Treasure Digest

• The Power of Our Words
• Singles and Dating
• The Lattice of Life
• Something Happened to the #2 Engine!
• Putting Off Anger and Malice
• Hummingbird Feeder
• What Do My Words Look Like?
• Maintaining a Garden of Growth
• Turning the Hearts . . .How Much Is Your Child Worth?
• Children's Corner [See PDF version]
• Share Your Treasures!

The Power of Our Words

We had just moved into the area, and something someone said on our first Sabbath there was so profound, I'll never forget it! It was simply a compliment about a fellow Church member.

The statement formulated my entire opinion of both individuals (such is the power of first impressions on our human minds), but it just goes to show how important it is to encourage and edify one another—even if the person we are complimenting isn't aware of it (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

What if it had been a degrading and negative comment? It's pretty clear that we are to really be striving to grow in love for one another, making sure to speak about one another favorably rather than hanging everyone's dirty laundry out for all to see (Proverbs 17:9).

So every once in a while that compliment I heard three years ago pops into my mind, and I mentally smile, because it's true: despite our shortcomings and faults, love truly covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). What's more, it's wonderful to know how merciful and loving our Heavenly Father is, who doesn't treat us as our sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). We should be putting forth the effort to follow that supreme example!

—Rebekah Leyden
Charlotte, North Carolina, congregation

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Singles and Dating

If you're single, you know that one-on-one dating in today's world is fraught with problems. It can be costly, not only in time and money but also in emotions. After a first date both people have to make a heavy decision: Will I date this person again? And if the answer is "yes," then there will have to be another such decision after the second and third date and thereafter.

Unless this is the person you want to spend your life with—and he or she feels the same way—eventually the decision not to date again will have to be made. And whether that is after the first or 15th date, there will undoubtedly be some emotional price to pay for one or both parties.

There may be feelings of rejection, guilt, depression, sadness or many other negatives. If the dating has continued for some time before one of the parties calls it quits, the emotions are consequentially much stronger and the possibility of friendship may have been destroyed.

But making the decision to date again isn't the only burden one-on-one dating incurs. Putting a man and woman together in a romantic setting with wine and candlelight can push them into intimacy before they have established even a friendship. In our modern world, kissing and cuddling are a natural—if extremely premature—result of such romancing. And if there's been any intimacy at all on a date, the rejection that may come later will be even harder to take.

I would like to suggest another way of getting to know the opposite sex that carries far less risk of loss—emotionally, financially and ego-wise. Here is a list of some of the benefits. It provides:

1. A nonromantic setting that promotes friendship first.

2. Little chance of, and no expectation of, intimacy.

3. Less expensive occasions, and the monetary burden is shared.

4. A chance to get to know someone of the opposite sex with no strings attached.

5. No difficult decisions of whether or not you will date someone again.

6. No guilty feeling you are "leading someone on" because you continue to see him or her.

7. The chance to find out if the relationship is going to be "just friends" without hurting anyone.

8. A chance to get to know someone you might never have gone on a one-on-one date with.

9. The opportunity to serve others by introducing them to your friends of the opposite sex.

10. The chance to stay friends with all those you get to know, instead of leaving hurt and wounded parties along the way.

There are many more benefits that you will discover as you enjoy this way of "dating." And that way is to group date. Whether teens or seniors, why not postpone dating one-on-one until it is obvious from group dating that there is a deep friendship developing and real compatibility? Group dating is the easy, comfortable and more enjoyable way to promote friendship first—which is the basis of all enduring relationships.

I know it works because my husband and I were very good friends through group dating long before we suspected we could be anything more. Try it and see!

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1).

—Carol Taylor
Los Angeles, California, congregation

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The Lattice of Life

Sometimes we get all caught up in running here, there and back again, taking care of the family, the house, the kids, working in the office—you name it. There are times in the midst of our busy lives when God gently reminds us of His presence and His handiwork. He teaches us things through nature.

Recently I was standing in front of a house with a latticework porch, and I noticed that there were several tulips, one of which had a personality of its own. While all of the tulips had been planted in front of the latticework porch, this particular one had decided to take a distinct path of its own.

