The Happy Puppy and Loving Everyone

I love this picture of Mamie. I call it the "laughing puppy" picture. She's considerably older now, but her happy face is still the same. She loves life and everyone and everything in it. 

Mamie never meets a stranger and rarely meets someone she doesn't like. She has an innate ability to discern the one who needs her brand of Mamie-love the most. If you have a burden on your heart, Mamie will somehow know. If you sit down, she'll jump in your lap, give you a few puppy kisses, and snuggle in close. 

I've watched her do that many times. The comfort she gives always surprises me, and I've wondered how she recognized something I didn't.

I think her skill might come from her basic attitude. There's something good in everyone, and Mamie sees it. There's something to love in everyone, and Mamie loves them. 

It's the way we, as followers of Christ, should be. Looking for good. Loving all. Drawing people to Christ because of the light in us.

I'm not as nice as Mamie, and certainly not as good as Jesus, but I wish I were. I've seen some "not so good", and it's made me cautious. Perhaps overly so. Maybe you have that problem, too.

Today, let's try to respond to those around us like Mamie does. With open hearts and happy expectation. Let's do what Jesus would do. Love. Help. Reach out.

This world is a dark and lonely place for many people. They're desperate for someone to love them, to introduce them to Jesus, the One who loves them most. We can be that one. If we will.

Look around for the most unhappy person you know and share some of your joy with them. Look for the most unloved person and share some of your love. Look for the most needy person and share some of your riches.

Be Jesus with skin on today.

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12 esv

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Being Tired and Going For a Ride 
The Clay Papers e-book is free through 6/8/16 so don't miss your chance to get it while it's free. You do not need a kindle to read it. There's a kindle app for your electronic devices. Here's the link: Clay Papers ebook
Hosea Chapter 6 Lesson is now available. You do not have to be signed up to access the material. 
#happypuppy #loveall #disciple #linesfromleanna

Mamie and the Ink Stain

Alas, I fear Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy will never be a Wonder Dog. Mamie is still a puppy at heart, and determined to stay in that cuddly, rowdy state. Maturity would help us both, if she would only embrace it.

I had just returned to my computer after lunch yesterday when I heard a crunching sound. "What is that?" I wondered. The sound continued. My next thought was, "It must be Mamie."  I was right.

Mamie had climbed up on a table (as only a determined puppy can do) and found a blue fountain pen. She had carried it to my red couch and used it as a chew toy. As you can imagine, blue ink went every where in a mad Rorschach pattern. 

My heart sank. Blue ink. All over one cushion of my couch. It looked like a catastrophe.

I jerked the cushion off the couch and raced to the kitchen sink, praying every step of the way. Slipcover off. Rinse the ink. Blot. Spray stain remover. Rinse. Blot. Spray. Rub. Rinse. Spray. On and on it went.

All thoughts of the scene I was writing and the direction I intended to take went right out of my head. The only thing that mattered at that moment was dealing with the stain.

Of course, the dark stain on the blood-red cushion reminded me of the stain of sin on our lives and the only thing that can remove it. The precious blood of Jesus.

I'm shocked, but the stain came out completely. I think it was, at least in part, because I reacted so promptly. The ink didn't have time to soak and dry in the fabric.

Quick action with stains makes a difference, but so does quick action with sin. If we would relent and repent at the beginning of our sin, before the stain has set, what a difference God would make.

Let's do a check of our hearts today and respond with the same urgency as we would if ink were on our couch cushions. 

Is there evidence of the ink-blot stain of sin in our lives? Let's relent and repent. Allow our Lord wash us clean in the precious blood of Jesus. 

Mamie may never reach the maturity of a "Wonder Dog", but we don't have to remain in our foolish, childish state. We can choose to become the mature men and woman God intended us to be. If we will.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:

but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 

                                                                     1 Corinthians 12:11 nasdb

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, 

let us press on to maturity..."      

                                                     Hebrews 6:1 nasb

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Follow me on Twitter for "in the moment" tweets about my writing day. It's fun. @leannahollis
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In case you missed one of this week's posts, here are the links:  The Opportunity in Trials,  The Monarch Migration Badge,  The Sermon Without Words,  A Matter of Perspective, Living in Goshen: God's Best, Embracing Our Personal Gethsemane, and What is the Point of Suffering: Extracting the Precious.

#Mamie #repent #maturity #Christian #disciple #Shoutgotitout

Maggie the Wonder Dog: Confession

I am Maggie the Wonder Dog. In case you don't know, I am an eleven pound Shih Tzu. I live on a farm and my job is, of course, to be a wonder, doing many things that no one would expect me to do. Like dancing in a circle, sneaking like a spy, and herding cows.  Yep!  I can do it all.  Well, I can do it almost all.  This business of having a baby sister... Now that's one thing I just can't quite do.  Ok.  I don't seem to be able to do it at all.

My mama told me confession is good for the soul and that I should confess what I have done.  I don't really want to do that confessing stuff.  Do you know what I mean?  Really, I got in enough trouble already.  I don't much want to worry about my soul, too!  Anyway, if it helps me get out of trouble, I'm all for it, so here goes.

You probably know that my mama went to run errands one day.  When she goes to run errands, she always brings me back a treat.  Usually, the treat is jerky.  I LOVE jerky!  On this terrible day, my mama brought me something that she called a surprise.  It was a surprise all right! It was a furry THING that kinda looked like a guinea pig at first.  It squeaked a lot and would pooh in the floor.  I did not like it one little bit.  My mama kept saying it was my adopted baby sister, but I could not believe it.

Finally, my friend Lou told me to sniff the coming-out part, I did, and found out it really was a dog. It's not much of a dog, though.  It is bigger than it used to be, and it looks just like a gremlin now.  You would not believe how pesty this Gremlin-dog is!  She just about drives me crazy.  She has learned about sniffing the coming-out part, and she wants to sniff constantly.  Really, once should be enough! She hops a lot, too.  I don't know why she doesn't walk, but she really likes hopping.  Hey, maybe she's really a bunny!  I like bunnies!  Well, she can't be a bunny, because I don't like her at all, and I would if she were a bunny.  Oh well.  All this hopping is a problem, because she wants to hop on me, too!  Boing! Boing! Boing!  Hopping all the time! 

