God speaks through puppies: "A Soft Answer turns away wrath."

God speaks through puppies: "A Soft Answer turns away wrath.": You have probably heard the statement, 'You can catch more bees with honey' right? Interestingly enough, this statement (although it talks a...

"A Soft Answer turns away wrath."

You have probably heard the statement, 'You can catch more bees with honey' right?

Interestingly enough, this statement (although it talks about bees) does not just apply to the way we respond to one another (I'll get to this a bit later) but also our pets, specifically dogs, or maybe just our Chloe.

Now, I know that in the dog training videos I've watched, and all the reading I've done, we are to be clear with our canines about what is 'good' and what is 'bad', and I don't disagree that concept, as a lot of training is associated with listening and word training so to speak. 

We still have to remind Chloe about behaviour that she should know is bad by now every once in a while. And often, as a child would, she'll test us anyways, knowing better! It actually baffles me at times at how she still seems to think that she's smarter than us from time to time, and actually believes that we will not see through her cunning antics!

I've recently noticed though, that something very interesting happens when we tell her that she's a 'good' girl. Her little ears perk up immediately, and she stands at attention. Now, this could very well be associated with her expectation of a treat of some kind to follow (her entire world seems to revolve around food it seems - I can finally identify being in my 2nd trimester lol!), but it works in circumstances where food is not around as well. If we want her to comply with our request and are having a difficult time getting her to obey, affirming that she's a good dog seems to have a profound effect, and she immediately quits the stubborn act and gives in.

Now, I said that I would come back to this earlier - if this would work on my little 7lb puppy dog, I imagine the impact that it would have on a human. We all know the effect that a kind word has on our disposition. How a nice compliment or encouragement can really make our day! How much more those who around us? How much more in a time when with everything in you, you want to come down on someone, and in some cases, rightly so?

However, it is far more effective and wiser to affirm good behaviour or be grateful for things you appreciate, or that were done right instead. This works in our marriages, with our children, in our friendships and workplaces, and the best part is, all of us are wired the same way, so it is sure-fire to succeed every time!

Easier said than done? When I think about it, I realize that God practices this with us every day - and more so to the degree that we allow Him to. None of us are perfect, and we all have our own shortcomings. Jesus has promised that despite it all, He would never leave us and promises us good things. We can be assured that by His presence within us, we have received His grace, His empowerment to resist lashing out in a heated or negative situation, and answer 'softly' with honey instead.

Now, let me get up close and personal with this. What does this look like in action? Well, for me, I have noticed a tendency to get really upset when things are not done in somewhat of a systematic order. Well, not just any systematic order, but the way that I have lined them up - this is more so true in my own domain, home that is. I like things done a certain way, I want my hubby to comply with it and adapt and since he's the closest one to me (as God forges us from two into one more and more each year) we certainly as any normal couple, have our 'issues.' (I would question anyone couple who says they don't I might add).

However, despite my tendency to get upset or critical over something, I've made a decision that with God's help, I will not get rude or disrespectful in the way that I respond to him. This is regardless of whether it's heated and I'd be justified in my own mind to do so, or there was no reason provoking me to do so at all. And do you know what I've found? My marriage, like little Ms. Chloe has been better than ever as a result! We are able to get along better, instead of losing our patience with one another as so many couples do once married. Am I lying? Do we not see all the negative implications towards marriage and the implications that your life will be 'hell' after (excuse my language) all over tv, movies etc? 

Well, I'm saying today that it does not have to be, and with some effort to continue to be loving and respectful, positive affirmation goes a long way -- even with a little mischievous puppy!

God speaks through puppies: Your Every Sigh

God speaks through puppies: Your Every Sigh: "Well, it's about that time again. It looks like this is turning out to be more a monthly blog, which is okay as I'm sure that most of you ge..."

Your Every Sigh

Well, it's about that time again. It looks like this is turning out to be more a monthly blog, which is okay as I'm sure that most of you get bombarded with information and tonnes of optional reading on a daily basis!

Since my last blog, we have moved to the beautiful city of Burlington. It has been quite an adjustment and Miss Chloe-as I like to call her-was quite confused by all the various people and places she's seen, that's for sure. There were moments where she even seemed quite depressed and we've noticed that she seems to finally-for the most part-recognize who her owners are! A bit of a relief as she was quite content going home with anyone who gave her significant attention prior to! Haha!

