“O Lord, who else or what else can I desire but you? You are my Lord, Lord of my heart, mind, and soul. You know me through and through. In and through you everything that is finds its origin and goal. You embrace all that exists and care for it with divine love and compassion. Why, then, do I keep expecting happiness and satisfaction outside of you? Why do I keep relating to you as one of my many relationships, instead of my only relationship, in which all other ones are grounded? Why do I keep looking for popularity, respect from others, success, acclaim, and sensual pleasures? Why, Lord, is it so hard for me to make you the only one? Why do I keep hesitating to surrender myself totally to you?

Help me, O Lord, to let my old self die, to let me die to the thousand big and small ways in which I am still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires. Let me be reborn in you and see through you the world in the right way, so that all my actions, words, and thoughts can become a hymn of praise to you.

I need your loving grace to travel on this hard road that leads to the death of my old self to a new life in and for you. I know and trust that this is the road to freedom.

Lord, dispel my mistrust and help me become a trusting friend.

Amen.”

So it’s the eve of the 4th of July, and what am I doing? I’m hanging out with two very sleepy pups, watching episodes of The Love Boat, and eating Halo Top ice cream.

I could be out painting the town red, but I’m chillin’ with the canines instead. I’m 100% certain I made the right choice.

I almost forgot to mention earlier, but I also enjoyed a tasty frozen dinner. After I sufficiently nuked it in the microwave, of course.

I’m all about going places and trying new things — mostly new foods. I like traveling and exploring. I’m even spontaneous on occasion.

But sometimes it’s good to do nothing and hang out with your pets — or in this case, pets that you are looking after for a bit. To me, that is the good life.

So I’m back doing my favorite gig ever — taking care of two lovable pups while their owners are out of town. There were three, but one of them sadly passed away earlier. But I’m thankful to still have the opportunity to look after the two.

They’re both older now, so it’s no trouble at all. To me, there’s something about older pets that gives them an extra sweetness and calmness. The only trouble is that dogs (and cats) don’t live long enough.

So I take these moments whenever I can. I take lots of pictures that will remind me down the road of quiet nights and snoring dogs. I get to pet Kadie’s soft head and rub Tucker’s belly. That’s not a job. That’s a privilege.

Hopefully there will be more of these moments in the future. In the meantime, I’m counting my blessings and enjoying the present. Life is good.

When you’re overwhelmed with grief or stress, pause and take time to read (or sing) these words. Also, look up the back story to this timeless classic whenever you get the chance.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been six years with this furry little tortie in my life. I guess time flies when you have a fun cat, or a cat who likes flies. It seems like yesterday that she picked me to be her furrever human. I’d like to say I chose her, but we all know it was the other way around.

On June 30, 2017, I went to the Williamson County Animal Shelter with the intent of taking home a cat, not to replace Lucy, the cat I had lost nine days earlier, but to be an outlet for all the love I still had for Lucy that had nowhere to go.

I’ve never once regretted going to a shelter for my cat. I’m all for breeders and purebreed animals, but there’s something extra special about rescued pets. They just seem to love you more somehow. Plus, you don’t need to sell a kidney to be able to afford one.

I brought home a tiny tortie with one peanut butter foot all those years ago and have been blessed with six years of joy from one very grateful feline. God willing, here’s to many more years with little Peanut!

“Lord, all that I long for is known to you,
my sighing is no secret from you…
I put my trust in you, and leave you to answer for me” (Elisabeth Elliott).

Isn’t that a beautiful image? That even our sighs and groans that go too deep for words rise as evening incense to God with all our other prayers? That the Holy Spirit takes the wordless moans and aches and translates them to God’s ear?

In those times when we go before the Throne unable to articulate our need or express our longing, God knows it already. You and I can rest in the knowledge that the answer is given even before the question has been asked or even thought of.

You are in good hands. You are in God’s hands.

I’m sure I read William Wordsworth back in high school. I might have even had to memorize a poem or two. But to read these lines is to realize the beauty of well-chosen words that tell a story but are also lovely in and of themselves:

“And O ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills, and Groves,
Forebode not any severing of our loves!
Yet in my heart of hearts I feel your might;
I only have relinquish’d one delight
To live beneath your more habitual sway.
I love the brooks which down their channels fret,
Even more than when I tripp’d lightly as they;
The innocent brightness of a new-born Day
Is lovely yet;
The clouds that gather round the setting sun
Do take a sober colouring from an eye
That hath kept watch o’er man’s mortality;
Another race hath been, and other palms are won.
Thanks to the human heart by which we live,
Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
To me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears” (William Wordsworth).

I’ve heard people lately say something along the lines of “I follow Jesus, not the Bible.”

Here’s the problem with that. First of all, everything we know of Jesus comes from the Bible. Every prophecy, every quotation, every event comes straight from Scripture. You can’t know Jesus apart from His revelation in the Bible, specifically the Gospels.

Also, Jesus held the Bible in very high regard. He said that not the smallest letter nor “the smallest stroke of a pen” would pass away until everything was accomplished and fulfilled (Matthew 5:18). Jesus said that all the law and prophets, i.e. the entire Bible up to the point of Jesus, testified about Him.

When you divorce Jesus from the Bible, you end up with a slightly smarter, slightly stronger version of you. This Jesus votes like you, thinks like you, believes like you do . . . it’s essentially you creating God in the flesh in your own image rather than the reverse.

Jesus did say that anyone who was thirsty could come and drink, but He also said that those who want to be His disciples must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him. Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery that He didn’t condemn her, but He also told her to go and sin no more. It’s not an either/or, but a both/and.

The Jesus as revealed in the Bible is the only one who can save us. He’s the only one who has shown us God the Father. He’s the only one who can truly be our Prince of peace and give us true peace, true hope, and true life. He’s the one who died for me and rose again that I might not just be made right with God, but be made right with God for all eternity.

That’s not far off from what my morning commute feels like sometimes. And it’s not just I-24. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter what route I take, because I will most likely end up staring at the tail lights of the car in front of me.

Thankfully, I have Audible. Yes, that is a shameless plug, but it’s also the truth. If I didn’t have audio books or some kind of music, I’d lose what little I have left of my ever-loving mind. I’d lose my religion (as we say in the South) in a heartbeat.

I think traffic is just another of God’s reminders that I am not in control. As much as I want to plan my day and have it always go my way, slow traffic reminds me that I can’t and it won’t.

Basically, traffic keeps me humble. That and my hair on a particularly hot and humid day. But that’s another story for another (and hopefully cooler) day.

“Father, our source of life,
You know our weakness.
May we reach out with joy to grasp your hand
and walk more readily in your ways.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever” (from The Liturgy of the Hours).

God knows who we are. He knows that we are weak and prone to temptation. He knows that the flesh is willing but the spirit is not always up to the task. He knew we could never make our way to Him, so He took on flesh and came down to us.

God knows that a lot of us are facing a week we would rather not face. For some, it’s just stressful work stuff. For some, it’s facing hard decisions about a loved one’s deteriorating health. For some, it’s just a choice between one rock and one hard place with neither being good choices.

But God is faithful. He will be with us, no matter how dark and narrow the path gets. He’s gone before us and will go with us through all of it. And once we are on the other side, we will have the chance to help those who are going through what we went through.

Lord, help us to remember that no matter what, you are enough. You have promised to never leave nor forsake us, even in the midst of hardships and turmoil. Help us keep our eyes on You, not our circumstances, and help us see the joy that lies on the other side. Amen.