February GN '24

Arden Adventist

GRACE N TES

A Magazine for Sharing God’s Love In Our Community

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INTERNATIONAL PATHFINDER CAMPOREE | 2024

GRACE N TES Making Friends for Jesus and Sharing God’s Love In Our Community

FEBRUARY 2024

The International Pathfinder Camporee will take place in Gillette, Wyoming, in 2024. IPC happens every five years. Over 50,000 Pathfinders attend from over 100 countries for the largest five-day Adventist Youth Event in the world. Each day is filled with fun activities, honors, events, and ministry opportunities. During the 2024 Camporee each night will be filled with inspiring music, prayer, messages, and a special continuing story from the life of Moses.

Arden Aviators Pathfinder Club prepares to attend “Believe the Promise” at the International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming. . .

Inside. . .

INTERNATIONAL PATHFINDER CAMPOREE | 2024

The International Pathfinder Camporee will take place in Gillette, Wyoming, in 2024. IPC happens every five years. Over 50,000 Pathfinders attend from over 100 countries for the largest five-day Adventist Youth Event in the world. Each day is filled with fun activities, honors, events, and ministry opportunities. During the 2024 Camporee each night will be filled with inspiring music, prayer, messages, and a special continuing story from the life of Moses.

Help Our Pathfinders Get to the 2024 International Camporee

E

xcitement is mounting as our Arden Aviators Pathfinder Club prepares for this year’s “Believe the Promise” International Pathfinder Camporee!

Pathfinders is a Seventh-day Adventist faith-based worldwide youth club for kids ages ten+, somewhat like the Boy

Scouts or Girl Scouts. The last International Pathfinder Camporee took place in 2019; they only happen every five years. Because of your support, our Arden Pathfinder Club was able to attend the 2019 Camporee in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. However, most of those Pathfinder youth have gone on to high school or college, and we have a new group of young people who are excited about attending the largest International Pathfinder Camporee ever. Our club enjoys many activities here at home—the annual food drive, the Pinewood Derby, camping, swimming, earning honors, doing service projects, and more—but there is something especially exciting about attending the big quinquennial camporee.

This year’s Camporee will be held August 5-11 in a new venue—Gillette, Wyoming—with over 55,000 coming.

Many will be from the United States, but Canada, the Caribbean islands, Central and the South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands will also be represented.

Gillette has a population of just over 31,000, so for a week, the International Camporee will almost triple the people in town. Both Gillette and the State of Wyoming are excited to have the Pathfinders visit, and are letting us use their best facilities, and are even building a new road and bridge to accommodate the needs of the 55,000+ attendees.

So much happens at an International Camporee! Every

day there are opportunities to meet new people and make new friends.

Pathfinders choose among the hundreds of activities offered: earn honor patches, take part in service projects, help to set new Guinness world records, trade pins, build and share their faith, and so much more.

Every evening, there’s an awesome program with tens of thousands singing, uplifting God, watching a Bible play (this year: the life of Moses), and reflecting on God’s goodness and His life-changing Word. Our theme this year is “Believe the Promise”—if God was faithful to deliver Moses and the Hebrews, He will be faithful to take care of us and lead us to the heavenly promised land.

Of course, it’s a major e somewhat, hoping to make a few stops at places many of these Pathfinders have never seen.

For example, as we drive through South Dakota, we should be able to experience the Badlands, the Black Hills, and

Mount Rushmore. Wherever we camp, cook, travel, and worship together, the group will grow close through shared experience.

As of early January, we just found out that all 55,000 base tickets to this year’s camporee are already sold out!

Thankfully, we reserved our tickets in bulk last November.

According to our current number of attendees, our Arden

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Arden Adventist

FAMILY FOCUS

by Jean Davey

Our Family Focus this month features Kellie May. Kellie joined the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church in October 2023. ellie was born and raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia. She went to public schools through high school and then attended Andrews University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics. She also received her Master of Science degree in Nutrition Science from the University of Oklahoma. Kellie has four siblings, Molly, Beth, Michael, and Sherry. Her brother Jim passed away at the age of 46.

Kellie has been working for Advent Health for seven months as a clinical registered dietician. Before moving to this area, she worked at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, for twelve years and has continued to work for them remotely since moving here. She has worked in this field except for the years her children were little.

Kellie was married for thirty-three years. She has three children, Elizabeth who lives in Oregon, Isaac who is in Cambodia on a mission trip for a year, and Olivia who lives in Asheville, North Carolina. Kellie also lived in Colorado for many years. She, along with her mother and sister (Pegg Gardner and Molly Corbitt) who are now Arden church members also, moved to the Western North Carolina area because of family being here.

Kellie has many interests and hobbies.

She enjoys gardening, dog obedience, and bird watching, and she is learning to play the clarinet. She also has taken piano lessons, and enjoyed learning to play it . She was introduced by a friend to Literature Evangelism and takes Adventist literature and Ellen White books to local businesses around the area. She has really enjoyed this and would love to partner with others to go with her. She has enjoyed traveling to Europe and Canada with family and has been on mission trips to Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Haiti.

