Epiphany, 2006 — Dia dos Reyes

It has been wonderful to receive Christmas greetings and news from so many people. We hope with you that God's promises commemorated in the celebrations of Christmas and Chanukah will be fulfilled. Yet, looking at the evidence this past year, I see little prospect that we humans will do much to help.

The garden and cattle have continued to keep us active and give us satisfaction. We had a bountiful harvest, and one new heifer calf. My reading and thinking have focussed on growing grass, nurturing soil health and fertility, and agrarian values. I have come to celebrate a feeling of connectedness to friends in southern Africa who live by tilling the soil and raising cattle. I have struggled this year to learn some basics about soil and grass and animals. In the process, my respect for the knowledge and wisdom of farmers has grown.

I lead worship occasionally. I serve as treasurer of the Deansboro church. I serve on the Commission on the Global Church of the UCCNY Conference and help organize visits of missionaries. I maintain websites for the local church and the commission. We meet weekly for lunch with friends who are pastors of churches. Carol is in a book group that meets at the library. She visits a friend in a nursing home to play Scrabble. She is a deacon at church. We ride our bicycles but made no trips this year.

We try to be good grandparents and do things with grandchildren. We visited the Gilleys in Colorado to celebrate Ian's birthday. Carol went to celebrate with Cameron their birthdays, after the Gilleys moved to Texas. We have frequent opportunities to be present at musical and dramatic events in which Aurora, Gabrielle and Jasmine are involved. We were their sponsors when they were confirmed.

We vacationed with the Ward and Gilley families at Higgins Lake, Michigan. We went to Midland to participate in the 50th anniversary of Carol's high school class graduation. She had not seen most of her classmates for the 50 years.

We hope that you will be blessed in the year ahead with happiness, health and interesting activities.

Epiphany blessings,

        Lawrence