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From My HeartDear Readers,

As guest editor for this issue, I am grateful to God for helping me gather all the articles needed to complete this issue. This quarter, we celebrate several holidays—All Saints’ Day, Bonifacio Day, Rizal Day, and of course, the highlight of the season is Christmas. As I read the stories in this issue, I marveled at what ordinary people could do…and give because they have received the best Gift for all seasons—Jesus Christ.

I am so pleased that a young girl wrote bravely about the unusual way her family celebrates All Saints’ Day. You will find a heroic story of a woman who shared what little she had to help the children in her neighborhood. There are also articles on how to prepare for Christmas and the story of a mother who received what she considers is the best gift her mom ever gave her.

We hope these stories will inspire you to touch other people’s life in a positive way as you value the best gift for all seasons—Jesus Christ.

Evelyn Damian, Editor

Thank you for your financial help!• Bacnor Assembly of God - Isabela• Dakila ang Diyos Ministry, Inc. - Calamba, Laguna• Church So Blessed - Quezon City• Harris Memorial College -Taytay, Rizal• Friend from Pateros• Binondo Full Gospel Family Center - Manila

Editor’s Page

Editor Kimberly SniderGuest Editor Evelyn DamianDistribution

Johnson LiCover & Layout

Patrick Tan

Published Quarterly by Asia Pacific Media Ministries

Unit 2608 Raffles Corporate Center,Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center,

1605 Pasig City, PhilippinesTelephone No.: 914-9767

E-mail: moms@apmedia.orgReproduction of photos and articles is

prohibited without permission.

We need a little help from our friends...This publication has no subscription price. MOMS is supported completely through contributions. If you want to make a donation to help produce and distribute MOMS, it will be used entirely for the continued outreach of this publication. Send cash or check made payable to: Asia Pacific Media Ministries FAO MOMS. You can call our office to ask for instructions for direct deposit or use our BPI, C/A #2431-0042-27. We are thankful for your help!

Thank you to a good friend!Jo jo Santos has, since 2004, been

the man behind the graphic design of Moms Magazine. He has always worked with patience and gentleness. His covers have enticed you to open our pages and his illustrations have made you smile. With this issue Jo jo is handing over the reins to our new designer Patrick Tan. Thanks Jo jo for a job well done, and for your continued friendship.

Kimberly Snider and the editorial team

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the children she taught in Sunday school to her tiny library. These children invited their friends from the street. Friends invited other friends. Now many children make use of the library. Ina continues to think of ways to keep the children coming. She prints out pictures that the kids can color. She saves money so she can give them merienda. She tutors them for free.

It is amazing how this simple act has affected her community in a positive way. Some of the children’s parents came to thank her for the change in their children. They also became interested in reading. There was even a drunkard who decided to spend his time reading rather than drinking.

The small living room has not only become a library, but a refuge to people who need a friend to talk to. At present, Ina has three shelves of books mostly donated by people who want to help.

Recently, Ina has gone back to college, but in spite of her busy schedule as a wife and a student, Ina continues to prove that you can touch other people’s life if you put your heart in it, even with limited resources.

Ina Fajardo wanted to be a teacher but the situation in their home kept her from fulfilling her dreams. Her

father was an alcoholic who beat up his wife and children. Her mother ran away with another man. In an effort to keep their family together, Ina quit school and took a job. When her efforts failed, she decided to leave home and went to Dumaguete City. She took a few possessions with her, including a Bible she borrowed from her friend.

During her time in Dumaguete, Ina remembers reading the borrowed Bible and longing to know more about God and His purpose for her life, Ina prayed that the Lord will bring her to a church that will teach her the Truth about God. Not long after this, she asked a man to help her get a tricycle ride. He didn’t just help her get a ride but also made sure she was home safely. She learned that he was a pastor and she started going to his church. Soon she gave her life to the Lord and became involved in ministry. Her relationship with Jesus brought her to the point that she was able to forgive her parents, and she asked them to forgive her, too. A few years later, Ina even moved back home with her father until she got married.

After marriage, Ina and her husband settled in a remote place in Caloocan City. She taught Sunday school at a house church in their neighborhood. Later on, she was diagnosed with Systemis Lupus Erythematosus, a debilitating disease with no real cure. Although this was shattering, Ina refused to be overcome by it. She battled her disease with good nutrition and with her dream to help the children in her neighborhood. Since the children’s main activity was loitering, she decided to give them something to do by starting a library especially for them. She organized her meager collection of books on a shelf that she placed in their living room, and invited

Sweet Memories of People We Loveby Katherine Banzon

A Heart That Reaches Outby Alena Palad

Mind & Spirit

Our society cherishes long-standing traditions for everything from the culinary arts to the proper accoutrements for a wedding. One of our traditions comes to the fore during All Saints’ Day as hordes of Filipinos flock to the

cemeteries to visit the graves of loved ones who have passed on. My parents and I do the same. Our family in particular go to my grandmother’s tomb every November to thank

the Lord for the long, fruitful and Holy Spirit led life she shared so generously with us; for the sweet memories of the lessons she taught us, the younger generation about living a godly life.

