Grace Notes March 2026 Online Edition Final

March 2026

Full Color Online Edition:

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March Madness very March, something remarkable happens across the E country. Offices suddenly become quiet – or strangely animated. Conversations revolve around brackets, buzzerbeaters, Cinderella teams, and improbable comebacks. For a few weeks, March Madness captures our attention, our time, and sometimes even our emotions.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sports. Competition, teamwork, discipline, and perseverance are good gifts from God. But as I’ve watched the annual ritual unfold, I’ve found myself asking a deeper question – one worth reflecting on this season: What has our attention?

March Madness is a reminder of how easily our hearts can become fully invested in something that, in the end, is temporary. The final score fades, the champions are crowned, and by April, a new headline replaces the old. Yet while the excitement is fleeting, the way we give ourselves to something is revealing. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). In other words, what we focus on shapes us.

When Life Feels Like Madness For many people, March Madness is more than basketball – it’s a metaphor for life. Schedules are packed. News cycles feel relentless. Financial pressures, family responsibilities, health concerns, and emotional fatigue all compete for space in our minds. Life can feel chaotic, unpredictable, and exhausting.

If that resonates with you, hear this gentle truth: God is not overwhelmed by the madness of your life.

Scripture reminds us that “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). While our lives may feel bracket-less and out of control, God is still sovereign, still attentive, still near. Nothing in your life is random to Him – not the victories, not the losses, not even the upsets you didn’t see coming.

Choosing What Shapes Us The challenge of March Madness isn’t that we enjoy something fun; it’s that we often give our best energy to the least eternal things. We memorize statistics but neglect Scripture. We track scores but forget to check in on a hurting neighbor. We scroll endlessly yet struggle to sit quietly with God for five minutes.

Paul offers a helpful recalibration in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Transformation doesn’t happen accidentally. It happens when we intentionally choose what forms us.

Imagine if we approached our spiritual lives with the same intentionality we give to our hobbies or interests. What if prayer had a reserved place in our day, just like our favorite shows? What if Scripture shaped our thinking more than the headlines? What if worship was not an afterthought, but a priority?

A Different Kind of Bracket Basketball brackets are all about predictions – who will win, who will fall, who will surprise us. But the Christian life isn’t about guessing outcomes; it’s about trusting a faithful God. Jesus invites us into a different rhythm altogether: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). That invitation is especially meaningful in a season when everything feels loud, fast, and demanding.

God offers rest – not escape, but renewal. Not distraction, but peace. Not hype, but hope.

Practical Ways to Refocus This March As we move through this season, here are a few simple, practical ways to keep our hearts centered: 1. Begin each day grounded.

Even five minutes in Scripture and prayer can reset your spirit before the noise begins.

2. Practice presence. Put the phone down during meals. Look people in the eye. Listen deeply.

3. Choose encouragement.

Speak life into your home, workplace, and church family.

Words have power.

4. Reclaim the Sabbath. Guard time each week for rest and worship. God designed us for both.

5. Refocus on eternity. Ask yourself regularly: Will this matter in five years? In eternity?

From Madness to Meaning March Madness reminds us how quickly our attention can be captured. The gospel reminds us of something far better – how deeply we are loved.

Jesus stepped into the ultimate madness of this world – sin, suffering, and death – and overcame it with sacrificial love. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He offers us peace that outlasts every season and hope that never fades.

So, enjoy the games if you like. Cheer, laugh, and celebrate.

But don’t let the madness distract you from what matters most.

May this March be a season where our hearts are recentered, our faith renewed, and our lives aligned with the One who holds every outcome in His hands.

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Sixty Years of Miracles - The Story of Amazing Facts

By Gloria Allen

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ould God select a reclaimed, repentant thief to proclaim His end-time message? How about a naked hippie? Certainly no one could have predicted that outcome from the humble beginnings of the Amazing Facts ministry in the 1960s. The current worldwide ministry of Amazing Facts was birthed from the prayer petitions of conference officials and ministry-minded pastors who looked disparagingly at stagnating traditional evangelistic outcomes and pleaded with God for new directions.

What became obvious was a simple success formula applied to all witnessing: arrest listener attention with an amazing fact - a wow statement, a statistic, an awesome natural phenomenon, an historical fact, then bridge to a spiritual truth.

