Amanda Boyer

This past weekend was my first year to observe and be involved at the General Conference of Elders. The GCE is a gathering of the elders and ministers of the United Church of God to focus and improve on the Church’s mission to preach the gospel and prepare a people.

Some of the trials we face in this life, we just can’t explain. When we face these trials, it can be hard for our human eyes to see God’s divine and loving hand.  But I believe sometimes these trials are a test of our character and strengthen our appreciation of the righteousness and goodness of God.

This spring Holy Day season, I have been blessed by God to be able to spend my spring break with my family in Michigan. After Passover, an elderly woman in our congregation shared with me a unique story about God that I will never forget.

One day a relative was complaining to her about money. They were struggling to see how God could provide for their needs when the numbers didn’t agree. So she simply replied, “You can’t outgive God.”

As Christians we have been set out to run a race. This isn’t just any old race—it’s a race to receive eternal life in a Kingdom that belongs to the everlasting God. Whether we have recently began our journey in following Christ or have been in training for years, I believe that this race needs to be run with the virtues of patience and faith.

Last week in my Comparative Religions class at ABC, John Miller came in to give a special presentation about the Amish and Mennonites. Mr. Miller grew up in an Amish community until he was called into God’s truth in his late twenties, and he is now a minister of the North Canton and Youngstown Ohio congregations.

As he shared with us his fond memories, past experiences and knowledge of the Amish and Mennonites’, he explained to us that their way of living came from a progression or religion, lifestyle and tradition.

I believe one of the greatest miracles God performed in the Old Testament was when He sent a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land. These great signs from God displayed His presence and covered the tabernacle to lead the way. Although the Israelites could see the pillars and listen to the instructions God gave to them through Moses, they still had to actively wait upon and follow God at His command (Numbers 9).

This week, in our Pentateuch class at the Ambassador Bible Center, we began our in-depth study of the book of Leviticus. Leviticus is a book that focuses on how to honor and worship God in true holiness. And in reading this portion of Scripture, the words that the Lord said in Leviticus 10:3Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
See All... have been continually resonating in my mind. He said, "By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified."

When my brother turned ten years old our family had a birthday party for him at the Holiday Inn. In the indoor courtyard there was a large pool, and my cousin and I, who were seven and eight years old at the time, were having a great time in the shallow end of the pool. Assuming my cousin could swim, I asked her to jump into the deep end with me, and when we landed in the water, she began to sink.

When I was a kid, I remembered my mom always telling me that she loved me. I would always reply, “I love you more!” Chuckling, she would shake her head and say, “Nope. I loved you first.” And back and forth we’d playfully argue about who loved the other the most.

My best friend Katlyn and I have known each other since we were little children. We grew up in the same church area and have always shared a special sisterly bond with each other.

About two years ago, we were separated as I moved to Michigan and then we both moved even further apart to advance our education. The distance has faced our friendship with challenges as life’s dramatic changes, new responsibilities, and areas of growth have been happening to each of us from afar off.

Moving from Minnesota to Michigan for my senior year of high school was a difficult period of transition in my life. One of the many difficulties I faced was transferring my credits and matching them to meet my new high school's graduation requirements. U.S. Government was one of the required classes I needed to take in order to graduate, which was a sophomore-level class at my new high school.

In a book that I have been recently studying by Allison Bottke, she made an observation that really struck my heart. She said, “A growing child is presented with one of two paths, survival or development.” She continued on by saying, “If a child is abused, neglected, abandoned, ignored or made to assume adult responsibilities, she must focus her attention and energy on survival.” But “if a child is not chronically frightened and confused, he is free to expand into the developmental tasks presented to him as he grows up.”

We live in a world that tells us, " You can decide what is right and wrong." This deceptive concept is nothing new, as it is the same decision Adam and Eve made—to choose to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil rather than the tree of life.

When it comes to everyday life, time is the one thing we can’t hold on to. It’s as if all possibility to truly appreciate the blessings of life that surround us remain bound to the disappearing element of time. Although our physical time is short, God does give us the opportunity to best appreciate our time by growing in our relationship with Him, walking in His way of love and sharing our uniqueness with the world.

Every autumn the leaves begin to change and color the earth with great warmth. Have you ever thought about the appeal of the fall colors and the future return and reign of Jesus Christ that is pictured in the Feast of Tabernacles? We can draw a lesson about the millennial reign of Jesus Christ from the autumn colors of red, yellow and orange in a way you might not have considered before.