All Dogs Go To Heaven :)

Our 5-year old, sweet Cocker Spaniel named Mick died yesterday.  It was completely unexpected.  He started having seizures on Sunday and got progressively worse.  We saw two different vets - but blood work was clear, he hadn't been injured, he hadn't eaten anything weird - there was no outward cause.  By Tuesday, we got to a Veterinarian Neurologist who suspected either (best case) epilepsy or (fixable) encephalitis or (worst case) a brain tumor.  They admitted him for 24 hours to give him anti-convulsives and stabilize him.  But within 5 hours of being admitted, he died.

To say we were shocked was an understatement.  No one expects an otherwise healthy, 5-year old dog to suddenly expire.  As we talked with the neurologist when we checked him in - we were looking at some tough decisions ahead.  The only way to completely determine what was going on was a $2200.00 canine MRI (that would actually be done at the downtown Children's Hospital - how crazy is that?!).  This could show if it was a tumor, encephalitis, or nothing (leaving the last diagnosis as epilepsy).  But the hospital only did these on Thursdays.  There was also the enormous cost to consider.  We had already spent nearly $1000 in just the last few days on tests and care for him - was an MRI the right choice?  And if it was a tumor - what was our next plan?  Brain surgery on a dog?  I have first hand experience with this - I had a benign cystic glioma removed in 2002.  Recovering from brain surgery is grueling!  Could we actually ask that of our sweet Mick just so WE could feel better and keep him around longer?

We left the pet hospital with our heads spinning - but were sure that in 24-hours, the doctors would be able to at least stabilize him so we could work on the next steps.

This was my prayer yesterday:

Dear God - 

Please take care of our sweet dog, Mick.  

Ease his pain and show us a clear direction in which to take his care.  

Amen.

God tells us to be specific in our prayers.  He knows what we want, but He also wants us to ask:

 Ask, and it will be given to you;  seek, and you will find; 

knock, and it will be opened to you. 

Matthew 7:7 

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

Matthew 21:22 

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:24  

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it

John 14:13-14 

Well... You can get much clearer than our answer.  God took Mick to heaven - to play with Clifton (our previous dog of 12 years), and Julia (our niece), and all of the other past pets and family.  Either he knew that no amount of testing would fix Mick on earth... or decided that an MRI wasn't the best use of our fiscal gifts... or just really wanted to have our sweet dog hanging out with him in Heaven, God answered our prayer.  It might not be the answer I wanted, but it's the answer I asked for, and how can I argue with the answer that involves my beloved pet being healthy, whole, and happy running around in God's big playground?!!

On a side note... Not sure if our pets go to Heaven?  Consider this response by Christian author, Rick Warren:

People miss Heaven because of their rebellion against God's offer of love, by rejecting Jesus.  But dogs, which have no ability to sin nor moral conscious, do not have an ability to reject Jesus.  It is the same principle as a baby, young child, or mentally challenged individual.  The Bible calls then "safe," not "saved."  In Proverbs, we read that "The Lord preserves the simple" which includes persons without the ability, capacity, or moral conscious to reject Jesus.

Our dogs (and cats, pigs, ferrets, bunnies, whatever) are totally going to Heaven. :)


Mick was a rescue dog.  We got him through a wonderful organization called Columbus Cocker Rescue. At first I was beating myself up over the fact that WE were supposed to be his rescue - yet we only had him 3 years before he died. But this morning, I realized that even the three short years of rescue were important.  God calls us to be His hands and feet to all his creations by reaching out in prayer, help, comfort, service, or with our financial gifts.  While God is the ULTIMATE Rescuer, He EXPECTS us to do some earthly rescuing too!!

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.  Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 82:3-4

When we first got Mick at age 2, he had terrible ear infections.  The previous owners had not taken care of his ears at all-- to the extent that vets were talking full ear ablations.  And ablation is a grisly ear surgery where all of the inner and middle ear is removed and outer ear flap is sewn shut.  

