So many things to write about, many things to tell.
I read a book last night that I got a week ago, "My Boy, Ben" by David Wheaton. It's about the life and death of his yellow lab, Ben. I admit I cried. I can't help it but mourn the loss of a beloved pet, as I've done it so many times myself:
Lady, Sheik, Smoky, Rusty, Peppy, Pierre, Tom Bombadil, Taffy, Theodore, Kitty, Kedi, Blue, Padder, and Lacey.
Taffy and Blue belonged to other families, but I loved them and they loved me when I wasn't able to have a pet of my own. I mourned their deaths as if they'd been my own.
This string of pets, horses---dogs---cats, had an impact on my whole life. I had a cow for awhile too, Geraldine.
Wheaton's book resonated with me. I know how a particular dog can become incredibly integral to life. He wrote about Ben, a yellow lab that became his companion during a transitional time in his life. He captured the impact and comfort that a dog can contribute to anyone willing to share time and love.
I believe that God makes all things new, and that his covenant with Noah included animals. Animals are part of the crowning touch of his mind boggling creation. If you take the Universe and go incremental steps outward---toward the edge of it---and then you go the other way, toward our micro world, mankind and animals share almost the same central location in the scale of size from string theory to galaxy.
Animals are important, and I loved how Wheaton highlighted the responsibility we have to care for them.
The beasts of the field are MINE, says the Lord, ---but we are to nurture the domestic creatures. Isn't the LORD specific?
Dogs are one of God's special creatures. So perfect for us, teaching us kindness, compassion, patience, devotion, loyalty, and unwavering love.
You know I love our corgi, Misty and our lab, Blackberry. They have enriched our lives more than I can say. We couldn't stand it without Kiwi and Predicate, the felines, either. These four are our current menagerie. But there always seems to be special things about particular pets that set them apart.
For David Wheaton, Ben was a dog of a lifetime. The book is a touching memoir of how Ben loved and helped Wheaton understand deeper meanings in life, like grace and unconditional love. He also worked through some theological questions regarding animals and the role they play in our lives.
For me, our part-wolf-part-lab mutt, Lacey, was the dog that had the most impact. She was a sweet and intelligent lady. She had a sense of place, and she rarely disappointed. Her keen sense of being able to understand children was priceless to me. She kept the babies from falling down the stairs, gently allowed them to pull her fur and hug her neck. Faithful dog, she will never be forgotten. Everyone loved her. If someone met her on a walk or at a campground she merited a compliment or two every time.
She was lovely, and I'd love to meet her again. She passed away too soon, at seven years, from bone cancer. How I grieved. I can't believe she's been gone 10 years. I still cling to her memory. I think David Wheaton would understand my grief, as he described it in his own experience losing Ben.
If you've ever loved a pet, you will want to read "My Boy, Ben." If you haven't loved an animal, you should still read it. It will give you an understanding of how animals should be cherished, and why some people love them so much. Surely you know someone who loves animals! Why, you know ME!
I want to mention how much comfort our pets have been to us during this difficult time with Ed's leukemia. Waiting for us to get home, snuggling with us, lending us a warm scruff to bury sorrows in---these four animals we have now are worth their weight in gold.
Yes, they require care and oversight. I have to think about who will be letting them out while we're at the hospital. They are worth the fuss, though, and I am grateful we can have them. I know Ed has benefited from their presence many ways.
Animals are WORTH IT!
Ed's ammonia levels are back to normal. It's hard to believe he was in the ICU last week! We had the test today. There will be a recovery time this week, and next week will open with a spinal tap, bright and early on Monday morning.
Twelve hours at a time. Each day is a little closer to the end of this ordeal. I'm learning to see the joy in each day, look for Christ's return, and fix my eyes on the Person of Jesus, provider, lover of our souls.
And I'm thankful we have pets to enliven and enrich our way.
I read a book last night that I got a week ago, "My Boy, Ben" by David Wheaton. It's about the life and death of his yellow lab, Ben. I admit I cried. I can't help it but mourn the loss of a beloved pet, as I've done it so many times myself:
Lady, Sheik, Smoky, Rusty, Peppy, Pierre, Tom Bombadil, Taffy, Theodore, Kitty, Kedi, Blue, Padder, and Lacey.
Taffy and Blue belonged to other families, but I loved them and they loved me when I wasn't able to have a pet of my own. I mourned their deaths as if they'd been my own.
This string of pets, horses---dogs---cats, had an impact on my whole life. I had a cow for awhile too, Geraldine.
Wheaton's book resonated with me. I know how a particular dog can become incredibly integral to life. He wrote about Ben, a yellow lab that became his companion during a transitional time in his life. He captured the impact and comfort that a dog can contribute to anyone willing to share time and love.
I believe that God makes all things new, and that his covenant with Noah included animals. Animals are part of the crowning touch of his mind boggling creation. If you take the Universe and go incremental steps outward---toward the edge of it---and then you go the other way, toward our micro world, mankind and animals share almost the same central location in the scale of size from string theory to galaxy.
Animals are important, and I loved how Wheaton highlighted the responsibility we have to care for them.
The beasts of the field are MINE, says the Lord, ---but we are to nurture the domestic creatures. Isn't the LORD specific?
Dogs are one of God's special creatures. So perfect for us, teaching us kindness, compassion, patience, devotion, loyalty, and unwavering love.
You know I love our corgi, Misty and our lab, Blackberry. They have enriched our lives more than I can say. We couldn't stand it without Kiwi and Predicate, the felines, either. These four are our current menagerie. But there always seems to be special things about particular pets that set them apart.
For David Wheaton, Ben was a dog of a lifetime. The book is a touching memoir of how Ben loved and helped Wheaton understand deeper meanings in life, like grace and unconditional love. He also worked through some theological questions regarding animals and the role they play in our lives.
For me, our part-wolf-part-lab mutt, Lacey, was the dog that had the most impact. She was a sweet and intelligent lady. She had a sense of place, and she rarely disappointed. Her keen sense of being able to understand children was priceless to me. She kept the babies from falling down the stairs, gently allowed them to pull her fur and hug her neck. Faithful dog, she will never be forgotten. Everyone loved her. If someone met her on a walk or at a campground she merited a compliment or two every time.
She was lovely, and I'd love to meet her again. She passed away too soon, at seven years, from bone cancer. How I grieved. I can't believe she's been gone 10 years. I still cling to her memory. I think David Wheaton would understand my grief, as he described it in his own experience losing Ben.
If you've ever loved a pet, you will want to read "My Boy, Ben." If you haven't loved an animal, you should still read it. It will give you an understanding of how animals should be cherished, and why some people love them so much. Surely you know someone who loves animals! Why, you know ME!
I want to mention how much comfort our pets have been to us during this difficult time with Ed's leukemia. Waiting for us to get home, snuggling with us, lending us a warm scruff to bury sorrows in---these four animals we have now are worth their weight in gold.
Yes, they require care and oversight. I have to think about who will be letting them out while we're at the hospital. They are worth the fuss, though, and I am grateful we can have them. I know Ed has benefited from their presence many ways.
Animals are WORTH IT!
Ed's ammonia levels are back to normal. It's hard to believe he was in the ICU last week! We had the test today. There will be a recovery time this week, and next week will open with a spinal tap, bright and early on Monday morning.
Twelve hours at a time. Each day is a little closer to the end of this ordeal. I'm learning to see the joy in each day, look for Christ's return, and fix my eyes on the Person of Jesus, provider, lover of our souls.
And I'm thankful we have pets to enliven and enrich our way.
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