Up North – Where Were We Wednesday?

Last Friday, Hubby took me and Hannah up north for Valentine’s Day.

Our first stop was the Ice Castle in Eagle River.

We each had to get a picture with the pooch.

She wouldn’t cooperate for a selfie with all three of us.

I hope you can read the sign about the Ice Castle. I was too lazy to type it here for you. But I did hear that they were going to dismantle it in another week or so.

Further up the road, we stopped at Bluff Valley Park, just outside of Bessemer. The joy of taking a dog on a road trip – lots of stops!

Then finally arrived at Black River Harbor on Lake Superior.

Even though I didn’t tromp all the way to the shore, I could still feel the awesomeness of the greatest of the Great Lakes.  

The stillness in the frigid air in the winter always stuns me.

Hannah was not nearly as impressed, but she was a good pup.

And had to make sure that Poppa came out of Joe’s Pasty Shop in Ironwood. 

I hope I don’t have to rename this blog after Hannah? What do you think? 

Jesus Walks on Water, and so does Peter

Then Jesus made his followers get into the boat. He told them to go ahead of him to the other side of the lake. Jesus stayed there to tell the people they could go home. After he said good-bye to them, he went alone up into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone. By this time, the boat was already far away on the lake. The boat was having trouble because of the waves, and the wind was blowing against it.

Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus’ followers were still in the boat. Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water. When the followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.

But Jesus quickly spoke to them. He said, “Have courage! It is I! Don’t be afraid."

Peter said, “Lord, if that is really you, then tell me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus said, “Come.”

And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”

Then Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”

          After Peter and Jesus were in the boat, the wind became calm. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!” (Matthew 14:22-33, International Children’s Bible)

Another great story, one you are probably familiar with. What does it tell us? That Jesus can do anything – in addition to all the other miracles He performed, He can walk on water too. He can even cause one of His disciples to walk on water.

But what’s the real take away? Three simple words. “Lord, save me!”

No matter what you are going through, what battles you are fighting, you are not alone. Jesus is with you. You need only believe, reach out your hand, and say, “Lord, save me!”

At the time, it may not seem like He is there for you. You may feel yourself continue to sink in whatever trouble surrounds you. But have faith! God is with you.  

The Rescue of the Goose

 I’ve been writing a lot about our little rescue dog Hannah, and as much as I want to keep sharing about her, I thought I should tell you about another rescue dog.

When you take a rescue dog into your home, you never know what you’re going to get. If you’re lucky, you might be told a little about their history and their previous family, but generally, even if you are told things, don’t count on any of it.

You need to be patient and diligent and remember the three 3’s. Something like – it takes three days for the dog to just calm down, 3 weeks for them to adapt to all the new things in their new world, and 3 months to gain your trust. Or it might take two years.

Two years ago, last fall, my son and his girlfriend adopted a beautiful coonhound mix, named Goose. She had been surrendered back to the shelter twice. The people who adopted her previously took one look at her and thought, “hunting dog”. She’s got some of those instincts in her, but being a gun dog is not in her heart. She had probably been treated all right, but never as the family pet.

My son and his girlfriend took her in and gave her a good home, all the attention they could shower her with, walks and runs at the dog park, new people to meet, lots of treats, lots of adventures. She was doing okay, but she remained somewhat aloof and skittish. She wouldn’t walk on a linoleum floor or go into any kitchens. She wouldn’t relax at my house, no matter how many times she was here. She would come to us, but she didn’t care about being petted or hugged. She never completely relaxed.  

Over Christmas, her mom and dad gave her a new dog bed. Dumbest thing ever, but it was like getting that bed flipped the switch. Reminded me of Dobby the house elf getting a sock. Everything changed for Goose.

She was suddenly affectionate and wanted those pets and hugs. She trotted across linoleum and into the kitchen. She wanted to play with more toys. It was like she knew, after two years of wondering, that she was in her forever home with her forever family who would always love her. And she’ll never have to look back.   

Jesus Calms the Storm

Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.        

The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27, New Living Translation)

Imagine you are out in a boat on Lake Superior. Clouds gather in the sky, the wind picks up, and soon, waves toss your vessel. “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” starts eerily playing in your head.

This man you’ve been following, who has performed some miracles right in front of your eyes, is sleeping in the back of the boat. You look at your partners and want to ask, “How can he sleep through this?” But a gust of wind knocks you over, almost tipping you overboard.