Obviously, all hearing is lost in the ablated ear; an ablation is saved as a very last resort for a chronically ear-infected pet.  We were steadfast (especially my awesome husband!) in getting all of the medicines deep into Mick's ears to heal the infection-- for over 6 months we worked to avoid ablation - and had to regularly make sure we were keeping his ears clean.  One thing the vet mentioned was that even through had significant damage deep in his ears from the older infections, the canal (that we could reach and clean) looked good.  So I'm feeling more confident this morning that we did our part with Mick.  

My friend, Amy, told me that "If God knew Mick wouldn't have a long life, sending Mick to the House of Buckley was a pretty good deal, I think!"    David has often said that if he could be reincarnated, he's only want to come back as a dog in our house - because those dogs have one sweet life!  I have to remind David that HE is part of the "good life" that dogs in our house receive... ahhhh...details. ;)

Just because yesterday was completely craptastic, and my eyes are puffy today from all the tears, I am solid in the knowledge that one sad day is small in comparison to the love, and joy, and companionship Mick gave to us.  And since I know God isn't finished with US yet, I am resolute that God expects us to continue to do our part in helping others - whether that be people or pets.

If you are looking to adopt a furry friend and changing a life, consider taking a look at CCR's list of dogs looking for a home.  Just look at some of these faces - and these are just a handful of the dogs wishing for a forever home!  (Images are linked to dog's description.)

Blizzard

Caruso

Dasher

Kadence

Dorito

Thumper

Not local to SW Ohio?  Use Petfinder to locate a pet-in-need in your area.

And, give your pet a hug from me today.  I miss mine.

♥Mags

When God had made the earth and sky, the flowers and the trees.

He then made all the animals, the fish, the birds, and bees.

And when at last He'd finished, not one was quite the same.

God said, "I'll walk this earth of mine, and give each one a name."

And so He traveled far and wide.  And everywhere He went,

A little creature followed Him, until it's strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth, and in the sky, and sea,

The little creature said, "Dear Lord!  There's not one left for me!"

Kindly the Father said to him, "I've left you to the end.

I've turned my own name back to front, and call you DOG, my friend."

-Author Unknown

Death Is Nothing At All

Today is funeral day - My grandma-in-law passed away on August 1st after a 6-mth battle with colon cancer. It is a blessing, really - she was too old for chemo, too frail for radation, and despite surgery, the cancer had spread. Moved to a nursing facility (which I lovingly refer to as "Geriatric Jail"), she was quite unhappy and even tried to ESCAPE twice! (LOVE that moxy!) So going home to Jesus, her husband, her son, and her granddaughter, Julia, is truly a reason to celebrate.

Despite everyone knowing she is "better off," there is a hole in our hearts. She was a mother, a grandma, a great-grandma, a guardian, a daughter, a sister, a friend. She is reunited with many of her loved ones, yes, but still many live here on Earth and feel the loss.

My favorite "death" poem was one that my Aunt, Great Annie, loved as well - because as long as we keep the memories of our loved ones close to our hearts, their death is nothing at all...

Death Is Nothing At All

"Death is nothing at all...
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by my old familiar name, speak to me the easy way
which you always used. Laugh as we always laughed together.

Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be the household word it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was;
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near just around the corner.

All is well. Nothing is past; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before -
Only better, infinitely happier, and forever..."


--words attributed to Carmelite Monastery, County Waterford, Ireland

I Found God In Rain...

Please forgive the quietness on the God Blog - we were on vacation to Tennessee with our best friends for the last 5 days. It seems fairly impossible that there is still ANY place left on this earth without an Internet connection, but we managed to find one! And although I was yearning to check email, to blog, to make some digital scrap kits, or to just mindlessly web-surf, I was blocked by the angry, red, Intel Wireless icon blinking "NO WIRELESS CONNECTION." Of course, this was probably God's reminder that this was a family vacation, and I wasn't supposed to be spending it on the computer, anyway. :) We had a wonderful time: swimming on Lake Norris, tubing (WOW! What a rush!), hiking (Okay... that was my husband, his friend, and all of the kids... I don't really like "nature..."), or just lounging around laughing. We are blessed to have such good friends with whom we can spend a week and not kill each other (the kids whacking each other with pool cues doesn't count, does it?!) :)

But when we returned today, I was anxious to power-up the laptop and check email (846 emails!), check my groups, read comments from the blogs (Whoo-hoo...there were some!), and pop in to all of my favorite web spots! In a Christian scrapbooking group I belong to, someone posted a link to an amazing blog called Bring The Rain. I wasn't familiar with the group, Selah, but apparently the wife of one of the singers has started this blog about her family's journey through a pregnancy that would not result in a baby to raise on earth.

