Alberto Valenzuela

  Because I became an Adventist as a teenager, the first time I experienced the Lord’s Supper was an intriguing experience. Beginning with the foot-washing ceremony and followed by the partaking of the bread (what to me seemed to be Wheat Thin crackers) and the tiny cup of “wine,” the whole ritual left me a…

Advantages and Disadvantages The gospel invitation is to be given to the rich and the poor, the high and the low, and we must devise means for carrying the truth into new places and to all classes of people Ellen G. White, Medical Ministry, p. 312 Whatever may have been your former practice, it is…

The Romans revolutionized construction through their extensive use of bricks, shaping the architectural landscape of the empire. Initially inspired by Greek and Etruscan practices, Roman brickmaking evolved into a highly organized and standardized industry. By the first century B.C., fired clay bricks had become a staple, prized for their durability, uniformity, and ease of transport.…

How is your hope for 2025? Can you become enthusiastic about the greeting, “Happy New Year”? Are you hopeful and confident about 2025, or is life so grim or blah that your attitude is, “It’s another year, so what”? Look back for a minute. Was 2024 like you thought it would be? No doubt you…

In the fullness of time, God acted decisively for the world’s salvation. He didn’t establish a new nation to receive Him; instead, He came through Israel—the same nation that had too often grown tired of waiting for the Messiah and turned to other gods. Throughout the Old Testament, we read that Israel frequently worshipped idols,…

The primary duty of the Israelites during the celebration of the New Year, as articulated by priestly law, was to be “altogether joyful,” (Deuteronomy 16:15)1 and to “rejoice before the Lord” (Leviticus 23:40) in recognition of the numerous blessings bestowed upon them through their agricultural endeavors. To articulate this joyful acknowledgment of divine favor, Israel…

  I was 16 years old when Elder Jaime Castrejón, our next-door neighbor, shared a book with me: El conflicto de los siglos (The Conflict of the Ages). In English it is titled The Great Controversy. I have always been a history buff, and I enjoyed the book’s historical narrative. I went to our university’s library…

According to a United Press International article published in 1973, the “uglies” picketed an American Airlines ticket office in Fort Worth, Texas, to protest alleged discrimination in hiring when the company advertised for good-looking people. Danny McCrory, the founder of Uglies Unlimited, led the protest with 18 uglies from his organization, which was formed to…

The Pacific Union Recorder stands as a cornerstone in the landscape of Adventist media, serving the vibrant and diverse community within the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Covering the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii, the Recorder has been a trusted source of news, inspiration, and connection for Adventist members and institutions…

Those words, “unwelcome abundance,” have been percolating in my head for some time. I’ve tried to shake them off, but somehow they keep coming back. I wonder where they’re from—a book, a poem, a movie? Two other words also have come along: perspective and availability. Sometimes my mind makes connections that baffle me. But these…