Apparently, holidays are not my friend this year. After one of those can't-seem-to-breathe colds over Thanksgiving, I am now overtaken with a sore-throat-can't-talk cold for Christmas. Which Buddy seems to take full advantage of as it takes all my energy to say "NO" in a voice louder than a whisper.
He's a little escape artist. We took him to the dog park on Saturday where he was a little bit like a 10 year old stealing a 5 year old's lunch money. Only he's scared of retaliation, so I guess he's more like the bully's friend, egging him on. Several of the other dogs enjoyed chasing frisbees. Buddy would then chase the dog that caught the frisbee and attempt to steal it out of his mouth. This game caught on and by the time we left the park, 5 out of 5 frisbees were split in half. At first Buddy only went after the dogs that were his size or small. By the end, he was going after dogs two and three times his size (seriously, three times. A ginormous gray mastiff I believe). He also liked starting fights, so long as the dog was smaller and he was winning. He'd go bark in their faces until they finally started rolling on the ground with him. But if a second dog got involved, Buddy let them roll around and just barked up a storm to keep them going. Again, the bully's best friend.
We left after about an hour and a half of this. I dropped Josh off to get his car and brought Buddy home. We pulled in the garage, and I left the garage door open so I could get the mail after I put Buddy inside. For some reason unknown to me, the garage door was locked, so I had to hold on to Buddy while I got out my keys to unlock it. I hear this scuffling sound, turn around, and see Buddy just as he initiates the final wiggle to get out of his leash. And in about .5 seconds, he is gone. I dropped my purse and keys and ran after him. He had only gotten as far as the neighbors when I scooped him up and brought him back to the garage. He's a little bulky (chunky, if you ask Josh) and I was struggling to hold on to him. I reached up with one arm to close the garage door so I could put him down and unlock the door into the house, and wouldn't you know - he yelped in my face, jumped out of my arms, and slid under the garage door right as it was about to close. I hurriedly opened the door to the house, turned off the alarm, and ran outside to find him. I estimate this took 45 seconds. I looked left and right, but he was nowhere to be found. So I started calling his name. And out from the neighbor's backyard he trots, like this is an everday occurence. I started towards him, and he took off. Up and down neighbor's doorsteps. I cornered him right as Josh got home. Josh walked up as I was telling Buddy never to do that again. Josh said I was overreacting. I glared.
The next day, we put Buddy in the crate before church, only to come home to find him chewing up various items in our bedroom and bathroom. My previously gnawed scarf and gloves are now mere threads of their former selves. Josh yells. I smile. Karma's fast.
Work started on Monday. Buddy was in his crate for ~10 hours by his lonesome. No messes in the crate, and no more escapes. When we got home, he bolted out and slid all over the hardwood for about 10 minutes. And even after 10 hours of holding his bladder, he still wouldn't go out without one of us going with him. Silly dog.
He's been laying here next to me while I wrote this, but he is now bored and nudging me with his toy.
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
"Buddy, get off the table!"
Day 5 of Life with Dog. It's an interesting, although frustrating, experience thus far. Buddy has recently discovered the outside table. He refuses to come in the bathroom with me when I'm showering because he thinks he's going to get a bath, and I can't trust him alone in the house (more on this later), so yesterday I decided to put him outside for 20 minutes while I showered. After getting ready, I opened the door so I could go play fetch with Buddy only to find him standing on the table with two plants that had formerly been on the table on the deck and in the backyard. A giant pot was turned over, and Buddy was ferociously licking anything he could get his tongue on. I scolded him for getting on the table, but today after putting him outside so I could do laundry in peace, I walked out to the same mini-disaster zone.
And then...
Buddy continuously chews up his toys. Josh bought him a new bone online that came yesterday, and it already looks like it's been around for about a year of chewing. I took Buddy to PetSmart with me today to give him some time out of the house (We've skipped walks the last 2 days because he keeps getting ticks and his prevention didn't come until today.. and he already is being treated for a disease caused by ticks.). He's a little like a hound in that once he smells something, he must follow it and he tunes out all other distractions.. including me. So we're walking through the rainy parking lot with me struggling to keep ahold of him while putting my keys in my purse. I decided to stop for a second in the entrance of PetSmart in order to put up my keys and get a good grip on Buddy. Instead, he wraps me up in the leash and takes off, causing me to completely tip over in front of the cashier and line of customers. Needless to say, I was unhappy.
He also destroyed a scarf, a glove, and a hairclip today.
Other than these minor-if-it's-not-you mishaps, he's been great. He's completely housebroken. He's getting a little more used to his crate. He doesn't quite bodyslam it anymore anyway. He loves to get his belly rubbed, and he always wants to know what I'm doing. If he gets scared, he runs and hides behind me or jumps in my lap. He's a little hyper, but he loves to play fetch so it's not so hard to burn off his energy. He's very loving. He just loves everybody. Keri and Kristyn were over here a couple days ago and he was constantly wanting to curl up with Keri or lick Kristyn. He was the same way with my family and the neighbor.