Friday night, I was sharing Lou's food, just like I always do, and Mamie was trying to sneak some. Maybe she thought she was sneaking like a spy, but we could all see her.  I am the only one around here who sneaks like a spy!  Anyway, I barked at her and she would not quit.  That food bowl was not big enough for Lou and me and the Gremlin-dog, too.  I barked again and started to growl just a little.  She would not quit.  My mama says that is how puppies are, but I say they should learn.  Finally, I had barked and growled, and she wouldn't quit, so I started growling for real.  I was so frustrated that I chased her off the porch and pinned her down.  I was sick to death of her!  OK, I was growling and trying to bite her. My mama came flying in between us and grabbed her up, and a kinda bad thing happened.  I really, really didn't mean to do this, but I accidentally bit my mama.  Well, it was just a little bite, but it was still bad.  I confess it was not a nice thing to do.  My mama thought I was trying to kill my baby sister. I didn't really have killing on my mind, but I did have MAD and SICK TO DEATH on my mind!

 I tried to say I was sorry, but my mama wasn't interested in sorry.  She said, "Maggie.  I have had enough.  You may think you are the Alpha around here, but you are not.  I am the boss.  You are not, and you are going to have to do things my way."  She wasn't smiling when she said that.  Then she said something terrible.  She said, "Maggie, you are not acting like a Wonder Dog at all.  There are about to be some changes around here and you are going to find out who is boss."  My mama makes me sit on a pillow on the floor instead of in her lap and I have to sleep in the kitchen now.  She says I was too spoiled.  I like being spoiled.  I do not like sleeping in the kitchen, not one little bit.

This has not worked out like I expected at all. I thought I might run that dumb Gremlin-dog off, but it looks like I'm the one that's losing.  That dog is here to stay.  Her name is Mamie. That 's what my mama said I should say. She says she's tired of my not-nice names for Mamie.  OK.  Mamie.  Mamie. Mamie.  So there!

I confess it.  Mama said I had to confess and I am.  I haven't been nice to Mamie. I haven't liked Mamie.  In fact, I've been mean to Mamie.  The crazy thing, though, is that I'm the one that has lost out.  Being mean has only hurt me.  My mama is really big on this loving your enemies and being kind when you don't feel like it business.  She says that you don't get blessings for being mean.  You get blessings for loving and being kind.  I didn't believe her, but it looks like she was right. Again.

Mamie seems like an enemy to me, and it sure has been hard to be nice to her, but I'm trying.  Mama is making me.  The funny thing is that it's easier to be nice today than it was yesterday.  Mama says it will be even easier tomorrow.  You know, what else?  My mama has helped me a lot.  When Mamie is being pesty, she moves her quick before I get really angry.  She says that's what God does for her. When she doesn't want to do right, He helps her do it anyway!  That's a pretty good deal she has with God, don't you think? It's why she's helping me, and I'm really glad she is!

Well, Wonder Dogs have to give a Wonder Dog Lesson of the Day, and here's mine:

 There are no blessings for being mean.    

It's better to do things God's way.

If you need help, God will give it.  

Just ask Him. He's really nice that way.

The end.  By Maggie the Wonder Dog.
Sister of Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy.
I can't believe I just wrote that!  Oh well...

Mamie Invents a New Game

Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy is a five pound Shih Tzu who just celebrated her first birthday. She is still a puppy, especially in the playing department. Her big sister, Maggie the Wonder Dog is six years old and not always in the mood to play. Maggie is very glamorous and playing is done on her terms or not at all. 

One of Mamie's favorite games is called "Maggie Tap". Mamie likes to tap Maggie with her paw to see what Maggie will do. Mamie can tap Maggie at least a dozen times before Maggie gets fed up and growls. I'm pretty sure Mamie is trying for a new record, so the tapping and growling lasts for a significant portion of every day. Maggie is more patient than I would be, but probably she's just grateful to have a break from Mamie's incessant "kissing" (licking). 

Recently, Mamie invented a new game. Maggie was yawning and Mamie clearly thought, "Why not?" She stuck her paw in Maggie's mouth and pulled it out successfully. Immediately, the race was on! Mamie would stick her paw in Maggie's mouth and try to pull it out before Maggie could close on her. Truthfully, Mamie is unbelievably good at this and incredibly fast. Of course, Big Sister Maggie is far more patient than three humans combined would be, and kindly refrains from biting her foot off.  

This morning, the Wonder Dogs had joined me on my bed for quiet time. Maggie is a well-trained Wonder Dog and understands when to be still and quiet. Mamie is still an Apprentice Wonder Puppy, mostly because she is wide open all the time and is very seldom still and quiet. Mamie decided to play the "Maggie Mouth" game, even though Maggie's mouth was firmly closed. Mamie would pat Maggie's mouth until Maggie finally opened it, then pop her paw inside Maggie's mouth and pull it out before she could close her mouth. (The fact that Mamie still has four paws is due to the magnificent patience of Maggie the Wonder Dog.) 

As you might imagine, Maggie soon had enough, and started to give a little warning growl. Mamie never heeds warning growls, however, so she kept right on tapping Maggie's mouth, popping her paw in, and pulling it out. The warning growls got a little louder. Mamie never slowed down. I gave her a stern warning and moved her, but she was quickly right back in Maggie's face. Finally, Maggie snapped at her. In Maggie's defense, she let Mamie get her paw out before she snapped, so she didn't even nip her. Mamie was shocked! How dare her sister try to bite her!?! The most surprising thing happened next. Mamie stuck her paw right back in Maggie's mouth, daring her to bite the paw. 

Mamie's behavior is so much like our own that I laughed out loud before I moved her off the bed to preserve Maggie's sanity. Watching her do something that is clearly not wise and will be dangerous to her paw if she doesn't slow it down reminds me so much of some of my own decisions over the years. Perhaps you've had a few of those less than stellar decisions of your own. Looking back, I wonder why I persisted when there were plenty of "warning growls" to let me know I was heading in the wrong direction. Maybe you've never done this, but I have to admit that I have. I, like Mamie, have a tendency to do one more round, just to be sure. 

Now that I have accumulated a few birthdays (being 39 again), I'm not quite as foolhardy as in my youth, but there are days when I'm likely as foolish as Mamie. If you are honest, you probably have those days, too. As we look toward the new year, let's take a lesson from the Wonder Dogs. 

Be smarter than you want to be.
Listen for the warning growls, and stop while you're ahead. 

Nibbling on the Cross, part 2

Last night, I wrote about the cross that is a part of my nativity set this year. (If you missed that story, you can read it here.) What I had started out to tell was a little Maggie story, so I'm going to try it once again. 

