There is joy in serving Jesus

It's a song we love to sing.  

"There is joy in serving Jesus as we travel on life's way..."  Then we get to church where suddenly, we are restricted in our service.

In some churches, you cannot serve if you don't tithe.  In some churches, you cannot serve if you don't go to church-wide visitation/soulwinning programs.  In some churches, you can't serve if your hair isn't the prescribed style or your skirts only go to mid-knee.  Maybe you sing like a hick and slide some notes.

Our service, which we give to a Monarch who is ultimately worthy, gets squashed and boxed until it is no longer a joy to serve.  We begin to mundanely go through the prescribed notions and then our service becomes just as mundane because we have been lawed and regulated to death.

As well, our service is often restricted to church approved programs.  If my pastor hasn't given his consent to my ministry, then it is not ministry.  It cannot be service.

I cannot tell where this idea came from.  I do know that if we limit our compassion to church approved avenues, then we may miss out on great blessings that come from visiting the fatherless and the widows.  There are great blessings that come from those who will never be able to return the favor. 

The attitude of fear

As I look back on those years of Christianity, I see a common thread very clearly.  I see that most of what I did was based on trying to stay on God's good side.  I was frequently told and made to feel that if I was not doing (fill in the blank) then God would be angry at me and chastise me.  I did those things because I was afraid not to do those things.

How many preachers came through and told me how many hours they spent in devotion every morning beginning at 3 or 4 am and made me think that if I didn't do the same, then I was not much of a Christian?  How many preachers came through and told me that the most important mark of a Christian was his hours spent soulwinning?  (Never mind that I could never find that in the list of the fruits of the Spirit.)  Dutifully, I spent my hours every Saturday or making them up on Tuesday if I had to work.

Always, I went away from preaching services feeling as though *I* had to complete these things to please God.  I spent many years feeling I was a failure because I could never measure up to those standards of devotion laid out for me.  I wish I could count the times I sat weeping, saying, "God, I'll be good! Please don't let your Holy Spirit leave me!"

Once again, I have begun to learn that I cannot begin this Christian journey in the Spirit and finish it on my own.  Just because I falter and fail and stumble about with doubts, God doesn't wait to beat me down.  He gently calls me and leads me back.  He speaks to correct my way, not loudly and painfully, but quietly.  

He was quick to make sure that the ladies at the tomb understood that the disciples they were to tell included Peter. (Mark 16:11)  Look how compassionate He was to John the Baptist when John sent his disciples to make sure Christ was whom he believed He was.  

God's mercy and compassion do not fail.  They are new every morning.  I cannot complete this Christian life hoping in my own goodness and good deeds.  If that were so, I'd never be accepted into heaven for I will never measure up to Christ.  It boils down, once again, to the fact that I am accepted in the Beloved (Christ.)

Soulwinning has taken on new meaning.  It means that I may have to be more paitient than just a quick explanation of the Gospel...do you want to pray.  I may have to put hours of true physical labor behind the message.  That is okay.  God is the one who gives the increase.  

I can shake off the fear of failing now because I know that no matter what, in my own works, I will always fail.  It is Christ in me that matters.

Wine

this blog post is coming to you from the IPad, so be generous with typing issues. It tends to make unauthorized corrections that may or may not make sense.

In the past almost thirty years, I have been taught that wine in the Bible refers to two separate things--alcoholic beverage and fruit juice. Now, the story of Jesus at the wedding was always explained so that the beverage He made was fruit juice. honestly, that never made sense in context of the story, but like a good girl, I took it as I was told. Proverbs 20:1 was always an admonition not to use alcoholic beverages. I Timothy 3:8 was translated no drink. Why?

Proverbs doesn't say not to drink alcoholic beverages. It says not to be deceived into thinking that they are harmless. I Timothy doesn't say that a deacon should not drink, but that he shouldn't be given to "much" drink. The story at the wedding only makes sense if Jesus made an alcoholic beverage.

In other words, a glass of wine with dinner is not prohibited in Scripture. We are afraid of the power of wine and have responded in fear. If your church chooses to use only men who abstain, that's fine, but we cannot deny that the word "much" means something. Do not try to twist it into what it is not.

Does this mean I am going to begin drinking wine? In no way. That would be uncharitable of me since my husband is a recovering alcoholic. He has been sober since before I met him, but why would I be so unkind and bring that thing I which he may be weaker than we think into our home? Not to mention that I cannot take half a dose of Nyquil without feeling the effects of the alcohol; and perhaps I should mention that I hate the smell of the stuff.

