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Family Takes Vacation Bible School Beyond the Walls

Story by Debra Anderson

Some might say Vacation Bible School (VBS) is synonymous with summertime, and this summer was no exception. William Ovalle, pastor of the Manassas (Va.) Central Spanish, the Manassas (Va.) Battlefield Spanish and the Centreville (Va.) Spanish churches, along with his wife, Tetiana, and their sons, Vitaly and Matthias, decided to take a step of faith and expand the concept of VBS.

The family organized a VBS event for their entire district, instead of hosting an event solely for their church members. It was the first VBS for the area since the pandemic hit in March 2020. William led the program, Tetiana organized the event and Vitaly and Matthias, along with other volunteer children, participated in song service.

The Course of Kindness

Image by reneebigelow from Pixabay

Editorial by Terry Forde

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”– Aesop

Have you ever thought about where the word kind came from? It is a very old word that we’ve been using in some form or another for more than a thousand years.

The root word is kin, which means family, as in kindred, or my kinfolk, or just my kin. To be family was to be kinned, and over the centuries it was contracted to kind.

So kindness literally means “like family.” In practical terms, it means to regard all of humankind as belonging to one great family, one great kinship – and to treat one another accordingly.

August 11, 2021: He Is All-Powerful

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“Then [Jesus] said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ ... Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!’” (Mark 11:14, 21, NIV).

Here is an odd story about Jesus. Hungry, Jesus sees a fig tree with leaves because it was out of season. Finding it has no fruit, He curses the tree, and it dies. Why does Jesus do that? Doesn’t it seem unreasonable? Why does Mark tell this story?

The gospel accounts are not collections of random stories of things Jesus did. Each gospel book is a revelation of who Jesus is. So either Mark wants us to think Jesus is an unreasonable tree killer, or something deeper is happening here.

Adventist Community Remembers Fordhams in Funeral Service

Photo by David Turner

Story by V. Michelle Bernard / Photos by David Turner

Some 1,000 attendees gathered Sunday, August 8, to remember Elder Henry and Mrs. Sharon (Wright) Fordham, who, at the time of their death on July 18, were president and first lady of the Allegheny East Conference (AEC).

To commence the service, which took place at Martin’s West in Baltimore, AEC’s Pathfinder Color Guard posted their colors with drums and flags. (See the recordings on AEC’s Facebook page.)

August 10, 2021: A True Friend

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“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (Eccl. 4:9, NKJV).

One day, two new girls enrolled at my school. They were surrounded by a crowd of girls who wanted to meet them during recess. As I made my way over, I recognized I had met one of them in church that past Sabbath! We immediately became best friends. We were the only Seventh-day Adventist girls in the entire public school.

I loved my friend. She was funny, happy, smart and kind. After we graduated from eighth grade, we attended different high schools, but still spent every Sabbath together, studying our Sabbath School lessons and enjoying potluck with the youth.

August 9, 2021: The Power of Worry

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“But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19, KJV).

I find myself worrying about the future, like, “Will I get accepted into the college I want?” In my worries, this verse reminds me that “God supplies all my needs.” He knew our future even before we were born. He has a plan and purpose for everything.

In December 2019, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I had been getting severe back pain since April of that year, but now things started to get real, and I was scared. The doctors ordered X-rays, and they looked dissatisfactory. Then they ordered an MRI to rule out brain tumors, since the X-rays and the curve numbers were unexplainable.

August 8, 2021: The Father Himself Loves Me

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“In that day you will ask in My name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God” (John 16:26–27, NIV).

I like verses that surprise me. This verse certainly did that, given that I grew up primarily with a courtroom-based image of the Father, standing in judgment over me, with Jesus interceding as my Advocate.

This verse reminds me that the members of the Godhead are united in their love for me and their desire to save me. Jesus has no need to advocate before the Father on my behalf, because the Father is not my accuser. Satan, the adversary, and sin itself, are my only enemies. In the Godhead, I have nothing but friends.

August 7, 2021: A Heart Yearning

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“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name” (Ps. 86:11, NKJV).

This verse has made a great impact on my life. Just below the chapter title, my Bible also includes these words: “A prayer of David.” Other than his incredible victory over Goliath, David is also remembered as a man after God’s own heart. Verse 11 gives us further proof of this. When you read through the Psalms, one thing is evident: David yearned for the Lord. He often praised God and declared His excellence. He meditated on the words of God throughout the day and night. He would ask God to examine his heart and prove him. These verses left a deep impression on me.

August 6, 2021: The Mountain That Moved

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“He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you’” (Matt. 17:20, NIV).

Six years ago, when I was preparing to graduate with a master’s degree in Children and Family Ministry at Bethel University (Minn.), I noticed that graduation would be held on a Saturday—my Sabbath. I spoke to one of my classmates about whether the administration would ever consider switching it to a different day. My classmate doubted they’d change the day for just one person.