Posted: May 27, 2022

In February, Russia invaded Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainians fled. Many died. But Russia’s actions haven’t hurt only Ukraine. They’ve also hurt the Russian people.                         

For ordinary Russians, life has changed. A lot. Shopping malls used to bustle with businesses. Now many stores have closed. Restaurants have turned off their ovens. Full-time jobs have gone part-time.

What happened?

The war has come to Russia. But not with tanks and soldiers in the streets. Instead, other nations have attacked Russia with sanctions.

Think of sanctions as punishments. Nations like the United States don’t want to the war to continue. But instead of fighting with guns, other countries fight with money. Many nations have stopped trading with Russia. Brands like McDonald’s and IKEA have left the country.

Sanctions are meant to put pressure on leaders. Sadly, regular people feel the squeeze. It’s those common folk who can’t find groceries on empty store shelves or medicines at pharmacies. It’s the everyday worker whose hours at work get cut.

Many wealthy Russians have fled the country. But for most Russians, running isn’t that easy. The European Union, the United States, and Canada have banned flights from Russia.

Many Russians say they support the invasion. But is that the truth? Russians can’t just say, “No, the war is wrong!” If they do, they might face punishment.

Russians have no access to real news either. If Russian journalists tell the truth about the war, they face 15 years in prison. Many news organizations have shut down. That means Russians get their news only from the government. That Russian government also banned social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. So most Russians can’t even hear reports on the internet from others who see firsthand. They may not know just how wrong the war is.

When wicked leaders rule, the people suffer. Russia’s people have paid for their nation’s crimes. If the war doesn’t stop, things could get worse. More people will lose jobs. More businesses will close.

Will Russian leaders use wisdom before it’s too late?

One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. — Proverbs 14:16

Posted: May 26, 2022

Touchdown!

A spacecraft made by the Boeing company returned to Earth. But its one passenger couldn’t take off her own seatbelt. Her name is Rosie the Rocketeer. She’s a mannequin!

The Starliner capsule was coming home from the International Space Station (ISS). It parachuted into the New Mexico desert on May 25. Attached airbags cushioned the landing.

Why didn’t real people ride inside?

Because this was just a test. Scientists want to make sure the capsule can make it safely to and from space before real people jump onboard.

Starliner tried the flight for the first time two-and-a-half years ago. That was a fail. It tried again last summer. Another flop. This time, almost $600 million in repairs later, it passed the test. Flight controllers in Houston applauded and cheered the touchdown.

“It’s great to have this incredible test flight behind us,” says Steve Stich, director of NASA’s commercial crew program.

Boeing’s Mark Nappi adds: “On a scale of one to 10, I think I’d give it a 15.”

This means NASA astronauts will strap in next. They may be able to head for the ISS by the end of this year.

NASA officials like the sound of that. Another company, SpaceX, started launching astronauts—and even tourists!—in 2020. NASA wants another American company ferrying astronauts. That will help the United States rely less on Russia for trips to space.

Starliner spent five days at the ISS. It dropped off hundreds of pounds of groceries and other supplies. It took a load home too: empty air tanks and other discarded gear.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! — Psalm 139: 7-8

Posted: May 25, 2022

Yesterday we read about Africa drying out. Just one continent over, India and Bangladesh are getting soaked!

That part of the world gets a rainy season (called a monsoon) every year. But it doesn’t usually come this early. In the last few weeks, pouring rain has forced 90,000 people into shelters. Authorities set up 269 camps for people to live in until the water subsides.

The Indian army and air force come to the rescue. They evacuate thousands of people. Helicopters drop needed items to the stranded.

Just how much area has flooded? The Indian Space Research Organization uses satellites to find out.

In Bangladesh, at least three rivers flow above danger level. Hundreds of villages are stuck in the wet. They have no electricity. Ruined roads means others can’t reach them. Crops have been damaged badly. And with all that water, people are . . . thirsty. Wells are under dirty floodwaters. Pipes in water supply systems have been damaged.

Pray for the people of India and Asia facing floods. Jesus controls every part of nature—rain included.

And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?”— Matthew 8:27

Posted: May 24, 2022

It was going to be great.

It was going to be green.

Now we’re wondering: Is Africa’s Great Green Wall going to be at all?

What’s the Green Wall?

The Sahara Desert in Africa is growing. Plants keep dying. Soil keeps blowing away. Healthy land for farming becomes scarcer. (Learn why desertification happens here.)