When Kellie was in Junior High School she had a friend whose mother liked to work in the yard. One day a lady walked by and they started chatting. The lady invited Kellie’s friend’s mother to a Bible study. Later Kellie spent the night with her friend and the next day was Saturday, the Sabbath. So, Kellie began to attend church with them. She shared that in this church the Pastor challenged his congregation—for one week—to read the Bible instead of watching television, reading a book, or picking up a magazine. Kellie shared that she really was amazed at what she was reading! She realized that the Bible is not a fairy tale and it shows us how to live, how to relate to God, and how to have morals,; and it opened her eyes. This convinced her to join the Adventist church and she was baptized on April 8, 1978 in the Parkersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church.

She and her family visited several churches in this area. When they came to the Arden church, she was impressed with the friendliness of the people and the outreach programs.

She saw that Arden church members felt attending church was a truly special occasion. She is a member of the Sabbath School class taught by Raymond Assiongbon-Foly and now teaches one Sabbath per month, and really enjoys it. She helped with the State fair booth last year also, and is interested in honing her musical skills to play with other musicians in nursing facilities or other areas.

We are so happy to have Kellie May as part of the Arden church family!

K

Jean Davey is retired from the University of South Carolina, where she worked as a computer programmer in the Payroll, Budget and Human Resources Departments. Jean writes from her home in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

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Arden Seventh-Day Adventist Church Is a Safe Place to Grow.

Our Purpose is, by God’s Grace, to reflect His character in our community, to demonstrate a quality of life that will attract all to be reconciled to Jesus Christ, and to encourage people to become His loving, maturing disciples.

Grace Notes Editorial Staff: Gailon Morisette Editor & Graphic Design Max Hammonds Assistant Editor Ann Marie Bates . . . . . . . . . . . . . Columnist Chris Small . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Columnist Jean Davey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Columnist Max Hammonds . . . . . Reporter & Columnist Pen Braister-Sturgis . . . . . . . . . . . Reporter Jim & Carolyn Sullenberger . . . . Proofreaders Comments, suggestions and praises are always welcome. Please email or contact the church office.

---~--Sabbath services each Saturday morning: Sabbath School Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.

Worship Service, 10:45 a.m.

---~--Location: 35 Airport Road, Arden, NC 28704 Located on Highway 280, (Airport Road), 1.5 miles east of I-26 exit 40, and a quarter mile west of Highway 25.

---~--Church Office: Office Manager: Whitney Barron Telephone: (828) 684-6700 Email: office@ardenadventist.org Website: www.ardenadventist.org Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

---~--Arden Adventist Pastoral Staff: Senior Pastor: Eric Bates, D. Min. Email: ebates@carolinasda.org Associate/Youth Pastor: Rich Maskelony, M .Div. Email: rmaskelony@carolinasda.org ---~--Grace Notes is published monthly by the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church. Subscription is free by calling or emailing the church office. Do you have questions about what Adventists believe?

Would you like to become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church? If you would like to study the Bible, you are invited to attend a Pastor’s Bible Study Class. Please call for location and time. All are always welcome.

---~--†Disclaimer—The contents of Grace Notes, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained in this magazine of the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church are for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider, who is knowledgeable and experienced in the use of specific medical or Lifestyle Medicine interventions, or about questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay in seeking it, because of information published in this magazine. Neither Grace Notes nor the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church recommend or endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned in published articles. Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk. If you may have a medical emergency, call your healthcare provider or 911 immediately.

The Long View

by Max Hammonds

Understanding Christian Metaphors: Remnant

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

“ “I gave you a very specific assignment this time.” Mr. Tolman was standing in front of his class, arms folded across his chest.

“To ask your grandmother: What is a remnant? And to show you a remnant.” He observed their faces for any glimmer of understanding. “Any success?”

Quickly, Todd produced a short piece of what looked like a silky bedsheet. “My grandma gave me this old piece of cloth. She said it’s what was left over after she made my mother’s wedding dress.”

“Todd, excellent, excellent. Thank you.” Mr. Tolman approached Todd’s desk and took the cloth offered to him. “ This piece of cloth is exactly what I was hoping you would find.” He held the short piece of cloth up for all to see. “And what did you say this was, Todd?”

“What was left over from making my mother’s wedding dress .”

“Exactly. What’s left over. A remnant.” He slowly lowered the cloth. “And as a second part of the assignment, I asked you to read Romans 9:27. Tell me, what did Paul say would happen to the remnant?”

Corrine raised her hand. “Paul said that out of all Israel, only the remnant would be saved.”

“Thank you, Corrine.” Mr. Tolman nodded his agreement.

“Paul used Isaiah’s prophecy describing those who would return from Babylonian captivity and turned it into a prophecy about those in a crisis—both Jew and Gentile—who would be saved in the final judgment.” He paused again, reaching for his Bible on the desk. “What stories can you think of in the Bible that describe a small group in a crisis being saved from within a larger group?”

