Story by Debra Anderson
On March 14, 2021, the Potomac Conference Corporation will be the first conference in the Columbia Union Conference to virtually host a full constituency meeting. Like many organizations that have had to adjust their official meeting protocols, after much prayer and deliberation, Potomac made the decision to proceed with the virtual option. The conference’s executive committee later approved the request from the conference administration.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take” (Prov. 3:5–6, NLT).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart...”
Do I know how to trust? I’ve asked myself this question more times in the last several years than ever before. Having gone through a devastating divorce and slowly seeing how God has picked up the pieces of my heart, for the first time in my life I am learning the true meaning of trust.
Editorial by Bill MillerIn the animal kingdom, species like wallabies and aardvarks are not thought to be creatures of hope, rather creatures of instinct. National Geographic hasn’t spotted them writing New Year’s resolutions or making birthday wishes, rather “wallabying” and “aardvarking” until they die, generally living one survival moment to the next. To truly hope is to be human.
At the beginning of a new year, we look to the future with hope and optimism. “This year will be different!” we think. “This year, I resolve to ... ,” and we insert a task to accomplish or a different mindset. Coming out of a particularly tough 2020, many of us hope for a simpler, less anxiety-provoking 2021, because we don’t hope in the past—we hope in the future.
God’s grace allows us to hope and be creators of our own future. Galatians 6:7–8 reminds us that the choices we make today determine some of our outcomes for tomorrow: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (NIV).
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (Eccl. 4:9, NKJV).
This verse is one of my favorites because it encourages teamwork. I like working in groups and working with my friends on projects because it’s fun! We learn so much from each other.
Have you ever done a group project and the other person won’t work with you? How does that make you feel? It probably makes you feel sad because you’re the only one working. My teacher assigned a group project in school, and I was excited to work on the project, but my teammate didn’t want to do much of the work. I tried to talk to him and encourage him to work with me on the project so that we could finish it and it would not be a lot of work for both of us.
“For I know the plans I have for you ... plans to prosper you and not to harm you ... to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:11, NIV).
The biochemistry textbook was thick and assignments ominous. My primary question was not Will I survive this class? but Is this even necessary?
Though I had weathered challenges before, the horror stories about my university’s Biochemistry course alarmed me. A graduating senior, I was already swamped by other academic and extracurricular commitments.
Embarking on a detailed, fast-paced journey, I increasingly appreciated how biology and chemistry intertwined. I had a C, however, which terrified me. God, what is happening? I began to ask.