Now I've mentioned before that my sister-in-law & brother-in-law lost their beautiful baby daughter, Julia Ellen, after only 6 days of life. She was born in April 2006 with the genetic abnormality called Trisomy 18. The complications that arise from the extra chromosome at the 18th place makes the chance of even a baby surviving delivery a long shot. But our Julia persevered, and her parents at least had 6 days to meet her, and hold her, and sing to her, and know her.

It has been 2 years since we attended Julia's memorial; and in that time, I have seen my in-laws' faith and love of God grow stronger - even in the face of the greatest loss they could imagine - the loss of their child. I read somewhere that "pain of that kind of loss never goes away; rather that you slowly become strong enough to bear it." I think that strength comes from one slowly releasing the reigns of control and handing over all of their worries and concerns and wishes and dreams to God. From what I've read so far (and I'm only in "March!") Angie, the author of the Bring The Rain blog, has truly done this as well. For a woman who is writing about the impending death of her child, Audrey Caroline, she has found God working miracles already in Audrey's life... even if that life only exists within Angie's womb.

If you are facing something so huge that it seems to eclipse your ability to think, to plan, to reason, to be - then please stop by Angie's blog. It is a story of hope - not of death - and I think it will bring you perspective and comfort.

♥Mags

I Found God In a Spelling Test...

When God wants to tell me something, He knows that all He has to do is wreak havoc on my computer. I will stop EVERYTHING to make sure my laptop is functioning properly - specifically my email, Internet, and Paint Shop Pro (PSP). I've just spent 8 hours (straight!) working on a PSP issue... on a day where I was going to be "kid-free" and could "play" on my computer as long as I wanted to, I ended up using up all of my time and energy on trying to fix my computer glitches.

One of methods in my problem-solving is to "Google" my problem and hope that someone has posted somewhere a simliar problem (and solution!). In this case, I Googled "Paint Shop Pro initializing tracker" because one of the problems was that PSP was freezing on start-up while it was trying to "initialize the tracker" (whatever that means). I could not find my specific problem - and several hours and numerous Google-searches later, I stumbled upon a solution for "Initialising Tracker."

WHY didn't this come up the first time.......?

Look closely... "initialising tracker" - the person who had posted the solution had MISSPELLED the word "initializing!" Hours of my time could've been saved if that person had spelled the word correctly... *sigh* Sure I understood what this person was talking about when I read his post... but in my quest to solve a problem... a simple misspelling got in the way of actually finding his solution.

So what is the point of this post? Was God was telling me that I need to spell-check my blog posts? Will one day... some everyday, ordinary person be searching for God, and something I have posted or will post will NEED to be spelled right so they can find it?

Maybe. (That would be cool, wouldn't it?!)

However...

My lesson today is NOT really about spelling...

In grade school, my Mom used to say that "the easiest test in school is a Spelling Test... because you know all of the answers ahead of time." Nowadays, with "spell check" on nearly every computer program or an online dictionary just a "Websters" search away, the only two reasons one might misspell a word is LAZINESS and IGNORANCE. Either that person is too darn lazy to look up the correct spelling... or doesn't actually know that the word is misspelled.

Can you afford to be lazy or ignorant about God?

Do you think that you will have all the time in the world to invite Jesus into your heart? At best, you (and I) have long years ahead of us with a quiet, peaceful end due to "natural causes." Maybe there will be a lingering illness that affords us the time to be introspective and follow a windy, albeit s-l-o-w, road to Christ. But... it's entirely possible that our end will come with a Mack truck and a split-second.... with no 2nd chances.

