We didn’t know what to make of the sudden unnerving sounds of police and emergency sirens piercing the normal quiet of our neighborhood. But we could tell there were several vehicles there by the sounds of many sirens and lots of blue and red flashing lights. They had passed by our front door too fast for us to get there to see what was going on, but when we saw the lights flashing beyond the houses on the street behind us, we thought that maybe there was some medical emergency or criminal disturbance nearby. When the lights didn’t go out, and the sirens continued to blaze, we noticed they were moving back toward our street. This time I made it to the front door just in time to see a parade of police and emergency vehicles going by with a Santa Claus riding atop an ambulance waving and shouting Christmas cheer to everyone. Whew!

By Sandi Adcox – Grand Junction, Colorado … After a long absence of women’s ministry events, the Grand Junction Adventist Church held a Christmas evening for the women of the church and community on December 13.

The gathering, attended by 80 women, offered an opportunity to rekindle and make new connections while enjoying a catered Italian meal, delicious desserts, fellowship, and music.

By Ryan Teller – Lincoln, Nebraska … One morning while shaving, Rich Reiner made a discovery that proved to be a wake-up call. “I found a bump on my neck,” he said. “That shouldn’t be there.”
 

At the age of 39 with three young children, he was shocked when a barrage of medical tests determined he had Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with a less than desirable long-term prognosis.

That was more than 30 years ago.

By Alise Weber – Littleton, Colorado … More than 700 community members experienced the atmosphere of Bethlehem on December 19 during the annual Bethlehem Experience presented by the Littleton Adventist Church.

The church’s campus was transformed into the town of Bethlehem where visitors were reminded of God’s light in our world, a chance to interact with marketplace shopkeepers, visit shepherds watching their sheep in the fields, and experience that beautiful, holy night Jesus was born and the hope He brought to us all.

By Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado … Campion Academy teachers and staff spent a week during winter break developing new skills and preparing for the upcoming semester. The training session included sessions with the Rocky Mountain Conference education department on the new standards-based learning and grading (SBL).

This style will be a significant shift away from traditional letter grades to evaluating students based on achievement by academic standard.

By Kendra Carlson … One Christmas season, my family faced moving out of a home we loved and saying goodbye to our very sick cat. Even while I could still listen to my sweet cat’s breathing, I ached knowing I would soon be without him. The night before our house went up for sale, my spouse and I stayed up fixing things. By 1 am, I was saying, “Who, pray tell, has time to decorate while they pack? What if we come home and find Leo dead? What if the kids find him?” And because I’m never dramatic, I said, “It’s going to be the worst Christmas ever!”

My husband shrugged and said, “One of them has to be.” Those six words shook me awake.