“Moses with the children of Israel in Egypt,” Todd was quick to respond.

“Noah and his family in the Flood,” Rick was next with his response.

“Elijah on Mt. Carmel?” Armon was uncertain. “There’s the 7,000 he didn’t know about.”

“Awesome, Armon. Thank you!” Mr. Tolman reassured him.

“And one more. A New Testament event that happened in 70 AD.” Everyone was silent. . . except Betty.

“Christians when they escaped just before the destruction of Jerusalem,” she said solemnly.

“Thank you, Betty.” Mr. Tolman agreed. “In every case, a spokesperson—a prophet—delivered God’s message on how to escape. Jesus, in fact, was the messenger for that last group.”

He paused.

“Which makes me think of the question that so many people get wrong.” Mr. Tolman scanned his precious students. “Does the spokesperson, the deliverer of the prophetic message, escape the crisis; or does the messenger go through the crisis with the others?”

“In all the incidents we’ve mentioned, the messenger goes through a crisis as well.” Corrine paused thoughtfully, process-

ing. “I guess, because . . . that way they can show the others the way through. Or like Noah and his sons, provide a way to be saved.”

“Okay. Build on what Corrine just said.” Mr. Tolman leaned back on his desk, crossing his legs, as he did whenever he was framing a difficult question. “Think about the messengers in each of the examples we’ve mentioned.

“Each of them has gone through their own personal crisis and made their own personal decision. How does that decision impact the task of sharing their message and leading others out of a crisis?”

“If you don’t have it, you can’t share it.” Todd was quick with his answer.

“In their own crisis, they have learned to trust the Holy Spirit to direct and sustain them in sharing their message and in leading others.” Rick spoke softly, as if this answer were personal for him.

Mr. Tolman caught the tone in his voice. “Their crisis is very personal, and it prepares them.”

“Are we talking about the remnant or about the messenger?”

Jenny asked, irritably.

Mr. Tolman drew a deep breath for patience. “Yes. The remnant is the messenger when they are asked to call out another larger remnant.” Mr. Tolman brightened. “Turn with me in your Bibles to Revelation 12.” Bible pages rustled like dry autumn leaves. “Who has the King James Version?” Jenny’s hand shot up. “Okay, Jenny. Read verse 17.”

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” Jenny read rapidly, impudently—until she came to the word “remnant.” Then her pace slowed.

“Yes, the remnant. Newer translations miss this, but there it is.” Mr. Tolman spoke quietly, confidently. “Like all remnants, the Time-of-the-End Remnant has learned faithfulness to God through their own personal crisis. Then they call out the Final Remnant from the world, go through the crisis with them, provide a way of escape for them, by the power of the Holy Spirit. What’s the message they use to call the others?”

“The Three Angels of Revelation 14,” Becky answered confidently. “The Time-of-the-End Remnant.” Mr. Tolman lowered his head, thinking. “Final exam—open-book: Using the points covered in today’s discussion, write 800 words on what you think the Bible says about who they are, their experience, and the outcome of this last appeal.”

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Max Hammonds is a retired anesthesiologist, writer, health lecturer, musician, and sailor, and writes from his home in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Pathfinder club is taking the fifth largest group from the entire Carolina Conference.

The International Camporee is a unique opportunity, one that many Pathfinders only get to experience once in their lifetime, if at all. There is nothing quite like being in a sea of 55,000 uniformed Pathfinders. Each one of them will be watching baptisms as youth commit their lives to Christ, participating as thousands of voices are lifted in songs of praise, and knowing that you are part of an immense movement of people all eager for Jesus to return as our Savior and King. It’s a powerful event for sponsors and Pathfinders alike, and can help ground our youth in their faith and in the Adventist family.

However, our group can only go with your help— the support of our church family. We are working very hard to keep costs down, but we’ll still be traveling and eating for about twelve days. We’ve broken down the expenses to about $100/

day, around $1200 total per participant. That includes our biggest needs—the camporee tickets, bus rental and travel expenses (did we mention it’s a long drive to Wyoming and back?), food (we’re going to be really active and hungry!), tent replacement (sadly, a few of our old tents just can’t make the trip)— and many smaller expenses beside. Some of our Pathfinders have families who can absorb this cost without too much difficulty. But other families will really need your help in order to make it possible for their children to attend this once-in-a-life-

time experience.

You can help us with your prayers as we plan and make our trip. You may also make a financial contribution to the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Just designate your contribution to “World Camporee 2024” and it will support the Pathfinders’ faith-building adventure. It could be a one-time gift—or maybe you are willing to donate a certain amount every week, every two weeks, or once a month for the next six months if this is easier on your budget planning.

Want to see more about the Camporee? Please take a moment to scan the two QR codes which link to two videos

that will give you a glimpse into the International Pathfinder Camporee. One QR code links to a short video about Gillette, Wyoming and the other QR code links to a video which is a short history of the International Camporee experience.

