Blog

By Antonio Flores

Today I want to share what God has done in my life—because everything I am now, everything I’ve overcome, and everything I’m becoming—It’s all because of Him.

For a long time, alcohol had a grip on me. I used it to deal with stress, to numb pain, to avoid things I didn’t want to face. I thought it helped me escape, but really, it was pulling me deeper into a place where I felt empty, disconnected, and ashamed. It affected my health. It affected my peace. And it affected my relationship with my daughters. I wasn’t the father I wanted to be. I wasn’t the man God wanted me to be.

And the truth is … I knew it.

I could feel myself slipping. I could feel myself drifting away from the people who mattered most. I felt lost. And during that time, there’s a verse that speaks exactly to where I was:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).

That was me. Brokenhearted. Crushed in spirit. But God was still close—even when I didn’t realize it. Looking back now, I can see His fingerprints all over my story—even in the moments when I felt the most lost, the most ashamed, the most disconnected from who I was supposed to be.

Growing up, I didn’t always understand what it meant to have a relationship with God. I knew about Him, but I didn’t really know Him. Life moved fast, and I learned early on to deal with things by keeping them inside. I didn’t talk about my feelings. I didn’t talk about my struggles. I just pushed through, thinking that’s what a man was supposed to do.

But the truth is, I carried a lot of weight. A lot of pressure. A lot of pain I never dealt with.

And as I got older, I started looking for ways to escape it. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was trying to fill a hole in my heart—a hole that only God could fill. Alcohol became the thing I turned to. At first, it felt harmless, like something that helped me relax, helped me forget, helped me cope. But slowly, without even noticing, it became something I depended on.

I didn’t wake up one day and say, “I’m going to lose myself.” It happened little by little … One compromise at a time … One bad habit turning into a lifestyle.

And the more I drank, the more I drifted from myself, from my purpose, from the people I loved. I was there physically, but emotionally—and spiritually—I was far away. I felt empty. I felt disconnected. I felt like I was just going through the motions, trying to survive another day.

There were moments when I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the man staring back at me. Moments when I knew I wasn’t being the father I wanted to be. Moments when I felt like I was losing control, but I didn’t know how to stop.

I didn’t know how to ask for help. I didn’t know how to admit I was struggling. I didn’t know how to let God in.

But even in those moments—the moments I felt the farthest from Him—God was still close. He was still watching over me. He was still protecting me from things I didn’t even see. He was still whispering to my heart, even when I wasn’t listening.

And now, looking back, I can see that God was planting seeds long before I ever stepped into this church. Seeds through my mom. Seeds through my daughters. Seeds through the quiet moments when I felt broken but didn’t know why.

I didn’t know it then, but God was already preparing my heart for the day He would call me back home.

What finally opened my eyes were my daughters. They were the reason I started to see what alcohol was doing to me. I wanted to be present and to be healthy for them. I wanted to be the dad they deserved. Their love pushed me to face the truth that I couldn’t keep living the way I was living.

And during that time, there’s another verse that became real in my life:

With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Because breaking free from addiction felt impossible, changing my life felt impossible. But God stepped in, and what I couldn’t do on my own, He did through His power.

Around that same time, God used someone else in my life too—my mom. She’s the one who referred me to the Arvada Seventh-day Adventist Church. She saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself yet. She believed God had more for me, even when I didn’t believe it.

Before I ever walked through the doors of this church, I watched the services online four or five times. I kept listening to Pastor Gordon and Pastor Milos. And there was one sermon Pastor Gordon preached … this one message … that hit me so hard I started crying right there at home. I didn’t expect it. I didn’t plan it. But God touched my heart in that moment. He broke something open inside me—and in the best way.

And the very next week, I walked into this church for the first time.

I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if I would fit in. But the moment I stepped inside, I felt something different: I felt peace, I felt welcome, and I felt like God was saying, “You’re home.”

Two months later, my daughter Jazelle started coming to church with me. And that meant everything to me. To see her walk through those doors—to see her worship and to see her growing in faith—that was God working not just in me, but in my family.

And I also want to mention my oldest daughter, Kylie. She’s not really interested in church right now, and that’s okay. I love her, and I know God is working on her heart in His timing. I trust that the same God who reached me, the same God who reached Jazelle, is watching over her too. I believe her moment will come, and when it does, it’ll be powerful.

I also want to be honest about something difficult. Since giving my life to Jesus, my relationship with my wife has been challenging. We don’t believe the same things right now, and alcohol is still in the house and it’s been tough. But I still love her, and I’m praying for her. And I believe God is working on her heart too, even if I can’t see it yet. I’m trusting Him with my marriage, just like I trusted Him with my life.