People decided: We have to stop the desert. They made a plan to build a 4,970-mile-long forest through 11 nations across Africa. Such a forest would bring life back to the dried-out landscape.

People started the project 15 years ago. So far, they’ve grown 9.9 million acres of forest. That sounds like a lot. But it’s just a tiny percentage of how much they wanted to grow. And now the wall has . . . hit a wall.

What’s the Problem?

Many of the nations the wall will touch are facing problems. Their governments are unstable. Terrorists attack. People move out of dangerous areas. The wall project is disorganized, and tree planters don’t have enough funds to complete their work.

People need plants to live. No wonder our loving God placed His very first people in a garden! In Africa, the creeping desert means people can’t grow enough food to live well.

Many say the wall must be finished, and finished quickly. Supporters hope the wall will be done by 2030.

Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan all hurry to help. Ethiopia has produced 5.5 billion seedlings. That has led to thousands of acres of restored land. It has created new jobs. Efforts in Eritrea and Sudan have also resulted in nearly 346,000 acres of restored forest.

Pray for wisdom and peace in the nations touched by the Great Green Wall.

And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. — Genesis 2:8-9

Posted: May 23, 2022

The more than 3,000-year-old gold ring had been gone since World War II. It turned up in a Swedish museum. Now it’s back in Greece where it belongs.

The ring was made during the Mycenaean era. That’s the period of time from about 1750 to 1050 years before Christ. Two sphinxes face each other on this ring. (Those mythical creatures usually have a human’s head, a lion’s body, and wings.) A rich man would have owned the ring.

Archaeologists found the piece of jewelry almost 100 years ago on the island of Rhodes. That island used to belong to Italy. It became part of Greece after World War II.

During the war, someone stole the ring from a museum. Hundreds of other pieces of jewelry and coins disappeared too. Most are still missing. But this one popped back up in the United States. Scientist Georg von Békésy bought it in the 1950s or ’60s. When he died, the ring went to a museum in Sweden.

God tells us to return lost or stolen property to the rightful owner. In Leviticus 6, God tells Moses that if someone finds something lost and lies about it, he should give it back plus extra.

The Swedish museum had tried to return the gold band years ago. Officials identified the ring in 1975. They contacted Greek authorities. But the jewelry never made it back.

Swedish officials cheerfully returned the ring this time. Vidar Helgesen handed it over to Greek officials. The old ring is valuable to Greece. It helps tell about that country’s history and culture. “To us, it was obvious that the ring should be returned,” Mr. Helgesen says.

Posted: May 20, 2022

Msituni needed leg braces. She was a patient like none other—a newborn giraffe!

The calf was born on February 1 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, California. At birth, her front limb was bending the wrong way.

Uh oh. Safari park staff knew her leg could keep her from nursing and walking around the habitat. If not fixed, it could cost Msituni her life.

But they had no experience with fitting a baby giraffe in a brace. It didn’t help that Msituni was almost six feet tall at birth—and growing taller every day!

The staff members knew they needed help. They reached out to Ara Mirzaian. He’s an expert in orthotics. Orthotics are medical devices that can help correct the way a person walks, stands, or runs. The baby giraffe was Mr. Mirzaian’s first animal patient.

Mr. Mirzaian’s team worked with a company that makes horse braces. Together, they used cast moldings of the giraffe’s legs. It took eight days to make the carbon graphite braces. These braces have spots to match Msituni’s fur.

“We put on the giraffe pattern just to make it fun,” Mr. Mirzaian says. “We do this with kids all the time. They get to pick super-heroes, or their favorite team, and we imprint it on their bracing. So why not do it with a giraffe?”

All told, Msituni was in braces for 39 days. She stayed in the animal hospital the entire time. After that, she was slowly introduced to her mom and others in the herd. Her mom never took her back. But another female giraffe has adopted her. She now runs along like the other giraffes.

Mr. Mirzaian hopes to hang up a picture of the baby giraffe in her patterned brace so the kids he treats will be inspired to wear theirs.

“It feels good to know we saved a giraffe’s life,” he says.

In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. — Job 12:10

Posted: May 19, 2022

Have you missed the circus? Did you even notice it was gone?

Five years ago, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey packed up the Big Top. The elephants were led away.

But now the circus is coming back. Before it closed, many said the circus company mistreated animals. People bought fewer and fewer tickets. The new version of “The Greatest Show on Earth” will feature extraordinary humans. NO animals.

Performers audition around the world. More than 1,000 have applied to join the circus.