So preach then of the dangers of alcohol, but do not preach that it is a sin. That is a dishonest handling of the Word of God.

More thoughts on tithing

Most of my life I have been taught that if a Christian is not tithing in the prescribed way (10% of gross income, directly to the church, with "joy", and appropriate offerings), then he is a candidate for "God is going to get that money in one way or another."  In other words, the non-tither is going to have emergency home repairs, car repairs, sick children until the tithe has been properly paid, with interest.

If that is true, then the logical corollary is that the Christian who is tithing in the above manner should be free from these afflictions.  (But we scornfully call people who preach the logical conclusion "wealth and prosperity preachers" or "name it and claim it.")

Instead, we find that that reality brings affliction upon tithers and non-tithers alike.  So, when the non-tither is suffering affliction, God is getting His due; when the tither is suffering said affliction, God is testing his faith and will certainly provide for those needs.

Though, I have also heard that if you, a faithful tither, are suffering greatly, your life has got sin in it somewhere.  


So, that we do not preach that curse comes to non-thithers and blessing to tithers is a bit of disconnect.  That is the logical corollary.  (Corollary is a great mathematical word, isn't it?  Dictionary.com gives three definitions:

1.

Mathematics . a proposition that is incidentally proved in proving another proposition.

2.

an immediate consequence or easily drawn conclusion.

3.

a natural consequence or result.)

 

God never asked us to chuck logic.  If you want to see logic, read Romans.  

 

I can no longer do this "tithing" thing the way it has been prescribed.  I think God has a better way intended.  You can put here your tithing stories; I've heard millions.  I believe that the good things that come from the "tithing" are actually the blessings of putting God foremost in your thoughts.  Isn't that what the first commandment is all about?  

Do we think that

Isaiah 64:6

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthyrags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away 

 

stops with salvation?  Nothing we do in our own power and wisdom merits God's favor. Not before salvation, not after.

 

Ephesians 1:6 tells us that our only reason for being acceptable at all is our position in Christ.   Why does that change just because we are no longer children of hell?  We begin the race in God's power and wisdom and finish in our own?

 

Does all this mean I'm no longer tithing? No.  It means I am no longer going to allow myself to be bound by tradition (and the fear it has always been associated with) in the area.   

  

The Thanksgiving challenge

While I didn't manage to post my thanks every day, I do have much to be thankful for.  The illness I'm fighting just keeps lingering, and the exhaustion has been mounting along with it.  Today, I do believe I will be able to rest a bit.  

As I have mentioned before (before I migrated to blogspot), we have been having relatively small Christmases here.  This has created a lot less tension and post-gift grumping.  This year we have a nice gift for the family and then a couple of small gifts for each child.  It is Becca's turn to buy gifts for her siblings and we are going to do this tomorrow.  I also will be getting Tabitha's last gift.  

The purpose of Christmas is to remember the beginning of Christ's sacrifice for us.  We give gifts to celebrate the greatest gift, God's love and forgiveness of our sins through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The purpose is not to try to outdo our friends or neighbors in giving the best gift.  It is not a competition.  The purpose is not to get the best bargains on extravagance on Black Friday.

I wish you all the joy that is in Christ alone through this Christmas season.

Yes, I'm behind on the thanks

The headache and stuffiness have just gotten to me and I've been incredibly worn out from it.  Added to that is the sheer business of the last few days.

But, some thanks--I am thankful for my overall good health. My friend T. and I have been helping a disabled couple (she more than I) and life is a struggle for them.  I need to be thankful that I and my family are healthy.

I am thankful that the snow we got was only minor.  

I am thankful for my oven--especially since I am cooking a turkey for church tonight.  My old oven never did cook a turkey well.  Lousy.  Well, it never fully cooked turkey.  But my new one seems to be doing just fine.   You cannot imagine how nervous I am about doing this considering the disasters I have had in the past.

Now, a story.  

We have two pups. One pup is waiting to go home still.  She has just a few days with us left.  She is truly a princess and we think that her new owners should name her Cinderella or Belle or Jasmine or Ariel.  She prances.  She doesn't dirty her feet or stoop to going outside for longer than necessary.  She would prefer being held over walking.  Oh, they are going to have fun.