And through all of this, God kept teaching me what real love looks like. There’s a passage that has shaped me deeply: 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. It reminds me that love is patient, love is kind, it doesn’t give up when things get hard, it doesn’t walk away, it protects, it trusts, it hopes, and it endures. And there’s one line that hits me every time:

“Love never fails.”

I hold onto that. Because, even when I failed, God’s love didn’t. Even when I was broken, His love stayed. Even when relationships in my life felt strained or uncertain, His love kept working beneath the surface. That’s the love that changed me. That’s the love that’s healing my family. That’s the love I’m learning to walk in every day.

And I’ve seen something else too … God isn’t just working in me. I believe He’s working in the people around me. At my job, me and some of the guys started doing a little Bible study together. Just talking about God, reading a few verses, encouraging each other. And that’s something I never imagined happening before. But that’s what God does—when He changes one life, it starts to spread.

Six months after Jazelle started coming to church, she and I got baptized together in Michigan, in front of my mom at camp. That moment … that moment was powerful. Standing in that water with my daughter, giving our lives to Jesus together, that was one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me.

And now here I am—almost three years sober, alcohol‑free, and almost three years here with my church family. God didn’t just take alcohol out of my life. He restored my heart. He restored my mind. He restored my relationship with my girls. He gave me clarity, peace, and purpose. He gave me a new family in this church. He gave me a new life to walk in.

I’m not perfect. I still have things I’m working on. But I’m not who I used to be. And that’s because of Jesus.

And before I close, I want to speak to anyone who might be struggling with addiction—whether it’s alcohol or drugs, or anything else that has a hold on your life. I want you to hear this from someone who’s been there:

You are not alone. You are not beyond hope. You are not too far gone. And you are not defined by your worst moments.

I know what it feels like to wake up and say, “I’m done,” and then fall right back into the same cycle. I know what it feels like to hide your pain, to pretend you’re okay, to feel ashamed, to feel stuck, to feel like you’ll never break free. I know what it feels like to think you’re fighting a battle you can’t win.

But I’m standing here today as proof that God can break chains you thought were unbreakable. He can lift you out of places you thought you’d never escape. He can restore things you thought were destroyed. He can give you strength you didn’t know you had.

You don’t have to clean yourself up first. You don’t have to fix everything on your own. You don’t have to pretend you’re strong.

You just have to take one step—one honest step—and say, “God, I need You.” And He will meet you right there. Not with judgment. Not with anger. But with love, mercy, and power.

If He could take me—a man who was lost, hurting, and drowning in addiction—and give me a new life, He can do the same for you. Your story isn’t over. Your breakthrough is possible. Your healing is possible. Your freedom is possible. And when God sets you free. You don’t just get your life back, and you get a better one than you can ever imagine.

I share this today because I want people to know that God still breaks chains. He still restores families. He still heals hearts. He still changes lives. If He could take me from where I was—lost, hurting, disconnected—and bring me to where I am today, He can do the same for anyone.

I stand here today because of His grace. Because of His mercy. Because of His love.

Thank you, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And I want to end with this verse, because it speaks to my journey—and to the journey God is still taking me on:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

—Antonio Flores is a member of the Arvada Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photo by Liz Kirkland via Adobe Firefly.

NAD Office of Communication and Adventist Community Services – Columbia, Maryland … As communities across the Southwest recover from recent rounds of flooding, North American Division Adventist Community Services (NAD ACS) is working with local leaders to identify needs and coordinate assistance in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.

According to a November 4, 2026, report from W. Derrick Lea, NAD ACS executive director, division and local ACS leaders met November 3 to discuss how to coordinate resources for affected communities. The discussions involved the Mid-America, Southwestern, and Pacific unions.

Heavy rain in late October and early November brought renewed flooding to communities already dealing with storm damage. The Associated Press reported November 1 that evacuations were ordered in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and Sedona and Camp Verde, Arizona. In northern New Mexico, additional flooding prompted evacuations near the San Juan, Animas, La Plata, and Chama rivers, according to a November 3 report carried by KANW.

Damaged roads and bridges have complicated access across the region. The Colorado Department of Transportation reported November 3 that U.S. Highway 160 sustained damage at several locations between Durango and South Fork, including collapsed support piers at the Piedra River Bridge west of Pagosa Springs. In Arizona, Coconino County declared an emergency November 3 and reported that food and supplies were being delivered to homes whose access was blocked by debris and damaged bridges.

The Arizona Conference is developing a process to receive requests from residents and connect them with organizations able to help. Diné Adventist Radio, which has an estimated reach of close to 100,000 people across the Navajo Nation, is expected to serve as an initial point of contact for individuals and families affected by the flooding.