Thanks for your kindness and support.

Thank you for helping make God real to our Pathfinders. Oh, the stories we will have to tell you when we get back!

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This Illustrates the Camporee experience.

This is the Gillette, Wyoming, International Pathfinder Camporee Promo.

Arden Adventist

GRACE N TES From the Pastor’s Pen

Pastor Eric Bates, D. Min.

I don’t know about you, but in the frantic pace of life, I can sometimes lose my mind. I’m not talking about needing to check myself in for inpatient psychiatric care. I’m talking about a much more subtle form of insanity that can easily afflict me and most other believers. There are moments when I can lose my gospel mind. There are moments when I can live as if God doesn’t exist, the Bible had never been written, and Jesus had never lived, died, and risen. I’m not talking about a deliberate walking away from faith.

I’m talking about a distorted view of the gospel.

There are times when I lose sight of what is truly important and valuable in life and, when I do, the things I desire, how I think, what I say, and the things I do get distorted. I am positive that I am not alone in this.

Maybe during an argument, being right becomes the most important thing. Maybe you find yourself doing whatever it takes to get that job promotion, or academic grade. You’ve lost your gospel mind. Perhaps you’re willing to destroy your relationship with your neighbor over their chickens in your yard. Maybe you rip into your teenager because you’re tired of being disrespected. Maybe you cling to an obsession over your weight or appearance. You have lost your gospel mind. Perhaps you hold onto a pattern of sexual sin. Maybe you feel overwhelming anxiety over what people think about you and how they respond to you.

Perhaps you demand that you be in control in relationships. Maybe you are passive in your faith. Maybe patterns of envy and bitterness have robbed you of joy.

You have lost your gospel mind.

It is much easier than you think to lose your gospel mind. Every day we venture out into a world where the culture that surrounds us is anti-gospel. It has never been harder to keep the worldly, materialistic, and self-absorbed values of the culture around us at bay. It is hard to hear the true words of the gospel in the midst of the cacophony of voices and to think with gospel clarity about what is truly important. It’s hard

because we carry all of those voices in our pockets in a single piece of powerful technology. In the still moments, it’s hard not to reach down, pull out that device and scroll. It is hard not to feel the need to post your life and then compare it to the lives of others.

But, as with every struggle, God meets us there. In every spiritual danger, God is there in grace. He gives us exactly what we need to not lose our gospel mind.

He gives us the gift of His church. He knows we need help. He knows we aren’t hardwired to make it on our own. So, He has ordained His church to regularly gather, that we would remember once again, grieve once again, celebrate once again, and go out and live in light of the beautiful values of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s not that our weekly gatherings are first an obligation. It’s not that they are first a duty.

They are a gift. They are the Father pulling you up on His lap, whispering in your ear that He loves you, reminding you of who you are and of the surpassing value of being in His family, and then putting you down and sending you on your way.

The regular gathering of the church is designed with divine love to confront us with the fact that the most valuable thing in life can’t be earned. The most valuable thing cannot be humanly achieved, not be an experience you have, not be something you will get from people in your life. The most valuable thing in life is the eternal gift of divine grace. It’s my forgiveness, my acceptance into the family of God, and the destiny that is mine as a child of God, all secured for me by the righteous life, substitutionary death, and life-giving resurrection of Jesus.

May we long with anticipation to experience our weekly gathering as a gift. Corporate worship is God’s weekly gift to us, wrapped in the grace of Jesus and given by Him who created us, knows us, understands us, understands the temptations that we face in this broken world, and offers us the help we need.

We gather to remember, and in remembering to have our values clarified, and in having our values clarified to have the worship of our hearts reclaimed and our living reordered. May we receive His gift with joy, “not neglecting our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” Hebrews 10:25.

To miss out on this gift is just insane.

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. . . y r o t s i H t n e i c n A f o s e i r o t S

by Chris Small

S

Xerxes and Esther: Part IV

tanding upon the threshold of the Persian Empire, Khshayarsha (“Shah-yar-shah” or Xerxes) was eager to invade Greece, the land of the Hellenes. At the Dardanelles, the narrow strait separating Asia from Europe, the king ordered two pontoon bridges, supported by ships, be built so that the army and horses could cross.

Certain it is that the size of our Persian host was exaggerated, nonetheless, it must have numbered between at least 200,000 and 500,000 fighting men (though some reports have multiplied this by four or even eight times). These men were mustered from all across the sprawling empire, citizens and allies alike; not only Persians and Medes, Babylonians, Assyrians, Ionians, Lydians and Phoenicians, but also Bactrians, Parthians, Sidonians, Elamites, Hindush, Arabs, Armenians, Cappadocians, Libyans, Ethiopians, Egyptians, and many more. And at their forefront, Khshayarsha, lord of the Achaemenid dynasty, intent upon exacting revenge upon the Greeks and subduing the land as part of the empire.

