by Laura Harris

According to a recent study by Demos, a public policy research firm, consumers spent more than $2.2 trillion dollars last year on purchases and cash advances using credit cards. Over half of Americans have credit card debt averaging $10,000. People seem to have difficulty living within their financial means, and I am no exception to this problem.

After completing graduate school, I was unable to secure a full-time job and began using my credit cards to pay my bills. I also used my credit cards for frequent indulgences, like dining out and new clothing. My credit card debt quickly got out of control, and I was unable to keep up with the payments.  Fortunately, I got a job and was able to pay off my credit card balance within a few years. As I’ve gotten older, I have become more frugal in my spending habits and more appreciative of the things I have. However, I occasionally splurge on superfluous items (like stationery, handbags and fancy coffee drinks).  It’s not easy to reject the materialistic culture we live in, but I am trying to change.

The Bible clearly tells me that I should be content with the things that I have. I should have faith that God will provide for me and meet all my physical needs, as long as I use the things wisely which God gives me. I know that I can take THAT to the bank.

by Tom Shadoin

Over the decades I have heard many sermons and sermonettes about tithing, as well as many stories of the blessings God has poured out on those who have obeyed His instructions in this matter.

And I had to ask myself the question: If, as God promises, He will provide for and bless those who tithe, does that not also provide just one more proof that He does exist? Too many times I have heard the plaintive complaint that we can’t prove that God exists. But if God’s laws are proven to exist and work–like tithing does–therein lies proof that the Lawgiver exists! Many of the famous as well as not-so-famous have put God to this test. James Cash Penney (founder of JC Penney’s) in fact began to tithe at age 16.
   
When I learned about tithing, I had to understand that it means, paying 10%, and not giving what I think I can give, or when I think I can do so. I saw that there are no halfway measures with God–it is either His way or nothing. And since He owns the business (so to speak), He sets the rules. I had to learn that there is no reason to complain if I pay less than a tithe and He does not respond.

I always remember the stories I heard from ministers who were stationed in the Philippines. One told us about a sermon he gave to poor Filipino farmers about tithing. After the sermon, one person came up to him. “Pastor,” he said, “if I tithe from my field and livestock, and God doesn’t provide for me and my family, we will starve.” “You tithe as God commands,” the pastor told him, “and if God doesn’t take care of your family, I will.”  We in the congregation all chuckled as the pastor finished the story saying, “And BOY was I glad God prospered that family!”

Another pastor related the story of the Filipino farmer who showed up at his door one afternoon and handed the pastor a fish. “Here,” he said, “is my tithe.” Noticing that the farmer had no other fish with him, the pastor asked where the other nine fish were. “I’m going back to catch them right now!” the farmer said confidentially, walking away.

Especially the last story impressed on me that kind of confidence which I have to have. I have seen God’s blessing in my life when I obey Him and tithe faithfully. God challenges me to prove Him, constantly, and I would say, His very existence, by following His command to tithe. As long as I continue to do it, I know that I will never regret it and that I will never have to look back!

by Michael Link

How can I be an example to people I associate with, directly or indirectly?  I seem to be asking myself that question quite frequently, especially when I am at work, either in regard to my co-workers or my clients that I am in direct contact with every day.  Many of my co-workers are very outspoken, and they certainly speak their mind at any opportunity given to them.  Their choice of vocabulary isn’t the greatest either, and sometimes, disagreements about the company and the work are expressed verbally to other employees, including myself. 

What do I do in those particular situations, and when I’m right in the middle of it? 