“For us, Ringling is about bringing the world’s talents to people’s hometowns,” says circus official Juliette Feld Grossman.

Once, the circus was a regular part of life. People faithfully attended it for 146 years. Many cherish memories of their first time at the circus.

And now maybe kids will have those “first times” again. Bring back the peanuts, popcorn, and trapeze. The circus will go back on tour in September of 2023.

Go, eat your bread with joy. — Ecclesiastes 9:7

Posted: May 18, 2022

What a cat-astrophe!

Authorities in Walldorf, Germany, order cat owners: “Keep your felines inside—until the end of August!”

Why? Because it’s breeding season for a rare bird called the crested lark. Crested larks live in Europe and Africa. In Western Europe, their population is taking a nosedive.

Crested larks make their nests on the ground. The new rule is designed to help save the nests from hunting cats. Authorities in Walldorf write: “The survival of the species depends on every single chick.”

The decree applies to all cats in the southern part of the town. It will be repeated for the coming three years.

And cat owners? They object to the idea of three summers of cat house arrest. The head of the local animal protection association plans to challenge the new law in court. “Please remain calm,” he tells pet owners. “We’ll do our best to stop this disproportionate measure.”

Disproportionate means uneven or unbalanced. Is keeping everyone’s cats indoors a lopsided way to save birds? Is it too much work for cat owners?

Are you a cat lover? Read all about how people and cats have learned to live together in Cat Takeover and Not-So-Tame Cats. Then take a tour of cat species in All Kinds of Cats. Got cat questions? Maybe you’ll find a few answers in Why Does My Cat Do That?

I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. — Psalm 50:11

Posted: May 17, 2022

Authorities in Zimbabwe are asking, “Can we sell our ivory? Pleeeeaaaase?”

Ivory is the hard, white material in elephant tusks. Zimbabwe has tons of it. It also owns six to seven tons of rhino horn. The nation has nabbed these goods from poachers selling it illegally.

If the ivory were sold, it would likely fetch around $600 million. What would Zimbabwe do with that money? Control elephants. And help people who have to live near them.

Zimbabwe has way too many elephants—around 100,000. That’s twice the amount its national parks can hold. The overcrowded elephants destroy trees and shrubs. They and other animals need these plants to live. The elephants ruin crops. They even trample humans.

But ivory selling is illegal. Nations joined together to ban it in 1989. Why? Because elephants are in big trouble in other parts of the world. When the ivory trade is legal, people kill elephants to harvest it. Then artisans make the precious material into jewelry and trinkets.

“Sell the ivory!” say Zimbabwe and Botswana. These nations have half the world’s elephants.

“No way!” say other nations, such as Kenya. They insist that all ivory sales should be banned to protect elephants.

Later this month, representatives from 14 African countries plus China and Japan will meet in Zimbabwe. They’ll talk about the elephant in the room: How can they manage elephants and ivory at the same time?

Learn to do good; seek justice. — Isaiah 1:17

Posted: May 16, 2022

Where’s the fifth ballerina statue? That’s what people in Tulsa, Oklahoma, asked at the end of April. The bronze likeness of ballerina Marjorie Tallchief had been stolen.

Thieves took the statue at night. They sold pieces to different recycling companies.

At first, officials weren’t sure the sculpture could be replaced. It was made by pouring melted bronze into a mold to harden. The original mold for the statue burned in a fire. That meant that remaking the artwork would be much more complicated.

But there’s good news! Officials have found many of the pieces. Gary Henson is one of the original sculptors. He says he will be able to restore the dancer’s lovely form.

“You won’t be able to tell that it was ever cut up when I’m done,” Mr. Henson says. “Nothing is ever really lost.”

The bronze statues of five famous Native American ballerinas were put up in 2007. Together, those ballerinas are called the Five Moons. Two are Ms. Tallchief and her sister, Maria Tallchief. The other three are Yvonne Chouteau, Rosella Hightower, and Moscelyne Larkin. All five women were from Oklahoma.

Marjorie and Maria Tallchief were of Osage descent. They started learning ballet when they were young. They danced in famous ballet companies. (Maria will be featured on a U.S. quarter next year.) Marjorie is the last of the five ballerinas. She passed away last year at age 95.

You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. — Leviticus 19:11

Posted: May 13, 2022

Have you ever had to learn something fast? Maybe you’ve had to study for a test. Maybe you’ve had to memorize a Bible verse.

But what about learning to fly an airplane?

