Thursday, November 27, 2008

They're Here!!!

Our new additions have arrived. I haven't been this excited since Christmas Mornng when I was four or five years old. I didn't even realize that I loved my dog this much. What a sap, right?
"Lady" has delivered 10 puppies (an eleventh pup was stillborn), all are black, 5 girls, 5 boys. As you can see in the picture above, and as you would expect, mama was very tired but doing well. She is patiently nursing all 10 of her kids, cleaning them and nuzzling them constantly.
The puppies are the cutest things I have ever seen in my life! Each one fits in my hand, and their paws are so tiny that they won't even cover the tip of my pinky finger. Their tiny little whines, cries, and yelps are the sweetest sounds I've heard since my kids were babies. Watching them nurse and hearing their little suckling noises is amazing.
Finally, to watch how Lady instinctively cares for her children so carefully, gently, and beautifully leaves me in wonder of how God has made her--filled with all the knowledge she needed. It really is an inspiring wonder of creation!






Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Follow Your Heart...Are You Kidding Me?

There are few phrases used in our culture as often or with such romanticized zeal as the oh so ubiquitous phrase "Follow your heart". Undoubtedly you've heard it more than you can count and probably said it more than you care to admit, too. OK...I admit it...I've used it myself. I meant well when I did, as you no doubt did when you mouthed the phrase. It's not that the phrase is so darn cliche that makes it so bad. The problem is that, generally speaking, "Follow your heart" is just plain bad advice.
The hopeless romantic part of you may now be screaming "How dare he say that!" but hopefully the more rational and curious part of you simply wonders "Why would he say that?" Well, here's the simple answer for all of you from the pen of Jeremiah and the mind of God himself:
"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9)
If our hearts are so messed up, then it seems obvious that following them is not very wise at best and pretty dumb and dangerous at worst. But there is a much wiser alternative to following your heart...LEAD IT INSTEAD!
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"
(Matthew 6:21)
Contrary to what you might have heard. Your heart will follow your investment. Whatever you start to invest your time, energy, effort, resources, and relationship into will become something you actually care about. Try it and see.