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Insanity. That’s what the few onlookers thought as they watched him—relative to some, rich neighbor to others—head into the desert with his wife, nephew, and train of livestock and servants. What could be crazier than turning away from a comfortable and profitable life and setting out into the desert towards an unknown land and an insecure future? Besides, there were

Fast food seems to have done a better job conquering the world than Alexander the Great did—out of the 195 countries in the world today,[1] McDonalds has found its way into 118.[2] Fast food has become so prevalent that a 2018 CDC study found that more than one in three Americans consume it daily.[3] Logically, as fast food consumption has increased, the amount of home cooked–and

The first thing that hits you is the heat. I am walking through a foliage-filled clearing on an unkept path, palm trees on your sides stretching up into the sky, with multiple carabaos grazing so close you can almost reach out and touch them. Currently, two other missionaries and I are making our way to a Visayan community, filled with

I was startled by the question: “Are you going to be a missionary when you grow up?” I couldn’t seem to make sense of it—What did they think a “missionary” was? Was I not already a missionary? I grew up at a self-supporting institution where I heard about foreign missions all the time. At the same time, I was also told

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance

Click. Click. Finally it’s turned in, and what a relief to have my assignment accomplished. As I sit at my desk, I relish the thought of a few minutes of reprieve, and begin to imagine some time to sit down and finally think about my life and what’s happening—but no, not for now; the next quiz is due in a

(originally printed as ‘Our colleges and academies’, in The Christian Educator, September-October 1897) Most institutions make themselves profitable by profiting off their students; high tuition, mounting rooming costs, and extortionate meal plan prices subsidize salaries and foster a culture of consumption. Students become customers, the school a hub of advertisement seeking to gain the business of their unwitting target audience.

In moments of intense effort and sacrifice – when you can feel sweat dripping down your brow – we often discover the value of our labor. I remember vividly the day I dug a massive hole—a task that left me exhausted but immensely satisfied. My sore muscles, sweat, and even bruises showcased how much work I had put into the task.

The Bible makes blue-collar workers look good. The term ‘blue collar’ is a relatively new one, completely unknown to our Adventist pioneers since it wasn’t popularized until the early 1900s. In 1911 Fredrick Taylor published his most notable book, The Principles of Scientific Management, in which he described the ideal workplace dynamic. According to Taylor, the more important group, “the Planners”, maximizes output from the

Nature is filled with astounding beauty, and within this beauty we find astounding truths. Bound up in the simplicity of an apple tree, for example, is a remarkable truth about identity and purpose. Where does the apple tree come from? A seed. But not just any seed. It comes from the apple seed, which has a distinctness from all other seeds. That seed

Would you ever act without the full evidence that God heard your prayer? How much would you venture on the slightest indication of divine favor? Yes and all, echo the bold answers of the prophet Elijah. Called by God to bring about revival and reformation in the kingdom of Israel, Elijah was sent to King Ahab to pronounce God’s imminent