The "big" nativity set rests in a position of prominence on the coffee table. You can't miss it, and that's as it should be. Mamie (my five pound still-a-puppy Shih Tzu) has not been able to miss it either. Of particular interest to her is the wooden cross lying beneath the manger. She is not just fascinated by it, she thinks it's a chew toy. Several times, I've found wood chips lying on the rug beneath the coffee table, the residue of Mamie's chewing. (Once I realized she was nibbling the cross, of course, I repositioned it. Problem solved.)

Mamie's nibbling approach to the cross is a little bit like ours at times, isn't it? Don't we prefer just a little "nibble" than the whole dose of Jesus? "What?!?" you may be thinking. "Of course not! We want all the Jesus we can get!" Think about it, though. When I look at the words of Jesus, I'm shocked by them. He didn't pull any punches. We are to love the people who hate us the most, pray for them, forgive them. That sounds great when it's Jesus doing it, but when the rubber meets the road and it is US who's called to do it, it's not quite as easy, is it? What about deny yourself and follow Him is easy to embrace? Denying yourself and doing what Jesus has called us to do is absolutely the best life possible, but we don't instinctively know that. It's easier to nibble around obedience than to jump into denying ourselves wholeheartedly, isn't it? 

Ahh. Therein lies the rub. Nibbling seems like following, but it's not quite. Admittedly, nibbling may be the first step, but we can't stop there. At some point, we must move past experimenting with obedience and embrace the cross fully, committing ourselves to unreserved obedience. Oh what joy awaits when we give ourselves and our lives fully to our Lord! 

As we enter the natal week of our Lord, let us embrace the cross with all the enthusiasm we usually reserve for the babe in the manger and the festivities that typically surround this holy day. No more nibbling. Let's embrace fully the life He offers and the obedience it requires. 

It's a little early, but Merry Christmas, dear ones. 

Friday Night with Friends: Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy CelebratesHer First Birthday

HOORAY! It's my birf'day! I'm one years old yesterday! But I'm still cel'bratin' because I jus' found out about ce'bratin' birf'days and it's so much fun, I'm doin' it again! 

My name is Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy and now I am one whole year old. That may not seem remarkable to you, but there was a time when I di'nt think I would see another month. Life was hard. That was back 'fore I even knew what months was, oops, were. It all started like this. 

Once upon a time (nine and a half months ago) my mama only had two dogs, Ole Lou (who is the greatest and lives outside because he is ginormous!) and my sister, Maggie the Wonder Dog. My mama thought that Maggie might be lonely while her mama was away at work, so she decided to give her a little surprise and get her a sister.  Tha's me! She told Maggie she was going to run errands, and boy hidey did she ever run some errands. She 'dopted me! Can you believe this? I started as an errand, and here I am today, a famous guest blogger. That just goes to show that you don't have to get a good start to turn out well. 

Anyway, my mama picked me because she thought I was so cute and sweet, and that was right! And she snuggled me up and carried me home. We walked in the door and she said, "Maggie, I have brought you a surprise!" Maggie thought our mama had brought her jerky, but she did not. She brought a 'dopted sister instead. Maggie was so mad I couldn't believe it! She was mean, mean, mean, mean, mean to me! It was ter'ble and my mama had to give us some good talkin' to's. Then, we had to talk to Jesus so much! Oh, dear Jesus must'a got really tired of us because Maggie was growlin' and I was cryin' and Mama was cryin' all the time! It was terrible!

'Fore I got 'dopted, I lived with all my brothers and sisters and we would play and tumble until we were so tired we landed in a jumbly pile and took a nap. There was no jumbly pile here and I wanted to go HOME, but my mama kept saying, "Little Mamie, this is your new home now, and it's going to be fine. Jesus will help us!" To tell the truth, it seemed like it took a while for Jesus to help us. He did not do it as fast as I wanted Him to! He did not! Mama said that was because He was teaching me and Maggie some things and we had to learn 'em 'fore we could act better. She said things would get better when we learned what Jesus wanted us to learn.

I had to learn not to jump on Maggie's head all the time, and I learned that I'm not 'posed to hop like a bunny all the time, but I can do it sometimes still. Also, I really like to kiss a lot, but my sister didn't like nonstop kisses. Now, I can kiss sometimes, but you aren't 'posed to kiss if the other person doesn't want kisses. I don't know why anyone wouldn't want kisses, but some people are just strange. Maggie had more to learn, and I am not going to tell her business, except to say she had to learn that little sisters are HERE TO STAY! And she had to learn not to bite her lil' sister, too.

The amazing thing is that Maggie and I have learned a lot. Jesus helped us. Maggie hated me when I came. She called me a guinea pig and a gremlin, and some other names that are not nice and my mama won't let me say them. It hurt my feelings really bad. My mama said I had to forgive, but I did not want to forgive. Then, Jesus said, "Forgive!" in His sweet little voice and I said, "Okay, I will!" so He helped me. Guess what! Jesus was helping Maggie, too, and I didn't even know it. 

Before I could even imagine it, Maggie started being my friend and loving her lil' sister and I started loving Maggie. You know what happened today? Maggie and I played so long we fell in a jumbly pile and took a nap, just like sisters are 'sposed to do! And guess what else! When we were playing, Maggie kissed me all over! Yep! My sister learned to like kissing! Jesus is the best. When he fixes a problem, sometimes it takes Him a while, but He gets it done right. You can be sure of that! 

I am 'posed to give that lesson thing. I can't 'member it. Oh yeah, the Apprentice Wonder Puppy Lesson of the Day. I have learned a lot this year. It's gonna be hard to just give one lesson, but I'm going give you the most important one I learned. It made all the others possible.

Jesus will help you if you ask, but you hafta do what He says.

That's it. He will not let you down. He reminds me of my mama though. What He says goes. You have to mind Him, and He is not kiddin' around 'bout that! It's like mindin' your mama. It's the right thing to do and you'll be glad you did.

So, if you are having some problems, just ask Jesus to help you and He will, but be sure to do what He tells you to, 'cause He's big on minding!

The End.
By Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy
(AKA The BIG GIRL!)
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P.S. - My mama wrote a new book this year. You should buy it! Here's how to do that:
The Waiting: When the Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed and Your Hope is Gone, as well as The Clay Papers and The Road to Bethlehem (an advent devotional guide) are now available at http://www.leannahollis.com/online-store/ Get your copy today.
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You can read more stories about Mamie and her adventures with her sister Maggie at http://www.leannahollis.blogspot.com.

