Mid-Week News 4-19-12

Midweek News – 4-18-12 Dear Family of faith, I weeded my flower garden today....I loved it! When I mentioned to Marty, our Administrative Assistant, that I had spent a couple of hours weeding, she replied, "Well, you can come over and weed mine, too!" That's the usual response to the task-- Ugh! But I have loved weeding gardens from the time I was quite young, and now that I'm older, I still like it. Why? Two reasons! First of all, being an introvert and needing "alone time," there is no better activity than weeding to keep people away. (If they get too close, they're afraid that you might rope them into helping!) Weeding is such a mindless job that you can think away to your heart's content. It is a time for solving problems, reliving joys, praying, getting inspired, and thinking grand thoughts for the future with no one or no thing to distract you. Secondly, and even more powerful for me, is the whole concept of getting rid of the things you don't want. Weeding removes the unwanted plants in the garden; and if you have a bent toward perfectionism like I do, you can get rid of every bit of extraneous plant material, bringing the garden back from a disheveled wreck to a beautiful, well-kept display of nature's wonders. The reason this so intrigues me is that there are so few things in life that I can "clean up" like a weed-infested garden. I only wish I could clean up my whole life as easily-- getting rid of the unwanted things and making it all beautiful again! Yes, I can't control people; I can't control circumstances or events; I can't control the past or the future; I can't even control my feelings; but I can pull those prickly, unsightly weeds out of the soil and mulch and make something beautiful. Think about it next time you face the task, and happy weeding! The Northerners are heading back north, little by little, and we will miss them all. If you are one and would like to continue to stay in touch with us not only by this email but also by receiving sermons emailed to you, contact Marty at the church office and add your name to the list. Have a wonderful week. See you in worship on Sunday! With affection, Pastor Carlan