She sure was a special dog, our Lady. One of our neighbors had a big German Shepherd that was a lap dog. When the dog passed away, the couple was heartbroken. One day the man was sleeping on his couch with his arm behind his head when he awakened to a slippery tongue sliding across his arm. With eyes wide open now, he said to himself, “This can’t be. My dog is dead.” With what few hairs he had standing up on his head, he turned and came face to face with our dog, Lady. She had gone through an open basement door, climbed the stairs to another open door, and showed him her sympathy.

She was just a dog, but she cared for those who were hurting. If a dog can do that, how much more should we be concerned for the feelings of others.

By the way, the brush that Lady had carried home previously was returned to its rightful owner.

Philippians 2:4 

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Galatians 6:2 

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Our neighbor had a chihuahua that looked like it weighed about three ounces. It seemed to want to bark at anything that moved, even our dog, Lady. Now our dog weighed forty pounds from the time we got her till the day she died. This chihuahua would have only been a mouthful for her. The interesting thing is that Lady always made believe the nuisance didn’t exist. That little thing was never molested by our dog.

There are so many annoying things in life that we as Christians should never pay any attention to. We need to avoid these situations at all cost. It’s not worth the taste it will leave in your mouth.

Titus 3:2

to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.

1 Timothy 6:20

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”

Give it some thought.

Gary

Here’s another story about Lady, my favorite dog. One day we saw her coming up the drive with a dog brush in her mouth. Paula never saw such a nice brush and commenced grooming her. That dog knew that looking good was important.

She was just a dog, but how many Christians realize we need the tools to look good.  They should not only be found but used.

1 Peter 3:3-4

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornments, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

Take the brush of the Word and apply it to your life.

Think about it.

Gary

P.S., It was discovered the brush belonged to a neighbor and was returned.

Our chow-retriever mix, Lady, had the run of the neighborhood and there was never a complaint to the dogcatcher. That dog loved to share. One day she showed up with a Big Mac held gently in her mouth.  Completely intact, the burger was gently placed on the garage floor right in front of me. That is not the nature of a dog to share a Big Mac.

Now let’s bring it home. It is not a common thing for people to share, but it should be a common characteristic for a believer.

1 Corinthians 9:23

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1 Timothy 6:18

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

If a dog can share like that, what should a believer do?

Lady and the boys – see attachment

Give it some thought.

Gary

“…Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons — but they are helpless against our prayers.”

Sidlow Baxter

The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel.

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing,

What power the believer has in prayer!

Give it some thought.

Gary

Don’t ever think you’re a second-class Christian because you don’t proclaim Christ like Peter or Paul. Discover your own method. Then get out of your chair and use it, for the glory of God. Live by faith, not fear!!!

1 Peter 3:15 

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 

Colossians 4:6 

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

God made us like this to reveal His Son in us, in spite of what we have for insecurities.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Writer Charles Swindoll once found himself with too many commitments in too few days. He got nervous and tense about it. “I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day,” he recalled in his book Stress Fractures. “Before long, things around our home started reflecting the patter of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable. I distinctly remember after supper one evening, the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me something important that had happened to her at school that day. She began hurriedly, ‘Daddy, I wanna tell you somethin’ and I’ll tell you really fast.’  Suddenly realizing her frustration, I answered, ‘Honey, you can tell me — and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly. I’ll never forget her answer: ‘Then listen slowly.'”

Listening is a learned behavior and a necessary art if we are going to be a benefit for others.

1 John 4:6

We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Are you listening?

Give it some thought.

Gary