On May 10, a small plane left the Bahamas. It carried one pilot and two passengers. But on the way to Florida, something went wrong. The pilot began to feel ill—very ill.

Officials still don’t know what made him sick. But one thing was certain: He couldn’t fly the plane.

Over on the Florida coast, air traffic controllers received an urgent message.

“I’ve got a serious situation here,” came the voice over the radio. “My pilot has gone incoherent. I have no idea how to fly the airplane.”

Neither of the two passengers had ever piloted a plane before. Now someone had to learn fast. They needed to stay in the air. They needed to reach Florida. Surviving would be nice too.

Air traffic controllers helped them learn how to steady the wings. They told the passengers to follow the Florida coast. Soon, the controllers found the lost plane. Now they could lead it to shore. But one obstacle remained: How would the passengers land the craft?

No biggie.

Enter Robert Morgan. He’s one of the air traffic controllers. He also teaches people to fly airplanes. But he’d never had to teach somebody mid-flight!

Mr. Morgan talked to the passengers. He took them through the landing process. With his help, they reached Palm Beach International Airport. The plane safely touched ground.

Rescue workers rushed in to help the sick pilot. Neither of the passengers had any injuries. Everyone had landed safely.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. — Proverbs 4:13

Posted: May 12, 2022

Lhakpa Sherpa just broke a record . . . her own record. She reached the summit of Mount Everest—the world’s highest peak—on May 12. She has now climbed Everest 10 times. This makes her the most successful female Everest climber in the world.

Mount Everest is 29,032 feet tall. The mountain lies between Nepal (Ms. Sherpa’s home country) and Tibet.

Now Ms. Sherpa lives in the United States with her three children. She is 48. She never got a chance to get a formal education. That’s because she had to start earning a living by carrying climbing gear and supplies for trekkers. (Read more about the life of Sherpa guides here.) She wants to inspire other women so they can achieve their dreams too.

Do you dream of climbing a mountain like Everest someday? Right now, Everest has good weather. May is climbing season. Hundreds of foreign climbers plus Sherpa guides will climb Everest (or try to climb it) this month.

Ms. Sherpa isn’t this week’s only Everest record breaker. Another Nepalese Sherpa guide, Kami Rita, reached the summit for the 26th time. He broke his own record for the most climbs of Everest ever.

In His hand are the depths of the Earth; the heights of the mountains are His also. — Psalm 95:4

Posted: May 11, 2022

Ew, rats.

During the pandemic, New York City’s rats scurried out of their underground nests. They crawled into the open air, feasting on a smorgasbord of scraps in streets and parks. Diners ate outdoors instead of indoors. So did the rats. The rodents loved to nibble on bits of meals left behind.

City data says people are seeing more rats in New York than they have in a decade. People have called in some 7,400 rat sightings. That’s way more than before the pandemic.

Will people continue to see more and more rats?

“That depends on how much food is available to them and where,” says Matt Frye. Mr. Frye is a pest management specialist for the state of New York.

God made rats with a purpose—to get rid of garbage. And they do so gladly. But too much garbage means too many rats.

Rats have been a problem in New York since the city was founded. Every new generation of leaders has tried to stop them. And for good reason! Rats do more than make people squeal. They can spread disease.

Mayor Eric Adams tried a trap that used a bucket filled with a vinegary, toxic soup to drown rats lured by the scent of food.

Mayor Bill de Blasio spent tens of millions on his rat project. Trash was picked up more often. Housing inspections became more aggressive. Dirt basement floors in some apartment buildings were replaced with ones made of concrete.

The city also launched a program to use dry ice to suffocate rats in their burrows.

And did the rats vanish?

Nope. Rats are tough. They can survive on less than an ounce of food per day. They rarely have to travel more than a city block to find something to nibble.

The city’s new plan: Padlock curbside trash bins. Authorities hope this will cut down the big piles of garbage bags that turn into rat buffets.

Posted: May 10, 2022

First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden handed a bouquet of flowers to Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska in western Ukraine. Dr. Biden visited Ukraine on Mother’s Day. This visit sent a message: The United States stands with the people of Ukraine.

It’s not exactly a good time to visit Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. Since then, many people have been trying to get out. Nearly six million Ukrainians have fled their country for safety.

“I wanted to come on Mother’s Day,” the U.S. First Lady told Mrs. Zelenska. “I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop.”

Dr. Biden spent about two hours in Ukraine. She traveled by vehicle to the town of Uzhhorod, about a 10-minute drive from a Slovakian border village.

