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A Young Peacekeeper MOST STATUES HONOR the wartime bravery of soldiers or the contributions of past presidents. Rarely do they honor a specific child. A university in Massachusetts recently erected a statue of a young man who would have been too young to attend its classes. The life-sized bronze statue captures Martin Richard at age 8. Martin—whose parents are alumni of the university—may be frozen in time, but his message endures. Martin Richard was the youngest person killed in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. An image that circulated widely after his death was of Martin proudly holding a poster he had made that read: “No more hurting people. Peace.” Martin is holding a rendering of this poster in the bronze sculpture which now lives in front of the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice at Bridgewater State University. The statue captures Martin stepping forward, holding his sign for peace. After the bombings, it was difficult to look away from the picture of this little boy with big brown saucers for eyes and not feel overcome with anguish. In the wake of so much injury, trauma and loss, though, Martin’s message encouraged the hearts of those touched by the bombings. Let us move away from the violence and hurt and toward kindness, love, and peace. Martin had attended a Boston public school whose highest honor was for a student named a Peacemaker. This distinction followed with medals and T-shirts displaying the pride of being a Peacemaker. I wonder if Martin ever considered how we must first be peacemakers before we can become peacekeepers. That is, we have to build a bridge before we can maintain it. I believe that he did. MARTIN WAS MY neighbor; his mother Denise was among the first people I met who showed me kindness as a new mother in Boston. With my daughter in her stroller, we set out one morning to join a “neighbor walk” I had read about in our community newspaper. I was desperate to make friends in our neighborhood, not knowing any other parents. We found no congregation of neighbors, so I knocked on the door of the house whose address was listed. Three darling children, half-dressed, came to the door. Denise was laughing at the morning chaos of her children and her laughter was wonderfully disarming. We walked to a nearby park. Martin rode ahead on his bike. Denise kept yelling, "Maaarrrtin! Stay with your brother!" He was eager to reach the end of each street. None of the other neighbors that joined us that day, so I enjoyed Denise’s kindness all to myself. She told me about the best playgrounds and beaches in the area, and encouraged me to plug into some local organizations that did work that interested me. She pointed out the homes of people who were pillars of the community. That walk to a playground on a warm sunny morning with a seasoned mother was transformative for me. Suddenly my feeling of disconnection in being home all day with a baby had been replaced with an optimistic view of where I lived and all the opportunities available for an active parent. Denise had built a bridge for me. After that day, Denise and I were cordial whenever we saw one another. I loved watching her children grow, and the sight of her walking all three kids up and down the hilly streets of our neighborhood to drop off her oldest son Henry at school always made me smile. NOT A WEEK passes when I don’t think about Martin and his family. I keep a poster in my office of the running shoes collected at the finish line of the Boston Marathon as a memorial. We will finish the race, the poster text reads. Whenever I look up at this poster, I pause and consider the races I am running. I teach writing at a university. I lecture, I read, I critique, I grade. I am often running toward the end of a grading period. Or running to pick up my own children from school. My daughter will soon turn the age that Martin was before he died. I grieve knowing that, like Martin’s parents, I cannot keep my children little or unharmed by the evil in this world. What I can do is to keep running my race, doing the work of being a wife, mother, and teacher that I am called to do. I not only want to run but I want to run my guts out in the race that the apostle Paul describes in his letter to the Phillippians: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:13,14 I consider Martin one of the great peacekeepers of our era. I am humbled to think that he and I now have the same job. His legacy and my calling are to teach on a university: sharing words of truth, encouragement, and peace. Kendra Stanton Lee teaches journalism at Southern Adventist University. Thank Kendra for sharing.

My daughter-in-law's non-profit won an award this week for its part in the Ebola fight in Liberia. Seren's staff risked their own lives in order to educate Liberians to avoid the disease and distribute bleach and bucket kits. No one in the villages they worked caught the deadly disease.