“Wake up, wake up!” one of your friends shouts to the sleeping man, shaking him. “We need your help!”

The man opens his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face. “What is the matter with you? You’ve been with me all day and know how tired I was.”

“But we’re afraid we are going to sink. Can’t you calm the storm?”

The man looks around, shaking his head ever so slightly. “This storm cannot hurt you. Where is your faith?”

You and your friends tightly grasp the sides of the vessel, staring at the man, trying to grasp what he means.

“All right then,” he finally says. “Wind and wave, calm down so that my friends can relax.”

The wind and rain immediately stop. The boat, which had been tossed in the waves seconds before, rocks gently in the water.

What would you think at that point? Who was this man in the boat with you?

Of course, we know it was Jesus, the Son of God. And that is why He was able to sleep through the storm; He knew that His Father in Heaven would protect Him. Are you able to get through the storms of life without worrying, without wondering where God is in your time of need? Is your faith strong enough?

 

Hannah Settling in at Home

            On Wednesday, when I wrote here about our new dog’s homecoming, I didn’t want to mention that at that point I was ready to send her back.

 Oh, she’s adorable all right and happy around us, even does well on the leash. But as happens with most rescues, she has got a history which I was just starting to figure out.

 The most annoying is that I think she was trained to do her business on a piddle pad, as her previous owners were, perhaps, too lazy to take her out. It’s been an uphill battle, as we don’t want to scold her for going on the piddle pads, if that’s what she’s been taught. So, it’s just been lots and lots of trips outside. Also, I bet from the stress of her trip here, she has been peeing a lot more than most dogs do. At least, she didn’t get diarrhea, which the rescue warned us happens in 90% of the dogs going to a new home.

 She has slowly been figuring it out, though. Yesterday, she actually started going to the door and waiting for us to get her outside, instead of just piddling willy nilly.

 The other thing is that she’s not eating. They told us what dry dog food she’d been getting (a cheap and horrible brand full of grains and little protein). I bought it anyway, to use while gradually switching to something better. But she won’t eat either one. I got a free sample of another brand from our feed store and my son brought a baggie full of what his dog’s been eating. She won’t touch those either.

 And she won’t eat any of the treats we’ve bought her either. Another set back to the potty training – how do you reward a food-motivated breed, if she won’t eat anything you give her.  

 I’ve started feeding her a decent brand of canned food, but even that is hit or miss. She has been drinking a lot of water, though, so I’ve been mixing some water in the canned to make it nice and soupy, and that seems to work.

 I keep telling myself, “She’ll eat when she’s hungry enough”. And she could stand to lose a few pounds. Also, she is still urinating a fair amount and pooping twice a day.

 I have a few thoughts on this food situation. To be sure, she is a beggar at the supper table. She also has bad breath and some gunky back teeth. I’m sure her previous owners gave her people food; maybe that’s all they gave her.

 And with the bad teeth, hard, dry food is probably painful for her. Thing is, she doesn’t even try the treats we give her, just sniffs them and refuses to take them.

 We’ll figure it out. She sees our vet next week, so I’m sure she will have ideas.

 On a positive note, she gets along great with Emma. They aren’t buddies, yet, but every time they pass each other, they look at each other with almost a longing in their eyes. As if they are thinking, “I want to be your BFF.”

 Our son was over Tuesday night with his dog, Goose, and they did fine together too. Now she just has to meet our daughter’s pack of three dogs. I’m already trying to figure out the Christmas picture with five of them under the tree!

 And one last thing. I told you last time that we put Dino down on January 4, 2023?

 Saturday night, after I got home with our new little nugget, and she was resting, I read through her paperwork. Her birthdate is January 9, 2023, five days after Dino crossed the rainbow bridge. 

Even though we’ve had our struggles with Hannah this week, she was born to come home to us.  

Corgi Comes Home

          

January 4, 2023, we had our beloved Dino the Wonder Dog put to sleep. After being our most faithful four-legged friend for nearly 16 years, it was time, and he was ready.

          Less than a year later, my heart started aching to have another dog in the house. Then last May, when we put down Cheshire Cat, leaving special Emma the only critter in the house, it was too quiet.

          I started looking on Petfinder for a small to medium dog who was already fixed and got along with cats. So many sweet faces greeted me on my laptop, but none said, "Take me home." Until this one popped up one Sunday afternoon.

          I started filling out the application before I even asked Hubby. My bad.

