The rest of my classmates had gone tubing. I was mopping floors.

This week’s Real-Time Faith story*reminded me of when I was in college and a friend bought me a fake Rolex from New York.

We’ve all been self-conscious about our image at some point to some degree. Some feel too skinny while others feel fat. Why is this important? We all want to be loved and accepted. In the April 3, 2021 story, When Erin Stopped Eating, she wants to be skinnier and her steps toward accomplishing that goal are dangerous.

I hate losing things! Don’t you?

Because I hate losing things so much, I felt really bad for Brayden in “The Borrowed Key” (April 3, 2021 issue of Guide).

Are you 13? Or are you counting down the days until you turn 13? This is the age when most social media platforms allow you to join their online communities. But not everyone who is 13 is ready to deal with the dangers of the online world.

My friend, Andrew, shared his testimony online a few months ago. I think you might enjoy watching it.

There’s a small lake I can see from my office window. I enjoy watching birds swim on the peaceful water. But the other day when I looked out my window, it seemed as if I were looking at an ocean instead of a lake!

This winter many of you may have experienced snow in your hometowns for the first time. Has that helped you think of something positive?

Have you ever visited a nursing home like Kylie did in the story “Kylie’s Visit?”*
My daughter, Sierra, and I used to make weekly visits to our local nursing home, where we helped Sierra’s senior mentor, Ms. Wanda, put together puzzles. Sometimes Ms. Wanda’s roommate would join us.

One day Sierra and I stopped at the store between Christmas and our next scheduled nursing home visit. “Oh, look at these Christmas figurines!” I said, picking a beautiful ceramic snowman off the shelf. “They’re on sale. Would you like to get one for Ms. Wanda?”

Sierra nodded and together we chose one for Ms. Wanda, but before continuing I felt compelled to get one more gift. “Let’s pick one out for her roommate too,” I said.

When we arrived at the nursing home that week, only Ms. Wanda was at the puzzle table. We gave her the gift we had picked, and she smiled and thanked us.

Sierra seemed restless, though. Instead of sitting down to help Ms. Wanda with her puzzle, she shifted from one foot to the other. Finally she leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I’m going to take this other gift down to their room.”

When Sierra returned to the puzzle table, she looked as though she’d just seen an angel. “I think I made her cry,” Sierra said reverently.

Sure enough, soon Ms. Wanda’s roommate came rolling into the activity room, beaming.

“That girl made me cry,” she said with the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face. Then she explained why. “That was the only Christmas present I got this year.”

It doesn’t take a lot of work to share joy with nursing home residents. It may not be safe to visit nursing home’s right now, but I definitely suggest making a trip when they open up again. If you don’t know what to do at a nursing home, you can ask to talk to the activities’ director. That’s how we learned about Wanda and her love for puzzles.

And if you don’t want to wait until nursing homes are open to make a difference, many nursing homes are welcoming guests to provide cheer for residents through their windows. For example, you and some friends could plan to sing to residents, or you could plan a fun parade past the windows. Again, if you’re looking for ideas, every nursing home has an activities director, and they are full of ideas of how you could be a blessing to their residents.

By doing this, like Kalie in the story, you will be obeying the Bible verse that tells us to “visit orphans and widows in their trouble” (James 1:27).


*March 6, 2021 issue of Guide

Jaynie* stomped up the stairs furiously. My mom is so bossy! she fumed to herself. At the top of the stairs stood Jaynie’s dog, Bear, ready to play. With a wagging tail, he waited eagerly for his favorite girl to arrive.

Our brand-new brown leather couch sat in the living room. It’s tall back beckoned to James* and me to climb to the top and roll down to the cushions below.

“Hey guys, I’d like to join you,” James* approached the table where Ethan and Thomas were working on a project. Earlier he had declined to be part of their project, but now he had changed his mind.

“Yuck!” my daughter, Sierra, exclaimed as I read to her Laura’s editorial, “The Gospel According to Pizza.”* “I never want to eat pizza with Laura!”

“A merry heart does good, like medicine” Proverbs 17:22 Guide magazine will include “Merry Medicine” in each issue, beginning in September.

I saved someone’s life. As he was dying on the sidewalk, I could only see his profile. He stared at me with his green eye. As piercing as his eye was, it was his quickly moving, small, delicate body that caught my attention.

Ever been bullied? Here are three victorious bullying stories from the Bible.

Like Tucker and his friends in the January 9 issue of Guide, I found an app that showed what technology thought I might look like when I’m old. On the left is the picture the app created. On the right is how I look today.

In our house, “failure” is a bad word. That’s not to say my kids aren’t allowed to fail. In fact I encourage them to try things they may not succeed at. But they are not allowed to describe themselves as failures.

Laura talks openly about the heartbreak of COVID-ears and reveals a secret talent that gives her a reason to be positive about this tragedy.

Superhero stories typically explain their hero’s special powers by saying that they have a “mutated gene.” In fact, that’s the same way evolutionists say that animals changed from one kind to another—mutated genes.

Guess what? I have a mutated gene! It’s true!

“I just saw a ghost!” my friend Sheryl declared, her eyes big as saucers.

Have you, like Miriam (“The Not So Smart Phone”, December 12), found your phone taking control of your life?

Here are some tips for how you can get some of that control back.

Guide magazine managing editor Laura Sámano interviewed Pastor Mike and Karen Pearson about the story “The Man Who Beat Death.”

Just as Ashlyn learned that she could use her hobby to serve Jesus (See “Having Fun for Jesus” in the December 5 issue of Guide), you too can live for Jesus while doing your favorite things.

What would you do if a large bird went to the bathroom all over you?

What happens to the dead? Many people are wondering about that this Halloween and here's a way to answer their questions.

 Wiping away tears, I dumped a load of cookies into the food processor and whizzed them up. I desperately needed a distraction from all the painful images I’d seen on the news over the last couple weeks. Making a special Sabbath dessert for my family was the distraction I chose, except I couldn’t get my mind off the hateful images:

There is so much hurt, so much anger, so many tears right now. Rage seems to be exploding from years of pain hiding in so many hearts.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do when it’s safe to leave your house again? Visit your grandmother? Go shopping? Attend church? My daughter has decided she’s going to buy a guinea pig.

Here is one simple thing you can do to make the time you are stuck at home more pleasant for everyone. 

I love plums! How 'bout you? Here's a video where we take a look at the inside of plums and make a comparison to some of your schoolmates.

Have you ever been lost? No fun, is it? I know because I was once lost for an entire afternoon.

Tears rolled down my cheeks Monday morning as I read my daughter’s text. “Jackson just died.”

“How are you doing?” My friend Phyllis asked. This wasn’t a casual greeting. She really wanted to know.

Did You Get Baptized at Camporee? Whether you got baptized in Oshkosh or at another time and place, we want to hear your story in the comments below.

Many of the songs we sing at church have been inspired by verses in the Bible. Oftentimes these are verses out of the book of Psalms. Check out one of my favorite Psalms-put-to-music!  

Get these great trading pins just in time for Camporee!  

Have fun enjoying the zany antics of Tucker and friends!

Dive in and do your part to help bring faith-building fun to the South Pacific!

Learn about the secret Tucker Barnes website!

Just when you thought you’d gotten rid of me, I’m back!  

There are lots of ways you can listen to Ellen White's classic book about the life of Christ—and all the ones in this list are FREE!

Have you ever felt lonely because other kids make fun of you? Have you ever complained about having too many chores? Maybe you feel like your parents’ rules are too strict. Or perhaps you have big dreams for your future, but you’re not sure whether God would approve of them.

I love taking tests! I’m not talking about the ones that teachers give in a classroom setting.

Hey, I have a "caption the photograph" opportunity for you guys!

My friend Jeri Lyn told me a story that I want to share with you.

News of shootings across the United States flood media nowadays. I came across a unique report of something that an Adventist teen and shooting survivor did and didn’t do today.

This past week I attended an Easter musical at a non-Adventist church. The cast included a camel, sheep, goats, a donkey, children, people, and a live orchestra. It was very exciting, but something was missing.

He picked February 14 to do this, huh?
I’m talking about the shooting that happened in Parkland, Florida. But I’m not referring to what Nikolas Cruz did. I’m referring to Peter Wang, who was shot repeatedly while holding a door open to let other people escape.

I love a good story! My favorite stories are the ones that combine adventure and learning about Jesus. I just discovered a new series of audio stories that I think you’ll love too!

"This is like an apocalypse! Fire in some places and water in another! It's like what the Bible describes as the end of the world! Has anyone feIt earthquakes?" I heard someone say this week.

It's now time for one of my questions! That's why I asked this guy to get your attention. 

Does the Guide magazine cover look familiar? 

I watched this video and want to share it with you. It’s related to a story that you’ll read in Guide on Sabbath.

I have several questions that you and only you can answer.

Mary Magdalene’s flood of tears prevented her from seeing what was in front of her. She had already run off to tell the disciples about Who was missing. When she was near the tomb, she couldn’t even identify the Person who she was talking to when she said, “They’ve taken the master out of the tomb! We don’t know where they’ve put him!” (See John 20.) In her sorrow, the last thing she wanted was an empty tomb.

As Valentine's Day approaches, the thoughts of many people turn.to love, romance, and all that mushy stuff. Whether or not you think you're old enough to jump into the dating scene (and whether or. not your parents agree)) chances are.high that you've dreamed of some day marrying "Mr. Right" and living happily ever after.

"There are firemen outside," my friend told me. "I want to talk to the firemen!" I told my friend. I cut our conversation short and went outside. It looks easy enough to walk over there. I have my snow boots on, I thought from where I stood in the parking lot looking out into what is a grassy area when it's not winter. Looks like they didn't have a problem getting out there. I should be just fine.

I love hunting for buried treasure. I haven’t found anything stashed away by pirates, but thanks to my metal detector I’ve dug up some pretty cool stuff.

David Latta, who has helped print Guide magazine for many years, talks about the time he met Desmond Doss, the war hero who never carried a gun. I'm sharing this video where he tells about that meeting a few photos.

Kathy and I have a surprise for you!

I am sorry to say I do not pay much attention to the news. But, when a Black "son" of mine who lives in Charlotte, NC, posted on Facebook that he was OK, I had to find out what he meant. There it was again . . . people doing awful things to other people because they are afraid.  

With all the terrible shootings that are taking place, back and forth, between people groups that are different from one another, I want to tell you what I think about ALL people.

I'd like for you to imagine that you were in my place last Sabbath afternoon...

A farewell note from Guide editor Randy Fishell.

Turn off the lights and turn on your imagination with this gripping audio drama!

This simple game about the Exodus will have you going up and down!

We've come across an audio series you might want to check out.

The Guide Mud guy is heading south!

Learn fun facts about nature and unscramble puzzles too!

Watch Lotte grow from birth to age 14 in less than five minutes! (Did we mention that God's creative hand is awesome?)

In this week's Guide, we mentioned an incredible act of kindness. 

Guess what I did two days ago?

Maybe you've been bullied, but you've probably never been bullied like this girl.

God works in mysterious ways!

Illustrator Adam Ford has created a "short biographical doodle" about the Protestant reformer William Tyndale. Enjoy!

Travel at the speed of light to catch a glimpse of our awesome God.

Turn off the lights and turn on your imagination with this classic radio drama!

Impress your friends by tying your shoes with basketweave lacing!

I just moved to Nampa, Idaho. If you don't tell anyone what I'm about to type, I'll tell you who I met. 

Check out this new music video by singer-songwriter Carmen Cruz, a friend of Guide and Real magazines.

Leon's instrument may sound scary at first, but don't worry—it's harmless (I think).

Hey everyone, I just wanted you to know that our website is now really easy to use on smartphones and tablet!

I thought you might enjoy checking out a very cool webcam that features penguins. (You may want to wear a tuxedo just to fit in.)

Here's the video I promised in my editorial in the December 6, 2014, issue of Guide.

Get ready for laughs with Christian comedian Ken Davis!

Here's a GREAT Sabbath project that you can make for yourself or as a gift!

With colder weather on the way for some of us, here's a puzzle to help you think of a warmer place!

Here's a great Sabbath activity that you can personalize and enjoy within minutes! (You can also share it with friends.)

Watch Chinook respond to sign language—and have his prayers too!

Check out this girl's growing movement!

I've been reading about creation lately and came up with a simple little chart about what's called "intelligent design." That simply means that someone (God, as far as I am concerned) with an intelligent mind created us. See what you think.

Do you have an opinion about Guide's stories? We would love to know it!   

After 100 years, scientists have discovered how 700-pound rocks move across the desert.

Guide editor Randy Fishell has been at it again. See what twisted humor he's come up with this time.

Here's a great new way to nail down the main ideas in each week's junior PowerPoints lessons!

You have two special ways to let others—including the Guide editors—know what you think!

Shock and amaze the adults by asking them to buy you this e-book devotional! Shock them even more by buying it yourself!  

Have you ever gone to an event and arrived presumably late only to realize that the event is not that day? That happened to Guide assistant editor Laura Sámano yesterday—July 4.

My co-worker and Guide assistant editor Laura Sámano wrote a very thoughtful article for the Adventist Review recently. I thought some of you older readers might appreciate it.  

Hey, if you're having trouble breaking free from the wrong kind of reading material, here are a couple of useful websites.

Why am I sharing a video about swim suits? Because fashion designer Jessica Rey has some really good things to say about modesty. See what you think, then please share your comments.

Enjoy a light-hearted look aimed at debunking some home schooling myths!

Here's a little different approach to the Daniel 2 statue.

Here's something you probably never heard about the relationship between the seventh day of the week and ice cream!

You might look pretty good, guys, but you can always look better!

If you're in grades 5-8, TweenTribune is worth checking out to see what's happening in the world.

Believe it or not, there's a way that you can tell the editors what you think of the stories in Guide!

Real magazine needs some funding for a special project . . .

Here’s the news story about the kittens I mentioned in today’s editorial in Guide, “Reagan to the Rescue.”

A soon-to-be-released movie is sure to prompt lots of discussion. Watch the trailer here.

Here is a very serious comic book about getting help for yourself or someone you care about.

You can always use some practical tips—even in the middle of the school year!

Recently a couple of states legalized marijuana, and others are considering it. Before you buy into the argument that marijuana really isn't so bad, you may wish to watch this video. Take it from those who've been there—you don't want to go there.

The Bible's way of dealing with money is worthy of your attention. Here's a creative way to discover more about our nation's debt and what you can learn from this troubling situation. Honestly, you will find it almost too astonishing to believe.

Will people really buy these coffin nails because of their ingredients?

This well-known scientist is heading for a debate!

The coming Guide Creativity Center will connect you with amazing activities with Sabbath in mind!

 There are some pretty great styles out there if you know where to look. See what you think.

A fresh design and new features await you this Sabbath (if you get Guide, that is)! Here's what to look for.

While approving discussion board posts, I came across a really cool post involving the Sabbath. But that's not all!

Sometimes I wish I could make the sun warmer in the winter.

Over 30 years in the making, one man's sky-high dream is coming true.

Be astonished at God's power as you enjoy this incredible portrayal of earth's creation week.

Television executive and Seventh-day Adventist Devon Franklin shares the Sabbath truth with Oprah Winfrey.

Please help vote the Ukrainian version of Guide into first place!

This day in history: 60 years ago today juniors received the first issue of Junior Guide.

Maybe it's the wrong question.

Have you ever wondered what Ron Wheeler looks like?

These kids really should've been in school. Oh wait, they were.

"God blessed the seventh day and made it holy." Why?

Here are a few facts you may not have known about God's special day! Also a great video on the subject!

Whether you're in Chicago or Shanghai, God's special day is meant for you.

Watch a cherished Adventist church find a new home!

We've neglected our Stories section, and we're changing that!

Some of you have submitted items that haven't shown up in Talent Showcase. Here are some possible reasons why.

Thanks to macboy10 for sharing this "Messy Mondays" gem aimed at helping us to keep things in perspective!

Our new Facebook page is up and running. Can you and your family help us get 500 "likes" by Sunday evening at 9:00 P.M.?

We are working on getting the discussion board fixed!

This poem has two sides to it. Which one are you on?

It took 56 years, but better late than never!

If you're inclined to feel sorry for yourself once in a while, watch this inspiring video featuring limbless Nick Vujicic.

Some people say that the current generation is less racist than past generations. Do you think that's true?

This new book from Pacific Press finds the people in a Mexican village fighting villains who don't want a Christian school built in their area.

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty. 

My long awaited trip ended in a shocking way.

The other day I was reading a review of the movie The Avengers. That’s when something started to bother me.

This will be for older kids and teens, but speaker Ravi Zacharias shares in powerful fashion why atheism—the belief that there is no God—is a very hard position to defend.

On Monday of this past week, I spent a day exploring California's Joshua Tree National Park. Here is a brief report of my adventures . . .

Man, what a wacky adventure I just had!

The other day I spotted a coin-operated candy machine at a garage sale. When I got closer, I figured I couldn't afford it. But I was wrong!

A 13-year-old spy was apprehended this past Thursday while attempting to pose as a tourist. Learn more and see the shocking video!

We had lots of folks stop by Guide headquarters this week, including these great Guide readers!

We had a great time at our big event in the Washington, D.C., area on May 4. Here are a few highlights!

A public school in Queens, New York, has become the first public school to adopt and all-vegetarian cafeteria menu.

Talk about good timing! The story "Anything Can Happen" by Christina Dotson just recently finished running in Guide and who should show up at Guide headquarters?

More couples are living together before getting married. Is this God's way?

Guide is considering a new feature for 2014 and we need you to weigh in.

Today, Sabbath, March 30, 2013, three of us took a hike to nearby Devil's Racecourse here in Maryland. Nobody knows how this vast pile of rocks originated. There is a stream flowing underneath all of these rocks. And some of them make ringing sounds when you hit them with a hammer!

Looking for a fun Sabbath activity? You might check out goanimate.com! At this website, you can sign up for the FREE package and really have some fun choosing characters, adding your own dialogue, and watching the video—all within a few minutes! (No, I am not getting paid to promote this thing—I just had a lot of fun doing it myself!

Be sure and choose the FREE option. And I hate to tell you this, but you're supposed to be 13 or older. :(

See what kind of Sabbath video you can create!

I've been getting a little concerned about genetically-modified foods lately. For example, did you know that over 80% of the corn grown in the United States has been genetically modified? It might be totally safe, but there's really no way of knowing what the long-term consequences might be to the human body.

Anyway, a few months ago I decided to build a little greenhouse and start growing what are called "heirloom" vegetables. These veggies have had nothing done to them at all in the way of scientific alterations for decades—sometimes centuries!

Here is a photo of the greenhouse I built:



It's not fancy, but is works. I have several barrels inside it that are black and filled with water. These absorb sunlight and release a little bit of heat at night. This is called "passive solar" heating.

I am growing mostly salad greens and the first ones are coming up now.





That is spinach (the leaves taste better in salads than you might think!) in the foreground and kale and lettuce in the background.

It's nice and warm in my greenhouse on a cold winter or spring day!

Here's the real story behind so many "beautiful people."

"60 Years of Guide" is already available to order online. 

If you're anywhere near the nation's capitol on Sabbath, May 4, 2013, we hope to see you in person!

                        
Randy Fishell, Guide Editor                                 Rich Aguilera, Mud columnist                                    Laura Samano, Assistant Editor
Watch out—a hurricane force of fun and music may be headed your way!Guide columnist Rich Aguilera will have you on the edge of your seats in his Live and Muddy! presentation on dinosaurs and more! But that's not all! Laura and I will also be there to share in the fun!
 
And we're delighted to have Christen, Caryn, Carolina, and Carmen Cruz—4 Christ—joining forces with us in this special Guide event. It's an afternoon of songs, interactive creation features and more—all made with you in mind!

So we hope to see you at Live and Muddy! on May 4. Here are the details:

What: Live and Muddy!
Where: Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church, 7700 Carroll Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20912
When: Sabbath, May 4, 2013, at 4:00 PM

For more info call Guide at 301-393-4035 or the Sligo church at 301-270-6777


Please help promote the event.
Download an 11 x 17 poster.
Download a bulletin insert. ¡Advertencia! La fuerza de un huracán de diversión y música puede dirigirse en tu dirección. Rich Aguilera, columnista de la revista Guide los tendrá en suspenso con su presentación Live and Muddy! una presentación acerca de dinosaurios ¡y mucho más! Pero eso no es todo, Laura yo también estaremos allí para compartir la diversión. Estamos encantados de que Christen, Caryn, Carolina, y Carmen—4Christ—se unan a nosotros en este evento especial de Guide. Será una tarde llena de música, presentaciones interactivas acerca de la creación, ¡y mucho más! Guide ha planeado este evento pensando en ti. Esperamos verlos el 4 de mayo para Live and Muddy! Aquí están los detalles: Qué: Live and Muddy!
Dónde: Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día de Sligo
7700 Carroll Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20912
Cuándo: Sábado, 4 de mayo de 2013, a las 4:00 PM
Para más información llame a Guide al 301-393-4035 o a la iglesia de Sligo al 301-270-6777. El documento “LiveMuddyPoster” lo pueden usar para promover el evento en su iglesia. “LiveMuddyPoster” es un cartel de 11 pulgadas por 17 pulgadas. El documento “BulletinInsert” es para promover el evento al colocar los volantes en el boletín de su iglesia.

