One Last Goodbye

Yesterday Marilyn, Lisa and I took a drive down south to Palmetto, Florida. Our destination was the Companion Memorial Gardens, the final resting place of the ashes of our beloved Conner Dog. We had received notice that his remains had been scattered in a butterfly garden there and we just wanted to see the place and say one last goodbye. It was a happy but emotional visit, and we were all very happy to know that Conner's final resting place is a large shady area with beautiful flowers and butterflies, far out in the country and away from the cars that so often made him a little crazy. There are a few pictures below. A day does not go by that I don't miss him. But I do feel a little more at peace today. Best wishes for a wonderful week for each and every one of you!

Rest In Peace, Conner Dog

Conner J. Dog  March 15, 2003 - August 16, 2015

Yesterday afternoon our beloved Conner Dog succumbed to heart failure and we had to have him put down. It was very sudden and very unexpected, with everything changing in the course of an hour. There were many tears, and it will be quite a while before the house feels normal again. We all got to give him final hugs and say our goodbyes, but it still doesn't feel real. He was part of our family for 12 years. All three of us have holes in our hearts.

There are lots of great Conner stories to tell, and over the next few weeks they will be told. But this post is all about how important that fuzzy little cocker spaniel was in my life. Many of you know that he was my constant companion over the past 8 years. He woke me up in the mornings, often far too early. We took 4 or 5 walks together every day. I fed him, and he played fetch with me. And he knew exactly what to do to pry an extra Beggin' Strip out of me. When I got McDonald's breakfast for the family, Conner got a Sausage McMuffin. He would lay his head on my thigh to beg for food. We GOT each other. He was my buddy.

But none of those things were his most important contribution to my life. When life fell apart for my family back in 2007 and we moved back to Tampa, I was very scared and alone. Marilyn and Will loved me, but they were gone to work and school every day. My neighbors were afraid of me. We had no internet and no social media, and this blog didn't exist yet. Almost no one even had my phone number because I assumed none of my friends would ever want to talk to me again. For the better part of 2 years I was alone all day, every day. Except for my faithful dog -he was always by my side. To Conner, I never stopped being a good guy and his love was totally unconditional, just as long as there was food. When Marilyn and Will took trips without me, Conner was always here. On days when it was hard to imagine life ever being good again, Conner would lick my elbow and beg to be rubbed. When ever I was tempted to give up, he was always pulling me out of my chair and taking me for a walk. Conner Dog was my life-support for nearly 2 years. And our bond was so strong because of it.

There is no replacing a family member like Conner. You don't move on and you don't get over it and you don't forget. You just remember- and love. We are thankful that he did not suffer. We are thankful that we got to say goodbye. And we know our lives will never, ever be quite the same. RIP, C-Doggy. I hope that doggy heaven is filled with endless Beggin' Strips. And maybe even your own ice cream bowl.

Understanding Worship

I came to an uncomfortable conclusion very early this morning when my dog woke me up. My dog worships me. Just look at the evidence. When I am sitting at the computer he lies my my feet, making sure I don't go anywhere without him knowing. He follows me everywhere I go. I go the kitchen and he is on my heels. I go to the bathroom and he comes in looking for me. I grab his leash and he heads for the door, ready to follow wherever I will lead him. The neighbors have told me that when I am gone they hear him howling in distress, uncertain what to do without me.  Sometimes when I leave he pouts the entire time I am gone, howling and laying on the bed starring out the window, waiting for my return. I just have to face the facts. Conner the Dog worships me, unworthy as I am. 

And the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a great example of true worship it is! I want to feel that way about Jesus every single day. I want to long to know where he will take me next. I want to follow him everywhere he wants to lead me. I want to feel the need to be in his presence so strongly that when I feel like I have wandered away (because if we feel separated from God, it is us who moved) I howl with grief, hoping he will hear my cries and come rescue me yet again. I want to be constantly vigilant, following him in the here and now and waiting for the glory of his return. This is what true worship is- giving ourselves completely to the One we worship. I want to be like that.  Jesus invites us all, with all of our faults and failures and blemishes, to come follow him. It is a come just as we are invitation, but it comes with a price- that we take up our cross and follow him no matter what. I realize now that Conner is not only a faithful dog, he is a walking object lesson. I want to need Jesus so bad that is hurts. LORD, I want to howl for you. That is my prayer today. And as long as I'm praying, I wouldn't mind if Conner wanted to sleep all night tonight. It's the little things...

