Ellie’s Job and My Job

Experts tell us that dogs need a “job” to do.  Now, that doesn’t mean that Ellie needs to begin clocking in at the hospital. As sweet as she is, I doubt she would make a very good Labor & Delivery nurse.

There are jobs that are “professional roles” for dogs, such as service animals, Police dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs.  There are dogs that participate in sporting activities, such as agility trials, and “nose” work (beagles would be very well-suited for this type of work).  However, most of our pet dogs also need jobs to do.

So why does Ellie need a job?  Primarily, to give her days fulfillment, prevent boredom, provide mental stimulation, and foster a deeper bond with her humans.

Now, I would never expect Ellie to vacuum the floor (though she will eat any edible items she finds) or wash dishes (she does have a particularly long tongue, which could help with that job!).  However, I can ask her to put her toys in the designated basket for them.  I can ask her to play tug of war with me. (This usually involves a “chase” through the house first and ends with me throwing the toy across the room, so it is a good “job” and good exercise for us both.) I can ask her to sit on command and expect her to do so.  I try to set up a series of jumps for her in the house once a week and take her through the course, using lots of her favorite treats as rewards.  As a beagle, she is a natural jumper, and it is so fun to watch her sail over the jumps with ease.  She was particularly skilled at finding a special turtle in the bushes. Jobs give dogs a purpose and more of a sense of “belonging to the pack”.

But Ellie isn't the only one who needs a job; we do, too!  Having retired nine months ago, I find that a strange sentence to write. 

What I mean, though, is that we need jobs to do in God’s economy.  There are things he has for us - each one of us - to do that can only be best fulfilled by us.  This doesn’t mean that we all should be preachers, pastors, or song leaders.  It doesn’t mean we have to be a Sunday School teacher or sing in the choir.  The Lord may call us to fill one of those roles, but for most believers, He has something else in mind.  He wants us to “bloom where we are planted” (to quote Saint Francis de Sales, later popularized by Mary Engelbreit).  That is, to be living testimonies of Him in whatever garden He has placed us.

Perhaps we can’t preach, but we could visit nursing homes and read books to the residents there.  If we love to sing, we could do that as well.  If we love to cook, we could bake something special for someone we know who would be encouraged by it.  Sometimes our “job” may just be giving a sincere smile to someone who looks like they need it.

We also have one “job” we are all called to do everywhere, at all times — that is to pray.  We can pray for people as we encounter them, such as the cashier at the grocery store or a person we pass on the sidewalk while walking our dog. The person in front of us, or behind us, in traffic.  Everyone we encounter is a person who needs prayer.  Everyone!  A chance interaction with a young couple at the Home Improvement store may lead to a lifetime of praying for that family.

If we had any glimpse of the wonderful things which could be accomplished through the simplest and shortest of prayers, we would try our very best to fulfill the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “Pray without ceasing.”

Whatever the job is the Lord leads us to do, let us do it heartily and faithfully unto the Lord, and one day we will surely hear these words…

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:

enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”  

Matthew 25:21

Friday Photos

 

One day, Glen and I were out walking near a coffee shop we liked to visit.  Cascading across a fence, were the blossoms of this flower.  We were both struck by the beauty of these deep orange flowers.

Ellie's Interview

Yesterday, Ellie and I had a nice experience at the schoolyard where we walk each evening.

We had walked around the front of the school and were heading toward the playgrounds in the back when we encountered three young brothers.  We have seen and spoken to these young gentlemen before, but this was the first time they got to meet Ellie close up.

They had so many questions!

BOYS: "Why does she smell the ground so much?" ME: "Because she is a hunting dog, a scent hound, and smelling is how they find what they need to hunt."

BOYS: "Does she get baths?" ME: "Yes, but beagles need oil on their fur, so they don't need to be bathed too often. She gets a bath about once a month, unless she rolls around in something stinky. " (Ellie then rolls in the grass to illustrate my point). 

BOYS:  "Why does she roll around in the grass like that?"  ME:  "I think it feels good to her.  I think it scratches her back.  She loves to do it."