Several portents caused unease amongst the men, and angered Khshayarsha himself. First was an eclipse while the army was still assembling in Lydia. Second, the waters of the Hellespont or Dardanelles rose, necessitating the pontoon bridges. But after the bridges were built by Phoenician and Egyptian engineers, a tremendous storm arose and destroyed the work that had been accomplished. His Majesty was livid, but finally an engineer named Harpalos came up with a plan to better lash and anchor the 600 pontoon ships, allowing our mighty army to cross over and commence the invasion of Hellas.

Now Ahura Mazda seemed to smile upon the exploits of Khshayarsha: For the next three months the emperor’s army ranged through the regions of Thrace, Macedonia, and into Thessaly. The city-states Athens and Sparta led the Greek resistance, with the politician Themistocles championing and commanding the Athenian and allied fleet and Kind Leonidas of Sparta the initial commander of the allied ground forces.

Toward the end of summer, about 7,000 Greeks converged to defend a vital pass at Thermopylae, hoping to stop or slow our massive Persian advance. For four days patient Khshayarsha waited, but stubborn Leonidas would not budge. Over the next two days, Persian forces attacked the Greeks in waves, and on the seventh day a detail under our general Hydarnes followed a guide named Ephialtes around a mountain trail to attack simultaneously from the rear. The defense collapsed, while Leonidas, 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, and about 1,300 others stayed behind to protect the Greek retreat from our valorous cavalry. Four hundred surrendered without a fight, and the others were slaughtered.

At the same time, our navy—after suffering some significant losses in further storms—met some 270 Athenian and allied triremes at Artemisia. Both sides met with loss, but the sheer number of our Persian ships won the day, and the Greeks—also hearing of their defeat at Thermopylae—turned tail, sailing around the Attic Peninsula toward Salamis beyond Athens.

Khshayarsha led our Persian land army southeast toward Athens, passing the very plain of Marathon where his father Darius was so sadly defeated a decade before. Some latent desire for revenge combined with a simmering rage at continued Athenian resistance impelled Khshayarsha to issue an order to burn the city. Soon, once-beautiful Athens was ablaze, abandoned by its citizens and torched by our obedient troops. Later, the emperor would feel sorry for his angry actions and say that burning Athens was his one regret of the whole campaign.

Now, a council of war would decide what to do next. The Greek navy was anchored in the straits of Salamis with their ground troops

Should Khshayarsha return home, content with the destruction of Athens and the land gained thus far, wait a little longer while the Greeks ran out of supplies and hope their alliance would fall apart, or engage the Greek navy at Salamis with the aim of forcing a Greek surrender and conclude the campaign before winter?

A majority of the emperor’s advisors urged naval action, and—lured on by Themistocles—Khshayarsha ordered some 800 or more ships to bottle up approximately 370 Greek triremes within the straits of Salamis, then sail in to crush the smaller force. Figuring that if he was watching, it would encourage the captains and crews to greater heights of effort and bravery, Khshayarsha had his throne set at the foot of Mount Aigaleo, and so he saw the whole encounter.

An open sea battle was preferable for our navy, to utilize its vast numbers and excellent seamanship. But, thinking that the Greek naval alliance was about to collapse, our Persian ships entered the constricted channel. In the chaos that followed, it seems that our larger ships, pressed more tightly together, had little room to maneuver, while the Greeks were in battle line and their triremes were built for ramming. In the end, the cornered Greeks sank around 300 ships of the Persians and our allies, while losing only about 40 of their own.

Our fleet scattered; the opportunity for an immediate surrender by the Greeks was lost. What would Khshayarsha choose to do next?

Notes:—* The idea of a personal narrator here is fiction, but all the other events and individuals are mentioned in the Bible and/or in other historical records. ** Not the Darius of Daniel 5-6 who ruled over the province of Babylon for Cyrus beginning in 539 BC, but rather Darius the Great who ruled the Achaemenid Empire from 486-465 BC. *** Some of the detailed information is from Encyclopaedia Iranica article on Susa in the Achaemenid period.

nearby, making a stand before the land bridge to the Peloponnesus.

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Chris Small is an Adjunct History & Religion faculty member at Fletcher Academy. He writes from his home in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Arden Adventist

Ministries

in Action

by Cari Hammonds

Women’s Sabbath School Class

Marji’s Love Story

M

High above the potluck tables and warming ovens in the Community Life Center. . . a group of women meet every Sabbath to study the Sabbath School lesson. The class has an average attendance of twelve persons each Sabbath, plus one or two visitors as well.

The class was begun about fifteen years ago by Kim Cove, the wife of then associate pastor, Tim Cove. The women wanted a safe place to share things that they might not feel comfortable sharing in a mixed group. As Marybeth says, “We wanted to be able to have open conversations. And we wanted to know that we would protect our sisters and have each other’s backs.” But they had a broader purpose in mind than just sharing “women things.” Since Kim Cove originally envisioned it, the purpose of the class has always been: “connecting with others as we connect with Jesus.”