Asides from ceramic floors throughout the home (which Chloe and I don't really like - let me add), we were having some issues with the plumbing at the kitchen sink a week ago. It got to be quite frustrating as I used every ounce of Grace given to me to remain calm and not totally flip out. "All I want is a clean plate to eat on, is that too much to ask for??!!" I thought, as I kept washing dishes and putting them to dry in the sink to my right where they'd  get dirty AGAIN! How you ask? Well....somehow the water kept rising in the side it was supposed to be drying in & I of course, kept removing the dishes and putting them back in the other side to wash again. So I tried the plunger - quite an ordeal for a pregnant woman (oh yes, I probably haven't mentioned that before in my blogs - I'm pregnant!! Yay!) and then tried again. Eventually, I realized that my right sink wasn't the only problem, the water seemed to be flooding in the left first and then into the right!! I was at my wits end. The amalgamation of boxes and plastic bags, and unpacking etc was already waking me up from my sleep as I desperately would keep unpacking and thinking of where to put things - Even in my dreams!! Aaaahh!! I had had enough! I let out a big sigh and decided that Chloe and I were going for a walk.

The fresh air was beautiful and I had a good opportunity to admire God's beautiful creation and calm down. Something that I have learned to do and appreciate from Chloe actually :) And then it happened. We met a nice Scottish gentleman with a Don Cherry type dog - I have no idea what it's called - but he was kinda cool looking. I'd had seen him & chatted very briefly before about our dogs once before. However, this night, he actually seemed to be in the mood to chat. It wasn't very long before I asked him what he did for a living. And guess what? Yes, out of all the people I could've met at 7:30pm that night, I had met a 'plumber'!!! Yay!!! I asked my questions about clogged sinks, Drano and plungers and he was able to provide me with directions to solve the problem in a minute or so!

As I walked back home, a sense of peace and joy came over me, as I was overwhelmed by God's love for me and my silly flooding sink. I thought "Wow, I know that was You. You heard my weary sigh and totally set that up for me. I didn't even take the time to talk to you about it, but You are faithful all the time!"

I remembered as I did the dishes that night how attentive I am to Chloe's every whimper and cry. I know her normal and abnormal behaviour and I'm aware of what she can handle and where she needs some assistance. I realized that if I as a human could do this with a little dog, (and my child too who's on its way), how much more Our Creator God, Our Heavenly Father who cares about our every need?

He's so much bigger than us, outside of time and space, Creator of the galaxies and heavens that continue to expand beyond our measure...and He stopped to listen to my sigh about my sink!

Can you feel His Love? He certainly wants you to.

God speaks through puppies: Back to the Basics

God speaks through puppies: Back to the Basics: "It's about the time for a new blog and on queue, Chloe's mischief has taught me yet another lesson. The escape into the neighbour's yard co..."

Back to the Basics

It's about the time for a new blog and on queue, Chloe's mischief has taught me yet another lesson.
The escape into the neighbour's yard continues - despite our attempts to watch her and stop her. In some ways, it seems to be less threatening; that is, when she responds, and returns when called.
However lately, Chloe's picked up a little 'sass' and will literally look us straight in the face and pretend like she didn't hear us or see us at all. Kind of a tough problem to rectify when you're hollering for her without being able to go over and grab her because she's on the other side of the fence! You are literally at the mercy of her just growing tired of sniffing around, and eventually returning when she feels like it. A little scary and definitely unacceptable behaviour. It was time to get back to the basics of her training, and remind her why she's better off obeying and coming home.

