My family and I had a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles in the Philippines! Our only regret is that we were unable to spend part of the Feast with our Visayan brethren. We would like to express our gratitude for the wonderful hospitality that we experienced during our visit.

I would like to thank all of our brethren for their part in the Feast. In order for the Feast to be enjoyable and successful, many hours of prayers and service are expended. Thank you for the beautiful attitudes that we observed and experienced during the Feast.

Just like each of you, we heard spiritually uplifting messages about the kingdom of God and we enjoyed wonderful fellowship with our brethren accompanied by delicious food and lots of fun. We left the Feast on a spiritual high!

Now that we are back home in our daily and sometimes mundane routines, battling the pulls of the world, we may have a tendency to experience “post-Feast letdown.” Sometimes members experience discouragement and despondency following the Feast. There are important things that we can do to resist the human tendency to let down after an inspiring and profitable event. What can we do as we proceed through the 28 weeks between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Passover in order to grow spiritually?

The most important thing that we can do during this time is to continue to develop a strong relationship with God. During the Feast we enjoyed hearing and studying about the kingdom of God and our part in that kingdom. We enjoyed being in the presence of God with His people. Let’s continue that focus during the upcoming 28 weeks. In Matthew 6:33 we are admonished to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Let’s not allow the very reason for our existence to fade or be neglected during these 28 weeks.

Let’s live each day as if we were ruling in the kingdom of God. In order to do so, we must strive to maintain a close and intimate relationship with God and His word through prayer and Bible study. We can use each Sabbath as a “mini-Feast” to sharpen our focus on the kingdom. Let’s strive to bring each aspect of our life in harmony with God’s kingdom. We can continually ask ourselves: “Does this thought or action reflect the kingdom of God; does my home, office or room reflect the peace, harmony and beauty envisioned in God’s kingdom?” In striving to bring every aspect into harmony with God’s will and His kingdom, we will be growing spiritually and we will also be demonstrating our faithfulness to God. Christ stated in Luke 16:10: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.” We will be demonstrating our ability to rule in the kingdom of God as we demonstrate faithfulness in small matters.

As we approach each day between now and Passover with this perspective, we can continue to grow spiritually and avoid that “post-Feast letdown.”