Now check out the 4 Christ version of "Need Him Every Hour"!

David Robinson, Sports Zone columnist for Guide, visited the Review and Herald office yesterday. Randy and I got a chance to take pictures with him. Do you want to see the surprise at the bottom of the picture?

You see his name in Guide magazine every week, but Brandon Reese recently drew and designed the cover of a children's CD that won a Grammy Award.

I enjoyed listening online to Adventist Kids Radio, and I think you will too!

You may have already seen this video, but if you haven't, it's a good example of how not to behave.

What a surprise to be called into the president's office!

Here's a game made by CBH Ministries that you might find intriguing. See if you can figure out the various elements that reflect the Christian journey.

We've had lots of visitors lately! You won't believe what happened with this group.

This is kind of weird, but sort of interesting too.

Books, books, books. Lot's of 'em have been printed through the centuries, but you may be surprised about which ones have been translated the most! Did your favorite book make the list?

We still need more responses!

One of the great things about being made in God's image is that each of us gets at least a little dose of creativity. Check out how one teen has put that creativity to amazing use in building his own electric vehicle.

This may be for some of you older Guide readers, but it's worth paying attention to Dr. Ravi Zacharias as he responds to a college student's question about taking the Bible seriously.

My friend Dave Hittle sent me a photo of some housing made out of shipping pallets.

I like celebrating Christmas year-round. I play Christmas music even in July! The wise men, also referred to as magi, have always intrigued me.
They did something that I wish I could have done.

They were "beautiful children who had simply come to school to learn." That's how Governor Dannel Malloy described the youngest victims in the tragic elementary school shooting that took place in Newtown, Connecticut. With 27 dead, what are we to think? Is there any explanation?

I've wondered if the end is near many times. Even as an adult, I ask Daddy about the big questions in life. I noticed you've shared the same concern on our Discussion Board. One of you was specifically concerned about the end of the Mayan calendar. My father is a pastor and a teacher. He gave me an answer that I'd like to share with you.

I've been looking at your artwork, photos, and other things you've shared on our Talent Showcase. You are inspiring me! I've also read what you've shared on the Talent Showcase and I've laughed at your jokes. 
If you haven't shared anything yet, now is your chance!

This past weekend I had the opportunity of meeting a dinosaur! He was longer than I am tall. He roared so loud I snapped a picture and ran!

Recently Guide ran a story about the missionary doctor to Labrador and Newfoundland, Dr. Wifred Grenfell.  Here's a short viideo showing actual footage of Dr. Grenfell.

Animation students at Southern Adventist University have created an inspiring new production!

While Guide does not endorse the TV show Two-and-a-Half Men, we are thrilled that one of its stars has been attending a Seventh-day Adventist church.

This past weekend I killed the same fly TWICE!

If you've enjoyed "The Adventures of Jeremiah" and "Duane's World" in Guide magazine, they you'll want to listen to the dramatic true story of its creator, Ron Wheeler.

They were everywhere—members of the Liberty Seventh-day Adventist Church (Maryland) Pathfinders!

{jcomments on}Wanna know where Halloween comes from?

Here's a new way to brush up on the truth about life after death!

According to Robert Krulwich, a National Public Radio science commentator and blogger, "Once in our history, the world-wide population of human beings skidded so sharply we were down to roughly a thousand reproductive adults. One study says we hit as low as 40. Forty? Come on, that can't be right." Well, Robert is correct about that . . .

Sports Zone columnist David Robinson shared this moving video with us.

When trick-or-treaters come knocking, don't forget to toss a Real magazine into their bags!

A man claiming to be a member of the Temple Emmanuel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Youngstown, Ohio, led a raid on Guide headquarters Monday morning.

Imagine the sun and moon talking to each other."Sometimes I don't know when it's my turn to shine," the sun says to the moon.

Elyssa, a Guide reader from Ontario, Canada, whose last name shall remain unpublished because I know the major talent scouts would be pursuing her, has talents that I just don't.

The bullies meant to make fun of Whitney, but it didn't turn out the way they planned.

If you've ever wondered what Seventh-day Adventists really believe, here's a fun new way to find out!

I got a chance to see the Guide dog for the first time at a Health Expo in Hagerstown!  

“We’re putting them in the wrong way!” Diana said.

"Really? That makes sense!" I replied.

Look at these people—you'd think they had just arrived from Brazil or something.

It wasn't easy getting there, but what a view from the top of Spy Rock in Montebello, Virginia!

Here is a way of thanking God for all the blessings He's given you this week.  

A beautiful treatment of "Amazing Grace" by Guide website user "isabrooke" came in today.

Today I noticed this question on the Guide discussion board: " is it wrong to go on guide on the sabbath? or more specifically, to guide discussion board. would we be breaking the sabbath if we go to guy/girl relationships or totally random topics? i'm not trying to down guide or anything Mr. Fishell, but i'm just wondering...

Over the years, Lisa Freeman has written many stories for Guide. Recently she shared with me about the death of her son. Now Lisa is on a mission to help stop bullying. And you can help.

Some of you have been wondering how to make a poll on this website. It's pretty easy, really!

I enjoy feeding the birds that hang out in my backyard. But honestly, more often than not, I don't know which song belongs to which bird! Here's a fun AUDIO QUIZ that can help fix that problem!

I enjoy feeding the birds that hang out in my backyard. But honestly, more often than not, I don't know which song belongs to which bird! Here's a fun AUDIO QUIZ that can help fix that problem!

When my parents bought school supplies for me when I was a teen they bought all but one of the items on the list that I found of Top 10 school supplies.

You probably don't recognize Ellen Kimble (far left) and Hazel Wendt (second from right). After all, they're all dressed up to pay a visit to Guide headquarters.

On the surface, Kim and Beverly from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, fit the mold of cute, well-mannered, and intelligent young women. That's their day job.

After seeing a certain activity taking place in church this morning, I decided to draw this quickie cartoon this afternoon . . .

So you're wondering, who is this new girl? Well, let me introduce myself: I'm the new assistant editor for Guide. Here are six things that most people don't know until after we've been friends for a while.

Today is my last day at Guide, so I'm saying goodbye to all my Guide friends out there! (If you want to know why I'm leaving, read my previous post.) I'll miss you!

But it's also time to introduce you to the new Guide assistant editor . . .

This week Pastor Seth Pierce has shared some thoughts on the movie The Dark Knight Rises. As editor of Guide, I'd like to give you another perspective.

What happened after they walked into my office is almost beyond belief.

What a thrill to have this amazing, young representative step into the Guide offices!

By now most of you know about the terrible tragedy that took place in Aurora, Colorado. Our first priority is to share in the heartbreak of this incident. God is grieving, and He longs for the day when this type of event will no longer take place.

If you're like a lot of young people, you might think that God can't use you do something wonderful for His kingdom. Well, that would be wrong. Here's a fun test to help you learn what God may have in mind for you!

So there I was, just minding my own business, when these two Guide readers burst into my office. I could tell I was no match for them, so I just stepped aside and let them take control.

This has been an amazing week for drop-ins here at Guide headquarters!

Yesterday a guy from Wisconsin wandered into our headquarters.

I don't mean to give away any of Rich's secrets, but in an upcoming Mud column he talks about some neat national parks he's visited. I love visiting national parks too, and while checking out some info from his column, I came across something that you might like to do.

Do your grandparents or parents (or you) ever watch "Wheel of Fortune" on TV? If you enjoy the show, you might want to check out this Sabbath-appropriate version of the game!

Who are these kids, and how did they wrest control of Guide headquarters away from the editors?

This week marks the celebration of U.S. Independence Day. Guide readers in Canada celebrated Canada Day on July 1. Tomorrow (July 4) I plan to watch the fireworks show in our nation's capital, which isn't very far from where I live. 

Here's a thought-provoking little video clip about grace that Guide user girl4jesus sent our way. Enjoy!

There's quite a difference between the way the Bible describes the two main characters engaged in the great cosmic controversy, Jesus and Satan. Here's an amazing optical illusion that will help drive the point home.

Feed the hungry for FREE? How great is that? That's exactly what you can do each and every day, thanks to the folks at the Hunger Site.

This weekend I received the startling news that my cousin John was killed in a car crash. Sadly, that means two girls about your age are now without a dad.

Most of you have probably heard your parents and others using words like "unemployment" and "recession" and "debt crisis" and other such confusing terms. The bottom line is that a lot of people (and countries) are spending a lot more money than they bring in. And it just seems that nobody is learning their lesson!

I have some big news that I've been waiting to share with you. Now that some of the details are finalized, it seemed like a good time to spill the beans.

Videos can be fun to watch, but I really like to listen to audio adventures. You might want to check out what's available for Christians at this fabulous resource! (Some of it's free!)

You’ve probably heard of the book The Great Controversy. God gave the book’s author, Ellen White, astonishing insights into our planet's past, present, and future. Now there’s a brand-new way to understand—and share—some of the most important themes from this powerful book.

Hopefully you will read this blog post before it's too late! You may be losing brain power even as we speak! (Well, I guess we aren't actually speaking, but you know what I mean.) You need to know the truth about the brain-draining power of sugar!

It was their first concert ever for the Cruz sisters—Carmen, Carolina, Caryn, and Christen. The four girls, ages 9 to 15, enjoy blending their voices in harmony on a variety of Christian songs, old and new. As part of their concert, they decided to take up an offering for Real magazine and help more kids meet Jesus.

In my editorial on May 5 I wrote about Jack Whittaker (no relation to me!), who won $314 million in the Powerball lottery back in 2002. Jack’s story is one of the most startling tales I’ve ever heard about how having lots of easy cash can actually be a ticket to misery, not happiness.

What do you think of when you hear the word "alcohol"? Do you think of people acting stupid and obnoxious, getting in car wrecks, and becoming addicted? Or do you think of people relaxing and having fun with friends, enjoying themselves more because they have a beer in their hands?

You could help an Adventist church in Maryland win a prize by voting for their video about how they keep kids healthy. It's all part of Let's Move!, a campaign by U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama to stop childhood obesity. You would think Adventists might have some good ideas about healthy living, and they do! The Filipino Capitol SDA Church is sharing their ideas with the world through Mrs. Obama's Communities on the Move Video Challenge.

A couple of weeks ago I read some pretty interesting material on creation and evolution. As you may know, proteins and DNA have to do certain things in order for life to exist. Here is something that really stuck with me from the book I was reading . . .

"Look at you!" the guy with the braid finally said. "You're just a little kid! What are you in for, stealing candy bars?"

The rest of the guys laughed, and Andrew shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his chains clanking in his lap.

"You gotta be, what, 130 pounds soaking wet? How old are you, anyway?"

Today I was excited to meet a couple of Guide readers and their parents. Jeremiah (seated at the editor's desk) and Lonnie Wibberding call Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home. I enjoyed showing them around Guide headquarters and the Review and Herald Publishing Association, where Guide is made. Thanks for stopping by, folks!

I found this large dead moth on the sidewalk as I was coming in to work this morning. I think it's very beautiful. Look at the colors on its wings! Also, its antennae are pretty cool, like feathers.

I was delighted this morning when musicians from ATLANTA ADVENTIST ACADEMY came by. Their singers and bell choirs were fantastic! I took a part of the group on a tour of Guide headquarters and the Review and Herald Publishing Association (where Guide is made). I even tossed one guy, David (on the far left), through my secret bookcase door into Rachel Whitaker's office, but he was not hurt. Here's a photo of my group.

A Guide reader who goes by "Daze" on the website Discussion Board came across a video that reveals the startling truth about the lives of home schoolers. I hope you are prepared for what you are about to see. And thank you, Daze, for having the courage to expose these young people for what they really are.

Some folks in Australia are up in arms about a children's beauty pageant that is coming to their shores from the U.S. Children as young as one month old can compete in this event in July. According to news articles, "children don extravagant outfits and often have fake tans, full make-up and professional hair styling." "The participants are judged on facial beauty, overall appearance, personality and talent." (The girl in the picture, Eden Wood, is 5 years old.)

Do you have a talent for gurning? Some people do, you know. In the off chance that you don't know what gurning is, it is twisting one's own face in such a way that it is nothing short of shocking. Yes, I am talking about hardcore face-making. I have included a few examples here of champion gurners in case you need some inspiration. Of course, some of us don't have to work so hard at it.

A couple days ago I walked out the front door at work to take a break and enjoy the nice spring day.

SSSSS! I heard after walking just a few feet. Looking around for the source of the hissing noise, I saw a mother goose sitting on her nest. She was warning me not to come any closer.

We hope you're having fun exploring the new Guide Web site! One of the things you'll notice (if you're logged in as a CyberClub member) is that you can comment about almost everything--blogs, stories, videos, games. We hope this makes it that much easier to interact with the Guide staff and bloggers and with your fellow Guide readers. Please let us know your thoughts about the new site—especially if you find anything that's not working. You can post a message in the discussion board, send us an e-mail using the Contact Us link at the top of the page, or just add a comment to this blog!

Today I was thinking about something that would be really cool. If everyone who reads this blog could think of JUST ONE friend, relative, or classmate who they think would enjoy Real magazine--and sign them up to receive it--it could result in hundreds of Real magazines going out really quickly! Would you do this for me, your trusty Guide editor? Please remember: this should be someone who doesn't already go to church. We're trying to use all of our donated money to send Real to UNCHURCHED kids, young people who don't know much about Jesus. In other words, if you sign up somebody from your Sabbath school, well, it's taking money away from us being able to send the magazine to someone who doesn't know Jesus (unless that person is a non-Adventist or not a Christian at all). Here are some people to think about: cousins, neighborhood kids, public school friends, fellow club members (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.), friends from previous schools, teammates,
blended family members who don't know Christ, and non-Adventist kids attending your Adventist school. Can you think of others? Get your parents and teachers involved and make this a family, classroom, or Sabbath school class project. By the way, when you enter names on our website, if you want to, you can put YOUR name in the Sponsor's Name blank space on the form and the magazine will arrive at their house with "A Gift From [Your Name]" in the recipient's mailbox! How cool is that? Please CLICK HERE and sign up someone right now! It might just lead them to heaven. Thanks!

Well , Thanksgiving has come and gone , and Christmas is coming! (At least , that is all true for those of us in the United States.) At our house , we have the Christmas tree up and decorated. And I am the only person so far who has a present under the tree! (That will change pretty soon though.)It hasn't yet snowed here in Maryland , which is not a huge disappointment to me since I am not into snowboarding!I got some hiking in during the Thanksgiving holidays. We went on the Appalachian Trail not far away from Guide headquarters. It rained part of the way back , but it was warm enough so it wasn't a problem.SInce it has been a long and somewhat tiring week here at Guide , I am going to head for home. Have a great Sabbath!

I'll be in Stamford , Connecticut , in January to attend the Youth Ministries Convention held by the Northeastern Conference. I hear there will be Pathfinder and AY leaders there , as well as some youth. So maybe I'll see some of you there!

Hey , we want to put your smiling faces in a new section on the Guide website. Have someone take a digital photo of you (or you and a friend or two) in what you think is an unusual location. It could be at a major league ballpark , on vacation , in a restaurant--anyplace that you think is kinda cool and out-of-the-ordinary. Here's the thing: you've gotta be holding up a Guide in the photo for everyone to see! Let's see what you come up with! E-mail your photo to guide@rhpa.org. I'll be waiting . . .

Last week I visited Saguaro National Park near Tucson , Arizona. It was fun seeing all those cacti! Did you know that it takes decades for a saguaro cactus to grow to even six feet in height? (By the way , the correct pronunciation is not "sug-whar-oh." It's "suh-whar-oh"--no hard "g" sound.I saw a mule deer there , which was pretty neat. Go here to see a shot taken from the same trail I hiked. Go here to see a great photo of the park!

A couple weeks ago I was in Tucson , Arizona , with Randy attending a church convention. Like Randy , I enjoyed seeing the cacti in Saguaro National Park. Unlike Randy , I got the opportunity to visit the junior class at the Midvale Park Seventh-day Adventist Church. Here's a picture of me with the juniors and their teacher. You can see that they decorated their own room by painting a rainbow , angels , and Bible scenes on the walls. Pretty creative! (By the way , I found out their pastor , David Moore , is a Guide fan too!)

Back at Thanksgiving I got together with some of my relatives in Michigan. My cousins' kids were getting kind of bored hanging out with all the adults. So I dug out some Guide magazines to keep them entertained. (Since none of my relatives are Adventist , they hadn't seen Guide before.) As you can see , they were hooked right away!

While I was in Arizona last month , I had the privilege of meeting one of our Guide authors , Karen Troncale. She lives in Tombstone , a historic "Wild West" town famous for gunfights such as the shootout at the OK Corral. (Kinda sad that so many historic places are famous mainly for people killing each other!) Karen and her husband , Steve , gave me a personalized tour of Tombstone. A little secret--a lot of the people walking around town looking like rough-and-ready cowboys are really just Tombstone locals who enjoy dressing up in Wild West duds!

Here's a photo of the Troncales with their mule , Tonya (or maybe it's Tanya--hopefully the mule won't notice if I misspell her name). Watch for Karen's story "Snake Dance" in April!

This past weekend I participated in an earliteen rally in Oshawa , Ontario , Canada. (I never saw so many hockey sticks in an airport before as I did in Toronto.) The rally was an event designed just for earliteens! It was really pretty exciting , and we played the FACTory Trivia Game on Sabbath afternoon.I'm going back to Canada to be the featured speaker in juniors at the British Columbia camp meeting. Maybe I'll see you there!

In this past Sabbath's "Good Humor Guy" column, I mentioned that something had gone into my ear. It turned out to be a thin, one-inch long seed pod from a plant. I had been trimming bushes and this piece apparently flew off the plant and into my ear! I finally had to have someone who knew what they were doing get it out. All is well.

OK, so the Merry Christmas greeting is a day late (today is the day after Christmas). Still, I hope you had a fun time and maybe even got something you wanted as a present! I sure did--and I had the privilege of giving a few presents to people too. About the chats. We're just about ready to have weekly chats. A couple of Sabbaths ago we held two chats (Friday evening and Sabbath evening) and we had about 160 total "chatters." It was a lot of fun (at least I thought so!). Hopefully we'll be having the chats every week very, very soon. Thanks for your patience. I hope you enjoy the last Guide issue for 2008. Beginning next week, we're starting a brand-new continued story called "In the Shadow of the Mob." It's about an acquaintance of mine whose dad was in the Mafia. I think you'll really enjoy it.

How did your Sabbath go today? I gave a sermon to a bunch of educators this morning in Daytona Beach, Florida. The title of my sermon was "What I Don't Know." Really. With a title like that, I could have talked for weeks. This afternoon the weather was nice and I enjoyed walking along the beach. There are lots of hotels in this area, some very expensive ones. But I said to someone who was with me, "None of these fancy hotels can even begin to compare with the beauty of God's creation, including shore birds and even the patterns in the sand." OK, well, I couldn't resist having my photo taken as a volleyball-playing dude. I will be back in Maryland soon. I hope you enjoyed today's issue of Guide Magazine. By the way, congratulations to all the Guide story contest winners!

Well, I made it back from Leoni Meadows Camp in Grizzly Flats, California. Here are some photos I took while I was out there. After wandering through valleys and mountains, I was glad to see the sign announcing that I'd found the right place.  The house pictured below is the Leoni farmhouse. Back in the 1800s, the Leoni family farmed this beautiful property in the Sierra Nevada.And now the property is an Adventist camp and retreat center!

The G&R Railway train ride at Leoni Meadows Camp is about 4 miles long, and I took it at night. It was cold, but it was great looking up into the Milky Way galaxy! All told, I had a great time out there. (I was speaking to a whole bunch of children's ministries leaders.)

I am absolutely amazed at the beautiful camp properties the Adventist Church has been blessed to own. On the way back, I stopped in a town called Placerville, California. I came across this sign, but there was no explanation! Kind of creeped me out. Well, my next report will be of my adventures in Daytona Beach, Florida, which await me this weekend. Who knows what I will discover? (Hopefully some warm weather, which is something we are not having in Maryland at the moment.)