Most of the time I just ignore it and do my job, but sometimes I get caught up in the moment and let myself become involved–or I find myself in a situation when I have to say something. I know that praying before responding definitely helps, and thinking before I act or speak reaps its rewards. I also need to remind myself consistently of these additional guidelines:

Thinking positively and doing my job with confidence helps tremendously when I’m forced to respond, not only by helping the company, but individually as well.  Having a positive attitude adds to my success and reflects my personality in a good light. It shows my customers and employers that I am a great example and that my words are supported by my actions.  It also shows that I enjoy what I do, and it certainly makes a difference. I know that striving for those traits shows my sincerity in what I do and say. It will bring positive rewards, and that is exactly what I look forward to.

by John Amorelli

Recently, we had an ice storm with strong winds and heavy rainfall. My wife Louise and I heard a big “boom” outside during internet church services. It sounded like an explosion! We were both startled and didn’t know where the noise came from. We didn’t go outside to see what it was, due to the fact that it was night time, and we live in a dense 3-acre wooded area. The next day, I went outside to inspect the surroundings to see if the noise had come from our property. To my surprise, there was a big oak tree down on the ground, not far from the house!!! Apparently, the strong winds and rain had blown down the tree. The severe weather literally had torn the tree from its roots! The tree trunk was still intact. It was an amazing sight to recognize that this big tree had such a hard fall!

This made me think of my spiritual life. “Am I like this big oak tree?” I asked myself. Sometimes I think of myself as that big oak tree before its fall–being “spiritually” big and strong. The wind and the rain tested the strength of that tree and its root system. But, the severe weather was too much for that big tree to handle. Hence, the Big Fall!

No matter how spiritually big and strong I think I am, I know I am nothing without God and His Spirit. God must strengthen my foundation, enabling me to fight against the “severe weather” of this world. I never thought that big tree would fall! When tough trials come, I need to stay close to God and His way of life, because when I THINK I stand tall, I could have the BIG FALL!

by Manuela Mitchell

While growing up, I could never deny the fact that I was always a little more different than the rest of the general public. My best friends consisted of various creatures with fur, feathers and scales.  Just about everyone thought I was weird for having such a fascination with animals. Some considered me strange for claiming that I could communicate with them, but they could never justify why animals bonded with me so much.  (For those of you wondering…, I can communicate with animals; and they can communicate with me. It’s because I’ve spent so much time with them that I am able to read their body language and behavior–as they read mine on a daily basis).

I was made fun of a lot; and I missed out on quite a few people and social activities with people. At times, I wanted to change so much that I told myself I would try to like animals less and pay less attention to them. I would try hard to fit in and be like “normal” people. Then I realized that nobody was or is normal. I realized that change is ok as long as there is a valid reason. Trying to change a God-given gift is impossible. Being young, I never asked for the ability to help animals, or read them, or even like them. I was born with the basics and, growing up with those tools and God’s gift, I have become someone who cares for animals and educates people about them as a hobby and profession.

In this physical lifetime, God has given us special talents that help us for the near future. I believe that these talents or gifts which we have received now, will somehow be used later in much greater ways. Even though I can’t communicate now with animals verbally, it’s because of who I am that God may grant me that opportunity.

by Robb Harris

When the first two people walked the earth, God gave them the ability of choice.  He made it clear what the consequences of their choices would be, based upon the simple act of eating or not eating a fruit.

When I fill up my car with gas, I have to select the grade from the many different ones available, and I have to decide on a station of the few which are usually clustered next to each other.

On a recent supermarket trip I had vanilla extract on my list.  When staring at the spice aisle, I was confronted with many brands of the same item, and lingered for a minute or two, figuring out which one I really needed.

Although these are mundane tasks, they are indicative of the many choices that confront us on a daily basis.  The effect of having all these choices can turn into time-consuming irritation and confusion, because this is a world entangled in Satan’s many diverse beliefs and ideologies.

The simple choice of right or wrong that Adam and Eve were given so many years ago, is still applicable today.  Satan has given us a world of grays with no easy answers.  The more time we spend in the avalanche of mundane choices, the less time we spend in the simplicity God has given us.

by Louise Amorelli

We have the luxury of living in today’s society, where getting in touch with loved ones is only a phone call away.   I appreciate this even more, after moving away from family and friends to another state. Establishing a long distance phone connection was one of the most important first steps in bridging that distance between us.  Keeping the lines of communication open for continuing the family bonding, as well as for emergencies, was of utmost importance. 

With the most recent California fires, bridging that gap of distance was of extreme importance with church members who lived in those pivotal areas.  My husband and I live quite a distance from church brethren and it was difficult to know exactly what to do in these emergency situations, especially with many miles between us.  We felt totally helpless when we first heard the news.  So many emotions were going on inside…fear, helplessness and discouragement. What if we could not get through…what if their phone or internet connections were not working??  Where would they go if they had to evacuate and we could not get through to them??

