Whatsoever Things Are Pure Mark Twain was once asked what he thought of Richard Wagner's music, to which he replied, "Well, it's not as bad as it sounds."There seems to be a bit of the same rationalization among society at large and Christians in particular when it comes to... Read more
Turning Visions into Reality A Story of Success A Story of SuccessTwenty years ago, a young pastor named Tom walked into my office at the North Pacific Union Conference where I was the youth director. In the next few minutes he articulated a vision. This in itself was not noteworthy. Lots of pe... Read more
My Friends with Young Families, Remember: The Cats in the Cradle The Cat’s in the CradleWhen our kids were small, some well-meaning sage would comment to us, “Well, enjoy them now because before you know it, they’ll be gone!” We’d patronizingly nod our assent, realizing that what they said was, in fact, true. B... Read more
I am Not Ashamed Adventist Branding Through New Eyes Adventist Branding Through New EyesAs a boy, I quickly learned that "Seventh-day Adventist" was generally not a household expression in this country. If I said I was a Seventh-day Adventist, I could expect a response like, “Seven-day what?” Or if ... Read more
The Christmas Story Today? I used to believe that poor Mary and Joseph had it pretty tough. You know, walking and riding on a donkey 80 miles to Bethlehem all so they could pay taxes. Then finding no place to stay birthing their Son in a stall and cradling Him in a manger.A... Read more
Good News Is . . . No News! We often say, “No news is good news,” and in some cases I suspect that is true. Recently, however, I have become increasingly disgusted by the news media and the seeming obsession with exclusively reporting what’s wrong with the world. It’s downri... Read more
There in the Past, Here for the Future Adventist health care institutions have a long and rich history. In 1878, St. Helena Hospital—located in California’s beautiful Napa Valley—opened its doors and started what would become a long tradition of Christ-centered, mission-driven healing ... Read more
Spectator Adventists The reports swirl in from all points of the compass. “They say...” … “She did...” … “He what!?” Where they settle, the air is dank and heavy. You can cut it with a knife. Gossip, rumor, innuendo.If the latest stories involve the church or a member... Read more
Adoption An Earthly Enactment of a Heavenly Concept An Earthly Enactment of a Heavenly ConceptOur family will never forget the day in l985 when we headed to the airport to pick up our new little girl. Two excited "big" brothers stood eagerly in the concourse, one carrying a Cabbage Patch doll and t... Read more
