Good morning friends!  It has been quite a while since my last post.  I apologize for that…I am going to blame a busy, but fun holiday weekend for my online absence.  So now here I am.  I am here today and tomorrow and then I head to Nashville with five 9th graders for the Youth Encounter national youth event called the Edge!  I am really looking forward to this trip.  I have really only spent time with these confirmation students at church.  This will be a great opportunity to spend time together outside of church.  I told my kids to be prepared though.  I said they may see another side of me that will cause them to say, "Is that really our pastor?".  They got a kick out of that so we will see what happens.  But I also know that I can’t let my guard down because doing would not be safe for anyone; and after all they are 9th graders (nothing more needs to be said there).  So starting on Friday you can read more about our time in Nashville, right here, on this site, so keep your eyes peeled.

Anyway, this past weekend was a fun one for my wife and I.  We had a chance to spend Sunday at our friend’s house in Spirit Lake and we met some of their friends from college.  We had a great time playing some tennis (which I really don’t play; I just have fun hitting that fuzzy yellow ball around), hanging out, grilling (of course) and playing some games.  All in all it was a great time.  Connie and I hope we get a chance to hang out with this group again.

Monday, July 3 was mine and Connie’s 2 year anniversary (which my mom totally forgot until the next day…Sorry mom, I am just harassing you).  I took Connie out to eat at a nice restaurant in Spirit Lake and then stopped by our friend’s house again.  We tried to see some fireworks (that right there is a whole other story…let’s just say for right now we were not in a prime location).  Anyway, we still had fun that night.  On Tuesday we were in Inwood, IA spending time with Connie’s family.  We watched a parade and grilled (you can never grill too much).  We then went to Sioux Falls and had supper with Connie’s parent before coming home.

Now this morning…

As I stood in my kitchen looking out my window I noticed a horrifying sight.  First I noticed one of my cucumber plants was (and still is) a little shorter (this wasn’t so bad, but still frustrating).  I then shifted my gaze to the left and saw something that caused me to run outside…my sunflowers were (and still are) a little shorter.  A deer, once again, found its way into our garden.  My pumpkins that the deer ate a while back are coming back fine, but now I am worried about my sunflowers.  Here I am, chatting with my father-in-law the day before about keeping rabbits out when all the while I needed to worry about deer.  I let my guard down.  Last year this was not a big issue but this year I am ready to build a tree stand and hope the DNR doesn’t catch me "thinning the herd".

It doesn’t take long does it?  You let your guard down and something happens and happens way too easy.  This is especially the case when things are going really well in life.  You are clicking right along.  Everything is falling into place.  You are happy and excited to be alive.  Then out of no where something happens.  Maybe you take something or someone for granted.  You let something slip; and before you know it your sunflowers are almost dead (I know you all don’t have sunflowers, but work with me here.)  I mean after all, we live in the middle of Jackson.  One should not have to worry about deer; at least you wouldn’t think you would have to.  But that is the attitude of letting one’s guard down and we can’t afford to do that.  We need to be on our toes. 

<Watch out…this is were I turn a little more serious>

We are told in scripture that Satan is prowling around like a roaring lion.  If you let your guard down, you will get pounced on.  Satan loves it when we become complacent because he knows that you will eventually slip; that you will let your guard down.  When that happens then all hell breaks loose.  You need to be on the look out and not assume that because you are a Christian that everything will be fine.  We can’t assume that because we know that Jesus will protect us that we shouldn’t watch for the "prowling lion".  Jesus did die for us, but Satan is still active; making his last ditch effort to bring people down.  Be aware; keep alert; go to scripture; pray without ceasing and don’t let your guard down.  Enjoy life but enjoy life with a healthy dose of Jesus each and every day.  Hopefully my sunflowers will come back, I want a second chance to be alert.  Maybe I won’t get it here, but I know Jesus will never deny me…for he loves each one of us way too much for that.  Thank you Jesus!  Praise be to God and Amen!  -EDH-