She doesn't now, but travels there every so often. She does her fund raising in the U.S. Her staff is mainly made up of locals, the director of which comes over to America to do fundraising tours with her. Sometimes she goes over with family members. She takes donated soccer shoes and balls. Otherwise it is a constant round of PR for her. When my son was living there, she came over with Mercy Ships and that was when she developed LACES.

2015 CNN TOP 10 HERO, KIM CARTER, and her TIme For Change Foundation!!!! Good Morning, Everyone. I am so grateful to Stan for allowing me to share this. I am writing about a friend of mine from San Bernardino, CA. Her name is Kim Carter. Kim and her Time For Change Foundation, have been named a Top 10 CNN Hero for 2015. Kim has helped over 800 women and children who were homeless. She has had SDA's working for her, and SDA women. She always makes exceptions for Sabbath. Every woman and child that comes to her homes, learns about Jesus. A She is an amazing woman of God. On Sept 8, she was named to the top 10. We have till Nov 16, to get EVERYONE to vote for her daily, (from every e-mail address they have), and share. It is going to take a village. There are 9 other awesome people. This is where I need your help. I am wondering if all of the CA members, might like to take this on as a ministry project until Nov 16.. It takes about 30 seconds to vote. Go to: http://heroes.cnn.com/ and click on Kim Carter. Type in your e-mail address, the # code, and you are done. To learn about Kim’s foundation, go to: www.timeforchangefoundation.org, and click on the CNN link. Don and I had the honor of going to 3 of her 5 homes, and meet some of the women and children. I can tell you honestly, that I left a part of my heart there. I have started a FB page – CNN Top 10 Hero Kim Carter, and her Time For Change Foundation. The winner gets $100,000. That could go so far to adding more women to the homes. On my CNN FB page, you can see all of my pics from the day I was there. It is truly going to take a many villages to do this. I Please ask to join Kim’s FB Page – CNN Top 10 Hero, Kim Carter, and her Time For Change Foundation If you could share this with EVERYONE you know, and on your FB pages, it would help so much. Together we can do this. I have many Adventist friends that are voting daily for Kim. I know that we won’t vote on Sabbath. But, would you please vote on Sat night, so that your votes will count for the day. Thank You. THANK YOU for helping more women and children to get off the streets, and to learn about Jesus. VOTE HERE http://heroes.cnn.com/ Vote here http://heroes.cnn.com/

very cool.. I read up on the organization, and sounds great! Seems like that could be a model for other countries, as well..

WOW That is EXCITING!! They are doing such a vital work in dangerous conditions. God bless and keep them all safe.