I think what maybe I'm struggling to get used to about him is: it's not just me and Josh anymore. There is absolutely no such thing as "alone time". I just didn't think that would happen so soon.
In other news: I'm going back to Lochinvar part-time. I'm actually really excited because I'm bored out of my mind at the house all day. Not to mention, the extra money would offset the cost of the dog thus far.
I'm waiting on sausage balls to finish so Josh can take them to work for a Holiday thing tomorrow. Which means I'm going to be nice a tired when I get up with Buddy in the morning.
Super.
And then...
Buddy continuously chews up his toys. Josh bought him a new bone online that came yesterday, and it already looks like it's been around for about a year of chewing. I took Buddy to PetSmart with me today to give him some time out of the house (We've skipped walks the last 2 days because he keeps getting ticks and his prevention didn't come until today.. and he already is being treated for a disease caused by ticks.). He's a little like a hound in that once he smells something, he must follow it and he tunes out all other distractions.. including me. So we're walking through the rainy parking lot with me struggling to keep ahold of him while putting my keys in my purse. I decided to stop for a second in the entrance of PetSmart in order to put up my keys and get a good grip on Buddy. Instead, he wraps me up in the leash and takes off, causing me to completely tip over in front of the cashier and line of customers. Needless to say, I was unhappy.
He also destroyed a scarf, a glove, and a hairclip today.
Other than these minor-if-it's-not-you mishaps, he's been great. He's completely housebroken. He's getting a little more used to his crate. He doesn't quite bodyslam it anymore anyway. He loves to get his belly rubbed, and he always wants to know what I'm doing. If he gets scared, he runs and hides behind me or jumps in my lap. He's a little hyper, but he loves to play fetch so it's not so hard to burn off his energy. He's very loving. He just loves everybody. Keri and Kristyn were over here a couple days ago and he was constantly wanting to curl up with Keri or lick Kristyn. He was the same way with my family and the neighbor.
I think what maybe I'm struggling to get used to about him is: it's not just me and Josh anymore. There is absolutely no such thing as "alone time". I just didn't think that would happen so soon.
In other news: I'm going back to Lochinvar part-time. I'm actually really excited because I'm bored out of my mind at the house all day. Not to mention, the extra money would offset the cost of the dog thus far.
I'm waiting on sausage balls to finish so Josh can take them to work for a Holiday thing tomorrow. Which means I'm going to be nice a tired when I get up with Buddy in the morning.
Super.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Because I am an avid reader..
So I recently read The Shack which is a book that shows God in a very real way, but that draws a lot of criticism from some of the Christian world, specifically Southern Baptists. And there is something about this that really really bothers me because of a quote I read on the controversy of the book.
USA Today described the following:
For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH—and this NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT OF GOD— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9 (emphasis added).
Does it get any plainer than that? All you have to do is truly discover Jesus's love, turn your life over to him, and you're on your way to heaven. There is NO NEED to put in time at the pews or to know theology. NONE! It doesn't say "For it is by Bible-reading and Church-going that you've been saved. It's a requirement from God, not a gift, so that you may judge each other." Where in the world do these religious jerks get off twisting the incredible gift of God? There is NOTHING we could ever do to earn that gift! Nothing! I'm angered to the point of tears.
Or what about:
Christ is the END OF THE LAW so that there may be righteousness for EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES." - Romans 10:4
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Romans 10:9-13.
It could not be any clearer! No actions required! Actions are a byproduct of a Love for God. You don't gain salvation by doing good works. You do good works because you realize how much God loves people to have sent His son to die for each and every person, and that love for people manifests itself in you through the Holy Spirit. It's all about your relationship with the Creator of the Universe! It's so much bigger that going to church and learning theology! To reduce it to that is a flat out insult to the sacrifice made by Jesus. It makes me sick.
And you know what? The Shack spoke to me far more than any other religious book, not including the Word of God itself. Churches get so caught up in the legalities and the rules to the point that they forget that Christ came so that we wouldn't be bound by the rules! It says right there in Romans - Christ is the End of the Law! Not just the Law of the Old Testamant, but the End of the Law being the way you reach God! You don't go to church to be saved. You go to church to fellowship with other believers. You go to build relationships and rejoice with those who have found the same Abundance of Life that you have, and who you can invest your life into and who can invest their lives in you. You form a community of faith and love. The things you do in that church should be out of pure love and relationship, NOT because you think you have to in order to get to heaven. Forced love isn't love! That's the whole reason we're given free will! God isn't interested in making us do anything, but hopes that we will choose to accept his precious gift. He can use any wrong choice we make to His ultimate glory and purpose, but he doesn't interfere with our right to make a choice.