Mrs. Zelenska thanked Dr. Biden for her “courageous act.” She said, “We understand what it takes for the U.S. First Lady to come here during a war.”

The women met at a school being used to house Ukrainian migrants. They spent time talking privately. Then they joined a group of children who live at the school. Everyone made tissue-paper bears to give as Mother’s Day gifts.

Right now, Mrs. Zelenska lives with her two children in a secret place. This keeps them safe. Mrs. Zelenska told Dr. Biden that she’s able to hold her children’s hands every night even though she can’t be with her husband, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Dr. Biden is following in the footsteps of first ladies from the past. These women made visits during wartime and hardship. (This is part of “soft diplomacy,” a way to work on relationships between nations.) First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited servicemen abroad during World War II. First Lady Pat Nixon took a 1969 trip to South Vietnam. First Lady Hillary Clinton visited a combat zone, stopping in Bosnia in 1996. First Lady Laura Bush visited Afghanistan several times. First Lady Melania Trump visited Africa and accompanied President Donald Trump to Iraq.

Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. — Psalm 34:14

Posted: May 9, 2022

What’s that little one’s name? If the newborn is a girl, it might be Olivia. What about a boy? Likely, it’s Liam. After tallying names from 2021, those are the most common baby names in the United States.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) tracks baby names in each state. (That agency is part of the government.)

How do those workers know all those names? Most parents apply for a Social Security number for their newborns. That number allows you to get a job or receive payments when you retire. You also use it to apply for a driver’s license, a passport, or help from the government. (Keep it private. Some criminals try to steal those numbers.) Parents fill out paperwork. The SSA keeps track of the names.

After Liam, the most common names for boys are Noah, Oliver, Elijah, James, William, Benjamin, Lucas, Henry, and Theodore. (Theodore, which means “gift of God,” is in the top 10 for the first time.)

For girls, the list goes from Olivia to Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Ava, Sophia, Isabella, Mia, Evelyn, and Harper.

 The lists show that some names aren’t as popular now. For boys, Jaxtyn, Karsyn, and Xzavier (a spelling of Xavier that showed up on the list first in 2000) are losing popularity. Fewer girls were named Denise in 2021.

Some names become more used. Those include Amiri for boys and Raya for girls.

Names are important. Sometimes in the Bible record, God told parents what to name their child. (Genesis 16:11, Luke 1:13) God also renamed some people. (Genesis 17:5, 32:28) And children were given names rich with meaning. Jesus was one of them. An angel told Joseph, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

The SSA’s numbers also show how many babies were born each year. Last year, there were more than three and a half million new babies in the United States.

Children are a gift of the Lord. — Psalm 127:3 NASB

Posted: May 6, 2022

This week, a boy met his baseball hero. It happened because a small act of kindness went viral.

Derek Rodriguez is nine years old. His family moved from Venezuela five years ago. Now they live in Toronto, Canada. But when it comes to baseball, Derek doesn’t root for the Toronto Blue Jays. He pulls for the New York Yankees. He’s even named after Derek Jeter, the famous Yankees shortstop.

Earlier this month, Derek and his father went to watch the Yankees play the Blue Jays. Derek wore the jersey of his baseball hero: Yankees batter Aaron Judge.

Derek had a dream. He wanted to catch a home run ball.

In the sixth inning, Aaron Judge knocked a ball out of the park. It headed straight for Derek’s section! He  stood up, reached out his hand, and—

—someone else caught the ball.

It wasn’t even a Yankees fan. It was a man in a Toronto Blue Jays hat.

But this Blue Jays fan didn’t keep the ball. Instead, he turned around and handed it to Derek.

Mike Lanzillotta had come to watch the Blue Jays. But then he saw Derek’s excitement. He wanted to help the boy catch a ball. And he did.

Derek burst into happy tears. He hugged Mr. Lanzillotta. The cameras caught it all.

Online, the moment went viral. People watched it around the world. They shared it so others could see too. They loved witnessing this simple act of kindness.

At school, Derek’s teacher played the video for his class. Derek got to show off his home run ball.

Later that week, Derek met his baseball hero. Aaron Judge signed the now-famous ball. He even gave Derek a pair of his batting gloves. The Yankees invited Derek, his family, and Mr. Lanzillotta to New York to watch another game.

A baseball might seem like a small gift. But Derek Rodriguez will remember it forever. So will baseball fans around the world.

Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ — Acts 20:35