5 Dec 2024 Wild Animals

Do you ever see wild animals?

Good afternoon! How are you? It was another icy and frosty day today. I had morning prayer today so I had to scrape my car windows! It was just Lois, Pastor Jayson and me. There is always a lot to give praise about and equally as much to pray about.

Matthew 18:20New International Version

20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

We are hoping our little group will grow in 2025!

Today’s prompt is rather random. As I’ve mentioned before, I live in a small town that could be considered rural. We have a current population of approximately 11,501 in Middleton and growing. People have cows, horses, goats, chickens and ducks. A month or so ago there was talk of seeing a wild mountain lion wandering about. I don’t know what became of that. The only wild animals I’ve seen in town were a bunch of wild turkeys one morning! They seemed so lost. With the growth we’ve been experiencing, the open spaces for the wild animals native to this area are disappearing.

Here are some Bible verses about love from the NIV – (love is one of the most used words in the Bible – 551 times in the NIV version):

  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” 
  • Mark 12:30-31: “
    Mark 12:30-31 says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength
  • 1 Chronicles 16:34: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” 
  • Deuteronomy 7:9: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments” 
  • Jeremiah 31:3: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” 

Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments were to:

  • “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” 
  • “Love your neighbor as yourself” 

5 Sept 2024 Pets and Time

Henry and Spot are together again

Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. I’m feeling a bit off as I write to you. I’m sure it will pass. I found out yesterday that we lost another family pet. It was my ex in-laws Yorkshire terrier Henry. I don’t think we ever get enough time with our pets. If only we could get one more meal, walk, cuddle, play session, treat, howling chorus….just never enough time. There is little consolation. There is little closure as when it’s time to say goodbye it is us that need to hear from animals one last goodbye and all they can do is look into our eyes and see the pain their leaving is causing. They can’t give us what we so dearly want, their lighted eyes simply twinkle out. Their breath ceases. When we had to say goodbye to four of our animals – two dogs and two cats I nearly lost my mind. I had been with my cats 14 years and Sam was like a son. Pieces of my heart and soul shattered. I am dreading the day Link and I will be parted. He will be 9 this year! He’s a senior dog now! We will just have to cherish our remaining years and not focus on what we can’t control. Death has no master but Jesus Christ. I have faith that when my time comes I will have a lot of greeters with paws!

Corinthians 15:26—27, 54–57When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.

22 March 2024 Teacher

Who was your most influential teacher? Why?

The teacher I remember and have fond memories of is a grade school teacher at Harvey Dunn her name was Mrs. Maxwell. She encouraged my writing. She gave me a certificate stating that I was the most likely to be an author. She was right. After we lost Sam our cocker spaniel we wrote a book. The title was The Gospel According to Sam an e-book.

Matthew 12:30-32 Niv

30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

11 March 2024 Animal

Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

The animal I would compare myself to is a bird of prey. They are always watching for an opportunity for a meal from the outside. They live much of their lives as observers and feared and misunderstood by other animals. I can relate to their behavior.

Isaiah 11:6-9New International Version

The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a]together;
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea

4 Feb 2024 Time

How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

In my experience the best healer of the wounds of life is time. The further I get along beyond a significant event that has happened the less it hurts. There is no cure for grief but time. My cocker spaniel Sam taught me this after his passing. It took 3 years and getting another dog to get some relief from my grief over Sam’s passing. When we lost Sam we realized nothing of this world could fill the void inside- no food, no drink, no material possessions could heal the pain.

James 4:14New International Version

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

10 Jan 2024 Snow

Links paths in the snow this morning trying to find a spot to do his business

This morning we woke up to snow that fell over night. We got quite a bit! I’ll probably need to go out and shovel it in a bit as I don’t think it will melt on its own.

Psalm 51:7New International Version

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

19 Dec 2023 Links birthday

Links 9th birthday was on the 9th and I missed it! Hard to believe he’s a senior now! He is such a blessing to me.

Link looking good after getting groomed yesterday

Genesis 12:2-3New International Version

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”[b]

5 Dec 2015 Spot

Just a couple days ago our family dog Spot, a rat terrier, passed away. She was about 14 years of age. Last night she came to me in a dream along with another dog I didn’t recognize. I was hoping she would visit me this way. She used to come to me in dreams while she was alive. Dreams make it possible for us to visit no matter what the living condition – dead or alive. I miss her and loved her so much. She was a great dog.

Spot and Henry two love birds

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostratebefore Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

Daniel 2:46-47New International Version

4 Dec 2033 Eating Meat

What are your feelings about eating meat?

My feelings about eating meat is guilt most times. I know that most meat animals in commercial farms suffer horrible living conditions. I eat meat with gratitude for the lives given so that I might live.

Isaiah 11:6-9New International Version

6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a]together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

13 Nov 2023 Pet

What is good about having a pet?

Hello to you. How are you? Todays prompt is a good one. There are a lot of benefits to having a pet. Link is my family member and he helps me not feel so alone. He makes me feel like a momma and that is a good feeling since I never had children. He is like my son. What’s cool is we got to have pick of the litter with Link for the first time as all the other dogs were rescued. I have known Link since he was a itty bitty baby! Hard to believe he’s going to be 9 this year!

Link my handsome boy

1 Peter 4:8New International Version

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.