“The United States is now the world’s second largest Spanish-speaking country after Mexico, according to a new study published by the prestigious Instituto Cervantes… there are 41 million native Spanish speakers in the US plus a further 11.6 million who are bilingual, mainly the children of Spanish-speaking immigrants. This puts the US ahead of Colombia (48 million) and Spain (46 million) and second only to Mexico (121 million)” (The Guardian, June 29, 2015).

Some news reports grab your attention and will not let go—particularly when they involve some desperate situation that affects masses of people. We see many such epochal forces going on now with massive flooding across the South in the United States, resulting in widespread property damage and loss of life. Yet a few hundred miles away from some of the affected areas, California—America’s most populous state—parches in prolonged drought.

When I was about four years old, my dad and I were standing under our garage, mesmerized by a powerful thunderstorm in the neighborhood. During the storm, lightning struck a tree in our yard, and danced across our chain-linked fence! This was so frightening to me that I immediately leaped into my dad’s arms for protection! You too may recall a memorable moment with lightning, a brilliant display of God’s power and glory—but did you know, lightning is a vital aspect to life?

To “mind your step” is an old English idiom that means to be careful when walking, and also to be careful about what we say, what we do and how we act, so as to avoid getting into trouble. Are you minding your steps?