by John Amorelli
 
When I was a kid, I wanted a lot of “things.” I’m referring to toys–action figures such as “GI JOE,” video games and a myriad other “gadgets.” You could say, I was a spoiled child! I would occupy myself with these “things,” but after a period of time, I would exhaust my interest in them, and they would end up in the “big toy chest,” never to be played with again. Now, as an adult, I periodically have the desire to obtain material things, and when I don’t “get” them, I feel frustrated.
 
I have been in the Truth for six years now. I am learning each day about God’s way of life; the way of give instead of the way of get, and I do sometimes struggle with this. God has called me to His Truth and His understanding; these are “spiritual” things that cannot be replaced. They are priceless and can lead to eternal life, if I continue living in His path!
 
The questions I have to ask myself are:
 
1. “Will I throw the spiritual ‘things’ that God gave me in the spiritual toy chest and let them be forgotten?”
 
2. “Will I invest more of my time in the spiritual gifts that have been given to me by the Eternal, or will I tip the scale more towards the perishable, material things of this world?”
 
The answer to these questions is: Only I can answer this.

by Gilbert DeVaux
 
I have been told that it must be hard to live alone. My response is that I am not alone, since I have a Comforter. If asked, I tell them that Christ lives in me, and His Word, the Bible, comforts me. Most ask no further questions. That saddens me; however, I know they will in due time have their opportunity to understand.
 
Back to “living alone,” it is only getting harder because my body is failing. I pray for endurance, and it is given to me. I receive love and kindness from the brethren at church, and also from those who live a distance from me, so I don’t feel cut off or alone.
 
I am able to read God’s Word, where I find hope for the future, knowing that God keeps His promise to give me a new body and a never-ending life.
 
So I am not alone. Before my calling I thought that I was; however, I know now that I was never alone, but that the Eternal was always there, and that I was part of His Great Master Plan of salvation for all of mankind.

by Kalon Mitchell

Since being let go from my job over six months ago, I have had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my son Sam. I usually get to watch him on Mondays and Tuesdays, while my wife works.  Over the past six months, I have seen him grow from  a “baby” to a “toddler” stage. The experience for me has been like no other. I have been able to observe him, teach him and enjoy being able to bond with him in a way that I don’t think that I could have, had I been working.

Being with him on such a regular basis, I have been able to see his minute changes, from crawling to walking–from mumbling things to actually being able to start communicating with words, actions and expressions. Going through these life stages has not seemed quick at times, but there are points where I could see definite breakthroughs for him in his thinking and actions. I suppose this is how it is with most babies, but it’s such a unique thing to watch, especially when I take the time to think about how I am viewed as a child in God’s eyes. The struggles my little boy goes through, I go through just in a different way.

When he is learning something new, he at times expresses his frustration, but he gets over it and continues on. He is a little sponge, and he is always willing to learn. If he gets mad, he never stays mad, but is willing to hug and kiss and move on. When he doesn’t get his way, he pouts and then goes and finds something else to do. At the end of a day, he has learned a lot of things and goes to bed, to wake up in the morning with an amazing attitude, ready to experience it all over again—and more. This is exactly what I must do.

by Shana Rank
 
It has been years since I sat on that couch and chairs in my grandparents’ basement. The pieces are antique, and include an early American cane-back sofa and matching chairs. I always remember the set looking well-made and historically interesting — not incredibly comfortable, but that could always be improved. I inherited these three pieces, and they now sit in my garage.  They have worked their way up from the basement, and are presently a new shade of white. I have big plans for these pieces of furniture, and plan to refurbish them completely.
 
Instead of completely stripping and refinishing the wood, I opted for sanding and painting. The labor would be less this way, and I wanted to keep the cost of this project to a minimum. Something interesting has happened in the last month. Since being painted, the dark brown stain from this 100 year-old furniture is seeping to the surface, so instead of white wood, there are areas of pink. Not so good.
 