For several weeks the prayer team at the conference office prayed for specific direction. A media ministry was coming together although there was no budget, no equipment, no broadcast studio. Even the chosen host, Pastor Joe Crews, initially turned down the opportunity, citing no knowledge of how to proceed with media. Eventually, he accepted the responsibility and guided the new ministry for more than 30 years, leading to the development of a daily 15minute broadcast featured on more than 400 outlets. A vibrant literature ministry followed. Twenty-seven colorful, arresting, “Information Folders” were offered to listeners at the end of each broadcast. The Information Folders were also distributed by church members on such topics as "Is the Devil in Charge of Hell?" or "Are the Dead Really Dead?" By 1972 Amazing Facts launched a Bible School and expanded its literature ministry with the publication of mini books including Joe's Library of Sermons.

As local Adventist Churches used the evangelistic literature and tools produced by Amazing Facts, Joe Crews trained Bible workers to help with public evangelism programs. Soon Sabbath church visitors were introduced to gathered worshippers as Amazing Facts viewers, attending church as a result of an invitation from the ministry. Just as amazing, they were often seeking to be baptized. And local pastors were amazed at how well informed these new believers were. The Bible School proved to be a highly effective tool!

Local support for the ministry brought a gift of land and building funds that enabled erection of a headquarters

building in Frederick, MD. In the mid-80s the media outreach envisioned a new dimension: television. With the enlarged vision, God enable the reality. Donations poured in and by the fall of 1986, AF (Amazing Facts) became the first Sabbathkeeping ministry to produce a full-length prophecy seminar and broadcast it on television.

Tragedy struck the ministry in 1994 with the sudden death of Joe Crews, but God had identified Doug Batchelor to Crews as a ministry successor before the need became reality. Batchelor, like Crews, was initially reluctant to assume responsibility for the ministry, but eventually Doug and his wife Karen accepted the call to leadership. Along with the change in leadership, Amazing Facts headquarters were transferred from Maryland to northern California as Pastor Doug took charge. From church pastor to ministry leader, Doug developed the energetic live call-in broadcast Bible Answers Live which has since become a hallmark of Amazing Facts programming in both radio and television formats.

In 1999 Pastor Doug went to New York City, his boyhood hometown, to proclaim the everlasting gospel. As host of the Net '99 series, Amazing Facts uplinked large and small SDA churches worldwide by satellite and translated live presentations into multiple languages. For the first time ever Adventist evangelists united in an international evangelistic endeavor. Millennium of Prophecy was seen around the globe and put Amazing Facts and the three angel's messages on the map in a way never seen previously.

The most recent AF format enables any SDA church to host Prophecy Odyssey as a local evangelistic series with complete downloadable video transmissions, pre- and post- follow-up materials integrated into the church-community calendar, including a health series and materials for children's ministry. Also Amazing Facts teams travel internationally presenting evangelistic training programs from offices in Canada, China, Indonesia, Africa, Europe, Australia, Brazil and the Philippines.

In 2007 God blessed the ministry with construction of the W.O.R.D. Center, housing recording studios, a bookstore and shipping center; a training facility with state-of-the-art recording and broadcasting capabilities. A new SDA 1400-seat church in Granite Bay, a suburb of Sacramento, stands adjacent to the W.O.R.D. Center. Dedication of the new campus, was celebrated debt-free on April 2, 2022.

Doug Batchelor embraced prison ministry using the “God Behind Bars” PANDO app and online AFCOE (Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism) 4-month live-in educational sessions and online remote opportunities for in depth Bible understanding. Additionally Amazing Facts hosts 57 websites in English Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Arabic and many other languages.

Instead of reaching just the local Baltimore metro, Amazing Facts interacts with billions worldwide via 17 stations, the internet, streaming, and other communication. Praise to the Lord!

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March Madness

by Max Hammonds

n 1891, at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Ieducation Massachusetts, James Naismith, a Canadian physical instructor, wanted a less injury-prone game (than football) for the athletes to play to keep them in shape during the winter months. He attached a peach basket to the balcony railing of the gym and proposed thirteen simple rules for two teams of nine men each

(there were eighteen men in the class) to play two 15minute segments, attempting to throw a soccer ball into the basket, scoring one point each time. The ball was manually recovered from the peach basket by the janitor on a stepladder after each goal scored. The first game, played on December 21, ended 1-0.

The game quickly caught on. Senda Bereson, instructor of physical culture at the women’s college, Smith College, nearby heard of the new game and quickly adapted it for her female students. The game quickly spread through the YMCA system throughout the US, Europe, and Asia!