Originally the class met in the Pastor’s study that was located— at that time—behind the sanctuary platform.

Although the class started with a small attendance, they were soon bursting at the seams in such a small space. When the Community Life Center was built, the ladies were delighted to know that they would have their own classroom. The fact that it would be shared with the Adventurers was just fine.

Although they usually study the regular Sabbath School quarterly, in the past they have used other women’s Bible study materials. But whatever the study sources, the women are always looking for Jesus. As Marji Truckenbrodt says, “I come to the class because I feel I am being fed the Word.”

The format of the class is an open discussion with the teacher asking the questions and moderating through the answers from the other members. After Kim Cove went with her husband to their new church, Marybeth and Cindy Cottrell taught the class together until Cindy felt called to lead in the Primary Sabbath School Class. From then on, Mary-

beth carried the full weight as the only teacher. But with new people joining the church, Marybeth now shares the teaching responsibilities with Ginger Turner and Nancy McMinn, rotating among the three of them during the month. The other regular members include: Juanita Miles, Darlyne Jarrett, Angie Viar, Ashley Gibbs, Donna Jarrett, Olivia Truckenbrodt, Sara McCord, Leilani Darnell, and Marji Truckenbrodt.

Some of the class members seek more than just the Sabbath School class learning experience. Donna expresses her feelings: “I love developing a relationship with and meeting weekly with my classmates. These people have become my church buddies, the ones I feel close to.” Olivia added: “ I love the community atmosphere that we share in this class.” And Marybeth shares: “Our openness builds trust among us and protects that trust each week.”

Besides the in-class activities, the women enjoy each other’s company in social settings. As they have done in the past, most recently they shared a supper and game night. This camaraderie builds on the fact that there is a broad range of ages and experiences among the members of the group. The age span stretches from the youngest member at twenty-one to the oldest member at eigthtyfive. Marybeth says: “We like this age span because it gives us a variety of perspectives on the Sabbath School material—and on life.”

Therefore, these ladies attend the Women’s Sabbath School Class because it is here that they appreciate growing a meaningful relationship with each other and developing a broadening knowledge of the Word of God.

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arji sensed she was lagging in the game of life. At 29 years old, when all her friends were marrying and having children, she was single and—at times—discouraged. Marji had dated a handful of guys that really didn’t appreciate her nor treat her with respect. Her father having passed when she was nineteen years old, Marji chose to claim God’s promise that He would be a “Father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5).

Praying fervently, Marji asked her Heavenly Father to lead her to a life partner. But not just any life partner/husband would do.

Marji laid a wish list before God. A husband wish list.

First and foremost, Marji wanted a man who was kind, someone who truly cared about her. Next, she wanted someone who had his own place, knew how to cook, take the trash out, and take care of himself, not bumming off his parents. She wanted someone with a college degree, who was independent, who knew how to work and provide for himself. Finally, Marji made an odd request.

She prayed God would lead her to someone with an unusual last name. That way she’d know that God was truly leading—a fleece of sorts, like Gideon.

Around this time, Art Truckenbrodt moved to western North Carolina. Art and his parents had been turned off to Christianity numerous times by other churches. The non-denominational church pastor who worried more about tithing than about friendship. The ministers preaching the horrors of hellfire and brimstone if you didn’t get yourself in shape. All of these things made Art wary of religion in general.

Art wasn’t a big fan of church or religion; he was excited about auto-cross racing. Through auto-cross events, Art met an Adventist couple. He appreciated how friendly they were. So, when they invited Art to their home for a meal, he accepted. This Adventist couple also knew Marji, and, thinking that Marji and Art might be a great match, Marji was invited to their home for the same meal.

Arriving at his new friends’ home, Art saw Marji’s car in the driveway. He immediately felt butterflies when he saw Marji’s car had a stick shift— surely a sign of a capable and confident woman. Once he met Marji inside, Art was immediately attracted to her beauty and her personality.

Meanwhile, Marji met a man who was kind and caring. She learned that he had a house, a job, cooked for himself, and took out the trash. Then she heard his last name: Truckenbrodt, definitely an unusual last name!

At some point, Art asked for Marji’s number. Quickly jotting her number on a scrap of paper (which he keeps sacred to this day), Marji and Art made plans to attend a play at Flat

reflections

by Max Hammonds

by Lindsay Reynolds Rock Playhouse—a required event for Marji’s college class. Later, visiting Art’s home, Marji immediately noticed Art’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees framed on the wall of his home. Art had checked nearly every box of Marji’s husband wish list.

However, Art still wasn’t interested in attending church. But, as in the beginning, Marji consulted her Heavenly Father in prayer and felt impressed to continue getting to know Art. She recognized his kind heart and his desire to know more about God, even if he was still guarded towards organized religion.

Spending time together was difficult. Art worked the graveyard shift. Marji worked full time and attended night school nursing classes. So, they got together on weekends.

