As I was reading my daily devotion, it reminded me of situations I had found myself in this past week, reminding me of similar situation in the recent past and lets not forget situations from youth that make me shake my head, some caused by me.

First let me thank Bayless Conley for his devotion titled True Satisfactions. It gave me pause to remember the root of self importance (www.christianity.com)

Coming from the south we are ingrained with being strong, having good character, being fair in all instances(tied into character) and being proud of who you are, where you are from and what your principals are. There have been many a marvelous movie to depict these thing depicting of the south, Gone with the Wind, for one. Very gentile, very strong and in some instances, self important. By the way, I was the one in my family who not only broke that mold of a gentile southern lady but disintegrated it from the top of whatever tree it was that day that I chose to climb. I now pay for those wild and crazy tomboy days every time I get up to walk.

I think as people across the world, we genuinely want to be the better side of character but sometime circumstances get the best of us and the wrong side shows up. This is where we need to remember what is really importance in that instance and react accordingly. For instance, in the grocery store the other day as I was trying to decide which can tomatoes I needed for my sauce for supper. Around the end of the isle came a running little boy, maybe 5 years old, that hit me and would have knocked me down had it not been for the buggy. It did however knock the little boy to the floor. As his mother came around end to try to control this out of control child, she yelled at me for knocking down her child. All I could say was “What?” She walked on with child in hand only for him to get away from her twice more that I saw, not sure if anyone else was fussed at for knocking down her son. But the point of this is when you take your strength of character and pride for who you are to the point of “I am more important than you”, then you have lost the true purpose of character.

Isaiah 14:12-15 tells us about Satan’s fall. Satan was full of self importance. He would boast of how he was going to be higher that God and more powerful, not realizing how God loved him and had bestowed on him beauty and wonder. But it was not enough, he wanted more. His pride and the greed it fosters is what took him down. And I think if we are not carful we could get on the wrong side of pride ourselves. Pride in itself does not have to be a bad thing but like with any over indulgence, it can become toxic.

We are all given fountains of love and wonderful gifts from above and if we follow the Gifter in how we use these gifts then we can make others feel His presence when they are low. Think about the beauty of a single flower as it stretches its height to the sky, swaying slightly in the breeze filling the air with the fragrance. It is short lived but while it was here its beauty and smell was refreshing and leaves a lasting remembrance.

May we always be more refreshing  that self important.

Dogs – Burden or family

The incessant barking of the dog next door really makes me wonder about owners who think puppies are great but have no idea of the commitment involved in being a dog owner. A dog on a chain left for long hours due to your inconvenience is no family pet. Yelling at it because it is not doing what you think it needs to do when the owner has no consideration for what the animal may be feeling. Being left on said chain when its raining or cold or blessedly hot as it has been here lately. Simply inexcusable. Now don’t get me wrong, Mimi(my current protector in her own mind) has a chain that is attached outside and comes inside with her so that I have control of her in case the dreaded mailman were to dare come to our house. But she comes in and out as she pleases. She whines or paws the door depending on which side of it she is on. The door currently needs repainting, both sides. But Mimi is family. She owns the top portion of the house and knows she is loved and she knows she does not have to repeatedly bark, whine and ask for love from her caretakers. As does Max, my daughters dog who owns the downstairs portion of the house. I say own as all of you true pet owners know they give us permission to sit with them on the couch or sleep on their bed if they don’t have a bed of their own, Mimi has three. Her doggie bed which she uses only to store her toys, the guestroom bed which has views for the back of the house and of course my bed(excuse me her bed) If I happen to be up later than she wants she goes ahead to bed making sure all the covers are in the appropriate ball in the middle. Its the inconveniences I am willing to put up with as my dog is family. When I was younger, my house was a wreck because of children, now its my dog and she is a lot less messy.

You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants

This is Max, an extremely mistreated love of the household. Can’t you tell? He is currently disgusted with us as we have no carpet in his area of the house. An unfortunate issue with a busted water source creating flooding situation resulting in no carpet and drywall removal at 2′ from the floor. Well at least we will get rid of the awful wallpaper and can add a much more calming paint color.

As you can see from the 2nd photo laying on the floor while cuddling our favorite pillow is a wonderful thing. Now playing with the pillow is not as much fun on the cold hard concrete. Now don’t get me wrong, the sofa is also awesome, allowing for various forms of wallowing.  Max is the member of the family that always has a happy smile and tail wag to make everything feel better for those days where life hits you hard. But Max may be struggling a bit because the normal things around him have changed making it a little difficult to be the member to help you get over your bad day.

I think life in general is very much this way. When the comforts of our normal life are no longer available, sometimes we have a hard time adjusting to the new norm. We rely on friends and family to help but we also have another source to rely on if we are willing. It a resource that is so easy but its the most difficult to use because it carries the stigma ‘What will people think of me if I rely on this source of strength’. Psalm 119 is a consolidation of who, what and how God will take care of all life’s bumps in the road. Teach me, guide me, strengthen me, fulfill me, love me…to name just a few. If we can just let go and let God he will take care of all of it. It may not be what we think it should be or what we really want  but He knows what’s down the road for each of us and will get us where we need to be. It’s the easiest hard thing you will ever do.

