June can be a busy time of transitions. Kids have finished school and are starting their summer break. Graduations and Open Houses, trips up to the cabin and family vacations. Many times there is great joy with these events, many times they bring added stress. “Is everything ready?” “Is everything packed?” “Do we have all the kids?”

I would like to ask that we all be praying for our graduates. Those going off to collage are facing a lot of new experiences and their faith may be tested. We should be offering prayers and encouragement to them. Faith is something that can help us through times of temptation and stress, it can be easy to set our faith aside, thinking we are too busy. May all of our graduates bring Jesus Christ alive in their hearts with them at this time of transition.
One of the ways I know that summer is here is the amount of traffic going through Clearwater. I have noticed that on Thursday and Friday it is going one way and on Sunday it is going the other way. I am still studying this amazing phenomena and how so many people know what way to go through Clearwater.

If you are one who goes up to a cabin on the weekend to take a break, please do not take a break from your faith. I know that the churches up north get busier in the summer, however, I also know there are those people that just do not go. “The Church is too far.” or “We started out fishing early.” God wants to be invited in to every area of our life. I will be going up to a friend’s cabin at the end of the month, and will be spending some quality time with the Lord.
June also brings with it new growth in my garden. As I weed and water, I often think of God and all He does. Looking at the smallest detail of the flowers and knowing God’s hand was there. I do sometimes think that God favors the weeds a little too much in my garden. I remember last year thinking “Look at the pretty little blue flowers all over the lawn. ” It was shortly there after I learned the word ‘Creeping Charlie’. Creeping Charlie can be like sin in our lives. At first glance we can think it is attractive, and if we do not pay attention to it, it just keeps taking over our lives. Last fall I put a square play pen up in the backyard and tried a weed killer on the Creeping Charlie. It worked well in that spot so this spring I have treated more of the lawn and have put down grass seed to fill in. I still have to fight the Creeping Charlie, but the lawn is coming in much better this year.

Sin can take over our lives if we let it. Or we may simply think it is a “pretty blue flower.” Often times we cannot get rid of ALL the sin in our lives at the same time. But as we rid ourselves of some sins, we need to fill them in with good, like I did with the grass seed in the yard. Good habits of prayer and fasting, of meditation and spending time with the Lord, can fill in those holes where our sin was. If we do not fill it in, the sin will just return. Like the Creeping Charlie it may come back slowly, but it will come back.

I know I will never be 100% rid of sin in my life, just like my yard, my soul will need to be worked on constantly for me to draw closer to God and rid myself of sin again and again. It may be new sin or the old ones creeping back it.

Sorry if I offended anyone named Charlie.

Fr Backer