Because of Jesus,

We're Mutts!

In honor of National Dog Day yesterday...

We're Americans, with a capital 'A', huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts! Here's proof: his nose is cold! But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more lovable than the mutt.   - John Winger  (Bill Murray in Stripes) 

The above quote is part of a hilarious scene from the great 1981 comedy, Stripes. But there is also a great deal of truth in the speech. And, I'm afraid, it is a truth we have forgotten. It seems to me that far too many of us here in the good ol' US of A have become elitists. Instead of mutts, we see ourselves as the pure breeds. Not only do we no longer embrace the role of underdogs, we are dismissive and often afraid of those who do. We worry about who we let live in our country. We worry about who we might have to sit next to on the bus or in a restaurant. And worst of all, we worry about keeping the riff-raff out of our churches.  

I read a story recently of a man who was thrown out of a church service on a Sunday morning when someone in the congregation recognized him as one of the local panhandlers. The pastor told the ushers to ask this homeless man to leave. He didn't belong there because his presence was upsetting the "good people" who were members of that church. I hate to break it to that pastor and his flock, but when that man left that building, Jesus went with him. Read the gospels and you will be overwhelmed with the number of people Jesus hung out with who would be banned from our churches today. We often claim it's a safety issue. More often than not it's a love issue. We love the people who are like us, forgetting that Jesus came for the sick, the lost, the lame, the sinners and the homeless. He came for the felons, the illegal immigrants, the unwashed and the ugly. Jesus came for the mutts. And the sooner we in the church remember that Jesus loves the "least of these" every bit as much as he loves the saints, the sooner we can actually show the world what a Jesus Revolution looks like.  Everyone matters.

I see commercials all the time inviting us to adopt stray dogs and give them the love and attention they need. That's a great idea- for the church. Let's start adopting mutts. You can start with me. My name is Carl, and I am part of "the least of these." I have been a "notorious sinner." My nose is cold, and my heart is faithful.  Jesus loves me.  How about you?

Because of Jesus,

Happy Birthday, Conner Dog!

Our beloved Cocker Spaniel, Conner, turns 10 years old today.  That's 70 to you and me- but you would never know it!  He still acts like a pup; he just takes more naps now.  To be honest that is not that different from me! Still, 10 years is a long time to be part of a family.  It's a lot of Beggin' Strips; a lot of walks; a lot of 4 am wake ups howls; a lot of time begging for food; a lot of time growling at Will; and a lot of time just wanting our love and attention.  It's one Christmas tree tackled and a lot of wrapping paper ripped from gifts.  And it is HUNDREDS of squirrels chased!  Will likes to say that Conner is spoiled, because he has his own recliner and occasionally gets his own steak and cheese sub from Subway and his own sausage biscuit from McDonald's.  Will is not wrong.  Conner is family.  And today we will celebrate with him!  Marilyn thinks he may deserve his own Dairy Queen Blizzard to mark the big day.  Conner would never argue with that!

So Happy Birthday, Conner Dog! Thank you for all of the joy and laughter you have brought to our little family.  But was it really necessary to get me up at 4:19 this morning to start the party?  Have a great day and a blessed weekend, everyone!

Because of Jesus,

An Ornament Story: Gaston

For the next 5 days I will be sharing stories about some of the ornaments on our family Christmas tree. Like many of you, we have carefully chosen the ornaments over many years, and so many of them have special meaning to us.  I am going to tell you some of the memorable stories that go along with these classic Christmas ornaments.