Ignorance is just plain "not knowing." So if a person has never heard about Jesus at all - he or she doesn't even know to follow. I don't know how God deals with that - I'd like to think that our loving God has a place for people who never had the chance to know Him... not because they chose to turn away, but because they just plain had no idea. However with evangelical Christians and missionaries spread out all over the globe... with the availability of the Internet and the thousands (millions?) of Christian websites... with a Bible in nearly every hotel room you can find... it's hard to find an isolated place to stay ignorant... but I suppose it's possible...

Which leaves us with LAZINESS... and that is another matter altogether. A lazy person has heard of God... has heard of Jesus Christ and the miracles and sacrifice of His life... a lazy person may even attend a church - sitting with her friends, snoozing during the sermon, doodling on the bulletin - but not really taking action to understand or learn more. A lazy person may say, "Hey - I'm a good person... I follow the 10 Commandments... mostly... it's not like I've killed anybody... surely, I'll go to Heaven?" But the lazy person isn't taking the time or making the effort to learn, and understand, and know Christ.

And the lazy person might argue that there are so many different religions in the world, how do I know I'm picking the right one? It's not about YOU picking teams... God already picking YOU when he sent his Son to live on earth and sacrifice Himself for our sins. You've already been chosen... all you have to do is accept. It can't get much more effortless than that!

And as for the argument about "all of the other religions," well...

I would rather live my life as if there IS Christ, and die to find out there isn't...
than live my life as if there isn't, only to die to find out there is.

What's your choice?

The answers have already been given to you... the "cheat sheet" is called the Bible. You can buy one. You can borrow one. You can Google one. You can find one in just about every hotel room in America. Probably, if you just asked, any church would flat-out GIVE you one for free. So the only excuse now not to find out more about what Christianity is all about is laziness.

And, laziness is a poor excuse for not finding salvation.

I wish you peace and answers in your own faith-journey...and I thank you for walking along with me today. Of course, I hope that all of your Google searches are successful... and that you ace any tests where the answers are already given to you... :)
♥Mags

Some interesting links on this topic...

• The Good Test - find out once and for all if you are "good" enough to go to Heaven (if you've paid attention at all... you know that there is no such thing... but go ahead and try it...! :)
• 2005 ABC News Report about "IS THERE HEAVEN?" - by Barbara Walters - lots of fodder for future blog posts!! :)
• Want to double-check your spelling? Visit the Top 100 Misspelled Words and Tricks to Remember Them! :)

I Found God In A Homecoming...

One of my favorite parts about a vacation is returning home to my house.

Yes, there's the never-ending laundry, the unpacking, the shaking the sand out of everything (if we went to the beach), collecting the dog and paying for a week at the kennel, and adjusting back into our normal routine - BUT, there is a peacefulness that comes with returning to our home... sleeping in our own beds... using our own showers... scavenging in our own pantry! The familiarity of our own home is soothing and a relief after the hustle and bustle of a family vacation.

I wonder if when we die, returning home to Heaven is like that...? Will we have that sense of relief and peace... just at a higher magnitude? Will we say to ourselves, "Wow... Life was a great vacation... but I'm so glad to be HOME! Hey... God! What'd I miss while I was away?"

At this moment, our closest friends are at a funeral. Their neighbor's 4-year old son, an only child, has been battling fast-growing brain tumors for over a year and finally succumbed to his cancer on Wednesday. This, of course, is a devastating loss to his family... you can never prepare yourself for losing a child... no matter now much time the doctors tell you is left... no matter now often hospice is called in. And while the family is grieving, I wonder if Joey is joyfully bouncing into Heaven calling, "Heeeey, Goooooooooddddd.... I'mmmmm baaaaack! Did ya' miss me?!" From the side of Heaven, his homecoming is a cause for celebration. In returning Home, he is healthy and whole, and will patiently wait while his parents, family, and friends continue their "vacations" on Earth. The hole in his family's hearts is wide, jagged, and painful... but they will be healed when they are reunited with their precious son... grandson... friend... in Heaven. And that Homecoming will be the sweetest of them all.

Dear God,

Please bring comfort and peace to Joey's family. Fill their hearts and minds with the knowledge that their precious child is healthy, happy, and safe in your care. Let them know that a reunion in Heaven is only a moment away in Joey's time, and give them the strength to continue their life on this Earth... living this earthly "vacation" to its fullest, until they join you and Joey in a joyous homecoming in Heaven.

