08/02/2019
I am at war in my yard and am enlisting any help I can get from multiple products. Who or what am I fighting? Moles!!! I have heard stories from people who have almost lost their mind in this battle and I fear I may be joining them. I have lost large areas of mums, coreopsis, shasta daisies and black eyed daisies due to these critters. To say nothing of the soft spots in my lawn and raised areas in my beds! I have tried mole traps, juicy fruit gum, mole worms, mole sonar, and now my latest...gassing them out of their trails.
But if I can settle down for a moment...when I picture what is happening under my lawn-- what I envision is this main road from which multiple side roads branch off to cover the entire surface area of my yard. This road extends into my neighbor’s yards also. I know that there is a massive transport system established but I don’t know how many are traveling those roads. But I do know that it is there, unfortunately.
This reminds me of a picture of life on a spiritual level. Our lives are lived on top of the soil but what we must never forget is that not far away there is another spiritual reality just under the surface. That spiritual reality may be called evil, the devil, satan, spiritual warfare...whatever is your preferred description we need to remember that it is there. There are times in our lives when it raises its ugly head and becomes a real challenge, a real temptation, a real diversion from the life we try to lead as growing disciples of Jesus. The moles remind me of this. I am reminded that I need to be attentive and ready to respond any time I am tempted, I am lured, I am distracted away from what Jesus desires for me.
So just as I am looking out for moles in my lawn, I am being attentive also to spiritual moles that may try to lead me astray.
Thanks for listening to me rant, Pastor Patti
p.s. These moles make me laugh and think about the movie “Caddyshack!"
Archived Posts
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...
So many quips and quotes...
So little time to preach
I wonder what Mary and Martha’s phones might look like:
* Martha = the open browser with 27 tabs
* Mary = the single window that matters
* Psalm 46 = God saying, “Close the tabs.”
Quotable Outtakes That Didn’t Make the Sermon This Week
“When you try to control everything, you don’t just exhaust yourself—you quietly replace trust in God with trust in you.” & more
There is a challenge when it comes to preaching the Word of God.
Preachers are called to open up and interpret the word—inspired and written down thousands of years ago—and make it relevant to a very different world. On top of that there’s a degree of persuasion that goes along with the process.
What Jessica Really Meant to Say in Her Sermon…
When Jessica or Rick or a guest preacher takes the pulpit it’s hard for me to write a One More Thing Blog. I can’t share with you what didn’t make it into the sermon because I have no idea, not having written or delivered it.
Jesus Keeps On Ruining Funerals!
I didn’t have anything this last week that didn’t end up in the sermon. No catchy illustrations that didn’t make the cut. No theological insights that slowed down the main point. No one can ruin a funeral like Jesus. Told as I saw it and that was it. So I did some quick research and I thought I’d share just a reminder of what Easter is all about.