Sand Jo Haps

So after a day or two of just way too much sleeping....I thought Sandy Jo might not be getting enough nutrition. We happended into Piglet's Pantry where after trying on a few harnesses and giving up since she totally does NOT need one, we happened upon the subject of nutrition.

She explained all the options and introduced me to "raw" food for animals. Gave me a few samples and off I go.

They come frozen in little squares, you defrost them and give them to the animal.

Sandy Jo went CRAZY for it and in two seconds flat has become a new puppy.

Full on, regular puppy.

As the runt, I don't think she was getting enough nutrition with the competition of her much bigger siblings and Mom wouldn't tolerate them nursing much anymore. She didn't care for her kibble that much regardless of the fact that I soaked it in warm water.

So when she got ahold of this human grade raw food, she really got so excited.

So I think in one fail swoop, she chose her new dog food, the highest and best quality nutrition you can get for a dog. Now, I can only afford this food because she only eats one little morsel twice a day. lol If she were a German Sheperd, forget it. Purina Dog Chow for her. But she is not and so it easy to allow this small luxury for her. The free sample alone that they gave me should last for a month or two!

Plus we will mix with new high quality kibble as well so we are really happy to have said puppy eating, doing other normal puppy things and playing, playing, playing! It was amazing to watch the transormation.

Pottying is going well. Yorkie's I guess have a stubborness from what people have said about potty training, but perhaps the mix of Maltese, Yorkie and a little Shitzu mixed in gave us a better head start.

She sleeps with us and when she awakes at night (about 2X) I just set her on the floor and she runs over to her paper and goes potty and then runs back to the bed and I pick her back up and back to sleep we go. She sleeps to 4:30 which is an hour past me so I have been staying in bed with her and dozing for that last hour too. Today we did not get up until 5:30! Sacre bleu!

So far? Puppy success. Can't wait to get her to the vet to get all the low down on the do's and don't and when's and what's and why's.

I'll post a vidoe of her playing later today.

Thanks for all the well wishes!

Oh...my.

My Utmost for His Highest

Have You Ever Been Alone with God?

When they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples —Mark 4:34

Our Solitude with Him. Jesus doesn’t take us aside and explain things to us all the time; He explains things to us as we are able to understand them. The lives of others are examples for us, but God requires us to examine our own souls.

It is slow work— so slow that it takes God all of time and eternity to make a man or woman conform to His purpose. We can only be used by God after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We don’t even recognize the envy, laziness, or pride within us when we see it.

But Jesus will reveal to us everything we have held within ourselves before His grace began to work. How many of us have learned to look inwardly with courage?

We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves. That is always the last bit of pride to go. The only One who understands us is God.

The greatest curse in our spiritual life is pride. If we have ever had a glimpse of what we are like in the sight of God, we will never say, "Oh, I’m so unworthy." We will understand that this goes without saying. But as long as there is any doubt that we are unworthy, God will continue to close us in until He gets us alone.

Whenever there is any element of pride or conceit remaining, Jesus can’t teach us anything. He will allow us to experience heartbreak or the disappointment we feel when our intellectual pride is wounded. He will reveal numerous misplaced affections or desires— things over which we never thought He would have to get us alone.

Many things are shown to us, often without effect. But when God gets us alone over them, they will be clear.

My Utmost for His Highest

WOW was this an amazing comfort and word today. In all of our trying to be liked and accepted and for some of us, trying to reamin as quiet as we can to avoid the seemingly neverending spotlight focused on us...that there is some relief in the knowledge that one cannot always avoid it.


January 11, 2010
What My Obedience to God Costs Other People
READ:
As they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon . . . , and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus —Luke 23:26

If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the pain begins. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything— it is a delight. But to those who do not love Him, our obedience does cost a great deal. If we obey God, it will mean that other people’s plans are upset. They will ridicule us as if to say, "You call this Christianity?" We could prevent the suffering, but not if we are obedient to God. We must let the cost be paid.

When our obedience begins to cost others, our human pride entrenches itself and we say, "I will never accept anything from anyone." But we must, or disobey God. We have no right to think that the type of relationships we have with others should be any different from those the Lord Himself had (see Luke 8:1-3).

A lack of progress in our spiritual life results when we try to bear all the costs ourselves. And actually, we cannot. Because we are so involved in the universal purposes of God, others are immediately affected by our obedience to Him. Will we remain faithful in our obedience to God and be willing to suffer the humiliation of refusing to be independent? Or will we do just the opposite and say, "I will not cause other people to suffer"? We can disobey God if we choose, and it will bring immediate relief to the situation, but it will grieve our Lord. If, however, we obey God, He will care for those who have suffered the consequences of our obedience. We must simply obey and leave all the consequences with Him.

Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my darling Rachel. 13 years old today and bringing joy to our lives each and every one of the 4,645 days you've breathed air on this earth. You are the quintessential "one in a million". We simply adore you.

The Line Divided

Have I told you how scary FB is? Wow, I mean to say, that is the devil's playground. I don't know what possesses me to think that Christians can operate in the mainstream business world without repercussion, but let me help you out with that.

They can't.

Over some bigtime fussing over whether to or not to post the color of the bra that you are currently wearing, lines were drawn and sides taken.

Now I can argue any side of a debate. It almost doesn't matter which side either. It just doesn't REALLY matter that much. But after some BASIC BASIC talk about WHY such a thing isn't a good idea from a Christian standpoint...guns were drawn.

It was a really interesting commentary on Christians and their walks. I noticed that the Christians backed down, as usual...which to me was likely the better thing. But the other side gained momentum. I knew most of the people there and saw that they were the new age, do whatever you want, what is WRONG with you Christian types anyway but the surprise came from the mouths of Christians themselves...vulgarity, cussing, the F word, flippancy and more.

No matter of "discussion" went on at all. For all the hate that others claim Christians spew, I saw none of that from the Christians but plenty of it from the other side. A LOT of hate directed at anyone who did not agree.

Good discussion is good for the Christian, but there is something to be said about being evenly yoked when discussing some issues. Otherwise, you are just looking for a fight.

I was disappointed but not surprised at the number of Christian women who IGNORED scripture- writing it off as fun, harmless, etc. While it's not a salvation issue, it goes to the every day walk of they "typical" christian from the "typical" church...no one held to any kind of standard at all anymore and everyone shouting "Judgement!" when they are.

I had it by then and revamped my account, deleted posts, and am now operating as a stand back business person in the community. I am afraid I may have lost my fight. I thought about standing on the other side as I had just been a commenter on most things but you know, I eventually make a pretty easy target so held back on what I REALLY thought. But I don't want to be a target since I was there for business.

So where's the line? Do you stand or defer? Do you care or let it go? It seems that it was never a question of right or wrong...that is a no brainer to any Christian...it seems that sin is just so easy to participate in all in the name of "harmless, fun".

I guess it's harmless to (possibly)incite lust in men's minds...it's harmless to show younger woman the harmlessness of brash, vulgar public activity, it's harmless to be immodest in front of pastors, husbands, children, business people...it's harmless to set the example to non Christians about what Christians consider proper behavior. That is the danger of social media...you do not know how far reaching it is...
you can't possibly grasp it. No worries, it's harmless.
It wasn't about being offended. But that is what everyone was saying...."whoever is offended, get a life." type thing. But I didn't see a lot of people offended, just stating their own side of it and being shot down for it. I personally wasn't OFFENDED by it, I don't think anything much offends me anymore...I think that comes with age...when you are offended, you think you have the "right" to something and as Christians, you give up your rights. But it is clearly, clearly wrong. Not in a legalistic way, in a scriptural way.

I admit I am disillusioned with people and the world right now. With myself and what is good, right and true. It seems a hopeless fight for the Christian and any kind of decent Christian upbringing. The power that families have over their own legacies is so grossly underused that I can only shake my head anymore. Nothing seems to matter to anyone about behavior and the affect it has on others.

I like good harmless fun, I like private girl fun too...I like pushing the edge along with anyone else too but how, where, when, what and why are important questions to be asked before I do. I mess it up all the time. But when we, as Christians can blatantly show off our sin, blatantly ignore the Truth all in the name of "fun", then like it or not, some spiritual self examination should occur.

It's true that it's better to stand alone and be right then stand with the multitudes and be wrong but it's a lonely place to be. The one or two against the multitudes immediately got shot down and then shut down.

Sin is sick and we are all sick with it. But when we refuse to confess and repent, when we refuse to be teachable and grow...then we risk the basic scriptural principle of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins...so go and sin no more.

In Christ Alone

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV) For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.



How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions?



I suspect Paul only had one resolution on his list: "I resolve to know nothing but Christ and him crucified"



Paul's message is radically simple: Salvation is in Christ alone. What does this mean?

It's not Christ plus your good behavior.

It's not Christ plus the number of Bible verses you memorize.

It's not Christ plus your tithe or the church you attend.

It's not Christ plus wisdom from the latest Christian seminar, class, book, friend, teacher or small group.


It's simply Christ plus nothing. Christ and Christ alone.


Now that makes for one Joyful New Year.