Needless to say, we utilized our long distance connection to the fullest during those recent California fires.  Thankfully we were able to get in touch with the brethren on a continued basis through our phone lines. But through it all, I realized that there was only ONE long distance connection that is MOST important….that is prayer!!  I knew that the most important thing I could have done was pray!   Praying would bridge that gap of mileage between us, with no interruptions! God certainly did intervene and my husband and I are ever grateful to the Eternal who heard our fervent prayers. It gave me a sense of peace, knowing that God’s method of long distance communication will never fail. 

I know that  no matter where or how far apart our families, friends or church brethren may be, the distance may be long, but the connection will ALWAYS be there…thanks to our Heavenly Father!! 

by Kalon Mitchell

We have all recently returned back to our homes from the Feast of Tabernacles. After arriving at home from God’s Feasts, I always feel sad about leaving a beautiful site and miss the daily interaction with brethren and people of like minds.

While the world will celebrate its new year on January 1, 2008, we have already recognized God’s new year six months ago. It is the custom of this world to make “New Years” resolutions and then, within a few months, to forget all about them and go back to what they were doing the year before.

So, using this analogy, I need to personally think about what I have learned at the Feast. I need to remind myself that I must not forget what I have learned, but rather, I need to take action. I should not become one of those people who make “year-end” resolutions and then let them slip a little further down the line.

I have to constantly remind myself that this way of life takes commitment and a plan. And while no person is perfect–if I have a plan and fall down, I can get up and try again and continue and still have a plan! I know that God has a Plan! I know that I am in His Plan. That is why I am called now. And if I can make God central to my plans and actions, I will never fail in my calling! As one author once wrote: “The test of man lies in action.”

by Eric Rank

In the days when I attended college, I loved the beginning of the school year. I was tremendously stimulated by the introduction to all sorts of new ideas, research and knowledge. After the intellectually stagnant summer, the exercise of thinking was refreshing.

I believe that most of us would agree that it’s exciting to learn new things. However, what do we do when the new and exciting knowledge we gain becomes old and obvious? From personal experience, I’ve found that it’s a natural phenomenon to lose momentum once we figure out the basics. This tends to occur simply because as we progress in a field of knowledge, the questions become more difficult to assemble and the answers more difficult to find. The danger comes when we stop trying to think of questions that would push us forward. When that happens, our learning stops, and in some cases, we might forget entirely what we learned before.

God requires that we continually push forward in the study of His Word. If we stop working towards this goal, it’s analogous to quitting our study at mid term. We all know that such a choice makes a failure inevitable. If we have any desire to graduate into God’s kingdom, we need to work at our study–using the background we have, and the vast resources at our disposal — so that our knowledge of the truth may accumulate. The alternative leaves us worse off than when we began.

by Cali Harris (24)

Recently, I have been getting to know a woman my age who grew up going to several different mainstream “Christian” churches, and she now attends a non-denominational group on Sundays. As our friendship has developed, she has become comfortable asking questions about what I believe, including about the Sabbath, the Holy Days, and prayer. She has asked several keen and specific questions—the kinds of questions that challenge me to think carefully about how to answer. I was absolutely astonished in our last conversation when she told me that I was an inspiration and example to her. “Wow,” I thought, “What an immense responsibility!”

In each instance that she asked a thought-provoking question, I recognized that I had a couple of choices in how to respond. One choice would be to feel bogged down by the weight of this responsibility: What if I don’t give a complete answer? What if some of the things I say, when I hang out with her, are a poor reflection of Christian love? What if I’m too drained at times to ensure that all of my actions reflect a Christian attitude? Simply put, what if I turn out to be a poor example of a Christian?

I realized another possible choice would be to jump at the chance to shine as brightly as I am able. Even what may seem to be the smallest words and actions could have a significant impact on her and others. I have come to realize more and more that I am an example of Christianity, even when I’m not thinking about it—and maybe especially when I’m not thinking about it!