Puppy Praise

Have you ever watched a new puppy?  When they are not sleeping they have a driven brain.  Not always focused on one task at a time, but driven!  We have a new puppy.  He was a free puppy, one that no one wanted.  He is a white, fluffy, soft, furry ball of curly fuzz, with floppy tan ears.  He is a mix of, let me see... Maltese, Miniature Poodle, and Cocker Spaniel.  His goal in life is to play.  He does sleep a lot, but when not sleeping his singular driven goal is to play!  He is so little he does not like to jump off the couch, he will if no one responds to his requests to be lifted down, then he will jump.  He chews.  He chews his toys, he chews the couch, he chews the rugs, he chews my kids’ ears, he tries to chew my fingers as I type.  Fortunately, as he learns what is acceptable to chew and what is not – his teeth are too little to do any damage.  He is not a popular little guy with the other pets.  We have two medium to large dogs that will not have anything to do with the bundle of energy.  One dog is very old, the lab is only 3.  They don’t like him - they avoid him - he chews their toes and tails.  He also cleans their faces whenever he can reach them.  The cats have not tried to kill him, this is a positive, but they avoid him also.  He’s lonely in a house full of pets.

  The kids however love him, even when they have to get him out of the other dog’s food and take him out for bathrooming.  (Although one daughter can’t make him come in, he has figured out that she will chase him if he runs away, at least he’s smart.)  I have taught him to come for a bit of cat food.  One little piece of the forbidden kitty food is his all-time favorite treat!  He will do anything for a piece of kitty food (which resides safely up in the cat house).

I do in fact have a point here.  Our zeal for God.  What would our life be like if we had the zeal for God that a puppy has for getting into trouble?  Can you imagine the joy?  Can you imagine happiness of a life filled with a singular drive for God?  It would be amazing.  All you do to meet the daily demands of life can be all wrapped up and packaged with a joy and fullness that only comes from Christ! 

Summer has hit, along with the demands of school disappearing, all our usual routines and schedules have also disappeared.  One and a half weeks into summer break have felt even busier than the school year.  I have missed several Wednesday bible studies, I missed church last Sunday, and it is dragging me down.  I finished the bible again the other day, in trying to decide what book I want to start up again with, I have read short random passages, and only when I am very tired and heading right to bed.  I felt the absence of a focus on God in my life.  I sat down today, determined to write this blog, and return to a singular focus on God.  It feels so good!  I am not missing more bible study, no weekend plans up and coming, and I have begun my reading again in Jeramiah (picking up where we were in all the bible studies I missed).  My goal for the day, one day at a time, is to have a puppy’s focus on God!  I may do lots of different things in my day.  I may run here and there, but I will keep my focus on God.  As I say this, my lab has finally began to play with the new puppy (for a bit).  Great things come from a singular focus.  God likes to bless us with kitty treats.

Philippians 4:8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Proverbs 4:25 ESV

Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

(bible verses pulled from http://www.openbible.info/topics/staying_focus)

Overpower Disappointment

Disappointment.  Today I spent most of my time being miserable because I was going to have to teacher summer school.  I was looking forward to my fist summer – my first summer with no grad classes, my first summer with no summer school – my first summer of time for my family and myself.  Then my plans were slammed into the wall and drug across the ground and spit onto a cactus – so to speak.  I am teaching summer school after all.   I was disappointed.  I realize this may not seem like a big deal to most, especially those that have normal jobs that work year round.  Believe it or not – most teachers do work year round – they are always planning and organizing.  The part of the year with students is a precious but stressful time.  Have you ever heard someone say something to the effect of “I have 5 kids, I know all about stress.”  Well, teachers have about 20 – all the same age.  Is there a word for that?   Octuplets is 8 at once, what is 20 at once?  I must admit, I don’t have 20 at once, I work with the kids who have various disabilities, some severe, some not. 

Anyhow – that was a bit of a bird walk.  Basically, I was looking forward to my first free summer (other than planning) since I started teaching.  And now I am not.  My stomach was twisted all day, I felt sorry for myself, I could not shake it.  I was cloudy, dismal, and miserable – I could not even force myself to smile.   I recognized the hold that Satan was gaining on me.  I could see his long grasping fingers winding around my heart, doing his very best to squish every bit of joy and peace out of it.  I don’t think it was all summer school – Satan was stacking my frustrations today.  Part of what Satan was telling me included “You are such a wuss, it’s just summer school.” I got through the day by hitting my knees at lunch.  Once I got home I curled up on my bed, and spent some time with God.  I put away my whining and focused on the positive.  I stopped feeling sorry for myself, shook of Satan’s fingers and got on with the evening with my family.  I became energized and excited!

Disappointment is the thing I seem to struggle with the most.  Once my mind latches onto something I am looking forward to, it slams me right down when the thing I had been looking forward to does not happen.  Even if it is taking my kids for ice cream.  We cannot let Satan sideline us like that.  I cannot let Satan sideline me like that.  He can make us feel worthless.  He can make us feel depressed, miserable, full of despair, and depressed.  He takes minor things like summer school, ice cream, tests, rude people, and even malfunctioning computers to get in the way of our service to the Lord.  You probably think I am a terrible whiny complainer.  I am usually not.  But I am telling you this little story as an illustration of how Satan can use trivial things against us.  He will use anything at all to derail our focus and energy.  I was too busy saying oh poor me, poor me to recognize that perhaps God is at work here.  Just maybe God has a plan for me this summer, even if it is as simple helping others who need a boost.  That is what Christ wants us to do, what he has taught us to do – to show love – to think of others and not just ourselves.  Jesus has taught us how to live, He has also taught us how to love.  Jesus can help us overpower disappointment - He has overcome the world!