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When the Rain Doesn't Come!

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This week here in New Jersey, water restrictions were put into place due to drought conditions. Although we’ve enjoyed some terrific weather, the continually blue skies have meant a lack of rain. September 2024 was the third driest September on record, followed by an October that had record low rainfall not just for the month of October, but a record low for any month. And thus far the November has not been any better—just a tenth of an inch.  I realize that we are not the only ones facing a lack of rain. And ours is not nearly as severe as it has been in other parts of the world (and hopefully will not be). When Kim and I were on the island of Lesvos, Greece at the beginning of October, we were told their last rainfall had been April 10. And they still have not received any substantial rain. Parts of South America (e.g. the Amazon rainforest in Brazil) and southern Africa have faced long-term droughts. Some places have been devastated by a lack of rain. I think we’d all agree, we fail
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To Worry or Not to Worry!

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Have you ever worried? I know you have. We all worry about the stuff of life, at times even falling into full-blown anxiety. It’s a very human response when we feel as if the future is uncertain and may even hold for us the possibility of negative circumstances. The more I talk to people today the more I realize that worry and anxiety have become the order of the day.  People are worried about the economy, wars that are taking place around the world, climate change, and the politics of the day. On a more personal level, people are worried about their jobs, the well-being of their children, relationships that seem to be falling apart, whether or not they’ll have enough for retirement, and so much more. If our candidate didn’t get elected, we worry. If our son or daughter is struggling in school, we worry. If our workplace announces layoffs, we worry. When we hear about the bomb that was dropped, we worry. When the doctor gives us a bad report, we worry.  And we do so with good cause. Af
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The Fifth Generation Potter

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On our recent trip to Greece, and specifically to the island of Lesvos, Kim and found a pottery shop filled with beautiful handcrafted pottery. Inside was an older man setting up for the day with whom I began to speak in my very minimal Greek. I told him that my grandparents were from the island and from the town that his shop was in, Mantamados. After a bit, he brought some pieces out to show us, and when I picked one up I realized it was yet warm. It was right out of his kiln. He then signaled for me to follow him into his workroom, showing me the kiln from which the items had just come. What I found out next astounded me: he was a fifth generation potter.  I couldn’t imagine that his trade had been passed down to him through so many generations. That meant that his craft of making pottery had begun with his great-great grandfather—which may go back as far as the late 1700’s. To me that’s astounding! To think that somewhere along the line there was a father who taught his son the cra
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What's On Your Mind?

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Have you ever had one of those nights when you try to go to sleep but your mind is going in a million directions? It happens to all of us. It happens to me. I’m tired and want to sleep, but all of a sudden my mind fills up with all the stuff of the day, the things that are coming up, my next sermon, thoughts about my family, the things that are happening in the world around me, etc. I try to sleep but my mind flies in every direction except towards sleep.   It seems that, especially in the environment in which we live, our minds are constantly racing, thinking, and making decisions. The political environment around us, our newsfeeds, social media, and the constant stimuli that bounces against our brains all feed into the hyperactivity of our minds. Then add to all of that the normal concerns of life: family matters, jobs, the tasks that need to get done around the house. With so much to think about—so much coming into our brains—it’s no wonder we have those nights when our minds won’t
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Finding Family!

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Recently, Kim and I took a trip to Greece. One of our stops was the island of Lesvos, the island my grandparents had come from over 100 years ago. And, because of some family research I had done this past year, we were able to visit the exact town from which they came, Mantamados—a small town in the heart of the country.  Family in Lesvos - 1921 Before we left for Greece, I had posted on a Lesvos Facebook group I had joined that I was going to be visiting there, that my grandparents had come from Mantamados, and I gave the names of my grandparents. Someone responded, tipping me off that there was a dairy store and small yogurt factory that had my grandmother’s maiden name, Adali, on it. I looked it up on Google maps and sure enough it was there.   When we got to Mantamados, I was able to quickly find the store. The first time we passed by, it was closed. I was disappointed. About an hour later, however, we passed by again and a man was sitting inside. At first he told me in Greek he wa
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Reading to My Grandsons

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I have as the wallpaper on my phone a picture that Kim took last week. It’s a picture of me sitting on a bed and reading to Jesse and Jack, two of my grandsons. They are each holding a stuffed animal that we keep for them at our house. And they are looking intently at the pictures in the book. Most of all, they are listening intently to the words I am reading them and to the progression of the story.   As you probably know, there is nothing more beneficial to a child than being read to. Reading to children expands their vocabulary, helps them associate spoken words with written words, which in turn prepares them to learn how to read.  Reading to children brings with it all kinds of cognitive benefits that helps them succeed in their latter academic endeavors, as well as stimulates their creative juices. Best of all, reading to a child creates a bond between the child and their parent—or in this case, their grandparent. That’s why I love reading to my grandsons.  One thing that always a
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Are You ALL IN?

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As some of you may know, last year I participated in my first (and thus far, only) sprint triathlon. It was a super-charged event, leaving me with a feeling of incredible accomplishment. I will admit, the training was hard and time-consuming. Just about every day I was running or cycling or swimming or doing a combination of any one of them. There were times when I wanted to give up. But I knew the only way I would ever be able to complete the race was to be consistent, to train hard, to give it my all, to be all in.  Such is the way it is in life. No one ever accomplishes anything of significance being half-hearted. Whether in athletics or academics, relationships or business, success comes to those who wholeheartedly invest their time and energy and effort—to those who give it their all; to those who are all in.  Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (NIV – emphasis mine) The word “all” speaks of everything
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