Modifications to the game were sure to come. Someone removed the bottoms of the peach baskets, eliminating the need for a janitor. In 1894, at Naismith’s request, Spalding created a ball specific to the game. In 1896, in a collegiate contest between the University of Iowa and the University of Chicago, the new rule of 5 men on a side was used. In 1905, a consortium of fifteen colleges created the “Basket Ball (sic) Rule Committee” to codify the rules for collegiate basketball. In 1906, the peach basket was replaced with a metal hoop, a net, and a backboard. In 1909, the predecessor of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) became the organizer and regulator of the game.

During World War I, when US troops entered the fight in 1917, the game of basketball went with them, increasing the popularity of the game further throughout Europe with an Inter-Allied Games basketball contest in 1919, after the end of the war.

At home, the increased collegiate activity eventually progressed in the early 1940’s to the formation of professional basketball teams in the National Basketball League (NBL) and its rival, the Basketball Association of America (BAA). These two merged in 1949 to become the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Because basketball was originally invented as a winter time sport and because the intense intercollegiate competition led to an elimination playoff in the Spring to determine who was the best team (before graduation), the final games occurred in March. The intensity and rivalry became known as “March Madness.”

This author became familiar with “March Madness” during high school in Indiana. Our small, consolidated school played larger schools in the initial tourney games in early March – and we almost always lost. On the infrequent chance that we won at the county level, we faced the huge schools in the Kokomo regional contests in mid-March where we were sure to lose.

But it wasn’t about winning or losing, it was the

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madness that possessed every school in the state during March. School work became secondary to the basketball tournaments – right up through the state championship.

And the weather. The late spring snow storm always posed a challenge at the end of March or the first two weeks of April. Travel became treacherous. But nothing – not even the weather – prevented the March Madness from possessing the entire State. The tournament must go on!

We live in a worldculture obsessed with the madness of sports – especially the final tournaments that determine the winner and champion of whatever sport. Baseball and the World Series.

American football and the Super Bowl. Soccer and the World Cup. Tennis and Wimbledon and the World Cup and the open championships. Golf and the Masters Tournament.

And the Olympic Games – Summer and Winter – that determine not only the individual Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medal winners, but also the nations these winners represent, allowing such nations to compete, declaring a nation the “winner”, carrying political impact and seeming to substitute for “war” games and resultant “conquerors.”

One can’t help but wonder if God intended for humans to be obsessed with such “March Madness,” the desire to be a conqueror, to win at any cost – even at the cost of lives, and sometimes lost. After all, when the tournament is over, the winner takes home a trophy that goes in the trophy case and a flag or pennant declaring the year of the win on the wall of gym – and life returns to the normal routine as if all the “madness” wasn’t all that important after all.

Yet God meets us where we are. In fact, Paul, the apostle, living when the Olympic Games celebrated the glory of the human body and gladiator games (hardly ever fought to the death) were the common Saturday afternoon entertainment in the local coliseum, used this human desire, – not just to compete, but to win – to illustrate the strife and struggle of Christian life.

However, Paul emphasized the intense preparation and training was not for competition with each other, but for the warfare “against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Paul was adamant that the intense effort put forth was not just to compete but to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

In fact, to continue in the basketball motif: Do you remember the Chicago Bulls professional basketball team in their 1996-1998 seasons? Do you remember Michael Jordan – fantastic playmaker and shooter from anywhere but not an especially good rebounder, especially under the basket? Do you remember Scotty Pippen – the field marshal who called the plays, a good shooter from the top of the circle but not the corners, and not a great outside shooter from beyond the threepoint line? Do you remember Dennis Rodman – the wild, tattooed man, the lone wolf who was a terrible shooter but was a fantastic rebounder under the basket or at mid-court and a great feeder to other players?

Who was the most important player for the Chicago Bulls? Michael, Scotty, Dennis? Let me suggest that it was – none of these.

The most important person was Phil Jackson, the coach – who knew how to get the lone wolf Rodman to play team ball – who knew how to communicate to Pippen what plays to call – who knew how to set up for Jordan’s great shooting strength. Phil Jackson knew how to coach toward the team’s strength and away from their weaknesses.

The coach is the most important team member.

Our coach is the Holy Spirit. Remember what we read in John 3:5. Jesus said, “Unless you are born of the water and the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.” You cannot be a living, functioning Christian (see Ezekiel 37:14) unless the Holy Spirit enlivens you and empowers you to function in your giftedness. Like a good coach, He uses His gifts in the various “plays” of our church team to develop our characters (Eph. 3:11-16). If we could be as obsessed with playing for this Coach as we are for the others, our “mad” sports metaphor could be useful, after all.