So,  what did I do? Well, I figured, it's a nice warm day. Chloe is going to get dehydrated and hot eventually, and will then want indoors where the temperature is cooler and her bowl of water awaits her. Not to mention, there's always the possibility of picking up some scraps indoors, and who could ignore the joys of 'belly-rubs'!
So, I cranked the door open so she could smell the food while I made lunch, but shut the screen door. And when she did return, before I so willingly let her in or scolded her, I left her out to miss being inside a little. It was hard, she cried and whined but eventually realized that not responding to the invitation to enter when it was an option was not a wise decision as the door would not always be 'open' so to speak

We so often get distracted by the different ideas, images, and thoughts that the world constantly bombards us with. Billboards, music, videos, games, movies, the idea of getting rich quick, not having enough, not being skinny enough, the weight of the bills, emotional burdens, etc etc. It's so easy to let it all get us down. To feel like failures. To feel hopeless. To feel like we're not successful or just not good enough. But that is not the Truth. The Truth sets us free from social expectations, family expectations, and sometimes, even our own expectations. We can be so hard on ourselves even if no one else knows we are. But God says that you are precious to Him. Jesus paid the price of His blood so that you could be free, be whole, be filled with Life and enjoy it. Live with a purpose, a unique design. You were awesomely (if that's a word) and wonderfully made! Made in His image, with a desire for the supernatural, to know Him, deep inside of You. A Unique Master piece, created for Greatness!
But it's so easy to forget or ignore all of this in a world that is constantly screaming at you with an array of voices - all at the same time!

And that's when it's time. Time to get back to the Basics. Time to take some time alone away from the pressures and screaming voices of the world, and find a quiet place. Time to connect with your Creator who loves you and adores you, and let Him lavish His love upon you. Allow Him to remind you that you were created for so much more than the so-called pressures of your own little world. Remind yourself of what He says about you in His Word. You have the opportunity to leave a mark, a legacy, an opportunity to be like your Heavenly Father and give. Live to make a difference in others lives, and enjoy life to the fullest.

You see, He will often let us wander around till we decide to come home. Till we realize that we were better off in His love.  The world can be a hot, cruel and lonely place,  but know that when you decide to walk into His doors, His water of refreshing and grace are always there for you. The time is now, while the door is still open. For none of us can guarantee our tomorrow. Once you're in, you'll wonder why you ever left at all :)

God speaks through puppies: Kibbles vs. that other stuff

God speaks through puppies: Kibbles vs. that other stuff: "I have been noticing a new trend infiltrating society: schools, churches, politics, corporations and families as of late, and it's been very..."

Kibbles vs. that other stuff

I have been noticing a new trend infiltrating society: schools, churches, politics, corporations and families as of late, and it's been very interesting. At first, I thought it was just a leadership style, a change in how people manage or led others so to speak - you know, a shift from autocratic to democratic kind of. Have you heard about it? It's pretty neat actually, its premise is more of a relational type leading verses the more traditional "yes Boss" attitude.

This new style appreciates the gifts, talents and experience of every person; suggests that every one is a leader and would run more like a team, than a government. There's not much not to like about it, happy people are productive people. It's basic morale boosting 101. I for one find it refreshing, and see it as a real good thing - as it empowers every individual to give their best shot, to be valued and have significance.

However, when I started to notice how this attitude was infiltrating all of the different areas above, I started to really weigh the above pros with the cons - in light of the different scenarios that I had heard of recently.

I wondered what its worst would look like? How it would affect people in terms of the direction they'd be heading? And what pace they'd move ahead at, if they moved at all?

I mean in a perfect world, it would totally work! People would naturally just respect one another, understand the need for direction, realize that someone would have to take the lead and work together to accomplish their goal. However, what happens when things don't go that way? When no one is willing to step up to the plate and take charge, provide direction? What if the fear of being disliked or coming across as being authoritative dominated instead? What if everyone decided to do their own thing as long as it didn't seem to effect others? And nobody stood up for any morals for fear of being labelled as 'negative'? What if everyone just wanted to be on every one else's good side? And didn't speak their minds for fear of having a confrontation or disagreement? Now, I know that these may be a lot of 'what ifs', but don't we already see a lot of these things happening? 

• Parents who want to be 'friends' with their kids, that they forget their role as parents.
• Colleagues who look to each other for direction, but nobody really wants to take a stand and initiate anything new or for the better, or get mad at the person who does
• People that are so fed up with their experiences at church, that they all decide that the answer is to just not go, not believe, or eliminate the structure as a whole.
• Citizens who decide that their current government needs some serious change, and decide to vote for groups that just want to appease the crowds - not realizing the possible outcomes or instead, starting some kind of uprising instead.

I even heard from a friend that she's seen this similar attitude in elementary schools as people seem so clueless and unwilling to provide clear instructions.

Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for everything, and I'm not saying that there were no cons to the old way of doing things either. It bred a lot other problems - pride, making others feel small, and even abuse in some cases, etc. 

Change (although many don't like it) is often a good thing. It gives us a fresh start, the opportunity to change the way we think, or have done life previously: a chance to grow.

In terms of the new trend/style/culture, whatever you want to call it, the prior may have had its set of down-falls when abused, but when used appropriately it led to good things like standing for morals, conserving the family, corporations, churches, the welfare of a country, established some ground-breaking dreams led by one man or woman (and there were many of them). While the new establishes a sense of self worth, recognizes that those dreams accomplished took more than the one man/woman - those that believed, and followed them. It states that we are on level ground (as we truly are).  But at it's worst, it can also create a disdain or ungrateful attitude for things that were, trying to build from scratch when a rich heritage is available as a foundation.

So why not have the best of both worlds? We have so much to learn from our past, it could give us a head start as new generation - where we can learn that equality is important, but that we don't need to be afraid of leading and helping others accomplish things. We can take responsibility for our actions and yet be productive people that honour others. So what am I really getting at? In other words...

"Be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water," "Eat the meat and leave the bones" OR in Chloe's case, 'eat what's placed before you - but separate the kibbles from the pedigree' (she sorts them!). 

As with everything, Balance is possible, attainable and healthiest! :)

God speaks through puppies: Stop & smell the....weeds??

God speaks through puppies: Stop & smell the....weeds??: "I was inspired to write as I noticed Chloe's behaviour yesterday- during the rainy and gloomy weather - to today - where there's blue skies ..."

Stop & smell the....weeds??

I was inspired to write as I noticed Chloe's behaviour yesterday- during the rainy and gloomy weather - to today - where there's blue skies and it's nice and sunny. I know that she dislikes the rain and it being wet outside, and like most of us enjoys the sunshine. However, there was something very interesting in her behaviour yesterday, come to think of it, she's been doing the same thing during the snowy weather too!- I just hadn't paid attention to it earlier.

Every day, as soon as she's let outside (after ringing her bell to ask permission - yes, it works for those trying to figure out a way to train your pet), she stops and sniffs the air.

The fresh air that's filled with fragrances from flowers and plants (mostly the neighbours!), the dandelions in our garden (yes, we stink at gardening, and need to work on it), the aromas of food floating around, and probably little treasures of food or the perfect toy - dried leaves! She spends at least 10 or 15 minutes doing this before she heads down into the yard to do her 'business' or enter back into our home.

I know, she's a dog, dogs have a very keen sense of smell, so this seems like normal behaviour for her of course. But what I found interesting was that despite her preference to the sunshine, her reaction remained exactly the same in the gloomy weather yesterday and everyday for that matter. And I thought, wow! wouldn't it be great if we all were so grateful with the life that was given to us - I mean all of it - the rainy, snowy, sunny days and moments in our own lives?

There are ups and downs, but through the strength we have in Christ, we are able (should we choose to) to remain constant regardless of what is going on around us; to continue onwards with life rather than recoil in pain and isolate ourselves during difficult times, we are able to think of others and how they may be less fortunate and need help, even when we are going through hardships in our lives. As I ponder on this, I recall two movies that I've seen recently that further illustrate these points: Soul surfer & Flipped. I didn't even notice the recurring theme within all the above mentioned until now! Who says God doesn't speak?!

Let's challenge ourselves to be thankful, for every little thing especially when we don't understand things that are happening around us - For Thankfulness truly guards our heart from Bitterness.

God speaks through puppies: The Teacher becomes the Student

God speaks through puppies: The Teacher becomes the Student: "When people say that it's like raising a child, they weren't kidding! Chloe is just growing in her 'adult' teeth - just when I thought that ..."

The Teacher becomes the Student

When people say that it's like raising a child, they weren't kidding! Chloe is just growing in her 'adult' teeth - just when I thought that she had finally outgrown her chewing stage, it has gotten even worse! 

Stronger teeth = more damage

It's at these times and a few others where she does not respond the way I'd like her to, that I find that I can get quite upset  and ('run away') distance myself from her. But the more I think about it, I realize that she doesn't understand what she's doing is wrong, and will not -unless - I train her to know so, and find a better way to communicate it to her so she understands. Furthermore, it's gotten me to thinking...how often have I 'run away' from ugly situations - in whatever form it may be - thinking, distancing, leaving etc?

