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October 6, 2021: No Need to Fear

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7, NKJV).

As I prepared for a final exam during my senior year of college, I became overwhelmed with worry about how I would do. My degree would be in Early Childhood Education, so I sought my grandmother Helen’s guidance, since she was a retired teacher. She comforted me with this Bible verse and spoke of the many times she turned to it in times of fear. It’s been more than 20 years since this conversation, and I still hide these words in my heart.

Referencing this verse, the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (SDABC) says, “Genuine Christianity doesn’t produce cowards” (vol. 7, p. 329).

Potomac Conference Appoints First Female Lead Pastor

Story by Debra Anderson

Lola Moore-Johnston grew up in Newark, N.J., and at an early age felt God’s call on her life. Her leadership gifts were evident early in her spiritual development, as she led out in her local church and while attending college at La Sierra University (Calif.). In her youth, God was preparing her to be a change agent and a history maker.

Moore-Johnston joined the Potomac Conference in 2018 as the pastor of the Woodbridge (Va.) church. On July 1, she was installed as the lead pastor of the Restoration Praise Center in Bowie, Md. This is the first time in the history of the Potomac Conference that a female has been selected the lead pastor of a congregation.*

With Growing Numbers, Spring Valley Academy to Expand High School

A rendering of the new high school addition

Story by Vicki Swetnam

God has blessed Ohio Conference's Spring Valley Academy (SVA) with unprecedented growth over the past several years. With an enrollment nearing 500 this school year, the current facility is at maximum capacity. As SVA completed the first phase of the Fritzsche Center for Worship and Performing Arts in 2018, it became clear that the next project needed to address the need for more classroom space. Plans began for a new high school addition along the southwest corner of the existing facility.

October 5, 2021: A Message From God—Your Creator

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Ps. 139:14, NKJV).

Dear Child,

You delight me! I love you because I made you! I crafted you as my masterpiece. Every fabric of your being was meticulously made by Me. You are beautiful and priceless, because My hands create masterpieces.

My child, you worry too much about vanity and earthly possessions, but I am coming back to make you new—to fully restore you. Therefore, why do these things matter? Let go of your worldly worries for a moment and bask in My precious presence. I created you to enjoy My peace, My joy, My love!

Adventist HealthCare Earns Washington Post Top Workplace, Only Healthcare Provider to Make the List

Adventist Healthcare, Washington Post

Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff

Adventist HealthCare earned a spot on The Washington Post’s list of Top Workplaces 2021 in the Washington, D.C., area. Adventist HealthCare was the only provider of medical services on the list of 200 employers from public and private industries, nonprofits and government agencies. Moreover, Adventist HealthCare was one of only 12 organizations that The Post honored in the largest company category.

October 4, 2021: God Cares

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Pet. 5:7, KJV).

When I was growing up, memory verses were a fact of life. There are still dozens of them tucked away in my head. Oftentimes, they come back to mind at moments when they are most appreciated, like today’s verse.

There is no shortage of things to worry about—and most of us have a pretty long list. Our health, kids, parents, co-workers, the economy, getting older, how we look, the future, being loved and accepted, job performance, safety, diet. Did I list anything you worry about?

Blue Mountain Academy Alumnus Raises $30k During IRONMAN

Jim Slater finishes the Chattanooga IRONMAN, raising funds for students at Blue Mountain Academy

Blue Mountain Academy (BMA) alumnus Jim Slater (’85) had already completed three IRONMAN events. But this year, when IRONMAN Chattanooga was scheduled on the anniversary of when he broke his neck, became paralyzed, stopped breathing and almost died while a freshman at BMA, he was especially excited to participate. 

Serving the Mission Field Close to Home

Story by Christina Keresoma

COVID-19’s impact is still being felt around the world. Changes were made to accommodate new routines, and unfortunately, sometimes the economic toll was just too heavy, causing many businesses to close their doors. One of the most tragic losses caused by the pandemic was charities who serve those in need. Reach Out Montgomery County, who served the uninsured in the Dayton area, lost funding in the wake of COVID-19 and had no other choice but close. This meant that many adults had lost an important support system and source of medical care.

Pioneers at Highland View Academy Remembered for Advancing Adventist Education

Photo by Mi Hlan Za

Story by Andrew S. Lay

If you were to walk the grounds of Chesapeake Conference's Highland View Academy (HVA), the names of the buildings might remind you of those dedicated Seventh-day
Adventist workers and members who had the foresight to build a place where generations of young people could obtain an Adventist Christian education.

September 28, 2021: Unlimited, Unmerited Love

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20, KJV).

When I became a Christian, I felt that this verse was the perfect summary of my salvation experience. Before I understood my redemption in Christ, I was living under a huge burden of trying to be accepted by God. I never felt good enough for Him to accept me as a candidate for heaven. I was lonely and depressed.