Apparently, when the stem started shooting out of the ground, instead of growing up straight like the others, this one decided to intertwine its stem around one section of the lattice, and then it produced its bud and blossomed in all its glorious yellow brilliance.
I stood there spellbound by its beauty, realizing that in order to attain its goal, it had taken a slightly different path to maturity, but blossomed just as beautifully in the end. Yes, it took the harder path to beauty, but it had achieved it nonetheless.

It got me to thinking. There are many times when life strikes us hard—where we have to work harder to achieve our goals. Life has many twists and turns, and we have many decisions to make.

This flower seemed to have a sense of humor. It seemed to peek at me as if it were a small child holding onto the lattice.

God reminds us through His creation that He's here, seeing our struggles. As long as our hearts are with Him, we, too, will be beautiful in His eyes.

Sometimes it's not easy to deal with all the obstacles thrown our way, but we must keep on reaching higher. Soon we will be blossoming as a beautiful tulip. Sometimes it just takes us longer to bloom, but we will if we persist, even if we have to go through the lattice of life.

Due to circumstances, sometimes sheer will and determination, along with a lot of imagination, are needed to get us to where we are going. God helps us along the way, giving us the spiritual lattice to hang onto so we can reach our destination in life—the Kingdom of God.

Think on the small things, the details that God gently places in our paths. This flower helped me realize that despite the struggles it went through to bloom, it was as beautiful as all the others.

Let's be that determined tulip. Don't give up. Hang in there. Let's grow toward the Kingdom of God.

—Leone Burns
Milwaukee, Wisconisn, congregation

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Something Happened to the #2 Engine!

As part of the group of 14 pastors going for additional training, my flight to the Cincinnati meetings was interesting to say the least. I left for the airport about 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21, with a light snow falling sporadically. By the time we got to the airport, the snow was coming down much harder, but none of the flights were delayed or cancelled.

I noticed that every plane was being deiced as the temperature dropped. My flight boarded on time, but was delayed with the deicing and the flights backing up because of the weather.

We finally began taxiing for takeoff about half an hour late. As the plane began to accelerate to the point that you could feel the wings begin to lift, there were two loud bangs that seemed to come from under the plane!

I felt the plane settle onto the runway and the wing flaps being whipped from take-off to landing position, heard the engines scream into reverse and felt the brakes being applied—all in the matter of seconds!

I knew we were past the point of taking off safely—or of being able to stop before we reached the end of the runway.

Now the plane began to turn ever so slightly clockwise as we slid off the end of the runway into a deep, powdery snow—finally stopping about 100 yards past the end of the runway.

The pilot informed the passengers that "something" happened with the #2 engine.

Thankfully no one was hurt and the plane stopped safely, because it took the emergency vehicles about 10 minutes to reach us. As they approached the plane, most of them became stuck. Finally they plowed a path and had us walk to the end of the runway to board the shuttle buses.

The airport had to shut down that runway, and with the snow coming down pretty hard, they had to shut down the other runway to plow it. I caught another flight, but arrived in Atlanta 30 minutes after my connecting flight left for Cincinnati. After sleeping in the airport and finding my lost baggage, I finally arrived at the home office 18 hours after I was originally suppose to.

In spite of many, many hassles on that leg of my journey, I was extremely grateful that the plane was not trying to climb when "something" happened to the #2 engine (we probably would have crashed).

I was touched by all of the individuals who told me that they were praying for a safe trip for me and all of the other men flying that day. In doing so were others spared a worse fate?

God does listen to our prayers, and they are a sweet fragrance before Him (Revelation 8:3-4). Thank you for your prayers—for me and for all of God's saints.

—Dan Dowd
Pastor, Milwaukee, Oshkosh and Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, congregations

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Putting Off Anger and Malice

About 30 years ago, my neighbors across the street were angry toward my neighbor next door to me. Since I was friendly and continued to wave hi and bye to the neighbor next door, the neighbors across the street became angry toward me also.

A few days later, the man across the street, about 60 years old, stood in the street blocking the end of my driveway, as I was pulling the car forward with my two young children as passengers. The man's arm was raised and he had a large rock in his fist, making ready to throw it through my windshield.

