a part of your entertainment can be karaoke singing.

Assign another group to clean up after the party. This group needs to make sure there are lots of garbage bags for the trash.

Most importantly encourage everyone to actively participate in the party and have fun.

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Christmas is supposed to be a time where families remember that God gave the world the greatest gift of all, His only Son Jesus Christ. This is why we joyfully give and receive gifts. But we have all noticed that gift-giving is also a great source of stress during the holidays. I know, I’ve been there.

My whole thirteenth month bonus disappears as gifts bought from stores appear and gift tags are filled up with names of nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts.

Some families cope with hardship and economic difficulties during the Holidays by deciding to buy gifts that are within their budget. One of the ways to do this is to give a “family gift” instead of individual gifts.• This can be a ‘food item” like a cake or pastry.• It can be a kitchen utensil or a display item for the living room.• It can be framed photos of family that you took last Christmas.

Your creativity is the only limitation you have in coming up with more ideas. So go to the party and enjoy the get together. Jesus is the reason for the season; not the giving of gifts,

not the get together, or the fun and camaraderie. All these make sense only when Jesus is the center. Making Jesus the center means putting on His mindset , the attitude that puts the interests of others ahead of one’s self. It’s the attitude that understands when others are hard up and can’t afford to give gifts like they did when they were well off. It’s the mindset that says, “Your presence in the party is the gift we look forward to every year.” And when Jesus becomes the center of the celebration, the ability to give everyone a gift doesn’t seem that important anymore.

During our Christmas get together, it has been our custom to give everyone a gift. This season I’ve gone over budget. I’m ashamed because some relatives give a lot and they brag about it. I am thinking of not going to the party.

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