The Wonder Dogs Get a Bath

The Wonder Dogs went with me to the barn this afternoon. One of my friends had challenged me to a Work Week Hustle, a friendly competition to get the most steps during the work week. This afternoon, I checked the step counter and I was a little behind. It's not that I'm competitive or anything, but I did have a daily step goal to meet, so I had to get some walking done. 

Once or twice to the barn and back was about all the Wonder Dogs could stand before they found a more interesting distraction. Unfortunately, that interesting distraction was soft, smelly, and still steaming in the cow pasture. They had a grand time! The stench was awful, and their appearance was even worse.  

Both dogs were shocked when I refused to let them in the house. Mamie ran back to the kitchen door and started scratching, desperate to come in. I opened the door, scooped her up, and headed to the sink. She whimpered, twisted, wheezed, and jumped around like I was killing her! I could barely hold her for all the jumping, which was, frankly, a disgusting experience because of the  smell and grossness. I had dressed in my polka-dotted rubber raincoat but even that was not enough. By the time Mamie was clean, I was also soaked. 

Maggie, on the other hand, let me bring her in and bathe her with not a single complaint. She was as good as could be, as you would expect from the original Wonder Dog. 

There's quite a contrast between the two when it comes to bath time clean up. Maggie likes to get dirty but she doesn't like to stay dirty. Mamie is just wide open.  She wants to get dirty, stay dirty, and get dirtier. As long as she doesn't have to have a bath, she's happy. 

We are, unfortunately, also a little casual about getting the dirt of this world and the soil of sin into our lives. We are often as cantankerous as Mamie about getting it out of our lives. There's an old hymn that says "sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow." Sin does leave a stain in our hearts that only Christ can cleanse, and having a clean heart feels wonderful! Why, then, do we so often act like Mamie, throwing a fit about removing the stain that sin has caused and refusing to relinquish its power in our lives? It is better to be cleansed and forgiven, but you can't always tell it from the way we behave. What is it about the stench of sin that is so appealing? Why do we struggle so hard to keep our sin? 

When I look at the grace with which Maggie accepted her bath, I think we, like Maggie, may just need to be a little older in our faith and a bit wiser. If we want to be right with God, however, we must accept His cleansing with grace.  Insisting on keeping the stench and stain of sin will never do, and, truthfully, we can't expect God to tolerate it. Friends, if there is something in your life that is as displeasing to God as the Wonder Dogs' cow pooh roll is to me, why not let God have it? Let Him cleanse you and make your heart as white as snow. 

Maggie has learned an important lesson. No one snuggles with a dog that's covered in cow pooh. A clean, sweet smelling dog is another matter entirely. A bath makes more snuggling possible. If a doggie bath can yield such a sweet benfit, just think what intimacy can follow the cleansing of a soul!

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The new book, The Waiting: When The Answer to Your Prayer is Delayed and Your Hope is Gone, is now available at www.leannahollis.com/online-store/. Get yours today!

The Wonder Girls Join the ThanksGiving Project

(The Savings Jar after seven days. $156.85 with simple efforts that are easy to do)

We've had some Wonder Girl adventures in the name of saving money the last two days. Things did not go well. In my defense, I have experience clipping show goats. In the interest of full disclosure, my son once took the show goat I had just clipped into the show ring. The judge said, "Son, this is a fine goat, but it seems to be limping. What's wrong with your goat?" My son, who had been taught the importance of always telling the truth, said, "My mom just tried to clip my goat and when she trimmed his hooves, she cut his foot." The judge just smiled and announced it over the loudspeaker. Everyone heard. The goat won its class. I was really glad the bloody hoof-prints were obscured by the shavings. 

I told you I had experience clipping goats. I did not claim to be good at it. 

When I got Maggie the Wonder Dog, that long Shih Tzu hair was more than the two of us could handle. I did what any former goat-clipper would do. I bought dog clippers. Commercial dog clippers. If I was going to clip the dog, I wanted to do a good job. I didn't. The first attempt was pitiful and left me considering Rogaine to speed the recovery. I thought I would get better with time. I was wrong. Eventually, I did what any former goat-clipper turned dog-scalper would do. I hired a groomer. Every month, I have paid Miss Amy $40 to do a lovely job with Maggie. It was worth it. Once Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy joined our family, she, too, had a monthly visit with Miss Amy. 

We recently missed the grooming appointment, however, and the Wonder Girls were looking scroungy. Their hair was covering their eyes and it was a mess. The reasonable thing to do was take the girls to see Miss Amy. 

Because of the saving money project, I had a better idea. I would clip both Wonder Girls. Somehow, I managed to convince Sam, my elderly and very frail neighbor to hold a dog while I clipped her. He said I must have stayed up all night long to think of such a scheme, but I should have stayed up two nights and figured out how to do it right. Needless to say, he didn't think much of my attempt. 

I managed to get Maggie clipped. That's all I can say about it. She growled at me and tried to bite the clippers. It didn't go well. I did manage to get the hair that was blinding her cut, but Miss Amy I am not! 

We took a day to recover from Maggie's clipping and attempted Mamie today. I know how it looks. Please don't tell me. She needs serious Rogaine. It's bad. Somehow, her body hair clipping was not too terrible. The head clipping can only be described as catastrophic. Sam looked down at the dog in his arms and said, "You have her bleeding in three places!" I did not. I had somehow cut the hair so extremely short in three places that you could see pink scalp. She was not bleeding, no matter what Sam says. I tried to even it out. I made it worse. He suggested I stop while I was ahead, if you could call it that. Once we were done, he summed our experience up with these wise words. "All I can say about it is at least it will grow back. Keep her inside." 

Do not even ask me about pictures. If you come to my house, the dogs will probably be upstairs. Maggie might greet you. Mamie probably won't. Until her hair grows. She has a skinned head, a lion neck, and a bear body. Poor Mamie!! I am considering a dog-kerchief or cap until it grows. 

In good concience, I cannot really say that I saved money with this clipping business and, unfortunately I cannot say that it has not impacted my lifestyle. I didn't cry and the dogs didn't bite me. That is the good news. For that reason alone, I have decided to claim a $40 savings. (I still need doggie Rogaine). It brings the Savings Jar amount up to $196.85. If you need your dog clipped, let me recommend a good groomer. If you need your goat clipped, you are on your own.  

There is a saving grace. I did it for a good cause. In a few weeks, this money will be used to bless the Kingdom of God in some way. When that day comes, all this hair clipping business will not matter at all! Thank goodness! 