I have found that in this entire process of me having to 'train' Chloe, I have indeed become the student! I have had to read, speak to others, and view countless videos to understand how to relate and figure out Chloe's needs in order for her to function at her fullest. I have had to change the way I behave, speak and even physically move to get my point across. Never before have I been so conscious of my actions. And sometimes, (which is one of the reasons I started this blog) these situations lead to learning a life lesson, or something (either positive or negative) about myself - like this time. 

^"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

So guess which one out of these has really struck me recently? Clue...it's in bold! Now, it may sound a bit cheesy to some, but I have found that the above truly mark strength of character in a person's life. They are also however, not something that is easy to come by. We require God's supernatural ability to live this way. However, I have found though that like all things, good and bad, our personal choices to live these attributes out play a huge role in all of this.

I've been pondering a lot on Faithfulness lately. Contrary to what most believe, this does not just end at being full of faith in God but rather, it's an action word. For Faith without action is not faith at all. What does that mean? Faith in the line of fire, when things are tough, just as much as when things are all roses. Sticking to your guns despite what it may look like around you, choosing to fulfill your responsibilities and commitments despite how you may be treated. It means, believing God to work all things for good even when we don't understand why things are happening the way that they do. It means when the going gets tough, the tough get going! Refusing to throw in the towel despite the pressure. It is at those times that we discover what a person is truly made of: we certainly did with Jesus as He was persecuted, beaten & executed. How fitting that God would show me this as we celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection in a few days! 

I suppose another word for Faithfulness would really be Perseverance. Truly digging your heels in. Setting your face as flint towards your goal as Jesus did.

From another perspective, I have also found that it is those who possess this trait (that seems very close knit with patience doesn't it?) are the ones who see God's faithfulness for what it truly is. They pass the test, they reap the rewards, and they are usually promoted in life! I think of the stories of Abraham, Joseph, David and many modern day ones, including a friend who recently shared his story with me.

So I challenge you, as I do myself, to hang in there knowing that God will indeed see you through, and we will all be better for it!

Chloe's First Haircut

Chloe has finally been filling out and growing up, and her fur and nails are in on the race as well.
In the past, she would tire out so fast and nap, so it was easy to deal with any of it while she was asleep.  However, as she gets older and faster, this has proven to become more difficult.

When her long fur, especially around her paws started to make the whole ordeal dangerous (as we couldn't see anything once you factor in her fidgeting and gnawing), we began to think of other ways to get her to cooperate - treats, holding her a certain way, two of us grabbing her, scheduling it at different times of the day, etc. Needless to say, we grew tired of it quickly, and it was proving useless! You would swear that she was being tortured as she let out high pitched screams, & gnashed her teeth before the clipper even got near her nails, or the brush even touched her fur! Then, she would jump out of your grip and grab everything that was removed from her as if to say, "that's mine, you can't have it!"

So the time finally came to take her to the pros - they'd know how to produce results and deal with this crazy behaviour!

As I dropped her off to be groomed, I started to wonder about what the whole ordeal would be like for her: you know, how she'd react? and if she'd drive the groomers nuts too! And then I had a thought, how do I react when I've found myself in uncomfortable circumstances in life? We've all had them or are going through them right now. Do we realize that they have the possibility to  shape us in some way? and further more, that contrary to popular belief, they were not meant to ruin us?
I laughed at Chloe trying to grab her fallen fur back from the floor, but how many times have I gone through circumstances and tried to grab back the pain, or hurt and the habits that have resulted from them when God was trying to set me free from them? Why? Because they made me feel comfortable. Because they were a part of me.
At what point in our lives do we accept the bitterness, the unforgiveness, the wrong words that were spoken to us, the wrong things that have happened to us, or that we've done to others, as a part of ourselves?
I have noticed one thing with all of the above, as much as I attempt to pray them away or avoid them, they continue to rear their ugly heads - sometimes at different times, sometimes all at once - and usually in different circumstances. In the past,  that was my cue to complain, "why me?" (either angrily or miserably) to God.
However, recently, I feel that I finally see the answer to that clearly. It was right there, before me all along. They are God-given reminders and opportunities to allow Him to help us get rid of these things from our lives. I realized that His MO is not "let me take it away", but rather, "I want you to face it, and defeat it with My help. You can do it."