Lugnut.  Yes, what a dog.  He's a character to say the least.  Sammy came to my door and whined at me until I got up to see what she needed.  Lugnut was happily emptying Mike's trash.  Good girl, Sammy. You tell on that pup!  He is going to be quite a dog.  I can see many hours of laughs because of him; I can also see many years of tears.  We have already had him x-rayed to find out what he was choking on.  

Giving more thanks

When we dropped the last two puppies off at the pet shop, the kids expressed hope that they would go to the same home.  I told them to pray that this would happen.

I got an email from the shop this evening informing me that my very attached-to-each-other puppies did indeed go to the same home.  That made for some very happy children (and a very happy me, too.)

Giving thanks

Our trip to the pet shop was relatively painless.  Lego and Sparkles will likely have amazing homes pretty soon.  They got a clean bill of health from the vet working with the pet shop.  That's good because all I wanted was to have these little (or not so little) guys to be happy and healthy when it was time to send them away.

Giving thanks on some days

On some days, giving thanks can be very hard.  Sometimes it is that we have been so busy we haven't had time to stop and think about our blessings.  I suppose on those days we need to be thankful for the strength we had to do all that had to be done.

Some days we have so many hard things come at us that finding reasons to be thankful are very hard.  Today, I think I can only be thankful that God is good.  His power comes when I am too weak to handle that which comes or too stupid to understand what I am supposed to do with what comes.  He gets me through the day.

Today's thanks, a little late

I'm thankful that my kids are old enough now to help with dinner when I am not feeling well or when I have to get Mike to tkd early (every Friday.)  That takes a lot of pressure off.

And the thanks goes on

Today I am thankful for God's thoughts toward me.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

He hasn't promised me easy days, but He has promised that He thinks of my end.  I may be tried, He is making me into the image of Christ.  How bad can that be? 

Thankful for...

I am thankful for left turn lights that flash yellow now.  We didn't always have those, although many of us thought it was a good idea.  We could sit at a red left turn light with no oncoming traffic and think, "Well, I could have turned 35 times by now."  Now, we have them.  They are wonderful little things.

Thanks continue

Today I am thankful for headache free days. I have not had one of those in about a month. This constant weather change typically causes this time of year to be painful.

Thankful for

Today, Tabitha is officially 14.  I am thankful for my daughter.

Thankfulness challenge continues

Today I am thankful for the testimony of Mrs. Virginia Powell who went to be with the Lord yesterday.  She was a woman who believed in the power of prayer.

We need Christians like her who are not afraid to go boldly before the throne to find help in time of need.

Today's thanks

We have a family that is taking a puppy!  Their girls have been begging for a puppy for months and they've been praying for one and just haven't been able to find any.  Labrador and Rottweiller mixed into the runt of the litter have made one very happy family.  Merry Christmas, girls :D

Thankful challenge, continued

John Piper wrote a book called The Passion of Jesus Christ or Fifty Reasons Why Christ Came to Die.  One of the reasons he gives has been rolling around in my brain for days now.

Christ died to absorb the wrath of God.  He did not merely re-direct the wrath; He completely absorbed all of it on my behalf.

I am thankful that there is no more condemnation standing against me because I am in Christ and Christ is sufficient.

Two thanks

It seems I forgot to post my thanks for yesterday, so I owe two this morning.

1. I am thankful for the sunny weather we've had the past several days.  It's given us a chance to really wear the puppies out for bedtime and they absolutely love being outside.

2.  I am thankful for my home.  It's small for seven people, but it's warm and dry.

Today's Thankfulness

I have learned a lot about God and who He is in the last several years.  He has torn me apart and rebuilt me into someone who believes that HE CAN.

I am thankful for a God who can.  I may not be strong enough to handle situations that come into my life, but He can.  I may not be wise enough to handle people situations, but He is.

He never fails to make up for me what I lack in knowledge or wisdom or resources. 

Thankful challenge continued

Have you seen the old Maytag repairman commercials?  If you haven't, you can check here. 

That's the life of a repairman.  He either has work or he doesn't.  It can be long and lonely (boring and dreary) days.  Yet, that is what my husband does each and every day.  

I am thankful that he endures this so that I can stay home with the kids.

A November Challenge

So, an old college friend of mine is doing a challenge on Facebook.  The challenge is to post something you are thankful for each day during the month of November.  I choose to participate.

Today I am thankful for my children. They are good kids.  I do not say that they are perfect, but they are responsive.  When I bring something up to them that should be worked on, they do it.  That attitude is worth its weight in gold.

