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| Coco, Mae, Mikki and I in Tennessee |
God is amazing; there is none like him. Everything that God has created points to him, showing his majestic power and glory. In Psalm 19, God reveals to us that the universe, sky, and heaven itself testify God’s existence, craftsmanship, and infinite glory. In fact, it isn’t just the sky and heavens that show us his glory, but all of creation. I have been blessed with several dogs over the years, and they have given me such joy and unfailing love. Not only have my dogs been faithful companions, with some have assisted with my medical conditions, they also share some of God’s character. Recently during a migraine, I laid in bed thinking about all the good traits that each of my dogs personality had, and it dawned on me that each of my dogs have demonstrated Fruits of the Holy Spirit. I understand that the Holy Spirit does not live in dogs like He does in us believers because dogs are not made in the image of God. However, it makes perfect sense that God would give his animals different aspects of his personality because he is God and he declared all of creation “good” like he is good.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4 NIV
In the book of Galatians, God shares that there are nine fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. When we exhibit these fruits, it is the Holy Spirit at work within us because we cannot be Holy on our own due to sin. We are always learning throughout life and the Christian walk to surrender ourselves to Jesus and let him work in us instead of us doing things on our own. Animals do not have a sinful nature and they don’t have the Holy Spirit living inside of them. However, they are created by God who is also The Holy Spirit and Jesus, and because they were created by a perfect and loving creator, animals have characteristics of God himself. I believe he made animals with similarities to his character because he is a good God, and to reveal his character to us. I also believe that they can teach us how God wants us to live our lives, since they reflect their creator. Each of my dogs are special with their own personalities and ways they have been a blessing to me, and each have taught me many life lessons. I have had quite a few dogs now and each of them have one fruit in particular that embodies their personality. When I look at how each of them are so unique, each with their own personality, soul, and characteristics of God, I feel overjoyed with how good God is to bless me with such wonderful companions. I hope you find this a blessing too as you read on to see which of my dogs are like each fruit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Galatians 5:22-23 CSB NIV
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| Milky Way aka Mikki |
*~Joy~*
One of my heart dogs, Milky Way, is always overflowing with joy. When I thought I couldn’t love a dog as much as my first dog, and other heart dog, Luke, God proved me wrong. When I think of a perfect dog, Mikki is what comes to mind. Mikki is always content even if she doesn’t feel good, or if we can’t do much that day because I am sick with a migraine. Every morning when I wake up, Mikki gives me kisses and then dances as I get dressed and let them out. When she is playing fetch with me she is so happy. When she is alerting me to a migraine, or just sitting on her favorite pillow on the couch, she does it with joy. Her happiness is much deeper than just happiness because no matter the circumstance, she is content and knows that everything will be okay. A few years ago Mikki was sick a lot with bouts of pancreatitis, which is very excruciating. Despite being so sick, she still would manage to wag her tail and come over to me to kiss me. She loves to please me and she takes such great care of her other dog siblings. She loves being my service dog and she loves this life God has given her.
Of all my dogs, Mikki is the one who always has joy. The funny thing is out of all of the dogs I’ve had, Mikki is the one who brings me the most joy. I love all of my dogs dearly, but there is something about her (and Luke too) that is extra special. We just have a special connection that is God given. I believe God blessed me with her because he knew I needed a special best friend, especially after losing Luke so young. I also believe she is a gift to give us joy because God loves to bless his children with good things. As Christians, we are to be joyful in every circumstance because God has blessed us with so many things, and we have hope that our future will only get better because of eternity. However, because life is hard, we often lose sight of our hope in Christ and we let our current seasons in life take our joy away. If we cling to Jesus and remember he is our provider and that he only has good for us, we begin to become filled with joy that withstands the test of time.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV
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| Mae Mae |
*~Peace~*
Mabel aka Mae Mae loves to jump into our laps whenever we are stressed or sad, and as soon as she lays there, a strong feeling of peace overcomes us. Mae Mae is a very gentle dog that loves to be the peacemaker of the household, making sure that none of the other dogs are upset or causing any harm to each other. Mae Mae is content not being the leader of the pack, or even next in line. She doesn’t desire anymore than she already has and is truly at peace. Mae Mae doesn’t worry about what is going to happen tomorrow and she trusts that we are always going to take care of her and love her. In return, she wants us to remember that she loves us too and that more importantly, our heavenly father loves us and desires for us to have peace. God doesn’t want us to be at enmity with anyone, especially a christian brother or sister, nor does he want us to worry about life’s stressors and uncertainties. I believe he gave us Mae Mae as a special gift to show us his peace, and that her being a peaceful animal is her purpose in life.
