“From the ends of the earth ... You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you” (Isa. 41:9–10, NKJV).

Loneliness settled among my thoughts like a heavy winter fog. I had recently moved across the continent to begin graduate studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. While excited about the research opportunities ahead, I missed my family and community back home in the United States. I had no relatives or friends in this new city along the Pacific coast. I remember thinking, What have I done? I just moved across an entire continent to the end of North America! Anxiety always exaggerates trouble, doesn’t it?

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, NASB).

When our adult sons were young boys, I remember telling my mother, “This mother thing is not that hard.”

I still remember her answer: “The bigger the boys get, the bigger the problems get.”

My mother was right. We love our boys and are blessed to be their parents. But the truth is, at times, being a parent can be hard and stressful. As a family, we’ve had both amazing and troubled times. Over the years, my husband and I learned that prayer is crucial not only to marriage, but parenting as well.

Story by Benia Jennings

Story by Edward Marton

The Ohio Conference Youth Department has entered its second year of “Growing Young Adventists”—a church transformation process designed to foster intergenerational worship, fellowship and service.

Ten churches journeyed through the Growing Young process at the beginning of 2020, bringing all generations together in Christ and in service for the community. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and disrupted many of the churches’ plans. In stride, they adjusted to other ways of reaching youth and young adults through digital means. Of the original 10 churches, eight have decided to continue on the Growing Young journey, and four new churches have joined to form a new yeartwo cohort.

Story by Christina Keresoma

Kettering Adventist HealthCare is the first in the region to offer innovative Stryker Mako robotic technology for joint replacements. For people suffering from knee or hip pain, daily activities like walking can put immense stress on their bodies.

Local orthopedic surgeons are offering patients a technologically advanced joint replacement procedure tailored to each patient’s unique anatomy. To tailor each procedure, the surgeons are using Stryker’s Mako Robotic Arm-Assisted System for total knee, partial knee and total hip replacements.