Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pride to share with you that I won Yard of the Month! Oh, how I wish I could say that. Yesterday I was out running, and I passed a yard with a Yard of the Month sign. This yard had rows of flowers as far as the eye could see. Every bush pruned to perfection. Grass that was worthy of an Augusta golf course fairway. If this was your house, congratulations. You make the world a brighter place. Some days it seems like my yard is more Amazon jungle-like than attractive. Just when I thought I finally had my grass going this year, guess what happened last week? Our underground water line sprung leaks and needed replacing. At this stage of life, I’ve accepted that our yard won’t ever be the best in show and that’s OK. It’s “good enough.” Sometimes it comes down to a choice: Do I run the weed eater… or spend that extra time pushing my boys on the swing? Mow the yard…or stop at the store to pick up some items for dinner? Plant more flowers…or put that money into savings? Maybe you can relate? If not to the yard, to another area of life? Instead of pushing for perfection, you try to practice contentment. Instead of pride, you go for the practical. I can appreciate the beauty of a good-looking yard, but at this stage of my life I’m living in grace and trusting that good enough is OK. Because God continues to pour out goodness in other areas. One of them is relationships, friendships. And a special place where those friendships has been nourished is by being part of a Small Group at Christ Lutheran. Our family is in several, including one called Life with Kids that meets once per month. These families have become people we pray with, grow with, and do life with, as we follow the Risen Lord. Are you interested in joining a Small Group or starting one? If so, join us at Christ Providence on June 18 or June 26 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. We’ll provide you with dinner and explain everything you need to get started. Please see the E-news or Bulletin for more information on how to register. For now, I’ll leave the Yard of the Month award to others. And give thanks for the ways Jesus continues to bring new life to us all through this faith community! Peace, Pastor Drew