"... He bringeth them unto their desired haven."

  Last night I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  I admit I was a little down in the dumps. I have been babysitting my nephews for the last 2 weeks solid, my air conditioner went out in my car, and now my car won't start.  To top it all off my little sister... you know the one who was born when I was 16... is talking about having a baby.  Well, with everything piled all together it all looked pretty bleak.  Yesterday's post really helped me to work the "boo hoo's" out of my system.
     In knew that the metaphor of a storm as a trial was mentioned in the scriptures. After all, the hymn "Master the Tempest is Raging" is all about the life's stormy weather.  By the way, this has ALWAYS been one of my favorite hymns.  So I went digging in the scriptures and I found a very beautiful scripture in Psalms which refers to the children of Israel wandering the in wilderness.  It reads: "He maketh the storm calm, so that the waves thereof are still.  Then they are glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven." Psalms 107:29-30  Of course the "haven" the scripture refers to is "heaven"... right?  But I'm only 37 and heaven... I hope... is a long way off.  The being said I think the word "haven" refers to a harbor of sorts.  The word harbor means "a part of a body of water along the shore deep enough for anchoring a ship and so situated with respect to coastal features, whether natural or artificial, as to provide protection from winds, waves, and currents." (taken from www.dictionary.com)  Of course the "he" in the scripture refers to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He will take us to safe harbor.. if we let Him.  Once in the harbor it is up to us to throw down our anchor.  I'm also sure that even in a harbor the storms of  life can be felt... seeing as you are still on the water.  However, I'd much rather be in the harbor during a storm than on the "open sea".

Well... ain't that somethin'

   Into each life a life a little rain must fall.  So... carry an umbrella?  You can't always get what you want... but if you try real hard you get what you need?  Wait... what if what you need really isn't what you think you need?  How do you know what it is that you need?  I mean... aside from the basic requirements of life... food, shelter and clothing.  Hmmm... this is some deep thinking for a Tuesday night.  I really don't have anything deep to say other than to comment on how funny it is that when it rains it pours.  Am I feeling sorry for myself?  Why just a touch... yes.  I'm allowed.  However, I haven't forgotten that I am being watched over.  My prayers are heard and, if I let him into my heart, the comforter will give me peace during such stormy weather. I have a saying stenciled on my living room wall to remind me of who I am and what I believe.  It says, "Look toward the sunshine and let the shadows fall behind."  To me the "sunshine" is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This world is really, really distracting to live in.  It is hard to really focus on what it is that  needs to be done instead of what I NEED.  I am slowly finding out that when I focus on what needs to get done.. what I need gets taken care of.  Wait a second... Am I married?  No. Do I have kids? No.  But do I need that right this second to accomplish the task at hand?  No.  So I guess I just have to remember that and look toward the sunshine so that the shadows truly do "fall behind".

A Child's Prayer

 My cat Truman went missing a few days ago. Truman came from the shelter and used to be an outdoor cat. While he transitioned beautifully to living in my home, he always had a tendency to try and escape to the great outdoors. Previously, he had only slipped out of the house and wandered over to the neighbor's house.  On that occasion I found him within 20 minutes. 