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28 Fundamentals: # 23 Marriage and Family

“T

hank you, Pawpaw for the invitation to dinner,” Mark and his friend Abby sat across from Albert Groot (aka Pawpaw, grandfather of Mark) in the intimate Italian restaurant.

“It’s what I always do for musicians I think will become famous one day.” Pawpaw laughed with the other two at his small joke. “Actually, the finale was awesome.”

“We have an awesome conductor in Dr. Miller,” Abby said.

“This Spring Break tour just demonstrates how organized and polished he is.”

Pawpaw’s napkin dabbed at the corner of his mouth. “I was most fortunate that you were touring near Natalie’s home so that I could drive over and hear you.” Pawpaw’s mouth twitched with a small smile. “You know Mark’s mother’s name is Natalie.”

Mark looked at Abby, then answered casually.

“Yes, Pawpaw, she knows.”

Knowingly, Mark turned to his grandfather. “What did you want to talk about, Pawpaw?”

Pawpaw met Mark’s eyes. “I’m as transparent as that.” He nodded. “I suppose after spending as much time together as you and I have, you would know.” Pawpaw cleared his throat. “Okay. I will come to the point – as we always have before, Mark. How serious is this relationship?”

Mark set down his fork and turned to Abby. Their eyes met and breathing stopped, unspoken words connecting. Together they nodded. Finally, Mark exhaled. “It’s . . . pretty serious.”

Pawpaw nodded in response. “I watched you at Thanksgiving and Christmas. You worked as a team at everything. But . . . you always steered the conversation away from any discussion of the relationship. So, I wondered what you two talked about when the rest of us weren’t around.”

Mark felt Abby’s hand rest on his arm. She asked, “Is he always this direct?”

“Only when I am . . . and only when it’s this serious,” Mark answered. Turning to Pawpaw, he flashed the twitching smile Pawpaw often used. “I think you would be surprised.”

Pawpaw telegraphed the same smile in return. “Try me.”

Mark breathed deeply. “Actually, we talked about the Garden of Eden.” He watched Pawpaw’s smile broaden. “Summarized.

The two gifts God gave to Adam and Eve – and the rest of us – in the garden: Sabbath and Marriage. Sabbath is the symbol and sum of our relationship to God. Marriage is the symbol and sum of our relationship to each other. The purpose of family – whether church family, small group family, prayer meeting family, or conjugal family – is to teach the ramifications of these two basic pillars to whomever are the members of that family.”

Pawpaw shook his head in amazement. “That’s pretty heavy conversation for two people who’ve known each other for how long?”

“We’ve known each other since freshman year in academy.”

“Okay, then.” Pawpaw lifted his fork, then turned his gaze to Abby. “And what makes these relationships work, Abby?” He brought the loaded fork to his mouth.

“Love,” she said simply, but not dismissively, locking eyes with him like Mark usually did.

“I knew I liked you,” Pawpaw laughed aloud around the spaghetti, but Abby continued to hold his gaze. Pawpaw quickly swallowed and said, “I’m supposed to say, ‘What kind of love?’”

“And I’m supposed to say, ‘Philippians 2:3 and 4,’” she retorted.

Pawpaw liked this game. He shifted to Mark. “Specifically, meaning what?”

Again, Mark and Abby visually connected, then began reciting alternately, “Honor.”

“Respect.”

“Worth.” “Or – Value.” “She likes that word,” Mark interjected, “Acceptance.”

“I prefer Belonging,” Abby added.

Again, Pawpaw laughed out loud such that the people sitting near them turned to look. “Way too much rehearsal.” He continued chuckling.

“But beautifully done. Like the concert.”

“Pawpaw, you can’t imagine how much work this has been.” Abby paused, suddenly soft-spoken. “I’m sorry. May I call you ‘Pawpaw?’”

Pawpaw quickly reached out to pat her hand. “Oh, my dear Abby, please do. And remember, I was married once. I know how much work it can be – to leave and to cleave. It’s painful and joyful all at the same time.”

Pawpaw drew in a big breath. “So . . . any wedding plans or talk or . . .?

“We still have a year to go, Pawpaw, before graduation.”

Absently, he checked with Abby before continuing.

“University is hard enough without marriage, too.”

“And then comes graduate school . . . and who knows what else.” A small fault line appeared in Abby’s composure.

Pawpaw pushed his plate aside. “I know Who knows. Mind if I ask Him for all of us – before dessert?”