Biblical preaching

I got to the point a few months ago that I felt it was very important to teach the children how to judge whether preaching was truly biblical or not. We read through pastoral epistles noted what Paul said the topic of preaching was to be. Then we took some examples of preaching we had heard recently and put them to the test.

Baptists generally call what I did with the children wrong because it isn't showing respect to the preacher. I am going to argue with that and say that my first duty is to the Word of God.
If a man is not true to Scripture, can he rightfully he called a preacher of the Word? I say unequivocally NO. He must be faithful to the Word.

If he on occasion messes up, that is one thing;if he consistently gets it wrong, that is entirely different. No one should stay at a church where the preaching is not consistent with Scripture.

We cannot fail to employ our brains and test what we are hearing if we are to keep the Church pure from our known faults. When church members fail to give heed to the truth of Scripture over the doctrines of men, the church will waver and crumble.

Open your Bibles and make sure that the things you are being taught are consistent with Christ.

It's official

We are officially showing puppies now to anyone who is interested in having one.  There may be a small re-homing fee which will be applied to Sammy's spaying.  We are not doing puppies again.  Nope.  

Birthdays and such

Happy birthday, Sarah!  She's four.  Four years ago at this time, this wee little thing had no name, though we had been holding and snuggling her for nearly 5 hours already.  Nothing seemed to fit her.  Then, we talked about names the kids had picked out and Sarah it was.  What a wild ride this little has been!  (Understand that I would not trade a moment of her in my life.)

Just this evening, while I was preparing dinner, she was singing a song about how unhappy she was that she was happy.  It was a very cheerful unhappy song.  Then, she informed me that she wanted to born again so that she could meet Tuna.   Life is good when your only worry is what trouble your invisible friend is going to cause next.

On the other hand, Sammy has decided not to feed the puppies anymore.  They've been hungry and she won't feed them.  Today, upon the advice of a reputable breeder, I made some puppy chow gruel for the things and wow! did they go at it!  They ate and fell into a food coma.  We still have to make Sammy nurse them for a couple more weeks, but that's okay.  She may be stubborn, but she's neurotic and I can make her stay.

Puppies are cuddly, puppies are cute

Lugnut and Sarah were playing together.  Sarah giggled while Lug sniffed and kissed.

Have you ever seen a cuter puppy pile? 

What's keeping me busy?

Sarah has decided she wants a tae kwon do uniform so she can be a real martial artist. This is Mccalls pattern 6184.

These puppies are growing like mad. At 2 weeks the smallest was 2lbs 11 oz. The largest were 3 lbs 1 oz. Their eyes are open and they are beginning to play. A lot. They are an easy distraction in this house.

Pinky and the Brain

I am reasonably sure that Sarah and Tuna have plans to take over the world.  I learned last night that Tuna has the means to purchase small middle eastern countries to gift to friends' mothers and their friends. 

The small country in question is Uzbekistan.  We learned last year in school that Tuna had actually renamed it to Uztunastan.

My friend, T., is now the owner of Uzbekistan (or Uztunastan which is much more fun to say) thanks to Tuna's generosity.

Anyway, I'm not quite sure how this plan is going to work.  I would recommend keeping an eye out on Canada and South America.  One never knows which country's name will fascinate Sarah and Tuna next to the point that Tuna makes it his own.

Okay, this one is just for fun

We love Sandra Boynton songs. 

I wish I knew if I could embed things here, but it doesn't seem to be working.  So, just follow the link.

I Need a Nap

How many puppies??

The answer to that question, in case you've missed the saga on Facebook, is 8. 

Random thoughts on church

I've been thinking about church for a long time. 

The early church didn't meet in buildings with fancy pews or pianos or sound systems.  They met in houses.  Their tithes were given to meet the needs of their own.  Their offerings went to help other churches who were in trouble.  They gave to those who ministered to them.

They didn't have to pay for electricity and hymnals and water and heating and cooling and paper towels and groundskeepers.  The money they had went to meet needs.

Have we got this wrong?  Have you looked at your church's budget lately?  How much money is required for building maintenance?  How much money is taken for insurance?  How much is NOT used the way the early church used it?

It's not that I'm against church buildings.  I think I'm against the pretense that seems to be part of the church building.  How much money are we being asked to give to ourselves (i.e., our own Sunday-go-to-meeting comforts)?  We want our nice comfortable buildings.  We'll give thousands of dollars to that.  But what about when our neighbor finds himself laid off? Can we afford a bag of groceries for his family?  