Hi Guide Readers! I hope you're having a great Sabbath wherever you are. I am still here at Leoni Meadows Camp in Grizzly Flats, California. I have not been eaten by a bear yet. I was totally surprised when our new Guide CyberClub chat coordinator, "Mr. Larry," showed up here! Here's the exciting news: Mr. Larry plans to have the weekly Guide chat sessions up and running within a week or so! This is gonna be fun! Tonight I am going on a train ride on the G&R Railroad. It is the longest one-third scale train in the United States. It's a little bit over four miles in length, and it is right here at Leoni Meadows. Anyway, I will take pictures and put them on my blog soon. Just wanted to let you know about the soon-to-come weekly chat sessions!

Tonight I am in Sacramento, California. But tomorrow I am going somewhere I've never been before: Leoni Meadows Camp in Grizzly Flats, California. From what I have learned, Leoni Meadows used to be a dairy and farm that belonged to the Leoni family back in the 1800s. Now it's an Adventist camp. With it being in Grizzly Flats and all, maybe I should've brought some anti-bear spray along! Anyway, I will take some pictures and put them on here when I get back to Maryland. Of course, I'll bet some of you reading this have been to Leoni Meadows, so you probably know all about it. I will too--after tomorrow!

I just wanted to let you know that we're working on getting the Guide CyberClub chat room open more often than in the past. Thanks to some wonderful adult volunteer moderators, we're trying to get the chat rooms open at least every Sabbath. We may even have a room for those of you who prefer to chat in Spanish! And if you know of a parent, junior or earliteen leader, or some other Adventist adult whom you think would make a good chat moderator, have them contact me at guide@rhpa.org. Maybe we'll eventually get the chat room open every day, who knows?

I have a lot of respect for good science. It's important, though, to learn what makes for good science. Otherwise, you might fall for bad science. Now, bad science can sometimes come from good scientists—nobody gets it right every time. But there are other times when some folks actually try to make people believe something they know isn't true. So how can you tell when someone is trying to play a trick on you? According to QuackWatch.org, there are a few signs you need to pay attention to. Here are some of them: 1. The discoverer first tells the media, rather than other scientists, about their discovery. 2. The discoverer claims that some big organization is trying to keep him or her from sharing the discovery with the rest of the world. 3. The discovery is typically on the "edge of detection." For example, there's never a clear photograph (Loch Ness Monster, UFOs, etc.). 4. The "evidence" turns out to be more of a story than hard facts. 5. The discoverer has worked alone. 6. The discoverer must propose new laws of nature to explain the discovery. New discoveries happen all the time and can change our lives for the better. But it doesn't hurt to be wise and beware! To learn about some authentic hoaxes, click here!

Here I am in a hotel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I forgot my suit jacket. But I am happy to report that there's one thing I take with me wherever I go: the Sabbath. OK, maybe I don't exactly "take" it with me. But wherever you or I happen to be when the sun sets on Friday evening, we can know that the Sabbath and its blessings are right there with us. Hey, did you know that New Mexico has a state cookie? It's called the Biscochito. And don't forget about the New Mexico state bird. Here are some interesting facts about it: * Roadrunners are quick enough to catch and eat rattlesnakes. * Roadrunners prefer walking or running and attain speeds up to 17 miles per hour. * The Roadrunner is also called the Chaparral Cock. OK, enjoy your Sabbath time, wherever you are!

Well, I got out my trusty guitar and pretended I knew what I was doing with it. Here is my own little version of an old gospel tune called "Leaning On the Everlasting Arms." See what you think. If you don't like it, please don't tell me, because I get my feelings hurt really easily.

This week I spent two days in Michigan helping someone move out of his house. He didn't want to move, but his little house had been invaded by something called "bird mites." This was a real nightmare deal. These little insects (which are mostly impossible to see without a microscope) bite like crazy and are ver, VERY hard to get rid of. My friend had to throw out most of his clothes and wash with four different solutions each day to try and get the bugs off of him. Oh yeah, I had to wash with four different solutions too, since I was helping him. You should have seen us. For two days we looked like we were working at a nuclear waste site, because we were dressed from head to toe in white outfits, face masks and gloves included! It was horrible!  But at least the nightmare has now ended, and I didn't get bit once! WARNING: Do not let any wild birds sneak into your attic or eaves and nest there or you might soon be living a nightmare too! That's where these mites came from, it turned out. Well, I hope now that you've read about my misadventures in Michigan this week, you don't start scratching!

I could not believe it! I seldom buy M&Ms, but I bought some yesterday morning and promptly devoured them. About an hour later I looked at a news website, and there were my M&Ms! Well, what I mean is, there was an identical-looking package of M&Ms, and the news story said M&Ss might be poisoned by something called "melamine" from China! What was going on here? I just wanted to enjoy a little bit of candy, and now I had to worry about being poisoned! Man, I can't wait until I get to heaven, where I am SURE the fruit on the tree of life does not contain melamine, or any other kind of poison, for that matter. Thanks for letting me be frustrated.

It seems like spring in Maryland today--almost 60 degrees! I love spring!I hope you will get on the chat tomorrow. Join me in the room about Understanding Muslims. I think this is a very important topic in our world today.

I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail today. There is a section here in Maryland that has been rerouted and I had never been on that part before. Since there was a little snow on the trail it was kind of slippery. I'll go back to that section in a few weeks maybe and check it out again.Have you seen our two new books yet? They are Finding My Way in Milwaukee by Jennifer Schwirzer and Guide's Greatest Mystery Stories! Check them out soon!

Girls , have you ever had a disagreement with your parents about whether your clothes were too tight , too short , too low-cut , or whatever? Have you ever wondered , Why does it matter whether I look "modest" or not?

Newsflash--one big reason it matters is because guys really like it when girls show by the way they dress that they respect themselves and others. In an Internet survey dozens of guys wrote that the girls who catch their eye are the ones who stand out from the crowd by dressing modestly. They expressed a huge thank-you to girls who help give them a break from the battleground against lustful thoughts. Here's what one 13-year-old guy said: "I don't have to drop my eyes when I see a modestly dressed girl. I can look at her and say , 'Wow , she looks nice ,' instead of having to look at the ground or the ceiling."

I really encourage you to look at the survey and read the comments from the guys. It showed me a new perspective about how much they appreciate us girls when we take care to dress in a way that doesn't tempt them. It made me feel good that I've tried to do that myself!

I came into Guide Headquarters this morning to approve the discussion board responses and topics. I got them done , but now I have to head home quickly because it is snowing like crazy outside! Earlier this week it was 70 degrees! Oh well. Spring is soon to return. (Sorry if you like skiing and snowboarding more than you like warm weather!) Have a great Sabbath!

Right now is the time of year that brings on what's known as "March Madness." That's when we see which college basketball team will go home with the 2007 national championship trophy.Recently an Adventist college player made headlines. Why? Because he chose to honor the Sabbath over basketball. I hope you'll take the time to check out the story of Kelvin Green.

The Guide editors will be at two camp meetings this year. Rachel will speak for juniors/earliteens at Mountain View Conference camp meeting in West Virginia , June 15-23. Randy will speak for the juniors in British Columbia , July 27-August 4. We'll be talking about "Who Ya Gonna Believe?"--God's truth or Satan's lies. Plan now to be there! Beg your parents to take you , at least on the weekends. :) We hope to see you then. Go to the camp meeting schedule to find out more details.

Some of you know that I like searching for buried goodies with my metal detector. Mostly I hunt for Civil War relics , but lately I've been hunting at a colonial-era farmstead that's been abandoned for quite a while. I got permission to hunt the property and I've been finding some pretty interesting stuff. Recently I found two 1700s coins and two early 1800s coins. I'm a grown man but I still get pretty excited when my detector beeps and I unearth another treasure! It reminds me of Jesus' story about the woman finding her lost coins. She was pretty excited too!Well , it's been a lousy springtime here in Maryland. But you know what? I am not sick , I have enough to eat , and I have the best job in the world. So what do I have to complain about?

I read a funny but true story recently. A missionary was learning the language of the Tarahumara tribe so that he could translate the Bible into their language. He was trying to find out the word for "jump ," so he acted it out by jumping around the room. One of the local people finally said something , which he thought was the word for "jump ," but later he found out it meant , "What is wrong with you?"

National Geographic has some cool nature videos on their site. Here's one of some hummingbirds that have long feathers like plumes coming out of their tails. It's really weird! You can also see the first video ever taken of a rare rhinoceros that's hardly ever seen by humans.

Ugh. Very sad about that Virginia Tech shooting incident , wasn't it? You can be proud , though , that Adventism's Review and Herald Publishing Association responded quickly. They raised funds and delivered thousands of tracts to help the people in the university community cope with the tragedy.Well , have you seen Guide's newest book yet? It's called Guide's Greatest Mystery Stories. Lots of excitement in that book!OK , here's one for you: Q: What do you do if there's a kidnapping in Texas? A: Wake him up.

I found out that the Guide CyberClub has members from about 50 countries around the world! Some examples are Jamaica , the Philippines , Thailand , Australia , Ghana , Peru , Poland , Cyprus , Trinidad. I think that's pretty cool!

Tabitha Dowell was 16 when she wrote and published her own book , called "The Story of Ruth." Tabitha is an Adventist who lives in Michigan. In the book she imagines the life of Ruth after the end of the biblical story. You can find Tabitha's book on amazon.com. She's already working on other books! Cool , huh?

I first met Emily Eskildsen way back on May 22 , 2007 , which turns out to be yesterday. But Emily and I have been in e-mail contact longer than that. Emily will be working at GUIDE this summer doing all kinds of things , including writing stories for you! She's what we call a "summer intern ," which means she'll be getting on-the-job writing , editing , and other magazine experience over the next few weeks. We're glad she chose GUIDE as the place to do that!Emily grew up in Michigan and recently marched down the graduation aisle at Union College in Lincoln , Nebraska. She loves kids , and we know that will show up in the pages of GUIDE as she brings her talents to its pages.

The eighth-grade graduating class at C.F. Richards Adventist School in Staunton, Virginia, recently stopped by the Guide offices here in Maryland. Seated behind the Guide editor's pathetic desk is class president Erica Hevener. Behind her (l to r) are Amy Frost, Kai Rhodes, Cody Brooks, and Seth Guldin. The Guide editor was particularly fascinated at having someone with a broken arm visit his office, so he took a close-up shot for your enjoyment.Congratulations to all eighth-grade graduates everywhere!

If you're looking for more online stuff to do on Sabbath , here's a new e-zine called Visionary with stories by kids , Q&A , and more. Especially if you like history , this is a good place for you!

The little wandering wabbit in this photo was in my front yard this past Friday. Later that day I found one of his siblings near my compost pile in the back yard. I took wabbit number one and put him back near where I'd found wabbit number two. Hopefully the silly wabbit family all had a happy reunion!

I spent last week with the juniors and earliteens at the Mountain View Conference camp meeting in West Virginia. Each day our meetings focused on the theme , "Who Ya Gonna Believe?" --God's truth or Satan's lies? Guide Dog and I got to meet lots of Guide fans. I really enjoyed the beautiful scenery at Valley Vista Camp. Here are a few photos from my trip!

If you've ever read any Sam Campbell books , you know how cool it is to hear the call of the loons on a remote lake in the woods. I finally got to experience this for myself on a trip to northern Minnesota. You can hear loon sounds and see pictures here. And if you want to read Sam Campbell's funny books about his adventures with animals in the north woods , go to the Adventist Book Center and search for "Sam Campbell." All his books are great!

A couple of days ago these fine looking Guide readers stopped by Guide Base Camp here in Maryland. The Weidemann kids live in Silang , Cavite , Philippines (if I got that all straight , which I may not have). Say hi to (l to r) Erika , Angela , and Doug. The guy in the back is someone they pulled out of an alley and are thinking of taking back to the Philippines as an unusual North American specimen.

You might have noticed a section on the home page called "Travel Guide ," where you can send a photo of yourself with a Guide magazine in some unusual place. Now , maybe you aren't going anyplace that you consider unusual. But just think--for thousands of other Guide readers who live far away , your hometown could seem pretty exotic! So why not get a picture of yourself with Guide at a spot near you? Then send it to guide@rhpa.org. We'll try to collect a photo from every U.S. state , Canadian province , and as many countries as possible. (Hint: this could be a fun activity for your junior or earliteen Sabbath school class.)

I thought I had seen big mountains before , but where I am right now--British Columbia--they're REALLY big! I'm having a great time with the juniors here at camp meeting at Camp Hope. But right now , an earliteen sitting next to me in the main lodge has something she wants to say to you. "Hi , this is Michelle. I've been playing Uno , taking part in water fights (I only did one so far , actually , but I'm not done!). The pizza I had here was pretty good , but I wasn't really very hungry."OK , next is Laura , and she says , "Randy , I LOVE your music dvd , "Give the Money Back." Camp meeting is great--I saw a lot of good friends. I got to meet Randy (hey , you're sitting right beside me!)"Well , that's the news from British Columbia camp meeting for today. I hope you will pray for me once in a while during my time here!

For the last two weeks I have been in California for my younger brother Nathan's wedding and vacation with the rest of my family. If you want to see what we have been doing , go to the blog that my older brother Jason and I have been making.

Comet Holmes has hit the news in the last few weeks. It was discovered in 1892 and comes by about every seven years, but usually it can be seen only with a telescope. Now you can see it easily by just looking up in the sky. An explosion in the comet created a cloud of dust and debris that made it much brighter than normal. It looks like a star, but with binoculars you can see that it's a fuzzy ball, while the real stars are just bright points of light. I used this sky map to find the comet. It shows where the comet is in the evening. If you can find Cassiopeia, just go straight down toward the horizon and you will see the little triangle shown on the chart. Read this article to learn more about the comet.

I heard an interesting story yesterday. It seems that a principal in a U.S. public school announced that no more Christmas-related announcements would be allowed over the school's PA system. This was because, as the principal understood it, Christmas had something to do with religion and that was not to be allowed in a public school. The principal is wrong about this whole thing and, in fact, Christmas is a federal holiday in the United States! It will be interesting to see what develops.Are you going somewhere for Thanksgiving? (I'm not.) If you don't live in the United States, Thanksgiving is probably sorta meaningless to you. But here were I live it is an important day to stop and especially remember the blessings we have had bestowed upon us by our Creator.If you haven't read the new junior sharing book, UnRapped, by Melanie Bockmann, you need to get a copy of it (it's really, really cheap) at an Adventist Book Center or any other place you can get a copy. It's about former rap stars-turned-Adventists Sean and Ivor Myers of the Boogiemonsters. Very worthwhile book. OK--here's a sneaky little prize announcement. I will send a free copy of the book to the first three people who read this and e-mail me at guide@rhpa.org! I hope you win! (Send me your address, BTW).

Remember the Bible story about how Nehemiah led the Jews as they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem? An archaeologist in Israel believes she has found the remains of part of this wall. Read the story here.

Some clever person has found a way to put the whole Bible onto a pocket-sized card. A company press release says: "The entire Bible (1200 pages)--from Genesis to Revelation -- has been captured on a small window of microfilm via a unique photographic process that reduces words 285 times. It can actually be viewed under any standard microscope." This sounds neat, but after looking at the Web site where you can purchase these microscopic Bibles (ittybittybible.com) I started to wonder. The company seems to treat the Bible like a good luck charm that brings you blessings just by being carried around in your pocket. I disagree. The Bible does you no good unless you read it and live by it!

The other day I overheard someone asking their friend if they thought there would be snow in heaven. Hmmm. I sure don't know, do you? If there is snow there, it seems like it should be warm snow. That way it wouldn't freeze my blood when it sneaked into the tops of my gloves and slid down my wrists.Right now I am sitting in my living room, which overlooks a small valley here in Maryland. Usually I can see the lights of Whitetail Ski Resort in the distance. But not tonight. There is no snow and it hasn't been cold enough to make much, I guess. So there are no lights over there tonight. I have a feeling that in heaven, if there is snow, it will be available to skiers all-year-round. But then, I have never been to heaven, so I do not really know what I am talking about. I believe someday I'll find out, though!

"Amazing Grace" is one of the most well-known hymns, and one of my favorites. The Library of Congress has a new site where you can learn more about the history of this song and listen to recordings from as much as 85 years ago. Be sure to look at the original book where John Newton, the former slave trader who wrote the song, published his lyrics. John matched the song with this prayer of David: "'Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O LORD God'" (1 Chronicles 17:16, 17).

Does your Guide Magazine magically appear from thin air each week? Of course not. People like Tasha (shown here in the warehouse at the place where Guide is made) help make sure your magazine gets from Maryland to wherever you happen to receive it.
Tasha is just one of the many people who are determined to get your Guide to you each week. To see more of the whole amazing deal, click on the link below and then click on the "Guide Behind the Scenes" button!
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Randy Fishell here again. I just thought you might like to know that I am working on illustrations for a new Guide cartoon feature. It will have some animation in it. Here's the main character, LeRoy P. Sloan. I think you'll enjoy his adventures. Watch for it on the Guide website. For current Guide animation features, click the link.
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A certain Guide editor received this coupon in the mail a couple of days ago. Can you figure out why he laughed so hard when he read it? (Hint 1: When is "After Christmas"? Hint 2: When does the sale start?) For more laughs, click on the link.
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The cats who live at my house, Snowball and Sunny, are really excited about Christmas, as you can tell in the photos. Well, maybe they're not as thrilled as I first thought. Anyway, I hope you are having a great Christmas vacation.

I've been in Michigan for a few days now, and it is pretty cold. It's supposed to snow here tomorrow (Friday).Driving out here from Maryland this past Sunday was a little scary at times. In northern Indiana I lost sight of the road a couple of times, due to blowing snow. The wind was fierce!I hope you are enjoying your Christmas break, and that you got some great presents. (I got a new guitar!:)Christmastime sometimes brings friends together who haven't seen each other in a long time. That happened to me this afternoon, when I had the chance to spend some time with an Ethiopian friend who happened to be in the area. I hadn't seen him in many years.Well, I hope the Sabbath coming up will be a great one for you. BTW, it would probably be good to pray for Pakistan. That country is going through an especially difficult time right now.

We have some fun things planned for you in Guide magazine in the new year. Here are a few of them: more Jeremiah cartoons; a special "laptop" issue (you'll have to wait and see what that's all about); a new kind of puzzle called "The Whole Picture"; a 13-part series set in the old Southwest, when sheriffs and outlaws still battled each other; and a "retro" issue that shows you what Guide was like 50 years ago! Hope you enjoy them. Be sure to visit the "Subscribe" page on this site to find out how to get Guide every week, if you don't already.

This past Sabbath I (Randy) attended the Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Bend, Indiana. What a wonderful time it was; awesome music and powerful preaching combined for a highly meaningful Sabbath experience.Because the pastor, Dr. Norman Knight, made such a positive impression on me, I asked him to share a special message just for Guide readers. Here it is. Greetings, Guide readers!As you enter the new year of 2008, I would share with you what Jesus left us as his last remarks before he went to heaven. He wanted to give us a gift so every child of God may be assured that no matter what challenges we may face in this Christian journey, there is one thing of which we can be assured: Jesus will always be there with us and for us.Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, 'Lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world.'In the original language, that verse gives the clear, distinct sense that Jesus is near. Indeed, it literally says, 'It's Me, it's Me.' When you wonder if there is anybody with you, just remember Jesus says, 'It's Me, it's Me.' When you are struggling with those tough concepts in your classes, or powerful peer pressure, or puzzling family problems, or complex decisions for your future, or when you bow in prayer to do the work of the Lord, please remember that Jesus is saying in all the circumstances of your life now and in the future, 'It's Me. It has always been Me that has been with you. And I will walk with you, and I will talk with you, and I will tell you that you are mine own." Again, have a great 2008!

Man, what is THIS all about? It is January 7 and it feels like summer around here! Well, I guess I had better enjoy it while it is here, because it is supposed to turn cool again soon enough.Yesterday I went out with my metal detector and found two Civil War bullets. I also found a very weird, old horseshoe. It is weird because the end that is usually open is held together with another piece of iron. Maybe I will learn more about it soon.

Today I clicked on what was called an ABC-TV "kid's news" website. You know where it took me? To a whole website full of Hannah Montana, Zach & Cody, Raven and other "celeb" promos and games. I thought that was an interesting definition of "news."Well, the best news of the week for me is that Sabbath is almost here again. Maybe you don't enjoy the Sabbath very much (some kids don't). If you're in that category, I hope you'll not just sit around and whine about it. Bug your parents and church leaders until they get annoyed enough to join forces in helping you and your friends look forward to the Sabbath! (BTW, there's a lot of Sabbath fun right here on this Web site. Snoop around and see what you can find.)

You DID each breakfast this morning, didn't you? Among other things, I had two tasty little items called tangeloes. You should try them, if you haven't.The Scottish people have one of the most interesting-sounding breakfasts. This meal often includes scones, bannocks, and Arbroath smokies. Scones are a wedged-shaped biscuit, and bannocks are a concoction of oat and barley that's baked on a griddle. Bannocks "are made of small haddock that are gutted, then tied together in pairs and either salted or pickled in brine before being smoked over a peat fire." Hmmm. I don't do bannocks.Anyway, if you had ANYTHING for breakfast this morning, that's something to thank God for!

