Blog

Waves of Doubt

I’ve prayed for healing and heard the devil whispering, “What if God doesn’t heal?” I’ve begged God to break through depression’s darkness and heard silence. I’ve prayed for God to provide and wondered what if He doesn’t? Doubt. It creeps in uninvited. It bombards our thoughts. It stirs up the embers of fear and worry.
Doubt is no stranger, but it’s the enemy of our souls. Doubt says God cannot heal. Doubt says God cannot provide. Doubt says God isn’t in total control, and doubt may even say God doesn’t care.

read more

Are We Keeping Our Joy Alive?

I kept repeating the word, enjoying my guide dog, Iva’s reaction as she did little half jumps. As a trained guide dog, Iva knows better than to jump, especially while I’m sitting at the kitchen table eating one of her favorite treats, watermelon. She found it difficult to contain her joy, and she did a great job about not breaking the rules, keeping those hind feet on the ground.
Next, I laid my hand on the top of her head. Now each time I said “Bath!” I could feel her ears stand up. I enjoy these playful moments as much as she does. Nothing gets Iva more excited than her bath. We try to spell the word until the morning when the Pampered Pup comes by for Iva’s scheduled appointment.
As she jumped, panting with exhilaration, and her velvety black ears shot up, I wondered how excited do I get about Jesus. Iva’s jubilation shouldn’t exceed my joy about Jesus. Some Sundays, I wake up saying, “I get to go to church today.” I hate to admit that most Sunday mornings, I just want to sleep a little bit longer. My joy for Jesus is being outdone by a black Lab’s joy for a bath.

read more

Guide Dog Tale: Chocolate and Sin

Why do we yearn for the things that cause us harm? Chocolate is lethal for dogs, but Iva is drawn to its aroma. During our training at Guiding Eyes, Iva possessed an unusual interest in my hot chocolate. Over the last three years, Iva’s interest in chocolate has calmed down, until last night.
When we’re in Gatlinburg, I visit the Chocolate Monkey for a hand-dipped chocolate strawberry or some Buckeyes (similar to peanut butter balls). Iva and I entered the shop enthusiastically, because she found their new location after only one attempt. I teach her new places by using the clicker and giving her treats at each turn of the route.

The sweet lady behind the counter greeted us and remembered Iva from their other location. That’s when the perfect storm began to brew.

read more

The Cushions of Life: A Guide Dog Tale

As we walked down the sidewalk, Iva, my guide dog, swerved to avoid something. “Great job, Iva!”
We continued our walk, but my curiosity began working overtime. What was on the sidewalk that Iva avoided? I considered going back, but that might tell Iva we need to rework a mistake.

read more

When Everything Hits You at Once

When I added the appointment to my calendar using Alexa, I was reminded that only one hour stood between that appointment and a Zoom meeting at home. I assured myself we could do it if we make no other stops.
My husband complained that morning about my scheduling, because now he had to also stop at the pharmacy.
“We can still do it. If we leave when you get home at 4:00, we have time to go by the pharmacy, get Iva’s pedicure at the vet, and still be home for my 6:00 meeting.”
But at 4:00, my mother-in-law’s toilet stopped up. With only ten minutes before Iva’s pedicure, I volunteered to cancel the appointment, but my husband refused.

read more