BOYS: "Does she like to be petted?"  ME: "She loves to be scratched under her chin, and she loves to have her shoulders rubbed.  She doesn't like to have her back scratched or petted much.  And she does NOT like to be petted on the top of her head."

BOYS: "Where did you get her?"  ME: "From a wonderful breeder in Louisiana." (Then I had to explain to the youngest what and where Louisiana was.  When I told him it was next to Mississippi, he understood because he said they had gone to the beach in Mississippi once.)

BOYS: "When will she have puppies?"  ME: "NEVER!"  The boys didn't pursue that thought, and I'm glad because I didn't want to explain why she would never have puppies.

BOYS: "Where does she sleep?"  ME: "She has a bed in one of our bedrooms, but most of the time she sleeps with us. OLDEST BOY: "No, that's too crowded."  ME:

"Actually, I love it.  She comes and snuggles close to me, and then she snuggles just a tiny bit more.  I find it very comforting."

BOYS: "What does she eat?"  ME: "She eats dog food and a little bit of chicken to give her extra protein."

The boys asked other questions, which I can't remember, but we had a nice time together discussing Ellie and her care.  I relay this experience because we never know what seeds we plant in the hearts and minds of children by being kind and responsive to them.  I didn't share the Lord with them, but I formed a platform of mutual respect and communication that may well give them the opportunity to do so another time.  And I believe, Ellie now has three more admirers. 

Choices in Pain

(First published January 4, 2016

Everyone at some point experiences pain.  

 If we are not currently in pain, we undoubtedly know someone who is.  If we do not personally know someone in pain, we know that someone somewhere is currently in pain.

 Pain is such a complex thing and often hard to define.  Pain can be throbbing, stabbing, sharp, dull, squeezing, radiating, and more.

Pain can be defined in many ways, as a disease, as an injury, as a disorder, or as a sensation. Regardless of the particular definition we use to define it, we know one thing for sure: pain hurts.

Pain also protects.  The pain we feel as our hand gets too near the stove protects us from further damage.  The pain from an injury keeps us from continuing on, which could cause even more damage, and leads us to seek rest and treatment.

Pain can strengthen.  Ask any weight lifter why they suffer through sometimes painful workouts, and they will tell you that the minute muscle damage increases, strength increases as the muscle repairs itself.  It reminds me of when our son was in Marine Corps basic training, we came across a Marine Corps poster which said, "Pain is weakness leaving the body."  

Pain can lead to wisdom.  When we hiked our first section hike of the Appalachian Trail, we underestimated the trail and overestimated our abilities to deal with the unexpected. Because of that, and for reasons outside of our control, we experienced some painful situations.  That particular pain caused us to plan more carefully the next time.  The experience also taught us that we can accomplish much more than we initially thought possible.

Pain can be a great motivator.  It motivates us to remove ourselves from whatever is causing the pain, or to remove the source of the pain from ourselves.  It motivates us to do those things that will keep the pain from recurring.

Pain also leads; it leads us to a choice.  We can either concentrate on ourselves, our pain, and our situation, or we can choose to direct our thoughts toward others.  

So, we are back where we started. We are all either hurting, know someone who is hurting, or we know that someone somewhere is hurting.

In our pain, we can choose to "bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ," (Galatians 6:2) by praying for others in pain.  Or as the Apostle James said:

". . .pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  James 5:16

 Praying for others when we find ourselves in pain is not an easy thing to do, yet it follows the pattern the Lord Jesus Christ gave us.  As He was nailed to the cross, He prayed for the Father's forgiveness for others.

Praying for others, instead of focusing on ourselves, gives more purpose to our pain.  Indeed, in our easily distracted world, it may be that pain is one of the ways we can become focused on the needs and pains of others, instead of on ourselves.

So in those times we are in pain, of any kind, let us choose to pray for others who are in pain and seek the Lord's comfort for them.

"Pray without ceasing."

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Apologies

 I apologize for not writing in a while.  Thankfully, I have not been ill, but very busy on two different projects.