Mark and Abby held hands as Pawpaw bowed his head.

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Respect is Earned, Not Given

by Moses McCord

You will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake.

Proverbs 14:22 GNT We should never treat anyone with disrespect and always use proper manners without being rude.

Everyone should be treated with some level of respect, however, there are certain people that we show a deeper and intentional genuine respect for, which they have earned. These are people whom we have learned are of great character who display wisdom, honesty, humility, and kindness as part of their daily lives.

Name some people that you truly respect. _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Have you ever lost respect for someone because of something they did? What did they do that caused you to respect them less? ____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Are there people you know that are not truthful at times? Would you have more respect for them if you knew they never lied nor stretched the truth and put others ahead of themselves? ________ Explain why. _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Everyone likes to be respected. If someone respects us, that usually means they admire certain qualities we have and trust us. To not be respected is to have an opinion that others do not value and a character they do not wish to emulate. If we want to be respected, we should look to Jesus as our example, and over time, we will earn the respect of others.

Name some specific people whom Jesus met who had or who developed great respect for Him? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ In what specific ways did Jesus earn respect from these people? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ What words would you add that begin with the same letter? Write them on the appropriate line.

What character traits do you admire in these people that cause you to respect them? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

R – Reliable _________________________________________

How does earning respect differ from doing things to get people to like us? _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________

P – Personable ________________________________________

E – Educated _________________________________________ S – Sincere __________________________________________

E – Efficient/Effective __________________________________ C – Considerate _______________________________________ T – Tactful ___________________________________________

Respect is something that we can’t always assume we will receive from others. Especially, if the people we are with do not know us or have not witnessed a good persona within us. Some will not take our opinions as something of value until they get to know us to be able to assess what type of person we are.

If we have been untruthful or mismanaged our relationship with someone, they will likely not have a great deal of respect for us. To get that respect, we must earn it by our actions. If we live in a way in that we treat others with kindness and respect, then in time, most everyone will also treat us with respect.

Let’s pray: Father God, we thank You for giving us a perfect example to copy.

We know that we are called to live an upright and respectful life.

Help us to realize that there is a direct relationship between the way we live our lives and the amount of respect we often receive. And for those situations where we may not be receiving the respect that we feel we deserve, please give us patience and the wisdom and motivation to hand over our anxiety to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Knowledge Without Wisdom: The New Food Pyramid

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hen new health information and/or recommendations are presented to the public by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA – who oversees dietary recommendations) or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), people want to know what is new, what has remained true, and how does this “new” information fit into the science of health and wellness as we have understood its evolution previously. Every five years USDA and HHS update their “new and improved” dietary guidelines. These guidelines are to be based on the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee made up of nutritional and health experts from various educational institutions and reputable health organizations.

The overall emphasis of the “new” guidelines is “real food, nutrient dense, from naturally occurring sources.” The foundational food groups presented were the same as in previous guidelines: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, nuts and oils. But this was not reflected in the “new” food pyramid which seemed to stand the original food pyramid on its head. Actually, red meat, cheese, full-fat dairy group was placed at the top left corner of the triangle. The fruits and vegetables group appeared in the right upper corner. Whole grains, the third emphasized group, were placed in the third corner of the triangle at the bottom.

The daily servings limits recommended were the same for several groups: less than 10% of calories from saturated fats, less than 10% calories from added sugars, 2,300 mg. of salt.

But the emphasis was on beef tallow and butter as the sources of “healthy fats.” Beef tallow contains 50% saturated fats, 3540% monounsaturated fats, and 10-25% polyunsaturated fats.

Butter contains 70% saturated fats, 25-30% monounsaturated fats, and 2-3% polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil contains 14-15% saturated fats, 73% monounsaturated fats, and 14-15% polyunsaturated fats. Canola oil contains 7% saturated fats, 62-65% monounsaturated fats, and 25-30% polyunsaturated fats. From these facts, plus the emphasis on red meat, cheese, and full-fat dairy, it is almost impossible to adhere to the call for less than 10% of calories from saturated fats. In addition, eating a diet high in saturated fats and low in fiber increases

LDL cholesterol, thus increasing the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

The emphasis on red meat, cheese and full-fat dairy (3 servings per day) as protein sources and the de-emphasis on plant-based protein is the reverse of previous recommendations. And the amounts of protein recommended are 50% higher and more than previous guidelines in the mistaken idea that people are not eating sufficient protein. These saturated fat-laden protein sources increase fat and protein calories with the increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, plus increased pressure on the liver and kidneys to break down proteins that are not needed or used.

