October 18, 2025

One Sabbath afternoon, we were home and I wanted to take a good nap after lunch. However, my girls had a different plan. They wanted to do some painting. Once lunch was over and we cleaned the dishes, I went to the couch and laid to rest while the girls set up the table to do some art work. Hye Mi asked me to sit together and I told them I just wanted some sleep. Immediately, Sebin shouted, "Dad! This is intergenerational! You have to paint with us!" I couldn't say no to that, so I joined the family and we all painted on a piece of paper, and the theme was "the things that make us happy." Honestly, I had a good time. In fact, I painted on two papers. I really enjoyed it, and I was glad I didn't take a naр.

The girls' proactive behavior brought my family together, we enjoyed this wonderful activity together, and we cherished a good memory together. The family brings us together. So does our church family. I was at the conference office last Sabbath to lead out another program, so I missed out on our Pathfinder induction ceremony. In the evening, as I was talking with Hye Mi over the phone, she was excited and told me that the church had a really good attendance. Perhaps we happened to have many guests visiting that day, or maybe it was because of the Pathfinder program that more families came to worship together. Whatever the factor was, the church family gathered to worship together. I am so happy for this community that we have. It brings us together and through our church family, we find real joy and happiness as we connect, and mostly we worship God together. And it's even better because our church is intergenerational.

The psalmist sings, "My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord... For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God." Psalm 84:2,10. There is great joy being in the presence of God, and the church is a great place to practice that. Not only that, we come together as a family of God, which becomes a foretaste of heaven. I am so thankful that you are here today. Happy Sabbath, and welcome!

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October 11, 2025

When my mom was pregnant and had me, my dad started reciting Deuteronomy 6 to my

mom’s belly every single day whenever they were physically together (my mom had

retreated to the countryside for a few months due to health reasons back then). When we

had Sebin, my father insisted that I do the same for my child as well, and I obeyed. I

recited the whole chapter almost everyday to both of my children until they were born.

Deuteronomy 6 is a special chapter that is well known for the importance of nurturing

the upcoming generation and teaching them to walk in the ways of God. The whole

chapter is valuable, but verses 6-9 are the highlight: “And these words which I command

you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and

shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie

down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall

be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house

and on your gates.” This passage makes it imperative that we must cultivate the youth

and the upcoming generation to always stay close to God's Words and make it a daily

practice and make it an important part of our lives.

In the church ministry, the club ministries take up an important part in making

Deuteronomy 6 happen. The Pathfinders and the Adventurers make it their mission to

nurture and train the growing generation to follow in the ways of God’s Word. I

remember being in the Pathfinder Club decades ago when I used to live in the

Philippines. It was a major part of my youth. The values and the skillsets I learned back

then still remain in my walk with Jesus today. Our church continues to honor the same

values and its mission, therefore we continue our Pathfinders and Adventurers

ministries. It’s extremely important and vital. As you witness new Pathfinders get

inducted today, we ask for your support and prayers as we make Deuteronomy 6 realized

in our church.

Happy Sabbath everyone.

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October 4, 2025

10.4 Bulletin.pdf

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I decided I should do some strength training, so before doing that I went for a short run. I ran 2 miles, but it was a fast run. I usually run with an average heart rate of 140, but this one was about 168. It was challenging. Right after that, I hit the gym and worked on my strength training. I haven’t done strength training over the summer, so I had to go easy. After my second set of squats, I felt the pain on my hamstrings. I wasn’t injured, but I can tell my body needed some adjusting. In fact, I felt the pain for the rest of the day and it was still there the following morning. I really contemplated whether I should run or not. I could just rest and work at home, but I decided not to do that. I went out for an easy run. We usually call this a recovery run. You see, one of the best ways to recover your body from exercise is to exercise.

This is often the way to do it after you race. Whether you race a marathon, or race an Ironman, it really hurts for the following days. Sometimes you can’t even walk properly from the performance you gave in the race. There are many ways to recover: such as taking an ice bath, or getting a proper stretching and massage, but another effective recovery is to do a recovery exercise. While you may feel pain during the recovery exercise, it loosens your body and helps you recover faster. My point is, you just need to keep doing what you are doing.

I think ministry is similar to that. Many times we find challenges and difficulties in the ministries that we do. We continue the ministry and keep doing it. Obstacles come in the way, you may be hurt in the process, or just feel unmotivated. Whatever it is, you just need to keep going on with the ministry. Paul tells Timothy, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” 2 Timothy 4:2. He also says that we should, “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. We just continue what we do, and you will experience the great blessings that come out of it.

Happy Sabbath everyone.

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