The recurring difficulties you face in your life are probably no coincidence. Neither are they meant to be classified as vicious cycles in your life that merely victimize you. If it's something that keeps coming up, it's because whatever is holding you back, is still there. And here's the news flash in case you didn't see it coming, it will continue to be there until you face it. It doesn't matter if you run from it and hide,  cover it up with a mask or illusions of grandeur, drown it with tears or alcohol, candy-coat it and pretend it doesn't exist, pick the scabs to rehearse the events, or continue to replace people in your lives because you think they are cause of the problem. It or they, will still be there.
But I want to tell you today, that they don't have to continue being there. That as long as you are alive, there is Hope. But the decision will always be Yours. Only yours.

There is One who can help you heal. He says that you are beautiful without these leeches that have attached themselves to you. You can be free to be the 'real' you. Perhaps it's time for you to finally allow yourself to be groomed by the Professional Himself?
And this time, you won't go and pick up what falls to the ground....because you've realized that it was never really a part of you anyway.

It's been a while...

I know I haven't written in a bit. I've had a few ideas but hadn't been able to get to it.
I've decided to do something a little different today since a lot has happened in the past few weeks and Chloe has grown up quite a bit! Here's a list of quirky and cute things that she has been up to lately:

- She has learned to climb up the stairs. I'll never forget how shocking it was to hear her whining sounding a lot closer one day & finding her looking for us in the hallway!
- Her first throw up. Yup, right ON me too. Why? she had decided that she could fit the whole rawhide bone down her gullet! On another note, it is cute how she comes over frantically looking for help. I'm glad that she knows that she can count on me. (Just like we can on our Heavenly Father :)
- Cute thing she does after - After being cleaned up and drinking some water, she points her nose in the air toward me for a kiss to show her appreciation. (No, I do not let her lick my face, we do nose kisses instead).
-Wrestling with Daisy - I'm pretty sure her favourite toy is a plush dog (Daisy) about the same size as her.  Feature wrestling move? backing her butt into Daisy as she kicks her in the side....It's quite funny to watch! Today she was so busy pummeling Daisy that she fell right off the bed! What happened after? She got right back up and continued to let Daisy have it!
- Escape at 2am - She surprised us both when she quietly ran out of her crate (discovered that the door wasn't locked) and was staring at me when I turned over in bed!
- Puppy food not good enough - She's been developing a habit in only wanting to eat our food. Can't blame her, I know ours is better! Had to pretend like I was eating her food to get her interested...it worked!...well, for about about half a bowl & then she was on to me!
- MIA- We've been training Chloe to ring a bell to let us know that she needs to go out. It's been a hit & miss until she realized that it's getting warmer & there's a whole world to discover out there! The bell was ringing every 5 minutes and I made a discovery too...I don't have an all fenced in yard as I thought, and she ended up at the neighbours! Kinda scary!


I'll be spending the next little while trying to figure out how to prevent this & save myself from the drama of it all.

Stay tuned to find out how.

Follow the Leader leader leader :)

In my search for tips to train our little Chloe, I came upon several articles about how all dogs live in a social order, needing to feel like they're following their 'Alpha'. Failure to provide this type of environment leads your dog to feeling 'stressed' and destructive behaviour such as biting, digging, defiantly doing their business inside your home, etc as they attempt to make up for the lack in leadership.

We, as humans were created to be leaders in our own 'world'. There aren't just a few of us who are superior and destined  for it, but rather only those who recognize and act on the God-given ability to lead within them!

“Great leaders are also Great Followers.”

Like Chloe, we are all influenced by someone or something. We are not only leaders, but as this quote says, we are followers as well. 

Great leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Mother Teresa and Abraham Lincoln are all admired for their courage and boldness to stand and fight for what they believed in. However, they were all great followers of a Great Leader as well! In fact, the Greatest that ever lived and continues to live today!

But Jesus Himself, also was a Great Follower when He walked this earth. He was obedient all the way to His death and only did what His Heavenly Father told him to, despite His divinity.

