My Dad gave me a dog so I would love Him more......

I was thinking the other day ~ which is always a dangerous thing ~ about the trials and tribulations I experienced as a dog owner. My dog was like one of my kids, just furrier. I found Chewie when she was just a few weeks old. She was so weak she could barely move. I rushed her to the vet and discovered that she was so covered in fleas that she was anemic, she had worms so bad her little belly was distended, and she was starving to death having been separated from her mom before being weaned. She weighed a pound and a few ounces. The vet told me not to get attached and to bring her back in if she was still alive in two weeks. I took her home and bottle-fed her this disgustingly-smelly concoction of goat's milk, lactaid, and de-worming medicine. I remember that night so clearly because I remember being too scared to fall asleep. I was so terrified that I would fall asleep and wake up to find that she had died in the night, alone. I figured if I stayed awake and she passed at least I could be there to comfort her in her final moments. That night was touch and go....there were several different times that I thought I was going to lose her....but she made it. I continued to bottle-feed her over the next couple of weeks and when I took her back in to the vet's office she weighed over six pounds! The vet was incredulous and the entire staff came back to the examination room to see the puppy that lived! That was the beginning of a soul-changing relationship that lasted for 12 years. During that time, Chewie was like any other dog.....she chewed on things, would always try to burrow underneath me when the thunder scared her, barked at things in the night that only she could see, and once in a rare while would even mess the carpet if she refused to go outside to potty before bedtime because it was raining and she didn't want to get her paws wet. Despite how big a nuisance she tried to make of herself, I still loved her as though she was a child - my child - and when it came time for her to go it felt as though a part of me went with her. She's been gone for two years now and I still miss her horribly. And as I was thinking about her the other day something occurred to me that was so powerful it took my breath away....God sent Chewie to me so that I would love Him more. Before you start laughing hear me out.

I found Chewie alone, starving, and dying. Spiritually, without God, we are no different. We are alone, our souls are starving for the Truth of His Word, and we are dying. I took Chewie in and nurtured her, fed her, and saved her. God did the same for me....He took me in, fed my soul, provided for my needs both in this world and the next, and saved me - body and soul. Despite all of Chewie's faults and the havoc she occasionally.....okay, frequently..... wreaked in my life I loved her more than any one could imagine. And God, in all His infinite glory and forgiveness, loves me more than I could ever imagine -  despite my weaknesses, faults, and tendency to make a huge mess of His perfect plans for me. The first night that I had Chewie, when she was at her weakest, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her....not even to sleep, for fear that she would suffer alone. The same is true for God. God never leaves us....especially when we are at our weakest. If we love Him and let Him into our hearts we will never have to go through anything alone. Can you comprehend how overwhelming that concept is? because it took me a while to be able to grasp it. God will never leave us, whether we're at our best or at our lowest He will be there because He doesn't want us to have to go through anything - good or bad - alone.

Knowing how deeply and strongly I felt about Chewie, the realization that God feels that way about me was staggering. It was enough to take my breath away and make my heart overflow with a whole new appreciation for my Father and His endless blessings. I knew at that moment that Chewie had been a gift from Him, something that would be precious to me so that I could understand how precious I am to Him. It worked.....I love Him now more than ever.......and not just because He gave me a dog!

(1996-2008)
In memory of my beloved Chewie 

a true gift from above.

Giving credit where credit is due

Having good luck is a claim made by those who are unable or unwilling to recognize the miracles of God's good graces.

I've always thought it funny how quickly people will give credit to luck when something good happens but blame God when something bad happens. When someone has had something positive happen in their lives, why is it so difficult to give credit where credit is due? I've often thought to myself "maybe if you would recognize your good luck as what it truly is - a blessing from God - then maybe you would have less to blame Him for". Everything good that happens in our lives is a gift from God, not some mere happenstance of luck. Why is it so difficult for us to accept that? Perhaps it's because then we would feel beholden to Him. Maybe we would feel indebted for our good fortunes, compared to chalking it up to luck and the mysterious forces of the universe. Why is taking a moment to say "thank you, Lord, for everything that you've given me" so difficult to do?


And the blame game....people credit good things to luck but blame God when things don't go their way. I wouldn't be surprised if the angels above have ~ lovingly ~ nicknamed the human race as "God's ungrateful spoiled brats". Bad things happen because someone, somewhere, executed their right to free will in a bad way. It sucks, but those were the consequences that came when God gave us minds of our own so that we could be independent souls instead of pre-programmed robots. What many people fail to realize is that GOD ALWAYS MAKES IT RIGHT! Yes, crappy things happen, but God will make it up to you. And, who knows, He may have orchestrated it all along so that you could have something better.


The point of this tirade is simple....when something bad happens in your life do not immediately blame God for it. Be thankful to Him that it wasn't worse and try to see the good that might come from it. Be patient - sometimes the good might take a little while to happen or to be realized, but it is there. And when good things happen in your life, take a moment to thank God for it. Thank Him for waking up that morning, for being able to do the things you can do, for having the family and friends that you have, and for the smallest pleasures in life - because He gave that all to you. He gave you the world, the universe, and the universes beyond....He gave you eternity, and all He asked for in return was your love and praise. Thank Him...for the good and the bad, for the big and the small. It only takes a moment to give credit where credit is due.

Letting Go

When you feel like a tiny mouse
And the world becomes too heavy.....
Take two steps back, hang your head,
And breathe, slow and steady.

Open your heart and trust the Will
Of the One who wore thorns as a crown.
Trust your all to His beck and call
And without fear lay your mind down.

Let go the things you can not change
Let go with trust, never wary.
The Lion and the Lamb, They have a plan,
This burden is not yours to carry.

Now go with peace into a brighter day
Weighted not with strife and sorrow.
Put today to rest, you gave it your best
And look forward to a brighter tomorrow.

Using God as a GPS

I was on my way to visit my mom today when, for some weird reason, I started thinking about my GPS. It's been a very reliable GPS......easy to understand and quick to come up with an alternate route when I'm being stupid and take the wrong road. And as I was pondering this it dawned on me that God is a lot like my GPS.

Just like my GPS, God has a route in mind for me...... and it's usually a better route than the one I would have taken if left to my own means.

Just like my GPS, God allows mistakes and calculates a different path to get me to my destination. Sometimes I may have to pay tolls as a consequence of my actions, but He never criticizes me for making a wrong turn and is quick with an alternate route to get me back on track.

Just like my GPS, God recognizes when there are detours along the route and is quick to steer me down safer paths, around dangerous situations.

Just like my GPS, God knows more about where I need to be than I do. Even if I don't know the exact address of where I'm going, as long as I know the general area my GPS can guide me to where I need to be. God is like this too.....I may not always know exactly what direction I need to be going in, but if I let God lead me then I know that I'll end up where I need to be.

And just like my GPS, I rely very heavily on God to get me where I'm going. He makes my life easier, less complicated, and less stressful when I stop side-seat driving and let Him lead the way.

I realized shortly after my husband bought it how much we all relied on the GPS. I never realized until today how much God is like my GPS. Perhaps now I should say that I have two GPSs..... one Global Positioning System and one Guide and Protector for my Soul....and I would be eternally lost without either of them!