In 2003 we were living in Tampa and had celebrated a wonderful Christmas.  The day after Christmas the youth of Wesley Memorial UMC left early in the morning to begin the drive to West Virginia for our ski retreat.  Marilyn, Will and Conner were left behind.  It was our first Christmas with the dog.  I was driving along (somewhere in Georgia, I believe) when my cell phone rang. Marilyn was hysterical- and angry.  It seems that the dog had tackled the tree, knocking it to the hard tile floor and leaving smashed ornaments everywhere.  Some of our collectible Disney ornaments were broken beyond repair.  I was "dead meat" for not being there.  She couldn't pick up the tree to set it upright, and she was frustrated beyond words. But from the rubble, a tradition was born.

We had a set of Beauty and the Beast ornaments that we dearly loved, and many of them suffered damage.  We were able to glue the Beast back together, but others were lost.  And then there was Gaston.  Gaston lost a leg in the calamity.  But we kept him.  And the following year when it came time to decorate the tree, we decided to hand one-legged Gaston on our tree. And he has been there every year since!

We love our special ornament, and we still love the dog too.  While I was a bit surprised to discover he was still alive when I got home, that was the last time he ever messed with our tree.  Now he just sleeps under it like he is a present.  And the smashed tree is just a part of our Christmas narrative.

Join me tomorrow to learn about another ornament- The Christmas Pickle. :)

Merry Christmas to All!!!

A Blog From the Dog

In honor of the third birthday of this blog coming up August 26, here's another vintage post from my first month of blogging in 2009. And it's a really good one...

Greetings! My name is Conner, the Jones' family dog, and I am your blogger for today. Daddy has the day off. I know he is not really my daddy, but he, Mommy and Will are my family and I think of them that way. You see, we dogs get it. I don't have many needs in life, but the ones I do have I know I can count on my family to provide for. I trust in them. I need food, they give me food. I need to sleep, they make a bed for me (actually I can sleep most anywhere, but you get the point!). I need my fuzzy ball, which is my security blanket, and they keep providing me with new ones. When I make a mess, they clean it up. They play ball with me and rub behind my ears and give me baths because they love me. Daddy and the family care for all my needs.

That doesn't mean I get everything I want. I want to catch a squirrel in my backyard, but that ain't happening! I want to eat their hamburgers and hot dogs and steaks, but I seldom get to. I want to go to school with Will, but he never takes me. I want them to have Dairy Queen Blizzards every night, because Daddy gets his without chocolate so I can have some- but that doesn't happen as often as I would like. But I can live without the things I want, because I know I will get everything I need.

I used to feel sorry for you humans because it always seemed you had to do everything for yourselves- because you didn't have a daddy like mine. You always seem to be running everywhere, trying to get power, fame and money and all kinds of stuff that you want. But then I found out that you humans have a Daddy who will look after your needs, but you choose not to trust Him. You have a Daddy (Abba- HA! Didn't know dogs could speak Aramaic, did ya?) who loves you more than my family could ever love me (I don't think my daddy would ever sacrifice Will to save me...) and yet you keep trying to do everything for yourselves. Your Daddy promises to take care of your needs just like He takes care of the flowers and the birds. Your Daddy says to trust in Him and He will act. But you guys are just too busy trying to prove you don't need anyone to take care of you. I know it is a cliche, but it's a good one- Let go and let God. My family used to be really bad about that too- but sometimes hard times teach difficult lessons. They are learning to count on God, the Abba Father, the same way I count on them.

So anyway, I am so glad I have a daddy and a family to count on, to play with and to love. I hope you understand that you have a Daddy who is much bigger and better than mine, and who loves you in ways you cannot imagine. I'm off to to catch my third nap of the day, and then maybe play some ball and have a Beggin' Strip, if Will doesn't try to steal it! Hey, that will be the topic of my next blog- the Beggin' Strip, God's gift to dogs!

Until next time,

Conner

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Conner waits and plots his revenge....

I wrote yesterday about my family heading out on vacation, leaving me and our dog Conner to fend for ourselves in sunny Florida.  How was Day 1?  I offer you the following answers...


THE GOOD
I got to spend a few final hours with Ashley Goad Broadhurst, sharing stories, Starbucks and countless laughs.  I am so proud of who she has become, and I look forward to seeing her again very soon. I also got to text a bit with my dear friends Teresa and Denise, and to have dinner with my friend Lisa.  Conner and I took a long walk last night, enjoying our beautiful neighborhood.  I talked to Marilyn and Will and found they had arrived safely in Greensboro. These were all very good things.


