September
Lessons from the Cat
by Cynthia Saladin
We had a cat when I was growing up (Sir Richard the Lion-hearted), but he was an outside cat who stayed in our barn. So the addition of Verge to our family has been a learning experience. We knew she was a different critter than a dog, but we didn’t know just how different.
She lies on the porch rail and, if Pepper nonchalantly walks by waging his tail, she’ll take exception to that tail wag and shoot out claws to catch it. In similar fashion, one day Pepper trotted by her, intent on his own business. She didn’t like something about that and suddenly hissed at him and swiped a claw at him. He recoiled, his demeanor portraying, “What was that all about? What did I do?”
Pepper is not her only target. One evening she scared me half to death when I took the dogs outside before bed. I was star-gazing and keeping an eye on the dogs when unexpectedly a soft tail swooshed across my leg. Or there was the day Jennifer and I were picking blueberries. Verge has laid claim to one of the blueberry bushes. That first day she just pounced on my feet. It was a warning; there were no claws on my bare toes. But subsequent days saw a drastic uptick in aggressiveness; we saw both claws and teeth. She does NOT like us picking blueberries off her bush. Tail swish angrily!
And then there’s the issue of food. We have been conditioned by dogs - namely labs, who are not simply carnivores; they’re omnivores. And when I say they will eat anything, I am including watermelon and cantaloupe in that list. The cat, on the other hand, will show a definite preference for a sabbath evening cat dinner - canned cat food. (Normal day food is just dry food.) She’ll finish off her half can of food and lick the dish. The next morning, however, when I took the food out to her, she said, “Yuck.” O.K. She didn’t actually say “Yuck,” but her body language and actions all made it very plain what she thought of the meal offering. So I put a little of the canned food on my finger and put it up to her nose. “Yuck!” So I let Pepper slurp it off my finger. Verge immediately leaned WAY out from the porch rail and said, “What did you just feed the dog? Did you feed him my food? I wanted that!” O.K. She didn’t actually say that, but that’s what it looked like. So I pulled my finger away from Pepper’s voracious attention and offered the food to Verge again. “Yuck!”
Yes, there has been some head-shaking and eye-rolling going on as we adjust to life with a cat. But there have been some definite benefits as well. I don’t think it’s merely coincidental that we’ve had a lot fewer mice in the cars since she showed up.
Jennifer has discovered the truth of what we told her at the outset: Dogs have masters; cats have servants. She also understands why I was willing to have a cat, if she was an outside cat. Verge sometimes sleeps in Jennifer’s room, but routinely pounces on Jennifer’s feet, scratches under the bed, and otherwise keeps her from getting a good night’s sleep. I think Jennifer will be more reluctant to take on anything which is almost guaranteed to keep her up at night. (She’s solved the problem with her two older brothers, now she has a cat.)
Another good thing is enjoying the funny things she does: pouncing on crickets, following us out to the garden when we’re harvesting or pulling weeds, pouncing on the weeds we’re pulling, etc. Pets all have their own personality and they can bring joy, relieve stress, and lighten the mood - even while they add responsibility, care, and cost.
But what I really like about Verge’s addition to our family are some of the observations it has generated:
1. People (or pets) don’t always have the same likes/dislikes/behaviors as you. It doesn’t make them wrong, necessarily; different can be good.
2. Don’t assume you know what someone is thinking. Unless they are very close to you, you’re wrong - maybe a whole lot wrong, but almost certainly a little bit! Our families, church fellowships, and other friends would be so appreciative if we’d quit acting as if we had them completely pegged.
3. Grace and patience are wonderful to receive - and they make relationships function so much more smoothly.
4. We may think that we don’t like someone at all. But oftentimes getting to know someone reveals that they aren’t half bad. We may find out that we actually like them a whole lot. I like picking up Verge and stroking her long, silky fur. Who’d have ever thought that!?
5. Expanding your family to include another member (physical family, church family) requires a period of adjustment. There are going to be some bumps. But remember: there are some definite benefits!
6. Each person (or pet) brings their own set of talents, skills, or gifts to the family. You are much stronger together than separately.
7. I now have more inspiration for writing newsletter articles. 🙂
Of course, most of these thoughts were based on physical family and friends, but we could spend a long time talking about being adopted into the family of God and other spiritual analogies. Suffice it to say, it’s just another good reminder that there are lessons that we can learn all around us every day - if we only have eyes to see and sometimes you can learn something from a cat.
🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱
Yes, There is Good News
by Bill Rollins
I was struck by the words from Psalm 103, “His kingdom rules over all.” These words caught my eye because I had been thinking about the title of these articles, “Yes, There is Good News!” and considering how the message that Jesus proclaimed to the people began with, “The good news of the kingdom.” These two concepts crossed my mind at around the same time. Let us, then, dive into these two statements and see where they take us.
Does God’s kingdom rule over you? Please take this personally. We in this country are very blessed to have the type of government that is in place; a constitutional republic. But our familiarity with this type of government, one that is “of the people, by the people and for the people,” actually might limit us when we consider just how the kingdom of God operates. God’s kingdom is not a republic. It is a monarchy! In a true monarchy, when the king makes a decree it becomes a law and well, yes, the subjects must obey.
How many rules and laws enacted through our secular government do you break? We do not seem to do very well with the speed limits! That’s very obvious. And do we really come to a stop at the many stops signs we encounter? No, I’m not trying to point out the “speck in your own eye,” while I have a beam in mine. We have all broken a law or two in our time. But what about God’s law? Sometimes it doesn’t seem that we even care that God has given us His laws as a gift. Yes, a gift! Turn off the TV tonight and just sit and meditate quietly about how life in this society would improve if just one of the Ten Commandments were fully kept. “Thou shalt not steal.” Not only would we not need locks of any kind, but we would be safe traveling anywhere in any town. Remember I said, “Fully kept.” No one would try to steal another person’s life - “Thou shall not murder,” comes into play. It is an interesting exercise in meditation, try it sometime.
So I repeat, “God’s laws are a gift” - all of them! And yet if asked, could you recite all of the Ten Commandments? Do you even know where to find them in the Bible?
Let’s see what Moses had to say concerning theses laws of God. In the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 4, we read this: “Hear now O Israel, the decrees and laws I’m about to teach you ... Do not add to what I command you, and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God ... Observe them carefully, for this will grow your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ ... What other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? ... Be careful and watch closely ... do not forget ... or let them slip from your heart ... Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Typing that last line almost breaks my heart when I think of our youth today and how many of them have never been taught the ways of God.
And yet! “His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19) “Jesus came ... preaching the good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 4:23) Is it good news to you that God’s kingdom rules over all? It seems to me that somehow our human nature resents being ruled over. Oh! Maybe the word “resent” is too strong and we should insert the word “reject.” Nevertheless, the question stands; do you reject (or resent) being ruled over? In other words, do you feel that God has no right to interfere in your life? This really seems to be where Eve and then Adam started out. And I think we pointed out, in a previous article, where that attitude led. Suffice it to say, it hasn’t been good news!
There is an old saying in Latin, “Rex Lex or Lex Rex.” “Lex” being the word for “law,” and “Rex” being the word for “king.” In other words, “Is the king the law, or is the law the king?” In the United States we live by rule of law. (At least, it’s supposed to work that way!) But in a monarchy it is just the opposite; the king is the law - what he says goes! The Bible tells us that God has set up a monarchy and so He rules over all.
Okay! That’s where we started this article, but we haven’t considered whether this is good news or not. Several weeks ago, we explored this idea that He was good and that He was good all the time. May I suggest that if He is good all the time, then we have a wonderful King? It has been said that the best form of government is a beneficent dictatorship. In many ways, our God dictates to us and we have come to the understanding that He is beneficent.
Our God is a loving Father! He is more than just a loving Father; He is a perfect, loving Father. Do you believe that?
Then let me reiterate something I said earlier, “The laws that He has given to us are gifts from Him and are for our benefit. “ The book of Job addresses this comment; in Job 35:6, Elihu (the one friend of Job who is not chastised by God) says this, “If you sin, how does that affect Him? If your sins are many, what does that do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him or what does He receive from your hand?” This says a mouthful toward the fact that God has given us laws for our benefit. The benefit is twofold - first, we learn how to act toward our neighbors (and they toward us), and secondly, but most importantly, we learn how our God would have us act toward Him. This is summed up in the two great commandments. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength, and life, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Well, I don’t know about you, but for me, the gift of His kingdom and its laws and commandments is really good news.
Until next time, think on the good things of God.
🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝
The Five Symptoms of Laziness:
1.