Since Marji attended church on weekends and spent time with her Christian friends, Art eventually joined her. To Art, Marji’s church friends were weird. Their food was weird. Nevertheless, Art was touched by how friendly, fun, and kind they were. Not proud or hypocritical, they didn’t just preach to him about doctrines. They really seemed to care about him as a person. Cautiously, Art began to study the Bible and attend church with Marji.

On May 19, 1996, Marji and Art Truckenbrodt were married.

Growing in his love for God, Art continued to study the Bible, and was baptized into the Arden Seventh-day Adventist church six months after their wedding. Marji remembers this early season of their marriage fondly—recalling how they prayed and worshiped God together as a couple each evening.

Marriage wasn’t always easy for Art and Marji. Through job changes and seven hard years of infertility, they learned to trust and rely on God to sustain them in their relationship, and in life.

Together, they have two miracle daughters, Hannah Olivia and Kaylee Karina.

After thirty years together (twenty-seven years of marriage), Art continues to find Marji incredibly attractive. He loves her unique personality, pretty smile, and commitment to their partnership.

Marji loves that Art is trustworthy, sentimental, and caring. She appreciates his thoughtful gift-giving and his love for his entire family. Marji and Art continue to serve the Lord as valued members of our church family.

Marji and Art’s Tips for An Unbreakable Marriage: Trust God implicitly, maintaining a strong prayer life individually and together.

Choose friendship with each other above everyone else.

Go on dates often—even if it’s just a trip to the grocery store.

Show affection daily.

Be there when your spouse needs you.

“Marriage is a project that you work on every day, and it never gets done.”—Art Truckenbrodt

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Cast Down, But Not Destroyed . . .

From Riverside Farm, Zambia, Africa.

I

Stories of

by Alicia Marie Harding Part 1 of a continuing story

World Missions

keep deleting these typed words as I sit here trying to write some beginning lines to share my story. Maybe that’s the problem. It’s not my story; it’s God’s story. And my heart has not stopped swelling at the thought of His goodness and provision so blatantly manifested a few weeks ago.

Every time I watch [my son] Winston run around and play with that big scar on the side of his head, every time I use my squashed and flattened stock pot, every time my husband rubs my tightened neck, my heart swells. Because all those things, the scar, the damaged pot, and my slightly thrown-out back, are all reminders of how amazing and allpowerful our God is. May I never tire of basking in the rays of experiencing HIM, even in the valleys.

This year our evangelism team planned to go to Crocodile Island which [my husband] Craig and Fortune (our guide) had scouted out earlier this year in the Northern Province of Zambia. With a population of about 5,000 in three villages, this area had no church, no school, and no medical facility. This was the largest outreach program for us to date—providing three weeks of meetings, to three different villages simultaneously, while the dental and medical team provided free health care, and where three churches would be built. Craig said multiple times he had never had so many complications on so many levels during a crusade event.

After two days of driving, we were about forty-five minutes from our destination. I was admiring the long winding view of the road ahead, thinking about how it hadn’t changed from the picture I took at that exact spot a year before. I felt giddy to be so close, and commented that the lake was just beyond the visible road and hills that lie ahead. Then without notice, our land cruiser and the trailer being pulled behind us lost control and all focus was on the side of the mountain we were about to hit. In slow motion, my mind was hyper-aware of every millisecond leading up to the impact. But too fast to respond, or to even clear my thoughts to pray, I braced myself as we hit and I was initially thrown to the driver’s side. The trailer behind us unhitched and was thrown off the road (as evidenced by said squashed pot.) Then, just as quickly, I remained braced as the vehicle rolled left and continued to slide downhill [on] the road until it hit a ditch that rolled us back up on our wheels.

There was a half-second of stillness and darkness as the thick cloud of dirt blocked the view of light. I immediately looked behind me to search for the children but I couldn’t see anything. Then they all at once started screaming and bloody boys emerged crying out “Winston!” His head had been thrown through the broken window and dragged along on the road below, tearing his scalp to the skull as it slid down the hill. When everyone was assessed to be alive, I next sent a radio message to the vehicle ahead of us to call for help. They were out of view and I didn’t realize they had

LIFESTYLE FOCUS

Is Your Heart Healthy? How Do Your Know?

by Max Hammonds, MD, MPH, MHA

F

seen us wreck, with my close friend watching the whole thing happen and terrorized knowing her son was in the vehicle with us.

Yes, that was a terrifying hour. But this was not a random or an isolated event as we would soon learn. Crocodile Island was intensely embroiled with witchcraft and satanic forces. We were indeed imposing upon the devil’s territory and he would try to fight back.

Two weeks prior, the bus transporting the majority of the outreach team hit a man running out into the street committing suicide. It was a tragic scene for them to witness and made their hearts heavy as they aawaited delays and processes to clear the driver from going to prison.

Later, on day one of our journey, Craig almost hit a man who ran across the road behind a truck that passed us. We both screamed as Craig swerved into the opposite lane trying to miss him. He escaped by an inch from the corner of our front bull bar. Craig was shaken. He had almost killed a man. But he didn’t.