THE BAD
At some point before Ashley got up yesterday it became clear to me that the air conditioning in our home was not cooling properly.  I did everything I know to do, flipping breakers and pushing reset buttons, but there was no cold air blowing through the vents.  A repairman was called, and I waited for him all afternoon in a very warm house.  Eventually he called to inform me that he was not going to make it to our house yesterday; it would be sometime this morning before he could get to us.  I was not encouraged or happy.  Conner began packing a bag and planning his own trip to a luxury kennel.  If I had a car, I would have gone out and purchased a Slurpee large enough to soak in.  This was bad...


THE UGLY
There are few things in life that I hate worse than trying to sleep when I cannot get cool enough.  One of those things is lying in bed sweating all night.  I didn't sleep. Conner didn't sleep well.  The ceiling fans and the floor fan were precious little help.  At one point he began to growl, and I am fairly certain he was calling me names and threatening me.  As the frustration set in, I began to believe that it could not be a coincidence that this was happening just as Will and Marilyn left town.  This was a conspiracy. They were out to get us....and Conner agrees.  Not that I am talking to the dog.  Halllucinations are setting in. Maybe the Zombie apocalypse is here after all...


So that was my yesterday.  I am still out of it this morning, but my plan is to walk to the local Steak 'N' Shake and sit and eat all-you-can-eat pancakes until they throw me out or the repairman calls- in air conditioned comfort.  This is my plan.  Should this be my final post- whether because of the Zombies, the heat, or too many pancakes- make sure they question Will about the AC conspiracy.  Conner says Will is a Beggin' Strip thief, and they cannot be trusted!  Have a blessed day, everyone, and remember....nothing is EVER as bad as it seems!


Because of Jesus,

Just Me & the Dog- The Sequel

Yesterday was a great, great day.  Marilyn had the day off, Will was home, and my former Springfield Friends Meeting youth and current hero of Haiti Ashley Goad Broadhurst was at our house.  In fact she still is!  We all spent the day together. We ate too much, laughed too much and had just entirely too much fun telling stories old and new.  After normal people wake up, we will get a little more time together before she flies home to Las Vegas this afternoon.  It is such a blessing to get a day like that with family and friends.  I really do know all the best people!


But life changes fast.  This morning at 5:18 AM  Marilyn and Will took our car and headed off for two weeks vacation.  They will visit her family in NC; her 2 sisters, her niece (and her 3 kids) and her Mom and Dad.  It is a vacation they both need and deserve, and I am so glad they get to go.  It does, however, make for an interesting two weeks for me...and the dog (Just look at him.  Doesn't he looked depressed?).  You may remember that we only have one car.  That means I am car-less for the next 12 days.  My mastery of the Tampa bus system aside (LOL), I will be spending a lot of time around the house.  I have purchased the groceries.  I have toilet paper.  There is plenty of dog food and lots of Beggin' Strips.  I am ready.  Conner the dog is not so sure...


There was a time, just 2 years ago, when this happened before. Two weeks, no car, just me & the dog.  And at that point and time I really was ALONE for those two weeks. Now there are so many amazing people back in my life, people I communicate with nearly every day, that make this seem less like a marathon and more like an adventure.  But still, I will be here alone.

There was also a time, much longer ago now, when life was very busy and full of people who needed things from me, when two weeks of just me & the dog would have seemed like paradise.  Now- well, not so much.  I will miss my family so much- just like I miss all of the students who used to be around our home on a regular basis.  But there are some "silver linings" to this dark cloud.  I get control of the remote from Will, and there will be much watching of my beloved Tampa Bay Rays.  I will stay up for Letterman, and sleep a little later than Marilyn's standard 5:45 AM wake-up alarm.  I can definitely see viewings of Field of Dreams and Grown Ups in my future.  I will cook more, pray more, clean more, walk more, read more and write more.  I will take more time to "be still and know..."  I am going to spend lots of time with my newly re-strung guitar, because there is a reunion coming in April and I need to get ready!  But I will still have lots and lots of free time, so if you have been hankerin' to come to Tampa, this is a really good time for a visit...    And if you want to help keep me entertained, it's a great couple of weeks for texts,  phone calls, comments and e-mails.