No Tricks Required

Maggie the Wonder Dog knows lots of great tricks. In case you haven't heard, Maggie can dance like a ballerina, walk like a lady, and sneak like a spy, in addition to the usual doggie tricks. She can also herd cattle. Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy is in training with tricks. She's so excited about life in general that it's hard for her settle down and work, but she's learning.

Little nibble-sized treats work well as reward/motivators, especially for Mamie. Unfortunately, they have worked a little too well. If Mamie sees me reach into the treat jar, she immediately starts doing tricks. If I'm not fast enough with the treat, she will run through her entire repertoire and continuing twirling like a ballerina until she gets her nibble. 

Tonight, I was reaching for her usual dinner treat when she started twirling. I suddenly realized that she thinks she has to earn every single treat. Maggie, on the other hand, works readily on command, but she also understands the difference between a treat and a reward. She knows she doesn't have to earn everything. 

As I tried to calm Mamie down enough to get a treat to her little mouth, I thought how like us she is. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, and there is nothing we can do to earn any of the blessings God gives us. He gives to His children because He loves us, not because we have out-performed someone else, not because we know our "tricks" so well. He blesses us because He is good, not because we are. 

It may not be a hard concept for you, but sometimes I have a little trouble with this. There is so much "doing" to be done that the "being" in stillness seems like I'm wasting time. A few days ago, I proudly shared my list of accomplishments for the day with my friend who text'd my back. "I've just concentrated on being all day today." We were both blessed that day, but it may be that the one "being" had more peace in her day than the one with all the "doing".

Selah. Pause and consider. 

What if we turned our focus from doing to being? What if, in the midst of our doing, we concentrated more on the One we serve than the service we perform? All the "doing" in the world is not enough to earn a smidgen of God's grace nor His mercy, so let's focus on the One who loves us despite our flaws, blesses us regardless, and holds us in His hand with a promise that He will never let us go. No tricks required. 

Friday Night With Friends: The Joy of Kissing by Mamie Hollis, apprentice wonder puppy

Kiss, kiss, kiss

I love to kiss!

I never want to miss 

A smooch for my sis!

My name is Mamie Hollis and I'm jus' a baby puppy but I am a appren'ice wonder puppy. That means that I'm learnin' to be a Wonder Dog like my big sister.  She is jus' won'erful. Maggie is already a wonder dog and she knows how to do 'bout ever'thing. She even learnt how to play sokker. Her friend Stella Hayden tolt her how and she taughted me. Sorry told and taught. (My mama could be a grammar natzi but I don' really know what that is. She's awful pa'ticular though)

Anyway, I'm not writing 'bout sokker. I'm writing 'bout kissing. I love kissing. I love, love, love kissing! My sister Maggie says, "Stop that, you silly puppy," but I just kiss her some more. I like to kiss ever'body. Ole Lou don't mind if I kiss him. And the mean cat that tries to bite my mama when she pets his belly don' mind neither. Either. I just tumble over him and kiss him all over. He's always nice to me after that. Maggie said it was no wonder. He was running for his life. Ha. If my mama tried kissin' the mean cat, he might not bite her. 

You prob'ly don't know this, but tumbling over and kissin' kinda go together. It sorta helps to run real fast to your friend and tumble over them. That way, you can get some good kissin' in while you're tumbling. And when you get through tumbling, you can lick and kiss some more. Yay!!!

I like to kiss my mama, too. You are s'post to kiss your mama. My sister tole me that. And your sister. Nobody tolt me 'bout kissing your sister, but I'm sure that's right. I kiss Maggie all the time. She  don' always like it all that much tho. But I still kiss her. You can never have too many kisses. 

Anyway, my sister was fussing at me yesterday 'bout kissing. She was trying to play sokker and I was trying to do kissing. Maggie said, "Mamie. This is too much kissing. Why are you kissing all the time?" Well, I will tell you what I tole my sister. "I am kissing everybody because I have love in my heart and I want to share it." My mama says Jesus is love and He loves every one of us. And Jesus wants us to love one another. It's in the Bible to say hello with a brotherly kiss. I hafta say hello with a sisterly kiss, but that still counts. 

Anyway, if you get a kiss from me, this is what it means. "Jesus loves me and I love you, and He loves you, too!" And what I say is there is not near enough kissing in this world, so if you get a chance, you should kiss your friends, and your sister, and your mama. Really, kiss everybody you see. Tha's what I do. It's fun! And every once in a while, somebody kisses me! 

I hafta write a 'prentice wonder puppy lesson of the day, and this is it:

Love everybody just like Jesus does. 

And kiss them. 

(And if you see me, be sure to kiss me.)

The end

By Mamie Hollis

A'prentice Wonder Puppy 

The Wonder Girls Take a Walk

Martha Stewart's Living magazine for September 2014 included an article entitled "Wish You Were (Still) Here" by Monica M. Willis. The topic was dogs missing their owners and the recommendation was, among other things, to exercise your dog. "Panting-tired" should be the goal. Since I'm still trying to get 10,000 steps in per day, and I'm chronically short, I have to finish up after dinner most days. 

I looked at the dogs and said, "Let's go, girls. We've got nearly 5,000 steps to get done." You may not believe this, but Maggie the Wonder Dog and Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy live with me, and they knew exactly what I was talking about. (I admit it crossed my mind that 5,000 steps might also equal panting-tired, and I was eager to see, but I did not tell the dogs!) 

We headed out and started walking. After  we hit the 7,500 steps point, Mamie was panting-tired and had to take a little break. 

It wasn't long before she rejoined Maggie and me and was off again. About the 8,000 steps point, Maggie hit panting-tired and stopped for a break. 

The instant they got tired, down they went, stretched out and resting. In just a few minutes, they were up and going happily along again. Frankly, that is not my way. I prefer to go wide open until I collapse and need resuscitation. (Well, very nearly) I hate to admit it, but my way may not work all that well. I'm pretty sure the Wonder Girls way is decidedly better. 

Tonight, Maggie and Mamie were slowing down and clearly tired by 8,250 steps, so I said, "Let's take a break, girls. I don't have to get 10,000 steps tonight."  Everyone headed inside, had a drink of water and rested. 

Now here is where you are just gonna have to believe me. I was resting in my big green chair when Maggie the Wonder Dog started scratching on my leg, trying to get me to follow her. It turned out she wanted to go for a walk.  I guess she wanted to be sure I got that last 1,750 steps. Off we went. I finished my 10,000 steps, Wonder Dog and her Apprentice Wonder Puppy both got "panting-tired", and all three of us were as happy as could be!

