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Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life

    by Tom Kelley

The Weeds of Life
Date Posted: May 23, 2024

There are patches of brown starting to appear in my yard. Even though we have had some rain, it is still fairly dry here in the Bluegrass. Those patches of brown don't bother me as much as the patches of white and yellow. Now that I am a homeowner with a yard that belongs to me and not a church, those patches of white and yellow are a concern. I am sure that the fellow never had his own yard who penned that famous line indicating success, "Now we're in clover."

If being in clover is a sign of success then my yard is a successful yard. However, I would rather see it full of nice lush green grass. I know. Clover is green. I remember that from my first years back in Kentucky while serving as the minister of the First Christian Church in Mount Vernon. One of the truest gentlemen who ever lived (he recently turned 90), Clark Brown, invited me to stay with him in that time period of moving from North Central Ohio to Mount Vernon. Clark was a golfer before age robbed him of his ability to still play the game.

He took me golfing one Spring day in 1992. As we readied to hit from the second fairway of the Cedar Rapids Country Club I happened to noticed that we hitting from a rather large stand of clover which comprised the majority of the fairway. I commented, "This is way too much clover for a fairway." Clark quickly responded with, "Don't complain. At least it's green and green is good." Now that it is my lawn, green is good but only if it is green grass and not green clover with little white or yellow flowers.

Yesterday I purchased some Scott's Turfbuilder that was designed to kill clover, dandelions, chickweed and a host of other nasties that can make a yard look seedy. The bottle is listed as covering 6,000 square feet which is a little larger than my lawn. (I live in a subdivision so my yard is small, which I am perfectly happy with come mowing time) I used the entire bottle on my lawn and I am now ready to watch those little vagrants die and my yard start to be just grass. Non grass weeds are not attractive in a nice lawn. They make the lawn look bad.

So what's growing in the lawn of your life? Aw, c'mon. You knew that's where this was headed didn't you? Allow me some license here with this passage. "Now the (weeds) of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those (whose yard is full of) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the (good grass) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." Galatians 5:19-23 'Nuff said.

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"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

The Right Time

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Biography Information:
Tom Kelley, pastor, speaker, lived with his wife, Becky, in Georgetown, Kentucky

...He was the Minister of the Minorsville Christian Church located near Stamping Ground, KY.

...Becky and Tom have three children; John, single and in worship ministry in Nicholasville, Kentucky; Sean, married (Jennifer, elementary school teacher) with twins (Grace and Patrick, b.d. 10/31/04) and regional director of Papa John's Pizza in Central KY; Kara, married (Vince Taylor, prison guard) and working with Hospice East in Winchester, KY.

...Tom went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2009 after a lengthy battle with cancer. If you have been touched by Tom's writings please send an email to Tom's son at jkelley@catalystchristian.net
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