Merrimack Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church

A Family 4th
I love spending time with my family on Fourth of July. Every year on July 3rd, our now teenage daughter and my husband make a trip to our local fireworks booth. When they get home she lines up her treasures on the living... [Read]

Two Hearts, One Mind
My wife and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary recently. Normally, on our anniversary we exchange cards, but not gifts. We also go out for dinner together, just us, no kids, to a nice restaurant that we, rather than... [Read]

Power of Friendship
The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote extensively on the philosophy of friendship, describing the nature of genuine friendship, what it is, what it looks like, how it works. Here's how he defined it... [Read]

Mark on My Heart
I can't get my it off. My wedding band. If I didn't live in a tropical, humid environment; if I drank more water and ingested less salt; and most importantly, if I wasn't six months pregnant, I probably wouldn't be having this... [Read]

Honesty is Best
Kailee came bouncing up to Janna after class and glibly asked, "What do you think of my new outfit?" It was the worst combination Janna had ever seen Kailee wear. The colors weren't right... [Read]

Skywriting
Discerning God's will for my life has confused me since I was a teenager. I committed my life to Christ during those years, but whenever someone would talk about God's will I was always baffled. [Read]

Never an Excuse
Young love is so sweet. There's a sense of freshness, newness and excitement. Love letters, phone calls, flirting glances, first dates and first kisses. But a not-so-romantic trend is on the rise in teen relationships. [Read]

Counterfeit Cuddles
Today, I saw something that freaked me out. Really. I was in a gift shop looking for a wedding gift when I turned a corner and caught a glimpse of a puppy all curled up and sleeping on a pillow. [Read]

The Sinkhole
On May 8, 1981, Mae Rose Owens began to notice the ground eroding around her three bedroom house in Winter Park, Florida. Within days, the earth had swallowed her home, the surrounding trees, half an Olympic size... [Read]

My Dad is Stronger
After an intensive workout I decided to stop by my brother's house to pick up a CD. His identical twins named Alvin and Irving, who were six or seven years old came to the door to greet me. They both noticed I was all... [Read]

Impossible to Repay
I once heard a story from a woman whose husband of over twenty years was given the devastating diagnosis of cancer and was quickly scheduled for treatments. In the days that followed, she was sure to take the two busses to... [Read]

The Other Side
Our dog, Chaucer, insisted on digging holes under our fence so he could visit the neighbor's yard. It was exciting for him to be in a new and different place. When we discovered that he was doing this, we'd go get him... [Read]

Stress is Needed
"Do we need stress in our lives?" That was a question I got from one of my high school female students back in the mid 90s. The question was posted after we'd been studying Human Behavior for almost a week and how humans react to... [Read]

Pet Smart
At the Shibuya Train Station in Tokyo, Japan, there stands a bronze statue dedicated to Hachiko, "man's best friend." A college professor, Hidesamura Ueno, brought the dog, an Akita breed, to Tokyo in 1924. The faithful... [Read]

Life Throws a Curve
Michael Gates Gill, 63 years old, was a high-flying, six-figure-earning advertising executive. He had created huge campaigns for companies like Christian Dior and Ford and lived an even bigger life, with luxury automobiles, lavish... [Read]

Wheat Germ
Although diminutive in size, the lowly wheat germ is full of fiber and is one of the most nutrient-packed foods available. "Wheat germ contains a gold mine of essential nutrients... [Read]