We could take a lesson from these little Wonder Dogs. There is something amazing about the divine plan of physical labor and rest. We need both to be healthy.  If the Wonder Girls are any example, that holy combination will not only make us healthy, it will leave us happy, energized, and sleeping like a baby, as well.  

In the words of Maggie and Mamie, "Woof! Woof!" Get started and get going! 

You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? ... God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 MSG)

Walking with the Dogs

A few weeks ago, I bought one of those new bracelet/bands that count your steps and monitor your sleep. My goal is 10,000 steps per day. It turns out that 10,000 steps per day is a little harder than I imagined. Most days, I easily get in just over 5000 steps per day. Getting 10,000 steps a day requires intention and perseverance.  

Almost every evening, I finish supper, check my step monitor for the day, realize how short I am, and hit the road up to the barn and back.  It takes quite a few roundtrips to finish up the 10,000 steps. Nearly every time I walk, the dogs go with me, but I've been surprised at the difference in their walking styles.  

Maggie the Wonder Dog quickly figured out that there was likely to be more than one trip to the barn. She makes every step with me the first time around, but the second time around she begins to slow. She will still walk with me, but she doesn't quite get to the end before she turns back. By that time, she's getting distracted. There's a bird in the sky to see, grass to sniff, cows at which to bark.  This walking back-and-forth bores Maggie, and she will only tolerate it for a limited time before she has to take a break. She always joins back up, but I can count on her to be intermittent at best.

Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy, however, is another story entirely.  Mamie tries hard to make every step, at least for the first few laps. I can't imagine how many steps those short little legs have to make to keep up with me, but she does it. Mamie doesn't take shortcuts, either. She walks all the way to the end before she turns around. Even more amazing, Mamie wants to run in circles, with me as the hub of her circle. She will run over Maggie, give her a quick lick and tumble, and start out with me again. She doesn't stop until she's panting so hard that she's got to cool down, unless I stop first.

The walk of faith with Jesus is sometimes like this isn't?  Most of us start out with enthusiasm and high hopes of finishing the trek. We do pretty well at the beginning, but some of us are a lot like Maggie, quickly distracted and easily turned back. We lose something, though, in not completing the whole path, and the most important thing we lose is time with the Master. 

Wouldn't it be much better to walk out our faith with Jesus the way Mamie does with me? She starts with enthusiasm, she continues with enthusiasm, and she ends with enthusiasm. Mamie has a grand time on our walks, and I have a grand time watching her. She has figured out that when she's tired, her master will pick her up and snuggle her close.  Mamie knows that, when she wears out, she can count on me to carry her all the way home, even if it means carrying her for a whole lap or two to do it.

Now that is the kind of Christian faith walk we should have: starting, continuing, and finishing with enthusiasm, even when it's hard, even when we're tired. There's a promise that goes with this kind of faith walking. You have probably heard it before.

Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. (Isaiah 40:11 NASB)

Keep following the Shepherd, dear ones, without distraction or delay, trusting in the promise that, when you most need it, He will scoop you up, hug you close, and carry you the rest of the way. What could possibly be better than that?

The Writing Dog

People frequently ask, "How do you write so much?" The answer is usually that I don't watch television, which is technically true. I do occasionally (okay, rarely) watch old McGuyver reruns on Netflix. I cancelled my Direct TV because the programs made no sense to me and the commercials are maddening. The inability to use my remote was only a very small part of rejecting subscription programming, no matter what anyone else says. 

The empty nest, of course, likely has more to do with all my writing time than the television boycott. With no one to tend but the animals, the demands on my time are not as great as when I was running a taxi service and attending some sort of livestock show every weekend. As county fairs start gearing up, I miss hauling cows/goats/horses to the fairgrounds in all the nearby counties for summer shows. Ahh. Those were the days!  

But I digress. One of the reasons I'm able to write so much is that I have a writing chair and a writing dog. There is a big green chair and ottoman in my great room where I always sit to write. Because it's the writing chair, my mind begins to focus on writing as soon as I head toward it. 

Another great help is my writing dog. She doesn't actually write, of course, but she sits in my lap while I write. Maggie the Wonder Dog has the enviable ability to get very still and to listen when I read aloud. Mamie, on the other hand, is not a writing dog. She runs in circles non-stop, constantly hops, and jumps out of the chair almost as soon as she gets into my lap. She is very cheerful and has great enthusiasm, but no focus. 

Mamie is always fun to have around (unless you are trying to write).  A lot of us are like Mamie, aren't we? Full of energy, we run in so many directions that we don't get near as much done as we'd hope, nor do we complete all the tasks we start. It's like we are always muddling around. 

I think I'd rather be a Maggie. She can focus, she can be still, and she can carry a task through to the bitter end (especially if it involves chasing chickens). I'd like to be more like her, wouldn't you? I'm not going to chase the poultry, but finishing what I start would be a great improvement, as would continuing to  work on something until I'm completely done. 

Maybe the key is to pay attention from the beginning, as well as start small and build up. After all, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." (Luke 16:10 NASB)

Are you a Maggie or a Mamie? How much are you accomplishing? Maybe what you need to do is to focus, get still, and get started. 

Friday Night with Friends: Mamie's Turn: The Surgeration Adventure and the Blessing of Breathing

My nose is so great

I just breathed while I ate!

No struggle to breathe

I can do what I please!

I am Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy and my mama din't like my poem but I'm leavin' it anyway. Because my nose is so great! I am Mamie the soon-to-be Wonder Dog, and even if my mama and my sister Maggie say that's not true, I am so!!  It is true!  Anyway. I am not very old and not very big but I have very big fun and now I can breathe and have more fun!! Fun! Fun! Fun!  I love fun!

Oops!  Sorry.  

I had a surgeration this week and I slept all the way through it.  Naps are good.  It was 'specially good I got a nap for that surgeration, because I found out what Dr. Thomas did to me while I was sleeping. You might not believe this, but he knocked me out.  Thas' why I was sleeping so good.  If you are having trouble sleeping, you might ask him 'bout that knockin' out stuff.  Whew! You can get some sleep with that!  

After he knocked me, he cut my belly open, and cut some stuff out! I mighta needed that stuff one day, but really I don' know. My mama says I'm still a baby, but I'm already a big girl.  But he took one of my tooths out too! I KNOW I need my tooths.  I hafta have them for eatin!  Now that I can breathe, I need tooths to get caught up on my eatin'! Thank goodness he only took one!