Ten-year-old Jordan Wesley was the featured speaker at a week-long Adventist children's camp in Papua New Guinea. Jordan preached twice a day to more than 400 children and parents. Some families walked for three days over rugged mountains to attend the camp. Many children brought their non-Adventist friends to enjoy the event. "Jordan would be playing games with the children like everybody else but is really dynamic when he gets up and preaches," said one of the adults who organized the camp. Way to go, Jordan!

Last summer at camp meeting I met Hannah Hendron, who's now 11. She's started her own Web site for girls called G.E.M.S. (you'll have to visit to see what GEMS stands for). Hannah wants YOU to submit stories, comments, and ideas. Why not stop by and say hello? For guys, Hannah's brother Benjamin started a site called BIG. Check it out and give him a shout. By the way, you have to submit your e-mail address to post comments, but your address won't show up on the site. Also, all the posts are reviewed, just like on the Guide site, so it's safe.

Thankfully, there are still some folks out there who put principle over profit. I thought you might appreciate seeing this news release.KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- A new web site is happy to sell you books, but only to a point.Abunga.com is so dedicated to providing a family-friendly environment to shop for books online, it even lets customers vote on books to ban. That happened recently with the children's fantasy novel "The Golden Compass." The book, which was the basis for the movie of the same name released in December, received criticism from religious groups for its perceived anti-Catholic and atheistic themes."'The Golden Compass'" was our most frequently blocked book in December," says Abunga.com CEO Adam Slack. "We feel compelled to honor the wishes of our community."Abunga.com keeps more than 60,000 titles away from its "shelves" to create an online shopping environment customers trust to be safe. "We anticipated that most of the material people found objectionable would be pornographic in nature," says Abunga.com Chairman Lee Martin. "But, this response from our community indicates they care equally about the message in the books themselves."As for how the customer's freedom to influence inventory affects Abunga.com's bottom line, Martin says the company is "willing to forego revenues to respond to our commitment of empowering decency within our user community." Philip Pullman's trilogy "His Dark Materials," which includes "The Golden Compass," is the number one seller in children's literature books on Amazon.com.In addition to its 1.4 million book titles and user-based, interactive filtering system, Abunga.com allows customers to designate charities, churches, and other non-profit organizations to receive five percent of sales revenue with every purchase. "We partner with groups that share our life-affirming values, and support and sustain families," says Martin. "These groups serve their community and help make a difference in the world around us."With the vote to remove "The Golden Compass," Abunga.com's users changed the bookseller's product list and made a statement about the kinds of books they believe are most appropriate for children and families.

We'd like to feature a great Pathfinder drill team in the Video Surveillance section of the Guide Web site. If you have video or dvd footage, please upload it for us. (Just follow the instructions in the Video Surveillance section.) Or if you know of someone we can contact who might have some footage, please e-mail us at guide@rhpa.org. Thanks.

Don Piper's book "90 Minutes in Heaven" was the best-selling religious book of the year in 2007. USA Today listed it as #17 in their list of 100 top-selling books (on any topic) for the year. It has already been translated into 25 languages. What's in this book that has captivated so many readers? Don Piper, a Baptist pastor, tells about an accident in which he collided head-on with a semi. He was pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Piper believes, he experienced heaven. He saw streets of gold and met loved ones who wouldn't let him enter the heavenly city because it "wasn't his time." He heard beautiful music and felt true peace. Then, thanks to the prayers of another pastor who arrived at the accident scene, Piper miraculously returned to life on earth. Piper, like many Christians, believes that people go immediately to heaven (or hell) when they die. However, the Bible makes clear that when people die, they sleep in their graves until the resurrection at the end of time. Actually, there are two resurrections: one for the righteous at Jesus' coming, and one for the wicked 1000 years later. (John 5:28, 29; John 11:11-14; Ecclesiastes 9:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Revelation 20:4-6.) So what did Piper really see? One medical study found that up to 18 percent of people whose heart stopped beating for a while had some sort of "near-death experience," such as passing through a tunnel to light or seeing themselves from outside. The researchers believed that these experiences came from brain activity, since things other than "death" can cause similar sensations (ever had a dream?). It's also possible that Satan creates these experiences to deceive people. (Read more about that here.) As Christians we will have times when we can't trust what we think we are seeing or experiencing. Instead, we need to test what we experience by the truths of the Bi

Last week I saw a kind of bird I had never seen before, right here at Review and Herald Publishing, where the Guide offices are located. These birds are called snow geese, and they normally live in the Arctic. I guess coming to Maryland in the winter is like vacationing in the Bahamas for them. I like birdwatching, so it's exciting to see a new kind of bird! Here's a photo of a snow goose from Fort Ephemera photography (http://fortephemera.blogspot.com/2007/03/snow-goose-grace.html). Isn't it neat how you can see each individual feather in its wing?

Guide designer (one of the guys who helps put the magazine artwork and photos and stuff together) Mark O'Connor got this buffalo skull on eBay a while back.Mark says it's the skull of a free-ranging buffalo (or bison) from many years ago. It was found in Colorado. That guy on the TV looks like he's about to be eaten alive! Here's a video clip featuring a cute newborn baby bison in Yellowstone Park.

You recognize this guy with the curly hair, right? Well, I can almost guarantee that you've never heard what Albert Einstein had to say about Guide! Check out this picture. OK, I have to admit, I sort of put words in his mouth . . . er, on his chalkboard. You can do the same at http://www.hetemeel.com/einsteinform.php

Do You Live in RUSSIA, ARGENTINA, IRELAND, or SOUTH AFRICA? I have a trusted friend who is a home-schooling mom and teacher. She asked me if I could find some earliteens or teens from these countries who would be willing to be pen pals with some of her students. If you are a young person living in one of the countries listed, and are interested in being a pen pal with some outstanding Christian young people from the United States, please send me your e-mail address at guide@rhpa.org. I'll put you in touch with my friend. Thanks much.

Did you hear about Cody Young's bike? It seems he sometimes parked his bike INSIDE the Salem, Oregon, Goodwill store while he looked around. He did this again recently--and his black BMX bike mistakenly got sold! For $6.99!Thankfully, the Goodwill store felt bad about the whole thing and ran an ad in the paper asking the purchaser to come back to the store. In the end, Cody got his bike back, and the person who bought Cody's bike got a $100 gift certificate to the Goodwill store.Check this out: in another Goodwill store a janitor left a bucket and mop out overnight and it got sold too! ALERT TO PARENTS: DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR CHILDREN WHILE SHOPPING IN A GOODWILL STORE! It could have unintended consequences. (Just KIDDING.)

That's the title of an interesting article I read in Newsweek recently (1-21-08). Scientists using brain scanning machines are now able to pinpoint brain activity patterns that occur when people are thinking about certain objects. For instance, one pattern would show up if a person is thinking about an igloo, while another would show up if the person is thinking about a hammer. Of course, scientists have a long way to go in this study, but here's what gets really interesting. The author says, "Nothing in physics rules out remote detection of brain activity." In other words, someday, instead of having to hook a person up to a machine to detect their thoughts, a handheld device might be able to do it from a distance. Now, this is interesting to me not because I want to go around seeing what people really think of me, but because I've always wondered, "How can God read our minds? How does He hear our prayers when we pray silently? How can the Holy Spirit (or Satan, for that matter) put thoughts in our heads?" Well, if human scientists can figure out how to read thoughts, it's probably very easy for God to do the same thing, and also to affect those thoughts. That's pretty cool!

Today I saw a guy walking two beautiful dogs--Labarador retrievers, I think. It sort of made me want to have a dog again. Right now, at my house, we have two cats, five doves, and one lovebird. But do you know what I really want? A goat. Really. The problem is, goats climb on things, so I would need to build a high fence to keep my goat off of my car. I will have to think about this a while, I guess.I will soon make a quick trip to Dallas, Texas. Know what for? To help plan the next International Pathfinder camporee that will take place in Oshkosh, Wisconsin! (I know--you are thinking, Why is he going to Dallas if the camporee is in Wisconsin? It happens that Dallas is where a bunch of Pathfinder leaders happen to be meeting for some other purposes.) I hope you are going to be at the camporee in 2009!Tomorrow (Sabbath) I play guitar again with the praise group at my church. We have an engergetic and meaningful service called "ReMix" once each month. We'll be doing six songs tomorrow. One of my favorites is "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord."Well, I hope you enjoy your Sabbath as much as I am planning to enjoy mine!

I found a book called "Chew On This" in the kid's section of the public library the other day. After reading it, I may never again eat at a fast food restaurant!Did you know that fast food French fries have beef flavoring in them? Or that one cow infected with e-coli bacteria can contaminate 32,000 pounds of ground beef? Or that a 32-ounce Coke contains 29 teaspoonfuls of sugar?Check this out: here is the ingredients list for a McDonald's strawberry milkshake: milkfat and nonfat milk, sugar, sweet whey, high fructose corn syrup, guar gum, mono- and diglycerides, cellulose gum, sodium phosphate, carageenan, citric acid, red food coloring #40, and artificial strawberry flavor. But according to the book, you need to add this: "And what does that artificial strawberry flavor contain? Just these few yummy chemicals: amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphrenyl-2-butanone (10% solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isubutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnimate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, y-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent."Yum-yum, drink up!I encourage you to think about whether or not you want to put fast food in the "temple of the Holy Spirit."

Are you coming back to earth in a different body after you die? A lot of people think so. Not only do the world's millions of Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation, 40 percent of Americans ages 25-29 do too. Why is this belief growing in popularity? One religion professor thinks it's because Americans have such a good life that coming back and living another life on earth sounds better than going to heaven. Well, most of us do enjoy a pretty good life here. But there are a few little problems . . . like terrorism, cancer, child abuse . . . and did we mention death? God's plan for life after death doesn't include any of that bad stuff. Sounds better than reincarnation to me!

Offline Sabbath games may seem a little old-fashioned. But give these a try and you might just have some fun you weren't planning on!

Have you been looking for Sabbath games? Then you will enjoy this site from Dr. Dan Lim!

In this week's magazine (March 1), Guide reader Roshmoti Halder tells about her adventures on the way to visit the Great Wall of China. Roshmoti did eventually make it to the Great Wall, and sent us a picture to prove it! Take an interactive panoramic tour of the Great Wall here.

My friend Dave Hittle, a professional photographer, took these awesome shots of the lunar eclipse the other night. For you camera types, here is the technical stuff: Nikon D2X- 200mm @ 2.8, 100 iso @1second. Fantastic, Dave!

Tomorrow afternoon (Sabbath) some us of are going to "hit the streets" near our church. We're going door-to-door to hang door hanger invitations that invite people to come to our special ReMix church service next week. That's our once-a-month service where we have a lot of music, fun activities for all ages, and prayer and testimonites. (I play in the praise band.) So we'll see if I get arrested for trespassing. I hope not! Please pray for us "doorhangers" if you happen to see this. And thanks!

This past weekend I signed up for Skype, a service that lets you make phone calls over the Internet. It worked great and should save me lots of money on long-distance calls! I did get a little confused when my brother called me on my regular phone while I was talking to my parents on my computer. ("How can someone be calling? I'm already talking on the phone! Oh, wait, no I'm not.") Having a three-way conversation with the whole family just didn't work too well. It's neat that we can use all this technology to keep in touch with friends and family. I think God wants us to use it to tell people about Him, too! Got any creative ideas?

A while back I was staying in a hotel in downtown Dallas, Texas. When I looked out the window, I saw a huge sign advertising a certain brand of car. It was so big that it almost scared me! The photo on the left is what I saw when I peered out the large window on the 37th floor, where my hotel room was situated. That car dealer knew how to advertise!Well, I was thinking how cool it would be if Adventists did something like that. Here's my idea of how it would look. I kind of like it. What do you think?

I've noticed that some of you who hang out on the Guide Web site are a bit older than Guide's target age of 10-14. That's no problem--we're glad to have you! However, if you're a high school student, you might also want to check out a Web site specifically for teens your age: www.insightmagazine.org. In case you haven't heard of Insight, it's an Adventist magazine for high-school age teens. The site has a discussion forum, blogs, videos, advice, and other features geared for older teens. In case you've noticed that some of your discussion board topics are deleted because they're a little too "mature" for the Guide age group, you might try posting them on the Insight site.

Do you like writing stories? You can win $50 in a writing contest for kids! In 300 words or less, tell your true story about the most difficult decision you've had to make between right and wrong. Here's the Web site to find out all the details: Kids Can Do It. Of course, you can also send a story like this to Guide! But it would be good to make it longer, about 500 words or so.

Did you know that today, March 14, 2008, is the 150th anniversary of Ellen White's great controversy vision? Don't know who Ellen White is? Seventh-day Adventists believe she received special insights from God. The great controversy vision showed how Jesus and Satan--and each of us--is in a spiritual battle that will end when Jesus comes back to earth. Learn more about Ellen White by checking out a great new online magazine about her life and ministry!

I bet you don't know what holiday takes place this Friday night and Sabbath. No, it's not something to do with Jesus' death and resurrection (although that's celebrated this weekend too). It has to do with one of my favorite Bible stories, about a courageous woman, her "honorable" cousin, a powerful king, a hateful royal official . . . yes, I'm talking about the story of Esther! You didn't know Esther has her own holiday? Well, if you are Jewish, she does! Jews today still celebrate the way God delivered them from their enemies at that time. The holiday is called Purim, and the Bible actually tells about the first Purim celebration and how Esther and Mordecai decreed that it should continue every year (Esther 9:17-32). You can also find what the name Purim means.

Last night at my church the local Jewish rabbi gave a program about Purim and the way it is celebrated. It's a fun, joyful holiday. In the synagogue, the story of Esther is read, and every time the name "Haman" is mentioned, everybody drowns it out with shouts and noisemakers. Sounds kinda fun--you could try it at home! We also got to try a kind of fruit-filled cookie called Hamantaschen, which means "Haman's pockets" (see the picture). They were yummy!

Aha! I am a prophet! I knew what they'd say even before I read the article. I knew they'd say that this new discovery had something to do with evolution. Ugh. Well, here's what it said: "A frog has been found in a remote part of Indonesia that has no lungs and breathes through its skin, a discovery that researchers said Thursday could provide insight into what drives evolution in certain species." I told you, I am a prophet! :)

The other day I looked out my back window and saw a startling site: a big wild turkey just a few feet away. I live on the edge of town, so I don't see much wildlife other than rabbits and squirrels. It wandered through my backyard, pecking at various tidbits. The next day the turkey was back again, only this time it tried to come through the window! (Maybe it was attacking its reflection.) A few minutes later it was on my patio right in front of the door when I wanted to go out. Now, I like birds, but I don't really want to get that close to a wild turkey. They look rather intimidating, with long hooked spurs on the back of their legs. I shooed it away, and fortunately or unfortunately, I haven't seen this "big bird" since.

Today Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States. Many Christians today see such a visit as Revelation 13:12 being fulfilled before our eyes. That passage speaks of a "fatal wound" being healed. Many interpret this to mean that the once seemingly dead Roman Church (this happened around 1798) would make a big comeback. One thing is certain: such a comeback has taken place. Here is what President Bush said about the pope's visit: "The Holy Father," Bush said, "represents and stands for some values that I think are important for the health of the country, and when he comes to America, millions of my fellow citizens will be hanging on his every word. And that's why it's important."I agree with some of the president's remarks regarding the pope. And there are millions of wonderful Catholic people around the world. But there is only one Being who is truly holy, and that is God.

This morning while I was on my way to work, at an intersection I was stopped behind a school bus. As I looked through the rear windows on the bus, I could tell the two back seats were occupied. This all made me think back to when I rode the school bus. The back seats were considered "premium" seats by most riders. But this morning I thought, I wonder why this is so? Why do we like those back seats so much? In fact, some of us like to take the back seat in church too! There must be some secret psychological meaning behind all this. Hmmm. If you think you know what it is, send me an e-mail at guide@rhpa.org.Speaking of school buses, check out this cake!

Think your church is small? Imagine if you were a Seventh-day Adventist living in one city in central Asia, where the law prevents people from meeting in groups of more than four--even if they're related. Apparently if you have a family of five, you couldn't even get together for family worship! Religious freedom is minimal in this area of the world, which includes countries with fun-to-say names such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. In one country, the only Adventist church building in the entire country was destroyed by the government several years ago. In another, two Adventist pastors were jailed for holding unauthorized religious meetings.

So, if your church has more than four members . . . or if your pastor isn't in jail . . . or if you even have a church to meet in . . . I guess you can be thankful this Sabbath!

Now, I am not a so-called "extremist" when it comes to caring for planet Earth. Still, I believe the Bible calls us to use good sense in the matter of keeping God's created wonders in good shape.I especially like it when people put their God-given creativity to good use. That's what Doug Wilson did when he converted his car to be able to run on leftover cooking oil, much of it from Chipotle's Mexican restaurants. Check it out!

There is a new radio program on the LifeTalk network called "Home School Companion." It's on every Wednesday at 11:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time. Once in a while I am on the program. If you tune in, you'll hear a story for the younger kids. Adults will find the program has lots of information about home schooling. 

Today (Sabbath) i enjoyed attending the Kuna Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kuna, Idaho. It is the church that both former Guide editor Tim Lale and Primary Treasure editor Aileen Sox attend. I have enjoyed chatting with both of them. I stopped in to visit with the juniors and earliteens also. Where I am at here near Boise, Idaho, is called "high desert," and there are mountains all around as well. Quite an interesting place! I hope you are having a great Sabbath wherever you are!

Here's a resource that might make your Bible reading more interesting: the entire New Testament on DVD. It's called the WatchWord Bible. You see the words on screen and hear them at the same time, with background pictures and music. Not exactly Hollywood, but it sounds like it's worth checking out--especially if you learn better by hearing than reading, or if you want to do your devotions sitting in front of your computer or TV rather than with a book in hand. Search for WatchWord Bible DVD online, and you'll find lots of places to purchase it. (One site I found, http://www.christiancinema.com, also has a wide selection of Christian and family-oriented videos that might be worth looking into.)

This week I’ve had a hard time keeping up with worldwide disasters. It really reminded me of these words from Ellen White: “Even now [Satan] is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations [fires], in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power” (The Great Controversy, pp. 589-90). Pray that God will use you during these last days of earth’s history to be a strong witness for Him.<p>Help cyclone victims now by clicking here. And please help the hungry every day at The Hunger Site.

You've probably heard the news about the cyclone in Myanmar, which killed more than 32,000 people. Last fall Guide featured a story called "Picking Pockets, Choosing Jesus" about two brothers, Cho Oo and Arnold, who supported themselves as thieves until they came to the Ayeyerwady Adventist school and learned about Jesus. The school is located in the area hardest hit by the cyclone. Sadly, three students there were killed. Many more students lost family members. On an island in Myanmar, 200 Adventist members lost everything in the terrible storm. Here's how one rescue worker described their ordeal: "In that stormy night some had to stay in the water for the whole night, only their heads above the water, holding the branches of the trees. . . . Of the people who stayed in the fields or plains or close to the beach, almost none survived. They were swept away by the stormy wind into the sea or to other islands. When the tide receded everything was swept away just like we sweep the floor. Nothing left. "The people who survived after that stormy night had nothing to eat. The only food they ate and drank was coconut shoots and coconut juice. After a few days, those fallen coconuts and juice became sour and were undrinkable. Every day people looked at the sea and longed for a rescue team to come and save them.  But nothing showed up. "In some villages all the people were lost. And in some only 10% survived. . . . "After a week, people became very weak and children became sick. No food to eat and no water to drink. The sun was hot in the day and the wind was so cool at night.  In midday, some children searched for shelter to sleep, but when the morning came they never woke up again. Every night, the living people had to sleep among the dead bodies.  No one buried the dead bodies. "One little boy had lost seven family members. All of them were dead and he was the only one who miraculously survived. Every night he slept among his dead family members for three days and three nights. He didn’t know where to go." Fortunately, the next day a rescue team arrived and brought this group of Adventists to a safe place. In one town, the Adventist members had worked for two years to build a new church. They had worshipped in the church for only four months when the cyclone hit. The picture shows all that is left of their church. ADRA is an Adventist organization that is helping the 1 million cyclone survivors who need shelter, food, and clean water. Find out more about their efforts and how you can help at www.adra.org.

If you enjoy the Guide Web site, here's a face you should get acquainted with. Alejandra is our Web programmer, and she works very hard to keep the Guide site running, as well as all the other Web sites at the Review and Herald. She's responsible for new features like being able to vote for your favorite cartoon captions, see which videos are most popular, and add your comments to the Screen Smart reviews. She also does a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make it easy for the rest of the Guide staff to add fun stuff to the Web site more often. I know Alejandra feels blessed to be part of Guide's ministry. If you'd like to send her a little note of thanks and let her know what you like about the Guide site, send it to us here. We'll make sure she gets it!