Yes, it was time for a new one. The old one lasted a long time comparatively, almost 6 weeks before we broke it. But now that we have a new one we must follow the correct procedures before we can play with it. When we get tired of the old ball we start tearing holes in it – we don’t eat the rubber pieces, we just spit them on the floor for mom to pick up because they clog up the vacuum. This is how we get a new ball – but yet dogs are not smart. Don’t know what planet someone was on when they said that but not this one.

Before playing with the new ball she must first defuzz it – nothing quite as unpleasant as fuzz in her mouth. Lots of shaking and tongue movements because we don’t have fingers to remove the fuzz. So we continue to pull it off with our front teeth, shake our head and spit the fuzz on the floor until we feel enough is gone.

 Notice the small patches of fuzz all around her. Due to her long coon hound toes, she can easily cup a ball like guys can palm a basketball. The ball will have a few bare spots on it but she has mastered defuzzing without breaking ball. Once defuzzing is complete to her satisfaction we then can play with it.  That’s where the human come in. Its not the normal throw and retrieve for Mimi – its all about the chase. She is going to bring it to you to play but stay just out of reach. When you get up to get closer, she runs. Chase me, chase me. When the human gets tired of her game and sits still, then she will bring it to you to be thrown.

The simple and loving life of a family pet. Its not a dog, its a 4 legged family member and should be treated as such. Their love is true and unconditional. There is only one other living entity that loves us unconditionally and only wants us to love in like manner in return and that is God. He created all things, loves all things and only wants love in return.

When my children were young they were not allowed to swear so they came up with the phrase  ‘For the love of Nancy’. I don’t know where they got it from but all of their friends and their parents knew what it meant. I tried to make them understand that regardless of not using the Lord’s name – the implication was still there. But I tolerated that version much better. Well, for the last 2 weeks that term has reared its head again as for the third time since buying this house 6 years ago, we have a flooded basement, due again to carelessness of contractors. The things I have learned while living in this house could right a book by itself and one day I may just do that. I guess the blessing in disguise is that this time their insurance is covering the cost to tear out all damaged wall board and carpet and I am hoping they will pay for putting it back together again. (We will see if Nancy come to life again on that situation.) When removing a raised platform and a built in wall unit, we were shocked at the amount of mold and disgust growing in ‘dark places’. It is a wonder no one was sick.

It brings me back to God’s grace and how if we will let him, he will take care of us, even when we don’t know it. Scripture tells us all the time how he will lead us, comfort us, be there for us. We just have to let go and let God. Now saying that doesn’t mean its going to be a cake walk. It just means we have hope that it will all turn out for the best even though that alley way looks dark and foreboding.  There is always light at the end of the alley. Sometime that alley is long and the light at the end seems very dim but I promise it is there. God is always there and he always has a plan. Just reach for Him and he will grab your hand and hold it tight.

The sun is shinning today, have a great day.

You know that look you try not to show when someone makes such a stupid comment, or maybe they just need to be slapped back into reality. You want to do the honors of the reality slap but you reframe due to the kind person you are so you just walk away.

I do this when I hear people make comments about dogs not having a soul. OK, what defines a soul. After much research the three “definitions”(I use that term loosely as the soul comes from God and who knows the mind of God) that I thought describe it the best.

•  The spiritual immaterial of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.(immortal meaning not dying but crossing over to God at death)
• The principal of life, feeling, thought and action from those attributes.
• my favorite – The part that consist of  mind, character, thought and feeling.

Our soul is what makes us as who we are. The ability to analyze a situation, act on it through our personality and character with compassion – compassion can be gentle or strong.

Think on all the things dogs do for us, not only in  their protective abilities. Think of your worse day and your dog comes to you to quietly sit by your side, sometimes with head in lap or pushed under your arm to let you know “I am here”. How about the occasional lick on the face to wash away the tears you shed. Dogs KNOW the feelings of people and are especially tuned into their masters. They laugh with us when we are happy by bouncing around. Picture this, you just get home from  work and are greeted with 100% tail wagging, circle turning unconditional love. How about if you trip and fall. You are immediately surrounded to assure all is well. And if you are hurt, they are by you side offering assistance.

Think of the times when this is all reversed, your dog is terrified of the vet or a thunderstorm. Now they are looking to you for love and support and when you give it, it strengthens the bond. Even when dogs are mistreated by their owners, they remain loyal. Dogs reflect God’s love for us. Always there, always protecting(even though we may not see it) and ALWAYS loving. Even when we don’t deserve it.