I can’t help but think about the spiritual parallels of my situation! I chose to skip an expensive step in this project—refinishing. Instead of stripping the wood down to its base, I thought I could cover up the old with a new glossy white paint. It makes me wonder when I ask God for forgiveness, do I fail to follow through and change my behavior? What am I glossing over with a fresh coat of paint? I can take this example of my furniture project as a friendly reminder–to always refinish my behavior completely.

by Phyllis Bourque

I recently read an internet article entitled, “Lenses shield 9/11 photogs as they capture history.” It questioned how those who photographed the event could bear to keep working in the face of such tragedy. One photographer said that his lens acts as a filter, that “the things are happening over there, on the other side.” Another was quoted as saying, “I let the camera absorb all the disaster or the sadness of an event. It protects ME from the event.” The article noted that these photographers knew only what was happening right before their eyes…not realizing the bigger picture of what was going on.

While I wasn’t there in person, I was there emotionally, owing to the very graphic portrayal through hundreds of photos and videos available on the internet. I was there–falling from the building, choking on the ashen dust, gasping for life! Watching such tragedies in the news takes a toll on me…

As I read the accounts of these photographers, I began to think about the constant barrage of news articles, photos and videos of human suffering all around the world due to wars, tsunamis, flooding, drought, famine, etc., every day more death and destruction, helplessness and despair! Add to this, the stressors in my personal life, and I had to ask myself, how I can bear to watch news that is always bad? I know that these things are prophesied, and I know they will get worse, but how can I have a balanced approach to being aware of world events without allowing it to hover like a dark cloud over each day?

The short answer is, God. But in what way, personally, for me? I found the answer to be in communicating with God–reading the Bible, talking with Him, and using His Holy Spirit within me to help me deal with this life. I found the answer to be in paying attention to the messages delivered by God’s ministers through sermons, the StandingWatch programs, the published booklets, and the weekly update, to help me correlate the issues of life with what God says. And I found the answer to be in fellowshipping with God’s people, who are of the same Spirit, so that we can all encourage each other in times of distress. God has given me all of these resources so that I can live a balanced life in an unbalanced world.

I see then, that focusing my “lens” on the greater plan and purpose God is working out on this earth, gives me a clearer picture of what it all means. From this viewpoint, I feel motivated to continue to move forward in my conversion, using God’s Spirit to overcome personal faults and weaknesses, to become better prepared for what lies ahead, both in this life, and the next.

by Louise Amorelli

One evening, I watched a public television special about natural disasters. The show touched upon what material possessions meant the most to people, when they needed to evacuate their homes. What do people really consider as being valuable or priceless, when it comes down to the “nitty-gritty,” and when there is little that they can actually take with them? The results of those findings were quite interesting.

Of course, the experts pointed out that people should have an evacuation plan as well as an emergency list of important papers and monetary items, etc., to take with them, when and if the time comes for them to evacuate. But the experts found that along with those items, people took those physical possessions that have the most meaning to them and are the closest to their heart. It did not matter how small, how insignificant and how valuable the items were. What mattered most was the sentiment that physical objects meant to that person–the memories attached to them.

In light of the most recent hurricane Irene that my husband, my family and I were directly involved in, I also had to evaluate the things most important to me. Thankfully, we experienced no injuries and no damage to our homes or possessions, and we did not have to evacuate to a shelter, although it was quite close to that. But I now have the time to meditate and reflect on what items would be closest to my heart.

While the PBS program made me realize that it is the “little” things that are most important to people, as a Christian, I have to think even deeper than that. What is most important to me?  What is “priceless” to me?? Although I do have possessions that carry a “priceless tag” and are close to my heart, they will not last forever. God’s Holy Spirit, and my calling, is what is truly priceless. If I stand strong in my calling, I will eventually be able to teach others as well as to what is truly priceless–the gift of eternal life, that stands the test of time.

by Ben Agbayani

In 199I, when living in the Philippines, I was elected as a president of a union for a multi-national corporation. One of the issues we were fighting for was the receipt of meaningful medical benefits. Our benefit had changed for the worse, as if someone had taken a child’s candy out of his mouth. Because such a fight could be compared with David fighting Goliath, and since I did not know God nor have the faith that God would fight my battles, I ended up seeking help from a leftist group.

I became exposed to different labor complaints and witnessed many atrocious activities between management and their labor counterpart. As these multi-national corporations had the government backing them, some of them used  governmental officials and the police force in dealing with labor activities by torturing and, to some extent, permanently terminating union officials.

I realized that I was in too deep in the movement. I even had my own code name. Since management made a move harassing the very people that had elected me as their leader, all turned their back on me and left me hanging. I was threatened to my very core. Fearing that they may do harm to my  family, and that no one would help me except for the people that were in the movement, I decided to ask for God’s help—as best as I knew God at the time–and God answered my prayer by allowing us to leave the country and to give us a new life.