You're too young to think about marriage, so why am I bringing it up here? Because it seems important to remind ourselves every once in a while that marriage is important to God: "A man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).  Also, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). In the original language, the term "sexual immorality" includes sexual relationships before and outside of marriage. Purity and honor is a big deal in the Bible: "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral" (Hebrews 13:4). Many Hollywood couples and other celebrities —and more and more "average" Americans—are choosing to forget marriage and just move in with each other and do whatever they feel like doing sexually. Recently, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had twins. But having sexual relations outside of marriage is sin. Sorry to be so blunt about it. Still, I hope you will think about this every time you go through the supermarket checkout line and see all the magazines trying to make us feel warm and fuzzy about this kind of sin. But let's also remember that all of us are sinners: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Angelina and Brad are no less valuable to God than anyone else. I just think it's important for us to keep in mind that famous people doing wrong things doesn't make those things right.

Last Friday I taught a cartooning class at Mount Aetna Adventist Elementary School in Maryland. As you can see, the students took it very seriously. We had fun, and I also told the kids about a cartoon project that I am involved in that is aimed at bringing people to Jesus. More on that later.

Do you ever get tired of hearing kids cuss? I sure do. And I'm not the only one apparently!Fourteen-year-old McKay Hatch did too, so he started a club called the No Cussing Club. "My mom and dad always taught me good morals, good values, and not cussing was one of them," said McKay. "I've cussed before, I'm not gonna lie to you," Hatch quickly added. "But I try not to cuss any more."He was attending junior high school in South Pasadena, California, when he became fed up with all the vulgar language around him. He understood why his friends use foul language: "They just want to fit in like everybody else and they don't know how. They figure if they cuss maybe it's an easy way to do that."But it wasn't for him."I finally told my friends, `I don't cuss.' And I said, `If you want to hang out with me, you don't cuss.'"Today the No Cussing Club is thriving. Maybe your school needs to start a local chapter!

See what you think of this construction project!

I've noticed that the cats around my house aren't the most energetic critters. That is, until they hear the cat food bag rustle! The orange-colored cat is Sunny, who is sleeping, well, in the sun. The cat sleeping on his back is Snowball. Right now we also have a cat who drops by outside our front door each evening for a free meal. Well, at least all these dudes know how to relax!

Today I was fortunate to be spending some time with the earliteens at the Arlington, Texas, Seventh-day Adventist Church. They are a great group, and here they are! (If you look real close, you can actually see me in the photo too!)

You know, I was kind of disappointed when I read Melanie Bockmann's review of the new Drillbit Taylor movie (see the Screen Smart link above). It seemed like a pretty funny concept--kids coming up with a clever way to outsmart the school bullies. Now, I happen to know that Randy Fishell is working on cartoon about that very topic, which he plans to share with you on this Web site. But meanwhile, maybe some of you could create your own video about stopping bullies and send it to us for our video section. I'm sure you could make something that's truly funny and not trashy. It doesn't even have to be about bullies.

This is a note to all lovers of fine music. You may know that my music video, "Give the Money Back," left many viewers' mouths hanging open. I am sure this is because they did not realize what vocal talent I actually possess. Well, I am pleased to let you know that my new music video, "I Got Busted," will appear soon on this very Web site. Watch for it! (NOTE: It has been recommended that no one view any of my music videos just before or after eating. Scientists do not know why, but some viewers have experienced upset stomach after seeing my performances, so you may wish to proceed with caution.)

Recently a group of Boy Scouts were enjoying a camping trip in Iowa when a tornado struck. The twister flattened one of the buildings where they took shelter. Thanks to their knowledge of first aid, many of the boys were able to help their injured friends until emergency personnel could cut through downed tree limbs to reach their camp. The Boy Scout motto is "Be Prepared." One Boy Scout official commented about the incident, "Last night, the agencies and the scouts were prepared. They knew what to do, they knew where to go, and they prepared well." (Read the full story here.) Christians have a similar motto: "Be ready" for Jesus' coming (Matthew 24:44). Fortunately, we don't have to know first aid to be prepared for this event! The two most important preparations are: 1. Accepting Jesus' salvation and staying close to Him (1 John 2:28). 2. Keeping our lives focused on doing God's work (Matthew 24:45, 46). Jesus warned that for many people His coming will be a big surprise--it will happen when they don't expect it. But if we're always ready for His return, always looking forward expectantly to it, we won't be caught off guard. (Even if, like four of the boys caught in the tornado, we die before Jesus comes, we'll still be ready to meet Him.) So Be Prepared! (AP Photo/Office of the Gov. of Nebraska)

On Sabbath, July 26, I'll be in Portland, Oregon, and I would like to visit the church with the most Guide fans! Yes, I'm launching a contest to see which church I should visit in or near Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA. So, if you'd like the Guide associate editor and Guide Dog to come to your church, I need to hear from you! I will do my best to arrange to visit the church that has the most people contact me. I need to hear from you by July 6 so I can make final plans. There are two different ways to enter: 1. Send an e-mail to guide@rhpa.org with the following information: a. Visit My Church. (You can put this in the subject line.) b. Your name. c. Name of your church, and the city where it is located. d. Name and phone number of your pastor so I can work out details of visiting. Each person who enters should send a separate e-mail, even if they are writing from the same address. 2. Or, you can enter by mail. Put the same information from #1 on a paper and have people at your church sign the sheet. (All the names can be on the same sheet.) Then mail it to Guide, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Both kids and adults can enter, so start recruiting your friends, relatives, Sabbath school members. Now, I know this gives an advantage to churches with more people. But I'll announce online which church I'm visiting, so if it's not yours, you can just plan to visit that day! Also, if you live near Seattle, Washington, I'll be visiting the Bellevue Adventist church on Sabbath, August 2. It's the home of Guide author and pastor Maylan Schurch. I'll also be staying at Sunset Lake Camp over the weekend of August 1-5, so if you're going to be at teen camp, scuba adventure summit, family base camp, or rock climbing summit, you might see me there!

 I had never heard of the Adventist Robotics League, but now I know about it. And some Guide-age kids are taking home awards! Check out the story in the June, 2008, edition of Southern Tidings. (You'll need to scroll down to page 30.)

The other day I went to Washington, D.C., to speak with some members of Congress about  a couple of items. It all had to do with Adventists' commitment to religious liberty. Anyway, later that evening I met Arizona congressman Trent Franks. Man, that dude is TALL! I felt a bit intimidated. So I fixed up the photo a bit to sort of even things out. What do you think?    

  If you and your parents are tired of Hollywood movie filth, I strongly urge you to check out the ClearPlay movie filter system. This cool set-up allows you to watch a wide range of productions MINUS the sewage. This is worth looking into, so tell you parents about it. You'll be doing something to keep your heart and mind pure. (And no, ClearPlay doesn't have any idea that I am promoting their product!)    

 Now that it's summertime here in the United States, I thought some of you might want to cool off. Maybe these stunning shots of icebergs will help! It amazes me how even in our fallen world, God's creation still shines with beauty and wonder. See what you think of these gems. Which one is your favorite?

This is a message for those of you who post video comments, cartoon captions, discussion board topics, etc., on the Guide site. Can you do everybody a favor and avoid a little abbreviation, OMG? One of the things it stands for is "Oh my God," which is not a respectful way of using God's name unless you're talking to Him, like David did in Psalm 25:2: "In you I trust, O my God." Now, I know those letters can also stand for "Oh my gosh" (hardly better, since "gosh" is just a way of almost but not quite saying God's name) and "Oh my goodness" (probably another way someone came up with to not quite say God's name). But when you use the abbreviation, you don't get to pick which phrase pops up in people's minds. So if we see it in your posts, we have to delete your post or edit out that part. Why not beat us to it and delete that abbreviation, and the phrases that go with it, from your vocabulary (online and out loud)?

Some of you know that I am a treasure hunter of sorts. I often go out with my White’s metal detector hoping to unearth something of America’s past. Most recently, I’ve been “hunting” an old colonial farmstead, where I’ve found coins, buttons, and other artifacts from the 1700s and 1800s.  It’s rather exciting to dig up a little piece of America’s past. Whenever I’m holding a coin or other relic in my hand, I can’t help but wonder who dropped it some 200 years ago. One thing I know: those who settled North America paid a hefty price throughout the centuries in blood, sweat, and tears. On this Fourth of July holiday here in the United States, many of us have friends, relatives, and neighbors serving in the military. Whether they are in Iraq, Afghanistan, or some other corner of the world, these individuals deserve our heartfelt thanks for helping to preserve America’s freedom. War is ugly, but we cling to the promise that someday God will make all things new, beautiful, and filled with peace. Perhaps no one longs for that day more than soldiers themselves. Thankfully, those same soldiers can worship God even in the deserts of Iraq. Yes, freedom is costly, as some of you Guide readers know firsthand. Some of your parents, brothers, sisters, or other family members are far away from you during these Sabbath hours, serving in the armed forces. I hope you’ll pass along our thanks for what they are doing for each and every one of us in doing their courageous part to help maintain—and spread—this incomparable thing called freedom.
   

 It's not often that you see a man in a lawn chair at an altitude of 15,000 feet. But Kent Couch recently made a trip from Oregon to Idaho in a balloon-powered lawn chair! Now, we don't recommend you try this at home, but you might enjoy learning more about Kent's big adventure. Be sure and watch the video too!

On Monday, Pastor Franke Zollman came to the Guide headquarters to share a worship talk with the staff. To go along with his talk about Daniel, Pastor Zollman brought along something from the time of Daniel. Yes, really. It's part of a brick from the city of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar had many buildings constructed in Babylon during his reign, using about 15 million bricks! Many of them were stamped with his name and title so everyone would know of his greatness. Since this is just part of a brick, most of the writing is missing, but it probably said something like what is stamped on a brick in the British Museum: "Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who cares for Esagila and Ezida, eldest son of Nabopolassar, king of Babylon." (Esagila and Ezida were temples he built.) In Daniel 4:30, King Nebuchadnezzar bragged, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" (KJV). Unfortunately, God had to do some drastic things to remind the king that HE was in charge. Pastor Zollman reminded us that this is one of the important messages of the book of Daniel: God is in control of the world and of our lives too. That's good to know!

Yesterday in my adventures here in Michigan, I got together with some Guide readers. From left to right below, that's Ethan Fishell, myself, Konner Dent, Emory Dent, and Raegen Dent. Now, here's the question: What do you think the hole we're standing in is for? It measures 30 feet by 50 feet. You can see how deep the hole is. Soybeans surround the hole. (Some bones were found in the hole, by the way.) If you think you know what the hole is going to eventually be, send your answer to guide@rhpa.org. The first person with the right answer will win a fun prize! Send you answer by July 25, 2008.

Take this quiz and see if you can figure out where I am this weekend. The clues that follow sorta go from hardest to easiest. Clue 1: There is a bald eagle on the state shield. Clue 2: The state reptile is the painted turtle. Clue 3: The state stone is the Petosky stone. Clue 4: Unscramble the state's capitol: NLIAGSN Clue 5: It is home to a major league baseball team named after an animal found primarily in Asia and Africa. The answer is contained in this sentence: The club leader said this into the mic: "Hi, Gang!" (Is that easy enough?)

I'm happy to announce that I'll be visiting the Meadow Glade Seventh-day Adventist Church in Battle Ground, Washington, while I'm in the area on July 26. Meadow Glade mustered the most Guide fans who e-mailed me an invitation. Be sure to come to Sabbath school to play a live version of the Guide FACTory Trivia Game! The following weekend, August 2, I'll be at the Bellevue Adventist Church near Seattle, with more fun stuff for juniors and earliteens. I hope to meet some of you there!

Recently I've been reading about people throughout history who think they've seen Noah's Ark. I'm convinced that some of the stories are true. Following is one of the more interesting ones, with a Seventh-day Adventist connection. It is from the book "In Search of Noah's Ark" (Sun Classic Pictures, Copyright 1975): 'What is thought to be the earliest known modern day discovery of Noah's Ark, occurring somewhere between 1850 and 1880, is indicated in the story told by Haji Yearam, an Armenian who lived out his final days in America. The story is recounted by Harold Williams, who in 1952 was pastor of a Seventh-day Adventist church in Logansport, Indiana. Here are excerpts: 'Haji Yearam's parents and family lived at the foot of Greater Mount Ararat in Armenia. According to their traditions, they were descended directly from those who had come out of the Ark, but who had never migrated from that country. Haji's forebears [earlier relatives] had always remained near the mount where the Ark came to rest in a little valley surrounded by some small peaks . . . 'For several hundreds of years after the flood, his forebears had made yearly pilgrimages up to the Ark, to make sacrifices and to worship there. They had a good trail and steps to the steep places. Finally the enemies of God undertook to go to Ararat and destroy the Ark, but as they neared the location there came a terrible storm that washed away the trail, and lightning blasted the rocks. From that time on, even the pilgrimages ceased, because they feared to betray [give away] the way to the ungodly, and they feared God's wrath. 'When Haji was a large boy, but not yet a man fully grown, there came to his home some strangers. There were three vile men who did not believe in the Bible and did not believe in the evidence of a personal God. They were scientists. They were on this expedition specifically to prove the 'legend' of Noah's Ark to be a fraud and a fake. 'They hired the father of young Haji Yearam as their official guide. They hired the boy to assist his father as guide. 'It was an unusually hot summer, so the snow and glaciers had melted more than usual. After extreme hardship and peril the party came to the little valley way up on Greater Ararat, not on the very top but a little way down from the top. This little valley is surrounded by a little lake, and the peaks protected it from the tidal waves that rushed back and forth as the flood subsided. On one side of the valley the water from the melting snows and glacier spills over in a little river that runs down the mountain. As they reached this spot, they found the prow of a mighty ship protruding out of the ice. SCIENTISTS ENTER ARK 'They went inside the Ark and did considerable exploring. The whole structure was covered with a varnish or lacquer that was very thick and strong, both outside and inside the ship. The ship was built more like a great and might house on the hull of a ship, but without any windows. There was a great doorway of immense size, but the door was missing. 'The scientists were appalled and dumbfounded and went into a rage at finding what they had hoped to prove non-existent. They were so angry and mad that they said they would destroy the ship, but the wood was more like stone than any wood we have now. They did not have the tools or means to wreck so mighty a ship and had to give up. They did tear out some timbers and tried to burn the wood, but it was so hard it was almost impossible to burn it. 'They held a council, and then took a solemn and fearful death oath. Any man present who would ever breathe a word about what they had found would be tortured and murdered. 'They told their guide and his son that they would keep tabs on them and that if they ever told anyone and they found it out they would surely be tortured and murdered. For fear of their lives, Haji and his father had never told what they found except to their best trusted and closest relatives.' 1 DEATHBED CONFESSION 'Haji's story was confirmed by an elderly scientist on his deathbed in London, Williams [the Seventh-day Adventist pastor] said. His report continues: 'One evening (I am pretty sure it was in 1918) I sat reading the daily paper in our apartment in Brockton. Suddenly I saw in a very small print a short story of a dying man's confession. It was a news item one column wide and, as I remembered it, not more than two inches deep. It stated that an elderly scientist on his deathbed in London was afraid to die before making a terrible confession. It gave briefly the very date and facts that Haji Yearam had related to us in his story. 'Haji Yearam had died in my parents' home in Oakland, California, about the same time that the old scientist had died in London. We had never for a moment doubted Haji's story, but when this scientist on his deathbed on the other side of the world confessed the same story in every detail, we knew positively that the story was true in every detail.' ______________ 1. Cummings, Violet M., "Noah's Ark: Fable or Fact?" (Family Library, New York, 1975, pp. 113-115. 2. Ibid. pp. 115-116.

Believe it or not, the Guide offices had some visitors this week from halfway around the world. These students from Bangkok Adventist International School in Thailand have been here in the U.S. for several weeks on tour, and they shared some music in our chapel program. The students had a great time seeing how Guide is printed. The group also took back some Guide magazines for the rest of the students who weren't able to visit, since they don't usually get Guide over there. Most of the students at this school are not Adventists--they're Buddhists. But the teachers at this school have a great opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. I had a lot of fun showing them around. Maybe I'll get a chance to return the visit someday!

I am off on another adventure. Right now I am in Collegedale, Tennessee. Currently I am semi-conscious, because I just finished eating a large Sabbath meal, topped off by something called turtle ice-cream pie. No, the turtle was not real, so please do not call the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Turtles. Guide Associate Editor Rachel Whitaker is in Oregon today. Wherever you happen to be, I hope you have a great Sabbath!

This past Friday I was cruising down Interstate 81 in Virginia when something happened to the car in front of me. It began swerving, so I slowed down. Then the car turned sideways and crashed into the guardrail on the right side of the freeway. It bounced off that guardrail, crossed the two lanes in front of me, then crashed into the guardrail on the left side of the freeway. Well, I quickly came to a stop, hopped out of my vehicle and dashed over to the smashed- up car. To my astonishment, the young lady was already being helped out of her vehicle. I was astonished because she appeared to be in one piece! Indeed, she had suffered only minor abrasions. Yes, she was bawling her head off from shock and fright, but that is a small price to pay for being alive! Soon, police and emergency personnel arrived, and I was on my way again. A little bit later I heard on the radio that there was a "two mile backup" on I-81 and I knew what that was all about. Fortunately, I was ahead of the pack. I'm also thankful that I wasn't a little closer to the car that crashed, or I might not be writing about the experience!

One of the fun parts about working for Guide is that I get to travel around the country meeting Guide fans of all ages. Over the past two weeks I visited Oregon and Washington, and I thought I'd share a few highlights. One of the first places I went was the Meadow Glade Seventh-day Adventist Church in Battle Ground, Washington. One of the neat things I noticed at this church was that young people were helping out all over the place! Kids played guitar and led the singing in Sabbath school and during the church service. Some juniors even got to run the video cameras to project the speaker on the big screen during the worship service! That looked like fun. Here are a few pictures of my time at Meadow Glade: During Sabbath School, Rachel led teams of juniors and earliteens in playing the FACTory Pop Quiz trivia game. A game of "Crazy Q & A" created some funny advice as kids read random answers to questions that young people might ask. Here the juniors and earliteens try to find the person with the right answer to each question. The message was that we have to think carefully about the advice we're getting and sort out good from bad. At potluck Rachel got to hang out with a few more Guide lovers--including one very young one! This is Natalia, who was responsible for me coming to Meadow Glade in the first place. She got everyone she could to e-mail me and ask me to visit while I was in the Portland area, which meant her church won the online contest for an editor visit! I didn't get to meet Natalia at church, because she was away at summer camp. But the next day I stopped by her house to say hello.

The second Sabbath of my trip I went to the Bellevue, Washington, church. There I met Pastor Maylan Schurch, who wrote the Justin Case Adventures book series and several popular continued stories for Guide, such as "The Sword of Denis Anwyck." (You can read one of his e-books, Danger in El Salvador, on our Web site.) Like the Meadow Glade Church that I visited the week before, the Bellevue Church has a lot of guitarists! In the junior/earliteen class, there were two leaders and two kids playing guitar out of the dozen people there. Since I play the guitar too, I thought it was neat that a lot of kids are learning to play and sharing their talents with their church family. Music is a great way to praise Jesus! Once again I played the FACTory trivia game with the kids and told a children's story during church. (The story was about how we are kind of like Silly Putty. I'm not going to tell you the comparison--maybe you can think up a Silly Putty parable the next time you have to tell a children's story!) It was a special youth Sabbath, so the young people gave a report about their mission trip to help clean up a flood-damaged area of Washington. Guide Dog put in a special appearance, and we had a great time handing out magazines to adults and kids after church. Thanks, Bellevue Church, for giving us such a warm welcome!

For the last few days of my trip I got to stay at Sunset Lake Camp in Washington. On Sunday night Guide Dog and I had fun meeting the campers at Family Camp and leading out in the FACTory trivia game. I also got to try out some of the activities at camp. Did you go to a summer camp this year? If so, you know that can be a lot of fun. Fortunately the camp rules allowed Guide Dog to enter the campground. For the first time that I know of, Guide Dog found some other dog friends to romp with: Chance (the black dog) and Shasta.  My first camp activity was flying off the Blob. The Blob is a huge inflatable tube that sits in the lake. You jump down onto it, crawl out to the end, and wait for someone else to jump down and bounce you into the water. It was fun and also a little scary.  After that I decided to try something else I'd never done before: BMX biking. As you can see, I'm getting about one inch of air going over the jump.  Shortly after going over one of the jumps, I unexpectedly found myself lying face down in the dirt. I fell so suddenly that I'm not even sure how it happened! Fortunately, no one took a picture of that. However, my friend took a picture afterward to show how dirty and scraped up I was. Don't ask me why I'm smiling! (By the way, I'm really glad I was wearing this helmet. Otherwise my chin would have suffered the same fate as my arm.) As if that wasn't enough adventure for one day, I also took a short ride on a horse named Buddy. I hadn't ridden a horse in several years, so I had a hard time getting Buddy to cooperate. But it was still fun to be in the saddle for a while!  You may not have gotten to go to a summer camp this year, but it's not too early to plan for next summer! Check out our summer camp list to find an Adventist camp near you.