Amen.

I Found God In A Coincidence...

If Julia had lived, our family would have been to a 2-year old-birthday party for my niece on Monday, April 21st.

Sadly, Julia was born in 2006 with Trisomy 18, a chromosomal abnormality that is incompatible with life. She exceeded doctors' expectations, though, by living 6 days instead of passing away immediately or being stillborn.

So on this 2008 Monday afternoon, I was just watching mindless TV - waiting for my first grader to return home from school when my mind started wandering to Julia. I was thinking that, had she lived, we'd be getting ready to go to my sister-in-law's house for a family party... that Julia would probably be wearing some ridiculously-cute, pink frilly dress bought by Nana... that my sis-in-law, Stephany, would have baked a cake and adorned it with pink or lavender icing... that my boys would've helped pick out a fun 2-year-old-GIRL toy for Julia - grumbling that they "hate Barbies" of course - but all the while being careful to choose just the perfect gift...

As I was thinking all this, I felt a voice in my head say "Call her." I wondered what I would say... after two years, there are only so many ways you can verbalize "sorry about your daughter," you know. But, I figured maybe we could all go out to dinner - and while it wouldn't be the same as a real party, maybe we pick a place with balloons and send them up to Heaven with birthday wishes written on them (I keep a Sharpie in my purse for that very reason!). :)

When I called, I could tell Stephany was teary... she said she had just been looking at some of Julia's pictures - and that 4:30 (the time I had called) was the time of day that Julia had been born...!

I made my dinner offer, and they accepted... so she and my brother-in-law (Tim), my two boys, and I went to Red Robin. We had the onion ring tower (of course!), our dinners, and then splurged on dessert in honor of Julia. The boys helped write messages on the balloons and then released them to heaven outside. We watched those balloons sail straight up to the clouds - and the moment they blinked out of sight, my kids knew that Julia had reached out to snag them. :)


Was it mere coincidence that I felt the urge to call Stephany at 4:30 that afternoon... the exact time she was remembering her dear daughter? I doubt it... because that little voice you sometimes hear in your head.....?

That's GOD talking to you.

You can override His request by choosing to do the opposite.
You can mute His voice by filling your head with other thoughts.
You can be so busy with trivial things that you aren't even aware that He is speaking to you.

But if you open your mind and L I S T E N... you will start to hear Him talking to you. Speaking. TO. YOU.

And when the creator of the entire universe chooses to send you a message... don't you think it would be wise to listen up?! I did the random opening of my Bible just now (The Message translation) it opened to Psalm 119...starting at verse 129:

Every word you give me is a miracle word -

how could I help but obey?

Break open your words, let the light shine out,

let ordinary people see the meaning.

Mouth open and panting,

I wanted your commands more than anything.

Turn my way, look kindly on me,

as you always do to those who personally love you....

And at verse 139...

You ARE right and you DO right, God;

your decisions are right on target.

You rightly instruct us in how to live

ever faithful to you.

Are you listening?

Are you really and truly listening?

Because God might have something to say to you... and you wouldn't want to miss it.

By hearing God say two simple words: Call her. I believe that we, in a small, simple way, helped lighten the heavy burden that my in-laws were feeling that day. I could've ignored it. I could've have "planned" to call later. But I chose to listen - and I (and, I hope, my in-laws) were a little better for it.

Thanks, God, for giving me a shout-out! I invite you to call on me anytime!

Take care of you and yours,

:) Mags

An Invite To God Big Party... A Reason to CELEBRATE!!

There's been a lot of death around here... :( In a span of a week, my sons AND their two closest friends all lost a great-grandparent! It can be tough explaining "death" to kids - my husband and I are of the mind that we won't block our kids from knowing when someone close to us dies. Though they are only 7 and 4, they've already gone through the loss of their infant cousin, Julia, two years ago, and Great Annie - my aunt - who had lived with my family for over 20 years and was like a 2nd mother to me...