Maybe it's time we simplified our churches so that we can be more free to spend the money on the needs of those around us.

I don't know.  Like I said, just random thoughts.

At the end of vacation

I suppose that at some point I will have to put up pictures of the work that's gone on over the last two weeks.  For now, just imagine cleaning your garage and building a whelping area for a Labrador retriever who is close to giving to birth to who knows how many puppies.  We have a nice large area squared off and ready for her.  It should be comfortable enough and warm with plenty of room for puppies to grow and begin to wander.

For the record, one of these pups is extremely active.  We have named it Wild Bill Hickok.  Going along with the wild West theme, we have names like Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill ready for the rest of the crew.

This should be interesting.

Vacation doings

Rod is on week 2 of a 2 week vacation. So far, he has put the trim back in the hallway and entry way.  He decided it would be easier to go with painted trim than wood finished trim, so white it is.  I really like it.  We ripped the carpet and padding out of the dining room and he put in a floating floor (that Sammy can't get much traction on.)  White trim again.  Looks great.  He put in a new light fixture as well, so that hanging down thingy that was always such a pain is gone.

Today, he's taking the pool down.  To shreds.  There were some punctures in it that he couldn't find, so we will be buying a new pool next year.

The floor work made doing school a bit of a chore.  (I couldn't reach my teacher keys.)  Friday, the kids and I did Bible, read a chapter on Alexander the Great, and headed off to Cedar Hills Crossing.  At Cedar Hills Crossing, one can find this delightful place to get lost in called Powell's Books.  So many books there to tickle one's fancy; so little power to choose which ONE to buy. 

After we haunted Powells, we had lunch and headed off to Petco.  Petco is fun, but with a dog it's more fun. We decided that Sammy needs a hot pink collar.  Cocoa brown and hot pink....yes, there's the combination. 

 

This is a fine How-Do-You-Do

Well, it looks to us as if we adopted a pregnant pooch.   It isn't at all what we bargained for.  Nope.  However, it is probably better that she is having them with us instead of her former home.  

Of course, pregnancy may explain some of her issues.  Maybe after the pups are weaned and re-homed (anyone want a part chocolate lab puppy? We are thinking they will be ready just in time for...wait for it...Christmas!) she will become more like a normal lab.  She shows promise once in a while, after all.

I'm not sorry we adopted her.  We enjoy her enough.  I am frustrated that I will have puppies to deal with.  I guess my children will have a semester of animal husbandry added into their school work.

Psalm 20

1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
2 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; 
3 Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. 
4 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. 
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners : the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. 
6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. 
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 
8 They are brought down and fallen : but we are risen , and stand upright . 
9 Save , LORD: let the king hear us when we call .

Joy in the middle

So, somewhere in the middle of trying to deal with the flood of emotion mentioned in the previous post, there is still much joy and fun.

Tabitha and Becca are starting piano lessons up again for the school year.  Mike enjoys piano, but not enough to think about practicing during the summer months.  Hannah has made no equivocations about how much she hates piano.  (Though part of it, I think, is that Tabitha is so good that Hannah feels it's a competition and isn't enjoying it.)  She would like to try another instrument, though.

Rod had Mike fix my van today.  A bit of my blower fan went out, and Rod put Mike to work fixing it.

The crazy, spoiled, Velcro roadblock we call Sammy is becoming more at ease around here.  She now is frequently found on the sofa when she thinks we won't find out.  She whines more than Sarah does, though, and that's going to have to end.  Oh my.

I am ready for school to start back up, but we won't be starting until next week.  I have everything I need now, and I think the kids will have plenty of good things to keep their interest.

Processing bad news

I received some very sad news today about a fellow I went to college with.  He's gotten himself into huge trouble.  Now, here is a fellow who inflicted a lot of pain (in me) because of his arrogance and deceitfulness.  I should maybe be happy that he's getting his comeuppance.  I certainly should feel vindicated.  Yet, somehow, even after having had to deal with the sorrow from the hurt he caused me, I don't feel that toward him.

I feel--what?  I'm not really sure. 

What I see is the end of a lifetime of arrogance and deceit coming to its end.  Maybe, just maybe,  he will turn to Christ instead of himself.  Maybe this is where it will end and true restoration can begin. Not that I believe he should EVER be given the trust of the ministry of the Gospel as a pastor again; but maybe the realization that God's mercy and compassion are two things his life has lacked. 

Yet, maybe he won't repent.  Maybe he will continue to be who he always was.  That would be a shame.