I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety. Psalm 4:8 CSB
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| Marina aka Mimi |
*~Patience~*
My late dog Marina, lovingly called Mimi, was the most patient dog I’ve ever had. Mimi always let her sisters Mikki and Mae Mae have their way with her. She let them always have any toy and would play very gently with them. Mimi was also very patient when Maui wasn’t neutered yet and would constantly chase her around. She never got upset or snapped, she just would let him have his fun for a bit, before retreating to a cozy place on the couch. Mimi also had a secondary fruit of the spirit that she showed just as much as forbearance, and I will talk more about that later one. I miss my very sweet and patient girl. Out of all my dogs, she was one of the sweetest. I hate that I only had her a short few months, but I believe she was a gift to show us how patient God is with us, and I believe I will see her again in both heaven and the new earth. God desires for us to be patient with everyone we come in contact with, whether they are pleasant or not. He wants us to be patient with both our fellow brothers and sisters, as well as non-believers. Mimi was very good at showing us what patience should look like in our lives.
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 2 Timothy 2: 24-25 NLT
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Becca |
Self control is another fruit that most of my dogs have demonstrated at one point or another. Nevertheless, Becca (my first dog that unfortunately I only knew for one day) showed me just how God designed self control. I only had Becca in my possession for a few hours the day that I got her, yet she and I had such a strong bond and connection the moment I hugged her. She was a chihuahua feist mix and was about 20 pounds at 6 months, a little bit bigger than all of her younger dog siblings that have followed. I still remember like yesterday the ride to the vet to pick her up and finalize the adoption, the surreal feeling of seeing her face to face, having her run up to me, and finally having a precious dog to call my own. She had beautiful brown fur and such a sweet face, and she looked like she smiled when I hugged her on the way home. My former best friend dropped us off at my parents house once we got back into town, and I introduced her to my parents and the cats. The cats ran up to her, but she didn’t move; she just let them examine her patiently. After meeting my parents, my mom took us to my grandma’s house so that she could meet my grandparents and the rest of the family. Looking back now, I realize that it is a lot for a puppy to meet so many people the first day they come home, but despite that she enjoyed every minute of it.
