that weary, disappointing pleasure-seeking with a balanced program of satisfying study of God’s Word, attending meetings with other growing ministers, having a share in public preaching of the good news of God’s kingdom, and some truly upbuilding pleasurable recreation. Does it all stop there? No! For all of this can be accomplished in a year or two. The roots grow deeper, the trunk larger, the branches stronger, the fruit richer. Years lie ahead, generations, time without end. Yes, all of that time, everlasting time to grow. Each time you read the Bible again it increases your vision, broadens your view, and deepens your appreciation. As long as one stays under the direction of God’s spirit, Paul states, “the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. 2:10) So let Psalm 1:1 pick up your life whenever it started, lead up to where you are now and then walk with you into the future: “Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked ones, and in the way of sinners has not stood, and in the seat of ridiculers has not sat. But his delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night. And he will certainly become like a tree planted by streams of water, that gives its own fruit in its season and the foliage of which does not wither, and everything he does will succeed. For Jehovah is taking knowledge of the way of righteous ones.”—Ps. 1:1-3, 6.

From a Son at Bethel

● In ninety-six different places in the world there are branch offices of the Watch Tower Society. Associated with each of these is a Bethel home for the ministers who work in the branch. At a recent circuit assembly in Colorado, the father of one of the members of the Bethel family in the United States read portions of two letters received from his son.

The first letter was to the nine-year-old brother of the son serving at Bethel. It read in part:

“So you want to come to Bethel? It will be the most wonderful thing that can happen. First of all, though, you have to keep working there at home. There are a lot of things you have to learn. While you are in school, study and learn all you can. When you come home, study the Bible and The Watchtower; that is very important. Whenever you are given an assignment, don’t take it lightly, but work at it whole-souled. Learn to love to work and to serve Jehovah. Set your sights on becoming a full-time pioneer minister and don’t let anything distract you from it. Pioneer every chance you get. Then when you put in an application for Bethel, the Society will be able to see that you really want to serve Jehovah.”

The other letter was to the Christian parents, who had for years patiently encouraged their children to enter the full-time ministry. Many times they had spoken about Bethel to their youngsters, even taking them to assemblies where meetings were held to explain the requirements for those serving at Bethel. Among other things, their son wrote: “Thank you, Dad and Mom, for keeping my thoughts on Bethel service. It is certainly a shadow of living in the new order. Thank you very much.”

Would you like to receive such letters from your children? The Scriptural training you give them over the years and the aid you render in shaping their goals in life may well result in such a happy outcome for you.