She died on January 1st, 2006, and our oldest son, Jack, was almost 5. I'll never forget our conversation the morning after... when I had to tell him that Great Annie had died:

Mom: Remember how I went to the hospital with Great Annie last night?

Jack: Yeah - is she sick?

Mom: Well... she died, honey.

Jack: (yells) THAT'S FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

Mom: What?

Jack: (still hollering) SHE GOT TO GO TO GOD'S BIG PARTY?!

Mom: (now ready to cry at this excited display of emotion) Well... yes... she went to Heaven to be at God's big party.

I then explained that the little hospital she was at had air-lifted her by helicopter to the big UC Hospital...

(please forgive the all-caps... but he really was yelling...) :)

Jack: (now clapping too) WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR HER!! SHE GOT TO RIDE IN A HELICOPTER AND GO TO GOD'S PARTY ALL IN THE SAME DAY?!? WOW!


Isn't that just amazing?! Here I was with this jagged grief-hole in my heart, and my son was giddy... jubilant... ecstatic that Great Annie had not only gone to Heaven to be with Jesus... but had ridden in a helicopter to get there!!

And, isn't that how we all should be when a loved one dies...? When we know that they have flown off to Heaven to the biggest and best party in the universe hosted by God, Almighty, himself?! I try to hold onto my son's words when I hear of someone's passing... because out of the mouth of a child came true wisdom that day. I have no doubt that God gave those words to my son... to help lessen my grief and to show me that in death, there IS eternal life.

Amen!

If this blog has touched your heart, please leave a comment below... it makes me feel like someone is reading it!! THX! :) - Mags

I found God in my Nose...

Now I'm NOT talking about boogers...! But I believe there are some scents and smells that are just HEAVENLY!

This week, I got to open a new bag of coffee - at the moment, my favorite blend is Folgers Hazelnut Cream-flavored coffee (and I add Coffeemate's Hazelnut Creamer to it). Opening a new bag of coffee means it has to be a GREAT morning... Because the smell of "NEW/FRESH" coffee is just amazing! Even my kids love it - when they see me opening a new bag of coffee, they run over to come smell it. My best friend, who doesn't even LIKE coffee, commented yesterday that my kitchen smelled so good (it was the brewing coffee!). There are some scents that are just heaven-sent, for sure!

Take a moment to think about your favorite smells...whether it be the smell of spring, or winter, or summer, or fall, newly cut grass, a clean dog, a baby's head, clean sheets, whatever... and thank God for these little gifts. I thank God for the scent of hazelnut coffee in the morning and a ton of other smells that lift me up during the day!

God bless you!
:) Mags

I Found God In Potatoes...

DH is out-of-town tonight so the kids and I went to Bob Evans for dinner. I had French fries with my burger, and though it might be a stretch to say I "found God" in my French fries (in all their heavenly saltness!), it's my blog, and there aren't many other heavenly tastes than hot, salty fries - they must be created by God!!

Plus, I was reminded of this poem that I wrote for a graduate writing class... thought you might enjoy it!

My Thighs Are Made Of Fries
By Maggie Carlton*, July 1995
(*my maiden name)

Give me the steaming, golden French fry,
Truly, it will light up my eye.
That mouth-watering stick heavy with salt,
Surely, this weakness cannot be my fault.

Some starch-craved relative passed along,
This spud-lovin' gene that does my body wrong.
To me it is worth it-- the extra flab cushion,
Formed by the fries, into my mouth I've been pushin'!

No cardboard, healthy rice cake for me,
Nor stale bran flakes to make me dreary.
Keep away those diets the little fry is not a part,
For to be separated from him would break my heart.

Yes, I'll forgo those slender hips,
Just so mine can be made of chips.
I'll let the cellulite gather,
Around my middle, the greasy fries slather.

A perfect marriage of potato and grease--
Oh! To have just one more piece!
Burgers and pizza, even chicken with fries,
With any meal, they're a pleasant surprise!

And as I prepare to meet my maker,
I'll be fry-in-hand reaching for that salt-shaker!
Oh, to have just one more fry...
That single moment before I die!

If you decide to copy or save it, please keep my name with it - I appreciate it!
:)