Becca showed immense self control on the leash as we walked past squirrels and cars when we walked around my grandma’s neighborhood. I was so surprised that a puppy could ignore distractions so well. Even inside of a few other homes we visited that day, she showed self control off the leash. Becca only wanted to be around me and she wasn’t concerned with getting into all the exciting sights and smells. She was even yelled at for getting near the trash when greeting someone, and instead of freaking out, she simply backed away and came back to my side. She really was an amazing dog and I am tearing up writing this because if you’ve read other blogs of mine, you know that day was the only day I would share with her because she was harmed by someone I trusted dearly for 11 years of my life, someone I thought was like family to me. Becca did not deserve her life to come to such a tragic ending, and the only thing that brings me comfort is knowing she is with Jesus now and that we will be united again. I’ll never understand why things had to happen the way they did, but what I do know is that she taught me that a dog is what I needed in my life because they have a special type of love, the closest type of love we can find to God the fathers love for us. She also showed me that self control doesn’t mean hating not being able to do certain things. Rather, self control means being content with what we are supposed to do and not caring about things that don’t concern us. Having self control means being satisfied and pleased with the boundaries God has given us.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:11-12 NIV
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| Coco is the chocolate one. She doesn't pose for many pics |
*~Kindness~*
Almost every dog I’ve ever cared for has been kind to both my husband and I, as well as everyone else. However, when I think of someone extending kindness to each and every person they encounter, the way Christ would want us to, Coco is who comes to mind. Coconut aka Coco is the last dog we added to our pack back during the summer of the start of the pandemic. She is both the latest addition as well as the oldest dog of the pack as she is a retired breeding dog. Coco didn’t have the best start to her life; she was passed around from multiple breeders and bred back to back. On top of that, the first person who bred her debarked her, so her bark is very squeaky and small. As a result of her less than ideal life, Coco also has intense generalized doggy anxiety and OCD/ picca. Despite her anxiety and how she was treated by humans, Coco has a special kindness that radiates from her heart that she shows everyone she meets. Coco loves to give kisses to everyone she sees and she will gladly hop into their lap if they let her. When we travel, Coco says hi to everyone and she is fond of children just like her sister Mae Mae. This past summer while we were in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Coco gave a hug to a young girl who approached the stroller while we were eating outside of a restaurant. Usually, Coco only reserves hugs for her daddy and I, but she must have felt a special connection to the sweet young girl and didn’t want to let her go when her parents told her they had to keep walking. I was filled with joy watching her bond with that girl and I felt that God was using Coco right then to show that girl kindness and fill her with joy.
All of my dogs are friendly to people (except Petra, who sometimes is standoffish at first), but none of them love people and even other dogs the way Coco does. The only people she doesn’t show kindness to are my parents' cats haha. The Lord desires for us to show kindness to everyone we encounter regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, personality, looks, etc. Jesus desires that none shall perish and that all would accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. One way to share the gospel and the love of Jesus is to treat others with kindness. We also are called to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with love and kindness as well. Coco reminds us daily that we are to show kindness even when we have been wronged because everyone needs the love of Jesus. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 NIV Coco is a special gift that shows God's unfailing kindness toward us, and she even has one of the illnesses I struggle with, so we can relate to each other in a special way.
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| Petra |
*~Goodness~*
Once again, all of my dogs show goodness, but this one in particular goes to Petra. Petra is a chiweenie, the baby of our pack, that we rescued in summer 2019. Petra originally had pneumonia before I adopted her from running around the streets in California as a puppy. When I met her, she had been transported all the way to my home state, and was one of five dogs up for adoption that I could choose from. We spent time with each dog, but my heart was already set on Petra from the moment I saw her picture, and she confirmed she was the one by being the only dog to come up to me on their own, while gently licking my foot. Robbie was interested in a chihuahua puppy at first, but when I went to pick up the puppy he had been playing with, she attacked me, which was a huge no for us. Robbie then spent time with Petra and the rest is history. The rescue thought Petra was a two year old dog, but we quickly realized she was a young puppy as she was still growing quickly. Just a week after bringing her home I was crazy enough to bring her along to our first trip to Tennessee for our 3 year wedding anniversary and I was worried I would be in over my head, but she did phenomenal. She loved the cabin and hiking with us. She did have a little bit of separation anxiety at night, but she quickly calmed down since she had Maui to share her bed with. Petra was quite mischievous as a puppy, and still is to this day. She is very much still a puppy in that she loves to play bite and wrestle with you any chance she gets, but she no longer tries to constantly get into things. For a puppy, she was pretty easy just like Mikki. She knew where to potty right away and she only had one or two accidents. She also learned quickly the rules of the house.
