Growin' Up Gregory

Reading the instructions - it's not what most men are known for.  It's also not what I expected to take over my prayers this week.  Our opening question for this week's Sunday school lesson is, "When have you really needed clear instructions?"  Over the past 6 days, my answer has gone from needing the specifics I need from my wife when caring for our children her way (she's the way better parent of us by the way) to truly asking God for specifics about upcoming opportunities in my life. Look, prayer works.  Forgive me for not earlier sharing this observation - "When I pray, things just go smoother."  Try it.  Maybe things actually work themselves out better.  Or maybe I just have a greater sense of peace because I'm more in line with God.  Either way, I'll take it.  Back to my original point. Like the writer of the lesson, I am not the most 'handy' or 'craftsman' inclined guy in the room.  If you laid a pile of wood, metal...

As a young child - well, really as an older kid, a teenager, a young adult, a middle-aged adult, or even a senior citizen - there are a few things like the joy of feeling that tug on the line when you're reeling in a good fish. Any time we're at the lake (or any other body of water) my son and nephews always say that they want to fish. But based on my observations, they truly aren't very interested in fishing - what they really want to do is reel fish in, that's it. But you see, there's a lot more to fishing than merely catching fish. Before you ever wet a hook, someone has to purchase the right equipment - rods, reels, hooks, bait, etc. and then do the part that no child seems to comprehend and probably the reason some grownups require adult beverages while fishing - setting up the rods and reels with the necessary equipment. Once you've got a hook tied on, now things get messy - bait! If you're using live bait, the mud and dirt from worms, cricket juice, f...

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I was getting out of English class preparing to head to a CEP event during my freshmen year at Presbyterian College.  That morning had all the makings of an ordinary day until America got punched in the mouth.  I remember the feelings of anxiety and anger upon realizing that the land of the free and the home of the brave was under attack.  Everyone who loved the freedom and opportunity that this nation offers was ready to fight to defend it, and rightfully so.  Countless military and first responders went out risking their own lives to save as many as they could during the aftermath of these horrific attacks.  And it was almost like a patriotic revival in our country. But this has me thinking today, what is worth fighting for?  Many of us would fight over almost anything during our younger days.  But you reach a certain age, or point in life, where fighting is no longer fun.  And the only reasons now that I would ...

How's your faith?  I'm willing to bet that if most of us are truly honest, our faith is often times "iffy" at best.  We make statements like: -  God, if you'll give me a child, I promise I'll dedicate him/her to you. -  God, if you give me good job or a raise, I'll be more generous with my giving. -  God, if you give me a prominent position, I'll talk about you more with people. And while we've all probably made "deals" like these with God before, they are not how our faith should operate.  God listens, but He doesn't negotiate.  I believe that He hears our prayers and that He is compassionate to our concerns and our hearts, but I also know that ultimately His will will be done. Rather than having if, or iffy, faith, perhaps we should focus on having EVEN IF faith: -  Will you trust God EVEN IF your child becomes deathly ill, develops some severe condition, or worse dies?  Will you still trust His purposes for that child in y...

There are many foods that require one main ingredient that if it's missing, the entire entrée is just lacking.  It requires each ingredient to make it special and to set it off, but there's typically that one ingredient that truly makes it.  And leaving that main ingredient out can sometimes be disastrous.  Take the morning I turned my coffee pot on after attending a concert and as I poured from our stainless steel pot, I noticed that there one major thing lacking - COFFEE!  That hot water just didn't have the same kick. When we try to play sports without the right equipment, some things can be substituted while others simply cannot.  Thomas and I have propped up old wooden pallets in the yard to substitute as soccer goals, but we have to have a ball (the main ingredient) to kick.  And when businesses or companies are evaluating potential employees, they are reviewing resumes for certain requirements.  They want to see your education, your experience...

As many of you know, I work in banking.  Not investment banking, I primarily deal with various loan types to individuals and businesses.  But I do have a pretty solid understanding of interest rates, markets, and long and short term costs and returns.  That being said, my expertise in the area of investing consists of checking my quarterly 401k statement to make sure that it has more money now than it did three months ago.  If you want investment advice, I can give you some names of people I trust and are knowledgeable, just not mine. A month or so ago the cryptocurrency market was going wild.  Bitcoin and other popular cryptocurrencies were all the rage, and there are some people who made tons of money on it...assuming they sold at the right time.  And there are others who will stubbornly ride out this most recent drop off in order to be able to tell all their friends they were "geniuses" for holding on to the crypto investment. But this post isn't abo...