So today, I count my many blessings and pray for buses that run on schedule.  I pray for my family as they travel.  I am so thankful that unlike 2 years ago when I was last alone and without a car for 2 weeks, this time I know I can count on my dear friend Lisa Jewett to provide me with entertainment and transportation.  I have so many friends with whom I can text.  It's going to be fun! So read along with me and I will keep you updated.  Though I no longer have to survive with just me and the dog. I promise it will still be an adventure...

Because of Jesus,

True Worship

I came to an uncomfortable conclusion last night.  My dog worships me.  Just look at the evidence.  When I am sitting at the computer he lies my my feet, making sure I don't go anywhere without him knowing.  He follows me everywhere I go.  I go the kitchen and he is on my heels.  I go to the bathroom and he comes in looking for me.  I grab his leash and he heads for the door, ready to follow wherever I will lead him.  The neighbors tell me that when I am gone they hear him howling in distress, uncertain what to do without me.  The clincher came last night.  My son Will and I went to get some Chinese for dinner while Marilyn hung out at home.  She told me later that the entire time I was gone he howled and laid on the bed starring out the window, waiting for my return.  I just have to face the facts.  Conner the Dog worships me, unworthy as I am. 


And the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a great example of true worship it is!  I want to feel that way about Jesus every single day.  I want to long to know where he will take me next.  I want to follow him everywhere he wants to lead me.  I want to feel the need to be in his presence so strongly that when I feel like I have wandered away (because if we feel separated from God, it is us who moved) I howl with grief, hoping he will hear my cries and come rescue me yet again.  I want to be constantly vigilant, following him in the here and now and waiting for the glory of his return.  This is what true worship is- giving ourselves completely to the One we worship.  I want to be like that.  Jesus invites us all, with all of our faults and failures and blemishes, to come follow him.  It is a come just as we are invitation, but it comes with a price- that we take up our cross and follow him no matter what.  I realize now that Conner is not only a faithful dog, he is a walking object lesson.  I want to need Jesus so bad that is hurts.  LORD, I want to howl for you.  I hope you will all join me.  


Because of Jesus,

Survive & Advance

Sometimes Christmas seems like it is about surviving.  We seek to survive the shopping.  We hope to survive all of the eating and the parties.  Many of us need help surviving (or missing?) our family and friends,  And if you house is anything like mine, you hope to survive the total carnage that accompanies opening the presents.  In our particular case, that means avoiding the random attacks of our family dog, Conner.  He loves wrapping paper. He shreds it, rips and attacks it.  And after a little warm-up time, be begins to seek to remove it from packages that have not otherwise been touched.  As you can see from this picture, if Christmas morning were a competition, our home has a clear winner.  And don't you dare try to touch his new ball.  You can lose a hand that way!


But Christmas is not about survival at all.  Christmas is about worship.  It's about looking at a world that worships stuff and deciding to worship the Babe of Bethlehem instead.  It's about realizing that there can be only one thing in our lives that is our One Thing - and the choosing Jesus!  Want to know what you have chosen this holiday season?  It's simple.  The things that have your mind's attention and your heart's desire- that is what you worship.  In 2011 I have written a great deal about the Jesus Revolution.  In 2012, my Tuesday focus will be on worship.  I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you.  


My family is at home with me for the remainder of 2011, and much like the local radio stations I will be offering a "Best Of I'd Laugh" for the next week.  I will re-post some of my favorites from the past year in the hopes that they may still seem fresh to you, my dear readers.  As we prepare for the new year and another round of failed resolutions, I ask you to consider these questions:  What has your mind's attention right now?  What has your heart's desire?  Jesus wants both.  Let's prepare to face a new year as people who put Christ first.  Blessings to you all!


Because of Jesus,

#700- A Blog From the Dog

Greetings, friends of Carl!  It's me again- Conner the Dog.  In honor of my master's 700th consecutive day of posting he has given me the opportunity to share with you for the 3rd time.  3 out of 700.  Oh yeah, I feel the love...