One night the whole camp got really sick and wiped out.

Beaver, our medical leader, got severely electrocuted and, had he not been grounded, the current would have been strong enough to kill him. The projector and speakers that were previously in good working order stopped working right before the meetings. The trucker, hired to deliver all the church building supplies, was involved with major corruption and everything was jeopardized to the point that we didn’t know if everything would be lost, or ever arrive as planned.

While the church was being built, fires, that were not started by anyone, were popping up all around the church.

They [would] put one fire out, and then another one would start burning, and they would put that one out. This happened the whole time the church was being built. (to be continued next month)

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ebruary is the month for many significant events, including Presidents’ birthdays, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Valentine’s Day. And it is also Heart Health Month. Using a phrase from a popular television commercial: “How’s your heart. Is it healthy? How do you know?”

Contrary to the conclusion of that commercial, you cannot tell your heart health from a simple, single line of EKG, especially if you don’t understand what you see.

Likewise, despite the claims of certain manufacturers, no watch, no matter how “smart,” can accurately and definitively assess the true functionality or pathology of the heart. This kind of information requires sophisticated studies of blood flow through the heart, valvular functionality, conduction regularity and continuity, and blood flow through the coronary arteries. No watch can perform these tests.

The heart is a complex organ with multiple systems working together simultaneously: electrical, muscular, heart valves, and blood vessels. Each of these systems can have major problems caused by genetic defects, infectious disease, inordinate stress, aging, and physical trauma.

So, how can you—in simple, inexpensive ways— test the general health and functionality of your heart?

Test #1: Find your pulse somewhere on your body – usually wrist, elbow, or groin. (Don’t use the carotid pulse in the neck.) First notice the nature of the pulse. It should be strong and full. Next, count the pulse. Sixty to eightyfive beats is a reasonable range. Below or above these numbers is unusual and needs an explanation, some of which are okay. (Wilt Chamberlain’s resting heart rate was 36. A child under 10-12 years of age will usually have a heart rate above 85.)

Finally, assess if the beats are coming at regular intervals and if the pauses between the beats are the same length.

Beats that are “out of sync” with the rest of them need an explanation. Not all extra beats are necessarily abnormal or dangerous, but they need an explanation.

Test #2: Can you walk the length of your house without getting short of breath or chest pain? If you cannot, check with your doctor (unless you already know the cause and

are being treated.) If you can, then try test #2. First, count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply the result by 6.

Next, walk for ten minutes on level ground at as brisk a pace as you can while still being able to carry on a conversation without gasping between words. At the end of the 10 minutes, count your pulse again for 10 seconds and multiply the result by 6. If the result is greater than 150 or if you could not walk for 10 minutes without shortness of breath or chest pain, you are not safe for exercise training without someone to monitor your progress. In other words, you need a cardiac rehabilitation program. Let your doctor know.

If you had no difficulty finishing the walk, check your pulse again two minutes after finishing the 10-minute walk. The result should be close to or at your heart rate before you began the walk. If this is not the case, your heart is “out of shape” and you need to begin an exercise training program.

Test #3: If you want a more definitive look at your overall heart functionality, the Tecumseh Step Test can give you a reasonable idea of how well your heart, lungs and musculature are functioning.

This test uses a normal kitchen stool (approx. 8” high) and a watch, and hopefully, someone else who can time you and help you maintain your balance. Step up on the stool with both feet and down from the stool twenty-four times a minute for three minutes. Your helper can count the steps and help you keep the pace. At the end of three minutes, sit down. Thirty seconds (the main reason for the watch and the helper) after you have completed the stepping routine, count the pulse for thirty seconds and multiply this result by two (to determine the pulse rate for one minute.) An excellent result is 70 to 80 beats per minute. A good result is mid-70’s to mid-80’s. A fair result is mid-80’s to mid-90’s. If your heart rate result is higher than the mid-90’s, your heart function is in poor condition and needs attention. Also note that the female heart rate results will be 5-8 beats higher than for males. Also, older hearts will usually be 5-10 beats per minute faster.

If you have access to blood lab values through a patient portal or other means, you may find your doctor’s recent results for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar. These blood values are often used as substitutes for heart health. But they are not specific. They can indicate several different systemic diseases. Likewise, a full 12-lead EKG only demonstrates the electrical system of the heart. It does not show pending difficulties with the values, the muscular system, or the blood flow; until serious problems arise.

You have two kidneys, two sets of lungs but only one heart. Choose wisely a lifestyle that will keep it healthy.

If you suspect a difficulty with your heart, check with a professional, not a commercial ad.

Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from violation of the laws of health. In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained. Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and reestablish right conditions in the system. —The Ministry of Healing, page 73.

Editor’s Note: The sole purpose of any health information provided by Grace Notes is for information only and is not intended to recommend or assist in self care, or to be a substitute for diagnosis and/or treatment by your personal physician. Please see Disclaimer on page 11.

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