Getting to know Ben Carson’s Seventh-day Adventist Faith by Ted Thursday, Oct 22, 2015 at 3:04 PM EDT Share This Tweet This While speaking with presidential hopeful Dr. Ben Carson on Wednesday, Glenn asked him if he was ready to respond to criticisms about his religion. He resolutely said yes. Knowing next to nothing about Carson’s Christian faith other than that he’s a Seventh Day Adventist, Glenn thought it would be a good idea to get someone from the religion to shed some light on things, before the inevitable attacks from the media begin. The secretary of the North American division of the Seventh Day Adventist, Alexander Bryant, joined Glenn on the radio Thursday to discuss. Listen to or read the revealing interview below. Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors. Two, two lines that have changed my life and guided me. And the first one has come from Thomas Jefferson, and I’ve said it a million times. Thomas Jefferson said this in a letter to his nephew Peter Carr. And he talked about how he needs to learn mathematics and how he needs to learn literature and all of the different things he needs to know. And the very last section is on religion. And he said, “When it comes to religion, above all things, fix reason firmly in her seat, for if there be a God, he must surely rather honest questioning over blindfolded fear.” So there is no such thing as a question that comes from the devil. There is no such thing as questioning, as long as it is honest. If you’re trying to prove yourself right, then that falls out of the category. The second thing that has guided my life is “by their fruits, ye shall know them.” When I watch Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, and I watch him on the campaign trail and I watch him personally, I see the fruits of his religion, and I see the fruits of his faith. He seems like a very good, decent, honorable man. Now, when I talked to him yesterday, I said, “Are you prepared — because I know what Mitt Romney went through. “Are you prepared because you are a religious person for what’s going to happen to you?” Because I read between the lines. And I could be wrong. Because I read between the lines and he seems to believe that we’re living in the latter days, which I do. But that makes you a kook to the media. And when I said that to him, “Are you prepared,” he was more resolute — correct me if I’m wrong, boys. I think he was more resolute on that than anything else he said. STU: Anything else you talked about. JEFFY: Yeah. GLENN: Right? When it came to his faith, he was unshakable. So when he left, we started talking about it. We realized none of us have an idea what the Seventh Day Adventist — except Stu thinks that they’re vegetarians, and I think it has something to do with Saturday is the Sabbath. And that’s as deep as we go. STU: We’re really informed on this one. GLENN: We’re very informed. So we called the church and we said, “Is there a spokesperson?” Mr. Alex Bryant, he’s the secretary for the North American division of the Seventh Day Adventist church. And he joins us now. Alex, welcome to the program. ALEX: Thank you. It’s good to be here, Glenn. GLENN: Thank you. First of all, I want you to know, you’re not walking into a hostile situation, and I think that’s important as a media person to say to a person of faith. We really just want to know what you guys believe and what sets you apart and different and, quite honestly, I want to get all of the stuff out on — because every church has its kind of kooky quirks. And from inside the church, it’s totally normal. Outside the church, it will look crazy. And every church has that. So I’m trying to figure out, what is it they’re going to? Let’s understand in a reasonable way so everybody can defend someone else’s faith and say, “Back off, Jack. Back off.” So can you tell us — give us a nutshell first of what you guys believe. ALEX: We believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again. We’re part of the Christian faith community. We believe that God’s grace encompasses all of humankind, their entire world. And that God loves everyone. We are Bible-believing people. We base our beliefs, our faith, our actions, and our behavior on the Bible. We’re also Seventh Day Adventist, where we keep the Sabbath and we believe in a second coming of Christ. But we’re part of the larger Christian community and the Christian family who uplifts the name of Jesus Christ. And we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to lift humanity into hope and wholeness out of our brokenness. GLENN: Now, you believe — ALEX: And that’s what we advocate. GLENN: Okay. You believe that Jesus rose from the dead. He — body and all, and he was taken up into heaven and all of that, right? ALEX: Yes. GLENN: Okay. When you say — now I want you to know, I’m a Mormon. So I’m the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so I’m not asking you this in a hostile away. I believe we are in the latter days. What that means, I don’t know. The apostles have believed that for when they were there, they thought Jesus was coming back. I have read, in doing a little bit of research, that your church said that it was in the 1800s that Jesus would come back. I think my church might have said that he was coming back. But do you believe we are literally living in the latter days, whatever that might mean to God? ALEX: Absolutely. We believe that we’re living in the last days, according to what we read from the Bible in Matthew Chapter 24 and 25 and the signs that Jesus gave of his soon return and the things that will happen before he returns. GLENN: You believe in the — the devil and the Antichrist and all of that stuff from the Book of Revelation as well? ALEX: Yes, we believe in the Book of Revelation and that there is a devil. GLENN: Can you go into — Stu seems to think that you guys are vegetarians. STU: Well, I know there is at least some — because I’m actually a vegetarian. Again, the only conservative vegetarian in America potentially. And I know we go to — there are stores near your churches and schools that sell a lot of vegetarian stuff. Is that part of the faith? Is that a recommendation? What’s the vegetarian connection? ALEX: Well, Stu, you’re correct. We do advocate healthful living, and that encompasses a vegetarian lifestyle and even a vegan lifestyle. And not all of our members are vegetarian or vegan — GLENN: Can I tell you something, Alexander, that’s what — now I know why I didn’t go — I mean, I went to some crazy churches. I went to a church, when I was on a church tour, where the pastor didn’t even believe in God. That’s how crazy I went. That’s why I didn’t visit your church now, I’m sure of it. Because you said no to steak. I’m sorry, there is no God, if he’s against steak. ALEX: That’s right. But we do advocate a healthful lifestyle. GLENN: Okay. So