We also visit my grandfather’s family plot. We take this opportunity to catch up with relatives who also visit and we pray together. However, our prayers are not for the eternal repose of the dead as traditional rites dictate. This is because the Bible says, “... It is appointed for men to die once, but after this, the judgment.” Our family recognizes that the choices a man had made while still alive for or against Christ seals his destiny according to God’s gift of eternal life. Once he has been condemned to eternal damnation, the prayers of the living cannot aid him or lessen his suffering.

It is important to view All Saints’ Day for what it is. It is a time to honor and enjoy the memories of our loved ones who have passed on. And, it is also a time to give thanks for the reality of Christ—the certainty that if we chose to know Him and follow Him while we are alive on earth, there will be no need for our families to worry about us after we are gone. We will be alive, in heaven—no doubt!

Ina with some of the children who go to her tiny library.Ph

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As a young child, I had frequent asthma attacks. My mom, in desperation to find a cure for my asthma,

went from doctors to faith healers, so that we could try whatever solution they offered. However, none of their solutions or medicines worked.

Finally, my mother was invited by her best friend to go to a church where she heard the message about making Jesus Christ her Lord and Savior. She believed the message and surrendered her life to Jesus.

When my mother came home that day, she called me and my older sister and shared the Good News that she had just met Jesus in a personal way. Her face was radiant and her voice was excited. She asked us if we knew where we were going to go when we die. Neither my sister nor I knew the answer to this question. Our mother patiently explained that if we asked God to forgive us our sins and believe that His Son, Jesus Christ, took our sins and died on the Cross in our place, we could know that when we die we would go to heaven. My sister and I believed what she told us, and my mother led us in prayer. I was only in Grade 2 when this happened but I was sincere and the prayer came

from my heart. After that, every Sunday, we went to church with my mom. At home, I saw her read the Bible so I read the Bible, too. My mom made us memorize the verses that she thought would be meaningful to us.

Shortly after that, I had another asthma attack. Our pastor asked if I wanted to get healed. I said yes and he prayed for me. I felt better. We continued to go to church and it made me happy although I couldn’t explain why. I especially loved the praise and worship part of the service.

That same year, my mom, my sister, and I began attending a Bible study at mom’s best friend’s house. Although I was very young I knew deep in my heart that we were worshiping a living God. I spent time reflecting on the Word of God. I learned that I could rely on Him to fulfill His promises. Every time I would get sick, I prayed and I would feel better.

Meanwhile, my mother shared her new faith with her friends and even people she just met. I was surprised at the change in her character. She brought many people to church.

When she burned all the images in our house, many of our relatives got mad at her but she trusted God to help her deal with the situation. A couple of months later, my brother met an accident and died. Our relatives really said bad words to my mom. They said it was a punishment for burning the images. My mom knew that this was not true and she continued to put her trust in God. I saw God’s faithfulness during that time. Despite relatives’ objections, my mother asked pastors to hold funeral services every night. Many people including some of our neighbors surrendered their lives to Jesus during these services. God stood by my mom and comforted her and our whole family in our time of grief.

I also went through many trials while growing up. One of the most difficult was during my first few

Rose Menia was frail and sickly when she was a child, but her sickness led her mother to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In turn, her mother introduced Rose to Jesus. Rose considers this introduction the very best gift her mother ever gave her. Here is her story…

by Rose Menia as told to Evelyn Damian

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months in High School. My classmates mocked me and tried to intimidate me because of my faith but God helped me not to fear and to be bold about my faith. Later on, they stopped teasing me. Some of them even joined our Bible Study. I knew then God would not leave me alone when I was in trouble.

When time came that I was not so sickly anymore, I became actively involved in church. I focused my attention on the music ministry. I spent so much time rehearsing with my group that I was rarely home and I was too tired to pray. I didn’t worry about it though, after all, my music practice was for God, wasn’t it? But gradually I started to drift away from my faith. I stopped obeying some of my parents’ rules. Before I graduated from High School, I had a relationship with one of our group members. My parents were very strict and didn’t favor that relationship but I just ignored them, and did what I wanted to do.

In an attempt to keep me away from my boyfriend, my parents enrolled me in an expensive girl’s college. At this point, I didn’t care very much about education or the course I was forced to take. I rebelled and dropped out of school without telling my parents. They had no idea I was just spending time with my boyfriend or other friends. Eventually, when they found out about it, they were really mad and told me to rethink my life. I did break up with my boyfriend, but I also stopped going to church.