We see His success as His legacy lives on over 2,000 years later today, He continues to replicate Himself, and His work continues to advance all over the world!

So as I am Chloe's 'Alpha', I along with you must ask myself 'Who' is mine? Do I recognize that I was created to Lead? But most of all,  Am I too a Great Follower?"

God speaks through puppies: "Get that out of your mouth!"

God speaks through puppies: "Get that out of your mouth!": "My new little vacuum cleaner walks around with her nose glued to the floor! She is really like a baby, every little thing that is on the fl..."

"Get that out of your mouth!"

My new little vacuum cleaner walks around with her nose glued to the floor! She is really like a baby, every little thing that is on the floor ends up in her mouth, and we have found that we have to be extra careful with things that are dropped or left around.

A little while ago, Chloe was doing her regular 'let's eat everything' thing and ended up chewing on a small open safety pin. I had never seen this pin before, and had no idea how she found it! But clearly Chloe didn't realize that the safety pin could hurt her, and that other things could be poisonous or fatal. All she knows is she wants to eat them.

How often do we take a similar approach to life? Swallowing everything we find thinking that it must be good for us. How often have we wished or prayed for things that we think would be very beneficial to us?

How many times have we thought that our seemingly unanswered prayers mean that God is just ignoring us? or that we are maybe not worth listening to? Perhaps some have been led to the conclusion that perhaps He does not exist.

What if the answer was sometimes simply 'No, that's not good for you', or 'Wait till you can handle it?' Our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves! He knows what we can handle, and furthermore, what is good for us, and what simply isn't!

Why is this important?

Because lots of the time, we don't know what we really need. 

Because more often than not, we think that we need what we really just want.

And mostly, because what we want can often destroy us and hurt others.

Chloe's First Night Home

So I can still remember Chloe's first night. Why? Because like a baby, she cried pretty much all through it!!

I remember John saying, "I didn't know that all this would be involved in having a puppy!"

However, he was very gracious and I marvelled at how he took charge and looked after starting that night!

She came home with just a blanket and some kibble & bits, and we weren't quite sure where to put her until we could get out the next day and find a crate. So, for the night a fairly deep box with a blanket would do. Or would it? Somehow, she figured out how to climb right out of it, and onto our bed!!

Then, we decided to put in a 3 foot tall laundry basket thinking, 'Surely, she can't get out of this, it's about 7 times her size in height!' And somehow, her fear I suppose gave her the courage or smarts, to figure out that she could claw and climb her way right out of it! And continue crying till we came for her!

At last, we discovered that anything lined in fabric would be too easy for her to work with, and we ended up taping up the flaps of the box to create higher walls to contain her for the night. And she was then forced to sleep alone. It sounds cruel to have left her all alone on her first night. It felt worse to have to listen to her cry all through it, but it had to be done so that she would learn to be stronger and get over her fear.

The reality was, there really was nothing around her that could hurt her, and we were very close still protecting her and loving her.

I thought of all the times that I, and others have shared of times we've all felt that we were going through some kind of pain alone. And how often God had seemed so quiet -  I thought He was far away.

And then I realize that He was always there, loving and patiently waiting for us to grow up :)

Chloe's first day Home

We (my husband, John & I) had been discussing getting a puppy for the past few years, but our busy schedules and past few moves had not made this the best decision for us at the time.

However, 5 years into our marriage, we are now at a place in our lives where we would have the privilege of working from home the majority of the time, and be able to devote the time needed to nurture and train a puppy. No, we do not have children yet, but Chloe has been good training so to speak.

She arrived a few days earlier than my birthday from John, and was sitting at my doorstep with a card around her neck! It was the cutest thing ever, and her stillness made me believe she was a little stuffed animal, until she moved ever so slightly, and I shrieked! I imagine, she must have been as startled as I was! I didn't suspect this surprise at all, despite all our talks about it in the past!

It was December 3rd, and she was 9 weeks old, and all she wanted to do was stay near us and cuddle and sleep. While this still remains one of her favourite things to do, a lot has changed! I decided that it would be a good idea to keep a record about these changes to help us remember, but more so because I didn't want to forget the simple lessons that God has been teaching me through the process.

I hope that these short stories equipped with a simple lesson will help you ponder life & learn along with me :)

Cheers,

Dona