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Thursday, August 28, 2008

"How's your voice?"


We have a lot of dogs around our farm. We have our five yellow Labrador retrievers who make beautiful puppies that join loving families. Then there are the dogs whom my wife boards for others while they’re out of town. So we have lots of dogs around our place.

Now you might think with that many dogs around, we’d get tired of the barking. But my wife has this marvelous way with animals that makes them happy which means there’s not a lot of barking. But when the dogs do bark, you might think, "Oh, it’s just a lot of noise."

No, it’s much more than that. You see, each dog has a unique voice. My wife’s taught me to listen to certain special qualities that make each dog’s voice different, much like our voices are special. And there are particular nuances—like changes in excitement or cadence—that let you know what’s going on with that dog whether it’s danger or delight.

If I can learn the difference in dog’s voices and what they’re experiencing, how much more does God know your voice? Talk with God. Then listen to life.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

"Who do you know?"


As my wife boards dogs, occasionally she’ll ask our daughters or me to help out if she must be gone. So we do and we always make sure the dogs get to know us first.

That’s important because most of the time my wife is the one who cares for the dogs—feeding, exercising, and even bathing them. So the dogs know her really well. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you, or exercises or bathes you, right?

What we’ve discovered is that the best way to introduce us to the dogs is for my wife to accompany us. She introduces us to the dogs. We even sit down beside her in the kennel and pet the dog while he’s in her lap.

So as we did this routine recently, I listened to my life and thought about the people I can introduce to God. Not that God will bite, you understand, but some folks just aren’t so sure about God. They think they have to be perfect to meet God. As I introduce them to the God that I know, then they can make a life, and not just a living, also. Introduce God to your friends as you listen to life.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

"Having trouble settling down?"


A dog came over to board with us for a week while its owners were on vacation. He was a young one and evidently hadn’t been away much before. He had a little trouble settling down. He walked around, looking for his owners, and generally looked out of sorts.

Whenever a dog comes to our place to stay with us, my wife asks the owners to bring a towel or favorite toy or some bedding—anything that smells like "home" and is familiar. So since this little fellow was having troubling settling, my wife put his towel in the kennel with him. He sniffed it all over, began wagging his tail, picked it up, carried it around like a gold medal, and settled right down, enjoying himself from that moment on.

You find yourself in a strange place sometimes, don’t you? And you wonder, "What’s going on?" just like this dog did. In those times, sniff out and pick up your favorite, familiar memory of a similar experience when you weren’t sure about life, but God saw you through it. A familiar memory of successful living with God in the past settles you right down so you can make a life.

Monday, August 25, 2008

"Do you trust God?"


I came home recently to discover a puppy boarding with us. This one was a chocolate lab named Hershey. My wife told me about the little girl that shares her home with Hershey. This little girl loves her puppy very, very much and wasn’t so sure about leaving "her Hershey" with someone she didn’t know. She asked my wife questions like, "Will you feed her?"

"Yes," my wife said patiently.

"Will you play with her?"

Again, my wife said, "Yes."

"Can I see where she’ll sleep?"

"Of course," my wife said and showed her the kennel.

"She likes treats."

"I’ll make sure she gets her treats," my wife told her.

And with that the little girl was satisfied. She was trusting something important to her to someone else and wanted to make sure everything was fine.

Are you that way with God sometimes; playing "20 Questions" with God before you trust? Go ahead. Ask God all the questions you want about your important life. Then be sure to listen to life and make a life, not just a living so you can trust God completely and know everything is fine.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

"Who do you see?"


You know my wife boards horses, but did you know she boards dogs, also? Regularly I come home to discover yet another dog in our home kennel. Like my wife, I love all creatures great and small so we have fun with it.

One day I came home to find a dog barking at me as I walked in the back door; barking like she owned the place, was its great protector and wanted to know who I was and how I got in. I knelt down, held out my open palm, and she sniffed me, barked a couple of more times, and let me pass.

Most of our boarded dogs stay in a kennel, but somehow this dog, Scout, had the run of our home. She barked at me the next day when I came home, protecting her new home. But after that she became accustomed to me as we played, rubbed, and patted. Pretty soon Scout was following me everywhere.

It takes a while to get to know some people, doesn’t it? You have to share some experiences with them before you make friends with them.

Look for God in others—the same God who created you, created them—and you’ll make friends more quickly as you listen to life and make a life today.