Petra is such a good gift from God because she knows how to lift my spirits whenever I am having a bad day from my chronic illnesses, or am stressed about finances. She knows when to be a wild child, but she actually is also a natural alerter to my migraines and anxiety as well. I needed Petra desperately when I first began having migraines daily and felt depressed and stuck in life. Petra always shows God’s goodness to me everyday by being just what I need to make me smile and laugh. Besides being a fun companion, Petra is my loyal protector too. Once a year later I was almost attacked by a pit bull mix dragging their owner down the street. I was going to protect my dogs from it, but Petra lunged back at it and got in front of me. Thankfully, someone was able to tackle the dog and we were all safe. But, Petra earned a special place in my heart that day for knowing she would even give her life for me, just like Jesus gave his life for us. God is a good God and he chooses to show us his goodness everyday. The gift of Petra, is one of countless times God has shown how good he is to me.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 NIV
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| Luke Bryan as a puppy |
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| Luke Bryan |
*~Faithfulness~*
I rescued Luke Bryan, my first dog, when I was about to enter my senior year of college. Luke was your typical puppy in that he loved to chew on things like my underwear or laptop cord when I wasn’t looking, he loved playing, and going on adventures by the river and on campus. I knew from the moment I met him that he was going to be a special dog, but I didn’t realize how much I would grow to need him. Luke was my trick dog and he learned quickly to dance, walk on his hind legs, growl on command, bark on command, roll over, and many other things. He was a charming sweet dog that loved everyone, but I was his favorite person, followed by my dad and Robbie. While senior year was one of my favorite years of college because of my classes, my roommates, my then boyfriend now husband Robbie, my job, and the extracurriculars I was in, Luke is what made my year all the more special. Luke was there for me for the high moments such as me developing a close friendship with one of my roommates and excelling at my last Journalism classes. He was there when Robbie and I would spend time together watching movies or going on hikes. He and I walked together every morning to start my day off right, shared lunch together in between classes and work, and played each evening. Luke also was there for me when depression and anxiety first began to rear their ugly heads and I felt as if no one could understand me. Luke made sure I was comforted and felt safe when my ex began stalking me and threatening my safety. Luke was constantly by my side, and that was only the beginning of his faithfulness.
The following year I was starting grad school and planning a wedding. Everything was going great except my anxiety was so bad that I was having panic attacks multiple times a day. After speaking with a therapist, it was recommended that I see if Luke had the temperament to be my service dog, or if I needed to save money to get one through a program. I wasn’t sure that he had what it took because he started out as a shy, anxious puppy himself, but I was wrong. Luke faithfully learned everything I needed him to learn from alerting to anxious behaviors, to assisting mid panic attack. Luke loved learning how to be my service dog and he blessed me with the ability to get my life back. Within just a few months of training he could go anywhere with me and did great in public. He could walk off leash on a busy campus, stay put from 100 feet away, and lived to please me. Luke was faithful just like God is with us because no matter what Luke was there for me and his love and commitment to my well being never waivered. I was beyond heartbroken when I found out he was dying of kidney disease December 2017, just two weeks after my uncle passed. Until the moment he passed, Luke remained a faithful service dog and companion. At that point he had helped me through almost all of grad school, first year and a half of marriage, and helped welcome Mikki as next in command. I know for sure that Luke was sent to show me God’s faithfulness, and to show me how we are to be faithful to God and whatever mission he has for us in this life. I will forever miss Luke, but I know he and I will be reunited again one day. And I can’t even fathom losing Mikki one day because she is just as special to me.
The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. Psalm 111 :7-8 NIV
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| Leia the 2nd |
*~Gentleness~*
When I think of someone who models the way God wants us to be gentle, three dogs come to mind: Mikki, Mimi, and Leia (my first pomeranian). Mikki is one of the most gentle souls I have been blessed to know. Mikki is the leader of the dogs, yet despite being in that role she is so gentle with how she handles each of them. When one needs correcting, she very gently nips at them or growls, followed by giving them kisses to let them know that she still loves them. Mikki also grooms each of the dogs multiple times a day, and will comfort Coco if she is having an anxious day. When it comes to humans, Mikki is gentle with how she approaches people. She carefully climbs onto you if she wants affection and she would never growl or bite anyone. Even when she gets excited playing sometimes, her bites have no pressure to them. Mimi was also a very gentle good natured dog. Mimi too would never hurt anyone and she was very calm with how she approached people. She loved to cuddle and she loves to play too, but she made sure to always be careful not to accidentally get you with her teeth when giving you a toy or taking it from you. Mimi let her sisters run the show and she never fought back for anything. Leia did not play with toys, but she would gently ask to be placed in your lap. Leia was a very happy go lucky dog, but she was afraid of Luke and that is why we couldn’t keep her. The time I had her though was special and it was her sweet and gentle disposition that made me want another pomeranian. God brought Leia into my life because without her, I would have never gotten Mikki as she came from the same person. She was only meant to be in my life for a season, but she also led me to a friend who needed her more than I did, and gave me an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with this new friend.