The fact that meat, cheese, and full-fat dairy is devoid of fiber, missing key nutrients, phytochemicals, and minerals, are a high source of saturated fats, and risks kidney disease makes the choice of these sources of protein highly suspect.

The de-emphasis of seed oils is based on the misconception that seed oils (containing higher levels of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats) are inflammatory. In fact, omega-6 and omega-3 fats are both anti-inflammatory, but not to the same extent. The balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the typical Western diet is 10-16 to 1, promoting arteriosclerosis. Neither oil is produced in the human body, and both oils are essential for good health and need to be part of a healthy diet. Adding only more omega-3 sources to a diet already high in fat adds more fat calories to a diet already high in fat calories with even worse results. The substitution of butter and beef tallow as “healthy fat” sources is addressed above.

It is not clear who wrote the final guidelines; why certain topics were selected for emphasis; why and the recommendations did not follow the same methodology and rigor as the advisory committee’s work. In reading through the advisory committee’s recommendations, it seems that the final guidelines for USDA and HHS “were not based largely on the committee’s report.”

A careful reading of the advisory committee’s questions and suggestions for future studies to answer those questions were treated as support for foregone conclusions.

The guidelines seemed to reflect part paleo diet, part various internet misinformed dietary ideas and opinions, and part political rhetoric. Political attributions, political party affiliation, and a particular administration’s mention do not make favorite conclusions true and have no part in scientific writings.

In the end, healthful eating is about a focus on whole foods, inclusion of fruits and veggies, a variety of lean protein sources, lower added sugars, maintaining a low salt intake, reducing or eliminating ultra-processed foods, and sticking to whole grains.

“What is healthy and what is not – is not hard and not up for public debate. It’s science.”

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Creamy Carrot Soup Serving size: 8 ounces Servings per recipe: 6 Prep time: 10 min Cook time: 25 min

Ingredients •

3 Tbsp - High heat oil

•

2 pounds - Carrots, peeled and chopped

•

1 lrg - Onion, chopped roughly

•

2 Tbsp - Garlic, minced

•

1 sprig - Fresh thyme

•

1 sprig - Fresh rosemary

•

32 oz. - Low-sodium veggie broth

•

1/2 tsp - Hot sauce

•

Season to taste

Directions Heat oil in medium pan on medium heat. Add carrots, onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Cook until carrots are tender (about 15 minutes). Remove herb sprigs before transferring vegetables to blender.

Add broth to blender then puree until smooth. Transfer back to pan and bring soup to a simmer before serving. Season to taste.

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The Cancer of Sin

by Max Hammonds

n the dark recesses of a modest home office, a I physician sits in his comfortable reading chair, one of his old medical textbooks open in his lap. He tilts his head back, closes his eyes, and ruminates on how the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the human body provides insights into the human condition. And he thinks of a patient he saw recently and the thoughts of his own mind as he examined her: “The hilum of the lung is the most difficult part of the body on which to do an operation. The hilum of the lung is the area where the bronchus (breathing passage) of the airway begins to divide and branch out into smaller and still smaller passageways to the alveoli (air exchange sacs) of the lung. The hilum is also the same place where the arteries – bringing blood from the heart to receive oxygen – begin to divide into smaller and still smaller arteries going to the different lobes of the lung. AND – at the hilum veins – that are returning oxygenated blood from the lung back to the heart for distribution to the body – are coming together to form the pulmonary veins.

“How like the most convoluted crossover system of interstate freeways coming together is the tangle of traffic patterns at the hilum of the lung. In fact, there are two hilums (incorrect Latin plural, but it looks weird expressed as it should be – hila) – one in the left lung and one in the right lung.

“And all the landscaping put in place by the constructors of the freeway system where two or more interstates intersect – these globs of decoration look just like the lymph nodes stationed in the hilum to which the fluid ‘between’ the cells (not in the blood vessels) is filtered. Here the fluid comes in contact with the soldier cells (white blood cells) who guard against, recognize, and destroy foreign material, infections, – and cancer – before they can escape into the rest of the body.

“When the war ensues in these lymph nodes, especially in the case of cancer, dead bodies lie everywhere – both white cells and enemy cells. As they deteriorate, they

become gooey, clumping together, coating, sticking, and hardening together all the channels of traffic that pass through the hilum.

“The person to whom this hilum belongs comes to see me (her distraught face appears in his memory) because she has developed a cough that won’t go away. Her smoking history (the most frequent cause of cancer) has caught up with her.