Quickly I prayed, "Father, help me know what to do!"

As if by instinct, I rolled down my window, smiled at the man and said, "Sometimes I feel like that too."

His jaw dropped, he stared, his arm slowly went down and, without a word, my neighbor turned around and walked back into his house. That night, he had a heart attack and died.

I never held anger toward the man nor toward his poor widow, but I have pondered that incident many times. Anger can cause heart attacks and strokes—for example, as Nabal apparently died from his rage (1 Samuel 25:37). As Christians, we must be sure to "put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language" (Colossians 3:8).

When trials come upon us, we can trust God to put it in our heart what to say and do. Christ gave us an example of how this will work in Mark 13:11. And finally, we must remember the words of Christ in Matthew 6:14, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."

—Carolyn Prater
Cincinnati, Ohio, East congregation

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Hummingbird Feeder

As I write, our overwintering hummingbird has built a nest outside my desk window and, at last check, had one egg in it about as big as the tip of your little finger.

Hummingbirds ordinarily spend the winter in the tropics. We see them in summer, but come the fall, they go. But in certain subtropical locations, the hardier species will occasionally stick around if they have a good nectar-producing tree that blossoms all year.

Every living thing needs sustenance and a place conducive to growth and raising its young.

We in God's Church should exude the nectar that nourishes! We should reflect and give off God's Holy Spirit.

Quite a number have found a home with us over the years. Many have stayed and been nourished, but not all.

Some few have thought, for whatever reason, that they were neglected and when a "hard frost" came, they left our fellowship for what they imagined would be a "warmer climate."

We need to share our joy with those we know and those who just come in to visit! We are not the nectar, but we can (and should) be the hummingbird feeder.

—Skip Miller
An elder in the San Diego, California, congregation

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What Do My Words Look Like?

A 10-year-old boy once worked in a factory. One of seven siblings, the youngster was doing this because his family faced poverty. The boy had a dream of becoming a singer and began taking voice lessons. However, his teacher had a terrible way of encouraging him: "Your voice sounds like wind in the shutter."

Undeterred, the boy's mother took a different tack. She told the boy she could see improvement. To prove it, she went barefoot to pay for more lessons. That changed the boy's life.

His name? Enrico Caruso, the greatest tenor of his age and a pioneer of modern music (story adapted from How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, page 228). And therein is a lesson for you and me.

Solomon said in Proverbs 25:11: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver."

Do our words mimic this? What do our words look like?

In my years in God's Church, I can point to specific times and people, ministers and members alike, where words of grace and truth illuminated this beautiful saying. I recall words of encouragement—and correction given in love—and I am grateful for each.

We are all here as a direct result of the grace of God and His words, meaning the Bible. Indeed, as Peter said to Jesus Christ, "You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).

So—what do our words look like? Are they wormy and spoiled and rotten? Or are they fresh and beautiful, wholesome and uplifting? Can others literally say our words are food for thought? Do we nourish others? Do our words give life? Or do we make others ill?

Solomon also said life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Whose life have we helped or hurt lately?

Sadly, we all blow it from time to time. We speak before we think. Or we think then speak anyway. We choose to sin with our tongue and hurt others. No wonder God holds us accountable for what we say. Since we can sin with our words, we should always strive to speak only those things that please God.

Jesus Christ said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). Perhaps we need to pray more—and probably fast more—to practice God's way of life. Only God can work in our hearts to bring about the thinking that produces spiritual words of life.

If we eat the bread of life, we will speak it to others. Starting now, let's repent and do as Paul said: speak the truth in love. If we do, one day we will hear the ultimate words of life: "Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Lord."

—John Fox
Salt Lake City, Utah, congregation

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Maintaining a Garden of Growth

Summer is a time of growth in our gardens—if we maintain them. Is your garden in need of water? Weeding? How about some nourishing mulch? Have you been spending time in your garden anticipating the fresh fruits of your harvest?

Our spiritual gardens are much the same.

