Many new faces will soon join us as they begin their academic journey at Andrews University. We are preparing to welcome them with our traditional Welcome Picnic on Sabbath, August 23. You can support Belong by signing up to be a table host, preparing food, becoming a general volunteer—or all of the above! Text the word “PICNIC” to 269-281-2345
How To Quantify Your Happiness
How To Quantify Your Happiness: In the Churchyard of Cambridge
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.
Offering
More In This Series
“How to Quantify Your Happiness: ‘The Churchyard in Cambridge’”
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□ Susan Reimer on the latest Journal of Consumer Research study
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“‘While people tend to define happiness in terms of excitement,
enthusiasm and high stakes arousal, people define happiness in terms of calm, peacefulness and low states of arousal,’ the authors wrote. We still love thrills as we age, the researchers found. experiences give young and old almost the same amount of pleasure. But happiness from experiences as people got older.” (South Bend Tribune 3-2-14)
- Ninety-three year old essayist Roger Angell on aging: “‘We’ve outgrown our ambitions. If our wives or husbands are still with us, we sense a trickle of contentment flowing from the reliable springs of routine, affection in long silences, calm within the light boredom of well-worn friends, retold stories and mossy opinions.’” (Ibid)
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“‘While people tend to define happiness in terms of excitement,
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□ Jesus in Acts 20:35
- “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “In the Churchyard at Cambridge”:
“Dust is in her beautiful eyes”—a graphic depiction of the unassailable truth that you can’t it with you.
Thus the poet can describe “Christian charity”—the charity of —as “the richest and rarest” of .
- The way Jesus Himself lived: “He went about doing ” (Acts 10:38).
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□ Tim Aka in End Game Economics: Understanding the Financial Crisis through Scripture
- “It has become painfully obvious the world is suffering under a tremendous burden of debt. From Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain in the European Union, to Japan, China, and of course the United States, nations have become saddled with unstainable amounts of debt.” (8)
- “Individuals have also taken on great amounts of debt to try to attain and maintain a lifestyle. . . . Of course there are those who are truly impoverished without the necessities of life, but the majority of us have all we need for a comfortable life. Yet we don’t realize the extent to which has played a role in the creation of this lifestyle.” (8-9)
- USDTA: “Credit card debt in the USA currently amounts to a total debt of about billion dollars. The average credit card debt per credit card owning household is dollars. This is the total credit card debt divided by the number of households with credit cards. Credit card penalty fees in the US add up to about billion dollars a year.
- “Approximately million credit cards are currently in use in the United States, with credit card users having an average of cards each. There are about 176.8 million credit card users in the US. Every year, about billion credit card solicitations are mailed in the USA.
- “Students are particularly likely to have credit card debts and they are also likely to have multiple credit cards. The average credit card debt of a new graduate is dollars, with about 20 percent of graduates having credit card debts of more than dollars.” (http://www.usdta.org/credit-card-debt-in-the-usa.php)
- Romans 13:8 NLT—“Pay all your , except the debt of love for others.”
□ God in Malachi 3:10
- “The 90 Day Tithe Challenge”
- “The 90 Day 2nd Tithe Challenge”
- “The first tithe was strictly for the support of the priests and Levites [Numbers 18:21; Deuteronomy 14:22]. The second tithe [Deuteronomy 14:23, 28-29] provided either for a sacred family feast before the Lord or for a table provided by Jehovah for orphans, for the poor, and for ‘strangers’ within the land. Levites were eligible to partake of all such feasts. The provisions among Israel for the needy encouraged the practice of true religion. The apostle James expressed the same principle for the Christian church (James 1:27).” (SDA BC 1:1003)
- Desire of Ages: “Having undertaken our redemption, [God] will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The treasury of heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me.” (57)
“Test Me . . . Again”
As we begin essential pipe and HVAC renovations in the Primary and Junior Sabbath School (SS) wings, we want to thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility. To ensure all our children and young people continue to have a meaningful Sabbath School experience, several classes will be temporarily relocated beginning Sabbath, July 5, 2025:
New Sabbath School Locations During Renovations Kindergarten 5 & 6 Sabbath School will now include Grade 1 children until the Primary Grade 1 room is ready. Primary Grades 2 & 3 will meet together in the Kindergarten room used by the Something in Common class. Junior Grades 4 & 5 will meet together in the center section of the Commons. Junior Grade 6 will meet in the sanctuary end of the Commons. Young Adults Sabbath School will meet in the Youth Chapel end of the Commons. Something in Common will meet in the Board Room.
Facilities Use During Construction During renovation months, the Commons and kitchen, Primary and Junior SS rooms will be unavailable for reservations, and the central hallway will be closed under the Sanctuary. We are grateful for your continued prayers, understanding, and support during this important project. Your generosity is helping provide a safe and comfortable environment for all ages to worship and grow in faith.
Andrews Academy is now enrolling students in grades 9 - 12 for the 2025/2026 school year. We invite you to join the AA family! You will be blessed by what Andrews Academy has to offer. Students consistently score above state and national levels on standardized testing, they are involved in many spiritual and service activities throughout the school year. Our Seventh-day Adventist school’s mission is to inspire our students to think deeply, live fully, serve unselfishly and to honor God completely. School begins August 18. Registration day is August 13. Financial assistance may be available. Call 269-471-3138 for more information or visit https://www.andrews.edu/aa/ and click on “apply today”.
Register soon for an uplifting and spirit-filled weekend at Camp Au Sable. The annual District Nine Family Camp is Labor Day weekend, August 29 - September 1, 2025. For the first time this year, registration will be available online at www.midistrictnine.com, beginning July 20, at 10:00 AM through August 17, at 12:00 PM.
Pioneer Operating Budget
Someone came to their pastor and complained, “Pastor, we can’t afford to give our tithes and offerings. We’re just barely making it from week to week. I wish we just had extra money to give, but we don’t.”
When finances are tight, it requires more faith to return your tithes and offerings. Some will rationalize, “God really does not need my funds.” That’s true, our God is wealthy. But it is especially important to remember that when funds are tight, that is when it is critical that you return your tithe and offerings. We can’t expect to steal from God and be blessed. We all need God’s blessings.
Tough times force us to demonstrate our faith that God as our Partner will come through to provide even when it seems impossible. This is His part of the covenant. Trust in the Lord that He will provide as He promised.
"The more we bring to God's treasure house, the more we shall have to bring; for He will open ways before us, increasing our substance"(Our High Calling, p. 197).
Millions of Christians have put their faith into action with God. Not once has He failed to make it possible. Let’s live in faith so that God can bless us beyond our wildest imagination!
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
"Love on the Move" is more than just a slogan. It is a way of life. It is at least for God's Hands 4 Kids. We work closely with Berrien County Department of Health and Human Services as well as other area agencies. We extend our caring to other counties as well. There are many ways you as a caring person can make a difference in our community. Today I will suggest two ways you can make that difference. You can do respite, take care of foster kid(s) for a few hours or a few days. No foster license required. Or you could offer to drive someone to an appointment. For more information email Godshands4kids@gmail.com
You are invited to a hymn sing on July 19 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at The Old Rugged Cross Church, 61041 Vermont St., Pokagon, MI 49047. Please bring your Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. A freewill offering will help support the church. For more information, please contact Melchizedek Ponniah at 269-876-7476 or melponniah@gmail.com.
Join us for the Midweek House of Prayer, held online every Wednesday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 AM. We are currently studying the Gospel of Mark. Come and see how your contributions can benefit everyone in the group! The Zoom link is https://andrews.zoom.us/j/9889172131.
There will not be a fellowship dinner during the months of July and August, 2025.