The poisons in the cigarette smoke (more than 70 carcinogens) have caused some cells of the lung to grow in a wild, cancerous pattern. An x-ray will probably show a small cancerous growth in the lung that the surgeon will easily be able to remove. But the biopsy of the lymph nodes at the hilum will reveal that the cancer has invaded and won the “Battle at the Hilum.” The sticky, hardened mass of dead bodies and cancer cells at the hilum will be impossible for the surgeon to excise completely without damaging the arteries, veins, or breathing tubes entrapped in this cancerous mess, and will have already metastasized into the rest of the body.”

The physician opens his eyes and sits up straight in his chair, no longer comfortable. And he thinks: “Cancer is an apt illustration of the invasive, deadly nature of sin.” He remembers the inappropriate, inconsiderate remarks he has made to his office staff and his family in his tiredness. He wants to dismiss images that come careening out of his indulgent, unsanctified young adult years that now – stubbornly – won’t go away, despite wanting them to do so. He recalls purposeful business and financial decisions that profited him at the cost of immeasurably hurting others. A thousand small, seemingly insignificant choices slowly, maddeningly poisoning his own heart – and the hearts of his family – and his patients. He knows: “The whole human race is infested with these ‘cancerous’ attacks of the enemy until the condition has become incurable.”

He stands, walking to the bookcase, replacing the book.

He is tired but his thoughts are too serious to dismiss with a yawn. Instead, he kneels in front of his chair. “Dear gracious God, forgive me.” He pauses, considering. “Send your most excellent surgeon, the Holy Spirit, to expertly excise these cancerous thoughts and actions.” He stops, shakes his head. “No. Cut out this whole, rotten mess. Keep your promise. Give me a new heart. O Lord, please.” He remains on his knees, for how long he does not know, tearful, trembling, waiting. Slowly, he senses the calm, quiet assurance of forgiveness and reconciliation. He rises, wipes his eyes, and softly retires to his bedroom so as not to awaken his wife, thankful for peaceful sleep, prepared for the tasks of tomorrow.

Page 10 | www.ArdenAdventist.org

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

Our Family Focus this month features new members Ruben and Michelle Rivera. They joined the Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church in November last year.

Ruben was born in the Dominican Republic and is a third-generation Adventist. His father was a pastor. They moved to the United States when Ruben was four years old for his father to attend Andrews University. When he was seven years old , his family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and then to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Ruben grew up. He has one older and one younger sister.

Michelle was born in Chicago, Illinois, but she grew up in Milton, Wisconsin where her parents relocated. She is a first-generation Adventist; has four sisters and one brother and she is a twin.

Ruben attended Indianapolis Junior Academy and Milwaukee SDA Academy. He graduated from Andrews University with a B.A. in Horticulture. Rubin currently works for Family Tree Care as an Arborist. He has worked in various positions in this business and earlier in his career he owned his own tree business called Milwaukee Tree Works.

Michelle attended Woodland Elementary School and Wisconsin Academy. She received her B.S. degree from Madison Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin in Dental Hygiene. Michelle worked as a pediatric dental hygienist until their move to this area. Since their move last year, she has taken time to help their children get settled into a new area and school.

Michelle and Ruben met in high school. They became friends and then started dating in their junior year of academy. They had a long-distance relationship while in college and got married one month after their graduation! They have been married for eighteen years and have five children.

Their children are Giselle who is fourteen years old, Isabella who is twelve, Jasmine who is ten, Dario who is five, and Ana who is 2 years old. The four older children all go to Captain Gilmer School.

Their hobbies include raising their children. She also enjoys reading and cooking.

He loves hiking, playing basketball, and enjoys music. They have shared their musical talents during Arden church services. Their travels have included going to the Dominican Republic to see extended family, and also visiting family in Florida and California.

They had been praying for years to find the perfect place to move for good Adventist Christian schools. Ruben was given the opportunity to come and work for the tree company owned by Kris Wetmore who goes to the Fletcher SDA church. Also, when Michelle was in academy, she and Carisa Belanger were roommates and have been like sisters ever since. At a high school reunion more recently, they were talking about moving. They felt with Ruben’s opportunity to work in the area and being near the Belanger’s, it was a perfect fit for them. They moved in June 2025 and visited different SDA churches, but when visiting the Arden church, they felt it was such a family friendly and welcoming church and a perfect location for where they live. Their two youngest children attend the cradle roll Sabbath School class and they truly love to go each week! Ruben and Michelle transferred their membership from the Waukesha Community SDA church in New Berlin, Wisconsin.