My mama just tole me to get to the point, so I better get goin'.  What else he did was give me a chip.  I'll tell you about that another day.  What I like best about Dr. Thomas's knockin' out job was that he gave me a nose job. I don' know so much about nose jobbing.  That seems like a strange job to me, but not as strange as my mama's job.  I'm not even gonna tell you about that!  

Oh... the nose job.  I think he sorta cut my nose holes and put some blue threads in them.  He shoulda used pink.  I AM a GIRL, after all!  Anyway, that thread stuff and that cuttin' stuff has got my nose holes open really good.  I can breathe and breathe and breathe.  It's so fun!  

Now you might be doin' some breathin' and feel like it is not that important, but you should try not breathin' an' you would feel different 'bout it.  I bet Ole Adam could tell you.  He was laid out on the ground and he wadn't breathin' at all.  Finally, God came over and said, "He'll do better with breath." You are not gonna believe what happened next!  It was so exciting!  God (the One that made the world and everything) leaned over and blew some breath into Adam!  Woo Hoo!!! It got him started doing breathin' of his own, and Adam LOVED it! 

Now here is what you might not know, and it is my job as Apprentice Wonder Puppy to tell you. YOU have the breath of God, too! Thas' how you got started breathin', just like Ole Adam. I saw it in my mama's Bible.  Here it is:

"The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4

See.  I tole you.  When you are breathin' nice and easy through those big nose holes of yours, you should remember how you got started in the first place.  God.  The BIG God.  He's the One that started your breathin' and you should be sayin' your thank you's.  Thas' only polite.  My mama makes us say thank you. She makes us sit and stay, too.  

Oh, yeah.  The lesson.

The Apprentice Wonder Puppy Lesson for today is:

BREATHE

THANK GOD WHEN YOU DO IT

I'm little so I make little lessons.  But you should do it.  

That's the end.  By Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy (and Soon to be Wonder Dog, I hope)

Maggie's Turn: Loving and Praying

For those who don't know, I am Maggie the Wonder Dog. I'm an eleven pound Shih Tzu, and I live and work on a farm in northeast Mississippi. If you haven't read about my exploits, you really should! I have lots of fun and lots of wild adventure. 

I had a bad time of it a while back, though. You might've heard about it. My mama went to run errands and came back with a surprise. It was not jerky. Oh no! It was a baby sister!  I do not recommend baby sisters. Your mama will not let you eat them and they are too little to play. They also look EXACTLY like GREMLINS!!! It was quite a shock, as you might imagine, but, being a Wonder Dog, I rose to the occasion. 

Well, my mama says I should tell the truth. It was awful. You might not believe this but not only did I have to break in a baby sister, I had to take her on as an Apprentice Wonder Puppy!!!  It has not been easy. Not at all. Mamie only wants to hop and hop. I have told her she is not a rabbit but she says hopping is fun. Kids!

Anyway, after a lot, lot of work, I have taught Mamie (that's my apprentice) to do her pooh outside. What a job that was! She said outside was too far away and when a girl's gotta go, she's just gotta go. Good grief! I don't know if I can make a lady out of her or not!  I have been more successful teaching her tricks. That is only because she gets bits of jerky for tricks. She is not interested in learning. She is just interested in jerky. I taught her about jerky, so I guess that's okay. 

You would not believe all she has learned. She can sit, but she hops the whole time she's sitting. I don't really call it sitting, but mama said it would have to do. She can shake hands AND she has learned to dance like a ballerina. No luck yet with sneaking like a spy though. That's okay, because spies sneak. They do not hop! A hopping spy is a terrible spy! 

You might be able to tell that I have tried hard to be a good trainer for my apprentice, but I have to constantly be on my toes. It is a full time job training an apprentice wonder puppy! 

A surprising thing happened. Last night my mama said, "Maggie, Mamie is going to have surgery tomorrow, so you will be by yourself for a bit, but she will be home soon." Surgery. I didn't know that word, but it had a hissing sound at the start and it didn't sound good. It made me think of the hissing snake that tried to bite Ole Lou. That didn't seem like anything my baby sister needed, and I told my mama so. She said, "Oh Mags, it's an operation. They will knock her out, cut her open, take out her uterus and her ovaries, make her nostrils bigger, pull her baby tooth, sew everything up, and she will be good as new before you know it!" Someone should tell my mama there is such a thing as Too Much Information! That about made me sick!

I do not like this "knocking out" business Mamie is very little. If someone knocks her out, they could smash her head. I hope they don't use a hammer for that! And "cutting open" is as bad as knocking out. If God wanted Mamie's parts out, He would have given her a zipper. That's what I think, but it sure isn't what my mama thinks. She's all about cutting. She loves that kind of gory stuff. Yuck. 

Also, this business of pulling her teeth is just a bad idea. Wonder Dogs need teeth for catching chickens and shaking them. Oops! My mama just saw that. Sorry. Wonder Dogs need teeth for eating their delicious, healthy food that their wonderful, loving mama (who would never spank them for shaking chickens) provides. :) 

Now, my mama said Mamie would be home soon. Soon. That's what she said. I waited all day long, but no Mamie. When Mama got home, she brought groceries, but no Mamie. I ran round and round but I couldn't find Mamie anywhere. First mama leaves and comes back with a sister, then she leaves with my sister and comes back with no sister! I don't know what to think! 

If you know where my sister is, please let me know. We don't have good success lately with leaving and coming back. The barn cat left and when he finally came back, he fell over and got stiff as a board. I don't want Mamie turning into a board. No, I don't!

Anyway, lots of people prayed for me and Mamie today, and I thank you. Dr. Thomas did just fine with the surgery and even though he cut Mamie open, he closed her back. I was dreading her being open, so that is really good! He told my mama that Mamie would be able to breathe good now. Maybe she will be able to sneak like a spy after all!

I know you also prayed for me when Mamie and I were getting started and were having such a hard time. Since I have a little break from teaching my apprentice wonder puppy, I thought I would take the chance to tell you thank you for that, too. When you prayed for God to help us, He did. When you prayed for me to learn to love Mamie and for us to get along, that's what happened. We got "knitted together with strong cords of love." (Colossians 2:2). These love cords are really nice. Except when your baby sister is in the hospital. That's not nice at all. 

Hey, I just thought of something! If you are having trouble with your baby sister, or anybody else for that matter, you just let me know. We will pray for you to get some of these good love cords. They are really nice. You will be so glad you did!

The end. By Maggie the Wonder Dog

PS. I forgot the Wonder Dog lesson of the day, so here it is. 

