“God knows people’s hearts…”  Acts 15:8a  NLT

I had wrapped up for this morning’s walk knowing I would need warmth for my ears and hands as we traveled up the hill. The warmer temperatures we had been experiencing had caused the grass, now in desperate need of mowing, to grow taller than I had ever seen it, coming up to Famous’ shoulders. But this morning I was grateful for sunshine and little wind as the temperatures were colder and closer to normal for this time of the year.

So I was pleased when once we had reached our turning point, Famous made a bee line back to our home. He didn’t deviate to any of the side cul-de-sacs and did not even stop to smell any of the tall grass for evidence of his neighborhood friends. His walk was brisk, and I had to pick up my pace to keep up with him. “Good boy!” I thought. He must also want to get back to our warm house.

But once we reached the front porch I discovered the true reason for his eagerness to return. He had found a small morsel of bone which he had claimed somewhere along the way. He was eager to get his prize back to the house, not me!

We cannot deceive God by trying to hide our hears from him. He knows us. He created us. Only He can direct us in a way which perfectly coincides with the talents, gifts, and personalities He has already prepared in us.

Reveal to me the special gifts of my unique self and how You have already prepared me for accomplishing Your will today, O God. 

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”  Psalm 46:10  NLT

When he does it, it is first annoying, then confounding, then inspiring. Tonight after our evening walk, Famous made it be known he wanted something. He stood at the front door and started howling which usually means he wants something or he is trying to tell me something’s awry. So whether he could hear something going on outside, or he just was not satisfied, I had to stop what I was doing to see if I could figure it out. He kept looking at the door, so knowing my neighbors were all parked for the night, I opened it and gave him access to the great outdoors. The air had turned chilly, so I let him go out unaccompanied. I watched him step out onto the porch where he stood for several seconds before sitting down. So whether he did not want to venture out into the dark by himself, or whether he just wanted to double check the sounds and smells of the night, he just sat there taking it all in. This seemed to satisfy him, and after a couple of minutes he was ready for me to open the door and grant him entrance.

It certainly was a turn around from the dog that was trying to get my attention earlier. I may never know why he was insisting to go outside, but watching him through the glass I discovered a sense of peace from his finding satisfaction in just being still and listening.

If I am lost or troubled today, help me to be still and listen for Your guidance, O God.

“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”  John 15:11  NLT

In the course of just one day I can have so many joyful moments with Famous. I celebrate the life in him and the joy of sharing the dimensions of time and space with him. If he and I were separated by a thousand miles, no one could take away the moments we have shared. If I should live to be one hundred years, and the march of time created a chasm to divide us, it would not diminish the deep satisfaction I have found in caring for this gift. It makes me appreciate my life and the lives of those I love so much more.

Christ is revealed to us so that his dynamic power of love shatters all fear, darkness, and death which might overtake us. His joy cannot be contained, so great is its fullness and depth. Experiencing the true joy He brings can only happen when we allow it to overflow from our hearts!

May Your everlasting joy burst forth from my life!

What’s the difference between a businessman and a hot dog?

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The businessman wears a suit but the dog just pants.

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”  Matthew 25:1-13  NLT

I was neither prepared nor in control of the present state of affairs. I had hurried out with Famous one afternoon after getting home from work. But I had noticed the “poop” bags were empty from the pouch attached to the handle of his leash. Knowing I would need them during our outing, I had grabbed a new roll to carry along. As we started up the hill in front of the house, I attempted to place the new roll in its pouch while at the same time holding onto the handle of the leash and thus Famous. Suddenly, the roll slipped from my fingers, dropped to the asphalt, and proceeded to roll down the hill, producing one long blue stream of plastic down the road. I was left with the nearly impossible task of trying to roll all the bags back onto their original dowel with Famous on the end of the leash ready to get on with his walk. The final result was a mess of plastic wadded up into the pouch which made it very difficult to retrieve the bags for several days.