A few months later, I enrolled in a school of my choice and took the course that I wanted. Old friends introduced me to new friends who were not of the same faith. After some time, one of them became my boyfriend. I would lie to my parents and say that we had a project to finish so that I could spend time with my new barkada. I learned how to smoke, drink and went to the disco. I enjoyed their company but whenever I was alone I felt sad and empty. I knew God was talking to me but I refused to listen.

Finally, early one Sunday morning, I came home

just before my parents woke up. As I was getting out of the shower, my mother woke up and saw me. She invited me to go to church with her. Because I was not yet sleepy, I agreed to go. At the church, I felt the Lord talking to me. I asked God to forgive me for the wrong things I had done. My yearning for wine, cigarette and discos disappeared and eventually I broke up with my boyfriend. I finished school and got a job. A year later I reconciled with my first boyfriend and after some time married him.

At first there were lots of problems in our relationship, mostly consequences of our wrong decisions in the past. Although we prayed and learned from our mistakes, the consequences were not easy. It took awhile before we finally worked through

these problems. Our joint commitment to Christ and to His plan for our lives was what strengthened our marriage.

Up to now my mom never gets tired of sharing

the Good News with people she meets, wherever she is, and whatever the season. She often reminds us to pray and read the Bible and I realize that we really need to do that so we can strengthen our relationship with Him. Now I also try to share the Good News whenever the opportunity comes my way.

Of all the gifts that my mother has given me, the gift of knowing how to have a relationship with Christ is what I treasure most. I have learned, through my own experience, that Jesus loves me unconditionally, through good and bad times. When I became a mother myself I realized how important it was to teach my daughter to read the Bible and pray because it is the only way she will know Jesus and His love for her. This is the best gift any of us can give our children; we may not always be around but they can always depend on Christ. I know our children may fall or encounter trials but I also know that Jesus will pull them up and guide them to the right path just like He did for me. Jesus is the Best Gift for all seasons!

Make a Difference

“Of all the gifts that my mother has given me, the gift of knowing how to have a relationship with Christ is what I treasure most.”

Rose with her husband, daughter and mother.

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Body & Soul

Spanish Sardines Pasta Home-Made Green Salad

Procedure:1. For the dressing, mix all dry ingredients before

adding the liquid ingredients. Chill overnight before using.

2. Wash and spin dry or drain arugula, spinach, fruits and tomatoes. Chill.

3. Put salad greens in a salad bowl. Add cheese. Put dressing just before serving.

Dressing:1 clove garlic, minced1 tbsp minced white onion½ tsp Italian seasoning¼ tsp salt¼ ground pepper1 tbsp mustard½ cup mayonnaise¼ cup honey¼ cup evaporated milk/fresh milk

¼ cup balsamic vinegar¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad Greens:Arugula or spinachgrapes or pomelocherry tomatoesblue cheese or kesong puticandied nuts (walnuts or pili)

Procedure:1. Cook pasta according to directions on the

package, then set aside.2. In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in olive

oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, sardines, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.

4. Pour on pasta, add cheese.

Ingredients:½ k pasta (fettuccine)2 bottles of 250g Spanish sardines in tomato sauce3-4 tbsps olive oil2 tbsps balsamic vinegar6 medium tomatoes, diced1 large onion, diced3 clove garlic, minced1 small sachet of tomato sauce

2 tbsps dried or fresh basil leaves1 tbsp dried oregano½ tsp salt½ tsp ground black pepper1-2 tbsps of brown sugarParmesan cheese

(These recipes were sent by LJ Salceda)

Setting Up a Festive Christmas Dinner Tableby Elaine D. Balanay

There is a popular saying, “people eat with their eyes.” It is true that most of the time we can almost taste the food just by looking

at it or by how it is presented. With this in mind, it is always a good idea to make your dinner table as appealing as you can without breaking your budget. All you need is a little creativity and you’re on your way to making a festive Christmas dinner table. Here are some ideas for decorating:1. Cover your table with a Christmas-colored tablecloth. You

may use any kind of cloth or even Christmas wrapping paper glued together, but it is best to use a plain table cover as it is easier to decorate.

2. If you have some spare garlands, tinsel, trimmings or wreaths, you may run them lengthwise across the center or sides of the table.

3. Use Christmas balls, candy canes or cut-out Christmas shapes as table-toppers.4. You may also decorate a small potted plant by hanging Christmas shapes or balls on its stems. Wrap the

pot with plain paper or Christmas wrap— then use it as a centerpiece. Just remember to keep it simple and fun!

