A few weeks back, I would not have wanted you to take a stroll in my front yard. At first blush, I guess it didn't look too bad - the bougainvillea had some color and the impatiens were blooming -- but the garden clearly needed some work. If you had looked among the flowers, you would have seen some clover growing and if you had looked closely at the shrubs you would have noticed that a bug had started munching on the leaves. I was aware that the garden needed some tending, but life was so busy, what with family, work and study, that I just was not getting around to my outside chores. This weekend, I gave the front yard the TLC it needed and now you are welcome to drive by any time.

Sometimes our emotional and spiritual lives can look like my slightly neglected garden - we're not in too bad of shape, but if we look closely we could use some work. We have been unusually impatient with our children, or unnecessarily brusque with a sales clerk. We have not participated in the community of faith to which we belong, or even taken a few moments to reflect on God's will for our lives. We know we ought to work harder to be the person God intends us to be, but life becomes too busy to think much about it.

Within the Christian tradition, the weeks prior to Easter are a period of introspection known as Lent. It is a time when people are invited to tend to their "spiritual gardens." However, no matter what your faith, the renewing season of spring is an excellent time to re-commit to regular worship and prayer. Reflecting upon God, honoring the Holy One in our thoughts and actions, and taking time to discern God's presence in our lives; all of these things help us to "clear out the weeds" and enjoy healthy abundant lives. May your spring cleanup be a rewarding one!

Kathryn Carroll is Ministry Assistant at Christ the King Lutheran Church, located at 11295 Red Road, across from Parrot Jungle. Sunday worship services are at 8:30 a.m. (contemporary), 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. (traditional); Sunday School for all ages is at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call the church office at 305-665-5063.