it’s not about — is it about the care of animals or is it — is it that and a healthy lifestyle, or what? ALEX: It’s a healthful lifestyle. And we do feel that God has made us stewards of the earth. But our — most of our emphasis is on living healthier and having a better lifestyle here on earth. PAT: Does that include not drinking and smoking? ALEX: It includes not drinking alcohol and smoking and taking any other harmful substances to the body. PAT: We have that in common. GLENN: We have that in common. Ours is called the word of wisdom where we can’t eat certain things for health reasons. So there’s lots of similarities there. Can I ask you a question? Because you sound rather mellow yourself. Is it required to have a very even temperament like Dr. Ben Carson — PAT: Has? ALEX: Well, we believe and try to follow the example of Christ. GLENN: Right. ALEX: And the example of Christ, temperament is a part of what God teaches us in the development of our Christian character. We’re not always perfect in that regard. But we try to advocate that example that Christ gave us and we believe part of that is an even — you know, is being temperate in everything, including our temperament. PAT: Yeah. GLENN: So is Ben Carson the first Seventh Day Adventist to run? ALEX: He’s the first one I’m aware of to run. GLENN: Is this kind of an exciting thing? Like when Mitt Romney ran and — to the Mormons, that was like, whoa, that’s cool. We’re suddenly cool. And we’re like, no, you’re not. No, you’re not. Is this kind of a neat thing to have him run? ALEX: Well, you have to understand Ben Carson’s relationship to the church. Ben Carson has had a very storied life, where he came from, how he studied and how he lifted himself out of poverty. And he wrote the book, Gifted Hands. And many, many people in our church and outside of our church were blessed as a result, inspired as a result. And many lives have been changed as a result of reading how God used him, how God changed him. So his lifestyle, his life has been very inspiring to us from the beginning, even before the run for presidency. And we are very proud of what God has done through him. And how God has used him. PAT: So you are pretty excited about it, but this is your excited voice? (laughter) ALEX: I guess that is as excited as it gets. GLENN: So, Alex, I hope you understand the spirit this is in. ALEX: Sure. GLENN: We really admire Ben Carson has a man. We may not agree with his policies. But I’d vote for him. And I really, really admire him as a man. So you must be doing something right in your church. PAT: What are some of the misconceptions of Seventh Day Adventists as you see it? GLENN: First of all, are you the inventor of the Advent Calendar? STU: Hmm. ALEX: Not to my knowledge. GLENN: Not to your knowledge. Okay. All right. Good. ALEX: Not to my knowledge. GLENN: So what are the things that are — ALEX: Sorry. Go ahead. PAT: What are the things that people have wrong about it? GLENN: Right. That we’ll hear on the news. Like, you’re going to hear this, and this is not what it is. ALEX: You know, I’m not exactly sure what we’re going to hear wrong about the Seventh Day Adventist church on the news. I know that, you know, we are — we worship on the Sabbath. We don’t worship on Sundays as we believe from the Bible. PAT: So the Sabbath being Saturday? ALEX: The Sabbath being Saturday, that’s correct. PAT: Okay. GLENN: I love that because then you can watch football on Sunday. PAT: But that’s college football day, though. So does that eliminate college football for the day for you? ALEX: Well, we have Jesus football on the Sabbath. GLENN: If that’s what stops you from joining, you’ve got a really — you’ve got to reevaluate your life. ALEX: Yeah. And we think Jesus football on the Sabbath trumps college football on the Sabbath. PAT: Yeah, you’re probably right. You’re probably right. Quarterback. He’s got a great arm. STU: He does. He does. GLENN: So we sure appreciate it, Alex. I hope that your faith doesn’t come under attack. We have to stop attacking each other. ALEX: That’s correct. GLENN: The body of Christ and the body of God needs to start standing together. The children of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob need to stand together because these are — PAT: I’ve said that for years. How many times have I said that? GLENN: Shut up. JEFFY: Oh, my gosh. GLENN: Alex is going to be nice. I’m not a Seventh Day Adventist, shut up! This is truly a time where we really need to stand together. ALEX: Yes. GLENN: Because perilous times are coming, and I wish you all the best. And, Alex, thank you so much for having the guts to come on the program. Because you had to have thought, “I could be walking into a buzz saw.” ALEX: Yes. GLENN: Let me say it more like Ben Carson, you had to have thought — ALEX: Well, we’re hopeful that if attention does come to our name that the good works of the Seventh Day Adventist church, some of the humanitarian things that we do that we’re involved in, the disaster relief that we do, what we do in the community — we were just in San Antonio earlier in the summer where we provided free health care to over 6,000 people. Over 17,000 health professionals valued over $20 million. PAT: Wow. ALEX: And that’s one of the heart — that’s one of the mainstays of the Seventh Day Adventist church. We have a very strong emphasis on community and helping our brother and sister, especially in the areas of health and education. PAT: I’ve been saying that a lot. ALEX: Disaster relief and hope is a major focus of what we try to do. And so if attention would come to the Seventh Day Adventist church’s name, I hope that they could see that the Seventh Day Adventist church exists to help lift our brothers and sisters to join with our Christian brothers and sisters. You know, Glenn, you have the Mercury One project. And we are in every state. And there are many ways we can come together as Christians to help lift our brothers and sisters. We have over 90 million people unemployed in this country. And it seems to me that we can use this as an opportunity, as Christian brothers and sisters, and join hands together and lift each other and not denigrate each other, not try to find all the negative things about each other or the differences that we have. There’s so many, many things that we have in common. And I think if that can be accomplished as a result of attention brought to our name, I think the Lord would be blessed and the people that God has called us to be served would be lifted. GLENN: Alexander Bryant, from the Seventh Day Adventist church, thank you so much, sir. I appreciate it. God bless you. ALEX: Thank you. Okay. God bless you. GLENN: God bless you. Source: http://www.glennbeck.com/2015/10/22/getting-to-know-ben-carsons-seventh-day-adventist-faith?utm_source=glennbeck&utm_medium=contentcopy_link