     This week I have been fostering an 86 lb Newfoundland puppy.  The pup has to go potty... a lot.  One night, while taking the pup out to do his business one last time, Truman decided to go exploring.  Of course, it was so very dark that I didn't realize what had happened.  When I woke up on Wednesday morning, I knew that something was wrong.  Usually Truman pelts me with his not so amazing acrobatics.  So when I woke up a little later than normal, I knew he was gone.
     I searched and searched for him, but did not find him.  I checked all of his favorite places... his very favorite place being the neighbor's garage.  I searched the garage THREE times, but he wasn't there.  By nightfall I was very worried.  I knocked on neighbor's doors and put up posters.  The next day I reported him missing to animal services.  I prayed to find him, but I just knew that I would never see him again.
     All of my nephews dearly love Truman.  When they heard of his disappearance, they were very upset.  Mason, the oldest, helped me to hang the missing posters in my neighborhood.  He told me to go knock on doors again and again.  He said, "Aunt Jenny, if they say, 'I don't have your cat.' and then they smile at you, you will know that they are lying."
     By Friday evening  Truman had been missing 3 days, and I had all but given up hope.  I had been helping my mom babysit the boys that day.  They left with my dad, their Grandad, at 6:00 to go to the show and I made my way home for more door knocking.  I did knock on a few doors that night, but nothing panned out.  Then, just before dark, I took the dogs out for one last play session.  It must have been about 8:50 or 9:00.   All of the sudden I got the feeling to call Truman's name.  Now I had been doing this EVERY day since he was missing.  But the feeling came to me that I should do this again.  So I did.  I called Truman a couple of times.  To my amazement I heard a very small meow.  It was so soft I thought that I had imagined it.  I quickly put the dogs inside.
     By this time it almost dark, so I grabbed a flashlight.  I raced outside and looked up into all of the trees calling him again and again.  I heard his distinctive meow just once, and I knew I needed to look in the neighbor's garage again.  That's just what I did.  To my amazement, a very happy Truman strolled up to me and rubbed against my legs.  I scooped him up and cried into his fur, so happy to have him back.  After getting him food and water I called my mom to tell her the good news.  She cried with me and then shouted to the boys, who had just gotten back from their movie, that Truman was found.  My dad then told my mom that on the way to the theater my little nephews had felt impressed to pray to Heavenly Father for Truman.  My dad later told me that they were the most beautiful prayers he had every heard either of them utter.  The little boys were very happy to hear of Truman's safe return... but they were not surprised.  Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4 I need to strive to have the same kind of faith that my little nephews had that Friday night.  I'm so very thankful that I didn't have to permanently loose my cat to learn this lesson.

A dream fulfilled...

Fourteen years ago a wonderful golden retriever came into my life.  His name was Chase, and, like Aslan of the Narnia series, he was the most giving, loving, self sacrificing creature that I will EVER have the pleasure to know.  I loved Chase with all of my heart.  As his time drew to a close I was faced with the awful realization of his departure.  I knew myself and I knew that I could not be without a dog and that, when Chase passed, it would be too painful to look at other dogs.  So I went about finding a puppy.  I wanted a dog that would be just like Chase, laid back and placid.  Chase was a golden, but having grown up with the breed, I knew how rare he was among his peers.  As a result, I decided to look at the only breed that ever came close to resembling Chase... a newfoundland.
     I went to club meetings, talked to many owners, and met LOTS of big black dogs.  I fell in love.  But... after talking to the owners reality set in.  They told me how very expensive these dogs can be. As a teacher, I will never make loads of money so this concerned me.  They also told of their many health issues, ect.  The clincher for me was that their coat required LOTS of care.  I was used to taking care of Chase's coat.  I brushed him 2x a week and he went to the beauty parlor 1x a month.  However, I was told that a Newf would have to be brushed every day.  The spirit whispered to me that, although I really, really wanted a newfie, now was not the right time.  This is how I ended up with Tucker Jack.
     Tucker's personality is the complete OPPOSITE of Chase's personality.  I was truly guided to this little ball of fur.  I have made SO many friends in Utah because of the agility training that I have put Tuck through. It is a classic case of the Lord knowing what is best for us  before we know it.

     Even though I love Tucker and Allie (my female golden) my dream of owning a newfie never did go away.  I was always convinced that I could do it.  Once again, the Lord gives us exactly what we need.  Last week I coordinated a rescue of 3 purebred newfoundland puppies... a dream come true.  One of the female pups stayed with me for a couple of days before being adopted... by my mom and dad!!!  I felt so happy that my mom and dad had finally found the dog for them, but I also felt deflated.  I really liked this little girl and was seriously thinking of adopting her myself.  Let me correct myself.  My heart wanted to adopt her my mind said, "You don't have the means to do so."  Then out of the blue the male puppy's foster home fell through.  I soon found myself driving up to get him, thinking the whole time, "I wanted the male to begin with.  This is perfect.  Heavenly Father is totally working it out for me."  

