I'd Like To Be As Good A Friend As My Dog...

As I type this, my sweet dog, Ranger is laying on my feet on the sofa.  

He has already followed me around the house, walked with me to the bus stop, patrolled our backyard against strangers (or strange birds... or just regular birds), dissected his Kong of treats, and wandered around the house glancing out the windows in search of the evil chipmunks who taunt him through the glass.

God really knew what He was doing when he made "Man's Best Friend" - I think this chapter missed it's spot in Genesis:

If you have a furry companion, you are blessed.  They may have their infuriating moments, but dogs show this amazing loyalty and friendship to their people.  I was thinking this morning, that I hope I'm as good of a friend to others as my dog is to me.

I'd like to think that I'm ready to play or hang out at any moment... that I'm quick to forgive and forget... that I'm loyal, and a good listener, and happy, and outgoing, and adaptable.  I'm sure I fail all the time, but hopefully I succeed more than not.

The Bible has some great verses on friendship... One of my favorites is when Jesus is speaking:

John 15:12-15 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

How amazing is it that Jesus wants to call me, you, all of us, his friend?!
And if my dog can get it right, can't we all?
:)
Your friend,
Mags

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

I Found God In My Dog...

Last night, we said "good-bye" to our 13-year old Cocker Spaniel, Clifton. I'm assuming that since God took the loving care to create cats and dogs (and other pets) who would bond so fervently with his human creations, He has also provided a place for them in Heaven. So I'm comforted by the idea that Clifton is now playing with any other pets from my life as well as various relatives who have gone on before us.

Now that our "interactive stuffed animal" (He looked like a giant Webkinz), is gone, there are so many lessons I can take from his life (the equivelent of a 91-year-old!). Here are five that stand out:

1. Stop whining about the crummy stuff! - Buck up and deal with it...! About 5 years ago, Clifton went blind due to cataracts. That didn't stop him - he used his hearing and sniffer to get around. Then he lost his hearing. He was only able to smell and feel these last few years, but he still went outside... He still followed us around the house... He still explored new areas (moved furniture, a kennel). There was no whining - a dog can't complain all day long; he just deals with it. I wish humans were so adaptable. Jesus endured unspeakable pain before His death - nothing we go through will be as bad as that - so stop whining and buck up.

2. Don't Hold Grudges...! Because Clifton was blind and deaf AND insisted on being "where the action was" (i.e. wherever we were in the house), he was under-foot most of the time. Quite often, we would trip over him when he unexpectedly darted under our feet, and I'm sad to say that he was inadvertantly kicked in the head a lot. *sigh* But we never heard a growl... a snarl... nothing. Clifton was as loving as always - every day. I've got two kids who whack each other the moment the first one makes a transgression against the other. I would love it if they were as forgiving as my ol', blind & deaf dog!

3. It's the Simple Things In Life That Matter Most...! Clifton didn't need a fancy bed, or a fancy toy, or a bedazzled collar to be happy. He just wanted to be with us - snuggled on the couch watching TV... or gnawing on a piece of rawhide... or sandwiched in the bed between me and David. Above all, he wanted TIME with us... And TIME with your loved ones, is usually the best gift you can give them.

4. It's Not Always About You...! When Clifton got "old," not only did he lose his sight and hearing, but he suffered periodic seizures, and he had warts all over his skin, and he had a few cancerous tumors removed. His stomach got tricky - and about twice a week, we'd come downstairs to find he'd tossed his cookies (usually on the carpet!), or had an accident (also on the carpet). It's easy to get angry when older beings fall apart - what was once strong and independent (and in a dog's case, trained!), is now weak, fragile, and messy. But real love is a choice - and we choose to give of ourselves to care for this dog (or this grandparent or this friend) no matter how messy it gets. Caring for Clifton may have gotten frustrating at times, but it's not always about ME... it's about making life better and easier for my friend.

5. Love Unconditionally...! "A dog is the only thing on earth that will love you more than you love yourself." We are flawed, we screw up, but our dog loved us anyway. God is the same way - We make rediculous decisions every day, and God still gives us His unconditional love. Having a pet helps you love unconditionally and experience this back. We are blessed with 13 years of memories of our precious dog; he helped us become more loving people.

When God made the earth and sky, the flowers and the trees.
He then made all the snimals, the fish, the birds, and bees.
And when at last He'd finished, no one was quite the same.
He said, I'll walk this world 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 called you "DOG," my friend.