I wonder, will those he made false accusations about me to come to apologize and finally hear my side of the story now that he has been exposed?  I wonder if it matters yet after all these years.

It was only, really, in the past two years that I was able to (by God's grace alone) put those hurts away and not dredge them up to think about them again.  Now, here they are again.  I need time to process what I am supposed to think and what I need to feel.  I need time to sort through the emotions so that I can rest in God's truth.

I need some time to cry now.

Some children's books we like

We discovered Epossumondas several years ago when the kids were small.  We had forgotten about them until today's trip to the library.  We picked up three more stories of our funny little critter.  Epossumondas is really a lot of fun.  If you can add some Cajun accents to the story you will have more fun.

Along those same lines, we found Gator Gumbo today.  It's very much like The Little Red Hen story where no one will help her plant her garden.  I would say, though, that this twist adds some fun to it.

When things aren't healthy

Let's say you have a very dear friend who calls you one day and tells you she's falling apart.  She's losing weight very rapidly and can't figure out what's wrong.  She then proceeds to tell you that she has decided that the best way to combat feeling so sick is to get a face lift. This face lift will help everyone know that she is perfectly healthy.

You insist that she needs to spend the money on doctors, but she won't listen.  She's convinced that as long as she can fool everyone into thinking she's well then she will be just fine.

She gets the face lift, but things keep getting worse.  You try to tell her that but she insists on a new great idea.  She's going to get a tummy tuck.  (Not that she has any tummy left to tuck now, but she is sure it will work.)  Once again you tell her that she needs to get medical treatment, but she assures you that if she looks good, then she will be good.

How long will you deal with her self-destruction?  How long will you put up with her denial of the facts?

What if it turns out that she is contagious and you have been afflicted too?  When is it time to move on?

Now, read Revelation 3.

The unispired days

Did you ever have one of those days?  You know, those days when you wake up and can't get going. I've been having a lot of those lately.

I sleep all night but I wake up feeling groggy and useless.  My energy doesn't kick in until after lunch.  I am trying to eat well.  By well, I mean healthy.  Yet, that isn't really something I have trouble with.  I like my vegetables.

I started drinking coffee again because the sluggishness was so overwhelming.  I know that isn't doing me much better.  The sudden crash following the caffeine drop means nap time.

So, I spend my mornings in a fog.  I guess it's time for my morning coffee now.  It's almost 10am.

Our summer adventure

About two weeks ago, Rod took me to Lowe's to look at various things we are needing. We need a new shower for the master bath and a new dishwasher. Before we went in, we stopped at the animal shelter. He wanted me to look at a dog. The particular dog was gone, but there was a mixed breed dog there who caught our attention. We took him to the meet and greet area where we fell for him.

We did our browsing at Lowe's and then went home to get Mike. When we got back to the shelter to meet the dog, we were informed that he had not been rated for under 12. We walked out. (This is a kill shelter.)

We began watching Craigslist for dogs. We found a chocolate lab being offered who had to go that night. We went to see her and decided to give her a home.

She needed a lot of grooming. We are still combing out last winter's growth. The more we purge, the more beautiful this dog gets. She has a multitude of neuroses. She is afraid of adults who approach her; she is afraid of sprinklers; she is afraid of water; she is afraid of dogs; she is afraid of being in vehicles. One thing at a time, we will meet these fears and show her she will be okay.

After a week and half at our home, she is beginning to play. She has great potential as an agility dog. She has some fine acrobatics when she is in the mood. The thing is, she is a drama queen. I didn't know how much a dog could overact until this one. Sarah came and told me doggy was on the sofa. I found doggy curled up in a little ball as comfortable as she could possibly be. When I disturbed her, she let out a moany-groany thing that indicated she's as bad as Michael getting out of bed on Sunday morning.

This should prove to be quite the adventure.

Just moved in

I knew that this day would come. I've been over at Spaces for a few years, but the developers there don't have a handle on make things easy. So, here I am.

Tunaphiles...tunalovers.

My three year old has a friend. Tuna used to be an enemy that she was very afraid of. Tuna is a monster, you see. When she was most afraid of monsters, we began to tell her that the monsters in her room only wanted to be her friends. It worked. Tuna is her buddy. She has also introduced us to Tuna's brother, Tuna Boy. Occasionally we hear from Tuna Daddy.

She has other invisible friends but they don't come around very often.

I hope you come by often to read about the odd little things that happen in our little world. I hope that you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy telling them.