Love and pray. 

If you can't do that, pray until you love.

And that's really the end. 

By Maggie the Wonder Dog 

Maggie, Mamie, and Answered Prayer

For those who don't know, Maggie the Wonder Dog is my five year old Shih Tzu, and is just wonderful. She is smart as a whip, and can do everything from dancing like a ballerina to herding cattle.  She's spunky and fun.

A few months ago, I was running errands when my long pondered decision to purchase a second dog suddenly led me to the flea market. In less than fifteen minutes, I had a two pound Shih Tzu puppy named Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy, and was headed home. 

Admittedly, I did not consider the implications of bringing an energetic puppy into the domain of an adult, and very feisty, dog. I wish I had. Maggie was furious with me. In her defense, I did go in the house with the puppy, proclaiming that I had a surprise and calling Maggie to see. She expected beef jerky and found a rival. 

To say Maggie was unhappy is a vast understatement. At one point, I thought she would kill the puppy. Those first few weeks were horrible. My home, usually a peaceful haven, became a battle ground, and I began to reconsider my decision. Maybe I needed to find Mamie a new home to keep her safe. Maybe Maggie needed a dog whisperer. I was desperate. 

As with other problems, I made this one a matter of considerable prayer. I recruited people to help me pray, and I watched to see God at work. It took a while, and I began to wonder what God was teaching me. 

A friend of mine once said that, in dire situations, God often seems to move slowly, all the time working in us rather than our circumstances. She said that, when He finally moves, it seems abrupt and unexpected, but looking back you can see a point where things began to improve and that they were steadily better from there. 

I've found that to be true in several situations, and no less in this one. A few weeks ago, my neighbor wanted to take the dogs for a walk. He had just returned from walking Maggie and was putting the leash on Mamie. Somehow, he fumbled and Mamie yelped. He didn't hurt her, but it sounded briefly like she was in pain. Maggie did not hesitate a second. She growled and jumped to Mamie's defense, barking at my neighbor.  Aggression in a dog is not usually a good thing, but it was the first inkling I had that Maggie and Mamie might become friends. 

Looking back, things gradually (and very slowly) improved. When Mamie is pesty (pretty often), Maggie growls and she backs down. They've begun to play together. Recently, they've begun to share my lap as well. Tonight, I was cleaning the kitchen and looked around for the dogs. I found them peacefully snuggled together on Maggie's dog bed. 

It was a beautifully answered prayer. 

Perhaps you have been waiting for God to move, and perhaps you are waiting for an answer considerably more important than grouchy dogs. I can't tell you how it will look or when it will come, but I can say with certainty that God hears and will respond to your prayer. It may not look like you expected, but He will move.

Take heart and keep praying, dear ones. Your answer is on the way. 

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16 NASB)

Mamie meets something big

The dogs have been confined to the house because of the recent rain and have been eager for a romp. This morning, Mamie was barking non-stop for a chance to accompany me to the barn. As usual, she buzzed the cats and hopped on their heads, barked at the chickens through the stall door, and ran in circles, happily playing with any creature that could be enticed to join her.

Because she is so little, still weighing only 5 1/2 lbs, she is usually confined to the tack room when the barn doors are opened to let the horses inside. This morning, she was bouncing and hopping so much that she hopped away from me before I knew it. I was already opening the barn doors and the horses were heading inside for breakfast. 

Mamie has seen the horses before, but she has mostly seen their hooves. This morning, she plunked her bottom down in the dirt, looked up as the first horse headed inside, and dropped her mouth wide open in amazement.  She was so surprised that she sat perfectly still and watched. It was clear that she had, for the first time, realized how very large the horses are in comparison to her own tiny self. She didn't move a muscle until all the horses were in their stalls. 

Little Mamie, apprentice wonder puppy, has a new appreciation for how small she is beside those big horses, and a little better understanding of who she is not. That's a pretty important piece of information for puppies, but it's important for us, too, isn't it?  It's easy to get so caught up in our own little part of the world that we forget how big this planet is and how vast the population. 

An even bigger risk is that we see ourselves as "big", yet fail to recognize the vast omnipotence of God. We see the "hooves" without ever noticing the whole of Him. Perhaps we need to do what Mamie did this morning. Sit down, look up, and watch for the entire revelation. 

Be still, and know that I am God... I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalms 46:10 KJV)

  

Squashed Nostrils and the Breath of God

Mamie went for her well baby check today. For those who don't know, Mamie is my almost-five-months-old Shih Tzu puppy who spent the first part of her life masquerading as a gremlin. Her first hair cut revealed the true dog, transformed her into an even fiestier Mamie, and sent Maggie and me racing for a high spot. Mamie now appears to be in training for high-jump Doglympics. She hops all the time!

She had to have a few vaccinations today as well as a general check up. It's never good news when I go to pick up one of my doggie babies and hear that the vet wants to talk to me. Dr. Thomas had not-great news. Not surprising to me, who has listened to her nose-noise for months, Mamie needs nostril surgery. Tiny nostrils is a common problem in Shih Tzu's because of their "flattened facial structure".  In the vernacular, their nose holes are squashed together. 

Squashed nostrils might not seem like a problem, but here's a demonstration that might help. Hold both your nostrils almost completely together, keep your mouth closed, and try to breathe. It's horrid, and feels like you are suffocating. Now try doing that while you are running and hopping non-stop. Impossible. This little 5 1/2 pound puppy has been doing the impossible while fighting for every breath. Surgery is not far away. What worries me is how much energy she will have when she can breathe freely! Unstoppable!

The idea of breath and nostrils had me wondering what Scripture said, so I did a quick search. You might be surprised by the number of references to nostrils in scripture. There was one verse, though, that captured my attention. It's from Job. 

"For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit." (Job 27:3, 4 NASB)

As long as there is life in him and the breath of God in his nostrils, Job will not lie, he tells his listeners. Imagine that!  The breath of God is in our nostrils! This idea comes from Genesis 2:7, which tells us that, after forming man, God breathed into his nostrils and gave life to the man. 

Selah. Pause and consider. 

Every time you take a breath in through your nostrils, you are inhaling the breath of God. 

Stop for a moment, close your eyes, and breathe. Take big inhalations through your nostrils and fill your lungs with the breath of God. Isn't that profound? Moving? Amazing?

Right now, you, dear ones, are filled with the breath of God. No tiny nostrils restrict your flow of air. You are filled with Him. 

Ponder that tonight.  

Ponder that, and let it change you.