I saw a video on FB the other day of two dogs, one on the floor and one on the sofa. The one on the sofa had a cookie and as he bit into it, it broke in half. After eating the half in his mouth, with his nose, he pushed the other half over to the dog on the floor. Now I know not all dogs would do this but why would even 1. Because of inner being, soul.

Think of the times or dogs let us know of dangers heading our way. We understand that the dangers may not be real but still the dog sees something they feel is not right and they let us know. How many times has your dog look at you asking the question “Do you not see this?” Yes we do but we know how to handle the scary plastic bag moving up and down the street. We laugh but they are ever in protective mode – some more and some less – because of their love for us. And the more we love them, the more they love us. An ever evolving circle.

My whole point of this is to remind us of dogs and all animal having the gift of a soul. Everything that has breath is a creation of God and the soul is a gift given out of love for everything. All of it reflecting God’s love for all of creation.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Have you ever wondered about how marvelous the senses are that we have been given. Which of the 5 main senses that we have do you believe is the most important? I say 5 main senses as there are actually 21 senses but to me they all overlap with the 5 main ones we think of when we talk about our senses. The first four of these senses are generally created by parts of our head – eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The last one to me is all encompassing helping define how we use all gift of sense that we are given.

1. Sight – Coming from our eyes mostly but once an image has been seen it is locked in our memory sometimes for life, either good or bad. Sit quietly and think of the beautiful sunset you have seen with yellows moving to oranges, dimming to pinks before going to purples then grays. How marvelous is our God to show us such artistry. Think of the most beautiful ocean, mountain or river scene you have ever seen or a single delicate flower as it reaches to heaven. Then there are the heartbreaking sights when losing a loved one, a favorite pet or a catastrophe in our town, country even the world. The sense of sight is also tied to our heartstring for God to show us what beauty or heartbreak he sees. Then there are those unfortunate few who have lost their sight or tragically have never seen at all.  Try to explain the color blue to a person who has no reference to what color means.
2. Taste – Coming mostly from our tongue but taste can be shared in conjunction with our smell. Those chocolate chip cookies in the oven filling the entire house with it marvelous smell as they bake making your mouth water as you anticipate the taste. Or those hot peppers that flavor your food, make your eyes water, nose run and burn other parts as they leave your body. Try to describe a taste to someone who has never had the item you are describing. Remember back in childhood to the favorite foods that bring to mind love and family. The sense of taste is also tied to our heartstring as it creates fondness of flavors while creating memories, some good some bad. But what a wonderful gift this is from God in showing us another way to enjoy all of the things he has created for us.
3. Smell – Coming from the nose but closely tied in with the sense of taste. Even when it is a bad odor, you can sometimes taste it. Smell create memories, some good some bad.  For instance,  if you burn those cookies, the smell will influence not only the cookie but the smell will permeate the house and your memory. You now know what burned cookies smell like. As in above, the sense of smell is also tied to our heartstrings. Think of the different smells that effects our emotions, good or bad. The sweet smell of a Rose or Tea Olive in the spring, the smell of  a summer rain or the smell of a Christmas tree. Smell is another gift from God so that we may enjoy the beauty of his creation.
4. Hearing – Coming to our ears but also being able to feel the sound vibrations through the sense of touch. Hearing is one of those senses that strongly effects our moods. Loud noises make us jump, gentle sounds bring us peace and then there are sounds that make us want to dance. Think about hearing music – a true universal language in its own that takes us on many a journey depending on its melody. The sense of hearing is also tied to our heartstrings making us feel and remember the beauty of the moment or the fear the sound can evoke. Think of the wonderful melody of a simple hello from a friend and how sad for those with hearing loss who fight to enjoy every sound. Then there is sadness for those that have never heard at all. But hearing can be share in some aspects with touch by feeling the beat of the music and the with sight as light come on and off with sound. The gentle love of God’s whisper can also be felt through touch, as he always finds way to communicate to us. The sense of hearing is another gracious gift from God to help us enjoy a different aspects of his wonderful creation.
5. Touch – To me the sense of touch is the  most precious sense of all. While we think of the sense of touch as being physical touch, think of all the different ways we touch. You can touch with the hand, you can touch the heart with a gentle message. You can touch the soul with music or beautiful words from God. The sense of touch is tightly tied to our heartstrings. The sense of touch is also the one that is most abused by creating pain for others. The sense of touch effects how we share emotions – happiness, love, anger, pain and so on. In my opinion the sense of touch was given for us to share the love of God and it incorporates all the other senses. The senses of touch shows our God-likeness and how we use it reflects how we can share HIS love. Think on this the next time you hug a neck or in anger cause pain. The gift of touch is a gift to be shared in tenderness and love to reflect the master himself.

All of the senses are God’s gifts to man and beast to show all creation surrounding us how to share our inner most being. Whether we are human or from the animal kingdom, these gifts are a reflection of how God first intended Eden to be.   We must use them wisely so that we can correctly reflect the Love of God.