The first of those projects is our fourth children's book in the "Ellie & Percival" series.  If you are not familiar with our children's book series, they are about our five-year-old beagle, Ellie, and her Box Turtle friend, Percival. Ellie looks for Percival every day, and Percival seems to enjoy Ellie's visits.   In these books, Percival and, later, Harvey the rabbit, try to teach Ellie, through the events of her life, how greatly the Lord works in our lives. 

Ellie

Percival

  

The new book, "Everyone Loves Ellie", is based on a true story.  When Ellie was a puppy, she had a reaction to one of her immunizations and had to go to the Emergency Animal Hospital. In this story, Sally and Ellie's friends devise a plan to make her feel better, but they're unsure how to execute it.  That is, until they get help in a very unexpected way.  While in the hospital, Ellie meets Harvey, a rabbit, who shares some important truths with her.   

The first book, "Greens for Percival," introduces Ellie and Percival, the Man and the Lady (my husband and I), and Percival.  The part of the book depicting the beginning of the relationship between Ellie and Percival happened as described in the book.  

In "Greens for Percival," we also meet Callie, whom Ellie calls "the mean cat" until the second book.  We also meet Jack the cat, the coolest cat in the neighborhood!   The meeting in the book between Ellie and Jack, as unusual as it could be for a meeting between a dog and a cat, happened exactly as it was depicted. While Jack may be the coolest cat in the neighborhood, Max is the quietest.

In the second book, "Finally Friends," we find Ellie and Callie settling their differences with the help of Percival and Jack.  Ellie, with some encouragement, learns to forgive and realizes things aren't always as they seem. With the help of Jack and Max, she helps Callie find a home.  

In the third book, we meet Sally.  Sally is our daughter's dog and Ellie's real-life (and fictional) best friend.  This book is based on a true story of two young girls praying for something that seems impossible...snow along the Gulf Coast on Christmas Day.  And yes, it did indeed snow on Christmas Day.  In this book, the girls are represented by Ellie and Sally.

The only animal that is truly fictional is the rabbit, Harvey, who shares a room with Ellie at the Animal Hospital.

The second project, which I just finished today, is a Family Christmas Journal.  Glen gave me a Christmas journal thirty years ago, and I still enjoy reading the entries today.  This journal is formatted to enable planning before the season begins, recording activities and occurrences during the season, and reflecting on what should stay the same and what should change in the future. I find it enjoyable to re-read the entries in my journal and relive those days of Christmas when our children were small. I am looking forward to sharing this journal with others and using it for my own family.

All books are available on Amazon.com.  The Christmas Journal has gone to publishing, but may not be available until next week.

I am also considering creating a daily devotional for women, but I am not sure what direction I will pursue with this concept.

I hope to be back to writing this next week, especially sharing with you "all things Ellie."  

Frannie Davis

Friday Photo - The Prince of Peace

This picture was taken during a backpacking trip in Virginia. I loved how Glen was positioned between those two mounds of rock, steadily, step by step, climbing up and over the mountain.

A surprising thing to many who begin backpacking is that it is almost always a series of ups and downs. Up one elevation, down into a valley, and up again, over and over and over.   This is such a representation of our lives.  Things are going great, but then something stirs things up.  Then things go great again.  Thankfully, for those of us who know the Lord Jesus, we can find peace not in our surroundings or our situations, but in our Savior, who is the Prince of Peace.

Not a Friday Photo

 Today is my birthday, and to celebrate, I am posting one of my favorite birthday photos.

This picture was taken the morning of my 60th birthday. Our family spent the week at the beach, including our two oldest grandchildren. 

The morning of my birthday, I sat on the deck with a cup of coffee and watched the sunrise.  My grandson, Jack, came out to share this special moment with me, and I reflected on how great the Lord has blessed me through the years.  This is one of my most precious memories, not because of the beautiful sunrise, but because it was shared just between Jack and me.  Jack is a young man now and I love being with him just as much, perhaps even more, than I did then.

   

My morning coffee

My birthday buddy.