Yesterday I biked 21 miles along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath. Along the way, a marker points out the Park Head Level Graveyard. (Hmmm. Are the occupants' heads level with the ground, or what?) Anyway, there are some very old grave markers in this graveyard. I saw one that said the fellow was born in 1774! That is before the Revolutionary War! Whenever I see an old graveyard, I wonder about the people who are buried there. Where they happy? What were there joys and sorrows? Did they know Jesus? It will be an amazing sight to see graves open all around the globe when Jesus returns, that's for sure!    

When a message from the King's Heralds appeared in my e-mail box Thursday, I figured they were having second thoughts about turning down my offer to join them as the fifth member of their group. Instead, they were letting me know that they have a new MySpace site. Well, since they have such great music and are such cool dudes, I really wanted to let you know about it. But while you're there, be sure and post a message telling them how much better they'd sound if they'd let me join them. Then again, maybe you can't stretch the truth that much . . .

Shortly before I left for my trip to Washington and Oregon, I found out that a Guide author lives very close to where I would be staying for part of the trip. You've probably read her work right here on the Guide Web site. Yes, this face belongs to the author of Guide's online Screen Smart movie reviews as well as the books Just Plane Crazy and UnRapped--Melanie Bockmann. It was fun to meet Melanie in person. I played tennis with her family, and Melanie also took me on a hike to Mt. Rainier! It was really beautiful.   I got to see some other amazing sights on my trip, including Mt. St. Helens (the volcano that erupted a few years ago) and Multnomah Falls (a beautiful waterfall). One of my favorite parts was seeing all the colorful wildflowers growing in the mountains. I hope I get to visit this part of the country again! 

What would you do if you were rising toward Olympic stardom but ran into Sabbath problems? Skier Katya Antonuk knows all about that. Be inspired by her story as told in the new Guide book,  Katya's Gold. (But don't buy it on Sabbath!)

Lately I've been fascinated by reading about where the real Mount Sinai may be located. One of the most intriguing stories involves a couple of fellows named Bob Cornuke, a former SWAT team member, and Larry Williams, a wealthy investor. I thought you might enjoy hearing their story directly from them. Check it out and see what you think! (Be sure and watch all the episodes.)

This week I watched Barack Obama's convention speech on the Internet, hoping to find out more about what he stands for. I was interested to note that he referred to Bible passages two or three times. One time he mentioned the idea of being "my brother's keeper," taken from the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:9). He even ended his speech by quoting a Bible verse!  I'm sure John McCain will also refer to the Bible and God in his acceptance speech. Both candidates affirm that they are Christians, and both have shared stories about how faith is a part of their lives. (Read some of these stories by clicking on the candidate profiles at http://pewforum.org/religion08.) Most Americans are also Christians, and according to a survey just last month, 72 percent of people in the U.S. say that it is important to have a president with strong religious beliefs. Some critics might say that the candidates are just using religion to make themselves look good. There's probably some truth to that, but I'm sure many political leaders are sincere in their beliefs. It's still a little scary to me to hear presidential candidates talking about religion. Because the chances are high that one of them will claim to be a Christian and then do something that everyone knows Christians aren't supposed to do, like lying or being unfaithful to their spouse. When one of the most famous people in the world sets a really bad example of Christianity, it makes all Christians look bad. Even worse, it casts contempt on God. It makes me think about my example. Sure, I don't influence as many people as the president, but I do have an impact on others. Am I a good representative of Jesus? Are you?

One of the most popular videos right now on the Guide Web site is the Faith on Fire Theme Song from the last International Pathfinder Camporee. Now it's your turn to write the theme song for the next camporee! That's right--if you have a talent in music that you would like to share with the 30,000 people who will attend the Courage to Stand Camporee in 2009, you can (on your own or with a group) compose the words and music for a song based on the camporee theme, which centers on the story of Esther. Visit the Camporee Web Site to get the details on how to enter the Theme Song contest. This is a great opportunity to use your gifts to inspire and bless others. Your song could be sung and enjoyed for many years to come!

  Hey, you don't have to play every Sabbath game on a computer! My friend, Bill Gailliard has created a fun card game that I wish you would check out. It's called Bid That Name Game. In this game, you and your friends will choose Sabbath-appropriate categories, name bids, try to see how many things in your category you can think of, and win points for each one! There's actually more to it than that, but playing this game with your friends and family is a GREAT way to spend some time on a Sabbath. Learn more about the game and order it by having your parents contact Bill at levi35234@yahoo.com or calling him at  1-334-328-7002. (I told him you'd be calling!) And this is a great Sabbath school game, so tell your leaders about it!    

"Amazing Adventure" is a live Bible study program just for kids, presented by Pastor Doug Batchelor. You may have seen him on TV with the Amazing Facts program. It's happening right now--every night, September 12-20. You can watch Amazing Adventure online or on 3ABN television. If you miss the live broadcast, you can watch the archived video online. You can even send Pastor Doug a question and see if it's answered during the program. Check it out!  

On Monday I took a trip to Blue Mountain Academy in Pennsylvania to talk with a group of fifth through eighth graders about writing and editing. These students were attending a two-day writer's conference just for kids! They learned about and practice writing poems and short stories. They even got to see what it's like being an editor and try fixing the problems in a story to make it sound better. I also shared with them how they could send true stories to Guide magazine and get published. So maybe you'll see one of their stories in print someday! Watch the Web site and Guide magazine for info about how you can enter a story in this year's Norma R. Youngberg Writing Contest. You could win a cash prize and get published in Guide!

Do you enjoy sharing your Guides with friends who don't go to church? The Guide editors are working on a new way for you to do that. We're creating a brand-new magazine that will be a lot like Guide, only it will come out once a month instead of every week. We'll put true stories in it that all kids can appreciate even if they don't usually go to an Adventist church. Then you can send a subscription as a gift to your friends to help them learn about Jesus in a fun way! We're really excited about starting this new magazine. (Don't worry--we'll still make the regular Guides too!) We hope it will be ready to go at the beginning of next year. In the meantime, we need a cool name for the magazine--something that's short and sounds fun and interesting to kids even if they aren't Christians. Give us your ideas at our "Guide a Friend to Jesus" page.

A couple of weeks ago I found out that Randy and I are going to be interviewed for a TV program on the Hope Channel. Since then, my thoughts have been consumed with the same thing you'd be worried about if you were going to be on TV--what am I going to wear? According to the guidelines we received, it should be comfortable but not too casual, it shouldn't clash with the colors of the set, and it shouldn't be too dark or have busy patterns. Of course, I'll also eliminate the clothes I don't really like and the ones that are old or not stylish enough. After all that, will I have anything left to choose from? If you watch the Hope Channel over the next few months, maybe you'll get to see what outfit I come up with. I hope I'll also come up with something worthwhile to say!

Here's a Christian Web site for kids that I found this week: www.wonderzone.com. It has videos, games, and other fun stuff. I enjoyed designing a church building with my favorite colors. Some of the features didn't work on my computer (it's a Mac), but they did work on my coworker's computer (not a Mac), so hopefully they'll work for you! I'll put a link on the Connections page so you can find it again easily.

Cirrhosis of the liver is a dangerous disease usually seen in people who've drunk too much alcohol for years. But now some doctors are seeing it in kids your age! Why? The doctors believe it all starts with too much fat. Extremely overweight kids (or people of any age) can start to have fat build up in their liver. This eventually damages the liver (cirrhosis) and can lead to liver failure. A few kids have even needed liver transplants! The worst part of it is that there aren't any outward signs of the liver problem until a lot of the damage has already been done. (Read more in this article about kids and liver disease.) Scary, huh? I mean, we all know being overweight can lead to health problems--someday when we're older. But you wouldn't think it could give a kid a deadly disease. Adventists talk a lot about eating a healthy diet, but not so much about exercise. Ellen White gave us good counsel from God about how He wants us to be healthy. At that time most kids got plenty of exercise from walking to school, working outside, and playing active games. Today we usually have to go out of our way to get exercise! Sabbath is a good time to shut off the electronics and get some activity. Just taking a walk is a great way to stay in shape. That's what I'll be doing this Sabbath if it isn't raining!

Last weekend I traveled to southern California, where I stayed at Pine Springs Ranch, an Adventist camp. I've seen lots of ads for PSR in Guide, so it was neat to see the camp for myself. I enjoyed the beautiful mountain scenery there. I was at the camp to meet people who work with kids at church, including some junior leaders! Here I am talking to the group about Guide, especially our Guide a Friend to Jesus project. While I was in California I visited the campus of La Sierra University, an Adventist school. I was excited to see this statue, which I'd seen in a picture once before. It depicts the story of the prodigal son. One thing I like about it is how eager the father is to welcome his son back home. Also, remember that in the story the father gives his son a robe. Did you notice that in this statue, the father (representing God) is taking off his own coat to give to the son? Meanwhile, the older son in the background is angrily clutching his coat tight around him. If you think a little bit about what the robe represents, you can see some neat spiritual meanings. Another place I visited was Joshua Tree National Park, where there are lots of weird-looking Joshua Trees and weird-looking piles of rocks. It's a unique place! I enjoy traveling, but I hope I don't have to do it too much for a while! I need to catch up on my sleep!

If you've ever wanted to know the details about how Bible prophecy will be fulfilled at the end of time, Ellen White's book The Great Controversy gives the in-depth story. The book also tells about great Christians from the past, like Martin Luther and William Miller, who helped people discover life-changing truths from God's Word. It's not an easy read, but that hasn't stopped 13-year-old Anikah Shaw from Australia, who's one of the youngest participants in The Great Controversy Readathon that's going on now. Anikah wrote this week's featured blog post about chapter 12 of the book on the Readathon site. Visit the Web site to read Anikah's post and find out what people are saying about this important book. And, if a 678-page book with lots of big words doesn't scare you, read it! You can read the whole thing online (see the links on the site) if you don't have a copy at home.

While I was in Michigan for Thanksgiving, I visited the home of someone you've probably heard of: W.K. (Will) Kellogg, the guy who started the Kellogg cereal company. Since he made lots of money from his business, he was able to build a beautiful mansion on Gull Lake near Battle Creek. He even had a windmill that he imported from Holland. On the tour of the home, I found out that Will really liked the number 7. He was born on April 7, was the seventh son in his family, had seven letters in his last name, and was raised a Seventh-day Adventist, to name just a few of the sevens in his life. He had the architects include as many sevens in the house as possible. There are seven roof gables, seven bedrooms, and seven bathrooms. Some of the rooms have seven beams or rows of paneling in the ceiling. As a young man Will stopped attending church. But it seems that some of the Christian principles he learned stayed with him throughout his life. One of them was generosity. In 1934 he gave $66 million to start a foundation that would give to charitable causes. He gave away millions more in money and land at other times. I don't know what Mr. Kellogg's relationship with God was like when he died. I hope he didn't think that giving away his fortune would somehow help to buy him a heavenly mansion. That one's already been paid for by Jesus' death.

If you've ever told a children's story, given a mini-sermon for Pathfinder Sabbath, participated in a skit, or presented a special music, you know it can be scary to get up in front of a bunch of people and speak or perform. Ten-year-old Dalton Sherman recently had an opportunity to speak to 20,000 people! And to make it even more scary, they were people who would usually be telling him what to do--schoolteachers and principals. Even though he didn't have to write the speech himself, he had to practice a lot to be able to present it in a powerful way. Watch his speech and see how you think he did. You might not be as confident at getting up front as Dalton, but you still have some talents and gifts you can share with your church family. I hope you won't be afraid to speak out when you have the opportunity.

I've heard some kids try to convince adults that playing computer and video games helps them develop important skill, such as eye-hand coordination. That may be true to some degree, but that excuse may not cover all your bases anymore when trying to convince Mom or Dad to let you keep on playing. Here's another view on the subject: "Early evidence shows that many computer games teach . . . skills useful for playing more computer games, and not much more."* The same author notes that nearly a third of fourteen- to twenty-one-year olds juggle five to eight media while doing homework." You know, computer, iPod, cell phone, and all that stuff. But it turns out that a lot of those teens and young adults think they are handling all of those electronic gizmos just fine while research suggests something else: U.S. fifteen-year-olds rank 24th out of 29 countries on a certain test of problem-solving skills, and "nearly 60 percent of fifteen-year-olds in our country (USA) score at or below the most basic level of problem solving . . . such as plotting a route on a map." Well, there is more bad news, but I don't want to depress you. And obviously I am not anti-computer games, as you may have noticed if you've checked out this website. I just want you to be aware that it might be a good idea to shut off the games once in a while and turn on some other brain cells. _______________ * From Distracted by Maggie Jackson (Prometheus Books,  Copyright © 2008).

I just wanted to give a quick thanks to the kids in Juniors 1 class at Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan. I was invited to share a story with them this morning and we had a great time together. I told them the story about Jack and Billy, who trapped two bad guys named Texas Sam and Scarface Al. It's a true story, one that you may have read in a Guide's Greatest book! Anyway, I'll be enjoying the Fourth of July parade here in Berrien Springs tomorrow, then heading back to Maryland on Monday. Then it's back to making Guide magazines for you!

Wow, can you believe that already nearly 4,000 unchurched kids are getting Real magazine in their mailboxes? And tons of them are kids whose names you gave us to receive a free subscription! It must feel kinda cool to know that you're bringing great true stories and other fun stuff into their lives! If you have the names and addresses of other kids you want to receive Real magazine, please sign them up right away! We have a goal of 6,000 kids to receive Real by the end of this year. It would be great if we went way beyond that number, of course! Please spread the word about this FREE magazine for unchurched kids only. It's the perfect way to introduce kids ages 9-15 to Jesus! Now, don't make me have to send someone to lean on you to get you moving. Sign someone up RIGHT NOW right here! (Remember, please sign up only those who need to be introduced to Jesus!)

The Bible book of Proverbs features a wide range of sayings. Some are very sobering, while others make me laugh. Either way, memorizing these Proverbs is a worthy goal. Just remember: these are PROVERBS, or wise sayings, not PROMISES that never have any exceptions. At least, that's how I understand it. Sin and human choice have a way of complicating things sometimes. The other day I read a Proverb and drew a cartoon of it. See what you think. And have a great early-summer Sabbath! (Well, it's early summer where I live . . .) And don't forget to try your hand at Caption the Cartoon!

I'm pleased to let you know that MUD columnist Rich Aguilera is inviting you to get on board the trek of a lifetime! What could be more fun than heading to an exotic location with your family and learning about God through His amazing natural world? Check out what Rich has going (and show your parents)!

A few weeks ago in Nashville, Tennessee,  I met a group of wonderful young men known as the Lads. The original band hailed from New Zealand, but happily they eventually decided to move to Nashville, (you know, "Music City," and all of that). These fun-loving guys play energetic, God-honoring music. My favorite song is "Cable Knit Sweater," which is about the wonder of God's special piece of handiwork called YOU! I also like "My Best Friend is the Creator of the Universe." Now, the music may be a little TOO energetic for some of you and/or your parents. But before you leave the Lads behind, check out their funny "Lads TV" sketches, or listen to their goofy radio antics. (But no matter what, always put your parents' desires first!) You can learn more about the Lads here.  More about the Lads later, but right now here's a little activity for you to enjoy. I hope it's not too challenging . . .

I don't really watch TV, but I listen to the radio all the time. Lately, I've been hearing ads for some of Satan's cohorts. "Psychics" seem to be on the rise, at least if the radio ads are any indicator! Yesterday I heard an ad for "Psychic Network," complete with customer testimonials and everything. Another show that advertises on the radio is called "Crossing Over." This is where you call in and the host helps you get in touch with your dead relatives and all that. Of course, those "dead relatives" are real, live demons! Stay away from that stuff, please! And you may have seen that yet another major earthquake occurred Thursday, this time in Taiwan. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise: natural disasters have increased dramatically since the 1940s. This is what Seventh-day Adventists have believed the Bible has warned us about for a long time. Check out this chart and you'll see what Matthew 24:7 and Adventists are talking about (you can take or leave the global warming comment next to the chart): (http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/trends-in-natural-disasters)
The good news? Jesus is on His way one of these days!  Let's pray for those experiencing loss as the result of a natural disaster.

Above on our home page you'll see a book about Katya Antonuk, an amazing skier from Russia. Although Katya chose to give up her pursuit of an Olympic gold medal, she continues to be a champion for God. You'll find quite a bit about Katya on the Interent, but I found a nice story that will give you a little background on Katya. And don't forget to pick up a copy of the Guide book about her, Katya's Gold.

Recently a young person asked me about the number 144,000 in the book of Revelation. Maybe what I wrote to this person will help answer some of your questions about this number. Honestly, it's a little boring, but maybe it's worth reading. Anyway, see what you think: "Hi ________. You asked a good question about the number 144,000 that is mentioned in the book of Revelation! Let me share with you the way I understand it.

The book of Revelation is an “apocalyptic” book, which means it is jammed full of “word pictures” (symbolic beasts and things like that) and symbolic numbers. In Revelation, these numbers often represent something that's been made perfect. The number 144,000 is one of those symbolic numbers. It does NOT mean that there will be only 144,000 people taken to heaven, from any period of history—beginning, middle, or the end-times.

I believe the number 144,000 is connected to the idea that there were originally 12 tribes (Judah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, etc.) in Israel. Later in Bible history there were 12 disciples. They were chosen during Jesus’ time to represent the 12 original tribes from Israel. Jesus was saying in effect, “Because things haven’t quite worked out with the 12 tribes the way I had hoped, the playing field just got a lot bigger. Now these 12 men, my special disciples, will build a whole network of “chosen people” to share my love with the world. We’ll call that network the Christian Church.”

In Revelation, John (the author of Revelation) uses a similar kind of SYMBOLIC or FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE to portray God saying something like this: “Once again I’m going to use the number 12 in a special way. But this time it’s going to represent those end-times people who have been through so much spiritual trauma and yet stayed true to Me. Yes, those folks are special in My eyes, and there will be plenty of them.” To help build the case, God uses the number 12 (the number of tribes) and then MULTIPLIES IT BY ANOTHER FORM OF THE NUMBER 12: 12,000! This big number is an example of one of those important, “perfect” Bible-times numbers I mentioned earlier. (The numbers 3 and 7 are also important Bible numbers.)*

So here it is again: Instead of using the small number 12 to make His point, God uses the number 12,000 and then multiplies it by itself, a Bible way of saying “This is the perfect number to represent this throng of end-times people.” Again, this “perfect” number merely symbolizes the end-time folks who have been made “perfect” by believing in Jesus and as a result are going to heaven. Now, if you have chosen to follow Jesus and have asked Him to cover your sins with His perfect life and love, you are going home someday to be with Him! Notice that I did not say “If you have become perfect” or “If you are trying hard to be perfect.” It is a deep desire to follow the One Who really is perfect—Jesus—and a trust in His power, love, and forgiveness that qualifies you for heaven.

It may sound complicated, but the bottom line is that 144,000 does NOT mean that that’s all who will be going to heaven from the last days of earth’s history. It's just a Bible-times way of saying there will be a plenty of people going there from the last days—everyone who chooses to let God lead in their lives.

Anyway, that's how I have come to understand it. Others have different viewpoints. Just remember that there will be tons of believers from EVERY period in history, not just the last days, going to heaven. But that is a blog entry for another day!
______________ * The numbers 12,000, 144, and 12 also play important figurative roles when John writes about the New Jerusalem (see Revelation 21:10-21).

Today Tori stopped by the Guide offices. Today was her school's career day, and Tori chose to see what some of us do here at the Review and Herald Publishing Association, where Guide is made. Here's a note from Tori to all of you:   "Hi! My name is Tori. I'm in the eighth grade at a local middle school here in Maryland. I went to the Review and Herald Publishing Association for career day. I had fun! It's a cool place to work. I got to help fix a couple of things and I worked on a couple of donations for Haiti. I even got to make my own business cards and write a letter and e-mail it! The Review and Herald is a very nice place and it's amazing! It's a very big building and you can get lost in it. I saw a lot of things, like the big presses that print the books, and I saw the binding machine.   By the way, my hobbies are running, climbing, playing, and helping out in the kitchen! See you! —Tori"   Thanks for visiting us, Tori!  