          I was interrupted by a phone call from my brother – he had yet another crisis. His crises range from his record player not working to being locked out of his house to not liking any temperatures outside, which fall under 28 degrees. I can't remember what he had going on that day, but we had to run to his house to tend to it. It gave Hubs and me a chance to talk about this nipper.

          Not that it mattered coz we all know that I get my way with most things, so I emailed the application off shortly after we got home.

          Within an hour, the woman from the rescue emailed me back that she had multiple applications for this pup, but I was at the top of the list, so I had to let her know ASAP if I was sure I wanted her.

          Really? With that face?

          The biggest hurdle was that she was in Oklahoma, or as the rescue calls it, Okla–hell–oma. Apparently, animals, in general, are not treated well there, and none of the shelters will let Oklahomans adopt. Which sounds pretty unfair, but I don't know. I don't live there.

          Anyway, the rescue schedules transport, but it's expensive and took a few weeks to get set up. I think I saw that this rescue sent six dogs north in the truck with our baby. Traumatic for them all, I can't even imagine. The poor little puddin' was terrified when I finally met her Saturday night at a gas station in Wausau.

          But let's move on to the good stuff.

          She is a two-year-old Corgi mix. Ever since I was a kid, I have wanted a cocker spaniel, beagle, or Corgi. We had the cockers, Shadow and Pepper, from around 1996 to 2007. They were good dogs but dumb as several boxes of rocks. I think I'm getting too old for a beagle, but two out of three ain't bad.

          She came with the name Jojo, which I was never a fan of. Who names a pet something that rhymes with "no, no"? Luckily, she wouldn't answer to that anyway, so we renamed her Hannah.

          We've had cats named Alice, Betty, Barney, Bam-Bam, Cheshire, Emma, Fred, and Gizmo, plus Dino, of course. So I've been kinda going through the alphabet, which lands us at the letter H.

          I had an aunt named Hannah who never moved to America from Germany with the rest of Dad's family in 1924. No one ever knew what happened to her, but I'd like to think she survived the Holocaust, had several kids, and that her grandkids are still somewhere in Germany.

          Thinking about Dad, though, I remember a story he told about when he lived on the farm. They had a dachshund and a mutt, and one day, the wiener dog chased some rodent down its hole. The little dog kept digging her way into the hole until the hole collapsed on her. The mutt ran home and got Dad to rescue her.

          And since Hannah looks like she has dachshund in her, that name is a tribute to Dad and his family in several ways.

          I'm still getting to know her, and this is getting too long already. Will tell you more about her on Friday.

The Woman at the Well

Jacob’s well was there. Jesus was tired from his long trip, so he sat down beside the well. It was about twelve o’clock noon. When a Samaritan woman came to the well to get some water, Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” (This happened while Jesus’ followers were in town buying some food.)

          The woman said, “I am surprised that you ask me for a drink, since you are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman.” (Jewish people are not friends with Samaritans.)

          Jesus said, “If you only knew the free gift of God and who it is that is asking you for water, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

          The woman said, “Sir, where will you get this living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with. Are you greater than Jacob, our father, who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and flocks?”

          Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life.”

          The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so I will never be thirsty again and will not have to come back here to get more water.”

          Jesus told her, “Go get your husband and come back here.”

          The woman answered, “I have no husband.”

          Jesus said to her, “You are right to say you have no husband. Really you have had five husbands, and the man you live with now is not your husband. You told the truth.”

          The woman said, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that Jerusalem is the place where people must worship.”

          Jesus said, “Believe me, woman. The time is coming when neither in Jerusalem nor on this mountain will you actually worship the Father. You Samaritans worship something you don’t understand. We understand what we worship, because salvation comes from the Jews. The time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, and that time is here already. You see, the Father too is actively seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

          The woman said, “I know that the Messiah is coming.” (Messiah is the One called Christ.) “When the Messiah comes, he will explain everything to us.”

          Then Jesus said, “I am he—I, the one talking to you.”

          Just then his followers came back from town and were surprised to see him talking with a woman. But none of them asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

          Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She said to the people, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Do you think he might be the Christ?” So the people left the town and went to see Jesus. (John 4:6-30, New Century Version)

Another one of my favorite Bible stories. Can you imagine having this conversation with Jesus? When you found out who He was, wouldn’t you kind of freak out?

It is a lot to read, so I don’t want to make this any longer than it is. Just think about this simple encounter, and what it meant to the Sanitarian woman and what it would have meant to you had you been there.