Learning from Your Dog?

Thought for the day: " We can learn so much by observing the way our pets rejoice in life's simplest moments. For a dog, every morning is Christmas morning. Every walk is the best walk, every meal is the best meal. Take time every day to celebrate the many gifts that are hidden in the ordinary events of your life." Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer

How true it is! Our dog Sandy, loves and finds joy in the simplest things. From waiting on me to wake-up in the mornings, to looking forward to marching in the kids' rooms in the mornings to help wake them up, to that sniff of the fresh morning air when she first goes out in the mornings, to spending time following Mom around the house during the day as I do housework, to waiting in the afternoons for the sound of the garage door going up so that she can attack Dad when he comes home from work; the simplest things she finds joy in. Her love for me and our family is never ending, she gives love with wanting nothing in return. Although a treat sure is yummy to her at times or being able to sit in Mom or Dad's lap and at the end of the day when she gets to sleep on our bed when we turn in for the night!

So, like a dog, we too should take every day to celebrate the many gifts that are hidden in the ordinary events of our lives. Your family(immediate and long distance), your house, food, your car, your job, your friends, your Church. You get the picture. What about doing....what have you done for someone else lately? Or have you been to wrapped up in yourself to think of others? Lots of times family is the one thing that people put on the back burner......people wake-up and smell the coffee, family is the number one thing(besides God) that should be your top priority! It's sad, but so true, too many have families where the only time they hear from eachother is around the Holidays, how sad! Why is this? Too busy with everyday events in their ordinary lives to think about anyone else but themselves. Too busy, to pick up a phone a call someone just to say, "hello". What does this teach and show todays children? Morals and values that I learned when I was growing are becoming scarce these days. It makes me very sad and sick to my stomach to see how so many people are rearing their children. It bothers me to think that sooo many parents try to be "friends" with their children and not the parents. It bothers me not see families in Church worshipping together and praising the Lord. It bothers me when parents let their children walk all over them and the parents show no backbone! I remember hearing a parent say one time to their child, if you don't do so and so, I'm going to tell Santa not to come see you! Gee, what a thing to tell your child! Was that parent really going to follow through with their statement? Of course not! And you know that the child knew that too, so parents, just a little hint for you, don't tell your children things that you are not going to follow through with.

So today, stop and rejoice for all the simplest things in your life. And while you stop and ponder on them, thank God while you're at it!