Tonight I am at the Cohutta Springs Conference Center in Georgia, and the weather is wet and snowy. I am supposed to give a couple of talks down here this weekend, but I am not sure if the bad weather will keep people away or not. Then again, when they saw it was me who would be speaking to them, maybe that was already enough to keep them away! Rachel and I recently planned a special "Pathfinder Campout" issue of Guide for this summer--complete with fake ketchup stains (from the Pathfinders' Sabbath lunch) and everything. I think you will enjoy the issue, at least I hope you do or I will sure feel bad. We have some other special issues coming up too. By the way, we just sent out our first issue of Real magazine to about 3000 non-Adventist kids. Pray that these young people will see Jesus in an engaging way. Don't forget to send in the names of your non-Adventist friends for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to Real magazine. (Please do not submit your own name or then names of Adventist young people who are receiving Guide. We really don't have the money for that!)  Wherever YOU are, I hope you're planning on having a great Sabbath!

I remember years ago when a commercial airliner crashed and everyone on board was killed. About that time I was giving Bible studies to a guy and we were talking about the tragedy. He asked my opinion about  why God would allow everyone on board to perish. But what I most remember is him saying, "Maybe there wasn't even one Christian on that plane and that's why no one survived." What do you think? Does God save Christians but not others during a tragedy? I suppose He COULD do that, but I don't see much evidence that God chooses sides during plane crashes, hurricanes, or earthquakes. For example, in the Bible, some people asked Jesus why the tower of Siloam fell on 18 people, killing all of them. They asked Jesus if those people were "worse" sinners than other folks. Jesus said no. For what it's worth, I think more often than not, people who die in tragedies like the earthquake in Haiti are victims of what I call "collateral damage." You may have heard that term when some newscaster reported something such as "A drone killed an Al Quaida fighter today in Yemen. Collateral damage included six civilian deaths." What does that mean? It means that innocent people sometimes suffer just because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time. More often than not (in my opinion), that's what happens in this spiritual war we call the great controversy. The Haitian earthquake was somehow the result of a world groaning under the weight of sin, and many people died as "collateral damage." Does God protect His people? He can, but evidently He sometimes chooses to allow sin to take its toll. I don't know why. Let's just pray and donate and do everything we can to ease the burden of the Haitian earthquake victims. We DO know that's something God wants us to do. The bottom line is that we have to trust that God is still working to bring about a lasting resolution to the great controversy. Whenever I doubt His determination to do just that, I simply think of Calvary.

Today I was doing my Bible reading, learning more about the Israelites marching around Jericho. You know, that's the story where Joshua and friends marched around the walls of Jericho and then "the walls came a tumblin' down." But I didn't realize what those walls probably looked like. Well, archaeologists have pretty much determined that everything happened just like the Bible described it (imagine that). But check out what those walls probably looked like: No wonder God had to bring the walls down. Imagine trying to leap over them! Learn more here.

Since so many of you are just being lazy and eating candy during Christmas vacation, you have time to be at least a little bit creative. Well, here's a fun and FREE way to send your friends and relatives a very cool digital Christmas greeting. Click here to access Smilebox. Then send me your excellent work here! 

Well, this poor little girl gave it her best shot, but kinda messed up on the ol'   "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" line. See what you think. Oh, and I hope you are going to enjoy your about-to-happen Christmas vacation! (I don't know if home schoolers have an official Christmas vacation or not, but I hope you have fun too!)  

Would you like to experience the Bible in a brand-new way? Then you might want to check out the new Word of Promise: Next Generation MP3 dramatized "flash drive wristband" New Testament. According to its creators, "The Word of Promise: Next Generation is much more than just a word-for-word reading: it’s an all-star cast performing audio drama with a rich original score and Hollywood special effects. When Jesus walks on the water, kids will feel like they’re in the boat. When Peter waits in the courtyard during the Lord’s trial, the fire will crackle. The ambient sounds of the Holy land, the breath-taking musical score, the world-class young actors and the timeless Word of Promise all combine to deliver an unparalleled achievement." Actors and actresses include Cody Linley (Hanna Montana, Dancing with the Stars) as Jesus, AnnaSophia Robb (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Mary Magdalene, Jordin Sparks (American Idol Winner) as Elizabeth, Cobin Bleu (High School Musical) as Peter, Alyson Stoner (Cheaper by the Dozen) as Martha, and narrated by Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings). This might just be a very refreshing way to experience God's Word! Hey, Christmas is coming soon! Drop a few hints and send your parent(s) here.

A few days ago I was at San Fernando Valley Academy in California. I had to take a shuttle bus from Los Angeles International Airport up to Northridge, California, where the academy is located. I struck up a conversation with the shuttle driver. He was from India, and I told him I have a friend from India whose last name is Singh. "That's MY last name!" the man remarked. Then I discovered that, apparently, the name "Singh" is sorta like someone named "Smith" here in the United States. In other words, there are tons of them. But here's what I remember most about Mr. Singh. When I asked him if he had any family nearby, he replied, "No. No family, no friends. It's just me." Wow. All alone in a huge city. It made me especially thankful for the friends and loved ones I have nearby me. At San Ferndando Academy I did some writing workshops and a seminar on cartooning. The students there were great and we all seemed to have a good time. If you want to see some of my cartoons, you can go here. Thanksgiving is almost here and I am out of school. Of course, I have been out of school for over 20 years now, so I guess I don't appreciate it the same way most of you do . . . Here are a few good Thanksgiving jokes you can tell around the table this year.

Today I received something in the mail that’s aimed at helping kids understand evolution. Here’s part of the announcement: “Charlie's Playhouse, creator of the first evolution-based toys and playthings, is challenging parents to ask their kids ‘What is evolution?’ Hoping to initiate lively conversation about evolution between parents and their children, the Ask the Kids Project begins today and will culminate on Nov. 24, the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's "The Origin of Species." But here’s what sorta cracked me up. Check out these kids’ responses to the question “What is evolution?"
"Evolution is accidental copies of DNA in a bad way and then results in changes and sometimes the changes can be helpful or the changes can lead to extinction. I think Charles Darwin can explain it better."
"Something about the evolutionary war."
"Well, one thing's for sure, it's not the cave times when they had to sleep on rocks."
"The first living things appeared, like medusa and the first fish. And fish evolved. And fish became something very important: a sleepwalker."
"Evolution is candy."
"Ummm, it's science."
"You mean like when we were animals and now we're humans?"
"I have no idea."
"When animals change to adapt to the weather!"
Personally, I think the book of Genesis makes a lot more sense. Join the discussion about evolution and other nature stuff here!

I have been working on a new cartoon style. See what you think. Is it too wacky? If you love it, send me an e-mail. If you hate it, hmmm, well, I guess you can send me an e-mail too! If you want to learn how to draw cartoons, here is a good place to start.

In the October 24, 2009, issue of Guide, I mentioned the worst car I ever owned: a 1971 Fiat 850 Spider. I looked through tons of photos I have at home, but I couldn't find a photo of my car. So here is a photo of an 850 Spider that someone else owns. The car's body style is pretty cool (mine was dark green, actually), but the engine was really pretty awful. Anyway, I am sure the person who owns the Spider in the photograph is far wealthier than I am, so maybe he had the engine replaced! 

Some people call it entertaining, but i call spiritualism evil—period. It seems to me that Ellen White hit a bulls-eye when she wrote these words: "There are few who have any just conception [good understanding] of the deceptive power of spiritualism . . . Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating (pretending to be) beloved relatives or friends . . ." (The Great Controversy, pages 558 and 560). Think she doesn't know what she's talking about? Then check out this story . . . And if you want to learn how spiritualism affected one girl, get a copy of this book!

Since it is rainy outside today, I decided to get out my trusty drawing tools and see what I could do. Here is the sorry result of my effort. (Well, at least it kept me off the streets and out of trouble. . .)

It sounds like a comedy team, but Cassini is a space telescope and Saturn is the planet with all those cool rings around it. And now, thanks to Cassini, a never-before-seen ring has been discovered! Check it out right here. God must've had a ton of fun making that planet! I spent last weekend at Camp MiVoden in northern Idaho, where it got down to about 18 degrees Farenheit one night. The beautiful scenery was heartwarming though!

GUIDE reader Kacey Layson from Florida recently drew this great illustration for me. Kacey is 12 years old and has great talent. Maybe someday soon she will be illustrating for GUIDE and REAL magazines! BTW, if YOU want to learn how to draw manga, click here!

Tonight I'm in Orlando, Florida. As I walked to various meetings earlier today, I kept passing by the same bus stop. Each time I did, I noticed a young man seated in the bus stop shelter. Finally it dawned on me: this young man is homeless. About 9:30 this evening I finished up the last meeting of the day and started walking back toward my hotel. When I passed the same bus stop, there sat the same young man--this time with his knees drawn tightly up toward his chest. I got almost to the hotel doors when it hit me: What are you thinking, Randy? You haven't even stopped to see what this fellow might need! So I went back and said to him, "Excuse me, but could you use something to eat?" Not exactly a smooth entry point, but it got his attention. He responded eagerly, "Yes! Yes!" So I went down the street and bought him a burger and a soft drink at Wendy's. When I came back, the young man raised his head and smiled. "Thank-you, thank-you!" he said enthusiastically. I sat down next to him in the bus shelter. "What's your name?" I asked. "Billy," he said. "Billy, I'm a Christian," I explained, "and I wondered if you'd mind if I prayed with you right now?" Billy seemed moved, and nodded his agreement. I prayed for God to be with Billy and to show Billy His love. When I finished, Billy seemed to be a bit choked up--with emotion, not the burger. I stood to leave. "Billy, do you have a place to stay tonight?" I asked him. "Yes, the mission," he told me. "OK. Well, I hope you enjoy the burger and drink," I said as I began to leave. The last thing I heard him saying was another tearful "Thank-you, thank-you . . ." I don't eat hamburgers and I certainly am not in the habit of spending money at Wendy's after sundown on Friday evenings. But I did it tonight, because God helped me realize that I was to be His hands for Billy. I am not a great person because I did a good deed tonight. Rather, it makes me wonder how many other times I've neglected to care for someone God has put in my path. Have a great Sabbath, and please pray for Billy tonight, OK?

Here are some pretty interesting talents that Ellen White wrote about in a book titled Christ's Object Lessons. You might be surprised at some of the things this inspired writer has to say!
Ellen White on Talents . . . “To His servants Christ commits "His goods"—something to be put to use for Him. He gives "to every man his work." Each has his place in the eternal plan of heaven. Each is to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls. Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God. Gifts of the Holy Spirit “The talents that Christ entrusts to His church represent especially the gifts and blessings imparted by the Holy Spirit. "To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will." 1 Cor. 12:8-11. All men do not receive the same gifts, but to every servant of the Master some gift of the Spirit is promised.”
Other Talents  “The special gifts of the Spirit are not the only talents represented in the parable [of the talents]. It includes all gifts and endowments, whether original or acquired, natural or spiritual. All are to be employed in Christ's service. In becoming His disciples, we surrender ourselves to Him with all that we are and have. These gifts He returns to us purified and ennobled, to be used for His glory in blessing our fellow men.” Here are some areas Ellen White mentions in which you might look for your “talents”: * Mental Faculties * Speech * Influence * Time * Health * Strength * Money * Kindly Impulses and Affections
Ellen White then adds these comments about turning to God:  “We should not talk of our own weakness and inability. This is a manifest distrust of God, a denial of His word. When we murmur because of our burdens, or refuse the responsibilities He calls upon us to bear, we are virtually saying that He is a hard master, that He requires what He has not given us power to do. “The spirit of the slothful servant we are often fain to call humility. But true humility is widely different. To be clothed with humility does not mean that we are to be dwarfs in intellect, deficient in aspiration, and cowardly in our lives, shunning burdens lest we fail to carry them successfully. Real humility fulfills God's purposes by depending upon His strength.” —From Christ’s Object Lessons, pages 325-365  

I've been having a good time at the 2009 "Courage to Stand" Pathfinder camporee here in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it's been fun to meet Guide CyberClub members in person. If you want to watch some of the camporee via live Web streaming, you can watch it here!

Yesterday I spent a wonderful Sabbath afternoon at the Historic Adventist Village in Battle Creek, Michigan. It's a small village that's made up of some original and replica homes and buildings from Adventist history. It was awesome to be in the room where angels walked as Ellen White wrote the book The Great Controversy. It was also fun to run into Guide reader Landon Lowe. Landon is 13 years old and is from Kernersville, North Carolina. His parents, along with his sister Lauren, were also there. If you have the chance to visit Historic Adventist Village, don't pass it up. It's a good reminder of the sacrifices our Adventist pioneers made for us. Landon in the old schoolhouse at Historic Adventist Village.
Can you tell which one is Randy after an historic workout?

I was delighted today when the Hendersonville, North Carolina Pathfinder Club stopped by the Review and Herald Publishing Association, where Guide is made. This weary group has been trekking all over New England on an Adventist heritage tour. But they mustered up the energy to smile for the camera. Thanks for dropping in. BIy the way, if you're on your way to camporee or on vacation, and you're not far from Hagerstown, Maryland, be sure and stop by to say hi! THE HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA PATHFINDERS

Yesterday I attended an agricultural fair here in Maryland. There was lots going on, and there were plenty of animals around. While I was walking past the goats, I befriended this fellow. I don't know what his name is, but I thought you might enjoy seeing his picture! Learn a ton of fun facts about goats by clicking here.

I was taking it easy this afternoon (Sabbath) and wondering what I could do just for fun. That's when I made the mistake of picking up my drawing pad. Well, anyway, see what you think of my cartoon. Some pastors get pretty heated up!

By now most of you are aware of the vast popularity of the"Twilight" books, as well as the forthcoming related movies. Since the series is especially appealing to Guide-age readers and older teens, I'm asking you to do something. If you read any of these books or see any of the movies, please do so with great biblical discernment. In particular, I hope you'll ask yourself a key question: "What do these stories say about the real nature of good and evil?" By the way, from a biblical worldview, the saying that is printed on the poster below is just the opposite of Bible truth. Never, ever forget that tasting "forbidden fruit" is the reason Jesus found it necessary to die a horrible death on Calvary. Finally, I hope there is lots of discussion going on about this series on the Guide discussion board. If not, get started here. By the way, the publication CCM magazine has some interesting insights on the series--see what you think.

Today I was in southern Illinois at the Three Angels' Broadcasting Network. I taped a program called "3ABN Today," where I got to talk about Guide and our new outreach magazine, Real. A couple of Guidesters appeared on the program with me. Special thanks to Dene Babb and Joshua Oswald. I'll let you know when the program is going to be aired on 3ABN. In the meantime, don't forget to send in the names and addresses of all your 10- to 14-year-old friends and relatives and others who don't know Jesus. We'll send them a FREE one-year subscription to Real. (And we wouldn't mind if you asked your parents to help us out a bit financially!) Click here to learn more!

If you are a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, you know that we share a rich heritage. We also share some unique lifestyle practices, some of which have been captured as T-shirt slogans by a very creative company. Check out a nice—and often quite humorous—selection of T-shirts made with the Seventh-day Adventist in mind at www.eighteenfortyfour.com. You might even want to suggest a T-shirt slogan to them! Here's another one of their T-shirt slogans: Ha!

If you happen to be attending the Loma Linda University Church on Sabbath, May 16, 2009, I sure hope you'll leap out and say hi to me. I'll be up front at both services, but I'd love to meet you after church or between services. Maybe you can direct me to the closest potluck . . .

Ever wondered how big Noah's ark really was? Now you can see for yourself! No, not the original ark, but a life-sized replica of it. One thing: you'll have to come up with a plane ticket to Hong Kong, which is where this monstrous boat has been built. Check it out here! Here is my own version, which I wouldn't say is too biblically accurate.

 This item appeared on the USA Today website for April 9, 2009: Experts: U.S. numb to mass violence By Kevin Johnson, USA TODAY A spate of mass murders has prompted officials to call for a renewed focus on violence.
That was followed a short way down the page by this one: 'Harper's Island': Enjoy the gory mystery while it lasts By Robert Bianco, USA TODAY Review: For the next three months, heads will roll as a serial killer slices his way through resort guests.
Hmmm . . . could there POSSIBLY be a connection here?

Today I came across a pretty fun collection of positive-message comics. The hero is a fellow named Ninja Billy. I thought you might enjoy checking out the comics. When you get to the Ninja Billy website, click on the comic archive button. 

I drew this today and wanted you to be able to have some fun with it. Poor Pathfinder leaders, Mr. and Mrs. Kidder, decided to treat their club to a weekend of camping festivities. But things didn't go as smoothly as they had hoped. Can you spot the 10 differences between the two cartoons? Answers next week.

Today I handed Guide Associate editor Rachel Whitaker a joke book and told her to select one that she liked. Here is the joke she chose . . . Q: Do you know what the happiest day in Archibald Lughead's life was? A: The day he learned that he could use Right Guard under his left arm.

The January 31, 2009, issue of Guide included a story by 12-year-old Annika Northrop. "A Higher Level" told about how she chose not to participate  in an important gymnastics competition because it was held on Sabbath. (In the end she received a medal anyway!) I met Annika in Hawaii, where she lives, a few days ago. (See photo.) She is now competing in three qualifiers for the World Age Group Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida. Annika will be competing in the trampoline, double-mini trampoline, and tumbling categories. You can see her perform some of her routines here. Pray for her success and safety. The shoreline photo is a shot of a scenic area along the island of Oahu's north side. The bottom photo is the city of Honolulu with Diamond Head in the background. Hawaii is a beautiful state and I hope to return someday.

I am heading off to Hawaii for a little while on Guide business. (Really!) Among other things, I am going to share news about our new outreach publication, Real Magazine. BTW, the little surfer kid photo is not me—it's from a 1964 issue of Surf Guide Magazine, which should not be confused with the Guide Magazine you receive at Sabbath school! Sadly, I am afraid I won't be in Hawaii long enough to do any surfing! I do hope to find at least enough time to see some tropical fish or something. Speaking of that, do any of you have an aquarium? If so, you might want to check out this link to see some great videos on how to keep those fish alive! OK, back at you soon!

Here is a guy I drew that is trying to decide what kind church he is about to go into! See what you think of the cartoon!
 

 The other day I happened to see the cover of  People magazine. Actress Halle Berry adorned the cover.  "She's Pregnant!" the headline screamed. "A Baby for Halle. After years of heartbreak, the joyful star announced she is expecting, at 41, with boyfriend Gabriel Aubry." Now, believe it or not, there was a time when an unmarried woman getting pregnant was considered by most people to be a sin. You sure wouldn't know that by today's media standards. This is a sad example, especially for young people. Yes, Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry are  both loved by God. No, our Creator hasn't changed His standards of right and wrong: "It is God's will that you should be sanctified:that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). None of us is perfect. Still, marriage is a beautiful thing. Maybe someday it will become a Hollywood fad. In the meantime, we can pray for those caught up in the celebrity culture

Recently I saw the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, which looks in some depth at intelligent design and evolution. I found it both informative and entertaining. No, it's not an action-adventure or comedy movie. But I learned a lot and I believe  it's worth watching. I personally think it's appropriate for Sabbath viewing, but you need to ask you parents about that! Check out the movie trailer here. You and/or your parents can learn more at the official Expelled Web site. There are also some websites out there that present opposing views. If you're interested in those, just do a Google search on "Expelled refuted" or some such thing. Personally, I'm going with the "intelligent design" argument, and I happen to think the "designer" is the God mentioned in the book of Genesis!

Here is a silly little cartoon I drew the other day. I thought you might get a quick kick out of it. I am not sure what your dentist would think of it, though!

The other day Randy and I received a surprise visit from everybody's favorite Mud columnist and video star: Rich Aguilera. Rich brought along his wife, Ivette, and their sons, Leo and Alex, to tour the Review and Herald plant, where Guide is made.  For the record, Leo does not normally wear goofy glasses and a hat. Those are some of Randy's disguises that he keeps in his office in case he needs to go on a dangerous story detecting mission. Rich, however, does normally wear glasses and a hat--at least when he wants people to recognize him as the Mud guy. Rich and his family were on a trip that ranged from Michigan to Washington, D.C., to Florida and back. Rich claims he has an idea for an episode of MudTV to be filmed here at Guide headquarters. I hope that does not mean he discovered a rare toxic fungus growing behind Randy's desk or anything like that. This was my first chance to meet Rich in person, even though I already felt like I know him pretty well because we e-mail each other so much, laying plans for Mud columns and Mud TV and other fun Muddy stuff on the Web. Thanks, Rich and family, for stopping by to visit!

Imagine opening a box of crackers and finding an envelope with $10,000 inside! That's exactly what happened to the Rogoff family a little while ago. They took the box back to the store, where managers eventually discovered the reason for the box full of cash. Read the whole story here. The Rogoffs didn't get anything out of their strange discovery other than a replacement box of crackers and some news coverage, but I imagine they feel good about doing the right thing, don't you?