I wanted to write to you today to ask for your help over the next 2 weeks.  You see, this morning my other humans, Marilyn and Will (grrrrr- Beggin' Strip thief!), are flying to North Carolina to visit family.  They will spend one week in NC and one week at Myrtle Beach.  I hear that this is a big deal, but never having been either place I really can't comment. I'm a Florida Cracker doggie!  Anyway, this leaves me home alone for 14 days with the Big Guy. The good news is this year he gets to keep the car.  The bad news is I am still stuck with him!   If any of you live in or plan to visit the Tampa area over the next couple of weeks, it would be a real blessing if you could take him off my hands for a couple of hours.  If you don't have his digits (yeah, I'm that hip!), you can e-mail him at youthguy07@aol.com and he will be thrilled to hook up.   Just have him back by my dinner time. I do not miss meals.


One more thing.  In honor of day #700 and the fact that this is Sunday (God's day!), I thought it would be cool to share with you one of my favorite devotional posts from way back in in October of 2009.  Just click here and some magical fairy or something will take you back.  I'm not sure I understand this whole Internet thing...


So thanks for listening.  Come by and see me sometime.  I like most people, although I am still trying to decide about Jerry Hanbery.  Just stay away from my ball and my Chrismoose and we'll get along just fine.  Until then, pray for us.  14 days of just me & the Big Guy.  This could get ugly!


Because of Jesus,


Conner the Dog

Tired, Irritated, Frustrated & Confused...

It's a Jesus Revolution Tuesday, but I have to tell you that today my heart is just not in it.  I'm tired, irritated,  frustrated and confused- and it's making it very difficult for me to write with a clear head.  So instead of trying, let me just tell you why I feel this way.

I'm tired because my dog, Conner, has once again forgotten how to sleep.  He's had me up before 4 AM three days in a row and 6 of the last 7.  I have never been one who can just go back to sleep after getting up and walking the dog, so my sleep patterns are all out of whack.  Plus, at my age I don't recover quite as quickly as I used to.  So as Madeline Kahn sings in Blazing Saddles, "I'm tired...let's face it boys, I'm pooped!"

I'm irritated with all of the ways people mangle religion with politics.  Normally I stay away from such topics, but today you get a little Carl: Uncensored.  If your faith and the teachings of Jesus (NOT the institutional church- Jesus!) influence your politics, then you have my respect.  If your political views influence the way you see Jesus- and this is FAR too common- then you need to head back to the gospels and discover the real Jesus.  NOW!

I'm frustrated because I am writing a post for Friday that will be part of The Rally for Unity currently going on over at http://www.rachelheldevans.com/ and I just can't quite make this keyboard type the words I want to say.  I am frustrated because something I thought I was done with is not over yet and there is no good reason why.  I'm frustrated because I am not sure exactly what direction this blog should be going in.  Perhaps it's time to ditch the personal stories and move on to being more current and more spiritual on a daily basis.  Or not.  I'm just not sure if many folks from the last few years of ministry are actually reading (or actually care), and I find that frustrating.  And yes- I know that sounds whiny...

I'm confused over the reaction of many Christ-followers to the killing of Osama Bin Laden.  I know he was an awful man, responsible for horrendous actions and thousands of deaths.  But I have seen staunch pro-life friends celebrate his death, and it confuses me.  If any life is sacred, isn't every life sacred?  I'm also confused by those who seem to want to pick and choose which words of Jesus that he really meant.  For instance, if the killing of OBL is to be celebrated, then that means that the words of Jesus imploring us to turn the other cheek, love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us were only words and have no meaning in this world.  If OBL was only getting what he deserved, how then can I be sure that God's love and grace cover my sins- because I've done some pretty rotten things myself.  Maybe I should get what I deserve as well.  And if that's true- if God doesn't love all of his children with an unconditional love that we will never fully understand and cannot earn, then Jesus was a fool on a fool's errand.  And this Jesus Revolution is not worth a dang thing...