~Thanks to cybersalt.org
Lessons from the Cat
by Cynthia Saladin
We had a cat when I was growing up (Sir Richard the Lion-hearted), but he was an outside cat who stayed in our barn. So the addition of Verge to our family has been a learning experience. We knew she was a different critter than a dog, but we didn’t know just how different.
She lies on the porch rail and, if Pepper nonchalantly walks by waging his tail, she’ll take exception to that tail wag and shoot out claws to catch it. In similar fashion, one day Pepper trotted by her, intent on his own business. She didn’t like something about that and suddenly hissed at him and swiped a claw at him. He recoiled, his demeanor portraying, “What was that all about? What did I do?”
Pepper is not her only target. One evening she scared me half to death when I took the dogs outside before bed. I was star-gazing and keeping an eye on the dogs when unexpectedly a soft tail swooshed across my leg. Or there was the day Jennifer and I were picking blueberries. Verge has laid claim to one of the blueberry bushes. That first day she just pounced on my feet. It was a warning; there were no claws on my bare toes. But subsequent days saw a drastic uptick in aggressiveness; we saw both claws and teeth. She does NOT like us picking blueberries off her bush. Tail swish angrily!
And then there’s the issue of food. We have been conditioned by dogs - namely labs, who are not simply carnivores; they’re omnivores. And when I say they will eat anything, I am including watermelon and cantaloupe in that list. The cat, on the other hand, will show a definite preference for a sabbath evening cat dinner - canned cat food. (Normal day food is just dry food.) She’ll finish off her half can of food and lick the dish. The next morning, however, when I took the food out to her, she said, “Yuck.” O.K. She didn’t actually say “Yuck,” but her body language and actions all made it very plain what she thought of the meal offering. So I put a little of the canned food on my finger and put it up to her nose. “Yuck!” So I let Pepper slurp it off my finger. Verge immediately leaned WAY out from the porch rail and said, “What did you just feed the dog? Did you feed him my food? I wanted that!” O.K. She didn’t actually say that, but that’s what it looked like. So I pulled my finger away from Pepper’s voracious attention and offered the food to Verge again. “Yuck!”
Yes, there has been some head-shaking and eye-rolling going on as we adjust to life with a cat. But there have been some definite benefits as well. I don’t think it’s merely coincidental that we’ve had a lot fewer mice in the cars since she showed up.
Jennifer has discovered the truth of what we told her at the outset: Dogs have masters; cats have servants. She also understands why I was willing to have a cat, if she was an outside cat. Verge sometimes sleeps in Jennifer’s room, but routinely pounces on Jennifer’s feet, scratches under the bed, and otherwise keeps her from getting a good night’s sleep. I think Jennifer will be more reluctant to take on anything which is almost guaranteed to keep her up at night. (She’s solved the problem with her two older brothers, now she has a cat.)
Another good thing is enjoying the funny things she does: pouncing on crickets, following us out to the garden when we’re harvesting or pulling weeds, pouncing on the weeds we’re pulling, etc. Pets all have their own personality and they can bring joy, relieve stress, and lighten the mood - even while they add responsibility, care, and cost.
But what I really like about Verge’s addition to our family are some of the observations it has generated:
1. People (or pets) don’t always have the same likes/dislikes/behaviors as you. It doesn’t make them wrong, necessarily; different can be good.
2. Don’t assume you know what someone is thinking. Unless they are very close to you, you’re wrong - maybe a whole lot wrong, but almost certainly a little bit! Our families, church fellowships, and other friends would be so appreciative if we’d quit acting as if we had them completely pegged.
3. Grace and patience are wonderful to receive - and they make relationships function so much more smoothly.
4. We may think that we don’t like someone at all. But oftentimes getting to know someone reveals that they aren’t half bad. We may find out that we actually like them a whole lot. I like picking up Verge and stroking her long, silky fur. Who’d have ever thought that!?
5. Expanding your family to include another member (physical family, church family) requires a period of adjustment. There are going to be some bumps. But remember: there are some definite benefits!
6. Each person (or pet) brings their own set of talents, skills, or gifts to the family. You are much stronger together than separately.
7. I now have more inspiration for writing newsletter articles. 🙂
Of course, most of these thoughts were based on physical family and friends, but we could spend a long time talking about being adopted into the family of God and other spiritual analogies. Suffice it to say, it’s just another good reminder that there are lessons that we can learn all around us every day - if we only have eyes to see and sometimes you can learn something from a cat.
🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱
Yes, There is Good News
by Bill Rollins
I was struck by the words from Psalm 103, “His kingdom rules over all.” These words caught my eye because I had been thinking about the title of these articles, “Yes, There is Good News!” and considering how the message that Jesus proclaimed to the people began with, “The good news of the kingdom.” These two concepts crossed my mind at around the same time. Let us, then, dive into these two statements and see where they take us.
Does God’s kingdom rule over you? Please take this personally. We in this country are very blessed to have the type of government that is in place; a constitutional republic. But our familiarity with this type of government, one that is “of the people, by the people and for the people,” actually might limit us when we consider just how the kingdom of God operates. God’s kingdom is not a republic. It is a monarchy! In a true monarchy, when the king makes a decree it becomes a law and well, yes, the subjects must obey.
How many rules and laws enacted through our secular government do you break? We do not seem to do very well with the speed limits! That’s very obvious. And do we really come to a stop at the many stops signs we encounter? No, I’m not trying to point out the “speck in your own eye,” while I have a beam in mine. We have all broken a law or two in our time. But what about God’s law? Sometimes it doesn’t seem that we even care that God has given us His laws as a gift. Yes, a gift! Turn off the TV tonight and just sit and meditate quietly about how life in this society would improve if just one of the Ten Commandments were fully kept. “Thou shalt not steal.” Not only would we not need locks of any kind, but we would be safe traveling anywhere in any town. Remember I said, “Fully kept.” No one would try to steal another person’s life - “Thou shall not murder,” comes into play. It is an interesting exercise in meditation, try it sometime.
So I repeat, “God’s laws are a gift” - all of them! And yet if asked, could you recite all of the Ten Commandments? Do you even know where to find them in the Bible?
Let’s see what Moses had to say concerning theses laws of God. In the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 4, we read this: “Hear now O Israel, the decrees and laws I’m about to teach you ... Do not add to what I command you, and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God ... Observe them carefully, for this will grow your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ ... What other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? ... Be careful and watch closely ... do not forget ... or let them slip from your heart ... Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Typing that last line almost breaks my heart when I think of our youth today and how many of them have never been taught the ways of God.
And yet! “His kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19) “Jesus came ... preaching the good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 4:23) Is it good news to you that God’s kingdom rules over all? It seems to me that somehow our human nature resents being ruled over. Oh! Maybe the word “resent” is too strong and we should insert the word “reject.” Nevertheless, the question stands; do you reject (or resent) being ruled over? In other words, do you feel that God has no right to interfere in your life? This really seems to be where Eve and then Adam started out. And I think we pointed out, in a previous article, where that attitude led. Suffice it to say, it hasn’t been good news!
There is an old saying in Latin, “Rex Lex or Lex Rex.” “Lex” being the word for “law,” and “Rex” being the word for “king.” In other words, “Is the king the law, or is the law the king?” In the United States we live by rule of law. (At least, it’s supposed to work that way!) But in a monarchy it is just the opposite; the king is the law - what he says goes! The Bible tells us that God has set up a monarchy and so He rules over all.
Okay! That’s where we started this article, but we haven’t considered whether this is good news or not. Several weeks ago, we explored this idea that He was good and that He was good all the time. May I suggest that if He is good all the time, then we have a wonderful King? It has been said that the best form of government is a beneficent dictatorship. In many ways, our God dictates to us and we have come to the understanding that He is beneficent.
Our God is a loving Father! He is more than just a loving Father; He is a perfect, loving Father. Do you believe that?
Then let me reiterate something I said earlier, “The laws that He has given to us are gifts from Him and are for our benefit. “ The book of Job addresses this comment; in Job 35:6, Elihu (the one friend of Job who is not chastised by God) says this, “If you sin, how does that affect Him? If your sins are many, what does that do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him or what does He receive from your hand?” This says a mouthful toward the fact that God has given us laws for our benefit. The benefit is twofold - first, we learn how to act toward our neighbors (and they toward us), and secondly, but most importantly, we learn how our God would have us act toward Him. This is summed up in the two great commandments. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength, and life, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Well, I don’t know about you, but for me, the gift of His kingdom and its laws and commandments is really good news.
Until next time, think on the good things of God.
🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝 🗝
The Five Symptoms of Laziness:
1.
~Thanks to cybersalt.org