Under the proposed process, residents would be able to communicate needs for drinking water, food, temporary shelter, clothing, essential supplies, and other disaster-related assistance. Requests would be collected and forwarded for coordination and follow-up.

Eric Bahnmiller, pastor for Diné Adventist Radio and the Window Rock Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Arizona, would review incoming requests, assess their urgency, and help identify the organization best positioned to respond. Arizona Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) would be the first avenue for connecting requests with established disaster response organizations. Needs better suited to Adventist resources, or those that could not be met through that network, would be referred to the appropriate Seventh-day Adventist conferences and ACS partners.

“The objective is to make effective use of available resources, prevent duplication of services, and ensure requests receive follow-up,” Lea shared in his November 4 update.

The report also proposes coordination with emergency management agencies and the appropriate ACS and VOAD partners in Colorado and New Mexico.

Each participating conference is expected to work with the Arizona coordination team and partners in its own territory to determine how best to assist locally.

To learn more about ACS disaster response or to support its work, visit communityservices.org.

—NAD Office of Communication and Adventist Community Services. Republished with permission from the NAD News November 8, 2026, article. Photo by Mitch Tobin.

Cindy Roldan – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Mile High Academy (MHA) in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, welcomed pastors from LifeSource Adventist Fellowship, Denver Park Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church, Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church, Littleton Seventh-day Adventist Church, Newday Adventist Church, and the Rocky Mountain Conference for a morning of appreciation, fellowship, and shared worship on Friday, October 30.

The morning began with breakfast, giving pastors time to connect with one another. Heidi Carpenter, pastor at LifeSource Church, especially enjoyed communing with the other pastors. MHA principal R.D. Gallant shared how the churches and school are already working together and invited everyone to continue finding ways to partner in ministry. Together, they share a goal: leading children to the foot of the cross and encouraging them to pursue a lifelong commitment to service and excellence.

That partnership is lived out in many ways across the MHA community. Pastors coach school teams, give Bible studies on campus, and stop by to eat lunch with their students. These connections bring the school, churches, and students together in support of one another.

MHA’s theme for the year, “Made for More,” inspired by Ephesians 2:10, reflects this shared commitment to helping young people grow in faith and serve others. The school presented the pastors with a hand-calligraphed version of the theme, created by Hannah Gallant, as a reminder of the work they do together.

The gathering continued with worship and the culmination of FOCUS Week, featuring a message by Josue Mendez, Mission & Ministry resident at AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region. Students were excited to worship and spend time with their pastors. Third grade student Amelia shared, “I’m happy my pastors came to see me.” Fourth grade student Sia, who brought muffins for the pastors, said, “I’m so happy to see them.” Second grade student Hailey summed up the day: “I love to see my pastor at my school.”

MHA is thankful for the pastors and congregations who are part of its community. By learning, worshipping, and serving together, the school and churches strengthen their shared mission and the relationships that help students grow.

—Cindy Roldan is Mile High Academy director of Student Services and Registrar. Photos supplied.

AdventHealth News – Louisville, Colorado … AdventHealth broke ground on a new hospital in Louisville, marking the next chapter in the organization’s more than 130-year commitment to caring for the Boulder County community, October 14.

AdventHealth Louisville will build on AdventHealth Avista’s longstanding legacy of care while expanding access to whole-person care for patients and families throughout Louisville and the surrounding communities.

“As our community continues to grow, we are honored to invest in a new hospital that will make high-quality, whole-person care more accessible to more people,” said Brett Spenst, senior executive officer for AdventHealth’s Rocky Mountain Region. “AdventHealth Louisville will carry forward the legacy of compassionate care.”

AdventHealth Louisville

AdventHealth will build the new hospital within the Redtail Ridge development at U.S. 36 and Northwest Parkway in Louisville.

The 40-acre site offers improved access near a major highway interchange and provides space to meet the community’s long-term healthcare needs.

AdventHealth Louisville is expected to open in the first quarter of 2029.

“We are thrilled to continue serving Louisville and the surrounding communities,” said Lief Sorensen, CEO of AdventHealth Avista. “This investment reflects our commitment to the people who call this area home and will create a welcoming environment where patients and families can receive exceptional care with greater convenience and peace of mind.”

The new campus will include a 375,000-square-foot hospital. The hospital is planned to include up to 150 beds with flexibility to expand as community needs evolve.

The new location will significantly expand access to emergency care. Currently, approximately 80,000 people have to travel 17 minutes to reach an emergency department. The new location will shorten the drive to emergency care for more than 400,000 people, bringing care closer to home for a significantly larger portion of the surrounding community.

The design also incorporates important lessons learned from the Marshall Fire, including improved campus accessibility and multiple points of entry to support patient, visitor and team member safety.