We are told to always be prepared for the return of Christ our Lord. If we assume we will have time to live right or will be given a second chance to prepare a place for him in our hearts, we are mistaken. Every aspect of our lives should be lived in anticipation of his return. Ultimately, the question at the wedding feast will not be if we have heard of Jesus and chosen to obey him, but whether or not He recognizes us and grants us entry into heaven.

In joyful anticipation, help me to live today, Lord, knowing this may be my final chance to do great works for You.

DOG IN WINTER

The winter is much better with a house dog. Think about it. If your dog were outside, you would be worried sick about how he was getting along in the cold, if the water in his bowl had frozen, or if the famous icicle from Peanuts was going to smash his house to smithereens (February 20, 1960). No, give me the dog that warms your feet on long, cold winter evenings. Give me the dog who guards the front door during the darkest of seasons. Give me the dog who is the best company on lonely nights when it is too cold to party in the town.

The dog in your home in winter is satisfying with his audible heavy breathing while snoozing in front of the fireplace. His eyes are either calming as he rests with them half closed or staring pathetic as if to say, “Will spring ever get here?” His coat has been allowed to grow out a little more to keep him warm on the brisk, short walks, and the reduced amount of exercise has given him a rounder belly to compliment your own.

The dog in winter becomes inspiration for planning the summer beach trip or the mountain hikes in spring. He keeps you from spending your snow days organizing closets because the two of you would much rather be exploring the frozen tundra fantasizing of training for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He is a reminder that all things change, and there is even beauty in the death of a life well spent.

One day soon we will spend parts of the afternoon sitting under the sky on the deck or on a grassy hill, but for now we are thankful for home and hearth and for shared memories of rabbits in the spring.

Rich and Famous, 2017

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“To his dog, every man is Napoleon.”

Aldous Huxley

(1894 – 1963. English writer)

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“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  John 14:27  NLT

Finally home. It is a joy to come home to be with Famous. It is not just because he is happy to see me, which is still the icing on the cake even on the best of days, but because we can just be. My day is filled with exercises in performance, responsibility, and critical thinking. (Just the kind of things to make a guy feel important!) Four tasks are waiting for me to finish the current one. As soon as I am done with one job I am moving to the next one. Planning time in the car and how to beat traffic, minutes at the table and what to consume, and how to manage extra time in preparation for the next month’s events are constantly streaming in my mind throughout the day. But when I walk through the door at the end of the day, Famous only asks for me to be with him.

This is the gift of peace from God–a sanctuary where we come before him just as we are. God does not judge us by how busy we are. He judges us by how much time we spend in his company.

Thank You, Father, for the sanctuary of Your presence.

“LORD, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power.” Jeremiah 10:6 NLT

“Hey, Mister! I like your dog!”

I follow with a “thanks” and a thumbs up. It does not surprise me, but it is somehow satisfying, when people see Famous and feel compelled to say something out loud. This afternoon while enjoying an early spring, we took a walk around the park. Kids and adults were all around enjoying the May temperatures in February. We were all in a “good mood.” Especially Famous!

We are quick to compliment the things that are attractive and familiar. What if instead of saying something about my dog the young man had yelled, “Hey, Mister! I like your God!”?

Do we walk through the day with our faith on display the way Famous is on display with me through the park? Shouldn’t what we believe be apparent by our words and by our deeds to the point that others see something extraordinary in our lives?

Make my actions worthy of Your greatness, my God, as a witness to the world.

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.”  Psalm 9:10  NLT

It is a brief, but very important, moment of trust. When we have returned from a walk, Famous stands in front of me waiting for the door to open so he can go in ahead of me.   If I open the door with the lead still attached to his collar, I have to hold on to him while closing the door and release his collar while he is still pulling  against it. But, if I release the collar before I open the door, I have a stationary dog, and the task is much easier. However, with the early release there is the risk that he might run back into the yard free from his human master.

If we walk daily with our God, we learn to trust him despite our human fears. We can learn that He is always vigilant, always aware of our weakness and bent to straying before we are.

Help me to remember today, my God, You will not leave me or forsake me.