The Holy Spirit is likened to water in the Bible (John 7:37-38; Hosea 10:12). There are times when the soil can become parched, and the plants will need a refreshing drink. It is quite encouraging to know that we simply need to ask for water, and we shall receive it. God knows that there will be times of drought (Isaiah 58:11). He wants us to be reassured that He is there for us, no matter the temperature in which we are trying to grow.

Weeding is certainly necessary in gardens of all types. Pulling out the long runners of a wild morning glory can remind us to remove jealousy that entangles its way through and under beautiful, productive plants. Let's replace jealousy with love and self-control (Matthew 12:33).

It's a similar process for each of our weeds: We replace fear with trust and peace. We replace manipulation with faith and love. We replace judging with grace, tolerance and love. God loves helping us to replace the ugly weeds of past days with fresh abundance and beautiful growth. Do not become discouraged (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Time will be needed for weeding, watering and mulching. A garden simply cannot produce what we want without a maintenance program. Our spiritual garden needs fellowship, Bible study, prayer, meditation and serving others (2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Time must be spent with our Creator and brethren for proper growth and development (Galatians 6:7-8).

We may need to do some pruning as part of our maintenance plan (John 15:1-17). A vineyard that is properly taken care of is a picture of beauty and productivity.

Christ said in John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…" He chose to plant you in His very garden of the family of God. He knows your name and needs and even the number of hairs on your head. Rejoice and be grateful that He has chosen you (Philippians 1:8-11; Matthew 7:20). Continue in abundant growth and produce luscious fruit, for the harvest is near!

—Tina Rupp
Youngstown, Ohio, congregation

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Turning the Hearts . . .
How Much Is Your Child Worth?

One chemist computed the chemical content of our bodies and estimated our worth at only about 98 cents. But another scientist figured that the atoms in the body would produce 11,400,000 kilowatts of power per pound if they could be harnessed. According to this computation, a child weighing 50 pounds would be worth $28.5 billion! (Dr. Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, 1998). Of course, to God, we are worth much more than that. He gave His own Son for us!

That's a lot of worth! Yet sometimes we neglect to value our children as much as they need to grow up with confidence and security.

As a child grows up, he or she receives a sense of value from his or her parents. How a child feels about himself or herself comes largely from those to whom he or she is around the majority of the time.

A son comes home from kindergarten. He proudly shows his parents his handiwork. The parent may take the drawing or colored page and praise the young boy for his efforts and proudly display the homework on the "fridge." This gesture will bring a smile to the boy outwardly and, more importantly, inwardly.

Take the same situation in another home. A son comes home from kindergarten and proudly shows his handiwork to his parents. If the parents merely glance at the child's work and lay the paper aside or, worse yet, throw it in the waste can, one can only imagine the hurt the little boy feels.

Young children receive their sense of worth or value from encounters with parents, teachers, relatives and friends. When they are little, they need to be valued by older, caring family members. If not, they will usually grow up and lack confidence. They are likely to not feel they are of much value. They may also act out in ways to try to surmount their upbringing.

We as parents have a great responsibility to bring our children up in a nurturing way (1 Thessalonians 2:7). It is our positive approach to our children during their early years that will help them cope when they are older.

Compliments can be effective. We need to give appreciation when it is deserved (Proverbs 3:27). We should not "flatter," because that is deceitful. However, the responsible parent will be ever on the alert to seize every opportunity to honestly praise and appreciate his or her children.

I have had the opportunity to work with students of all ages who have not been appreciated while growing up. They needed to have skills training to compensate for years of feeling bad about who they are.

David was able to say, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). He realized he had value. Paul wrote that a man would naturally "cherish" his own flesh (Ephesians 5:28-29). It was assumed by Paul that a man would properly value himself. With these few biblical examples and instruction, we can readily see that it is important for a person to feel that he or she is valued.

Please, please love your children. Value them! Look for ways to be positive about them and let them know they are appreciated for not only what they do, but for who they are.

You'll never realize how much good you will do them for the rest of their lives.

Remember, God saw enough value in each of us to give His dear Son for us (John 3:16)!

—Gary E. Antion

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Share Your Treasures!

Do you have any short items of biblical wisdom, humor or practical information that you would like to share in this section? Or if you have any suggestions, please contact United News, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027 or mike_bennett@ucg.org.

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