Great story ... Thanks to Greg for sharing Kendra's sharing en memorial

God is Love! Jesus saves!

I like what you say. I see an equivalence between the situation in early Eden and "the man that has everything in life, he has a great wife that does everything you can think of for him and his family. He has 2 maybe 3 or 4 wonderful children, a nice home, 2 cars, awesome job, etc., etc. and he gives it all up by having an affair, or becoming an alcoholic, drug addict, etc., etc." That is why I ask, is it so hard to understand the motives of the man in your example? I mean we have all sinned, so we need only ask ourselves, why?

How touching! And how fitting that a memorial in the statue of him was erected.

Perhaps we cannot explain it because a sinful nature was our inheritance. It wasn't Lucifer's. He sinned from his own free will. We are naturally selfishly-hearted, whereas Lucifer nurtured a selfish heart when he was already exalted and privileged. I like pkrause's thought.

I have heard of Nadia... But as I don't like foul mouths I stumble at some of the things she says. However- as I read through the OP I wondered if there is often a selfish aspect to our love. That is, whether we love those most able to give us something I return, even like acknowledgement or appreciation. Just a thought. The picture that Isaiah 53 gives us is of One who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Even though we may have stayed away from crystal meth, Jesus took on that sin on the cross as well. He was despised and he was afflicted. For his efforts he got rejection. But that is what his love entails. I have got a LONG way to go!

I have no problem with her statement. i agree that there are mysteries which are very hard to explain! To me sin is also one of them. Not sure that I can clarify, we all have our own ideas I would say towards the comments of EGW, etc. I look at it like this: Its like the man that has everything in life, he has a great wife that does everything you can think of for him and his family. He has 2 maybe 3 or 4 wonderful children, a nice home, 2 cars, awesome job, etc., etc. and he gives it all up by having an affair, or becoming an alcoholic, drug addict, etc., etc. That's what I think of when I read about Lucifer, he had everything, but he wanted more he wanted to take God the Sons place in heaven. Why?? We know the simplistic reasons! Pride, selfishness, greed, etc. Sure the Bible speaks about sin from G to R, but that's after the fact, Lucifer had already sinned in heaven!! That's my opinion or thoughts.