In partnership with the City of Louisville, AdventHealth has dedicated 7.5 acres of the existing Avista campus as protected open space. The commitment reinforces AdventHealth’s long-standing focus on environmental stewardship and collaboration with the Louisville community.

AdventHealth is assessing the future use of the existing Avista campus, with outpatient services expected to remain part of the site’s near-term plan.

A Legacy of Care

AdventHealth’s history in the area began more than 130 years ago with the Boulder Sanitarium, established in 1893. Inspired by the healing benefits of Colorado’s mountain environment, the sanitarium embraced a holistic approach to care focused on nutrition, exercise, hydrotherapy and compassion.

That legacy continued through Boulder Memorial Hospital, the opening of Avista Adventist Hospital in 1990 and the transition to AdventHealth Avista in 2023.

AdventHealth Louisville will honor that history while creating a new setting where whole-person care and innovation can continue to serve the community for generations to come.

AdventHealth is partnering with ADAMS, SmithGroup, WSP, Kimley-Horn and Turner FH Joint Venture to bring the Louisville hospital campus to life.*

* The listed partners are not affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church nor the Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

—AdventHealth News. Republished with permission from the AdventHealth News & Stories website, October 14, 2026, article. Photos supplied.

Ken Davis – Cañon City, Colorado … The Five Points Campground located along the Aransas River Headwaters recreation area in Cañon City, Colorado, is a special place for Sage S. and his family. He shared how this has been a favorite camping spot over the years.

Sage attended the Greatest Treasure Hunt youth evangelism series last year, November 3-9, 2025, at the Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church in Pueblo, Colorado. He continued his faith journey with Bible studies from Bryan Choi, lead pastor for the Pueblo District.

“[Sage] chose to receive Christ as His Savior and was baptized this past September there in the chilly waters of the Arkansas River in which they have also often rafted,” remarked Ken Davis, first elder at Pueblo First Church. “Friends and family from the Fairplay, Cañon City, and Pueblo churches joined to witness this joyous occasion.”

—Ken Davis is a first elder and board member of Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photos supplied.

Fiona Lin – Loveland, Colorado … Discovery Mountain, the Bible-based family audio adventure series from Voice of Prophecy, has won two Silver Davey Awards for its website and mobile app.

The Discovery Mountain app won Silver in Mobile Features—Best User Interface, recognizing how people navigate and use the app. DiscoveryMountain.com received a separate Silver award in General—Religion & Spirituality.

For families, the recognition goes beyond design. Discovery Mountain brings Bible-based adventures into homes, cars and everyday routines, helping children explore faith, friendship and life’s challenges through compelling stories.

Building a Place for Stories That Matter

Discovery Mountain follows characters in a fictional mountain community whose adventures explore courage, forgiveness, friendship and trust in God. The series began in 2017 and is designed to entertain while encouraging conversations about faith and character.

The website and mobile app give families convenient ways to find episodes and enjoy the adventures together.

“We want children to be drawn into a great story—and for that story to give families something worth talking about afterward,” said Jean Boonstra, creator and leader of Discovery Mountain. “Making those stories easy to find and enjoy matters because it helps us reach families wherever they listen.”

Why the Awards Matter

The Davey Awards are part of Recognition Media, the organization behind the Webby Awards. The 2026 competition received thousands of entries, with work evaluated by members of the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts against standards tailored to each category.

The two awards highlight different strengths. One honors Discovery Mountain’s web presence in the Religion & Spirituality category; the other singles out the app’s user interface—a practical consideration for parents and children trying to find their next episode.

“Our goal was to make it easy for families to move from discovering Discovery Mountain to enjoying its stories,” said Stephen Adetumbi, who leads Profound Pixels,* the design team behind the Discovery Mountain website and app. “The website and app should feel welcoming and simple to use, so the technology never gets in the way of the story.”

That focus on families also shaped the testing process. Discovery Mountain co-executive producer Ruben Gomez helped evaluate the experience from a listener’s perspective.

“In testing, I kept coming back to the family’s experience: Could a parent or child easily find the story they wanted?” Gomez said. “We wanted listening to fit naturally into family life.”

The Adventures Continue

Discovery Mountain ranks among the top 0.5% of podcasts worldwide according to Listen Notes. Families can enjoy the series at DiscoveryMountain.com, in the Discovery Mountain mobile app, on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and through Minno’s ad-free Christian streaming service.

About Discovery Mountain

Launched in 2017, Discovery Mountain is a Bible-based audio adventure series produced by Voice of Prophecy. Through original stories and recurring characters, the program invites children and families to explore friendship, character and faith in Jesus.

* Profound Pixels is not affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church nor the Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

—Fiona Lin is Voice of Prophecy Media Programming associate producer. Photos supplied.