Being now members of the Spirit-begotten Family of God, my wife and I know that in the future, when God rules this world, man will no longer do these terrible things to his fellow man. In spite of the anguish of the past, this knowledge gives me great peace and joy.

by Shelly Bruno

Lately, my thoughts often turn to the Feast of Tabernacles. Celebrating the Feast has always been a highlight of my year—a sort of pivotal point. As a kid, it usually meant a wonderful time spent with family and friends, and the exhilarating trip to Toys R Us with a one hundred dollar bill (that equals a lot of Barbie accessories, by the way). Although I’m anxious for the Feast this year, I’m trying to refrain from rushing the days away to get there.

My new goal is to use each day to the best of my ability. Some days seem to rush by: get up, make breakfast, get dressed, run errands, make dinner, and go to bed. Next day: repeat. Of late I’ve wondered what I’ve accomplished each day. Some days it feels like little more than existing. But I can do better. I need to do better.

This thought process has taken me even further. There is a much more meaningful point in my future: the time I hope to enter God’s Family. I know how many days are left before we celebrate the Feast, but I don’t know how many days I have left as a physical person. If I fail to use each day I’m given to grow, mature and prepare, then I won’t be ready. While I’m eager to enter God’s Family, I don’t have control of that timeframe. What I do control is focusing on my spiritual growth each day.

While I work on perfecting my new goal, I hope to get a lot of practice. The Feast is just 63 days away, and that’s a deadline I can put on the calendar with great anticipation. As I check those days off, I need to live and expect that entering God’s Family is not far beyond that—the ultimate pivot point.

by Cali Harris
 
A year and half ago, I resigned from my marketing agency job in order to pursue grad school full-time. Since then, I’ve worked on my master’s degree, started my own business, and took on a part-time job for a fantastic company.
 
Part of resigning from my job (and losing the steady income) meant that I had to give up living on my own. So, for the past year and half I’ve been living with family, staying with friends and taking on long term house-sitting gigs. This lifestyle takes me between three cities in northern Colorado: Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins.
 
In my business I meet a lot of new people, and they usually ask where I live. I half jokingly, half seriously respond, “I’m a nomad!” And really, it feels true: I don’t feel grounded in any one city; my family, social activities, business and school are in three cities. I usually have enough clothes in the car for a few days, and all I need for work and school is my laptop. While I don’t mind this nomadic lifestyle, it has made me question what truly grounds me in life. I’ve discovered that it’s not the apartment or even the city I live in. It’s not even a day-to-day work schedule.
 
My grounding is really the way I choose to live my life every single day.
 
The common thread in my day-to-day is to live as an ambassador for the Christian way of life — and it’s actually easy to do even when my life is very nomadic and fluid. Driving gives me the opportunity to listen to sermons or the StandingWatch programs. Having my laptop and my iPhone means I can access the Church booklets and the Bible from anywhere. It’s the ever-changing nature of my daily lifestyle that has taught me what is truly constant in my life!

by Bill Koeneke

With regard to my previous Forum and those events in my life, which clearly indicated that I had been predestined and foreknown as one of those whom God would eventually call and in the meantime would protect from the vagaries of time and chance, I offer one additional incident that proves the point.

In 1952 I took a week’s holiday in Bermuda, flying from New York. On the way back I flew on one of BOAC’s Stratacruisers.  On the plane were Shirley Temple and her husband (surname Black). I recognized her immediately, but of course she didn’t know me from Adam. Having worked in a cinema for 5 years, I had seen a number of her films. On returning home about halfway to New York, we hit a rather violent storm. The plane was jumping up and down like a yo-yo. Dishes and silverware and some luggage and other things were flying about the cabin. Really quite scary! Suddenly the plane was hit by a bolt of lightning, and the whole inside of the cabin lit up like a fluorescent bulb!!  I probably thought, “This is it!” However within ten minutes or so, we plunged through that storm into calmer weather and landed safely in New York. Whew!

On hindsight it has become obvious to me, once again I had been protected from premature death, and for that I offer God my heartfelt thanks for His very special blessing—and so should we all in the face of our individual experiences as we carry out our special mission of doing the Work of God under the cloak of His protective arm.