I know I'm rambling like crazy, and I know I have no reason to be an authority source on this subject, but I can say this: I know the God I serve. I know Him as a Father, as a Friend, as a Comfort, and as a Guide. I know that he is a God of love and relationships. I know he's a God of forgivess and grace. And I know that He will accept any one who seeks Him with open arms. Regardless of what they've done and regardless of what they will or won't do. Faith is enough.
I tend to spend some time on Yahoo Answers in the Religion sections. Sometimes I answer. Sometimes I don't. But a recurring theme seems to show up. If an all powerful God can do anything, then why does he have to send people to hell? And here's my thought process on this: God is perfection and everything that goes along with that. Which means that God is Just as a characteristic of his Perfection. We are imperfect. That's the point of all the rules. It's first off, for our own protection, and secondly it's to show us that we are incapable of being perfect. So God, being Perfect and Just, has to receive some sort of payment for our sin imperfections. If he doesn't, then he is not completely Just, and if he is not completely Just, he is not Perfect, and if he's not Perfect, why should we trust Him to lead our lives? So in order to retain his Perfection for our sakes, the sin debt must be paid. And so he met us where we are, in the middle of our imperfection, in fully human form, as Jesus. He saw our mess, came right into the middle of it, and then cleaned it up. He took Christ who had no sin at all and allowed his sacrifice to be the payment for every sin that has ever happened and that will ever happen. All we have to do is accept it. Confess who he is. Believe that He is who He says He is. If we believe in who He is, then we naturally trust that He knows what He's doing and we do not, and therefore, trust him with our lives. I don't understand why some people try to make it anymore complicated than that. It really is that simple.
This has been quite the rant, but I feel better anyway.
Ciao.
USA Today described the following:
"So why are critics calling it heresy?
They say Young's surprise hit, which has been in the Top 50 on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list for 10 weeks (it's now No. 17), promotes a wrong-headed view of universal salvation, as free to all as an open bar at a party.
They read Young's message as saying you can just discover Jesus' love inside yourself, turn your life over to him, and you're on your way to heaven. No need to put in time in the pews or know theology.
Albert Mohler, a leading theologian of the Southern Baptist Convention, which takes the Bible literally, trashes The Shack in his weekly radio show, calling it "deeply subversive," "scripturally incorrect" and downright "dangerous."
Says Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle: "If you haven't read The Shack, don't!"
Driscoll, whose multi-campus non-denominational church is packed with 6,000 people each weekend in the least-churched corner of the nation, says he is "horrified" by Young's book. He says "it misrepresents God. Young misses the big E on the eye chart."
This pains me to the point of tears. Because after reading the book myself and after reading that atrocious accusation that begins the quote I just referenced, I find that these so-called leaders of churches and denominations are the ones who are truly "missing the big E on the eye chart."
This is the part that truly outrages me:
"They say Young's surprise hit, which has been in the Top 50 on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list for 10 weeks (it's now No. 17), promotes a wrong-headed view of universal salvation, as free to all as an open bar at a party. They read Young's message as saying you can just discover Jesus' love inside yourself, turn your life over to him, and you're on your way to heaven. No need to put in time in the pews or know theology"
For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH—and this NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT OF GOD— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9 (emphasis added).
Does it get any plainer than that? All you have to do is truly discover Jesus's love, turn your life over to him, and you're on your way to heaven. There is NO NEED to put in time at the pews or to know theology. NONE! It doesn't say "For it is by Bible-reading and Church-going that you've been saved. It's a requirement from God, not a gift, so that you may judge each other." Where in the world do these religious jerks get off twisting the incredible gift of God? There is NOTHING we could ever do to earn that gift! Nothing! I'm angered to the point of tears.
Or what about:
Christ is the END OF THE LAW so that there may be righteousness for EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES." - Romans 10:4
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Romans 10:9-13.
It could not be any clearer! No actions required! Actions are a byproduct of a Love for God. You don't gain salvation by doing good works. You do good works because you realize how much God loves people to have sent His son to die for each and every person, and that love for people manifests itself in you through the Holy Spirit. It's all about your relationship with the Creator of the Universe! It's so much bigger that going to church and learning theology! To reduce it to that is a flat out insult to the sacrifice made by Jesus. It makes me sick.