So there it is.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on these matters.  I'll attempt to be more uplifting tomorrow, but so much depends on the dog....

Because of Jesus,

A Blog From the Dog: The Sequel

Hello everybody, Conner the Dog here filling in for my master Carl who is sneezing and coughing his way through another day.  Everyone enjoyed my first post (A Blog From the Dog) so much that it only took him 16 months to let me do another one.  Actually, he's not letting me do anything- he is just incapable of stopping me!  Hope you enjoy the picture of me opening my Christmas present last week...

Daddy told me that he was supposed to write today about his initial efforts to get started on The Jesus Revolution that he told you all about on New Year's Day.  The part of his plan that involved letting the neighbors know about Jesus is partly my job too.  When we go for walks I am just so cute that even the people who don't want to talk to daddy want to pet me.  I'm like a magnet!  On Sunday we went for a walk around the circle and saw several neighbors, and daddy asked them all if they went to church and told them where we go (OK- so I don't get to go- but I do pray at home!).  There were some interesting conversations and a few more people who know that the Jones family are followers of Jesus Christ.

So anyway, there will be more updates every Tuesday.  Daddy already got a few notes from old friends who intend to join him in skipping lunch one day a week and giving the money to a worthy cause.  And you can all be praying for the revolution.  You know it's funny- daddy spends a whole lot more time in prayer now than he did when he worked for a church.  If you want to be added to his daily prayer list,  just let him know.  And you can pray for him too- especially as he tries to recover from the epizutis!

Well I better go.  I've got Beggin' Strips to eat and squirrels to chase.  In the meantime, remember that God loves you even more than my daddy love me.  And that's a lot!

Conner

A Blog From The Dog

Greetings! My name is Conner, the Jones' family dog, and I am your blogger for today. Daddy has the day off. I know he is not really my daddy, but he, Mommy and Will are my family and I think of them that way. You see, we dogs get it. I don't have many needs in life, but the ones I do have I know I can count on my family to provide for. I trust in them. I need food, they give me food. I need to sleep, they make a bed for me (actually I can sleep most anywhere, but you get the point!). I need my fuzzy ball, which is my security blanket, and they keep providing me with new ones. When I make a mess, they clean it up (and since I eat Pedigree dog food, I am an optimum pooper! Is that a dumb commercial or what?). They play ball with me and rub behind my ears and give me baths because they love me. Daddy and the family care for all my needs.

That doesn't mean I get everything I want. I want to catch a squirrel in my backyard, but that ain't happening! I want to eat their hamburgers and hot dogs and steaks, but I seldom get to. I want to go to school with Will, but he never takes me. I want them to have Dairy Queen Blizzards every night, because Daddy gets his without chocolate so I can have some- but that doesn't happen as often as I would like. But I can live without the things I want, because I know I will get everything I need.

I used to feel sorry for you humans because it always seemed you had to do everything for yourselves- because you didn't have a daddy like mine. You always seem to be running everywhere, trying to get power, fame and money and all kinds of stuff that you want. But then I found out that you humans have a Daddy who will look after your needs, but you choose not to trust Him. You have a Daddy (Abba- HA! Didn't know dogs could speak Greek, did ya?)) who loves you more than my family could ever love me (I don't think my daddy would ever sacrifice Will to save me...) and yet you keep trying to do everything for yourselves. Your Daddy promises to take care of your needs just like He takes care of the flowers and the birds. Your Daddy says to trust in Him and He will act. But you guys are just too busy trying to prove you don't need anyone to take care of you. I know it is a cliche, but it's a good one- Let go and let God. My family used to be really bad about that too- but sometimes hard times teach difficult lessons. They are learning to count on God, the Abba Father, the same way I count on them.

So anyway, I am so glad I have a daddy and a family to count on, to play with and to love. I hope you understand that you have a Daddy who is much bigger and better than mine, and who loves you in ways you cannot imagine. I'm off to to catch my third nap of the day, and then maybe play some ball and have a Beggin' Strip, if Will doesn't try to steal it! Hey, that will be the topic of my next blog- the Beggin' Strip, God's gift to dogs!

Until next time,

Conner