God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. Matthew 5:5 NLT
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| Maui |
* ~Love~ *
All of my dogs do a wonderful job of loving me unconditionally just like God himself does and I think this is the best thing about dogs; they truly show us what agape love looks like. Sometimes it can be hard to remember that God loves us when hardships come our way or when we sin and we feel God could never forgive us. But when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, every sin is wiped clean. Every sin past, present, and future, and God’s love never stops. Our dogs will always love us no matter what and I can’t think of a better species to demonstrate God’s unfailing love. Of Course all animals can love us, and I have been loved dearly by cats in my life too, but for me there is something extra special about a dog's love.
My girls show their love to me each in their own way. Mikki is my sidekick and is always ready to alert me to my health conditions. She loves to be on my lap or in my arms constantly and she gives me kisses all throughout the day. Petra can be a bit more shy with her affection, but she shows it in the little kisses she sneaks in when we’re cuddling, her play bites, and the fact that she was willing to die for me when we were almost attacked by another dog a few years ago. She was willing to die for me without a second thought because of her love for me, just like Jesus died for our sins because of his love for us. By the way, I made sure Petra was protected despite her eagerness to protect me that time. Coco shows her love by giving me big hugs when she jumps into my lap and a never ending supply of kisses until I gently let her know I’ve had my fill for the time being haha. She also is another one of mine who loves to be held like a baby, and I’m beginning to think it is a Pomeranian thing because those two are my biggest cuddlers. Mae Mae shows love by coming over to lay in my lap when I watch TV, and to lick my face whenever I am sad. Daddy is her favorite, and she shows him love by making sure he laughs on his hardest days by jumping on his face and licking him. She also wags her entire body until he picks her up.
Luke showed his love in how he never left my side, not even for a minute, and his loyalty to helping me with my health conditions. Leia the first showed her love to be my being obedient and submitting to me, despite her territorial aggression she had when anyone else came near my husband. She was really gentle with me, and loved to walk calmly on the leash with me and to be petted. Leia the second showed her love with kisses and always wanting to howl to make us laugh. Maui showed love by laying next to me when he wasn’t playing with the other dogs. Mimi showed love by her gentle disposition and how she loved to rub her body against me like a cat while giving kisses. Mimi was a very timid dog, but she let me know I was her world. Becca showed her love to me by instantly being attached to me, listening so well, and wanting to sit by my side. I really hate what happened to Becca, but I know she is with the Lord waiting to see me again one day.
All of my dogs have shown me unconditional love every single day. They do anything to get me to smile and they make sure that I am never alone. They are affectionate no matter how I look, what mistakes I have made, or how much money I have. They are selfless and loyal. They are faithful and kind. They are good. Dogs really imitate God’s nature and his love for us. I really believe that is why God designed dogs. He wanted to show us his love in a way that man cannot. Dogs love deeper than humans and God has given us a lot of things to demonstrate his love for us, such as marriage. However, unlike marriage, which ends after we pass, I believe dogs are forever. I believe that they go to Heaven and then will live in eternity on the new earth with us because they play such a huge role in our lives, and because they are a good creation of God’s. Also, God always planned for us to live with animals since before the fall of man. When everything is made perfect and new again, our dogs will be there by our side to experience life the way God intended forevermore.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NIV
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