Lessons learnt from the passing of our family pet

 “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” - Josh Billings

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our family Labrador last week. Bella was 15 years old and had certainly lived a long and good life. In her earlier years she was such an energetic and busy dog, getting up to the usual dog-mischief when she was allowed. She watched all our boys grow up and loved to play with them when they were able to spend time with her. She travelled with us, as we moved 3 times, and was a constant presence in our lives.

As we get used to the emptiness that Bella's death has left in our home, I am struck by a few things that I hope we cherish forever. 

1. She was incredibly loyal - pets are such loyal friends to humans (certainly more than we are).

2. She was forgiving - you can be cross with your pet for a moment, but very soon, they come back to you as if nothing has happened.

3. She was happy almost all the time - the constant wag of the tail told us that she was content with her lot in life. A little food, shelter and love, was all she needed.

4. She loved company - Labrador's love to be around people and she used to lie down or sit wherever she knew someone would have to walk over her or around her :)

5. She was friendly to 99% of people - her capacity to accept people was truly overwhelming. If she didn't get along with someone, it was usually an indication that something was 'up' with the human and not her. 

We will miss her but are grateful for all the years we got to enjoy life with her. To all of you who have ever lost a pet, I am sure you understand. God bless. 

“Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” - Mark Twain

“I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.” - Abraham Lincoln

Living in Grace

D3LM3

P.S. - The photo is from the internet 

One day at a time

The uncertainty of the present age in which we are living, really reminds us to live 'one day at a time.' Circumstances and situations are constantly changing - we never know what tomorrow may bring. The only certainty we can have is that tomorrow will not be the same as today! 

For this reason I believe in Jesus' words to his followers: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

James said it like this: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14).

May you know that God will grant you enough grace for today, as we all learn to live simply 'one day at at time!'

"No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time - Bob Parsons 

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Live life to the full

Abraham Lincoln once remarked that "in the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years." At first reading it doesn't always hit home as much as it should do, but then when you dwell on it, you realise how much sense it makes. You could live to be 100 years old and still feel that you haven't lived a full life, whereas some people only live into their teens and seem to have already accomplished so much.

Take the following people for example - it is amazing that we still speak about the impact they made on the world, especially when they all died so young.

Agnes of Rome - 13
Olivia of Palmero - 15
Catherine of Alexandria - 18
Andrew Kim Taegon - 25
Jim Elliot - 28
Esther John -31
Nate Saint - 32
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - 39
Eric Liddell - 43
Jesus of Nazareth - 33

If you don't know some of these names then please google them - they all died serving the Lord, many of them as young martyrs for their faith.

Colossians 1:10 -  "...so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Don't be impressed ...

"Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character..." - Matthew 7:16 (Message)

Jesus' message is simple and clear. Charisma can lead us down a slippery path, where we are more impressed with the 'outside' than what lies in the heart. The true character of a person will eventually rise to the surface - just wait and see.

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." - Abraham Lincoln

Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/character.html

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/character.html

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/character.htmlaracter is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/character.html

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Power of perspective

“I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.” - Anon.

We always think that things are bad for us and the temptation is to get caught up in our own troubles. However, perspective is an important thing for us all to grasp. Just like in the above quote, we seldom think what others may be experiencing, before we open our mouths to complain about our woes.

As John Ortberg reminds us, "It could be worse!"

As we start a new week, can I encourage us to take stock of all the things we ought to be grateful for. 

Colossians 3:2 - "See things from his perspective."

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or we can rejoice because thorns have Roses." - Abraham Lincoln

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Stop and think!

Often we end up running from one thing to the next. We think that if we run harder, do more things, work longer hours, then we will be more successful. However, I think we have all learnt that this is not necessarily true. We may be more exhausted, but we can't always claim to have been more productive.

I believe that there are many of us reading this blog today who need to make a conscious effort to "STOP" and sharpen the axe. We are chopping away at the life, but we are wasting energy by using a blunt axe.

"Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first 4 hours sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln

Read Ecclesiastes 10:10 from these different versions of the Bible:

"A dull ax requires great strength; be wise and sharpen the blade." - The Living Bible

"Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade.
That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed." - New Living Translation

"Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle." - The Message

Worth pausing for a moment and reflecting on this today?

Living in Grace
D3LM3