I second that, thanks for posting Gregory

I have a verse for your friend. One of my favourites which I apply scrupulously. Romans 14:22 KJV 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth . When last did you hear a sermon where that was the scripture of the day, or our reading comes from... I have kept the sabbath from a teen. And it was a bit of a drag back then because I was somewhat Pharisaical about it. I viewed God as an austere God back then. But over time, my view about God changed to see He is a really nice Being, not one to cross, but like the nicest person you can think of, and then ten times better. I saw that He was not fixated on the minutia of my life. In fact He was not worried about anything I did just so long as this did not get between us. I drink coffee and used to drink alcohol, and can sometimes watch 12 hours of TV a day and enjoy every moment of it. I don't feel a need to pray first thing in the morning, but rather when I am more awake after a few cups of coffee. I know that our friendship is rock solid. So if I don't want to spend time with Him first thing in the morning, He understands. He knows I will crave Him some time that day. I wish your friend could see how much God loves her. I wish she could see that if God and her could sit down today, He would be happy to meet her in Starbucks for two of the best cups of coffee in the galaxy, if that would make her happy. And God would order a big slice of Black Forrest cake to go with that coffee. However, if a person feels huge guilt over coffee - that guilt creates a barrier or chasm between her and God. This person is doing what Adam and Eve did, viz hide from God and feel guilty. Now coffee is a problem to God. Since I have no problem with coffee (or TV, or chocolate, or going to a restaurant for a meal on the sabbath etc.) all these do not defile my conscience or create a feeling of guilt which would make me want to run from God. The saddest thing about your story is all the things she worries about things which you know are not issues with God. But you are unable to help her till one day she "comes to herself" and realise the very kind nature of God. About that time, she will examine every thought and intent of her heart, and realise that it is only evil continually, and want to make changes NOT to her coffee, chocolate or spending habits, but to her far worse problems of fault-finding in others, where there frankly is no fault. Christ hung out with riff raft without finding fault with them for their alcohol consumption, earings or stockings. This is why the riff raft found Christ so attractive. Prostitutes massaged His feet in public and He was not repulsed by them as the Pharisees were. Going on to perfection is not about food and drink. It's about catching every thought which despises others, and saying to oneself - I cannot think like this one second longer. I like the description of where you live in N California. It sounds almost as good as where I live. It takes a very good God to create such a good world. One day I plan to write a post on how we could have been born into a grey, colourless earth, smelling of sulphur, where every rock was jagged, every plant and animal spiky and poisonous, where the best food tasted like vomit, and where sores and flies covered one's body so that there was no rest day and night. etc. etc. etc. Instead God gives us everything to enjoy because He loves us, and does not condemn us. So let's enjoy it without guilt.