We are so happy to welcome Ruben, Michelle, and their family to the Arden church family!

Page 11 | www.ArdenAdventist.org

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: Max Hammonds ...............................................Editor Chris Small.................................................Columnist Jean Davey..................................................Columnist Max Hammonds ..................Reporter & Columnist Pen Braister-Sturgis ..................................... Reporter Sara McCord ................................................. Reporter Dan Reynolds ............................................... Reporter Arizona McCord ............... Reporter & Proofreader Chris Small ..................................... Special Graphics Jim & Carolyn Sullenberger ................Proofreaders Nolan Darnell ........................ Mailing Management Shirley Wallstrom ...................Circulation Manager Whitney Barron .................................Layout Design Comments, suggestions and praises are always welcome. Please email or contact the church office.

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: Cindy Cottrell Office Secretary: Summer Cronin Telephone: (828) 684-6700 Email: office@ardenadventist.org Website: www.ardenadventist.com Office Hours: Mon., Wed., Thurs.,9 a.m. to 3 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 office. †Do you have questions about what Adventists believe? Would you like to become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Would you 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 have a medical emergency, call your healthcare provider or 911 immediately.

Arden Adventist

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 80 Arden, NC 28704

GRACE N TES A Magazine for Sharing God’s Love In Our Community

Arden Seventh-day Adventist Church 35 Airport Road Arden, North Carolina 28704 (828) 684-6700 If you no longer wish to receive Grace Notes, or if your address has changed, please contact us.

The Arden SDA Church presents

A NIGHT Talent and Music

of

If you have a talent, you'd like to share, please sign up in the lobby for approval and registration.

March

28 8:00 PM 2026

Please bring a snack and a drink to share.

Examples: Popcorn, Chips and Dip, Fruit and Dip

For more information please see Carrie Chavez, Kathy Herbert, or Carisa Belanger

Four-to-Go PUZZLE Without changing the order of the letters, place the 4-letter words on the dashes to form a complete word. Each 4-letter word will be used only once. Some 4-letter words might fit in several places. There is only one way for all the 4-letter words to be used to complete all the words. The clues to the answers are in the scripture references.

OMEN

VENT

COIL

RARE

IDES

HAND

CURE

SION

MASS

JUDE

NAVE

ANNE

CANE

ACHE

SCAR

#1 T __ __ N S F O __ M __ D (Rom. 12:2)

#9 __ R E A T __ __ __ (Lev. 11:47)

#2 __ A L V A T __ __ __ (Psa. 27:1)

#10 C __ __ M A N D M __ __ T (Joh. 13:34)

#3 R E __ __ N C __ __ E D (2 Cor. 5:20)

#11 C O __ P __ __ __ I O N (Mat. 9:36)

#4 A R __ H __ __ G __ L (Jude 9)

#12 __ __ __ G M __ N T S (1 Chr. 16:14)

#5 C O __ __ __ A N __ (Gen. 9:12)

#13 T __ O U S __ __ __ (Dan. 5:1)

#6 __ __ O I __ T __ D (1 Sam. 16:13)

#14 W __ L __ E R N __ __ S (Heb. 3:17)

#7 __ A N __ T U __ __ Y (Mat. 27:5)

#15 T R E __ __ __ __ R O U S (Ecc. 9:12)

#8 U __ L E __ __ E N __ D (Luk 22:7) Page 13 | www.ArdenAdventist.org

PRACTICING GRACE

And so you’ve got him “dead to rights,” as old books used to say. You’ve caught him in the lie, the theft, with poison pills he slipped into the office water cooler. There’s no way he can wriggle free from how he injured you and hurt your reputation. Now all your moral juices seethe because—for once—you have the power.

This is the crucible where what we understand of grace is seen and fully known. If grace has found a home in us, it pries our fingers off the iron mace of moral superiority, of glorying in punishments we can exact. Grace places us just where our enemy now stands. He has done wrong—just as we do. He has told lies—as we have done. He has betrayed a confidence—and which of us has not?

Grace always has a claim on justice, but chooses not to push that claim. The Bible says, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:19). If God, whom we supremely injured, sees us with such rich love that He accepts the death of Christ in place of what we fully earned, grace can be learned—by us, in us, through us, for others.

Grace lets us first unclench our fists so we may offer enemies our open hands.

So stay in grace. -Bill Knott

Page 14 | www.ArdenAdventist.org