This week I participated in the first ever online Guide Bible study in the CyberClub chat room! Chat moderator westin led out in our look at Jesus' parable about the merchant searching for fine pearls. Here's one thing I got out of it: God thinks we're really valuable, and if He thinks so, it must be true! The Bible study will happen every Tuesday night. I hope you can come. Log into the CyberClub and click the chat link to see the list of times in different areas. I think some  people got confused about how to use the password to get into the Maranatha room, so from now on we are changing it so you don't need a password. It will work more like the regular chats. But you still have to be on time, because the Maranatha room will be closed about 5 minutes after the start time, and you won't be able to get in.

Kjell Sandved was researching animal behavior at the Smithsonian when he found it: a butterfly with a perfect letter "F" in the design of its wing. Fascinated, Kjell and a coworker, Barbara Bedette, began to wonder what other letters might appear on butterfly wings. "Let's go out and find more," Barbara suggested. Armed with a special camera to take super-close-up photos, Kjell and Barbara traveled the world in search of exotic butterflies. Their search took many years, but they eventually found all the letters of the alphabet, plus numbers, on butterfly and moth wings. See their results at the Butterfly Alphabet site. In the meantime, they captured many other amazing photos of designs in nature that they gave funny names like "Bad Hair Day," "Scaredy Cat," "Dancing Queen," and "The Lady Weight Lifter." Sadly, Kjell and Barbara don't see the incredible artistry in nature as the result of God's creative genius but as the product of long ages of natural selection. Personally, I think God must have had fun hiding some of these humorous designs in His creatures. This Sabbath, look closely at nature and see what designs you discover. Take along a digital camera to capture your findings!

Are you a vegetarian? Are you in homeschool? If so, you have something in common with more kids than ever. A recent study showed that about one in 200 kids in the U.S. is vegetarian, for a total of about 367,000. The number of vegetarian kids seems to be growing as young people find out more about how cutting out meat helps the environment and decreases cruelty to animals. Another study said that the number of homeschoolers has risen 36% since 2003. Now about 1.5 million children and teens are homeschooled! That's about one out of every 35 kids.

In the spring of 2008 a terrible cyclone struck the country of Myanmar, killing at least 146,000 people and leaving thousands more homeless. You may remember hearing about it in the news. After this disaster, several hundred refugees found shelter at Ayeyerwady Adventist Seminary (AYAS). Many of them told incredible stories of survival. Here is one of them.

************
A Wonderful Book

as told to Dhay Htoo Sein, principal of AYAS

My name is Robert, and I was a Roman Catholic at one time. I was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church many years ago but could hardly read the Bible. For me the Bible was just like other ordinary books, so why bother to read it? But after the Nargis cyclone struck our village, my trust in God's Word totally changed.

It was May 2, 2008, Friday evening, when the Nargis cyclone started hitting our village. My house totally collapsed, and we couldn't get anything out of it. Immediately we rushed to another house for shelter, but in just a few more minutes that house also had fallen. That night we ran to four houses in higher places, but they were all knocked down by strong wind and waves.

That night was a fearful time. The heavy rain came with the strong wind; the water came up higher and higher; and it became darker and darker. People were scared. Some children were crying, while others were quiet, holding their mothers or fathers very tightly.

On that dark night, everyone was trying to rush to the highest place to take refuge, but the water always followed us. Even when we reached the highest place we could find, very soon the water reached our knees. Now we could do nothing. No higher place to run. My wife prayed, "Lord, our lives are in Your hand. Please save us."

Slowly the water reached our waists. I shouted, "Hold on tight." Everyone started holding onto something to keep them afloat. That night we had to stay in cool salty water while the strong wind blew constantly. We were completely in darkness and the water was everywhere.

About midnight the water went down. In the morning we came down from our place of refuge. Everything looked completely different. We went home, hoping to find something. But nothing was left. Everything had been swept away by the tide.

As I continued to search around, finally I saw my son's Bible beneath a fallen tree. I picked it up and opened it. Every page was dry, and I could turn them smoothly. I was so amazed when I looked at the other books and saw that they were all wet and couldn't be opened. Finally I realized that the Bible is not an ordinary book. It is the true Word of God, which is "able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15, NIV).

After the cyclone my family and I took shelter at AYAS. I have no more doubt in God's Word. I study it carefully and am witnessing to everyone about my son's Bible. In the photo at top, Robert is holding the Bible, surrounded by his family. The second picture shows the Bible, its pages still clean and smooth and readable. 

This week I bought four new radios. They're pretty cool--you could take them on a camping trip and run them with solar energy or turn a crank on the back to power them. They also run on electricity and batteries. The radios aren't for me, though. I already have a radio at home and one in my car. These radios are for Adventist World Radio (AWR) to give to people in remote parts of the world so they can listen to Christian broadcasts. In Guide on February 28, you'll read amazing stories about how God is using AWR to share the gospel with people in countries where preaching is prohibited or where travel is difficult. You'll also find a video and some games on the Guide site that will tell you more about AWR's work and the Guide radio project. $35 will buy one radio. If you don't have that much, any amount you give will help someone get a radio. I hope you can help! Get your parents or your Sabbath school class to join you! Jesus said that before He comes back, the whole world must have a chance to hear the good news about His salvation (Matthew 24:14). There are still a lot of people who haven't heard, and AWR is doing a great job of reaching them. Let's help the message get out.

On February 24 the Middletown Christian School of Seventh-day Adventists, located in Middletown, New York, celebrated the "100th Day of School." In honor of this day, students brought 100 of various items. Some of the items were toy cars, Cheerios, chopsticks, straws, coins, Pringles, phone cards, etc. (Most of the food items were consumed at the lunch hour.) Eighth grade student Akyra Esson displayed 100 copies of Guide magazine! Here's a photo of her collection. Looks like they're all different! "This is the second year to do this event. One of the newer teachers suggested it as a way to break up the winter doldrums! Teachers and students enjoyed it," reports Richard Mills, communications director at the Middletown Seventh-day Adventist Church, who sent me the photo. Do you have a big Guide collection? Send us a picture of you with your Guides, and we might put it on our Web site! E-mail your picture to guide@rhpa.org and tell us a little about yourself and how you got your collection.

Ever seen an ad? OK, that was a silly question. Researchers estimate that the average American sees hundreds, maybe thousands, of advertisements every day! Even on Sabbath, when hopefully you're not watching TV channels, listening to radio stations, and reading magazines that bombard you with ads for clothes, cars, unhealthy food, medicine, and everything else you can imagine, you probably still see some billboards on your way to church. People who make ads know how to make them clever, funny, exciting, or whatever it takes to make us want to buy what they have to sell. Often that means stretching the truth a bit. Here's a fun Web site called Don't Buy It that tells you some of the tricks behind the ads you see. What you see is not always exactly what you get.

I read two stories this week about amazing animals. One is about two boys who had a pet lion cub. When the lion grew too big to keep, they released him to the wild in Africa. A year later they went to Africa to see how their pet was doing. Amazingly, the now full-grown, wild lion remembered them! Watch the amazing video of Christian the Lion. There's also a book about this true story. Then I found out about Faith the Dog, who was born with one front leg missing and the other so seriously deformed that it had to be amputated. Faith's owners taught her to stand on her back legs and eventually walk like a human! She looks sort of funny walking around like that, but she's been an encouragement to many people who face seemingly impossible challenges in their lives. I can't wait until we get to heaven, where we'll be able to enjoy our animal friends even more than we do now, with no fear and danger to get in the way.

Last weekend I got to visit another new place: Cohutta Springs Conference Center in northern Georgia. The leaves were just coming out on the trees, the dogwoods were blooming, the air was warm, and the birds were singing--but I spent most of my time inside, meeting with Sabbath school teachers and others who were there to learn more about the best ways to share Jesus with kids. Fortunately, I was able to take a walk around the lake on Sabbath afternoon and enjoy the beautiful view. I also met some Guide fans, including three sisters named Rachel, Ruth, and Rebekah from Atlanta. (Actually, I met three people named Rachel during my trip!) I reminded them to visit the Guide booth at the Oshkosh camporee, and to sign up for the CyberClub so they can get a members-only pin at the booth. At the conference I gave people the opportunity to submit names of non-Adventist kids to receive a free subscription to Real, the new outreach magazine from Guide. Do you have friends that you're trying to witness to? Maybe you already give them your Guides when you're done reading them. Why not sign them up for a free subscription to Real magazine?

Take a good look at this picture. Do you think it is a plant or an animal? I took this picture at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago, so it's something that lives in the water. Still not sure? Well--that's the point. This creature is a good example of camouflage. It's called a leafy sea dragon, and it's a type of sea horse (which means it's a fish). But it looks a lot like seaweed--especially when you see its leafy decorations waving slowly in the water! Just in case you're still confused, its head is on the right, with its nose pointing down, and its tail is on the left. This is just one more example of the incredible variety of God's creatures.

A few weeks ago on our Web site you could vote for your favorite finalist for the Courage to Stand Camporee theme song. Well, the official song has been selected, and you can start learning it now! I think it's a neat song. The author is Emily Beth Bond. Go to the Camporee Web site to listen to the song and download the words.

I just finished reading a really exciting book called Hunted by the KGB. It's about a Seventh-day Adventist teenager named Theodor back in World War II. God saved his life dozens of times as he escaped from Nazi prisons, Communist soldiers, and many more life-threatening situations. This young man experienced miracle after miracle! It's one of the most amazing books I've read. If you like books about people escaping from Nazis and Communists, another good one is A Thousand Shall Fall. It's incredible to read how God protected this German family during World War II when they resolved to do what was right regardless of the danger. It's one of my favorite books. I've also heard my coworkers talking about a new book called Dare to Stand Alone, which is about a young soldier in Russia who stood up for his faith. I haven't read it, but I hear it's pretty exciting. You can get all these books at Adventist Book Center stores or online. They'd be great to read on a Sabbath afternoon!

Pastor Doug Batchelor, speaker for the Amazing Facts TV program, has an amazing story of how he came to know Jesus. If you've read his book, The Richest Caveman, you know what I'm talking about. Maybe you've even heard him tell it on TV or in a live sermon! At the Amazing Facts Web site you can watch a video of him telling his "caveman" story. Check it out! You can also find out more about Pastor Doug and get his book at www.dougbatchelor.com. Thanks to a Guide reader named Mia for suggesting that we post Pastor Doug's story.

Here's a little cartoon I did for you Guidesters. I hope it makes you smile!

Here's a new game you might want to try. It's called "Jewels of Sinai." According to the promo, "Jewels of Sinai is a first of its kind game for Christians looking for a positive gaming experience that's perfect for kids as well as adults. Hey, the trial version is free. Why not check it out?

I read a funny Bible joke the other day. Hope you enjoy it. I just have to fill some space here so you don't see the answer until you click "Read more." Q: Why did the unemployed man get so excited when he flipped through the Bible? A: He thought he saw a job.

Are you planning on being baptized soon? Here's a fun way to learn more about what Seventh-day Adventists believe. Quiz28.org has a Bible quiz for every one of the Adventist Church's 28 fundamental beliefs. This quiz will really test your Bible knowledge. The good part is, if you don't know the answer, you can click the Bible text to look it up--but beware, the clock is running! See how quickly you can complete each quiz. You might even set the record for fastest time on the Statistics page! I've created a permanent link to Quiz28 at the bottom of the Game Launch page so you can find it easily.

Last weekend I took a camping trip with my brother and some friends to Assateague Island on the coast of Maryland. On this island live herds of wild horses made famous in the children's book Misty of Chincoteague. Although the horses are wild, they have no fear of humans, so we saw them around our campsite many times. Usually we saw a group of five--one stallion, three mares, and a foal. It was neat.  Going to the beach used to be sort of a problem for me because I didn't feel comfortable being out in public with a swimsuit on--especially with guys around. I don't think that any guy except the one I marry needs to be seeing that much of my skin. But since I got a modest swimsuit a couple years ago, it's no problem at all. This swimsuit actually covers more skin than I think it really needs to, but at least I feel comfortable walking around in it. (Click the link above for more about finding modest swimsuits.) I was also excited about the fact that long shorts are in style right now, so I got a new pair for my trip to the beach. In case you couldn't tell, I think dressing modestly is an important way to show respect for ourselves, others, and God. Unfortunately, a lot of styles right now are all about showing off your body in inappropriate ways. For some tips that might help the next time you go clothes shopping, take the Truth or Bare test at www.secretkeepergirl.com. Check out www.purefashion.com for more tips--and visit their photos and videos section to see pictures of their fashion shows featuring stylish clothing that is more modest than what you might typically see.

A couple of weeks ago a group from a Filipino Adventist church in Toronto, Canada, came to tour the Review and Herald Publishing Association, home of Guide magazine. I got to show the group around the Guide offices (including Randy's secret door!) and tell them about Real, the new outreach magazine. Some of the group members got pretty interested in the Guides I handed out.

If you're coming to Michigan camp meeting at Great Lakes Adventist Academy, hopefully I'll see you there! I'll be visiting the junior and earliteen divisions on Sabbath. You can play the FACTory game and find out more about Guide's new outreach magazine, Real. Here's the schedule: Earliteens: Sabbath, June 20, in the afternoon meeting (around 2:30 p.m.) Junior 2: Sabbath, June 20, in the evening meeting (around 7:00 p.m.) Junior 1: Sabbath, June 27, in the afternoon meeting (around 2:30 p.m.) If you live in Michigan, but you're not coming to camp meeting, now is the time to tell your parents that you need to come at least for Sabbath! Find out more here.

Guide Dog and I had a great time meeting Guide fans at Michigan camp meeting and sharing the news about the new outreach magazine, Real. Here are some photos: Guide Dog is surrounded by excited fans in the Junior 1 class.   Wyatt and a friend check out Real magazine. Will they share it with their friends who don't go to church?   Rachel got to visit with Kaitlyn and Megan, who really love Guide!   In the teen tent, Christin, Bradley, Austin, and Ryan stayed by to say hello.   Guide Dog makes friends wherever he goes! (Thanks to my brother Jason for taking these pictures!)

We here at Guide are getting pretty excited about our new outreach magazine, Real. You'll be seeing a lot more about it in the next few issues of Guide. It's a way for you to reach out to your friends who don't share your faith. You can send them a FREE subscription to Real so they can read some of the same stories and other fun features that you've seen in Guide. If you have a friend, neighbor, cousin, or classmate who should get this magazine, sign them up! We want to send this magazine to 100,000 kids! That sounds like a lot, but think of it this way--if everyone who reads Guide sends us names of four kids who need to know Jesus, we'd meet our goal. This summer in Southeastern California, student literature evangelists will be going door to door and inviting families to get a free subscription for their children. Churches will be passing out free subscription cards at county fairs. People are sending in kids' names online and by phone. We're looking forward to sending Real to your friends, too!

You may remember a continued story in Guide a couple years ago about brothers Sean and Ivor Myers, successful rap artists who became Christians and took a whole different direction in life. They were also featured in the book Unrapped. Well, Sean is speaking at a youth event in Colorado, so if you act fast, you may be able to hear him in person. From July 17-25 there will be programs each day, first at the EDGE church, 3853 E. 120th Ave, Thornton, CO 80233 (July 17 and 18) and then at RED LION HOTEL DENVER SOUTHEAST, 3200 S. Parker Rd., Aurora, CO 80014 (July 19-25). Evening programs start at 7 p.m. You'll want to check out all the details by contacting Dennis Tilon from the Indonesian SDA church in Thornton at 720.275.1355 or tilontravel@gmail.com.

Back in the far reaches of the Guide headquarters building, a mysterious creation is taking shape. Strange smells and loud noises rise in the air as workers put the finishing touches on this unique object. Here are a few photos of what they are working on. To fully experience this new and dynamic Guide machine, you'll have to see it in person at the Guide booth at the camporee in Oshkosh. For those who aren't attending, we'll give a full report in a few weeks. Hope you like it!

The August 22 Guide is a special issue, so we didn't have room for the weekly Explore God's Word feature. Here it is. How many questions can you answer without looking up the references? Bible Study Questions for PowerPoints
Third Quarter, Lesson 8 BY MELANIE SCHERENCEL BOCKMANN Go above and beyond with Guide’s weekly Scripture challenge! Use your Bible and lesson materials to answer these questions. (Bible references come from the NIV. Find the complete text of books by Ellen White at www.whiteestate.org.) 1. Unscramble: “Be (ndik) ________________ and (soomnaatpeics) ________________ to one another, (ggfriionv) ________________ each other, just as in Christ God (veagrof) ________________ you” (Ephesians 4:32).
2. How many times does John use a form of the word “love” in 1 John 4:7-21? ________________
3. How many times should we forgive people who have hurt us (Matthew 18:21, 22)?
     __ at least once    __ 7 times     __ 77 times     __ not at all if they’re not sorry
4. T or F: If we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14, 15).
5. As God’s people, what qualities should we have? ________________, ________________, ________________, ________________, ________________, (Colossians 3:12, 13).
6. “Nothing can justify an ________________  ________________” (Christ’s Object
Lessons, p. 251).
7. T or F: If someone hurts us, we have the right to take revenge (Romans 12:19).
8. “If your enemy is hungry, ________________________________; if he is
________________, give him ________________________________. In doing this, you will ________________________________________________” (Proverbs 25:21, 22).
9. Put these words in order: “Lord or yourself I the am neighbor of but your as love against people one your revenge grudge seek bear not a do” (Leviticus 19:18). __________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
10. How did Jesus “practice what He preached” (Luke 23:33, 34)? __________________________________________________________________________
 

I had a great time at the Oshkosh camporee. One of the fun parts was meeting a girl named Rachel Whitacre! I have never met anyone with the same name as me (although we spell it a little differently)! I'll share more photos of the trip next week.

It was great to meet lots of CyberClub members at the Oshkosh camporee--about 200 of you altogether. Hopefully those of you who came to the CyberClub get-togethers had fun meeting other members. Anyone who came by the booth could play the Guide trivia game by sitting in Starship Real, the spacecraft we designed to celebrate the launch of Real magazine. Here Jordan (known as jojungle in the CyberClub) and a friend try to reach the highest level by answering questions, using their steering wheels to select the colored light that matches the correct answer.   Probably the CyberClub member who came the farthest was Cesar (nickname Yepour), who traveled to Wisconsin all the way from the South American country of Colombia! One of the neat things about the camporee was meeting people from all over the world. I met people from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, South Africa and other African countries, lots of Caribbean islands, and more!  

At the international camporee in Oshkosh, Pathfinders had a chance to display their skills with fancy drill routines and drum corps performances. On Sabbath morning some clubs really left the worship service in style! Here's the drum corps from the Emmanuel-Brinklow Adventist Church in Maryland marching out. During the camporee I got to spend some time with my friend Michelle Bergmann, the associate editor of Insight magazine. (If you're a teen, you may want to check out Insight's site, especially the social networking page called The Flow.) Here we are at the Sabbath morning service. I'm wearing my new Pathfinder uniform since I'm helping with Pathfinders at my church this year. For those of you who were there, you'll recognize what's in the background! Yesterday was our club's first Pathfinder meeting, and we started working on the tree honor. We had fun identifying some trees around the church and taking apart a pine cone to find the seeds.

A few weeks ago CyberClub member Thacia (at right), her friend Caleb, and their families visited Guide Headquarters and got to see how their magazines are printed. Here's a photo of us on the main stairway.

I was pretty upset when I read the headline in the newspaper: "Caffeinated drinks brimming with good health." I couldn't believe someone was promoting caffeine as a healthful substance. However, the article went on to say that several studies had found that drinking coffee or tea lowered people's risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and certain kinds of cancer. The problem was that I had just read an article in Vibrant Life, an Adventist health magazine, that said caffeine can raise your blood pressure (not good for your heart), increase your risk of various cancers, and make you more likely to be depressed. It also pointed out that people become dependent on caffeine so that they feel they can't get along without it. This article described caffeine as "one of the most commonly used drugs in the world." So do Pepsi, Coke, Mountain Dew, energy drinks, coffee, and tea count as health drinks or harmful drugs? The scientists don't seem to agree! I'll tell you what I usually do when I hear conflicting information about health. I look at what Ellen White had to say. Many years ago God gave Ellen White lots of instructions about health to help us take better care of our bodies. Today scientists can often see that her advice was right on target. Surprise! God knew what He was talking about! Here's what Ellen White had to say about caffeine-containing drinks: "Tea, coffee, and tobacco are all stimulating, and contain poisons. They are not only unnecessary, but harmful, and should be discarded" (Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 420, 421). She actually said drinking tea and coffee is a sin (p. 425), which is pretty strong. I don't have space to go into all the reasons here, but you can read them in the pages mentioned above. You will hear all kinds of things about health in the media or from other people: red wine is good for your heart; you should eat only raw foods; garlic cures colds; jalapenos help you lose weight; etc. Some may be true; some may be partly true but there's a much safer way to do the same thing; and some may be totally false! If you follow every health idea that comes along, you'll be really confused. That's why I go back to the time-tested advice that God has given us in the Bible and Ellen White's writings.