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Organizing a Group Christmas Partyby Elaine D. Balanay

Hosting a Christmas dinner for a small group of friends or family need not be stressful or expensive.

The first thing you need to do is make a list of things that you will need to prepare for the party. Generally, your list should include food, drinks, tableware (utensils, drinking cups, plates, napkins). It will also help set the mood if you put up some decorations. To make the event more entertaining, add some fun activities; they can be group games or just sharing your best Christmas stories. Any parlor game can work for the holidays if you change them so that they have Christmas themes. For example, instead of guessing popular tunes, have them guess titles of Christmas songs.

Once you have come up with your list, set up a meeting with your friends to discuss the list and figure out how to accomplish everything. Also, determine how many will come to your party, where you will hold it and what time you want to start. Assign the roles each one will play— who will be the host or emcee, who will take care of the set-up, who will clean up after the party, etc. This will be a good time to ask each of your friends to bring her own specialty dish (made either of pork or chicken, beef, seafood or desserts) plus one kind of drink (soft drinks or juice) for the potluck. Decide whether you want your dishes to be all-Filipino, or Chinese or International, etc. You can also ask for contributions for game prizes. You or your friends might have something at home that you will want to give away. This will help keep expenses to a minimum. You do not need to buy expensive Christmas decorations. You may use plain, white and colored paper and aluminum foil to cut-out big snowflakes, bells, or other Christmas shapes. Secure 2-3 of them (about ½ feet apart) on a piece of nylon thread with clear tape or stapler, make as many pieces as you need to hang around the room like dangling banners. Other things you can hang are assorted Christmas candies and your spare Christmas tree decor. You may also use the cut-out snowflakes as table-toppers. They will look great when randomly placed on top of a plain red tablecloth.

Reluctantly I agreed to haveChristmas With the In-Laws

by Johnson Li

“I’ll be home for Christmas...” these words from the famous Christmas song have always been my motto. Since

childhood I was the one who decorated our house with lights, and put up the Christmas tree. Never in my life had I been away from my family during holidays and I determined to be home for Christmas always until...I got married 6 years ago to a native of Cebu! My wife and I never talked about where to

spend Christmas until the month of September came in 2004. She wanted to go home—to Cebu—and I wanted to be home—in Manila! I wouldn’t give in, and neither would she. This was WAR! We needed counseling!

My wife and I asked advice from friends who were in the same situation as we were and we finally reached an agreement. We would spend Christmas in Cebu and be back in Manila for the New Year. Hurriedly, I bought plane tickets at promo price and began to wonder what gifts to bring to find favor in my wife’s family. I knew I needed all the help I could get!

In actual fact, Christmas with my in-laws was not bad after all. We were able to relax, see friends, go to church together, take a trip to the beach, and meet relatives I never knew. Returning to Manila, we brought back gifts and pasalubong to my family. But most of all, I brought back memories of good cheer and better relationship with my in-laws. Now I know that there is something more important than being at my family home for Christmas. It is celebrating the season in ways that bring joy to both sides of the family!

Love & Money

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 grow-ing in your relationship with Christ, fellowship with other believers, read the Bible and pray!

Elaine making her list for the party.

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Johnson with his in-laws

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Our parents celebrate Christmas on the same day so every year, my husband and I argue on who to spend our Christmas with. My children prefer to spend it with my parents since they have cousins of same age who attend the party but my in-laws get easily hurt when we don’t prioritize them. What is the best way to resolve this issue?

Celebrating Christmas with family is very important for Filipinos. Which side of the family to spend it with can be a thorny issue. One thing is certain, we must include both sides of the family in our celebration of the birth of the Savior.

So consider some options if you may.

• Have an early Christmas dinner with your parents then proceed to your in-laws for Noche Buena.

• Spend Noche Buena with your parents then the next day (the 25th of December) be with your in-laws.

• Alternate Christmas and New Year with either sets of parents.The reason you are doing this is to affirm and strengthen your relationship with the “whole” family not just a part. It may not be easy at the start but in time, the whole family will appreciate your efforts. After all Christmas is the time to center on Jesus and encourage everyone to bless each other.

Enhance your holiday family time by showing this excellent film!

The story of a father-son relationship in crisis. Dante (Tommy Abuel), is a prominent lawyer. Although ethical and firm in his professional life, he has grown away from his son Daniel (Gerard Pizzara), an agriculturist who refuses to follow in his father’s footsteps.

A critical illness gives Daniel only months to reach out to his father but his time is running out. Watch the drama unfold in the story of “Ama, Anak”.

Available at House of Praise, OMF Lit Bookshops, PCBS, Amazing Grace Bookstore, St. Francis Bookstore and APMedia Office and now online at www.usapangpamilyavideos.multiply.com

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