I have a wonderful SDA friend who we (my Gay bubby) are very close to.. It was her birthday so we drove down the mountain into the valley and yonder to meet at a Indian buffet (75% vegetarian). We know secrets about each other and trust each other. Well anyway...As long as I have known her she struggles with drinking coffee and it has come up from time to time. There is self abnegation over it. It wears her down. She feels like she is a Good Daughter of God when she goes throughout the day without going to Starbucks. We even are happy for her good days and affirm her in this. But the days when she falls into sin of drinking coffee ..she is angry at self for days and gets real depressed. I get that regarding ! ..my food hording issues Since we are so close to her we know the other stuff too. Family secrets and skeletons in the closet. Resentment towards her older sisters (she is the youngest) and it comes out in their relationships with one another. Always anxious about money (spendin money on starbucks?) and spends money online for the latest modest fashions and judging everyone who eats meat (that comes up alot). has real issues with ladies at the pulpit (mission spotlight.scripture prayer,special music) wearing earrings. She once told me it was a sin to wear pantyhose cause it means the ladies want to seduce the guys at church. I had no idea.I thought it was to keep the legs warm and to look good. Besides ... Women don't even wear them anymore in Today's fashion. She wants to get her neck lifted (she is a gorgeous 62 year old woman). Cause her Father ridiculed her Mother's neck. Lotta money for that.... I don't see anything wrong with her neck. We adore her and she is the classic F__hag or a Fruit fly and loves spending time with us gay men and not worrying about us hitting on her. We have known her since the year 2000 and I even saw her in my home church in the mid 80's and was so infatuated with her beauty I couldn't speak to her. She doesn't owe us a confessional list of what she goes to God about at night. All we hear is about the struggle with coffee and oh yeah.. Chocolate ( i think she hates herself more for that)! It is easy to keep the chat above the water and at the shallow end of the pool of conversation. We get that!!! .... But the point I am making is we can really focus on a few sins and somehow the commands of how we to look upon others is not even on our radar. We look at the SDA culture and compare ourselves (my baptism Certificate has a NO DRINKIN COFFEE thing in the back) with it . Keepin the Sabbath and Mornin devotions and not eating pork as some sort of Meter of holiness..without tender regard for people not like us or outside our circle. Voting with our pocketbooks and not at all for How Jesus looks at the poor or widows or the homeless or the alien at our borders..is an example. We sin like breathing and we dog ourselves with watching TV too much one night out of boredom or missin time with GOD one morning or splurgin and getting a Milkshake. The focus is GOD's love and non condemnation for us..Let that fill our hearts ..so we can actually share JOY with each other. not misery for not measuring up. God bless us all!

I saw that ,Ron; and added it to my save list for health topics. I just love it when the media gives 'proof' to the wisdom of a healthy flesh-free diet. ;

Try http://heroes.cnn.com/ and look for Kim Carter

I think some of the most negative towards Dr Carson will come from SDA's. I follow many SDA's on facebook. Most are very liberal and the venom spewed by them towards Dr Carson is amazing Hopefully there will be more positive articles coming out.

http://www.formeradventist.com/stories/teresaarthurbeem.html Have a read of the reasons they give for leaving SDA and becoming a member of the RCC. Her reason number 3. A church that claims to be the sole remnant fosters pride and exclusivity. Yet the RCC teaches that there is no salvation outside the RCC.

I didn't realize Seren lived in Liberia... Interesting!

i listened to this womans reasons for leaving SDA and becoming a RCC. Her reasons are without logic at all. She is one confused woman. One reason is because of the SDA hospitals performing abortions. She says we a murderers so she joins the RCC, a church that has murdered more human beings than any other organisation in history. She encourages people to read the corrupted early church fathers instead of the bible.

LOL. There are a whole lot of SDA's that not only believe in the 2nd Amendment, but support it whole-heartedly. This idea that Adventism, in general, is against self-defense is a complete fallacy. The Bible doesn't say self-defense is a bad thing, in fact, we see the children of Isreal defending themselves, and God whole-heartedly supporting those actions. God, time after time, led the Israelites in their battles for self-defense.

Its a nonsense! Look at the Old Testament history of Israelites. They fought against their enemies! One of Jesus's disciples was armed with a knife. Many missionaries had guns in their house.

Perhaps some form of further training that would open doors for employment would be appropriate.

Rachel: My mission in life is not to convert you to my set of beliefs. In my thinking, the Holy Spirit is your spiritual guide and teacher. But, I am willing to dialogue with you and if better communication and understanding can be established, this is good.

Thank You for this!

As I said elsewhere about this topic, the truth about the Trinity was settled by the time Sister White wrote The Desire of Ages. There should be no problem with people understanding and accepting the Trinity -- the Methodist & Kellogg view were WRONG -- today Adventists know what's RIGHT, and it's been settled for over 115 years! I especially appreciated the text on page 18 of the document wherein Sister White defined the Trinity's unity of "purpose, mind, and character"... Remember that the entire Universe was created by it being SPOKEN INTO EXISTENCE -- "words" always follow what is in the MIND -- and what an awesome thing to think upon, THE MIND OF GOD, and how that MIND was in total unity among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!