And you know what? The Shack spoke to me far more than any other religious book, not including the Word of God itself. Churches get so caught up in the legalities and the rules to the point that they forget that Christ came so that we wouldn't be bound by the rules! It says right there in Romans - Christ is the End of the Law! Not just the Law of the Old Testamant, but the End of the Law being the way you reach God! You don't go to church to be saved. You go to church to fellowship with other believers. You go to build relationships and rejoice with those who have found the same Abundance of Life that you have, and who you can invest your life into and who can invest their lives in you. You form a community of faith and love. The things you do in that church should be out of pure love and relationship, NOT because you think you have to in order to get to heaven. Forced love isn't love! That's the whole reason we're given free will! God isn't interested in making us do anything, but hopes that we will choose to accept his precious gift. He can use any wrong choice we make to His ultimate glory and purpose, but he doesn't interfere with our right to make a choice.
I know I'm rambling like crazy, and I know I have no reason to be an authority source on this subject, but I can say this: I know the God I serve. I know Him as a Father, as a Friend, as a Comfort, and as a Guide. I know that he is a God of love and relationships. I know he's a God of forgivess and grace. And I know that He will accept any one who seeks Him with open arms. Regardless of what they've done and regardless of what they will or won't do. Faith is enough.
I tend to spend some time on Yahoo Answers in the Religion sections. Sometimes I answer. Sometimes I don't. But a recurring theme seems to show up. If an all powerful God can do anything, then why does he have to send people to hell? And here's my thought process on this: God is perfection and everything that goes along with that. Which means that God is Just as a characteristic of his Perfection. We are imperfect. That's the point of all the rules. It's first off, for our own protection, and secondly it's to show us that we are incapable of being perfect. So God, being Perfect and Just, has to receive some sort of payment for our sin imperfections. If he doesn't, then he is not completely Just, and if he is not completely Just, he is not Perfect, and if he's not Perfect, why should we trust Him to lead our lives? So in order to retain his Perfection for our sakes, the sin debt must be paid. And so he met us where we are, in the middle of our imperfection, in fully human form, as Jesus. He saw our mess, came right into the middle of it, and then cleaned it up. He took Christ who had no sin at all and allowed his sacrifice to be the payment for every sin that has ever happened and that will ever happen. All we have to do is accept it. Confess who he is. Believe that He is who He says He is. If we believe in who He is, then we naturally trust that He knows what He's doing and we do not, and therefore, trust him with our lives. I don't understand why some people try to make it anymore complicated than that. It really is that simple.
This has been quite the rant, but I feel better anyway.
Ciao.
Monday, December 15, 2008
"Buddy, quit licking my toes."
We got a dog.
He's currently stuck in the office with me because he can't be trusted alone in the rest of the house. He propped up on the counter and stole Josh's quesadilla yesterday. Then he climbed under the tree repeatedly. But he's a sweetheart, and we love him.
We were under the impression he doesn't bark except when getting in his crate. We had him for about 5 hours before we heard him bark at all. He has discovered all the neighbors' dogs though and has decided to make an exception to his crate so he can bark at them.
I got up at 7:20 to watch him while Josh is at work. I don't even get up this early on school mornings.. which may explain the lack of coherence in this post. I'm going to have to seriously adjust to this whole going to bed at 9 thing. I just laid there for at least an hour, probably more, last night.
Buddy is currently destroying his 2nd toy in 2 days...
When I casually mentioned the idea of getting a dog to Josh a few days ago, I had actually meant in about a year. But he seemed receptive, so I went with it. It makes me nervous though. I haven't had a dog consistently since I was 9. The one thing I'm not so fond of: when I try to curl up with Josh, Buddy comes and curls up inbetween us. Then I have to sit up so I'm not laying on Buddy, and somehow, Buddy is the one who ends up curled up with Josh.
I really do love him (both the dog and Josh). I'm just tired and a little bitter that I'm up earlier than I prefer during Christmas break.
He's currently stuck in the office with me because he can't be trusted alone in the rest of the house. He propped up on the counter and stole Josh's quesadilla yesterday. Then he climbed under the tree repeatedly. But he's a sweetheart, and we love him.
We were under the impression he doesn't bark except when getting in his crate. We had him for about 5 hours before we heard him bark at all. He has discovered all the neighbors' dogs though and has decided to make an exception to his crate so he can bark at them.
I got up at 7:20 to watch him while Josh is at work. I don't even get up this early on school mornings.. which may explain the lack of coherence in this post. I'm going to have to seriously adjust to this whole going to bed at 9 thing. I just laid there for at least an hour, probably more, last night.
Buddy is currently destroying his 2nd toy in 2 days...
When I casually mentioned the idea of getting a dog to Josh a few days ago, I had actually meant in about a year. But he seemed receptive, so I went with it. It makes me nervous though. I haven't had a dog consistently since I was 9. The one thing I'm not so fond of: when I try to curl up with Josh, Buddy comes and curls up inbetween us. Then I have to sit up so I'm not laying on Buddy, and somehow, Buddy is the one who ends up curled up with Josh.
I really do love him (both the dog and Josh). I'm just tired and a little bitter that I'm up earlier than I prefer during Christmas break.
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