Stopping the home invasion.

After the TV is silenced and the lights are shut off, a stillness settles over our house. Well, at least I thought it did. Fact is a lot of things begin to transpire after the lights go out. It is not uncommon this time of year to see bugs of all kinds and spiders of all sizes walking across carpets and hardwood floors. After dark, when we sleep I imagine they continue their invasion of our living space. Um, okay, we'll remove them and deal with them as we see them. The thought of critters moving around after dark and even walking across the bed covers gives me a bit of a chill. Then there are beady eyed field mice.

Over the weekend, our son was relaxing in the family room, heard an unusual scuffling sound, and saw a gray streak run past his chair. MOUSE! How in the world would a mouse get in our family room? October forces all outdoor critters to seek warmer shelter, thus the bugs and now mice calling our home their home. Some readers would say, "Ah, it's just a little mouse; leave it alone." Hold your horses these Mack! Nope! I can't 'NOT' do something.

Having grown up on a farm and knowing the destructive nature of mice, not to mention their uncleanliness, caused us to go full mouse trap mode in the house. Next morning we checked the trap and voila one less mouse. Did I mention I grew up on a farm? Well, you can bet if you see and catch one mouse there are more to follow. I can still remember the night about 40 years ago when we tripped the latch on a huge live trap in the chicken coop and discovered over 20 rats inside the enclosure. We knew we had a few rats but not this many.

Well, to date, we have captured four mice in our living space and basement and counting. There is an issue here that runs far deeper than four mice inside our home.

Yesterday, with flashlight in hand and renewed resolve, I climbed up into the crawl space under our home. I was looking for possible entrances for our mice home invasion. Well, in one corner there was a spot that needed closed off and then the entrance of Air Conditioning lines and electric wires needed sealed. Further back I discovered the prime source of entry for the unwelcomed foes. An air vent that keeps air circulating in the basement has a 8x14 inch grille across the opening. At one time there was fine screen wire over the grille. Now, minus the fine screen wire is a grille with slats that are about an inch apart. This grate is like the automatic doors at your local convenience store that open on your approach. For mice, this grate may even have a bright flashing welcome sign. Today, I will be purchasing some screen wire and fastening it to this grille (Actually there is another grille in disrepair as well).

Here's the deal friends. If we have vermin in our house the obvious thing to do is deal with them then deal with their entrance points. It isn't a guarantee that all critters will be kept out but it does lower the encounters of bugs climbing up your leg or mice running across the kitchen counters.

How about the vermin that creeps into your home through the TV, computer, and newspaper? How do we control and monitor that stuff. It's likely we do not. It comes rolling into our home and invades our sensibilities. It spreads it's disease and dysfunction. It looks to find ways to take over the establishment called the family. I would say with a great deal of sorrow that a large percentage of homes have been conquered by the darkness of evil. Neglecting vermin and cohabitating with it is sure to bring disease and death to our family unit. Resist it. Resist him.

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for

someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers

throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called

you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make

you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:8-11, NIV)

Take a stand against things that assail you and your family. Repair the broken openings and doors that are designed to protect you. Regain some control over what comes into your home and begin to live into a new healthier way of life. It is what God desires for you.