     I've now had Cade, the male puppy, in my home for 5 days, and I can now say without a doubt that Tucker Jack and Allie Mae are the dogs for me.  I love Cade.  He's a real cutie.  But having an 86 pound six month old puppy in my house REALLY makes it seem a lot smaller.  The club members that I visited with before I got Tucker were telling the truth.  He does require more... more food, more space, more attention.  So today I thank my Heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to learn this "hands on".  In the meantime I get to enjoy his squishy face before sending him to his forever home.  :) 

Faith... pass it on!

A friend of mine e-mailed me this story.  It touched me so much that I just had to share it.  

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so, and she dictated these words: 

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

                                                      Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note: 


Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.  I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

Lesson From a Dove

These little bunnies, about 6 days old, were attacked by a dog and orphaned. Two out of the litter of fivedid not survive, and these three were not doing very well.  Noah is a non-releasable, one-legged homing pigeon/rock dove that is in the rehab centre. Noah kept going over to the bunny cage and looking in -- even sleeping in front of the door to the cage. But when Noah moved a bit from the front of the cage. Then, suddenly, there were only two bunnies in the cage.  To everyone's surprise....there was the tiny bunny...under Noah's wing...sound asleep! That little bunny rabbit had crawled through the cage, preferring a featherbed, no doubt to snuggling up with its littermates!
Now, they are all together and the bunnies are doing GREAT. When the bunnies scoot underneath Noah's feathers, he carefully extends his wings out to surround them and then they snuggle. When one of them moves and they start sticking out here and there, he gently pushes them back under him with his beak!  It is beautiful and amazing to see... 

This is what God does with us when we need the warmth and love He offers. He gathers us under His loving wings to a warm cradle of protection. All we need do in return is give Him the thanks and praise for being with us.

"That in everything you are enriched by Him..." 1 Corinthians 1:5

I believe that the Book of Mormon is true!  I have known this truth for some time.  As I continue with my daily scripture study, the Holy Ghost whispers it to me over and over again.   I feel that it is true deep in my heart as I read and study both the Book of Mormon and The Bible.  I say with total certainty that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ.  "I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed by soul from hell."  2 Nephi 33:6

I believe!
 

Don't Lose The Lesson...

   School has been out since June 9th, and let me tell you it's been a great summer so far.  I have been able to hang with great friends and train with my best friends, my two Golden Retrievers, Tucker Jack and Allie Mae.  Last week I had a private lesson with my new mentor/instructor.  It was so, so good.  She said something that has stuck with me since then..  We were talking about running an agility course during a trial and how sometimes you just flub it.  You've prepared yourself and your dog, but you just blank out or mishandle the situation.  She said that this would happen every now and then.  She looked me in the eye.  Pointing her finger she said, "But whatever you do Jenn, don't loose the lesson."
     Wow!!!  What great advice!  Don't loose the lesson. Like an agility trial, life can be unpredictable.  Even when you have prepared and done everything right you can still mishandle a jump or an obstacle on a course.  It is true that my life's "course" hasn't gone the way that I would have wished it to go.  But through this I have learned many lessons that would have been impossible to learn without such tribulation.  I know, as I have written before, that I have been comforted when I needed it the most.  Like footprints in the sand I can look back and see the times that I was carried.
     I'm only 37 years old, and I have many more years left on this planet... I hope.  I'm sure there will be many more times when the trial that I face will seem too great for me to handle.  My greatest wish is to remember the phrase... "Don't loose the lesson."  I pray that looking at tribulation through the lens of learning will give me a deeper understanding, resilience, and endurance.  This is my prayer!